Sophie Reads YA: Kiersten White

Waiting on Wednesday: The Excalibur Curse (Camelot Rising #3) by Kiersten White

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2020 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White

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The Guinevere Deception
Series: Camelot Rising #1
Author: Kiersten White
Published November 5th 2019 by Delacorte Press

Goodreads Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?
Goodreads

Review
I have always been interested in Arthurian legend, and hand't really considered this book when it was first released, but as more and more reviews came in, I decided to give it a go. The Guinevere Deception follows our heroine, who is pretending to be Guinevere in order to help Arthur fight magic. After Arthur had defeated the Dark Queen, all magic was forbidden in Camelot, and Merlin was banished. However, there are still dark forces out to harm Arthur, so Merlin organises for his 'daughter' to replace the dead Guinevere, and use her magic to save him. Now, Guinevere needs to fit in to her new role as queen, while also practising her magic in secret, making sure no one, and especially not Arthur's nephew, Mordred, see her.

I found this book a little slow to get into, but once I had, I was hooked. I loved Guinevere - I really want to know what her real name is too - and she was perfect as the narrator for this story. She had been moulded into a certain type of person by Merlin, and couldn't remember anything from before she was with him, but fit to her new role perfectly. She struggled with certain aspects of queenhood, such as being surrounded by people all the time, but being able to protect her husband was what she was made to do. I liked Arthur too, and felt his characterisation was right for how he's described in the legends, being honourable and caring completely about his knights and his people. Some people may be bothered by the hint of a love triangle in this - and not the one you would be expecting - but I think it'll be a good plot point rather than something to detract from the story.

The magical aspect, I think, could've been developed a little further, but I reckon it will be in book 2. I have a lot of questions going forward, but none so much that it ruined the reading of this book; just enough to keep me interested in reading on further. I'll definitely be reading The Camelot Betrayal when it's released.

Dates Read:

May 18-21, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

Kiersten White

Waiting On Wednesday: The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising #2) by Kiersten White

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3 Stars

ARC Review: And I Darken (The Conquerors Saga #1) by Kiersten White

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And I Darken
Series: The Conquerors Saga #1
Author: Kiersten White
Published July 7th 2016 by Corgi Childrens

Goodreads Synopsis

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Like most other people, I was dying to get my hands on this book. A retelling of Vlad the Impaler - who's actually a girl - sounded like the best novel ever. Lada Dracul is the daughter of Vlad, and knows that her sex automatically makes her worthless to him. She'll do anything to prove that she is as strong as he is, and a better heir than any of his sons, particularly better than Radu. Because of this, her relationship with younger brother Radu has always been problematic, but it grows worse as the book progresses. The politics of the world leads of Vlad having to leave his children in the Ottoman Empire as prisoners. While they're there, they meet the sultan's son, Mehmed, and though Lada hates in on principle, she falls for him as time progressed.

One thing I disliked about this book was how slow it was. It took me three weeks to get through, and I'll tell you, there were many times I thought about just DNFing it, because I wasn't connecting. For the first book in the series, it was dry, as it set the scene. And, it went through a lot of time jumps, so I don't really know how the rest of the series will go.

Lada was an interesting character. There were times I liked her, and times I found her so, so annoying. The time period that this book is based in is my favourite to study, so I understood her issues with her gender and lack of opportunities, but felt she sometimes went a bit too far. Radu was a bit wet, and it took a long time to grow to him. I did like him, but wouldn't say I loved him. Same with Mehmed, tbh. All the characters had some positive things about them, but also negative aspects.

I did enjoy the book, but definitely didn't love it. I'm glad I read it, but I sometimes think I must've read a completely different book from all the 5 star reviews I've seen. I'll probably read book 2, but don't think I'll be in a hurry to do so.

Dates Read:
August 3-23, 2016

Rating
3 Stars