The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White (Camelot Rising book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Guinevere Deception, and The Camelot Betrayal, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first two books.

“While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her.

Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war.

Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past...even if it means destroying herself.

Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the book in which we finally find out who exactly Guinevere is and who she will choose. She questions everything and everyone in her circle. Unfortunately, this story just dragged on for me. And the ending, I am not really sure about it. Guinevere decides who she wants to be but everyone’s future is left dangling.

Visit Kiersten White’s website.

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White (Camelot Rising book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Guinevere Deception, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Why after being so slow in the beginning did the sucker punch of the entire series occur at the end? I enjoyed delving deeper into this twist on the Arthurian legend as Guinevere struggles to uncover the secrets surrounding Camelot and her own identity. The cliffhanger ending and betrayals revealed will leave the reader clamoring for the final book in this trilogy.

The Camelot Rising trilogy concludes on December 7, 2021 with The Excalibur Curse.

Visit Kiersten White’s website.

Guinevere Rising by Kiersten White (Camelot Rising book 1)

“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?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I love delving into this re-imagining of the Arthurian legend. The author put some unique twists to the story and the characters that I really don't want to get into so as not to spoil all of the surprises. Guinevere and the reader discover what is going on in and around Camelot at about the same time. This book really sets up the characters, background, and basic plot points that will drive this trilogy forward.

Book two, The Camelot Betrayal, is due out on November 10, 2020.

Visit Kiersten White's website.