Review of The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

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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?"

My Review:  I absolutely loved White's And I Darken series, so when I found out she was releasing the first book in a new trilogy revolving around Arthurian legends, it quickly jumped to the top of my most anticipated books of the year. For some reason I found it a little difficult to stay focused on this book, I think that had a lot to do with the time of year I read it (in the midst of holiday prep). We did kick off the book with a couple of surprising twists right off the bat, something you can always count on from White. Having been at least pretty familiar with several different takes on the legends of King Arthur, I was surprised with how easily White was able to make me fall in love with a character that I knew would become a betrayer. I kept waiting for that other shoe to drop, but once I finally decided she would take things in a different direction, bam she hit me with it (and it hurt way more than expected). I loved all the crazy twists that were thrown at us, such unique takes on the legends we are familiar with. It was a bit slow with not as much action as you would expect but it was definitely worth it in the end and I cannot wait for the next book!

My Rating: I wish I had been able to focus on this story more because it was really interesting and the twists that just kept coming were amazing.  I definitely think I will try to re-read this again, maybe with an audio book. Either way I am highly anticipating the next book and give this one a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. The above is my honest review and opinion.

To find out more about Kiersten White and her books check out her Goodreads page or Website.

The Guinevere Deception was just released on November 5th so you can now pick up your own copy in print or digital format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or request it at your local bookstore or library!