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I’ve always been a sucker for any Merlin/Arthur stories, so when this new exploration of the kingdom of Camelot appeared, written by Kiersten White, no less, I had little choice but to check it out.
In this story, Guinevere is dead, but no one knows that: Merlin has put a protegee of his in the princess’s place to wed the young Arthur and keep him safe in a Camelot that has banished magic. This secretly magical Guinevere feels out of place in her new home, unused to city living and certainly not familiar with being watched all the time. She is trying to adjust to the strangeness of being a queen in name, even if she doesn’t feel she is truly Arthur’s wife, since her mission is simply to protect him with the minor magic she possesses (compared with the powerful magic her mentor wields). She is constantly on the lookout for any threats to the king and any possibility that she may be exposed.
At the same time, larger threats than she or anyone imagines may be lurking beneath the surface of this bright and promising kingdom. How can one young woman with limited magical abilities be a match for what’s on the horizon?
The Guinevere Deception is an enjoyable revisiting of the world of Arthur and Merlin. It not only portrays the story from the viewpoint of a rare female character, but it empowers her, not with strong dark magic or legendary beauty, but with the opportunity to find herself and her own particular talents and gifts and to try to make things better around her. The story has romance and friendship and intrigue and is a pleasure to sink into.
I didn’t know going in that this would be the start of a series, but by the end I was pleased to know I’d be able to come back to the story.
Rated: Mild, for occasional instances of mild and moderate language (the latter of which is mostly bodily function-related), some kissing and tame references to supposed “wedding night” intimacies (which don’t actually happen), and some violence.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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