The Guinevere Deception
Kiersten White
4/5
I love retellings, they're so fun and I love to see how authors can twist things around. I loved Kiersten White's other books and I was so excited when I heard another, especially being a fan of Merlin and all. I wasn't disappointed, this story twists Arthurian legend without destroying it, it's a beautiful manipulation. Guinevere is sent to marry Arthur at the request of Merlin, she is the best way of protecting him from the magic which Merlin feels is threatening him. Guinevere has magic of her own, she's fiercely loyal and dedicated to her new husband and to saving their kingdom from darkness.
The women in Arthurian legend did not get enough attention for me to have been satisfied by it. I love how it's twisted here, Guinevere being an impostor posing as a foreign royal. But what I love more is that Arthur is in on the scheme, she has allies, she isn't hiding from everyone. It was the start of a strong relationship that I could fully support and encourage, they helped each other.
I didn't like the ending all that much. I thought it could have been done better, it felt so abrupt and anti-climatic compared to the rest of the novel. There were a few scenes that had awkward timing for me, there wasn't enough build-up to justify what was happening. Even saying that, it couldn't stop me from loving the characters and their adventures.
White takes liberties, she changes genders and ages and powers, and it makes everything so much more interesting. I would totally recommend this, it's not as heavy as And I Darken and the characters don't make me as angry, it's the perfect balance.
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