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![The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising Trilogy Book 2) by [Kiersten White]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5113nnqiZ3L._SY346_.jpg)
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The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising Trilogy Book 2) Kindle Edition
Kiersten White
(Author)
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Reading age12 years and up
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherDelacorte Press
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Publication date10 November 2020
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ISBN-13978-0525581710
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Product description
Review
“The Camelot Betrayal is a phenomenal read…This story continues to have this powerful subtlety to it that is addicting and evocative, with the added bonus of romance and betrayal.”--The Nerd Daily
“If you’re familiar with the Arthurian legends, you’ll be delighted in the ways White has taken hold of the classic characters and twisted them into her own versions.”--SYFY Wire
“Another dazzling fantasy tale by White, filled with exhilarating adventures, intrigue, and strong female characters; a powerful addition to any teen literary collection."--School Library Journal
“[A] refreshingly feminist new spin on the world of Arthurian legend"--Culturess
Praise for THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION:
"An enjoyable and even thoughtful entry into a mythos that has obsessed us for generations." —NPR
“Spellbinding,… Unique and refreshing” —Hypable
“A fresh take on Camelot . . . this should be another hit.” —Booklist
“Readers will be dying to fill in the gaps of Guinevere’s memory and to continue the atmospheric adventure in this Arthurian retelling.” —Bulletin --This text refers to the library edition.
About the Author
kierstenwhite.com
@kierstenwhite on Twitter --This text refers to the library edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
Guinevere’s room was dark, night more a cloak than the bed curtains she never drew. The dream clung like smoke, so real that she expected to find the surrounding stone newly carved and running with water.
She put a trembling hand to the wall behind her, fingers curled by dread that she would find the carvings there, fresh and recognizable. But they were only hints of memories beneath her fingers. The castle was as it had been since she arrived: ancient and worn with the passage of unknowable time.
Yet she could not escape the feel of that fall, air rushing around her, knowing what would meet her at the bottom. She climbed out of bed and pulled on her robe. Brangien shifted softly in the corner, lost in her own dreams with her beloved Isolde. Listening to her, Guinevere realized a horrible truth.
She should not be able to dream at all.
She had used knot magic to give all her dreams to Brangien for weeks now. Ever since her captivity at the hands of Maleagant, ever since Merlin had pushed her out of the dreamspace that connected them, ever since she was tricked by Mordred into giving the fairy Dark Queen physical form once more, ever since she chose to return to Camelot instead of escaping--no, not escaping, running away--with Mordred, she had had no desire to dream. Which meant that whatever dream she just had . . . it was not her own.
As she hurried through the night-black secret passage against the mountain that connected her room to Arthur’s, she folded her arms around herself, unwilling to touch the stone again. Distrustful of it. She was awake enough now to check that every knot she was connected to was still in place. The knot on the door to the secret tunnel entrance into Camelot that only she, Arthur, and Mordred knew about. The knot on her own door, her own windows, every way that the fairy queen--or her grandson, Mordred--might access Guinevere.
Nothing. Everything was as she had left it, all protections in place. Which terrified her even more.
She opened the door to Arthur’s room and drew aside the tapestry. She half expected him to be sitting at his table, writing letters or reading them, his candle merely a pool of wax and a flickering wick. That was how she found him most nights. But his room was dark.
“Arthur?” she whispered, moving toward his bed. There was a rustle of blankets, and then quick movements and the telltale hiss of a sword being unsheathed--along with the swirling sickness and overwhelming dread that hit her whenever she was near Excalibur.
“Put it away!” she gasped.
“Guinevere?”
She could not hear over the pounding in her ears, but she could feel as soon as Excalibur was once again in its sheath. She tripped against the bed and turned to sit on it. The shaking was coming, violent trembling that no amount of heat could warm away.
“Sorry.” Arthur pulled her next to him. He tucked the blankets over them both, holding her close as though he could stop her shaking by his strength alone. “I was not awake. It is always my first response these days, ever since . . .”
He did not finish. Neither of them needed him to. They had both watched the Dark Queen emerge, a creeping nightmare made real with the flesh of a thousand beetles, twisting roots, and Guinevere’s own blood. She did not question why Arthur’s reaction to being startled awake would be to seize their one true defense against that abomination.
“What did you need?” He brushed her hair from the pillow so that he could lie as close to her as possible.
“I had a dream,” she whispered to the darkness. It felt further away, less important now that he was holding her.
“A bad dream?”
“I should not have dreams at all. I knotted them away.” She had not told him about what she was doing for Brangien, or why. That was Brangien’s secret to keep or to reveal, not Guinevere’s. And with magic banned in Camelot, she would not risk her friend’s safety.
Arthur hmmed thoughtfully. They were so close that she could feel the vibrations in his chest. “Perhaps the knot came undone? Maybe you did not do the magic right?”
“Maybe.” Guinevere wanted to agree. It would be easier, safer, simpler if that were the case. But she did not think it was. There had been something so visceral about the dream. It was a dream with purpose, a dream with intent. And it had not been her own dream, of that she was certain. But . . . could she be certain? Her mind had been tampered with--holes created and holes filled by Merlin, whether or not he meant to. How could she say what her mind would dream?
“Do you ever feel like you do not know yourself?” she whispered.
Arthur was quiet for a long time. Finally, he answered, his voice gentle. “No. Though there are parts of myself I wish I did not have to know. Why? Do you feel that way?”
“All the time.”
Arthur settled, one arm around her, his hand next to her head, stroking her hair. The fight had left his body and she could feel him moving back toward sleep. Arthur was ready at a moment’s notice to face any threat, but he was also very good at accepting a threat was not there and releasing whatever was coiled to strike. She envied that ability. She had constant tension from her magic knotted into the rooms and surrounding city, and even if that had not been the case, she found herself perpetually mulling over the figurative knots of her life and her choices, checking for weaknesses, for where she could have done better.
“This is a problem I can help with,” Arthur said. “I know you very well. You are kind. You are clever. You have far more a sense of humor than any princess could.”
“But I am not a princess.”
“No, but you are a queen.” She could hear his smile. His arm around her was comfortingly heavy, her trembling almost past. “You are strong. You are brave. You are quite short.”
She laughed, poking him in the side. “That is not a character trait.”
“No? Hmm.”
She felt him drifting further away, back to sleep.
“You are Guinevere,” he murmured, and then his breathing went soft and even.
She wished with a ferocious longing that any of it were true.
Chapter Two
It had been a long summer, and autumn was only beginning to appear with a hint of chill in the evenings and the promise of work to come. Guinevere understood things like harvests now, how much went into them, how vital they were. A good harvest was the difference between a comfortable winter and a deadly one. With a city as large as Camelot, already they were preparing. As queen, she had taken over Mordred’s role in keeping track of supplies and making certain everything was ready. And riding all over the countryside taking stock of the harvest and speaking with farmers gave her an excuse to search for evidence of the Dark Queen’s seeping reach.
Guinevere had wards set in Camelot; she would know if a threat arrived on their shores. But she wanted to know long before then. She would not be caught off guard. No one would trick her, ever again.
“Should we check the perimeter of the forest?” Lancelot asked. They had just finished with one of the farthest tracts of land. Guinevere was hot and itchy in her dress, layers of bold blue and red. She envied Brangien her simpler clothing. But Guinevere was out here as the queen, and she had to look the part. Lancelot, too, looked the part. Her armor was no longer patchwork. She wore uniform leather with metal plates over chain mail and a tunic with Arthur’s sigil on it. Guinevere missed Lancelot’s old armor, though she was glad Lancelot no longer had to wear a mask.
Brangien looked longingly over her shoulder in the direction of Camelot, but offered no complaint. Only Brangien, Lancelot, and Sir Tristan could accompany Guinevere on these trips. They alone knew that she wielded magic. If word reached anyone else, everything would be at risk.
Arthur rode with them when he could, but it was not often. Guinevere preferred it that way. Though normally she longed for more time with him, the Dark Queen was her fault. Her responsibility.
“Yes.” Guinevere guided her horse toward the dark smudge of trees waiting meekly on the edge of the tamed land. Elsewhere the forests loomed and lurked, dominating the countryside. But in Camelot’s boundaries the trees had been felled, and where not felled, tamed. They were gentler forests, there to serve man.
Guinevere’s sleeves rubbed at her wrists, where she bore thin white tracings of scars from trees that were old and hungry and angry.
“Did you sleep well?” Brangien asked, riding at her side. Her tone was so deliberately even and pleasant that Guinevere immediately knew she was fishing for information. Brangien was never pleasant without a reason. Guinevere had not slept in her own bed, and her friend and maid wanted to know about it.
Alas. As always, sleeping in Arthur’s bed had simply been sleeping. Guinevere had awoken to find herself alone. She always woke alone. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if he stayed. If, warm and muddled with sleep, he reached for her in something other than companionship. If they shared a kiss as fierce as the one Mordred had stolen the night Lancelot won her tournament.
“Is that a blush I detect?” Brangien teased.
Guinevere yanked her mind back from where it had wandered. That was the treacherous path that had led her to the fairy queen’s meadow. A path with clever smiles and eyes like the pools of green shadow beneath a tree. Mordred had not been the one to abduct her, but he had used her to hurt Arthur. And he had hurt her, too. Guinevere would not forget it. “I will let you know when there is something to blush about,” she told Brangien.
Brangien frowned at Guinevere’s curt tone, but Guinevere could not explain. “Did you dream with Isolde last night?” she asked instead, remembering her own disturbing dream and Arthur’s suggestion that her knot magic giving away her own dreams had failed.
“Yes.” This time Brangien blushed, a dreamy smile on her face.
That was not good news. It made Guinevere’s odd dream even more puzzling and worrisome. It would need to be addressed, and she hated anticipating how Brangien would take the news. So much of magic was about taking--power, control, even memories--but with Brangien and the dreams Guinevere had been able to give.
Guinevere hurried toward the trees, pulling away from her companions. It was a problem for tonight. She did not have to think about it now, not while she was out here. She wanted to reclaim the sense of peace she found in wild lands. Though Camelot was home now, she had grown up in a forest.
Once again her mind halted. Had she grown up in a forest? She had mere handfuls of memories, and if her last visit to Merlin was any indication, they were not accurate. The cottage she remembered sweeping was a ruin, uninhabited for decades. How could she have lived in a place that was unlivable?
Lancelot had caught up to her. She was subtle about it, but Guinevere’s knight never let her too far out of reach.
“How much do you remember of your childhood?” Guinevere asked.
“My childhood?”
“Your teeth.”
“My teeth?”
There had been a conversation at a market with Brangien and Mordred. They seemed confused that Guinevere did not remember losing her first teeth to make way for her second teeth. She repressed a shudder at having to once again acknowledge the fact that all children with their tiny pearls of teeth had other, bigger teeth, lurking beneath the surface, waiting to burst free. “When did you lose them?”
Lancelot had a hint of laugh in her voice. “I would imagine at the normal times? My first was before my mother--” Lancelot broke off. Her father had been killed serving Uther Pendragon, Arthur’s tyrant father. And while she had never specified how her mother had died, it had driven her to pursue vengeance and then knighthood with singular intensity. “My two front teeth I bashed out falling from a tree. It took quite a while for them to grow in. I had a lisp.”
“Were you teased?”
“Never more than once.” Lancelot smiled at the memory.
Guinevere envied her both the ability to defend herself even as a child and the memories of those events. She was hungry for a past, for some way to fill the emptiness she found when she tried to excavate her own history from memories. In the magical dream where she had connected herself to Merlin to look for him, walking back through her life, she had hit a certain point and found . . . nothing.
A void. Wiped clean. It did not feel clean, though. It felt like a violation, and filled her with shame. She cleared her throat and continued, wanting Lancelot to talk. To distract her. “Where did you go after you lost your parents? You have never told me much about that.”
Lancelot’s smile faded and something closed in her face. Lancelot was never dishonest, but there was a hint of evasiveness in the way she changed the subject. “We should focus. What are we looking for in the trees?”
Guinevere pulled her horse to an abrupt stop, dread and an odd sense of triumph warring in her breast as she looked at what should have been an orderly line of trees and found a riot of enormous, twisted oaks, draped with vines that rustled and reached in the dead, windless air. “That,” she whispered.
“We should wait for the king.” Lancelot eyed the trees warily, sword drawn and held ready. Guinevere did not know whether Lancelot could feel it the way she could--the way the air felt like a breath being held, the sense that if she whipped around fast enough, she would catch the trees moving--but it was clear Lancelot could feel the threat.
They had left their horses outside the forest with Brangien while Sir Tristan dashed madly for Camelot and Arthur.
“I came back to help Arthur in the fight against the Dark Queen. This is that fight.” Guinevere crouched, resting a hand against the dirt beneath them. Her fingers dug in. The soil was hard and unbroken, and it compacted beneath her fingernails. A worm wriggled by and brushed her skin.
Not a worm.
--This text refers to the library edition.Product details
- ASIN : B084V8G19H
- Publisher : Delacorte Press (10 November 2020)
- Language : English
- File size : 5688 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 376 pages
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Best Sellers Rank:
#313,910 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #313,910 in Kindle eBooks
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Top review from India
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Content Warnings for the book: physical abuse, emotional abuse, violence, and misogyny
Representation: two sapphic side characters (in a relationship with each other), bisexual main character (confirmed by the author)
I absolutely adored the Guinevere Deception. Its sequel was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020, and it did not disappoint. While the first book was about Guinevere facing the outward dangers of Camelot, this book made her look inward – creating circumstances and obstacles for her that required her to not just rely on her magic, but also her will power and inner strength. Although it did take me some time to understand the ~vibe~ of this book; when I did indeed get it, it made me shed many a tear and reflect on my own self. In other words, it was a wonderful experience that I did not see coming, but really liked.
I really liked how this book built and somewhat confirmed the theories I had formed and then made me doubt them. It was at once frustrating and enjoyable. Frustrating because I felt outsmarted and enjoyable because it never once dropped in ball in trying to amaze its readers. I admired how this managed to be consistent with always having its focus on Guinevere. Which is what sets this series apart from other Arthurian retellings, the fact that it is about Guinevere, the queen who was relegated to being a wife and the object of desire of a great knight. The book constantly reminds me why I loved the first in this series, because of how it changed the characterisation of Guinevere and Lancelot. Making them both fierce women, with skills to be dangerous and giving them both baggage that brought them together.
Although, I was kind of disappointed that a romance between Lancelot and Guinevere did not develop, it was also a sort of relief. Since, it was really interesting to see Guinevere trying to navigate her feelings for both Arthur and Mordred. The book made these feelings complicated, rather than giving them simple designations like good or bad. And it carried this same instinct to other characters and mythical stories in its world. Although it had established certain well known characters from Arthurian myths – such as Merlin, Morgan Le Fey and the Lady of the Lake – through stories and appearances in the last book, it changed the lens we looked them through.
I found it to be immensely intriguing to see Guinevere constantly question everything – the truth of her being, her feelings for Arthur and Mordred, her wild and destructive magic, her place in the court and Camelot. This book was character driven as well as plot driven, and I found that to be an incredible strength that I could not resist. I also liked the contrast it set up with problems that Guinevere faced as a person, as a witch and as a queen The introduction of Guinevach, the sister to Princess Guinevere was a really fun obstacle to encounter.
My only complaint is that up until a certain point in the book, it felt very lackluster. It managed to pick itself up pretty soon and became very enjoyable, but it felt like it had a false start. But I loved this book and am eagerly looking forward to the next! The ending was really unexpected and mysterious and I can’t wait to find out more.
Top reviews from other countries

The Camelot Betrayal is the sequel to The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White. Continuing with the fantasy retelling of King Arthur, I enjoyed this book even better than the first. There were some questions I had after the first book that were answered in this follow-up. I still really love that Lancelot is a woman in White's series, with the same unbeatable reputation we're familiar with from the legends. I feel like I've been immersed in a lot of Camelot-esque stories this year between other books I've read and a popular Netflix series I watched, and this book only added to that immersive fun. I think this is a trilogy so I'm already anxiously awaiting the third book. I can't wait to see what happens with Guinevere next.

Guinevere has accepted her role as queen. Her relationship with Arthur is growing, but her feelings for Mordrid leave her confused. Worse still, the decisions she makes for her people leave a trail of casualties behind her. When a girl arrives in Camelot claiming to be her sister, she is convinced that Camelot is under attack from within. Can she get to the bottom of Guinevach’s true identity before Camelot falls to her charms?
The Camelot Betrayal is rich with internal conflict. Guinevere struggles with her true identity, her lack of memory, and the consequences of her decisions. She struggles with blame because of what she did in the previous book. Overall, this story is everything I love from a traditional fantasy. Knights, kings and queens, political intrigue, adventure, quests. But also romance and deception. It checks all the boxes.
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔—𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆.”
While magic isn’t heavy in this book, I still really love the magical system and world building. Guinevere’s knot magic is so creative and she finds ways to use it in many different circumstances. Especially when it comes to aiding her in her quests.
Once again, I loved the genderbending qualities of this story. Lancelot is still one of my favorite characters. I appreciated Guinevere’s ability to take matters into her own hands. She doesn’t need her husband to save her, nor does she expect or wait for him to. Sometimes to a fault, as we see with the lasting consequences of her decisions.
I also appreciated that we began to see some flaws from Arthur. He will do anything for Camelot. But he also allows emotions to blind him. This comes full circle at the end of the book when his emotions are used against him.
That being said, the story ended on a cliffhanger. I have mixed feelings about that because it was frustrating but it also hints at the potential to come. The entire book, Guinevere struggles with her identity. She has so many questions. With this ending, she is finally in a place where she’s going to discover who she really is. We are FINALLY going to get answers! But the wait is going to kill me. 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟰/𝟱⭐️

Reviewed in the United States on 14 December 2020
Guinevere has accepted her role as queen. Her relationship with Arthur is growing, but her feelings for Mordrid leave her confused. Worse still, the decisions she makes for her people leave a trail of casualties behind her. When a girl arrives in Camelot claiming to be her sister, she is convinced that Camelot is under attack from within. Can she get to the bottom of Guinevach’s true identity before Camelot falls to her charms?
The Camelot Betrayal is rich with internal conflict. Guinevere struggles with her true identity, her lack of memory, and the consequences of her decisions. She struggles with blame because of what she did in the previous book. Overall, this story is everything I love from a traditional fantasy. Knights, kings and queens, political intrigue, adventure, quests. But also romance and deception. It checks all the boxes.
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔—𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆.”
While magic isn’t heavy in this book, I still really love the magical system and world building. Guinevere’s knot magic is so creative and she finds ways to use it in many different circumstances. Especially when it comes to aiding her in her quests.
Once again, I loved the genderbending qualities of this story. Lancelot is still one of my favorite characters. I appreciated Guinevere’s ability to take matters into her own hands. She doesn’t need her husband to save her, nor does she expect or wait for him to. Sometimes to a fault, as we see with the lasting consequences of her decisions.
I also appreciated that we began to see some flaws from Arthur. He will do anything for Camelot. But he also allows emotions to blind him. This comes full circle at the end of the book when his emotions are used against him.
That being said, the story ended on a cliffhanger. I have mixed feelings about that because it was frustrating but it also hints at the potential to come. The entire book, Guinevere struggles with her identity. She has so many questions. With this ending, she is finally in a place where she’s going to discover who she really is. We are FINALLY going to get answers! But the wait is going to kill me. 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟰/𝟱⭐️



I liked that part of the real Guinevere's past came to 'haunt' our Guinevere and watching her deal with that subplot really added to Guinevere's character growth and that made me a happy reader.
We had still about the same amount of Arthur as last time and there was more of a focus on the characters and their relationships (romantic and platonic). I loved getting to see more of everyone and this is what made this a better read than book one for me. Though I love worldbuilding I was really excited to get to know Guinevere and her companions more.
Saying all of that, I do believe this is a slower-paced read than book one, we have not as much action and the plot is taking its time, strolling toward the ending. BUT that ending was such a whopper, I NEED BOOK 3 NOW!

Guinevere is a bit of a nosybody, getting all up on people's business and then going to bat for them. LOL And yet, when she's faced with a curveball, she seems completely thrown.
Loved the book! It has the same tone and tempo as the first one and it keeps the story going. I do like when there are surprises and we had 2 huge ones, which were both infuriating and funny at the same time...weird I know!