Guinevere can’t
remember her own name. It isn’t Guinevere; the real Guinevere died at the
convent while preparing for marriage to King Arthur. This Guinevere is also 16
years old, but she is infused with magic in a kingdom that has banned it, which
is the reason Merlin was also banished. Guinevere knows the marriage is in name
only, but she cannot help but hold King Arthur in high regard due to his
sparkling integrity and dedication to Camelot. He always puts Camelot first,
and he knows her secret; he is her friend. She also makes new friends in her
lady’s maid, Brangien, Arthur’s handsome and charismatic nephew, Mordred, a
relative of one of Arthur’s knights, Dindrane, and even the Patchwork Knight. A
great darkness is attempting to resurface, but is the threat to Arthur and
Camelot or Guinevere and the past she cannot recall? Or to the both of them by
their association with each other?
The first installment in The Camelot Rising Trilogy, it comes out
of the gate fresh-faced and fierce, and I love it. This is not “just another”
Arthurian legend. It has elements and characters that are familiar, but it’s
definitely written with a modern-day audience in mind despite it being untoward
if Guinevere’s wrists are showing (Oh, the horror! Not the wrists!). From the
title, you know Guinevere is the principal character and has feminist flair to
boot, but the supporting cast is well-rounded and all kinds of diverse, which
hasn’t historically been represented in Camelot. I rather enjoy that it’s the
women who have power (supernatural counts, too) and create chaos instead of men
like Arthur and his knights, though they expectedly represent mannishness and
rules. White took a piece here and a part there to cobble together a brilliant
novel of magic, legend and chaos in a land both choked of magic and darkly
enchanted with it, multifaceted characters, rich action, mystery and potential
romance. It is a cornucopia of magnificent prose!
P.S. That dragon. I would adopt it.
The picture below features the
book’s delightful author. And me. My friend, Kristi, and I went to her author
event at Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul on Nov. 7. This was actually the
second time we’d met her, the first being at last year’s Twin Cities Book
Festival.
I, too, own the novel but sadly, have not been able to engulf myself in the story, yet. Your review entices me to put this novel further up on my "to do" list, though. Grading papers can wait (Don't tell my job I said that)! :) I love how at the reading she expressed her exacerbation at typical Arthurian legend stories where men are pompously thrashing their swords about while women stand idly in the background. I love that she wanted women to be in charge, and I, too, love a novel with diversity. If I were to meet the dragon you speak of in person, I would probably befriend it first, before you got to it, Lisa! ;) Thank you for this review! I'm excited to read this!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely need to read this sooner rather than later, and I fully support you pausing from grading papers! :-) As for the dragon, let's both befriend it. However, it's got to live with me, as there is more land to hide it on and far fewer questioning eyes. ;-)
DeleteThis is an author that Lisa and Kristi White and I went to see at the book expo in the twin cities. The Guinevere Deception looks like it could be a good read. Its on my to read list.
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