10 must-read SFF books to cuddle up with this November
By Lacy Baugher
The Guinevere Deception – Kiersten White
No one spins familiar legends into the stories of incredible women quite like Kiersten White. After a trilogy based on a female version of Vlad the Impaler (And I Darken) a female-focused take on Frankenstein (The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein) and even a duology set in the Buffy the Vamire Slayer universe, we really shouldn’t be surprised at this point. But even still, the prospect of White digging into Arthurian legend is almost deliriously exciting.
The Guinevere Deception is the first installment in White’s forthcoming “Camelot Rising” trilogy, which aims to put a whole new (female-focused) spin on this familiar myth. In it, Guinevere is an imposter princess, a changeling sent to Camelot by Merlin not simply to wed Arthur, but to protect him in a world where magic has been forbidden. The real Guinevere died in a convent, but Arthur – and the rest of Camelot must never know. Can she succeed?
The story’s synopsis indicates that will not be as easy as one might think.
"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?"
The Guinevere Deception is available on November 5.