Review: The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White

There is nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

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?

From the New York Times, bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.

Hardcover, Owlcrate Exclusive Edition, 337 pages 

Published November 5th 2019 

by Delacorte Press

****

One of my goals for 2020 is going outside my comfort zone and trying different genres with the hope of adding variety to my reading life.  Not knowing exactly where to start in the YA fantasy genre I opted to try the OwlCrate YA monthly box.  Have you tried any of these monthly boxes?  I have and they are addicting.  This basically means the YA Owlcrate is a monthly subscription for me and this book, The Guinevere Deception came in my December box (and it's signed to boot!!)

 I'll confess to being totally confused over the whole Arthur/Merlin/Guinevere story, is it real and based on history, is it a fairy tale gone bad or what?  Letting my brain let go of all my questions I sat back and took in this story. This was my first time reading Kiersten White and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Told from the perspective of Guinevere and while the beginning was a tad slow it didn't take long to let go of my preconceived notions of fantasy being confusing and too outlandish that I was caught up in this story. It was intriguing, kept me on my toes and there were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming.

The characters fit the story nicely, it was hard for me to decide whom to trust, some I liked and others not so much. 

So I first (of 2020) foray into YA fantasy was a success.  This is the 1st book in The Camelot Rising Series with book #2 due out sometime in 2020 - it's untitled but added to my TBR pile.

This book is part of my 2020 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.

Review: Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

The invitation to the luxurious Oriental Hotel a mile from Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of nearby Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.

Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession. (less)

Paperback, 386 pages

Expected publication: January 16th 2020

by Endeavour Quill

*****

 Nancy Bilyeau has cemented herself as a go-to author, she writes in such a way that I am put in that location and her characters are real - both likable and others not so much.

Dreamland takes place on Coney Island, a place I’ve heard of but never read about or even seen pictures of. So a real treat for me on so many levels.

Dreamland is a story about Peggy, only 20 years old and because of her privileged upbringing, being segregated from those deemed unacceptable and not her kind, she can be naive in an innocent way that just made me like her all the more.  She was smart and looking out for others.  A great character, loosely based on Peggy Guggenheim (I read the author's notes and loved them as well).

The mystery played out very nicely here, with its many layers I was kept on my toes and loved the ride.

I love the author’s writing, she sets me right in the heart of the setting. Between the mystery, setting and character development Dreamland is a well-written book that kept me glued to the pages, thinking JustOneMoreChapter as I savored this gem.

Thank you to Hannah at Endeavour Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.