Level: Young Adult
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure
Tags: British, disguise, romance, magic, medieval, royalty
Mature Content:

  - Mild violence: Some fighting resulting in injury and danger situations. Mild sexuality: Brief kissing and objectifying behavior. Mild language: Mild swearing

Guinevere arrives in Camelot with one purpose: to protect King Arthur. To do that, they decide to get married and work together to unveil Camelot’s enemies before they destroy the fate of the famous city. Magic has been banished and declared evil, and Merlin is left to battle Arthur’s greatest magical enemies through secrets and allies, but Arthur’s enemies have magic of their own and they will do everything they can to steal his power.

Review:

This is a watery mystery, with just the right amount of fluidity and unpredictable chaos provided by our classic Camelot villains. We meet all the usual faces: Guinevere, Arthur, Mordred, Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, Lancelot, and of course Arthur’s knights of the round table. Tristan and Isolde even get thrown into the mix. There’s familiarity but with a dark twist on these classic character’s fates that makes this book all the author’s own.

Guinevere has been sent to protect Arthur with her magic, and though her memory gaps prove problematic, she’s determined to protect the young king with her life. But as she learns about Camelot and what it takes to be queen of a rising nation, she discovers danger in unexpected ways, none of which she was prepared for. The people expect a pretty face and delicate bride, but though Guinevere isn’t completely decided exactly who she wants to be, pretty and delicate are not on her list of priorities.

She quickly forms alliances with not only Arthur, but Mordred, Sir Tristan and Lancelot, and her maid who shows her own strength among these timeless legends. Her friendship with Mordred is fascinating and her connection with Lancelot is both unexpected and heartfelt. The ending is wonderfully dark and leaves some questions answered, but mostly introduces new mysteries.

Structurally, it could probably be more organized, especially to increase tension and direction. It has a sort of drifting feeling, but that might just be a reflection of the main character and her ultimate fate. The secrets are intriguing and leave plenty of promise for a compelling sequel.