G1059 Book Review of Camelot's Queen by Nicole Evelina
Author: Nicole Evelina
ISBN: 9780996763288
Publisher: Lawson Gartner
Part of a Series: Guinevere's Tale Trilogy
Type of book: King Arthur, 497-518, kingdom, magic, Avalon, Anglo Saxons, Bretons, tribes, England, wars, rape, assault, obsession, adultery, affair, religions, Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgan
Year it was published: 2016
Summary:
History remembers Guinevere’s sin, but it was Arthur who transgressed first.
Forced into a marriage she neither anticipated nor desired, Guinevere finds herself High Queen, ruling and fighting alongside Arthur as they try to subdue the Saxons, Irish and Picts who threaten Britain from every direction. Though her heart still longs for her lost love, Guinevere slowly grows to care for her husband as they join together to defeat their enemies.
Meanwhile, within the walls of Camelot their closest allies plot against them. One schemes to make Guinevere his own, another seeks revenge for past transgressions, while a third fixes her eyes on the throne. When the unthinkable happens and Guinevere is feared dead, Arthur installs a new woman in her place, one who will poison his affections toward her, threatening Guinevere’s fragile sanity and eventually driving her into the arms of her champion.
Amid this tension a new challenge arises for the king and queen of Camelot: finding the Holy Grail, a sacred relic that promises lasting unity. But peace, as they will soon learn, can be just as dangerous as war. As the court begins to turn on itself, it becomes clear that the quest that was to be Arthur’s lasting legacy may end in the burning fires of condemnation.
This highly anticipated sequel to Daughter of Destiny proves there is much more to Guinevere’s story than her marriage and an affair. See the legend you think you know through her eyes and live the adventure of Camelot’s golden days yourself – but prepared to suffer its downfall as well.
Characters:
Main characters include Guinevere, Arthur, Morgan, and to an extent, Lancelot as well as Elaine. Guinevere, a warrior queen, becomes a strong asset to Arthur and often advises him on numerous issues. Love has grown between the two, and Arthur wants to continue to be with her. Guinevere is portrayed as a priestess of Avalon, but someone respectful and understanding of other faiths. Arthur is definitely a man beyond his time, and tries his very best not to let nepotism be in his judgment, which I liked a lot, and that no one is above justice. Morgan is Guineveres enemy, although the two tolerate one another under the best of circumstances, and she is manipulative, crafty and knows the right buttons to push. Lancelot is Guineveres champion and he is kind, sweet, loyal and charming, although he does let people take advantage of him. Elaine seems to have been pushed more into the dream world and she is also obsessed but doesn't have will to do anything or to manipulate situation.
Theme:
Things are not black and white
Plot:
THE story is in first person narrative from Guineveres point of view. In my opinion the author has done an excellent job in simplifying and humanizing characters, taking away caricatures and helping the audience understand that things are not so black and white as medieval tales often portrayed. I enjoyed the story, learning about the origins of some myths and of how it's hard to find villains in the tale. I also loved seeing valid reasons for Guineveres deeds, and really wish that this book would have been my introduction to Arthur myths instead of Bulfinch one.
Author Information:
(From HFVBT)
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS
About the Author
Nicole Evelina is a historical fiction, non-fiction, and women’s fiction author whose five books –Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, Been Searching for You, Madame Presidentess and The Once and Future Queen: Guinevere in Arthurian Legend (nonfiction) – have won more than 30 awards, including three Book of the Year designations.
Her writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Independent Journal, Curve Magazine and numerous historical publications. She is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness.
Nicole is currently working on Mistress of Legend (September 15), the final novel in her Guinevere’s Tale historical fantasy trilogy and researching two future non-fiction books. She also teaches online writing and business classes for authors at Professional Author Academy.
Her website/blog is http://nicoleevelina.com and she can be found on Twitter as well as on Pinterest, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Tumblr.
Opinion:
Just like the previous book, DAUGHTER OF DESTINY, CAMELOTS QUEEN was educational, emotional and very gripping as the reader follows Guinevere into the role of queen and sees her mature from a young woman to someone fair, wise and confident, despite the travails that awaited her at every corner. There is focus on her affair with Lancelot, but what's remarkable about it is that it doesn't take up the entire book! Most of the book deals with her growth and how and why things became the way they had with her and Arthur, which I really enjoyed. Some things I do wish would have been explained: while I am familiar with the names of Tristan and Isolde, I am not familiar with their legend and what happened to them and why; therefore I would have liked to see some references or mention of what was going on with her. I also didn't feel comfortable with a hint that one of the characters murdered a baby simply because it wasn't wanted. ( I understand and am no stranger that illegitimacy was seen as shameful and that people did whatever they could to get rid of their unwanted children, but still, as a mother, that scene really got under my skin.) And one of the other characters` pregnancy isnt addressed ( in next book the reader finds out it's conclusion,) Aside from those minor issues, I loved learning and seeing Guinevere growing more and more into herself and seeing foundation established for the fall of Camelot.
This is for HFVBT tours
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, December 10
Interview at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, December 11
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Daughter of Destiny)
Wednesday, December 12
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Thursday, December 13
Review at A Book Geek (Daughter of Destiny)
Friday, December 14
Interview at Donna’s Book Blog
Saturday, December 15
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views (Daughter of Destiny)
Sunday, December 16
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective (Mistress of Legend)
Tuesday, December 18
Review at Book Nerd (Camelot’s Queen)
Thursday, December 20
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Camelot’s Queen)
Friday, December 21
Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Thursday, December 27
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views (Camelot’s Queen)
Friday, December 28
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit (Mistress of Legend)
Saturday, December 29
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Mistress of Legend)
Sunday, December 30
Review at Jorie Loves a Story (Mistress of Legend)
Monday, December 31
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at Curling up by the Fire (Mistress of Legend)
Wednesday, January 2
Review at Book Nerd (Mistress of Legend)
Thursday, January 3
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views (Mistress of Legend)
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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