Welcome to my tour stop with TBR and Beyond Tours! This author has just gotten better and
better and I'm thrilled to be sharing some Q&As with her today! I'll also be posting later today
over on Instagram, so definitely check that out. Now read on for the interview and giveaway...
The Camelot Betrayal
(Camelot Rising Trilogy #2)
By Kiersten White
YA Fantasy, Retelling
Hardcover, Audiobook & ebook, 384 Pages
November 10, 2020 by Delacorte Press
Summary
The second book in a new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived.
EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom's influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.
Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to the people around her--Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde; Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen's knight; and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere--the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn't belong. She never will.
When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere's younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving--Camelot, or herself?
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Interview
For those new to the series, what should they know?
The Camelot Rising trilogy is set in the kingdom of Camelot, where Guinevere has been sent to wed young King Arthur. But Guinevere comes with a secret—she’s not really a princess; she’s a changeling sent by Merlin to be Arthur’s magical bodyguard against a mysterious threat to his rule. Secret identities, longing, magic, and more to be found in this dreamy, epic series. Also, I watched that GIF of Captain America tearing a log apart with his bare hands like forty times for inspiration, so my dedication to craft is unparalleled and it really shows.
Would you tell us more about the main characters?
Guinevere is a witch in disguise, raised and trained by Merlin, floundering as she tries to find her place in Camelot after the revelations in book one. Guinevere is open, kind, and deeply empathetic, looking for the good she can find in everyone and delighted by every new experience. She’s also living a lie every day, and increasingly desperate to discover the missing parts of herself.
Arthur is the golden king, good and noble and true, struggling to shoulder the burden of an entire kingdom. He wants to be there for Guinevere, but they both know he can never put her first.
Lancelot is the Queen’s Knight, her most loyal friend and, aside from Arthur, the only person in Camelot who knows who she really is. But Lancelot has secrets she hasn’t revealed yet, and a shocking tie to one of their enemies.
Brangien is Guinevere’s lady’s maid, an acerbic, brutally honest woman with a tragic heartbreak in her past and a lost love that might not be lost forever.
Okay, it’s a big cast, let’s stop there, ha!
Which character do you most relate to and why?
Brangien. She doesn’t let many people in, but when she does, she’s fiercely loyal. Also, she complains a lot, which, I feel you, Brange. I feel you.
What advice would Guinevere give about navigating her world?
Look for what—and who—everyone else is overlooking. Not just to find threats, but to find allies as well. Also, don’t eat the eel pie—it’s gross.
Were there challenges to writing this second book versus the first?
Second books are always more difficult. The first book in a trilogy sets everything up, introducing the world and the characters and the stakes. Book two has to move everything forward without resolving the plot. I never want my readers to feel like I’m just spinning the wheels until we can get to book three. So, for me, book two is all about taking my characters from who they thought they were and what they thought they wanted to who they’ll need to be to face the challenges of book three.
A specific challenge was taking Guinevere outside the world of Camelot’s city and into the wilds of other kingdoms. Mostly a challenge in figuring out the logistics and timing of all the travel. How fast does a horse travel in a day? Who knows? Horses are terrifying!
When you reach for a book, what genre do you grab and what are some of your favorites in that genre?
Horror, most of the time. I find it a really relaxing escape from real life. That sounds like a joke, but it’s not. Most recently I read and adored Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I also love books that defy genre, my most recent favorite being Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, a baffling weirdo delight of a novel.
When you’re not reading or writing, what do you enjoy doing?
I like devouring stories in all their formats, so I watch a lot of television and movies and listen to music. I’m also mildly obsessed with the dinosaur that lives in my backyard, a sulcata tortoise named Kimberly.
What are you working on next?
The third book in the Camelot Rising trilogy, The Excalibur Curse, is at line editing stage, which is exciting! It’s been so fun finishing up my time with these characters. I have another series in the works, but it’s something totally different and hasn’t been announced yet. I’m also planning on doing NaNoWriMo to finally try to finish writing the adult horror novel I’ve been putting off for a couple of years now. Or maybe I’ll finally finish my Peaky Blinders meets The X-Men fantasy. Or maybe I’ll just watch, like, a LOT of Netflix. Who knows!
Other Books in the Series
The Guinevere Deception
(Camelot Rising #1)
By Kiersten White
YA Historical Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 352 Pages
November 5th 2019 by Delacorte Press
Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot . . . . There was 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.
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?
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About the Author
Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of the And I Darken trilogy, the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Slayer, The Guinevere Deception, and many other novels. Kiersten lives with her family in sunny San Diego, California, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows.
Tour Schedule
Follow the tour (including on Instagram) here.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Finished copy of The Camelot Betrayal (US only)
Ends November 16, 2020
Have you read either books in this series yet or will you be? What did you like about the interview?
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