The Excalibur Curse
While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her. Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war. Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past...even if it means destroying herself.
I was so excited when this Christmas present came early, and I got to finish it before the end of 2021. I fell in love with White’s King Arthur retelling from the first page of the first book, so to finally finish the trilogy was a real treat. I loved how White revealed Guinevere’s origin, as it was a question that nagged me throughout the trilogy. To find out Merlin and the Lady of the Lake essentially resurrected Guinevere and fundamentally changed who she was to make her into the perfect queen for Arthur was shocking. I can’t blame Guinevere for feeling such guilt once she learned the truth. She felt like she stole the original Guinevere’s life and didn’t deserve to exist. I’m glad those closest to Guinevere convinced her she was important, and they needed her. Camelot needed her.
My only complaint was the open-ended romance for Guinevere. I’m glad White didn’t pair her with Arthur, as I think they work better as partners and friends than a romantic couple. However, I have loved Mordred since the first book, so to have him leave Camelot and Guinevere was hard to read. I have nothing against Lancelot, as I think she and Guinevere work well together as a couple; I just would have liked more exploration of them as a couple. Perhaps White will treat us to a short story or novella in the future and we’ll get a glimpse as to Lancelot and Guinevere’s future!
The Excalibur Curse is the gripping conclusion to Guinevere’s story, where she questions everything – most of all herself.
The Excalibur Curse Rating: ★★★★
I was so excited when this Christmas present came early, and I got to finish it before the end of 2021. I fell in love with White’s King Arthur retelling from the first page of the first book, so to finally finish the trilogy was a real treat. I loved how White revealed Guinevere’s origin, as it was a question that nagged me throughout the trilogy. To find out Merlin and the Lady of the Lake essentially resurrected Guinevere and fundamentally changed who she was to make her into the perfect queen for Arthur was shocking. I can’t blame Guinevere for feeling such guilt once she learned the truth. She felt like she stole the original Guinevere’s life and didn’t deserve to exist. I’m glad those closest to Guinevere convinced her she was important, and they needed her. Camelot needed her.
My only complaint was the open-ended romance for Guinevere. I’m glad White didn’t pair her with Arthur, as I think they work better as partners and friends than a romantic couple. However, I have loved Mordred since the first book, so to have him leave Camelot and Guinevere was hard to read. I have nothing against Lancelot, as I think she and Guinevere work well together as a couple; I just would have liked more exploration of them as a couple. Perhaps White will treat us to a short story or novella in the future and we’ll get a glimpse as to Lancelot and Guinevere’s future!
The Excalibur Curse is the gripping conclusion to Guinevere’s story, where she questions everything – most of all herself.
The Excalibur Curse Rating: ★★★★