There are many novels written about King Arthur and Camelot. The author, Nicole Evelina, of Camelot's Queen: Guinevere's Tale Book 2, provides a unique view of Guinevere in this series. The story describes the complex issues in being Guinevere, the Queen. Her previous alliances, her enemies, her days as Queen, are all intricately woven with the human person. The social context of a female in this period of history binds the woman/Queen to the rules of men. Amidst the expectations of men and her social obligations, she falls from grace as familial elements and old enemies doom her Queen-ship. In the end she retains herself, different, yet surviving.

Book 2 is beautifully written and well organized. The historic facts of the period are mostly silent about Camelot. This story brings the myth of Guinevere to light in human terms. The text and style are easy to read. Those interested in Camelot will find this book provides humanity for Guinevere, a context often lost amide the magic.
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Acquired Book By: I received a complimentary copy of “Camelot's Queen” direct from the author Nicole Evelina in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

As 'Daughter of Destiny' concluded, we were on the cusp of seeing if Aggrivane could persuade Guinevere's father to grant her hand to his in decree of marriage - as marriage was quite a complicated affair in their era; contractual rather than based on romance or love. Their intent was fiercely bonded between themselves but it had to be sanctioned by her father if they had any hope of succeeding to wed. Quite happily, I found myself taken forward to where Guinevere and Arthur have just married - the truth of the attempt to wed another man coming into the centre of light for Arthur and testing the merit of how Guinevere will rule whilst knowing the truth of her heart. A fitting beginning, for this second chapter of their lives,...

Evelina doesn't waste time in giving us a forbearance of knowledge towards 'whom' will bring the most distraught and anguishing moments into Guinevere's married life - as it is Guinevere herself, attune and aware of her surroundings, takes stock of a presence that does not bode well on her conscience. It is the entrance of a man she first crossed paths with on Avalon and one of whom acts nearly as a harbinger of ill-will as she's struck by the arrival of Morgan soon thereafter. It's a percolating state of uncertainty how all the loose threads of her past are converging all at once, when she hasn't even had the chance to step into her marriage with a clear conscience free of the guilt she had by information she had hoped Arthur had known of ahead of time.

Arthur provided Guinevere with two very special wedding gifts that even touched my own heart as I read the sincerity of Arthur's intentions behind their selections: one was the coveted ring of his ancestral line and the second was a specially built labyrinth with a touch of Avalon inside it for Guinevere's state of wellness. Arthur wanted her to be grounded by his ancestor's strong confluence of integrity whilst trying to give his Queen a place where she could unwind her mind and take stock of a quieter peace she might find elusive as she reigns. On both counts, Arthur was quite the charmer - as he wanted his wife to be happy alongside him first and foremost, but he also wanted to give her something she alone could draw strength from separate from him.

Guinevere takes her position at court quite naturally, she's a bourne leader but it's the situations she finds herself inside that test her more than she realises. Her first order of business was to hire someone to protect her but instead, found the person who occupied that position to be of a fierce temper and hasty to inflict his ire on others. It was a telling moment to recognise his truer self but what this meant for her in the long term was unknown. Meanwhile, she appreciated the trust Arthur was placing in her equality to lead their people and to make calculating choices in regards to their men; who would take up arms to defend Camelot at all costs. She still relied on her teachings from Avalon, a bit of a stirring misalignment in that regard with Arthur but she remained true to herself for which I enjoyed seeing most. Guinevere has been misunderstand by many throughout her life, but I had the sense Arthur wished she could separate herself from Avalon; living without her inherent gifts.

I think if Guinevere hadn't had the time she had in Avalon originally, she never would have had the courage to overcome this moment in her life. Avalon taught her many things, but one of the best lessons it taught her was how to slow down her mind, re-examine her feelings and to truly focus on things that were not connected to her emotions at all. She sought re-balance on her return to Camelot but also, a measure of peace within her spirit - to find a way to re-enter her life, such as it were. On that note, going back to her husband was bittersweet as Evelina points out nothing is quite the way it was before she was taken against her will. Too many things are in play, even on her return, that continue to place her and Arthur in jeopardy; marked measures where they are merely pawns in a game they do not understand.

What is compelling about reading her story, is seeing how she rises to the occasion to dig a bit deeper than she felt she could and find a path out of the chaos. She has advisors and friends to guide her - Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, Lancelot and even Imogen whose quiet manner had a larger effect on Guinevere's state of being. Each rut in the road, she is attempting to sort out the best way forward, but sometimes, life does not afford a direct route to your future. Sometimes it takes time, more time than you think you have to spare before wrongs are upturnt and a solid footing becomes your walkway.

I appreciate the extra care and attention Evelina goes too in being openly transparent with her readers - not only about the inclusions of what she is writing into the backbone of her sequel for Camelot but for why she's finding the choices she's made are backed up by the research and the lore left behind for her to find to inspire her writing as a whole. It helps not only understand the time-line but how the time-line affects the events and how through digging deeper into the lore and legends of Camelot you can root out strongly wrought conflict and afflictions that can affect any woman of any age. Evelina isn't an author who shies away from harder subjects and topics, but rather meets them head-on and tries to assert her feelings on the events in a manner that is welcoming to her readers. She puts her heart on the line and owns the truth of her words as her pen inks out her stories.

// This is a quotation of my full review originally shared via jorielovesastory.com

Camelot’s Queen is the second book of a trilogy retelling the story of Camelot from Guinevere’s point of view rather than Arthur’s. The first book, Daughter of Destiny, introduced the reader to Guinevere as a child as she headed off to her training as a priestess of the Goddess. Her future is foreshadowed in a number of ways but nothing is written in stone. That book ended with her engagement to King Arthur and this second book picks up at their wedding.

Unlike the sugar coated musical that most of us think of when conjuring Camelot, this book is a force of nature. These characters are fully formed and jump to life on the page. It’s a harsh time Ms. Evelina does not ignore the evil that man can do in the pursuit of power.

But this is ultimately Guinevere’s story and it shows a strong woman yet one still conflicted by her emotions for the men in her life. She suffers some personal and very emotional blows and Arthur lets her down in many ways. So do other people close to her and she finds old enemies are never far away. As she tries to navigate the complicated waters all around her she finds only one person she can truly count on.

Much like the first book, this is a real page turner. It’s full of strong, fascinating, well developed characters on both sides of the story. If you thought you knew the Camelot legend you have a whole new world coming to you. This Guinevere is different kind of queen. There are a lot of mystical elements involved and I truly enjoyed how they were woven into the tale. Some questions were answered from the first book but now others remain to be addressed in the third. I fear it will be a long wait for the wrap up of this excellent trilogy but it will be a wait well worth it. ( )