The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White (English) Paperback Book

Description: The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything—friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself.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 isnt what lies ahead of Guinevere—its whats been buried inside her. Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlins 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.Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl? FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Kiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Camelot Rising, And I Darken, and Paranormalcy series and many more novels. She is also the author of the Sinister Summer series for middle grade readers. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, which, in spite of its perfection, spurs her to dream of faraway places and even further-away times.kierstenwhite.com@kierstenwhite on Twitter Review Praise for THE EXCALIBUR CURSE: "Thought-provoking inspiration behind the lives of the women of Camelot, a must purchase."--SLJ "Readers will be ensorcelled by the redemptions, revelations, and reconciliations."--Kirkus Praise for THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL: "The Camelot Betrayal is a phenomenal read…This story continues to have this powerful subtlety to it that is addicting and evocative, with the added bonus of romance and betrayal."--The Nerd Daily"If youre familiar with the Arthurian legends, youll be delighted in the ways White has taken hold of the classic characters and twisted them into her own versions."--SYFY Wire"Another dazzling fantasy tale by White, filled with exhilarating adventures, intrigue, and strong female characters; a powerful addition to any teen literary collection."--School Library Journal "[A] refreshingly feminist new spin on the world of Arthurian legend"--CulturessPraise for THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION:A YALSA Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults"An enjoyable and even thoughtful entry into a mythos that has obsessed us for generations." —NPR"Spellbinding,… Unique and refreshing" —Hypable"A fresh take on Camelot . . . this should be another hit." —Booklist"Readers will be dying to fill in the gaps of Guineveres memory and to continue the atmospheric adventure in this Arthurian retelling." —Bulletin Review Quote Praise for THE EXCALIBUR CURSE: " Thought-provoking inspiration behind the lives of the women of Camelot, a must purchase ."-- SLJ "Readers will be ensorcelled by the redemptions , revelations , and reconciliations ."-- Kirkus Praise for THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL: " The Camelot Betrayal is a phenomenal read ...This story continues to have this powerful subtlety to it that is addicting and evocative , with the added bonus of romance and betrayal ."-- The Nerd Daily "If youre familiar with the Arthurian legends, youll be delighted in the ways White has taken hold of the classic characters and twisted them into her own versions."-- SYFY Wire "Another dazzling fantasy tale by White, filled with exhilarating adventures, intrigue, and strong female characters ; a powerful addition to any teen literary collection."-- School Library Journal "[A] refreshingly feminist new spin on the world of Arthurian legend" --Culturess Praise for THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION: A YALSA Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults "An enjoyable and even thoughtful entry into a mythos that has obsessed us for generations." -- NPR " Spellbinding ,... Unique and refreshing" -- Hypable "A fresh take on Camelot . . . this should be another hit ." -- Booklist "Readers will be dying to fill in the gaps of Guineveres memory and to continue the atmospheric adventure in this Arthurian retelling." -- Bulletin Excerpt from Book Chapter One Once, not so long ago, Guinevere had ridden surrounded by armed soldiers and marveled at her power. Now she rode surrounded by armed soldiers and marveled at her smallness. She tried to hold on to both thoughts at once: her power and her smallness, each a comfort in its own way. She was only one girl, after all, in a world full of them. Unfortunately, the armed soldiers around her at this precise moment were enemies of Arthur: Picts, led by their king, Nechtan; the sorceress Morgana, Arthurs half sister; and his nephew, Mordred the betrayer. Guinevere had thought herself triumphant in sealing the city just before they arrived. But they had never been coming for the city. They had been coming for her. It was enough to drive her mad, but she was too tired for it. Guinevere half suspected the reason they had not dismounted and rested for the past twelve hours was to ensure that her nether regions were so painful that she would not try to escape. She had lost feeling in her toes, and her spine ached from sitting as straight as possible so as not to lean back against Mordred. The least they could have done is give her a horse instead of forcing her to ride with him. She had no idea how many leagues they had covered, but it was certainly more than she had ever traveled in a single stretch. Their pace was hurried without being frantic. The Picts were practiced soldiers. They were not going to risk their horses health, but their horses had been trained to do exactly this. Camelot falling farther and farther behind them as they rode into the night worried Guinevere less than the fact that they were galloping in the opposite direction of her goal. Merlins cave would take her so much longer to reach now. She had planned on walking straight there, figuring out a way to free him from the Lady of the Lakes trap, and demanding answers about who she was. So she could finally know. If she could only know that, everything else would make sense. Would be easier. She was certain of it. She focused on the cave, because that was less painful to think about than Camelot. About how she had left it. About who she had left. The image of Lancelot on her knees behind the magical barrier they had created to keep armies out--but Lancelot in--lingered in Guineveres mind like a wound. Guinevere knew what it meant to be denied crucial information. To be manipulated into a course of action without the freedom to decide. And she had done exactly that to Lancelot, not telling her brave knight until it was too late that Lancelot would be inside the citys shield, and Guinevere outside it. It had been cruel, and unfair, and a betrayal of the trust Lancelot had always given her. So she tried her best to not think about it. Fortunately, between the enemy soldiers and Mordred and this wretched, endless ride adding to the already long walk between her and Merlins cave, she had an abundance of distractions. At last, with dawn stretching pink and terrible across the sky, Mordred called out, "The horses need to rest." It was the first time he had spoken the entire journey. The first time he had spoken since he had arrived at Camelot, begged her not to lose faith in him, and then announced he had successfully kidnapped the queen. Other than his chest at her back and his arms around her holding the reins, their only interaction was when he periodically passed her a canteen to drink from. As soon as Mordred declared the horses needed to rest, word spread along the traveling party. Guinevere estimated there were two or three hundred soldiers. She slipped a hand into her pouch. All this long journey, she had tied knot after knot in her mind, from the most innocuous to the most vicious. It was time to choose. A shudder rippled through her. She knew what she had to do. She would need her iron thread, and she would need blood, and it would be the worst knot she had ever tied. Worse than the protection she had placed in the river above Camelot that would kill anyone who ventured past it with intent to do her harm. Worse even than what she had done to Sir Bors, reaching into his mind and manipulating his memories. Perhaps not worse than what she had done to King Mark, destroying his mind but leaving his body, but certainly an evil enough magic that it would haunt her the rest of her days. She was going to tie a death knot, loop it around herself so that any living creature that touched her would immediately die. And then she would walk out of the camp. It would not matter if they followed her all the way to Merlins cave, because no one could touch her. The knot would mean she could not take a horse, but after twelve hours on one, that was almost a blessing. She had to get away from Mordred first, though. Someone would touch her, doubtless, before they believed her threat. But it could not be Mordred. Not Mordred. It had to be someone whose name and face she did not know. A soldier sacrificed to a conflict Guinevere had not started. A person, both small and infinite, ended because Guinevere valued herself more. How did Arthur do this? How did he make these decisions? Her stomach churned, gnawing at its own emptiness. She squeezed her eyes closed. She could do this. She would do this. Mordreds fingers circled her wrist, his grip gentle but insistent as he pulled her hand out of the pouch. He detached the pouch from her belt and tossed it to a tall, elegantly cloaked woman. His mother, Morgana. She caught it neatly and tucked it into her own bag. Guinevere did not know whether she was about to cry out of frustration and disappointment or relief. Mordred had taken the choice from her. No one would die at her hand today. She would figure out another means of escape, hopefully one with a less desperate cost. Feeling blurry with exhaustion, she watched as a camp appeared around them with practiced efficiency. Soldiers laughed and called to each other while they worked. Then everyone stilled as King Nechtan rode past them. He slowed, fixing eyes that had possibly once been wide and kind on Guinevere. Whatever they had been was hidden beneath bushy eyebrows and a permanent glower. He would have been intimidating even without the fur mantle he wore around his shoulders that quivered with black moths. Guinevere knew that each moth carried a bit of the Dark Queen inside it. A constant reminder of whom King Nechtan was working with, or for. It was hard to say which with the Dark Queen. One moth rode on his earlobe like an ornament. Nechtan bent his head toward it, his gaze turning distant and unfocused, before snapping back to Guinevere with an almost physical force. She sighed with relief when he turned to Mordred. It was not only the presence of King Nechtan but also the knowledge that anything he did or said was not him alone. The Pict king and the Dark Queen were each a formidable enemy on their own, and now Guinevere had to contend with them both. Nechtan said something in his language. Guinevere did not understand, but she did not need to. The way he spoke made it clear that Mordred was in trouble. If she were in higher spirits, she would tease him. As it was, she was grateful that King Nechtan continued riding past, his head bent once more toward the whispering wings of his passengers and the queen they were part of. Mordred dismounted, then held up his hands to help Guinevere down. She deliberately threw her leg over the opposite side of the horse and slid off. But she had not accounted for how numb her legs would be after a ride that long. As soon as her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled and she fell gracelessly on her sore backside. A woman laughed nearby. Guinevere looked up to see one of the Pictish soldiers--they were all dressed alike in leather and fur--hold out a hand. The woman who laughed was a soldier. Guinevere took the offered hand and was pulled swiftly and unceremoniously to her feet. "Your king should ride you more often." The woman winked. A bold blue cloth was wrapped around her head, and her face had freckles that put Guineveres to shame. Her pale blue eyes were framed by nearly white eyelashes and eyebrows that were tinged with orange. She had two axes strapped to her back, and a belt full of knives. "Fina. Enough." Another woman, taller than the first by a few inches with almost the same face and even more weapons, shoved Finas shoulder. She looked down at Guinevere without curiosity, her expression cooler than even the icy blue of her eyes. "I am Nectudad. Most of the soldiers do not speak your language, so trying to speak to them will be a waste of energy." "I learned your language to marry your husband." Fina grinned. She had a gap between her front teeth that made her smile seem even larger and happier. Guinevere did not know whether she was expected to apologize for marrying Arthur, but Finas smile grew. "Lucky for him I did not. I do not think he would have survived me." Guineveres eyes narrowed. "Arthur is the strongest man I have ever known." "I did not mean in combat. I meant in bed. Not if he prefers delicate morsels like you." Mordred appeared next to Guinevere. "Oh, good, you have met the princesses." He bowed deeply. "They make princesses very differently in the north." Even Nectudad smiled at that, a more reserved reaction than Finas brash laugh, which was so loud the horse next to Guinevere startled, stamping its hooves. Mordred reached out a hand and put it on the horses neck. The animal calmed immediately. "My father wants to see you, fairyson," Nectudad said. "He has ques Details ISBN0525581782 Author Kiersten White Pages 368 Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 0525581782 ISBN-13 9780525581789 Format Paperback Publication Date 2022-12-13 Imprint Ember Series Number 3 Audience Age 12 Publisher Random House USA Inc Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2022-12-13 NZ Release Date 2022-12-13 US Release Date 2022-12-13 UK Release Date 2022-12-13 Series Camelot Rising Trilogy (#3) Replaces 9780593433904 DEWEY 813.6 Audience Children / Juvenile We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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