The Guinevere Deception

Not my favorite re-telling of Camelot and King Arthur - but it was... ok. This didn't read as overly young adult, so I kept picturing the characters much older. Also, the pacing is slow, and the plot meandering. Guinevere is not who she appears to be. She is not the daughter of a king, she is the daughter of Merlin, and she is on her way to Camelot to wed King Arthur. She must pretend to be someone else so that no one will know that she is there to practice magic and protect the king. Since Merlin and magic were banished from the realm, something evil has taken root and Guinevere must protect King Arthur. An interesting take on Arthurian legend but I didn't love it enough to continue with the rest of the series. 

Slayer

I didn't know what to expect out of this book. On one hand I was really excited that it was from the world of Buffy, but on the other hand it's been quite a few years since the show ended and I didn't want too much of it to get lost in translation when adapting it to a teen novel in 2019. I was disappointed at first that it didn't feature Buffy as the main character, but later I was glad for it. The novel centers on Athena, affectionately called Nina, and her twin sister Artemis. They are training to be Watchers in an isolated castle in Ireland. Their father had been Buffy's first watcher (before Giles) and had died young. Their mother wants to keep the Watcher tradition alive, but with only one of her daughters it would appear. Artemis is cunning, active, and fearless; Nina on the other hand has never been allowed to train so she studies to become a medic. She's everything her sister isn't; shy, weak, and defenseless. Even her mother has always preferred Artemis over her. One day, something happens that will change everything, she becomes the chosen one, the last slayer ever. Fun and unique, I can't wait to see where this story goes, it looks as if it will be a series.