Posts Tagged 'prince'

The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic

Published November 7, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Lovett is a silkwitch, which means she has magical powers in the strands of her hair. Each silkwitch is different and Lovett’s ability is that she can open any door no matter what. Lovett has been on her own awhile and gets by by stealing from the rich and hiding in the shadows so no one realizes she is an unwed silkwitch. If she does not find a weaver husband she will be forced to work in the cloisters. One day she walks into a trap set by the son of a weaver, Eliot Lear. Eliot offers Lovett an appealing offer. She must join the vainglory, or competition for the prince to find a bride. It is only for silkwitches since the prince must marry a silkwitch in order to maintain the family power. There was a vainglory the year before that ended in tragedy when Eliot’s sister was suddenly killed. He wants Lovett to infiltrate the competition to find out what really happened to his sister and in return he promises he will find her a suitable match so that she never has to go to the cloisters. Lovett isn’t used to being the one getting played, but ultimately agrees since this could save her future. Once she gets to the castle everything seems darker and more sinister. The prince is nice enough but the King is very intimidating and seems to predict her every move. Can Lovett find out what happened to Eliot’s sister without being found out for who she truly is? Will she manage to escape the cloisters? Will the prince take a liking to Lovett, which would be problematic because he doesn’t know who she truly is or what her motives are?

This fantasy story is exciting and has many twists and turns as Lovett gets deeper into this wealthy world. The other silkwitches all have secrets and special abilities just like Lovett which makes it hard to know who is telling the truth and who has ulterior motives as well. Eliot is an interesting character too. He clearly wants to know the truth about what happened to his sister, but it seems there are other secrets he is keeping as one of those closest to the prince. Meanwhile, Lovett finds there are many secrets to be unearthed in the castle, but it doesn’t take long before she gets warnings to stop digging or else. Readers will want to see more from these characters. Recommended for fantasy readers, especially fantasy romance readers.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

Published June 17, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Ivy has come to the age where all young women in her town can ask the Queen, who is a conniving fae, for a wish. All wishes come at a price, however. For example, her older sister does not remember her wish, but it has forever changed her and she now she is despondent and rarely leaves her room. This is the same occasion that young ladies come out as available to be married, but when Ivy and the others go to be presented before the Queen they learn that this year the fae prince will be looking for a bride. There is a catch to trying to make a match with the prince, however, and that is that each girl must sign her name in blood to a binding contract that states if the prince does NOT choose her then she cannot marry anyone else. Ivy is the first to step up to sign under these conditions, because she’s hoping if she could become a princess then she might be able to save her sister. None of the girls who sign know what is in store for them as the Queen puts them through cruel and terrible challenges in order to gain her favor. As Ivy gets closer to the other girls still left in the competition it becomes clear that no one will really win in this situation and she needs to find a way to help her family while she still can. The other prince (the one without magical abilities) tries to get Ivy to join his secret plan to unseat the queen and undo all of her “wishes.” Ivy agrees, but isn’t sure how they can best such a powerful figure. Plus, she isn’t sure who will stand with them and who will betray them. Can Ivy save her sister from her secret fate? Can Ivy find happiness in such a dire situation? Is there anyone Ivy can truly trust?

This fantasy series will thrill fans of The Hunger Games and the Selection series. The trials the Queen puts the girls through are cruel, but also clever in how they are planned out. There are occasionally moments when the reader gets to learn more about the other bachelorettes to see what each girl’s motivations and dreams are which becomes helpful as the ending unfolds. The growing relationship between Ivy and the other prince continues to grow as the story develops and they both know that Ivy has agreed to never marry another should the prince not choose her. The ending has many surprises and revelations (which readers will love), but there is still more to come with these characters as not everything has been revealed yet. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy romance series.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Published March 6, 2018 Fantasy Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  370

Jude, her twin sister, and their older sister were whisked away when they were seven to the land of faeries after their parents were savagely murdered before their eyes.  Jude’s older sister is actually her half sister and her father is from that land so she fits in well, despite not wanting to.  Meanwhile, Jude and her twin are picked on everyday since they are mortal and do not have some of the powers everyone else has.  They even have to wear protective charms because other can control them with glamours.  Jude is very headstrong and refuses to back down and comply when she is bullied and it often gets her into more trouble.  Prince Cardan, in particular, seems to truly despise Jude and makes it his daily mission to make her life a living hell.  When Jude is presented with an opportunity to raise her social status and protect herself from the likes of Prince Cardan, she jumps at it without really thinking about what she is getting into.  The King has announced he will be stepping down and choosing one of his six children to succeed him.  She knows this is a time when much can go wrong, but despite all her preparations she is unprepared for the treacherous plans already in motion.  Can she save herself and her family from those trying to destroy everything they hold dear?  Will she put her faith in the right person?

This book is immediately engaging and the characters are multifaceted.  Since it came out it has been constantly checked out and word of mouth is definitely spreading on this popular new fantasy.  There are many twists and turns in the plot and it’s difficult to predict how different characters will react to different situations.  This is a must have for young adult libraries.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Published August 19, 2014 RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic fiction/Futuristic fiction

# of pages:  327

RAC:  Yes

America Singer is a 5 on a caste system where 1 is the royal family, 2s and 3s are the wealthy and powerful, and 5s are the artists of the world.  She is secretly meeting with Aspen, the neighbor boy who is  a 6.  Girls almost never marry below their station because they then become that station.  One day the palace announces that Prince Maxon is ready to marry and begins The Selection.  Any girl between the ages of 16 and 20 in any province can fill out an application to be entered into a random drawing for The Testing.  One girl from each of the 35 provinces will be chosen to move to the palace in order to be considered as the country’s next princess.  America does not want to do this because she plans to marry Aspen, but when she tells him that her mother is pressuring her he encourages it so that he will never feel responsible for her missing out on something great.  To everyone’s shock, America is chosen and must move to the palace.  Does she try to become a princess where she might be able to make some real changes that could benefit people lower on the caste?  Does she refuse to go and announce she is marrying Aspen?

This book crosses The Hunger Games with The Bachelor.  America is a fun, modern girl with goals and aspirations that have nothing to do with her two suitors, but they are fun as well.  There is a lot of political turmoil that she is not expecting and the relationship she begins with Maxon is very different from anyone else’s.  The cast of characters is very intriguing and vibrant and despite the number you really do get to know several of these girls as people.  As part of a trilogy, the story holds up well through to the end and America never compromises herself for a man or a crown.  Recommended.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Published November 25, 2013 Fantasy , RAC , Science Fiction Leave a Comment
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Scarlet

Genre:  Science Fiction

# of Pages:  454

RAC:  Yes

In this sequel to Cinder, Scarlet is introduced as a brassy red headed girl who becomes alarmed when her grandmother goes missing.  The police believe she ran away and will not look for her, but Scarlet knows something is wrong.  Then, she meets a mysterious man who comes to her defense after she makes some remarks defending Cinder, who is all over the news and considered a traitor.  Cinder, meanwhile, has been given the tools to escape her maximum security prison and she takes advantage of it.  Along the way she picks up another prisoner she believes might be helpful in the journey.  The evil Lunar queen tells the Emperor that if he does not produce Cinder for her to punish as she sees fit in three days time they will launch a devastating war on earth.  Will Cinder let countless others die just to save herself?  Will Scarlet ever find her grandmother or the reason for why she disappeared?  Will the prince give in to Levana’s demands?

In my previous post on Cinder I spoke very highly of a book that frankly did not sound that appealing initially.  Scarlet might be even better than that one.  It is so rare for a sequel to continue to build on the momentum acquired in the first one.  Meyer managed to continue Cinder’s story while also introducing many great new plot lines and characters in a way that connected and did not seem confusing or forced.  The action in the book is so exciting and tense that you cannot help but keep reading because the suspense of not knowing is just too much to handle.  Highly recommended.

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