Posts Tagged 'prince'

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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