The Crown by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection (bk. 4)

Genera(s): Dystopian sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: contests, love, royalty, politics, princes and princesses, kings and queens

Setting: Los Angeles, California (Angeles now)

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, past tense: Eadlyn Schreave

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 278 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $19.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

My Review:  The Crown is the 5^th and final book in the Selection series, or the 2^nd and final book of this Selection spinoff duology, depending on how you look at it. If you don’t recall, in The Heir, Maxon decides that holding the Selection would be a way to distract the people from other troubles. Getting rid of the caste system did not solve all the problem in Ilea. People are having trouble finding jobs because of post-caste discrimination, or skill level. The 35 suitors are anonymously picked and Eadlyn was making history being in the first female-ran selection. Eadlyn was highly against the Selection and tried to sabotage it from the start, sending boys home as quick as she could, but some were charming enough that she kept them for a while, dating some, doing things as a group sometimes.

Now in The Crown, Eadlyn has narrowed her Selection down to 6 Elites. The ones staying are Ean, Henri, Fox, Hale, Gunner, and Kile. Under the circumstances of her mother’s condition, she thought it was best to let everyone else go. Her mother’s heart attack is hard on her, but America is still alive and the doctors are doing what they can. Out of all the Elite boys, Kile’s the only one she truly loved, but he dreams of being an architect and she’s not sure if she want to put him in a royal position. She grew up with him, and they used to not like each other.

There’s also Henri’s translator, Erik, who Eadlyn starting to fall for, although he’s not part of the Selection. Erik’s family was from Swendway, like Henri is. Erik’s real first name is Eikko. He has dark hair and blue eye and is camera shy. Eadlyn really does love him, but she feels obligated to go though with the rules of the Selection. Also there’s Marid Illéa who want her to marry him to secure the royal blood line.

This was a really great finale. It was cute and enjoyable. I’m happy how it ended and kind of don’t want to spoil it for everyone else. I enjoyed all the romance, humor and drama in these books. If you looking for action, this is not that kind of book. It’s full of romance. It’s like a soap opera. I would not suggest reading this without having read all three of The Selection books before it.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover more than any other Selection covers. That dress is the most gorgeous cover dress yet. Those sparkles look like stars. I just love everything and wish it were metallic or glittery.

Cover Art Review: So gorgeous. I love the purple! The lavender dress is so pretty!

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Series: The Red Queen Trilogy (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Subjects: abilities, superpowers, supernatural, magic, war, rebellions

Setting: Norta (All of New England, New York, Pennsylvania)

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Mare Barrow

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 440 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $19.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?”

My Review: The Glass Sword is the sequel to Red Queen. I really enjoyed Red Queen. It was exciting and unique. This book for me suffers a bit of a sequel slump. There’s a lot of cool stuff in it, but it lacks some of the excitement of the first book. I think finding other Newbloods with abilities is cool in an X-men kind of way, but it becomes hard to keep track of them. I had to make a list to keep track of characters, their appearance and powers. Some stuff is just brushed over to quickly. It’s possible that this sequel was less exciting because it took me a week to read it because I was so busy with school and work. It’s kind of a long book with too many little words on each page (each page could easily be 2 pages).

I did enjoy it though. I loved all the different abilities, from illusions to invulnerability, the Newbloods had powers that no Silver had. The training and the missions were pretty awesome. There are a lot of similarities with other series about people with special abilities, like The Young Elites series by Marie Lu, but that was high fantasy, and this is dystopian-fantasy. The world building is amazing and it’s about 350 years I the future. Global warming happened, as well as nuclear warfare, and radiation possibly resulting in the existence of the Silvers. It’s never explained completely.

There’s some romance, but I don’t think there’s enough. Cal seems like a great guy, despite being the prince. He’s like a Fire-Bender in Avatar. His brother is kind of evil, what with tricking Mare, and making Cal kill his father. I was kind of hoping Maven was secretly a Whisperer like his mother, and other pretended to be a Burner, but I’m mistaken. Mare is a badass, but less likable in the sequel. I guess she’s more flawed with all the stuff she had to go though. Kind of like Adelina in The Young Elites. The book got a lot more exciting and fast near the end, when Mare’s team tries to break out the Newbloods that Maven captured, as well as wrongly imprisoned Silvers. It makes up for all the slow parts that could have easily been left out and made this book shorter. So, I give this sequel 4 stars.

I recommend Red Queen to fans of the following types of books. Books about rebellions, dystopian or otherwise: The Young Elites or Legend by Marie Lu, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Pawn by Aimee Carter, Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page. Dystopian books with fantasy elements: The Selection by Kiera Cass, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, Defiance by C.J. Redwine. Books in which superpowers/magic powers play a big role: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Illusive by Emily Lloyd Jones, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, Blackout by Robsion Wells, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (also has character with lightning powers). Unique fantasy books: Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch, Shadow and Bone by Leugh Bardugo, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Cover Art Review: I love the simple photo illustration of the glass sword-crown dripping blood. The cover is a larger size and it’s metallic and the background mimics light blue silk. The crown and title is embossed.

Queen by Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion (bk. 3)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi/Thriller

Subjects: social classes, government, identity, Washington DC

Setting: Washington D.C. and Elsewhere (Michigan), Colorado (Stronghold)

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, past tense: Kitty Doe

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 282 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary/ product description: “PAWN...CAPTIVE...QUEEN?

Kitty Doe is a Blackcoat rebel and a former captive with a deadly connection to the most powerful and dangerous man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. Forced to masquerade as Daxton's niece, Lila Hart, Kitty has helped the Blackcoats take back the prison known as Elsewhere. But Daxton has no intention of ceding his position of privilege—or letting Kitty expose his own masquerade. Not in these United States, where each person's rank means the difference between luxury and poverty, freedom and fear...and ultimately, between life and death.

To defeat the corrupt government, Kitty must expose Daxton's secret. Securing evidence will put others in jeopardy, including the boy she's loved forever and an ally she barely trusts. For months, Kitty's survival has hinged on playing a part. Now she must discover who she truly wants to be, and whether the new world she and the rebels are striving to create has a place in it for her after all.”

My Review: Queen is the finale to the Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy. It brings the series to an amazing conclusion full of drama, deceit and rebellion. It’s been an interesting ride. It’s got the familiarity of other dystopian books, with the awesome twist of Kitty impersonating Lila Hart. We previously found out that she is actually related to Lila, which explains their similar eye color. Kitty was made to look exactly like Lila (Masked) and has pretended to be Lila, until she claimed to be Lila’s double. Kitty, Knox and the rebellion are trying to kill Daxon Hart, who is actually Victor Mercer wearing Daxon’s face.

It’s winter and Kitty is in Elsewhere, which is located in Michigan (I’m guessing because it’s surrounded by great lakes and the author’s from there). She gives a speech to the residents, tries to bring them together for the cause. She ends up in the hands of Daxon again and he’s got plans for her. Stuff happen, and Kitty’s got to play Lila again. There’s a lot of plotting and conspiracy. It’s fun and cool. There are so many twists; I had no idea what would happen next.

There’s not so much romance in this book. Knox and Kitty had something going, but they get separated most of the book. Benjy loves Lila, but they decide to be just friends, like they always were. Romance is not really important since there is so much going on. They need to focus on taking Daxon out and fixing the country. Greyson, who Kitty found out is her half brother, doesn’t want to be Prime Minister. He rather invent cool gadgets. He will however be the Prime Minister when they get rid of Daxon just so he can help make America they way it used to be. Without the 7 castes deciding people’s lives.

I highly recommend this to fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, Red Queen by Victoria Avyard, and fans of the TV show Scandal. It you love political intrigue and thrilling stories with lite sci-fi, then read this series.

Cover Art Review: Marble texture that looks like it’s cut into. Simple, cool.