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The Princess Trials #1
The Princess Trials
Thirty young women. A handsome prince. A battle to the death
Water is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.
Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause.
When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses.
The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince's attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon's public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission.
But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.
Water is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.
Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause.
When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses.
The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince's attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon's public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission.
But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.
504 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2020
7529 people are currently reading
39132 people want to read
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May 8, 2021Seems like a total selection rip-off but aight...
Even the prince names though! Kevon? Maxon? I-
Even the prince names though! Kevon? Maxon? I-
May 26, 2020
Okay the description for this book is on point. Seriously a Hunger Games/The Selection book.
At first I kinda struggled with it because it was almost exactly that. The Hunger Games & the Selection. But I kept reading and as I got more into the story it literally became it's own.
I really really liked the book, and I thought all 3 books were out now I have to wait till later this year for book 2 and next year for book 3.
Moving on...I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed THG & TS, I enjoyed the struggles and triumphs of the main character. I enjoyed the ruthlessness of others, the snark and strength of the characters as well.
There were several twists and turns I didn't see coming which surprised me and I appreciated that as well as the fact that I was actually surprised.
The romance was sweet and I didn't expect anything more or less which is fine and I appreciate that there are still struggles ahead and I look forward to that.
Overall it literally is THG & TS with it's own twist on both tales mashed together. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun easy read.
Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild/none
Violence: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
LGBTQ: yes, there is mention of a character being gay
At first I kinda struggled with it because it was almost exactly that. The Hunger Games & the Selection. But I kept reading and as I got more into the story it literally became it's own.
I really really liked the book, and I thought all 3 books were out now I have to wait till later this year for book 2 and next year for book 3.
Moving on...I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed THG & TS, I enjoyed the struggles and triumphs of the main character. I enjoyed the ruthlessness of others, the snark and strength of the characters as well.
There were several twists and turns I didn't see coming which surprised me and I appreciated that as well as the fact that I was actually surprised.
The romance was sweet and I didn't expect anything more or less which is fine and I appreciate that there are still struggles ahead and I look forward to that.
Overall it literally is THG & TS with it's own twist on both tales mashed together. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun easy read.
Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild/none
Violence: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
LGBTQ: yes, there is mention of a character being gay
May 11, 2020
The Princess Trials by Cordelia Castel was pitched to me as “The Selection meets The Hunger Games”
I got to say, I was skeptical. Because those blurbs are rarely true.
But let me tell you…
The Princess Trials delivered and more than exceeded my every hope and dream!
This is one amazing book. If you’re a fan of The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Pay attention! If you loved Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games, listen up!
Take everything you loved about those two series, mash up together, add a full spoon of awesomeness, and a major cup of adrenaline and you get The Princess Trials.
The Princess Trials Review
In full disclosure, Cordelia is a friend of mine, but that in no way will affect my review. In fact, despite knowing each other for over two years, I’ve never read one of her books.
When she offered me an ARC of The Princess Trials, I knew now was as good a time as ever.
The prince of Phangloria has come of age and it’s time for the country once again to host its Princess Trials. A way for the commoners like Zea-Mays Calico, a Harvester, to have a shot at ascending beyond her birth and having an impact for the better in a corrupt society.
Sound like The Selection?
Except the government of Phangloria is wickedly corrupt, and the Harvesters have faced enough oppression. They’ve had enough. And so they’ve formed a rebel alliance called the Red Runners to take out the monarchy and establish a democracy in its place.
There’s only one problem, The Red Runners have never been inside the palace, and they have no idea how to attack to minimize loss of life and increase their chances of killing the Royals.
That’s where Zea comes in. She is asked to infiltrate the Princess Trials as a spy, make it through to the palace round, find a secret entrance, and report back to the Red Runners. But most importantly, she can’t fall in love with the Prince.
The Kingdom
This is a post apocalyptic society where most of the United States is underwater, what remains is a barren, radioactive wasteland. A few settlements still exist with the use of technology to keep the air and land pure, but precious resources like water are rationed.
There is very much a caste system in place, with your Echelon being more important the closer you are to the Oasis, or the Capitol.
The Princess Trials is a heavily televised event with special twists and cruel jokes meant to entertain the Nobles at the expense of the lives of the girls who enter the trials.
What Zea doesn’t know is the games are rigged from the start, and whoever is editing the footage is out to get her. When an off-hand comment gains the attention of Prince Kevon, she suddenly finds herself his favorite and the target of not only the other contestants, but some nefarious up-to-no-gooders as well.
Despite many injustices that befall her, like an assassination attempt, or being the only witness to a murder, the cameras spin the events to make her look like the perpetrator.
The Prince
Despite the corruption in the government, Prince Kevon wants what’s best for his people. He was born into power, and his rulership is assured. It’s the Nobles beneath him that pine for their place of authority and are willing to do anything necessary to climb one more rung the ladder.
At first, Zea plans to avoid Prince Kevon at all costs. She wants to keep her head low, quietly advance, find what she needs in the palace and purposely fail to go home so that the coup can begin.
But she quickly discovers he won’t leave her alone, continually inviting her to private alone time, which only raises her further into the spotlight.
She soon discovers the prince isn’t at all what she thought he was, and she begins to wonder if removing the monarchy is the right move after all.
But the Red Runners are monitoring her, and they’ll know if her convictions begin to waiver. And if they do, they might storm the palace anyway, killing Kevon in the process and ruining any shot Zea might have at fixing the Harvesters plight.
The Trials
There are four major trials that Zea participates in throughout Book 1 of The Princess Trials. The first is medical screening, to make sure she is not with child or infertile. From the girls that pass, only four from her city will be chosen out of thousands.
The second is a televised audition where a Caesar Flickerman type character interviews all the ladies and a popular vote is taken to see who advances to the first real trial.
The third event is a competition that challenges the ladies to complete a task, and the first person to finish gets an exclusive date with Prince Kevon. I’ll not spoil any of the details. No elimination takes place here.
Following the above events and a special ball, there is once again a culling of the numbers by popular vote.
And finally there’s an adrenaline pumping explosive moment that will rock your socks off.
The Differences & Similarities
Unlike The Selection, eliminating your opponents by any means necessary is highly encouraged. There are no nice girls, and everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone, is out for themselves.
Shame them, embarrass them, manipulate them, yes, even kill them. If you can eliminate the competition, the crown is in the proverbial bag.
Like The Selection, there is romance and a competition to become the next princess.
Unlike The Selection, the competition is in the hands of the viewers, and when the media is constantly spinning their own tale, many times outright fabricating events that never happened, the odds are stacked against our heroine.
Like The Hunger Games, there is a rebel alliance, and they want to topple the way of life for those who reap the benefits of the oppressed.
Unlike The Hunger Games, participation is the games is voluntary and death is not the expected outcome, though it is a high possibility.
Like the Hunger Games, changes to the rules may come in many unexpected and shocking ways.
Final Thoughts
Get this book.
You need this book.
I promise you’re going to love it.
I stayed up until 2 AM reading this book because I couldn’t put it down. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t give up my sleep easily. I hoard my hours of sleep like a dragon hoards gold, and for me to sacrifice it for The Princess Trials is high praise indeed.
I got to say, I was skeptical. Because those blurbs are rarely true.
But let me tell you…
The Princess Trials delivered and more than exceeded my every hope and dream!
This is one amazing book. If you’re a fan of The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Pay attention! If you loved Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games, listen up!
Take everything you loved about those two series, mash up together, add a full spoon of awesomeness, and a major cup of adrenaline and you get The Princess Trials.
The Princess Trials Review
In full disclosure, Cordelia is a friend of mine, but that in no way will affect my review. In fact, despite knowing each other for over two years, I’ve never read one of her books.
When she offered me an ARC of The Princess Trials, I knew now was as good a time as ever.
The prince of Phangloria has come of age and it’s time for the country once again to host its Princess Trials. A way for the commoners like Zea-Mays Calico, a Harvester, to have a shot at ascending beyond her birth and having an impact for the better in a corrupt society.
Sound like The Selection?
Except the government of Phangloria is wickedly corrupt, and the Harvesters have faced enough oppression. They’ve had enough. And so they’ve formed a rebel alliance called the Red Runners to take out the monarchy and establish a democracy in its place.
There’s only one problem, The Red Runners have never been inside the palace, and they have no idea how to attack to minimize loss of life and increase their chances of killing the Royals.
That’s where Zea comes in. She is asked to infiltrate the Princess Trials as a spy, make it through to the palace round, find a secret entrance, and report back to the Red Runners. But most importantly, she can’t fall in love with the Prince.
The Kingdom
This is a post apocalyptic society where most of the United States is underwater, what remains is a barren, radioactive wasteland. A few settlements still exist with the use of technology to keep the air and land pure, but precious resources like water are rationed.
There is very much a caste system in place, with your Echelon being more important the closer you are to the Oasis, or the Capitol.
The Princess Trials is a heavily televised event with special twists and cruel jokes meant to entertain the Nobles at the expense of the lives of the girls who enter the trials.
What Zea doesn’t know is the games are rigged from the start, and whoever is editing the footage is out to get her. When an off-hand comment gains the attention of Prince Kevon, she suddenly finds herself his favorite and the target of not only the other contestants, but some nefarious up-to-no-gooders as well.
Despite many injustices that befall her, like an assassination attempt, or being the only witness to a murder, the cameras spin the events to make her look like the perpetrator.
The Prince
Despite the corruption in the government, Prince Kevon wants what’s best for his people. He was born into power, and his rulership is assured. It’s the Nobles beneath him that pine for their place of authority and are willing to do anything necessary to climb one more rung the ladder.
At first, Zea plans to avoid Prince Kevon at all costs. She wants to keep her head low, quietly advance, find what she needs in the palace and purposely fail to go home so that the coup can begin.
But she quickly discovers he won’t leave her alone, continually inviting her to private alone time, which only raises her further into the spotlight.
She soon discovers the prince isn’t at all what she thought he was, and she begins to wonder if removing the monarchy is the right move after all.
But the Red Runners are monitoring her, and they’ll know if her convictions begin to waiver. And if they do, they might storm the palace anyway, killing Kevon in the process and ruining any shot Zea might have at fixing the Harvesters plight.
The Trials
There are four major trials that Zea participates in throughout Book 1 of The Princess Trials. The first is medical screening, to make sure she is not with child or infertile. From the girls that pass, only four from her city will be chosen out of thousands.
The second is a televised audition where a Caesar Flickerman type character interviews all the ladies and a popular vote is taken to see who advances to the first real trial.
The third event is a competition that challenges the ladies to complete a task, and the first person to finish gets an exclusive date with Prince Kevon. I’ll not spoil any of the details. No elimination takes place here.
Following the above events and a special ball, there is once again a culling of the numbers by popular vote.
And finally there’s an adrenaline pumping explosive moment that will rock your socks off.
The Differences & Similarities
Unlike The Selection, eliminating your opponents by any means necessary is highly encouraged. There are no nice girls, and everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone, is out for themselves.
Shame them, embarrass them, manipulate them, yes, even kill them. If you can eliminate the competition, the crown is in the proverbial bag.
Like The Selection, there is romance and a competition to become the next princess.
Unlike The Selection, the competition is in the hands of the viewers, and when the media is constantly spinning their own tale, many times outright fabricating events that never happened, the odds are stacked against our heroine.
Like The Hunger Games, there is a rebel alliance, and they want to topple the way of life for those who reap the benefits of the oppressed.
Unlike The Hunger Games, participation is the games is voluntary and death is not the expected outcome, though it is a high possibility.
Like the Hunger Games, changes to the rules may come in many unexpected and shocking ways.
Final Thoughts
Get this book.
You need this book.
I promise you’re going to love it.
I stayed up until 2 AM reading this book because I couldn’t put it down. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t give up my sleep easily. I hoard my hours of sleep like a dragon hoards gold, and for me to sacrifice it for The Princess Trials is high praise indeed.
July 8, 2021
Spoilers for the entire book because You don’t need to sit through this shit like I did. Fuck this series honestly
Where do I even start in a series thats dystopian, slightly homophobic, loves its Eugenics, and making us think its protagonist is a real person.
Let's start with the Why, as in why did I read this book? Well I LOVE the selection series, and the hunger games, so I was very excited that this was supposed to be a interpretation of the ''death competition'' trope but a whole series.
Zea Mays (maise?Mayse?) Calico is a interesting name, one that is typical of the genre and I like how everyone makes fun of it in the book at one point or another. She comes from the same brand that brought you Katniss everdeen, a girl born into the worst of her caste system and traumatized by the brutality of a past event.
And that's where the similarities end.
Katniss is obviously the genre archetype and I think the reason why characters like Zea fail so hard at being in the same lane, is because the author forgets what character they're writing. Katniss and Zea live in the WORST of their respective dystopian systems, this brutal life with small moments of happiness interspersed is all they've known, and while Katniss is molded by this, Zea seems to use it for ''pity points'' whenever she recalls the event to the reader. (Katniss lost her father and her mother for a while because of a mine explosion/depression, Zea witnessed a dude get curb stomped essentially ) Trauma effects everyone differently, but the fact it hardly effect's Zea's behavior and is only motivating part of her actions speaks to the problem I started this part of my review with. The Author forgets this integral piece of the character she's created unless its for pity points.
Alright lets get to the actual condensed plot.
Zea is in the lowest echelon of her dystopian society yet constantly acts out of character of someone who would live under oppression and has witnessed the consequences of smaller actings out. The good thing is that her actions never affect her family, which is great because she does alot of stupid stuff. She also like any modern teenager, hates her mother. Like hate hates her. Her mother suffered through a sort of eugenics program where since she came from the wasteland of this world, they tested her to make sure she was smart enough, healthy enough, and sane enough to breed. And no, i'm not making this shit up this government system actively promotes this shit and like any sane protagonist, Zea thinks this is disgusting and hates that her mother went through this, right?
Except Zea is a fucking asshole and not even bothered by this. Infact by all accounts Zea supports that breeding and making babies is the end goal for any woman. And if Any woman cannot do so well then they deserve less water rations. Which this would be great! Like lets make our protagonist super fucking unlikable and then learn from her mistakes right? WRONG. Zea pisses on her mom constantly and its unjustified. Like her mother has gone into detail explaining horrible things happened to her, so she wants Zea to be able to protect herself. (Zeas symbolic weapon thing is a slingshot and blow dart her mother taught her how to use btw, and zea calls her mother a coward and shits on her every chance she gets dESPITE HER MOTHER BEING THE ONLY ONE WHO TEACHES HER HOW TO PROTECT HERSELF .) Zea has two little shit stain younger brothers who only get brought up four times the entire book, and a dad she idolizes despite him..not doing anything? Like legit I cannot recall anything he's done in the series besides show zea tomatoes have seeds. Also as im re-editing this, I think the book...changed?Like I only have it on digital, but I swear to god there was a scene where Zea jumps from the tree she's hiding in to a applauding audience BUT it’s no longer there?
anyways.
Zea Joins the ''Princess Trials'' sort of at the last minute because a guy she likes who's working for the underground rebellion (which lets not even get into a mess of a plot point that is) very clearly manipulates her feelings for him to get her to do this. (if this is intentional to let the audience know he's bad news I'm insulted because it feels like the Author is mocking us for being too dumb to pick up subtle anything) This is where the squeamish should turn away, While I understand the use of uncomfortable imagery to help us empathize with the characters hardships, I really can't stomach the gratuity the author takes in making us witness Zea undergoing a internal OBGYN exam from hell. It would make sense for the people doing this to Zea (for THG fans, imagine the prep team scene from the first movie) to do it and not care for her comfort and for it to be so vivid, but the author dances around any other violence of this nature. So its INCREDIBLY jarring and breaks the immersion. Like think very basic wording of most violence she’s witnessed, and this being described in just enough detail you wanna hurl. (I also wanna say I kind of hate when books have shit like this in them, like a Pap smear is terrifying enough thanks for perpetuating that in a book I’m supposed to be escaping into)
Anyways, Zea of course makes it to the next round, and has to audition for a place in the competition.Which is contrived but at least Zea finally has a personality and behavior to match it here, and gets stuck with her ''mockingjay'' title. We also meet the its-ok-to-be-mean-to-her-she's-ugly-on-the-inside-too Berta. Who is Zea's reflection really, she’s loud and rude and ALLLLLLLMOST becomes a friend to Zea. But since she’s big ugly and masculine (says the book protagonist between the lines) she isn’t loyal. We also meet the ''rue'' character Gemini Pixel who reacts realistically to trauma and is the only character I like aside from the mom.
Anyways the first trial is, dumb. And not that exciting, Zea's team comes in last because why not we need a underdog to cheer on. They literally have a sort of death race across a volcanic field where the other girls (think the career pack) have the advantage bc they’re rich and get to use fucking jeeps. It’s set up in a way where it’s obvious Zea’s team isn’t going to get the upper hand and we’re supposed to feel sympathetic but it leaves me irritated because a more clever protagonist (of which were told Zea is) would’ve figured out some way to get the Jeep’s. But Zea complains about the heat and then brags about how she can handle not having water bc she’s a badass.
Another Issue I have with this book and series is the lack of thought put into the Trials themselves, but there is some measure of thought in the more ''selection'' scenes of the book. (sit down dinners). Oh, and How every scene of Zea reflecting on beauty is tinged with a bit of...dare I say fair skinned supremacy? Zea herself, and her family, are all fair skinned, blonde blue eyed darlings. But they come from a district where their family has worked in giant crop fields their entire lives? I assume Zea's father comes from a long line of harvesters, But her mother too came from a desert environment. Now as a Latina Im saying this, but should these people not have some brown to them? Like do these people not tan??? Another thing is, Eugenics. Like constantly the book goes on and on about perfect genes, and how women who bare perfect genetic offspring are considered worthy of like basic necessities. Which in a dystopian society with skewered morals, I understand would be the norm. But Zea is supposed to be, as our protag, the person who rejects or expresses her disgust at this. Instead she just is fine with that. She even uses this logic to justify not caring (or it came off to me as such) as a character who is a lesbian who is brutally murdered. That scene as well is disgustingly long and the author relishes in the slow death of a LGBQT+ Character. POC characters have it just as bad, as Zea forgets them, or they're ruthless and bloodthirsty threats against perfect Zea. I couldn't even tell you how this book ended because I got INCREDIBLY bored with the entire final act. There's a whole attack on the palace that kills some girls (gemini included RIP you funky little depressed albino) who barely are cared about after the fact, and there's a staged fake death of the prince to see how the girls would react. and WOW they all turn on OUR Zea! WOW! HOW TWISTED IS THAT DON'T YOU FEEL BAD FOR THIS CHARACTER. LOOK AT HOW HURT SHE IS! FEEL BAD.
Its not even Cathartic when Zea gets like stabbed or whatever because it's obviously a ''feel bad plz'' sort of event.
All in all the princess trials is a fucking shame, it has a interesting premise, and it clumsily handles any themes it’s trying to say something about.
Anyways. See you all at the second book review, But please don't read this book unless you want a headache.
-AC
Where do I even start in a series thats dystopian, slightly homophobic, loves its Eugenics, and making us think its protagonist is a real person.
Let's start with the Why, as in why did I read this book? Well I LOVE the selection series, and the hunger games, so I was very excited that this was supposed to be a interpretation of the ''death competition'' trope but a whole series.
Zea Mays (maise?Mayse?) Calico is a interesting name, one that is typical of the genre and I like how everyone makes fun of it in the book at one point or another. She comes from the same brand that brought you Katniss everdeen, a girl born into the worst of her caste system and traumatized by the brutality of a past event.
And that's where the similarities end.
Katniss is obviously the genre archetype and I think the reason why characters like Zea fail so hard at being in the same lane, is because the author forgets what character they're writing. Katniss and Zea live in the WORST of their respective dystopian systems, this brutal life with small moments of happiness interspersed is all they've known, and while Katniss is molded by this, Zea seems to use it for ''pity points'' whenever she recalls the event to the reader. (Katniss lost her father and her mother for a while because of a mine explosion/depression, Zea witnessed a dude get curb stomped essentially ) Trauma effects everyone differently, but the fact it hardly effect's Zea's behavior and is only motivating part of her actions speaks to the problem I started this part of my review with. The Author forgets this integral piece of the character she's created unless its for pity points.
Alright lets get to the actual condensed plot.
Zea is in the lowest echelon of her dystopian society yet constantly acts out of character of someone who would live under oppression and has witnessed the consequences of smaller actings out. The good thing is that her actions never affect her family, which is great because she does alot of stupid stuff. She also like any modern teenager, hates her mother. Like hate hates her. Her mother suffered through a sort of eugenics program where since she came from the wasteland of this world, they tested her to make sure she was smart enough, healthy enough, and sane enough to breed. And no, i'm not making this shit up this government system actively promotes this shit and like any sane protagonist, Zea thinks this is disgusting and hates that her mother went through this, right?
Except Zea is a fucking asshole and not even bothered by this. Infact by all accounts Zea supports that breeding and making babies is the end goal for any woman. And if Any woman cannot do so well then they deserve less water rations. Which this would be great! Like lets make our protagonist super fucking unlikable and then learn from her mistakes right? WRONG. Zea pisses on her mom constantly and its unjustified. Like her mother has gone into detail explaining horrible things happened to her, so she wants Zea to be able to protect herself. (Zeas symbolic weapon thing is a slingshot and blow dart her mother taught her how to use btw, and zea calls her mother a coward and shits on her every chance she gets dESPITE HER MOTHER BEING THE ONLY ONE WHO TEACHES HER HOW TO PROTECT HERSELF .) Zea has two little shit stain younger brothers who only get brought up four times the entire book, and a dad she idolizes despite him..not doing anything? Like legit I cannot recall anything he's done in the series besides show zea tomatoes have seeds. Also as im re-editing this, I think the book...changed?Like I only have it on digital, but I swear to god there was a scene where Zea jumps from the tree she's hiding in to a applauding audience BUT it’s no longer there?
anyways.
Zea Joins the ''Princess Trials'' sort of at the last minute because a guy she likes who's working for the underground rebellion (which lets not even get into a mess of a plot point that is) very clearly manipulates her feelings for him to get her to do this. (if this is intentional to let the audience know he's bad news I'm insulted because it feels like the Author is mocking us for being too dumb to pick up subtle anything) This is where the squeamish should turn away, While I understand the use of uncomfortable imagery to help us empathize with the characters hardships, I really can't stomach the gratuity the author takes in making us witness Zea undergoing a internal OBGYN exam from hell. It would make sense for the people doing this to Zea (for THG fans, imagine the prep team scene from the first movie) to do it and not care for her comfort and for it to be so vivid, but the author dances around any other violence of this nature. So its INCREDIBLY jarring and breaks the immersion. Like think very basic wording of most violence she’s witnessed, and this being described in just enough detail you wanna hurl. (I also wanna say I kind of hate when books have shit like this in them, like a Pap smear is terrifying enough thanks for perpetuating that in a book I’m supposed to be escaping into)
Anyways, Zea of course makes it to the next round, and has to audition for a place in the competition.Which is contrived but at least Zea finally has a personality and behavior to match it here, and gets stuck with her ''mockingjay'' title. We also meet the its-ok-to-be-mean-to-her-she's-ugly-on-the-inside-too Berta. Who is Zea's reflection really, she’s loud and rude and ALLLLLLLMOST becomes a friend to Zea. But since she’s big ugly and masculine (says the book protagonist between the lines) she isn’t loyal. We also meet the ''rue'' character Gemini Pixel who reacts realistically to trauma and is the only character I like aside from the mom.
Anyways the first trial is, dumb. And not that exciting, Zea's team comes in last because why not we need a underdog to cheer on. They literally have a sort of death race across a volcanic field where the other girls (think the career pack) have the advantage bc they’re rich and get to use fucking jeeps. It’s set up in a way where it’s obvious Zea’s team isn’t going to get the upper hand and we’re supposed to feel sympathetic but it leaves me irritated because a more clever protagonist (of which were told Zea is) would’ve figured out some way to get the Jeep’s. But Zea complains about the heat and then brags about how she can handle not having water bc she’s a badass.
Another Issue I have with this book and series is the lack of thought put into the Trials themselves, but there is some measure of thought in the more ''selection'' scenes of the book. (sit down dinners). Oh, and How every scene of Zea reflecting on beauty is tinged with a bit of...dare I say fair skinned supremacy? Zea herself, and her family, are all fair skinned, blonde blue eyed darlings. But they come from a district where their family has worked in giant crop fields their entire lives? I assume Zea's father comes from a long line of harvesters, But her mother too came from a desert environment. Now as a Latina Im saying this, but should these people not have some brown to them? Like do these people not tan??? Another thing is, Eugenics. Like constantly the book goes on and on about perfect genes, and how women who bare perfect genetic offspring are considered worthy of like basic necessities. Which in a dystopian society with skewered morals, I understand would be the norm. But Zea is supposed to be, as our protag, the person who rejects or expresses her disgust at this. Instead she just is fine with that. She even uses this logic to justify not caring (or it came off to me as such) as a character who is a lesbian who is brutally murdered. That scene as well is disgustingly long and the author relishes in the slow death of a LGBQT+ Character. POC characters have it just as bad, as Zea forgets them, or they're ruthless and bloodthirsty threats against perfect Zea. I couldn't even tell you how this book ended because I got INCREDIBLY bored with the entire final act. There's a whole attack on the palace that kills some girls (gemini included RIP you funky little depressed albino) who barely are cared about after the fact, and there's a staged fake death of the prince to see how the girls would react. and WOW they all turn on OUR Zea! WOW! HOW TWISTED IS THAT DON'T YOU FEEL BAD FOR THIS CHARACTER. LOOK AT HOW HURT SHE IS! FEEL BAD.
Its not even Cathartic when Zea gets like stabbed or whatever because it's obviously a ''feel bad plz'' sort of event.
All in all the princess trials is a fucking shame, it has a interesting premise, and it clumsily handles any themes it’s trying to say something about.
Anyways. See you all at the second book review, But please don't read this book unless you want a headache.
-AC
May 20, 2020
This book is Selection meets Hunger Games meets Red Queen. Sounds amazing, right? Sadly it isn’t. It touches upon parts of all three books without ever truly gaining a voice of its own. So much is happening at every turn that I had a hard time relating to any of the characters.
Zae is mega gullible and almost feels voiceless at times. Oh, I want this, but I have to do this bc this guy that I know that has never even looked my way suddenly says I’m the one and I believe him and want to impress him. What?? Maxon, I’m sorry, Kevon, the future King of an oppressive regime, is, of course, thoughtful, and caring, and swoonworthy. The villain(s) and friends are obvious and shallow.
The storyline is rushed, the editing is poor, and I have zero desire to see where this story will lead. Read the above-mentioned books instead.
Zae is mega gullible and almost feels voiceless at times. Oh, I want this, but I have to do this bc this guy that I know that has never even looked my way suddenly says I’m the one and I believe him and want to impress him. What?? Maxon, I’m sorry, Kevon, the future King of an oppressive regime, is, of course, thoughtful, and caring, and swoonworthy. The villain(s) and friends are obvious and shallow.
The storyline is rushed, the editing is poor, and I have zero desire to see where this story will lead. Read the above-mentioned books instead.
June 14, 2020
Wow this book. Totally exceeded my expectations!!
It starts off slow and feeling like literally every Princess tournament book I’ve read this year. It’s so not! The girls are insane and the activities are so unique. I didn’t realize how much I would appreciate a book focused on the importance of water.
The second half of the book is amazing! Fast paced, just the right amount of wtf moments and the end, while not surprising, was done so well I can’t wait to read the second book.
It starts off slow and feeling like literally every Princess tournament book I’ve read this year. It’s so not! The girls are insane and the activities are so unique. I didn’t realize how much I would appreciate a book focused on the importance of water.
The second half of the book is amazing! Fast paced, just the right amount of wtf moments and the end, while not surprising, was done so well I can’t wait to read the second book.
June 11, 2020
Holy crap..
Okay, so The Princess Trials was a big book. Wasn't expecting it to be over 500 pages.. but I also wasn't mad about it either. Confused about a ton of things? Yes, that is actually true.
I won't lie - I have endless questions after finishing this one. It's very hard for me to be okay with everyone wanting to kill this one girl. A harvester. A nobody. Her name is Zea and she is practically the only person who actually has an opinion and cares about other people. Not like all the self-centered robot assholes within this whole princess trials. I was honestly kind of shocked that everyone wanted her dead.. because the reasons why just made zero sense.
Yeah, her and the prince talked and he probably saw her as the favorite. Yet, they all should've realized that they didn't have a chance to begin with. Yes, I'm sure people were conspiring behind the Prince's back and they had the "winner" already picked out before the trials even started. SO WHAT - things got so insane and intense that I'm not even sure who is fully behind all this crap.
Ugh, after that ending I just HAVE to dive into the next book. Just so I know what freaking game everyone is playing. Oh, and I also want Ingrid to die.
Okay, so The Princess Trials was a big book. Wasn't expecting it to be over 500 pages.. but I also wasn't mad about it either. Confused about a ton of things? Yes, that is actually true.
I won't lie - I have endless questions after finishing this one. It's very hard for me to be okay with everyone wanting to kill this one girl. A harvester. A nobody. Her name is Zea and she is practically the only person who actually has an opinion and cares about other people. Not like all the self-centered robot assholes within this whole princess trials. I was honestly kind of shocked that everyone wanted her dead.. because the reasons why just made zero sense.
Yeah, her and the prince talked and he probably saw her as the favorite. Yet, they all should've realized that they didn't have a chance to begin with. Yes, I'm sure people were conspiring behind the Prince's back and they had the "winner" already picked out before the trials even started. SO WHAT - things got so insane and intense that I'm not even sure who is fully behind all this crap.
Ugh, after that ending I just HAVE to dive into the next book. Just so I know what freaking game everyone is playing. Oh, and I also want Ingrid to die.
May 17, 2020
Even while the reading the blurb, I was shocked by the similarities to The Selection by Kiera Cass. And as I read the book, the similarities were startling.
I found the world building and backstory to be patchy and at least half of the time I wasn’t sure entirely what was going on. The plot was fast paced but at times too fast paced with predictable twists and relationships.
I found the world building and backstory to be patchy and at least half of the time I wasn’t sure entirely what was going on. The plot was fast paced but at times too fast paced with predictable twists and relationships.
May 25, 2023
ahmmmmm.... I don't know how I read this, people, run away from this book.
May 9, 2020
The Breakdown:
Cover Art:10/10
Initial Grab: 10/10
Setting: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Readability Factor: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Likely to Recommend: 10/10
Hey Fellow Book Friends,
I got a copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for a review and I have to say that it is honestly one of the best books I have read! I read it all in one sitting, and to many that may be a daunting task at a highly gripping, 648 pages, I sincerely devoured this book it was so good. This book is a must-have for anyone that loves dystopian books and a must-read for any young adult or even adult. I thoroughly enjoyed this entirely unique world brought by this fabulous author who was brand me to me.
Initial Grab: What made me interested in this book was that it was promoted as a must-read if you loved The Hunger Games or The Selection. I’m always eager to read anything similar to those two books and the dystopian genre is one of my all-time favorites. This book deserves so much praise and I will be beyond shocked if this book doesn’t take off as one of the best among our generation and I truly mean that. This book deserves more praise than I can even begin to pen down. I’m gonna go ahead and call that in the near future, we may see a series or movie in the works.
Setting: The Kingdom of Phangloria is such a beautifully complex and enriching world to read about. The culture and currency are so unique. It’s so strange to think that the currency is water. The setting was nothing short of ingenious artistry that is so breathtakingly vivid. The descriptions aren’t overindulgent and are precisely enough to paint such a beautiful landscape that is full of horrible circumstances and situations in some cases.
Characters: Zea is everything amazing about a strong, witty in her own right, brave 16-year-old protagonist that has you cheering for her as you feel her struggles and the unfairness of her situation. She is labeled a “bronco” but it is merely for defending herself and others. In fact, all of the characters are so beautifully written and the character arcs are some of the best I have read. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more about them and their world and am overly excited to read the second book.
Content: You start with this unique idea of thirty young women coming together to compete to marry Prince Kevon but nothing is as it seems and the public only sees what they are meant to see in the televised events that is The Princess Trials. Zea is committed to a revolution and by being her courageous, intriguing, true to herself, brave young woman that she is, she catches the eye of Prince Kevon.
Readability Factor: What I mean by “Readability Factor” is the feeling you get after you read the book, what does it do to you? It’s a way of my describing that “Book drunk, speaks to your soul, and will forever be with you” vibe that so little books are able to effectively capture. I am very hesitant to give a high rating to any book, and hardly ever a 10/10. I am always indecisive, but this book is one that I can say makes you want to read more, long after you shut your book or power down your Kindle. This world, these characters, this concept is just so refreshing and such an amazing journey that I am so honored that I got to go along for the literary ride.
Overall: I sincerely can’t praise this book enough. I am genuinely enchanted by this novel and am eagerly awaiting the second book! I sincerely hope this becomes a series. I HIGHLY praise this book and will be constantly recommending it to everyone I know! You can pre-order both The Princess Trials and the second book in the series, which I personally plan on doing immediately after I post my review! I will most definitely be owning both physical copies the moment they release!
Cover Art:10/10
Initial Grab: 10/10
Setting: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Readability Factor: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Likely to Recommend: 10/10
Hey Fellow Book Friends,
I got a copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for a review and I have to say that it is honestly one of the best books I have read! I read it all in one sitting, and to many that may be a daunting task at a highly gripping, 648 pages, I sincerely devoured this book it was so good. This book is a must-have for anyone that loves dystopian books and a must-read for any young adult or even adult. I thoroughly enjoyed this entirely unique world brought by this fabulous author who was brand me to me.
Initial Grab: What made me interested in this book was that it was promoted as a must-read if you loved The Hunger Games or The Selection. I’m always eager to read anything similar to those two books and the dystopian genre is one of my all-time favorites. This book deserves so much praise and I will be beyond shocked if this book doesn’t take off as one of the best among our generation and I truly mean that. This book deserves more praise than I can even begin to pen down. I’m gonna go ahead and call that in the near future, we may see a series or movie in the works.
Setting: The Kingdom of Phangloria is such a beautifully complex and enriching world to read about. The culture and currency are so unique. It’s so strange to think that the currency is water. The setting was nothing short of ingenious artistry that is so breathtakingly vivid. The descriptions aren’t overindulgent and are precisely enough to paint such a beautiful landscape that is full of horrible circumstances and situations in some cases.
Characters: Zea is everything amazing about a strong, witty in her own right, brave 16-year-old protagonist that has you cheering for her as you feel her struggles and the unfairness of her situation. She is labeled a “bronco” but it is merely for defending herself and others. In fact, all of the characters are so beautifully written and the character arcs are some of the best I have read. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more about them and their world and am overly excited to read the second book.
Content: You start with this unique idea of thirty young women coming together to compete to marry Prince Kevon but nothing is as it seems and the public only sees what they are meant to see in the televised events that is The Princess Trials. Zea is committed to a revolution and by being her courageous, intriguing, true to herself, brave young woman that she is, she catches the eye of Prince Kevon.
Readability Factor: What I mean by “Readability Factor” is the feeling you get after you read the book, what does it do to you? It’s a way of my describing that “Book drunk, speaks to your soul, and will forever be with you” vibe that so little books are able to effectively capture. I am very hesitant to give a high rating to any book, and hardly ever a 10/10. I am always indecisive, but this book is one that I can say makes you want to read more, long after you shut your book or power down your Kindle. This world, these characters, this concept is just so refreshing and such an amazing journey that I am so honored that I got to go along for the literary ride.
Overall: I sincerely can’t praise this book enough. I am genuinely enchanted by this novel and am eagerly awaiting the second book! I sincerely hope this becomes a series. I HIGHLY praise this book and will be constantly recommending it to everyone I know! You can pre-order both The Princess Trials and the second book in the series, which I personally plan on doing immediately after I post my review! I will most definitely be owning both physical copies the moment they release!
June 24, 2020
Pitiful
This book.was just ridiculous. The plot and characters were such a bore. I can't believe I actually finished this train wreck of a book. Felt like poorly delivered knockoff of several decent books. I wont be reading anymore of this series or this writers work waste of time and $
This book.was just ridiculous. The plot and characters were such a bore. I can't believe I actually finished this train wreck of a book. Felt like poorly delivered knockoff of several decent books. I wont be reading anymore of this series or this writers work waste of time and $
January 7, 2021
Honestly, I really didn't enjoy this one anywhere near as much as I thought I would. I wanted to like it, I really did, but... the story was stale, the world wasn't captivating, the characters did nothing but irritate me (except for Gemini, who was just the story's punching bag and did nothing but suffer).
Even the author's style of storytelling irritated me, as she focused a lot of time on telling us things but not showing them to us (show, don't tell!), and I just felt like I was on the receiving end of only half a conversation. And maybe that's intentional, since it's told from Zea's perspective and she's by far not the most reliable of narrators, but it made it very frustrating to read.
But, the story was a fast read, and I read it through in a day. So, if you enjoy dystopian future stories about rebel teen girls a lot more than I do, and if you're looking for a short read, this might be a good one for you.
Even the author's style of storytelling irritated me, as she focused a lot of time on telling us things but not showing them to us (show, don't tell!), and I just felt like I was on the receiving end of only half a conversation. And maybe that's intentional, since it's told from Zea's perspective and she's by far not the most reliable of narrators, but it made it very frustrating to read.
But, the story was a fast read, and I read it through in a day. So, if you enjoy dystopian future stories about rebel teen girls a lot more than I do, and if you're looking for a short read, this might be a good one for you.
December 7, 2020
This was everything I was hoping it would be. The book is a mash up of The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Selection. The heroine, Zea, is extremely likable - no 'special, very beautiful, chosen one' here - just a regular girl who is trying to do good and make a difference to her community. She is made fun of, treated awfully by the 'mean' girls and isn't too impressed by the Prince. There's lots of twists and turns and backstabbing. Loved it!
kindle-unlimited-tbr
June 20, 2021I actually read 40% of this book last year, but then I lost access to it so had to dnf. At that time I hadn’t read The Selection, but now that I have, I can see the similarities.
The mc is a bit more like Katniss than America, which is a relief. I plan on reading it again soon. :)
The mc is a bit more like Katniss than America, which is a relief. I plan on reading it again soon. :)
September 1, 2021
I came across this book because someone said it was similar to The Selection series. I love The Selection so I thought, well these books are for me! And yeah, it was similar to The Selection, but a little too much so in the beginning. In the ending half, it did start to develop its own story, but by that point I didn't like any of the characters so my interest was essentially non-existent. To make it worse, I saw almost everything coming, and everything was just so predictable.
Little things or issues in books rarely bother me, but in this one, the little issues were so glaringly obvious that it was hard to ignore.
My first issue was the names. Now, I don't usually care about names at all. I mean, it's the author's book and they can pick whatever names they want. And besides, I read The Selection series and wasn't bothered a bit. America Singer? Sounds good to me. Tiny? Okay. But the names in this book were so bad, and I'm sorry for saying it, but it's true. Zea-Mays Calico, or in latin: corn sweet corn. Yikes. It even sounds like the word Maize. Then we had Ryce Wintergreen, who's literally named after rice. And gum. Finally, the worst one of all was Prunella Broadleaf. I mean, how could she be anything but an annoying antagonist with a name like that?
Prunella Broadleaf may have had my least favorite name, but rIcE was definitely my least favorite character. Whatever Zea thought of him doesn't even count as a love triangle because her "love" was literally based on her guilt about his dad and his looks. Also there's something off about him. I'm pretty sure we'll find something like that out in a later book (not that I'll be sticking around to find out anyways, but). He just seems manipulative and grumpy. I get that he went through a lot, but it's ok to smile once in a while. Did your parents never tell you that your face will get stuck like that? Anyways, I have a very strong suspicion that Rice and Carolina are using Zea to achieve their own purposes without really caring about what happens to her.
That leads me to another problem: Zea herself. I didn't like her. She really thought the world revolved around her and her mindset, that she was always correct, and that if you didn't agree with her, then YOU were in the wrong. And maybe she was right sometimes, but she never even tried to take others into consideration. Also she's so naive. She keeps thinking that the Red Runner's won't let anything happen to her because she's part of their group, but she doesn't realize that she's just a replaceable piece in their machine, and they don't really care what happens to her along the way as long as they can achieve their end goal. Additionally, she had a horrible attitude. Just because some people you hardly know said you should be temperamental, doesn't mean you actually should be. Your dad gave the best advice, so just listen to him lady.
I also noticed a few grammar mistakes, although that could have been the result of my reading it off a PDF, so I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt.
I was also slightly confused throughout this book. There are still a few loose ends that don't quite make sense, so I'm assuming they're tied up in the rest of the series (hopefully).
The 3 stars I gave this book are a very generous 3 stars, because this book was annoying. I don't like DNFing series', but I won't be continuing on in this one for the time being, because I honestly just have no interest in what happens. I might have read the next one if it was a duology, but there's 4, soon to be 5 books in this series, and I have better things to do with my life than read books I don't even enjoy.
Little things or issues in books rarely bother me, but in this one, the little issues were so glaringly obvious that it was hard to ignore.
My first issue was the names. Now, I don't usually care about names at all. I mean, it's the author's book and they can pick whatever names they want. And besides, I read The Selection series and wasn't bothered a bit. America Singer? Sounds good to me. Tiny? Okay. But the names in this book were so bad, and I'm sorry for saying it, but it's true. Zea-Mays Calico, or in latin: corn sweet corn. Yikes. It even sounds like the word Maize. Then we had Ryce Wintergreen, who's literally named after rice. And gum. Finally, the worst one of all was Prunella Broadleaf. I mean, how could she be anything but an annoying antagonist with a name like that?
Prunella Broadleaf may have had my least favorite name, but rIcE was definitely my least favorite character. Whatever Zea thought of him doesn't even count as a love triangle because her "love" was literally based on her guilt about his dad and his looks. Also there's something off about him. I'm pretty sure we'll find something like that out in a later book (not that I'll be sticking around to find out anyways, but). He just seems manipulative and grumpy. I get that he went through a lot, but it's ok to smile once in a while. Did your parents never tell you that your face will get stuck like that? Anyways, I have a very strong suspicion that Rice and Carolina are using Zea to achieve their own purposes without really caring about what happens to her.
That leads me to another problem: Zea herself. I didn't like her. She really thought the world revolved around her and her mindset, that she was always correct, and that if you didn't agree with her, then YOU were in the wrong. And maybe she was right sometimes, but she never even tried to take others into consideration. Also she's so naive. She keeps thinking that the Red Runner's won't let anything happen to her because she's part of their group, but she doesn't realize that she's just a replaceable piece in their machine, and they don't really care what happens to her along the way as long as they can achieve their end goal. Additionally, she had a horrible attitude. Just because some people you hardly know said you should be temperamental, doesn't mean you actually should be. Your dad gave the best advice, so just listen to him lady.
I also noticed a few grammar mistakes, although that could have been the result of my reading it off a PDF, so I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt.
I was also slightly confused throughout this book. There are still a few loose ends that don't quite make sense, so I'm assuming they're tied up in the rest of the series (hopefully).
The 3 stars I gave this book are a very generous 3 stars, because this book was annoying. I don't like DNFing series', but I won't be continuing on in this one for the time being, because I honestly just have no interest in what happens. I might have read the next one if it was a duology, but there's 4, soon to be 5 books in this series, and I have better things to do with my life than read books I don't even enjoy.
July 13, 2021
I seriously underestimated this book with the whole The Selection meets The Hunger Games. It might resemble them, but it excludes itself by becoming something unique on its own.
This was so good. It is a competition/trial to win over a prince's heart and become the future queen. You have a post-apocalyptic society, revolution, drama, backstabbing, treason, murder, death, and so much more. And all that is televised all over the country The Bachelor/The Bachelorette style.
I loved it!!!
P.S. If I come back for a rereading, it is worthy of 5 stars.
This was so good. It is a competition/trial to win over a prince's heart and become the future queen. You have a post-apocalyptic society, revolution, drama, backstabbing, treason, murder, death, and so much more. And all that is televised all over the country The Bachelor/The Bachelorette style.
I loved it!!!
P.S. If I come back for a rereading, it is worthy of 5 stars.
May 19, 2020
To start off, I've never read The Selection or The Hunger Games. I've actually never read any popular YA other than Red Queen. I forced myself through the second but I haven't considered reading the third one yet. Oh wait, I've read the entire Lunar Chronicles series. No other popular YA books though. No judgement, please. So I saw this book and well,... Why not? Two birds in one stone and all that.
Zea-Mays Calico is a harvester, belonging to one of the lowest Echelons in Phangloria. She is the member of a rebel faction known as the Red Runners, who aim to overthrow the monarchy and give much-needed equality to the lower sections of the society. When she rescues a harvester girl who was being harrassed by a gaurd, the leader of her faction takes notice of her and gives her a job. She must take part in The Princess Trials, a public event where thirty girls from all the echelons try to win the heart of the Prince, enter the Palace and try to find secret tunnels or a way through which the Red Runners can infiltrate the palace and start a revolution. In a kinda post-apocalyptic world where water is the currency and the powerful disregard and mistreat the poor, Zea must navigate through treacherous water filled with politics, discrimination and murder.
It was a good book. Well-written, a good pace, nice world- building and well, a traditional YA book, not that I've read many but it deserves a place with all the other good ones. Not excellent but a good book. The action, the intrigue, the drama... The last trial had my eyes buggin' out of my head. Seriously. The Princess Trials is one sick game where the winner is already decided and the others are just for show.
Infiltrate the palace, find the hidden entrances and don't fall in love with the handsome prince. Those were her orders. Simple and straightforward. At first, Zea is determined to fulfill her task and tries to glean as much information as she can. She absorbs and evaluates every word uttered by those around her, trying to find valuable info. I admire her dedication towards her cause. But, each interaction she has with the prince gives her not only intel but also a peek into his personality and Zea finds, it isn't as corrupted she thought it would be. She starts to see a whole new side of the royal family and it isn't as bad as she thought it would be. But, Zea has been pining after Ryce, the son of the leader of her unit and Ryce promises Zea a place by his side when they rule Phangloria in a just way after overthrowing the monarchy but doubts are sneaking into Zea's mind very slowly but steadily and with it, the guilt and indecision over Kevon, the prince's true nature and his reaction when he eventually learns of her betrayal.
To sum this book up in one word, it was DRAMA. I mean, what else do you expect from a beauty pageant to win the prince's heart? There were balls and dinners, rocky friendships and betrayals, mean girls and dangerous pranks, murders, executions, gunfights and lot more. DRAMA.
If you're a fan of YA, a must read, I think. Haven't read many others to judge this one properly but fans of The Selection, Hunger Games and Red Queen ( I feel like they left this book out in the blurb ) will enjoy this book. I had this girl in my class who wanted me to read The Selection but I haven't got to it yet but someday, I hope I will. I probably will. Or maybe not. Aaannyway, a good book. Definitely looking forward to the next one. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger ending but it certainly was- you probably guessed it-- DRAMAtic.
Zea-Mays Calico is a harvester, belonging to one of the lowest Echelons in Phangloria. She is the member of a rebel faction known as the Red Runners, who aim to overthrow the monarchy and give much-needed equality to the lower sections of the society. When she rescues a harvester girl who was being harrassed by a gaurd, the leader of her faction takes notice of her and gives her a job. She must take part in The Princess Trials, a public event where thirty girls from all the echelons try to win the heart of the Prince, enter the Palace and try to find secret tunnels or a way through which the Red Runners can infiltrate the palace and start a revolution. In a kinda post-apocalyptic world where water is the currency and the powerful disregard and mistreat the poor, Zea must navigate through treacherous water filled with politics, discrimination and murder.
It was a good book. Well-written, a good pace, nice world- building and well, a traditional YA book, not that I've read many but it deserves a place with all the other good ones. Not excellent but a good book. The action, the intrigue, the drama... The last trial had my eyes buggin' out of my head. Seriously. The Princess Trials is one sick game where the winner is already decided and the others are just for show.
Infiltrate the palace, find the hidden entrances and don't fall in love with the handsome prince. Those were her orders. Simple and straightforward. At first, Zea is determined to fulfill her task and tries to glean as much information as she can. She absorbs and evaluates every word uttered by those around her, trying to find valuable info. I admire her dedication towards her cause. But, each interaction she has with the prince gives her not only intel but also a peek into his personality and Zea finds, it isn't as corrupted she thought it would be. She starts to see a whole new side of the royal family and it isn't as bad as she thought it would be. But, Zea has been pining after Ryce, the son of the leader of her unit and Ryce promises Zea a place by his side when they rule Phangloria in a just way after overthrowing the monarchy but doubts are sneaking into Zea's mind very slowly but steadily and with it, the guilt and indecision over Kevon, the prince's true nature and his reaction when he eventually learns of her betrayal.
To sum this book up in one word, it was DRAMA. I mean, what else do you expect from a beauty pageant to win the prince's heart? There were balls and dinners, rocky friendships and betrayals, mean girls and dangerous pranks, murders, executions, gunfights and lot more. DRAMA.
If you're a fan of YA, a must read, I think. Haven't read many others to judge this one properly but fans of The Selection, Hunger Games and Red Queen ( I feel like they left this book out in the blurb ) will enjoy this book. I had this girl in my class who wanted me to read The Selection but I haven't got to it yet but someday, I hope I will. I probably will. Or maybe not. Aaannyway, a good book. Definitely looking forward to the next one. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger ending but it certainly was- you probably guessed it-- DRAMAtic.
July 6, 2022
Great story, had me hooked from start to finish. Lots of great twists and turns. Loved the character development and how the MC was fiery and even when she continued to fail, you could see her growth. Would love to read the rest of the series.
Want to read
May 20, 2020I hope it's good.
July 6, 2021
This is totally a cross between, the selection and the Hunger Games.
January 12, 2021
This book is fat-phobic. I wanted to like this book, I knew it was much like the Hunger Games and some other popular series and I was cool with that, I love seeing different takes of a post-apocalyptic world. But, the treatment of the minor characters in this book is offensive. For example, the only gay character is only revealed to be gay after a horrible 2 part death, and only serves as a means to show how compassionate the prince is for accepting them despite their sexuality. This is very “kill your gays” and I thought in 2020 we were all past this old trope.
Now back to the flagrant fat-phobia. Let’s talk about Berta. The author attempts to further show how corrupt the Oasis TV producers/government is by casting Zea, Gemini, and Berta as comic relief and buffoons (by keeping them in the trials as the bucking bronco, the scape goat, etc..) but the author fails to realize they’re doing the exact same thing for their book with Berta’s character. From her name (Berta really? In a world with names like Gemini, Ryce, and Zea the author just had to pick one of the most stereotypical fat girl names?), to the constant references to her size, this character is written offensively.
Berta is a strong, selfish, know it all type, and that’s fine. I understand that Berta is a window for the reader to see how a “typical” guardian ranked citizen would consume the Oasis’s media/rules, but it’s rather heavy handed to make her so blatantly unpalatable to the reader. There’s enough injustice and strife in the plot of this book without making Zea’s side kick a underdeveloped fat girl who enforces tired stereotypes.
She is constantly referred to as “the larger girl” and her main motivation is to eat as much as she can, consume in excess, and be selfish.
Our main character, Zea, is supposed to be this incredibly compassionate hero, and yet she never tries to disarm Berta, or level with her in any way, she just silently hates her and comments on how much she eats and how broad her shoulders are and how booming, loud, and large she is. Also, broad shoulders are genetic, you don’t get them from over eating. Berta comes from a place with food stability, so why couldn’t she have been naturally fat with the struggle of operating in a world that only values thin beauty ideals? Why wasn’t that enough? Surely that’s a compelling motivation for her, but no, the author had to let their internalized fat-phobia run a muck for hundreds of pages instead. The author uses Berta’s size & internal “ugliness” as if they’re interchangeable. There are ways to write challenging characters like Berta without using lazy, trite, and offensive stereotypes to reinforce the mistreatment of larger women/people. Do better.
Now back to the flagrant fat-phobia. Let’s talk about Berta. The author attempts to further show how corrupt the Oasis TV producers/government is by casting Zea, Gemini, and Berta as comic relief and buffoons (by keeping them in the trials as the bucking bronco, the scape goat, etc..) but the author fails to realize they’re doing the exact same thing for their book with Berta’s character. From her name (Berta really? In a world with names like Gemini, Ryce, and Zea the author just had to pick one of the most stereotypical fat girl names?), to the constant references to her size, this character is written offensively.
Berta is a strong, selfish, know it all type, and that’s fine. I understand that Berta is a window for the reader to see how a “typical” guardian ranked citizen would consume the Oasis’s media/rules, but it’s rather heavy handed to make her so blatantly unpalatable to the reader. There’s enough injustice and strife in the plot of this book without making Zea’s side kick a underdeveloped fat girl who enforces tired stereotypes.
She is constantly referred to as “the larger girl” and her main motivation is to eat as much as she can, consume in excess, and be selfish.
Our main character, Zea, is supposed to be this incredibly compassionate hero, and yet she never tries to disarm Berta, or level with her in any way, she just silently hates her and comments on how much she eats and how broad her shoulders are and how booming, loud, and large she is. Also, broad shoulders are genetic, you don’t get them from over eating. Berta comes from a place with food stability, so why couldn’t she have been naturally fat with the struggle of operating in a world that only values thin beauty ideals? Why wasn’t that enough? Surely that’s a compelling motivation for her, but no, the author had to let their internalized fat-phobia run a muck for hundreds of pages instead. The author uses Berta’s size & internal “ugliness” as if they’re interchangeable. There are ways to write challenging characters like Berta without using lazy, trite, and offensive stereotypes to reinforce the mistreatment of larger women/people. Do better.
June 6, 2020
I found this book through an ad which touted it as the Selection meets Hunger Games. Dude. I was SOLD. I dove in and I have to say that it delivered on that premise. That’s the only reason it got the second star from me. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a single chapter where it would end and I would roll my eyes and moan “It’s so baaaaaaad!” ... But then I’d start the next chapter. There’s something to be said for that. But oh my word it’s awful. The characters are two-dimensional at best. People were dying right and left through a portion of it and I could not possibly have cared less. The main character is selfish and shallow and horrible. The dialogue and inner monologues are so incredibly stilted and unnatural, it’s truly laughable. There were so many instances where I just had to growl at it and think “Who talks like that??” Ridiculous on every level. I do not recommend this one. Ugh. Please... save yourselves.
February 2, 2025
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♡👑♡ 2 stars ♡👑♡
🩶13+❤️
(violence, murder)
࿐𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓻𝓮: dystopian romance with murder
࿐𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
I had high expectations for this book and it met none of those expectations. The world building was awful, it was a complete ripoff of the hunger games and the selection, and I felt no attachment to any of the characters. Now you’re probably thinking “but why did it get two stars instead of one?” Well the answer to that wonderful question is that it had potential. It was a nice idea it just was poorly executed. It was also extremely predictable. So after reading my review and you still want to read this, DON’T. SAVE YOURSELF.
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♡👑♡ 2 stars ♡👑♡
🩶13+❤️
(violence, murder)
࿐𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓻𝓮: dystopian romance with murder
࿐𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
I had high expectations for this book and it met none of those expectations. The world building was awful, it was a complete ripoff of the hunger games and the selection, and I felt no attachment to any of the characters. Now you’re probably thinking “but why did it get two stars instead of one?” Well the answer to that wonderful question is that it had potential. It was a nice idea it just was poorly executed. It was also extremely predictable. So after reading my review and you still want to read this, DON’T. SAVE YOURSELF.
November 2, 2021
✨3/3.5✨
Okay, okay, okay.
Honestly I don't even know what to say about this book.
This book startes off nice with the setting and all but the rest of the book wasn't written properly like the pace and the continuity of the story wasn't maintained.
I liked the plot for a change.
As such the writing too wasn't that hard nor easy.
The characters explained are missing progression and back stories about them. Because of that I didn't really connect with any of them.
Overall this book is okish...
Okay, okay, okay.
Honestly I don't even know what to say about this book.
This book startes off nice with the setting and all but the rest of the book wasn't written properly like the pace and the continuity of the story wasn't maintained.
I liked the plot for a change.
As such the writing too wasn't that hard nor easy.
The characters explained are missing progression and back stories about them. Because of that I didn't really connect with any of them.
Overall this book is okish...
January 24, 2021
I definitely enjoyed this book, I think this one pulled me out of a bad reading slump. So, you might wonder why I gave it four stars and not five? There were a few things I didn't like as much as I did the rest so let's dive into this review.
The plot
We meet Zea, a sixteen year old girl who is a Harvester in the social class which means they are at the bottom of society's ranking in this dystopian world. With a rebel fire burning in her, she is determined to change the regime and signs up for the Princess Trials in which Prince Kevon will choose a wife. She competes with thirty other girls for his heart but in a world where nothing is what it seems, danger lurks close. With a dangerous secret to keep, Zea must do anything she can to survive and find a way into the palace and Kevon's heart.
Writing style
This book is such an easy read because the author writes very fluent sentences, there is cohesion, we are given background information but not too much and she uses clear vocabulary. Dialogues are written well and clearly.
Characters
We meet several main characters whom are all unique, they are described well and thought out well. I like Zea, we learn a lot about her, her emotions and thoughts, we see progress and development. I also enjoy Berta, she is a very complex character whose intentions aren't revealed and she is very flawed. I love that the author choose to add some dark sides to characters and give them a leading role. The only character which I'm not yet a big fan of is the prince himself. He seems so vanilla, we don't really get to know him, he's naive and a bit of a potato sack. I hope we learn more about him in the next book.
There is a lot of chemistry between the characters but I'm not yet on board of a Zea/Kevon relationship, simply because their conversations and moments together sometimes feel forced.
Overall
I abolutely enjoyed this book, so much so I ordered book 2 and 3 this morning. I do feel as if some plot twists were a bit too much or too rushed, a lot happens in the last half of the book and it just overwhelms at times. That in combination with the Prince Kevon character and the chemistry between him and Zea made me decide to give this book 4 stars instead of 5. I do really recommended this book because it is such an easy and entertaining read.
The plot
We meet Zea, a sixteen year old girl who is a Harvester in the social class which means they are at the bottom of society's ranking in this dystopian world. With a rebel fire burning in her, she is determined to change the regime and signs up for the Princess Trials in which Prince Kevon will choose a wife. She competes with thirty other girls for his heart but in a world where nothing is what it seems, danger lurks close. With a dangerous secret to keep, Zea must do anything she can to survive and find a way into the palace and Kevon's heart.
Writing style
This book is such an easy read because the author writes very fluent sentences, there is cohesion, we are given background information but not too much and she uses clear vocabulary. Dialogues are written well and clearly.
Characters
We meet several main characters whom are all unique, they are described well and thought out well. I like Zea, we learn a lot about her, her emotions and thoughts, we see progress and development. I also enjoy Berta, she is a very complex character whose intentions aren't revealed and she is very flawed. I love that the author choose to add some dark sides to characters and give them a leading role. The only character which I'm not yet a big fan of is the prince himself. He seems so vanilla, we don't really get to know him, he's naive and a bit of a potato sack. I hope we learn more about him in the next book.
There is a lot of chemistry between the characters but I'm not yet on board of a Zea/Kevon relationship, simply because their conversations and moments together sometimes feel forced.
Overall
I abolutely enjoyed this book, so much so I ordered book 2 and 3 this morning. I do feel as if some plot twists were a bit too much or too rushed, a lot happens in the last half of the book and it just overwhelms at times. That in combination with the Prince Kevon character and the chemistry between him and Zea made me decide to give this book 4 stars instead of 5. I do really recommended this book because it is such an easy and entertaining read.
May 16, 2020
Zea is a rebel and must find a way to help the cause to end the royalty, so she enters the princess trials. From there she is ridiculed and put through some dangerous stimulations. Will she make it and win over the prince?
The Princess Trials had a lot of world building, which was great. However, there was a lot of info dumping and slowness through the story. The ending felt rushed.
The Princess Trials had a lot of world building, which was great. However, there was a lot of info dumping and slowness through the story. The ending felt rushed.
August 20, 2020
Too much
I couldn't finish this book. It's like someone put The Hunger Games and The Selection in a blender, pushed the puree option and called it done.
I couldn't finish this book. It's like someone put The Hunger Games and The Selection in a blender, pushed the puree option and called it done.
Want to read
August 23, 2020A the selection rip off??? count me in
June 3, 2020
3.5*
First of all, I'm not sure if it was just the digital version or if the hard copy is the same, but this had SO MANY typos and grammatical errors. In places entire words were missed. It was often enough that it was annoying, and really took away from the story. It just felt like very careless editing (or lack of).
Apart from that, this really is what it's marketed as. It's very much like a mash-up of The Selection, The Hunger Games and The Red Queen series. As someone who loved all of those, I enjoyed this a lot, though it really wasn't very original.
Zea bothered me quite a lot in terms of the 'love triangle' because she was so dense. It's obvious from the begining that Ryce is playing on her emotions just to further his cause, and even towards the end when she's developing real feelings for Prince Kevan (honestly, he could have had a better name) she's still thinking about whether she's 'meant to be' with Ryce, or if he's just using her (duh). And Kevan seems so genuine, if weirdly dispassionate about changing things, given his status.
The trials themselves were a bit odd, they didn't seem all that structured or organised, it just seemed like a succession of opportunities for literally everyone to try to kill Zea.
The other thing I always want to know with dystopian monarchy stories like this, is historically how it happened. All we know here is that it used to be America, but there's no background on why they reverted back to a monarchy, the significance of the bloodline, the formation of the different echelons, etc. I would like more depth on that front.
Overall this was pretty unoriginal, and had the same trashy-but-enjoyable vibe as the selection series. Definitely could have been better structured and better written in parts, but it did keep me up all night because I was so invested. I will definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy.
First of all, I'm not sure if it was just the digital version or if the hard copy is the same, but this had SO MANY typos and grammatical errors. In places entire words were missed. It was often enough that it was annoying, and really took away from the story. It just felt like very careless editing (or lack of).
Apart from that, this really is what it's marketed as. It's very much like a mash-up of The Selection, The Hunger Games and The Red Queen series. As someone who loved all of those, I enjoyed this a lot, though it really wasn't very original.
Zea bothered me quite a lot in terms of the 'love triangle' because she was so dense. It's obvious from the begining that Ryce is playing on her emotions just to further his cause, and even towards the end when she's developing real feelings for Prince Kevan (honestly, he could have had a better name) she's still thinking about whether she's 'meant to be' with Ryce, or if he's just using her (duh). And Kevan seems so genuine, if weirdly dispassionate about changing things, given his status.
The trials themselves were a bit odd, they didn't seem all that structured or organised, it just seemed like a succession of opportunities for literally everyone to try to kill Zea.
The other thing I always want to know with dystopian monarchy stories like this, is historically how it happened. All we know here is that it used to be America, but there's no background on why they reverted back to a monarchy, the significance of the bloodline, the formation of the different echelons, etc. I would like more depth on that front.
Overall this was pretty unoriginal, and had the same trashy-but-enjoyable vibe as the selection series. Definitely could have been better structured and better written in parts, but it did keep me up all night because I was so invested. I will definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy.
September 9, 2023
Painful to read.
That about sums up my feelings towards this book.
If Zea could have just stopped whining and pining for Ryce every single chapter, I would have maybe been able to make it through this book.
That about sums up my feelings towards this book.
If Zea could have just stopped whining and pining for Ryce every single chapter, I would have maybe been able to make it through this book.
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