Title: The Princess Trials
Author: Cordelia K Castel
Pub Date: May 3rd 2020
Pages: 504
Amazon| Goodreads
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.
| This book should be making major waves. It was that good. The Princess Trials makes The Selection look shallow and underdeveloped. I said what I said. Let’s make this clear: I am a fan of The Selection series. I will read anything that is considered similar to that premise. Even though I like The Selection, it wasn’t exactly great but it was cute and fun enough to be the tasty book candy I couldn’t wait to devour. The Princess Trials had a lot more meat to it. I came away from the story with a good understanding of the world building and impressed with the plot. Sure, there are some tropes readers will recognize and expect but I believe they were efficiently done. I can’t wait for the next book. I mean that a thousand times over. |
Indie Fantasy Review 