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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I think this book took me the longest to get through vs the first 2, and I think the reason was that I felt like this book somehow was extremely quick to end, but also seemed to drag. I was extremely excited to read this book as the previous book was a no brainer 5/5 stars. We saw a lot of intimate Kevon and Zea moments and more world and rule building. I loved how Zea continued to be this badass female lead, but somehow became this damsel that Kevon would always save whenever his mother was attacking her. I was most excited for this book to see their roles reversed and Zea continuing to kick ass, but also be Kevon's knight in shining armor.
And we did get that, but I also felt like this book didn't match the others. I felt that Kevon's character was different and honestly, I felt bad for him because he always seemed to be a liability for everyone including Zea, which I did not get from the first two books. He seemed a little...clueless in the previous books, but he was always was open to hearing people's povs and deciding what was right. In this book, he seemed to be this moody teenager who always seemed to get hurt over and over again. And it hurt me as a reader because I love his character, but not in this one. If I had to choose, Garrett was way more understanding and level headed in this book. He was able to pick out the truth right away and be a support system for Zea when Kevon wanted to believe in the worst. Like who is this guy and what have you done with Kevon?
I also didn't understand how Carolina got away with SO MUCH and got as far as she did with her rebellion. Like all I got from this book was that she didn't seem to have true loyalty or support from her followers so she just started shooting up everyone, filmed it, and then healed them. She had no solid plan and everything just seemed to kind of work for her because she was backed by strong allies, but then turned around and broke all those alliances. I honestly felt like this book could have been so much shorter. Zea literally had zero plan throughout except for to get into the palace and hope for the best that she would beat Carolina in a fight? I was so lost a majority of the book. I didn't understand what was happening as I think they were running around for a good 75% of the book, and then everything kind of came into place in the last 5%. I was also disappointed that we didn't get any intimate Kevon and Zea moments.
Overall, I really liked this series. It was a solid 4/5 stars for me, but unfortunately, like some trilogies, the last book fell extremely flat for me. The other books definitely made up for it though. The relationship between Kevon and Zea was extremely sweet and I am happy that they got their happily ever after....even if we didn't get to see any of it..
And we did get that, but I also felt like this book didn't match the others. I felt that Kevon's character was different and honestly, I felt bad for him because he always seemed to be a liability for everyone including Zea, which I did not get from the first two books. He seemed a little...clueless in the previous books, but he was always was open to hearing people's povs and deciding what was right. In this book, he seemed to be this moody teenager who always seemed to get hurt over and over again. And it hurt me as a reader because I love his character, but not in this one. If I had to choose, Garrett was way more understanding and level headed in this book. He was able to pick out the truth right away and be a support system for Zea when Kevon wanted to believe in the worst. Like who is this guy and what have you done with Kevon?
I also didn't understand how Carolina got away with SO MUCH and got as far as she did with her rebellion. Like all I got from this book was that she didn't seem to have true loyalty or support from her followers so she just started shooting up everyone, filmed it, and then healed them. She had no solid plan and everything just seemed to kind of work for her because she was backed by strong allies, but then turned around and broke all those alliances. I honestly felt like this book could have been so much shorter. Zea literally had zero plan throughout except for to get into the palace and hope for the best that she would beat Carolina in a fight? I was so lost a majority of the book. I didn't understand what was happening as I think they were running around for a good 75% of the book, and then everything kind of came into place in the last 5%. I was also disappointed that we didn't get any intimate Kevon and Zea moments.
Overall, I really liked this series. It was a solid 4/5 stars for me, but unfortunately, like some trilogies, the last book fell extremely flat for me. The other books definitely made up for it though. The relationship between Kevon and Zea was extremely sweet and I am happy that they got their happily ever after....even if we didn't get to see any of it..
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you read my previous two reviews on this series, then the rating on this one does not come as a surprise. The best book was the second one, this last one was super slow in the beginning and then rushed, again, all on an unreasonable timeline. This is where we find out that these three books have all happened in the span of THREE weeks. By the time you get to the end of this book, you'll be offended that this all happened in three weeks, it's not fair to the development of the characters and their own stories. Also, the epilogue was trash, no real effort was put into wanting to give these characters the well-written ending they deserved. The only comparable thing this book has to The Selection and The Hunger Games was the ideas, not the execution. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend reading this series, it's not worth it.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A good ending to an entertaining series. Its most redeeming quality was how well developed the characters were especially considering the sheer amount of them. Zea is a very likeable protagonist who shows considerable growth throughout the series and leaves you rooting for her at every twist and turn (and she seriously has a LOT of them). The Princess Trials trilogy is not exactly a literary masterpiece, it can read a little young at times and definitely took a LOT of inspiration from The Selection. However, I recommend it if you are looking for a thrilling, action packed YA dystopian easy read with a beautiful romance, complex politics, interesting characters, and lots of world building.
this was so anticlimactic!! first of all, I can't believe this girl is 16 and she has only known this man for a MONTH!!!! and kids at 18?? Disappointed lol
The Princess Crown is the final instalment in the engaging and highly readable Princess Trials Trilogy. To my mind, this is probably the weakest of the three novels, although it is still entertaining. The structure of the Princess Trials has been removed from the book, instead focussing on the revolution in much the same way that the final book of The Hunger Games does. But instead of feeling cohesive and tightly knit together, things seem to fall apart a bit here.
The characters are largely rushing from one disaster to another, so events beyond their control are pushing the plot forward at an artificial rate. This was true of the earlier books in the series, but the structure of the trials themselves made it less obvious there. Because Zea's allegiances have shifted, you don't really see any of the nitty gritty of the revolution or the rebels. Instead they are a largely faceless enemy, without the intelligence or the political acumen that I have seen displayed in other offerings in the genre. And whilst the main group's motivations are unchanged from the first book, there is an attempt to weave something far larger out of it that doesn't quite work as you simply don't know enough about the other factions that are brought into play.
I suspect one of my biggest complaints about this novel is that the villains - and there are a lot of them, have absolutely no redeeming factors. There is no question of who you are backing because the other options are all equally appalling. I kept hoping that there would be something more to them, but that never materialised. Because of that, the ending felt somewhat anti-climatic. There was no doubt in my head where the novel was going, because it quite simply couldn't end any other way. I think if those leading the rebellion had been less two dimensionally evil, the novel could have explored motivations and possibilities. As it stands though, it felt rather flat.
That said, I've flown through these three books in as many days. They are quick and easy reading and kept me entertained, even if there were no real surprises in this last installment.
The characters are largely rushing from one disaster to another, so events beyond their control are pushing the plot forward at an artificial rate. This was true of the earlier books in the series, but the structure of the trials themselves made it less obvious there. Because Zea's allegiances have shifted, you don't really see any of the nitty gritty of the revolution or the rebels. Instead they are a largely faceless enemy, without the intelligence or the political acumen that I have seen displayed in other offerings in the genre. And whilst the main group's motivations are unchanged from the first book, there is an attempt to weave something far larger out of it that doesn't quite work as you simply don't know enough about the other factions that are brought into play.
I suspect one of my biggest complaints about this novel is that the villains - and there are a lot of them, have absolutely no redeeming factors. There is no question of who you are backing because the other options are all equally appalling. I kept hoping that there would be something more to them, but that never materialised. Because of that, the ending felt somewhat anti-climatic. There was no doubt in my head where the novel was going, because it quite simply couldn't end any other way. I think if those leading the rebellion had been less two dimensionally evil, the novel could have explored motivations and possibilities. As it stands though, it felt rather flat.
That said, I've flown through these three books in as many days. They are quick and easy reading and kept me entertained, even if there were no real surprises in this last installment.
Immersive
Yes, it’s YA dystopian fantasy and if that’s not what you’re looking for, this won’t be your thing. But if it is, you’ll devour all 3 books instantly
Yes, it’s YA dystopian fantasy and if that’s not what you’re looking for, this won’t be your thing. But if it is, you’ll devour all 3 books instantly
The first two books in this series were fun and engaging. However, this one was rushed. It feels like it was over done to be interesting, but failed the mark. There are only so many times you can use the lovers reunited, pulled apart, betrayal formula in one book.