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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Adelaide is from a posh family, that has lost all its money. To avoid an unwanted marriage to a rich man she dislikes, she 'borrows' her maid's identity. She will be part of 'The Glittering Court'. A concept that train poor girls to appear as fine ladies so they can be sold as wives to rich men in the New World. Here Adelaide pretends that she is poor as all the other girls and hides the fact that their lessons are a piece of cake. She is doing great and is to be sold at a high price. But then she falls in love in the wrong man.
I did not expect great literary quality. But I had expected at least to be entertained. It was, after all Richelle Mead's new novel. Unfortunately, the book was terribly stupid and dreadfully dull. There were simply too many things that did not work.
First, there is our protagonist. She was a combination of stupid and unsympathetic. She does not wish to marry for money. So she runs away to the Glittering Court - a concept where girls get married for money. She runs away and leaves his grandmother without a word. Not even a little note saying she's OK. When someone she cares about needs money, she offers straight away to paint a false painting and sell it under a famous artist's name. Without the slightest hint of guilt towards the person being cheated.
The love story is boring. There is no boy-crush for us in this book. Our hero is just as stupid, boring and unsympathetic as the heroine. Even his dark secret is boring: He is religious, and likes to run around in the woods and light candles. That way he feels more like himself. Well, that's not sexy …
And then there's the plot. I found the part at the Court Glittering school somewhat entertaining. In an air-head-Selection-kind-of-way. It was very fun to read about how Adelaide had to hide her rank and upbringing.. Which she was extremely bad at. I also very much liked the concept of 'the new world' - it was actually a very good idea. Unfortunately, the majority of the story was dull. The last part of the book was deadly slow to get through and I just felt like getting it over and done with.
When tired of living without the free will to make her own choices in the palace, Adelaide takes the place of her maid to start a new life with the Glittering Court, a place set to give girls from lower classes a chance at the New World. What Adelaide doesn’t know is that her world will be transformed in every aspect imaginable. This novel was definitely fast-paced and full of adventure and action. Unfortunately, the world building didn’t feel all that thought out, and it fell flat a bit. The overall plot was alright; it wasn’t anything too original, sure it was entertaining to read, but it just felt like it was missing something. The underling plots felt like they got meshed all together and things started to take a detour. Where the novel ended was good, and leaves the reader slightly curious what more is in store for these characters. Mead’s characters were done well. Her female characters were tough and fun to read; they were definitely girls that stood their own ground. Although this wasn’t the most original and best novel out there, it was still a good read.
I read a sneak peek of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Glittering Court is the first in a new series by Richelle Mead. The court in question is an academy which takes young women from less fortunate backgrounds and turns them into suitable brides for the nouveau riche in recently colonised land. The main character, Adelaide, is from a family of old money, but joins the court to escape a life she could not possibly enjoy but winds up falling for the man who brought her to the Court in the first place – Cedric Thorn.
I will admit, if I had received only the first two to three chapters of this book, the rating would have been much lower. I found the whole set up of Adelaide getting engaged, learning about the Glittering Court and then joining it to be very convoluted and contrived. It just felt very unrealistic, bordering on the ridiculous in some places, and Adelaide just came across as unlikeable and spoilt.
Once Tamsin and Mira, the two girls Adelaide teams up with, join the story and we get to the Court, I began to enjoy it a lot more. Everything felt like it slipped into place and I found myself getting very invested in the story line. There are a lot more layers than just a bunch of girls learning to be lady’s in order to get a husband. Each of the main characters has their secrets and there is a lot more at stake than just a broken heart.
I did have a lot of issues with how the concept of Court relied on, essentially, selling pretty girls to the highest bidder. But having not read the rest of the story, I am not sure how this pans out or whether it gets addressed. Looking past both that issue and the beginning of the novel, I would say it is a really entertaining story that makes you feel for the characters involved. I am curious to see how it will continue as a series as, at the moment, it feels a lot more like a stand-a-lone (Side note: I’ve just read that the sequels will just be from Tamsin and Mira’s point of views – I’m not sure how I feel about that), but it is a book I would like to read the end to.
The Glittering Court is the first in a new series by Richelle Mead. The court in question is an academy which takes young women from less fortunate backgrounds and turns them into suitable brides for the nouveau riche in recently colonised land. The main character, Adelaide, is from a family of old money, but joins the court to escape a life she could not possibly enjoy but winds up falling for the man who brought her to the Court in the first place – Cedric Thorn.
I will admit, if I had received only the first two to three chapters of this book, the rating would have been much lower. I found the whole set up of Adelaide getting engaged, learning about the Glittering Court and then joining it to be very convoluted and contrived. It just felt very unrealistic, bordering on the ridiculous in some places, and Adelaide just came across as unlikeable and spoilt.
Once Tamsin and Mira, the two girls Adelaide teams up with, join the story and we get to the Court, I began to enjoy it a lot more. Everything felt like it slipped into place and I found myself getting very invested in the story line. There are a lot more layers than just a bunch of girls learning to be lady’s in order to get a husband. Each of the main characters has their secrets and there is a lot more at stake than just a broken heart.
I did have a lot of issues with how the concept of Court relied on, essentially, selling pretty girls to the highest bidder. But having not read the rest of the story, I am not sure how this pans out or whether it gets addressed. Looking past both that issue and the beginning of the novel, I would say it is a really entertaining story that makes you feel for the characters involved. I am curious to see how it will continue as a series as, at the moment, it feels a lot more like a stand-a-lone (Side note: I’ve just read that the sequels will just be from Tamsin and Mira’s point of views – I’m not sure how I feel about that), but it is a book I would like to read the end to.
SPOILER FREE
I was disappointed in this book. I tried to love it, I really did... but the reality is.. it was boring. Like, I had to force myself to pick up the book just so I could finish it. It did not grab me from the beginning and usually when that happens, I know that I am not going to like a book. But, I stuck it out and decided to keep reading because I hoped that it would pick up and get better... it didn't. The first half of the book was okay I guess, the last half was just so terribly boring. It was like she wrote the first half of the book and then just ran out of ideas and decided to completely change the plot and the setting.
The only good thing about this was the characters. I love the main character Adelaide. She was strong and independent and gave no fucks. She had no filter and did whatever she wanted and did not care about the consequences. Cedric, her love interest, was a sweetheart. He did anything he could to protect her. I also loved how he would stand up to his intimidating father. Their relationship was cute.. however, it did seem like it moved very fast.
Warren and his mother were straight up horrible people. Warren seemed nice at the beginning and then just no...
There was a plot twist near the end of the book but by that point I was so done with the book that I didn't even care about it. The last 50 pages, I found myself just scanning the pages just to see how it wrapped up. I honestly do not know if I will continue on with this series which is so sad because I love the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series!
I am not saying that this book is a terrible book and nobody should read it, I just don't think it was the right book for me.
I was disappointed in this book. I tried to love it, I really did... but the reality is.. it was boring. Like, I had to force myself to pick up the book just so I could finish it. It did not grab me from the beginning and usually when that happens, I know that I am not going to like a book. But, I stuck it out and decided to keep reading because I hoped that it would pick up and get better... it didn't. The first half of the book was okay I guess, the last half was just so terribly boring. It was like she wrote the first half of the book and then just ran out of ideas and decided to completely change the plot and the setting.
The only good thing about this was the characters. I love the main character Adelaide. She was strong and independent and gave no fucks. She had no filter and did whatever she wanted and did not care about the consequences. Cedric, her love interest, was a sweetheart. He did anything he could to protect her. I also loved how he would stand up to his intimidating father. Their relationship was cute.. however, it did seem like it moved very fast.
Warren and his mother were straight up horrible people. Warren seemed nice at the beginning and then just no...
There was a plot twist near the end of the book but by that point I was so done with the book that I didn't even care about it. The last 50 pages, I found myself just scanning the pages just to see how it wrapped up. I honestly do not know if I will continue on with this series which is so sad because I love the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series!
I am not saying that this book is a terrible book and nobody should read it, I just don't think it was the right book for me.
Entertaining to read, if nothing else. The first half to two-thirds felt like "The Selection" in a more interesting setting, with more interesting characters - and I admit, I was pretty okay with this, particularly as a bookseller, as "The Selection" is super popular with our 11 - 15 crowd. But after that, well... some aspects grew more interesting, but it also turned into "The Selection" with gold mining and sexual themes that I can't give to a 12 year-old. So, from a bookselling point of view, it lost a lot of points there.
It never dragged exactly, but there were several points where I felt the book was wrapping up, and yet I still had 100+ pages to go. I think it could have gone through some serious trimming and tightening up. Particularly as when things finally did fall into place, it felt a little too pat.
And yet I still enjoyed pretty much all of the reading experience! If you're looking for some fluffy but not mind-numbing YA, this is a great choice.
It never dragged exactly, but there were several points where I felt the book was wrapping up, and yet I still had 100+ pages to go. I think it could have gone through some serious trimming and tightening up. Particularly as when things finally did fall into place, it felt a little too pat.
And yet I still enjoyed pretty much all of the reading experience! If you're looking for some fluffy but not mind-numbing YA, this is a great choice.
The story of Countess Elizabeth Witmore, who runs away from an arranged marriage to join The Glittering Court, is a partly enjoyable-too long-sometimes boring-surprising thriller at the end type of book.
Elizabeth's maid is given the chance to rise in social status by attending The Glittering Court, a school run by the Thorn's: brothers Charles and Jasper, and Jasper's son Cedric. Beautiful girls from the lower class are chosen by Cedric, who will then travel to The Court to learn the etiquette and behavior of "proper ladies" aka the rich. Upon completion each girl will meet with rich bachelors in the country of Adoria, choosing one to marry. Ada, Elizabeth's maid, doesn't want to go, so Elizabeth disguises herself as Ada and joins the Thorn's. However, Cedric notices but keeps her identity secret. Throughout the novel Cedric and Adelaide (Elizabeth's new name) fall in love, which is against the rules of The Court. Warren Doyle, the govenor's son, falls in love with Elizabeth, but upon hearing her love for Cedric he works to dismantle their relationship whilst working on an illegal project unbeknownst to anyone-except Tamsin, Elizabeth's friend. Together Cedric and Elizabeth not only have to overcome their obstacles to marriage, as well as Warren's devious plans, but their religious, societal, and cultural beliefs are also tested.
I liked Elizabeth's character, but Richelle Mead doesn't delve deeper into her. Warren comes off as nice, albeit clingy, but his crime at the end kinda sounds out-of-the-blue, which felt random. I would've preferred a hint of his true nature before his first crime. This story is long, and a little messy at some parts, which kinda confused and tired me, plus the thriller comes at the end, which surprised me, since Mead's writing takes the reader through a leisurely-but sometimes-boring pace. Overall it was ok, but Mead should've separated this story into parts, make it a little shorter, and use her thriller-esque writing style for all parts.
Elizabeth's maid is given the chance to rise in social status by attending The Glittering Court, a school run by the Thorn's: brothers Charles and Jasper, and Jasper's son Cedric. Beautiful girls from the lower class are chosen by Cedric, who will then travel to The Court to learn the etiquette and behavior of "proper ladies" aka the rich. Upon completion each girl will meet with rich bachelors in the country of Adoria, choosing one to marry. Ada, Elizabeth's maid, doesn't want to go, so Elizabeth disguises herself as Ada and joins the Thorn's. However, Cedric notices but keeps her identity secret. Throughout the novel Cedric and Adelaide (Elizabeth's new name) fall in love, which is against the rules of The Court. Warren Doyle, the govenor's son, falls in love with Elizabeth, but upon hearing her love for Cedric he works to dismantle their relationship whilst working on an illegal project unbeknownst to anyone-except Tamsin, Elizabeth's friend. Together Cedric and Elizabeth not only have to overcome their obstacles to marriage, as well as Warren's devious plans, but their religious, societal, and cultural beliefs are also tested.
I liked Elizabeth's character, but Richelle Mead doesn't delve deeper into her. Warren comes off as nice, albeit clingy, but his crime at the end kinda sounds out-of-the-blue, which felt random. I would've preferred a hint of his true nature before his first crime. This story is long, and a little messy at some parts, which kinda confused and tired me, plus the thriller comes at the end, which surprised me, since Mead's writing takes the reader through a leisurely-but sometimes-boring pace. Overall it was ok, but Mead should've separated this story into parts, make it a little shorter, and use her thriller-esque writing style for all parts.
This is a 3.5⭐. I really loved some parts, and then other parts were cheesy and/or absurd. Overall, it was a fun read, though. It had parts that reminded me of The Selection, ACOTAR, and Twilight, which are 3 of my favorite guilty pleasures. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.