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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
I would like to say that I am disappointed by this book but I am not. My expectations were not high to begin with. It is being marketed as fantasy but it isn't - more like alternative history; this story is completely magic free. They are calling it a cross between The Selection and the television show Reign, both of which I enjoy.
This is the story of a countess who impersonates her maid to get out of an arranged marriage. Of course her maid was headed to an academy, called The Glittering Court, whose sole purpose is to prepare lower class ladies to be married to gentleman across the ocean. So she is running from a marriage, with guy is both boring and her distant cousin, into an unknown marriage with someone who lives on a different continent.
A lot happens in this book. The 9 months at the academy is only the first 35%. They travel across the ocean, go through a season of being introduced to potential suitors, I wouldn't call it action packed though. If anything. despite so much going on, it was a little boring.
The characters were dull. Not just because our heroine wasn't a badass. She didn't have much personality outside the training of her station. I'm honestly surprised she wanted to run away. She was presented as someone who had attitude problems (according to the stiff upper-crust) but had very little to back that up, especially later in the book. Her beau was equally enthralling. They lacked chemistry. The supporting characters were not much better. Her refugee roommate, Mira, would have made a much better MC I think.
I honestly don't know if I will read the next book Mead comes out with. She's been on my auto-read list but her latest offerings are not earning that.
This is the story of a countess who impersonates her maid to get out of an arranged marriage. Of course her maid was headed to an academy, called The Glittering Court, whose sole purpose is to prepare lower class ladies to be married to gentleman across the ocean. So she is running from a marriage, with guy is both boring and her distant cousin, into an unknown marriage with someone who lives on a different continent.
Spoiler
Over the course of the book she falls in love with one of the men that brought her to The Glittering Court. His job is to sell her to the highest bidder but you know, love. We find out that he is a heretic which is an offense punishable by death. She marries him. Exposes the other guy who was trying to pursue her as a traitor to her county.A lot happens in this book. The 9 months at the academy is only the first 35%. They travel across the ocean, go through a season of being introduced to potential suitors,
Spoiler
fall in love, get sent to the boonies, get married, come back to civilization, and (out of the blue) uncover a conspiracy that hadn't been mentioned until the last 10% of the book.The characters were dull. Not just because our heroine wasn't a badass. She didn't have much personality outside the training of her station. I'm honestly surprised she wanted to run away. She was presented as someone who had attitude problems (according to the stiff upper-crust) but had very little to back that up, especially later in the book. Her beau was equally enthralling. They lacked chemistry. The supporting characters were not much better. Her refugee roommate, Mira, would have made a much better MC I think.
I honestly don't know if I will read the next book Mead comes out with. She's been on my auto-read list but her latest offerings are not earning that.
I was given an advanced sneak peek from NetGalley's and Penguins Group, which I slogged through. The main character Adelaide is boring and makes very strange decisions. She runs away from her life as a countess because she doesn't like her impending arranged marriage to go be part of the glittering court, which is essentially a mail order bride service (unless more than one man wants a girl, then she gets to decide which one 'wins'). The highlight of Adelaide is that she is amusing as she bumbles her way through some daily tasks, such as cooking, and purposely screwing up her classes. The love interest, Cedric one of the courts proprietors, is basically thrust upon the reader as the man she should wind up with even though they hardly interact and don't seem to have any chemistry.
I have no intention of picking up a copy of this book to see how the story actually ends.
I have no intention of picking up a copy of this book to see how the story actually ends.
Really engaging story, could not put it down. Full of twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read this quite quickly, and couldn't put it down, but....... I think there could have been more oomf. If it had though, it might have been too much like "The Jewel" by Amy Ewing. I'm glad this book ended with a nice wrap up, and I feel no need to read the sequels. So it was nice to find a book that could be a one-book standalone. I have too much to read to have a new series.
Started out a little slow for me, but I really liked it. I liked the British feel in the beginning & then the American frontier feel in the rest. Can't wait to find out what happened with Mira & Tamsin that was only mentioned in this book. And of course I loved Cedric & Adelaide ;)
This book just could not hold my interest. I prefer fantasy over historical romance.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF'd at the 4 hour mark in the audiobook, which is roughly 130 pages, if my math is right. I don't have a physical copy of the book to check, nor will I ever get a copy of it because this is one of the most underwhelming, disappointing, uninteresting, and absolutely sad excuses for a book I've seen in a long while.
And it's written by Richelle goddamn Mead! I love her! Hell, she broke my favorite fictional character's heart into a billion pieces and I still loved her! Her writing has always been so absolutely fun, funny, interesting, and altogether awesome since I started reading her books in 2008. But this...man, this just broke my heart. It sounded so promising. It even felt promising for a minute when I started the listen this morning. But by the time I took my lunch and Adelaide had a fake aunt show up courtesy of her secret boyfriend...I was just bored, sad, and disappointed. It just made Richelle look bad and I hate that. Write better stories, Richelle, because I know you can.
I would so much rather have a story that's heavy on big dumb fun and crazy awesome magic instead of a story that won't pick up, is dead set on being pretentious, and won't do a thing to make itself more interesting.
Screw this, I'm reading Passenger by Alexandra Bracken next so I can read something fun and worthwhile. Ugh.
And it's written by Richelle goddamn Mead! I love her! Hell, she broke my favorite fictional character's heart into a billion pieces and I still loved her! Her writing has always been so absolutely fun, funny, interesting, and altogether awesome since I started reading her books in 2008. But this...man, this just broke my heart. It sounded so promising. It even felt promising for a minute when I started the listen this morning. But by the time I took my lunch and Adelaide had a fake aunt show up courtesy of her secret boyfriend...I was just bored, sad, and disappointed. It just made Richelle look bad and I hate that. Write better stories, Richelle, because I know you can.
I would so much rather have a story that's heavy on big dumb fun and crazy awesome magic instead of a story that won't pick up, is dead set on being pretentious, and won't do a thing to make itself more interesting.
Screw this, I'm reading Passenger by Alexandra Bracken next so I can read something fun and worthwhile. Ugh.
Awful! The charters were had to like since they were so arrogant and stuck up. I don't get why you would leave one arranged marriage only to be tossed into a competition where the highest bidder will win your hand. Its pretty much the same thing.