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susanthebookbag's review against another edition
5.0
Susan Kaye Quinn has done it again! Third Daughter is her first venture into writing steampunk. And it was my first exposure to the steampunk genre. Since I had read most of Susan's other series and loved them all, I knew I was in good hands as I started my foray into the steampunk world. Third Daughter is called 'East-Indian Steampunk Fantasy Romance ~ Bollypunk', which is a totally new genre to me.
Susan first caught me eye with her young adult science fiction series, The Mindjack Series, which was also a fairly new genre to me. Next for me came her adult future-noir serial, The Debt Collector. Again, something new for me but I absolutely loved it!
I am not really sure what makes a story steampunk, all I know is that I loved this story from the very first page. That's the kind of writer Susan is, she just makes the story so easy to get lost in.
'Soon she would be free: free of the court, free to kiss in broad daylight, free to leave Dharia behind and find the vermin who killed her father.'
There is plenty of action to make me, the reader, want to keep reading. But there was also a romantic side to the story to make it just endearing. And then there is always that question of doing what's right or doing what one wants. And why can't that ever be the same thing?
'For once, Aniri wished the Queen would simply be her mother. To think of her daughter first, before the country. But that would never happen, and it was foolish to wish for it. As foolish as falling in live with a courtesan.'
I absolutely loved Third Daughter and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I am a huge fan of Susan's works and I know I won't be disappointed.
'Everything Aniri knew about the world had somehow gone false.'
Susan first caught me eye with her young adult science fiction series, The Mindjack Series, which was also a fairly new genre to me. Next for me came her adult future-noir serial, The Debt Collector. Again, something new for me but I absolutely loved it!
I am not really sure what makes a story steampunk, all I know is that I loved this story from the very first page. That's the kind of writer Susan is, she just makes the story so easy to get lost in.
'Soon she would be free: free of the court, free to kiss in broad daylight, free to leave Dharia behind and find the vermin who killed her father.'
There is plenty of action to make me, the reader, want to keep reading. But there was also a romantic side to the story to make it just endearing. And then there is always that question of doing what's right or doing what one wants. And why can't that ever be the same thing?
'For once, Aniri wished the Queen would simply be her mother. To think of her daughter first, before the country. But that would never happen, and it was foolish to wish for it. As foolish as falling in live with a courtesan.'
I absolutely loved Third Daughter and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I am a huge fan of Susan's works and I know I won't be disappointed.
'Everything Aniri knew about the world had somehow gone false.'
rickus90's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book. Full review over here: https://rickusbookshelf.wordpress.com/2016/09/22/third-daughter-by-susan-kaye-quinn-the-royals-of-dharia-1/
overlyticklish's review
3.0
If you like steampunk adventure in a diverse setting, you’ll probably love this one!
It says romance, however it is mostly secondary to the rest of the story and does not go very deep.
The steampunk part was fun, with air ships and cable cars and long distance communication. The princess is very adventurous but a little spoiled in the beginning. It is pretty cool that she knows how to sword fight.
The setting seems to be an odd mixture of India and western culture. The ink on the princess’ hands doesn’t seem to exactly be henna, since in one situation someone takes the ink off her hand and puts new ink there and she acts like it stays for weeks without her doing anything. With henna you have to be careful to leave it on your hand for a long time the darker you want the ink to be. It would be obvious the henna is brand new.
There was also mention of the queen wearing a corset, which seems odd if the country really was an alternate India.
I was confused by her use of the word courtesan, which seems to be the same as courtier in this case, just someone who lives at court and might be inclined toward lying and scheming as part of court life. In my previous encounters of that word it has meant prostitute, notably in the Throne of Glass series. It seems like it would have been better to use courtier.
Januk was an annoying guard, his character’s purpose seemed to be to offend or shock the princess into action. If he was a good guard he would have been silent and not judgmental.
It says romance, however it is mostly secondary to the rest of the story and does not go very deep.
The steampunk part was fun, with air ships and cable cars and long distance communication. The princess is very adventurous but a little spoiled in the beginning. It is pretty cool that she knows how to sword fight.
The setting seems to be an odd mixture of India and western culture. The ink on the princess’ hands doesn’t seem to exactly be henna, since in one situation someone takes the ink off her hand and puts new ink there and she acts like it stays for weeks without her doing anything. With henna you have to be careful to leave it on your hand for a long time the darker you want the ink to be. It would be obvious the henna is brand new.
There was also mention of the queen wearing a corset, which seems odd if the country really was an alternate India.
I was confused by her use of the word courtesan, which seems to be the same as courtier in this case, just someone who lives at court and might be inclined toward lying and scheming as part of court life. In my previous encounters of that word it has meant prostitute, notably in the Throne of Glass series. It seems like it would have been better to use courtier.
Januk was an annoying guard, his character’s purpose seemed to be to offend or shock the princess into action. If he was a good guard he would have been silent and not judgmental.
xvicesx's review
3.0
Solid start for a book which brings steampunk to a not so well featured section of the world in mainstream reading. I agree with some other reviewers that perhaps a bit of polishing is due, but overall I was quite happy with what I got. Looking forward to book two!
apotts's review
4.0
I picked-up Third Daughter in preparation for an author event, and I now have to pick-up books 2 and 3. Susan hooks the reader right off the bat with an unexpected love triangle forming in the midst of an attempted military takeover. Vivid setting descriptions balance with well-developed characters and a roller coaster plot that kept me reading well past my scheduled break times. I blame Third Daughter for my lack of productivity over the past few days!
Appropriate for middle school (although there are some passionate scenes!) and up. Readers who enjoyed The Selection Series would likely enjoy Third Daughter.
Appropriate for middle school (although there are some passionate scenes!) and up. Readers who enjoyed The Selection Series would likely enjoy Third Daughter.
waclements7's review
4.0
3.5 Good story but Aniri can get incredibly annoying with her wishy-washyness. She realizes that she’s doing it but does it anyway. Her position as Third Daughter let her get away with doing what she wanted, which seems unreasonable. She has no knowledge of politics or diplomacy, which seems like it should have been a requisite part of her education, regardless of her position.
malus23's review
1.0
One of the bad guys got a bit close to being mustache-twirly, tie-you-to-the-tracks, and sometimes the plot movement was a little over-convenient. However, it was fun and entertaining in a fluffy way, and it takes steampunk out of England/US territory, which is nice. It's also nice to have a story set in a steampunk world that doesn't rely on a mad scientist type as a main character, it keeps the zany dampened down a bit. The cover is lovely.
lassarina's review
4.0
Where to even begin? This was such a delightful read that I didn't even know I needed until I started it, and then I was so thoroughly hooked that I did deeply intelligent things like miss my stop on the train because I absolutely had to know what was about to happen next! I would categorize this more as "cotton candy fun" than a serious read, but it was so delightful and with a somewhat unusual setting, and anyway, I will defend forever the value of cotton candy fun.
Third Daughter is set in the fictional kingdom of Dharia, which seems, geographically, to be somewhere around modern-day India (though I could also be drawing incorrect conclusions from what the names and world-building imply). The world is a little bit steampunk (including devices to telegraph in code across long distances that operate on "aether", and corset-based fashion) and matriarchal, which played out in some interesting ways with regard to the plot. The main character, Aniri, is an indulged daughter of the Queen of Dharia, though being somewhat young, she doesn't really see it. However, her attitude was entirely reasonable for her age, and while I sighed a little as one does when one remembers being that age and that attitude, I didn't dislike it, because it wasn't really taken to extremes.
Aniri is nearing her majority, at which point she plans to marry Devesh, a young man in the diplomatic corps of the neighboring country, Samir, because she will be free to do so. Unfortunately, shortly before her birthday, a prince of the other neighboring country, Jungali, comes to ask her to wed him in a bid for peace for his homeland. Because men cannot inherit, she would become Queen, a station higher than she could aspire to at home.
One of the things I liked best about this book was that while there is a love triangle (of course there's a love triangle), it's almost more of a "growing out of childhood desires" one, which I like. I also like that Aniri treats her feelings seriously but isn't entirely ruled by them; she's willing to consider other options and doesn't cling to her childhood dream of Devesh to the exclusion of all else. I like that Aniri's ability to fight, climb, and otherwise run around being physically capable is explained early on and is reasonable. I loved the evolution of her relationship with Janak, her personal bodyguard. I loved Prince Malik, and his reasons for wanting Aniri to be his wife, and the concessions he was willing to make to keep her happy because he understood there was more to this than just what he might have liked. I enjoyed the intrigue plot lines, which were deep enough to be interesting but not so complex that I had to back up several chapters to remember what was happening.
I would've liked to know more about the world, which hopefully I will get in future books. I also would have liked to see more of how the wrongdoers were dealt with - not because there is a "right answer" but because I want to know what answer Aniri and Malik chose, and how that fits with their characterization.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and have already added the sequels to my wish list.
Third Daughter is set in the fictional kingdom of Dharia, which seems, geographically, to be somewhere around modern-day India (though I could also be drawing incorrect conclusions from what the names and world-building imply). The world is a little bit steampunk (including devices to telegraph in code across long distances that operate on "aether", and corset-based fashion) and matriarchal, which played out in some interesting ways with regard to the plot. The main character, Aniri, is an indulged daughter of the Queen of Dharia, though being somewhat young, she doesn't really see it. However, her attitude was entirely reasonable for her age, and while I sighed a little as one does when one remembers being that age and that attitude, I didn't dislike it, because it wasn't really taken to extremes.
Aniri is nearing her majority, at which point she plans to marry Devesh, a young man in the diplomatic corps of the neighboring country, Samir, because she will be free to do so. Unfortunately, shortly before her birthday, a prince of the other neighboring country, Jungali, comes to ask her to wed him in a bid for peace for his homeland. Because men cannot inherit, she would become Queen, a station higher than she could aspire to at home.
One of the things I liked best about this book was that while there is a love triangle (of course there's a love triangle), it's almost more of a "growing out of childhood desires" one, which I like. I also like that Aniri treats her feelings seriously but isn't entirely ruled by them; she's willing to consider other options and doesn't cling to her childhood dream of Devesh to the exclusion of all else. I like that Aniri's ability to fight, climb, and otherwise run around being physically capable is explained early on and is reasonable. I loved the evolution of her relationship with Janak, her personal bodyguard. I loved Prince Malik, and his reasons for wanting Aniri to be his wife, and the concessions he was willing to make to keep her happy because he understood there was more to this than just what he might have liked. I enjoyed the intrigue plot lines, which were deep enough to be interesting but not so complex that I had to back up several chapters to remember what was happening.
I would've liked to know more about the world, which hopefully I will get in future books. I also would have liked to see more of how the wrongdoers were dealt with - not because there is a "right answer" but because I want to know what answer Aniri and Malik chose, and how that fits with their characterization.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and have already added the sequels to my wish list.
lolasreviews's review
5.0
I bought this book as soon as it was released and I don't understand why it took me so long before starting it. As soon as I started this book I was hooked by the amazing world and story Susan has created and this author is definitely one of my favourite authors now. I just love how she creates these amazing worlds and it made me feel like I was there beside Aniri experiencing everything.
Third Daughter is a fast paced book with beautifull descriptions of the locations and events. It is written in third perspective, but it was done really well and after the first few pages I didn't even notice it anymore, it just fit the book and the story. The story has a lot of different things to keep readers interested, there is some mystery and intrigue, some politics and ofcourse romance. It was all packed into an addictive story. I did figure out some plot twists pretty early on, but it didn't make the book less fun to read. I just had so much fun reading this book and it was so different from other book, the bollypunk feel of the book was something unique for sure and I really enjoyed it.
At first I had a bit of a hard time relating to soem of the characters although I liked Aniri basically from the start, while she makes mistakes, she also does some really brave and honerable things. I really liked Aniri, she could be a bit rushed and naive at times, but she had her heart of the right place and she was easy to like. Prince Ash was such a great character as well and I really liked him. Priya and Aniri's guard (I forgot his name) where great side characters and I really liked both of them. And there's this great character that only makes one appearance later in this book, I don't even remember if we got her name, but I really liked her and she showed kindness when she didn't have any reason to.
The romance was well paced and I liked how it developed. It was done really well and nicely complemented the story, although I would've liked to see some more romance. Sometimes it felt like Aniri just kept pushing the romancy thoughts away and I would've liked to know a bit more about she thought and felt at some moments.
The world building was done well and without any info dumps. It was woven naturally into the story and pieces where revealed when the story progressed, it all felt very natural and the reader discovers more about the world alongside Aniri. I like the descriptions of the palaces, places, cities and surroundings, I could easily imagine what the world looked like and the world building all made sense. There where even some technological things that while fictional where described well enough that it sounded like it could actually be true.
To Conclude: I loved Third Daughter and was hooked as soon as I read the first few pages. Aniri was a great main character and easy to like. The story is packed with action, romance and even some political intrigue and I loved every aspect of it. The side characters where likeable as well and I really liked the world building, it was woven naturally into the story. All in all this was a great read and I can't wait to read future books in this series!
Third Daughter is a fast paced book with beautifull descriptions of the locations and events. It is written in third perspective, but it was done really well and after the first few pages I didn't even notice it anymore, it just fit the book and the story. The story has a lot of different things to keep readers interested, there is some mystery and intrigue, some politics and ofcourse romance. It was all packed into an addictive story. I did figure out some plot twists pretty early on, but it didn't make the book less fun to read. I just had so much fun reading this book and it was so different from other book, the bollypunk feel of the book was something unique for sure and I really enjoyed it.
At first I had a bit of a hard time relating to soem of the characters although I liked Aniri basically from the start, while she makes mistakes, she also does some really brave and honerable things. I really liked Aniri, she could be a bit rushed and naive at times, but she had her heart of the right place and she was easy to like. Prince Ash was such a great character as well and I really liked him. Priya and Aniri's guard (I forgot his name) where great side characters and I really liked both of them. And there's this great character that only makes one appearance later in this book, I don't even remember if we got her name, but I really liked her and she showed kindness when she didn't have any reason to.
The romance was well paced and I liked how it developed. It was done really well and nicely complemented the story, although I would've liked to see some more romance. Sometimes it felt like Aniri just kept pushing the romancy thoughts away and I would've liked to know a bit more about she thought and felt at some moments.
The world building was done well and without any info dumps. It was woven naturally into the story and pieces where revealed when the story progressed, it all felt very natural and the reader discovers more about the world alongside Aniri. I like the descriptions of the palaces, places, cities and surroundings, I could easily imagine what the world looked like and the world building all made sense. There where even some technological things that while fictional where described well enough that it sounded like it could actually be true.
To Conclude: I loved Third Daughter and was hooked as soon as I read the first few pages. Aniri was a great main character and easy to like. The story is packed with action, romance and even some political intrigue and I loved every aspect of it. The side characters where likeable as well and I really liked the world building, it was woven naturally into the story. All in all this was a great read and I can't wait to read future books in this series!
radiansreads's review
5.0
I won a personalised eARC prior to its release! *squeals* Huge thanks to Susan herself for hosting the giveaway!
Third Daughter captured my attention from the very beginning hook, line, and sinker. I totally enjoy Quinn's writing style and her ability to bring her story to life. I'm really digging this bollypunk theme here. The details are very well-described providing vivid imagery of the kingdoms. A world not new, yet very unfamiliar to most and that intrigues me to a whole new level.
I really liked the protagonist, Aniri. My first impression of her was that she was just a spoiled princess. Even she underestimated herself at one point. So naive and ignorant - short-tempered even - but caring to a fault. She's willing to give up her life (or at least part of it) for the good of her people. It's not hard to tell that she's a nice person because she was always worried about her web deceptions. It's the littlest things that make her seem humane. The more we know her, the more we get attached and soon I was rooting for her. Plus, her social life is amusing to say the least. It just seems like she's a natural man-magnet - everywhere she goes there always seem to be men who were affected by her charm.
Even the secondary characters have this uniqueness that defines them as who they are. They're so believable it makes the whole thing seem more realistic. I loved knowing the characters, seeing them form unlikely alliances and friends. Even the betrayals were carefully planned out. And then there're the kisses. *dreamy sigh* The relationships (both romantically and platonic kinds) develops seamlessly and there wasn't a moment where they seemed forced.
The story is itself is full of mysteries and thrilling actions. The plot twists were endless. Hard to expect them when you were constantly focusing on another thing until it was smack dab in front of your face.
Brilliantly enchanting, Third Daughter is perfect in every sense, it's everything I loved in a single book. I wished it didn't have to end so soon, but seeing as it ended with a cliffhanger *dissatisfied groan*, I'll be looking forward for its sequel!
Third Daughter captured my attention from the very beginning hook, line, and sinker. I totally enjoy Quinn's writing style and her ability to bring her story to life. I'm really digging this bollypunk theme here. The details are very well-described providing vivid imagery of the kingdoms. A world not new, yet very unfamiliar to most and that intrigues me to a whole new level.
I really liked the protagonist, Aniri. My first impression of her was that she was just a spoiled princess. Even she underestimated herself at one point. So naive and ignorant - short-tempered even - but caring to a fault. She's willing to give up her life (or at least part of it) for the good of her people. It's not hard to tell that she's a nice person because she was always worried about her web deceptions. It's the littlest things that make her seem humane. The more we know her, the more we get attached and soon I was rooting for her. Plus, her social life is amusing to say the least. It just seems like she's a natural man-magnet - everywhere she goes there always seem to be men who were affected by her charm.
Even the secondary characters have this uniqueness that defines them as who they are. They're so believable it makes the whole thing seem more realistic. I loved knowing the characters, seeing them form unlikely alliances and friends. Even the betrayals were carefully planned out. And then there're the kisses. *dreamy sigh* The relationships (both romantically and platonic kinds) develops seamlessly and there wasn't a moment where they seemed forced.
The story is itself is full of mysteries and thrilling actions. The plot twists were endless. Hard to expect them when you were constantly focusing on another thing until it was smack dab in front of your face.
Brilliantly enchanting, Third Daughter is perfect in every sense, it's everything I loved in a single book. I wished it didn't have to end so soon, but seeing as it ended with a cliffhanger *dissatisfied groan*, I'll be looking forward for its sequel!