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moraa's review
I liked that this book included characters from different ethnicities but the execution just didn't do it for me. After reading the description, I was excited to read this book because I'd never read a book with such a premise before. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to the hype. The main character was a little too childish for me and the tension between her and her mother seemed manufactured to me. I wanted to like this book but it wasn't done in a way I would have liked.
spaceyfaerie's review
1.0
'The pain I'd caused remained fresh and my mind became an endless cycle of the same question: What was it all for?'
Boy oh boy do I have so much salty tea to spill about this book. But first, I will put a disclaimer: that I do not write this for the purpose of attacking the author nor do I condemn her . . . I just have issues with this book. And since there is A LOT of opinions I have to unpack about this, some of them accompanied by an embittered attitude, buckle up for a long rant that I've been dedicated enough to write twice 'cause previously via a power outage, Mother Nature decided to pull the plug on my first attempt at a review.
Also before the review I have a final disclaimer:
While there are a few specific things I've got some concerns about, most of the issues I have with this book are regards to the story/character development and the decisions regarding those. And with the specific things, my thoughts are also heavily opinionated so I heartily welcome respectful discussions about those no matter if you agree or disagree with them.
[my definition of a respectful discussion] -->Disagreements can be made without attacking commentators or forcing your opinion upon others. Opinions are stated calmly and without gratuitous strong language/slurs against the opposing opinions. Agree to disagree. If you truly believe an opinion is WRONG and cannot convince the commentator(s) otherwise, don't start a fight or get nasty; take the high road and just leave the discussion or I will step in with the power of block & delete as a last resort of peacekeeping. And always remember that a person is entitled to their opinions no matter how much they personally offend or upset you . . . though I prefer to think positive and assume any comments will be respectfully mature and polite :P]
'Suddenly I was being courted. I was speaking to a handsome prince around my age. It was a scenario I'd often fantasized about while waiting for my parents to decide I was old enough to be courted.'
O o f where to start with the multitude of problems and annoyances I had while reading this?? There is a large cast of characters with 4 randomly rotating POV's, although Princess Charlotte and Prince Young are the primary voices . . . and yet for some reason they never really feel like main characters!?! The biggest issue with this book is that it reads like the summary of a first draft. It is messy, it only has the hints of good potential but goes nowhere with any of it (minus a few random lines of post-mediocrity), and there is too much plot going way too fast. Once again, it is a mess. And it's such an uncoordinated, sexist, racist (yeah you heard me right) mess that doesn't even seem to TRY to alleviate or fix those problems that it's probably the first time I've squinted in confusion at a book and been like, "oh my gosh . . . this is actually pretty racist".
R E C E I P T S of particular instances that bothered me:
Look, I'm one who probably lets way too much slide that should bother me more . . . which is why I was surprised that things in this book irked me so much. But once I realized what kept recurring, it was hard to ignore the stereotypical descriptions given to the kingdom and prince(s) inspired by East Asia. Tbh I think the annoyances of the content was only heightened further by the unpolished draft style of the writing . . .
"The Eastern Statue? Did you know that's what they call him? They say he never smiles."
'I'd met Prince Young once. Dark hair and dark almond-shaped eyes that curved in at the corners...But his face--I really couldn't recall it. I could only remember the feeling of him. He'd seemed so serious and miserable, even more so than the stuffy, political vultures that circled court. I hadn't given him a single thought since we met--until now. Now, all I could think about was his cold, heartless stature and a lifetime without laughter.'
'Not to mention Young himself--weak, scrawny, and barely man enough to grow facial hair. What was he thinking! To challenge me [Emmett]? I settled on the possibility that he'd been so ashamed of losing his contract with Besmium that he was choosing suicide over returning home. If that were the case, then this was a mercy killing--a perfect way to stab away my wedding jitters.
"You're serious?" He [Emmett] wheezed. "There is no conceivable advantage you have over me."
I [Young] shifted my weight. "I-I don't see it that way."
"Your military is too far, your personality is dry, and..." He covered his mouth with his hands. "Just look at you." He grinned. "And more importantly, look at me."
I blinked with disbelief.
"Fair skin, eyes the color of beryl stone, golden locks."
I huffed. "So, I imagine in your world that's superior somehow?"
"In every world that's superior."
EXCUSE ME???? I don't care if the majority of the statements against Young and his heritage are from the villainous character. I don't care if that's meant to make us hate the villain more. I DON'T CARE FOR RACIST COMMENTS USED IN THIS WAY okay and look, I get that sometimes a book will be "racist" to prove a point or show the fallacies in a system/mindset . . . but the stuff in this book is truly pointless. Now, is Young himself slightly racist too?? Y E S but I would argue that, of all the problematic characters in here, he is the one who tries the most to change and improve himself and his mindsets. However, for content like this to appear and be handled as improperly as it was, it shouldn't have even been here in the first place.
The second biggest problem with this book is that it doesn't know what to do with the things it wants to do.
There truly is a lot of good potential in this book . . . but it is utterly WASTED. Mostly because of this being a glorified summary, but also because it really doesn't seem like a lot of thought and attention was given to things. Plot twists, character decisions, even the freaking dialogue just appears to be slapped willy-nilly in here. It's much like how I wrote some of my first "books" in my early teens that I still cringe at whenever I open those old documents. I had the same type of cringing when I read this because it's just so badly written and barely developed.
'Shloop. An arrow landed on the frozen ground.'
SHLOOP?? LANDED ON???? I literally bust out laughing when I read that sentence because it pretty much encapsulates the juvenile writing of this entire book. And while the thing I'm the saltiest about was how the Asian influences and characters in here are treated, quite annoyed at the fact that THE PLOT DIDN'T FREAKING PICK AN ARC TO STICK WITH OH NO WE HAD TO HAVE FIFTY DIFFERENT TWISTS WITHIN TWO PAGES . . .
an accurate potrayal of how the plot works in this book:
. . . I'm also just so done with the characters. Except for Young, who is a idiotic dear who tries his best and was the only two-dimensional character in the midst of all the cardboard flops.
My favorite line from the entire book:
'He [Minseo, Young's older brother] stepped back. "So all of this is about the girl."
"It's about keeping my word."
But other than that ONE LINE IN THE ENTIRETY OF THIS RIDICULOUSLY LONG BOOK it was mostly weird drivel like this:
'Dying wasn't my intention. Yet there I lay, ravenous--twelve hours into my hunger strike, certain I was already slipping away.'
'I [Charlotte] looked very much like the bratty teen that had protested her engagement, but in almost every way I wasn't her. I was queen, I was a wife, and now I was a mother. I gripped my dagger. I was battle-tested, I had killed, I had survived. The only thing that limited my abilities was my fear--and I wasn't afraid.'
"It's time for the hunt." He [Emmett] gestured to me [Young]. "One of us must stay behind to defend you helpless womenfolk, while the other finds us dinner. Who do you [Charlotte] delegate to this task?"
'He [Young] was my [Charlotte] cage, my captor [????], the death of my freedom, but in one kind glance, in my darkest hour, he granted me a modicum of comfort. I ran to him and threw myself into his arms. I didn't care that he didn't embrace me. I didn't care that his body tightened with discomfort. He was alive and, to me, that meant my father could be too.'
'In astonishment, Emmett dropped his sword and wrapped his arms gently around me [Charlotte]. I took a slow breath in as my frozen body began to feel the warmth of Emmett's blood run down my right arm, where my dragon dagger still remained buried in his breached chainmail. The blood dripped steadily from my elbow, but I was too afraid to let go. My gaze crept up from the bottom of Emmett's chin to his lips, and finally his pale blue eyes. He stood and held me, a kind warmth in his eyes as they faded. Enraged, I pulled out the dagger and plunged it into a new spot on his chest. He toppled forward, spitting blood as his weight fell on me. I snatched my dagger and jumped back, allowing Emmett's body to land with a thud in front of me. His lifeless body lay face down in front of me, but I couldn't stop. I wanted the pain he'd caused me to stop. I stabbed his corpse for my father. Again. Again.
And all I have to say about Milly is this:
Seriously, this book is just such a mess. It is problematic without much point behind WHY it's so problematic. It's written in an extremely juvenile way and has a plot as given by a six year old recounting their day to you: repetitious and 99% unbelievable. And somehow I ended up slogging through all of it wondering whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I do stuff like this to myself.
And at the end of it all, WHAT DID I GET???
'I'm happy to announce that you've only completed PART ONE of THREE!!'
me:
I received a digital ARC from the author via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Boy oh boy do I have so much salty tea to spill about this book. But first, I will put a disclaimer: that I do not write this for the purpose of attacking the author nor do I condemn her . . . I just have issues with this book. And since there is A LOT of opinions I have to unpack about this, some of them accompanied by an embittered attitude, buckle up for a long rant that I've been dedicated enough to write twice 'cause previously via a power outage, Mother Nature decided to pull the plug on my first attempt at a review.
Also before the review I have a final disclaimer:
While there are a few specific things I've got some concerns about, most of the issues I have with this book are regards to the story/character development and the decisions regarding those. And with the specific things, my thoughts are also heavily opinionated so I heartily welcome respectful discussions about those no matter if you agree or disagree with them.
[my definition of a respectful discussion] -->
'Suddenly I was being courted. I was speaking to a handsome prince around my age. It was a scenario I'd often fantasized about while waiting for my parents to decide I was old enough to be courted.'
O o f where to start with the multitude of problems and annoyances I had while reading this?? There is a large cast of characters with 4 randomly rotating POV's, although Princess Charlotte and Prince Young are the primary voices . . . and yet for some reason they never really feel like main characters!?! The biggest issue with this book is that it reads like the summary of a first draft. It is messy, it only has the hints of good potential but goes nowhere with any of it (minus a few random lines of post-mediocrity), and there is too much plot going way too fast. Once again, it is a mess. And it's such an uncoordinated, sexist, racist (yeah you heard me right) mess that doesn't even seem to TRY to alleviate or fix those problems that it's probably the first time I've squinted in confusion at a book and been like, "oh my gosh . . . this is actually pretty racist".
R E C E I P T S of particular instances that bothered me:
Look, I'm one who probably lets way too much slide that should bother me more . . . which is why I was surprised that things in this book irked me so much. But once I realized what kept recurring, it was hard to ignore the stereotypical descriptions given to the kingdom and prince(s) inspired by East Asia. Tbh I think the annoyances of the content was only heightened further by the unpolished draft style of the writing . . .
"The Eastern Statue? Did you know that's what they call him? They say he never smiles."
'I'd met Prince Young once. Dark hair and dark almond-shaped eyes that curved in at the corners...But his face--I really couldn't recall it. I could only remember the feeling of him. He'd seemed so serious and miserable, even more so than the stuffy, political vultures that circled court. I hadn't given him a single thought since we met--until now. Now, all I could think about was his cold, heartless stature and a lifetime without laughter.'
'Not to mention Young himself--weak, scrawny, and barely man enough to grow facial hair. What was he thinking! To challenge me [Emmett]? I settled on the possibility that he'd been so ashamed of losing his contract with Besmium that he was choosing suicide over returning home. If that were the case, then this was a mercy killing--a perfect way to stab away my wedding jitters.
"You're serious?" He [Emmett] wheezed. "There is no conceivable advantage you have over me."
I [Young] shifted my weight. "I-I don't see it that way."
"Your military is too far, your personality is dry, and..." He covered his mouth with his hands. "Just look at you." He grinned. "And more importantly, look at me."
I blinked with disbelief.
"Fair skin, eyes the color of beryl stone, golden locks."
I huffed. "So, I imagine in your world that's superior somehow?"
"In every world that's superior."
EXCUSE ME???? I don't care if the majority of the statements against Young and his heritage are from the villainous character. I don't care if that's meant to make us hate the villain more. I DON'T CARE FOR RACIST COMMENTS USED IN THIS WAY okay and look, I get that sometimes a book will be "racist" to prove a point or show the fallacies in a system/mindset . . . but the stuff in this book is truly pointless. Now, is Young himself slightly racist too?? Y E S but I would argue that, of all the problematic characters in here, he is the one who tries the most to change and improve himself and his mindsets. However, for content like this to appear and be handled as improperly as it was, it shouldn't have even been here in the first place.
The second biggest problem with this book is that it doesn't know what to do with the things it wants to do.
There truly is a lot of good potential in this book . . . but it is utterly WASTED. Mostly because of this being a glorified summary, but also because it really doesn't seem like a lot of thought and attention was given to things. Plot twists, character decisions, even the freaking dialogue just appears to be slapped willy-nilly in here. It's much like how I wrote some of my first "books" in my early teens that I still cringe at whenever I open those old documents. I had the same type of cringing when I read this because it's just so badly written and barely developed.
'Shloop. An arrow landed on the frozen ground.'
SHLOOP?? LANDED ON???? I literally bust out laughing when I read that sentence because it pretty much encapsulates the juvenile writing of this entire book. And while the thing I'm the saltiest about was how the Asian influences and characters in here are treated, quite annoyed at the fact that THE PLOT DIDN'T FREAKING PICK AN ARC TO STICK WITH OH NO WE HAD TO HAVE FIFTY DIFFERENT TWISTS WITHIN TWO PAGES . . .
an accurate potrayal of how the plot works in this book:
. . . I'm also just so done with the characters. Except for Young, who is a idiotic dear who tries his best and was the only two-dimensional character in the midst of all the cardboard flops.
My favorite line from the entire book:
'He [Minseo, Young's older brother] stepped back. "So all of this is about the girl."
"It's about keeping my word."
But other than that ONE LINE IN THE ENTIRETY OF THIS RIDICULOUSLY LONG BOOK it was mostly weird drivel like this:
'Dying wasn't my intention. Yet there I lay, ravenous--twelve hours into my hunger strike, certain I was already slipping away.'
'I [Charlotte] looked very much like the bratty teen that had protested her engagement, but in almost every way I wasn't her. I was queen, I was a wife, and now I was a mother. I gripped my dagger. I was battle-tested, I had killed, I had survived. The only thing that limited my abilities was my fear--and I wasn't afraid.'
"It's time for the hunt." He [Emmett] gestured to me [Young]. "One of us must stay behind to defend you helpless womenfolk, while the other finds us dinner. Who do you [Charlotte] delegate to this task?"
'He [Young] was my [Charlotte] cage, my captor [????], the death of my freedom, but in one kind glance, in my darkest hour, he granted me a modicum of comfort. I ran to him and threw myself into his arms. I didn't care that he didn't embrace me. I didn't care that his body tightened with discomfort. He was alive and, to me, that meant my father could be too.'
'In astonishment, Emmett dropped his sword and wrapped his arms gently around me [Charlotte]. I took a slow breath in as my frozen body began to feel the warmth of Emmett's blood run down my right arm, where my dragon dagger still remained buried in his breached chainmail. The blood dripped steadily from my elbow, but I was too afraid to let go. My gaze crept up from the bottom of Emmett's chin to his lips, and finally his pale blue eyes. He stood and held me, a kind warmth in his eyes as they faded. Enraged, I pulled out the dagger and plunged it into a new spot on his chest. He toppled forward, spitting blood as his weight fell on me. I snatched my dagger and jumped back, allowing Emmett's body to land with a thud in front of me. His lifeless body lay face down in front of me, but I couldn't stop. I wanted the pain he'd caused me to stop. I stabbed his corpse for my father. Again. Again.
And all I have to say about Milly is this:
Seriously, this book is just such a mess. It is problematic without much point behind WHY it's so problematic. It's written in an extremely juvenile way and has a plot as given by a six year old recounting their day to you: repetitious and 99% unbelievable. And somehow I ended up slogging through all of it wondering whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I do stuff like this to myself.
And at the end of it all, WHAT DID I GET???
'I'm happy to announce that you've only completed PART ONE of THREE!!'
me:
I received a digital ARC from the author via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
jenniferforjoy's review
4.0
A free copy was provided by NetGalley in trade for my honest feedback ☺
Recommended: sure!
For those who enjoy the fight-for-your-crown plot line, and unexpectedly realistic characters in this otherwise unrelatable setting for modern-day people (unless you're modern-day royalty, I suppose!)
Summary:
When the fighting of her country's endless war spills into Princess Charlotte's her own courtyard, she's delighted to call off her arranged marriage with Prince Young. After fleeing with her stoic betrothed, they finally escape one battle and immediately find themselves in another. A sleazy new suitor is suddenly scheming for her hand --- and her kingdom --- and suddenly Young doesn't look so bad as an ally, if not a husband. Trying to save the kingdom Besmium from being overrun with enemies begins with figuring out who among their own they can really trust.
A very bold ending that I deeply applaud. I'm hoping Kingdom Soul delivers just as much in the sequel!
Overall, I quite enjoyed the story! The characters had distinct and developed personalities that consistently carry through in their actions, and have the miraculous ability to actually talk to each other (instead of that thing where the conflict would be resolved by a short chat). We got a few chapters from the perspectives of the not-quite-main characters, which actually worked really well to add depth all around and tangle you up by making you feel a bit sympathetic even for the villains.
The places I stumbled were the grammatical errors, particularly issues with missing commas. Those really stand out to me, and it took me out of the story at best, and at worst made me actually not understand what was happening. There were also a few times when actions were inconsistent (such as Charlotte saying she sat up to talk to her mother, then when her father entered the room "it was almost enough to make her sit up". I'm like, girl you're already sitting up??).
These are small issues that can easily be solved with a second pair of eyes taking a look at the text though, and the driving force of characters and story was solid!
Recommended: sure!
For those who enjoy the fight-for-your-crown plot line, and unexpectedly realistic characters in this otherwise unrelatable setting for modern-day people (unless you're modern-day royalty, I suppose!)
Summary:
When the fighting of her country's endless war spills into Princess Charlotte's her own courtyard, she's delighted to call off her arranged marriage with Prince Young. After fleeing with her stoic betrothed, they finally escape one battle and immediately find themselves in another. A sleazy new suitor is suddenly scheming for her hand --- and her kingdom --- and suddenly Young doesn't look so bad as an ally, if not a husband. Trying to save the kingdom Besmium from being overrun with enemies begins with figuring out who among their own they can really trust.
A very bold ending that I deeply applaud. I'm hoping Kingdom Soul delivers just as much in the sequel!
Overall, I quite enjoyed the story! The characters had distinct and developed personalities that consistently carry through in their actions, and have the miraculous ability to actually talk to each other (instead of that thing where the conflict would be resolved by a short chat). We got a few chapters from the perspectives of the not-quite-main characters, which actually worked really well to add depth all around and tangle you up by making you feel a bit sympathetic even for the villains.
The places I stumbled were the grammatical errors, particularly issues with missing commas. Those really stand out to me, and it took me out of the story at best, and at worst made me actually not understand what was happening. There were also a few times when actions were inconsistent (such as Charlotte saying she sat up to talk to her mother, then when her father entered the room "it was almost enough to make her sit up". I'm like, girl you're already sitting up??).
These are small issues that can easily be solved with a second pair of eyes taking a look at the text though, and the driving force of characters and story was solid!
spiringempress's review
2.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Princess Charlotte is horrified to learn that she has to marry Prince Young from the neighboring kingdom, Vires. Despite her father picking out her betrothed, Princess Charlotte is determined to end the match. However, on the eve of their nuptials, war breaks out between Besmium and Drethen. Forced to escape, Princess Charlotte hits the road with Prince Young and her servant, Milly, but are they are quickly ensnared into a sinister plot when they encounter Prince Emmett, who takes them to his castle and plots to marry Charlotte. Princess Charlotte must adapt and eventually learn to trust her fiance if she wants to escape from these sinister plots.
This is a quick and easy read but the characters and plot are a little all over the place. It also seems like the book was meant for a younger audience and has too much of a fairy-tale quality for my tastes. I'm also a little confused about the target audience for this book since a lot of the narrative and story seems to be targeted towards a younger audience but some of the topics are a little too adult.
Princess Charlotte is horrified to learn that she has to marry Prince Young from the neighboring kingdom, Vires. Despite her father picking out her betrothed, Princess Charlotte is determined to end the match. However, on the eve of their nuptials, war breaks out between Besmium and Drethen. Forced to escape, Princess Charlotte hits the road with Prince Young and her servant, Milly, but are they are quickly ensnared into a sinister plot when they encounter Prince Emmett, who takes them to his castle and plots to marry Charlotte. Princess Charlotte must adapt and eventually learn to trust her fiance if she wants to escape from these sinister plots.
This is a quick and easy read but the characters and plot are a little all over the place. It also seems like the book was meant for a younger audience and has too much of a fairy-tale quality for my tastes. I'm also a little confused about the target audience for this book since a lot of the narrative and story seems to be targeted towards a younger audience but some of the topics are a little too adult.
booksteacupnreviews's review
3.0
You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
Kingdom Cold was YA fantasy romance that revolved around love story of Princess Charlotte of Besmium and Prince Young Vires. It was about love, friendship, betrayal, power greed, game of love and politics.
Characters-
Charlotte – First thought about her was, childish, insensitive, and insincere. But when situation turned sour and dangerous, she developed into brave and wise and sensible woman. I admired her for strength and capability of leading the kingdom that underestimated along with Young and other characters. She lost so many things in the book that I felt bad for her.
Young was most likable character in the book. He was sincere, sensible and kept conscience even in worst situation. But he had his flaws, he was less confident person and couldn’t trust his instinct related to Charlotte’s love.
Minseo was Young’s brother, polar opposite of Young in nature, charming and easygoing person. He made story and situation complicated but I admired him for sticking with his brother. He developed along with Charlotte at the end.
I didn’t like Milly. She was worst friend one can ever have. She was totally unpredictable and shocked me more when she accused Charlotte and called her monster while she should be thankful. She got what she deserved in the end.
What I liked-
Book started with Charlotte’s tantrum and silly attempts of stopping her marriage with Prince Young of Vires which was fixed as a political alliance. She wanted anything to be normal girl, to be outside of palace wall and moreover to fall in love and marry a person of her choice but not so early and young. All Young wanted was his own kingdom to rule by marrying Charlotte but he felt humiliated by Charlotte’s behavior. Things turned interesting when kingdom was attacked on the day of marriage. Young and Charlotte were forced to run and spend time together which changed their life and thoughts and feelings for each other.
Book was written in first person narrative from multiple POV. Writing was good engaging, plot was interesting. I was curious to know what Charlotte will decide once she reach to the safety of southern castle. Will she marry Young or she will abide the Queen’s order and decision? Will her best friend see right thing or will betray her on her first opportunity? What will happen to kingdom and Young? Will they have their happily-ever-after?
I liked relationship of Young and Charlotte. They both brought out best in each other and saw the qualities that other failed to see. Bond between Young and his brother was great. It was very clear from the very start it’s ultimately Young and Charlotte’s story, what I didn’t expect in the book was love triangle and not just one but three.
Twist and turns were most impressive. As soon as I speculated the next move and direction of the story, something new turned up that made it hard to predict the story and the end.
Climax was exciting and surprising that kept me on the edge. For a second I hoped characters will find a way to come out of situation but I knew better than to hope nice happy ending. It was tragic end of game of love and politics all because of arrogance and immature decisions. I liked last chapter which gave the story a perfect end.
Why 3 Stars-
First, I didn’t feel the royal tone of book and characters. It was written in casual manner. If there wasn’t a kingdom and royal titles, it can easily go as a normal story.
Second, characters made some silly mistakes that I wasn’t expecting at least from adult characters like King and Queen who should be more foreseeable and well prepared. I couldn’t buy the situations in the book.
To be clear – King of Besmium was least prepared both for war and marriage. He didn’t ask for military support looking at the situation and planning wedding in-between the war. Of course, enemy would take it as opportunity to attack. Moreover Young arrived for marriage with just a handful of soldiers, not a solid protection! And this happened twice!! Queen acted so rashly! She not only showed low respect for Young but also went against her husband’s agreement and sought out a new prince to marry off her daughter in exchange for protection and even after all that, she was so insensitive that she forgot about Young’s circumstances and imprisoned him. Which Queen does that!
Third, I didn’t appreciate Young and Charlotte engaging in passionate moments and solving person matters in middle of war. Shouldn’t they be out there supporting their soldier and fighting along with them!
Story had potential but it lacked logical situation and behavior from characters.
Overall, it was not the best read but was interesting, entertaining, fast paced with potential plot.
*** Note: I receiver e-copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review. ***
Kingdom Cold was YA fantasy romance that revolved around love story of Princess Charlotte of Besmium and Prince Young Vires. It was about love, friendship, betrayal, power greed, game of love and politics.
Characters-
Charlotte – First thought about her was, childish, insensitive, and insincere. But when situation turned sour and dangerous, she developed into brave and wise and sensible woman. I admired her for strength and capability of leading the kingdom that underestimated along with Young and other characters. She lost so many things in the book that I felt bad for her.
Young was most likable character in the book. He was sincere, sensible and kept conscience even in worst situation. But he had his flaws, he was less confident person and couldn’t trust his instinct related to Charlotte’s love.
Minseo was Young’s brother, polar opposite of Young in nature, charming and easygoing person. He made story and situation complicated but I admired him for sticking with his brother. He developed along with Charlotte at the end.
I didn’t like Milly. She was worst friend one can ever have. She was totally unpredictable and shocked me more when she accused Charlotte and called her monster while she should be thankful. She got what she deserved in the end.
What I liked-
Book started with Charlotte’s tantrum and silly attempts of stopping her marriage with Prince Young of Vires which was fixed as a political alliance. She wanted anything to be normal girl, to be outside of palace wall and moreover to fall in love and marry a person of her choice but not so early and young. All Young wanted was his own kingdom to rule by marrying Charlotte but he felt humiliated by Charlotte’s behavior. Things turned interesting when kingdom was attacked on the day of marriage. Young and Charlotte were forced to run and spend time together which changed their life and thoughts and feelings for each other.
Book was written in first person narrative from multiple POV. Writing was good engaging, plot was interesting. I was curious to know what Charlotte will decide once she reach to the safety of southern castle. Will she marry Young or she will abide the Queen’s order and decision? Will her best friend see right thing or will betray her on her first opportunity? What will happen to kingdom and Young? Will they have their happily-ever-after?
I liked relationship of Young and Charlotte. They both brought out best in each other and saw the qualities that other failed to see. Bond between Young and his brother was great. It was very clear from the very start it’s ultimately Young and Charlotte’s story, what I didn’t expect in the book was love triangle and not just one but three.
Twist and turns were most impressive. As soon as I speculated the next move and direction of the story, something new turned up that made it hard to predict the story and the end.
Climax was exciting and surprising that kept me on the edge. For a second I hoped characters will find a way to come out of situation but I knew better than to hope nice happy ending. It was tragic end of game of love and politics all because of arrogance and immature decisions. I liked last chapter which gave the story a perfect end.
Why 3 Stars-
First, I didn’t feel the royal tone of book and characters. It was written in casual manner. If there wasn’t a kingdom and royal titles, it can easily go as a normal story.
Second, characters made some silly mistakes that I wasn’t expecting at least from adult characters like King and Queen who should be more foreseeable and well prepared. I couldn’t buy the situations in the book.
To be clear – King of Besmium was least prepared both for war and marriage. He didn’t ask for military support looking at the situation and planning wedding in-between the war. Of course, enemy would take it as opportunity to attack. Moreover Young arrived for marriage with just a handful of soldiers, not a solid protection! And this happened twice!! Queen acted so rashly! She not only showed low respect for Young but also went against her husband’s agreement and sought out a new prince to marry off her daughter in exchange for protection and even after all that, she was so insensitive that she forgot about Young’s circumstances and imprisoned him. Which Queen does that!
Third, I didn’t appreciate Young and Charlotte engaging in passionate moments and solving person matters in middle of war. Shouldn’t they be out there supporting their soldier and fighting along with them!
Story had potential but it lacked logical situation and behavior from characters.
Overall, it was not the best read but was interesting, entertaining, fast paced with potential plot.
*** Note: I receiver e-copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review. ***
kyraslibrary's review
3.0
I received this ARC from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Loved this book. Very addictive read, great characters, good storyline and plot. A little chunky at places and sometimes there were annoying parts.
Loved this book. Very addictive read, great characters, good storyline and plot. A little chunky at places and sometimes there were annoying parts.
sarahsbooklife's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
Princess Charlotte of Besimum is unhappily betrothed to Princes Young of Vires, neither of them particularly feel any joy about this marriage alliance, but with little choice in the matter. Charlotte especially, as she tries in the beginning to stop the wedding and make Young or her father break off the marriage. Their engagement begins with a rocky start as Charlotte attempts to murder Young on his arrival. When their castle is attacked by Drethen forces, the wedding is cancelled, and they are forced to escape.
With her kingdom attacked and it’s future now uncertain, Charlotte’s mother renegotiates her hand in marriage to another. In hopes to protect their kingdom with the alliance of a country much closer than Vires. Charlotte must decided how she will save her kingdom. By turning to the prince she betrayed or by marrying another that only wants the throne for himself.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Princess Charlotte’s earlier chapters did make me dislike her character to begin with but I think that she had some of the best character development in the story. She began as a spoiled princess that grew to become a strong female lead. Alongside Prince Young, they both became more mature and ready to rule. Each faced challenges throughout the story, sometimes together, with the help of others, or completely alone.
This is a romance set in a war. Meaning that it is not always a happy story; people fight, die, are injured and suffer. Their is politics mixed up with romance. Both good and bad people die, there is no glorious climatic final battle that leaves the good guys standing tall, alive and with a happy ever after, and the bad guys are beaten, broken and (sometimes) dead. Not everyone survives, some of them I had really wanted to live and some that I was happy to see gone.
I may not be 100% happy with some of the events in this book, and I am still brewing over one death in particular which if you have or do read the book you might also not be over yet, but I can understand why many of them had to happen. Due to the unpredictable nature of war it only makes sense that a story about war would have unpredictable and sudden events.
I would recommend this book if you want to read a book with romance set in a war, that is a multi-cultural light fantasy YA novel.
lejazzhotbaby's review
4.0
I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for a review.
Just a quick review on here as there will be a full review up on my blog!
Kingdom Cold is a standalone YA fantasy with a beautiful cover, interesting characters and plotlines that keep you guessing.
There were bits that could have been more detailed and I had a few issues with, well, no spoilers but someone trying to be with someone they shouldn't even after they find out something that makes it even more unlikely. Jeeze. That guy sucked.
But as a whole it's a really easy read and an enjoyable one from the off. The characters grow and change and you'll enjoy the journey with them.
Just a quick review on here as there will be a full review up on my blog!
Kingdom Cold is a standalone YA fantasy with a beautiful cover, interesting characters and plotlines that keep you guessing.
There were bits that could have been more detailed and I had a few issues with, well, no spoilers but someone trying to be with someone they shouldn't even after they find out something that makes it even more unlikely. Jeeze. That guy sucked.
But as a whole it's a really easy read and an enjoyable one from the off. The characters grow and change and you'll enjoy the journey with them.
hamad96's review
3.0
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
“Marriage was the duty of every princess, and love was the cost.”
🌟 Self-published authors never cease to amaze me and Brittni is no exception to this rule. I mean given that they do all the work, you would think the quality will be affected but I can assure you it is not. Brittni offered me a physical copy of the book in exchange of an honest review but all opinions are mine!
🌟 Fantasy Standalones are something that we need more of. For someone who mostly reads fantasy, I know it can be tiring starting new series after new series consequently. So these standalones are like the perfect solution.
🌟 The writing is actually pretty good in this book and I knew that the author has potential after a few pages only.
🌟 I love a fast paced story when it is well done and the pacing here is exactly that. I mean a whole story in 274 pages that is fast paced and gripping from start to end is something that you don’t find every day!
🌟 I kind of have a problem with the characters; I wish they were a little bit older which would have made more sense and would have been more exciting with the NA revolution currently in the making. I also appreciate a story with multiple POVs. I find these tricky to read and write because you need to get the right tones for different characters. I think it would have been better if it was kept as 2 POVs instead of the other minor POVs we had which sounded similar to Princess Charlotte and Prince Young’s voices!
🌟 The synopsis may sound like a YA novel that uses the usual tropes but I was glad that it had new twists and it had that Shakespearean atmosphere to it that delivered something new!
🌟 Summary and Prescription: I respect Brittni for the effort she made. The story was short, fast paced and enjoyable. It can be read in one sitting for a change. I just wish we had 2 POVs and older characters!
If you are a fan of the genre and looking for self published authors to support, then this book may be what you are looking for!
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
“Marriage was the duty of every princess, and love was the cost.”
🌟 Self-published authors never cease to amaze me and Brittni is no exception to this rule. I mean given that they do all the work, you would think the quality will be affected but I can assure you it is not. Brittni offered me a physical copy of the book in exchange of an honest review but all opinions are mine!
🌟 Fantasy Standalones are something that we need more of. For someone who mostly reads fantasy, I know it can be tiring starting new series after new series consequently. So these standalones are like the perfect solution.
🌟 The writing is actually pretty good in this book and I knew that the author has potential after a few pages only.
🌟 I love a fast paced story when it is well done and the pacing here is exactly that. I mean a whole story in 274 pages that is fast paced and gripping from start to end is something that you don’t find every day!
🌟 I kind of have a problem with the characters; I wish they were a little bit older which would have made more sense and would have been more exciting with the NA revolution currently in the making. I also appreciate a story with multiple POVs. I find these tricky to read and write because you need to get the right tones for different characters. I think it would have been better if it was kept as 2 POVs instead of the other minor POVs we had which sounded similar to Princess Charlotte and Prince Young’s voices!
🌟 The synopsis may sound like a YA novel that uses the usual tropes but I was glad that it had new twists and it had that Shakespearean atmosphere to it that delivered something new!
🌟 Summary and Prescription: I respect Brittni for the effort she made. The story was short, fast paced and enjoyable. It can be read in one sitting for a change. I just wish we had 2 POVs and older characters!
If you are a fan of the genre and looking for self published authors to support, then this book may be what you are looking for!