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shahdhazem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Honestly it's a good fantasy read, well built world, good plot, numerous characters and a simple writingstyle. The author also managed each of the POV and plot line of each princess pretty well and kept me interested. The problem for me was that I predicted the plot lines of the princesses from the start but somehow the author still kept me wanting to continue and actually managed a beautiful twist at the end of the book. That's why I raised my initial rating of 3 stars to 3.5 but honestly it can't be higher. And that's for multiple other reasons than the fact that I predicted the plot which are the utmost stretching of events and the fact that the author didn't manage to get me attached by any way to the characters and their sisterly relation. Despite her numerous tries of insisting upon how special their relation was because of how their mother treated them but I still couldn't feel them. Also one of the main things that intrigued me about the book was the title. It's definitely a new one so I was really looking forward to understand It's significance in the book but we didn't get that at all and i'm actually really bummed about it cause it honestly makes no sense compared to the story. In the end, the important question is whether I recommend this or not? I'd say I do but don't expect something big out of it. It's a quick enjoyable read with lots of events so probably could get you out of a slump but I'd say it lacks lots of events to be great you know. Oh and one last thing, will I be reading the second book? Honestly I don't want to cause as I said I don't care about the characters at all but still the last chapter got me intrigued so I think I'd probably give it a try but I don't have any hopes for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, Grief, and Sexual harassment
ezwolf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Triplet princesses who are trained from birth to marry into other royal families and take over so their mother, the Empress, can rule all of them.
That sounds incredibly interesting and it was for the most part, but I wasn't really wowed by the book. It was a fine read and if you like court fantasies then this is probably a book you would like. I'm interested enough to continue the series but I don't know, I was kind of underwhelmed.
That sounds incredibly interesting and it was for the most part, but I wasn't really wowed by the book. It was a fine read and if you like court fantasies then this is probably a book you would like. I'm interested enough to continue the series but I don't know, I was kind of underwhelmed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexism, Infertility, Homophobia, Body shaming, and Child death
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Three femme fatale princesses are sent by their mother into political marriages with a lifetime of training towards starting a war. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz have all been given specific tasks to match their carefully crafted skillsets. If each completes her part of the plan, their mother will arrive in the aftermath of her neighbors' conflicts just in time to sweep over the whole continent and rule with impunity.
I was well entertained by this trilogy starter and for over 500 pages, too. The smooth storytelling shifts gears between the three sisters, keeping up a constant pressure with the tense situations entangling our protagonists. I was fully absorbed watching the girls decide if and how to fulfill their roles once off on their own, knowing the Empress is always watching and has the means to get the result she wants at any cost. No sister is safe in her new home, nobody has all the information about her role in the plan, and there are other forces and intrigues at play that none of them foresaw. And don't even get me started on the pesky intrusions of feelings and moral compasses messing with the plan.
All the sisters have potential romantic relationships (mostly instalove vibes bleh), but it's the platonic bonds they form after a lifetime of being isolated by their mother that I found most layered and compelling. The sisterhood is also complex, built on unconditional love but also differences of personality and opinion that run deep, causing fractures and divergences even as they complement one another. I am curious to see if and how these connections may grow as the series continues. The book ends on a mighty twist, not entirely shocking but still illuminating connections and undercurrents to the plots at hand. I was left with a lot of questions about where the story will go next, curious about how our characters will develop now that some truths are out in the open, others still waiting in the wings to strike.
My ultimate feeling is that this was a fun and easy to follow political fantasy. It's not a terribly deep or genre-altering tale, but I want to see where the series goes next and how the protagonists grow. Thanks to Delacorte for my copy to read and review!
I was well entertained by this trilogy starter and for over 500 pages, too. The smooth storytelling shifts gears between the three sisters, keeping up a constant pressure with the tense situations entangling our protagonists. I was fully absorbed watching the girls decide if and how to fulfill their roles once off on their own, knowing the Empress is always watching and has the means to get the result she wants at any cost. No sister is safe in her new home, nobody has all the information about her role in the plan, and there are other forces and intrigues at play that none of them foresaw. And don't even get me started on the pesky intrusions of feelings and moral compasses messing with the plan.
All the sisters have potential romantic relationships (mostly instalove vibes bleh), but it's the platonic bonds they form after a lifetime of being isolated by their mother that I found most layered and compelling. The sisterhood is also complex, built on unconditional love but also differences of personality and opinion that run deep, causing fractures and divergences even as they complement one another. I am curious to see if and how these connections may grow as the series continues. The book ends on a mighty twist, not entirely shocking but still illuminating connections and undercurrents to the plots at hand. I was left with a lot of questions about where the story will go next, curious about how our characters will develop now that some truths are out in the open, others still waiting in the wings to strike.
My ultimate feeling is that this was a fun and easy to follow political fantasy. It's not a terribly deep or genre-altering tale, but I want to see where the series goes next and how the protagonists grow. Thanks to Delacorte for my copy to read and review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Death, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, War, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Body shaming, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
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