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A review by thelilbulldozer
The Cup and the Prince by Day Leitao
3.0
*a spoiler-free rant review*
I have problems with this book. I wanted to love this book and be blown away, but I wasn't. The characters are shells, the plot is flimsy, and the fight scenes are absolutely horrendous! When Zora needs to learn how to ride a horse, the author just skips over it and jumps to the next competition and it doesn't work! For a fantasy story, you need to SHOW these things and NOT just TELL, but that's pretty much all the author does.
The end of this book was completely lackluster because the villain of the story, doesn't become the villain until 90% into the story and this is only because of something Zora says (and I honestly don't know if that was why, because it's never explained.)
I found myself rereading fight scenes, or just action scenes in general, many times because how they were written was just bad and confusing, and as someone who lives and breathes action, it... it just doesn't work. The characters weren't good and the relationship was even worse!
The author is trying to make a convincing hater to lovers, but this book is 238 pages, and she has to have the characters meet, create a reason why they would hate each other, have them become friends, and then lovers. AND SHE DOESN'T DO THAT! By then end, Zora and Griffin are kissing and I don't even know! THERE IS NOTHING BETWEEN THEM! AT ALL. THEIR RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T WORK.
I got annoyed at Zora because she would just ignore red flags. She cheated, not only to get into the games but also DURING the games. AND FOR THE FINAL GAME she almost killed someone with her cheating! She was so wishy-washy when it came to friends, she never trusted anyone, which I can understand when someone tried to assassinate you (but that assassin can't even be called an assassin because they couldn't fight worth anything!) but then people incriminate themselves to Zora and she's just like: "Yeah, they must think I'm jealous. Which I'm not! Pshhh!!"
The middle prince (whose name I have completely forgotten but started with an L) what was his point? Especially at the end. And Kiran, what. WHAT. WHY. Kiran is just a bad character all around. Not because of his traits, but because he wasn't developed at all, and nothing he says makes sense.
The dialogue in this story felt so out of place, and the words they would say were so confusing with the context of what they were doing in that scene.
I don't even know how to review this book because I have so many problems with it. Overall, it was MEH, nothing fancy, nothing to special, just a short fantasy book and a quick read! I don't think I'll try any other books by this author because of her writing in this book, and the fact that the fight scenes... THE FIGHT SCENES ARE HORRIBLE!!! AND I WILL NOT LET IT GO!
But I do want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book. Even with all its flaws, it was still entertaining.
I have problems with this book. I wanted to love this book and be blown away, but I wasn't. The characters are shells, the plot is flimsy, and the fight scenes are absolutely horrendous! When Zora needs to learn how to ride a horse, the author just skips over it and jumps to the next competition and it doesn't work! For a fantasy story, you need to SHOW these things and NOT just TELL, but that's pretty much all the author does.
The end of this book was completely lackluster because the villain of the story, doesn't become the villain until 90% into the story and this is only because of something Zora says (and I honestly don't know if that was why, because it's never explained.)
I found myself rereading fight scenes, or just action scenes in general, many times because how they were written was just bad and confusing, and as someone who lives and breathes action, it... it just doesn't work. The characters weren't good and the relationship was even worse!
The author is trying to make a convincing hater to lovers, but this book is 238 pages, and she has to have the characters meet, create a reason why they would hate each other, have them become friends, and then lovers. AND SHE DOESN'T DO THAT! By then end, Zora and Griffin are kissing and I don't even know! THERE IS NOTHING BETWEEN THEM! AT ALL. THEIR RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T WORK.
I got annoyed at Zora because she would just ignore red flags. She cheated, not only to get into the games but also DURING the games. AND FOR THE FINAL GAME she almost killed someone with her cheating! She was so wishy-washy when it came to friends, she never trusted anyone, which I can understand when someone tried to assassinate you (but that assassin can't even be called an assassin because they couldn't fight worth anything!) but then people incriminate themselves to Zora and she's just like: "Yeah, they must think I'm jealous. Which I'm not! Pshhh!!"
The middle prince (whose name I have completely forgotten but started with an L) what was his point? Especially at the end. And Kiran, what. WHAT. WHY. Kiran is just a bad character all around. Not because of his traits, but because he wasn't developed at all, and nothing he says makes sense.
The dialogue in this story felt so out of place, and the words they would say were so confusing with the context of what they were doing in that scene.
I don't even know how to review this book because I have so many problems with it. Overall, it was MEH, nothing fancy, nothing to special, just a short fantasy book and a quick read! I don't think I'll try any other books by this author because of her writing in this book, and the fact that the fight scenes... THE FIGHT SCENES ARE HORRIBLE!!! AND I WILL NOT LET IT GO!
But I do want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book. Even with all its flaws, it was still entertaining.