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ricki_reads 's review for:
The Beholder
by Anna Bright
As I picked up The Beholder by Anna Bright, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Anna Bright is a debut author with a unique storyline. Our main character, Selah, is the seneschal elect of her small nation. She must marry soon for the Council to approve her to take over for her ailing father. When her chosen partner declines her proposal, she is sent on a voyage across the ocean to meet with princes across the globe.
This is a typical story of the growth of a young girl finding herself and building her confidence. As she navigates unfamiliar courts full of rigid rules, lies, hidden motives, and uncertainty. Early in the story, there are several moments of cringe worthy misogyny, but I think Selah will grow beyond those stereotypes in the future book(s). One of the issues I have with this story is that Selah only has two weeks in each court and is expected to find a suitable husband. Besides the unrealistic expectations of finding someone compatible in such a short time, Selah is also very young and naive so the likelihood of finding true companionship in such a short time is hard to believe.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the second book, The Boundless. I am excited to see Selah’s growth and how she finds her path. I rated this book as 3/5 because I felt like there was a lot of details and information that were unnecessary but there was not enough history of world issues to follow some of the nation names. I am hoping that in book 2 those issues are resolved.
This is a typical story of the growth of a young girl finding herself and building her confidence. As she navigates unfamiliar courts full of rigid rules, lies, hidden motives, and uncertainty. Early in the story, there are several moments of cringe worthy misogyny, but I think Selah will grow beyond those stereotypes in the future book(s). One of the issues I have with this story is that Selah only has two weeks in each court and is expected to find a suitable husband. Besides the unrealistic expectations of finding someone compatible in such a short time, Selah is also very young and naive so the likelihood of finding true companionship in such a short time is hard to believe.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the second book, The Boundless. I am excited to see Selah’s growth and how she finds her path. I rated this book as 3/5 because I felt like there was a lot of details and information that were unnecessary but there was not enough history of world issues to follow some of the nation names. I am hoping that in book 2 those issues are resolved.