A review by thebiasedbibliophile
The Wicked Prince: A Robin Hood Retelling by Celeste Baxendell

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Brief description of my thoughts after reading the Once Upon a Prince books so far:
The Crownless Prince: Ooooh! This was pretty good! I could read 11 more books like this!
The Unlucky Prince: Wow! This book was amazing! I’m not sure how any of the other books in the series can top it!
The Golden Prince: Okay, clearly my last thought was wrong! These keep getting better and better!
The Wicked Prince: OMG!!! THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING, AND I’M NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER!!!

I literally messaged Celeste Baxendell while reading this book to let her know that she was disrupting my sleep patterns, and I was not mad about it! Haha! Ugh, I don’t even know where to start. I cried. I laughed. I nearly threw my phone across the room. I sat with a big dopey grin on my face. This book convinced me to do a giveaway on my Instagram page for one of the books in the series, and a part of me (unfairly since I haven’t read all the books yet) thinks that anyone who chooses any other book is just wrong.

The first thing you need to know is that this book is not only a gender-swapped Robin Hood retelling but also a villain romance! One thing I often struggle with when I read romances is that they don’t always feel compelling. I usually don’t read spice because I feel like it is sometimes used in lieu of crafting a compelling romance, but clean romances often fall flat for me, too. I want my emotions to be so intertwined with the characters that I feel like my own heart is being ripped out and then stitched back together. The Wicked Prince did that in the best way possible!

This book was the epitome of swoony romance without being cliché. The details throughout the book were absolute perfection. For instance, Prince John wonders if Robin would notice if he replaced the dining table with one that was one inch shorter every night, just so he could be closer to her. AND THEN HE ACTUALLY DID!!! If that isn’t the cutest thing, then I don’t know what is!

Furthermore, the characters were wonderfully written. I appreciated that John had some traits that are rarely seen in your stereotypical prince. He likes drawing and designing clothes. One of his biggest flaws is that he is a coward, something that was developed through his character arc perfectly. I loved the way that he was a villain, but also not really. Even his more villainous traits, like his slight obsession with Robin, were endearing. I particularly admired the way Baxendell kept John from becoming creepy or misogynistic. I know some readers like those kinds of romances, which is totally fine, but for me, that is a line that I don’t want my romances to cross.

Finally, Robin was a fantastically complex character, too. I liked that she was pretty oblivious yet also very strong. She was funny and innovative, and I felt like those traits gave her more depth. At one point, she tears up her wedding dress to make breeches she can train in, which captured her character excellently.

This is the first book I’ve read by Baxendell, and part of me wants to binge all of her books to see if they are equally captivating. Sadly, I don’t have the time to continue staying up until 4-6am reading, although I will admit that I convinced my parents to pitch in for an early birthday present, buying signed copies of all twelve of Celeste’s books (which are available at https://celestebaxendell.myshopify.com/ until October 31st). Another part of me feels like bawling my eyes out and screaming at the top of my lungs, “I WILL NEVER READ A BOOK THIS MAGNIFICENT AGAIN!!!” So, please read this book so we can be miserable together! I will just spend the rest of my life trying to relive the high of experiencing this book for the first time! 

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, and I’m sharing my review voluntarily.