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A review by allie018
The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie
3.0
Note: This review is for the whole duology. Overall it’s a 2.5/5.
This duology was quite an interesting read overall, but just okay in general. I liked how the author centered the plot around the politics of the Scandia, the setting, from its political kidnappings to rebellions and corruption. I felt like it added a more mature and realistic touch to what modern kingdoms are like in literature. However, the author glosses over the history of Scandia and fails to delve into the everyday political duties that the regents have to perform. While this political aspect of the world-building remained strong for most of the books, there were a few flaws with it. If a storyline is going to revolve around politics, then there needs to be some solid world-building, or at least a solid foundation for it, in regards to culture, religion, and diversity. However, there weren't any unique customs that are explored in the book, which was quite disappointing. The only notable festival that makes itself prominent is some sort of Scandia Day, but even then it’s not explored how this holiday came to be. It would’ve been nice to see the Scandians observe more holidays and traditions or festivals unique to the country’s culture, which would add some depth. While it has been mentioned that there are churches in Scandia, the books do not delve deeper into this religious aspect of Scandian culture. In Scandia, there are only two ethnic groups, Northerners and Southerners. Having only two ethnic groups is not representative of the diversity in a country, as there can be multiple minorities and ethnic groups that coexist together. Also, the characterization of each ethnic group was poorly written. I assume that Scandia is supposed to be a made-up country in Europe, and it seems like its name was derived from Scandinavia. Therefore, Scandia should be somewhere in Northern Europe and should reflect some of the cultural norms, languages, and dialects found there. However, nothing but physical appearance separates the ethnic groups living in this country, no unique dialects and languages are spoken or explored, and no traditions and customs that each group observes or celebrates are seen. There is more to an ethnic group than just appearance, and it’s underwhelming to see this kind of representation of the culture and diversity of these groups explored. These distinctions are essential to world-building but are barely touched upon, which detracts from the setting.
The storyline itself leans heavily towards political conflict and makes it relatable for the target audience to read about. When addressing the rebellion against the government, I liked how the adults were the ones to direct these efforts to bring change and reform instead of having the protagonists, who are barely teenagers, do it. It felt more realistic in this way, and even though the protagonists didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, they still contributed in some way, such as delivering vital information to the rebels. That being said, having the adults take care of everything made the book kind of boring towards the climaxes. In the first book, The Princess Plot, when Nahira, the leader of the rebels, and her men I know that not all rebellions are as glorious and glamorous as they are portrayed in literature, but it would’ve been nice to have seen the focus shift from the protagonists’ perspectives to what happened during these climaxes. Aside from the politics and rebellions, I did not like how the teenage angst was incorporated in the books, more so in The Princess Trap, the sequel. I get how it is supposed to provide an opportunity for character exploration and development, but it falls short of these expectations. All of the angst hardly affects character growth and the storyline, and it got extremely annoying in some parts. For example, at the von Thunbergs’ party in The Princess Trap, Jenna becomes all weepy and heartbroken after
Speaking of Jenna, Jenna goes on my list of worst protagonists. She does nothing but whine about how she’s not skinny or blonde or athletic like the gorgeous cover-model girls of Scandia. I could have excused her whining had Jenna grown and developed between the first and second books to have more self-love, but she remains static. I mean, come on.. Her emotional state makes her so pathetic and difficult to relate to, and her character development is nonexistent.
The other characters were just as poorly written and flat. Jonas’s characterization was bland and uninteresting, and there’s not much I can say about him that stood out. Ylva is the stereotypical mean girl who has everything, but I do give her credit for being fiercely independent. Bolstrom and Norlin, the antagonists, were manipulative but lacked any feasible motivation for their schemes. Honestly, Norlin didn’t do anything but drink and get hungover. In The Princess Plot, he gets sappy about Jenna Malena had potential, being a charismatic, kind, and charming character, yet barely appeared in the sequel. It would’ve been nice to see some character growth that would allow her to develop further had she appeared more often.
Had the plot and characters been more fleshed out, this duology would’ve been a more enjoyable read. However, the political intrigue and conflict are some of the brighter areas of these books, so if you are willing to look past all of the teenage angst, drama, and weak characterization, then I would recommend reading these books.
This duology was quite an interesting read overall, but just okay in general. I liked how the author centered the plot around the politics of the Scandia, the setting, from its political kidnappings to rebellions and corruption. I felt like it added a more mature and realistic touch to what modern kingdoms are like in literature. However, the author glosses over the history of Scandia and fails to delve into the everyday political duties that the regents have to perform. While this political aspect of the world-building remained strong for most of the books, there were a few flaws with it. If a storyline is going to revolve around politics, then there needs to be some solid world-building, or at least a solid foundation for it, in regards to culture, religion, and diversity. However, there weren't any unique customs that are explored in the book, which was quite disappointing. The only notable festival that makes itself prominent is some sort of Scandia Day, but even then it’s not explored how this holiday came to be. It would’ve been nice to see the Scandians observe more holidays and traditions or festivals unique to the country’s culture, which would add some depth. While it has been mentioned that there are churches in Scandia, the books do not delve deeper into this religious aspect of Scandian culture. In Scandia, there are only two ethnic groups, Northerners and Southerners. Having only two ethnic groups is not representative of the diversity in a country, as there can be multiple minorities and ethnic groups that coexist together. Also, the characterization of each ethnic group was poorly written. I assume that Scandia is supposed to be a made-up country in Europe, and it seems like its name was derived from Scandinavia. Therefore, Scandia should be somewhere in Northern Europe and should reflect some of the cultural norms, languages, and dialects found there. However, nothing but physical appearance separates the ethnic groups living in this country, no unique dialects and languages are spoken or explored, and no traditions and customs that each group observes or celebrates are seen. There is more to an ethnic group than just appearance, and it’s underwhelming to see this kind of representation of the culture and diversity of these groups explored. These distinctions are essential to world-building but are barely touched upon, which detracts from the setting.
The storyline itself leans heavily towards political conflict and makes it relatable for the target audience to read about. When addressing the rebellion against the government, I liked how the adults were the ones to direct these efforts to bring change and reform instead of having the protagonists, who are barely teenagers, do it. It felt more realistic in this way, and even though the protagonists didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, they still contributed in some way, such as delivering vital information to the rebels. That being said, having the adults take care of everything made the book kind of boring towards the climaxes. In the first book, The Princess Plot, when Nahira, the leader of the rebels, and her men
Spoiler
raided the lake house where Jenna’s mom and uncle were being held hostage, all the protagonists did was hide behind some bushes and listen to what happened. In the sequel, Nahira and the other rebels try to stop Scandia’s enemies from mobilizing their troops to the capital, but their efforts aren’t touched upon in favor of focusing on the protagonists’ teenage angst, which I will get to soon.Spoiler
she sees Ylva, her rival, kissing her crush. All of the melodrama that followed after that scene was full of cringe and had me facepalming every time the point of view switched to Jenna.Speaking of Jenna, Jenna goes on my list of worst protagonists. She does nothing but whine about how she’s not skinny or blonde or athletic like the gorgeous cover-model girls of Scandia. I could have excused her whining had Jenna grown and developed between the first and second books to have more self-love, but she remains static. I mean, come on.
Spoiler
Jenna started assuming more responsibility as a princess of Scandia after the first book, so you’d think that she would have grown more mature, but no. Also, while I am not a fan of the way the romance was written between Jonas and Jenna, Jonas likes Jenna for who she is. I feel like Jenna fails to recognize that her body type doesn’t matter because Jonas has a crush on her, and I’m disappointed to see any growth towards the end of her accepting herself. That being said, the romance itself with her crush on Jonas makes her so lovesick and obsessive that it's downright annoying. When she sees him kiss her rival, getting all depressed and upset and weepy.The other characters were just as poorly written and flat. Jonas’s characterization was bland and uninteresting, and there’s not much I can say about him that stood out. Ylva is the stereotypical mean girl who has everything, but I do give her credit for being fiercely independent. Bolstrom and Norlin, the antagonists, were manipulative but lacked any feasible motivation for their schemes. Honestly, Norlin didn’t do anything but drink and get hungover. In The Princess Plot, he gets sappy about Jenna
Spoiler
being his daughter. I understand that he never knew he had a long-lost daughter, but the way his sentimentality was presented made him kind of annoying and creepy.Had the plot and characters been more fleshed out, this duology would’ve been a more enjoyable read. However, the political intrigue and conflict are some of the brighter areas of these books, so if you are willing to look past all of the teenage angst, drama, and weak characterization, then I would recommend reading these books.