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thebattiest 's review for:
The Princess Trials
by Cordelia Castel
This book intrigued me as a Dystopian writer myself. I was interested in seeing how the author handled world building and complex characters within that world. However, I was heavily disappointed with the lack of concrete descriptions of the world, the confusing organization of the people (how are Amistraad and Phangloria so connected when they’re 4,000 miles apart??), and the purpose of the Red Runners rebel group. It seems as though the main character, Zea, is doing everything in the Princess Trials for Ryce, one of the leaders of the rebel group and a character whom the readers meet briefly who is obviously a liar and a cheat. How can she fail to see that? Why is she so dedicated to a cause that doesn’t seem to help her or believe in her in any way? Everyone involved seems to be oblivious and shallow, making this story incredibly unbelievable and hard to connect to on an emotional level. Furthermore, the plot points seem way to consequential and are not character driven whatsoever. Character decisions seem fabricated and situational. None have deep feelings or the capability to see past their own desires.