Thirty young women. A handsome prince. A battle to the deathWater is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a … sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause.
When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses.
The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince’s attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon’s public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission.
But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.
Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection, this exciting tale of courage, intrigue, and betrayal will have you turning pages.more
I’m a sucker for fairytale romance and that’s the main reason why I ended up reading this book..A totally new author for me but she didn’t disappoint..I loved the world she created and all the twists and turns in them.It was very realistic.. Every character was focused on political gain and they were willing to go to any extent for it..Zea’s character was very good but she hardly had any romantic feeling with her prince.The girl was all about revolution and even though it was good that she didn’t go swooning on the prince there was a lack of spark between her and the prince.He seemed to have fallen in love quickly and there was no good reason as to why he liked her..Hope we get to see more about their love in the second book..Ryce is clearly manipulating her for his revenge and I hope zea sees it soon..Overall this book was fast paced and suspense filled one.
A blend of The Selection series and Hunger Games that delivers your favorite parts but also leaves room for improvement. I really loved the concept of this and was expecting to be blown away but felt the writing, lack of character depth, and story organization prevented it from reaching its full potential and really hooking me. The darker tones, oppressive governmental system, and competition dangers were exciting and engaging but I struggled to connect with the characters emotionally. I felt like the story teased me with a moment of character depth or plot reveal but then the scene would shift and the moment would be lost. Keeping things superficial combined with underdeveloped writing made it difficult to really become invested in the characters and their causes. Despite these things, I did enjoy many of the scenes themselves and several twists were unexpected. Overall, the story was a quick, fun read that piqued my curiosity and created a sense of nostalgia. I’ll likely continue the series due to its interesting enough premise and untapped potential.
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There is an old saying “Different strokes for different folks” and although I like dystopian novels, this one did nothing for me. I understand the need to set up the story, but the first couple of chapters were hard to get through. he characters were hard to relate to. I felt Zea, the h was being used and manipulated by the revolution’s leaders Carolina and her son Ryce. There were tons twists, assorted characters, lots of drama, and just a lot. Obviously, this is not a book for everyone and it just wasn’t for me. The good news is with your KU Subscription you can read it for free.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Princess Trials is the first book in a series, and its very promising! It tells the story of Zea Calico, who is one of the thirty girls who compete to marry the prince. Life is very hard in former America. Theres a lot of hunger and it’s dangerous. She wants to win the competition, not to marry the prince, but to get information to plan a revolution. It’s the only way to stop the misery. It’s a dangerous mission when nothing is as it seems, even the prince is not as he seems to be. I absolutely loved this book! There were so many plot twists and I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the world building, the apocalyptic America, and the main characters. I can’t wait to continue this series. I would definitely recommend this book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG I could not put this down! It’s an awesome, action packed, fast paced read that will have you hanging off the edge of your seat! The world building is incredible , the twists and turns will shock you and the storyline is just exciting and highly addictive! Throw in some intriguing characters and a fab female mc and you will be left like the rest of us, eagerly awaiting the next book!
Fantastic read!!!
A fantastic, action-packed, page-turner, twisted, intense read that with keep you on edge, with unexpected and shocking twists and turns, great world building, a dark plot and amazing MC!!!
An oppresive regime rules over Phangloria and Zea is willing to do anything to help the Revolution to overturn the king and the nobles and finally improve the precarious conditions of the lower Echelons… and wouldn’t hurt to have a chance with Ryce, her crush and leader of her revolution cell
After catching Ryce’s eye, she is asked to enter The Princess Trials, a series of tests to win the chance of becoming the next Queen of Phangloria, by marrying the handsome Prince Kevon
She was sent as a spy, to go unnoticed, but all turned out very different and soon she’s known by all Phangloria, appearing in the main screen most of the time and catching the Prince’s attention
Now, she must find a way to accomplish her mission and not fall in love with the Prince but, as she gets to really know him, her resolve is fading and she’s not sure anymore of what she’s going to do
OMG, I need the next book NOW, recommended!!!
**I received an ARC of this book and decided to write an honest review.