4/5 Stars!
Cinderella meets the Hunger Games meets dating shows.
A girl from a small village finds herself unexpectedly a candidate to become queen when she finds out that she may have a more magical heritage than she’d always believed.
Arwen is the older sister in a family who lost their father. She takes up hunting to support her family in a small town with few extra resources. After a successful hunt, she returns for a festival but instead has her world turned upside down.
I’m very split on this book. In one case, I was hooked and finished it in a few hours. On the other, I have some issues with a few parts of it.
I love the beginning of this book. Yes, it has parallels to other stories, but it also has an amazing FMC. I immediately loved Arwen, and Drae was intriguing. I got nervous when all the queen candidates got together and expected the book to go into the usual catty girl competition stuff. It was pleasantly surprising when that was not the case. Female characters supporting each other, cheering each other on and accepting differences was a nice change.
Some of the book did feel a bit rushed, and I wish certain aspects had been flushed out more. That being said, sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy a quick read! It also had an odd mix of purity until marriage and other views of having families. Neither of those things are bad, and it takes all kinds of people and relationships to make the world the place it is. I do look forward to reading more of this series in the future and exploring the other characters that were introduced or mentioned!
This book can either be read as a standalone, or as part of The Kings of Avalier series.
Thank you to the author and #NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Book blurb from author’s website:
The Dragon King is looking for a wife.
This news throws the women in my village into a tizzy. The king will be sending out the royal guard to bring women of childbearing age to his castle in Jade City.
There is only one requirement: the woman must carry enough magic to produce an heir for him.
I’m a watered-down human with a mere ten percent dragon magic lineage, I know I won’t be chosen, but for some reason the magic sniffers command me to present myself to the king as a possible wife.
I’m ready to go to Jade City until my mother tells me a terrifying secret. A secret that could get me killed… by the king himself.
