In this lush and romantic novel, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.
To find love is a curse …
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A blend of “The Bachelor”-style elimination & Swan Lake mythology, the story is pure fantasy in the best possible way. There’s princesses from many different realms, competing for a prince’s hand and heart, either figuratively or literally, depending on the princess. The book follows Prince Arris, a young man with a doomed curse on his bloodline that makes killing him just as tempting as marrying him for control of the crown. And as the many princesses go through the trials to prove their worthiness, there’s drama, intriguing, and a stunning environment.
If you’ve been looking for a fantasy book that’s told as a fairytale, this is a perfect option. Listening to this as an audiobook was delightful, with Ell Potter’s narration skills elevating the story to an entirely new level. The audiobook was an immersive experience, and exploring the rich and unique Isle of Malys was an extraordinary gift.
However, my absolute favorite part of this book was the competition and the interactions between contestants. The plot was very true to The Bachelor, with accusations of “not being here for the right reasons” being tossed around, and princesses getting into fights constantly. But just like on the show, the best parts were when some of the girls realized they’d found lifelong friends with the other oddballs of the group.
Overall, this is a unique and gorgeously-written book that I think truly anyone would enjoy reading. I’d highly recommend it!
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook and Wednesday Books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!
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