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Heirs of Chrior #1
The Queen's Choice
Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.
When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equaled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.
Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined....
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Cayla Kluver
10 books848 followersCayla Kluver is the author of the Legacy Series (LEGACY, 2011; ALLEGIANCE, 2012; SACRIFICE, 2012). Her new book THE QUEEN'S CHOICE will be published by HarlequinTEEN in winter 2013/spring 2014.
Cayla spends her free time singing, reading, dancing, and horseback riding. Her office is filled with twinkly lights. She travels frequently to speak at middle and high schools, libraries, and book conventions. New York City is one of her favorite places on the planet.
Cayla spends her free time singing, reading, dancing, and horseback riding. Her office is filled with twinkly lights. She travels frequently to speak at middle and high schools, libraries, and book conventions. New York City is one of her favorite places on the planet.
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August 8, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver
Book One of the Heirs of Chroir trilogy
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Rating: 1 star
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.
When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.
Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.
What I Liked:
I strongly disliked this book. The only thing I liked about this book was the writing style. Kluver has a GORGEOUS writing style. The descriptions were lyrical, the musings poetic. I loved certain lines in this book, certain lines that I forgot to bookmark, oops. And it's not like I'm going to re-read this book to find them. Oh well.
What I Did Not Like:
So, so many things. I had so many problems with this book. The length, the boredom-induced story, the story/plot, the characters, the fail of a romance, the lack of interest (is that boredom?)... bleh.
I'll start with the length of this novel. WOW, this book was long. Usually, length does not bother me. I have no problem reading books that are hundreds and hundreds of pages long. 300, 400, 500, even 600 pages, I can handle. But this book didn't need HALF the content it had. Remember how I said that I loved the writing style? Well, it was gorgeous, but it totally lent itself to the length of the book, and not in a good way. It is not necessary to comment about EVERY LITTLE DETAIL. I promise, it's not. We don't need to know about every single tiny specific detail of anything.
This leads to my next dislike: I was SOOOO bored, while reading this book. I have never come as close to NOT finishing as I did with this book. You all know how I'm not in the habit of "DNF"-ing books? I was so close, you all, SO CLOSE. This is THAT BAD. It's so boring. The writing style is gorgeous, but after a while, it gets repetitive and tedious and boring. This book is written in first-person, and let me tell you, the protagonist Anya's voice is terribly boring. It's so bad, trying to read things from her point-of-view. I seriously wanted to fall asleep on more than a thousand occasions, while attempting to read this book.
The story is so, so boring. Basically, Anya decides that it is her responsibility to go find Zabriel, the heir to the faerie throne. Funny, because she is the one who will inherit the throne, if Zabriel does not come back. Which he won't, apparently. To begin with, the entire point of this book is STUPID. Anya was NOT supposed to go find Zabriel - that was her cousin Illumina's job. Then, Anya goes out in the world, and she loses her faerie wings. BIG MISTAKE, IDIOT. You should have known better from THAT POINT. That's like, 10% of the book. The other 90% is Anya and a human she meets, Shea, traipsing around the human world, getting themselves into crazy, stupid situations. Really, people with half - no, a quarter - of a brain could have avoided most of those situations.
Which brings me to my fourth point. The characters are STUPID. Like, real dumba****. I don't like a single one of them, save Zabriel, because he had the sense to get out of the faerie realm, and he still has his wings, and he doesn't want to go back. The only stupid thing he did was trust Anya.
Ugh, Anya, What a stupid, stupid faerie. A dumb, brainless girl. She thinks she is invincible, really. Oh, I'm a faerie, therefore I can just march into the human world and DO WHATEVER I WANT. No. Just, NO. Then, after she loses her wings, she mopes around for the entire book. THE ENTIRE BOOK. Like, yes, mourn for the wings. But seriously, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and STOP WHINING.
Yes, Anya is a whiner. And a complainer. I don't know how people can see her as "strong" and "brave" and a "fighter". I hate those words in YA literature sometimes - very rarely is the heroine ever worthy of being called "strong", "brave", or "a fighter".
Don't even get me started on Shea. I hate her so much. NOT even because of what she did at the end of the story. Good for her on that one. No, I hated her because Kluver totally constructed her character badly. Like, she's supposed to be defiant and outspoken, but to me, it comes off as forced and fake. When she is outspoken, it seems forced in the situation. Shea is so fake, as a character.
Honestly, all of the characters seem either flat or fake or both. Except Zabriel, maybe.
Ha! On to my fifth point. The romance is a FAIL. Like, I can appreciate the fact that there is hardly any mention of romance in this book. You know how I like it when the romance in YA books don't dominate the plot? When the romance is secondary? When the whole world isn't depending on the romance? Well, that is how the romance is, in this book. But then, it's not. Anya is bonded (or whatever) with Davic, but since she is no longer a faerie, she can't enter the faerie world, and she can no longer feel the bond between her and Davic. And guess what happens when Anya is in the human world?!
Yup, you guessed it. There is a love triangle coming in this series. Maybe not quite in this book, but it will manifest in the second book. Anya strings along Davic, and she has a human. So, realistically, the romance CAN overtake the overall plot of this series. Because humans and faeries don't mix - the only one known is Zabriel. So, it would be a big deal if Anya picked the human, even if Anya herself isn't technically a faerie anymore. This is stupid.
My last point... lack of interest. Guys, I was so excited to read this book. A fantasy novel, by the legendary Cayla Kluver. What could possibly go wrong?! 512 pages? No problem! Well, apparently, there WAS a problem. Or many problems. My favorite genre is fantasy, especially high fantasy (like this one), and I was super disappointed. The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn't care less what was happening. Kluver, Anya, and this story could not hold my interest.
Wait, I have one more point: I'm so confused about some things. It takes a good amount of craziness to confuse me... I don't get confused easily. But I could not keep track of the random places in this book, or the weird customs, or the unnecessary flashbacks. The flashbacks were so stupid, because it wasn't like there was a pattern to them, in the structure of the book. And honestly, after one or two, I just started skipping them. No point in reading something that doesn't help me.
Then again, I should have used that logic with this book, and stopped reading after like, 3%. Too bad I can't NOT finish books. I force myself to read and finish them. I really, REALLY had to force myself with this one. Argh.
Bottom line: this book was a waste of my very precious time. It's not easy, reviewing and blogging while in college (especially the college I'm attending). So, I'm mad that I wasted my time. It's no one's fault but mine for choosing to read this book... well, the author did write the book. Ugh. C'est la vie.
Would I Recommend It:
No, not at all. Not even to old fans of Kluver who liked her Legacy series. This book was just BAD. I mean, I feel like I'm in the minority, but seriously, there are so many others books that I am DYING to read... and I forced myself to struggle through this one. Save yourself the trouble, and read something you really want to read.
Rating:
1 star. UGH. I hate feeling like I've wasted my time, but unfortunately, that's how I feel about this book. What a way to start the year! Although, this is my third review of 2014.
The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver
Book One of the Heirs of Chroir trilogy
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Rating: 1 star
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.
When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.
Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.
What I Liked:
I strongly disliked this book. The only thing I liked about this book was the writing style. Kluver has a GORGEOUS writing style. The descriptions were lyrical, the musings poetic. I loved certain lines in this book, certain lines that I forgot to bookmark, oops. And it's not like I'm going to re-read this book to find them. Oh well.
What I Did Not Like:
So, so many things. I had so many problems with this book. The length, the boredom-induced story, the story/plot, the characters, the fail of a romance, the lack of interest (is that boredom?)... bleh.
I'll start with the length of this novel. WOW, this book was long. Usually, length does not bother me. I have no problem reading books that are hundreds and hundreds of pages long. 300, 400, 500, even 600 pages, I can handle. But this book didn't need HALF the content it had. Remember how I said that I loved the writing style? Well, it was gorgeous, but it totally lent itself to the length of the book, and not in a good way. It is not necessary to comment about EVERY LITTLE DETAIL. I promise, it's not. We don't need to know about every single tiny specific detail of anything.
This leads to my next dislike: I was SOOOO bored, while reading this book. I have never come as close to NOT finishing as I did with this book. You all know how I'm not in the habit of "DNF"-ing books? I was so close, you all, SO CLOSE. This is THAT BAD. It's so boring. The writing style is gorgeous, but after a while, it gets repetitive and tedious and boring. This book is written in first-person, and let me tell you, the protagonist Anya's voice is terribly boring. It's so bad, trying to read things from her point-of-view. I seriously wanted to fall asleep on more than a thousand occasions, while attempting to read this book.
The story is so, so boring. Basically, Anya decides that it is her responsibility to go find Zabriel, the heir to the faerie throne. Funny, because she is the one who will inherit the throne, if Zabriel does not come back. Which he won't, apparently. To begin with, the entire point of this book is STUPID. Anya was NOT supposed to go find Zabriel - that was her cousin Illumina's job. Then, Anya goes out in the world, and she loses her faerie wings. BIG MISTAKE, IDIOT. You should have known better from THAT POINT. That's like, 10% of the book. The other 90% is Anya and a human she meets, Shea, traipsing around the human world, getting themselves into crazy, stupid situations. Really, people with half - no, a quarter - of a brain could have avoided most of those situations.
Which brings me to my fourth point. The characters are STUPID. Like, real dumba****. I don't like a single one of them, save Zabriel, because he had the sense to get out of the faerie realm, and he still has his wings, and he doesn't want to go back. The only stupid thing he did was trust Anya.
Ugh, Anya, What a stupid, stupid faerie. A dumb, brainless girl. She thinks she is invincible, really. Oh, I'm a faerie, therefore I can just march into the human world and DO WHATEVER I WANT. No. Just, NO. Then, after she loses her wings, she mopes around for the entire book. THE ENTIRE BOOK. Like, yes, mourn for the wings. But seriously, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and STOP WHINING.
Yes, Anya is a whiner. And a complainer. I don't know how people can see her as "strong" and "brave" and a "fighter". I hate those words in YA literature sometimes - very rarely is the heroine ever worthy of being called "strong", "brave", or "a fighter".
Don't even get me started on Shea. I hate her so much. NOT even because of what she did at the end of the story. Good for her on that one. No, I hated her because Kluver totally constructed her character badly. Like, she's supposed to be defiant and outspoken, but to me, it comes off as forced and fake. When she is outspoken, it seems forced in the situation. Shea is so fake, as a character.
Honestly, all of the characters seem either flat or fake or both. Except Zabriel, maybe.
Ha! On to my fifth point. The romance is a FAIL. Like, I can appreciate the fact that there is hardly any mention of romance in this book. You know how I like it when the romance in YA books don't dominate the plot? When the romance is secondary? When the whole world isn't depending on the romance? Well, that is how the romance is, in this book. But then, it's not. Anya is bonded (or whatever) with Davic, but since she is no longer a faerie, she can't enter the faerie world, and she can no longer feel the bond between her and Davic. And guess what happens when Anya is in the human world?!
Yup, you guessed it. There is a love triangle coming in this series. Maybe not quite in this book, but it will manifest in the second book. Anya strings along Davic, and she has a human. So, realistically, the romance CAN overtake the overall plot of this series. Because humans and faeries don't mix - the only one known is Zabriel. So, it would be a big deal if Anya picked the human, even if Anya herself isn't technically a faerie anymore. This is stupid.
My last point... lack of interest. Guys, I was so excited to read this book. A fantasy novel, by the legendary Cayla Kluver. What could possibly go wrong?! 512 pages? No problem! Well, apparently, there WAS a problem. Or many problems. My favorite genre is fantasy, especially high fantasy (like this one), and I was super disappointed. The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn't care less what was happening. Kluver, Anya, and this story could not hold my interest.
Wait, I have one more point: I'm so confused about some things. It takes a good amount of craziness to confuse me... I don't get confused easily. But I could not keep track of the random places in this book, or the weird customs, or the unnecessary flashbacks. The flashbacks were so stupid, because it wasn't like there was a pattern to them, in the structure of the book. And honestly, after one or two, I just started skipping them. No point in reading something that doesn't help me.
Then again, I should have used that logic with this book, and stopped reading after like, 3%. Too bad I can't NOT finish books. I force myself to read and finish them. I really, REALLY had to force myself with this one. Argh.
Bottom line: this book was a waste of my very precious time. It's not easy, reviewing and blogging while in college (especially the college I'm attending). So, I'm mad that I wasted my time. It's no one's fault but mine for choosing to read this book... well, the author did write the book. Ugh. C'est la vie.
Would I Recommend It:
No, not at all. Not even to old fans of Kluver who liked her Legacy series. This book was just BAD. I mean, I feel like I'm in the minority, but seriously, there are so many others books that I am DYING to read... and I forced myself to struggle through this one. Save yourself the trouble, and read something you really want to read.
Rating:
1 star. UGH. I hate feeling like I've wasted my time, but unfortunately, that's how I feel about this book. What a way to start the year! Although, this is my third review of 2014.
May 31, 2014
Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines
Honestly, the first few chapters of this were pretty meh. Or at least they were to me. It definitely slides toward adventure on the action-adventure scale. By that I mean the plot doesn't move at a break-neck pace. It's more of a story about the journey Anya takes, and the pacing reflects that.
I'm not saying The Queen's Choice was boring by any means, and once I got a feel for what was happening I really enjoyed it.
The story starts with Anya coming home to Chrior after spending an extended period of time traveling in the human territories. Even though Anya is bonded (engaged) to a wonderful guy, she loves to leave the faerie kingdom and explore the human world. Mr. Wonderful has never left the kingdom of Chrior, and can't understand why she feels the need to wander. He seems pretty boring, but at least he doesn't try to stop her from going.
Anya is fae royalty, but she's never actually considered that she might have any real responsibility coming her way. After all, her cousin Illumina is the next in line for the throne. So when she receives a summons from the Queen (aka her aunt), she doesn't think much of it. And then the Faerie Queen drops a bomb on her.
She's demoting Illumina ('cause there's a good possibility that she's a bit unhinged), and naming Anya as her successor. No more trips to the human territories for Anya! Yep, from here on out, it's Duty, Duty, Duty.
Yikes!
This news makes Mr. Wonderful happy, but it doesn't do much for Anya's spirits.
Wait, there's more!
The Queen has been told by the giant Redwood (it's a mythical tree spirit or something...just go with it.) that her life is going to end soon.
Ouch.
Now years ago, her half-human son Zabriel got tired of...well, let's just say things in the faerie realm weren't all sunshine and unicorns for him. Anyway, he left Chrior and went into hiding in the human world. But now the Queen is dying...and she wants to see her son one last time.
The Queen's decision to send 14 year old Illumina out into the Territories on a search for the long-lost prince shocks Anya into action. Illumina has never been to the human world before, and she's afraid the young girl might get hurt. She's not the most likable or even the most stable faerie, but she's still Anya's baby cousin. Besides, Anya's pretty sure that even if Illumina does somehow manage to find Prince Zabriel, she might not be able to convince him to return.
Why not, you ask?
Well, sometimes Illumina can come across as a bit creepy and unnerving.
Oh yeah. She also hates humans with a white-hot passion, thinks Zabriel is an abomination, and has a penchant for verbal diarrhea.
Soooo. Maybe not the best choice to bring him home?
And even though Anya doesn't want to admit it, deep down she would love for Zabriel to come back and take the burden of the throne off of her shoulders. So she convinces her fiancee to give her a 3 month head start before he tries to contact her (through their magical engagement bond), and then heads out after her young cousin. Consequences be damned!
And here's when things get interesting.
As soon as Anya crosses the Bloody Road (it's a kind of magical barrier that only allows magical beings to cross), she's attacked by Hunters. I can't give you the specifics, because it might be a bit spoilery, but she ends up really hurt. Fortunately, a human family finds her and nurses her back to health. Anya forms a tentative friendship with the oldest daughter, Shea. It turns out that the family has some secrets, and not the good kind...like where you're hiding the Christmas presents.
Shea's father did something a few years back that put them all on the government's shit-list. And in an effort to stay off the radar, the entire family is stuck living out in the middle of nowhere.
You have to admit, that would suck pretty hard for a teenage girl.
So when Anya is strong enough to leave, Shea packs up her stuff and hits the road with her.
Everything I've mentioned here happens early on in the book, 'cause I really don't want to give too much away.
But here's a short list of some of the cool stuff in the rest of the book:
Freaky ghost/boogeymen things that run around eating kids, big-time conspiracies everywhere, a pirate with a massive secret, and a huge I-Didn't-See-It-Coming betrayal at the end.
Speaking of the end, it had one of the best cliffhanger endings I've read in a while. Now I get that not everyone loves cliffhangers. But I'm of the opinion that if you're going to do it, you need to do it right. And this book did it right. Remember Moning's Fever series?
Seriously has anyone out there not read KMM's Fever series?
Barrons...
Hang on. Just give me a minute.
Ok. I'm back.
Remember the endings to those books? I would be reading frantically, thinking I had about 10 more pages left, and then BAM!!! the book was over. What?! Noooooo! If you've read those books, you know what I mean.
I see some of you are nodding your heads right now!
Well, Kluver managed to do a pretty good job re-creating that feeling for me at the end of The Queen's Choice. And while the rest of the book was good, it was really the ending that bumped it up to 4 stars for me. I honestly haven't been that impressed by a cliffhanger in a long time.
If you're in the market for YA fantasy, check this one out!
I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...in case you were wondering.
Honestly, the first few chapters of this were pretty meh. Or at least they were to me. It definitely slides toward adventure on the action-adventure scale. By that I mean the plot doesn't move at a break-neck pace. It's more of a story about the journey Anya takes, and the pacing reflects that.
I'm not saying The Queen's Choice was boring by any means, and once I got a feel for what was happening I really enjoyed it.
The story starts with Anya coming home to Chrior after spending an extended period of time traveling in the human territories. Even though Anya is bonded (engaged) to a wonderful guy, she loves to leave the faerie kingdom and explore the human world. Mr. Wonderful has never left the kingdom of Chrior, and can't understand why she feels the need to wander. He seems pretty boring, but at least he doesn't try to stop her from going.
Anya is fae royalty, but she's never actually considered that she might have any real responsibility coming her way. After all, her cousin Illumina is the next in line for the throne. So when she receives a summons from the Queen (aka her aunt), she doesn't think much of it. And then the Faerie Queen drops a bomb on her.
She's demoting Illumina ('cause there's a good possibility that she's a bit unhinged), and naming Anya as her successor. No more trips to the human territories for Anya! Yep, from here on out, it's Duty, Duty, Duty.
Yikes!
This news makes Mr. Wonderful happy, but it doesn't do much for Anya's spirits.
Wait, there's more!
The Queen has been told by the giant Redwood (it's a mythical tree spirit or something...just go with it.) that her life is going to end soon.
Ouch.
Now years ago, her half-human son Zabriel got tired of...well, let's just say things in the faerie realm weren't all sunshine and unicorns for him. Anyway, he left Chrior and went into hiding in the human world. But now the Queen is dying...and she wants to see her son one last time.
The Queen's decision to send 14 year old Illumina out into the Territories on a search for the long-lost prince shocks Anya into action. Illumina has never been to the human world before, and she's afraid the young girl might get hurt. She's not the most likable or even the most stable faerie, but she's still Anya's baby cousin. Besides, Anya's pretty sure that even if Illumina does somehow manage to find Prince Zabriel, she might not be able to convince him to return.
Why not, you ask?
Well, sometimes Illumina can come across as a bit creepy and unnerving.
Oh yeah. She also hates humans with a white-hot passion, thinks Zabriel is an abomination, and has a penchant for verbal diarrhea.
Soooo. Maybe not the best choice to bring him home?
And even though Anya doesn't want to admit it, deep down she would love for Zabriel to come back and take the burden of the throne off of her shoulders. So she convinces her fiancee to give her a 3 month head start before he tries to contact her (through their magical engagement bond), and then heads out after her young cousin. Consequences be damned!
And here's when things get interesting.
As soon as Anya crosses the Bloody Road (it's a kind of magical barrier that only allows magical beings to cross), she's attacked by Hunters. I can't give you the specifics, because it might be a bit spoilery, but she ends up really hurt. Fortunately, a human family finds her and nurses her back to health. Anya forms a tentative friendship with the oldest daughter, Shea. It turns out that the family has some secrets, and not the good kind...like where you're hiding the Christmas presents.
Shea's father did something a few years back that put them all on the government's shit-list. And in an effort to stay off the radar, the entire family is stuck living out in the middle of nowhere.
You have to admit, that would suck pretty hard for a teenage girl.
So when Anya is strong enough to leave, Shea packs up her stuff and hits the road with her.
Everything I've mentioned here happens early on in the book, 'cause I really don't want to give too much away.
But here's a short list of some of the cool stuff in the rest of the book:
Freaky ghost/boogeymen things that run around eating kids, big-time conspiracies everywhere, a pirate with a massive secret, and a huge I-Didn't-See-It-Coming betrayal at the end.
Speaking of the end, it had one of the best cliffhanger endings I've read in a while. Now I get that not everyone loves cliffhangers. But I'm of the opinion that if you're going to do it, you need to do it right. And this book did it right. Remember Moning's Fever series?
Seriously has anyone out there not read KMM's Fever series?
Barrons...
Hang on. Just give me a minute.
Ok. I'm back.
Remember the endings to those books? I would be reading frantically, thinking I had about 10 more pages left, and then BAM!!! the book was over. What?! Noooooo! If you've read those books, you know what I mean.
I see some of you are nodding your heads right now!
Well, Kluver managed to do a pretty good job re-creating that feeling for me at the end of The Queen's Choice. And while the rest of the book was good, it was really the ending that bumped it up to 4 stars for me. I honestly haven't been that impressed by a cliffhanger in a long time.
If you're in the market for YA fantasy, check this one out!
I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...in case you were wondering.
August 13, 2016
DNF Review
While reading The Queen's Choice, a recurring thought would implant itself in my brain every five seconds: "How was this even published?"
Yes, it was that intolerable. Not to say that the book was necessarily bad, I just cannot imagine someone who is a fan of fantasy enjoying this (i.e. me). There was far too much worldbuilding and little plot development. Up until the point I read, the book seemed like an extended version of traveling scenes in Graceling. In other words, it was needlessly long-winded.
I admit the writing was surprisingly good; however, the rest of the book's aspects just didn't cut it.
While reading The Queen's Choice, a recurring thought would implant itself in my brain every five seconds: "How was this even published?"
Yes, it was that intolerable. Not to say that the book was necessarily bad, I just cannot imagine someone who is a fan of fantasy enjoying this (i.e. me). There was far too much worldbuilding and little plot development. Up until the point I read, the book seemed like an extended version of traveling scenes in Graceling. In other words, it was needlessly long-winded.
I admit the writing was surprisingly good; however, the rest of the book's aspects just didn't cut it.
July 25, 2020
I don't usually rate books before I read them--in fact, I never have before--but honestly, Cayla Kluver has written my two favorite books, created one of my all-time favorite characters (London), and this book, quite simply, looks amazing.
I love fairies! My favorite author writing about them is like a dream come true! I can't wait to read it!
I love fairies! My favorite author writing about them is like a dream come true! I can't wait to read it!
January 6, 2014
Having really enjoyed Cayla Kluver’s Legacy trilogy, I was really curious about The Queen’s Choice. Still, I was hesitant. Faeries aren’t really my fantasy creature of choice and it sounded like it would be a paranormal romance, which tends to end poorly for me quite often. That The Queen’s Choice surprised me is an understatement. This is fantasy, straight up and jam-packed with world building. Kluver’s The Queen’s Choice takes a long time to find its stride, but the shocking ending has me ready for more.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.
February 5, 2014
An interesting fantasy adventure.
Overall I enjoyed The Queen's Choice. I liked the world and the characters and the writing. It was, however, a book I found I could put down often to revisit later, rather than a real page-turner, which would be my preference. If it helps as a point of reference for you, this is exactly how I feel about the Harry Potter books. I can enjoy and appreciate them, but I can also put them down without any trouble whatsoever, and am constantly aware I'm reading a children's book (I've only read HP books 1-4, although I've heard the later books are more more mature in content). That said, when I was actually reading The Queen's Choice, it was entertaining. I definitely found that it didn't follow any of my preconceived ideas plot-wise, either. I felt sure there would be the obligatory romance that would dominate the later stages, but it didn't turn out that way at all, and even when there was a glimmer of romance, it came from an unsuspecting source. So definitely some surprises along the way, none more so than what happened to Anya in the first few chapters!
I think if there are people out there who, like myself, have looked at the cover of The Queen's Choice and thought it might be a new teen fantasy romance in the vein of Sara J. Maas or Kristin Cashore, they might be slightly underwhelmed by it. That's not simply because the romance was lacking, although for me, personally, that was a big part of it— even though I hate to make it sound like romance is the be all and end all of everything, when I know for some people the absence of that very thing will be its biggest selling point—but also because the plotting is quite gentle, with no big, flashy action scenes to speak of. I guess you could say Anya was fairly badass, especially in comparison to her travel partner, but she didn't really get a chance to showcase it in this book at all.
The main focus of the plot is a journey to find a missing Fae prince. Anya and her female companion carry the majority of the page time as they travel together via various means. There are, of course, other characters that crop up along the way, as well as some icky nasties that provide some necessary peril. And that's basically what it's about. Which explains, perhaps, why it's so easy to stop reading. The excitement level remained constant throughout, with very few ups and downs. You will hopefully find that the characters are enjoyable enough to negate that. I certainly enjoyed them. I'm just of the theory that I wasn't quite the right audience for this book (romance whore) as it read more middle grade than YA, but I can definitely see it entertaining younger readers and fans of straight fantasy adventure.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I enjoyed The Queen's Choice. I liked the world and the characters and the writing. It was, however, a book I found I could put down often to revisit later, rather than a real page-turner, which would be my preference. If it helps as a point of reference for you, this is exactly how I feel about the Harry Potter books. I can enjoy and appreciate them, but I can also put them down without any trouble whatsoever, and am constantly aware I'm reading a children's book (I've only read HP books 1-4, although I've heard the later books are more more mature in content). That said, when I was actually reading The Queen's Choice, it was entertaining. I definitely found that it didn't follow any of my preconceived ideas plot-wise, either. I felt sure there would be the obligatory romance that would dominate the later stages, but it didn't turn out that way at all, and even when there was a glimmer of romance, it came from an unsuspecting source. So definitely some surprises along the way, none more so than what happened to Anya in the first few chapters!
I think if there are people out there who, like myself, have looked at the cover of The Queen's Choice and thought it might be a new teen fantasy romance in the vein of Sara J. Maas or Kristin Cashore, they might be slightly underwhelmed by it. That's not simply because the romance was lacking, although for me, personally, that was a big part of it— even though I hate to make it sound like romance is the be all and end all of everything, when I know for some people the absence of that very thing will be its biggest selling point—but also because the plotting is quite gentle, with no big, flashy action scenes to speak of. I guess you could say Anya was fairly badass, especially in comparison to her travel partner, but she didn't really get a chance to showcase it in this book at all.
The main focus of the plot is a journey to find a missing Fae prince. Anya and her female companion carry the majority of the page time as they travel together via various means. There are, of course, other characters that crop up along the way, as well as some icky nasties that provide some necessary peril. And that's basically what it's about. Which explains, perhaps, why it's so easy to stop reading. The excitement level remained constant throughout, with very few ups and downs. You will hopefully find that the characters are enjoyable enough to negate that. I certainly enjoyed them. I'm just of the theory that I wasn't quite the right audience for this book (romance whore) as it read more middle grade than YA, but I can definitely see it entertaining younger readers and fans of straight fantasy adventure.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2014
2.5 Stars
That first chapter had me at the edge of my seat. I was ready for some action-packed, romance filled, excitement. Instead, what I got is a lot of travelling...and boredom..with only a few dashes of excitement. However, the ending ends with a bang, just like how the beginning of the story starts. Fingers crossed that the second book is better and more exciting.
What I didn't like about The Queen's Choice is the middle of it. With all the travelling and adventure going on, I wasn't expecting myself to doze off a few times yet I did. A lot. There's just too much of it, too much travelling and searching and whatnot. I found it boring after a while and I barely cared once they found Zabriel. It didn't help that the writing is extremely stiff and awkward at times.
The Queen's Choice has such a beautifully creepy beginning. It's captivating and awesome. I also loved the world building and how the faery world is described, it's mythical and enchanting and will definitely reel readers in. As far as main characters go, Anya is amazing. She's quite flawed and she doesn't give up despite the fact that she can never go home ever again. She's so strong and badass that I got excited whenever she's forced to fight. The beginning and the ending are both so creepy and exciting. I seriously cannot wait for the next book.
Although it does get extremely boring in the middle this is still a fun story and I really loved the beginning. It's an interesting take of the faery world and I can't wait to go back to it. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels, mythical creatures, and don't mind a lot of travelling.
That first chapter had me at the edge of my seat. I was ready for some action-packed, romance filled, excitement. Instead, what I got is a lot of travelling...and boredom..with only a few dashes of excitement. However, the ending ends with a bang, just like how the beginning of the story starts. Fingers crossed that the second book is better and more exciting.
What I didn't like about The Queen's Choice is the middle of it. With all the travelling and adventure going on, I wasn't expecting myself to doze off a few times yet I did. A lot. There's just too much of it, too much travelling and searching and whatnot. I found it boring after a while and I barely cared once they found Zabriel. It didn't help that the writing is extremely stiff and awkward at times.
The Queen's Choice has such a beautifully creepy beginning. It's captivating and awesome. I also loved the world building and how the faery world is described, it's mythical and enchanting and will definitely reel readers in. As far as main characters go, Anya is amazing. She's quite flawed and she doesn't give up despite the fact that she can never go home ever again. She's so strong and badass that I got excited whenever she's forced to fight. The beginning and the ending are both so creepy and exciting. I seriously cannot wait for the next book.
Although it does get extremely boring in the middle this is still a fun story and I really loved the beginning. It's an interesting take of the faery world and I can't wait to go back to it. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels, mythical creatures, and don't mind a lot of travelling.
Read
December 6, 2013Unfortunately, a DNF for me. There wasn't really a problem. I liked the characters and the idea for the story. I liked how vivid the descriptions were. But, I just couldn't get into it. I think this is more my problem that any problem with the book. It just wan't a good fit for me. Since I didn't finish, I won't rate it. But, it wasn't my kind of book :(
January 14, 2014
One of the things that Cayla Kluver does extremely well is write a fun fantasy story that appeals to teenagers and adults alike. I feel in love with Cayla's strong female characters, interesting quest story lines, and fun world building first in her book Legacy, and I was sad when the trilogy ended. Imagine the sheer joy I felt when I saw that she was starting yet another series and, once again, I began to read and fell in love with The Queen's Choice.
Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Jan. 16, 2014.
Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Jan. 16, 2014.
May 19, 2024
An interesting fantasy adventure.
Overall I enjoyed The Queen's Choice. I liked the world and the characters and the writing. It was, however, a book I found I could put down often to revisit later, rather than a real page-turner, which would be my preference. If it helps as a point of reference for you, this is exactly how I feel about the Harry Potter books. I can enjoy and appreciate them, but I can also put them down without any trouble whatsoever, and am constantly aware I'm reading a children's book (I've only read HP books 1-4, although I've heard the later books are more more mature in content). That said, when I was actually reading The Queen's Choice, it was entertaining. I definitely found that it didn't follow any of my preconceived ideas plot-wise, either. I felt sure there would be the obligatory romance that would dominate the later stages, but it didn't turn out that way at all, and even when there was a glimmer of romance, it came from an unsuspecting source. So definitely some surprises along the way, none more so than what happened to Anya in the first few chapters!
I think if there are people out there who, like myself, have looked at the cover of The Queen's Choice and thought it might be a new teen fantasy romance in the vein of Sara J. Maas or Kristin Cashore, they might be slightly underwhelmed by it. That's not simply because the romance was lacking, although for me, personally, that was a big part of it— even though I hate to make it sound like romance is the be all and end all of everything, when I know for some people the absence of that very thing will be its biggest selling point—but also because the plotting is quite gentle, with no big, flashy action scenes to speak of. I guess you could say Anya was fairly badass, especially in comparison to her travel partner, but she didn't really get a chance to showcase it in this book at all.
The main focus of the plot is a journey to find a missing Fae prince. Anya and her female companion carry the majority of the page time as they travel together via various means. There are, of course, other characters that crop up along the way, as well as some icky nasties that provide some necessary peril. And that's basically what it's about. Which explains, perhaps, why it's so easy to stop reading. The excitement level remained constant throughout, with very few ups and downs. You will hopefully find that the characters are enjoyable enough to negate that. I certainly enjoyed them. I'm just of the theory that I wasn't quite the right audience for this book (romance whore) as it read more middle grade than YA, but I can definitely see it entertaining younger readers and fans of straight fantasy adventure.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I enjoyed The Queen's Choice. I liked the world and the characters and the writing. It was, however, a book I found I could put down often to revisit later, rather than a real page-turner, which would be my preference. If it helps as a point of reference for you, this is exactly how I feel about the Harry Potter books. I can enjoy and appreciate them, but I can also put them down without any trouble whatsoever, and am constantly aware I'm reading a children's book (I've only read HP books 1-4, although I've heard the later books are more more mature in content). That said, when I was actually reading The Queen's Choice, it was entertaining. I definitely found that it didn't follow any of my preconceived ideas plot-wise, either. I felt sure there would be the obligatory romance that would dominate the later stages, but it didn't turn out that way at all, and even when there was a glimmer of romance, it came from an unsuspecting source. So definitely some surprises along the way, none more so than what happened to Anya in the first few chapters!
I think if there are people out there who, like myself, have looked at the cover of The Queen's Choice and thought it might be a new teen fantasy romance in the vein of Sara J. Maas or Kristin Cashore, they might be slightly underwhelmed by it. That's not simply because the romance was lacking, although for me, personally, that was a big part of it— even though I hate to make it sound like romance is the be all and end all of everything, when I know for some people the absence of that very thing will be its biggest selling point—but also because the plotting is quite gentle, with no big, flashy action scenes to speak of. I guess you could say Anya was fairly badass, especially in comparison to her travel partner, but she didn't really get a chance to showcase it in this book at all.
The main focus of the plot is a journey to find a missing Fae prince. Anya and her female companion carry the majority of the page time as they travel together via various means. There are, of course, other characters that crop up along the way, as well as some icky nasties that provide some necessary peril. And that's basically what it's about. Which explains, perhaps, why it's so easy to stop reading. The excitement level remained constant throughout, with very few ups and downs. You will hopefully find that the characters are enjoyable enough to negate that. I certainly enjoyed them. I'm just of the theory that I wasn't quite the right audience for this book (romance whore) as it read more middle grade than YA, but I can definitely see it entertaining younger readers and fans of straight fantasy adventure.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2016
"A long time ago...I'd thought that bravery could be attained with an open mind and heart, by pursuing and facing my demons. Now I considered that fearlessness was the luxury of the cloistered and blind, and that it was too late for me."
Characters. Anya is an incredible protagonist. She's the type of girl that no matter how many times you try to bring down will always be up on her feet, head held high and moving forward. She's strong and patient. I can't imagine how calm and collected she is throughout all the things she's been through, and still focused on her ultimate goal in finding the Prince. As for the others, I didn't put that much thought into them.
Love Interest. There isn't much of a romance within this book, although there is Anya's "fiancé" and another potential love interest, it was almost non existent since the better part of the book was focused on finding the Prince. But I have to say, Anya has a poor choice in picking her partner. I don't believe that a relationship would work if you don't support each other's passions. While I understand the fiancé's qualms over Anya's safety, I feel like he feels her curiosity with the humans is a nuisance he has to bear. Yeah, no!
Setting. If I commended Anya's character, I am at awe with the author's world building skills. With the way she described the places Anya travelled to and from, as well as the spin on the Faerie world, it feels like the only thing lacking is the actual smell of the place and readers are totally there. Superb job, Ms Cluver!
Plot. This book has an incredible mystery wrapped within and it was so intriguing that I had to keep reading. Although it takes a while to unravel, one can definitely see its potential.
Pacing. Ah, here's where it gets bad. The Queen's Choice started off so well that I couldn't put it down, but when I got to the middle part there was so much traveling and not much else happening that it eventually got too boring. But as I said earlier, the mystery was very intriguing that I sucked it up and went through all the nonsensical stuff. And when I reached the end... BOOM! What a cliffhanger!
Verdict. Let's see... How do I best describe The Queen's Choice? Sssslooooooowww... Man, was it a drag! The good parts were definitely the start and end. If you have the patience to go through the middle parts you'll surely want to read the next book by the time you finish this one.
*Thank you, Harlequin Teen, and NetGalley for granting my request to view The Queen's Choice.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
Characters. Anya is an incredible protagonist. She's the type of girl that no matter how many times you try to bring down will always be up on her feet, head held high and moving forward. She's strong and patient. I can't imagine how calm and collected she is throughout all the things she's been through, and still focused on her ultimate goal in finding the Prince. As for the others, I didn't put that much thought into them.
Love Interest. There isn't much of a romance within this book, although there is Anya's "fiancé" and another potential love interest, it was almost non existent since the better part of the book was focused on finding the Prince. But I have to say, Anya has a poor choice in picking her partner. I don't believe that a relationship would work if you don't support each other's passions. While I understand the fiancé's qualms over Anya's safety, I feel like he feels her curiosity with the humans is a nuisance he has to bear. Yeah, no!
Setting. If I commended Anya's character, I am at awe with the author's world building skills. With the way she described the places Anya travelled to and from, as well as the spin on the Faerie world, it feels like the only thing lacking is the actual smell of the place and readers are totally there. Superb job, Ms Cluver!
Plot. This book has an incredible mystery wrapped within and it was so intriguing that I had to keep reading. Although it takes a while to unravel, one can definitely see its potential.
Pacing. Ah, here's where it gets bad. The Queen's Choice started off so well that I couldn't put it down, but when I got to the middle part there was so much traveling and not much else happening that it eventually got too boring. But as I said earlier, the mystery was very intriguing that I sucked it up and went through all the nonsensical stuff. And when I reached the end... BOOM! What a cliffhanger!
Verdict. Let's see... How do I best describe The Queen's Choice? Sssslooooooowww... Man, was it a drag! The good parts were definitely the start and end. If you have the patience to go through the middle parts you'll surely want to read the next book by the time you finish this one.
*Thank you, Harlequin Teen, and NetGalley for granting my request to view The Queen's Choice.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
June 12, 2014
I really enjoyed Cayla Kluver’s Legacy series and I love books about faeries, so I had high hopes going into this one and fortunately I wasn’t disappointed! There is just so much that happens in this series it’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll start off with the plot.
Since this is a fantasy novel, we have a lot of learning to do about the world were in. I almost want to describe it as a post-apocalyptic faerie novel, but that isn’t really accurate. There was a large, devastating war between the Fey and humans, but this book doesn’t take place in anything resembling the modern world. Regardless, the setting was very intricate. The faerie realm sounded just beautiful, as one would expect, and kind of made me think of Tinkerbell’s hollow. Much of the human world was kind of seedy (or at least the parts we saw due to Anya’s situation), but it provided the perfect backdrop for the story.
Since we’re following the royal faerie family here, you know there will be a lot of political intrigue. This is the part of the story that really stands out to me. The back stabbing, the betrayal, the mystery, and the cliff hangers! I just could not get enough. I wish the second book was out, so I could pick it up immediately! And the characters were all done so well that they really helped bring the story to life. I feel like I know Anya, and the rest of the characters and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them!
The Queen’s Choice is a fantastic start to a series and moves Cayla Kluver into my favorite author category. If your a fantasy fan or also love faeries, this one is absolutely a must read!
Since this is a fantasy novel, we have a lot of learning to do about the world were in. I almost want to describe it as a post-apocalyptic faerie novel, but that isn’t really accurate. There was a large, devastating war between the Fey and humans, but this book doesn’t take place in anything resembling the modern world. Regardless, the setting was very intricate. The faerie realm sounded just beautiful, as one would expect, and kind of made me think of Tinkerbell’s hollow. Much of the human world was kind of seedy (or at least the parts we saw due to Anya’s situation), but it provided the perfect backdrop for the story.
Since we’re following the royal faerie family here, you know there will be a lot of political intrigue. This is the part of the story that really stands out to me. The back stabbing, the betrayal, the mystery, and the cliff hangers! I just could not get enough. I wish the second book was out, so I could pick it up immediately! And the characters were all done so well that they really helped bring the story to life. I feel like I know Anya, and the rest of the characters and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them!
The Queen’s Choice is a fantastic start to a series and moves Cayla Kluver into my favorite author category. If your a fantasy fan or also love faeries, this one is absolutely a must read!
February 5, 2014
Wasn't amazing, but I liked it.
More of a review to come soon.
More of a review to come soon.
Want to read
January 28, 201628 January 2016: $1.99 on Kindle
March 1, 2022
NO SPOILER review time <3
**Note: this book has several trigger warning. here are the ones I found but there might be more so I suggest you look all of them up before reading the book: tw/ suicide, self-harm, death, murder etc.
Review!!!
pros: I'm going to start with all the things I enjoyed about this book. so, the characters were nice. i liked the main character, one of the main character's love interest, and Prince Zabriel a little. I didn't really like all of them, you can read the cons section for more on that. however, the main idea is pretty cool. I love reading books about Fae, and Kluver's world of Fae was pretty interesting. I liked the world the whole concept of this book was great. It was a heavy, interesting read that I needed at the time. but I think my favourite thing about this book was the writing. the word-building and writing style was really spellbinding and enchanting. it drew me in from the very start. I loved all the descriptions a lot, and I picked up several quotes I liked.
cons: although the book was pretty great, there were some things that I did not like. One thing that majorly impacted my view of this book is the plot. It seems as though there was no plot whatsoever. It didn't make it confusing to follow or read, but it felt as if something was off the whole time. it seems as if there was no plotline, and I couldn't figure out when and where the climax or aftermath was. it was sort of all over the place. it seemed like things went haywire from the start. So many bad things befell the main character, it felt like there was nothing good that actually happend to her. And it seems as though there will be even worse things happening to her in the next book. (i also get the vibe that one of her love intrests will turn on her, just a hunch. and she'll end up with the other guy, who seems a bit better suited for her not gonna lie) something I also didn't like it that some of the characters seemed to be simllar in terms of personalities to one another and it felt like there was hardly any dymnanic between them.
overall, this was a nice, interesting read that flowed really well together!(tho there are some cons) I will def be reading the sequel when and once I get it! I def recommend this for Fae-lovers! <3
**Note: this book has several trigger warning. here are the ones I found but there might be more so I suggest you look all of them up before reading the book: tw/ suicide, self-harm, death, murder etc.
Review!!!
pros: I'm going to start with all the things I enjoyed about this book. so, the characters were nice. i liked the main character, one of the main character's love interest, and Prince Zabriel a little. I didn't really like all of them, you can read the cons section for more on that. however, the main idea is pretty cool. I love reading books about Fae, and Kluver's world of Fae was pretty interesting. I liked the world the whole concept of this book was great. It was a heavy, interesting read that I needed at the time. but I think my favourite thing about this book was the writing. the word-building and writing style was really spellbinding and enchanting. it drew me in from the very start. I loved all the descriptions a lot, and I picked up several quotes I liked.
cons: although the book was pretty great, there were some things that I did not like. One thing that majorly impacted my view of this book is the plot. It seems as though there was no plot whatsoever. It didn't make it confusing to follow or read, but it felt as if something was off the whole time. it seems as if there was no plotline, and I couldn't figure out when and where the climax or aftermath was. it was sort of all over the place. it seemed like things went haywire from the start. So many bad things befell the main character, it felt like there was nothing good that actually happend to her. And it seems as though there will be even worse things happening to her in the next book. (i also get the vibe that one of her love intrests will turn on her, just a hunch. and she'll end up with the other guy, who seems a bit better suited for her not gonna lie) something I also didn't like it that some of the characters seemed to be simllar in terms of personalities to one another and it felt like there was hardly any dymnanic between them.
overall, this was a nice, interesting read that flowed really well together!(tho there are some cons) I will def be reading the sequel when and once I get it! I def recommend this for Fae-lovers! <3
September 24, 2021
I got this book years ago from Netgalley and never got into it. I think I had a feeling about it then.
I found it difficult to even care about the story or characters and found myself having to repeat pages because I zoned out- mostly during the middle. Just a lot of wandering into new trouble for Anya and Shae (who majorly got on my nerves by then). Honestly, Anya just seems to have a savior complex and just wants to judge everyone, regardless of whether they are actually right or wrong. She just thinks she knows best for everyone and it really put me off her- pretty much since she left to take over Illumina's task. She wants to 'save' everyone, mostly from themselves. And when I didn't care about her- the protag, I didn't care about any of it. Didn't care who betrayed her or lied to her or any of it. Turn them in. Whatever. It was tedious and long and I think it would have been better if a couple hundred pages had been removed.
I found it difficult to even care about the story or characters and found myself having to repeat pages because I zoned out- mostly during the middle. Just a lot of wandering into new trouble for Anya and Shae (who majorly got on my nerves by then). Honestly, Anya just seems to have a savior complex and just wants to judge everyone, regardless of whether they are actually right or wrong. She just thinks she knows best for everyone and it really put me off her- pretty much since she left to take over Illumina's task. She wants to 'save' everyone, mostly from themselves. And when I didn't care about her- the protag, I didn't care about any of it. Didn't care who betrayed her or lied to her or any of it. Turn them in. Whatever. It was tedious and long and I think it would have been better if a couple hundred pages had been removed.
October 24, 2015
Full Review on Brianna's Bookish Confessions.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review from Harlequin Teen. It does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anya is a 16 year old faerie who is related to the Queen of Chrior– Ubiqua and is betrothed to Davic. Entering the human world is a danger zone. If a human sees you, you’ll be lucky they kill you on spot. Humans and Faeries are not on good terms.
Queen Ubiqua is dying and is seeking her son whom is not in the kingdom but in the human world. He’s next to the throne and Ubiqua wants to see him one last time. She sends Illumina, Anya’s younger cousin, out to the human world in search of Zabriel. Anya knows Illumina won’t survive in the human world and decides to leave the kingdom to find Zabriel herself. Well, that probably wasn’t a good decision.
Anya must now figure out who she is with having no connection to the kingdom since she is now in the human world. Find Zabriel- wherever he is in the world, convince him to come back, and survive this whole trip. Can she do it? What will she risk doing this?
My Thoughts:
I’m the worst book blogger ever.. I received this book back in like November… And I’m reviewing this late. I’m terrible! I know, I’m terrible… But to my defense, the cover says February not January. And other books were screaming at me… Guys, I’m sorry! I know.. I’m a disappointment! Okay, enough.
I really did like this book, but there were some things that bothered me while reading which I’ll get to in a minute. I haven’t read many– if any– fairy books. So it was nice to start with this. It wasn’t too overpowering and too unrealistic. The world building was hard to understand at first, but once I understood, I really enjoyed the world!
Cayla Kruver’s writing style is somewhat poetic, especially in the beginning. It’s the way she describes the story. It makes it feel poetic-y. Does that make sense?
I loved Anya’s character- she’s strong, brave, and very quick on her toes. (I feel like I always give the same characteristics to the main characters, but it’s true!) After everything that has happened, she can still hold her head up high and still move on with her life.
I liked the fact that there was a relationship right off the bat. Normally, the 2 main characters meet then fall in love. Well, Anya and Davic are already in love when the book starts. It was nice to have a relationship already made. But, however, their isn’t much romance in the book at all. Which is not a bad thing, I actually like when not all books are centered around the relationship. It’s refreshing.
I didn’t like how long the book was. Some parts (in my opinion) weren’t needed. The story dragged on at some parts and I would find myself trying to read faster so I can get over some parts. The book definitely could have been a lot shorter. I did also find some parts were very predictable. The second it was hinted, I figured it out 20 pages before Anya figured it out.
The ending was good, but it was somewhat predictable. I definitely will continue on with the series because there were some things that weren’t solved and I’m curious to see what happens.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review from Harlequin Teen. It does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anya is a 16 year old faerie who is related to the Queen of Chrior– Ubiqua and is betrothed to Davic. Entering the human world is a danger zone. If a human sees you, you’ll be lucky they kill you on spot. Humans and Faeries are not on good terms.
Queen Ubiqua is dying and is seeking her son whom is not in the kingdom but in the human world. He’s next to the throne and Ubiqua wants to see him one last time. She sends Illumina, Anya’s younger cousin, out to the human world in search of Zabriel. Anya knows Illumina won’t survive in the human world and decides to leave the kingdom to find Zabriel herself. Well, that probably wasn’t a good decision.
Anya must now figure out who she is with having no connection to the kingdom since she is now in the human world. Find Zabriel- wherever he is in the world, convince him to come back, and survive this whole trip. Can she do it? What will she risk doing this?
My Thoughts:
I’m the worst book blogger ever.. I received this book back in like November… And I’m reviewing this late. I’m terrible! I know, I’m terrible… But to my defense, the cover says February not January. And other books were screaming at me… Guys, I’m sorry! I know.. I’m a disappointment! Okay, enough.
I really did like this book, but there were some things that bothered me while reading which I’ll get to in a minute. I haven’t read many– if any– fairy books. So it was nice to start with this. It wasn’t too overpowering and too unrealistic. The world building was hard to understand at first, but once I understood, I really enjoyed the world!
Cayla Kruver’s writing style is somewhat poetic, especially in the beginning. It’s the way she describes the story. It makes it feel poetic-y. Does that make sense?
I loved Anya’s character- she’s strong, brave, and very quick on her toes. (I feel like I always give the same characteristics to the main characters, but it’s true!) After everything that has happened, she can still hold her head up high and still move on with her life.
I liked the fact that there was a relationship right off the bat. Normally, the 2 main characters meet then fall in love. Well, Anya and Davic are already in love when the book starts. It was nice to have a relationship already made. But, however, their isn’t much romance in the book at all. Which is not a bad thing, I actually like when not all books are centered around the relationship. It’s refreshing.
I didn’t like how long the book was. Some parts (in my opinion) weren’t needed. The story dragged on at some parts and I would find myself trying to read faster so I can get over some parts. The book definitely could have been a lot shorter. I did also find some parts were very predictable. The second it was hinted, I figured it out 20 pages before Anya figured it out.
The ending was good, but it was somewhat predictable. I definitely will continue on with the series because there were some things that weren’t solved and I’m curious to see what happens.
January 21, 2019
The Queen's Choice may not be my favorite faery book (it's far from being my favorite, but I didn't actually hate it), but it's definitely about time someone wrote about fairies in an entirely different way other than the usual summer and winter fairies.
Kluver has all the good things to write a fantastic book – the world building is interesting, the characters are complex (for the most part), and her writing style is interesting enough that it somehow managed to keep my attention with the whopping 500 pages it has (for the most part).
On the fabulous elaborations of "for the most part," Anya and her companion (Shea, for the most part) probably spent approximately 300+ pages walking, getting attacked, and avoiding the Constabularies of the Warckum Territory. Then the cycle pretty much repeats itself – no particular pattern. Anya spent approximately 100+ pages being healed before all of that walking, attacking, and avoiding began – perhaps I'll even call it WAA for the fun of it all – does it sound appealing? Probably not.
But somehow, in some way, Kluver managed to keep my attention, despite the fact I don't really "connect" to her writing. Maybe it's the writing style (eh... not really), or perhaps the complexity of her minor characters (Illumina and Shea are certainly complex enough that they're not entirely predictable). Maybe it's just the entire idea behind the book in the first place, though that part is most likely not true.
And then there's Anya. Anya the main character, Anya the Royal Faery of Chrior, and maybe Anya the Hopeless. Anya seems a little stereotypical – or perhaps, more accurately, Anya simply makes quite a few assumptions sometimes that may be hilarious to a little human like me. Certainly not as hilarious as Of Mice and Men, to which I make fun of the book the entire time I'm reading it just so I'm not bored. It's no wonder why I'm called the sarcastic one among my circle of friends.
You know, for a nonhuman who seems to visit the human world as often as possible, you would sort of expect them to not assume all humans can ride horses. Really, I'm not terribly sure how one can be born with a talent like riding horses. Though, oddly enough, that's probably possible. The person would then have to nurture it. But really, humans are not centaurs. For one to be a centaur, we're missing a horse's ass. Pardon my language (and the grotesque image coming soon), but no horse – and certainly no human – would appreciate being cut in half and glued together to become a centaur.
Grotesque image and crude comments aside, Kluver puts us at a sort of a cliffhanger with something Anya discovers about Illumina in the last couple pages in the book. Much as I'm interested in the sequel, I'm not terribly sure I want to continue reading about Anya walking and traveling constantly (and avoiding and being attacked).
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Kluver has all the good things to write a fantastic book – the world building is interesting, the characters are complex (for the most part), and her writing style is interesting enough that it somehow managed to keep my attention with the whopping 500 pages it has (for the most part).
On the fabulous elaborations of "for the most part," Anya and her companion (Shea, for the most part) probably spent approximately 300+ pages walking, getting attacked, and avoiding the Constabularies of the Warckum Territory. Then the cycle pretty much repeats itself – no particular pattern. Anya spent approximately 100+ pages being healed before all of that walking, attacking, and avoiding began – perhaps I'll even call it WAA for the fun of it all – does it sound appealing? Probably not.
But somehow, in some way, Kluver managed to keep my attention, despite the fact I don't really "connect" to her writing. Maybe it's the writing style (eh... not really), or perhaps the complexity of her minor characters (Illumina and Shea are certainly complex enough that they're not entirely predictable). Maybe it's just the entire idea behind the book in the first place, though that part is most likely not true.
And then there's Anya. Anya the main character, Anya the Royal Faery of Chrior, and maybe Anya the Hopeless. Anya seems a little stereotypical – or perhaps, more accurately, Anya simply makes quite a few assumptions sometimes that may be hilarious to a little human like me. Certainly not as hilarious as Of Mice and Men, to which I make fun of the book the entire time I'm reading it just so I'm not bored. It's no wonder why I'm called the sarcastic one among my circle of friends.
"Now, how do I get on this thing?" she asked, taking the reins to her mount from me.
"You don't know?"
"Nope. Not the slightest idea."
"I thought all humans knew how to ride horses."
You know, for a nonhuman who seems to visit the human world as often as possible, you would sort of expect them to not assume all humans can ride horses. Really, I'm not terribly sure how one can be born with a talent like riding horses. Though, oddly enough, that's probably possible. The person would then have to nurture it. But really, humans are not centaurs. For one to be a centaur, we're missing a horse's ass. Pardon my language (and the grotesque image coming soon), but no horse – and certainly no human – would appreciate being cut in half and glued together to become a centaur.
Grotesque image and crude comments aside, Kluver puts us at a sort of a cliffhanger with something Anya discovers about Illumina in the last couple pages in the book. Much as I'm interested in the sequel, I'm not terribly sure I want to continue reading about Anya walking and traveling constantly (and avoiding and being attacked).
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
January 25, 2014
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Holy double betrayal Batman! Damn that ending and Kluver for giving readers just enough information to leave them breathless! Damn having to wait until Hades knows when before the next book in the series is released to find out what Anya will do next. Right now I have several different emotions going through my head. The first one is that Anya didn't deserve any of the shit that was laid at her feet regardless of the situation, or the persons upbringing and past, or the fact that they caused irrevocable harm to Anya's sanity and future by ripping away her wings and leaving her pretty much humanized. My second emotion is that I hope that Anya doesn't waddle into the waters of a 3-way love triangle now that a new player has come into her life.
The Queen's Choice focuses on Sixteen year old Anya, daughter of the Lord of the Law, and betrothed to Fire Fae Davic. The world laid out for readers by Kluver is one in which humans and Fae leaders are trying hard to maintain a peaceful existence after an extremely bloody war left a boundary called the Bloody Road separating humans from Fae and any human attempting to cross over into Faerie, dies. It is a place where Fae go on a Crossing, which is really like the Amish's version of Rumspringa. It is a chance for Fae to discover a whole new world outside of their own and make the choice whether or not to stay in Chrior, or live among the humans.
Anya is a traveler at heart. She loves exploring the human realm of Warckum, and has done so since she was Fourteen. As a member of the Redwood Fae Royalty, she also has responsibilities that come into play after the Queen's choice of announcing a surprising heir to her crown who just happens to be Anya, and not her cousin Illumina who was raised to HATE humans with a passion. There are also rumblings about missing Fae who have gone on the Crossing, but never returned, including Anya's friend Evangeline.
The Queen's Choice is a dark story filled with hardships, trying situations, betrayals from those you would expect better from, and a heroine in Anya who while determined, and gutsy even without her ability to use her Fae abilities as a Water Fae, also makes some head shaking mistakes in her actions, and who she trusts. There IS a bit of romance involved, but at its core, The Queen's Choice is a high fantasy novel that is built upon a world building that saves it from being lacking in quality and depth when it comes to the characters involved. Even though Anya's near future seems dark, there's a long way to go before we get to the ending.
*recvd 12/03/2013 via Netgalley* Expected publication: January 28th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Holy double betrayal Batman! Damn that ending and Kluver for giving readers just enough information to leave them breathless! Damn having to wait until Hades knows when before the next book in the series is released to find out what Anya will do next. Right now I have several different emotions going through my head. The first one is that Anya didn't deserve any of the shit that was laid at her feet regardless of the situation, or the persons upbringing and past, or the fact that they caused irrevocable harm to Anya's sanity and future by ripping away her wings and leaving her pretty much humanized. My second emotion is that I hope that Anya doesn't waddle into the waters of a 3-way love triangle now that a new player has come into her life.
The Queen's Choice focuses on Sixteen year old Anya, daughter of the Lord of the Law, and betrothed to Fire Fae Davic. The world laid out for readers by Kluver is one in which humans and Fae leaders are trying hard to maintain a peaceful existence after an extremely bloody war left a boundary called the Bloody Road separating humans from Fae and any human attempting to cross over into Faerie, dies. It is a place where Fae go on a Crossing, which is really like the Amish's version of Rumspringa. It is a chance for Fae to discover a whole new world outside of their own and make the choice whether or not to stay in Chrior, or live among the humans.
Anya is a traveler at heart. She loves exploring the human realm of Warckum, and has done so since she was Fourteen. As a member of the Redwood Fae Royalty, she also has responsibilities that come into play after the Queen's choice of announcing a surprising heir to her crown who just happens to be Anya, and not her cousin Illumina who was raised to HATE humans with a passion. There are also rumblings about missing Fae who have gone on the Crossing, but never returned, including Anya's friend Evangeline.
The Queen's Choice is a dark story filled with hardships, trying situations, betrayals from those you would expect better from, and a heroine in Anya who while determined, and gutsy even without her ability to use her Fae abilities as a Water Fae, also makes some head shaking mistakes in her actions, and who she trusts. There IS a bit of romance involved, but at its core, The Queen's Choice is a high fantasy novel that is built upon a world building that saves it from being lacking in quality and depth when it comes to the characters involved. Even though Anya's near future seems dark, there's a long way to go before we get to the ending.
*recvd 12/03/2013 via Netgalley* Expected publication: January 28th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
February 20, 2014
That blurb, you guys. That. Blurb. Faeries, royalty, harrowing journey- yes, yes, and yessss (Gollum voice optional). I jumped at the chance to read this. Though I haven’t read any of Cayla Kluver’s previous works, I’ve always heard good things about it so this was a gimme. Unfortunately, the only thing The Queen’s Choice ended up giving me was a mad case of boredom.
The book starts off with a giant info dump in the Faerie land of Chrior, which shall henceforth be known as Dullsville. Every character we met in Chrior was so boooring. The fiance, especially. He was around for all of two minutes before I decided he was a no-go as a romantic lead. He was like a little puppy doing whatever it's told. Not knocking puppies, I love puppies, but I sure as hell don’t date them. Her Aunt, the Queen, tells her that she is dying and that unless her wayward son, Zabriel, will come back and rule Anya is going to be the next Queen. She send’s Anya’s cousin, Illumina, to retrieve him so she can at least see him once more before she dies. But Anya doesn’t trust Illumina to find him and convince him to come back so she decides to sneak away on her own to find him. Usually I’d find the set-up of that stupid on Anya’s part and I did but I was so tired of Chrior that I was like “yay! Let’s leave! Great idea!”. She crosses into the human realm and things get really interesting…for about two minutes.
The writing style of this book was beautiful. Cayla Kluver has an almost lyrical way of describing things and I did appreciate that at first but it was so overdone that it lost its charm long before the halfway point. I love long books but this one desperately needed to be trimmed. They could have easily cut out 100 pages, maybe even 200, and not lost anything important. The pacing was slow and tedious.
The characters were where it really failed for me. Anya is quite possibly one of the most boring narrators I’ve ever read. Her thought process was so flat that I spent the majority of the book wondering why anyone wanted to be around her. Her human traveling companion, Shea, I liked…at first. She at least had some personality. Which was cool until she ended up having multiple personalities. Not medically speaking, I could roll with that. This was like ‘we need this to be said/happen in the plot so Shea do a complete 180 for no apparent reason’. I actually did like Zabriel but by the time we meet him it was way too little way too late to redeem this at all for me.
The ending was strong and rather enticing but not enough to get me to read the next book. There are just too many books and too little time to spend that many pages being bored out of my mind.
The book starts off with a giant info dump in the Faerie land of Chrior, which shall henceforth be known as Dullsville. Every character we met in Chrior was so boooring. The fiance, especially. He was around for all of two minutes before I decided he was a no-go as a romantic lead. He was like a little puppy doing whatever it's told. Not knocking puppies, I love puppies, but I sure as hell don’t date them. Her Aunt, the Queen, tells her that she is dying and that unless her wayward son, Zabriel, will come back and rule Anya is going to be the next Queen. She send’s Anya’s cousin, Illumina, to retrieve him so she can at least see him once more before she dies. But Anya doesn’t trust Illumina to find him and convince him to come back so she decides to sneak away on her own to find him. Usually I’d find the set-up of that stupid on Anya’s part and I did but I was so tired of Chrior that I was like “yay! Let’s leave! Great idea!”. She crosses into the human realm and things get really interesting…for about two minutes.
The writing style of this book was beautiful. Cayla Kluver has an almost lyrical way of describing things and I did appreciate that at first but it was so overdone that it lost its charm long before the halfway point. I love long books but this one desperately needed to be trimmed. They could have easily cut out 100 pages, maybe even 200, and not lost anything important. The pacing was slow and tedious.
The characters were where it really failed for me. Anya is quite possibly one of the most boring narrators I’ve ever read. Her thought process was so flat that I spent the majority of the book wondering why anyone wanted to be around her. Her human traveling companion, Shea, I liked…at first. She at least had some personality. Which was cool until she ended up having multiple personalities. Not medically speaking, I could roll with that. This was like ‘we need this to be said/happen in the plot so Shea do a complete 180 for no apparent reason’. I actually did like Zabriel but by the time we meet him it was way too little way too late to redeem this at all for me.
The ending was strong and rather enticing but not enough to get me to read the next book. There are just too many books and too little time to spend that many pages being bored out of my mind.
November 13, 2015
http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.nl/2...
I’m not sure what is going on, but most of the books I’ve been reading lately are ‘meh’. I was in need of a book to blow me away and I was hoping to find it in The queen’s choice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was looking for. This book ended up being a slow-paced story where almost nothing happens. I never had the feeling I was sucked into the story and I was always looking for more.
The first thing where this book goes wrong for me is the plot. It’s very thin and with the sickening slow pace, it’s not the most exciting tale. With a magical place where the fey live next to our land, the search for a lost prince and the hunt on fairies, I was hoping to get something more interesting. The world-building was definitely good, but the promise failed to deliver.
Anya, who is chosen to be the heir after the announcement that the Queen will die soon, loses her wings when she ventures into the human world. She hopes to find the prince before her cousin, Illumina, does. She teams up with a human girl called Mary and this is where all the problems start. Her time in Chrior was good, but things went downhill in our land. The two of them definitely know how to get into difficult situations, but I never felt any tension or excitement. Things just happened, they fixed it and they moved on. There was never a climax and with 512 pages, I would have expected more.
The next problem is my disconnection with any of the characters. I liked some, but I don’t have the idea I know them. Illumina was by far the most fascinating, with her desire to carve things into her body and her weird, almost crazy way of thinking. Anya isn’t a bad character either. She is strong and I like how determined she is. At the same time, she is a bit too rash and jumps easily into dangerous situations. Her sidekick Mary/Shae was okay. She has her way with words and I like that she did everything to protect her family.
I want to give credits for the fact that Kluver stayed away from any fairy cliches and that there is hardly any romance. Anya is already in a relationship and her tension for a human guy was a nice addition. It would have been much better with less pages and more engaging developments. The ending provided a twist and combined with the good writing-style, it might be enough to make me read the next installment.
I’m not sure what is going on, but most of the books I’ve been reading lately are ‘meh’. I was in need of a book to blow me away and I was hoping to find it in The queen’s choice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was looking for. This book ended up being a slow-paced story where almost nothing happens. I never had the feeling I was sucked into the story and I was always looking for more.
The first thing where this book goes wrong for me is the plot. It’s very thin and with the sickening slow pace, it’s not the most exciting tale. With a magical place where the fey live next to our land, the search for a lost prince and the hunt on fairies, I was hoping to get something more interesting. The world-building was definitely good, but the promise failed to deliver.
Anya, who is chosen to be the heir after the announcement that the Queen will die soon, loses her wings when she ventures into the human world. She hopes to find the prince before her cousin, Illumina, does. She teams up with a human girl called Mary and this is where all the problems start. Her time in Chrior was good, but things went downhill in our land. The two of them definitely know how to get into difficult situations, but I never felt any tension or excitement. Things just happened, they fixed it and they moved on. There was never a climax and with 512 pages, I would have expected more.
The next problem is my disconnection with any of the characters. I liked some, but I don’t have the idea I know them. Illumina was by far the most fascinating, with her desire to carve things into her body and her weird, almost crazy way of thinking. Anya isn’t a bad character either. She is strong and I like how determined she is. At the same time, she is a bit too rash and jumps easily into dangerous situations. Her sidekick Mary/Shae was okay. She has her way with words and I like that she did everything to protect her family.
I want to give credits for the fact that Kluver stayed away from any fairy cliches and that there is hardly any romance. Anya is already in a relationship and her tension for a human guy was a nice addition. It would have been much better with less pages and more engaging developments. The ending provided a twist and combined with the good writing-style, it might be enough to make me read the next installment.
February 12, 2014
It's taken me ages to get through this one, not because it wasn't enjoyable but entirely because its really hard to read a paperback with a one-month-old baby xD I really enjoyed this story but it ended on a less-than-dramatic cliffhanger.
Full review:
Anya is a member of the Faerie royal family of Chrior, a kingdom cut off from the human world. After being named as the heir to the kingdom, Anya decides to leave behind her safe haven and travel into the human lands to find her cousins, both of whom have gone missing. Her journey seems doomed from the start when she encounters a terrible threat as soon as she leaves Chrior – Fae Hunters.
Often dark, this story is essentially about a long journey in which Anya is not only searching for her cousins, but for her own identity and place in the world. Anya and her companions essentially travel from one captivity to the next, thinking they are being secretive but really being rather obvious. There are a lot of details in descriptions and the journeying itself which does slow the pace a lot. I’m fairly sure it could have been told in a lot less than the 500 pages it ended up with!
Despite its length, this is a very well-written story with great action sequences and some very interesting characters – for example, the dark, tortured Illumina and the sassy Shea. There were quite a few characters that had excellent grey alignments – you’re never quite sure who’s side they’re on. I enjoyed reading about all them even if Anya did spend a lot of the book feeling terribly sorry for herself (and who wouldn’t, in her situation?).
Overall, this story reminded me of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling – kick-arse ladies, arduous journeys and interesting magic systems. There are plenty of questions still to be answered at the end of this first book. What was Shea’s father making that caused him to be outlawed? What happened to Zabriel during his exile? And Illumina… well, spoilers. I’ll be looking forward to the next book!
This review was originally posted on Tea in the Treetops blog in February 2014.
Full review:
Anya is a member of the Faerie royal family of Chrior, a kingdom cut off from the human world. After being named as the heir to the kingdom, Anya decides to leave behind her safe haven and travel into the human lands to find her cousins, both of whom have gone missing. Her journey seems doomed from the start when she encounters a terrible threat as soon as she leaves Chrior – Fae Hunters.
Often dark, this story is essentially about a long journey in which Anya is not only searching for her cousins, but for her own identity and place in the world. Anya and her companions essentially travel from one captivity to the next, thinking they are being secretive but really being rather obvious. There are a lot of details in descriptions and the journeying itself which does slow the pace a lot. I’m fairly sure it could have been told in a lot less than the 500 pages it ended up with!
Despite its length, this is a very well-written story with great action sequences and some very interesting characters – for example, the dark, tortured Illumina and the sassy Shea. There were quite a few characters that had excellent grey alignments – you’re never quite sure who’s side they’re on. I enjoyed reading about all them even if Anya did spend a lot of the book feeling terribly sorry for herself (and who wouldn’t, in her situation?).
Overall, this story reminded me of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling – kick-arse ladies, arduous journeys and interesting magic systems. There are plenty of questions still to be answered at the end of this first book. What was Shea’s father making that caused him to be outlawed? What happened to Zabriel during his exile? And Illumina… well, spoilers. I’ll be looking forward to the next book!
This review was originally posted on Tea in the Treetops blog in February 2014.
December 27, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Harlequin TEEN and Netgalley.)
Anya is a faerie, and her auntie the queen. Her cousin Illumina is unfit to be next in line for the throne, and her cousin Zabriel is missing.
When her aunt confides in her that she is dying, and that she wants her to take the throne when she dies, Anya knows that she must journey to the human world to try and find her half-fae, half human cousin Zabriel.
Where is Zabriel? And can Anya find him before her aunt dies?
This book started off strong, but I lost interest a bit in the middle. The ending was quite interesting though.
I liked Anya, and I liked her strength. I liked how she both did what she wanted, and thought of those around her, she certainly did have a bit of a weak spot when it came to her boyfriend. She did surprise me at times though, firstly when she wasn’t all that grateful for a gift she was given, and secondly when she admitted that she wouldn’t have been sad over the death of a fairly close relative. I did like her overall, but I also got tired of her.
I liked the storyline, and I really felt sorry for Anya after what happened to her. The story started to drag from the mid-point really though, and I just ended up wondering if it was ever going to end. The part of the storyline concerning Zabriel was probably the worst part of the story, as it seemed like they were never going to find him.
Thankfully the story picked up at the end, and I did end this story wanting to know what happened in the next book. More than anything though I decided that this story was a bit slow, and I wondered whether everything in this really needed to be in there. I thought that more could have been achieved in the 500+ pages than actually happened, and am now kind of aggrieved that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
Overall; I liked the story, but did find it slow in places.
8 out of 10.
Anya is a faerie, and her auntie the queen. Her cousin Illumina is unfit to be next in line for the throne, and her cousin Zabriel is missing.
When her aunt confides in her that she is dying, and that she wants her to take the throne when she dies, Anya knows that she must journey to the human world to try and find her half-fae, half human cousin Zabriel.
Where is Zabriel? And can Anya find him before her aunt dies?
This book started off strong, but I lost interest a bit in the middle. The ending was quite interesting though.
I liked Anya, and I liked her strength. I liked how she both did what she wanted, and thought of those around her, she certainly did have a bit of a weak spot when it came to her boyfriend. She did surprise me at times though, firstly when she wasn’t all that grateful for a gift she was given, and secondly when she admitted that she wouldn’t have been sad over the death of a fairly close relative. I did like her overall, but I also got tired of her.
I liked the storyline, and I really felt sorry for Anya after what happened to her. The story started to drag from the mid-point really though, and I just ended up wondering if it was ever going to end. The part of the storyline concerning Zabriel was probably the worst part of the story, as it seemed like they were never going to find him.
Thankfully the story picked up at the end, and I did end this story wanting to know what happened in the next book. More than anything though I decided that this story was a bit slow, and I wondered whether everything in this really needed to be in there. I thought that more could have been achieved in the 500+ pages than actually happened, and am now kind of aggrieved that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
Overall; I liked the story, but did find it slow in places.
8 out of 10.
December 28, 2013
The Queen's Choice is a solid, lengthy exploit of Anya's exploration of the political mechanizations of the fairy and human worlds.
Anya discovers her Aunt, the Queen of the Fairies is soon to pass. Secretly taking on the task to find her long lost cousin and ½ human son of the Queen (the heir), Anya travels into the human world only to face overdoses, poverty, and danger at every turn. I have to admit Anya is resilient with the numerous tragedies that she faces yet she still keeps going.
The story is dark, the characters are extremely complicated with shadowy choices and hardships. The line between right and wrong are blurred with intrigue and betrayal at every turn. I did find the story a little slow going but it does pick up toward the end, which ends in a spine tingling cliff hanger. The Queen's Choice is a great start to a promising new series.
I received this ARC copy of The Queen's Choice from Harlequin TEEN in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication January 28, 2014.
Written by: Cayla Kluver
Series: Heirs of Chrior
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Page Count: 512 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
ISBN-10: 0373210922
ISBN-13: 978-0373210923
Rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Anya discovers her Aunt, the Queen of the Fairies is soon to pass. Secretly taking on the task to find her long lost cousin and ½ human son of the Queen (the heir), Anya travels into the human world only to face overdoses, poverty, and danger at every turn. I have to admit Anya is resilient with the numerous tragedies that she faces yet she still keeps going.
The story is dark, the characters are extremely complicated with shadowy choices and hardships. The line between right and wrong are blurred with intrigue and betrayal at every turn. I did find the story a little slow going but it does pick up toward the end, which ends in a spine tingling cliff hanger. The Queen's Choice is a great start to a promising new series.
I received this ARC copy of The Queen's Choice from Harlequin TEEN in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication January 28, 2014.
Written by: Cayla Kluver
Series: Heirs of Chrior
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Page Count: 512 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
ISBN-10: 0373210922
ISBN-13: 978-0373210923
Rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
October 15, 2014
This book was hard for me to get through. It goes at a crawling pace with not a whole lot of interesting things happening. But I'm one of those people who need to finish a book they start so I finished this one. And it did get better, but it took till about page 350. Then things stared heating up.
I had some problems with the characters. Anya just wasn't my cup of tea. She wasn't horrible or unbearable, but I wasn't that emotionally invested in her. Shea was annoying throughout. She just always rubbed me the wrong way. Illimina was interesting. I still don't understand her. She keeps me guessing. I'm extremely glad Davic was barely in it because I despised him from the page he appeared. He probably be in the second book a lot more unfortunately :(
One of the driving reasons I kept reading was because I kept hearing about this awesome and interesting cousin, Zabriel. I NEEDED to actually see him. But why oh why does he show up in the book so late?! I barely even got anytime to know him or anything. Still, he's my favorite character for sure.
I HATED how Anya was around Tom. She automatically trusts him and can't think him capable of anything wrong for more than .1 seconds. And I'm seriously not feeling her connection with Davic. She's already attracted to another man. And close to the end of the book? You know the part I'm talking about if you read it, I was like, seriously?! That's how you react to that?! It was weird and frustrating.
I did enjoy all the politics and cultural details. It seems like a real world so good job on that.
I've got to say though, the very end made me gasp and definitely surprised me.
It wasn't a bad book and there were things I really liked, but go into it knowing its slow. I might read the rest of the series, but it won't be close to the top of my list.
I had some problems with the characters. Anya just wasn't my cup of tea. She wasn't horrible or unbearable, but I wasn't that emotionally invested in her. Shea was annoying throughout. She just always rubbed me the wrong way. Illimina was interesting. I still don't understand her. She keeps me guessing. I'm extremely glad Davic was barely in it because I despised him from the page he appeared. He probably be in the second book a lot more unfortunately :(
One of the driving reasons I kept reading was because I kept hearing about this awesome and interesting cousin, Zabriel. I NEEDED to actually see him. But why oh why does he show up in the book so late?! I barely even got anytime to know him or anything. Still, he's my favorite character for sure.
I HATED how Anya was around Tom. She automatically trusts him and can't think him capable of anything wrong for more than .1 seconds. And I'm seriously not feeling her connection with Davic. She's already attracted to another man. And close to the end of the book? You know the part I'm talking about if you read it, I was like, seriously?! That's how you react to that?! It was weird and frustrating.
I did enjoy all the politics and cultural details. It seems like a real world so good job on that.
I've got to say though, the very end made me gasp and definitely surprised me.
It wasn't a bad book and there were things I really liked, but go into it knowing its slow. I might read the rest of the series, but it won't be close to the top of my list.
December 8, 2013
I was a bit sceptical when I received this book, as it didn't seem as interesting as the others that I had, however I was wrong.
My expectations were quite off, as right now I am in pain because I really want to read the sequel!
Reasons I enjoyed the book:
- A very original plot. I've said this a few times, but I think that this may be the only time I actually mean it. I would never have thought of this plot, and so much planning must have gone into this, as there is so much detail in a topic that is barely written about.
- The characters. They are REAL. I mean it. One character (I won't name him/her) is so realistic that they do something unpredictable, like most humans do, and betray someone close to them. I think the genuine portrayal of how some people come to realise that right and wrong isn't as black and white as they would like, however this just contributes to me (and most likely others) being able to relate to characters.
- The book was very well written. I have nothing else to say on this point.
- Emotional. This book was very good at making the reader feel sympathy, sadness, happiness, guilt, every emotion, without coming across to strong. It just felt natural, and the emotional aspect was genuine.
Overall, I would definitely recommend the book as it was great, and I don't actually have an adjective that will do the book justice.
However, the only thing stopping me from giving 5 stars was the lack of oomph. The book was undeniably great and worthy of 4 stars, however I don't feel like it is quite up to 5 stars yet.
My expectations were quite off, as right now I am in pain because I really want to read the sequel!
Reasons I enjoyed the book:
- A very original plot. I've said this a few times, but I think that this may be the only time I actually mean it. I would never have thought of this plot, and so much planning must have gone into this, as there is so much detail in a topic that is barely written about.
- The characters. They are REAL. I mean it. One character (I won't name him/her) is so realistic that they do something unpredictable, like most humans do, and betray someone close to them. I think the genuine portrayal of how some people come to realise that right and wrong isn't as black and white as they would like, however this just contributes to me (and most likely others) being able to relate to characters.
- The book was very well written. I have nothing else to say on this point.
- Emotional. This book was very good at making the reader feel sympathy, sadness, happiness, guilt, every emotion, without coming across to strong. It just felt natural, and the emotional aspect was genuine.
Overall, I would definitely recommend the book as it was great, and I don't actually have an adjective that will do the book justice.
However, the only thing stopping me from giving 5 stars was the lack of oomph. The book was undeniably great and worthy of 4 stars, however I don't feel like it is quite up to 5 stars yet.
November 21, 2014
3.5 Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/05/t...
The Queen's Choice isn't my usual read, I tend not to delve into Fantasy books featuring faires, or Fae as they're known, but I quite enjoyed this one. More adventure than fantasy, it tells the story of Anya who although lives within the hidden forest, she wants nothing more than to travel to human settlements, much to the annoyance of her father who wants to keep her safe and her beloved Davic, who is happy to settle in the Redwood and begin their lives together. He's just one of many who choose to hide from the real world, with Hunters looking for the highly sort after Fae wings.
But the storyline dragged on a little too much, with several chapters falling flat which probably could have been condensed. At five hundred pages, unless you dint mind lengthy sagas, it might become a little tedious. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but it lacked emotion. I felt disconnected to the majority of the characters, apart from mortal Shea who Anya befriends. Although she's more drunken harlot than responsible travelling companion at times. If you're looking for an epic fantasy, this isn't it, but a slow world building action adventure, then give it a go.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/05/t...
The Queen's Choice isn't my usual read, I tend not to delve into Fantasy books featuring faires, or Fae as they're known, but I quite enjoyed this one. More adventure than fantasy, it tells the story of Anya who although lives within the hidden forest, she wants nothing more than to travel to human settlements, much to the annoyance of her father who wants to keep her safe and her beloved Davic, who is happy to settle in the Redwood and begin their lives together. He's just one of many who choose to hide from the real world, with Hunters looking for the highly sort after Fae wings.
But the storyline dragged on a little too much, with several chapters falling flat which probably could have been condensed. At five hundred pages, unless you dint mind lengthy sagas, it might become a little tedious. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but it lacked emotion. I felt disconnected to the majority of the characters, apart from mortal Shea who Anya befriends. Although she's more drunken harlot than responsible travelling companion at times. If you're looking for an epic fantasy, this isn't it, but a slow world building action adventure, then give it a go.
January 24, 2014
While there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with this book, I simply wasn't so much a fan of it. Sadly. And the authors other YA series was the same rating for me I was excited about this one. It seemed interesting. Sadly it just didn't do it for me...
Honestly I can't see why anyone would not like this book because to a certain extent it's still very well-written, a little too detailed for me but personally for me and I had a hard time really get into this one and connecting with the characters. This had a great concept and had some things going for it, I just could bring myself to care about the story and it's characters. Now one things that is refreshing is the fact that it's more story than romance, the world-building was good even though a bit tedious. I just couldn't...get...into it.
Overall, while I liked the concept the book had going for it, but I couldn't connect and it took me forever to get through.
Honestly I can't see why anyone would not like this book because to a certain extent it's still very well-written, a little too detailed for me but personally for me and I had a hard time really get into this one and connecting with the characters. This had a great concept and had some things going for it, I just could bring myself to care about the story and it's characters. Now one things that is refreshing is the fact that it's more story than romance, the world-building was good even though a bit tedious. I just couldn't...get...into it.
Overall, while I liked the concept the book had going for it, but I couldn't connect and it took me forever to get through.
August 10, 2016
I really liked this book! It wasn't your average faerie book and I really liked the narrative style. The ending was great and I loved Zabriel as a character (Though I have a soft spot for all bad boys). The ending got me as well, although I kinda saw it coming. For 16, Anya is very mature but I guess it's because of her upbringing. Definitely excited for the second installment!
September 30, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/uncatego...
The book is interesting, and once you get past the first few chapters (it starts out okay, but turns boring rather quickly), make it through half of the book, and all the heaps of world building, then the story picks up. Unfortunately it waits too long for that moment, so while it’s an okay read, it’s nothing special. The world building intrigued me though, so I may have to pick up the sequel.
The book is interesting, and once you get past the first few chapters (it starts out okay, but turns boring rather quickly), make it through half of the book, and all the heaps of world building, then the story picks up. Unfortunately it waits too long for that moment, so while it’s an okay read, it’s nothing special. The world building intrigued me though, so I may have to pick up the sequel.
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