Fairy tale "lite" is disappointing..., The premise of the story -- two kingdoms at war for years. Why? Their societies and way of life is different. So? Despite the setup, the whole book seemed to be totally focused on Alera and whom she would marry. And something about a prophecy and legend. Funny, there wasn't a lot of detail about all that -- just mostly angst and longing vs duty and responsibility.
I didn't find any of the characters interesting or likable. Alera, the Princess and heir of the kingdom of Hytanica, seemed quite immature and definitely not regal in any sense of the word. She was probably supposed to be appealing as headstrong and independent but I found her whiny and irritating. The cliche of egotistical handsome suitor, the character Steldor, was completely predictable. Narian honestly seemed like an impudent, disrespectful jerk to me instead of an appealing mysterious stranger who Alera falls for and longs to marry instead of Steldor, the man her father has chosen. The King seems like a wimp and frankly, I wasn't that interested in any of the rest of them either.
I have read that this is categorized as fantasy, but only in the sense that this is a fictitious kingdom in an unknown land at some unknown point in time - likely medieval. There's no magic or fantastical creatures, etc., typical of the genre.
Teen girls might enjoy this but will likely be bored by the excessive minutiae concerning food, fashion, the layout of the castle and grounds, and many other unimportant bits of prose that lengthen the book rather than strengthen the tale. This novel is what I would call fairy tale "lite" and I won't be rushing to read Allegiance -- the second book in the series.
The author is just 16 so perhaps her writing will improve as she matures. This book would also benefit from some serious editing!
Ms C.
