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Vampire Royals #1
The Pageant
Who's the fairest of them all?
Young women from every settlement in the land are being handpicked to enter The Pageant, a contest reminiscent of Miss Universe from the old days. Gwyneth West's social-climbing mother wants her to compete, but Gwyn isn't so sure...
The Pageant is government-sponsored. If you're lucky enough to be chosen, participation is mandatory. Aggressive competition is allowed, even encouraged.
And then there's the prize... Dallas Black, otherwise known as The Dark Prince, will propose to the winner. Dallas is the son of King Black, who won the last world war and governs the new settlements. The Royal Family is mysterious. Rumor has it they don't sleep. Rumor has it they eschew the sun. Rumor has it they're immortal.
When Gwyn is thrust into The Pageant, she fights to survive the competitive nature of the other contestants. But even if she wins...can she survive a vampire fiancé?
Young women from every settlement in the land are being handpicked to enter The Pageant, a contest reminiscent of Miss Universe from the old days. Gwyneth West's social-climbing mother wants her to compete, but Gwyn isn't so sure...
The Pageant is government-sponsored. If you're lucky enough to be chosen, participation is mandatory. Aggressive competition is allowed, even encouraged.
And then there's the prize... Dallas Black, otherwise known as The Dark Prince, will propose to the winner. Dallas is the son of King Black, who won the last world war and governs the new settlements. The Royal Family is mysterious. Rumor has it they don't sleep. Rumor has it they eschew the sun. Rumor has it they're immortal.
When Gwyn is thrust into The Pageant, she fights to survive the competitive nature of the other contestants. But even if she wins...can she survive a vampire fiancé?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2024
2296 people are currently reading
2341 people want to read
About the author
Leigh Walker
25 books255 followersLeigh Walker lives on the gorgeous coast of Maine with her awesome husband, their beautiful kids, and her BFF, Choco the chocolate lab. Her smash-hit series Vampire Royals was previously optioned by Netflix. Leigh also writes Billionaire Romance as USA Today and Amazon Top-Ten Bestselling Author Leigh James. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Portuguese.
Outside of writing and family, her interests include maintaining a sense of humor, reading, sucking at golf, and lifting weights.
www.leighwalkerbooks.com
Outside of writing and family, her interests include maintaining a sense of humor, reading, sucking at golf, and lifting weights.
www.leighwalkerbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
March 21, 2019
This was great
This was great, on the same idea as the Selection except a shorter supernatural version. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to starting the next book, right now.
This was great, on the same idea as the Selection except a shorter supernatural version. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to starting the next book, right now.
June 20, 2018
You can also find my review here:https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
I requested a review copy of this title for a few reasons, it was compared to The Selection by Kiera Cass and it is also about vampires. When I got the review copy I realized that Leigh Walker also wrote Premonition which I read and reviewed around the time that I first read my blog. I look back on my review of Premonition, which was Leigh Walker's debut novel, and I remember that I enjoyed the novel, but it was just okay. I do remember that the writing captured me emotionally, so going into this book I was hopeful.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Leigh Walker has made a lot of progress since she wrote her first novel. This did remind me a lot of The Selection by Kiera Cass, if you enjoyed that book you will like this one. They are different, but similar in some ways. This book has vampires and the dates the girls have with the prince are televised kind of in the style of The Bachelor. Another similarity to The Selection is that this book felt like it was cut a little short. Only the first two rounds of the pageant occur throughout the novel leaving you needing the next book.
The characters were done well. I like Gwyn and Dallas, but my favorite character was Eve. Eve it is so outspoken and bold. I actually really enjoyed the romance also, when typically that isn't my favorite part of novels. It was so sweet and I like that Gwyn got jealous because she liked the prince so much. The romance was adorable and I hope to see more of it in the next book.
I really want to read the rest of this series. I was completely captivated and read this book really fast. In comparison to Leigh Walker's first book, this book is leagues better. Clearly her experience writing her first series helped her become a better writer for this one. You can find my review of Premonition here, in case you want to see how vastly my opinions are on the first books of her two series.
I requested a review copy of this title for a few reasons, it was compared to The Selection by Kiera Cass and it is also about vampires. When I got the review copy I realized that Leigh Walker also wrote Premonition which I read and reviewed around the time that I first read my blog. I look back on my review of Premonition, which was Leigh Walker's debut novel, and I remember that I enjoyed the novel, but it was just okay. I do remember that the writing captured me emotionally, so going into this book I was hopeful.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Leigh Walker has made a lot of progress since she wrote her first novel. This did remind me a lot of The Selection by Kiera Cass, if you enjoyed that book you will like this one. They are different, but similar in some ways. This book has vampires and the dates the girls have with the prince are televised kind of in the style of The Bachelor. Another similarity to The Selection is that this book felt like it was cut a little short. Only the first two rounds of the pageant occur throughout the novel leaving you needing the next book.
The characters were done well. I like Gwyn and Dallas, but my favorite character was Eve. Eve it is so outspoken and bold. I actually really enjoyed the romance also, when typically that isn't my favorite part of novels. It was so sweet and I like that Gwyn got jealous because she liked the prince so much. The romance was adorable and I hope to see more of it in the next book.
I really want to read the rest of this series. I was completely captivated and read this book really fast. In comparison to Leigh Walker's first book, this book is leagues better. Clearly her experience writing her first series helped her become a better writer for this one. You can find my review of Premonition here, in case you want to see how vastly my opinions are on the first books of her two series.
October 10, 2018
I saw this described as The Selection with vampires. I admit there was chance I could have liked this.
I didn't though. Very, very bland characters. Extremely lame dialogue. Boring.
I didn't though. Very, very bland characters. Extremely lame dialogue. Boring.
Want to read
August 21, 2019I'm going to leave this on my to-read shelf, even though I'm dnfing . . . for now. I'm at just over a third through when I just fell out of the mood. Which is a shame because I was enjoying it. It's really weird because it's like Walker just threw in every possible YA Sci-Fi subgenre and stirred until something happened. I mean, you have reality show contest, post-apocalypse, vampire, and throw in some hunger-games political sectioning just for fun. And it somehow actually worked! Or, at least, it was working for me. Some of that is that I like the heroine, mostly (except for a fortunately-brief stint of TSTL that frustrated me greatly) and that there seems to be some interesting background dynamics in play and I'm intrigued by the royal family and what might be motivating the prince's drive for wanting national unity. There are some bumps in the dark there that hint at something deeper happening and I'm eager to know more. Only in the abstract way of "if I'm ever back in the mood to finish this"...
August 11, 2020
2 Super Disappointed Stars
A story with vampires, a rebellion and a somewhat dystopian society sounded right up my alley. Sadly
this really wasn't what I expected - danger, action, tension and passion didn't simmer off the pages.
No desire to follow-up with book 2.
Freebie on amazon.
A story with vampires, a rebellion and a somewhat dystopian society sounded right up my alley. Sadly
this really wasn't what I expected - danger, action, tension and passion didn't simmer off the pages.
No desire to follow-up with book 2.
Freebie on amazon.
November 16, 2019
Basically The Selection series, but with vampires, so....
June 1, 2021
This is very much The Selection but with vampires; the plots are even really similar down to a lot of the same details and story beats. The major change between the two books (aside from the vampire thing) is that Gwyn, unlike America, has no lingering love interest back home, so there's no love triangle presented as an obstacle to Gwyn and Dallas having a relationship.
Like in The Selection, our setting is the U.S. remade after war, wherein a royal family has sprung up as the ruling body and for political reasons, the prince's bride will come from the "settlements" (i.e. what we're calling the areas in which humans reside) to help appease relations between "the Northerners" (the vampires) and "the settlers" (humans) that's broadcast on TV with girls from all the various settlements having been chosen as potential brides.
Although not widely known, there exist rumors about the royal family and Gwyn is quickly made aware of their truth the night she arrives and her new friend, Eve, is attacked by the queen, who reveals herself to be a vampire. Gwyn wants to win for her family's sake (and is very pressured by her mother to do so) and she finds the prince strangely kind and amiable, but she remains hesitant about vampires and when rebels attack the palace, she finds herself conflicted from trying to understand the politics. The major crux of the plot involves Gwyn trying to understand who the true antagonists are (vampires or rebels) and understanding her own heart.
I will say that, unlike The Selection, this book doesn't focus all that much on the inner conflict of the girls or on the television aspect, preferring instead to stay mostly on Gwyn and her interactions with the prince and how she's handling all the new information she's exposed to, like the fact that not all rebels are good and not all vampires are evil. I imagine Gwyn's brother and father will become an important plot point in future books and that we'll get a greater glimpse into things on that side of the plot.
The world building, to me, was really scant.
We're told a war has happened and that the Northerers reportedly "came down" and ended it to "save the settlements" but, what caused the war? Who were the sides involved? Where exactly is "the North"? Canada? I don't know if the author assumed we'd just sort of fill in the blanks or if the lack of history and world building is to try to separate this from The Selection, seeing as it hits so many of the same plot points, but I feel like a paragraph giving us at least a rudimentary explanation about why the war happened and how the settlements happened and all that would have been nice before immediately pushing us into the bride-picking stuff. It wasn't as bad with The Selection because the world had ended long before America was around to know a different life, but Gwyn was a normal kid just a few years prior to the events of the book, so all this stuff seems... relevant. Like her brother and father are still gone, there's a new government regime, how did that HAPPEN just a handful of years prior?
And if there was an explanation it was literally 1 short, inconsequential sentence because I scanned through trying to find it and didn't. World building shouldn't boil down to so little.
I also feel like the blurb is misleading "aggressive competition is encouraged" sounds like it would be cutthroat with girls attacking and framing other girls, but they like... take etiquette lessons and exchange a few barbed comments. The Selection was way more cutthroat in comparison. I was actually anticipating girls getting downright violence and deceptive and awful, but the worst thing that happens is Tamara goes "The prince told me he thinks you're annoying!"
Uhm... okay?
All in all, this is a simplistic, direct story that was produced from the idea of matching The Selection with vampires. It was a very easy read and the writing is decent, but it didn't do anything special for me. There's no emotional punch to it and it went a lot lighter and simpler on everything than I would have liked.
It's definitely a YA book though because there's just hand holding and talking and blushing but no mentions of lust or even a kiss between the leads. I think the most sexual thing was Dallas telling Gwyn that she smelled really appetizing and Gwyn thinking to herself that Dallas smelled really good, too.
I'll try out book #2, but my bar is pretty low. Like this is a serviceable YA book, especially if The Selection was your jam and you like vampires, but it wasn't really anything engaging or special in my book. It's like a 2.5-3 I guess?
Also, the normal price for this title is, again, ridiculous. This is a 99 cent read. Borrow it or wait for a sale or look for a different read. It's barely 200 pages and 7% of the book is just a sample of the next book. $4 USD is absolutely overpriced.
I recieved an ARC copy of this title from NetGalley and I borrowed a finalized copy from Amazon via Kindle Unlimited but none of this affects my opinion for better or worse
Like in The Selection, our setting is the U.S. remade after war, wherein a royal family has sprung up as the ruling body and for political reasons, the prince's bride will come from the "settlements" (i.e. what we're calling the areas in which humans reside) to help appease relations between "the Northerners" (the vampires) and "the settlers" (humans) that's broadcast on TV with girls from all the various settlements having been chosen as potential brides.
Although not widely known, there exist rumors about the royal family and Gwyn is quickly made aware of their truth the night she arrives and her new friend, Eve, is attacked by the queen, who reveals herself to be a vampire. Gwyn wants to win for her family's sake (and is very pressured by her mother to do so) and she finds the prince strangely kind and amiable, but she remains hesitant about vampires and when rebels attack the palace, she finds herself conflicted from trying to understand the politics. The major crux of the plot involves Gwyn trying to understand who the true antagonists are (vampires or rebels) and understanding her own heart.
I will say that, unlike The Selection, this book doesn't focus all that much on the inner conflict of the girls or on the television aspect, preferring instead to stay mostly on Gwyn and her interactions with the prince and how she's handling all the new information she's exposed to, like the fact that not all rebels are good and not all vampires are evil. I imagine Gwyn's brother and father will become an important plot point in future books and that we'll get a greater glimpse into things on that side of the plot.
The world building, to me, was really scant.
We're told a war has happened and that the Northerers reportedly "came down" and ended it to "save the settlements" but, what caused the war? Who were the sides involved? Where exactly is "the North"? Canada? I don't know if the author assumed we'd just sort of fill in the blanks or if the lack of history and world building is to try to separate this from The Selection, seeing as it hits so many of the same plot points, but I feel like a paragraph giving us at least a rudimentary explanation about why the war happened and how the settlements happened and all that would have been nice before immediately pushing us into the bride-picking stuff. It wasn't as bad with The Selection because the world had ended long before America was around to know a different life, but Gwyn was a normal kid just a few years prior to the events of the book, so all this stuff seems... relevant. Like her brother and father are still gone, there's a new government regime, how did that HAPPEN just a handful of years prior?
And if there was an explanation it was literally 1 short, inconsequential sentence because I scanned through trying to find it and didn't. World building shouldn't boil down to so little.
I also feel like the blurb is misleading "aggressive competition is encouraged" sounds like it would be cutthroat with girls attacking and framing other girls, but they like... take etiquette lessons and exchange a few barbed comments. The Selection was way more cutthroat in comparison. I was actually anticipating girls getting downright violence and deceptive and awful, but the worst thing that happens is Tamara goes "The prince told me he thinks you're annoying!"
Uhm... okay?
All in all, this is a simplistic, direct story that was produced from the idea of matching The Selection with vampires. It was a very easy read and the writing is decent, but it didn't do anything special for me. There's no emotional punch to it and it went a lot lighter and simpler on everything than I would have liked.
It's definitely a YA book though because there's just hand holding and talking and blushing but no mentions of lust or even a kiss between the leads. I think the most sexual thing was Dallas telling Gwyn that she smelled really appetizing and Gwyn thinking to herself that Dallas smelled really good, too.
I'll try out book #2, but my bar is pretty low. Like this is a serviceable YA book, especially if The Selection was your jam and you like vampires, but it wasn't really anything engaging or special in my book. It's like a 2.5-3 I guess?
Also, the normal price for this title is, again, ridiculous. This is a 99 cent read. Borrow it or wait for a sale or look for a different read. It's barely 200 pages and 7% of the book is just a sample of the next book. $4 USD is absolutely overpriced.
I recieved an ARC copy of this title from NetGalley and I borrowed a finalized copy from Amazon via Kindle Unlimited but none of this affects my opinion for better or worse
October 10, 2018
You have no idea how long I have been searching for THIS story. I've been leaving posts and stories up on my bookstagram asking and begging for another story similar to The Selection. I have been having Selection withdrawals and this book seriously couldn't have come at a more convenient time. I loved everything about this story. At first I was slightly hesitant about the vampire factor since vampires seem to be overdone and a little redundant but Walker does vampires perfectly for this story. They were not over the top yet brought a fun, creepy, paranormal vibe to this dystopian book. This book definitely has a lot of parallels to the Selection which I couldn't have been happier for. I actually really enjoyed the way the author built this world and explained why the Northerners are now ruling the kingdom and why it is important for Gwyn to participate in this competition. Gwyn is strong-willed, sarcastic and smart despite being sheltered from certain realities. She also knows when to keep her mouth shut around blood-sucking villains. The love interest, Prince Dallas Black, is extremely nice, caring and open-minded to humans despite his race. I can't wait to dive into book two... I need it ASAP! I can't wait to see more of the competition, more rebels and more evil crazy vamps. Not to mention I want more of a certain Dark Prince.
September 1, 2018
This book in one sentence: The Selection + Red Queen + Vampires
My rating: ⭐⭐
Steaminess: 1/2 🌶️
My recommendation: This book just feels like a bunch of other YA books mashed together, with the result feeling like a faded photocopy of other stories. The heroine is so bland, it's really hard to understand at all what forms the insta-attraction between her and the vampire prince. She's not particularly smart, she's pretty, but not the prettiest, she's a little snarky, but not too snarkiest, she's nice, but not that nice, and she's generally super naive. The political side of the story had a lot of potential, but ended up being a very simple dystopia/colonization monarchy that doesn't really make sense in it's execution. Not a whole lot happens in the first book, and maybe the story picks up and becomes more complex in the next book, but won't continue reading.
Tropes: instalove, falling for the enemy, cinderella story, vampire overlords
My rating: ⭐⭐
Steaminess: 1/2 🌶️
My recommendation: This book just feels like a bunch of other YA books mashed together, with the result feeling like a faded photocopy of other stories. The heroine is so bland, it's really hard to understand at all what forms the insta-attraction between her and the vampire prince. She's not particularly smart, she's pretty, but not the prettiest, she's a little snarky, but not too snarkiest, she's nice, but not that nice, and she's generally super naive. The political side of the story had a lot of potential, but ended up being a very simple dystopia/colonization monarchy that doesn't really make sense in it's execution. Not a whole lot happens in the first book, and maybe the story picks up and becomes more complex in the next book, but won't continue reading.
Tropes: instalove, falling for the enemy, cinderella story, vampire overlords
June 2, 2018
Oh Prince Dallas.... The Dark Prince. So easy to swoon over, even I wasn't immune. He has this dark, tall, handsome, being misunderstood thing going for him. It was really amusing to see how Gwyn did all she could not to like him and failed miserably. And I'm sure Prince Dallas liked her refreshing honesty, since he was kept in the dark about a lot of things happening in the settlements. Just like Gwyn being raised in a bubble, not really knowing what's going on. Even Eve, the rebellious contestant, who met her fate before the pageant even began is hilarious. So, I cried, laughed, held my breath and swooned (a lot). Felt my patience being tested by Tamara (ugh what a brat) and enjoyed the easy to get along with Shaye. Summary: A fast pacing, page turner for everyone loving some swoon worthy vampires and a smart mouthed, witty human girl falling hard for the enemy (or so she thinks, and we don't know any different - yet). Loved it!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and CMG Publishing!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and CMG Publishing!
July 23, 2018
This is a fluffy and fun cotton candy read.
It's a mix between The Bachelor and every modern pretty people vampire movie ever.
Don't expect anything too serious. And try to get over our vampire bachelor's name (seriously, it's more cowboy than bloodsucker), but if you need something light and fun, you should enjoy this.
Heck, as soon as I finished it, I downloaded the next two and finished the whole thing in a night!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
It's a mix between The Bachelor and every modern pretty people vampire movie ever.
Don't expect anything too serious. And try to get over our vampire bachelor's name (seriously, it's more cowboy than bloodsucker), but if you need something light and fun, you should enjoy this.
Heck, as soon as I finished it, I downloaded the next two and finished the whole thing in a night!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
September 24, 2018
Non penso di aver mai letto un libro così trash.
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Quando esce il prossimo libro?
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Quando esce il prossimo libro?
July 8, 2018
I had such high hopes for this book. It has good reviews and ratings on Goodreads, it was compared to ‘the selection’ one of my favourite series, and it sounded like an interesting paranormal romance, a genre I used to love but haven’t visited in a while. So I was looking forward to this. But I was in for a big disappointment.
The book opens with the protagonist Gwyn and her friend remarking on Gwyn’s outfit for one of their friend’s marriage. Her friend telling her it was a little too revealing to wear in this situation (even though later on Gwyn refuses to wear a revealing dress when it’s asked of her saying that it’s ‘not her style’). It appears that the friend is going through an arranged marriage to someone we hardly know. But we never really find out why, or revisit this for the rest of the book. So I found it a really strange opener that to be honest, set the tone for the rest of the book.
I did like the world building, the society and the set up of the poverty that Gwyn and her family are facing. But this was contrasted later with Gwyn doing everything she could to throw away her one chance of getting out of this poverty stricken life her family and friends are forced to live in. She never once thought that if she wins the competition (the prize being she can marry the prince and one day become queen), she would have a say in changing all this, and improving everyone’s lives, not just her own.
At first I got excited, when she set up the book a little like the selection, and the first section of the book was actually okay to read. But as soon as she reached the palace for the start of the competition that’s when this book really started to go downhill.
The only part of this book that I liked is the society and the idea that the poverty is tying a lot of the girls to the competition to save their families and represent their sectors. But that’s hardly mentioned as a motivation again for the rest of the book, and Gwyn never really tries to get to know the other girls, who she should try and make friends with considering one day she’ll be ruling over them and their families and friends if she was to win this (which I assume she does later on in the sequels or otherwise she wouldn’t be our protagonist). Alliances are an important part of ruling, and Gwyn made more enemies than friends. Most probably because she wasn’t really a likable character at all.
Before Gwyn though came Eve, the other competitor from Gwyn’s sector four (50 in all, two from each sector). Oh my. I wanted to slap her. She was just so mouthy and rude that it was obvious that she was going to land herself in trouble. The author went a little over the top in setting that up as a plot device.
Then there’s Gwyn. she’s just so needy, it drove me insane. Never once did she have a nice conversation with Dallas (the prince) without demanding stuff from him. And he was actually likable, he seemed genuine and kind. But Gwyn always wanted something from him, never to actually ask how he is, or talk to him. It was all a little one sided, needy and selfish to be honest. But she is also really annoying and very gullible as well as having literally no common sense what’s so ever. It’s mentioned more than once that she had lived a ‘sheltered life’ but you’d think her years living in poverty would have changed that? apparently not. She constantly had things explained to her, and she was given rules to follow to keep her safe. But she constantly ignored the explanations, instead whining about how she can’t trust the prince (when there was so much reason for her to trust him), and she ignored all the safety plans throwing herself into danger more than once and having to be rescued. She’s a damsel in distress, who created all her own distress. What’s with that!? She also has no sense what-so-ever and, even though she believes nothing the prince tells her, instead believes everything someone else tells her later on in the book causing her to put herself in the most danger she’d faced yet, when their real intentions were so obvious for the reader and you just wanted to slap her and tell her to stop being so stupidly gullible (unless it came to the prince, where she was completely uptight and disbelieving, practically calling him a liar every three seconds). She would be such a terrible choice for a princess. I was shouting at my kindle trying to tell Dallas that Gwyn would the worst choice as princess in the history of choices. She has no tact, disbelieves everything he tells her, but believes the enemy, and she constantly puts herself in danger. Her -only- friend Shaye would be a much better choice (and better as a protagonist too to be honest) as she has poise, grace and a sense of humour.
Whoever compared this to the selection was very, very wrong. Gwyn has nothing on America, and although I liked Dallas, he has nothing on my lovely Maxon. It’s been compared to twilight too, and in it’s own ways, twilight is even better than this. At least I feel like Bella and Edward should maybe be together, where to me Dallas and Gwyn seem like a terrible match. I didn’t even really have any ships or emotional involvement in this book. At least I had a little when I first read twilight. It’s also been compared to vampire academy…. BUT NO! Rose is a badass, and she’s awesome, and her chemistry with Dimitri is off the charts! But Gwyn and Dallas had nothing. It felt cold to me. Shallow. Literally the only thing I can think of to compare this to is Love Island, and even that has more drama and some real romance.
I guess I could also compare this to Olympian challenger too, purely for the fact that the protagonist in that and Gwyn might get on. They both need to be slapped out of their whining and needy attitudes.
But here’s the reason that my rating dropped from the two stars I was still going to give it (as per my review of Olympian Challenger, as this book is on par with that). Walker used the term ‘spastic’. She used it to describe Gwyn’s hormones playing up around the prince, but even so, that term is derogatory especially used in that way. So I couldn’t give this book anything over one star after that.
Of course this is just my opinion on the book, and a lot of others seemed to have enjoyed it on Goodreads, so I urge you to make your own mind up about it. But boy did I want to slap some of the characters in this.
See the full review here: https://racheleanne.wordpress.com/201...
The book opens with the protagonist Gwyn and her friend remarking on Gwyn’s outfit for one of their friend’s marriage. Her friend telling her it was a little too revealing to wear in this situation (even though later on Gwyn refuses to wear a revealing dress when it’s asked of her saying that it’s ‘not her style’). It appears that the friend is going through an arranged marriage to someone we hardly know. But we never really find out why, or revisit this for the rest of the book. So I found it a really strange opener that to be honest, set the tone for the rest of the book.
I did like the world building, the society and the set up of the poverty that Gwyn and her family are facing. But this was contrasted later with Gwyn doing everything she could to throw away her one chance of getting out of this poverty stricken life her family and friends are forced to live in. She never once thought that if she wins the competition (the prize being she can marry the prince and one day become queen), she would have a say in changing all this, and improving everyone’s lives, not just her own.
At first I got excited, when she set up the book a little like the selection, and the first section of the book was actually okay to read. But as soon as she reached the palace for the start of the competition that’s when this book really started to go downhill.
The only part of this book that I liked is the society and the idea that the poverty is tying a lot of the girls to the competition to save their families and represent their sectors. But that’s hardly mentioned as a motivation again for the rest of the book, and Gwyn never really tries to get to know the other girls, who she should try and make friends with considering one day she’ll be ruling over them and their families and friends if she was to win this (which I assume she does later on in the sequels or otherwise she wouldn’t be our protagonist). Alliances are an important part of ruling, and Gwyn made more enemies than friends. Most probably because she wasn’t really a likable character at all.
Before Gwyn though came Eve, the other competitor from Gwyn’s sector four (50 in all, two from each sector). Oh my. I wanted to slap her. She was just so mouthy and rude that it was obvious that she was going to land herself in trouble. The author went a little over the top in setting that up as a plot device.
Then there’s Gwyn. she’s just so needy, it drove me insane. Never once did she have a nice conversation with Dallas (the prince) without demanding stuff from him. And he was actually likable, he seemed genuine and kind. But Gwyn always wanted something from him, never to actually ask how he is, or talk to him. It was all a little one sided, needy and selfish to be honest. But she is also really annoying and very gullible as well as having literally no common sense what’s so ever. It’s mentioned more than once that she had lived a ‘sheltered life’ but you’d think her years living in poverty would have changed that? apparently not. She constantly had things explained to her, and she was given rules to follow to keep her safe. But she constantly ignored the explanations, instead whining about how she can’t trust the prince (when there was so much reason for her to trust him), and she ignored all the safety plans throwing herself into danger more than once and having to be rescued. She’s a damsel in distress, who created all her own distress. What’s with that!? She also has no sense what-so-ever and, even though she believes nothing the prince tells her, instead believes everything someone else tells her later on in the book causing her to put herself in the most danger she’d faced yet, when their real intentions were so obvious for the reader and you just wanted to slap her and tell her to stop being so stupidly gullible (unless it came to the prince, where she was completely uptight and disbelieving, practically calling him a liar every three seconds). She would be such a terrible choice for a princess. I was shouting at my kindle trying to tell Dallas that Gwyn would the worst choice as princess in the history of choices. She has no tact, disbelieves everything he tells her, but believes the enemy, and she constantly puts herself in danger. Her -only- friend Shaye would be a much better choice (and better as a protagonist too to be honest) as she has poise, grace and a sense of humour.
Whoever compared this to the selection was very, very wrong. Gwyn has nothing on America, and although I liked Dallas, he has nothing on my lovely Maxon. It’s been compared to twilight too, and in it’s own ways, twilight is even better than this. At least I feel like Bella and Edward should maybe be together, where to me Dallas and Gwyn seem like a terrible match. I didn’t even really have any ships or emotional involvement in this book. At least I had a little when I first read twilight. It’s also been compared to vampire academy…. BUT NO! Rose is a badass, and she’s awesome, and her chemistry with Dimitri is off the charts! But Gwyn and Dallas had nothing. It felt cold to me. Shallow. Literally the only thing I can think of to compare this to is Love Island, and even that has more drama and some real romance.
I guess I could also compare this to Olympian challenger too, purely for the fact that the protagonist in that and Gwyn might get on. They both need to be slapped out of their whining and needy attitudes.
But here’s the reason that my rating dropped from the two stars I was still going to give it (as per my review of Olympian Challenger, as this book is on par with that). Walker used the term ‘spastic’. She used it to describe Gwyn’s hormones playing up around the prince, but even so, that term is derogatory especially used in that way. So I couldn’t give this book anything over one star after that.
Of course this is just my opinion on the book, and a lot of others seemed to have enjoyed it on Goodreads, so I urge you to make your own mind up about it. But boy did I want to slap some of the characters in this.
See the full review here: https://racheleanne.wordpress.com/201...
July 23, 2018
4.5!
Perfect for anyone who loved the Selection series. Our heroine is selected *cough*forced*cough* to compete in a pageant to win the heart of the dark prince.
Let's get the ugly out of the way...
I didn't like how short the book was. I read it in a few hours... But that was only because I couldn't put it down!
I didn't like how reckless the heroine was. She made rash decisions and faced very little consequences for her actions.
Now that that's our of the way... I loved this book! It wasn't the most exciting, twist filled, unpredictable book ever.. Yet there was something to it that I rarely get to experience in a YA book. A slow burning, believable, romance. I GET how they are slowly falling for each other. It MAKES SENSE that he would be drawn to her. Their interactions SHOW signs of interest. He doesn't fall immediately for her. She isn't unable to breathe if he is away for nine seconds. They fight. They disagree. They get jealous. They talk. It SO refreshing. I am excited to see if they are going to be able to finally admit their feelings.
Romance aside, there is more to this book. Political intrigue is there. We do not know basically anything yet, but there are strong hints that the world is not at all what either of our main characters thought it was. I am excited to figure it out with them.
Now, book two!
Perfect for anyone who loved the Selection series. Our heroine is selected *cough*forced*cough* to compete in a pageant to win the heart of the dark prince.
Let's get the ugly out of the way...
I didn't like how short the book was. I read it in a few hours... But that was only because I couldn't put it down!
I didn't like how reckless the heroine was. She made rash decisions and faced very little consequences for her actions.
Now that that's our of the way... I loved this book! It wasn't the most exciting, twist filled, unpredictable book ever.. Yet there was something to it that I rarely get to experience in a YA book. A slow burning, believable, romance. I GET how they are slowly falling for each other. It MAKES SENSE that he would be drawn to her. Their interactions SHOW signs of interest. He doesn't fall immediately for her. She isn't unable to breathe if he is away for nine seconds. They fight. They disagree. They get jealous. They talk. It SO refreshing. I am excited to see if they are going to be able to finally admit their feelings.
Romance aside, there is more to this book. Political intrigue is there. We do not know basically anything yet, but there are strong hints that the world is not at all what either of our main characters thought it was. I am excited to figure it out with them.
Now, book two!
June 20, 2018
Loved it!!! I was a huge fan of The Selection series and this has the bonus of Vampires!! Yes!!
I am so excited to see how the lovely Gwen and Dallas progress!!
If a certain prince is anything less than my current good opinion I’m going to be very upset!hahah But with two more books who knows what is going to happen! I've already bought book 2 and 3!
I would also recommend this to my students. Very giggle worthy and sweet. No cursing (that I can remember...maybe a Hell or Damn) and no sexual content. Though a very swoon worthy read!
Thank you Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!
I am so excited to see how the lovely Gwen and Dallas progress!!
If a certain prince is anything less than my current good opinion I’m going to be very upset!hahah But with two more books who knows what is going to happen! I've already bought book 2 and 3!
I would also recommend this to my students. Very giggle worthy and sweet. No cursing (that I can remember...maybe a Hell or Damn) and no sexual content. Though a very swoon worthy read!
Thank you Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!
June 22, 2018
A competition to win the hand of Dallas Black, vampire prince. Selection of girls chosen. Our main character is opinionated and not following the rules but it seems to work. Sound familiar? Of course it does...just a few tweaks.
Derivative plot aside, it’s humorous enough and definitely easy to read.
I’m hoping we get some development further on to move it into new territory.
Derivative plot aside, it’s humorous enough and definitely easy to read.
I’m hoping we get some development further on to move it into new territory.
July 19, 2018
I struggled with rating this book as it is not super original nor thought-provoking, but it was easy and enjoyable, and when I finished, I wanted to read the next one in the series, so I gave it a 4-star for the fun.
It definitely follows a similar storyline as "The Selection" series with some twists from "Twilight" series. The character Gwyneth is a little less annoying and a little more honest with herself than America and Bella, and I think she's even a bit more fun. There isn't the love triangle that exists in both of the aforementioned series, although Gwyn mentions a prior boyfriend, not many details are given as far as how serious it was and she seems ambivalent about him when she does think about him. Would that have added a little more interest to her indecision about fully committing to the competition? Maybe. But it keeps the reader's focus on the Prince Dallas Black, her feelings about him and who he is, and her reactions when the other competitors have dates with him.
I like Gwyn, I like the Prince, so we'll see where this goes...
It definitely follows a similar storyline as "The Selection" series with some twists from "Twilight" series. The character Gwyneth is a little less annoying and a little more honest with herself than America and Bella, and I think she's even a bit more fun. There isn't the love triangle that exists in both of the aforementioned series, although Gwyn mentions a prior boyfriend, not many details are given as far as how serious it was and she seems ambivalent about him when she does think about him. Would that have added a little more interest to her indecision about fully committing to the competition? Maybe. But it keeps the reader's focus on the Prince Dallas Black, her feelings about him and who he is, and her reactions when the other competitors have dates with him.
I like Gwyn, I like the Prince, so we'll see where this goes...
May 10, 2019
I liked the concept of the novel and I was intrigued by what's really happening politically in the settlements. But I was a bit confused because the heroine Gwyneth, started out holding back her friend Eve from speaking out so publically against the royal family because of how dangerous and scary it was, and then for the remainder of the book proceeded to disrespect the royal family, their people, and disobey nearly every rule given. Literally everything she did was irritating and I found myself thinking 'are you dumb' quite a lot. I honestly hope she goes home and the series becomes about Shae instead, but since that's highly unlikely I probably will not read the rest of the series. This book started out with a lot of potential for me, which was quickly ruined by the MC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2018
I was told this was a cross between The Selection and Twilight and wow, it definitely delivered on that.
I was a little skeptical at first on how well this could be done, but I was instantly hooked on the store and read it in one sitting.
I'm hooked and can't wait to read more!
I was a little skeptical at first on how well this could be done, but I was instantly hooked on the store and read it in one sitting.
I'm hooked and can't wait to read more!
July 23, 2018
Nothing new and the heroine is an idiot
I’m really disappointed with the heroine. She’s a stubborn know it all who won’t listen to reason. It’s really quite infuriating. There’s no way any real person would keep coming to her aid.
I’m really disappointed with the heroine. She’s a stubborn know it all who won’t listen to reason. It’s really quite infuriating. There’s no way any real person would keep coming to her aid.
April 1, 2018
You have no idea how long I have been searching for THIS story. I've been leaving posts and stories up on my bookstagram asking and begging for another story similar to The Selection. I have been having Selection withdrawals and this book seriously couldn't have come at a more convenient time. I loved everything about this story. At first I was slightly hesitant about the vampire factor since vampires seem to be overdone and a little redundant but Walker does vampires perfectly for this story. They were not over the top yet brought a fun, creepy, paranormal vibe to this dystopian book. This book definitely has a lot of parallels to the Selection which I couldn't have been happier for. I actually really enjoyed the way the author built this world and explained why the Northerners are now ruling the kingdom and why it is important for Gwyn to participate in this competition. Gwyn is strong-willed, sarcastic and smart despite being sheltered from certain realities. She also knows when to keep her mouth shut around blood-sucking villains. The love interest, Prince Dallas Black, is extremely nice, caring and open-minded to humans despite his race. I can't wait to dive into book two... I need it ASAP! I can't wait to see more of the competition, more rebels and more evil crazy vamps. Not to mention I want more of a certain Dark Prince.
April 25, 2019
Все едно прочетох пак "Изборът" на К.Кас. Замислила го е добре,можеше да стане много интересна линия,но имам чувството,че е прочела Кас,и веднага е седнала да пише тази поредица
May 19, 2021
I should not have enjoyed this so much
May 19, 2021
6.29 on Cawpile
January 17, 2021
The selection but with vampires. It's just a nope.
June 24, 2018
ARC received via NetGalley
I enjoyed this book. The storyline was different to other vampire books I have read which made this interesting to read. The way this book ended has left me intrigued and I am very much looking forward to reading the next book.
I enjoyed this book. The storyline was different to other vampire books I have read which made this interesting to read. The way this book ended has left me intrigued and I am very much looking forward to reading the next book.
March 17, 2019
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Pageant by Leigh Walker is is a fun, fast paced and highly enjoyable novel with a wonderful blend of romantic possibility, sass and action that is The Selection meets The Hunger Games....with vampires!
After the most recent world war, control over the world eighteen year old Gwyneth West lives was seized by a mysterious family who rule over their new subjects in the shadows. Rumours of this new Royal Family run rampant in the various settlements that make up the kingdom; they don't sleep, they don't eat, and they don't go out in sunlight. They're also rumoured to be immortal, something Gwyn isn't so sure about. Then a pageant is announced where girls from each settlement will journey to the palace to enter a competition where the winner will receive a marriage proposal from the infamous Dark Prince, Dallas Black. Gwyn dreads the idea of being chosen for the pageant, but also knows that there isn't an option of saying no. Arriving at the palace marks the beginning of a dangerous new journey and as Gwyn begins to discover some startling truths and secrets about the world she lives is, will a vampire fiance be the worst thing she faces? Or are there bigger horrors out there?
From beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed The Pageant. Weaving together various elements that make for a wonderful paranormal novel with a dystopian vibe, The Pageant was very The Bachlor-esq in a fun way with many of the interactions and dates between the prince and the contestants filmed and televised for the public to witness as well as various rounds and "cuts" that saw contestants eliminated.
Leigh Walker offers readers only a taste of her world in The Pageant. Hinting at more to come and various secrets about the settlements, I'm quite keen to learn more about the ruling Royal Family and the world heroine Gwyn inhabits. I feel like we haven't discovered enough about the world in The Pageant, instead jumping straight into the competition as Gwyn is whisked off to the palace. I'm hopeful we'll discover more with the next book as I just haven't had enough to leave me satisfied where the back story is concerned.
I'm very much a fan of main character Gwyn so far. We learn quickly that she came from wealth before the settlements were conquered but she's in no was uptight or snobby and instead quite likeable with just enough sass and attitude to keep us on our toes. She's smart enough to keep many of her opinions to herself but is also opinionated and clear in how she sees the world. Something I think will change as she learns more about The Dark Prince.
At its base The Pageant is a love story and Leigh Walker writes this aspect oh so well. The Prince and love interest Dallas is actually very kind while also being mysterious, well spoken and even quite cheeky where Gwyn is concerned. I loved that Dallas and Gwyn quickly become quite comfortable with each other and drop most of the presences. It makes for some spirited and occasionally sweet interactions with their chemistry evident throughout the whole novel. Gwyn doesn't want to fall for Dallas because he is a vampire---something she routinely reminds herself and the reader but ultimately can't deny what her heart is beginning to feel.
Fresh and delectable, The Pageant is such a promising start to the Vampire Royals series and with the novel ending right when things were starting to get even more addictive, I'm eager to dive straight into the next novel as soon as possible! Highly recommended this one!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Pageant by Leigh Walker is is a fun, fast paced and highly enjoyable novel with a wonderful blend of romantic possibility, sass and action that is The Selection meets The Hunger Games....with vampires!
After the most recent world war, control over the world eighteen year old Gwyneth West lives was seized by a mysterious family who rule over their new subjects in the shadows. Rumours of this new Royal Family run rampant in the various settlements that make up the kingdom; they don't sleep, they don't eat, and they don't go out in sunlight. They're also rumoured to be immortal, something Gwyn isn't so sure about. Then a pageant is announced where girls from each settlement will journey to the palace to enter a competition where the winner will receive a marriage proposal from the infamous Dark Prince, Dallas Black. Gwyn dreads the idea of being chosen for the pageant, but also knows that there isn't an option of saying no. Arriving at the palace marks the beginning of a dangerous new journey and as Gwyn begins to discover some startling truths and secrets about the world she lives is, will a vampire fiance be the worst thing she faces? Or are there bigger horrors out there?
From beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed The Pageant. Weaving together various elements that make for a wonderful paranormal novel with a dystopian vibe, The Pageant was very The Bachlor-esq in a fun way with many of the interactions and dates between the prince and the contestants filmed and televised for the public to witness as well as various rounds and "cuts" that saw contestants eliminated.
Leigh Walker offers readers only a taste of her world in The Pageant. Hinting at more to come and various secrets about the settlements, I'm quite keen to learn more about the ruling Royal Family and the world heroine Gwyn inhabits. I feel like we haven't discovered enough about the world in The Pageant, instead jumping straight into the competition as Gwyn is whisked off to the palace. I'm hopeful we'll discover more with the next book as I just haven't had enough to leave me satisfied where the back story is concerned.
I'm very much a fan of main character Gwyn so far. We learn quickly that she came from wealth before the settlements were conquered but she's in no was uptight or snobby and instead quite likeable with just enough sass and attitude to keep us on our toes. She's smart enough to keep many of her opinions to herself but is also opinionated and clear in how she sees the world. Something I think will change as she learns more about The Dark Prince.
At its base The Pageant is a love story and Leigh Walker writes this aspect oh so well. The Prince and love interest Dallas is actually very kind while also being mysterious, well spoken and even quite cheeky where Gwyn is concerned. I loved that Dallas and Gwyn quickly become quite comfortable with each other and drop most of the presences. It makes for some spirited and occasionally sweet interactions with their chemistry evident throughout the whole novel. Gwyn doesn't want to fall for Dallas because he is a vampire---something she routinely reminds herself and the reader but ultimately can't deny what her heart is beginning to feel.
Fresh and delectable, The Pageant is such a promising start to the Vampire Royals series and with the novel ending right when things were starting to get even more addictive, I'm eager to dive straight into the next novel as soon as possible! Highly recommended this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2021
"Heads will roll for this.” I swallowed hard. Dallas’s shoulders sagged. “Not literal heads, Gwyn.”
I got these books for free and thought, why not? And thank goodness for that because I'm not impressed. I'll strive for both good and bad on this review.
Good -
The Dark Prince. He's not just a background character, nor ignorant, boring, or just something pretty for the girls to fawn over. Although he doesn't have much depth, he still takes action and has secrets. So this works.
The concept of the book. Girl is forced to marry. Vampires. Romance. This is also something fun to read so, this works too.
Bad -
The writing. This first book is bleak, and not in a cool atmospheric way. Each chapter is a play-by-play of events with no introspection from our protagonist. This doesn't give the reader any insight into why things are being done nor does it help connect the reader to the characters. There is no depth.
This leads me to Gwyneth West. I cannot stand this character. She's a child who hasn't a thought for herself or others and for some reason, that's okay. But it's not. She watches one girl nearly die for speaking out, then does it herself. She's told not to leave her room, she does and is nearly attacked. She's told not to speak to a specific prisoner, she not only speaks with him, but she releases him without hesitation! Dumber than a box of rocks, this one. She doesn't even spare a thought about legacy, politics, ruling, uniting human and vampire, werewolves (or whatever else is in this series) and what it means to be a vampire. I can understand giving your character growth but Walker's protagonist seems just plain ignorant.
No single character stands out. Each contestant is standard shy, a bitch, an idiot, or part of a group that blends together as one.
Sudden events. Gwyn meets a girl, talks to her twice, girl is bitten and taken away, Gwyn is automatically best friends with her. Gwyn sees the prince, faints, then the next day he's absolutely smitten with her, going as far as asking her on the first date and personally visiting her bedroom. Maybe this would be more believable if there were moments during or in-between, something significant or moving. But nope. It's just "look at me, I'm Gwyn, ignorant, clumsy, and beautiful - and that should be enough!"
All this being said, I'm still reading the second in the series. It's a quick read. Simple. A teen read.
Hopefully better.
I got these books for free and thought, why not? And thank goodness for that because I'm not impressed. I'll strive for both good and bad on this review.
Good -
The Dark Prince. He's not just a background character, nor ignorant, boring, or just something pretty for the girls to fawn over. Although he doesn't have much depth, he still takes action and has secrets. So this works.
The concept of the book. Girl is forced to marry. Vampires. Romance. This is also something fun to read so, this works too.
Bad -
The writing. This first book is bleak, and not in a cool atmospheric way. Each chapter is a play-by-play of events with no introspection from our protagonist. This doesn't give the reader any insight into why things are being done nor does it help connect the reader to the characters. There is no depth.
This leads me to Gwyneth West. I cannot stand this character. She's a child who hasn't a thought for herself or others and for some reason, that's okay. But it's not. She watches one girl nearly die for speaking out, then does it herself. She's told not to leave her room, she does and is nearly attacked. She's told not to speak to a specific prisoner, she not only speaks with him, but she releases him without hesitation! Dumber than a box of rocks, this one. She doesn't even spare a thought about legacy, politics, ruling, uniting human and vampire, werewolves (or whatever else is in this series) and what it means to be a vampire. I can understand giving your character growth but Walker's protagonist seems just plain ignorant.
No single character stands out. Each contestant is standard shy, a bitch, an idiot, or part of a group that blends together as one.
Sudden events. Gwyn meets a girl, talks to her twice, girl is bitten and taken away, Gwyn is automatically best friends with her. Gwyn sees the prince, faints, then the next day he's absolutely smitten with her, going as far as asking her on the first date and personally visiting her bedroom. Maybe this would be more believable if there were moments during or in-between, something significant or moving. But nope. It's just "look at me, I'm Gwyn, ignorant, clumsy, and beautiful - and that should be enough!"
All this being said, I'm still reading the second in the series. It's a quick read. Simple. A teen read.
Hopefully better.
July 2, 2021
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 / 5
In the first novel of the Vampire Royals series, we find ourselves following the story of Gwyneth, one of fifty girls chosen from twenty-five settlements to participate in The Pageant. The purpose of it: To decide who is to marry Prince Dallas Black and to unify all the lands, in direct response to the rejection shown by the people to its new rulers. At this time in this fictional setting, the territories (formerly countries that exist today but have now been joined together) have been assumed control of by a royal family, known as the "Blacks." Unbeknownst to the general populace, this new leadership is comprised of vampires -- which Gwyneth soon discovers after a tragic fate befalls her friend, Eve, upon first entering the royal family's castle. I find the mystery surrounding the royal family to be an interesting and unique premise, since their origin, homeland, and family bloodlines are only alluded to. My hope is that it will be further delved upon in later novels.
Throughout the book, Gwyn grapples with her growing love for the prince and the "monstrous" outwardly appearance of his vampirism, trying to understand whether she should be fearful of him or see past those unusual traits for the charming, handsome, and uniquely humorous individual that she finds him to be. The reader is introduced to about a dozen characters of any import, with the rest being background characters that have just a few distinguishing physical traits, but no names or fleshed out stories to speak of. I very much appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to name or give too much time to unnecessary characters that didn't push the plot forward and were simply meant to keep the novel realistic by reminding the reader that there were still other contestants, not just Gwyneth, her friend (Shaye), and the all-too shallow Tamara.
I found Gwyneth's decisions in the novel to be filled with purpose, given that she is the eldest sibling in her impoverished family that is without her eldest brother or her father due to a war between her settlement and the new ruling order. As such, she's taken on the responsibility of trying to provide for her younger brother, younger sister, and mother. First, by selling the fine wares that her family had from a time when they were well off, and now, by participating in The Pageant. She expressed distaste for vampires and the demeaning nature of The Pageant itself many times, but she reigned in those feelings out of concern for her family and the potential consequences it could have on them for showing such brazen disrespect against the Blacks. That selfless, self-aware character trait made her a very approachable, likeable, and relatable character throughout.
The novel's characters were all rather well written and unique, with all of them serving different roles. For instance, Gwyneth's maids taught her of the royal family's philanthropy to humans and the prince's well-intentioned nature in serving the settlements, her friend Eve -- who befalls an unwilling transformation into a vampire -- teaches Eve that humans and vampires are more alike than given credit for, and her friend Shayne -- someone whom she finds to be a likeable and likeminded individual -- cements how she feels about the prince as she tries to find the source of her jealousy when her friend also expresses interest in him.
My main point of contention with the novel is how abruptly it ends; however, it is understandable since each book seems to be intentioned as a rather short, deliberate, quick-and-easy read that doesn't waste time in discussing irrelevant details. For example, the characteristics, weaknesses, desires, and behaviours of a vampire are hardly touched upon, since all stories having to do with them rely on the same tropes and it is general knowledge that all readers would have some basic understanding of and familiarity with.
All in all, I am very much looking forward to seeing what awaits Gwyn, her friends, and Dallas in the second novel. If the next book continues to deliver a well-written story with a careful balance between (light) romance, world-building, action, and a bachelorette-like premise, then it will certainly be another enjoyable read.
In the first novel of the Vampire Royals series, we find ourselves following the story of Gwyneth, one of fifty girls chosen from twenty-five settlements to participate in The Pageant. The purpose of it: To decide who is to marry Prince Dallas Black and to unify all the lands, in direct response to the rejection shown by the people to its new rulers. At this time in this fictional setting, the territories (formerly countries that exist today but have now been joined together) have been assumed control of by a royal family, known as the "Blacks." Unbeknownst to the general populace, this new leadership is comprised of vampires -- which Gwyneth soon discovers after a tragic fate befalls her friend, Eve, upon first entering the royal family's castle. I find the mystery surrounding the royal family to be an interesting and unique premise, since their origin, homeland, and family bloodlines are only alluded to. My hope is that it will be further delved upon in later novels.
Throughout the book, Gwyn grapples with her growing love for the prince and the "monstrous" outwardly appearance of his vampirism, trying to understand whether she should be fearful of him or see past those unusual traits for the charming, handsome, and uniquely humorous individual that she finds him to be. The reader is introduced to about a dozen characters of any import, with the rest being background characters that have just a few distinguishing physical traits, but no names or fleshed out stories to speak of. I very much appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to name or give too much time to unnecessary characters that didn't push the plot forward and were simply meant to keep the novel realistic by reminding the reader that there were still other contestants, not just Gwyneth, her friend (Shaye), and the all-too shallow Tamara.
I found Gwyneth's decisions in the novel to be filled with purpose, given that she is the eldest sibling in her impoverished family that is without her eldest brother or her father due to a war between her settlement and the new ruling order. As such, she's taken on the responsibility of trying to provide for her younger brother, younger sister, and mother. First, by selling the fine wares that her family had from a time when they were well off, and now, by participating in The Pageant. She expressed distaste for vampires and the demeaning nature of The Pageant itself many times, but she reigned in those feelings out of concern for her family and the potential consequences it could have on them for showing such brazen disrespect against the Blacks. That selfless, self-aware character trait made her a very approachable, likeable, and relatable character throughout.
The novel's characters were all rather well written and unique, with all of them serving different roles. For instance, Gwyneth's maids taught her of the royal family's philanthropy to humans and the prince's well-intentioned nature in serving the settlements, her friend Eve -- who befalls an unwilling transformation into a vampire -- teaches Eve that humans and vampires are more alike than given credit for, and her friend Shayne -- someone whom she finds to be a likeable and likeminded individual -- cements how she feels about the prince as she tries to find the source of her jealousy when her friend also expresses interest in him.
My main point of contention with the novel is how abruptly it ends; however, it is understandable since each book seems to be intentioned as a rather short, deliberate, quick-and-easy read that doesn't waste time in discussing irrelevant details. For example, the characteristics, weaknesses, desires, and behaviours of a vampire are hardly touched upon, since all stories having to do with them rely on the same tropes and it is general knowledge that all readers would have some basic understanding of and familiarity with.
All in all, I am very much looking forward to seeing what awaits Gwyn, her friends, and Dallas in the second novel. If the next book continues to deliver a well-written story with a careful balance between (light) romance, world-building, action, and a bachelorette-like premise, then it will certainly be another enjoyable read.
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