The Hidden Princess

Mages and Kingdoms #1

by Cara Coe

For two hundred years the five kingdoms have lived separately. To keep the balance, no inhabitants are allowed to cross into another kingdom. To do so is to be charged as a spy...

At only thirteen, Princess Amelie of Candor developed the powers of persuasion - she can seduce men to do her bidding. Unable to suppress her magic and affecting the males in the palace, she is sent away to live in a small convent of nuns. Time and seclusion eventually has rumors circulating around the princess's disappearance. It isn't until years later when assassination attempts threaten the royal family that she is brought back in secret to use her unusual skills to gather information. Her mission sends her into dangerous territory: into the neighboring kingdom of Draeden. A run-in with one of their princes results in her capture and she is taken in to Draeden's palace to stand trial. But there's a lot more on the line than she could have ever known. Somewhere along the way she falls for the prince and her heart, which she never thought could beat for someone else, is suddenly her biggest risk of all.

Prince Seth has been immune to magic since he was young which suits him because he dwells in the kingdom of Draeden where powers are forbidden. Even so, when he learns that underground mages in his kingdom are disappearing, he and a band of his soldiers are determined to investigate. When he stumbles across a spy from Candor with the power to seduce men, her magic has no affect on him. But underneath her magic - the woman he comes to know - reins him in with a power far greater than any mage could produce.

What becomes of two enemies that fall in love?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Royalty, Young Adult, Magic, Fiction

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2015

About the author

Cara Coe is a Houston, Texan native, a wife, a mother of three, a librarian, a traveler (when she can), a recipe follower, a home provider to an English sheepdog abandoned at her library, a lover of books, an okay driver, and above all- the part of her that permeates everything else in her life- a dreamer. She began writing when her family got their first computer at 9 years old and the only program available to use on it was a word processor. Turning her imagination into words soon filled all of her free time and she hasn't looked back since. The Hidden Princess is her first novel.

Reviews

[L DelaRG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been in a bit of a reading rut lately; I've started many books but haven't finished most of them. This is the first book in a long time which has gripped me, and that I've read almost straight through.

It has everything I love in a book:

1. It's third-person narrative.
2. None of the characters have stupid names (in fact, the names of the heroine/hero are actually normal! Amelie and Seth respectively.)
3. Speaking of Amelie, she is an incredible heroine: fierce, strong, witty, and of good character. My favourite kind of heroine. (Also, I think she may even be a POC. The author describes her as having dark skin, raven hair, and green eyes. If so, it's always great to read about diverse characters.)
4. Seth, the prince, is her equal. He had many admirable traits.
5. There is no insta-love. Yes, the characters are attracted to each other when they meet, but the dynamic between them develops. It's very rare to read a story these days that doesn't have insta-love.
6. There's many friendships that I admired: between Amelie and Millie, and Amelie and Seth's guards.
7. The story itself was intriguing, and I'm hanging on waiting for more.

There were a few niggles: some typos here and there, and the ending was a mixture of heartbreaking and unfulfilling. It sets itself up nicely for the next book, but I worry that the choices Amelie ends up making could make for a frustrating/unsatisfying sequel. I hope it's not the case, and I hope the sequel doesn't go in a completely different direction.

[Laura..devouring books like crumpets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the imagination behind this but maybe not the cliffhanger so much....

Amelie the hidden princess falls for Seth, only to be yanked from him due to a power she finds a curse the power of seduction (i do think this may have worked better in not such a YA type of read).

The seduction even reached her stepfather the king, putting lots of unease and kinks in her happy ending, still a quick easy read

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it came as a surprise to me that it wasn't on any Fantasy genre lists. I gave this book four stars because it has been one of the top ten fantasy books I have read this year.

The main characters
Amelie, the heroine was strong, sassy and her sense of justice is the reason I found her convincing. Her position as the hidden princess and heir to her kingdom was deliciously riddled with intrigue, familial tension and my favourite was her role as a reluctant spy. Her magical ability to 'seduce' men to giving away their information was an interesting concept. The fact that Amelie calls her ability a curse creates sympathy which is in no way difficult to produce. My tears can be used as evidence. Also, when something unexpected happened I was literally like...

The character of prince Seth was more difficult to like due to his stubbornness and towards the end his cowardliness. Now, that is not to say I didn't like him at all, instead his overall kindness and faith in Amelie meant that I was frustrated when he didn't immediately create a perfect solution. I won't expand on this point otherwise I will be heading into a spoiler section. Simon was a good solid character.

The other characters such as Amelie's maidservant-slash-bestfriend-slash-spy Millie and Seth's bestfriend-slash-archer-slash-joker Talon where the perfect compliments for the main heroine and hero. They lighted the atmosphere and provided the reader a chance to develop an deeper understanding of the both Amelie or Seth.

The Villains
I won't spend to much time on the villains of the novel fear of revealing too much. Let's just say Amelie does not have an easy time of it, in fact she is pretty much emotionally and physically wounded by the struggles she faces which made me like her that much more. Coe creates a steady flow of conflict (some standard good vs. evil but some unconventional conflict as well) which culminates in a grand tension (where I cried). Almost throughout, the tension is balanced well with the humour and romance between Amelie and Seth.

Overall, I am really pleased I decided to read this book as it left me desperate to read the sequel.

The fact that this was Cara Coe's debut is very promising and I am sure I won't be disappointed. The length was good and I found it relatively easy to read. Not really for those under the age of seventeen as there is light moment of what I call "mingling". I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Tamora Pierce, the graceling series and basically all Heroine fantasy.

Ciao Xx

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow okay, I knew this would be a good one and it did not disappoint. The way Cara Coe weaves her stories always leaves me hungry for more, breathing life into these characters with astounding world building around a fantastic plot. I couldn't get enough!
Amelie is the hidden princess that her world seemed to have forgotten, in a world where humans and mages live precariously side by side under the rule of five kingdoms. Exiled from the palace to a convent, Amelie posses the power of persuasion over men, she has no control of it and it's really like a double edged sword when using her ability for espionage. She is constantly always on alert to defend herself from men willing to act on the desire for her that her magic has unwillingly caused. It has truly become her curse. And all men are susceptible to it, which causes only heartbreak, tragedy and anger in her life and at her mother for her part to play in it. Until she is captured by a neighboring kingdom's prince, Seth, who is immune to all magic, including hers. Their meeting sparks a change of love and newfound passion amidst the evil plot of a magic stealing mage. I loved this so much I really don't want to give it away but it is a must read!!

[♡Meme♡Reads love♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just cant deal right now

I haven't read fantasy in awhile and this one did not disappoint brava Ms. Cara brava


I am so going to read everything she writes... Happy reading friends!

[Sónia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needs a lot of editing. Word repetition, misspells and sentences that were too long, which ended up being quite hard and confusing to read. Cara Coe needs to find a good editor because this story has potential.
The characters are complex with heavy backgrounds that makes them guarded and somehow bitter towards life, namely Amelie who doesn't trust men and has to deal with them, a job requirement in her case.
There is a darkness to this story that I don't think would be suitable to a young audience, or younger than fifteen at least.
The cliffhanger certainly leaves the reader curious to know how the kingdoms will deal with Amelie's absence.
I really enjoyed Coe's world and I'd love to read more about the rest of the kingdoms and their reaction to the alliance. I will buy the second installment as soon as I'm back in the UK.

[Jk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful debut! I am so glad this book was offered for free on Amazon because I usually don't purchase books that don't have reviews up yet, especially when they are written by new authors. Look no further than The Hidden Princess if you are looking for an emotional, suspenseful, and engrossing read. Beware that there is a cliffhanger, so I hope Ms. Coe plans on publishing the next one soon!

[Maisie Finley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who ever edited this did a terrible job. Sentences were missing prepositions, articles and proper punctuation. It was quite distracting from what could have been a really interesting story. I'm wondering if it was just the kindle version that was terrible.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has editing issues. However, I actually ended up enjoying the book. I have to confess it took me some time to warm up with the heroine, Amelie, because of her problematic magical ability. She can 'seduce' men by giving away information she needs which makes her a perfect spy for Candor. Then there is Prince Seth who is immune to any kind of magic so it was actually interesting to see how their love story develops. Amelie is a very close-guarded person and thinks of her powers as a curse. We see the struggles, physically and emotionally, she faces which made me sympathize with her. Overall, it was a promising read and I'm looking forward to reading its sequel. The story contains a heavy theme that may not be suitable for young audiences. But the cliffhanger is set for adventures into the White Forest!

[Moto Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[TGOOT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the end and not too much more.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best series I have read in while. Please publish the 3rd book soon! At least the title so we can write it down on a want to read list!!

[Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review can also be found on: Paein and Ms4Tune’s Book Blog

Despite a few things, I actually was quite enjoying this book until I read the blurb for book 2. I had every plan to purchase it as soon as I'd read this one, however 'sisters are pitted against each other.' was not a description I was interested in exploring. I know not all siblings get along, but these do and that they possibly fall out over a guy is annoying. It's not his fault though, which it often is - which just makes it seem worse. This was a short story at 228 pages, and I believe that the second book is shorter still. I'm not saying I'll never read it, but I wont be reading it right now.

This was a well written, yet simple story - and if you don't mind the conflict that's coming - a brilliant start to a new series. The characters are well written and interesting people. I think my favourite is Talon, the friend of the prince. He was capable and loyal and clever and smart. His romantic conduct could do with improvement, but he never promised anything he didn't give so it's not a massive character flaw. I hope he gets a good outcome, whatever happens.

I was a little annoyed with Amelie and Seth to be honest. They should just have said "No, we're in love and getting married and that will be your treaty and we'll both travel between kingdoms and keep them both safe." because really that would have been fantastic for both kingdoms AND them too. Why didn't they think of that?

What was annoying was that her 'power' made her desirable, but only to men. What about women who are attracted to women? Or men attracted to men? Were they affected too? It also made them attack her - but the stronger willed ones did not? So was it just those that felt they were allowed to do that? And what if a man had her power? What use would it actually be? Because it seems that all it does is make men want to sleep with you. Or would it reverse so that he had power over women? I fear the answer is neither of those and that's just wrong on so many levels.

Thinking back, this story reminds me of Graceling. People secretly having powers and adventures happening.

[Vivian Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I found this book on Kindle Unlimited and I immediately fell in love with the cover. That is pretty much my reason for reading it. I mean, the story is not bad at all but it simply did not grip me either. So, I read it because it was for free and I am broke as hell. ;)

I really did not expect too much of this book so I was pleasantly suprised to find myself liking it quite a lot.

This story is, as I would refer to it, a quiet story that grows on you. I liked that the story did not seem to force too much fantasy/fights/drama etc. on you. It was smooth and flowing.

One thing I am not entirely sure I liked or not was that the characters seemed rather shallow. There was not a lot of development throughout the book. The things you knew about them in the beginning were the exact same things you knew at the end. Somehow that can make up for an enticing sequel, I could imagine. The only person getting a little more attention was Amelie; but then again she is the protagonist.

Another thing which bothered me a little was that Amelie was not sure of her feelings towards Seth for quite some time and then all of a sudden she was madly in love with him. From one page to another. Especially after the chapter where she almost sacrifices herself (not going to say more, I promise) for him. After that it is all mushy and intense. The feelings seem to be so clear so suddenly that it kind of made me dizzy. Nevertheless, I think it was not as extreme as in other books.

So, all in all I can really recommend this book. It is a lovely and witty story which will hopefully continue at some point!!! It was rather addicting!

[Kerry Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started with a good premise - but the lack of development really let it down.

It is one of those books in which you are told that the heroine is strong and kick ass - but whilst she puts up a good fight from time to time, she seems to always be kidnapped or under someone else's control. I would have liked some examples within the book of when she is the strong character she is described to be, and not always the victim. I do appreciate that she has a very emotional back-story, but if she is strong and intelligent and physically very capable, I would have liked to see her complete a mission displaying all of these skills.

Moreover, whilst I like Seth's character, at no point did I really feel a connection between the two characters. One moment they're prisoner and captor and then within a few days they're suddenly in love? There could have been so much push and pull between the two of them - especially given their magical affinities - but I really don't think the love story was ever realised. Additionally, given the pressures and abuse that Amelie has had to deal with all of her life from men, I would have thought she would have appreciated a man who didn't declare his love within a few days of imprisonment. I just really didn't buy it.

It's a fast paced and easy read and it sparks the imagination, but by the end of the novel, I'm sad to say, that I was disinterested and have no desire to read book number 2.

[Tria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed via Kindle Unlimited.

This ebook would probably have a 4* rating from me, were it not for the absolute lack of any editing.

The author slips in Americanisms where they are least appropriate to her setting and least comprehensible to other readers - for example, she mentions Amelie "cracking a window", when the character is outside that window with a heavy dagger in hand: did she break the window, or did she open it a crack? And if the latter, how did she manage that, since it isn't specified? Only the emphasis on trying to be quiet - several words after the phrase in question - explains which verb is being used) - and comes out with some very peculiar phrasing more often than not. She doesn't seem to understand the utility of commas, and has clearly not even had the work proof-read before uploading it.

That all being the case, however, the story still somehow manages to be a very readable fantasy, with some rather original approaches to its subject matter. Hence the four stars that I'd give it - if it's edited and re-uploaded. (I have offered the author my services for that, since I ended up editing the whole thing anyway, while I read it on my Kindle.) As things stand, it gets 3 stars.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars. However, since Goodreads doesn't give that option, I didn't want to penalize the author by giving a lower rating.

The premise of the story was actually quite good: girl with magical powers in a land where magical powers are frowned upon is made to use said powers to protect the kingdom. The story is well-paced with good action scenes. The main character is a strong female who is allowed to show her softer side.

The main reason for knocking my rating down from 4 to 3.5 was the editing typos. In a number of places extra words were in a sentence that didn't belong or an important word was missing, making me have to re-read the sentence. I also came across a few words that, while the meaning was similar, just didn't work right in the context of the sentence. One other editing issue which bothered me was the verb tense consistency.

Overall though it was an enjoyable read. It felt as if the author left the ending open for further adventures.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, it had a very likable protagonist and the romance was perfect. Not to little and not to big. It was just right. I loved the ending. Amelie is very independent and strong. Don't you hate when the girl is weak and the author is stereotypical? Uhhhhhh (shudders) Well, I love books with strong female characters, who have brains, actually know how to use them, and has some wit and sarcasm. I sat in my beanbag and rooted for the girl. I rated it 4 3/4 stars because it was a little slow. Just a wee little bit. But still read this book. You. Will. Love. It. Actually..... I wouldn't go as far as that You. Will. Very. Very . Very . Very. Likely. Enjoy. Greatly.

If this review helps don't forget to like :)

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am seriously hoping this book has a sequel, because if it doesn't, then the ending is really terrible.
I really liked the beginning and middle part of the book, the pacing is fast, the story is well written and the main characters likable. I also liked the romance part but the main problem is the ending. Amelias decision at the end is to some extent understandable but I just can't agree with her and I think it kinda ruined the story. Depending on the author's skills, this story can be saved in the next book or totally ruined. I am hoping the author will be able to write a good sequel.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I decided to give this book a chance. Read both this and the sequel in a days time. The writing had me captivated from the very beginning, and the characters were wonderfully developed. The main characters all play important roles without overshadowing one another, and are individually strong. The romance developed beautifully as well, without feeling forced.

A very solid breakout novel for Cara Coe. Now to pass the time until the third book...

[ts31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I hoped there would be a happier ending. I would also have liked there to be a few more scenes of the other characters, such as Millie. I am really looking forward to the next book. However, if possible, can the series not be too long since I have tendency to forget books as I wait for the next one to come out. But I really want to finish this series.

Thanks

[Susan Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mediocre story of a princess in a fantasy world who is sent away due to her magical powers. She is eventually brought back and is then goes on a mission to another kingdom where she falls for a prince while she is put on trial for crimes. This was a hard read to concentrate on.

[Janice Smith-gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This is a very good start to a series. The characters are well written. They are prone that you can identify with. Though the mother was standoffish, she made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter. Can't wait for book 2.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really into this book until maybe the last couple of chapters... It kind of didn't seem to fit. It annoyed me because I had wanted to know things and wanted certain outcomes.
I rooted for characters and enjoyed getting to know them. On to the next one...

[Shanell Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story!

I wasn't expecting to like this book. I'm immensely shocked how much I did. The story was beautifully written. I fell in love with the characters created in this book. It's a must read!!

[Frezanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some grammatical and word mistakes. I found a mistake where the sentence said condensation instead of condescension. Story wise, it's fine. It just needs further editing.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting!

Perfect plot twist, we'll written characters and promising ending. Perfect for everyone who loves adventure, magic and historic times! :)

[Miss K Bathe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great page Turner!

Kept my interest all the way through, intriguing characters and plot. Looking forward to book number 2. A very good easy read.

[Rickus Bookshelf]

DNF at 15%. Not a book for me.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, especially for a free read, my only angst being there's no sequel to continue!