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Crown Princess Academy #1
Crown Princess Academy
This is one crown you don’t want.
Born and raised in the Dregs, the last thing I expected was the “honor” of being recruited to Crown Princess Academy.
And by honor, I mean fighting for my life against the fae that rule our world.
Our first exam is in three weeks and not every student will make it out alive… don’t these bimbos realize that? I’m not fooled. I know how ruthless the fae can be.
All the princess initiates are captivated by Lucas, the sexy fae Crown Prince who, in turn, seems fixated on me. He can’t know that I’m actually the most powerful Malice Caster in the Dregs. I’m sure my talents for the Criminal Guild won’t earn me any extra credit in my princess classes.
All my life I’ve stayed one step ahead of the two-faced fae and their Malice, the out of control black magic that has nearly wiped out all of humanity. This is my chance to do more than survive—this is my chance to fight back.
I’ll play the Crown Prince’s game. I’ll wear the tiny initiate crown, dance in my glittering pink dress, survive the deadly exams, and ultimately graduate as the Crown Princess all while he thinks I’m playing right into his plans.
He’s in for a surprise when I reveal who I am and wipe that sexy, smug grin off his face... I just hope my heart doesn’t forget he’s the enemy.
Crown Princess Academy: Book 1 is the first of a planned trilogy. As it is a series, there will be a cliffhanger. This is an upper YA/NA paranormal and fantasy series with enemies-to-lovers romance and HEA.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2020
446 people are currently reading
1133 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Flowers
55 books274 followersA.J. Flowers is a fantasy author, book blogger, and automotive engineer in Detroit. She loves her writing, her work, and above all, her faith and family. When not writing or designing, you can find her saving the world from annihilation on her favorite video games side-by-side with her Dutch husband and princess Blue Russian kitty named Mina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 8, 2020
Was a bit iffy on this one because that cover is the stuff of nightmares. I liked it. Ends on a cliffhanger, bit of a secret identity thing going on. The relationship between the duo was entertaining. A user of darkness masquerading as a princess of light. That is one pain in the butt crown. I’d like to see where this one goes.
February 4, 2020
I could not wait to get my hands on this book since the first day I laid eyes on the cover!! It’s absolutely stunning! And this story is just everything! I read it in one sitting! It’s my favorite read by this author, and I have read all her books! I can not wait to get my hands on book 2!!
February 25, 2020
I did not love the book but, I did not dislike it either. Overall, I quite enjoyed the first book in the series. It was a cross between selection and other similar books with fae mixed into it. The writing seemed jumpy at times and it kinda threw me off a tad. Other than that, it was a fun enough read.
The concept of malice vs. light magic was interesting. However, I did find myself confused at times. The world building wasn't elaborate but enough to give you an idea. I would have liked to know more about the fae, humans and how it changed completely for the humans. Instead of couple lines explaining things and not getting enough perspective thus, leaving me confused at times. This did not help with character development and thus, making me not as invested in the characters overall.
I liked the FMC, Penne. She was snarky, independent and a strong malice caster in hiding living in the dregs. She gets pulled into the whole princess selection unwittingly and thus, begins her trial for the role of being one of the princesses. The whole process of princess selection left me a bit confused as well. Not much details were provided and even with what was given I kept thinking all they have to do is drink malice and absorb/fight it? And whoever absorbs and lives to see another day - moves on? The whole points given to women moved on also seemed confusing.
Prince Lucas, was ok I suppose. While he was fae and "different" from rest of the fae he had his own agenda. I didn't love him or hate him. He was just a dude to me. He did not bring anything awesome to the story. He was on one hand sabotaging Penne because there was a reason for it. But, it also did not seem clear how he was helping her either. He was planning to overthrow the fae but the reasoning seemed kind of weak and I couldn't see his vision for "why" to end it. He wanted Penne to rebel but again, we failed to see his depth for why? Overall, he was good enough character.
Romance, well, this book is not heavy on it which is good. There is building attraction but again, the depth of development overall, lacked for me. I could see them together. There is another character involved which was a surprise as I didn't know this was a real character until much later.
It does end with a cliffhanger.
***I received an arc from the author for a review***
The concept of malice vs. light magic was interesting. However, I did find myself confused at times. The world building wasn't elaborate but enough to give you an idea. I would have liked to know more about the fae, humans and how it changed completely for the humans. Instead of couple lines explaining things and not getting enough perspective thus, leaving me confused at times. This did not help with character development and thus, making me not as invested in the characters overall.
I liked the FMC, Penne. She was snarky, independent and a strong malice caster in hiding living in the dregs. She gets pulled into the whole princess selection unwittingly and thus, begins her trial for the role of being one of the princesses. The whole process of princess selection left me a bit confused as well. Not much details were provided and even with what was given I kept thinking all they have to do is drink malice and absorb/fight it? And whoever absorbs and lives to see another day - moves on? The whole points given to women moved on also seemed confusing.
Prince Lucas, was ok I suppose. While he was fae and "different" from rest of the fae he had his own agenda. I didn't love him or hate him. He was just a dude to me. He did not bring anything awesome to the story. He was on one hand sabotaging Penne because there was a reason for it. But, it also did not seem clear how he was helping her either. He was planning to overthrow the fae but the reasoning seemed kind of weak and I couldn't see his vision for "why" to end it. He wanted Penne to rebel but again, we failed to see his depth for why? Overall, he was good enough character.
Romance, well, this book is not heavy on it which is good. There is building attraction but again, the depth of development overall, lacked for me. I could see them together. There is another character involved which was a surprise as I didn't know this was a real character until much later.
It does end with a cliffhanger.
***I received an arc from the author for a review***
February 2, 2020
I really enjoyed this one and kept reading when I should have been doing other things, haha! Penne is a great heroine, I liked her from the start, and the chemistry between her and Lucas kept me turning the pages. I was a bit confused by some of the world building, but it made more sense as the book went along and I'm very much looking forward to book two!
April 30, 2020
Pros:
- An interesting set-up with a strong main character.
- A cool concept for the world building.
- A main plot you can support.
- Good descriptions. Easy to picture the scenes and characters.
Cons:
- Needs an editor. A lot of stuff spell check isn't going to catch and after seeing the variety of errors I think someone who's going to really go over this with experience is needed. There were some typos like "relam" for realm and "been" instead of seen. ex. "I'd never been such a creature." Or once calling the character Laurel the wrong name(Lauren).
There were cases of words being used inaccurately or the wrong spelling being used "hold the reigns" instead of "hold the reins".
At one point blind-sighted is used instead of blindsided. It's possible the author doesn't actually know that is an error but I suppose it could be a typo. Same thing with straightening being written as straitening.
Some missing words ex. he should be before wiped. "... making no attempt to retract his fangs as wiped his mouth..." Or in some cases an extra word was added. "I hadn't let her to put any paint on my face."
Some very awkward sentences like, "A faint smile hinted at my lips." Smiles don't hint at lips. Pretty sure something like "My lips hinted at a faint smile." or something along that line.
"I find it no surprise if each of you conjures the icon of your Academy House" (should be I'll find or I'd find as she's speaking about anticipating a future event.)
One character says, "I apologize to interrupt..." Another good example of some of the awkward lines that tripped me up because I can't say 100% sure that it's "wrong" grammatically speaking but people don't tend to phrase things that way. They'd say "I apologize for interrupting." Same thing with characters peering up to a person instead of up at a person. "I had one week before I was about to have to trust him..." Pretty sure that should be something like "I had one week before I had to trust him."
So many times I sat down reading lines out loud to see if they came out less awkward and if anything it made it worse. I finally stopped noting specific examples because there were too many and I felt I had enough to provide examples for a review. Suffice to say that this could benefit from an editor.
- Characters needed more work. People like Olli, Jilly, the king, Zizi, Laurel, Sorin, Melinda, and Rylie who were important enough to the MC or the plot(or were around enough) should've been fleshed out better. While the prince and Penne(I had a horrible time not picturing pasta every time i read her name) were well-developed and had motives and personalities, the rest just seemed to get slapped with some surface traits and that was it.
For example. Laurel is brought onto the scene once. Yanked out of the crown and bam she's there. And then she promptly gets sent back and she talks a few times in Penne's head but that's it. What's the point? Why are we adding more weird conjurations if they're just going to get sidelined?
Rylie and Penne had a lot of potential to be allies/friends but we hardly get to see Rylie at all. Melinda makes for a pretty weak "mean girl rival" as everything is pretty surface level when it comes to what she does/says.
- This was the biggest issue for me. Plot issues. In no particular order here they are...
1. "I should have hated myself that one of the Candidates had already figured out that I was an imposter." (typo on impostor isn't mine)
She says this at 60% . . . and I'm like uh yeah. Because Penne goes into this with no plan, no preparation, and she frankly SUCKS at blending in. There is nothing about her that fits into this. She doesn't talk or act like any of the other Elite and quite frankly she makes zero attempt to blend in. I honestly was waiting to find out that the king knew the whole time that she was a fraud because it was the only explanation for her not being found out.
It required some major suspension of disbelief that a character who is trying to infiltrate an elite group makes no real effort to blend in. It's almost like she didn't care if she failed or not.
2. Fae/Human and DNA or whatever.
So the Fae can't have magical children anymore. So the Fae king goes and picks up a human chick to have a kid with. Okay, so now we have a half fae/half human prince(which it's ALWAYS a male. How does that work? What happens if the queen miscarries or has a girl? How do they ensure that it's always a boy that's born? This is never explained.). Now that kid grows up and in 19 years he does the same thing. We now have a 1/4 fae and 3/4 human prince.
See where I'm going for this? How the heck are we who knows how many generations into this mess without someone thinking huh, we call ourselves Fae but at this point our Fae blood is so diluted that we're really way more human than Fae. I thought it was weird the prince thought of himself as Fae and not human considering that even if he had been the first in this change he would've been 50/50.
Not to mention that uh they'd stop LOOKING like Fae after awhile. We are they still sporting the pointy ears and fangs? Shouldn't those genes be so watered down that chances of having them, especially in full pointyness would be slim?
- The Academy.
“Oh, right, Orientation Dinner. It can be a bit hard the first time.” Sighing, I clutched the edge of the bed. “How long have you worked here?” She bit her lip before replying. “Three years."
Wait . . . does Orientation Dinner happen for just the Queen's class or the whole Academy? Because it seems like it's specific to the queen's class. Everything about this story hints at that class being at a whole new level. And if that class only takes place every 19 years HOWWWW could Ollie say "oh yeah it's hard the first time" considering she's only been there 3 years?
And if it is universal how are they providing a cover up for this? It's mentioned that all these girls are oblivious to the fact that they'll be killed off one by one and how it happens. I can see keeping a lid on things if it's a once every 19 years thing but if this is happening every semester? You'd be killing off your entire nobility. At least all of the females.
Also for all of the hype about it being "the worst". . . like worse than being a brood mare in the human malice section of the world, it fails to shock. There's one class. ONE CLASS where they're taught to conjure something while touching a magic artifact. They're given a glass of the Malice which kills one of the 7? girls at the dinner. But we already knew that the whole class ends up dead so losing one at the start isn't shocking. And then after the one class they're given another drink.
Then after that they're allowed to wander in the gardens, sparring room, and music room. We see nothing with the garden thing, we see Rylie and Penne play/sing one song together in the music room, and then we have one underwhelming duel between Penne and Melinda.
Nothing exciting or impressive. And that's it for the next TWO WEEKS. Then they're given a score based on that one day of wandering through those rooms(where nothing horrible happens and music/gardening/dueling are all fairly benign and normal activities. And that's the final! They're done. They're given one more glass of Malice there at the end.
I was like wow... that was a lot of nothing.
Like that's what I was waiting for? The climax/finale that took up like one page. There was no meat to it. It was just over before it even started. And it felt so unsatisfying.
Summary:
A great idea that had a lot of potential but unfortunately needed some type of developmental editor to work out the story bugs and definitely needed a line editor to sort out the SPaG issues. Story needed too much work for me to continue with the series.
- An interesting set-up with a strong main character.
- A cool concept for the world building.
- A main plot you can support.
- Good descriptions. Easy to picture the scenes and characters.
Cons:
- Needs an editor. A lot of stuff spell check isn't going to catch and after seeing the variety of errors I think someone who's going to really go over this with experience is needed. There were some typos like "relam" for realm and "been" instead of seen. ex. "I'd never been such a creature." Or once calling the character Laurel the wrong name(Lauren).
There were cases of words being used inaccurately or the wrong spelling being used "hold the reigns" instead of "hold the reins".
At one point blind-sighted is used instead of blindsided. It's possible the author doesn't actually know that is an error but I suppose it could be a typo. Same thing with straightening being written as straitening.
Some missing words ex. he should be before wiped. "... making no attempt to retract his fangs as wiped his mouth..." Or in some cases an extra word was added. "I hadn't let her to put any paint on my face."
Some very awkward sentences like, "A faint smile hinted at my lips." Smiles don't hint at lips. Pretty sure something like "My lips hinted at a faint smile." or something along that line.
"I find it no surprise if each of you conjures the icon of your Academy House" (should be I'll find or I'd find as she's speaking about anticipating a future event.)
One character says, "I apologize to interrupt..." Another good example of some of the awkward lines that tripped me up because I can't say 100% sure that it's "wrong" grammatically speaking but people don't tend to phrase things that way. They'd say "I apologize for interrupting." Same thing with characters peering up to a person instead of up at a person. "I had one week before I was about to have to trust him..." Pretty sure that should be something like "I had one week before I had to trust him."
So many times I sat down reading lines out loud to see if they came out less awkward and if anything it made it worse. I finally stopped noting specific examples because there were too many and I felt I had enough to provide examples for a review. Suffice to say that this could benefit from an editor.
- Characters needed more work. People like Olli, Jilly, the king, Zizi, Laurel, Sorin, Melinda, and Rylie who were important enough to the MC or the plot(or were around enough) should've been fleshed out better. While the prince and Penne(I had a horrible time not picturing pasta every time i read her name) were well-developed and had motives and personalities, the rest just seemed to get slapped with some surface traits and that was it.
For example. Laurel is brought onto the scene once. Yanked out of the crown and bam she's there. And then she promptly gets sent back and she talks a few times in Penne's head but that's it. What's the point? Why are we adding more weird conjurations if they're just going to get sidelined?
Rylie and Penne had a lot of potential to be allies/friends but we hardly get to see Rylie at all. Melinda makes for a pretty weak "mean girl rival" as everything is pretty surface level when it comes to what she does/says.
- This was the biggest issue for me. Plot issues. In no particular order here they are...
1. "I should have hated myself that one of the Candidates had already figured out that I was an imposter." (typo on impostor isn't mine)
She says this at 60% . . . and I'm like uh yeah. Because Penne goes into this with no plan, no preparation, and she frankly SUCKS at blending in. There is nothing about her that fits into this. She doesn't talk or act like any of the other Elite and quite frankly she makes zero attempt to blend in. I honestly was waiting to find out that the king knew the whole time that she was a fraud because it was the only explanation for her not being found out.
It required some major suspension of disbelief that a character who is trying to infiltrate an elite group makes no real effort to blend in. It's almost like she didn't care if she failed or not.
2. Fae/Human and DNA or whatever.
So the Fae can't have magical children anymore. So the Fae king goes and picks up a human chick to have a kid with. Okay, so now we have a half fae/half human prince(which it's ALWAYS a male. How does that work? What happens if the queen miscarries or has a girl? How do they ensure that it's always a boy that's born? This is never explained.). Now that kid grows up and in 19 years he does the same thing. We now have a 1/4 fae and 3/4 human prince.
See where I'm going for this? How the heck are we who knows how many generations into this mess without someone thinking huh, we call ourselves Fae but at this point our Fae blood is so diluted that we're really way more human than Fae. I thought it was weird the prince thought of himself as Fae and not human considering that even if he had been the first in this change he would've been 50/50.
Not to mention that uh they'd stop LOOKING like Fae after awhile. We are they still sporting the pointy ears and fangs? Shouldn't those genes be so watered down that chances of having them, especially in full pointyness would be slim?
- The Academy.
“Oh, right, Orientation Dinner. It can be a bit hard the first time.” Sighing, I clutched the edge of the bed. “How long have you worked here?” She bit her lip before replying. “Three years."
Wait . . . does Orientation Dinner happen for just the Queen's class or the whole Academy? Because it seems like it's specific to the queen's class. Everything about this story hints at that class being at a whole new level. And if that class only takes place every 19 years HOWWWW could Ollie say "oh yeah it's hard the first time" considering she's only been there 3 years?
And if it is universal how are they providing a cover up for this? It's mentioned that all these girls are oblivious to the fact that they'll be killed off one by one and how it happens. I can see keeping a lid on things if it's a once every 19 years thing but if this is happening every semester? You'd be killing off your entire nobility. At least all of the females.
Also for all of the hype about it being "the worst". . . like worse than being a brood mare in the human malice section of the world, it fails to shock. There's one class. ONE CLASS where they're taught to conjure something while touching a magic artifact. They're given a glass of the Malice which kills one of the 7? girls at the dinner. But we already knew that the whole class ends up dead so losing one at the start isn't shocking. And then after the one class they're given another drink.
Then after that they're allowed to wander in the gardens, sparring room, and music room. We see nothing with the garden thing, we see Rylie and Penne play/sing one song together in the music room, and then we have one underwhelming duel between Penne and Melinda.
Nothing exciting or impressive. And that's it for the next TWO WEEKS. Then they're given a score based on that one day of wandering through those rooms(where nothing horrible happens and music/gardening/dueling are all fairly benign and normal activities. And that's the final! They're done. They're given one more glass of Malice there at the end.
I was like wow... that was a lot of nothing.
Like that's what I was waiting for? The climax/finale that took up like one page. There was no meat to it. It was just over before it even started. And it felt so unsatisfying.
Summary:
A great idea that had a lot of potential but unfortunately needed some type of developmental editor to work out the story bugs and definitely needed a line editor to sort out the SPaG issues. Story needed too much work for me to continue with the series.
May 27, 2020
I received a free audiobook copy from the author in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
If you liked the Selection, you NEED to read this book!!
Penne has lived her life in the Dregs, or the bad side of town. As a Malice caster, there isn't much more she can look forward to, especially with the Fae in charge due to their hatred of Malice. But when Penne is selected by one of the Crown Princess crowns, she's in for a new world at Crown Princess Academy. If she wins, she becomes the Crown Princess and one step closer to her goal of overthrowing the Fae.
This story alternates between Penne's POV and Crown Prince Lucas. I loved the banter between these two and the fact that they're basically working towards the same goal but don't know it. It was so funny to see them dance around each other, try to manipulate each other all while being ridiculously attracted to each other.
Crown Princess Academy was a fun story that constantly made me smile. I loved this world and the characters. I cannot wait to see what will happen in book 2!
If you liked the Selection, you NEED to read this book!!
Penne has lived her life in the Dregs, or the bad side of town. As a Malice caster, there isn't much more she can look forward to, especially with the Fae in charge due to their hatred of Malice. But when Penne is selected by one of the Crown Princess crowns, she's in for a new world at Crown Princess Academy. If she wins, she becomes the Crown Princess and one step closer to her goal of overthrowing the Fae.
This story alternates between Penne's POV and Crown Prince Lucas. I loved the banter between these two and the fact that they're basically working towards the same goal but don't know it. It was so funny to see them dance around each other, try to manipulate each other all while being ridiculously attracted to each other.
Crown Princess Academy was a fun story that constantly made me smile. I loved this world and the characters. I cannot wait to see what will happen in book 2!
February 24, 2021
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I loved every bit of it. The premise is essentially princess hunger games + ACOTAR. I couldn’t put this book down, there was so much action and suspense that I devoured it in one day. The princess academy, the White Castle, the beautiful dresses, and the enemies-to-lovers romance all enchanted my reading experience.
Penne irritated me a bit by being another anti-feminine heroine. She hated that she was being considered for Crown Princess, she preferred a dagger to a crown, and often expressed her distaste for the color pink. These heroines are not unique, they are overdone in YA and I find them sexist. Despite all of that, Penne was actually a likable main character. She had dignity and did not falter under the pressure of the Crown Prince wooing her. She kept her own agenda and was very talented in magic which I could only admire.
I absolutely cannot wait for books 2 & 3!
Penne irritated me a bit by being another anti-feminine heroine. She hated that she was being considered for Crown Princess, she preferred a dagger to a crown, and often expressed her distaste for the color pink. These heroines are not unique, they are overdone in YA and I find them sexist. Despite all of that, Penne was actually a likable main character. She had dignity and did not falter under the pressure of the Crown Prince wooing her. She kept her own agenda and was very talented in magic which I could only admire.
I absolutely cannot wait for books 2 & 3!
Read
March 14, 2025A fantasy romance that brings to mind The Selection. While the world building and the magic system were intriguing, I just didn't enjoy the writing style or characters. The writer also had a non-descriptive naked female character in front of a male character and the setup for a love triangle. The romance, however, was only a subplot in this story. I did appreciate that the author created some closure to this story while still crating the tension for the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2020
ARC received from author
From the synopsis this sounds like The Selection series with fairies. It isn’t at all. Despite the marriage competition it is really original and is more focused on the girl’s mastery of magic and less of marrying the prince.
I can’t say I loved this book, but I didn’t hate it. I enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I would read book 2. I would be interested in knowing where the story goes, but at the same time I already sense where it will go (rebellion, romance, etc.).
Some of my dislike of this book came from my confusion. I think this originated in the writing style. I found the book didn’t explain a lot of terminology when using it. The book started and I couldn’t get a clear image as to what was happening. In the end, I think better descriptions were needed. Once past the beginning, things cleared up for me. The Academy part of the story was interesting and fun. I enjoyed that; the classes, the building attraction between her and the prince.
I liked the main character’s spunk and really have no complaints about her, but I’m unsure how I feel about the prince. Despite his placement, I found he didn’t impact the story in a large way. The romance is still building, which I appreciate, so there wasn’t much there. He’s planning a rebellion with her, but tells her nothing except fail. I hope he plays a greater part in later books because really, this story could have existed without him. If she created the same plan, and knew how the drinks worked, then all the same events could have occurred.
All in all, good book. Enjoyable, but not great.
From the synopsis this sounds like The Selection series with fairies. It isn’t at all. Despite the marriage competition it is really original and is more focused on the girl’s mastery of magic and less of marrying the prince.
I can’t say I loved this book, but I didn’t hate it. I enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I would read book 2. I would be interested in knowing where the story goes, but at the same time I already sense where it will go (rebellion, romance, etc.).
Some of my dislike of this book came from my confusion. I think this originated in the writing style. I found the book didn’t explain a lot of terminology when using it. The book started and I couldn’t get a clear image as to what was happening. In the end, I think better descriptions were needed. Once past the beginning, things cleared up for me. The Academy part of the story was interesting and fun. I enjoyed that; the classes, the building attraction between her and the prince.
I liked the main character’s spunk and really have no complaints about her, but I’m unsure how I feel about the prince. Despite his placement, I found he didn’t impact the story in a large way. The romance is still building, which I appreciate, so there wasn’t much there. He’s planning a rebellion with her, but tells her nothing except fail. I hope he plays a greater part in later books because really, this story could have existed without him. If she created the same plan, and knew how the drinks worked, then all the same events could have occurred.
All in all, good book. Enjoyable, but not great.
February 25, 2020
This book was unique and overall a fun and easy read but with a few pretty large flaws. The world building was all over the place and it was hard to follow at times. The characters could have been more developed as well as their motivations. I will most likely read the second one in hopes that some of these things improve.
March 31, 2023
I kind of felt like the whole Academy premise was flimsy. The only glimpse of students other than the Queen's Class was at the very end. Why not just make it a small elite group or something? And they only attended like 2 classes. It just didn't seem relevant at all in the grand scheme of the story.
I also did not understand Lukas' plan at all until probably the 50 or 60% mark. It should have been explained earlier. Honestly a lot of the plot felt a bit half-baked, and I struggled to under what the point of it was.
Lastly, the girl on girl hate and slut shaming is old and tired in this day and age.
There were some parts that I liked and the overall direction of the story was actually really interesting. I feel it has potential. It sadly just felt like a flimsy, trope-y YA book that I think I'm just too old for these days.
I also did not understand Lukas' plan at all until probably the 50 or 60% mark. It should have been explained earlier. Honestly a lot of the plot felt a bit half-baked, and I struggled to under what the point of it was.
Lastly, the girl on girl hate and slut shaming is old and tired in this day and age.
There were some parts that I liked and the overall direction of the story was actually really interesting. I feel it has potential. It sadly just felt like a flimsy, trope-y YA book that I think I'm just too old for these days.
January 31, 2020
Loving this series already!
This is definitely different from all Flower's others works.
Devoured doesn't even cover what I did. The worldbuilding is amazing. The characters are unique and relatable. As in if Fae were real and all. But they kept the pages turning and you honestly don't even notice how much you've read. The pace obviously is fast but I didn't find it lacking in anything.
Bring on book two!
This is definitely different from all Flower's others works.
Devoured doesn't even cover what I did. The worldbuilding is amazing. The characters are unique and relatable. As in if Fae were real and all. But they kept the pages turning and you honestly don't even notice how much you've read. The pace obviously is fast but I didn't find it lacking in anything.
Bring on book two!
December 30, 2024
Got this one during the xmas 2024 SYKD for free.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3/5
This was a short read that I used to hit my reading goal for 2024. That being said it didn't hit me as hard as other "bride competition" stories did.
Spoilers below:
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It really didn't make me like the story when Penne is consistently set up to fail at the main premise of the book: The Queen Trials. YES there is a reason for it. NO I do not like that reason. The background characters and other candidates are just kind of husks meant to be cannon fodder so Penne can show more female rage (even if the red candidate is the literal mean girl & slut archetype)
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This is a competition story and the prince (who is the one doing 98% of the sabotage against Penne) literally tells her to sit on her ass for a two week time skip: AND PENNE DOES. She has no drive nor agency in this novel and doesn't do anything for herself aside from what she's told to do by others no less (with the secret reasoning being withheld because if she knew immediately then most of the tension would be gone from the book.)
.
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She's given Malice powers and not one but two magic voices in her head (which the author goes into great depths to remind you of in the first 7 chapters before dropping that plot point off completely until the last 4 chapters of the book) Penne's past as a thief/assassin/badass fmc is completely glossed over and she is never given a chance to claim that part of herself back again (remember the prince himself is sabotaging her at every moment he can "so she can get stronger")
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The main love interest Prince Lucas is even more of a disappointment than Penne is. With Penne she at least tried to fight against the role she was thrust into, the prince just goes along with his father's shit even though he clearly knows better. Sure a lot of his arc is trying to get out there and do the right thing, but literally his whole point in the book is to sabotage Penne from accomplishing anything. And that's when he's not sneaking into there bathing chambers like a fucking stalker even though he's powerful enough to disrupt the magic spying devices that are in the main chambers of Pennes room if he wanted to talk to her privately.
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Tldr: Lucas gives me the ick which is a terrible thing for a love interest to do for a reader.
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And Steel is little better even though he's the "shadow daddy" of the story.
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This book was frustrating even for a short filler read to buff my book stats and I'm going to need a pallete cleanser so as to not leave 2024 on a bad note.
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I will not be completing this series.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3/5
This was a short read that I used to hit my reading goal for 2024. That being said it didn't hit me as hard as other "bride competition" stories did.
Spoilers below:
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It really didn't make me like the story when Penne is consistently set up to fail at the main premise of the book: The Queen Trials. YES there is a reason for it. NO I do not like that reason. The background characters and other candidates are just kind of husks meant to be cannon fodder so Penne can show more female rage (even if the red candidate is the literal mean girl & slut archetype)
.
.
This is a competition story and the prince (who is the one doing 98% of the sabotage against Penne) literally tells her to sit on her ass for a two week time skip: AND PENNE DOES. She has no drive nor agency in this novel and doesn't do anything for herself aside from what she's told to do by others no less (with the secret reasoning being withheld because if she knew immediately then most of the tension would be gone from the book.)
.
.
She's given Malice powers and not one but two magic voices in her head (which the author goes into great depths to remind you of in the first 7 chapters before dropping that plot point off completely until the last 4 chapters of the book) Penne's past as a thief/assassin/badass fmc is completely glossed over and she is never given a chance to claim that part of herself back again (remember the prince himself is sabotaging her at every moment he can "so she can get stronger")
.
.
The main love interest Prince Lucas is even more of a disappointment than Penne is. With Penne she at least tried to fight against the role she was thrust into, the prince just goes along with his father's shit even though he clearly knows better. Sure a lot of his arc is trying to get out there and do the right thing, but literally his whole point in the book is to sabotage Penne from accomplishing anything. And that's when he's not sneaking into there bathing chambers like a fucking stalker even though he's powerful enough to disrupt the magic spying devices that are in the main chambers of Pennes room if he wanted to talk to her privately.
.
Tldr: Lucas gives me the ick which is a terrible thing for a love interest to do for a reader.
.
.
And Steel is little better even though he's the "shadow daddy" of the story.
.
.
This book was frustrating even for a short filler read to buff my book stats and I'm going to need a pallete cleanser so as to not leave 2024 on a bad note.
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I will not be completing this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2020
DNF for me. I made it half-way through and just couldn’t anymore. I very rarely read books when they are just 1 book into a trilogy and usually put them on me wish list to read once everything’s been released. However, the plot for this one intrigued me enough that I decided to read this one now.
Boy was I disappointed.
The overall writing was good (needed an editor in the worst way though) so why the DNF?? Ugh, the female MC.
To quote Hermione Granger: “What. An. Idiot.”
The plot layout and explanation of the realms and how Penne (seriously? A pasta? It was super distracting) was a tad hard to follow as it was jumpy and not well explained verbally. No biggie; there’s enough there that is understandable to be able to fill in the confusing pieces.
Once Penne gets to the Crown Princess Academy she has a plan to blend in and take down. But does she do this? Nope. Doesn’t even ATTEMPT to try to fit in. In fact, she could not stand out more if she tried.
She couldn’t even keep her mouth shut during the orientation dinner where she should have sat, listened, observed, etc. Omg. I wanted to reach into the book and slap the stupid out of her. Then she was surprised that the Crown Prince didn’t step in to defend her. Hello??? Why would he? Unlike our moron in the lead role, he knows there is a time and a place and a game to be played.
It did not get better from there and I just got to the point where I couldn’t take the idiocy anymore (the Prince does not help her to try to make it seem like it’s something she just needs to work on).
Such a shame because the description on Amazon had such promise.
Boy was I disappointed.
The overall writing was good (needed an editor in the worst way though) so why the DNF?? Ugh, the female MC.
To quote Hermione Granger: “What. An. Idiot.”
The plot layout and explanation of the realms and how Penne (seriously? A pasta? It was super distracting) was a tad hard to follow as it was jumpy and not well explained verbally. No biggie; there’s enough there that is understandable to be able to fill in the confusing pieces.
Once Penne gets to the Crown Princess Academy she has a plan to blend in and take down. But does she do this? Nope. Doesn’t even ATTEMPT to try to fit in. In fact, she could not stand out more if she tried.
She couldn’t even keep her mouth shut during the orientation dinner where she should have sat, listened, observed, etc. Omg. I wanted to reach into the book and slap the stupid out of her. Then she was surprised that the Crown Prince didn’t step in to defend her. Hello??? Why would he? Unlike our moron in the lead role, he knows there is a time and a place and a game to be played.
It did not get better from there and I just got to the point where I couldn’t take the idiocy anymore (the Prince does not help her to try to make it seem like it’s something she just needs to work on).
Such a shame because the description on Amazon had such promise.
October 6, 2020
Not my cup of tea I guess
It just throws you right in, which normally isn't a problem, but I was pretty confused at first. Nothing was really explained until it kind of pieces together later. That can be fine in some stories, but I didn't think it was particularly right in this one.
Apart from that.. You get two perspectives. The Fae Crown Prince and a human named Penelope. They're supposed to be on opposite ends, the Fae with light and the human suffering in darkness at whatever fate the fae leave them to. But in this story these two characters actually have a common goal.
That's what the story ends up being about. That goal. They don't learn that they have the same goal until almost the end, and then shortly after what was supposed to complete the goal happens.
That really all sounds interesting and it could've been, but I didn't particularly like how it was done. The writing itself was fine, but just some parts of the story I definitely could've lived without.. Even though they did end up making a little more sense father in.
If I didn't try to finish books I got a certain amount through... I probably would've stopped around 56%~ of the way through.
Despite the interesting premise and a decent amount of things happening throughout the book I just wasn't invested and really didn't like the characters.
It just throws you right in, which normally isn't a problem, but I was pretty confused at first. Nothing was really explained until it kind of pieces together later. That can be fine in some stories, but I didn't think it was particularly right in this one.
Apart from that.. You get two perspectives. The Fae Crown Prince and a human named Penelope. They're supposed to be on opposite ends, the Fae with light and the human suffering in darkness at whatever fate the fae leave them to. But in this story these two characters actually have a common goal.
That's what the story ends up being about. That goal. They don't learn that they have the same goal until almost the end, and then shortly after what was supposed to complete the goal happens.
That really all sounds interesting and it could've been, but I didn't particularly like how it was done. The writing itself was fine, but just some parts of the story I definitely could've lived without.. Even though they did end up making a little more sense father in.
If I didn't try to finish books I got a certain amount through... I probably would've stopped around 56%~ of the way through.
Despite the interesting premise and a decent amount of things happening throughout the book I just wasn't invested and really didn't like the characters.
December 18, 2023
Fans of Holly Black will love this deadly princess competition story in academy setting
Penne is a Malice Caster and a cunning thief in the Dregs where humans wihtout light magic are forced to live. When she steals something she’s meant to hand over but doesn’t, using it to liberate one of her friends from a breeding house, things turn interesting. Next, she finds herself in a princess competition, fighting for her life while the prince has treacherous plans of his own.
I quite enjoyed this book - the feels were like Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series - fae cruelty, compulson magic, humans picked on. I liked feisty Penelope aka Penne - fighting to keep her Malice powers while integrating the Light and her two fairy familiars Zizi and Laurel were adorable. With Prince Lucas as well as King of Malice having set their sights on Penne, this is turning a little bit RH and call me morally grey, but I’d pick the dark dude anytime what with the “light” prince sabotaging the FMC all the way but leaning in for kisses?!? I’ll chalk it up to needs must for Penne, but hoppe she picks right in the next book.
Recommended for lovers of fae lore, deadly princess tournaments and those who consider good/evil or malice/light mere labels that need careful scrutiny as to its essence before passing judgment.
Penne is a Malice Caster and a cunning thief in the Dregs where humans wihtout light magic are forced to live. When she steals something she’s meant to hand over but doesn’t, using it to liberate one of her friends from a breeding house, things turn interesting. Next, she finds herself in a princess competition, fighting for her life while the prince has treacherous plans of his own.
I quite enjoyed this book - the feels were like Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series - fae cruelty, compulson magic, humans picked on. I liked feisty Penelope aka Penne - fighting to keep her Malice powers while integrating the Light and her two fairy familiars Zizi and Laurel were adorable. With Prince Lucas as well as King of Malice having set their sights on Penne, this is turning a little bit RH and call me morally grey, but I’d pick the dark dude anytime what with the “light” prince sabotaging the FMC all the way but leaning in for kisses?!? I’ll chalk it up to needs must for Penne, but hoppe she picks right in the next book.
Recommended for lovers of fae lore, deadly princess tournaments and those who consider good/evil or malice/light mere labels that need careful scrutiny as to its essence before passing judgment.
August 25, 2025
I will keep this review short,
This book was promising, with a rather cliche plot but in a way that made it familiar, yet interesting. It's the type of story I was searching for a while now, bringing feelings of nostalgia as it reminded me of movies and books I've read back in the day.
But, it wasn't quite there.
Where did it all go wrong?
Well, for starters it felt very rushed. This could definitely go through another round of editing, because there were some noticeable mistakes, repeated.
Time periods got confusing (e.g. the two week period? That sometimes was two weeks but then more weeks were mentioned as two weeks had already passed?).
Also another confusing part was the whole academy part. I didn't really understand anything other than the fact that the queen's class took part every nineteen years (you really don't have to tell me all the time), and that it would choose the next queen.
As for the "trials" and "classes", very underwhelming. I expected so much in that aspect but was left with crumbs. Such a shame because the setting was right and it could've been so good.
This book was focused more on repeating basic knowledge the reader had, than dive into any deeper plot. With this version (as a draft) a really good book could've been produced.
If you ask me I'd say this is a bit of wasted potential.
This book was promising, with a rather cliche plot but in a way that made it familiar, yet interesting. It's the type of story I was searching for a while now, bringing feelings of nostalgia as it reminded me of movies and books I've read back in the day.
But, it wasn't quite there.
Where did it all go wrong?
Well, for starters it felt very rushed. This could definitely go through another round of editing, because there were some noticeable mistakes, repeated.
Time periods got confusing (e.g. the two week period? That sometimes was two weeks but then more weeks were mentioned as two weeks had already passed?).
Also another confusing part was the whole academy part. I didn't really understand anything other than the fact that the queen's class took part every nineteen years (you really don't have to tell me all the time), and that it would choose the next queen.
As for the "trials" and "classes", very underwhelming. I expected so much in that aspect but was left with crumbs. Such a shame because the setting was right and it could've been so good.
This book was focused more on repeating basic knowledge the reader had, than dive into any deeper plot. With this version (as a draft) a really good book could've been produced.
If you ask me I'd say this is a bit of wasted potential.
July 1, 2021
“I expected something more yet the story wasn’t bad just not great. The plot has lots of potential but sadly there’s nothing great about it. Confusing, random and not so logic. Kind of difficult to explain without giving details but there wasn’t a good perception of time. When Penne met Prince Lucas for the first time I was so excited about that moment it seems like there was going to be a hot relationship between them with the addition of the malice versus light but sadly there wasn’t at all. Prince Lucas was somehow different but yet as someone who wanted to changed how thing were working he could have try to save them all and not just one. I mean the whole “sacrifice a few for the greatest good” I get it but he could have try more and Penne well she lacked as FMC too. Plus if you (like me) are expecting romance and steam well that’s not gonna happen aside form a perv that has zero point, trust me. The attraction was there yeah but nothing else it was more like a game rather than something that could be a long term relationship. Lastly, that epilogue of was out of nowhere like seriously? What was the connection with the ending? Nothing al all! Or is it going to be a love triangle? Like I said, no sense at all.”
May 16, 2023
A fae prince set on bringing down his kingdom from within …
A human, having infiltrated the kingdom with plans to do the same …
But neither realizes they’re on the same side? Let the games begin.
How can anyone resist reading and/or listening to this book with THIS COVER?!?!?!? It’s definitely one of my faves of all-time. (But don’t let it fool you—this kingdom has been touched by darkness.)
There is so much going on here, not the least of which were the stunning visuals, thanks to this author’s talent of painting beautiful ‘mind pictures’ as she writes …
👑 Fae realm setting.
🦋 Royals.
👑 Magic.
🦋 Biiiiig attitudes.
👑 Epic vocabulary designed to suit the world.
🦋 Amazing world-building.
👑 Academy vibes. (Specifically: Malice Academy—how intriguing does that sound?)
🦋 Trials.
👑 A reluctant, and rebellious princess candidate.
🦋 A sassy pixie.
👑 Malice with its own personality.
🦋 A wicked cliffhanger—this one’s quite fun.
👑 Epic world-building.
Overall:
5 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
I hadn’t previously heard of this narrator, to my memory—she sounds amazing! Great voice, I absolutely love her attitude. I feel like she really brought Penne to life—well done.
A human, having infiltrated the kingdom with plans to do the same …
But neither realizes they’re on the same side? Let the games begin.
How can anyone resist reading and/or listening to this book with THIS COVER?!?!?!? It’s definitely one of my faves of all-time. (But don’t let it fool you—this kingdom has been touched by darkness.)
There is so much going on here, not the least of which were the stunning visuals, thanks to this author’s talent of painting beautiful ‘mind pictures’ as she writes …
👑 Fae realm setting.
🦋 Royals.
👑 Magic.
🦋 Biiiiig attitudes.
👑 Epic vocabulary designed to suit the world.
🦋 Amazing world-building.
👑 Academy vibes. (Specifically: Malice Academy—how intriguing does that sound?)
🦋 Trials.
👑 A reluctant, and rebellious princess candidate.
🦋 A sassy pixie.
👑 Malice with its own personality.
🦋 A wicked cliffhanger—this one’s quite fun.
👑 Epic world-building.
Overall:
5 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
I hadn’t previously heard of this narrator, to my memory—she sounds amazing! Great voice, I absolutely love her attitude. I feel like she really brought Penne to life—well done.
July 6, 2021
This was my first book by A.J. Flowers and I will say it did not disappoint. Don't let the pretty cover fool you though as this story does have a bit of a dark twist to it which I really enjoyed. The main character Penne (yes like the pasta) was a wonderful breath of fresh air. She is headstrong, independent and a powerful Malice Castor who gets sucked into the "princess" lifestyle when a magical crown marks her as a candidate for the Crown Princess Academy. I was unsure of Lucas and still kind of am, and I think that's because of how he was written. He's the fae Crown Prince but he's not like all the other fae and although his backstory gives us an idea of his intentions, I feel like there needs to be more to his story for what his goal is. I loved these two's interactions and was so happy to not have an insta-love story come out. I also really enjoyed the characters of Zizi, Steel and Laurel who although all minor characters each have their own bit of flair about them. I look forward for books two and three to come out so I can see how thing cliffhanger ends!
January 12, 2025
This book has a lot of potential in the plot and the characters. I don’t know if it’s because of the writing style, but I struggled to read longer than 3 chapters before falling asleep. It wasn’t bad, the characters were decent but they needed more…
Penne was an interesting character, but the fact that she readily agreed with the plan that potentially killed the other candidates was strange especially since she fights to save others at her own expense the entire book and they all just die??? Lucas…I can understand his needs for secrets but there was just something about the way he did it that was…not enough. The ending made little sense, especially Steel, and I had no idea how Zizi was able to survive with the crown on after Penne got back to the real world. I’ll read the second one because there are too many things that just don’t make sense that I’m hoping will be answered in the second one…but I’m not sure.
A decent amateur read but not my favorite.
Penne was an interesting character, but the fact that she readily agreed with the plan that potentially killed the other candidates was strange especially since she fights to save others at her own expense the entire book and they all just die??? Lucas…I can understand his needs for secrets but there was just something about the way he did it that was…not enough. The ending made little sense, especially Steel, and I had no idea how Zizi was able to survive with the crown on after Penne got back to the real world. I’ll read the second one because there are too many things that just don’t make sense that I’m hoping will be answered in the second one…but I’m not sure.
A decent amateur read but not my favorite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2025
Okay, where should I start.
First of all the COVER is everything. When I read the synopsis, i was very intrigued to read it.
But… there where a couple of things I didn’t like:
-I didn’t like the writing. You can read very fast troughs this book, but I was really confused.
-There was no explanation about the world.
-The character were okay. In my opinion not that strong. I didn’t really felt a connection with them.
-The selection of the candidates were very rondom.
- The romance? Ow wait… there was no romance. It was almost cringy…
- The candidates were supposed to battle en have classes. But there were literally just two scenes of this. So I really mist that.
- I really didn’t understand the plot. I was confused
Overall, the whole wasn’t written very strongly. But there is something I liked about the book. I don’t know what exactly. So I’m going to read the second book to see if I can like this series or if it’s not for me.
But the cover…. I’m so in love with it.
First of all the COVER is everything. When I read the synopsis, i was very intrigued to read it.
But… there where a couple of things I didn’t like:
-I didn’t like the writing. You can read very fast troughs this book, but I was really confused.
-There was no explanation about the world.
-The character were okay. In my opinion not that strong. I didn’t really felt a connection with them.
-The selection of the candidates were very rondom.
- The romance? Ow wait… there was no romance. It was almost cringy…
- The candidates were supposed to battle en have classes. But there were literally just two scenes of this. So I really mist that.
- I really didn’t understand the plot. I was confused
Overall, the whole wasn’t written very strongly. But there is something I liked about the book. I don’t know what exactly. So I’m going to read the second book to see if I can like this series or if it’s not for me.
But the cover…. I’m so in love with it.
May 13, 2020
Penne is a great heroine. She is a powerful Malice caster and she has to hide her true identity while at the academy. Can she survive her time at the academy?
Baby boy Fae, Lucas is the sexy Fae prince who has his eye on Penne. I loved the interaction between Penne and Lucas. I enjoyed learnings about the world and it’s humans, dregs, and Fae. I thought it was a interesting story. While it does leave you in a cliffhanger I don’t think it’s such a bad cliffhanger. Just leaves you wanting more.
I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed listening to Carolyn Lee. She brought another level to the narration. I thought she was a perfect blend for Penne and the other two that are in Penne’s head so to speak. Looking forward to the next installment.
Baby boy Fae, Lucas is the sexy Fae prince who has his eye on Penne. I loved the interaction between Penne and Lucas. I enjoyed learnings about the world and it’s humans, dregs, and Fae. I thought it was a interesting story. While it does leave you in a cliffhanger I don’t think it’s such a bad cliffhanger. Just leaves you wanting more.
I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed listening to Carolyn Lee. She brought another level to the narration. I thought she was a perfect blend for Penne and the other two that are in Penne’s head so to speak. Looking forward to the next installment.
February 16, 2021
I loved the characters, the world, all of it! The competitive dynamics between the other candidates was excellent. It's got exactly what I like about books with any sort of trials or tests in them.
One of my favorite parts was definitely the worldbuilding. The world is straight out of a story book, but in a wonderfully flipped way.
And there’s Lucas! I’m so glad we had chapters from his perspective because they really make his character come to life. Seeing into his motivations really has me rooting for him. I hope he and Penne can tear down the system--together.
One of my favorite parts was definitely the worldbuilding. The world is straight out of a story book, but in a wonderfully flipped way.
And there’s Lucas! I’m so glad we had chapters from his perspective because they really make his character come to life. Seeing into his motivations really has me rooting for him. I hope he and Penne can tear down the system--together.
July 27, 2023
I’m not fond of how the MC and ML got together. He’s just beautiful because he’s fae. He’s done nothing but manipulate you but you welcome him with open arms? Really? Girl, the red flags are thereeeee, are you color blinded by your glittery pink dress?
Steel is a mystery to me. How in the world did he decide all of a sudden that she’ll be his malice queen? What prompted this? What in the world is happening?
There is a roundabout way the author could’ve done this story, opening up more information/ details, but I guess that’s why they decided to do a trilogy but I’m not sure this book even warrants that. It’s too fast paced and too short. Saying too much and too little at the same time. Could’ve done better, but oh well.
I may read the next book. Or I may not. Let’s just see.
Steel is a mystery to me. How in the world did he decide all of a sudden that she’ll be his malice queen? What prompted this? What in the world is happening?
There is a roundabout way the author could’ve done this story, opening up more information/ details, but I guess that’s why they decided to do a trilogy but I’m not sure this book even warrants that. It’s too fast paced and too short. Saying too much and too little at the same time. Could’ve done better, but oh well.
I may read the next book. Or I may not. Let’s just see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2025
I got this one on stuff your kindle day. I don’t have high expectations when it comes to free books but this one surprised me.
It’s short and sweet. There’s a shadow magic and light magic but the FMC controls the shadows. She’s thrown into a competition to become the Light fae queen. They call it an academy but it is nottttt academy. Not at all. There’s only one class that she attends and the rest is just open to interpretation. There’s magic and pixies and battle of light and dark.
The story has a lot of potential. It would make a really good outline for a full blown novel. There’s alot of room for growth and expansion.
Spice 0/5 it’s YA/NA and one kiss in it
Plot 3/5
Uniqueness 4/5
Magic system 4/5
Tensions 4/5
Enemies to lovers 2/5
It’s short and sweet. There’s a shadow magic and light magic but the FMC controls the shadows. She’s thrown into a competition to become the Light fae queen. They call it an academy but it is nottttt academy. Not at all. There’s only one class that she attends and the rest is just open to interpretation. There’s magic and pixies and battle of light and dark.
The story has a lot of potential. It would make a really good outline for a full blown novel. There’s alot of room for growth and expansion.
Spice 0/5 it’s YA/NA and one kiss in it
Plot 3/5
Uniqueness 4/5
Magic system 4/5
Tensions 4/5
Enemies to lovers 2/5
May 19, 2020
Do you love dark fae? This deceptively light, airy cover hides a delightfully complex story with a ferociously loyal main character. Penne’s life has been tough, but with her ability to wield Malice, she’s had both freedom and prestige. Lee does a great job capturing her disbelief when Penne finds herself accidentally enrolled at the Crown Princess Academy, learning to utilize light magic that could destroy her Malice, her very identity if she’s not careful. With malicious Fae, Monsters in the woods, and rivals for the crown willing to do whatever it takes to see Penne fail, this is one intriguing adventure from start to finish. I cannot wait to listen to book two!
August 2, 2020
Crown Princess Academy, was not what I expected. The main characters and plot was darker than the beautiful colorful cover eludes too. I enjoyed the face pace of the story, likable characters, and quick humor. Although I knew there would be a cliff hanger, I was left disappointed by the conclusion. I feel like so much more should have happened before the end; mostly the connections between the "love" interest. Yes, I was rooting for one suitor over the other by the ending, but lust does not equal love. Other than some stolen kisses and physical attraction, relationships were not really developed. Still, I want to read what happens next when the sequel is released Summer 2021. Rating 3.5/5
July 5, 2021
Penne was brought up as a child of darkness but didn’t want that for her friend. When accepting a job to go to the Kingdom of light she breaks her friend out a home and takes her on the job. But Penne is mistakenly nominated as a tribute for the House of Roses where she drops her friend for safe keeping. Penne’s hatred for the Light Fae keeps her going even against the Crown Prince Lucas who just may be of use to her. Lucas dislikes the way his father is running the Kingdom so he sets out to destroy it and recognises that Penne is the one to help him. Together they can make a great team but there are things afoot to ruin that which is that cliffhanger that is continued in book 2.
July 1, 2021
Penne and Lucas are , completely different from each other in many ways (one being human and the other is Fae is the first one) but they do have some things in common. Both think that they are going to take advantage of the other but that changes when they see that they do have things that they both believe are right or wrong. Feelings are starting to change and surprises are around the corner for them. I do hope that we learn more about Penne's childhood But otherwise this was an enjoyable read
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