What do you think?
Rate this book
Chosen
Vivilyn has a deadly secret.
In the Kingdom of Etilidus, two things are certain:
1. Magic is dangerous and any hint of magical ability equals death.
2. Every citizen excitedly awaits the Enchanted Trials, a competition that's held when a royal comes of age and must choose a match.
Vivilyn Minette is a talented artist from the small town of Treelyn who dreams of raising her family's fortune by becoming a famous painter. So, when she is chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Aiden, an opportunity of a lifetime, she should be ecstatic. But while everyone else in Treelyn is celebrating her newfound fame, she is terrified that her secret will be discovered.
Magic runs through her veins.
In the Kingdom of Etilidus, two things are certain:
1. Magic is dangerous and any hint of magical ability equals death.
2. Every citizen excitedly awaits the Enchanted Trials, a competition that's held when a royal comes of age and must choose a match.
Vivilyn Minette is a talented artist from the small town of Treelyn who dreams of raising her family's fortune by becoming a famous painter. So, when she is chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Aiden, an opportunity of a lifetime, she should be ecstatic. But while everyone else in Treelyn is celebrating her newfound fame, she is terrified that her secret will be discovered.
Magic runs through her veins.
- GenresFantasy
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2020
86 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 6, 2020
Chosen was a fun, quick read that I greatly enjoyed. It has a great strange attractor hook: the bachelor meets the hunger games, but in a fantasy world on the brink of an industrial/technological revolution. It centers around Vivilyn, a seventeen year old artist who is entered into the pool of young women from whom the next Queen will be chosen.
CHARACTERS 5/5: I though the protagonist was lovely and relatable. I love the way she thinks about color and how it relates to her art, and I enjoy the strong family she has around her. Unlike many YA romances, there was no familial drama, but rather a healthy, loving, supportive one. I adored that. In addition to Vivilyn, almost every other character was also pleasant to read. Prince Ayden stole the show every time he appeared, and even the antagonist contestant in the Enchanted Trials has depth. The only characters I didn't really fall for were the members of Vivilyn's support team.
WORLDBUILDING 5/5: I really liked the history and technology level of this world. It formed an usual mix of medieval fantasy and early tech boom. The way the tech played together was lovely and internally consistent. Even though it sometimes felt jarring to have camera crews in a fantasy novel, the fact that they were employed by the richest family in the kingdom made it believable. The detailed description of the orchards and town Vivilyn grew up in was also super well done.
WRITING 4/5: though the beginning is a bit over-edited, with shorter, clipped sentences and too many usages of the protagonist's name for my taste, by 20% in the author relaxes a bit and it shows with lovely prose. By the end, I found myself quite enjoying how easy it was to follow. 5/5 for the dialogue, because it always felt natural and fun. I laughed out loud several times.
PLOT 3/5, with a caveat: so, here is where my only beef with this novel comes in. I mentioned at the beginning the strong premise and strange attractor. As a whole, I quite enjoyed the plot, and once we got to the Palace most of my issues with it vanished, making me expect that, as a whole, I will really enjoy this series. This first book, however, hits a lot of the same opening beats as the hunger games. From the opening of our young protagonist out in nature, to her mother fixing her hair, to the random drawing, to the stylist crew that shows up, to the initial interviews. It pulled me out of the first 1/2 of the book, but again, once the Trials get going I was hooked. This is definitly NOT a Hunger Games copy-cat in any way, but whether by strategy, accident, or similar reality TV source material, it kept making me think of it. However, I still absoloutly enjoyed it, and will read on with much glee.
OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5 for a strong start to what will be, I expect, a great, fun, and engaging series that I will be waiting on with bated breath. If you are looking for a truly charming and different light fantasy novel, I suggest it wholeheartedly!
CHARACTERS 5/5: I though the protagonist was lovely and relatable. I love the way she thinks about color and how it relates to her art, and I enjoy the strong family she has around her. Unlike many YA romances, there was no familial drama, but rather a healthy, loving, supportive one. I adored that. In addition to Vivilyn, almost every other character was also pleasant to read. Prince Ayden stole the show every time he appeared, and even the antagonist contestant in the Enchanted Trials has depth. The only characters I didn't really fall for were the members of Vivilyn's support team.
WORLDBUILDING 5/5: I really liked the history and technology level of this world. It formed an usual mix of medieval fantasy and early tech boom. The way the tech played together was lovely and internally consistent. Even though it sometimes felt jarring to have camera crews in a fantasy novel, the fact that they were employed by the richest family in the kingdom made it believable. The detailed description of the orchards and town Vivilyn grew up in was also super well done.
WRITING 4/5: though the beginning is a bit over-edited, with shorter, clipped sentences and too many usages of the protagonist's name for my taste, by 20% in the author relaxes a bit and it shows with lovely prose. By the end, I found myself quite enjoying how easy it was to follow. 5/5 for the dialogue, because it always felt natural and fun. I laughed out loud several times.
PLOT 3/5, with a caveat: so, here is where my only beef with this novel comes in. I mentioned at the beginning the strong premise and strange attractor. As a whole, I quite enjoyed the plot, and once we got to the Palace most of my issues with it vanished, making me expect that, as a whole, I will really enjoy this series. This first book, however, hits a lot of the same opening beats as the hunger games. From the opening of our young protagonist out in nature, to her mother fixing her hair, to the random drawing, to the stylist crew that shows up, to the initial interviews. It pulled me out of the first 1/2 of the book, but again, once the Trials get going I was hooked. This is definitly NOT a Hunger Games copy-cat in any way, but whether by strategy, accident, or similar reality TV source material, it kept making me think of it. However, I still absoloutly enjoyed it, and will read on with much glee.
OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5 for a strong start to what will be, I expect, a great, fun, and engaging series that I will be waiting on with bated breath. If you are looking for a truly charming and different light fantasy novel, I suggest it wholeheartedly!
May 9, 2024
Genuinely am having such a good time with this series so far, Vivilyn has been such a breath of fresh air as a protagonist and her and Aiden’s relationship is so sweet so far, although personally I’d never get over the cringe of accidentally meeting the prince in a tree…
October 27, 2020
Exciting
I chose five stars because I am enchanted! I can't wait to find out what is next! I love the whole trials idea and the people voting for the future queen. I can't wait to find out about the magic and how she handles the vision in the next book! I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves drama and romance with a twist of magic and fear!
I chose five stars because I am enchanted! I can't wait to find out what is next! I love the whole trials idea and the people voting for the future queen. I can't wait to find out about the magic and how she handles the vision in the next book! I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves drama and romance with a twist of magic and fear!
June 16, 2020
Amazing characters
This book intrigued me from the moment I saw the cover. I enjoyed the read and getting to know the characters. The author built up the storyline and plot a bit slowly, but once I hit the climax of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to the next book to see how things progress in the enchanted trials and with the other characters! Definitely worth the read!!!
This book intrigued me from the moment I saw the cover. I enjoyed the read and getting to know the characters. The author built up the storyline and plot a bit slowly, but once I hit the climax of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to the next book to see how things progress in the enchanted trials and with the other characters! Definitely worth the read!!!
February 15, 2022
4.5 Stars
I experienced this story through audiobook, and I have to say that the perfect narrator was chosen. She gave every character a unique voice, and fully brought the world to life. I honestly think it would be difficult to just read the rest on paper, as this narrator was just that good. By far my favorite audiobook experience !
This book feels like a love letter to the fantasy genre. You can see the familiar themes and tropes, but they feel more updated to our modern world. I think the author did a fantastic job of crafting a world that we end up caring about as a reader. The characters have individuality, and although the cast keeps growing, it's easy to keep track of who is who.
One thing I really appreciate in this book is how even though it's YA it can fully be enjoyed by any age. There are some dark concepts in this book, such as anyone magical being put to death. There is also a layered mystery going on that younger readers might not fully pick up on, but older readers will find intriguing.
Even though it is a shorter book there is quite a lot packed in here. I am actually glad it isn't longer, as I think that would have caused the story to drag. It does start out a bit slow as we have to build up the world and characters, but once it gets going it really takes off !
My one little nitpick is that there were several instances of repeated words in a sentence. It just felt a little jarring, especially since I was hearing it read out loud. As an example. something like, "They celebrated to celebrate". (This quote isn't taken from the book, it's just an example to show what I'm talking about since I don't have a physical copy of the book to refer to)
Overall this first book has definitely caught my interest, and I look forward to picking up the next book in the series !
I experienced this story through audiobook, and I have to say that the perfect narrator was chosen. She gave every character a unique voice, and fully brought the world to life. I honestly think it would be difficult to just read the rest on paper, as this narrator was just that good. By far my favorite audiobook experience !
This book feels like a love letter to the fantasy genre. You can see the familiar themes and tropes, but they feel more updated to our modern world. I think the author did a fantastic job of crafting a world that we end up caring about as a reader. The characters have individuality, and although the cast keeps growing, it's easy to keep track of who is who.
One thing I really appreciate in this book is how even though it's YA it can fully be enjoyed by any age. There are some dark concepts in this book, such as anyone magical being put to death. There is also a layered mystery going on that younger readers might not fully pick up on, but older readers will find intriguing.
Even though it is a shorter book there is quite a lot packed in here. I am actually glad it isn't longer, as I think that would have caused the story to drag. It does start out a bit slow as we have to build up the world and characters, but once it gets going it really takes off !
My one little nitpick is that there were several instances of repeated words in a sentence. It just felt a little jarring, especially since I was hearing it read out loud. As an example. something like, "They celebrated to celebrate". (This quote isn't taken from the book, it's just an example to show what I'm talking about since I don't have a physical copy of the book to refer to)
Overall this first book has definitely caught my interest, and I look forward to picking up the next book in the series !
February 16, 2022
Very fun and fast-paced read, the first book in this series serves as an introduction to what I anticipate will be a very dynamic and trope-bending adventure.
I listened to the audiobook, and I can say hands-down that this is the best audiobook narrator that I've ever listened to (and I listened to ~100 audiobooks last year). I usually avoid listening to audiobooks without a physical or e-book copy to reference because I get distracted if I don't know how to spell certain names, but it didn't happen with this audiobook. Everything was so smooth that I didn't find myself distracted at all.
The quite large cast of characters all stood out as individuals and were relatively well fleshed out, particularly in such a slim volume. I really enjoyed the balance of universality/individuality in our protagonist. One of the most annoying things I find with YA is that the protagonists are too much of a blank slate in order for younger readers to see themselves in the character. This doesn't happen here: Vivilyn is a relatively sheltered teenager and it's clear she's going to grow and change throughout the series, but she starts off with a solid base of preferences, opinions, unique hobbies, etc.
I'm really looking forward to the next book and discovering how magic plays/ed a role in the politics of this world.
I listened to the audiobook, and I can say hands-down that this is the best audiobook narrator that I've ever listened to (and I listened to ~100 audiobooks last year). I usually avoid listening to audiobooks without a physical or e-book copy to reference because I get distracted if I don't know how to spell certain names, but it didn't happen with this audiobook. Everything was so smooth that I didn't find myself distracted at all.
The quite large cast of characters all stood out as individuals and were relatively well fleshed out, particularly in such a slim volume. I really enjoyed the balance of universality/individuality in our protagonist. One of the most annoying things I find with YA is that the protagonists are too much of a blank slate in order for younger readers to see themselves in the character. This doesn't happen here: Vivilyn is a relatively sheltered teenager and it's clear she's going to grow and change throughout the series, but she starts off with a solid base of preferences, opinions, unique hobbies, etc.
I'm really looking forward to the next book and discovering how magic plays/ed a role in the politics of this world.
October 22, 2025
This was decent enough. It’s light and frilly but it doesn’t seem to have a lot of depth or substance. There’s nothing spectacular about the main character. She’s got a secret magic ability that gives her visions or memories, but it feels so non-consequential. Every other character I’ve met feels extremely surface level. Nothing all that substantial happens until the very end, and it lasts for a whole page. Then the book just seems to randomly end in the middle of something actually happening. Like an episode of a show rather than a full movie. And I feel like I’ve read this book already, but with a different name and slightly different circumstances. I just feel like we’re floating along here and nothing is happening.
April 26, 2025
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. This whole series is on my TBR short list now.
Why? Because I want to know what happens next! These enchanted trials are designed to find the spouses for the royal family members.
It is like a fantasy version of the bachelor but with a woman trying to hide magic visions. And a hundred times better than anything on reality TV. I was sucked into this story. This world has so much lore and depth even in the short span of these pages. I look forward to reading book two.
Why? Because I want to know what happens next! These enchanted trials are designed to find the spouses for the royal family members.
It is like a fantasy version of the bachelor but with a woman trying to hide magic visions. And a hundred times better than anything on reality TV. I was sucked into this story. This world has so much lore and depth even in the short span of these pages. I look forward to reading book two.
April 13, 2021
Too short
Good story. Main character ignores too many obvious things. She’s sweet though. Book ended too abruptly. Feeling forced to read the next one, but it’s still a good storyline.
Good story. Main character ignores too many obvious things. She’s sweet though. Book ended too abruptly. Feeling forced to read the next one, but it’s still a good storyline.
April 26, 2021
I absolutely love this book and the series. I love the development of the characters and how I have gotten to know them and fall in love with them. I cannot wait until I get to finish the last 2 books!
Read
May 26, 2021Fun quick read, hunger games meets the bachelor sort of thing!
February 19, 2022
Charming
Lovely story with endearing characters. Enjoyed the plot with enough action and mystery to keep one on their toes. Will certainly read the next book.
Lovely story with endearing characters. Enjoyed the plot with enough action and mystery to keep one on their toes. Will certainly read the next book.
November 6, 2022
This one is a sweet addicting story. If you are a fan of the selection series you’ll enjoy this. It has a bit of magic sprinkled and leaves you with guesses, mysteries and wanting the next book!
September 24, 2023
Love it, but the other books in the series are better
September 24, 2024
Chosen is a delightful tale that is reminiscent of The Bachelor, except it includes the threat of spies, magic and civil unrest. As for now, I do not feel connected to any of the characters; however, the world-building is charmingly unique because the kingdom is on the brink of a technological revolution, also the budding romance between Vivilyn and Prince Aiden is promising. All in all, Chosen is a thoroughly engaging book without graphic violence or swearing that I am pleasantly surprised by<3
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews