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Sophia, Princess Among Beasts
A princess who has lost her mother and father finds herself in a terrifying world that urgently needs a queen in this thrilling fantasy novel.
Sophia is smart, beautiful, and accomplished, a beloved princess devoted to the people and to reading books. The kingdom is hers, until she is plunged into a nightmarish realm populated by the awful beasts she read about as a child.
The beasts are real. And so is the great army marching on her castle. The people look to Sophia for protection. They will all perish unless she can unlock an ancient secret as profound as life and death itself.
Sophia, Princess Among Beasts is a fabulous adventure, and a stunning mystery. Here again is proof of why James Patterson is the world's most trusted storyteller.
Sophia is smart, beautiful, and accomplished, a beloved princess devoted to the people and to reading books. The kingdom is hers, until she is plunged into a nightmarish realm populated by the awful beasts she read about as a child.
The beasts are real. And so is the great army marching on her castle. The people look to Sophia for protection. They will all perish unless she can unlock an ancient secret as profound as life and death itself.
Sophia, Princess Among Beasts is a fabulous adventure, and a stunning mystery. Here again is proof of why James Patterson is the world's most trusted storyteller.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2019
421 people are currently reading
18922 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews
July 15, 2019
This is one of those books that seemed like it might be a good idea… until the author started writing it.
The title derives from the way the king, his knights and even the mythical figures Sophia interacts with views the lower classes of the world- as beasts. If you thought that was too subtle, don’t worry- you’ll be hit over the head with it enough times for it to sink in.
Princess Sophia is the MarySue- the kind, gentle, entitled, clueless waif who eschews needlepoint and harp lessons for swordplay and strategy (how else can she be the heroine if she can’t kill the bad guys?) Yet she wrangles a promise on her birthday from her warrior king father to stop expanding the realm, which makes everyone else see him as weak and losing his edge. Even a mythical figure named Ares now thinks the king’s a punk and it’s time to march on his lands. On her weekly errand of mercy to the local village, Sophia’s confronted by a tall, handsome, dark haired youth named Raphael. She also learns there’s an outbreak of plague (which in all her other trips she’d somehow never heard of it)- and the scene where she contracts it is both unintentionally funny and sets up the ridiculousness of the rest of the story. I don’t want to ruin it; you really gotta read this for yourselves.
Just before the disease sets in, an assassin magically (literally) infiltrates the castle and eviscerates the king, who manages to hold on just long enough for a tearful goodbye. On her first day as Queen, Sophia sickens and dies as Ares’ army marches closer.
Suddenly she’s being transported via an ogre-driven coach across the netherrealm to… wherever spirits go, I guess. But first, there’s a tender reunion with her long dead mother who makes the coach stop by… ordering them to… yet can’t stop the ogres ten minutes later from snatching her back. How’s this even possible you ask? Why’s it even happening in the first place? What the heck’s wrong with you people?
Their destination turns out to be none other than Ares’ stronghold, populated by mythical creatures Sophia’s read about all her life (loves books, remember?) and several former residents of the village, including one particular tall, handsome, dark haired youth.
For some contrived reason Ares brought Sophia here to be a bride for one of his mythical buddies. Naturally, any plucky princess would refuse and a few of these entities manage to get themselves killed (!) in the wooing process by one of the competition named Reiper. Sophia slides down to the village to seek out Raphael and learns that the residents have been conscripted to fight for Ares in his next battle (take one guess). So like any plucky princess, Sophia starts teaching the locals how to fight while whispering to them about REBELLION. Ares starts losing his patience and tells her to choose someone- or else! Reiper, as it turns out, is the magical assassin who killed the king, and has determined Sophia should be his, but Sophia thinks she should be Raphael’s.
While Sophia gets chased through the castle by another of the would-be suitors, the castle gets attacked by the locals, who’ve decided REBELLION is a good idea. Two more suitors get killed, Ares retreats and Reiper seemingly kills Raphael. You read that right: a peasant mob storms the stronghold of a god and his retinue and runs them all off. You also read right the part about Raphael appearing to get whacked…
Oddly enough, the ogre-driven coach shows up again, and Sophia demands they take her to see her mom. After some mystical mumbo-jumbo Sophia returns to the land of the living, none the worse for wear and just in time for the arrival of Ares’ army. You know the rest.
This book is completely all over the place. It’s a bunch of barely strung together set pieces that the Main Character wanders through until they reach the signpost at the end. It’s a complete insult to your intelligence and an utter waste of time. James Patterson oughta be ashamed to lend his name to something like this.
The title derives from the way the king, his knights and even the mythical figures Sophia interacts with views the lower classes of the world- as beasts. If you thought that was too subtle, don’t worry- you’ll be hit over the head with it enough times for it to sink in.
Princess Sophia is the MarySue- the kind, gentle, entitled, clueless waif who eschews needlepoint and harp lessons for swordplay and strategy (how else can she be the heroine if she can’t kill the bad guys?) Yet she wrangles a promise on her birthday from her warrior king father to stop expanding the realm, which makes everyone else see him as weak and losing his edge. Even a mythical figure named Ares now thinks the king’s a punk and it’s time to march on his lands. On her weekly errand of mercy to the local village, Sophia’s confronted by a tall, handsome, dark haired youth named Raphael. She also learns there’s an outbreak of plague (which in all her other trips she’d somehow never heard of it)- and the scene where she contracts it is both unintentionally funny and sets up the ridiculousness of the rest of the story. I don’t want to ruin it; you really gotta read this for yourselves.
Just before the disease sets in, an assassin magically (literally) infiltrates the castle and eviscerates the king, who manages to hold on just long enough for a tearful goodbye. On her first day as Queen, Sophia sickens and dies as Ares’ army marches closer.
Suddenly she’s being transported via an ogre-driven coach across the netherrealm to… wherever spirits go, I guess. But first, there’s a tender reunion with her long dead mother who makes the coach stop by… ordering them to… yet can’t stop the ogres ten minutes later from snatching her back. How’s this even possible you ask? Why’s it even happening in the first place? What the heck’s wrong with you people?
Their destination turns out to be none other than Ares’ stronghold, populated by mythical creatures Sophia’s read about all her life (loves books, remember?) and several former residents of the village, including one particular tall, handsome, dark haired youth.
For some contrived reason Ares brought Sophia here to be a bride for one of his mythical buddies. Naturally, any plucky princess would refuse and a few of these entities manage to get themselves killed (!) in the wooing process by one of the competition named Reiper. Sophia slides down to the village to seek out Raphael and learns that the residents have been conscripted to fight for Ares in his next battle (take one guess). So like any plucky princess, Sophia starts teaching the locals how to fight while whispering to them about REBELLION. Ares starts losing his patience and tells her to choose someone- or else! Reiper, as it turns out, is the magical assassin who killed the king, and has determined Sophia should be his, but Sophia thinks she should be Raphael’s.
While Sophia gets chased through the castle by another of the would-be suitors, the castle gets attacked by the locals, who’ve decided REBELLION is a good idea. Two more suitors get killed, Ares retreats and Reiper seemingly kills Raphael. You read that right: a peasant mob storms the stronghold of a god and his retinue and runs them all off. You also read right the part about Raphael appearing to get whacked…
Oddly enough, the ogre-driven coach shows up again, and Sophia demands they take her to see her mom. After some mystical mumbo-jumbo Sophia returns to the land of the living, none the worse for wear and just in time for the arrival of Ares’ army. You know the rest.
This book is completely all over the place. It’s a bunch of barely strung together set pieces that the Main Character wanders through until they reach the signpost at the end. It’s a complete insult to your intelligence and an utter waste of time. James Patterson oughta be ashamed to lend his name to something like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2019
If you go into this expecting a normal JP book then you’ll be disappointed. Almost as if you crossed Outlander and Grimms fairy tales. Reads a bit as a YA but not eye roll YA. A quick read that is unique.
July 28, 2019
Wow this book was bad. I’m a fan of some of James Patterson’s writing especially the Women’s Murder Club series. However he needs to stay in his lane and get out of the fantasy genre. This story makes no sense, nothing is explained, the ending is too cookie cutter, and the main character is the most annoying person. I can’t even say that I liked one character, although by far the most interesting ones were the villains. The writing did not fit well with the story, nor did it even seem coherent. Don’t waste your time, this belongs in the trash not on your shelf.
May 21, 2021
And the winner for the worst book of 2021 (or ever) goes to......
SOPHIA, PRINCESS AMONG BEASTS!
I'm shaking my head so hard I think it may just roll off my neck. What tf did I just read? The entire book read like a first draft. I know first drafts. I do them often. And THEY ALL SUCK. They lack meat, sense, and most of the time contain plot holes and stilted dialogue. This book is filled with things that don't make a lick of sense and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the same.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Sophia a princess, a boring one in fact. She's daughter to a cruel and heartless king who probably got what he deserved *shrug* I mean, his death didn't impact me at all. He was a literal monster who seemed like hated his daughter. Sophia pines after her dead mother in her spare time. During one of her trips to town she finds out a deadly plague has been sweeping through her people and nobody thought to tell her at all. She goes there every week so....I don't get it. After this visit, useless things happen and then all of a sudden the king dies and Sophia comes down with the sickness, and then she basically dies and is swept away by some goblins (or something) and meets her mother who is NOT DEAD AND THERE IS NO EXPLANATION that is not contrived and stupid. Just as soon as they reunite, Sophia is swept away again and brought back to a tyrant, Ares, and a bunch of demons who all of a sudden vie for her hand in marriage??? Sophia, in all her lack of substance, vows to retake her kingdom, but in all actuality does nothing. She has no drive, no agency, and does not push the story forward whatsoever. In the end, we get a deus ex machina that is enough to want to throw yourself from a building.
Fin.
Just kidding, I'm not done b&tching.
This book is a complete disaster, a string of ideas thrown into a book and published. I would go ahead and say this book would have been fit for the middle-grade crowd if they just changed the age and took out some of the violence, but I don't even think younger readers would enjoy this. Nothing is explained. it's a complete insult to your intelligence.
I rage-read the entire second half, refusing to give up because of reasons. This cover I wasted on such a God-awful book. But at least I know which book to rip from its binding for my Instagram photo backdrops.
Harsh? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Publish better books, Patterson.
SOPHIA, PRINCESS AMONG BEASTS!
I'm shaking my head so hard I think it may just roll off my neck. What tf did I just read? The entire book read like a first draft. I know first drafts. I do them often. And THEY ALL SUCK. They lack meat, sense, and most of the time contain plot holes and stilted dialogue. This book is filled with things that don't make a lick of sense and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the same.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Sophia a princess, a boring one in fact. She's daughter to a cruel and heartless king who probably got what he deserved *shrug* I mean, his death didn't impact me at all. He was a literal monster who seemed like hated his daughter. Sophia pines after her dead mother in her spare time. During one of her trips to town she finds out a deadly plague has been sweeping through her people and nobody thought to tell her at all. She goes there every week so....I don't get it. After this visit, useless things happen and then all of a sudden the king dies and Sophia comes down with the sickness, and then she basically dies and is swept away by some goblins (or something) and meets her mother who is NOT DEAD AND THERE IS NO EXPLANATION that is not contrived and stupid. Just as soon as they reunite, Sophia is swept away again and brought back to a tyrant, Ares, and a bunch of demons who all of a sudden vie for her hand in marriage??? Sophia, in all her lack of substance, vows to retake her kingdom, but in all actuality does nothing. She has no drive, no agency, and does not push the story forward whatsoever. In the end, we get a deus ex machina that is enough to want to throw yourself from a building.
Fin.
Just kidding, I'm not done b&tching.
This book is a complete disaster, a string of ideas thrown into a book and published. I would go ahead and say this book would have been fit for the middle-grade crowd if they just changed the age and took out some of the violence, but I don't even think younger readers would enjoy this. Nothing is explained. it's a complete insult to your intelligence.
I rage-read the entire second half, refusing to give up because of reasons. This cover I wasted on such a God-awful book. But at least I know which book to rip from its binding for my Instagram photo backdrops.
Harsh? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Publish better books, Patterson.
August 22, 2019
When Sophia's father is murdered and she is captured by their enemies, she is determined to escape and fight her captor Area who forces her to wed one of his monstrous knights. Will Sophia survive? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was an awesome Fantasy adventure. If you enjoy fantasy novels , be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was an awesome Fantasy adventure. If you enjoy fantasy novels , be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
January 7, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy. Full of interesting characters and creatures in a fascinating world, the story pulled me in and held me.
I hope there's a sequel!
I hope there's a sequel!
November 20, 2019
What did I just read?
I think this actually is one of the worst books I've ever read - and I really really wanted to love it.
I must admit, I was drawn to the book because it was a I really liked how the book felt in my hands. It was a hardback (which I love) with such beautifully floppy pages, and a pretty cover. Even the premise of the book seemed good.
Nothing in this book was explained.
The only reason why I finished the book so quickly was because I needed to know what was going on and thought it would all be cleared up in the end.
Oh how wrong I was.
1. Sophia's father, the King, forbids anyone to say anything negative in front of her. I think they're actually imprisoned or executed if they break this rule. Sophia is made to grow up as a dainty little princess who looks pretty and can play the harp (badly).
"... these indulgences were my royal right and my royal duty."
"It was my duty to look as pleasing as a painting."
However, he still lets her go out of the castle and even learn to fight. The reason why he does this wasn't even explained.
2. I don't like the main couple.
I cannot forgive the lack of development into the relationship. It's not like I hate insta-love stories, as long as there's some development after. Yet we see nothing here.
3. The village.
I quite liked how when Sophia visits the village, everyone was hating on her for a reason unknown to us. I thought that there would be some deep backstory that we'd eventually learn about. But nothing. WHAT IS THAT DEADLY DISEASE, THE SEEP? WHY WASN'T IT EXPLAINED?? Sophia goes to the village every week, yet hasn't ever heard about the disease.
4. Death. What is that?
5. Everything.
To conclude, I am so grateful that I borrowed this from the library so I didn't have to waste my money.
I think this actually is one of the worst books I've ever read - and I really really wanted to love it.
I must admit, I was drawn to the book because it was a I really liked how the book felt in my hands. It was a hardback (which I love) with such beautifully floppy pages, and a pretty cover. Even the premise of the book seemed good.
Nothing in this book was explained.
The only reason why I finished the book so quickly was because I needed to know what was going on and thought it would all be cleared up in the end.
Oh how wrong I was.
1. Sophia's father, the King, forbids anyone to say anything negative in front of her. I think they're actually imprisoned or executed if they break this rule. Sophia is made to grow up as a dainty little princess who looks pretty and can play the harp (badly).
"... these indulgences were my royal right and my royal duty."
"It was my duty to look as pleasing as a painting."
However, he still lets her go out of the castle and even learn to fight. The reason why he does this wasn't even explained.
2. I don't like the main couple.
I cannot forgive the lack of development into the relationship. It's not like I hate insta-love stories, as long as there's some development after. Yet we see nothing here.
3. The village.
I quite liked how when Sophia visits the village, everyone was hating on her for a reason unknown to us. I thought that there would be some deep backstory that we'd eventually learn about. But nothing. WHAT IS THAT DEADLY DISEASE, THE SEEP? WHY WASN'T IT EXPLAINED?? Sophia goes to the village every week, yet hasn't ever heard about the disease.
4. Death. What is that?
5. Everything.
To conclude, I am so grateful that I borrowed this from the library so I didn't have to waste my money.
July 31, 2019
It's a cute story. If you're in the mood for a little light fluff, this is a fun read.
August 10, 2019
Read Any Fantasy Classic, But Not This One...
Can't believe I powered through and finished. Glad it was short. Nothing makes sense, should be categorized as Young Adult fantasy, as it's written that way. The storyline bounces around, same fairytale that's been told before, except told in the worse manner possible. Sophia's character is never believable and annoying. I felt myself rooting for the villains to kill her and all the terrible main characters.
Read The Hobbit, Rain Wilds Chronicles, Kingkiller Chronicles, anything but this.
Can't believe I powered through and finished. Glad it was short. Nothing makes sense, should be categorized as Young Adult fantasy, as it's written that way. The storyline bounces around, same fairytale that's been told before, except told in the worse manner possible. Sophia's character is never believable and annoying. I felt myself rooting for the villains to kill her and all the terrible main characters.
Read The Hobbit, Rain Wilds Chronicles, Kingkiller Chronicles, anything but this.
August 14, 2019
I am very pleasantly surprised with this book! I have never read any of Pattersons books, but my grandma has read them all. She is a true fan and read this book in two days. She had the library book for another week so she lent it to me. I am really glad I picked it up! It was a super easy read and drew me in from the beginning. It's only 300 pages so it's pretty short but it full of suspense the entire time. I fell in love with sophia and she really progresses through the book. The magic and fantasy of this book was really great and surprised me that my grandma read and loved it! If you love drama, romance, suspense, and some scary this book is definitely worth the read.
August 27, 2021
A princess has no true power, and her crown is but a decoration, if she even bothers to wear one.
Sophia, daughter of Warrior King Leonidus, is known to be beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent. But then reality hits her hard, and she discovers that the monsters in a book she loves are real, as is the vast army marching to devour her future kingdom. Taken as prisoner by her enemies, surrounded by murderers and beasts, only Sophia's will can save her, her kingdom, and her people.
Well, that was one helluva fever dream. My first completed book of 2021 was... well, a complete and total mess. Have you ever found yourself rage reading, hating every word but unable to stop because your stubbornness refuses to lose? If so, you know exactly how I felt while reading this. When I closed the book, I legitimately said, "Wow, that was terrible," to myself. 1 star.
I've written a lot of reviews, and even in my most negative ones I try to be gentle. I always make a point to say that my opinion is but one of many. While that still stands, I have no intention of pulling my punches on this... whatever it is. So strap in and get ready for the roller coaster that is this review.
First, we introduce Sophia, aka Mary-Sue, a
And then things happen and I'm honestly not too sure where to go from here. The entire novel, if you bother to call it that, is all over the place. It's near impossible to follow. I imagine that may be due in part to the "James Patterson factory," as I like to call it. Let's be perfectly honest: critics, peers, and librarians generally aren't a fan of James Patterson. Readers, for some reason I cannot fathom, love him. Little old ladies flock to his books in droves. But the truth is, he's usually not the ones writing them. Good ole Patterson leads an army of ghost writers (in this case, Emily Raymond) by giving them specific plot points and having someone else string them together. (For more info, check out this Washington Post article, in which Patterson is both exalted as major figure of modern publishing and a philanthropist, yet manages to make himself sound arrogant and condescending of publishing companies.)
Anyway, this book reads like a series of scenes that someone desperately tried to tie together. In the above article, Patterson says that he trims "the fat out of commercial novels," citing that there's more in a book than there should be. I scoff, sir. If shallow characters existing in depthless worlds, with unfishined, minimalist scenes makes for a "good" book, then I don't wanna read anymore.
This book was god-awful. I want to bleach my eyes. I want to go back to a happy word where people cared about writing books that actually made sense. #sendhelp
James Patterson may keep writing lackluster books. And that's fine. Because, as a coworker of mine so succintly said, if the power goes out and the library begins to freeze, at least we have the Pattersons to use as fire tinder.
July 21, 2019
Wow what a crappy book.
This book reads like it’s a first draft - the chapters have no meat to them and a lot of “scenes” really aren’t fully fleshed out. Now I’ve only read one other book by James Patterson (and I really have no idea how much of a part he played in writing this book) but it seems to me his trademark is short cliff-hanger style chapters. I personally hate this style of novel. I find it cheapens the story because every other page the author has to needlessly inject a dramatic statement to end a chapter.
Also, despite many very adult themes, this book genuinely seemed like a children’s novel. There is so little world-building, political explanation or character development that it seems very underdeveloped and shallow. There is also the absolute most deus ex machina in that ending. Just utterly ridiculous and, again, it made me question the audience. We adults don’t need a perfectly happy tied-with-a-bow ending. Adults know happily ever after is a lie. It was utterly stupid.
I’m begging you not to waste your time reading this. I’m begging you to at least read it from the library if you do need to read it. Let the publishers know that just slapping James Patterson on a book won’t lead to mammoth sales if the book is garbage. You still need quality, not just celebrity, to sell books.
This book reads like it’s a first draft - the chapters have no meat to them and a lot of “scenes” really aren’t fully fleshed out. Now I’ve only read one other book by James Patterson (and I really have no idea how much of a part he played in writing this book) but it seems to me his trademark is short cliff-hanger style chapters. I personally hate this style of novel. I find it cheapens the story because every other page the author has to needlessly inject a dramatic statement to end a chapter.
Also, despite many very adult themes, this book genuinely seemed like a children’s novel. There is so little world-building, political explanation or character development that it seems very underdeveloped and shallow. There is also the absolute most deus ex machina in that ending. Just utterly ridiculous and, again, it made me question the audience. We adults don’t need a perfectly happy tied-with-a-bow ending. Adults know happily ever after is a lie. It was utterly stupid.
I’m begging you not to waste your time reading this. I’m begging you to at least read it from the library if you do need to read it. Let the publishers know that just slapping James Patterson on a book won’t lead to mammoth sales if the book is garbage. You still need quality, not just celebrity, to sell books.
August 28, 2019
I like a good Patterson book. This was not one. It felt like YA, but it wasn’t and I’ve read much better YA, than this mess. It was insulting to his followers. Man he adds his name to anything it seems. This plot , if you can call it that, was all over the place. I struggled to finish, but what was the point. I didn’t care how it ended, and I would never buy book two. Two stars for the writer he once was.
April 13, 2019
Very interesting story! A quick read! Definitely seems Young Adult (the POV is a 17 year old girl) except for one scene in the book, so I'm unsure of what the target audience is. A mature older teen or young 20s would enjoy this book a lot.
November 17, 2023
I am confused.
June 6, 2021
1.5 ⭐️
The premise of this was so intriguing but the execution of it left some things to be desired. The Princess, Sophia, wants to help the people of her kingdom but pretty much only when they agree with her and see the kingdom as she sees it which is all good. But outside of the Kingdom walls is plague infecting everyone. After she learns about it, which is surprising how late she learned of it due to her many trips to the villages. Right after learning about the plague, she gets it, and the way she got it was not written well. Which is one example of a few where the weird moments with the writing, in the author not being able to capture the moment effectively in an emotional way. Then the pacing wasn’t great with the story starting off pretty slow and then it really picks up in the second half right before the battles. The characters I didn’t find anything special about them, at times the villains and Sophia were really annoying, but overall they were fine. Also, I’m pretty sure the character Raphael is supposed to be a main character and if he is that would be shocking because he didn’t seem like one. Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me.
The premise of this was so intriguing but the execution of it left some things to be desired. The Princess, Sophia, wants to help the people of her kingdom but pretty much only when they agree with her and see the kingdom as she sees it which is all good. But outside of the Kingdom walls is plague infecting everyone. After she learns about it, which is surprising how late she learned of it due to her many trips to the villages. Right after learning about the plague, she gets it, and the way she got it was not written well. Which is one example of a few where the weird moments with the writing, in the author not being able to capture the moment effectively in an emotional way. Then the pacing wasn’t great with the story starting off pretty slow and then it really picks up in the second half right before the battles. The characters I didn’t find anything special about them, at times the villains and Sophia were really annoying, but overall they were fine. Also, I’m pretty sure the character Raphael is supposed to be a main character and if he is that would be shocking because he didn’t seem like one. Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me.
December 6, 2019
Really three and a half stars. (Half a star off for the last two chapters and the slightly confusing appearance of two characters.) This is an entertaining fairy tale fantasy novel, with a YA feel. I liked the main character, Sophia, and enjoyed the fast-paced plot. It's not Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, but it was alot of fun to read.
July 20, 2019
2.5 Stars for me, bumped to 3 Stars for competent writing
This is the first novel I've read that was co-authored by James Patterson (and Emily Raymond). Although not stated in the promotional material it appears to possibly be targeting the Young Adult market based on subject matter and writing style. Princess Sophia (So-fye-uh on the audio edition) is a headstrong, if goodhearted, young woman who seems to have cost her father his life and kingdom. In a story that seems part cautionary fairy tale, part Goblin Market, Sophia appears to move through separate realms of life and death, trying to work her way back to a kingdom of which she should be Queen. She learns lessons of love and bravery during her travails.
This novel has some interesting elements but the plot just lacked clarity for me. The explanations, such as there are, for Sophia's ability to penetrate the world of the dead, and for the fact that some of the denizens who follow her are beasts or more monster or goblin-like in their appearance are largely lacking. Sophia and her dearest servants are startled about revelations about her long-dead mother, but again, no real explanation. I felt some aspects of the book displayed stunning levels of cruelty, especially to animals but also to people, with the real monsters of the story reveling in their own cruelty. It was not an engaging read for me, as a result. As a result of some of the content, I can't really recommend it as a YA novel unless it's for a reader who likes horror/dark fantasy. Though the ending is positive, there's a lot of darkness in the book to wade through.
CW: animal cruelty, attempted rape, murder, threatened and real eviscerations etc.
I received a paper copy and an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first novel I've read that was co-authored by James Patterson (and Emily Raymond). Although not stated in the promotional material it appears to possibly be targeting the Young Adult market based on subject matter and writing style. Princess Sophia (So-fye-uh on the audio edition) is a headstrong, if goodhearted, young woman who seems to have cost her father his life and kingdom. In a story that seems part cautionary fairy tale, part Goblin Market, Sophia appears to move through separate realms of life and death, trying to work her way back to a kingdom of which she should be Queen. She learns lessons of love and bravery during her travails.
This novel has some interesting elements but the plot just lacked clarity for me. The explanations, such as there are, for Sophia's ability to penetrate the world of the dead, and for the fact that some of the denizens who follow her are beasts or more monster or goblin-like in their appearance are largely lacking. Sophia and her dearest servants are startled about revelations about her long-dead mother, but again, no real explanation. I felt some aspects of the book displayed stunning levels of cruelty, especially to animals but also to people, with the real monsters of the story reveling in their own cruelty. It was not an engaging read for me, as a result. As a result of some of the content, I can't really recommend it as a YA novel unless it's for a reader who likes horror/dark fantasy. Though the ending is positive, there's a lot of darkness in the book to wade through.
CW: animal cruelty, attempted rape, murder, threatened and real eviscerations etc.
I received a paper copy and an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2019
I loved this book, the fictional monsters were well crafted and Sophia was such an amazing character. I'm also a huge sucker for a earned happy ending. I would recommend this to anyone even slightly curious.
October 2, 2023
2.75
The writing was the worst part for me. It made me really annoyed somehow. The writing style just felt off. I also didn’t like the plot and some of the events that went on. (I was rolling my eyes at a bunch of parts) It had potential but overall needed to be refined immensely. Also I liked the concept of the two worlds. But the execution was not good. (in my opinion)
Also! There were so many things that happened that weren’t given any explanations. Almost as if the authors didn’t know what they were writing and didn’t know how to tie lose knots that were created . Things would be resolved without addressing how it actually happened. (Characters kept coming back to life multiple times without us know how!) And anytime the main character over came a challenge it felt very forced, and would be over quickly.
The writing was the worst part for me. It made me really annoyed somehow. The writing style just felt off. I also didn’t like the plot and some of the events that went on. (I was rolling my eyes at a bunch of parts) It had potential but overall needed to be refined immensely. Also I liked the concept of the two worlds. But the execution was not good. (in my opinion)
Also! There were so many things that happened that weren’t given any explanations. Almost as if the authors didn’t know what they were writing and didn’t know how to tie lose knots that were created . Things would be resolved without addressing how it actually happened. (Characters kept coming back to life multiple times without us know how!) And anytime the main character over came a challenge it felt very forced, and would be over quickly.
May 17, 2021
I am a huge fan of kingdoms and the veil of life and death this book I thought was just amazing
March 18, 2021
Ugh. This was some of the worst writing I've forced myself to endure in a long time. A story of a fantasy-ish-world princess named Sophia whose father's castle is about to come under siege by a warlord named Ares. She is this weird mix of a compassionate princess who really cares about the poor peasants, yet who is spoiled and ignorant of their true suffering. She falls ill with a plague, and enters a nightmare realm in which Ares has an army of actual mythological monsters. Is it all a dream? Did she die and go to Hell? Who cares? The story somehow fails to interest despite what should be great hooks. I was very disappointed.
August 11, 2019
This book was a pretty quick read, and the premise was promising. I am always on the lookout for a stand-alone fantasy read. But the book as a whole fell flat for me. And for what it is, it reads definitely as a YA fantasy.
There are some interesting ideas in here, like an alternate view of what happens after death. And some interesting magic/spiritual world stuff happening. But overall, this book is not unique. Sheltered princess finds herself in a bad situation, grows up a little, comes back, saves the day. Even then I did not see much character growth in the 300 pages until maybe the very end. She reads like she doesn't know why anyone doesn't like her, or why they won't help her - she reads spoiled through about 90% of the book. The "beasts" idea tried, with the whole "peasants are beasts" idea to the spiritual world beasts, but it was weak. The beasts Sophia encounters on her journey are not even close to unique - they are all taken from real-world mythologies. And the part of the book description that says she loves books and that's where she knows these monsters - well, she is shown reading a book once, briefly, to explain how she knows all these monsters by sight. Yeah, that could have been introduced much better.
The only unique part I thought was the magic/spiritual world idea, and even that is confusing even up until the end - there were a lot of questions asked but the only answer we get at the end is "the boundaries of the material world and the spiritual world are a mystery." Felt like a cop-out.
The writing is OK, usually pretty descriptive but the action is confusing at times. Almost like it needed another editing pass. I would even have been ok if it was lengthened to make the pictures really solid.
Overall, a quick stand alone YA fantasy read. But be warned you've read this story before, and the others probably did it much better.
There are some interesting ideas in here, like an alternate view of what happens after death. And some interesting magic/spiritual world stuff happening. But overall, this book is not unique. Sheltered princess finds herself in a bad situation, grows up a little, comes back, saves the day. Even then I did not see much character growth in the 300 pages until maybe the very end. She reads like she doesn't know why anyone doesn't like her, or why they won't help her - she reads spoiled through about 90% of the book. The "beasts" idea tried, with the whole "peasants are beasts" idea to the spiritual world beasts, but it was weak. The beasts Sophia encounters on her journey are not even close to unique - they are all taken from real-world mythologies. And the part of the book description that says she loves books and that's where she knows these monsters - well, she is shown reading a book once, briefly, to explain how she knows all these monsters by sight. Yeah, that could have been introduced much better.
The only unique part I thought was the magic/spiritual world idea, and even that is confusing even up until the end - there were a lot of questions asked but the only answer we get at the end is "the boundaries of the material world and the spiritual world are a mystery." Felt like a cop-out.
The writing is OK, usually pretty descriptive but the action is confusing at times. Almost like it needed another editing pass. I would even have been ok if it was lengthened to make the pictures really solid.
Overall, a quick stand alone YA fantasy read. But be warned you've read this story before, and the others probably did it much better.
February 20, 2021
[1] Sophia Bush
[2] Sophia of Prussia
[3] Sofía Vergara
......
[99] Sophia, Princess Among Beasts
[2] Sophia of Prussia
[3] Sofía Vergara
......
[99] Sophia, Princess Among Beasts
November 5, 2021
3 stars 🌟
I enjoyed this book, some reviews for this are terrible and I did wonder if that was only because they were expecting a generic JP type of story.
This story is absolutely like nothing Patterson has written before, and is definitely a YA fairytale. I read the first half of this book in one evening and found it a fast paced,and easy read. Not something that totally mesmerised me but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
👸🏼🧟♂️
I enjoyed this book, some reviews for this are terrible and I did wonder if that was only because they were expecting a generic JP type of story.
This story is absolutely like nothing Patterson has written before, and is definitely a YA fairytale. I read the first half of this book in one evening and found it a fast paced,and easy read. Not something that totally mesmerised me but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
👸🏼🧟♂️
July 18, 2019
It was a good quick read I liked it. Except for the confusion magical teleportation. Between life and death. It was never really clear on what is going on, especially her skin. The author should have just left it out (magical stuff).
July 26, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. First, I don't care for fantasy and I especially do not care for "monsters"...I almost stopped reading the book when I realized there was a "paranormal" or fantastical component. I am glad I stuck with it...it's cute and the narrator is wonderful.
Read
January 14, 2021This book is what happens when an author is too famous for an editor to do their job.
April 14, 2021
Not as good as most Patterson books.Skip this one
March 26, 2024
3/5⭐️
0.5/5🌶️
🗡️”There is beauty — and there is hope — in wholly unexpected places”🗡️
🩸🐉👹 While this book read a little slower, I really appreciated its short chapters to help me FEEL like I was flying through it. I was pretty scared going into this one because the other reviews I read absolutely ripped this book to shreds. However, while I see some truth to what they said, I feel they were a BIT harsh…
I thought this book was cute, fun, and adventurous butttttt it did feel kind of empty? The world building could’ve been better and the characters could’ve been fleshed out a little more. I didn’t feel super IMMERSED into this world. Rather than being IN it, I felt like I was looking through a two-dimensional window. (Does that make sense?)
Despite that, this book is good though! I like how it plays with the ideas of life and afterlife as well as the themes about monsters vs. humanity. It definitely has A LOT of potential but it also needs some work. I mean, fantasies are long for a reason, but this book was BARELY over 300 pages (303 pages). I’d rather read a longer book to really feel like I’m LIVING in that world right along with our protagonist.
Speaking of, I love the friendship/relationship/partnership that evolves between Sophia and Raphael. No spoilers. It’s cute. Love them.
LASTLY, this might just be me, but my bookish toxic trait is thinking that I can change the villain (especially if he’s hot 🥵). Maybe I’m reading too much dark romance lately, but Reiper, phew! I know he’s quite literally one of the villains. But I was secretly rooting for him 😏😉👹🐉🩸
0.5/5🌶️
🗡️”There is beauty — and there is hope — in wholly unexpected places”🗡️
🩸🐉👹 While this book read a little slower, I really appreciated its short chapters to help me FEEL like I was flying through it. I was pretty scared going into this one because the other reviews I read absolutely ripped this book to shreds. However, while I see some truth to what they said, I feel they were a BIT harsh…
I thought this book was cute, fun, and adventurous butttttt it did feel kind of empty? The world building could’ve been better and the characters could’ve been fleshed out a little more. I didn’t feel super IMMERSED into this world. Rather than being IN it, I felt like I was looking through a two-dimensional window. (Does that make sense?)
Despite that, this book is good though! I like how it plays with the ideas of life and afterlife as well as the themes about monsters vs. humanity. It definitely has A LOT of potential but it also needs some work. I mean, fantasies are long for a reason, but this book was BARELY over 300 pages (303 pages). I’d rather read a longer book to really feel like I’m LIVING in that world right along with our protagonist.
Speaking of, I love the friendship/relationship/partnership that evolves between Sophia and Raphael. No spoilers. It’s cute. Love them.
LASTLY, this might just be me, but my bookish toxic trait is thinking that I can change the villain (especially if he’s hot 🥵). Maybe I’m reading too much dark romance lately, but Reiper, phew! I know he’s quite literally one of the villains. But I was secretly rooting for him 😏😉👹🐉🩸
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