Four Red Banners

by Gianna Cruz

The Four Banners Army seems to have vanished into thin air—until a girl named Ariadne happens to stumble upon their secret fortress. Soon she becomes tangled up in the civil war that has inflamed the country. Leading the Four Banners Army is the rightful king, Prince Colan, supported by his brothers. Challenging these heirs to the throne is their own cousin and foster-brother, the Lord Marius. An ambitious young man who has inspired ardent devotion in his soldiers, Marius has taken control of the country and is preparing to crown himself king—unless Colan can defeat this man who, as a boy, was his dearest friend.

291 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2021

Reviews

[Eowyn Bolivette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I read this, it's been my favourite. It's truly impossible to put down! A delightful fantasy with teeny bits of romance, Four Red Banners is a must. It has battles in deep detail, gorgeously realistic landscapes, hilarious twins, rightful monarchs, and tyrants who are just the best. Gianna Cruz is definitely an author deserving of praise!

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a delightful read!

This is the engaging, fast-paced tale of the Four Red Banners army and its princes!
Colan, I think, is an admirable character, and I cried during the Thousand Eagles chapter. He is so noble!

This book is full of fantastic characters in addition to Colan:
Hector and Harold are very sweet and try hard to help their elder brother and Henry is hilarious!
Ariadne is well-meaning but often forgetful.
Beatrice and Lucas, the Patriot, Marc, Eiden—-my goodness, MARIUS. Oh, dear, Marius.

A delightful plot with a satisfying ending! I heartily recommend it and can’t wait to read the sequel. (I don’t think I can wait until my birthday though!)

[CecilyJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gianna Cruz's story is engaging, her characters are entertaining and loveable, her writing is beautiful, descriptive, and has a perfect balance between showing and telling. I can read her scenes fifteen times and still be gasping at the climax, even as a person who rarely reacts emotionally to books. Although she does have room to grow as a writer, she is exceptionally talented, and I will gladly read anything she publishes. I highly recommend this book to both fantasy and historical fiction readers, especially the latter, as her invented world is highly influenced by medieval England and has little of the magic and monsters often associated with the fantasy genre.

[Fiona Altschuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting, moving story that will please practically everybody with good taste. It has lots of adventure, whimsy and humor galore, quirky and courageous characters, and a heart-wrenching ending. The sweet, motherly Ariadne will make you feel immediately at home; the brothers Harold, Hector, and Henry will make you laugh the whole book through (watch out for the scene where they cut their hair!); and the love that Prince Colan feels for his cousin Marius, even when Marius betrays him and battles him for the crown, is beautiful and shattering. I also love the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, their sources ranging from Dante to Shakespeare to the Bible. This book is amazing not only because it is a wonderful work of art, but also because it was written by a fourteen-year-old Catholic homeschooler, which is so inspiring!

[Elsa Altschuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! I simply adore it! It is well written and has beautiful language! I loved all the princes and Ariadne, and the nice romance between Ariadne and Hector was so sweet. And I'm pen-pals with Gianna's sister, which makes me love it even more!