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The Enthronement #2
The Conviction
She must find her conviction or be convicted.
Kascia Thorapple Custod has done the unthinkable. She betrayed her Custod duty, her father, her former life for a man she can't even be sure she'll win in the end, a man she is still unsure she can trust: the man she came to kill. Prince Gavril is the only child of the king and queen who tax the heart and soul of her people. Yet they don't seem like monsters, but the truth is the taxes are still in place and she cannot justify it even to herself why.
Kascia must navigate the jealousy and drama of the other girls in the Enthronement, pass the tests, and decide for herself if she's really going to dedicate herself to winning this game because she wants to or because going home to those she betrayed is a fate worse than death.
The magic of the holidays has romance in the air, but Kascia is realizing how tight this competition might still be, not just to win the Enthronement but to win Prince Gavril's heart. Will she choose correctly or will her people's blood be on her hands?
Kascia Thorapple Custod has done the unthinkable. She betrayed her Custod duty, her father, her former life for a man she can't even be sure she'll win in the end, a man she is still unsure she can trust: the man she came to kill. Prince Gavril is the only child of the king and queen who tax the heart and soul of her people. Yet they don't seem like monsters, but the truth is the taxes are still in place and she cannot justify it even to herself why.
Kascia must navigate the jealousy and drama of the other girls in the Enthronement, pass the tests, and decide for herself if she's really going to dedicate herself to winning this game because she wants to or because going home to those she betrayed is a fate worse than death.
The magic of the holidays has romance in the air, but Kascia is realizing how tight this competition might still be, not just to win the Enthronement but to win Prince Gavril's heart. Will she choose correctly or will her people's blood be on her hands?
407 pages, ebook
Published December 6, 2022
22 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Charity Mae
20 books43 followersHi! Welcome to my Goodreads. Can I just say I'm so happy you're here? I don't know if you're here for funzies or for a paper you have to write or maybe a theory video or article you're working on. Either way, thanks for coming, and let's get into the nitty-gritty.
I've been writing since I was ten years old. I wrote my first 700+ book when I was eleven. I started these games as almost fan fiction that morphed into the Custod world I use for most of my stories today.
I specialize in fairytale retellings in more dramatic than fantastical styles, dealing with more political or the struggle of war angles than in pure wonder, but I make sure to have a healthy (whoops too much) dose of romantic and hopeful elements as well. I feel stories should help us learn about relationships, people, the world around us, and teach us hope in how to handle the horrors life can dish out in a healthy, enjoyable escapist type of way. That's why I like young adult styles because it allows more exploration of learning than adult styles.
Some of my favorite books include Harry Potter, The Selection, Michael Vey, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, and lots more, but that should give you a feel for the styles I like. I'm also into classics like Shakespeare, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Lord of the Rings (as hey it's a classic too). I struggled with reading as a child. I loved it but found it hard so audiobooks were my main way of stepping into new worlds. Still an audiobook fan!
I wrote my first book, the rough version of Rising during my teen years, and published it while in college. It has since been republished and revamped as The Custod Chronicles Rising. I had plenty of time to learn my craft because I was homeschooled and so integrated my passion for writing with my studies. I graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho with a degree in Media Marketing with a minor in English to help further my writing dreams.
I currently live in Weed, CA where I write most every day, watch lots of YouTube and movies, enjoy going to a musical now and then, and hone my passion for ballroom dancing. To learn more check out some of my blogs, and social media pages, or if you have a question about a theory or paper you're working on, shoot me a message and I'll get back to you asap.
I've been writing since I was ten years old. I wrote my first 700+ book when I was eleven. I started these games as almost fan fiction that morphed into the Custod world I use for most of my stories today.
I specialize in fairytale retellings in more dramatic than fantastical styles, dealing with more political or the struggle of war angles than in pure wonder, but I make sure to have a healthy (whoops too much) dose of romantic and hopeful elements as well. I feel stories should help us learn about relationships, people, the world around us, and teach us hope in how to handle the horrors life can dish out in a healthy, enjoyable escapist type of way. That's why I like young adult styles because it allows more exploration of learning than adult styles.
Some of my favorite books include Harry Potter, The Selection, Michael Vey, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, and lots more, but that should give you a feel for the styles I like. I'm also into classics like Shakespeare, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Lord of the Rings (as hey it's a classic too). I struggled with reading as a child. I loved it but found it hard so audiobooks were my main way of stepping into new worlds. Still an audiobook fan!
I wrote my first book, the rough version of Rising during my teen years, and published it while in college. It has since been republished and revamped as The Custod Chronicles Rising. I had plenty of time to learn my craft because I was homeschooled and so integrated my passion for writing with my studies. I graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho with a degree in Media Marketing with a minor in English to help further my writing dreams.
I currently live in Weed, CA where I write most every day, watch lots of YouTube and movies, enjoy going to a musical now and then, and hone my passion for ballroom dancing. To learn more check out some of my blogs, and social media pages, or if you have a question about a theory or paper you're working on, shoot me a message and I'll get back to you asap.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 23, 2023
Just like with the first, I have many thoughts!
I'd like to get my critiques out of the way first, given that I enjoyed this book overall. First, I was thrown initially by how small the font was. This book is very long, so perhaps Mae wanted to keep the width down. But the size made it hard to focus at first, just because I felt like I was squinting. Second, it took me a bit to get back into the world, because I wasn't entirely sure of the time and placement of the story. It has the feel of fantasy, but there are a lot of real world elements, not to mention Kascia performing modern-day musicals with slightly different names (i.e. The Phantom, The Miserables), so wondering about that made it a little confusing. Also, there is a degree of confusion in the language sometimes, particularly with the tendency for long sentences.
Now, for the positives. I was happy to see this story moving away from the similarities with The Selection series. I like those books, but I didn't want to read the same thing again. I'm hoping the love triangle suggestion is truly dead and gone. I like how the other girls have more personality and how you can see their friendships and disagreements. Everything feels tangled and messy, but I also think that is the nature of this kind of story, which has to keep you guessing to the end. The basis of Gavril and Kascia's falling out was both sudden and reasonable to me, and I felt like it had good progression. The other side characters, especially Damian, continue to sparkle. I have some theories about plot points, but I'll keep them to myself. Critiques aside, this series is both entertaining and engaging! Not to mention, it made me excited for Christmas!
I'd like to get my critiques out of the way first, given that I enjoyed this book overall. First, I was thrown initially by how small the font was. This book is very long, so perhaps Mae wanted to keep the width down. But the size made it hard to focus at first, just because I felt like I was squinting. Second, it took me a bit to get back into the world, because I wasn't entirely sure of the time and placement of the story. It has the feel of fantasy, but there are a lot of real world elements, not to mention Kascia performing modern-day musicals with slightly different names (i.e. The Phantom, The Miserables), so wondering about that made it a little confusing. Also, there is a degree of confusion in the language sometimes, particularly with the tendency for long sentences.
Now, for the positives. I was happy to see this story moving away from the similarities with The Selection series. I like those books, but I didn't want to read the same thing again. I'm hoping the love triangle suggestion is truly dead and gone. I like how the other girls have more personality and how you can see their friendships and disagreements. Everything feels tangled and messy, but I also think that is the nature of this kind of story, which has to keep you guessing to the end. The basis of Gavril and Kascia's falling out was both sudden and reasonable to me, and I felt like it had good progression. The other side characters, especially Damian, continue to sparkle. I have some theories about plot points, but I'll keep them to myself. Critiques aside, this series is both entertaining and engaging! Not to mention, it made me excited for Christmas!
December 7, 2022
I really connected with this story. Though it's put in a beautiful Christmas bow, the book really deals with finding what one believes regardless of what others say and having faith in what you choose to believe. I think that goes well with the Christmas theme.
I enjoyed getting more into the girls' side of things in this book, dealing more with the girl drama than we did in the first book. The author also delves more into what it means to be a true princess and how difficult that balance of confidence and humility truly are. We all know no one likes a prideful royal, but too shy and the others will walk all over you.
And if you like mystery, oh my goodness, trying to figure out why this 500 year long civil war is still going, what truly caused it, is kind of a huge question to answer that the a characters are distracted from solving (I mean I get it, life happens) but I for one and ready to get those answers.
It was a great next episode of The Enthronement story. I for one cannot wait for more!
I enjoyed getting more into the girls' side of things in this book, dealing more with the girl drama than we did in the first book. The author also delves more into what it means to be a true princess and how difficult that balance of confidence and humility truly are. We all know no one likes a prideful royal, but too shy and the others will walk all over you.
And if you like mystery, oh my goodness, trying to figure out why this 500 year long civil war is still going, what truly caused it, is kind of a huge question to answer that the a characters are distracted from solving (I mean I get it, life happens) but I for one and ready to get those answers.
It was a great next episode of The Enthronement story. I for one cannot wait for more!
December 22, 2022
We fall ‘because the road is never easy’
‘Being a princess…isn’t just about tea parties and looking pretty.’
There are etiquette lessons for the contenders to learn how to present their “inner Queen” with a modicum of self-assurance.
Sage the assassin is beginning to grow on me. He let himself get dragged into a popcorn fight – in front of witnesses, no less - as well as arguments with a puppy.
Damian plays a crucial role in this story. Not just as Kascia’s attendant or a castle servant with connections. That man can read a room like nobody’s business. His take of specific situations ends up with being about the long-term consequences. Where was this man in my early adulthood?
The author differentiates her pageant tale from others in that she describes what some of the failed contestants are up to. They are using what they learned during the Enthronement preparations and are putting that new knowledge to use back home. It’s a sad commentary that most females are not raised from a young age to feel confident about their abilities or capabilities to learn more. This book might help change that…it’s empowering without the over-the-top antics of today’s feminist movement (as opposed to how it originated). It’s refreshing to find young women using their strengths to make the world a better place.
Fave quotes:
‘There are always ways to find truth, but how is up to you to pursue.’
‘No man can punish you for being right.’
The author provides a map and a character guide at the end. And perhaps a hint of a continuation…?
In the meantime, I have ‘Rising (The Custod Chronicles #1) to keep me busy.
‘Being a princess…isn’t just about tea parties and looking pretty.’
There are etiquette lessons for the contenders to learn how to present their “inner Queen” with a modicum of self-assurance.
Sage the assassin is beginning to grow on me. He let himself get dragged into a popcorn fight – in front of witnesses, no less - as well as arguments with a puppy.
Damian plays a crucial role in this story. Not just as Kascia’s attendant or a castle servant with connections. That man can read a room like nobody’s business. His take of specific situations ends up with being about the long-term consequences. Where was this man in my early adulthood?
The author differentiates her pageant tale from others in that she describes what some of the failed contestants are up to. They are using what they learned during the Enthronement preparations and are putting that new knowledge to use back home. It’s a sad commentary that most females are not raised from a young age to feel confident about their abilities or capabilities to learn more. This book might help change that…it’s empowering without the over-the-top antics of today’s feminist movement (as opposed to how it originated). It’s refreshing to find young women using their strengths to make the world a better place.
Fave quotes:
‘There are always ways to find truth, but how is up to you to pursue.’
‘No man can punish you for being right.’
The author provides a map and a character guide at the end. And perhaps a hint of a continuation…?
In the meantime, I have ‘Rising (The Custod Chronicles #1) to keep me busy.
April 4, 2023
This is a fantastic, compelling read that gives new meaning to the term "Mean Girls." The fighting, back-biting, and intrigue of the competition paired with Kascia's own indecision and inner turmoil kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know who will win, whether a victory will redeem Kascia in the eyes of her family, and if she will be able to make a difference for her people. I love Kascia as the MC, with her growth, courage, and strength, and the holiday backdrop was fantastic. I am eagerly looking forward to book 3.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
February 22, 2023
So much indecision
This is a book you can't put down! The author keeps you guessing . I love the King with his goofy happiness, and Gavril is wonderfully innocent, I finished wondering, is it going to go the way we think or will there be a twist?
This is a book you can't put down! The author keeps you guessing . I love the King with his goofy happiness, and Gavril is wonderfully innocent, I finished wondering, is it going to go the way we think or will there be a twist?
May 22, 2023
Great book. Continued on the path of Kascia and Garvil. How their love story is hit by numerous foubt and bumps in the road. Also shows how Kascia grows into new confidence, especially around the other girls.
December 15, 2022
The story was good.
April 13, 2024
I'm still committed but man, this book felt really slow. I like how things ended but I'm nervous for where everything will go in book 3.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews