Synopsis: She is the heiress of the throne, the guardian of the blue forest, the princess of Elsseria, and a creature of darkness.
Liah does not know her origin, or what type of blood runs through her veins. Suffocating in a court that perhaps expects too much from her, she embarks on an adventure to find her own self, although what she might discover scares her more every time.
This book will take you to a world of magic, threatened by a legendary enemy. Where a different kind of princess tries to find her place, and a young Captain falls in love with the wrong person. A world that its inhabitants will defend with fury, rescuing old alliances and forging new ones. A place to dream.
My first impression of this book? Wow! The way the author describes things is so mysterious and beautiful! It drew me in right away and didn’t let go!
This book follows Liah, the Princess of Elsseria, as she tries to find her place in the world and figure out who she is. She already knows she is different from everyone else. Her increasing thirst for blood and inability to control her growing power force her to run away, convinced her people think her a monster.
I loved the way the author described things. It made the forest come alive in my mind, making it easy to fall into the story. Liah is a great character. She’s unique, not only in her appearance but her personality as well. She’s not a pampered princess. She’s knows how to defend her self not only with a sword but her hands as well. Yes, she’s going through emotional turmoil, but who wouldn’t if they thirsted for blood and shot green fire from their hands when they got upset?
Other characters were definitely secondary and not as fleshed out. Except for Derek, the captain of the royal guards. Derek comes from another kingdom to serve as part of an age old agreement between the two kingdoms. He’s instantly enthralled with the beautiful land of Elsseria and it’s beautiful princess. Derek knows that as a mere captain of the guards that he can’t possibly be worthy of Liah, but he can’t help falling for her.
While I really did love this book, I felt that there were a few things that were lacking. The development of the relationship between Derek and Liah was a big one. They’ve barely met and already think of each other like they’re known one another for years and been slowly falling in love over those years. I really think the development of that relationship would have benefited greatly from more interactions between the two before the plot really got rolling.
The dialogue also left something to be desired. The book was originally written in Spanish so I wonder if something was lost in the translation. The pacing was a bit quick. There were a few things that happened “off screen” that I think would have been beneficial if they’re been written in.
I don’t read a lot of YA anymore since I’m no longer a young adult myself, but I was offered a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I’m glad I accepted.
My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anymore who enjoys YA fantasy looking for a quick and fun read.
Have you read the Princess of Elsseria? Do you agree with my review? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!