What is one to do when your entire life is ripped away? When you lose your family in one fell swoop? When the life you had, while poor and difficult, is taken as well? What can you do when you suddenly have powers you never knew existed and you are collared and shackled like a monster? Well read this book and see!

This book’s star is Olivia Delmar. She is an 18-year-old young woman living as a commoner in the poorest area in Thavaria. Where hiding when one can and trying not to be seen are common place. Where hard work and hunger are faced every day. Olivia lives with her parents and her younger sister Tina. Her father fights for the everyday man with secret pamphlets and meetings. Every day is a struggle yet the family has love.

Yet it all ends one fateful night when “the gilded swarmed the room”. The family was as prepared as they could be to face them yet it all that preparation is for naught when the guardsmen grab Tina. What happens then will change all of their lives forever. When Olivia’s hands erupt with blue flame she becomes the most hated type of person in Thavaria and the entire family is taken away to a place worse than a hovel in the commons.

Olivia is then forced into the Princess Trials with 39 other girls. Her goal to survive and get her family out of prison. Yet as the book unravels she must face dangers she has never faced before as well as facing young women raised to be devious and cruel. Is Olivia the favored of the crown or the most hated? What would winning really mean for her and her family? Is there anyone she can trust in this new world? Can she live with herself and the actions she must do to survive? And what about the silent Prince? Is he truly evil, is he kind in disguise, or is he a monster of a new sort?

I give this 5 stars for the story plot and well thought out characters. It is female centered, friend centered, and full of mysteries. The romance is just starting to build and seems to be becoming friendship based as it is taking off. This book shows that there does not need to be spice to be well written, yet who is to say some spice may still come in the sequels? The Trials are only halfway over so I for one will need to review book 1 before I start book 2. And yes there are some mistakes throughout the book that had me taking notes to send to the author, as well as taking me out of the story at times, yet this in NO WAY is a cause to remove a star from a wonderfully created book. My hope is as the author was responsive to my notes that the mistakes will be corrected before publishing to give a more seamless read.

READ this book and find a brand new world to escape into!

I received a free copy of this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

AMAZON AVAILABLE 7/30/2026!! https://a.co/d/06jfa8pk
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