Review Detail

Since birth, Charis has always been taught by her mother, the queen, that to rule a kingdom, you have to be the most powerful and feared person in the room. To be as deadly as the knife in your hand. There isn't time for meaningless things like friendship or love. When someone attacks the queen, Charis is given the chance to prove herself. To show that she can be just as cunning and sharp-witted as her mother. But people see the absence of the queen as a weakness, so Charis must play the political game just right or else it'll all fall apart.

Like with any assassination attempt, Charis has to be assigned a guard. Enter Tal. Following her around, Tal gets to see the vulnerable parts of Charis. Sides that she shows only when she thinks nobody is looking. But Tal is. Always, and he starts to see some of her father in her and not just her ruthless mother. The more time they spend together, the deeper of a connection they share with each other. The only problem is that her heart isn't hers to give because it belongs to her country. To the safety of her people who have suffered from the war for too long. More and more decisions and secrets rise to the surface and Charis must make decisions for her country, no matter how much they may hurt her.

RISE OF THE VICIOUS PRINCESS is a young adult fantasy with a strong female lead and a twist of romance. Charis is an admirable character who doesn't like to show any signs of weakness, but somehow Tal always manages to draw them out. I love the banter between the two because it adds the comedic relief to the story. C.J. Redwine brings us another intriguing read with well thought out characters whose emotions are raw and sucks you right in.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of fantasy, royal politics, strong female leads, and romance.