The Princess Trials: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 5,035 ratings

Price: 6.99

Last update: 09-18-2024


About this item

Thirty young women. A handsome prince. A battle to the death.

Water is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.

Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, 16-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause.

When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses.

The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince’s attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon’s public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission.

But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection, this exciting tale of courage, intrigue, and betrayal will have you listening for hours.


Top reviews from the United States

cgable3
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t Put Down
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2020
This book was fast paced and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story. I think the characters are well written and there is a good balance to the writing. I was really looking forward to reading the book and it did not disappoint.

Zea is a fascinating character. She has so much innocence to her and yet she wants to fight for a revolution that she does not full understand. She lives in the lowest echelon in their society, the harvesters, and despite her life not being easy and living on rations they are better off then the counseling’s who have no part in this society. I don’t think she fully understand what she want to fight for and this becomes more complicated after she goes to the Oasis. She thinks the fight is just about rations of water and food, but it becomes more than that. They is an evil that underlies the society in the higher echelon and she is going to have to decide where her fight lies and how she wants to be the catalyst of change.

She can be far too trusting throughout the book and I think this is in part a good quality. She is able to see the good, or at least look for the good, in several characters that would otherwise be barely mentionable. Her relationship with Prince Kevon is really very simple, but is made complicated because she has a crush on a boy from her region. This other boy and his mother, as you can see from the beginning, uses and manipulates Zea’s feelings to get her to do what they think will start a revolution. Zea is swept up in their thinking and is almost blinded by what they have told her. While what happens in their region is wrong and the class system is wrong, she doesn’t see that she can have more power if she plays the games and wins, instead of starting a revolution.
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely spot on with the description being a mix between the Selection and Hunger Games
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2021
Definitely spot on with the description being a mix between the Selection and Hunger Games (I would also like to throw in there divergent.

Although I would like to note that it is not as good as any of those books... that being said it is a lot to live up to. It is like a person on American idol auditioning with a Whitney Houston song, very hard to execute. Not bad although not many questions were answered. I think the world Castel created was interesting enough and unique in its own right.

My problems:
The names of literally all of the characters were TERRIBLE and many of them flowed together.... Sargent Silvers. The character descriptions were not very clear for instance upon introduction Sargent Silvers came across as a middle aged man ... the boom 20 yr old. But probably my biggest issues was that every female characters had one of 3 personas. whippy, catty or manly. Bertha was such a huge part of the book, but such a detestable character. Also why couldn't Zea keep a secret this lady almost told everyone she was a spy 29 times over. Also the author loves the phrase "snatched my gaze away" ... She used it probably 8+ times.

The good parts of the book:
I loved the unique world that it was set up in. Perfect amount of description given so that I could envision it. She also took the time to developed the prince and Zea's relationship. It wasn't wake up in love. It was a fondness that continued to grow. Plot was well thought out and enticed my interest. 4.5 stars
Deb Cechak
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure in a Dystopian Monarchy
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
Cordelia K Castel writes an imaginative and not-stop adventure in book of her series with the same name, The Princess Trials

A young adult dystopian romance, this author does not shy away from the intrigue and assault that occurs when fractions of society are pitted agains each other.

I was told this story is like ‘The Hunger Games, but do not believe it. It is SO MUCH Cordelia K Castel writes an imaginative and not-stop adventure in book of her series with the same name, The Princess Trials

A young adult dystopian romance, this author does not shy away from the intrigue and assault that occurs when fractions of society are pitted agains each other.

I was told this story is like ‘The Hunger Games, but do not believe it. It is SO MUCH MORE.

There is an intensity and intelligence to Castel’s writing that keeps the reader interested and wanting more!

I am starting the Princess Games, book 2 in this series, mow!

There is an intensity and intelligence to Castel’s writing that keeps the reader interested and wanting more!

I am starting the Princess Games, book 2 in this series, now!
Heather M
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay not great
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024
The constant Ryce monolog NO. I mean the girl sees Garrett and her friend looking at each other and finally realizes Ryce doesn't look at her as more than a good recruit but the monolog continues. Really?! Just stop it already. Then the red runners red runners red runners. We get it. Was there a word quota you had to fill so Ryce and Red Runner filled it? Remove about 40% of that and it would be a good book. There is way to much. Almost stalker obsession vibes on Ryce and red runners. Everytime I rolled my eyes. Like oh boy here we go for the 200000000 time. I won't read anymore. 1 book was enough
MDL
5.0 out of 5 stars Princess Trials
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024
This book had a very interesting story line. It was similar to the Hunger games, but instead of killing each other all the girls were after one in particular. The classes of people were separated in different groups and had access to different things. The story is good and your feelings are up and down. You will be rooting for Zea.
Loren
4.0 out of 5 stars For fans of The Selection, Hunger Games, and Red Queen
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2023
**NO SPOILERS are in this review** The Princess Games is reminiscent of The Selection, Red Queen, and the Hunger Games. While I don’t think this is exactly on par with those 5-star books, The Princess Games is a 4-star book series and an enjoyable read about a strong female rebel and her journey to protect her echelon, even when love gets in the way. I enjoy the romance aspect - you get to that portion about halfway through the first book. It drives you to keep reading and see what happens. Definitely a book worth getting!
Viktorya Roze Tassi
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely Christmas gift
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024
My best friend since grade school really enjoyed the Selection books, and so when I read the back of this book, I knew that she would enjoy it!

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