RELEASE DATE: June 04th 2019
AUTHOR: Anna Bright
GENRE: Young-Adult,Fantasy, Adventure, Romance.
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
SUMMARY:
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.
But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.
The Beholder is Anna Bright’s debut YA fantasy novel. This wasn’t really one of my anticipated books but I wanted to give it a shot because I’ve heard good things about it. Well, I think this one’s a decent YA fantasy novel with a unique twist but I wouldn’t say it was flawless. First of all, I had two issues with this book, the first one was the world building, and the second one was the protagonist itself. The plot was entertaining. The whole story is about Selah’s journey to find the suitor to marry by travelling to different countries. Some of the readers said that it was a little bit similar to the selection series which I’ve never read but overall it was an enjoyable read.
The story follows Eighteen year old Selah, the seneschal-elect of Potomac. Her father is the leader of Potomac. Selah and Peter have been friends since they were kids. She dreamed of him being her future husband. On her eighteenth birthday, when her father offers a marriage proposal, Peter rejects the proposal. After the public humiliation, Selah’s step mother Alessandra suggests her that she must find herself a husband by travelling across the sea. Selah was forbidden to come back to her homeland, until she finds herself a husband from among the suitors she chose. Reluctantly, Selah sets sail to meet all the suitors, but she fails to notice her step-mother’s nefarious plans. Selah needs to find herself a suitable husband and return to Potomac before it’s too late.
This is one of those books that you’ll like the side characters more than the main character. I didn’t hate Selah but she was too naive enough to be the leader for her people. I expected her to be more strong. I think she might be a hit or miss for some people. Coming to the secondary characters, I loved all the suitors including Captain Lang. He was a broody and mysterious guy with a hidden agenda. He’s totally my type. In this book we meet two of the three suitors, the first one was the prince of England who was pretty charming. Although he was a bit thorny at the beginning, I quite enjoyed his character. Next we have Nineteen Year Old Prince Torden Asgard Of Norge. He’s the teen version of Thor with Red hair, brown eyes, and muscular physique. He was a bit wild and strong, and doesn’t know how to express his feelings. I found his character pretty cute. And I also liked the trouble maker Aleksei, he’s so Loki. I enjoyed the romance, but It was a bit unrealistic how the heroine switched her feelings from one person to another in few weeks. The whole thing felt like a reverse harem novel.
The plot was entertaining, but be warned that it’s not an action packed novel. It was mostly a slow ride. I enjoyed the unique concept. I really liked the weird mix of the norse mythology and fairy tales in a single storyline. Although some of the twists were predictable, it was an engaging read throughout. To be honest, the love interests in this book made it more enjoyable. They’re all swoon worthy. I’m currently rooting for the broody captain. We haven’t met the third suitor the prince of Imperiya yet but I’m very curious about his character. The writing was great. The book was told in Selah’s first person pov. The world building was a bit confusing. It’s an alternate universe of our historical world incorporated with Norse and fairytale world. The whole idea may sound interesting but it didn’t work out for me in this book. I wish the author provided more details about this world.
Despite all these issues, I quite enjoyed reading this book. It’s a fun read filled with adventure, friendship, romance, and intrigue. It isn’t my favorite, but I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recommend it?
Yes
I recommend this book if you’re looking for an entertaining YA fantasy read but I’d suggest you to lower your expectations before jumping into it.
MY RATING:
[3.5/5 Stars]
So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!
See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed this one despite the issues. I have been seeing this one at my library but never picked it up.
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Thank you, Kayla! I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a shot! 😊
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I will try to get to it soon. My library has it!
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I am happy that you mostly enjoyed this one. I gave it a try a little while ago and had to set it aside. I just wasn’t enjoying that main character too much, either. Maybe some day I will go back to it. Lovely review! 🙂
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Thank you! Yeah, I’m not fan of the main character either but I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to give it another chance.
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YES! You hit on some really great points here: I didn’t really bond with Selah either, and felt she was so… Meh. I don’t even know how to explain it. The pacing felt weird, with nothing much happening and secrets being revealed at weird times. I’m not even sure how to explain it but that’s how it felt like to me: like the author was trying to cram too much stuff (genres, storylines, characters) into one single book.
I was also super turned off by how many suitors there were and how she kept switching her affections around… It just wasn’t right. I know she’s a teenager but really? She was ready to marry this guy with all her heart, then he betrays her, then she’s completely (or almost) over him in the next few days and already up to marry this other dreamy guy she’s totally in love with? Hmm.
I mean, it was an enjoyable book overall but it wasn’t anything special. I’ll definitely want to know how the trilogy ends, though.
Great review, Raven! 🙂
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I’m glad you agree with me! The heroine was a bit meh! I wish she was more brave and stood up for what is right. The world was a bit messy. Despite that, I found the whole drama pretty entertaining. I can’t wait to know what happens in the next book. Let’s hope we both love it!😊
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Yes! *fingers crossed*
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Great review! This is on my TBR, but I haven’t been in a rush to read it. I don’t do well with slow paced books, so it might be iffy for me. I’m glad you liked it even though you didn’t love it.
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Thank you! Yeah, it wasn’t that much exciting! If you like drama and entertainment in your books then definitely give it a shot.
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Hopefully I’ll give a try one day. I don’t have it, so it will probably be years. I’m never going to catch up.
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Lovely review Raven! It’s not the first time I’m hearing that the world building is quite confusing in this one, this makes me a little sad, this book seemed to have a lot of potential
thank you so much for the lovely review! 🙂
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Thank you, Marie! Yeah, this book has a great potential but the world fell flat for me. It was very confusing! Apart from that, it was an enjoyable read!
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Your review sealed the deal Raven! I was hesitant even with all the enthusiastic reviews but now I’ll pass as I have already too much on my plate! Wonderful review as ever!
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Thank you, Sophie!
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Wow… this is the first review where I got a real feel for the book Raven. So thank you!! I love that the suitors are the ones that kept you connected to the story. I feel like if I love the love interests sometimes that makes a book worth reading even if I don’t love the protagonists much. ❤️ Great review.
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Thank you, Dani! I agree! The heroine was a bit meh! I would’ve DNF’ed it if it wasn’t for the love interests.
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First, could that cover be more gorgeous? So unique! Second, despite not being flawless it sounds like a decent debut novel. I bet the author’s writing only gets better with more releases. Hopefully they turn into one of your favorites.
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Yeah, it has a stunning cover! It was a fun book to read. I hope the next book is even better than this one.
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Sorry to hear about the protagonist. I can definitely understand how disappointing it can be, especially when you’re at the point where the secondary characters are more interesting than the protagonist! Excellent honest review as always, Raven! 😀
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Thank you, Lashaan! 🙂
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She was rejected, oh my gosh, I’d feel bad for her right from the start lol! And Captain Lang sounds like my kinda guy too! I always find myself pulled to those types of characters. Fabulous review and here’s hoping the second book is even better!
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Yeah, I felt bad for her too! haha Captain Lang has a mysterious aura about him that makes him captivating. Me too! I’m also attracted to broody and complex type of characters! Thank you, Jen! I hope so too! 🙂
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Great review, as always. I’ve been curious about this one and I’m still on the fence about it. I do find that sometimes the side characters really do outshine the main. Sometimes it doesn’t bother me and sometimes it’s really distracting. It sounds like the book has promise though and I’m glad you liked it overall.
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Thank you, Melanie! It might be a hit or miss for some readers. Personally, I enjoyed it but it’s nothing that will blew your mind away. If you’re looking for something entertaining with fairytale-ish vibes then definitely give it a shot.
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It’s good this was entertaining, but it’s a pity about the mc not being as compelling as other characters. Great review!
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Thank you! If it wasn’t for the secondary characters, it would’ve been a DNF for me.
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