Series Name: The Culled Crown # 2
Review By Veronica
Of Princes and Poisons is another heart-pounding installment in The Culling series.
Favourite Quote:
Sometimes it was only the sharp, angry words I threw at him– this stranger– that eased the growing heat in my veins. It scraped at the underside of my skin, painful and frightening. The impulse to burn, to snap my fingers and implode, was becoming a craving.
And I was starving.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Once there were ten.
Ten goddess-touched girls were born. Each was blessed—or cursed—with a unique power that set them apart. As part of an ancient ritual called the Culling, they were supposed to fight to the death in the arena until only one survived. That girl would marry the prince and ascend to the throne. Now only four girls remain.
Power in her blood.
Monroe Benson is one of the lucky ones. With fire at her fingertips, she survived the arena and the intrigues of the palace. Now she’s turned her back on her destiny, choosing to throw in her lot with the rebellion seeking to overturn the Erydian rulers. Monroe has never wanted the throne. She knows that her future lies elsewhere, but first she’ll have to convince the rebels to believe her.
A traitorous heart.
Monroe thought Cohen was one of the few good things about the Culling. She believed that he would have made a good ruler, but that doesn’t mean that she wanted to sit beside him on the throne. And now, she finds herself drawn to a rebel leader. A man with secrets of his own. In the end, Monroe will have to trust in more than her power or even her heart if she’s to forge her own path and find her freedom.
Gahhhhh!! The ending in this book. I can’t even wrap my mind around what happened and the fact that I have no idea when the next book comes out. As you might have guessed, this book ends on quite a cliffhanger. The twist, the heartbreaking shock, and where Brianna leaves us hanging is pure torture. This is probably one the best to leave your readers wanting more endings I have read in a long time. So, way to go, Brianna!
Let’s discuss the rest of the book. If you haven’t read the first book in this series, you may want to stop reading this review. There are spoilers from the first book below. You’ve been warned.
This book starts with Monroe, who is now a prisoner of the rebels. They are holding her in a dark, cold cell, being questioned by Callahan, aka Kai. A man who has been talking and questioning Monroe for a few weeks now. This was a surprising twist for me because, in the previous book, Monroe was assisting the rebels by helping to overthrow the Queen and royal family. It turns out that the rebel group also wants to kill all the goddess-touched girls as well. Monroe is definitely at a low point at the beginning of this book. She has no idea if her friends are alive, and she knows that her romantic relationship with Cohen is all but destroyed because she is the reason why most of his family has been killed. I sometimes forget how much a fantasy heroine has to suffer in a series, and let me tell you Monroe suffers. The girl can rarely catch a break. But Monroe does grow as a character, and as much as she can be naive at times, she is learning to survive in this world she finds herself in. Brianna does a masterful job of expanding her world in such an interesting way. I didn’t think she could top the political intrigue that she had created in the first book, but she does. As a reader, you have no idea who to trust; danger lurks around every corner, and you get this sense that something bigger is happening in the shadows, but you are not too sure what it is. It is so damn addictive. There are so many dangerous twists and turns I could not put this book down. It just sucks you in.
We were also introduced to new characters, whom I loved. They brought humour, drama, and unpredictability to the story. We also get to spend more time with Uri, Nadia, and Heidi, who were all secondary characters in the first book. This core group of ladies is fabulous, and they all have such distinctive personalities. It was great getting to watch them grow as characters. We were also introduced to another new MC, Callahan, aka Kai. He becomes a new love interest for Monroe, which creates a love triangle situation. But like most fantasy series, the second male lead we introduced to is a better fit for the main heroine. I genuinely liked Callahan. He is smart and caring and is Monroe’s equal when it comes to those sharp verbally sparing matches they seem to have.
Overall, this is an addictive and heart-pounding read. Brianna has reminded me why I love YA fantasy books so much.
Thank you, Wattpad Books for sending us a copy in exchange for an honest review.
