This book took me by complete surprise! And in a good way!!

If you’re a fan of the Lunar Chronicles with the scifi fantasy world full of runaway princesses, androids, and a thief, you will instantly dive into this story. All the vibes were here with a unique twist.

The writing drew me in to this fun adventure with secrets and inter-planet conspiracies. There are so many elements that nicely fit this into a sci-fi fantasy story perfect for YA readers.

I gave this a solid 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend to readers of this genre!

I have to start this review by admitting that Rogue Princess has a truly special place in my heart. See, one of the truly awesome things about the Swoon Reads imprint is that they allow beta readers to read manuscripts in order to determine if the manuscripts are worthy of publishing. In 2017, one of those manuscripts was named Never Once, and I casually picked it up, thinking I might like it. I devoured it in two days. Well, Never Once was chosen to be published and renamed Rogue Princess, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the finished product.

Rogue Princess is an adventure story and gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella. It follows Princess Delia, who must marry a prince to forge an alliance with another planet in order to save her own. Dreaming of true love and longing to control her own destiny, she steals a ship from her fleet and takes off. There’s only one problem, it contains a stowaway named Aiden, a thief looking to steal from the palace in order to buy passage off the planet. As the two get to know each other and spark feelings, they uncover a massive conspiracy and must work together before it’s too late.

With adventure, love, and excellent world-building, Rogue Princess is a fantastic tale that does not disappoint. I highly recommend it to other YA fantasy fans.

If you love Cinder or Defy the Stars then you will love Rogue Princess. This book is told in duo POVs. A very fast paced read. This book did put things a little too neatly in the box so to speak. I felt the ending was a little too Disney for me. I love things to go well in a story but it is ok to be a little gritty too. This story was a very unique fun adventure. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

This review is part of a blog tour for Rogue Princess' release - My stop is on the 23rd of January. Please head on over to my blog - Read book. Repeat. to join in on the tour and visit all the other stops.

I was pretty excited when I saw this up for request as part of a blog tour. The cover caught my eye instantly, I mean, look at it! It's just so pretty!!! When I read the synopsis, I was sold. A gender bent Cinderella retelling in a sci-fi setting? SIGN. ME. UP.

Straight away we are introduced to Aiden, a lowly servant boy who works in the kitchens of the palace occasionally, I think, to be honest I'm not a hundred percent sure why he was in the palace in the beginning, it was a little bit confusing to start. Anyway, we meet Aiden and we are instantly thrown straight into action, he steals a dagger from one of the visiting Princes who are here to try and win the Princess' hand in marriage.
Princess Delia we meet straight after. She doesn't want to get married, but she's torn because she needs to think of her planet first and foremost, it's what she's been trained for her whole life as the eldest daughter of the current Queen. With a plan in place, Delia quickly and quietly escapes her dress fitting, which throws her into the same ship that our dear Aiden has run to in order to escape the pursuing Queen's Guard. And this is where their story begins.

As you can see, this story is action from the get go with is absolutely fantastic. I would definitely coin it as a Young Adult Sci-Fi adventure with obviously some romance thrown in for good measure. One thing I don't think I'd really call it is a Cinderella retelling. Now, hear me out. There are a couple of elements thrown in that of course mirror the Cinderella story, servant wanting more out of life, royalty not wanting to follow through with their duties as they just want to marry for love and be free, a strategically placed line to do with a 'shoe' fitting (you'll see what I mean when you get to it), and an entrance to a ball that rivals all others. Yes these are the main aspects of the Cinderella tale, but for me, I didn't feel like this story was a Cinderella retelling, I honestly feel like it's selling itself short by calling itself one. This story has the ability to stand on it's own two feet and be great all by itself. Now a lot of you are possibly ranting at me, telling me how it is of course a Cinderella retelling due to the above mentioned pieces included in this story, and yes in that regard I see your point. For me however, I feel like this story is one of it's own and I love it for that. The story is also told from alternating perspectives between Aiden and Princess Delia so we get a well rounded scope of all events that transpire.

When I first started the story, it drew me in instantly, but I wasn't too sure how I felt about it. As it progressed I began to like it more and more, and by the end I knew I was giving it four stars. There were a few things that annoyed me of course. For instance, I feel like the chapter formatting needed to be redone, as halfway through some chapters, the story jumped which was a little bit jolting, I feel like adding more chapters in would have fixed this problem. The story itself was well thought out and was executed pretty good, a few things felt like they came out of left field but I guess that's the point, the 'twist' I had worked out earlier on in the story, but I still felt like it was a great addition to it.

My absolute favourite things about this story are a little bit random, one of them is the little mechanical bird which is a homing device - I have no idea why I love it, I just do. And the other is the pirates - I'm not going to say anymore about them as I feel like it's better going into this knowing nothing about them as I did.

All in all, I felt that this was a fantastic story with likeable characters, fun little quirks that alluded to its source material, even though as said above, I feel like this story is selling itself short by calling itself a retelling, it honestly does have the merit to stand on it's own and be great. If you love a fairy-tale retelling with a sci-fi touch, give it a go, but please remember, there are only a few small things that relate back to the Cinderella tale.

Rogue Princess is a gender-swapped Cinderella story set in space, and it's really fun. (As an aside, I requested it due to that gorgeous cover!) Delia is the princess of Astor, a planet on the verge of ecological and economic catastrophe. As the story opens, Delia has to select a spouse from a contingent of princes from other planets. Her pick has to be someone who can help Astor thrive, but Delia is scared to make the wrong choice and isn't crazy about the idea of marriage. Meanwhile, Aidan works in the palace kitchens, and steals in order to save up enough money to buy passage off the planet. He and Delia run into each other and he convinces her he's her secret bodyguard. Aidan opens Delia's eyes to the injustices on her planet and helps her understand the changes she can enact. Delia is a wonderful character - she's smart and brave and feisty and I just loved her. I also loved her sister, Shania, who was hilarious. Aidan was a well-developed, sympathetic character as well - as the Cinderella character he is lonely and abused by his stepfather and stepbrothers. I will say that a plot development toward the end wasn't my favorite, and I was a little confused by a couple of the side characters' arcs. I also went into this book thinking it would be more space-centric, but it's really more of an adventure story mixed with palace intrigue. Overall though I really enjoyed this book and tore through it.

This YA retelling of Cinderella in space drew me in with the cover and the promise of a gender-swapped tale. Did it live up to my expectations? I will get to that in a bit. First of all, there were some bits I really fell in love with: 1) As mentioned above, the cover. Also, the symbolism of Delia's braid and its import for her wedding night. 2) The sand worms! Did anyone else have a flashback to Kevin Bacon in "Tremors?" 3) Delia's sister Shania is the perfect foil for her and added some necessary humor and lightness. 4) The sci-fi additions that were acronyms like (Aidan), but especially SHEW (If the SHEW fits. . .) 5) Aidan and Delia working together to save Astor -- although it was a bit rushed.
What I did not love: 1) The worldbuilding was weak --I really wanted to see the other planets. 2) The princes all blurred together. 3) Quinton--he offers a marriage in name only, because of his great romance with his page who suddenly disappears altogether. 4) The big reveal of Aidan as AI was not entirely a surprise and I find his ability to function essentially like a human being to be an incredible leap, even for sci-fi. It also is creepy. All in all, the pros overrule the cons. An entertaining read.

Thank you to Swoon Reads and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher on Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.



Book: Rogue Princess



Author: B.R. Myers



Book Series: Standalone



Rating: 4/5



Publication Date: January 21, 2020



Genre: YA Sci-Fi



Recommended Age: 15+ (kidnappings, princesses, and arranged marriages. Also slight violence and some romantic bits)



Publisher: Swoon Reads



Pages: 304



Amazon Link



Synopsis: A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.

Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.

All Aidan wanted was to “borrow” a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. Okay, so maybe escaping on a royal ship wasn’t the smartest plan, but he never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess!

Sparks fly as this headstrong princess and clever thief battle wits, but everything changes when they inadvertently uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever.



Review: I really liked this Fantasy like Sci-fi adventure. The book did a total twist on me and I completely fell for it. It’s also a gender-swapped Cinderella telling. And did I mention…. SPACEEEEEEEEEEEEE? Anyways, the writing was perfection, the book was amazing, and the characters were so well developed. The world building was also excellent!



The only downside is that the book was pretty fast paced and it’s such a fast beginning that it leaves you breathless.



Verdict: If you like fantasy and sci-fi you’ll like this!

I review under the blog CRANKY-TBC not sure when she’ll post them on Amazon and GoodReads. My name is not on it.

I received a complimentary copy of Rogue Princess from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel surprised me. I went into it on a cold read since I had requested it earlier and forgotten the synopsis.

It was wonderful! A blend of genres, science fiction (space travel, robots, and sky gliders), romance (self explanatory), traditional literature (Cinderella foundation), this novel exceeded my expectations. I loved the gender-bending theme and the brashness of the princess. I also immediately related to Aidan and his plight for a better life. (I made the rather enjoyable connection to the reverse Cinderella storyline early on even though I did not remember it being central to the plot--beautifully done!) Well developed characters and interactions strengthen the already intriguing storyline. Believable attitudes of Aidan and Princess Delia-- abrasively mismatched at first--began to line-up organically as the plot thickened. Princess Shania, the boy-crazy little sister, was hilariously spot-on! Space pirates, traitors, revolutionaries, a pawn broker, a vain prince, a six-armed species prisoner, and a couple of androids round out this novel. Original and interesting, this book kept me spellbound for a couple of days! Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Rouge Princess is a sci-fi gender swapped Cinderella, I didnt go I to this expecting much and well...I was right. The main issue is the plot and the story have many things going on that just didnt quite fit together.

The story focuses on princes Delia must choose a Prince whom to marry and ally herself with, the very fate of he planet rests on this decision. She both understands this is her duty but also is actively trying to run away from this.

I enjoyed the romance and Aidan was a witty and roguish character, I liked his POV the most.....until later in the story...but we will get to that.

The world building was good in parts but not so much in others. I liked the myth of the Planet of astor, but aside from a mention of other planets you dont get world building of the universe. It could have all have been set in one world and have nations instead of planets and it would have been fine. That's the problem, there are parts that could have been easily taken out and the story would have been just fine.


My biggest issue was with the pot twist later in the book, one of the (many) sub-plots is that there is a rebellion mounting against the royal family, well it turns out that Aidain is a robot spy.......yyyeeaaahhhh........a whole lot of deus ex happens the rebellion plot is quashed and everything is solved and all tied up in a beat bow.......and Delia marries Adian THE ROBOT. Now we can discuss all day long if an a.i. is capable of love and all that but the whole main plot was in how Delia's marriage would solve an energy crisis and save her planet. Regardless of any solution that they find there will still be repercussions. It also shows how selfish Delia is she places the burden of heirs on her sister simply because she wants to marry Aidan.......nope.....

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing group and Swoon Read for the advance reader copy, Rogue Princess, by B.R. Myers in exchange for an honest review. I loved this Cinderella retelling from the awesome characters, to the exciting plot, and the beauty of planet, Astor. I was hooked from page one; Aidan is a court servant who has no qualms about taking things (jewels, daggers) in order to escape the meanness of his father and two brothers. I was in love with Aidan; he is smooth, funny and self-confident; when he “runs into” Princess Delia on a palace space ship, his answers to her many questions are hysterical especially saying “it’s classified”; he is able to convince Delia he is a bodyguard for one of the princes who have arrived to seek her hand in marriage. I could not stop reading this exciting science fiction fantasy, the many twists and turns kept me riveted. Also, Delia is not your normal princess; I laughed each time she “saved” Aidan. Delia is sensitive to her subjects, respectful to her mother, the Queen, while also being her own person, honest, trustworthy, and mindful of the political climate dictating she marry to further the kingdom (even if she is not interested in marrying). Teens will love Delia’s adventures with Aidan, the pirates, the mazes, the court intrigue, and a wonderful surprise ending, highly recommended for those who love the Lunar Chronicles and Ashley Poston’s Heart of Iron series.

This was a fun little book especially if you liked Cinder! I just wish I would have connected to the characters more but I seriously loved the writing!

I'm a sucker for a fairy tale retelling. I've said it before, I'll likely say it again. When I saw the description for Rogue Princess, I knew I needed to read it.
Aiden (our Cinderella) and Princess Delia tell their stories in alternating chapters. Aiden wants to get away from the menial life he lives with his stepfather and two stepbrothers, all who would likely be happy to see him leave. Delia is looking to avoid choosing one of the seven visiting princes as her future consort and finagles her way out of a wedding dress fitting to attempt a visit to a neighboring planet to negotiate a deal. The two find themselves on the same glider and neither of their plans end in success. Though they return to their respective homes, but their meeting sets in motion the rest of the story.
Through the first half of the book, I enjoyed the story well enough, though something seemed lacking. I cannot name it-but I wasn't as engaged with the story and the characters as I would have liked. However, in the middle of the book-when we learn Aiden's backstory, I found myself unable to put the story away. It also shaped the entirety of the book in a different manner and makes me want to reread the story to see what details I may have missed.

Pros-
Pace-The story didn't lag, even though it was fairly long for a Cinderella retelling. There were a few extra pieces added in (see-pirates) that weren't necessary, but added a fun element to the novel.
Pirates-One of my favorite retellings of Cinderella is the movie Ever After. When the Pirates captured Aiden and Delia, I had flashbacks to the Gypsy capture of Danielle and Henry. It was a neat touch, and they ended up being helpful at the conclusion of the book.

Cons-
TOO. MANY. PRINCES. - I understand that in Cinderella, there were multitudes of women for the prince to choose from. But the amount of princes that were involved in this retelling was overwhelming, even though there were just seven. From the twins (who had no point except to be twins, unless I missed something) to the overly pretty/invasive one (Amorano?) - they could have been whittled down to perhaps three or four.

***SPOILER***Hmmm...-
I'm not sure how to handle the circumstances in which Princess Delia becomes Queen. It's foreshadowed rather heavily, I feel like, but Delia is completely oblivious. Perhaps the author did that to show how focused Delia was on other matters? But I also wonder-with the time frame given, was her mother poisoned?

Didn’t pick up on the Cinderella-theme until the end. Liked the plucky but not perfect princess and her totally typical teenage sister. Aidan holds a few surprises and loved how the author slowly revealed them. Would like to see a continuation of the story.

While I was excited for this book, this gender-bent fairy tale retelling fell flat for me when compared to other titles, like the Lunar Chronicles or other space stories I've read this year. I think my main issue was the relationship between Delia and Aidan felt forced throughout and I was also expecting actual space travel, but they never really left Astor.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review for a tour.**

Title Rogue Princess

Author B.R. Myers

Description from Amazon

Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.

All Aidan wanted was to “borrow” a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. Okay, so maybe escaping on a royal ship wasn’t the smartest plan, but he never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess!

Sparks fly as this headstrong princess and clever thief battle wits, but everything changes when they inadvertently uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever.

Release Date January 21, 2020

Initial Thoughts

The tag line for this book was what made me really want to read it – gender-swapped Cinderella retelling – sign me up! My stop on the tour is later this month but I wanted to get my review out now in case anyone was on the fence about pre-ordering this gem!

Some Things I Liked

So much more than Cinderella. The crux of the story was a Cinderella retelling but there were so many easter eggs for other classic tales sprinkled throughout the book. To name a few, Aladdin, Rapunzel, and even a little bit of Mulan.
PUNS. I love puns and the absolute greatest one of all was SHEW. I loved it so much.
Shania was also a gem. She was the perfect blend of sassy and supportive sister to Delia and I would love to read a spin-off story about her adventures.

Something I Wasn’t Crazy About

Ok, this is totally a me thing – but, I don’t love sci-fi. I feel like I’m always trying to use logic to dismantle the plot (if that makes sense). Basically, I can suspend my disbelief so much more easily with fantasy or fiction based on magic, but, when it comes to sci-fi, I constantly find myself asking, if they have this, why can’t they do that? So, it’s difficult for me to really love a sci-fi book. However, Rogue Princess had so many other stellar elements, I did really like this one.

Series Value

This chapter of Delia’s story feels complete, but I would like to revisit this world in the form of spin-offs. There were a ton of fun characters whose stories are still relatively untold and I’d enjoy reading about them.

Final Thoughts

Delia was a fantastic warrior-princess whose story captured the best parts of Disney classics as well as turning the tables and proving that she doesn’t need anyone to save her. I loved that she was a strong female main character and she learned that love isn’t a weakness, but rather should be her strength. The witty banter was perfect and I was very (a little surprisingly), satisfied with the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge – if you liked the fairytale retelling aspect of this book, definitely check out Rosamund Hodge’s books. They are all super unique spins on the classics.
Princess in the Opal Mask by Jenny Lundquist – if you liked the Cinderella elements here, give this duology a try.
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith – if you liked the Aladdin-vibes that can be seen in Rogue Princess, try Bloodleaf.

"'Pirates were outlawed ten years ago,' she answered smartly.
'Yes, but nobody told them.'"

A fantastical fusion of the future and the past. Sci-fi melds together with historical royal themes in this story. I can't believe how perfect the world building is. Everything is precisely plotted and choreographed into a dance across the pages. I couldn't get enough of Delia's world! Speaking of Delia, she's AMAZING! She's a spunky heroine with good old-fashioned gumption. Despite being a princess of a futuristic society, Delia is somehow relatable. Her feelings and self-conscious thoughts are something every teen will relate to. She's tough while still being gentle, smart but doesn't hesitate to ask for help, also a loyal sister and friend. Delia sets a new standard for diverse female heroes.

This book will keep you guessing until the very end! I couldn't stop reading and that's why I devoured this book in two days. The plot slowly builds up to the final couple epic scenes. It's intricate and lovely in its use of details, dialogue and character development. Specifically, I didn't expect to get so many wonderful moments with the suitors and moments shared between Delia and her sister. This made Delia an even more likable heroine because we had these moments where she was very human and relatable.

The only critique I have is that I wish the reader shared more moments with Aidan. He becomes one of the main characters but his chapters aren't nearly as interesting as Delia's. He's so mysterious that it makes his interactions with others confusing. Maybe a few more clues should be shared about his eventual identity reveal? Anyway, he's still a fascinating character because thankfully he's more than just a male love interest. Ultimately this is gonna be one of the best young adult novels of 2020, I can just see it now. It has so much going for it in terms of memorable characters and unique settings.

Fun sci-fi spin on Cinderella, with a gender flip and some twists I really did not see coming. It’s a fun read, although Cinderella will never be my favorite fairy tale and I didn’t quite realize this was a take on it until halfway through.

This book was such an adorable read! I loved delving into this futuristic world with a young woman who wants to protect her home but also protect herself. The characters had me laughing and wanting to know more about them at every step along the way!

This book is an interesting been on the classic Cinderella fairytale. What makes it unique is a swap in gender roles. I recommend this for those who like science fiction fantasy young adult novel with a little bit of a twist. Readers who enjoyed Cinder will like this.