Another amazing book from CJ Redwine! She is a master of fantasy, and her books are always winners with our students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy!

I loved this book - I forgot how much I liked reading fantasy books because I have been reading a lot of other genres this year but this was so good. Charis was an amazing main character and she was one of the most powerful princesses in YA. I liked how she didn’t take shit from anyone and how she navigated court politics and understood the world that she was born into and how to lead. I loved her bodyguard Tal and their romance was so good (and the cliffhanger was brutal). I can't wait to read the next book because this was so good and I will definitely reread this book. Overall I loved the vibes and the story in this book and I would highly recommend it!

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

Really well thought-out book with amazing characters and excellent setting.

Rise of the Vicious Princess tells the story of a princess who strives to be a good leader to her people. One day, she encounters an assassination attempt on her mother. Princess Charis tries to find the killer. I really like Charis. She is at first naive, but she grows into a strong and confident woman who is full of vengeance. I like how she tried to be a good leader and cares for her people. I also like the relationship between her and her guard, Tal. They complement each other and are there for one another. I also liked the twist at the end because I could never have predicted it! The only thing I did not like about this book was that it took awhile for me to get engaged with the story. This is because it mostly focuses in the princess’s daily life. However, halfway through the novel the story picks up! Thus, this novel is full of suspense, action, and political intrigue! I’m excited to see in what lays in store for Princess Charis, and I’m hoping that she has a happy ending! I recommend this for fans of Twin Crowns, Castles in their Bones, and The Liar’s Crown!

My first DNF of 2023. WOW that is a doozy. This one I just didn't mesh well with. The politics took over and the high society writing just turned me off. It made the story feel super slow and I was just overly bored with it. I will say that I loved Redwine's other books. But this one was just not for me.

This is by far my favorite book I have read so far this year. Charis has excellent character development throughout the novel and Redwine does an excellent job crafting a vivid world. I always love a good romance inside a novel and this one definitely doesn't disappoint!

I just reviewed Rise of the Vicious Princess by C. J. Redwine. #RiseoftheViciousPrincess #NetGalley

I ALMOST wish I hadn't read this book because now I have to wait for the sequel! This is a grfeat YA fantasy novel interwoven with political intrigue, a fierce princess, friends and traitors. I would absolutely buy this for my classroom library. The setting is vivid and compelling, and you can't help but love and ache for Charis, the protagonist. Filled with surprise alliances and sumptuous descriptions of elegant balls, this novel is definitly one my student will love.

Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine, 432 pages. Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins), 2022. $18.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Princess Charis (17yo) has learned ruthlessness from her mother and compassion from her father. The princess will do her duty to the people of Calera, strategizing outfits, rumors, the royal image, and battles in order to keep her people safe. But as assassins enter the castle and their enemies get bolder in their attacks, even Charis wonders if the kingdom will outlast this war.
Charis’s story has elements of mystery, romance, and fantasy, incorporating some familiar tropes while breaking others – what more could a reader want? I love how Charis has good relationships with both of her parents, as different as they are, and that she wants to apply lessons from each parent as she prepares to be queen. With so much on her plate, Charis is simply doing her best, which readers can relate to. I definitely stayed up late to finish this book, and I am aching to get the sequel in my hands.
Charis is White, and Tal is implied White. However, various skin tones and backgrounds are mentioned throughout the book because Calera has a proud history of generous immigration policies, resulting in a mix of skin tones of the people. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, brief nudity, and innuendo. The violence rating is for blood, murder, and suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Oh HELLS YEAH. This was so much fun.

Royal politics, intrigue, and backstabbing? ✓
Literal backstabbing and multiple assassination attempts? ✓
Slow burn romance deliciousness? ✓
A princess trained in the art of political maneuverings, cruel when necessary—and makes no apologies for it— while deeply caring for her people? ✓✓

Even though any regular reader of YA/fantasy will totally see the twist coming, it makes this book no less enjoyable. Definite recommend for fans of Hannah Whitten, Holly Black, and SJM.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

A great story of love and sacrifice and what it means to be a princess in a war torn land. Charis presents herself as cold and cruel and none see past the mask she wears. It's an interesting aspect to be the reader knowing the pain she silently endures.. The characters are intense and the political intrigue on point for a dramatic story. I love the romance aspect and how it grew slowly despite the forbidden aspect that pulled the characters along. And don't get me started on the plot twist! The author uses amazing wordsmithing to weave the tale and paint an amazing picture. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book has everything! Court politics, secret identities, a strong female character who takes charge, romance. The author really allows the reader to get to know Charis's thoughts and character while also keeping up the pace of the story.

Overall, Redwine tells an interesting, complex story that belies the, at best, clunky title.

The good: Charis was a great character. We have a very close 3rd person inside of her head and being with her as she puzzles things out and struggles was very satisfying. She was a very "real" character and I appreciated the author's skills.

The so-so: The pacing. It is glacially slow. For some readers, this is going to be a turn off--it takes a LONG time for things to really happen. I didn't find this to be so much of a problem, as I found the slow burn intrigue fitting for the tone of the book. But I will say, it did make the book easy to put down until about the last 30%. I was also not a huge fan of the worldbuilding. It reminded me of the Far Side Cow Tools cartoon and the discussion about using that as a template for worldbuilding (https://preview.redd.it/6vmwdenuodg41.jpg?auto=webp&s=9263b410b5fb77b8c36ad6cff3fb087d1dfb6f13 If you're curious) but unfortunately, taken a bit too slapdash-y. I don't care about the type of blooming flower with an impossible to pronounce name that has nothing to do with the plot but is just put there for "authentic" set dressing. Normally, that would put the worldbuilding into the "not so great" category, but I also realize that I approach reading as an English teacher and I don't think many readers will think too much about it.

The not-so-great: For me, the "twists" were incredibly easy to see coming. Nothing really surprised or excited me about them, but nor were they so obvious I was rolling my eyes. See my above comment about reading with an English teacher's eye.

I am very interested to see how Redwine follows this up. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for the ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Intense and twisty, this story is filled with Redwine's usual fast paced writing, vibrant characters, and deep themes. This was a wild ride I didn't quickly forget!

Fans of C.J. Redwine will be excited for an all-new fantasy adventure! Rise of the Vicious Princess is perfect for fans of Holly Black and Mara Rutherford.

Charis is a strong female lead, raised to have a sword as a spine and be the cold, vicious heir that Charis will need to be when she eventually ascends Calera's throne. She plays her part well. She's smart and cunning, but also cruel when called for; however, that's not all there is to her. Through her father's eyes and the eyes of Tal, the bodyguard her father assigns to her after someone tries to assassinate the queen, we see that there is much more to her than just the fierce queen-in-training. Will letting her softer side show, cost her more than she can bear?

I was excited to dive into this book. The premise sounded very interesting and I had been wanting to read a book by this author for some time. The story is full of intrigue and political manipulations with a touch of fantasy and while I will most likely read the second book to find out how it ends, I was a little disappointed. The middle of the story felt much too long and drawn out. The pace was slow and I found myself skimming chunks of it. The end was very fast-paced and seemed almost rushed. I wish more of the energy from the end was found throughout the rest of the book. That being said, minus a couple of scenes with a bunch of blood (done well and not at all gory), I liked that the book was clean. That means I have no hesitancy in recommending it to younger teens, as well as older ones and adults.

Being a princess is not easy. Being a Princess, whose mother is considered one of the most vicious queens, makes it even more difficult especially when what you want most in life is to find a love that loves you for who you are as whole and not for your crown. When the kingdom is sent into chaos after a failed attempt to take both the queens and Princess Charis lives. Charis is faced with trying to find out who in the kingdom really supports her and who is out to gain power for themselves and their families. Trust is not something that Charis can give freely. It is even harder to give when it seems that every way she turns she is faced with plots against her life, people who only want to gain more power, and worst of all having someone close to her feeding information to their enemy. This is a daring tale of a girl who is trying to figure out how to navigate the world while wanting to follow their heart but knowing that being vicious and showing no weakness might be the only real way to save her kingdom and her people.

This book overall kind of drags. I felt it was easy to slip in and out of the story. I did find myself going back to remind myself of what was happening. I do expect a much different Charis in the next book, and I do hope there is a next book. I will be talking up this book with patrons for their summer reading.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title.

I read this author's first book and enjoyed it a great deal. it has edge and a swoon worthy romance so I have read some of her other books hoping for a similar vibe but have been disappointed. This newest book is poorly written and the characters are silly. Sadly not a winner for me.

A big thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why this book's cover gave me Little Meremaid vibes, but it did. And when I read it, I was so disappointed to find out it wasn't a retelling. If anything, it was a book with a bit too much dialogue.

Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine is YA political fantasy, that follows the life of one Princess Chairs, who wants nothing more than to follow her heart instead of her duties as princess. But when war looms on the horizon, along with a sinister assassination plot. Charis becomes something much more sinister and dangers. Princess by day, smuggler by night. She's ready to defend her kingdom, even if it means putting her own heart on the line.

I LOVED Redwine's Ravenspire series, and I was so excited to read her latest release. And though it didn't live up to my unrealistic expectations. It was still a C.J. Redwine book with plenty of swoon-worthy romance and a ending that will easily stab you in the heart with a single apology.

Raised to be cunning and ruthless by her mother, Princess Charis struggles to maintain a cold-hearted persona in public while reflecting her father's gentle nature in private. But when she sacrifices her heart's desires to bring peace to her war-torn country, Charis must decide how vicious she is willing to become. The title might feel a bit misleading for the first half of the book; however, readers are witnessing the "rise" of Charis as vicious rather than seeing her as such from the start. Events throughout the story chip away at the soft places of her heart until they become sharpened daggers that will harm herself if she does not embrace the cold, calculating nature her mother instilled in her.

This book was so well done and kept had me hooked from the very beginning! The main character, Princess Charis, was an amazing character with many sides and torn in a variety of ways, but overall a fantastic character to follow throughout this adventure! By day, she is Calera’s formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. The writing was so enjoyable and the characters were fantastic, this was one that was such a quick read thanks to the writing and world building. The only bad part is waiting for the sequel!! Highly recommend to anyone who wants a good story with amazing characters, this is the first in a duology, and definitely worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!