Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I was a little hesitant to like this at first as it seemed like a mix of many books I've read before, but I'm glad I kept going! The more I read the more it sucked me in. Uri was my favorite, and I hope to see more of her in the next one- which I will be getting my hands on soon!

This was a fantastic ride! The character chemistry is undeniable. Fans of the Hunger Games and the Selection series will eat this up.

I would like to preface that I read this book all in one go because it was just that enjoyable for me. This book is described by reviews as The Selection meets the Hunger Games and they are not lying. It's a perfect mix of those 2 books and ends up getting you glued to your seat because you just have to know how it ends. The story deals with Monroe, one of the goddess-touched girls and her destiny is to pretty much participate in the Culling, a competition to determine the next queen of Erydia. She's gone under the radar for seventeen years, no one knowing that she has the power of fire. But circumstances lead to her deciding she no longer wants to hide and that she’ll enter the culling. There's 10 girls and if she wants to survive she has to outlive them all since it is a fight to the death. She also meets the dreamy sounding prince Cohen ( who I love so much ) and his sister Uri who is such an amazing character.
Monroe’s development throughout this book was slow at first but once she was in the castle was perfect. The only thing I wish we got to see more was her powers develop. I feel that was left out a lot since she was so used to hiding her powers but I do hope that's something we get to see in book two. I also enjoyed the romance between Monroe and Cohen. It does seem to go a little fast and then abruptly stop due to circumstances but I loved every second of it and I’m excited to see where they go. I wasn’t expecting the plot twists that were presented to me in this book either, I mean for half of the book I was trying to figure out who could be poisoning the girls and the twist of who it was was AMAZING. And all that bloodshed at the end was totally unexpected. I’m excited for book two.
Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad WEBTOON book Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my favorite read of 2022! Perfect for fans of The Selection and The Hunger Games, this was a perfect rendition of a trials trope with high stakes and a compelling romance.

Of Cages and Crowns surprised me. I read a lot of fantasy, about a book a week. This is one of the best I’ve ever read. It saw me through a long wait in an airport, a cramped airline flight, and still I read it late into the night.

There is nothing formulaic about this book. The characters are fresh; the plot works as a whole even as it turns into hidden corners and finds new directions throughout. I lost a night of sleep to it with no regrets.

Brianna Joy Crump is an author to watch. I can’t wait to read what comes next.

The Game of Cages and Crowns – it was familiar. The object of the game was to protect your goddess-touched card at all costs. There was only one prince card in the draw pile, and you wanted to get it, since it would ‘unlock’ the cage card that sat between the players and the crown card.

Of Cages and Crowns is the debut work of Brianna Joy Crump. This Teen/YA work is a fantasy experience that melds or draws from elements of series like The Selection, The Hunger Games, and The Red Queen. It’s The Bachelor experience for the contestants, who are given goddess-touched special magical abilities at birth, with victory in one on one contests the only way of survival. The MC, Monroe, wins the attention of both Prince Cohen and his younger sister, Uri, as she is forced to participate in a competition that she has spent her whole life hiding from. As Monroe trains and competes she grows not only personally but in her understanding of the bigger picture of the monarchy as well as a metastisizing rebellion that is about the reach a point of no return, which will pit Monroe’s two brothers against each other and make her choose a side.


As a first novel, Of Cages and Crowns demonstrates Brianna’s potential as a solid fantasy writer. Her style is clear, engaging, and makes it easy to be drawn into the world she is creating. Her characters are solid, varied, and have a depth to them. Even though her story uses established tropes she puts her own twists to them. The book concludes with an ending that I didn’t see coming which leaves open the possibility for more of Monroe’s story in the future. Having said all this I just couldn’t get past my fatigue with the continual attempts to mix and match the different series that have been highly successful. While not necessarily a bad idea it just loses it unique flavor and ability to captivate a me. At least in the case of Of Cages and Crowns, it was not marketed to be the next Selection or Hunger Games, which I appreciated. The romance between Monroe and Cohen also had too much of an Instalove feel to it. Since the whole competition is revolves around winning a relationship with the Prince, even though its totally based on the one on one battles between the girls, the relationship and connection between them is a lynch pin in the plot. This story is more of a YA than Teen book in my view because it includes almost sex scenes and highly descriptive violence. I view it as more appropriate for older teens.

While not listed as part of a series, the ending and number of unfinished plot lines, for the main character and a few of the supporting cast, leads me to think there is going to be another book. I will be game to read it if it comes out and I encourage you to experience Brianna’s work for yourself.

unfortunately this one just jive with my reading when i picked it up. the writing fell a little flat for me and i was a little bored throughout the story.

In short this story follows a girl who had been blessed by the goddesses and can wield fire, she must compete in an old competition that will determine the next queen of the lands but she does not want the crown. She also become drawn close to the Crown Prince but his dedication to his crown stands in the way.

This was a really fun read, was it the best written? No. BUT that didn't bother me too much because I was enthralled in the story and could hardly put it down! The story has a good ratio of world building/info dumping and plot which leaves the reader able to enjoy what's happening without having to focus too hard on the setting and understanding the world. I really liked how the characters were written and the relationship development between the two main and there were many moments of both joy and heartbreak as I read. In the last third of the book we see total chaos unravelling and a lot of eventful moments which really help keep you engaged.

I would best describe the story and a mix between the hunger games, the selection and throne of glass. All in the best possible ways.

I love the dystopian genre and this book fit right in. Great setting and world building. The Culling is a fascinating concept and reminiscent of the Hunger Games but the prize is a marriage to a prince - so combine The Selection with fighting and magic. Awesome story! Loved it! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

The Selection meets The Hunger Games. We follow Monroe’s journey of being a goddess-touched girl. This is the one thing that she hates most about herself. Monroe wishes more than anything for The Culling to end and to never end up in the arena. What risks are worth taking and when do you feel it’s acceptable to become a traitor? Monroe must decide what is most important to her but what happens if you fall in love with the Prince? Overall, this was a compelling story. Some parts felt overly exaggerated and longer than necessary. It needed a good editing review as well. I will definitely read the next book!

I received this book for free for an honest review.

Fun read. Not normal what I read but I was happy with it.

Unable to review at this time. Will review at a later date. I'm cleaning up my netgalley in order to review 2023 books. This book sounds delightful and will read once fully caught up on my account. Thank you for this opportunity! I look forward to reading this book!

4/5

10 girls from around the country have either been born or throughout their childhood have gained a special power given to them by the ancient Goddesses. These 10 girls must now fight to the death to become Queen once the Crown Prince turned 18 in what’s known as the Culling. Unluckily for Monroe, she never wanted to join the culling and her and her family try everything to keep her safe. But when Monroe meets the handsome, mysterious prince, maybe it would be worth becoming Queen. Too bad 9 girls stand in her way.

Super solid YA novel featuring all of your favourite tropes. Think Hunger Games meets Bachelor meets Graceling.

This book took a while for me to really get into it, but by halfway I was hooked and ready for more. Brianna Joy Crump writes action scenes very well and I couldn’t put down the book when they came. The overall world building was so well thought out and well executed. I appreciated the prologue even though I was confused at first.

I’m verrrry excited to read the second instalment.

This is the perfect book if you miss the Hunger Game! Think the Selection but add in magic and a fight to the death to win the crown. The whole time reading I couldn’t put the books down I loved all the character and it kept me wanting more. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!!!

I was immersed in this book within the first five pages. A dystopian world, filled with religious fanaticism and zealotry. The setting is vaguely reminiscent of The Hunger Games or The Selection, but is totally unique. The concept of the Culling is so intriguing and full of strategy, secrets, action, and sacrifice. I was so drawn to Monroe and identified with her deep distrust of the royals and the rest of the government and questioning of the rituals and the temple leadership. Not having any say in your future and being forced into a life or death situation is unimaginable. Everyone loves an underdog. I seriously hope that this world lives on and there are more books to devour.

Unfortunately, this was a miss and a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into this one - neither the characters nor the plot were intriguing me enough to continue.

A fantastic start to a new trilogy with a very Hunger Games meets high fantasy vibe.

In "The Culling", Monroe Benson is born with a goddess-touched mark and the ability to summon fire, which means she must participate in the Culling, a competition to determine the next queen of Erydia. However, Monroe hasn't trained her whole life for this and doesn't want the crown, making her unprepared for the fight to the death. A rebellion is brewing in the kingdom as the Culled group tries to overthrow the monarchy, and Monroe finds herself on the front lines of the rebellion's inner circle. She grows close to Cohen, the queen's son and future king, but their different opinions on duty, family, and tradition create tension between them. The choices Monroe makes will affect the kingdom and her heart.

Very action-packed, with lots of romance and twists and turns. This series has a lot of promise, and it was pretty good for a debut book. I love discovering new authors and am excited to see what else happens in this series.

*I recieved a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

I really loved this book, but at first I was a little afraid that it was going to be very similar to Hunger Games, with the outcome being our protagonist killing some of the other girls in order to get the crown. I really liked that Monroe was constantly pointing out how unfair this competition was and kept trying to convince others that it didn't make any sense (especially given the Queen's viciousness). I also enjoyed that all the other girls seemed to have their own attitudes and motivations, and conflicting feelings about being a part of this queen-making process. I loved that there were emotional consequences to the things that were happening, and that the girls didn't all just brush aside the deaths that were happening around them. I did find Monroe to be a bit of a whiner at times but given the situation she was in it was absolutely understandable. I enjoyed having an ending that I didn't expect, and that came at a cost instead of everything being cleaned up nicely with a bow.

WHO IS BRIANNA JOY CRUMP AND WHERE HAS SHE BEEN?!

This book was fantastic. I could not put it down. It was like Hunger Games meets Three Dark Crowns meets The Selection. I was so into this world, the competition, the different types of magic, and the fact that these girls were forced into the competition because they were goddess-touched. I can hear my book club laughing at me now because this is the kind of crap that I lap up, BUT IT WASN'T CRAP, I SWEAR, YOU GUYS, SO STOP LAUGHING.

I loved Monroe, Uriel, Nadia, Juno... the list goes on. There were so many characters that I was very invested in. Even the ones that hardcore sucked like Viera, Larkin, and Kace. I thought the pacing was perfection and I liked that the stakes were very real and that Monroe was not a golden child to be saved from participating in The Culling.

I am so excited and honestly, very nervous, for the next one. This has the potential to fall into a bad second book slump and I will be hoping and praying that is not the case.

Oh. My. God. I loved this.

It's quite possible that I just read my favorite book of 2023 in the first 3 days of the year.

Book Summary:

Monroe Benson was born with a mark on her hand. That, coupled with her unique ability to create fire, told the world exactly who she is. Goddess-touched. She is one of ten such girls born in this generation, and they are all expected to compete in the Culling. The winner will become the new queen of Erydia.

Before you ask – no, it doesn't matter much how they feel about this. Entry into the Culling isn't optional. Otherwise, Monroe would have gotten out of this already. Perhaps it's her willingness to avoid all of this that puts her in the center of a Culling-based rebellion.

My Review:

If you promise me a fantasy novel with Hunger Games elements, you just know I will read it! In truth, Of Cages and Crowns ended up being even better than I expected. It stands on its own – no need for comparisons to be made. It's magical, dark, and full of politics.

Okay, there's also a potential romantic subplot, not to mention a rebellion and lots of in-fighting. It's a lot to keep up with, which makes this an intense read that will go by in the blink of an eye. Seriously, it felt like I was sitting down to read it one minute, and the next, I was turning to the last page.

On that note, I should probably mention that Of Cages and Crowns does end with a cliffhanger. The good news is that this is the first of a three-book series, so more will come! The bad news is that we'll have to wait a bit longer to see how that pans out.

Highlights:
First in a trilogy
Fantasy
High Fantasy
Fantasy Romance
Hunger Games vibes, but with magic

Trigger Warnings:
Abuse/bullying/injury
Alcoholism
Anxiety
Classism
Family death
Body shaming