The Princess Trials trilogy is a young adult dystopian series that follows Zea-Mays Calico and her quest for a better world.
Zea lives in the lowest echelon of a kingdom, which once was a part of America, and the only way to improve life for all is a revolution. She is dedicated to the cause and will do anything to help, even if it means feigning interest for the prince’s heart. With one misplaced word, Zea catches the attention of Prince Kevon and must fight for her survival.
These books are not standalones; they must be read together as the first two end on cliff-hangers.
I chose to read this series because I was writing a dystopian piece myself, so wanted to get more of a feel for the genre. And boy am I glad I did. A lot of people say that The Princess Trials is The Hunger Games meets The Selection, and I would have to agree. Castel takes you on a journey of love and survival whilst transporting you to royal balls and fight-to-the-death games.
The story is told from Zea’s perspective in a first-person point of view, and I think this really helps to get the story as a whole across. It creates an intimacy between you, when reading, and Zea and because of her ignorance towards the places in which she has never lived, the first-person narrative enables backstory. I think if the books were written in third-person (she/he/her/him) the voice wouldn’t have been that strong, and the story would have been weaker overall.
The characters Castel created are some of the best I’ve come across; from the get-go you are immediately engaged with them and want to read on. They feel real as though they are living breathing people. Their characteristics, dialogue and actions all mix together to create a clear image of them in your head. When reading, you can picture Zea’s toughness, Forelle’s bubbly personality and Prince Kevon’s kind heart. The protagonists are Zea and the Prince, whilst the secondary characters form a more extensive list: Forelle, Garrett, Ryce, Berta, Lady Circi, Queen Damascena and more.
My favourite character in the series is Zea (cliché, I know). At the beginning, I wasn’t too keen on her and preferred Forelle, but as the book continued and the series went on, I began to favour her; I like her character development throughout and how pure her heart actually is – she wants a better life for everyone, through non-violent ways. She cares about her family and is willing to do anything for them.
When it comes to my least favourite character, it would definitely be Queen Damascena. I would divulge all the reasons behind my slight contempt towards her, but I can’t do that without spoilers, so you’ll have to read the series yourself to find out why.
With regards to the plot, it definitely is intriguing. You are constantly trying to work out where the story could go, what will happen, will Zea survive. There are plot twists everywhere that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the way Castel creates tension and suspense is just – chefs kiss – amazing!
The whole series was so well-written that at sad scenes I had tears and at happy, friendship/romance-filled scenes I smiled and laughed. The sensory description transported me to the settings in the books and I could picture everything that happened.
If I had to pick a favourite scene, it would have to be in the third book, The Princess Crown, when Zea and Kevon have an argument. To fully understand why I like this scene so much, you’ll have to read it! I can’t decide which book is my favourite because I like them all – they’re all so good – so it’s hard to pick. I’m a big fan of the enemy-to-lovers trope, which is the first one, and the second and third books are more friend-to-lovers. But each one is just as intriguing as the rest.
Overall, The Princess Trials trilogy by Castel is, in my opinion, a must-read dystopian fiction series. If you’re a young adult, a fan of enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers tropes, and a dystopian reader, then this series is definitely for you.
I would give this series 4.5/5 stars!
Have a read, and let me know what you think.
Happy reading!
Until next time…