The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
(The Betrothed, Book 1)
Released: May 5, 2020 | Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
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When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.
But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.
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Kiera Cass drew inspiration for The Betrothed from Tudor-era England, including the Wars of the Roses and the dramatic lives of Henry VIII’s six wives. With her history degree, she researched everything from clothing and manners, to court politics and social expectations. Then invented her own kingdom using that history as a blueprint.
REVIEW
⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆
Haunted by the ghost of Eadlyn. 👻
In my opinion: I believe it’s more important for characters to be likable, rather than relatable. Likable characters are unique and fully fleshed-out individuals with quirks and traits that feel real. When authors aim for relatability, they often end up creating bland, gray, emotionless blank slates. This lets readers project themselves onto the character and fool themselves into thinking the main character is just like them. That’s not good character development.
This problem plagued the end of The Selection series, and sadly, it continues here. For more on this, see my review of The Crown.
Bottom line: Hollis is boring and bland. I don’t care about her. Delia Grace is easily the standout character, simply because she’s the most developed. In just one chapter, you learn more about Delia than you do about Hollis throughout the entire book. Delia has personality, depth, and drive. Hollis? She’s a blank slate with no nuance or memorable qualities besides being the main character.
This highlights another trend carried over from The Selection: a main character without a clear goal or purpose.
That said, I have to give credit where it’s due. Kiera Cass is surprisingly good at world-building. While her worlds aren’t original, they are effective.
I quickly stopped caring about the romance because it felt dull, incomplete, and left too many questions unanswered. The most interesting part was the political maneuvering: how relationships, betrothals, and love triangles shift the balance of power among countries. The ending only intensified that aspect.
Speaking of the ending, it’s The Betrothed’s saving grace. (That I liked it probably says more about me than the book.) So not to spoiling anything, I’ll just say the book ends on a tragedy. But in terms of character development, it’s the best thing that could’ve happened. Hollis has finally faced a defining moment unique to her, one that should shape her for years to come (should). More importantly, she now has real motivation and purpose going into the next book.
