Review: Rule by Ellen Goodlett
Title: Rule
Series: Rule #1
Author: Ellen Goodlett
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Find it here: Goodreads – Amazon – B&N – Book Depository
Synopsis from Goodreads: Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown. The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos. Or rather, three unexpected options. Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone. Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom. Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done. When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny... to rule. Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut
My Review: While there were certainly things I really enjoyed about this book, it just didn’t really keep me interested. There was too much world building and custom explanation that seemed to slow the book the down and despite that I still felt like I didn’t fully understand the way the magic system worked. I did like the Pretty Little Liars vibe of the book though. Each of the three sisters has a deep dark secret that they have to protect and a blackmailer is set on exposing them all. Sounding thrilling right? And it should be. The book jumped around from each POV and it made me feel disconnected from the characters a bit. I do think it was a unique story with some great characters. Hopefully book two will be a better read for me.
*I received this book from Little Brown Books in exchange for an honest review*