THE LAST PRINCESS
Galaxy Craze
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Poppy Books
Pages:
295
Rating: 2 out of 5
"A series of natural
disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world,
England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and
groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are
growing restless.
When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to
overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood
is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza
manages to escape.
Determined to kill the man who destroyed her
family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left
to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember
how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to
ensure that she not become... The Last Princess."
This was one of my most anticipated books of this year, so I was ecstatic when I finally had it in my hands. The cover art is amazing! From reading the synopsis I was absolutely certain I would love it: it's post-apocalyptic, located in the UK and about a plot to revolt against the royal family, perfect right? Except the only feeling I had when I finished it was one of pure disappointment.
The main reason I didn't connect with this book was due to the writing style. I felt that everything was so rushed, everything happened at such a pace it was impossible to understand what was happening. I was constantly re-reading pages to check I hadn't missed important information, I hadn't, the information just wasn't there in the first place. It just felt disjointed and off to me :( There was just not enough details or depth.
Because of the fast pacing I also felt characterisation took a backseat. The plot was nicely thought out, and definitely appealed to me, but the characters felt somewhat lacking. I never really felt any connection to Eliza despite liking her as a main character. The romance was an additional thing I didn't like, it just seem sorta random and there was no development to it.
I also felt the world building could have been enhanced. We are kept in the dark about the 'Seventeen Days' which led to the destruction of the world, and I really would like to know more. However I'm pretty sure a sequel is planned, so I hope that it's expanded on and the crazy pacing issue is sorted. Despite what seems like a really negative review, the plot of the book was really interesting and if these issues were worked on I would definitely check out a sequel.
