Book Review: OverRuled by Brittney Joy

I’d like to thank the author for providing a free digital copy! This did not affect my honest opinion.

Blurb:

Title: OverRuled

Author: Brittney Joy

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Release Date: December 7, 2016

Two girls. One Kingdom. No way out..

Princess. Royal. Prisoner. Jade is the heir to the throne, but her mother, the Queen, isn’t willing to give up her title— ever. Queen Katrina doesn’t see her daughter as her legacy, but as a threat that has to be stopped. Jade has never left the palace, and is trapped inside its boundaries… but she wonders if the walls are meant to keep her safe, or keep her imprisoned.

Peasant. Pauper. Savior. Nova left the Kingdom of Sterling before she could crawl— now that she’s returned with her father to rescue her orphaned cousin, it’s nothing short of a nightmare. Magic is used to control the people, and the monarchy is a dictatorship. Within the kingdom, Nova is hunted for a power she doesn’t even know she has… yet.

One boy will intertwine their lives— or tear them apart. Chael is the secretive and handsome royal guard that might have the answers to save both girls, but he’s hiding something dark. An ally with questionable motives, both Nova and Jade have no choice but to trust Chael… and to fall for him.

But the lengths the Queen will employ to secure her crown are unforgivable. In the Kingdom of Sterling, the only thing more powerful than betrayal is magic.

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author

Brittney Joy

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Cowboy boots have always been Brittney’s shoe of choice. An animal lover to the core, her parents didn’t know what they were signing up for when they put her in a summer horse camp at the age of ten. She was hooked. The horse bug bit her. Hard.

Horses quickly became her true passion. At twelve Brittney started working at a local stable, cleaning stalls and leading trail rides. At thirteen her parents finally broke down and bought her a horse – a spunky bay grade mare named Austie. Brittney grew up on Austie’s back and, when it came time to go to college, she packed her mare along too.

Brittney and her family now live in their own piece of heaven in the Oregon countryside. They stay busy with their menagerie of silly horses, cackling chickens, wooly sheep, and one very naughty goat. When Brittney isn’t writing, she’s riding or reading. And she wishes she could do all three at the same time.

My Review:

Let’s start with the characters, shall we? Well, the characters are likeable. Though honestly I prefer Nova over Jade. All Jade ever seems to think about 90% of the time is Chael and she could have had so much potential if only she didn’t allow herself to get carried away so easily. Nova, on the other hand, bows to no one but her family and animals. Her power is pretty cool. She’s brave and daring but sometimes, she can be pathetically stubborn. As for Chael…well, the poor guy is sandwiched–er, trapped–between two powerful and rivaling ladies. Ouch. Tight situation indeed (see what I did there? No? Oh well). I’d like to add Queen Katrina here as well. Evil as she may be, I just love her character. She’s the very true definition of an evil queen: cold, manipulative, and powerful. I’m glad she didn’t turn out as naive or anything. She nailed her role very well.

Now let’s move on to the world-building of OverRuled. The story is set on one of those fantasy kingdoms with castles and villages and (probably) lots of woods. However, I’m sad to say that I found nothing vaguely interesting or eye-catching about the setting. I feel like there’s nothing out of the ordinary, nothing very special that makes it distinct from other fantasy worlds. I’m still sad to say this but if I missed out on a vital detail, please let me know!

Ah, finally, the plot! My favorite part. This book has a sprinkle of Three Dark Crowns on the second half. All in all, the plot is quite intriguing and kept me reading nonstop. It has the kind of storyline hat keeps you curious and at the edge of your seat (not literally, of course). I love how it displays the inner workings of the palace, not only of the royals but also their relationship with the staff around them. The plot also shows us the value of family and what we’d do or give just to keep them safe.

In general, OverRuled was a quick, fast-paced read. I enjoyed reading it, but I feel like it could have been something more. But it still satisfied my inner fantasy addict haha. I’m looking forward to the sequel already, which is OverRun.