The Heir by Kiera Cass
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
I consumed the first 3 books in “The Selection” series like peanut butter chocolate M&Ms, yall.
And I had been advised by multiple friends that book 4 and 5 were NOT AS GOOD and to skip them COMPLETELY.
But…I just HAAAAADDDD to find out for myself what was going to happen with the continuation of the story.
I went in to this one kinda side eyeing it a bit because of what I had been told…. but I know that just because SOME people don’t like a thing doesn’t mean OTHER people won’t adore it.
And to all the haters of this book out there….
I don’t agree with you. I was kinda into this book…
And I liked it!
(Even though the main character IRRITATED THE SNOT out of me.🙄)
**SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the first 3 books in this series (and there is a slight possibility you might want to one day, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IN THIS REVIEW. Because it will ABSOLUTELY ruin the ending to the saga in the first 3! Okay yall….consider yourselves WARNED**
Here is the official summary:
“A new era dawns in the world of Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series….
America and Maxon’s fairy-tale romance enchanted readers from the very first page of The Selection. Now find out what happens after happily ever after in this fourth captivating novel, perfect for fans of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn.
Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story…but as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she’s always thought.”
America and Maxon’s daughter is the main character in this book and the next final one in the series.
And yall…..she is one STUCK UP, SELFISH. SPOILED little BEYOTCH of a princess!
The whining and entitlement and TOTAL UNAWARENESS of what is happening outside of her own precious, fancy castle walls just GRATED MY DANG NERVES.
But….it kept me interested. 🤣
Not all characters who are fascinating are totally likeable, are they?
(And I don’t think you are SUPPOSED to like her much in this story….I think it’s kind of a set up for a big ol’ redemption plot line later on…..)
Some of it isn’t her fault I guess….I mean, you wanna talk about out of touch with the community you reign over?
The dang King Maxon thinks that reinstating The Selection process for his daughter (who happens to be very close to taking over his crown) will help ease the civil unrest and unhappiness among the people he keeps hearing of from his advisors.
For REALS?!?
A friggin’ “Bachelorette For The Royal Family” is going to solve the problems citizens have with the monarchy and the injustices happening in their community?!?
LAWWWWWDDDDDD, yall.
(Listen……this King ALSO thought that just by eliminating the caste system they had been using for GENERATIONS that all previously held stereotypes, prejudices and community issues would JUST GO AWAY INSTANTLY ON THEIR OWN……soooooo yeahhhhh)
Princess Edalyn is NOT down with the whole Selection business AT ALL. (I mean, can you blame her???)
So the hissy fits and scheming she has in reaction to THAT I totally understood and supported.
But the rest of her arrogance and self centeredness was frustrating.
Not surprising though if you consider real life and how out of touch MANY people in power are with “regular” people. A life of extreme privilege can be blinding.
I guess also though a life of tradition and “family expectations” can be pretty suffocating and isolating too…and you realize that is one of the reasons Edalyn is so resistant to The Selection.
She believes as the next Queen she holds more power than ANYONE and should get to make her own choices about EVERYTHING. She does NOT want to be told what to do.
And she isn’t really interested in falling in love or finding a partner EVER. To her that is a sign of weakness.
She does agree to it but has a plan to fake it thru just for a few months.
And of course unexpected events begin to transpire once the process begins that she doesn’t ever see coming…Edalyn even experiences self realizations that you the reader don’t see coming either.
I don’t want to elaborate on much more because you know….that would be mean to spoil it and it is totes one of my pet peeves when reviewers do that.
I am glad I took the chance on this book despite being told not to….and even though I was irritated I did enjoy this read and am excited to read the finale…soooo many possibilities of what could happen next!
(And it reminded me that I was irritated EVEN MORE with her mama America in Book 2 of this series….and it all wrapped up nicely and SO GOOD in Book 3…so not all irritation is fruitless!)
I will say that this book is a different kind of vibe than the first three but it is still equally likeable.
If you enjoyed the others, give this one a shot.
And here are my reviews on the first three if you’re interested: