ARC Review: Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

“ROYAL BASTARDS was fun, youthful, refreshing and original.”
~ Under the Covers

I was so excited to read this book because it sounded like something different and fun, and that it certainly was!  The Royal Bastards is set in a fantasy world full of political intrigue.  A group of young bastards, along with a princess, are inadvertently witness to a betrayal to the crown and go on the run for their lives.  It just so happens that the ones trying to kill them are their own parents who want to rebel against the current king and have independence in their territories.  They quickly realize there’s even more at stake than they thought and try to stop this plan from coming to fruition.

While this story is a fantasy world set in sort of medieval times, it felt very modern to me.  For me, that was a good thing and I think it made the pace of the story flow really fast.  I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!  I also really enjoyed the main heroine, which is usually a hit or miss for me in these types of stories.  Tilla is sixteen and she’s always wanted to be recognized by her father, to attend the balls and wear the pretty gowns.  When she realizes the things she’s wanted are not what they seem, she has her own internal struggle that I thought she handled pretty well all things considered.

Of course, there’s also a romance.  I thought this was done in a very cute way, and although at times it felt a bit rushed (especially towards the end) I still managed to care for both of them and found them adorable together.    The development of their relationship while they are on the run made sense and I could see their connection and bond slowly cementing.

The side characters were also as important to my enjoyment of the story.  I liked them all for different reasons and they rounded the story really nicely.  I will admit that there was one thing towards the end of the book that really hit me hard because I found it quite unnecessary for the plot advancement at that point and it felt like it was added for shock value to me.  But maybe this will be a more important plot point in an upcoming book.

Will I continue reading Andrew Shvarts?  Absolutely!  ROYAL BASTARDS was fun, youthful, refreshing and original.  It’s not a plot that hasn’t been done before but he’s definitely done it in his own unique way and I just couldn’t put it down.  This was a great debut and one I plan to keep my eye on.

[about-author author=”Andrew Shvarts”]

What did you think of our review?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

 ♡ Don’t want to miss any of our posts? ♡ 
Follow Under the Covers: Facebook | Twitter | Tsu | GoodReads | Email