We never learn from stories if we're not surprised by them. Luckily, with The Heir, fans of The Selection series received another royal role model who resembles an interesting combination of her parents (whose classic story we all love) with her own individualistic traits. Fans were shocked with the release of The Heir -- America's story had ended, we thought. Yes, but Eadlyn's story had just begun. In this novel (which can be read as either a continuation of the first three novels, or the first in a Selection-themed duology), we have a strong yet insular princess, a country fraught with discrimination following the elimination of an unpopular caste-style system, and 35 vastly different suitors. Expect to learn on this thrilling Selection adventure, with a whole new story and a whole new cast. Enter Eadlyn Schreave's world and join her as she tries to make the choice of a lifetime.Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author, is the author of the Selection series which has gained a wide fanbase and is soon to be adapted for the screen. Cass graduated from Radford University with a B.S. in History. After growing up in South Carolina, she now lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids. In addition to the Selection series, Cass has written a standalone fantasy novel, The Siren, and her highly awaited seventh novel, The Betrothed, is out on May 5th. If you're interested in more of my reviews of Kiera Cass's work, you can find them all here.
Princess Eadlyn always knew she's be queen. In fact, her birth determined that. But now, she has a chance to do something for her parents and her people (even if they don't know she's doing it for them): host a Selection. Her parents, Maxon and America, were a Selection success, and now it's her turn to select one out of 35 suitors to be by her side. But Eadlyn is individualistic and not interested in romance. How will she fall in love with the whole country watching? And, more importantly, will she let her guard down far enough to let any of the boys in?
Princess Eadlyn came into the throne in an ironic mixture of her parents did: she was born to do it, but that was only possible because she "won" the race of birth against her twin brother. Nonetheless, I can think of no one more capable than Eadlyn to be the next queen of Illéa. She's determined, hard-working, and confident. But she is by no means perfect. In fact, her individualistic tendencies always get the better of her. She's seen as bratty because of the way she treats people who live in the palace, including the daughter of a trusted advisor and her own maid. She's even more single-minded than America and Elizabeth Bennett combined, which is why she comes off as so mean. A lot of readers were not content with Eadlyn's character, especially after having fallen in love with America, who seems like her daughter's polar opposite. But now, with fresh eyes, I can see how everything Eadlyn does is a response of fear: she's scared of disappointing her parents, she's scared of disappointing the people she doesn't even know how to please, and (most of all) she's scared of not being enough, for her family and for herself. In spite of knowing all of this, she's still a pretty abrasive main character, and I have the unpopular opinion of liking her just as much as I liked America. There's actually something to say about unpopular and abrasive main characters. As readers, we can really get inside their head, and get to know someone we might not relate with or empathize with at all. It makes us understand people we don't like better. It humanizes them. But I've also always thought unpopular main characters are that way because they reminds us too much of ourselves. I think all readers can see parts of them in Eadlyn that are hard for us to face, and Eadlyn makes us face it. It's difficult! It's a challenge, but it's a challenge we should all learn to accept. I walked into this reread looking for all the details that made me dislike Eadlyn, but that only made me realize how much I actually do enjoy her character. I am hoping to see her character grow for the better within The Crown, the final novel in The Selection series.
The opening of this novel was intriguing. We got a brief glimpse of how Illéa has changed in the past 20 years from Eadlyn's eyes, who didn't know anything different. There's discontent among the people after the dissolution of the caste system, but people are still facing discrimination from the older labels. Eadlyn agrees to the Selection process as a sort of smoke-and-mirrors in the hopes that her parents will fix it all before she has to marry anybody. But, as the novel goes on, we see the problems among the people run deeper than just discontent: some are plotting to overthrow the monarchy. Eadlyn, despite being the first female heir, isn't as loved as she thinks she is, so while facing 35 strange, alien men, she's also starting to face the problem of an overthrow. I enjoyed how in this book the world of Illéa was more advanced than in any of the previous novels. This could just be a reflection of how Eadlyn grew up, knowing she'd have to run the country so paying closer attention to its triumphs and downfalls. This could also just be Cass improving on writing within Illéa. Either way, I enjoyed how fleshed-out the kingdom felt, because it added certain complexities to the story: Eadlyn isn't just worried about the boys in her castle, but also whether or not her castle will remain standing. It's an interesting dichotomy that makes for an exciting read.
And of course, this review would be remiss without a review of some of Eadlyn's strongest candidates. Kile Woodwork, Hale Garner, Ean Cable, Henri Jaakoppi, and Fox Wesley all make an immediate and strong connection with the princess within their first few days at the palace. Hale and Eadlyn connect over fashion, but she also enjoys playing music with Baden. Hale and Henri ride on the parade float next to her, and she enjoys personable one-on-ones with them later on. Ean seems to understand her despite all the walls she's put up, and it unnerves Eadlyn, contrasting with how Fox makes her feel hopeful. And she also meets a boy named Erik, who's not necessarily part of the Selection, but who still seems to understand and support her regardless. It seems, despite Eadlyn's dislike of the process, that she has plenty of eligible men to choose from. I know by the end of this novel I'm rooting for Kile, Hale, Fox, or Erik. Each of these boys are personable and, like America did for Maxon, can supplement her information about the people. They also recognize the duties of being in the palace and how they would have to serve the monarchy, but also how to serve the people of Illéa. These four boys are truly Eadlyn's strongest candidates.
America, and quite possibly the rest of Illéa, are hoping that through The Selection, Eadlyn will learn something about herself and her people that she didn't know before. This thought echoes Maxon's experience with his Selection closely, but I think it resonates deeper for Eadlyn. Eadlyn's character is full of flaws she's unwilling to accept. She's unwilling to be vulnerable. She needs to find someone who can let her be those things, so she can be a better ruler. But which of these boys will help her unlock that part of herself? Which one of these boys will be the key to helping Eadlyn understand her people, and the key to Eadlyn's heart? We can only find out by continuing with The Selection series, and by finishing Eadlyn's journey in The Crown. Stay tuned for my review!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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