The Selection Series Book Review: Eadlyn’s Story
I journeyed from bookstore to bookstore to find and read the last two books of The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Was it worth the effort?
A while ago, I reviewed the first part of this amazing series. I dubbed the first three books as America’s story. Now, it’s time to have a look at the last two books and I’m calling this part Eadlyn’s story. If you would like to read how I found America’s story, check out my last blog post about it here.
The last two books of The Selection series are The Heir and The Crown. In my discussion, I will be giving spoilers for the first three books in the series because there is no way I can’t spoil who Prince Maxon chooses since Eadlyn is his daughter with that person. But, I will do my best to be spoiler free for The Heir and The Crown. You have been warned.
Story Overview
The Heir begins 20 years after America’s story and takes on the new perspective of Eadlyn Schreave, princess of Illéa and daughter of King Maxon and Queen America. The synopsis found on Amazon reads: “Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.”
The Crown continues only one day after the events in The Heir. As the last book, it finishes the selection for good. The Crown’s synopsis reads: “Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you… and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.”
PROS
One thing is for sure, Kiera Cass can write good romances. Eadlyn’s story begins a new selection and with it new heart wrenching moments that keep the pages turning. It’s not just another selection, it’s the first male selection ever. Forget cat fights, these boys throw punches and the tension is high for who will win the princesses heart. The book is a light and entertaining read.
A great pro for the Selection’s finale is the character development. The new characters have interesting introductions and attention-grabbing twists. I enjoyed reading Eadlyn’s story and her suitors, but the return characters caught my eye even more. America, Maxon, Aspen, and more from the previous books make appearances that steal the stage.
I was absorbed in finding out what happened to my favourite characters 20 years after I last read about them. America is queen and I wish I could read more about what catastrophes happened in the early days after her coronation. Every reference to a past character had my instant attention and it kept me turning the pages to find more.
As for Eadlyn, I became more immersed in her story only in the last book. My emotional investment in her choice was less than I had with America’s choice. My interest was more in the suitors this time. The few men that were focused on had their own stories and surprises.
CONS
Maybe it’s a pet peeve of mine, but the sudden jump in perspective and 20 years forward threw me off more than I’d like to admit. I found myself more curious about what happened in those 20 years than I was about what was happening in the present story.
There were unanswered questions from the first three books. Just one example is how America and her entire family dealt with becoming royalty, especially considering that America had strong fears about it in the beginning of the series. The explanations that are given are short and glossed over. Eventually, I had no choice but to focus on the story I was given.
Eadlyn is not exactly a likeable character, but I will admit that it is part of her charm. While still entertaining enough, her love story became a bit predictable for me.
The saddest point for me is that there was not much mention of rebels. The state of the country was important to the story. Eadlyn battles with the public views and there is mention of unrest since the abolishment of the castes. That got me a bit excited for what would happen next. However, the focus was more heavily on the love story. Most subplots were also love based. Gone were the threatening rebel attacks and sudden action, beyond throwing rotten fruit or boys caught up in cat-fist fights.
So, Should You Read It?
Yes. If for nothing else, read for the love of it. Like I said, Kiera Cass writes amazing love stories and Eadlyn’s story is just that. If you love drama, you will love these books. But if you’re like me wanting more action and tension, then don’t expect too much. Overall, I was entertained by these last two books, even though in my opinion, they paled in comparison to the first three books of the Selection Series.
I hope you enjoyed reading my book review. If you’re interested in buying the Selection series or any other books by this author, check out Kiera Cass’s Amazon page.
Would you like to know my thoughts on more books? Subscribe to my mail list to know when the next review is posted!
Have a relaxing day and happy reading.
-TYM-
