Review: Royal Bastards (Royal Bastards #1) by Andrew Shvarts

Title: Royal Bastards

Series: Royal Bastards #1
Author: Andrew Shvarts
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Pages: 352
Genres: Young adult, Fantasy, Romance
Source: Ebook


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Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . .

MY REVIEW

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

I didn't really have any expectations going into this book, so I was thrilled when I finished this book and felt such awe. Initially, the title appealed to me, and then I read the synopsis and thought, "Hmm...that sounds pretty damn awesome." It was wholly justified!

The character development in this book is the best! The best thing about it is that it is realistic. The main character, Tilla, is a badass girl, but in a totally realistic way. She isn't a lost princess, an assassin, a magic wielder, or a "chosen one". Her power lies in her heart. In her ability to do what is right and push herself to keep her friends safe. To learn what she must and practice every day learning how to defend herself. Even the fight scenes were written in a realistic way, depicting how ungraceful she was in a fight, even if she got the job done. I just loved that about her. The character development doesn't stop there. There is a special bond formed between the group of teenagers in the story. They are being hunted after seeing something that the shouldn't have, and being on the run brings them closer. 

The world building is very nice as well. The story takes place in an elaborate kingdom with a bloody past. Some of that past is unearthed as the story goes along. I think that there could have been more information about the Titans and the Old Kings. More about the distant past. Sadly, I think that this is a stand-alone book, and it would have made an epic series. 

The plot is very solid. I just loved it! Parts of it were somewhat predictable, but there were some parts that I didn't see coming at all. The plot flowed very nicely. I breezed through this book. I just could not stop reading!

The only thing that I could critique about this book would be the language. This is a fantasy book set in a fantasy world, yet the characters talked like modern teenagers. That didn't go over well with me. At times it almost felt contemporary because of the language used by the characters. It certainly didn't take away from the story, but it is something that bothered me while I was reading.

Overall, wow, this is just a fantastic book! My rating of 4 stars is based on my previous critique and the fact that this is a stand alone. This has so much more potential. It could really shine brightly as a series. The ending was kind of left open for something more. I think that if made into a series there could have been more room for tiny details and an extended plot. I recommend this book tenfold, though I would recommend it for an older young adult audience. There were quite a few adult-themed jokes and talk that seemed too much for a younger audience. This book will not disappoint!

Royal Bastards was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. What were some of yours? If you've read them, did they meet your expectations?