Title: Captive of Raven Castle
Series: None
Year: 2013
Author: Jessica Greyson
Summary: The troubled people of war-torn Chambria are on the brink of starvation, and a delicate princess with a recurring nightmare is their only hope. Alexandra knows that her value to her country consists mainly in her ability to marry well, but when she is kidnapped by the rebels and taken to meet the man claiming to be both Chambria’s true king and her real father, her entire world falls apart. Will Princess Alexandra be able to untangle the web of lies and discern who is the true king and her father? (from Goodreads)
Main Characters:
Princess Alexandra
Taleon
King Aric
King Archibald
Princess Alexandra
Taleon
King Aric
King Archibald
Review: I love fantasy stories, so ever since I heard the Jessica was working on this story, I was eager to read it. I liked this one better than her previous book (Annabeth's War), because the characters had more depth to them. You really get to know the main characters, and their voices stay with you after you finish the book. Alexandra I was almost predisposed to be annoyed with because she seemed like she was going to be a scared damsel and idiot from the first chapter, but that goes to show how first appearances can be deceiving. She had a lot of character development, and I liked her a lot by the end.
The plot moved rather quickly at first, and it immediately caught my attention from the first page. Things slowed down some near the middle, but Jessica did a great job of keeping the intrigue and suspense up that kept me reading so that I might find out what happened next and how everything was going to turn out in the end. A major twist near the end surprised me, but it played very well into the rest of the novel, and I have to applaud Jessica for that. The end was a bit rushed, I felt, but satisfying.
The plot moved rather quickly at first, and it immediately caught my attention from the first page. Things slowed down some near the middle, but Jessica did a great job of keeping the intrigue and suspense up that kept me reading so that I might find out what happened next and how everything was going to turn out in the end. A major twist near the end surprised me, but it played very well into the rest of the novel, and I have to applaud Jessica for that. The end was a bit rushed, I felt, but satisfying.
Advisory: This novel was definitely more violent than Annabeth's War, but it wasn't anything terribly graphic. There are some bloody scenes and sword fights, and for that, I'd recommend the book for readers 12 and up.
There is also some romance between two characters, and while there was a lot of physical contact between them (i.e. hand-holding), it didn't get out of control, and I thought Jessica portrayed it well.
There is also some romance between two characters, and while there was a lot of physical contact between them (i.e. hand-holding), it didn't get out of control, and I thought Jessica portrayed it well.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
