Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: May 30th 2017 by Disney-Hyperion
I requested a copy of ROYAL BASTARDS from NetGalley after the cover caught my eye.
I’m a fan of light fantasy and heavy battles, so I hoped this would be the kind of book I usually enjoy, but I was cautiously optimistic because it’s so hard to find the kind of fantasy novels that I really enjoy. And then…
I freaking loved this book! This is the kind of fantasy novel I’ve been craving lately. I was hooked from the beginning.
First, I love the title. It’s edgy, spot on and clearly defines the primary characters. Tilla, Jax, Miles and Zell are all the bastard children of powerful rulers. As bastards they exist on the periphery of their parent’s powerful circles: neither fully included, nor fully removed from the Lords and their “legitimate” families.
Then, during a dinner to honor the visiting Princess Lyriana, the princess does the unimaginable: she opts to be seated at the Bastard’s table in the back of the hall with Tilla and her fellow bastards. In the dark of the night they find themselves leading the Princess through the underground tunnels so that she can dip her toes in the sea. Instead they witness a heinous crime, perpetuated by Tilla’s father and Miles’s mother, that is certain to lead to civil war. Worse still, they’ve all been seen, and now they are on the run for their lives.
ROYAL BASTARDS is a fun adventure story. It has intrigue, excitement and humor. I loved the modern humor and voice set against a very antiquated type of society. This book was a fast and exciting read and I’m hoping there is a sequel (it’s definitely set up for one). My only complaint is that I haven’t been able to get my book club to read it yet, as it isn’t available until 5/30/17!
You can order ROYAL BASTARDS from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Google Play & other book sellers.
I’m sharing the following only because I truly loved this book:
ROYAL BASTARDS Advanced Coverage:
Entertainment Weekly’s “35 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2017”
Goodreads “Most Popular Books Published In May 2017”
Bustle’s “The Most Anticipated Young Adult Debuts of 2017—From February to June”
Brightly’s “17 of the Most Exciting YA Books to Read in 2017”
Culturess’s “12 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2017”
B&N Teen Blog’s “Your 2017 2017 YA Pre-Order Guide”
“This is one of those rare books that had me laughing and crying within a paragraph.”
—Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times bestselling author of the Seven Realms series
“We cannot wait for this high-stakes, edge of your seat fantasy.”
—Bustle
“Adventure-loving fantasy readers will eat it up.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“First in a planned series, Shvarts’s action-packed debut champions diversity, counsels perseverance,
and highlights the human cost of war.”
—Publishers Weekly