The Selection Series: The Heir | Book Review

Series: The Selection, Book 4
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Fairy-tale, Romance, YA
Release Date: 5th May 2015
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 356
Target Audience: YA 12-18+
Contains: Heavy Romance, Some violence
Authors Website: http://www.kieracass.com
Where to Buy: Amazon

"35 Suitors. 1 princess. A new selection has begun."

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. (There is more but I don't want to give the story away if you haven't yet read the books...)

Eadlyn doesn't expect her own story to end in romance - she has no interest in repeating the fairy tale. But a princess's life is never entirely her own - and Eadlyn cannot escape her very own selection, and one particular entry who may just capture her heart...

'The Selection' series is one that had slowly faded away into the back of my mind, after all the third book titled 'The One' was the last...right? Wrong! Keira Cass surprised us all with a fourth book in the series titled 'The Heir', and its as beautiful and sparkly as its predecessors. I feel extremely guilty for forgetting about them, but so glad the new release has triggered my memory into action.

The book follows the story of princess Eadlyn (the daughter of a certain someone), who is next in line for the throne, and her journey to find a suitable husband to help her in ruling the kingdom of Illea. But Eadlyn is nothing like her mother, and she is hardly thrilled at the idea of a forced marriage. For Eadlyn the Selection process becomes a journey of deep self-discovery, and as she grows closer to the gentlemen that have been thrusted at her feet, she can no longer deny her heart - Suddenly the future she had envisioned for herself, isn't so clear.

The story of the Selection is a beautiful one. I know, its seriously bad...how could I forget? Combining reality TV with the glitzy world of prince and princesses, makes these books devour worthy. Thinking back, I remember finishing each one in a matter of hours, they were just that good. I think the main thing that appealed to me when reading these books, is that they are so simplistic, in the sense that once you strip back all the piano playing vegetarian vampires, and hunky tanned werewolves with abs the size of balloons, you are left with good old fashioned romance, surrounding two normal human people, and in an age where paranormal dominates fiction, its a refreshing concept. Its about beautiful people meeting for the first time, and feeling that instantaneous attraction. I actually watched the new cinderella movie the other day with the lovely Lily James playing the lead role, and it just took the story to a whole other level for me. Despite the fact I've watched and read the same story a dozen times already, that magical kind of love never gets old, and its what Keira Cass has managed to achieve so well in these books. Another thing I loved about 'The Selection' was the constant tension between the women, and just how badly they all wanted to snap up the prince's hand in marriage it made it interesting and exciting to read, though this storyline is a little different. The heart-melting romance did make me buckle at the knees, my favourite scene's involving Henry, who is a sweet and gentle Swendish foreigner who cannot speak English, and so finds it quite difficult to communicate his feelings to the princess. Every ounce of me hopes that he wins the competition, simply because he deserves to. Many people have complained about Eadlyn's character, and her whiny attitude towards life. And yes I totally agree that she is whiny, and selfish at times, and can only see outcomes that benefit her, but all of these attributes makes for a more enthralling and complex character, who is sure to blossom into someone strong, and spectacular. Its stories that effortlessly show the growth of their leads, and can fully engage readers with outlandish personalities, that eventually become the strongest pieces of fiction. I do also think that Eadlyn showed some promising signs of a true queen, with the constant worrying about her people, her creative flair, and the huge amount of love she holds for her family, particularly her twin brother Ahren. To be fair to her character, I wouldn't be happy either, if I were in her shoes. I also thoroughly enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane, and re-visiting some of the old characters I'd grown to love, getting to see the lives they have built for themselves, how they have shaped, and matured as older people. I wish there could have been more in the book, even though it wouldn't have benefited the plot in anyway.

There are only a couple of things I disliked about this novel. The first being Eadlyn's position being the reverse to her mothers. I felt like the male characters in the novel were much more laid back about the whole process, which dampened the tension between them all, just a little. The plot definitely lacked the same amount of conflict the first three novels had. Although, the story always keeps you guessing in a subtle kind of way, especially since Eadlyn's character is so unpredictable. I felt the plot moved a little slowly at certain points in the story, but despite that, it never stopped my flow of reading.

I am so pleased that Kiera decided to continue the series, and has given me the opportunity to re-visit her fantastic fictional world, and experience the glittering ball gowns and sickly sweet romance all over again. It's made me realise just how much I've missed The Selection books, and the tremendous amount of love I still hold for them. This is a lovely addition to the series, and I am super excited for the next book, which should be out sometime next year. An announcement has also been made that Warner Brothers have purchased the film rights for the selection, and I cannot express how happy that makes me, Its going to be a fascinating film to watch, and I have much hope for it, despite the failed pilot episodes for the TV series. Without a doubt this book was made for the big screen. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a nice change from the paranormal romances so often found in young adult books, and loves heartfelt fairytale romances that make you weak at the knees. I'm in the process of trying to persuade my two younger sisters, who don't often read, to give this series a chance, as its well matched for a younger audience, but also highly satisfying for adult audiences as well.

I'm going to give this book a 4 out of 5 teacups, for the simple fact it wasn't as good as the former three books, but still an amusing, and delightful read, full of some entertaining moments that keep the reader engaged in the story.