Title: Of Princes and PoisonsAuthor: Brianna Joy Crump
Series: The Culled Crown #2
Pages: 544
Publication Date: June 18, 2024
Publisher: Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
Once there were ten.
Ten goddess-touched girls were born. Each was blessed―or cursed―with a unique power that set them apart. As part of an ancient ritual called the Culling, they were supposed to fight to the death in the arena until only one survived. That girl would marry the prince and ascend to the throne. Now only four girls remain.
Power in her blood.
Monroe Benson is one of the lucky ones. With fire at her fingertips, she survived the arena and the intrigues of the palace. Now she’s turned her back on her destiny, choosing to throw in her lot with the rebellion seeking to overturn the Erydian rulers. Monroe has never wanted the throne. She knows that her future lies elsewhere, but first she’ll have to convince the rebels to believe her.
A traitorous heart.
Monroe thought Cohen was one of the few good things about the Culling. She believed that he would have made a good ruler, but that doesn’t mean that she wanted to sit beside him on the throne. And now, she finds herself drawn to a rebel leader. A man with secrets of his own. In the end, Monroe will have to trust in more than her power or even her heart if she’s to forge her own path and find her freedom.
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I was so excited to get an advanced copy of the second book in The Culled Crown series when I did. I was in such a book slump and DNFed three books before this came in the mail. I read and loved OF Cages and Crowns, and jumped into Of Princes and Poisons as soon as I got it. After the super intense ending of OPAP, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Monroe and Cohen. The story went in an unpredictable direction, and I thought it was great!
Monroe’s story is so fascinating, and she sometimes gave me Katniss Everdeen vibes. Since that’s one of my favorite all-time YA characters, you’ll get no complaints from me. Her character is so conflicted and confused and traumatized, and she doesn’t know who she can trust and depend on. I don’t blame her. She’s caught so many people lying to her and keeping secrets! She’s also dealing with her unharnessed powers, which proves to be more of an issue than expected.
The relationship between Monroe and Cohen went in an entirely different direction than I expected, but it made sense. Now that they are away from the chaos of the competition, they begin to see how different they are. Their visions don’t align, and they have both hurt each other badly. The story definitely paints Cohen more as an antagonist in this one, and he is painted in a pretty harsh, albeit truthful light. I hate how he speaks to Monroe and makes her feel less than. He talks down to her and gaslights, and his behavior feels so toxic. He doesn’t ever let her speak and constantly cuts her off. I think there are layers to his character, and in this book we see the unflattering desperation of a man who has lost everything and has taken it out on the person he blames the most.
While adjusting to her new life, not as a prisoner but not completely free either, Monroe develops a bond with a moody, broody, gorgeous, and intelligent commander. I never expected to fall out of love with one love interest and fall in love with another, but I totally did. Kai is complicated and mysterious and fabulous, and the love story between him and Monroe is as layered and compelling as the characters. Other characters and friendships are great, too, and some of them broke my heart a little bit.
The story delves deeply into the trauma Monroe and the other competitors struggle with, and it’s done in a way that really shows the mess of emotions they all feel. It was well done and exemplified how people deal with grief, loss, and trauma differently. The world-building is also fantastic, and the author does a fantastic job of creating a vivid and immersive world both in the first book and in this one. Now that Monroe, Cohen, and the others are with the rebels, they learn more about people’s feelings toward the goddess-touched girls and the royal family. Distrust, political intrigue, power struggles, unusual magic, and more make for an engrossing read.
The story has a ton of character development, the plot is intriguing, and the romances and friendships are complicated and layered. It’s a strong balance of all of the elements I love in a romantasy. And after that shocking twist of an ending, I can’t wait to read the next book!
Special thanks to Wattpad Books for providing me with a copy of the book. ALl thoughts are my own.
“There are people who believe that there are ten levels of hell: ten levels to mimic the ten goddess-touched girls. But as I stepped forward into the ash and wind and blistering heat of my own making, I knew that there was only one level of hell—and in that moment, I was queen of it.”
“Now that I was trying so desperately to be accepted, I understood what it felt like to carry someone else’s disgust.”
“I’d missed being loved without the expectation of something more.”
Brianna Joy Crump grew up on library cards and games of make-believe. She loves cats, houseplants, candles that smell nice, cream and sugar with her coffee, the pretty notebooks she is too afraid to use, the beach, her kindle, and you. Brianna is the author of the Culled Crown series. She currently lives in Holly Ridge, North Carolina, with her cat, Jinx—who spend his days sitting on her desk while she writes. To learn more about Brianna’s writing journey, follow her on Instagram at @briannajoyc and TikTok @briannajoycrump.
I think it’s crazy that wattpad has its own publishing company now. I never would have imagined!
The book sounds really good though.
Isn’t it fantastic! I’ve read so many amazing stories on Wattpad. This one was really good!