jdalton's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Sparkly Wave for the advanced ebook copy of this book.
The Cup and the Prince introduces you to Zora and the magical world she lives in. This book is full of competition, love, and an interesting cast of characters. I was drawn into the world and kept guessing who was being truthful and who was telling lies.
My only gripe was I felt the book was short. While I am glad it is the start of a series, there were aspects of the story, especially at the end, that I felt weren't explained as much and just skimmed over. There were also "twists" that seemed to come out from nowhere and I found myself wondering if I had missed something or if this was just to get you hyped for the next book.
All in all, though, I did enjoy the book and I do want to see what happens next. I just wish the twists were either not in there or that they'd been hinted at more so I wasn't thrown off as a reader.
The Cup and the Prince introduces you to Zora and the magical world she lives in. This book is full of competition, love, and an interesting cast of characters. I was drawn into the world and kept guessing who was being truthful and who was telling lies.
My only gripe was I felt the book was short. While I am glad it is the start of a series, there were aspects of the story, especially at the end, that I felt weren't explained as much and just skimmed over. There were also "twists" that seemed to come out from nowhere and I found myself wondering if I had missed something or if this was just to get you hyped for the next book.
All in all, though, I did enjoy the book and I do want to see what happens next. I just wish the twists were either not in there or that they'd been hinted at more so I wasn't thrown off as a reader.
chateauofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
"Maybe your highness is afraid of getting your high ass kicked".
"That's the problem with people, they won't jump into danger to defend what's right"
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, ToG and Grishaverse. Since it has some vibes and similarities to these, which made me like it instantly.
I'm SO EXCITED and CAN'T WAIT for the sequel coming on January 2021.
I knew I was going to like this book since I saw the gorgeous cover and read the synopsis, a plus is that the author is Brazilian (yay!), so I had that feeling that I had to read it, it caught my attention immediately. Turns out that i was right! because i did enjoy and like it, i think the author and this book series Kingdom of Curses and Shadows have potential. This is the first book i read from Day Leitao and it sure won't be the last! I'm actually glad i found this book since i have been in a reading slump and since i started reading it i couldn't stop, i binge read it!! it had me completely hooked. It's an easy and entertaining read.
I totally reccomend reading first The Shadows and the Children (you can get it for free at Day's website), which is a short story and the prequel to The Cup and The Prince. It's a nice introduction into the serie and the world it's set in, i wish it hadn't been separated from the book, i think it should have been added to it before the first chapter began, because i feel it adds more to the book and readers will get a better and complete idea of Zora's background and the world, so they won't be kinda lost as i was during the first chapter.
Aspects i DID LIKE:
-The world building and plot, i'm excited to know more about the Dark Valley and the other regions of the kingdom, such as Linaria.
-FIERCE PROTAGONIST with a sword named Butterfly that has pink glow bc why not?!
-Prince Griffin, the dark and cursed prince! Also competing for the Blood Cup. He has some Cardan and Nikolai vibes!
-Princess Alegra, what a plot twist! I'm excited to know more about her!
-The magic in it, and the potion making stuff.
-The fact that the author was inspired by Minecraft, there's these dark creatures in the Dark Valley that spawn from dark spaces and attack people.
-It talks about about being a woman in male-dominated spaces, so feminist in a way. Zora is the only woman in the Royal Games, so she fights against these issues and stands up for herself and her beliefs.
Aspects i DIDN'T LIKE:
-Short and felt like some parts were kinda rushed.
-Felt lost at the beggining with the worldbuilding.
-In my opinion, Prince Kiran and Larzen's behavior and comments towards Zora sometimes felt odd. I understand if the author may had wanted to make a point, argument or are part of the plot or characters personality, which i get, but personally i didn't like it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!! In exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
"Maybe your highness is afraid of getting your high ass kicked".
"That's the problem with people, they won't jump into danger to defend what's right"
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, ToG and Grishaverse. Since it has some vibes and similarities to these, which made me like it instantly.
I'm SO EXCITED and CAN'T WAIT for the sequel coming on January 2021.
I knew I was going to like this book since I saw the gorgeous cover and read the synopsis, a plus is that the author is Brazilian (yay!), so I had that feeling that I had to read it, it caught my attention immediately. Turns out that i was right! because i did enjoy and like it, i think the author and this book series Kingdom of Curses and Shadows have potential. This is the first book i read from Day Leitao and it sure won't be the last! I'm actually glad i found this book since i have been in a reading slump and since i started reading it i couldn't stop, i binge read it!! it had me completely hooked. It's an easy and entertaining read.
I totally reccomend reading first The Shadows and the Children (you can get it for free at Day's website), which is a short story and the prequel to The Cup and The Prince. It's a nice introduction into the serie and the world it's set in, i wish it hadn't been separated from the book, i think it should have been added to it before the first chapter began, because i feel it adds more to the book and readers will get a better and complete idea of Zora's background and the world, so they won't be kinda lost as i was during the first chapter.
Aspects i DID LIKE:
-The world building and plot, i'm excited to know more about the Dark Valley and the other regions of the kingdom, such as Linaria.
-FIERCE PROTAGONIST with a sword named Butterfly that has pink glow bc why not?!
-Prince Griffin, the dark and cursed prince! Also competing for the Blood Cup. He has some Cardan and Nikolai vibes!
-Princess Alegra, what a plot twist! I'm excited to know more about her!
-The magic in it, and the potion making stuff.
-The fact that the author was inspired by Minecraft, there's these dark creatures in the Dark Valley that spawn from dark spaces and attack people.
-It talks about about being a woman in male-dominated spaces, so feminist in a way. Zora is the only woman in the Royal Games, so she fights against these issues and stands up for herself and her beliefs.
Aspects i DIDN'T LIKE:
-Short and felt like some parts were kinda rushed.
-Felt lost at the beggining with the worldbuilding.
-In my opinion, Prince Kiran and Larzen's behavior and comments towards Zora sometimes felt odd. I understand if the author may had wanted to make a point, argument or are part of the plot or characters personality, which i get, but personally i didn't like it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!! In exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
bookishemma_'s review against another edition
3.0
E-arc received from Net galley for an honest review
The Cup and the Prince follows Zora as she takes the place of her cheating ex-boyfriend in a royal competition. Which is what first grabbed my attention, after all, who doesn't enjoy a petty revenge story? Zora is representing her home, Dark Valley. The magic system in this book is what made me decide to pick up this book. In Dark Valley everywhere there is a shadow a monster will spawn. In the competition Zora finds herself being in the middle of three princes and their plans. Zora was an interesting and great protagonist, but all the other characters felt a bit flat to me. The romance also felt a bit flat, I didn't truly root for two characters to be together romantically. However, the plot and the pacing of this book was enjoyable, the way things sped up at the end had me turning the pages quicker. This book did have funny banter that I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall this book was a fun read and I feel like it would be good for anyone to pick up that likes fun and quick adventure reads.
The Cup and the Prince follows Zora as she takes the place of her cheating ex-boyfriend in a royal competition. Which is what first grabbed my attention, after all, who doesn't enjoy a petty revenge story? Zora is representing her home, Dark Valley. The magic system in this book is what made me decide to pick up this book. In Dark Valley everywhere there is a shadow a monster will spawn. In the competition Zora finds herself being in the middle of three princes and their plans. Zora was an interesting and great protagonist, but all the other characters felt a bit flat to me. The romance also felt a bit flat, I didn't truly root for two characters to be together romantically. However, the plot and the pacing of this book was enjoyable, the way things sped up at the end had me turning the pages quicker. This book did have funny banter that I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall this book was a fun read and I feel like it would be good for anyone to pick up that likes fun and quick adventure reads.
travelwithnes's review against another edition
2.0
I wish this book was better developed. I loved the girl power. I loved the poetry that the author brings to the story. But then there is a lot of development missing. We don't know details of the world or the plot. Sometimes I felt like I skipped things or you know there is something missing. This is a book plot driven and it is not that we'll written. The characters, I love many things about them but there are things missing... This could be an awesome book but there is a lot of developing needed.
the_bookish_raven's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zora had been a pretty decent person her whole life. Until her (ex) boyfriend turned out to be a scumbag and thought she was incapable of a lot of things, all because she was a girl. What else could she do by taking her revenge, knocking him out of the competition, and taking his place in the Games for herself? Despising love and being looked down on, Zora decides she’s going to win the Games to save her people and prove that she can. With a prince trying to knock her out of the competition, another prince forcing her to play weird games, and someone trying hard to murder her, Zora has a lot to worry about whether she’s in the arena or not.
Zora is such an awesome main character! I loved how she didn’t let people walk all over her, even the royalty! Her desire for revenge (mostly to spite all the men looking down on her) was quite amusing and her sarcastic nature was so entertaining! I didn’t care for how she seemed to cry somewhat frequently for someone who claims to be strong, though. However, her clever tactics and determination to win were definitely brilliant!
The world-building, particularly the idea of the Dark Valley, was so fascinating! The idea of the Royal Games was cool as well, though there’s still a lot about it we don’t know. I have a lot of questions about it, but I guess more will be revealed in the next book! The political games that were being played were also interesting; there’s some plot twist stuff towards the end that made me rather curious! The romance fell a little flat for me, and I didn’t really care for most of the side characters, but it’s always possible things will change in the next book.
Ultimately, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes to see a female fighter as a main character and who appreciates unique world-building, political games, and competitions!
Zora had been a pretty decent person her whole life. Until her (ex) boyfriend turned out to be a scumbag and thought she was incapable of a lot of things, all because she was a girl. What else could she do by taking her revenge, knocking him out of the competition, and taking his place in the Games for herself? Despising love and being looked down on, Zora decides she’s going to win the Games to save her people and prove that she can. With a prince trying to knock her out of the competition, another prince forcing her to play weird games, and someone trying hard to murder her, Zora has a lot to worry about whether she’s in the arena or not.
Zora is such an awesome main character! I loved how she didn’t let people walk all over her, even the royalty! Her desire for revenge (mostly to spite all the men looking down on her) was quite amusing and her sarcastic nature was so entertaining! I didn’t care for how she seemed to cry somewhat frequently for someone who claims to be strong, though. However, her clever tactics and determination to win were definitely brilliant!
The world-building, particularly the idea of the Dark Valley, was so fascinating! The idea of the Royal Games was cool as well, though there’s still a lot about it we don’t know. I have a lot of questions about it, but I guess more will be revealed in the next book! The political games that were being played were also interesting; there’s some plot twist stuff towards the end that made me rather curious! The romance fell a little flat for me, and I didn’t really care for most of the side characters, but it’s always possible things will change in the next book.
Ultimately, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes to see a female fighter as a main character and who appreciates unique world-building, political games, and competitions!
andervic000's review against another edition
4.0
Competing out of vengeance and pettiness… what could be better? I really loved the idea behind this story and it was fun to see the different characters’ plots and motivations. It took me a bit to adjust to the writing style and there were some aspects that felt a little too obscured. Overall, a very fun read though
bookwyrm96's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the plot of this book! I got invested in the characters very quickly, It was easy to follow, but you were never really confident that you knew who the villain was, which was very interesting and intriguing.
The main thing that took me out of the story was the language, it went back and forth between more formal language to using pretty modern slang, and that confused me as to approximately what time period I was supposed to picture.
There were also some typos that I think could be taken care of with one more proof reading, besides that, really cool story, I look forward to the next one!
The main thing that took me out of the story was the language, it went back and forth between more formal language to using pretty modern slang, and that confused me as to approximately what time period I was supposed to picture.
There were also some typos that I think could be taken care of with one more proof reading, besides that, really cool story, I look forward to the next one!
trin_ney18's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me this book for review. This does not have any influence on my thoughts or opinions.
5/5 Stars
THAT ENDING THOUGH??!!!?
Oh man, what a pleasant surprise. I never go into any book with high hopes because I think they all deserve a fair chance to make an impression on me. However, I never expected to absolutely love this book as much as I did.
This book has some of the things I love most in the book world: court politics, badass women, plot twists you definitely didn't account for, and a dash of love interests on the side.
I think the book was a little short and that some parts of the competition could've been a lot more fleshed out than they were. As it is, everything seems to happen really quickly.
The ending was unexpected and I still don't quite know how I feel about it except that I'm hooked and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT PLEASEEEE!
5/5 Stars
THAT ENDING THOUGH??!!!?
Oh man, what a pleasant surprise. I never go into any book with high hopes because I think they all deserve a fair chance to make an impression on me. However, I never expected to absolutely love this book as much as I did.
This book has some of the things I love most in the book world: court politics, badass women, plot twists you definitely didn't account for, and a dash of love interests on the side.
I think the book was a little short and that some parts of the competition could've been a lot more fleshed out than they were. As it is, everything seems to happen really quickly.
The ending was unexpected and I still don't quite know how I feel about it except that I'm hooked and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT PLEASEEEE!
the_b00kreader's review against another edition
4.0
**TW**
Death, violence, poisoning
In this book we follow Zora as she takes part in many trials to win a mysterious cup...a cup that may be able to help the valley she lives in.
Zora ends up running into some problems and as the reader, you are keen to know just how far it can all go.
Tense and exciting, The Cup and the Prince contains many turns that truly keep you on your toes.
Three brothers with different intentions...which one is the good one?
I found Zora to be a likeable character who appeared to get on with mostly everyone. Even those who lost against her still found a way to be kind and 'grudge-less'.
The three brothers, Larzen, Kiran and Griffin seem to each be using Zora as a pawn in one way or another. But, Zora is headstrong and ignores them. Her character has had quite some development. She's smart, creative and a quick-thinker. She knows her limits, and makes sure that everyone is clear of where her boundaries are.
Zora is a wonderful female lead that could certainly be an idol for some readers.
The plot itself is quite interesting and I did get invested in the story. I wanted to know more, I wanted to know how it all played out... the consequence of that was being left on a cliffhanger. (Oh, the pain!)
After those last few chapters, I know I'm going to read book 2. I simply have to know what comes next and what Griffin meant.
Full of little twists and turns, The Cup and the Prince is a great book to dive into if you're looking for a tense yet, at the same time, light read.
Death, violence, poisoning
In this book we follow Zora as she takes part in many trials to win a mysterious cup...a cup that may be able to help the valley she lives in.
Zora ends up running into some problems and as the reader, you are keen to know just how far it can all go.
Tense and exciting, The Cup and the Prince contains many turns that truly keep you on your toes.
Three brothers with different intentions...which one is the good one?
I found Zora to be a likeable character who appeared to get on with mostly everyone. Even those who lost against her still found a way to be kind and 'grudge-less'.
The three brothers, Larzen, Kiran and Griffin seem to each be using Zora as a pawn in one way or another. But, Zora is headstrong and ignores them. Her character has had quite some development. She's smart, creative and a quick-thinker. She knows her limits, and makes sure that everyone is clear of where her boundaries are.
Zora is a wonderful female lead that could certainly be an idol for some readers.
The plot itself is quite interesting and I did get invested in the story. I wanted to know more, I wanted to know how it all played out... the consequence of that was being left on a cliffhanger. (Oh, the pain!)
After those last few chapters, I know I'm going to read book 2. I simply have to know what comes next and what Griffin meant.
Full of little twists and turns, The Cup and the Prince is a great book to dive into if you're looking for a tense yet, at the same time, light read.