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kirstenrose22's review against another edition
5.0
Words cannot express the awesomeness of this book. I think I like it better than Jackaroo. Great culture clash stuff, and terrific characters!
bethswantz's review against another edition
4.0
The last book in the series. And like the last one - this starts completely differently. This book begins with Elske, a child of the Wolfers. She has been raised by her grandmother, a woman stolen by the Wolfers, and freed by the sacrifice of her grandmother to the big unknown world.
Elske has a worldview that matches no one. She is without most of the angst and neurosis of main characters. Instead, she simply lives her life as it unfolds - without guile and remorse. And because of that she finds herself in unexpected situations.
As she wanders from her grandma she is taken in by a father and two sons as they make their way to the large northern city of Tradstad. They find her a place as a maid and she eventually becomes the maidservant for a headstrong out-of-control princess from a far away land. And her life changes again.
Elske is caught up in the politically intrigue of the Kingdom - and her unique past become very important.
I liked this book. Elske is an interesting main character. Her attitude and her presence change those around her without her even knowing. In the world of YA main characters - that is something unusual!
Elske has a worldview that matches no one. She is without most of the angst and neurosis of main characters. Instead, she simply lives her life as it unfolds - without guile and remorse. And because of that she finds herself in unexpected situations.
As she wanders from her grandma she is taken in by a father and two sons as they make their way to the large northern city of Tradstad. They find her a place as a maid and she eventually becomes the maidservant for a headstrong out-of-control princess from a far away land. And her life changes again.
Elske is caught up in the politically intrigue of the Kingdom - and her unique past become very important.
I liked this book. Elske is an interesting main character. Her attitude and her presence change those around her without her even knowing. In the world of YA main characters - that is something unusual!
ashley_crookham's review against another edition
5.0
perfect conclusion to the Kingdom series. These are the books I wish I had written
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
3.0
Although it had a very interesting premise it didn't quite deliver for me. Was equally parts underwhelmed and bored. Well written but not my cup of tea. Might be because I hadn't read any of the other books in the series
ratgirlreads's review
Elske is a delightful tale of two strong heroines, the title character and the queen she eventually serves, Beriel of the Kingdom. The travels Elske undertakes, first when she leaves the Volkaric and her fate as Death Maiden and walks to the city of Trastad, then as she sails with Beriel to the port of Pericol and thence to the Kingdom, highlight Voigt’s worldbuilding talent—she describes distinct cultures vividly as Elske encounters them. Elske herself is a fascinating character, with a brutal, calculating facet from her upbringing among the Volkaric uncommon to heroines, but also with the more typical caring and loving side. The story is well worth reading—Voigt is an author as talented as her writing is diverse.
glisteningpandas's review against another edition
5.0
remember reading this in middle school. remember being sad that elske and princess did not end up together even though they were in lovejebdjfbd. will reread one day. story was compelling probably. and horrifying in some parts because of that whole sacrifice thing.
melanieapril's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first 100 pages of this book all in one go, at a time when I meant to read only five and then go to sleep. Voigt is a skilled writer and world-builder, and I really enjoyed seeing the cultures of the Volkaric and Trastad through the eyes of the main character, a simple but intelligent teenager. I also really appreciate that Voigt is not afraid to write characters who are heroic assholes. But I don't think Elske is the best of the Kingdom novels (I might vote for [b:The Wings of a Falcon|95910|The Wings of a Falcon (Kingdom, #3)|Cynthia Voigt|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1171307404s/95910.jpg|3163771], but it's been a while...), and the ending feels very pat and rushed.
jtlars7's review against another edition
I've loved the first two Kingdom books for years. This, like the third book, is much darker. It was alright, but a big part of the fun was finding the references to the earlier books.
lberestecki's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't read any other books in this series, but I loved this one. I would definitely recommend it.
tangerineteeth's review against another edition
4.0
5 stars for the first two-thirds. Reviewed: https://hollograms.blogspot.com/2020/08/books-read-in-july-2020-part-two-of-two.html