by Kelsey Josund
Rating: ⭐4/5⭐
Cinna would quite literally kill for the throne.
For years, Cinna has been forced to serve her wealthy cousins rather than attend society events alongside them. She has waited for the chance to prove herself and exact revenge. When a ball at the castle is announced, promising to bring many powerful people to town, she seizes the opportunity to strike.
She bets her best friend, Johann, a small-time thief and con-man, that she can land a greater score the night of the ball than he can. They embark on parallel heists. But as their plots unfold, things begin to unravel: by the end of the night, the castle’s on lock down, a duchess is dead, a mansion has burnt to the ground – and Cinna hasn’t even stolen anything.
Or has she captured something far more valuable than gold and jewels?
Review
Well. Ok, then.
Where do I even begin?
This book was a lot–like, A LOT, a lot–darker than I was expecting. And also a lot of fun! Like Grimm Brothers’ Cinderella meets Ocean’s Eleven. Or maybe more like Now You See Me great movie btw, you should watch it if you haven’t. It was that type of heist story where you don’t really see the whole picture until the last piece snaps into place.
But, oh, what fun I had trying to figure it out! I haven’t read many heist type books, only Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, and those didn’t really work out all that well for me. I’d originally thought it was because I simply didn’t like heist books (as much as I enjoy those kinds of movies). Turns out, the key to my enjoying such stories is to shroud them in a thick fog of mystery and let me try to figure stuff out as I read along. I need secrecy alongside my con-artist’s shenanigans. The suspense is definitely where it’s at for me!
Now, let’s talk characters.
Johann. Sweet, gullible, friend-zoned Johann. For a criminal, he was just too pure. I wanna give him a hug and reassure him that everything is gonna be fine. And, much like him, I both loved and hated Cinna. It’s not everyday that you come across a book where the main character is a villain and they actually get away with their nefarious plans. She was an evil mastermind. A stone-cold sociopath. Girl had being manipulative down to a science! She was twisted and deceitful and 100% proud of it. Unremoserful, uncaring and willing to betray anyone to achieve her objectives. She’ll lie, cheat and kill without batting a single eyelash.
The book was told in dual POV and I actually thought that was a great idea since Johann and Cinna carried their own scheming and plotting individually. However, I would have liked there to be a little clarification at the start of each of their parts, because sometimes it wasn’t immediately obvious whose point of view we were currently on and I found myself having to go back and re-read more than once.
Another addition I would have appreciated was a map (if you know me, you know I love books having maps!). There were a few instances when kingdoms and territories were mentioned and I was embarrassingly confused throughout it I may be slightly geographically challenged. Don’t judge me. I really hope that if future books have more of a Royal Intrigue side to them, that a map is included.
Now, in case I still haven’t convinced you to read this fantastic book, I have two aces under my sleeve. Number one, a little, lovely quote:
“[…]her victory remained incomplete. She still stood in the shadows of an entire monarchy. No, she was not yet victorious. She had only just begun.”
And maybe more importantly, you have time until Halloween to get yourself a pre-release free copy of this–and plenty of other–titles. Trust me when I tell you, you do not want to miss this opportunity!
Spoiler:
❌❌❌One thing I’m left wondering, though, is what Cinna meant when she told Johann “Just remember when this all plays out that I spared you”. Girl was lying through her teeth. She’d already set everything in motion to turn Johann into a scapegoat and make him take the fall. I don’t think she has enough empathy to care about rescuing him. Was he ever anything more than a pawn to her?
And, during the balcony speeches and potential future public events in the kingdom, doesn’t Cinna run the risk of people recognizing her? It’s not like she didn’t interact with dozens of people around the city. It’s not just Johann that knows her face around those parts, and as much as nobility and working-class circles are unlikely to intersect and interact, plenty of people would be able to tell the Prince’s fiance is actually a servant girl. Wouldn’t rumors eventually spred lending credibility to what Johann told the Detective and police? What are the logistics of all that?❌❌❌
What should I read next?
