Rule by Ellen Goodlett Review

Title: Rule

Author: Ellen Goodlett

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Rule, book one

Star Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I found Rule through a recommendation list, and ever since, it’s been sitting on my library stack. As soon as I was finished with Pride, I pushed it to the top of my stack, drawn in by the gorgeous, creepy cover and the synopsis, which came across as something like Pretty Little Liars mixed up with Game of Thrones. I was so excited; I’m such a sucker for fantasy novels, and this series sounded really promising. Three powerful sisters! Magic! Political intrigue! Romance! Betrayal! On paper, it sounded like something that I would adore. And I did like some parts of this book, but honestly, it just fell short to me. I was really hoping for more. But thanks to the ending, I know for sure that I’d like to read the next and last book. Nonetheless, this book was just disappointing. Maybe my expectations were just too high.

Zofi, Florencia, and Akeylah are all from different parts of the world, with nothing in common. Except, that is, the King of Koloyna as their father. Claimed as legitimate for the first time in their young lives, they are brought to the Keep to learn the royal ways under their father, and to compete for his throne. But all three girls are hiding dark, dangerous secrets, and they can’t trust anyone, not even one another. Things get even more sticky when the three sisters discover that someone is hot on their trail, and is determined to expose them. They are soon caught in a web of political intrigue, forbidden romance, and shaky alliances, and it is more than just their lives that hang in the balance for their choices…

I really wanted to love this book, and there were some parts of it that I really enjoyed, but there were others that fell severely short. The worldbuilding was slightly vague and needed some polishing, and the magic system was kind of confusing. The villain of the story seemed a tad obvious; I suspected it from the beginning. But, it wasn’t a bad book overall; I want to read the second one. I enjoyed the characters, especially the three sisters; I was rooting for all three of them, but Akeylah was definitely my favorite, especially for her storyline! I was swooning. Goodlett did a really good job of making them strong and flawed in their own right, and I loved the way they all tackled their problems. The pacing was kind of slow at first; it took me a while to get into. But I really liked most of the characters, especially the girls’ father the king and the queen Rozalind. The political intrigue was another big factor that went into redeeming the book; I was loving that part. And that ending! Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the ending, I don’t know if I would be so eager to read the next book. There were a few highs and a lot of lows, but I enjoyed it nonetheless; it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The bottom line: There were some parts I didn’t like and others I loved; either way, I’m very excited for the sequel! Next on deck: Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills!