Sunday, September 16, 2018

Rule (Rule, #1) by Ellen Goodlett

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny... to rule.

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut.

๐‘‹

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Firstly, Rule ends with a cliffhanger. I understand that some people enjoy remaining suspended in a story until the next book is released, but not me. Especially when the cliffhanger leaves more questions than answers, and none of the major plot points are resolved. Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah are all being blackmailed throughout the book, but we still have no idea who is responsible when the story ends.

Now with that being said, I enjoyed the overall story. I thought Rule had a unique concept with an interesting setting. However, there was a lot of world-building at the start, so it felt a little slow until I was about halfway through. The story picks up significantly when the three sisters start working together to find their common enemy, instead of second-guessing each other and looking for motivations that are not there. I wish they had all been a little more honest when revelations were made, but each sister still guards their individual secret. (It really bugs me when a single conversation can clear up sooo many issues.)

I also enjoyed how little romance there was. Rule was about three sisters and their relationships with each other. I loved how well they worked together, and how easily they seemed to bond once they stopped being suspicious of one another. There were a few dalliances, but nothing concrete (yet). They were there and then they were gone, which left the sisters relying on one another more than anyone else. 

Thank the gods for same sex relationships that weren't frowned upon or seen as something perverse. Men and women were free to be with whomever they wanted, and that was normal.

They mystery was really intriguing, and I found myself re-reading anything that could have been a potential clue. The girls started sharing information, but withholding anything that was relevant to their personal crime. I think they would have learned more if they'd been willing to open up completely, but I also understood why they were so hesitant. However, the suspense was somewhat diminished for me at the end, because of the heinous cliffhanger.

The blood tithes were an odd addition to the story, too. It was an interesting idea, but I hope to see it used more in the next book. I also feel like there are a lot of applications for it that weren't really addressed in Rule. Why wouldn't people just tithe for personal gain? If everyone can tithe, you'd think there would be more chaos surrounding the towns and their inhabitants. Despite the heavy beginning, I still have a lot of questions.

In the end, I enjoyed the story and I definitely want to read the next one, but I wish the content had been delivered a little differently. I liked the three different perspectives, even though I never felt attached to any of them. They always felt like characters -- never people. I wish the beginning had been condensed, or written in a way that didn't feel so informative. I want to learn something new without feeling like I'm learning something new. Finally, I disliked the ending. I don't want to work hard alongside the characters to figure the story out, and then have it end without answering a single question. Adding more questions only makes it worse. 

25 comments:

  1. I am not a fan of cliffhanger unless the next book is available in a short time frame. Sorry you had a few issues with this one.

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    1. Rule was released this month, but the second book is already listed on Goodreads with a cover and a synopsis. The release date is set for June of next year, but that's forever away. I feel like books should warn you if they contain a cliffhanger. Then we'd know which books to avoid until the series was fully released.

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  2. Ah, darn it. I've heard about the cliffhanger and plot issues as well from other reviewers, but I think your review is the first I've seen putting Rule in a positive light and potential to be really good? Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed this one despite the book giving a few issues and hope the second will be better than the first!

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    1. I read a review copy, so there's a chance some of my issues have been resolved by now. I won't know until I read a published copy. However, the story itself is good. There are a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book. I doubted every single person the sisters interacted with. I understood their need for secrecy, even if I didn't agree with it. It was a story I kept wanting to go back to, so that means my mind was thinking about it even when I wasn't actively reading.

      If a few things had been tweaked, and more issues had been resolved before the end, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Removing the cliffhanger entirely would have helped, too. ;)

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  3. Ooh, this sounds like one I'd really enjoy Linds. I love female characters raising rebellions and especially siblings working with one another for a greater goal. It sounds as though the pacing let the narrative down though, I can understand the need for world building but it's much more reader friendly when scattered throughout the storyline, as we need it. In big paragraphs of information is more likely to leave most feeling disconnected. Still super keen to read this one but will wait until the new year to begin a new series, the rest of the year I'll be trying to wrap up all my review copies and series finales. Brilliant review Linds, really enjoyed it ♡♡♡

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    1. Yes! I prefer when the world-building is done throughout the book instead of crammed at the start. There's a lot of information about the individual sisters, blood tithes, the kingdom and its reaches, the wars... it's a lot.

      It was an enjoyable read, but you have to be able to look over a few holes and get past the info-dumping. The sisters were all very different, and have VERY big secrets. If any of their secrets are revealed... which I'm sure is the plot for the next book -- haha! I hope you enjoy this one when you have a chance to read it next year. <3

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  4. Every time I get on your blog I find more books to add to my TBR Lol!

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    1. Haha -- that's a good thing, right?!

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    2. Yes, lol! It is very good :) Lovely review my friend!

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  5. I've had my eye on this and have almost picked it up more than once. That cover and summary just suck me in, lol! So glad you enjoyed this overall, and I'll be forewarned about the cliffie ending. Thanks!!

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    1. The story itself is solid, but the delivery could have been done a little differently. If you feel like the pace is dragging at the start, just wait until you're about halfway through. It picks up significantly, and things start to happen pretty quickly. :)

      I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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  6. I was curious about this one and asked for it but was denied. That's why I wwas happy to see your review to know how it is. I should try!

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    1. There's one publisher that always denies my requests, so I know it's disappointing. However, you can always buy or borrow the book when it's published! I try not to get too discouraged, since I know I'll be able to read it later. Let me know what you think of this one! :)

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  7. What made the cliffhanger so frustrating was that it didn't feel like we made any movement with the story in book 1. Just more questions. I was happy to have a same sex relationship too. Although I was surprised that no one questioned the status of both parties??

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    1. Right?! The problems they had at the beginning were the problems they had at the end. Yes, they were able to eliminate some suspects, but overall they're in the same boat. I hate that after everything they went through, we were left with more questions and no answers.

      I don't think anyone questioned it because they both outranked everyone else except for the king himself. People could gossip all they wanted, but what could they really do about it? Ren warned her to be careful and less obvious, but she didn't see anything wrong with the relationship itself. Their roles prevented them from acting on their feelings.

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  8. I like that the focus of the story is on the sisters' relationship and less on romance. I like good world-building, but when it feels organic and not just an info-dump. Hope you enjoy the next one!

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    1. I'm hoping the next book will have more answers and a quicker pace. We should already know all the major details about the world and its inhabitants, so the additional world-building should be minor. I loved that it was about three sisters and didn't include a lot of romance. There is one budding relationship, but it's way too complicated. It also wasn't a focal point, but something that helped further the story. I think it'll play a larger role next time...

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  9. This sounds like it has some interesting things in it and I like that cover. Might check this out at some point!

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    1. There were a lot of interesting things in it, and the mystery is solid! Let me know what you think if you have a chance to read it. :)

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    1. Me too! They're the WORST. Especially when you have to wait a year or more for the next book.

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  11. I agree that it's frustrating when you get to the end of a book and when you get to the end you feel like absolutely nothing's resolved. It just seems so incomplete!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. YES! It's like running a race and then sitting down right before the finish line. My brain is mentally sitting down waiting for the next book to come out so it can cross over. If they'd just answered some of the bigger questions, I would have felt better about it.

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  12. I'm not fond of cliffhangers either. I like first books that can stand on their own. That said, the concept sounds interesting. I'm intrigued by the concept of blood tithes as well.

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    1. Yes x 100,000,000! I always want books to be able to stand on their own first, and as part of a series second. One should not be entirely dependent on the other. I think every book should have some sort of beginning and ending, like the Harry Potter books, with some major conclusion at the end. Harry and friends fight something different every book. There is a challenge they have to face, or some foe to overcome, but it's all building towards an inevitable confrontation. There's zero resolution in Rule. We just have more questions...

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