YA Book Review: Royal Bastards
Royal Bastards: Sworn to No One by Andrew Shvarts
A band of misfits enmeshed to save the world is no new idea. But Shvarts’ group of royals designated to sit at the bastards’ table evokes such a strong desire to champion these unjustly labeled and judged kids that the reader is engaged and spurred on from the first chapter.
Tilla, the sixteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Lord Kent, is more surprised than anyone is when the visiting princess decides to sit with the bastards at the feast in Her Majesty’s honor. Before Tilla knows it, she’s sneaking the princess through dusty tunnels in the middle of the night with the other bastards. This adventure is the princess’ attempt to become more wordly and intuned with her people. It achieves that tenfold when they witness a brutal scene of treachery and deceipt. Now, on the run for their lives, they must find a way to stop the rebellion that will overthrow the princess and make Lord Kent king. What’s worse is that Tilla must chose between the answer to her dreams—legitamacy and a title—or protection of the innocent villagers of the kingdom.
Royal Bastards has fresh humor and a fast pace. The tension cranks up with the turn of every page as the stakes get higher and the situations become direr. And even though there is a budding romance, I respect Shvarts’ decision to make the familial relationships the focus, using a half brother and sister’s love for each other as the cornerstone of the story. In that respect, I was disappointed that an intimate scene was included that detracted from the dignity of the story. Pulling back on that scene wouldn’t have left readers unsatisfied. However, I still give this book a top rating. I can’t wait to see what Andrew Shvarts writes next.
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