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Reviewed by: Colleen Woods, Middle School Librarian Title: Royal Blood Author: Aimee Carter Publisher: Ember
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 8-12 Genre/Type of Book: Mystery
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Yes: attempted sexual assault Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I chose this book because I was looking for a good YA mystery for my bookclub. Inheritance Games was so popular last year, so I was trying to find something equally engaging. I also loved the aspect of an alternative history in regards to the royal family. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Get a look inside the life of England's most famous family and their most famously kept secret... until now. |
Review:
Royal Blood by Aimee Carter is set in modern London, with an alternate history where King Edward VIII never abdicated the throne, allowing for a very different royal family than the one we know and love.
17 year old Evangeline Bright (Evan) is our main character and the secret, American, illegitimate, daughter of King Alexander- the current King of England. Evan has bounced around from boarding school to boarding school for the last 6 years, following the death of her grandmother and primary caretaker. The King has had primary custody of her and has tried to keep her identity under the radar. Her mother is not in the picture, due to mental illness, and she's never met her father. Until now.
Following an incident at school, she’s expelled just before graduation, and the king’s secretary takes her to London to avoid potential arrest. As you can imagine, Evan does not receive a warm welcome. While the King's wife, Queen Helene and his daughter- future Queen of England- Mary (who goes by Maisie) do know of Evan's existence, they are none too pleased to have her in their lives. All Evan wants is to be reunited with her mother, who she hasn't seen in six years, and vows to leave Windsor Castle the moment she turns 18. But things go from bad to worse when the press find out about her existence, and Evan's presence at an elite party has her at the wrong place at the wrong time, and she's accused of a murder she didn't commit.
The book quickly morphs from a royal romp into a fast-paced murder mystery. While it deals with some heavy topics (sexual assault, date rape drugs, mental illness), it also has lighter moments that help the story find balance, and the evolution of some key relationships that help Evan embrace her new family. A cliffhanger ending will have readers clamoring for the sequel!
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