‘Attempted murder, that’s how sixteen-year-old Princess Charlotte’s engagement starts. It seems like the only thing she has in common with Prince Young of Vires is their mutual discontent.
When her kingdom’s attacked, Charlotte’s parents renegotiate her hand in marriage to a handsome stranger with a sinister plan. With the people Charlotte loves dying around her, and her kingdom’s future at stake, the only person she can turn to is the prince she betrayed. But, should she save her kingdom or her heart? One must fall.’
Chenelle’s Kingdom Cold was a poignantly sad tale of love, loss, and the re-imagined beginnings to one of myth and legend’s most mysterious women. Now, I could give you the name, but that would be telling, wouldn’t it? It was a pleasant and quite unexpected surprise to me, so I’m not gonna spoil it for others! Let’s just say, the deepest origins arose from Welsh myth.
Charlotte starts out as a spoiled little princess, upset over an arranged marriage, as if it wouldn’t have been discussed with her many times. Sad as it might have been for notions of romantic love, royal marriages tended to be matters of binding and alliance between countries. I did get the feeling that her mother never discussed the practicalities of marriage, nor even attempted to prepare Charlotte for her wedding night, and what she could expect. That right there seemed half Charlotte’s issue with getting married.
There were times when timing vs distance feel very accelerated. Like how close were the castles to the borders of Drethen and Algony? The distances and even politics made a little more sense once the twist at the end was revealed. The marriage itself seemed a little rushed too. Prince Young arrived one night, and the marriage was supposed to be the very next day. I gather part of the expediency had to do with the Besmium/ Drethen war, and needing allies, but Young arrived without a full entourage, or even his immediate family, save for his brother Minseo. No substantial number of support troops were dispatched with the brothers. There were some, but not the amount I’d expect.
I liked how Charlotte evolved. She really was a spoiled brat at the beginning. By the end, she had matured into the strong woman she needed to be for her family. Young seems more mature for his age. I felt for the poor guy! He was so kind and considerate, too, especially on their wedding night. Most of the time he was more mature than his older brother, Minseo, as well. Most being the key word there. Young had a few lapses. One big one was thinking Charlotte was cheating on him.
It’s clear the author has talent, and I look forward to reading future books. I’d love to see a continuation of this story, to find out where the author would take it!
***Many thanks to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
