Rule by Ellen Goodlett -- Review

Title: Rule 
Author: Ellen Goodlett 
Pages: 384 
Publishing: September 11th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316515280

Synopsis from 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.

Review: 

When I first picked up Rule, I was very intrigued by the premise of three sisters fighting for the throne, but I didn't really get sucked in like I was hoping. Each sister was interesting, but I felt like they were missing something. It was often difficult for me to tell them apart as they told their story, and I didn't really feel very attached to any of them. 

Even though the characters were not exactly my favorite, I did enjoy the setting and the general plot of the book. There were a few surprises that caught me off guard and the last 50 pages had me on the edge of my seat... it just took a little while to get to that point. There were times the book was a little sluggish, but I think the cliffhanger ending was worth the wait. 

All in all, Rule was an interesting read with several exciting twists I wasn't expecting. In a perfect world, there would have been a little more romance involved, but hey... we can't have everything! I was not totally in love with this novel, but I definitely liked it enough to continue with the next novel. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy YA fantasy reads! Thank you to NOVL for sending this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Rating 3/5