The Betrothed, a fantasy novel by bestselling author Kiera Cass, arrived on bookshelves in May.  As I had spent many years pouring over Cass’ infamous Selection series, I was excited to read her new work to revisit her writing style and endearing characters. 

The story follows Lady Hollis Brite, a young woman from the court of Coroa. She lives at the palace among other suitors for King Jameson, who decides he wants Hollis to be the future queen. She is thrilled, although lacks the abilities and enthusiasm to perform her duties. It isn’t until a mysterious family from the neighboring country of Isolte arrives that she begins to consider what she values and what her own future holds.

While I appreciated the mature writing style, the plot and characters felt exceptionally bland. While Hollis is portrayed as a feminist character, she falls short in many aspects. Hollis does not attempt to advance her learning, is oblivious to her friend’s pain, and acts as a passive character for the majority of the novel. As a reader, it is frustrating because once a character becomes complex, like Hollis’ friend Delia Grace, Cass either writes them off or neglects to follow their story. I appreciated the gripping plot twist and the end of the novel, but because the characters lack substance the effect was muted.

Even though this work is independent of the Selection series, one can’t help but make comparisons between the books. What made the Selection series so compelling were the passionate, motivated, and well-rounded characters that made you care about the plot. Even though The Betrothed has a better plot and twists, I didn’t care enough about the characters to be affected by it.

 However, on the whole, the book wasn’t bad, it just fell short of my expectations. I was able to read through it, and there were exciting parts. The ending of the book did insinuate a sequel, so maybe in the next book, Cass will work on characterization and world-building, which will help enhance the widening plot as a whole.