REVIEW: City of Bastards (book) by Andrew Shvarts

City of Bastards is the second book in Shvarts' Royal Bastards trilogy. It's YA fantasy.

This review includes slight spoilers.

Review:

Tilla spent the first book on the run from her own father after witnessing him commit murder and pit himself and the West against the Volaris King. In this book, Tilla is finally safe and secure, at least on the surface. She and her friends are now in the capital of Lightspire, under the protection of Lyriana's father, the King. However kind the King is towards her, she's well aware that others see her as nothing more than the daughter of a traitor. She at least has her relationship with Zell, but there are times when he's closed off and unhappy. Even Lyriana is having trouble adjusting to "normal" life - the formerly dutiful princess now spends an awful lot of time partying, drinking, and hooking up with random young nobles.

When one of Tilla's friends ends up dead, she's one of the only people to suspect that it was murder rather than suicide. As she tries to figure out the truth, she's forced to question who she can trust and how safe her current position really is.

REVIEW: Royal Bastards (book) by Andrew Shvarts

Royal Bastards is YA fantasy. I got my copy via interlibrary loan.

Review:

Tilla is the bastard child of Lord Kent. Although she tries to act like it doesn't bother her, part of her misses the days when her father seemed to genuinely care for her. Now she spends most of her time with her half-brother Jax, a stable hand, and wonders when her father plans to cast her aside for good.

On the night of Princess Lyriana's arrival at Castle Waverly, Tilla, the Princess, Jax, Miles (another bastard, one of the few in the area close to Tilla's age), and Zell (a visiting Zitochi bastard) witness a horrible crime. Suddenly they're on the run from everyone, including their own family members, and nowhere is safe.