When I first heard about the book, I was very enthusiastic and thought it had great potential. The concept of the book itself (celt uchronia mixed with a dash of magic and a lot of mystery) is indeed very promising.

In terms of background, I found this mix of past history, technology and supernatural quite nice. At first the world building was really intriguing and interesting. But that didn't last. Those good ideas were unfortunately poorly exploited. In fact, it goes in all directions, without really any structure or explanation. While I remain convinced that the author had a built a very complex universe in her mind, I don’t think she did a good enough job at explaining it.

The same can be said of the plot, which mixes a lot of elements, too many elements: prophecy, strange illness, discovery of magic, class struggle, political machinations, insta-love, love triangle... For me, it felt like O’Connor was trying to recycle too many classical YA Fantasy plot points at the same time. I really struggled to get through the first part of the book, which pacing was also really slow, which didn’t help.

It’s only halfway through that I found my cruising speed: the pace finally changes, adventures follow one another and the plot develops elements that piqued my interest. Well, it helps that the author doesn't explain anything... the mystery remains. But as a result, now I want to continue the adventure to know what this is all about.

Thanks NetGalley, Author Clara O'Connor, and One More Chapter for providing an E-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.75 stars
This book had a great premise of a world that was created in an alternate world based on real historical events/people. The world building/society was a little confusing due to that fact some of the events that took placed were either added or removed or not fully explained. I was unsure why some of the kingdoms were mentioned as well as the rules that governed this world. The characters were not really well developed and kind of typical of YA fantasy. The romantic relationships were not likeable! The couples were not believable in their feelings for each other. First, the relationship between Cass and Devyn was insta-lovely and somewhat problematic during one scene that had questionable consent! Then, the relationship between Cass and Marcus had no real chemistry except for that was created by devices given to them during the hand-fasting. The story moved along pretty quickly despite the lack of any major plot. I really wanted to like this book more. The premise, of the story and the world building was what drew me to this book in the first place. I feel this first book was written to set up for the next book in the series to give the characters and plot more room to grow. I will look forward to reading the next installment in this series just to see where the author has decided to take this story.

I feel like this book was a bit of a mixed bag. I was interested, and I didn't ever just stop reading this book, but I also kept going back to the synopsis trying to see what it was that I was looking forward to. That Panem callout in the synopsis kept me going. It did feel a little like Panem from the controlling aspect, but I don't think that's enough of a connection to use that city.

The world is like ours, but with changes to history. I was really confused in the beginning. They reference historical British royalty family bloodlines, but their histories are changed, so just know going in that any history you know won't match with this version.

I didn't really enjoy the romance between Dev and Cass. It felt fast and forced. I did like her fiance, LOL, which I can't decide if I was supposed to or not.

Things I did like:
- Dystopian atmosphere with a controlling government.
- Cass's inner thoughts. I enjoyed her toiling with the need to be the perfect citizen.
- The narrator did a great job with this book. I think she had a compelling voice that pulled me into the story!

Overall, I think there are a lot of readers that will really love the YA fantasy, magical aspect of this book. I think it just felt rough around the edges and could have been further developed to really be an outstanding story.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

As alternate histories go, this book was unlike any others I’ve read or heard of. O’Conner does a great job at building a believable world that could have been if things had gone differently with the Roman Empire in England while including a magic system that makes sense and even has consequences.

Admittedly it took a bit for me to get into the book. I had a hard time following what exactly was going on, especially when it came to the connection between Devyn and Cassandra. Things felt a bit jumbled at times, but I still felt I needed to know what was going to happen next, especially towards the end.

I’m glad that I won’t have to wait long for the next book in the series because I definitely need to know what happens to our heroine and her companions.

As someone who is a huge fan of the hunger games, I was very excited for this book as it had an interesting take on fantasy that I had not seen before. I was especially excited for the historical Roman aspect and was excited to see how that would play into this fantasy novel. However, I was disappointed. I normally don’t mind when books throw the reader into the middle of the plot without explanation, however with this book, it was like the explanation never came. I was a quarter of the way through the book, and all I felt was confusion, and all I could think was what is the point of the book? What is Cassandra’s goal? What is the conflict? Also, instead of introducing and explaining the world, the author introduced the idea of an untrustworthy government before the book was even halfway over. Cassandra is honestly a weak character, and I wish there had been some more information and some more buildup before certain things were revealed.

I am not a fan of the insta-love trope and so when that was introduced, I was turned off by the book even more, but I kept reading in hopes that something would grab me, but that never really happened. Cassandra had absolutely no desire to lead her own life, and a weak female protagonist is something that I simply cannot stand. This book has interesting aspects, but overall, it could have been done so much better.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book - I thought the world was really exciting and an interesting concept - what if the Romans had continued their rule? I loved the idea that everyone in this city has a vote in public hearings for crimes and was interested to see more of how the Roman rule would impact the future. However, I did feel like the story dragged a bit in the middle it was a little long-winded and I felt like it was easy enough to put down when I reached the end of a chapter. However once again the last quarter of the book piqued my interest as things started taking turns and the cliffhanger ending had me interested and wanting to pick up the sequel soon. I am hoping that the sequel brings some more world-building because that is what I missed the most from this book but I am excited to see where the events of this book take the characters later on in the series.
3 out of 5 stars.

REVIEW: 'Secrets of the Starcrossed' by Clara O'Connor almost had me

I really wanted to like Secrets of the Starcrossed after seeing excitement about it online. It took me a while to properly make up my mind about it, though.

The blurb says it all really: a Roman empire, Celtic influences, and people with magic in their blood? Secrets of the Starcrossed sounds like the perfect book for me...in theory. Unfortunately, I felt some of the writing choices let what promised to be an exciting story down.

Our main character, Cassandra, isn't overly likeable at first. She seems lacking in agency and, disappointingly, this doesn't change. One of the main tropes present in this book is insta-love -- so if you don't like that, chances are you won't get along with this story. The insta-love between Cassandra and Devyn didn't grab me, and only served to harden my opinion that Cassandra has no agency. Either she is unable to resist Devyn, and therefore goes along with whatever he thinks (or is irresistibly drawn by him so that she can't do anything but wonder about him), or she is trapped -- in more ways than one -- by the Code and her rigorous upbringing.

This idea of being trapped by the Code is explored in less-than-pleasant ways, highlighting the awfulness of the rule Londinium lives under. While I'm all for a corrupt government, there was one element that really didn't sit right with me.

At one point, there is an intimate scene between two of the characters, and there is no legitimate consent given -- by either party. It is clearly expressed that one character is drugged (despite claiming she is in a lucid state of mind), and the other clearly says "no" multiple times, before apparently changing his mind. I understood that the author was trying to demonstrate the twisted workings of the ruling class through the use of "bridal tea", yet the was this scene of questionable (read: no explicit, legitimate) consent was unnecessary. Especially because it was played off as being okay, and I would like to highlight here, especially to younger readers, that this is not okay.
If this questionable scene wasn't enough to dissuade me from the qualities of Secrets of the Starcrossed, by the time I got to the end I realised that...nothing really happens. The same plot point is used three times to build a story, and by the end there is no particular advancement. Yes, we learn bits about the characters and the world. But in all honestly, the book could have been half its length and I would not have felt a loss.

As for the worldbuilding, there is an attempt at bringing in lots of different elements, which sounded amazing. Yet it was done in such a way as to alienate the reader. For those not versed in medieval British history (honestly, even though I am from the UK, the fact I study this period at university was a big help), you might struggle. Clara O'Connor has attempted to weave together Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, and Celtic history together, but sadly missed the mark.

Overall, the more I think about this book, the more disappointed I am. I doubt I will be reading the rest of the series!

If, unlike me, this book hooked you, great! You will be pleased to know that the final two books in this trilogy will be published later this year, in March and June 2021.

I want to start off by saying the world the author builds in this book is really interesting. A mixture of Fantasy/Sci-Fi and Historical fiction, Londinium is a Roman settlement in Britain, technologically advanced whilst the rest of the 'natives' of Britain waste away outside the walls. There were plenty of throwbacks to ancient Rome, senators in charge, an almost Gladiator ring, but all with a modern twist that made it a really fresh and fun take. Unfortunately the main characters made it impossible for me to like this book.

The main character Cassandra is pretty spoilt and entitled, which would be fine if she redeemed herself throughout the book, and while there were one or two moments where her 'good side' came out, she was entirely self-serving for most of the story, consequences be damned. It could have worked, the world she grew up in was not one where women are treated as equals so if she has been ruthless, determined to bring down the leaders, I could have lived with that. Unfortunately she was just a bit of a brat, unused to not getting her own way. Devyn was a bit of a dick if I'm being honest, and another character who was overly self-serving. He leads Cassandra on so many times, leaving her with more unanswered questions every time they meet. He turns her world upside down, but is unwilling to be there for her.

There are a few other characters mentioned, Marcus is Cassandras 'chosen' and they have been promised since she was 12. Marcus was pretty much the only character in the book that I liked, he grew up with a life of luxury but went against his fathers wishes to become a doctor helping both the rich and the poor. Cassandra pretty much treated him like crap, and yet he still came through for her in the end instead of turning her in. The rest of the characters were not well developed and it was hard keeping track of who was who.

The romance was way over the top and honestly took up so much of the story line which I felt could have been better spent developing the world. Because I didn't really like the characters, I wasn't invested in it at all. There was too much will they/wont they. I think the author was aiming for angst but it just came across as two people who really shouldn't be together. For a YA book this was just a really bad example of a relationship to be sending people. There was a moment where one character was under the influence of drugs and basically forced another character into having sex, even after multiple instances of them saying no. In fact the whole relationship was based around one person saying no, and the other not caring and just throwing themselves at them.

I'm really sad with just how much I disliked this book because it has so much promise, but just fell so flat. Had the author developed the world better and given us an MC with better motives than wanting an unlikable boys d*** it could have been so much better. Alas, it just didn't work for me and the only reason I powered through was because I enjoyed the 'world building' parts.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra has everything she could wish for. Her father is a powerful merchant and she is betrothed to the most eligible bachelor in Londinium.

Things start to change when she crosses paths with a strange boy who is on a quest to find a missing girl.

Meanwhile an unexplained illness is making its way through the city. The illness only seems to be targeting those who have Celtic magic in their blood.

Cassandra will soon discover that she does not live in the haven she once thought she did and she will be forced to make some choices that test everything she once believed in.

What I liked about this book

The concept is really interesting. The Roman Empire didn't fall and some of them live in a walled city within Britannia.

The author references real historical places and people throughout the story.

I enjoyed the romance between Cass and Devyn.

I found the use of both magic and technology intriguing.

What I didn't like

It takes a long time for the story to build up.

There is very little in the way of explanation. There is a lot of speculation but not very much confirmation (if that makes sense). After finishing the book, I felt like I still had no idea what's going on.

This is the first instalment in the series so a cliff hanger ending was to be expected, but I feel like the ending is really abrupt.

It took me a long time to get into this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. I flew through the last 50% but I was quite disappointed by the end. Though I do think I would read the next instalment to see where the story goes.

3 stars
✮✮✮

⭐️ YA Dystopia ⭐️

“In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, two starcrossed lovers fight to ignite the spark of rebellion…”

📚 Like the above blurb says, “Secrets of the Starcrossed” is the first in a series that features a world where the Roman Empire never fell, and present day Londinium is a cultural, technological, and powerful mecca — at least for members of the Elite like Cassandra. She lives her life by the Code that rules them all, and is happy for her safe place amongst the cogs. Until one day she intercepts a piece of forbidden tech from her mysterious classmate Devyn, falling headfirst into conspiracy, love, and magic.

👍🏻 The Good: From the get-go this premise suckered me in — I adore Roman antiquity. So reading about O’Connor’s richly crafted world was a treat. It was a fabulous mix of old artifacts from ancient times (like the Roman Forum) and newer futuristic technology. I thoroughly enjoyed Cassandra: this book has the “privileged MC discovers her world isn’t perfect” trope which I happen to love. I also must mention Devyn, who is one of the most delicious, broody, protective and mysterious romantic interests I’ve read in a while! O’Connor really made him unique and his own person, as opposed to just a support for Cassandra. The plot of the book started a tad slow, but really hit its stride fast — I binged it within 48 hours and was reeling over the ending!

👎🏻 The Meh: I found Cassandra’s narration to be repetitive at times. As if she just really really wanted the reader to believe what she was saying by telling us instead of showing us. I also got a little frustrated by the fact that Devyn just kept refusing to tell Casandra what was going on — as a reader you kind of assume to know this big secret that’s being kept but they just kept dragging it out. And, as already said, the start is a tad slow.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World Building: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it for those looking for a unique dystopian read with a fascinating twist on historical antiquity.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all is the title secrets of the star-crossed of the once and future queen? The story is set in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire didn’t fall and Londinium is a shiny walled city where the British Wilders aren’t allowed in. The citizens of Londinium live by a strict code, which monitors their life and dictates everything that they do. The story centers around Cassandra a wealthy elite who is the daughter of a rich merchant with the world at her feet. She is matched to Marcus, the son of a senator and who is in effect the crown prince of the city, but falls for Devin a boy from her class who is brooding and mysterious and isn’t what he appears to be.

Even though Cassandra is meant to be in her 20s she comes across as very young and has the whole spoilt oblivious princess thing down pat. Even when her eyes are opened to her reality, she’s still very naive and annoying. I struggled to find her likable. Devin also lays the mysterious angle on thick and is quite annoying for most of the book. I actually liked Marcus the most. The whole is she the mysterious girl Devin has been searching for or not was very convoluted and took up 2/3rds of the book, The book is very long and quite slow paced considering not much happens in the first half. The 2nd half picks up and the various escape attempts are interesting. The end was ... enough of a cliffhanger for me to want to read the second series even as I’m not super invested in the characters.

This is more of 2.5 stars than 3 but rounding up as I finished the book and I would consider reading the next one.

I had heard so many things about this book before I was granted my wish on here. And I've got to say it really lived up to the hype. I was fully immersed in this world and really connected with the characters. Who doesn't love a star crossed lovers story!

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't. So many tropes that I don't enjoy, and the one that I do enjoy was so barely there that I just didn't know what I was reading.

I also wasn't a fan of the non-consent No one can be drugged and be of sound mind to give consent, even if the drugs were supposed to make her hypersexual. It felt wrong to me. That alone made me want to throw the book from my hands (but I didn't want to ruin my ereader).

Overall not a huge fan of this book.

As soon as I read the description about this book I knew that I would love it, It's such a novel concept, which is hard to come across these days. Sometimes it feels like all of the good ideas have been used and exhausted.

Secrets of the Starcrossed is the beautifully magical story of a world that could have been. I loved the world it depicted and could picture it so clearly. It was like a mix of The Hunger Games and Divergent taking place in a time that had modern technology beyond what we have today but also the traditions and religions of an ancient time.

The magical element of the story was the highlight for me. O'Connor presents us with well known myths about magic, with some key characters like The Lady of the Lake and brings them to life in an amazing way. From the strict metropolis of Londinium to the lands of the mystical Mercia and beyond, we could so clearly picture the mix of our world and this new world. O'Connor cleverly calls out some well known landmarks like Richmond Park, Chelsea and more and it was nice to imagine these familiar places through a futuristic, but also mythical, lens.

I found the story did get a little slow and repetitive in the middle and I was just waiting for something to happen. I also found the sexual tension between Devyn and Cassandra exhausting at times, it was just the same thing over and over again and dragged on a little and and it made me find them a little annoying as a result. It also would have been nice to have a bit more magic and action as that was what I really wanted to find out more about, but I think we can expect plenty of the two in the next book.

As a side note, the story alludes to a mysterious illness that is devastating the Empire and I found it reminded me of a lot of COVID and everything that we are experiencing at the moment.

I loved the ending, it has a nice circularity to it and it made me want to find out what happens next. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Big thanks to Net Galley for letting me read this pre publication. It's a great read for fantasy and myth lovers and I think it will make an excellent trilogy.

Please note that I tried to have this posted automatically to Good Reads but it wouldn't work, the link to the review can be found below.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing an ARC. Review is my honest opinion.

This book had so much promise! Alas, it fell short for me. The writing style didn't pull me in and I had trouble connecting with the characters.

I do, however, believe many people will enjoy this tale.

The premise of this really had me sold - what would life be like if the Roman Empire never fell, and the United Kingdom never was. What we know of London is the last remaining outpost in Britannia; Scotland, Wales and Kernow have their princes, and Mercia and Anglia are their own kingdoms. The Empire shuns the magic of the other kingdoms and today’s technology, with an even more futuristic spin, rules their lives. With an illness that’s spreading, and her life about to change following her upcoming marriage to her betrothed Marcus, life is about to change for Cassandra. But then she notices her classmate Devyn properly for the first time - and can’t deny there’s a connection.

For me, the comparisons with Hunger Games, isn’t fair. This is a different read; there’s no life or death trials that Cassandra must undertake, and there’s the will they/won’t they tension between her relationship with Devyn. I found the story setting and the building tension between Cassandra and Devyn really engaging. O’Connor has really built a unique world that she’ll develop with the other two books in the series. But I found this overly long and I’ll admit I did lose my way, and the repeated will they/won’t they between Cassandra and Devyn detracts from all the build up at the start.

I wanted to really like this book. Set in an alternate world where the Roman Empire never fell, sign me up. Secrets of the Starcrossed started out with so much potential. The first third of the book did a good job setting up the world, the characters, and the major plot points, but by halfway through the book it starts to get frustrating. There are only so many times a plot point can be reused before it starts to feel sloppy. Every decision made in the book is wavered on 5-6 times, and each time adds nothing of real value to the development of the plot other than extending the length of the novel.
I am giving this three stars because I really do see the potential for this story, and the characters have potential. Since this is a trilogy I'm hoping the first book only dragged itself out in order to set up the rest of the series.

SYNOPSIS:
Magic, science, and a seemingly perfect society are the ingredients in Clara O’Connor’s first book in the Once and Future Queen Series. Set in an alternate future where the Roman Empire never fell, Cassandra lives her life according to the Code. This is what every citizen abides by in order to keep the peace and promote the success of the Empire. An interaction between her and Devyn, a strange young man she has in one of her classes, challenges everything Cassandra believes to be true about the Code and the society she lives in.

REVIEW:
What immediately caught my attention about this book is the alternate future that is the setting for this really well-written fantasy! I loved this world! The Roman Empire never fell, which is a really fascinating concept for someone like me, who has always been really intrigued by history. I stayed engaged and wanted to finish this book as soon as I picked it up. I only put it down to get some much-needed sleep!

The world that has been created is complex, merging technology and magic. Two things that are often considered opposites but O’Connor did a great job bringing them together. The advancements in technology have made it easier to control society, which added to the futuristic aspect of this story. It felt so different from what we know in our own reality but yet seemed completely plausible giving it validity.

Cassandra as a character was frustrating at times, especially in the beginning. As someone living within the Empire subject to the Code, she is ignorant of the realities that Devyn shares with her, challenging, and resisting what he has to say. Devyn, on the other hand, is a rebel, who seems to hold all the answers to Cassandra’s questions and has full knowledge of how the Empire seeks to control its citizens. I really loved his character and it doesn’t hurt that he has those bad boy vibes! Despite my frustrations, as the story progressed, Cassandra’s growth from ignorant citizen to an autonomous thinker with Devyn’s help was appreciated. She matures throughout the story and by the end is not the same ignorant, sheltered character she was at the beginning.

Who doesn’t love twists and turns in a book! I was never quite sure how something would happen because I knew there could be a twist that I wasn’t expecting. I was surprised in quite a few places and I am looking forward to seeing how the second book answers some of my questions and adds to the suspense. This book isn’t without romance, another well-done aspect of the story!

This is a fantastic start to a series! I am 100% invested and want to know what happens next! Hopefully, the second installment comes soon! Another great fantasy read especially for those who liked The Hunger Games and Divergent series.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very fun introduction to what feels like it will be an exciting series! I have to admit that the early chapters in which we are introduced to Cassandra put me off (her 'normal' personality isn't very attractive, and the book felt rather juvenile at that point). I am glad I stuck with it though. It is rare that I read a book and immediately think of it being made into a movie, but I would absolutely sign up to see this on a big screen (I envision it as a blend of Bridgerton and Hunger Games). Excited for the next book!

In a world where disobeying The Code means forfeiting your life to the judgement of the citizens, Cassandra is the perfect resident. Only after truly meeting fellow classmate, Devyn, does her life change.
I really loved a lot of aspects of this book-- I thought Devyn and Cassandra had great chemistry, and there was so much mystery surrounding them. The world-building was immense and sometimes a little overwhelming, but as the author gave more and more information on the universe, I found the most interesting details to be the ones she specifically kept from us, as it gave me more incentive to keep reading and learn more.
However, I think there were a lot of elements squished into the book that didn't really get their chance to bloom. I imagine this will be rectified in the rest of the series, but as the first novel it was hard to keep track of all the moving parts. Magic, Shadowers, latents, griffins-- these are only a few things that I sort of understand in this world, but not really. I think the author has an incredibly detailed outline for the world, that much is very clear. I just think that it didn't totally translate onto the page.
I also found a lot of the novel to be a bit repetitive, specifically how often Devyn allowed Cassandra close only to push her away again. I know the point the author was trying to make with this, but I think less is more sometimes. The situation is clear to the reader after it happens once or twice, but any more than that becomes a little frustrating. The same thing goes for how many times Cass tries to run away, only to be caught.
I am a firm believer that the last few pages can make or break a book and I was NOT disappointed with this one. I loved the trial scene in the beginning and the 360 right back there in the end was absolutely killer.