So, I'm really conflicted about this book. On one hand I like it, on the other I honestly barely read it because it was too slow and filled with unnecessary details. The plot is there, it's interesting, and I love the idea of this world. A place where the Roman Empire never fell? Now in some dystopian version of that alternate future? How interesting is that?

However, I feel like the author got lost in the desire to share this world with the reader, so much so that the plot of the book drowned in unnecessary details mostly included to give a sense of the world. It was there from page one and unfortunately only got worse.

I mean, I'm not supposed to be able to skim through a whole book and read more or less only dialogue to know what's going on. And what I read was interesting, the intrigue of what secrets this closed in community had etc, I wanted to know it all, but it was frustrating to read when all I got was unnecessary scenes and details that just went on and on for ages without really moving the plot forward.

I wanted to like this, I really did, but I just can't get into it without skimming over all these unnecessary stuff. And to be honest, by the end of the book, despite having skimmed through large portions of it, I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Which is a strange feeling since all that I did skip should have really mattered. Since it doesn't matter, it probably didn't even need to be there in the first place.

That said, I likes the characters, and the world and the plot. This author can write and it was a suitable language for the genre and I loved the mix of fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian thing going on here.

I have some issues with the relationship between the two main characters Cassandra and Devyn, their so called "connection" just didn't feel genuine to me and it was as if the author really pushed it a little too hard there at the beginning. It was like "love at first sight" high on drugs. The boy was undescript and skinny and apparently Cassandra couldn't find such a guy attractive so he sort of "had to be hiding his true muscular and gorgeous self somewhere using magic or whatever. Also, she didn't remember him, but then she states that she knew him, then that she didn't and well, they just go back and forth and even seem to completely forget each other there for a moment in the book.

And maybe (probably) I missed something here too, but wasn't this supposed to be the Roman Empire? So why do they keep taking about Hades? Isn't he a Greek God?

After reading several reviews I decided to DNF this book at the 50% mark because I was not enjoying it and based on the reviews the story wouldn’t develop into something I’d enjoy reading. I’ll be talking about the points I had written down whilst reading the book in this review, so you’ll still get a clear review of the story. My review will also explain why I put this book down.

If you read the synopsis you could guess that it’s quite a romance heavy book, however if you don’t like reading too much of a synopsis because it often times just tells too much, then you’re in for a surprise. You need to know going into this book that it’s romance heavy, or else you’ll be disappointed.

Even though this book is heavy on the romance, it also has a fair bit of different themes. Within the romance part we have a love triangle, soulmates, arranged marriage and starcrossed lovers. The story takes place in a science heavy world which is based on an alternate history of Europe where they’re basically still living in the Roman Empire, but it’s also quite heavy on British history. None of those world related themes are actually properly explained. There’s hardly any world building at all. The only thing about the world you get to know is that the citizens decide the fate of people who broke the law in an amphitheatre. That was very interesting to discover, but unfortunately you don’t discover anything else about the politics or the world. You don’t get to understand how the world or the politics in it work. But still the book manages to be very info dumping, but the type of info the book was dumping, was not interesting or necessary.

It just felt like the author wanted to add too much tropes and themes into this one book, that none of it was fleshed out or worked properly. Everything just lacked something. For example: the romance between Cassandra and Devyn. They’ve known each other for years but never really talked to each other. But all of a sudden they fall head over heels in love with each other by talking once? And they’re excessively touching each other by the third time they’re talking. There was really just zero chemistry between the two and as a reader you don’t believe it or care for their relationship one little bit.

And then there’s Cassandra’s other love interest Marcus, the one she’s been betrothed since she was 12. Even though he played an obvious smaller role in the story, he felt like the most realistic and fleshed out character out of all of them. He was the only one I cared a little bit for. Even the chemistry between him and Cassandra was bigger than between Cassandra and Devyn, just because Marcus had more personality to him. And that really says something when the author obviously wants you to root for Cassandra and Devyn.

Once you discover Cassandra is supposed to be 22, Devyn 26 and Marcus 27, you’re blown off your socks because they, especially Cassandra and Devyn, act like 14-15 year olds. On top of that they, once again especially Cassandra and Devyn, keep changing personalities every single chapter. They seem to change their mind or the way they think about something and the way they act for no apparent reason. It’s just the next chapter and they act, talk and think in a different way, yep makes sense?! That also just makes the characters so unrealistic. For example: Cassandra is supposed to be the good, rich girl who always follows the rules, but then she discovers her world is not as good at it seems, so she starts rebelling. It was just that one chapter she is a rebel and the next she is goody-two-shoes again without an explanation as to why she changed her mind. It also just became so annoying and repetitive to constantly see her change from the rebel to the girl next door every other chapter. It made her a very unbelievable character.

And last, but not least, the narration style just felt really… awkward. There were these weird time jumps between chapters and they were never really explained. But then the characters would tell you what happened during the time we skipped. What happened to ‘show don’t tell’? Why not just show us what happened instead of letting a character tell us what happened? The characters would drag on and on and on when telling you what happened, so it really wouldn’t have made the book longer to just show the reader what happened without the awkward time jumps.

I still definitely think that if you like fantasy/scifi romance, you might like this. I just prefer my fantasy books to have a great world with interesting politics, and for the romance to be a very little part of the story, or even non-existent, I wouldn’t care. Unfortunately, I couldn’t judge whether or not this book had a great world and interesting politics, because it was never even explained.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me access.

This reminded me so much of Matched, Red Queen, and Divergent. All three of which I love. While I didn't fall head over heels for Secrets of the Starcrossed, I still really enjoyed it.

We have our typical love triangle, a girl needing to be 'saved', -- oh she also has a past -- and some pretty cool abilities. O'Connor did an amazing job of creating her own unique spin on a dystopian that we have read somewhere else before.

I cannot wait for book two because that ending just left me wanting more.

** I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by the publisher (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Secrets of the Starcrossed by Clara O'Connor follows Cassandra, a girl living in Londinium. In this story, the Roman Empire never fell and the citizens of Londinium are kept from their pagan enemies by a wall surrounding the city. There is a Code they must all follow and any divergence from the Code is dealt with swiftly. Each week they hold a Mete, where those who have defied the Code are brought into a sandy arena to be judged on their crimes. The citizens of Londinium are shown the evidence (with the criminals faces obscured) and must vote on whether the person before them is guilty.

Cassandra grew up in a wealthy family, never having to worry about anything. Her father was a wealthy merchant and she was lucky enough to attend class with the other elites. Cassandra is matched to Marcus, the son of one of the most prominent men in the city, and is set to marry him upon graduation. Cass has never broken the Code, but that all changes one morning when she notices something strange in a classmates pocket. In comes Devyn, someone she has never paid much attention to before. Cass is then made aware of a side of her she had no idea existed and her eyes are open to the misgivings of her world.

This book intrigued me, as it featured Celtic legends. This was something I had personally never read about in a book. The world-building and the overall plot of this book were absolutely amazing. O'Connor did a great job of explaining this new world and bringing the reader into the story. The ending has definitely made me want to read more!

Now, there were a few things that I couldn't get over while reading. I had to actually force myself to continue reading, otherwise I would have stopped 30% of the way in to the book.

First of all the main character was annoying. Cassandra was constantly changing her mind and complaining about the smallest of things. I get she grew up sheltered, but her thought process was so childish and materialistic.

Another thing that irked me was the authors diction. While I get the use of larger words can be beneficial to some stories, in this one it ruined the flow. It felt as if the author just picked up a thesaurus and threw in words that were unnecessary. Many times I found myself stopping to look up the word only to realize there were about five different words that would have fit there better.

Finally, I just felt like a lot of information was constantly being thrown at you with little explanation. I get most of this came from Devyn's character not wanting to explain things to Cass, but overall as a reader I got really annoyed.

The ending of this book was such a great turn of events, I am willing to give the second book a chance. I think O'Connor has a great idea here, but the execution didn't live up to my expectations. Especially when they are comparing this book to the likes of The Hunger Games.


*review posted on amazon on publish date under “rachel stinson”., couldn’t figure out how to link my direct review*

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is intriguing – an alternate history where the Roman Empire never fell, but survived to present day and beyond. An empire holding back the unruly Britons and their magical powers by means of some incredible technology. But it didn’t hit on all cylinders for me.

First, Cassandra is supposedly a young adult – she celebrates her 21st birthday in the book. But she often comes across as a whiny, immature teen who wants her way no matter the consequence.

Second, the insta-romance with Devyn. He comes to her notice in class one day, and suddenly, BAM! He’s all she can think about. Never mind that she’s already promised to Marcus. Once she acknowledges Devyn, that’s it.

Third, the Empire apparently has no qualms about using mind-altering drugs to “persuade” its citizens to do what’s right. The bridal tea that Cassandra drinks, the cuffs put on the “happy” couple at handfasting – talk about the illusion of free will. And really, you would expect an empire to use some form of manipulation to keep their grip on power. But how, then, does the older generation learn about and buy into this kind of control if everyone is so happy to be a citizen of the Empire? Is there some point at which they’re initiated into the secret society of Those Who Know so that they can “guide” their children in the right direction? Or is it just Cassandra and Marcus’s parents who are in the know, because the Empire wants an as-yet-unspecified something from their children?

Fourth, THE ENDING. Sweet mother of pearl, that ending. The story started kind of slow, and it kind of grated on me in some ways, but I did get sucked in about halfway through. I really wanted to know what happened. All this build-up to who Cassandra may be, what Devyn might be to her, can she break free from the life that’s been planned for her by others, and…WHAM. That. Ending. If I’d been reading a hard copy, I might have thrown the book across the room. I get that the author wants to leave the reader wanting more, but this seems to take that idea to extremes.

I think Ms. O’Connor has great potential. I’ll read the second book in the trilogy if for no other reason than to find out what happens next. I’d love to see a little more maturity from Cassandra, a little more attention to historical detail (if this is the Roman Empire, they aren’t going to talk about Hades – he was Greek, y’all), and more than just a titular nod to the Arthurian legend that comes to mind when I hear “the once and future queen.” That would elevate her work considerably in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and One Chapter More for an advance review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story and the way history interweaved with new technology. I was a little bit confused as to why Hades was mentioned when there was a big focus on Romans but I'm not sure if that was just the mixture of Roman/Greek history. The ending was such a full stop. It definitely made me want to read the next book but by golly I really disliked the hard cliff-hanger.

Sadly I could not get on with this book at all. From early on, I felt I was going to be annoyed by the soulmates and romance stuff, and I was correct. I really wanted to like this, the synopsis sounds so good. But in reality, I really wanted everyone in it to drown and Cassandra annoyed me throughout. She kept swinging between opinions like a metronome.

I was unfortunately in a bit of a reading slump when I started reading this so it did take me a few days to get into it, but once I'd made it through that first part I was hooked.

I love the world the author has built and I really enjoy the Celtic elements included as well as the Roman style setting. I studied Classics in college so knew when reading the synopsis of this that it would be right up my street.

Without going into spoiler territory I absolutely love Cassandra as a character, even at times when I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next instalment, I desperately need to know what happens next!

I’m not sure how this book earned the blurb, “Panem meets the Grishaverse in this explosive new YA trilogy perfect for readers of Marie Lu, Bella Forrest, and Cassandra Clare.” I’m guessing it’s a marketing ploy; you know, use a bunch of YA keywords to drum up more reader interest, which is unfortunate because this bit of false advertising just makes it that much more disappointing when you realize Secrets of the Starcrossed is not what’s advertised.

The story is all over the place. O’Connor throws every YA trope and the kitchen sink into this book without really committing to any of it. There’s a bit of Matched, a dash of the Arthurian legend, a hint of Orwell, maybe a touch of Legend if you squint hard enough, and some Celtic mysticism thrown in for good measure. The thing is, I’ve read this story before. Not in this exact combination, but the instalove and surprise magical powers are nothing new. I’ve even seen the handcuff-like engagement jewellery before. Secrets of the Starcrossed doesn’t offer anything new and, unfortunately, doesn’t even regurgitate anything in a compelling or fun way.

The world-building is an absolute mess. Instead of getting a cohesive, developed setting, we get bits and pieces of different worlds haphazardly thrown together to create a muddled mess. It’s modern dystopia mixed with ancient Rome mixed with European history mixed with pseudo-Anglo history, and none of it is ever really fleshed out. Like 445 pages later, I’m still not really sure how the magical system works.

The editing needs work. The plot is hidden under layers and layers of fluff and filler. The story starts out incredibly slowly, and readers with a quick DNF-trigger finger probably won’t get past the first chapter. The story continues at an awkward pace–often too fast or too slow and rarely just right–which makes the final cliffhanger all the more frustrating. The fact that “starcrossed” is in the title probably should’ve clued me in to how romance-centric this would be, but it’s just laughable. It’s essentially insta-love with an extra side of cheese. There’s a pseudo-love triangle which isn’t particularly convincing because we’re hit so heavily over the head with the whole soulmates thing.

I’m a bit disappointed because this had the potential to be interesting and original but ended up being a bit confusing and derivative instead. Because the story picks up towards the end and ends on that awful cliffhanger, I’m sure I’ll end up reading the sequel at some point. I am hoping there’ll be more solid world-building and some better character development in the subsequent books though.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I went into this book with not a lot of anticipation. The first third of the book was a little bit slow and didn’t really hold my attention, but once we were past that I really got into the book. I liked the story and had a hard time putting the book down.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters but liked them well enough. I’m not usually a fan of love triangles but I think Clara O’Connor had written this one in a great way. I also loved the world they were living in and kept wanting to know more about it. It was a really interesting world.

I can’t wait to pick up the next in the series as soon as it comes out. Like I said before I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.

Unfortunately, this was just not the book for me. While I enjoyed the writing style, and I absolutely loved the premise of this book - alternate history is something I will always be interested by, that was about all I enjoyed. The worldbuilding had promise, but ultimately ended up feeling to fractured and scattered, rather than providing a cohesive backdrop to the story. The pacing was also off, with the first half flowing very well before all but reaching a standstill in the second half, and the ending - setting the foundation for the second book, felt too abrupt after that, and I just wasn't able to connect with the characters. That said, there were nuggets of promise all throughout this book, and I can see why some people have enjoyed it so much, it just wasn't a good match with me.

I originally had a hard time getting into this book because the synopsis talks about a Roman inspired world with magic and there was absolutely no magic to be found. I am so glad I stuck with it though, because this book was a wild ride.

The setting of this book is so interesting, yes, it is Roman inspired, and they talk about Celts and Britans, but it's also set in modern day society. The main character has a cell phone and access to the internet but at the same time is running around in gowns and is living in a high society as a Donna.

The love triangle in this (if you even want to call it that) was also very well written. Unfortunately, I don't think she's going to end up with the guy I want to her be with, because she barely even likes him.

I've preordered the rest of the trilogy and I can't wait to see where this story goes

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of this book via Netgalley for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book - a take on what would have happened if the Roman empire never fell - and the historical references throughout the book were great (I guarantee I missed some as it isn't my area of expertise).

I also really liked the idea of the punishment system in the book, with the arena and the voting, but don't feel like this was explained and seen enough.

The mixture of both technology and magic use was interesting and one of the things I enjoyed the most in the book. I would be happy to see this explored further in the next book.

The start was slow and hard to get into, but I flew through the last 40%. However, while I felt the pacing was quite quick, the story was frustrating. There were a lot of convenient ways out of the events and some things felt very rushed.

Cassandra as the main protagonist was fine, but annoying and quite a pushover at times. My biggest frustration was the romance in the book. It was very back and forth and I didn't really care for either of the love interests.

The ending also felt very abrupt. I would pick up the next book to see where the story goes though.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it! I have to say, the mixed reviews made me a bit nervous, but after reading this book I really can't imagine why the reviews are so all over the place! First of all, the premise for this book is absolutely fascinating - from what I gather, it's written as if the fall of the Roman Empire never happened, so it's kind of like a "this is what would have happened if they had continued to thrive". SO cool right?! Not to mention the world that Clara O'Connor created! I loved trying to imagine what she envisioned with a city built up into the sky rather than out along the ground. It put my imagination to the test that's for sure!

In terms of the premise/world-building, the only thing I will say is that sometimes the history of the different kingdoms/wars/treaties was a bit confusing. I found it hard to follow along and felt there could have been a bit more detail included. I don't think that it took away from my experience, however. as I could follow along enough to understand the major players, and that is what was important. Just something to make note of!

Character-wise, I was not disappointed! Cassandra, the main female lead, started out as a simple person with a simple life. But as she discovered truths about herself and the world around her, she transformed into a defiant, compassionate, and determined young lady. Her development as a person throughout this book was so much fun to read and experience. I found many of her reactions and actions real and relatable, which was great as I tend to put myself in the shoes of the main character!

Devyn was also a great character. I found the beginning of the book, when Cassandra and Devyn meet for the first time, a bit fast. It kind of seemed to come out of nowhere and at the very beginning of the book without any sort of buildup. But as I kept reading, this feeling dissipated and I found myself rooting for them to be together! Devyn was a great male lead. He was dark, handsome, and mysterious (the perfect combo every time). He was confident and a bit arrogant, but it worked for him. He had the whole "bad boy" part down to an art and I loved every minute of it.

In terms of their relationship, the only thing that REALLY frustrated me was that Devyn would NOT tell Cassandra anything. Like literally anything. There would be huge, elaborate plans that she had to be a part of, and he would give her LESS than the bare minimum. It was irritating, to be quite honest. I wish I had seen a little more spunk and defiance from Cassandra in these particular situations. But that's pretty much my only complaint there.

And Marcus was an interesting addition that turned this into a semi love triangle type book! You'll see what I mean by that when you read it lol! He was not my cup of tea at first, but I came around as he developed into a character more worthy of my love and appreciation haha! As he also discovers the truth about the leaders of his world, he becomes much more bearable.

Overall, I found this book fresh and exciting! I loved the Celtic elements woven throughout, and am so excited to read what comes next in the series! TALK ABOUT A CLIFFHANGER! Eek! I highly recommend this book to all YA lovers!

When I heard this book was a touch of Hungers games meets Grushaverse with Marie Liu’s style of writing- I just had to read it!

Set against the backdrop of an alternate reality, where the Roman Empire never falls, but instead thrives, advances and adapts with futuristic technology and creates a system fused with Celtic magic, legends and traditions - it was a truly stunning premise!

Secrets of the Starcrossed follows the story of Cassandra- a proud daughter of a wealthy merchant, loyal follower of the Code, fiancé to the most eligible bachelor in the City - Marcus Courtenay and loyal citizen of Londinium.
The people of Londinium live by a Code (the laws and norms of the land) and those who fail to follow the rules are punished on the sands and the citizens are happy to comply.

However, once Cass meets Devyn, her world turns upside down. Cassandra had her life planned out but Devyn dazzles her, leads her to question the Code, unravel secrets and find love that completely captivates her.

A great plot and interesting setting and world building. The romance was beautiful, albeit a little predictable but good.
Cassandra , Marcus and Devyn were all intriguing/ dynamic characters but something felt forced with the relationships.

Overall, the book was great but fell a little flat and complex at times, like it was trying too hard, too much going on maybe? Nevertheless, A great start to a potentially brilliant trilogy - a wonderful take on a dystopian adventure with a touch of SciFi and fantasy and forbidden romance.

4.5 starlights

** I was given an e-arc by the publishers Harper Collins Uk, One more chapter through @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In theory this sounds like a great premise for a fantasy series. What drew me to this in the first place was the idea of “what if the Roman Empire never fell”. I thought oh cool Roman Empire in modern day, they must have strong military and great technology, but then magic and talk of King Arthur and The Lady of the Lake was thrown in and I was lost. The world building was lackluster and the history was flat out confusing. I felt it read as more of sci-fi book with all the talk of “the Code” and the heavy use of technology.

The characters are cliché and kinda boring, but our main character Cassandra did start to grow on me, I mostly felt bad for her. Cassandra is portrayed as a superficial, good girl who was adopted and doesn’t know her true lineage. She’s your typical doesn’t know she has magical powers and might be someone really important character. Now if you’re going to do something that's been done thousands of times before I think you need something that makes these characters stand out and that’s what was missing for me. The romance, which was probably going to be the stand out feature was bland. There was no flirting or playfulness just instant love, and for someone she’s know for years but didn’t notice until one day when he got in trouble...seriously? The story goes form 0 to 100 real quick and not in a good way. There is no suspense or build up and then as the story progresses we continue to get bits of information which are hard to follow.

I think that if you look past the imperfections, underneath you have a pretty solid story it’s just we get so little information in book 1 that’s it’s more confusing and frustrating. I’m a glutton for punishment so I will most likely read the next book in the series especially since it comes out in March. I’m hoping book 2 will give us more answers.

The book in general was an okay read. However, I found this book to be really confusing with an over complicated world. I tried really hard to get to connect with the main character but I found them to be very immature. It was almost like the character didn't belong in the world described. Really disappointing.

First of all, a big thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the digital ARC [eARC]!

I'm rating this a 3/5, mainly because the first 100 pages or so didn't grab me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the read and fully plan to pick it back up later, but I've been in a bit of a reading slump and was hoping this book would pull me out of it, but it hasn't. Hopefully something else does, and I can come back to this and give it another go.

The writing isn't bad, by any means, but it just didn't GRIP me. I'm hoping it's just my slump, but maybe it isn't? Which is why I'm putting 3 stars.

If I do read it [or officially DNF it], I'll come back and update this review.

I loved the premise of this novel, that’s why I requested it on NetGalley, but I had a bit of hard time enjoying this story, especially at the beginning, where most of the narrative is occupied by too much information. A young girl promised to the most handsome and most-sought man in town, but attracted to the dangerous guy who keeps pushing her away. All is set in a technological world full of secrets, spies, and plots. Towards the end things got more interesting and I started to enjoy it. I have to admit that I may read the sequel to see what happens next.

Book 1 of The Once and Future Queen series

I received an ARC of Secrets of the Starcrossed through NetGalley thanks to the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

“Secrets of the Starcrossed is the first novel in the epic The Once and Future Queen fantasy series by Clara O’Connor.

An absolute must-read for fans of The Hunger Games…

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

Londinium, the last stronghold of the Romans left in Britannia, remains in a delicate state of peace with the pagan kingdoms that surround it. Within its mighty walls defiance means death and capital punishment is decreed by public vote.

As the only daughter of a powerful merchant, Cassandra is betrothed to Marcus, the most eligible bachelor in the city and the last scion of the Old Blood.

But then she meets Devyn, the boy with the strange midnight eyes searching for a girl with magic in her blood. A mythical guardian from an ancient Celtic kingdom with a debt to pay to a Northern lord…

A boy who will make her believe in soulmates.

When a mysterious virus rips through the slums leeching the life from citizens with Celtic power lying dormant in their veins, the imperial council hide behind locked doors, scheming. But the question remains: is magic the cure or the curse?

Panem meets the Grishaverse in this explosive new YA trilogy perfect for readers of Marie Lu, Bella Forrest, and Cassandra Clare.” -NetGalley

Review:

The comparison of Hunger Games meets Shadow and Bones is an accurate depiction of Secrets of the Starcrossed. I think there is a bit of Matched mixed in there too. All of which I love! I was honestly nervous going into this book. Those comparison books are major and have had a huge impact on my reading life. But it actually managed to live up to those titles really well.

Cassandra, Michael, and Devyn are all loveable characters, even if I want to smack some sense into them at times. I really want to know what happens to them next!

The world is wonderfully constructed. I am fascinated by dystopians, especially those where the main character is oblivious to the negative aspects of their society until it can no longer be ignored. There are times were Cassandra acts like a spoiled brat, but that was her life for so long that it is not surprising that she struggles breaking away from that world. In the end what matters is if she is able to. We shall see!

I do recommend this to someone looking for a twisted contemporary future where magic exists outside the walls, until it breaks through.