2.5/5
After reading the synopsis for The Cup and the Prince, I was intrigued by the premise and prepared to dive right into reading. We follow the main character Zora, as she enters into the royal games under the guise of her village's chosen champion and attempts to win the legendary Blood Cup. Alliances are drawn and loyalties are tested as Zora progresses through the competition, securing her spot, while at the same time making herself dangerous enemies.

Now despite the initial aspects that seemed appealing, the story ultimately failed to live up to any of the expectations it set for itself. There was such an issue with pacing throughout the entirety of the book, that it felt like the whole thing was set on fast forward. That, and there lacked any real depth to the events that were occurring. This can be traced all the way back to the world building itself which was incredibly lackluster and seemingly incomplete. The main event of the plot was supposed to be the competition, but even that fell short as it was overshadowed by unnecessary plot segways. Zora, who is portrayed from the start as this confident and skilled individual, lacked both of those things. This failed to line up with her wins from each stage of the competition and show how she was able to continue at all. The characters themselves, felt to me extremely one-dimensional and not given enough background. Unfortunate that this missed so much of what it was trying to convey. I'm not sure as to whether I will be continuing this series or not. Stay tuned.

This was quite the intrigue and adventure book. Take a girl scorned and throw her in a new place she has no idea anything about and we watch her grow.
I enjoyed the competitiveness of our heroine and the fact that she was pretty naive. What I didn't enjoy was the romance or everyone is in a giant love rectangle and let's go with it.
I wish the love interest wasnt so obvious and that we didn't have to go through this whole rectangle of a romance the whole way.
Good fantasy afternoon read.

This was a solid start to the Kingdom and Curses and Shadows series, however I am slightly underwhelmed.

The Cup and the Prince was marketed as Throne of Glass meets Minecraft, and I can definitely see the similarities. The Minecraft references made me chuckle and it was pretty fun to pick out all the references.

The story was extremely fast-paced and this kept me reading. I am a sucker for tournament-based tropes and will read anything with said trope. However, at the beginning of the novel, we are thrust straight into the action without any explanation. This was a bit jarring as there was a lack of world-building and no background information.

In terms of the plot, it was fun but nothing really stood out. Zora had to compete in a tournament to win the Blood Cup, along the way, she had to overcome some obstacles. It was pretty linear with a couple of twists and slightly predictable. The ending was a welcome surprise though, since I did not see that coming!

I wasn’t really connected to any of the characters because the story was so fast-paced and plot-driven. We did not get the time to learn about their personalities and motivations. Everything was pretty surface-level, from the relationships to the plot. I’m hoping the sequel will dive deeper into that.

I really liked the feminist themes throughout the novel. Zora was determined to not let any man undermine her and I loved her ambition to succeed. She was a likable protagonist and I hope to learn more about her in the sequel.

Overall, this was a solid read. I recommend if you enjoy tournament-based plot lines or if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Quick read. Kind of reminded me of Hunger Games in a way. I feel like it was way too fast paced, but maybe that’s just me.

I was really excited to read this book and was definitely not disappointed. I felt like this was a hunger games meets fantasy, and my only complaint was that the world building wasn't all that great, but the plot was very intriguing! The book follows Zora, a girl from the dark valley who takes her cheating boyfriend's spot in the competition fro the blood cup. Zora is a strong MC with lots of history, and should definitely not be underestimated.

This was such a fun, enjoyable read. It was really exciting, and kept me wanting more. I just loved it! I immediately fell in love with the characters.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The Cup and the Prince follows Zora who tricks her way into the Royal Games with the intention of proving her ex-boyfriend and those around her that she is capable of not only surviving the games but winning them. But there is more to her new life then just winning the games, there are various interested parties wanting to utilise Zora for their own gain and no one for her to trust.

The book is a short fast paced read, with interesting characters who are unreliable and playing their own games. As the book is a short read, it does lack world building and context around the Royal Games, it moves very fast which means that there is little time to process stuff before another thing is already happening. The Royal Games themselves happen quickly and were quite disappointing, for someone who was meant to be under a disadvantage compared to her fellow competitors, Zora did get through the games fairly easy and the games themselves were not as bad as I expected them to be.

The characters were interesting and though they were not likable it was nice to read about characters with their own purposes and I liked the unstable atmosphere in the Kingdom with backstabbing characters. However, I did not like the dialogue in the book, it made the characters seem younger and less mature than they were - some of these characters were in high positions and yet it did not seem like they were. The book is told through the perspective of Zora and Prince Griffin, I did think that having him as a narrator was kind of a spoiler and made things easy to guess, without his narrative there would have been more mystery to the book and it would have been less predictable. I expected the book to be a light fun read and it was but, I was still disappointed because I expected more political intrigue, Zora having to fight for her place in the game more and the villain to be stronger. The villain was revealed early on which was annoying and how they caused all the issues was predictable and easy to see, the clues were very obvious which made the reveal predictable.

I also expected more around the Blood Cup, I would say there is a mystery around it but it was barely mentioned so I did not care for it. I am assuming it is more important in the next book but I still would have liked to know more about it and what its uses are and there is a scene at the start of the book where the cup is first mentioned and that is never referred to again which I thought was weird.

2/5

Set in a world where contestants from different regions compete in the Royal Games, the story follows Zora who joins the contest just for petty revenge. But things are not as simple as they seem and danger lurks in the shadows, often from unexpected sources. How can a girl from a dark corner of the kingdom ever hope to win?

I loved the pacing. The plot is brilliant and there is no way I could have expected the plot twists. The princely brothers and their dynamic hasn't been dealt with in detail yet, and I expect it may play a huge role in the next book but it is clear even now, that it is not pleasant and all three have their own machinations behind the scenes.

What I liked the most about the book was that each character was different, it wasn't easy to understand their motivations (just like in real life!) and the author doesn't go too much into detail, just the way it should be.
I recommend this for readers who like strong protagonists who take split second decisions, are brave and gallant and spirited. Because that is exactly what Zora is.

I gave this novel a chance and I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed. The idea is there, but the execution was a miss. I wish the characters had more depth to them. I wish there was more about the Dark Valley and the creatures that appear. The book made it seem like an after thought. I feel that there was a missed opportunity in the world building in this book.

I don't want to be cruel, so I will keep this short. There is a lot to improve, from the language (who uses "inferiority complex" in a medieval setting), to word building and mostly characters. I felt I was listening to someone telling me a story, as they remembered it, not reading a book. I've never thought I will miss paragraphs of description of forest, rooms and people. Through all this I felt the characters were in fhe middle of nothing, I had no idea what/who is around them.
All characters were unlikeable and unrealistic (what are the chances of this one random girl get the attention of all 3 princes??)
Everything felt rushed and chaotic, I really wish I liked this and being the ARC I somehow hope the final edition will be strongly improved.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

So it's a no for me.

Day Leitao's YA fantasy novel tells the story of Zora, a young warrior who steals her ex-boyfriend's place in the Blood Cup after he cheats on her. However, once she arrives at the palace, she also realizes that not only does Zora have to win the competition but she has to deal with two princes - one who wants her out of the games, and the other who wants her as a pawn for his own schemes.

So the premise of this book was super interesting. I liked the idea of the shadow creatures and the history behind the Blood Cup. I also REALLY like the idea of a scorn woman who takes revenge on her lover. And from the way Seth is painted, he really deserves it.

However, everything else just fell flat. There's a lot of emphasis on Griffin not wanting Zora to participate in the Royal Games, but all I got from it was that he didn't want her competing because she's a girl?? Legit, this is one of the main characters that I'm supposed to root for, but his whole motive was just wack.

I also didn't really enjoy any of the characters and found them to be very childish, especially their dialogue. I was thrown off whenever they talked because I felt that the diction didn't fit a fantasy world. However, I do think that younger readers may enjoy that type of dialogue.

Overall, I think The Cup and the Prince has a strong premise. However, I don't think that the world was explored enough, such as the expanding on the shadow creatures and the reasons for why the Blood Cup is such a coveted prize for everyone. The story focuses solely on the characters and their personal struggles, which I didn't care for.

I received this ARC From Sparkly Wave publisher via netgalley with thanks, in return for an unbiased review.

"Zora had always wanted to be a hero"

Guys, its not often that i say this...but i had to FORCE myself to finish this book.

Let's jump straight into my iteration of the plot before we continue with the review:

"Nothing is more dangerous that a woman scorned.
Growing up in the Dark Valley, Zora knew to never trust in the shadows because you may yet meet your death.
But shadows are more than that, the most dangerous are the shadows which lurk within the hearts of mankind.
When the night which should have been a monumental affair in her 17 years turns out to be a nightmare;
Zora is stripped of confidence and full of righteous anger, she takes her sword escapes Dark Valley at twilight to join the one and only...ROYAL GAMES.
While she knew she will face many trials... she never counted on the two princes and one king who throw her life into a world beyond imagination.
...especially one with hair the softness of silk and eye which spell danger. Both alluring but deadly."

Ugh. Guys, i made that sound pretty good right? Wrong.

Let's do a few disclaimers first before anyone thinks me a hater. I didn't like this book. Me, as in my person. So i'm gonna be real and unbiased here. I do not hate the author nor do i thrive on crucifying novels.

Okay, lets move on.

Character personality...was there any?
Romance progression....um...yea i guess? When did they ACTUALLY have that 'aha' love moment i cannot tell you because its a mystery to me.
World building? interesting! doors of opportunities there.
Action? *groans* mostly pathetic.

This novel scores a solid 1.5- 2 stars/5 stars (leaning more towards 1.5 stars)

I know, I know, you're all thinking, if she hated it, why not give it a zero?

Let me explain. This book had so much potential to be something AMAZING. Unfortunately, it was a woefully missed opportunity. The main character is hardly likeable, she's naive and petty as heck and literally gets angry and cries at EVERYTHING. I did NOT connect with her in the least and it became real boring, real fast. Did i mention she cried at everything? yea. she does that. She made it into my 'irritating protagonist' shelf.

Now I don't mind tears but if someone painted me in a...um...interesting you-know-what manner, rather than cry I'd rip it all up and throw it in their face. What does our protagonist do instead? talks about deep world issues relating the portrayal of women and the difference in men, even though they were exaggerated and sexualised too. But noooooo, it's not like hers so we cry. Not do something about it like... set the place on fire...*coughs* sorry. For OH&S please don't set places on fire.

Blood Cup...WHAT THE HECK IS IT? I STILL DON'T KNOW! WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT IT? So, I thought, surely at some point I'll have a super cool mythological retelling that the gods created a mystical cup blah, blah...yeaaaa, I never got that. I STILL don't know why it's a reward, why Griffin wants it and how it can change lives.

And sun Goddess, ma'am, you appeared in one scene and then...WE HAD NO EXPLANATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANT IN THE FIRST PLACE. *exhales*

When i was reading this, i felt my age, all my 25 years and i was like, bruh, I'm too old for this kind of irritating thought processing and naïveté...perhaps a 12-14 year old could enjoy this more. And like, no shade on this...but so many sexual idioms were included in this novel, like at nearly every page of the book. It's a young adult book so, technically, its okay...but at every moment? like it got to be such a cliche with things being said like "i don't think she'd like to come..." and the other person replying with, "i thought girls like to come *winky face*." ha...ha...ha... hilarious...
Think of that but every few sentences *eye roll*.

THE INCONSISTENCIES!!!!!! OH. MY. GOSH! Zora is advertised as having held her sword her whole life, fighting monsters and being a 'badass' or something like that. You'd think, man, if i hold a sword since i was a baby, like 2 years old (yes...2) then my arms would have muscles on their muscle...but what does our protagonist suffer from?...weak...arms...? get help.

Someone save me and explain how this can be.

Our home potato boy, princey Griffin, has been fighting his whole life, strongest man in the realm and yet his hands are described as smooth and soft *squeals...gag* Again...how? Also Our little Miss is a potion master but she never thought to conjure a truth potion to you know, give it to the person she suspects wanted to kill her? It never crossed her mind. What did she do? Cry. Get shot by an arrow? what to do? kiss of course. And like, what's his deal with his brothers, why are they like that with each other? We don't know because its never explained!

The Royal games...honestly, pathetic. I blame The Hunger Games and First Year for my expectations. They actually made the games in those book something that made my heart pound. The royal games in this book...ugh. Sucked. Like...guys...I can't even.

I'm sad to say that i could probably keep going with this rant but i probably already lost half of you now.

This book has the potential to be great, so author, i genuinely wish you the best for your follow up novel but PLEASE keep the little nuances in mind and give your characters depth so we can like them.

I can't say I recommend this in good faith, but please do read it and make your own judgement. I'm unsure whether i want to delve into the follow up book but i might to see if this gets slightly...better.

Stay awesome my lovelies!
-Emmeline The Book Herald

A FANTASTIC read that left the rest of my recent TBR in the dust. Highly recommended! If you're looking for a fast-paced, lovely read, then this is it!

I’ve received an e-arc of this book via netgalley


Spoiler free review

-Synopsis-
Two things drew me into this book; The cover (which is absolutely stunning) and the author. This is my second book i’ve read by Day Leitao Star Spark being the first (which I also left a review for) I loved star spark a lot and the cup and the prince did not disappoint! I think that the cup and the prince is a unique book (in a goof way of course). This book has a lot of potential and I can’t wait for the next installment to this series.

-Plot-
The plot of The cup and the prince is a very understandable and unexpected one. The cup and the prince follows our main character Zora, who finds herself in a championship competing for the blood cup a cup that can make potions etc. And yes there is magic! The pace of this book is quite fast and a steady read. I loved all the plot twists and the thirst in this book. PLOT: 4.5/5

-Writing-
I definitely liked the writing in The cup and the prince. The very first sentence had me hooked and very interested. The whole book stayed like that. The cup and the prince is written at a fast pace so this is a good book for getting out of slumps or a quick read. Moments in this book were very descriptive and I liked that. The cup and the prince was very captivating and exceptionally written. WRITING: 4/5

-Characters-
I love Zora as a character so much. She really is an inspiring main character. Zora is an independent, strong, fighting character. Some other characters where hard “understand” mainly with their motives which made me suspicious of them. Most characters had a personality and backstory which was nice. CHARACTERS: 4/5


-Conclusion-
Do I think you should read The cup and the prince? Yesss! I think you should give it a try and see what’s it’s about. I’ll be recommending this book to most people I know! I really enjoyed this book a lot. Again, Can’t wait for the next book! OVERALL: 4/5

Reviewed 9/17/2020
Review can be found on goodreads

Enjoy reading stories about revenge, women taking control, or games to show strength? Check this one out!

Zora lives in a small town where they are constantly fighting shadows. Shadow wolves are an almost daily battle. The Dark Valley seems to be the only place in Gravel that deals with these creatures. Zora's ex was supposed to go compete in the Blood Cup games. After an interesting turn of events, Zora takes his place and gets herself to the games. She meets the two princes and the king. There tends to be some interesting love games being played through the book. Zora has to constantly keep secret that she wasn't not the original Dark Valley Champion. One of the princes recruits Zora to play side games for him in exchange for him to keep her secret. She comes in constant contact with Griffin, the second prince. And everything changes.

I enjoyed this book as a quick read. Day had a lot of fun ideas as she wrote this book. I thought the games she thought up for the competition were fun. And the way Zora had to learn so many things as she leaves her home town, such as riding a horse or to sleep on a bed without being afraid of the shadows.

On another note, this book had plot holes as it continued on. Also, the version I read had misspellings and other grammatical errors. And a character was brought in at the end and it was assumed they were introduced earlier in the book. I tried to go back to find their introduction, but I was unable to find anything.

The ending was fun and did leave me wanting the next book.

I give this one 3.5 out 5 Blood Cups.

I hope you enjoy!!
Britt

Wow ok, this book was going to be 1 star for me but the ending was ok.

The Cup and the Prince follows Zora, a 17 year old who steals her ex-boyfriends letter to represent her home in the royal games. Once she at the palace, she realizes that she has to play the game on the arena and at the royal ballroom. She has the attention of all 3 princes and a foreign princess who has questionable loyalty.

Here's the thing, the writing in the book was good and engaging but I didn't vibe with the rest. The good:
-The ending was cool especially with one reveal that I didn't see coming
-The writing was engaging
-Zora being petty

Things I didn't vibe with:
-The royal games. They were so boring to me and I found myself skipping most of them since they weren't engaging.
-Where is the blood cup? Griffin (prince) goes on and on about the mysterious cup, that wasn't explained by the way, and we don't even see it at the end.
-Zora constantly being harassed and sometimes by things she made up in her own head.
-There were a few inconsistencies such as Zora being trained with a sword since she was a baby but then saying that she has weak arms. She carries the sword pretty much everywhere she goes and can fight with it but her arms are weak? Make is make sense!
-The whole society is trash. On Zora's first day there, she has to be moved to another room in the palace because men will be men
-I did not like any of the brother's and I hope they all choke.
-There was this one line at the very beginning that made me big sad: "Greatness. For someone illiterate and stupid? ridiculous" BIG YIKES. Just because someone cannot or struggles to read, it does not mean they are stupid or less than. The whole statement is gross and I should have checked out then.

Anyway, I hope the book finds its fandom but it won't be me.
Shout out to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where to begin with this review? I'm not even sure, so let's just dive in.

First of all, the cover and synopsis of The Cup and The Prince definitely captured my attention, and this book had so much potential. Unfortunately, it fell short in many aspects.

The word choices, grammar and phrasing of words oftentimes didn't make sense or just needed slight tweaking to clear things up. The transitions were abrupt and jarring as well, and I found myself wanting to edit the life out of the book.
Also, I'm not entirely sure what The Cup and The Prince is being marketed as, and I'm not sure the author knows either. There were so many allusions to sex without actually saying it outright that it drove me crazy. On the other hand, the "flirting" and innuendoes at times did not seem appropriate for a younger age group (if they would even catch the meaning). Upper YA? Lower YA? Who knows?

The main character Zora was portrayed as a B.A. chick who could kick a** and take names, but I did not get that vibe at all. She lacked self-confidence, and she lacked skills and strength. Yet she always seemed to excel in the Royal Games. (Speaking of the Royal Games, they, too, were quite lackluster.) Furthermore, Zora exhibited such immaturity. Granted, she's seventeen or so, but between her bouts of rage and crying not to mention her naivety, she seemed even younger to me.

Then there were the brothers, a king and two princes. All three of them needed more depth and characterization. They were all so secretive with hidden agendas, and while I am all for that, it was a bit too much in this instance, maybe due to the aforementioned lack of character development. They all were equally self-centered, conniving, and even cruel at times.

I could tell something would be happening with Zora and Griffin (the youngest prince) as soon as they met. What was off-putting was the fact that Griffin and Alegra were in the midst of their relationship/affair, and of course, Zora was still drawn to him but also disgusted by him, etc.,etc. And of course, Griffin was in love with Alegra, yet intrigued by Zora, done with Alegra, but still ensnared by Alegra, then over Alegra and into Zora for sure, back and forth. (Cue the eye rolls.)
Also, I wasn't sure what kind of games Kiran and Larzen (king and prince, respectively) were playing, except that they were borderline creepy and disturbing.

Furthermore, Alegra was a completely unlikable character for me until a tiny amount of revealing happened near the end of the book. At that point, she was more interesting to me than the rest of the characters.

The title of the book itself was a missed opportunity. The Cup (or the Blood Cup) is as much of a mystery now as it was at the beginning, and even though it was mentioned throughout the book, it didn't really have much impact on the story as of yet.

Again, I think this book had so much potential, but there were too many contradictions and not enough development. Hopefully, that will change with the next installment, but I don't think I'm interested enough to read more. I will say I am intrigued by Dark Valley, and I wish more of this book had included time there. Alas.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I enjoyed this book but I'm still left confused with some stuff.

On one hand, the things that made me enjoy this book are things I'm very sure of. The tone feels almost campy and that plays really well into Zora's personality. Her as a character is pleasant to follow as well. Since the first chapter that we learn her motivations we the readers cannot help but get enraged but also in a bizarre funny way. Seth, her boyfriend, is just such a bobo one can't read the book and not root for her to succeed and beat his ass. And the way the narrator handles this scene captures this energy very well.

In addition, I liked what the plot had to offer in theory. Lots of royal drama. Love it. Give me more (we'll get on that in a second). When you take into account that the character involved in this drama (who are royals, by the way, so they have a lot of power and the influence the main plot of the competition as well) all have their different motivations. That helped delimit the characters' traits.

On the other hand, and I think this is my biggest issue with this story, this book reads like a prologue. I'm not only saying this because the ending cuts off when where it seems the actual story would begin, but this also heavily weighed on and solified my opinion on this matter. If we take one look to all of the characters and their personalities, their arcs don't round up very well. The plot reads rushed, like essential parts are sort of brushed over so everything leads up to the beginning of the actual plot of the series and the story, but the book just ends there. There was just so more that could've been given but wasn't really given to the point where I don't think it's like it didn't meet it's potential, it didn't even start to tell its story.

Also, because of the lack of world building that could've been done but wasn't I can't shake the feeling that's been haunting me since I watched Daniel Greene's last video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBwH5mg0diE). If we really went hard on building the shadow creatures, I would maybe feel different. Nevertheless, as for now, I think this is one of those books Daniel talks about in his video. The fantasy aspect stays a bit on the background, but doesn't influence the plot that much. I don't mean that the drama and politically intriguing dance-partners desitions took away from the fantasy plot. I'm saying that with how little we actually encounter of the Dark Valley, it doesn't affect the plot that much. Zora being able to fight because of growing up at the valley giving her some advantage, the options and the blood cup sort of doing magic allegedly, is all the ways I can think of how magic affects the plot. I can't come up with anything else at the moment.

In conclusion, I recommend it, but it could be so much more better. It peaked my interest so I'm looking forward to the sequels. 3 stars.

I had high hopes for this book, and I was sadly disappointed. The story itself has potential. The plot was interesting and I feel like if it had been more developed, it would have been an amazing story, but everything just felt so rushed. Also, Zora is probably one of my least favorite main characters I have ever read. I was hoping for a strong empowered woman, and that was what she was portrayed as in the beginning of the story, however as the story progressed, she became weaker and less sure of herself, and overall just less likable. This book felt like it was trying too hard to be something that it wasn't. The events of the story felt like more of a prequel than the beginning of a series.

An action-packed young adult fantasy, The Cup and the Prince follows Zora, a young woman who enters a royal competition under false pretenses. When Zora leaves her home in Dark Valley, a place where monsters grow out of the shadows, her main goal is to win the tournament and help the people of Dark Valley. She doesn’t expect to be swept into a court of political and familial intrigue, assassination attempts, magic, and royal manipulations. With everything on the line, and her life at stake, Zora must use all of her skills to survive. Who is trying to kill Zora, and can she win the Blood Cup before it’s too late?

Zora is a fascinating protagonist. I like that she isn’t thoroughly good or thoroughly evil. Smart and brave, Zora is also devious and impulsive. She cheats and lies and manipulates others, much like they do to her. She lives in a morally grey world and acts accordingly. I love her ferocity and determination. A young woman who lives in constant fear and on constant alert, Zora has faults and sometimes acts irrationally, but her desire to help and protect others is admirable.

Like a fish out of water, Zora shows naivete in traversing the complicated and treacherous political world. However, she might be the most astute of all the characters, as she often sees through people’s masks and realizes their true intentions before anyone else. Her fighting prowess and ability to think outside the box, as well as her ingrained survival instinct, prove indispensable throughout the story. Zora faces so many challenges, yet she remains determined and steadfast.

The other characters are interesting as well, though not as dynamically developed as Zora. The royal brothers, for example, are enigmatic and intriguing. Their intentions are never clear, and all three appear to have ulterior motives. I found them interesting because I, like Zora, never knew who to trust. Zora’s friends are other interesting additions to the novel, and I’m eager to see their stories developed in future books in the series, especially one in particular who was mysteriously sent away.

The action in the story is as vivid as the setting, and the cliffhanger is AMAZING and completely unpredictable! Readers who like young adult fantasy with political intrigue, dangerous tournaments, attempted murders, and a fascinating protagonist will enjoy The Cup and the Prince. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.