Item: Of Cages and Crowns
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Briana Crump

For goddess-touched girls, there is only one destiny: the Culling

From the moment Monroe Benson is born with a mark on her hand and the ability to summon fire from her fingertips, her life will never be her own. She’s goddess-touched, which means she’s destined to participate in the Culling, an age-old competition to determine the next queen of Erydia. For most of her seventeen years, her family has managed to keep Monroe—and her powers—hidden. But now, as Queen Viera calls for the Culling to start, and war looms on the horizon, Monroe can no longer hide. She must face her destiny whether she wants to or not.

For the ten goddess-touched girls, all with different powers, the inevitably of this fight to the death has always ruled their lives. The tradition is both barbaric and cruel, but to make matters worse—Monroe isn’t prepared. She hasn’t trained her whole life for this day. She doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. She doesn’t want the crown.

While Monroe struggles with her fate, a rebellion is brewing in the castle and in the country. A group called the Culled are banding together; their goal—to topple the monarchy. And the more they rise, the more merciless Viera is with her kingdom, recruiting younger and younger people from poorer and poorer places to fight in a war no one wants to be waging.

When Monroe finds herself on the front lines of the rebellion’s inner circle, only one thing stands in her way: Cohen. The queen’s son and the man who will be king. The pair grows close, yet Cohen’s dedication to duty, to family, to tradition stands in stark contrast to the boy Monroe sees at night in the kitchens, secretly making the two of them a snack.

As the fight crescendos around them, and the death of innocents is a force to bear, the choices Monroe makes will reverberate through the kingdom . . . and her heart forever.

Book Summary:

Monroe Benson was born with a mark on her hand. That, coupled with her unique ability to create fire, told the world exactly who she is. Goddess-touched. She is one of ten such girls born in this generation, and they are all expected to compete in the Culling. The winner will become the new queen of Erydia.

Before you ask – no, it doesn't matter much how they feel about this. Entry into the Culling isn't optional. Otherwise, Monroe would have gotten out of this already. Perhaps it's her willingness to avoid all of this that puts her in the center of a Culling-based rebellion.

My Review:

If you promise me a fantasy novel with Hunger Games elements, you just know I will read it! In truth, Of Cages and Crowns ended up being even better than I expected. It stands on its own – no need for comparisons to be made. It's magical, dark, and full of politics.

Okay, there's also a potential romantic subplot, not to mention a rebellion and lots of in-fighting. It's a lot to keep up with, which makes this an intense read that will go by in the blink of an eye. Seriously, it felt like I was sitting down to read it one minute, and the next, I was turning to the last page.

On that note, I should probably mention that Of Cages and Crowns does end with a cliffhanger. The good news is that this is the first of a three-book series, so more will come! The bad news is that we'll have to wait a bit longer to see how that pans out.

Highlights:
First in a trilogy
Fantasy
High Fantasy
Fantasy Romance
Hunger Games vibes, but with magic

Trigger Warnings:
Abuse/bullying/injury
Alcoholism
Anxiety
Classism
Family death
Body shaming

Thanks to Wattpad Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Of Cages and Crowns

by Briana Crump

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Jan 1, 2023

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