The Pledge (Pledge Trilogy)

by Kimberly Derting

[liz089]

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Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 323
How I got the book: E-reader


Summary
In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime

Why did I read this book: This is a book that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while. I keep up-to-date with what comes out and what I still should read some time when I actually have the time.. Which is not as often as I would like unfortunately. But this has been one of those books, so I read it.

Cover impressions: Cool. I like to whole dark setting, with some mysterious girl in it. The name of the book again in see through letters over the cover, cool.

Review
So The Pledge.. I remembered it from some time ago, and thought, why not? Basically it is about a world with a class system, from poor to rich with their own languages. They’re not allowed to know each other’s languages, let alone speak them. Above these classes is the Queen, the ruler of all, who all have to pledge their allegiance to. She is kind of evil, has a lot of rules and kills a lot of people. But she is not an ordinary Queen, she has powers and has the Essence of a soul that has been passed on for generations. Her body is dying, and because of that she needs a new body to pass her Essence through.

In this world only women can rule, there can only be Queens. Unfortunately, there has only been male heirs, so she has no heir to speak of. But! Before this royal line, there was another royal line, from who they thought it was lost… but guess what ^^ They still exist, only has been hidden for a very long time. Because, there were only male heirs to this line as well.. until now..

Oh yes, and there is a resistance group thingy, who has been led by one of the prince’s. They have been searching for the long lost princess to help them in their revolution.

So our main character, Charlie (Charlaina) is this girl growing up in one of the lower classes. As a daughter of a vendor she is not the lowest of the lowest, she can go to school for example, but still is one of those looked down upon. She has well.. not the best personality, I actually kind of missed a personality al together.. Sometimes she is a bit shy and withdrawn, but she stands up on other times to those above her, she is very protective of her little sister, who is kind of cute. She gave her some character.. but well, I had a lot of trouble relating to her.

Her friends were oké, Max (the main love interest) was oké, ehm.. some other characters were oké.. but I really missed some real persons with real personality. It was all so shallow and to the surface so to say… kind of boring.

The plot itself was all kind of predictable, of course she would become the next queen with powers. Oh! About those powers! I found them kind of lame.. She can speak every languages.. soo ?? You call that awesome powers? Meh... Her sister, Angelina, she has some real powers! She can heal people (even from near dead), heal a lot of people after each other btw, and she can see into a person about their intentions (good, bad, trustworthy).. I mean, that does seem like some good qualities for a Queen, right? Instead of knowing languages.. But well…

So in the end, of course they have a stand-off. Queen versus Charlie. Charlie is first all set to do anything to not receive the evil Queens Essence. But, when Angelina comes in, she gives in. So about that! The rebels have been underground for more than a decade, no one has been able to find them.. And then all of the sudden when Charlie is meeting the Queen they find them and… They know exactly who they need to comprehend. HOW?? Kind of bullshit. But well, Angelina saves the day (YES Angelina, not Charlie) and the Queen is dead. The Essence was somewhere in between but seems to be gone all of the sudden, and no one bothers to make sure.. Sooo guess what.. not really gone. Surprise…

Rating
I really do not know much more to say about this.. Like there is not enough to talk about really, it was all kind of shallow and predictable. The end. Well not really the end, because there are 2 more sequels, but… I think I’ve had enough with this one. Not really a book I would recommend, not much worth your time. So many books that are put together much better than this one. So I think I will give it 2.5 Freyja’s.. having some doubts between 2/3.
What I regret most of this though, is that it could have been sooo much more. You have a nice setting, with a cool kingdom with some new concepts.. but she just didn’t get everything out of it. It’s a shame really, it could have been a much better story.