Got a free copy from Net galley. It started off great. Writing was tight, characters were interesting, and although the material seemed a little mature, my wife and I were getting into it.
Then the lesbian falling in love/lust scene began and we were like, nope.
I'm not a bigot or a homophobe, I don't mind books/movies with gay characters (as long as they're not for little kids) but I really have no desire to experience a love/sexual tension scene between two teenage girls.
What a waste of a great premise. DNF at 22%.

As an adult, I think this was not meant for me. I heard that this was like Pretty Little Liars meets Three Dark Crowns, and while I enjoyed Three Dark Crowns, I was never a fan of PLL, the book nor the show, and therein may lie why this book didn't click for me. I read it to know the ending, and I can definitely see the appeal for teens, but it was not to my tastes. It took me a while to get through, because it felt a bit draggy, and the characters were a little weak after reading much more epic fantasies. But I still see the draw to the teenage demographic, so three stars it is.

This was a book that I had received an eARC of, but I had seen a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads, and I let that deter me. I shouldn’t have! This book was the political fantasy of my dreams. This story was about 3 young women who, through a variety of circumstances, discover that they are bastard-born daughters of the king, who has recently lost his one and only male heir. The king is dying, and he has claimed all three young women in order to find the best one to rule. All three girls have dark secrets they are hiding, and they are convinced that someone is blackmailing them in different ways to drive them apart. I AM SO ANXIOUS FOR THE SEQUEL I CANNOT. Also, one of the girls is attracted to women (not sure of her sexuality because I’m not sure if she mentions being attracted to men/other genders or not, but it is CONFIRMED ON THE PAGE that she is attracted to women). Always a big plus for me in a fantasy, ESPECIALLY when it isn’t a big deal in the world. Five stars!

Three heirs to rule and only one crown. One is a warrior, one is searching for any kind of love, and one is a strategic thinker. So, who gets the thrown?

This has such a promising premise, but it falls desperately short of a great read. The author has a wonderful foundation, but fails to give each character the focus she deserves. The girls are so interesting with such an amazing backstory, that the author should have taken the time to really flesh them out so we care about them more. We could have built a bond with these characters, but instead we are forced through each girl’s story so fast that we care little about who gets the throne and why they do. Plus, there are some amazing magic elements in this book but they do not ever really get their time either.

It's hard to read a book with so much potential but falls short because it is rushed. It is a good story and I think if the author does build on this, she will have a hit. But she has to give us time with the characters and the elements in the book so we can form a connection with them. Although, this is not a bad problem to have. Many times, readers dislike a story because it drags on. Not so with this book! We want more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.

This book is about three sisters Zofi, Akeylah and Ren. They all come from different walks of life and are reunited with each other when the King announces he is dying and one of them will ascend to the throne. With the way this book was set up it could have gone either way. I’m happy to report this was such a good story! There are so many secrets, twists and revelations. In this story you don’t know who to trust. I liked how all three sisters are different yet they are the same. All three of them are hiding secrets and I wonder how this will all come to play in the final decision. Out of all the sisters, Zofi is my favorite. She is fighter and wants what is best for her people. I think she will make an excellent choice as a leader. The story had me thoroughly entertained and for a debut author I was blown away. I loved the plot, the diverse characters and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

In a time of political turmoil, three girls from very different backgrounds are brought together, and the result of this circumstance could either unite, or permanently divide, the Reaches of the Kingdom.

After the murder of his son, the ailing Kolonyan King decides it’s time to reveal a truth long hidden, that of his three daughters -- Akeylah, a motherless Easterner, hated by her siblings and abused by the man she now knows is her stepfather; Zofi, a Traveler; and Florencia, a servant girl in the king’s own household. They are to be acknowledged, taught invaluable lessons, and the best of them will be chosen by the king to be his new heir.

Not only do the girls face the challenges of adjusting to their familial advancement and court life, they also find themselves being blackmailed by someone who wants to usurp their potential power. They each have very unfortunate secrets that, if discovered, could label them as traitors and murderers. Their foe is very powerful and well-versed in the Vulgar Arts, an unlawful version of the Blood Arts.

They have been given a deadline to either walk away from their new status as the king’s daughters and potential heirs or pay the price.

Rule by Ellen Goodlett is the promising first book in a YA fantasy duology. If you are unused to reading this genre, it may take you a few pages to get into the new world of Kolonya and the outer Reaches, but you will be happy you stuck with it. The story takes place in a well-developed backdrop full of rich history. Readers will be able to visualize the character’s surroundings and wardrobe. In addition, the characters are given backgrounds that are rounded out nicely, leaving the reader feeling as if they know these girls fairly well and so caring what happens to them.

This is a read for those who like something deeper. It has a bit of romance in it, yes, but it is far from fluff with its magic, politics and mystery. I look forward eagerly to the next book.

Told from three points of view, with the cliffhanger introducing us to a fourth Rule kept me guessing and changing my thoughts multiple times! The beginning was a bit difficult for me to get into because it was three view points and world building at the same time, but as I learned the characters and the world I started to enjoy and appreciate seeing the different views because without the three approaches this story would look quite different! That is demonstrated very nicely when the three half sisters start working together, but only two of them know a certain set of events.

EG has created a very diverse and detailed world that takes on multiple topics and issues that people face today, but through the lens of a royal court full of magic/power. Politics, sexuality, family, individual roles, secrets, betrayal, murder, economic classes and more are told through the antics of these individuals and their journey to becoming the new heir. It was quite interesting to see three different females go on the same journey. Their path to learning about the new role gave them eye-opening experiences that not only changed how they acted, but also how they viewed others.

The ending leaves us on quite the cliffhanger and has had me questioning my lists of who I thought was the blackmailer! My opinion changed through each scenario and letter because so many people fit bits and pieces of what the three half sisters have experienced. I look forward to the next book to see more about who gets the throne, how the father is doing, who knows that much magic and if I was correct in my suspicions!

Thank you NetGalley, Ellen Goodlett and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the chance to read this book and share my opinions!

The most common pitch I've seen for this book is "Three Dark Crowns meets Pretty Little Liars," and I must say that that had me very intrigued.

Rule is told in the alternating perspectives of three sisters--none of whom know at the start of the book that they are illegitimate daughters of the king. They are told they may be next to rule, and thus their training to be a ruler begins.. I was worried that I would find at least one of the sisters annoying and wouldn't enjoy their POV (a common issue), but I really enjoyed reading every one. I felt that these were really well drawn characters that had to handle a lot of unexpected tasks, and they all did so in different ways.

I was really impressed with the plot in this story. There are some cliche'd tropes in the major plot, but the contents themselves all felt unique and unpredictable. The representation and diversity in this book was also fantastic and I greatly appreciated. it. I did think that there was more that could have been explored or explained better in the world and in regards to the plot, but overall I really enjoyed reading this book and have given it four stars!

ARC Provided for honest review.

I enjoyed it. Not a 5 star.. but 4.

The King is dying. His heir has been murdered. Three girls find themselves in the middle of political intrigue and danger when it is revealed that they are the king's illegitimate daughters. Someone doesn't want them to rule. Someone knows the terrible secrets each one hides and wants to destroy them. One of the girls will be the king's new heir...if any of them survive.

All 3 girls are so different. first time reading from this Author, Thank you.

There are parts of this book that I did like--the things that troubled me about it, though, greatly outweighed. Before I write anything else I feel like I need for anyone looking at reading this title to understand that there are a lot of references to self-harm. In the world that Goodlett has created there is a kind of magic, though the characters defend that it is not magic but a kind of inheritance, that is only tapped into when one "tithes" or causes ones self to bleed. I almost did could not finish this title because of how frequently the characters cut themselves. I don't suggest this title for young adults, or adults, that could be triggered for self harm by cutting.

The only other part that I did not appreciate was that one of the characters was being led toward a relationship with her step mother.

With that being said, the over arching idea of the book sounded really good. Three girls from different parts of the world are brought together, stolen from their lives, because of their blood. They are each the daughter of the King of Kolonia. With the health of the king ailing and with no other legitimate heir to replace him should he pass he has brought together his three daughters, born in secret, into the forefront to determine who he thinks is qualified to rule after him. Each daughter comes with a load of baggage that ranges from cultural beliefs to crimes that have been committed against the kingdom.

Someone knows what they have each done is does not intend to allow any of them onto the throne.

Now, there is a cliff hanger... but the second installment is already dated for publication. Still, though, because of the cutting I will not continue with this series.

I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was the first book I have read by Ellen Goodlet. It took me awhile to write this review since I had to try to reread this book.
At first this book grab me and I was very interested but then i got bored. I tried to read more and tried to get back what I had lost but I just couldn’t get into it.

I couldn’t finish this book and I’m terribly sorry.
Thank you for the chance to read.

While there were certainly things I really enjoyed about this book, it just didn’t really keep me interested. There was too much world building and custom explanation that seemed to slow the book the down and despite that I still felt like I didn’t fully understand the way the magic system worked. I did like the Pretty Little Liars vibe of the book though. Each of the three sisters has a deep dark secret that they have to protect and a blackmailer is set on exposing them all. Sounding thrilling right? And it should be. The book jumped around from each POV and it made me feel disconnected from the characters a bit. I do think it was a unique story with some great characters. Hopefully book two will be a better read for me.

Rule by Ellen Goodlett is the story of three young women, who each have secrets to hide. They have been brought up very differently, in the uniquely diverse Reaches and are brought together, astounded to discover they are half sisters, and daughters of the king. One of them, with the heir dead, will be placed on the throne when the dying king breathes his last. However, a blackmailer knows their secrets...will they survive long enough to rule?

Rule has an interesting concept, although I found it very difficult to get into the novel. I put it down several times before finishing. I had figured out who the blackmailer was long before the final chapter. Not sure I would pick up the sequel. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The more I progressed in the story the less interested I became. I get that all the characters carry their own little secrets but I wanted more development about the kingdom and the political parts at play. I don't have a stand out favorite as far as who should rule but I did like when the sisters started conversing together to figure out who is blackmailing them all.

I just couldn't get into this... It's totally on me. I had to DNF 25% in. Maybe it just wasn't the right time for me to read this book.

Akeylah. Florencia. Zofi. Three girls from very different upbringings hiding secrets that could destroy them if the King were to find out. Trouble is...they just found out they are the King’s illegitimate daughters and one must rule.
⠀⠀
I loved the different perspectives that take place in the book. It took awhile for me to get into the story, but once I did, I was invested. The magic system and world building could use a little work but I lived for the plot twists and that cliffhanger! 😱 I NEED the next book YESTERDAY! This is kind of a hybrid between Three Dark Crowns and The Queen of the Tearling, in my opinion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book hit the dreaded somewhere in the middle feelings wise for me. Im one of those people who would personally rather love or hate a book, not have it fall in between. :/

This was a very quick read but I wasn’t really impressed as far as fantasies go. The storyline fell a little flat, as did the characters. I felt like the plot and world had loads of potential but it just didn’t do it for me sadly. The ending did have a few little twists that did tweak my interest though so I will give the sequel a try.

Solid opener to the series with great momentum towards the sequel. The « characters have secrets imperative to the plot they don’t share » trope can be tiring, but the leads establishing trust and confiding in each other before the book provides a hook a and alleviates a common source of frustration plaguing so many of the entries into the YA fantasy genre. The inclusion of race, queer romance and cultural diversity, is appreaciated, and used as both natural elements as well as a plot driver. This at times may come across as careful but not heavy handed. Looking forward to more world building and delving into the sources of magic in the sequel.

The King is dying. His heir has been murdered. Three girls find themselves in the middle of political intrigue and danger when it is revealed that they are the king's illegitimate daughters. Someone doesn't want them to rule. Someone knows the terrible secrets each one hides and wants to destroy them. One of the girls will be the king's new heir...if any of them survive.

I enjoyed this book. Lots of action, political intrigue, treachery, manipulation....the basic plot built up a lot of suspense. The story definitely kept my attention from start to finish. The three girls are all so different. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, making the characters seem more realistic. And each girl had to learn to strengthen themselves, brave the challenges of their new life, and survive. All in all, this is a very creative and great start to a fantasy duology. The book is well-written. The characters are nicely developed. And, the story moves at a good pace. Not too fast....but not agonizingly slow either.

There is a bit of a abuse and some adult themes in this book, plus violence. Some parental guidance is required. I would say it's PG13. Parents might want to read the book first to be sure it's appropriate for their child under 13.

The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger...I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, Rise. Rise is scheduled to come out in June 2019.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Little Brown Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This book was good albeit for the odd relationship... i'm all for f/f relationships but when its between a girl and her step mom its a little odd..... this book definitely fits its description of pretty little liars meets three dark crowns. Except for the writing wasnt as great imo. I felt the world building was lacking and some of the magic areas werent fully explained. i just couldnt finish it.. i tried so hard to push myself through this but it was awkward from page one.