This book reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games with insta love.

The book wasn’t for me, to be honest I was bored for a large part of the book. There is a whole build up to the Culling, there are endless parties, dinners, and walks around the palace that take up whole chapters and then the actual Culling is over in a few pages and doesn’ t happen into the second part of the book.

I didn’t think the main characters were very interesting which made me skimm large parts of the book.

The book needed more pace and action.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a little different from what I’m used to, but in a good way! It kept me hooked the whole time.

I received this book through net galley in return for an honest review.

I thought this was a great book. I thought this was going to be a predictable storyline, but it ended up entirely, refreshingly, different. The only minor complaint was that the inner dialogue of the heroine became a little redundant and I felt that parts of it could have been shortened. She kept going on and on about how she didn’t want to kill or be killed and how much she wanted Cohen. Those inner monologues became a tad too repetitive.

Over all a solid first book. Will definitely be looking forward to the sequel!

The premise of this story is perhaps one we are familiar with - the Hunger Games would be the main comparison. But the author takes the story forward in such a way for it to feel fresh and new, and I honestly did not want to put it down!

Monroe is in a group of 10 girls born with special powers. Every generation a new group of these girls is born and their power develops, until they are brought to the palace for a fight to the death. The one champion who remains is crowned queen. Along with this thread is that the country is in a great period of unrest - the current queen has not taken care of its citizens and many have risen up in protest.

The main character Monroe was very likable, and the Queen and some of the other characters I completely detested. The author did a great job of bringing out that emotion. Prince Cohen, while naive, also brought high points to the story. Smart writing - made me think, “I can’t write like this or think it up” which was refreshing.

I thought this was a standalone book and that the final battle/outcome would be obvious, but there will be at least one sequel, which I can’t wait to read. Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for the eARC!

Of Cages and Crowns has all the vibes of the YA Dystopian heyday. (The Selection, Hunger Games, Red Queen) As the real world falls apart and becomes more of Dystopian reality everyday, I find myself drawn to Dystopian fiction less and less. It used to be one of my absolute favorite genres. But Of Cages and Crowns reminded me of my love for it. It's definitely a semi dark story. At least in YA terms. I had to close the book for a few minutes just after reading the Prologue. I hope there will be trigger warnings in the final copies.

If you enjoy Fantasy and/or Dystopian, I definitely recommend picking up this book. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for providing me with a review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for the eARC!

4.5 stars

I very, very much enjoyed this book. The magic system is so unique, the plot has some familiar tropes while still maintaining a surprise element, and the characters all go through so much.

Parts of the book are quite dark, but there are some light and fluffy moments as well.

I really loved watching Monroe’s story evolve and become more developed, and I love the friendships she is able to maintain throughout.

I am looking forward to the publication later in 2022 and will be watching for sequels!

Wow! I finally got around to finishing Of Cages and Crows! I have been invested in this series since the WattPad days, and it has come so far! The descriptions of Monroe's powers were beautifully written, and definitely some of my favorite parts of the book! Uri is still most definitely my favorite character, but I love how all of the more supporting characters felt more fleshed out. I did find myself getting a little frustrated with Monroe's decision making and the dialogue at time, but all in all, this was such a wonderful, nostalgic ride!!

Holy cow, what a fantastic book!

This is what Red Queen and Hunger Games was trying to be. It’s got this relatively fleshed out dystopian world. With a magic system that requires ten girls fight for the death for a crown.

I was hoping it would focus more on the trials of the girls, but I can see why that didn’t need to happen. The story did slow down a bit after Monroe got to the palace and began training but it quickly picked up from there.

The ending, I did not call. But, I do have a few questions. How can Larkin have an ability? Only 10 goddess touched girls have powers and she makes girl 11.

The ending was also a major cliff hanger and I need the next book pronto!

What a ride!
It was so good.

I got Selection vibes, I got Hunger games Vibes.

It’s also fresh and new at the same time. The world building, the character development. It made it easy to relate to the world and to the people in it.

The book had me hooked right out if the gate.

4.5 stars 🌟
What a ride. All am thinking is why did I not read this sooner 😩😩
Fans of the Hunger Games? This one is for you. Don't even question it, just pick it up and give it a go. It's unputdownable.

Erdiya is ruled by a "goodess touched" queen, who is brutal, evil and looking for the next queen. Ten girls with powers of their own must compete and fight to death to be the queen of Erdiya and marry the prince. Only it's not that simple, Monroe doesn't want to be queen. She doesn't want to fall for the prince. And she certainly doesn't want to conspire and be part of the rebels. Do things work out in her favour or she's gone for good?

The world building was top notch. The way the book is written is so amazing, I immediately felt like I was witnessing it. The storyline sticks with the plot. But I did wanted to see more of the competition, I felt that was a bit short. Also the pacing of the book slowed down a bit in the middle (had to take a short break) but it picked up pace pretty quickly and was action packed towards the end. I did not see some of the plot twists coming and the ending broke me😭😭

The characters are complex.
Monroe, the FMC is presented as weak for about 60% of the book (which I felt was a bit much). I wanted to see her use her powers to full extent. Some of the people want her to be queen, but she barely took charge. I would prefer for her to be more empowered.

Cohen is the prince, who is undeniably sweet, kind and such a romantic. He is presented with struggles of his own, and he did take charge in some scenes but it wasn't enough for me. I want him to be a much more powerful character, someone worthy of being a king.

The chemistry between the two is so perfect.😩😩There were parts which made me smile so much, but other left me heartbroken. It's so easy for them to be together, and I definitely loved that. It never felt forced🤌

Supporting characters are pretty good as well and there's no lack of personality.

It's close to perfection, I would definitely recommend and can't wait to read the sequel 😩 The action towards the end is so brilliantly written, and the cliffhanger had me crying😭 So happy I read this one.

eARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

If you like to read about magic, royalty, romance, battles and the slightest hints of betrayal, this is the right book for you.

A crossover of The Hunger Games, The Selection and Red Queen; Of Cages and Crowns follows the perspective of Monroe Benson, 1 out of 10 goddess-touched girls; girls gifted with powers in the kingdom of Erydia. When the time comes to name a new queen, the 10 girls have to fight to the death to make their way closer to the Erydian throne.

The fantasy novel explores the ideas of trust, power and instability that one holds in a competition such as the Culling. It also emphasises how much humankind may risk in order to be guaranteed survival.

Initially a Wattpad novel, Of Cages and Crowns has come to the published stage better than ever. The world building of this universe is a lot more extensive, the characters are also written more in depth whilst still maintaining the same elements that can be found in the original version.
Overall a 5/5. I’m looking forward to seeing how the sequel will also be revised.

This was an enjoyable read. It was a cross between The Hunger Games and The Selection series. I found myself quickly flipping through page after page and was so disappointed when it ended because I wanted to keep reading and find out more!!

A great read for the first novel in the series! The author gave an interesting plot twist towards the end that I did not see coming! The goddess touched girls are brought to the castle to become the next queen, but only one will survive. Monroe has been hidden her whole life, for her mark indicates she is one of the goddess marked girls, but Monroe has no desire to be queen, yet ends up having to be in the competition to save her family. She gets to know Cohen, the prince whom all the girls are fighting for. He is nothing like she expected when they are alone, but he has a different facade when dealing with the court. The people are angry, for the laws and decisions being made are hurting the people and some have joined a rebellion to end the Culling and the monarchy. Monroe gets caught in between and will have to decide what she should do, for she does not want to die, but the only way to survive is to kill or be killed. I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"It is said that our world will end the way it began: with fire."

As a long time fan of Brianna Joy Crump from Wattpad, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Of Cages and Crowns and it did not disappoint. It has all the markers of a great dystopian novel; a heroine thrust into a fate she doesn't want, a lovable and handsome prince, friendship, rivalries and plenty of twists and turns. This book has the potentially to easily be the next Hunger Games or Divergent. From start to finish you are rooting for Monroe and are alongside her during her journey through the Culling. This book will be a staple of every young adults bookshelf and I cannot wait to add it to mine.

"Whatever the goddess had placed in her, sang to whatever was within me. And it was a sickening, slithering sort of feeling, being so close to something so...volatile."

as soon as i started of cages and crowns, i was instantly reminded of kim liggett's the grace year, which is a story i loved from start to end. this novel is the hunger games meets the grace year meets the selection—and it has a lot to encompass in order to stand out amongst the stories of its kind. i think in part, it does. the worldbuilding is fresh in its own way, the characters are interesting and the world is unique. but one thing that gets me about books like this is the whole "falling for the person who is deemed the prize after i kill all these other people even though i know its wrong" trope...i dunno, it just has never sat right with me. monroe and cohen's romance is confusing, and slightly offputting, to be completely honest. having him linked as the soldier in her early memories is a nice touch, adding to the depth of their relationship, but overall, i found it odd that they grew so close considering the circumstances. it also saddened me to see so little of the girls and their powers—you learn of them, how dangerous and elusive they are, for most of them to be killed off essentially immediately. the culling is a game that ends entirely too soon for the build-up it gets throughout the entire novel and it could've easily been stretched out. there are a few other details i wasn't completely in love with (the ending was insane to me—how is he just gonna lose nearly his entire family and then just be like love you monroe, i guess we're rebels now x) but overall, there's no denying that the author's writing is beautiful. the tension, angst and fear were all there, and the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat. this was a story i devoured in a day and i'm excited to see how the world progresses going forward!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Of Cages and Crowns is a great YA dystopian romance. It has all the typical characters and story lines. Young girl that has a special talent, a prince needing a queen, a competition to the death, rebels….it is all there. I initially was worried that it would be just like every other YA dystopian book I have read but it ended up being so much more and so much better. The writing in the novel is able to draw the reader in and you really connect with the characters. All of them. There are twists and turns and though the story line is overall predictable, getting there is a fun ride! My only problem with this book is that I have to wait for a sequel to find out what happens! Bottom line-if this is your reading genre, you will love this book! Read it now.

The blurb and the cover was so interesting and beautiful.
But the characters were meh... and a little boring, sadly.
So it fell flat for me.

I absolutely loved this book! It was full of action and adventure which I really love in a book. The author did a great job keeping the plot moving and creating unique and interesting characters. This was such a fun read that I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Of Cages and Crowns by Brianna Joy Crump ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Monroe Benson, a goddess-touched girl gifted with fire powers, has to participate in the Culling where the other nine goddess-touched girls fight each other to death to become the Queen of Erydia.
Though at first, I found it similar to The Selection series and The Hunger Games, Of Cages and Crown blew my mind away.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The characters are very well written. Each one of them is unique and intriguing. Monroe is the typical strong and kind female character. She is very relatable, practical and sometimes a bit susceptible. Her powers are really awesome.
Cohen is also the typical prince- handsome, perfect and kind. He is emotionally driven to do things most of the time even though it means feeling the wrath of the evil Queen, his mother, Viera.
I relished their encounters. They have good chemistry and are heart-warming romantics.
Among the other characters, I love Uriel (she's a sweetheart!), Britta (I love her caring nature), Nadia (she's really innocent and kind), Ambrose (very caring of his family and thoughtful) Dellacov (he and Uri make a pretty good pair and I love his protectiveness) and June (he's a really good tutor and brother.)
The antagonists (mostly women) were all cruel and scary. Viera, Larkin and Kinsley... gosh! They gave me chills. They are just cold and heartless.

The prologue gave a clear introduction to the world and it was amazing. The plot wasn't what I expected- in a good way. Sometimes, I could guess correctly what was going to happen next but the twists and turns made my jaw drop. For instance, I didn't expect Cohen to be that dying stranger Monroe saved and Kace betraying his siblings (that made me cross his name off my favourite characters.)
I just loved the author's imagination. The pacing was perfect, the description- top notch and the creativity was fantabulous.
But at some places, it was a tiny bit unrealistic. Like, near the ending of the book, after Viera was poisoning Monroe she recovered really quickly. Yeah, I understood she withdrew the poison but doesn't its effect last for a little longer? You couldn't heal so fast when you were given such a high dose of poison and Nadia was healing Cohen and she couldn't have healed Monroe that quick without touching her, hence my reasoning.

Ultimately, it's a 5-star book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will surely recommend it to all the fantasy and YA lovers. This book deserves more readers. I'd love to read the sequel soon.