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The Last Princess (Last Princess #1)

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 2,142 ratings · 350 reviews

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless. When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buc...more

Hardcover, 295 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Poppy

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

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Jun 12, 2012 April rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, dystopian, ya

Friends, my honest opinion of The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze is that it was a god awful book. On the upside, it is a super quick read — only taking a few hours to get through. However, this dystopian debut did not work for me despite how quickly I zoomed through it.

You can read the rest of my review here

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May 10, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars - I love just about all dystopian, so this book didn't need a lot to please me. I liked the story, and it was fast-paced and full of action. BUT I felt the book was really rushed, and because of that, I felt it lacked in so much.

I felt everything happened TOO quickly, and the book just skimmed over a scene before jumping to the next. First of all, I didn't get a good idea of what the setting, and the basic description was so vague that I had a hard time determining what the characters...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2012 Mitch rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 0-star-cesspool, attack-of-the-clones, no-just-no

I guess with the glut of dystopian recently thanks to the success of that one, eventually one book would emerge crammed with every single common dystopian trope that's ever been thought of, in an action packed mess that defies almost all logic. Well, look no further than The Last Princess. Unexplained global catastrophe that destroys modern society? Check. Wandering cannibals and other post-apocalyptic dangers? Check. Some sort of power hungry villain whose motives are entirely unexplained? Chec...more I guess with the glut of dystopian recently thanks to the success of that one, eventually one book would emerge crammed with every single common dystopian trope that's ever been thought of, in an action packed mess that defies almost all logic. Well, look no further than The Last Princess. Unexplained global catastrophe that destroys modern society? Check. Wandering cannibals and other post-apocalyptic dangers? Check. Some sort of power hungry villain whose motives are entirely unexplained? Check. I could go on, but … nah, not going to hold back on this review.

Seriously, there’s no logic to this book. So Eliza’s this British princess who survived some sort of calamity called the Seventeen Days, and now there’s some dude trying to off her family and claim the throne? Sure, except isn’t Britain a constitutional monarchy? So being king really means nothing, Cornelius Hollister probably has more power than Eliza’s father to begin with, private army and all that. And the Seventeen Days, I’ve read this book and I still don’t know what it is. Volcanic eruption? Tidal waves? As a princess, isn’t she privy to this kind of scientific information? Plus, even overlooking the absurd setup, prologue with Hollister poisoning Eliza’s mother the Queen just leaves me with more questions. Don’t these people know not to take food from random strangers? Isn’t there any security wherever they are? What’s the connection between Hollister and the royal family? Of course, none of these questions are answered, because this book eschews plot and story in favor of action, combat, and fighting.

So in order to shove as much ‘dystopianess’ into this book as possible, everything makes less and less sense as the book moves along. By the time Eliza rolls into one of Hollister’s training camps for his soldiers, hours after Hollister kills her father in an attack on the palace (she’s not recognized because her father hides every single picture of her from the public … sure), I’m not even sure how much more of this I can stand (turns out, a lot apparently, because I finished, not that book gets any better ... at least it's quick though). Of course she randomly fights some dude to the death and then goes hunting in the woods, because that’s a requisite element of any good dystopian (right?), where’s she’s saved by Sergeant Wesley, the love interest with a secret so easy to figure out I saw the rest of the predictable plot coming even before she left the first time to kill Hollister. The rest of the book is just her bouncing back and forth in a straightforward plot to get revenge; except the action itself is so convoluted I don’t see how she could possibly have won in the end. This book is like Frankenstein’s creation, a monster pieced together from spare parts given life by its creator, now out to destroy everything. Thanks a lot, Galaxy Craze, and I was starting to warm up to dystopians too.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something formulaic, by the books, a shadow of better books to tide you over until something actually well written comes along, this book might be it. But if you’re looking for plot, story, sometime that makes sense, stay away, far away.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Mimi Valentine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-copy-for-review, gorgeous-covers, pure-awesomeness, reviewed

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When you look at this book, you think of a dark, dreary, and dangerous dystopian set in a ruined London. And while it is a dystopian set in England and can be very dark at times, it's also so much more enjoyable and lighter than I expected!

You don't have to worry about being bored with this book — The Last Princess is fast-paced and engaging from beginning to end! But sometimes it's a little too fast that it skims over details and shies away from world-building, leaving...more Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When you look at this book, you think of a dark, dreary, and dangerous dystopian set in a ruined London. And while it is a dystopian set in England and can be very dark at times, it's also so much more enjoyable and lighter than I expected!

You don't have to worry about being bored with this book — The Last Princess is fast-paced and engaging from beginning to end! But sometimes it's a little too fast that it skims over details and shies away from world-building, leaving so much room for plot holes and questions. (I mean, there are cannibals! Creepy-cool idea, right? But we never flesh out why there are cannibals or how London became as ruined as it was.)

On the other hand, the speed helps avoid the slow beginning that many dystopians tend to have! The story focuses more on the current monarchy and a dictator's revolution to take over it. It's surprisingly political, but in an interesting, cool, and not-boring way.

Eliza isn't your average princess — she's more like a princess-turned-soldier, forced to flee and join the revolutionist army as a spy to save her siblings. She may start out as your typical kindhearted and naive girl, but she matures and proves her bravery by the end. It's hard not to adore, admire, and ache for her with what Galaxy Craze puts her through!

I just wish that, like with world-building, we had more investment in the other characters. Cornelius had so much potential to be more than the one-dimensional villain he was (although he was still easy to hate, that's for sure!). And Wesley was a sweet, secretive, and intriguing love interest, but we never got to learn his secrets or motivations.

With a fascinating premise and a plot that races like your heart, The Last Princess is a unique and adventurous story that you'll probably finish in one sitting. It may not be a flawless book, but it sure is enjoyable to read! :)

BUY or BORROW?: If you're looking for a fast and absorbing novel, then this book is definitely worth picking up!

(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Sanette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: annoying-females, dystopian, female-pov

Set in a futuristic London when the earth has freaked out and caused mass destruction leaving the world covered in dust, plants dying, water scarce and people fighting amongst themselves, there is a plot to massacre the british royal family by a man named Cornelius Hollister. With his new army he intends to be the new King and to start a new royal line in England. While the royal family is throwing a ball, he invades the castle and kills the king, kidnapping two of his three children, while the...more Set in a futuristic London when the earth has freaked out and caused mass destruction leaving the world covered in dust, plants dying, water scarce and people fighting amongst themselves, there is a plot to massacre the british royal family by a man named Cornelius Hollister. With his new army he intends to be the new King and to start a new royal line in England. While the royal family is throwing a ball, he invades the castle and kills the king, kidnapping two of his three children, while the third, Eliza escapes because of the kindness of one of the soldiers. Thus begins her journey to avenge her family.

So I started out rating this book a five star, then I slept on it and changed it to a 4 star, then I read two incredible books and dropped it to a 2 star. I liked this book when I first read it but then upon reflection I realized that halfway through I was sort of skimming the book. I thought the dystopian world was very believable and the dictator trying to take over very Natzi like which really evoked a desolate and persecuted kingdom. I also thought Eliza was a fairly strong character and in the beginning I was rooting for her. But then she became obsessed with killing Hollister and I felt that it did her character a disservice. I would have rather like to watch her grow as a warrior fighting for the people of her country as opposed to just wanting to avenge her Daddy, who in reality I was not really a huge fan of. I mean who has a ball for the upper class when there are so many poor and hungry on the streets? The money spent on this ball should have gone to rebuilding their country and I felt it very distasteful of his character and so I found myself kind of agreeing with the rebels. Don't get me wrong, I believed Hollister to be an evil man and he was, but he had some points. So when Eliza goes off to kill him, she follows the soldiers to their base camp. After getting initiated and welcomed in as a soldier she really didn't do to great of a job of gathering information on Hollister and his plans, instead she was so focused on avenging her family that I felt she lost track of her greater duty. If she truly believed she was the last remaining monarch, she should have spent more time really getting to know her enemy and learning how to defeat him, instead I feel she wasted a lot of her time at the soldier's camp and the actions she did take were kind of childish. But that could have also been the author's doing as I feel she really skimmed over this section and it could have been a great deal more interesting.

Once she leaves the soldiers camp she makes a few impulsive and again single minded decisions that were for her reasons only and not that of her kingdom. I think the reason I ended this book on such a high note is because she finally realized her duty to her people, even if it coincided with her own personal needs, I felt it was the first time she had actually looked around her and thought about the people under her families rule. She also finally realized that some of her father's frivolous decisions were not in the best interest of their country. So I felt there was some kind of growth and there was a great action packed finale but upon reflection of this book, I feel the author really could have worked harder to flesh out some scenes.

This story had incredible potential to be awesome but I felt the author was trying to keep it short and a story like this really needed more depth. I'm still going to read the second book and I'm hoping the author really evolves the characters and the story much more than in this book. I see a lot of potential here for an incredible journey I just don't see the execution being on the same level, but my fingers are crossed.(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Caitlings rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, read-in-2012, romance, ya

I really LOVED the idea of this book. Like just LOVED. And I enjoyed each of the characters and the whole set up of the situation.

But the book just rushed through everything. I wanted it to take it's time and let us see and feel how things were changing. It was very much a tell instead of show book. Went by much too fast.

Originally whatchYAreading.net:

Unfortunately I was mostly disappointed. Sigh.

The book had the potential to be all that I was hoping it to be. The prose was decent, the charact...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of the usual YA/dystopian/romance formula

Shelves: dystopian, sci-fi, young-adult, own-physical-copy, post-apocalyptic, romance, reviewed

This is probably worthy of a 3.5/5. Its hard to categorize a genre. Its not really a dystopian because the alternate government never got full control, and had no hope of ever being disguised as utopian. And its not really post-apocalyptic either since after the world-wide disaster the monarchy was still in power and civilization didnt fall. But still, I guess it was close enough.

So, Eliza, the last princess, was one kick-ass chick. I really liked her, how hard she fought, how far she went for h...more This is probably worthy of a 3.5/5. Its hard to categorize a genre. Its not really a dystopian because the alternate government never got full control, and had no hope of ever being disguised as utopian. And its not really post-apocalyptic either since after the world-wide disaster the monarchy was still in power and civilization didnt fall. But still, I guess it was close enough.

So, Eliza, the last princess, was one kick-ass chick. I really liked her, how hard she fought, how far she went for her country and her family. I was seriously impressed when she jumped off the tower of London. Seriously. But it kept bugging me that we had no idea how old she was. She is the middle child and her younger brother is 6, so I kept picturing her as quite young, like 12. Then I had to adjust that when only a matter of days later she was having romantic entanglements. We eventually learn her older sister is 18, so maybe Eliza was closer to 16. Its strange to have a 10 year gap between her and her brother though. Oh well.

She made some foolish choices along the way because she was so unafraid, she just jumped right into danger on more than one occasion. But luckily she always had Wesley to save her. We didnt get to know him very well. He wasnt in it for long and the romance happened very quickly, but I felt for him. He was in a difficult position and I could understand that he was trying to make the best of it. And he was constantly rescuing Eliza, so I have to love him for that. Even if he only did it the first time or two because she was the princess, I know it was eventually because he loved her. Or close to. They only knew each other for a matter of days before Eliza thought to herself that she might be in love with him, which is a bit ridiculous, but it doesnt stop me from being happy for them.

This book was rather short, just under 300 pages, but it managed to fit in a lot of action. A very fast paced, exciting story and Eliza never stayed in one place very long. It says on the book flap that this is going to be a series, although there is no indication of that on GR. I look forward to reading more of this story. In the end there were plenty of loose ends and even a semi-cliffhanger to deal with. And hopefully the romance will get a chance to properly develop in a sequel.(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Richard (booksboysandsuch) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites

This was a very good book. I really liked the main character "Eliza". She wasn't a Bella Swan and she was a very strong character. I loved her. The rest of the characters, I liked as well and grew attached to some, which hasn't happened in a while.

"The Last Princess" is a good read, there was nothing terribly complicated and there wasn't over detailing. It reminded me of what I love most about writing, the simple factor. Where you can say just a few things and the reader will instantly be drawn...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Beáta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: da-best

toto nebude mať pokračovanie? to akože vážne? niektoré blbosti majú aj milión pokračovaní a toto nič? tseeee

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Jun 08, 2012 Mee rated it 1 of 5 stars

Dark atmosphere. The beginning started out tragic and so the rest of the following events follow suit. The ending was hanging and did not answer to how the epilogue happened; the author didn't explain. The princess was definitely to be pitied but she still held her ground, determined to fight the evil dictator.

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May 22, 2013 Hannah Funk rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Last Princess is set in a dystopian future where the world has been hit by 17 days of terrible natural disasters. As people try to get by without electricity, enough food, or communication, the government starts to dissolve, and the royal family of the main character (Princess Eliza) is attacked by rebel forces. Eliza embarks on a quest to rescue her siblings from jail.

Like many of the dystopian books I enjoy, I loved searching the pages of The Last Princess for references to modern day thin...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, teen

The second in line to the throne of England is kidnapped along with her siblings after watching her father die, escapes, joins the enemy's army and tries to rescue her family only to get herself discovered more than once.

Sounds incredibly interesting to me.

And it was, but as with "Mystic City" it stopped short for some reason. I am not sure why in this case. Honestly, I am not sure of much with this book - such as why the world is in the state it's in or whether or not England is truly alone. I...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Cinderianne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, dystopian

I'm a bit unsure of what I thought about The Last Princess. I want to say I liked it, but my list of things wrong with it is too long to do so.

First off, it moved way too fast. At the beginning I had hopes that it would be okay, because it seemed to jump right into the story. But as it went on, everything just seemed mediocre and rushed.

With the overall plot line, there was a lot that the author could have done with it. But instead, she went with a basic and highly predictable plot. You could...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-my-type, waste-of-time, stupid, never-will-read-it-again, romance-land, i-hate-it

(Spoilers ahead)
This book...was not how I expected it to be...Not at all. Where do I start off? Well, first of all everything went to fast. Wesley and Eliza? They make me go "wtf". Holy crud, how can you fall in love with someone within a month? Sorry guys, the romance just totally ruined it for me. Honestly, I would've expect it to be a solo-role or maybe there are romance but just thought off later when everything is truly settled down. A mighty princess being a bad-ass with, of course, no r...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian

The Last Princess features descendants of today’s royal family. Sixteen year old Princess Eliza and her family are surviving in a dystopian England after a series of natural disasters has cut England off from the rest of the world. Everything is dark and food is scarce and survival is becoming more difficult. There is a plot to overthrow Eliza’s family and created a dictatorship and Eliza is the only one of her family to escape the bloodshed that happens at the Roses Ball. Thrown into survival m...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Nicole marked it as could-not-finish

Shelves: ya-scifi

After reading April's review of The Last Princess, I was hesitant to start reading and nearly put it in my scrap pile. But then I changed my mind during a readathon a few weeks ago -- I wanted to know if I'd have the same opinion as April.

I did.

The plot is interesting, though I didn't get far enough into it to discover the giant plot holes. The giant world-building holes were enough for me, and that was between all the giant information dumps that were attempting to set up the world.

The writing...more

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Jul 18, 2012 PrincyJessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Comments: Is Anyone done with the heroes always sticking around now its time for heroines!! And this book blew my mind my heartbeat is up and down so crazily while reading this.
PLOT = Her kingdom has been destroyed and she watched her family gets killed in front of her, she only wants revenge but then she met someone that give her hope once again.
Characters = ELiza = she is the main character in this story and this girl is one of the best heroine I ever read, she is not strong at first but at t...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Bethany rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm giving this one star mainly for the premise and for the cover, which I think is spectacular. Perhaps that is harsh but I SO wanted to love this book and really, really didn't. The book is set in the future after seventeen days of unexplained natural disasters has ruined the world and forced England into isolation. (I wish that would be dealt with!) As rebels rise up, the royal family is threatened and Eliza decides she will take revenge for her family and for her country. Really, that is som...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Once Upon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Audio: I smile very big when I start listening to an audio book and immediately like the reader's voice. I began this audio a few weeks ago and couldn't dedicate the time I wanted to it so I put it to the side in hopes that some free time would come up soon. Well this past weekend I went on a mini weekend trip and it would take 6 hours to get there and back. The Last princess made those 6 hrs go by so fast, even my mom Trudy was listening and was just as engrossed in the story as I was. Leslie d...more Audio: I smile very big when I start listening to an audio book and immediately like the reader's voice. I began this audio a few weeks ago and couldn't dedicate the time I wanted to it so I put it to the side in hopes that some free time would come up soon. Well this past weekend I went on a mini weekend trip and it would take 6 hours to get there and back. The Last princess made those 6 hrs go by so fast, even my mom Trudy was listening and was just as engrossed in the story as I was. Leslie does a really great job at reading and capturing the interest of us the listener. Her british accent is what I give probably a 5 rating too, if it wasn't for that the story itself lack a little for me. I probably would have lost interest or given a lower rating to this book if it wasn't for Leslie's fantastic job reading. If this becomes a series, I will be listening to the rest instead of reading the books.

Book: You read above how I mention the story lack a little for me in the plot and some of the delivery. If those two would have worked, this book probably would have gotten a 5 for me. What saved it from getting a 3 or lower, was the fact that the audio version ROCKS! It was a delight to listen to it.

The story is told from Princess Eliza view. She is the daughter of the King of England during a poverty stricken time. Everything has been ruin in a matter of 17 days. After those 17 days, food is scares, clean water is hard to come by, the lands are in ruins and the people have become savages. While all this is taking place Eliza father, the King continues to live a lavish life inside the place, and many have taken noticed. That's when the first hard blow to their family takes place. A man named Cornelius Hollister poisons the fruit Eliza's mother ate while pregnant with her little brother. Her brother survived by is a ill child. He has the poison in his blood. Eliza along with her father, older sister and brother must learn to live on and deal with their grief. That is until Eliza is now a 16 year old teenager and during a ball her father is hosting while the people starve outside the place, they are attacked. Once again another major blow by Cornelius Hollister. He kills the King and kidnaps her older sister and younger sick brother. Eliza wished she received the same fate as her father, instead one of Hollister soldiers sees her and doesn't say anything. She is left all alone in the place surround by so many dead bodies and not a single clue as to where they took what's left of her family. Eliza will making some life altering choices that will either ruin her or take her to her family. What is a 16 year old Princess of England too do.

I am not sure as to the future of this book if it will be a series or not. It does leave off where it can definitely have a sequel. I personally would like to know what happens next. I haven't found anything online suggesting so yet, but never say never. I take my comment back, I just happen to open the back of the hardcover to where it has the author's portrait and small bio, its says she is currently working on the sequel to The Last Princess. So yey, that makes me happy.

review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...(less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a fast read, meaning it took less than half a day to finish it.

It was an interesting idea and it was that which initially drew me in unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.

Most of the book was a series of summaries, which helped contribute to the fast reading part, and there were some times that it was summarized so abrubtly that I though I was missing a page or two (as I was reading it on a kindle.There was also a time that the author hinted at a relationship in the bo...more

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Jun 14, 2012 →kelly♥[: rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book, breathtaking-cover, r-a-s

My Rating: 2.5

I had high hopes for The Last Princess, starting with its breathtaking cover. It's gorgeous. Just look at it. The front cover shows a girl watching over a castle with the clouds in shades of blue, purple, and orange. The back cover shows the same castle burning and half destroyed. Who can resist checking out a book with a cover like that?

The plot also sounded good enough - A dystopian novel where a princess' brother and sister was captured and she is the only hope on saving them....more

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May 30, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story was extremely fast paced and I read it in only a few hours. The beginning was like discovering a new world, post apocalyptic England. It was fascinating and scared me at the same time. The emotion underlying this story is fantastic, however Eliza seems to go between being afraid and lonely to focusing only on getting revenge. Hollister was very underdeveloped for a villian, as was Wesley the main love interest. Which I must say, I did NOT feel a single drop of romance. This girl had a...more

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May 30, 2012 Tobias rated it 2 of 5 stars

I personally think that the book had lots of potentials but then lost it too. Galaxy Craze, the author, put up a great idea of having a Princess be the Heroine of the story. HOWEVER, while the book was fast to pick up the pace, the transitions were also very much rushed. She was supposedly a PROPER PRINCESS and the suddenly, she turns into a warrior. Quite honestly, that's quite IMPOSSIBLE to happen. Unless it was stated that by some magical powers, she just woke up like that.

But anyway, it was...more

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May 25, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, dystopian, young-adult

When I first heard about this book I was very excited. A dystopian starring descendants of the current English royalty? Awesome. Royalty in danger, hiding amongst the common people to save their family and retake the throne? It’s like the what I love about fantasy in a dystopian setting. Yes, please.

Unfortunately I was mostly disappointed. Sigh.

The book had the potential to be all that I was hoping it to be. The prose was decent, the characters intriguing, the world building and the setting were...more

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May 19, 2012 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Princess Eliza has inherited a desolate world. Ever since a series of natural disasters that wracked the land in the Seventeen Days, food and other resources have been scarce, dangerous groups of cannibalistic criminals roam the forests, and days of sunshine are rare. But as bad as life gets, it’s only about to get worse with the rise of a supposed revolutionary intent on securing the crown for himself. When the royal family is attacked at Buckingham Palace, Eliza is the only one to escape. Desp...more Princess Eliza has inherited a desolate world. Ever since a series of natural disasters that wracked the land in the Seventeen Days, food and other resources have been scarce, dangerous groups of cannibalistic criminals roam the forests, and days of sunshine are rare. But as bad as life gets, it’s only about to get worse with the rise of a supposed revolutionary intent on securing the crown for himself. When the royal family is attacked at Buckingham Palace, Eliza is the only one to escape. Desperate for revenge, she disguises herself to join enemy troops, intent on getting as close as she can to the man who destroyed her family so she can destroy him. But not all is as it seems and it soon becomes clear that there is so much more at stake than petty revenge. Eliza’s trust, her strength, and even her faith in herself will all be tested as she struggles to find a way to save the crown and her country.

The Last Princess has all the makings of a great story, with its deadly intrigues and epic power struggle between the royal crown and revolutionaries. Unfortunately, though, the execution of this story falls a little short. The biggest problem for me was the plot. Though it is certainly entertaining and full of action and excitement, the entirety of the plot felt extremely controlled; that is to say, the sequencing of events didn’t always feel natural, and it seemed like there was always an external, previously unmentioned or irrelevant reason for why important things happened. This made the story rather unsatisfying for me, because every solution to each new problem felt more like the result of chance rather than a product of Eliza’s ingenuity, which is what I would have preferred. Despite this, I did still find the dystopian backdrop to this story fascinating and the overall story still somewhat enjoyable to read.

The Last Princess will appeal to readers who also enjoyed Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Shadow by Jenny Moss, and The Pledge by Kimberly Derting.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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May 09, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Regretfully, I am writing a review for this book and it's not going to be happy.

First, a positive note. The story moves quickly and it is an easy read. There is nonstop action and little useless reflection that is all too common in young adult fiction. The story moves from the first page and doesn't stop until the very end.

The first problem I had with the story is the transitions. Although it moves quickly, I missed the transition from pretty princess to hardened and embittered soldier. Princes...more Regretfully, I am writing a review for this book and it's not going to be happy.

First, a positive note. The story moves quickly and it is an easy read. There is nonstop action and little useless reflection that is all too common in young adult fiction. The story moves from the first page and doesn't stop until the very end.

The first problem I had with the story is the transitions. Although it moves quickly, I missed the transition from pretty princess to hardened and embittered soldier. Princess Eliza watches the physical landscape change in 17 days, people died and the geography and ecology changed almost immediately. Under armed guard, the enemy enters the royal grounds and hands the queen fruit. Fruit that nobody else can get. Is she wary? No. She eats it and dies. Eliza watches this. The man escapes the armed and guarded grounds and her baby brother is born under duress, with the poison still in his system. And yet, Eliza grows into a young woman who still believes in good and toting her silver spoon in her mouth.

Fast forward a few years. Her very sick brother writes a note. He's six years old and writes a goodbye note. He somehow saddles his horse which, even a healthy six year old boy would probably not be able to do unassisted, and leaves the royal grounds. The armed guards let him through? The stable groom didn't notice him saddling up a horse? He left the castle completely undetected, exited the guarded grounds on a horse he saddled by himself and he has never been outside? No way.

The story continues and becomes more and more unbelievable. The protagonist is unstable. Motivation for all characters was never clear. My best example is when Eliza is to be secreted out of the country to live a safe life in the comfort of somebody else's home. Because of this and an impending death, a resistance army disbands before her very eyes. Really? The future of a country and ideals can be abandoned that easily? They have no Plan B besides surrender?

The story toggled between unbelievability and predictability with corny ironies. Eliza decides to stay and fight with the citizens. She gives a rallying speech and there are cheers as she is filled with appreciation that the people would fight and die for her. Oh. Okay. They will die for HER, their princess, but not for their son or daughter. They will not try to save the remaining royals in the tower without the princess. But then, why should they? When they rally, they rally for Eliza, the person, rather than for the symbolism of her existence; a democracy, certain freedoms, end of fascism. Enter random piece of jewelry that suddenly makes Eliza question if there is a Heaven or Hell because it has made its way back into her hands.

I'm sure there are valid arguments for the timing of the events I've outlined but these are only examples I've chosen in order to not give away the story. To me it lacked logic except if I were watching a 1985 Hallmark Special with the story taking place on Fantasy Island.

Contrary to my criticism and lack of stars, I didn't hate this book. I simply saw far too many holes and lack of character development and logic. I didn't mind that I spend an evening reading it. I don't feel like I wasted my time. It was entertaining albeit brutally violent. The violence ranks up there in Hitler's concentration camp. If you can skim past that part, it's not an unpleasant read. There are positive reviews that contrast with mine.

My final verdict is that I'd recommend another book to spend an evening.(less)

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May 09, 2012 Mel (balancingbooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-author-challenge, mel-balancing-books, young-adult

What a great debut novel by Galaxy Craze. And by the way, how awesome is that name? Love it!!

This novel takes place in Great Britain in the year 2090. A revolution is brewing against the monarchy but the Windsor children, Mary, Eliza and young Jamie have been kept in the dark about that. However, all that changes in an instant when their father is killed and Mary and Jamie are abducted. Eliza escapes and makes a hard decision, to join the turdor army in order to get closer to the enemy and hopef...more

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May 01, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of potential (post apocalyptic world, kickass princess fighting for the survival of her people, poisoned rivers and evil armies and murder and rebellion and faked deaths) but never really does anything with it. The post-disaster world is strangely unspecific yet simultaneously over-the-top, with mutated animals and rivers running silver with mercury and references to nothing green growing. But if things were even half that messed up, they'd have all starved and/or been killed...more

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May 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

I should probably start off by saying that as of this moment, I’m no longer speaking to my mother. What was she thinking naming me Jessica when she could have named me Galaxy. I can honestly state that my biggest motivation for buying this book, initially, was because it seemed incredibly cool to have a book by someone named ‘Galaxy Craze’ on my bookshelf. I’m being serious, too.

There’s more, of course, to The Last Princess than just the author’s completely awes...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Kathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-april-2012

What is it about royalty? I did not totally dislike this book. It was readable. But my list of oh please stuff is going to make it sound like I hated it. First, the royal kids are named Mary and Eliza and James, this with a group of villians that call themselves the Tudors. Would this seem like just a bit much to anyone else? Second, the ecological disaster. I can easily believe that stuff, but this one was very arbitrary and inconsistent. Some times and some places the trees are all dead and se...more

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About Galaxy Craze

Galaxy Craze (born 1970) is an actress and writer. She moved to the U.S. with her mother in 1980. She appeared in a few independent films in the late 1990s, and wrote a novel, By the Shore, published in 1999. She is a 1993 graduate of Barnard College.

Craze told an interviewer that she "didn't say I wanted to be a writer, I just knew that's what I like to do." Another interviewer described her "bea...more

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