The Heir

The Selection #4

by Kiera Cass

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon - and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2015

About the author

100 Things I Love:

Being married. Cake. The smell of Autumn. Motherhood. Books. Elephants. Back rubs. On demand movies. Actually going out to movies. Faith. Cinnamon rolls. My family. Butterflies. When my kitchen is clean. Crayons. Pink. Tote bags. Dancing. Organizing via color coordination. That my wedding dress was tea length, not floor. Baking. My house. Writing utensils. Paper. India. The sound of water. Making videos. Buttons. The word Episcopalian. Making people laugh. Layering clothes. British accents. Pinterest. Animation. Fireworks. The smell of the Ocean. My wedding rings. Aprons. Reasons to get dressed up. Sex. Pop music. Stars. Taking walks. Daydreaming. Stickers. School Spirit. My friends. Living in a small town. Japan. Singing. Painting my toenails. Pranks/ practical jokes. Painting. Stretch canvas. Costumes. Dipping my fingers in melted wax. Style. Soda. Spending an hour typing at a coffee shop. Musicals. Back to school season. Mopeds. Good hair days. Naps. Not walking up but looking at a beautiful staircase. Driving alone. My ankles. Playlists. Spending entire days in pajamas. Holidays. Telling stories. Spontaneity. Theme parks. Bookshelves. The word copacetic. Boxes. Empty journals. Surprises. Doing things in groups. Doing things alone. Getting real mail. Decorating. Small forks. A good hug. Gift cards. New Years Goals. Going out to dinner. When someone else remembers some great story about me/us that I’ve forgotten. Toy stores. Fireplaces. Breakfast foods. Journaling. Crying for a good reason. Doorbells. Pointless adventures. Voting. My birthday. Reasons to make wishes. Recycling.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

First gutter trash of the year.

Ok - to catch everyone up, America Singer lives in a country where the next queen is chosen ala The Bachelor.

Prince Maxon took three long (lonnnnng) books to pick America to be his bride. Their story is a happily-ever-after-hippie-yippie-lovefest...or is it?

Twenty years down the line, their eldest (Eadlyn) is eighteen and of marrying age.

Since there is a bout of civil unrest, King Maxon and Queen America decide to hunker down, deal with the current socioeconomic issues and really revitalize their country from the ground up.

LOL JK

They decide to marry off their eldest to whatever hunky commoner isn't creepy and/or a rapist.

Mom put up her hands, cautioning me. "Just listen-"
"A Selection?" I burst out. "That’s insane!"
"Eadlyn, you're being irrational. "
I glared at her. "You promised- you promised- you'd never force me into marrying someone."

However, they did not take into account the most important thing to having a successful televised modern-day bridal auction - having a likable main character

Turns out, the King and Queen spent so much time raising up their country that they accidentally made a bratty, underdeveloped, whiny little twit to inherit the throne.

“I'm a princess. I have everything."

Hard to distract the nation from their poverty and/or class-related-stress when the nation is too busy abhorring their future ruler.

Didn't they know who I was...? I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more powerful than me.

Poor, unfortunate Princess Eadelyn will have to face her toughest challenge yet - getting people to like her.

I mean...it's just bad. So bad. This whole series went so far downhill that Jack and Jill can't even find it.

The first book in this series - ehhh. It was okay. The second and third book were really stretching the theme...and this fourth one? Not worth the paper it was printed on.

Honestly, it just goes to show, just because you *can* write another book in your very bloated series doesn't mean you should...

The unlikable main character (aka Eadlyn) spends the entire book:

A) Whining about how unfair it is that she's going to be the next ruler.

What they didn't understand was that their attempts to make my life fair seemed rather unfair to me.

(Yes. It's unfair that America decided to break tradition and allow girls to rule the kingdom.)

(And yes, that is the sound of Feminism retreating in her heels).

B) Complaining about how stressed she is - while getting massages and mani/pedis constantly.

I've never seen a main character dash off so much to get pampered, all the while going off constantly about how difficult life is and stressed she is.

(she's probably stressed because of all those appointments - what if the deep tissue masseuse wants to schedule the same time as the royal foot massager?? Oh the conflicts!!)

C) B*tches about all the other females and males in the book.

Josie (Marley's daughter), who's only fifteen, just idolizes Eadlyn. Constantly looks up to her and always tries to hang out with her.

...so Eadlyn constantly undermines and tears down that girl. Mocks her for her lack of status and everything about her personality.

The other contestants are constantly picked on and nitpicked.

"This is strange," I said, picking up one of he applications. "I don't want to be judgmental, but look at this. I caught three different spelling mistakes for this one."
Mom took the form. "It's possible he was nervous."
"Or an idiot," I offered.

Multiple suitors are made to cry, and Eadlyn laughs it off.

And then she wonders why the general population doesn't like her. It's exhausting to read about how much she hates other people.

D) Avoids any and all work involved with actually ruling her country.

Much like the previous three books, the ruling family of Shreaves (why in the world the author picked a last name like that for a dynasty is beyond me) does little to no ruling.

Their grasp of what it takes to rule a country sounds nothing more than a cursory google search by the author.

How can you HONESTLY expect a season of the Bachelorette to stop a civil war???

But don't worry, the author does manage to giver herself plenty of pats-on-the-back throughout her spinoff.

“You know how your mother and I met,” Dad [Maxon] began.
I rolled my eyes. “Everyone does. You two are practically a fairy tale.”

Such a waste of time.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Richie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fixed the cover

[Gillian]

JUST WHEN GILLIAN THOUGHT SHE WAS A FREE ELF

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first 3 books. I think that's because Eadlyn was insufferable and I wanted to punch her EVERYTIME. She's bratty, spoiled and whenever someone disagrees with her, she tells them she'll be the future queen (as if they have to shut up for that reason). I don't really hate her, but I don't like her at all.

At first I didn't like any of the selected boys and I had a hard time remembering who was who, but now I kind of like Henri... and that's it. Ean is interesting, too. Kile and Hale are too cliché for me, and the whole Erik thing isn't working for me either. I thought I knew who Eadlyn would choose, but now I'm not sure...

Another thing that bothered me was what Ahren did at the end of the book! UGH! He was one of my favorite characters, but then he had to do THAT! Like... WHY? He could've talked to his parents about it and they would've been understanding and supporting to him! He didn't need to be all secretive about it. What he did was STUPID.

Maxon saved the book for me. I loved seeing him in daddy mode, but I'm so worried about him :(. So much pressure in his shoulders, and then what happened at the end was a fatal blow for him! I just want to hug him and tell him everything will be alright!

So... characters I liked in this book: Maxon, Kaden, Henri, Ean, Aspen... and that's it. America was alright, but I felt her so out of character, maybe that's because she's now the queen and she has really changed (for good).

I'll definetly be reading the next book. Kiera Cass has this thing that I can't stop reading her books! They're addicting! And this one wasn't the exception.

[Christine Riccio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did a full booktalk for this ages ago..... I FORGOT TO MARK IT AS FINISHED. HERE'S THE BOOKTALK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTIIV...

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

YOU GUYS. Is it possible that a book could be WORSE than The Selection, with an even more dreadful heroine, with even more terrible worldbuilding? Can such a thing happen?

I know you fall asleep each night wondering. WONDER NO MORE. The answer has arrived.

Yes. Yes, such a book can exist! And it is this one.

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

First, it is worth noting that on top of the problems that plagued earlier books in this series, this book has spectacularly awful timing, coming out, as it does, in the midst of the Baltimore situation. Unlike The Hunger Games, which for all its fault really touched on the cultural zeitgeist, this book is uniquely tone deaf in light of our current national crises.

Okay, let's begin with the text!

You thought America was dumb? Wait till you meet her daughter

Here is how we meet Eadlyn.

I COULD NOT HOLD MY breath for seven minutes. I couldn’t even make it to one. I once tried to run a mile in seven minutes after hearing some athletes could do it in four but failed spectacularly when a side stitch crippled me about halfway in.

Eadlyn has made me hate her in well less than seven minutes…more like seven seconds. GOOD WORK.

I mean, does Eadlyn/Cass think that some magical beings can just suddenly run a mile in 4 minutes? No. You train to run. Only some people can do a seven minute mile on their first try. For the rest of us, you work at it. Something with which a princess should be familiar. This does not bode well for Our Heroine, who apparently gives up immediately when she can’t do something on the first try.

Alas, Mom and Dad couldn’t stand to watch their firstborn be stripped of a title by an unfortunate but rather lovely set of breasts.

I . . . what? Girl babies are not born with breasts. If you are trying to go in this direction, just come out and say it: she had a vagina when she was born. Not breasts. Also, the reason to make your firstborn heir regardless of gender is called EQUALITY. Because women are just as capable of ruling as men. Not because breasts strip you of your title. Cause and effect fail.

So, apparently Eadlyn and her father Maxon (I see he’s still a bit dim too) get their news from the newspaper.

Read this again.

THE RULERS OF A NATION GET THEIR NEWS FROM THE NEWSPAPER.

News is at least 12 hours old when it is printed. WHY DON’T THEY HAVE A SITUATION ROOM IN THE PALACE? Can you imagine if Obama did it? Here, let my friend Elisa MacHeart show you what Obama would look like as the ruler of Ilea.

“Obama woke up and read the newspaper. More riots, apparently. Well. That would not do. Or it would. Hard to tell whose side to be on.
“Mr. President,” a voice said, knocking on his door, “time for your briefing.”
“'No need!” said Obama. “I read the paper.”
Thus finished with knowing what was going on in the world, he put on running shoes to see if he could maybe suddenly beat the fastest mile time in the world.

Okay, moving on. Apparently, no laws were created to outlaw discrimination. Also, Maxon and America dismantled the castes without having any kind of ministry, department, or bureau in place to help ease the transition. Eadlyn makes a weaksauce attempt to suggest it now (SEVENTEEN YEARS LATER), saying, “In my heart I knew complaints would come in faster than anyone could address them, but I also knew Dad couldn’t bear doing nothing.”

….WHAT IS THIS. She has NO concern for her people. She only cares that her father isn’t “doing nothing” because that would hurt his feefees, not that even addressing SOME injustice is better than addressing none. Christ, what an asshole.

It gets worse. Within the span of about 2 pages, Eadlyn tries to do the budget (but she’s bad at math lol cuz SHE’S A GIRL), and then talks about how much she loves having “dessert flown in just because it’s a Thursday.” The cognitive dissonance must be really painful for her.

(To be clear: girls are allowed to be terrible at math, I am in fact terrible at math. But Cass specifically sets up Eadlyn to be bad at it, while her twin brother is great with numbers. In a cultural vacuum, this would just be a character trait and be fine. Unfortunately, we live in a society where girls are routinely said to be worse at math, to be inherently less capable of STEM jobs, and so on. You cannot divorce a work of fiction from the context in which it was written. This is just playing into the stereotype that girls cannot do math, and that is a real and damaging stereotype.)

Another thing that Ahren is better at: realizing that you can negotiate with your parents. How did Eadlyn not realize this immediately, instead of screaming, “YOUR’E RUINING MY LIFE?” Doesn’t every teenager figure this out by the time they are 13? “Come home by midnight.” “One o’clock, but I’ll call at 11!” She was ostensibly raised as the heir to a nation—and she can’t figure out this one tiny thing? Ilea, I weep for you.

To be continued as soon as I've gotten drunk enough to handle the awful writing and logic fails.

[Rachel E. Carter]

Eadyln is definitely not America. And I could not be happier.



Thank you, Cass, for giving me a princess I can root for. I read the Selection series for Maxon (who didn't?) and it was refreshing to find myself drawn toward the protagonist for once. Now, some people are going to hate her. Eady comes across very spoiled and selfish at first glance, but whereas America was wishy-washy and driven by a constant state of indecision, Eady knows what she wants and doesn’t apologize for it. And I for one found that rewarding.

“I don’t know. I guess I thought, if you ever did get married, it’d be down the line. I think everyone assumed that… Come on, Eady. You’ve always been independent. It’s the queen in you. You like to be in charge, do things on your own. I don’t think you’d partner up with anyone unless you at least got to reign for awhile.” YES.

Eady represents something society either hates or loves. She sends eleven suitors packing on public display without the slightest hesitation, or the slightest bit of sympathy. The newscaster labels her the “black widow” for her heartless display. But really, how is it heartless? Society wanted her to pretend to get know all of them when really she was doing her heart a favor. She sent the lewd ones packing and if she knew she had no chemistry she didn’t see the point in dragging the charade out. This scene reminded me of Brad Womack on his first season as The Bachelor –everyone in the public eye condemned him for not picking DeAnna but why? Because at the end of the show he didn’t love her enough to propose? That took guts that he didn’t want to lie to her like every other winner does on the show, proposing and then calling things off before the final episode where they flash forward months later. Eady is Brad. Her response to the angry public was perfect: “I only have one heart, and I’m saving it.”

Now, let’s talk about the basic plot and how messed up it really was. Obviously the fans wanted more Selection books so Cass had to find a way to bring it back. But then came America's bone-headed argument for subjecting her daughter to another ordeal: “Eadlyn, darling, we want you to be the best queen you can be, that’s all.” REALLY????? I get that they are trying to distract the country with a show but I hated lines like that. It made it seem like her parents thought she needed a man to rule.

“I will,” I answered, “and I certainly don’t need a boy to show me how to do that.” SERIOUSLY, THIS IS WHY I LOVE EADY AND HATE HER MOTHER.

Honestly, the only part I liked her parents was Maxon’s sad attempt at baseball (when he pointed to a spectacular hit and then missed all the pitches, that was ROFL hilarious).

Or let’s talk about the obvious lead love interest. For Eady we give her (in my mind) hot, hipster-architect anti-royal Kile. He is the Dimitri to her Anastasia. I love him, I love their bickering, but I did not love how quickly they got together, or how as soon as they kissed she wanted to make out with him all the time, or that really awkward description of first kiss about the “mouths” –was it just me? Nevertheless even with their problems I admired how they still argued on a routine basis like Dimitri-Anastasia and they had this “let’s pretend we won’t fall in love” relationship (since he wants to leave palace and she doesn’t want to marry): “If I need advice, I talk to my parents. If I need a friendly ear, I have Ahren. You were helping for a minute [kissing me], and then you had to start with the questions.” What’s not to love about a girl that's in denial? Makes for the cutest clichés.

So if I enjoyed this book why isn’t it five stars? Because the romance was somewhat lacking. I didn’t root for Kile as hard as I could because he and Eady were too quick to start making out, so to speak. I would have preferred more build up or drama between those two instead of an automatic "friends with benefits" situation. I think I loved Maxon a bit more because he was less readable. He and America were a bit more romantic. That said, this is a four star read because I found the plot more enjoyable than America's tale, and I really liked the main character (for once).

I am ready for the next book, now please.

[julia ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update:
What can I say? This book was even better than I hoped it would be. I just absolutely love this series.
I can't wait for the next book to come out!

---
OH MY GOD I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER BOOK IN THE SELECTION SERIES I CAN'T STOP SCREAMING I AM SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW OH MY AGSUIDODGFHODPODJF

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I only have one heart, and I’m saving it.”



Why do I always finish these books in tears?



Okay, so it’s no secret that I loved the Selection books, and I have to admit, that I loved this one too

Eadlyn was a character that at times came across as bratty, selfish, and totally full of herself. But then she’d do something that would make me laugh, or something so outrageous whilst totally owning it, and I totally fell in love with her. Sure she was naïve, and her youth worked against her at times, but she also came across as totally real, and it was nice to watch as she learned more real-life stuff, and began to see why having someone to love might not be such a bad thing.

“I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more powerful than me.”



The storyline in this was about Eadlyn taking part in a selection (against her will), and the calamities that ensued. The new problems in Illea, and the unrest that Maxon didn’t know how to fix.

"I looked down. Did people really talk about Dad being tired?"



So, the Selection!! 35 guys, and unfortunately there were some real bad pennies in that bunch!

“When we met, you couldn’t stop staring at my breasts.” His face went pale, as if he seriously thought he was so subtle no one would notice. “Make sure you get an equally satisfactory look at my backside as you leave.”



But some real cuties too!

Hale dropped down and lay in front of me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”



And gosh, I don’t know who she’s going to pick! There’s one boy who grew on both me and her, but is it too predictable if they end up together? There’s the guy that’s not even part of the selection, but seems to have caught the Princess’ eye. And then there’s the guy who’s sweet, but has a bit of a language barrier. Would that ever work? I don’t know!!

"You seem shut off in a way, disconnected from your people. I know you're constantly worried about the demands you will face as queen, but it's time you see the needs of others."



And so the ending! And what an ending it was! I loved the twists in this story, totally loved them, but dear me, please don’t hurt a person who we all love Kiera Cass! Please!
I cannot wait for the next book. CANNOT WAIT!!
9 out of 10


************************************************************************

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh. I'm a little disappointed in this edition to The Selection Series. I don't know what I was truly expecting when I picked this up but this wasn't it. This probably wont be one of the longest reviews, but that's because I don't have much to say. Overall I don't even feel like this edition needed to be written because it really didn't add anything that wasn't already there.

Eadlyn the heir to the throne and our leading lady, is a total bitch. I know a lot of people will say "oh well she has her reasons", but I disagree. She was malicious at times for no real reason. Being a brat doesn't make you a strong women. It takes more courage to stay delicate in a world that cruel. And yeah, I've read snotty characters before and loved them and this just wasn't the case for Eady. Her constant complaining got to be far to much for me to ever feel a connect with her. One of the contestants even tells her shes a stubborn self-centered brat and I think he nailed it.

As far as America and Maxon, her parents and the leading characters from the first three books, too me feel completely different than how they were before. I was so excited to get even just a little taste of them in this book and was again let down. America went from this strong, amazing role model for girls to this empty shell. Same basically goes for Maxon too. Sadly both felt rather unrecognizable.

As far as her male suitors went... Again a let down. When she finally starts going on dates I thought I was about to get excited and would have a guy I could start cheering for.... and that never happens. We get so little time with them. There wasn't one I was super swooning over, or one that made my heart skip a beat. And actually a lot of them were kind of dicks. I'm more than certain that anyone who picks this book up will know who she will end up with (it can really only be between two. One is a bit predictable the other is who you'd want which again is kind of obvious). No, this isn't an open and close read it's left on a "cliff-hanger". Which I HATED! I wish I could give you even a little bit of a plot summary, but can't because there's not much of one. Basically we gets 300+ pages of Eady repeating the same sentence, stomping her feet, then caving a little here and there. If you start reading this, and then do like I did, and kept saying and waiting thinking there has to be some "WOW moment" that really makes this book complete, I'll sadly tell you that you'll be waiting forever.

I wouldn't of even given this book the rating I did if it wasn't for her brother Ahren. He too me was the only highlight of this book. I loved him! I did find it was a little ridiculous that he understood what true feminism was over his sister. Found myself wishing that he was the heir and that we would have gotten the book from his sweet POV.

"You can be brave and still be feminine. you can lead and still love flowers. Most important, you can be a queen and still be a bride."

Truly let down by how this book went. It had all the potential to be great and then just drug it's feet. Hoping the next one goes balls to the wall.

[isabelle]

Basically.

Update:

I'm enthralled, yet confused, with this cover.

[Veronika · Rating 3 out of 5]

My blog: http://reading-is-dreaming-with-open-...

"You can be brave and still be feminine. You can lead and still love flowers. Most importantly, you can be queen and still be a bride."

If I had to say one word about The Heir, I'd go with underwhelming. It was not a bad book but I just couldn't like it as much as I did The Selection. Even at the best parts it couldn't live up to the previous books and I mainly blame the narrator for that.

Eadlyn had a lot of potential but unfortunately she failed my expectations. From the first moment I thought she was selfish, whiny and quite heartless. Meanwhile I thought she'll redeem herself later on. No such luck. Eadlyn continued to complain about having way too much work to do and having the weight of the world on her shoulder. At the same time she left all decisions to Maxon, which was fine because he was the king after all, but then why wouldn't she stop bitching about the amount of pressure she was under? Allegedly she had to learn a lot and she didn't understand maths... woah I feel so sorry for her. Next to this, she was egocentric to the level that she tried to manipulate her own brother to get what she wanted. I'm sorry but I just couldn't relate to her.

"No one was more powerful than me."
- she says this soo many times that I can't even count.

I was still hoping for great character development but I never got it. Eadlyn did change throughout the novel but the biggest change happened at the very end. It wasn't only unrealistic but rushed too. It felt wrong to me that something so drastic had to happen to make Eadlyn realise how wrong she was.

The romance was predictable and bored me to no end. From the very first moment we met the guys it was obvious who'll have a chance with Eadlyn. What I hated the most about this was how patronizing she was to all of them, besides the one guy who'd have really deserved it. She did her first elimination in front of the cameras and wasn't a tad bit nice about it, you can say she ashamed those guys in front of the whole country. I was surprised to see that she had no idea why people dislike her. Jeez, I don't understand either, can you help me out here?

I never thought it's possible to have 35 guys and not be interested in any of them, but that's how I felt while reading The Heir. I'd go as far that I don't think I like any of these guys. I feel like I don't know anything about them besides their names and a few non-important things. I get that it must be hard on the author to introduce us to so many new characters but at least one or two guys could have got more attention. While it is obvious which guys Eadlyn prefers at the moment I don't see myself shipping them in the next book. What I liked in America and Maxon was always their banter and cute scenes, so far none of these happened here. I feel like these guys are either batshit afraid of Eadlyn or don't care about her at all. I wanted a guy to tell Eadlyn when she's wrong and tell her to go screw herself when she put him in an awkward situation. Did this happen? NO. Also, don't look for chemistry between the characters, there's none.

There were so many supporting characters besides the guys, and I felt like even Cass forgot about them once in a while. Josie was made to look sort of important in the beginning but then she was completely forgotten, as I'm sure she is in there. Ahren and Eadlyn's younger brothers were casually mentioned here and there and appeared to eat but not much than that. I was surprised to see that I didn't like Marlee at all. I was mortified when I realised that she wants to force her son, Kile to stay at a place he doesn't feel at home. It was wrong on so many levels that I just can't deal with it. Eadlyn's maid appeared at the right times for Eadlyn to hurt her feelings but at least she did told her what a little bitch she was. Have I mentioned before that Eadlyn can't take critic to crazy levels. Whenever someone said something to her that she didn't like she became mad as hell and hated on the said person.

Eadlyn's lovely words to her maid:

“That’s not what I mean. It’s simply intriguing to me the dynamic you must have. You have my laundry in your arms, and he might cure a disease. Those are two incredibly different roles in the world.”

Obviously, this novel wasn't all bad. I pretty much loved Ahren and thought he was unbelievably cute with Camille (his girlfriend). Also, he was a great brother, who Eadlyn should have appreciated more. She never once asked Ahren what was up with him, meanwhile she expected him to not only listen to her whining but agree with her all the time. There really were many amazing and emotional parts. Unfortunately, none of them could been thanked to Eadlyn. Maxon was as sweet as ever and America seems like a nice queen. This part:

“My father has never so much as swatted my hand, and he’s always taught us to seek peaceful resolutions. Ahren and I gave up trying to fight each other before we could really talk.”

Despite my review I don't think fans will dislike the book, actually I heard that some enjoyed it more than the previous books. As for me, my hatred toward Eadlyn was the thing that ruined the book for me, thus I can't give it more than three stars, even though that breaks my heart because, as you could have seen in my review of the original trilogy, I love The Selection.

PS: I know The Selection got a lot of attack for being anti-feminist but I wouldn't call this book completely feminist either. While Eadlyn was right in that no woman needs a man to be a queen, both literally and rhetorically speaking, no woman should make a man feel like shit and less than her somehow. Feminists, as far as I know, are fighting for equality. I believe forcefully that a woman is nowhere less than a man BUT men are no less than women either and should never be treated as such. What Eadlyn did was disgusting and horrible and I can not like her for standing up for women this way.

The story idea: 3/5
The realisation of the story: 3/5
The characters: 2/5
The cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 4/5
Final Rating: 3/5

BEFORE READING:
THAT COVER *-*



WHAT IS THIS? IS THIS REAL? OH MY GOD GUYS THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!



I can't believe that this is really happening. I bet it will be about Maxon and America's kid because seriously: The Heir.



I can't freaking control myself. And May 5th isn't that much far away... I guess. Wait it's still 9 months, nine freaking months away!



But I'm still like:



This better be freaking amazing or else...

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I am just in love with the entire selection series!! I loved following Eadlyn's selection in this series while still getting glimpses of America from the first 3 books. The whole world of the selection, the romance, and the politics of the kingdom are all so interesting. I'm so invested!! Starting book 5 immediately

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKp3q...
I'm sad that I can't honestly give this 5 stars. It's sitting in between a 4.5 and 4 right now, leaning more towards the 4.

I actually enjoyed Eadlyn. Sure she was a brat, but she was kind of starting to realize that and trying to grow out of it.
I loved that the family played a big role in this book. Loved seeing Maxon (obviously) and even America.
I also enjoyed that there's not really a clear front runner for her selection and there's quite a few guys that I think it could be.

However, my biggest issue comes with the end. It was so rushed. The main focus had been the selection process and then all of a sudden it wasn't? I just didn't see where the turn of events came from. I know there's still another book to come but I felt this one was very introductory, not much happened, and there were too many loose ends.

I still enjoyed it but not as much as the previous books.

[★ Belinda the Happy Dark Witch ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

WTF did I just read?



I was so excited to finally get my hands on The Heir!! I bought a hardcover copy with its GORGEOUS cover, just like the other three. I couldn't wait to finally meet Eadlyn Schreave and the rest of Maxon and America's babies. Although the Selection Series should've ended with The One, I was still pretty hyped about the fourth book, The Heir, because well...
KIERA CASS IS LIFE. ♥ && Sweet Baby Jesus, AMERICA AND MAXON.

Ahahaaha, I understand why readers disliked Eadlyn Schreave throughout the whole book. She's the Queen of Bitchiness!



I was very disappointed.
The story was dragging and Eadlyn was HELLA annoying.
It was mostly Eadlyn struggling with a pompous ego and indecisiveness as she was continuously rude to the boys;
and Maxon's and America's terrible parenting skills as they used their daughter as a diversion to solve their country's problems.

I just couldn't get myself to want to know what would happen next.
It didn't interest me.
I didn't even care who would win Eadlyn's heart.
It will probably be...what's his name? Kyle? Karl? Kevin? or was it Erin? IDGAF.



I just wanted to get it over with and finish the book.

I do wish Kiera Cass just ended The Selection Series with The One.

Although I am not expectant of the next Selection book to be published, I will read it because Kiera Cass wrote it.

[ily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was going to be queen, and a queen could be many things . . . but vulnerable wasn't one of them.

I have no problem with female characters having an ego. Everyone can have one, right? You can be awesome, and I'll be cool with that. What I hate - what I can't stand, is a person who treats others like shit for no reason, and this beautiful princess named Eadlyn managed to get on my nerves every damn second of my read. Bratty, spoiled and immature doesn't begin to cover it.

Quotes a tomar en cuenta:

Neena was acutely attuned to my needs and much more agreeable to be around, so I kept her on. I also admired her eye for fashion.

YA TE ODIO.

"Of course, because the only way I could possibly like men is if I bowed down at their feet?"

Tampoco tendrías que tratarlos como basura, mujer.

Maybe I could be as beloved as my father.

Qué buena broma.

My favorite tiara? The one I was wearing? It was only my favorite because Josie bent my first favorite and lost two stones out of the second. She wasn't even supposed to touch them. Ever. Beside her, Kile was reading a book. Because, clearly, everything going on in our country and home was too boring for him. What an ingrate.

1) Qué muestra de madurez. 2) ¡TÚ DEBERÍAS LEER UN LIBRO SOBRE CÓMO SER AGRADABLE!

"I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dessert tonight after dinner."
"Just you and me?"
I sighed. "Was there someone else you wanted to invite? Do you need a translator as well?"

Sí, eso lo dijo ella.

I gave my reflection a once-over and reminded myself that he was trying to win me over, not the other way around.

Lo gracioso de esto es que recuerdo leer que ella no quería ser vista como un premio.

You have my laundry in your arms, and he might cure a disease. Those are two incredibly different roles in the world.

If I came in sweet and gentle, no one would take me seriously. If I had kindly tapped people on the shoulder and hugged them on their way out, would Holden have admired me less?

GIVE ME A BREAK.

¿La trama? ¿Los personajes? ¿La narración? Cuando los encuentre les aviso. No hay nada remoto a una buena narración. Las páginas se van en descripciones inútiles del castillo y las citas de Eadlyn con los participantes de La Selección. Los personajes de la historia -Los suitors- son simplemente caras bonitas que ni siquiera sirven para adornar la historia. Y no hay tal cosa como una trama. The Heir sigue el mismo camino que La Selección: se enfoca en un posible romance sin gracia, con ataques de rebeldes de vez en cuando (para que el lector no diga nada, of course), con énfasis en su indeciso personaje central el cual intenta mostrar confianza y un lado feminista pero termina siendo un ser arrogante al que provoca estrangular después de dos páginas de haber comenzado el libro.

NO. PIERDAN. SU. TIEMPO.

[Kai Spellmeier]

“I only have one heart, and I'm saving it.”

So The Heir was incredibly entertaining and Eadlyn(what a stupid name) is slightly less annoying than America(which is still too much).
This 4th instalment is really cheesy. Kiera Cass gushed over America's and Maxon's happily ever after relationship. We get it, they are perfect for each other, soul mates, etc.
The protagonist is a strong female character and I like that she kicks ass. This sequel has a strong feminist message.
But apart from that, she is still self-centered and sometimes pretty vain.
The guys all look the same to me, to be honest. But I think my favourite is Henri. He is so incredibly cute and adorable.
I believe that part 4 and 5 of this series are absolutely unnecessary. The plot was weak and the characters one-dimensional. But I can't deny that it was a fun and quick read.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

He took in a breath. “You are so beautiful.”
“So I’ve been told. You can go now.” I swept my arm across my body, pointing to the Men’s Parlor.

As it seems Kiera Cass’s “The Selection” series continues to be some sort of guilty pleasure read for me. *lol* Though I’ve to say that America was about a thousand times more likeable than her daughter Eadlyn. Boy, that girl is spoiled and obnoxious. She might have learned all the proper etiquette and how to run a country, but she certainly didn’t learn how to interact with actual people or how to show some sort of compassion. I didn’t like her at the beginning of the story and truth be told, I can’t really say that I liked her more at the ending. She definitely had some sort of character arc and development, but at the moment it’s not enough. Maybe it will get better in the next book?

”I know you’re constantly worried about the demands you will face as a queen, but it’s time you see the needs of others.”
“You don’t think I do that now?” Did she see what I did all day?
She pressed her lips together. “No, honey. Not if it comes before your comfort.”

Yes, America! You nailed it. But hey, there is still the possibility of improvement. Actually I kind of think her parents set the entire selection up so Eadlyn finds someone who has the real life experience and compassion she is missing. *lol* I mean their daughter definitely has enough attitude for two people. Her self-confidence is off the charts and the fact she called herself smart, beautiful and strong in just one sentence. Well, it says everything you need to know about her. Thankfully there are quite some promising suitors ready to not only fall in love with Eadlyn but also to help her run Illea. ;-P

”I can’t act stupid.”
“Actually –“
“Don’t!”
He smiled wickedly and took another sip of his wine.

One of my absolute favourites is Kile, Marlee and Carter Woodworks son. He’s some sort of childhood friend of Eadlyn and she would have never even considered dating him, but then the Selection happened and he was pulled out as one of the selected. I love Kile so much! He’s not only a bookworm but also a sassy one at that and he gives Eadlyn a run for her money! *lol* I love his honesty and that he never minces his words for her. He’s probably what Eady needs but I’m pretty sure she’s not what he needs so yeah. I don’t know how this is going to continue but I’m convinced that he’ll be in the top list in the next book. ;-)

The other three boys I grew fond of were Hale (a tailor), Henri (a chef from Swendway) and his translator Erik aka Eikko. Yes, I know Erik is not a part of the selection but seriously, if I’d have to choose anyone to run a kingdom with, then it definitely would be him! <3

”You know, boy or girl, I think aggression is a sign of weakness. I’m always more impressed when people can end something with words.”

He’s a good person! He knows what is needed and demanded of a king and he’s modest! He didn’t even enter the Selection because he was sure that he wouldn’t be enough for their country, so that’s the perfect king material right there. Always choose someone who doesn’t have a taste for power. ;-P This said, Henri was just adorable and I think he’s way too good for everyone. He’s like a precious angel that needs to be protected at all costs. <3 I don’t think anyone will ever be good enough for him. *lol* So if I’d have to guess I’d say Hale, Kile and Henri will make the top three. ;-) I genuinely hope that Eadlyn won’t let Ean continue because something about this boy feels extremely fishy and even though I can’t put my finger on it, I don’t trust him. >_<

All told I liked “The Heir”. There’s something to be said about a group of attractive boys courting a princess. I guess that’s why TV formats like “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette” are still running strong. *lol* We all want to know who will make it in the end. ;-) I’m still not all too fond of Eadlyn, but I’m curious who she’s going to choose so I’ll definitely read the next book. Let’s just hope curiosity won’t kill the cat! XD

________________________

At first I thought I won’t like this because Eadlyn is such an egoistic character.
Turns out I still don’t like her a 100% but I love and adore some of the boys! *lol*
But who did I like best?

Well, let’s find it out in my full review! ;-P
RTC soon! Stay tuned!

P.S: This turned out to be such a guilty pleasure read but that’s okay. You need them every once in a while. XD
__________________________________

So before our entire country went into another lockdown my bestie borrowed me this book.
I’ve read the original “The Selection” trilogy a couple of years ago and it wasn’t the best but also not the worst series so I figured I’d give this a try.
(Maxon however is still precious! <333)

Anyway! I’m not all too sure if I’ll like this story, but I’m curious enough to pick it up.
I mean what can go wrong, right? (I know, famous last words. *lol*)

How about you? Did any of you read this and did you enjoy it? =)

[☆Pelumi☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I’m smart and beautiful and strong. I don’t need to be rescued.”
I don't know if you noticed but no one asked

“Didn't they know who I was, what they'd trained me for? I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more powerful than me. (LMAOOO Not her hyping herself up)

So if they thought I was going down without a fight, they were sadly mistaken.”
OK

“Love did nothing but break down defenses, and I could not afford that.”
Ahahahaha, of course(we won't that now, would we??)

“I'm a princess. I have everything."

“I only have one heart, and I'm saving it"

Eadlyn pretending to be some tough asshole and then falling in love with some dude is so freaking predictable.
Is she awesome? Nahhhhh, she's just a wannabe
Is she cool? Nahhh, just a wannabe
Does she have a personality? Aside from being bitchy, proud and and annoying. Hmmm...nah

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm loving Eadlyn's character development so far! Can't wait for the next one!

[Vanessa J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

“You know how your mother and I met,” Dad began.
I rolled my eyes. “Everyone does. You two are practically a fairy tale.”

If you thought America was annoying in the original trilogy, then wait to meet Eadlyn. She's America's daughter and heir to the throne of the ridiculous kingdom of Illéa.

The first thing you need to know is how unfair life is for Eadlyn. Her parents just disolved the law that said that the male firstborn was going to be the king, and so, now if the firstborn is a girl, she can be queen.

Alas, Mom and Dad couldn’t stand to watch their firstborn be stripped of a title by an unfortunate but rather lovely set of breasts. So they changed the law, and the people rejoiced, and I was trained day by day to become the next ruler of Illéa.
What they didn’t understand was that their attempts to make my life fair seemed rather unfair to me.

How unfortunate!

But things get worse for our little princess: The people of Illéa are not happy. Even after gorgeous king Maxon eliminated the castes, the people seem to be difficult to please. So, what is our amazing queen and king's solution to it all? Another Selection! This time, though, it's for the purpose of finding a husband for Eadlyn.

The sole decision of making a Selection was really stupid. I mean, really, what the hell? America pretty much DESPISED that ridiculous contest and now they're holding another one for HER DAUGHTER?



However, the stupidness of the book in general is not what made me try to tear my hair. No – it was Eadlyn.

Oh my sweet baby Jesus, how I hated her! She's selfish, arrogant, immature, ____________ [insert all the negative adjectives that come to your mind], etc, etc, etc.

First, she believes herself to be the oh-so-perfect model of hygiene. Why? Well, she pretty much criticizes EVERYONE for how they dress:

I was about to ask if he did bathe, because he looked like he’d been running away from anything that resembled a bar of soap.

Kile’s hair flopped across his eyes as he looked over at me. He was in desperate need of a cut and a shave, and his shirt was too big for him. I didn’t know who I was more embarrassed for: him for looking so sloppy or my family for having to be seen with such a disaster.

What the serious fuck? Here's what I have to say: I don't know who I am more embarrased of: Me for reading this book, or Eadlyn for being so ridiculous.

If you couldn't guess, by that point, I already wanted to DNF this, but I contained myself from doing so because I couldn't believe how hilariously bad this book was. I wanted to see how much the ridiculousness could last. Spoiler: It was present until the very end.

You know how much I hate reading romance. My hatred is genuine, but it is NOTHING compared to Eadlyn's “hatred”.

No matter how romantic he thought this was, all I could think of were the thirty-five loud, obnoxious, weird-smelling boys who were about to invade my home. Nothing about that sounded magical.

That, again, turns out to be bullshit, because some chapters after, she's making out with one of the boys. At first it was for show – for giving “entertainment” to the audience (Katniss and Peeta someone?) – but then she did it to entertain herself and because she was actually developing feelings.



I could have let that pass (because I really don't care if she's in love or not), but later, she shames this girl:

If I thought I’d have the slightest attachment to these boys, it would have bothered me that she thought they were here for her. Then again, Josie thought everything existed for her. And the idea that she was so important that her marriage would need to be arranged on her behalf was comical. She could marry anyone off the street and no one would care one way or the other.

Why does she say that? Because that Josie was excited at the prospect of having 35 hot boys in her house.

She could have left it at that, but it's no enough for her: She has to humiliate her too.

“Me, too! I think it’ll be exciting to have all the company.”
“You won’t have any company,” I reminded her. “These boys are my guests.”
She tipped her head like I was stating the obvious. “I know! But it’ll still be nice to have more people around.”
“Josie, how old are you?”
“Fifteen,” she answered proudly.
“I thought so. If you really want to, I’m sure you could get out and meet people of your own accord now. You’re certainly old enough.”

That girl is not her only victim, because she's awful to her maids too:

“Mark is a chemist. He’s studying biochemistry, specifically.”
My eyes widened. “Really? Such a range in your professions.”
She frowned. “There’s no caste system anymore, Your Highness. People can date and marry anyone they want to.”
I turned away from the mirror to look at her directly. “That’s not what I mean. It’s simply intriguing to me the dynamic you must have. You have my laundry in your arms, and he might cure a disease. Those are two incredibly different roles in the world.”

Aaaaaaand with her family:

“Don’t talk to me like that, Eadlyn. I’m fourteen, not four. I read all the papers, and I pay attention at the Reports. I speak more languages than you, and I’m learning all the things you have without anyone making me do it. Don’t act like you’re better than me. I’m a prince.”
I sighed. “Yes, but I will be queen,” I corrected, sipping my coffee. I really didn’t need this right now.

She's not only obnoxious to everyone who lives with her, though. She's like that with the selected boys too:

“This is strange,” I said, picking up one of the applications. “I don’t want to be judgmental, but look at this. I caught three different spelling mistakes on this one.”
Mom took the form. “It’s possible he was nervous.”
“Or an idiot,” I offered.

“Well, today I would let you know I come from an excellent family. My father used to be a Two.”
“Is that all?”
Undeterred, he went on. “I think it’s pretty impressive.”
“Not as impressive as having a father who used to be a One.”

(Really, wtf? Lol?)

The thing is, this girl thinks she's too perfect for anyone. She doesn't think anyone is worth her, when it's really the opposite: She is not worth anyone.

All those previous quotes should ¡ have proven that she's really immature, but have a look at this:

“Eadlyn . . . you seem so grown up.” She sighed as she touched my cheek and shoulder and hair, not fixing anything, just checking.
“Probably because I am.”

She sounds so ridiculous saying that! Like, I couldn't... (let's use that gif again)



And now let me present you an irony: She thinks she's the most perfect person in the world, but...

“You look the part. I never really thought I passed for a queen, but you... wholly perfect.”
“Stop it, Mom. You’re completely adored. You and Dad brought peace to the country. I haven’t done anything.”

The poor thing! She hasn't done anything!



Eadlyn is also a narrow-minded bitch who cannot accept that someone likes something she doesn't:

“So, what did you think?” he asked, his eyes bright with excitement.
“It was okay. Definitely seen better.”
The movie seemed to leave him hyperanimated. “But the effects were incredible!”
“Sure, but the story was tired.”
He squinted his eyes. “I liked it.”
“All right.”
“Does that make you upset?”
I made a face. “No. It just means you have bad taste.”

But perhaps the worst thing about her is how blind she is. I mean...

“So now you’re going to bully me? First you reject me, then you use me for a little snippet of entertainment on the Report, and now I’ve had to spend my entire morning tracking you down after you told me you would meet with me during breakfast.”
“You’re one person out of twenty! I have work to do! How self-centered can you possibly be?”

Self-centered? Do you even hear yourself when you talk, Eadlyn? She's the one who cannot stop thinking about herself and she's calling everyone else like that? Bullshit. Just... bullshit, Eadlyn. She can't even see that she's the sef-centered one?



This book, however, not only has an insufferable MC, but it also has zero world/character building. Like, it has even less that the original trilogy. We never know why people are rioting, we never know how people are adapting to the elimination of the caste system... and worse even, we never get to know any of the boys.

Yes, we know some of their names, but their personalities? Isn't that, like, essential? I mean, doesn't our sweet and lovely MC have to fall in love with one of them? How can she do that if she doesn't know them?

Cass, however, is considerate, and gives us something to make up for that: A cliffhanger.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!! A CLIFFHANGER?!?!!? As if it wasn't enough with 4 books (without counting prequels and such)...



But if I look back, I had fun at how utterly stupid and ridiculous this book was, so... should I rate this five stars for pure entertainment value?



Looooool, no. I can't even believe I said that – not even as a joke. This book is 1 star all the way. I still cannot swallow the fact that I read it without burning something.

And now, as a price for all of you who read this entire review and are dying because of the headaches Eadlyn's quotes might have caused, have some cake:



P.S.: I'm swallowing my own words. Just look at my pre-review to see what I'm talking about.

...

Pre-review:

Wait, what? Is this a new Selection book?



Well, you can guess I will not be reading this, since neither of the previous books captivated me. So this is yet another book on my lost-interest shelf.

And now, look at the cover!!



Isn't it pretty?

No. "Pretty" is not enough of a word. It's a fabulous cover. Still not going to read it. I'm not curious in the least.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heir is book four in the series The Selection by Kiera Cass. I, like so many others, thought this series was going to end with the final book of the trilogy. I was happily surprised when I learned the series would be continued. I have been addicted to these books from the beginning and I loved this new book.



It’s been twenty years since the end of the last book. America and Maxon’s first children were twins, Eadlyn and Ahren. Eadlyn was born first so she is the first in line to the throne, The Heir. She is now eighteen years old and has a tremendous amount of responsibility on her shoulders while preparing for the time when she will become Queen. She has watched her parents and the love they so obviously share all her life but she doesn’t feel the need to find that for herself, not yet.



The country, even though the caste system has been abolished, is in unrest. There is still much post-caste discrimination and the people are unhappy and blame the royals. While trying to find a solution, Maxon and America convince Eadlyn that she needs to have her own selection.

“I’m happy, Ahren. I’m the princess. I have everything.”
“I think you’re mistaking comfort for joy.”

Eadlyn, especially in the beginning, comes off as a little bit snooty in this book. But as you get to know her, I think she is just extremely introverted. She rarely leaves the castle and has been raised for nothing other than to be the future Queen. She has built an emotional wall around herself and the last thing she is interested in is getting married. Not now and maybe not ever. But she loves her parents and will do as they wish. She’ll have the selection, but with some stipulations of her own.

“Who was I really? One half of a set of twins. The heir to a throne. One of the most powerful people in the world. The biggest distraction in the country. Never just daughter. Never just girl.”

I loved this book. I didn’t bond with Eadlyn right away like I did America. But it broke my heart to see the way she struggled with her identity. And she thought she knew going in how she would handle the selection. How she would handle the men. But I think the surprise was on her. Can she really keep herself from growing to care at least for some of these men?



I already have my own favorite and there were definitely a couple of sighs and maybe even a swoon escaping me as she interacted with him. But there are also a couple of other strong possibilities. One of them might even be a scandal waiting to happen!



My one complaint is that this ends in a cliffhanger. There were a couple of shocking incidents at the end but I also liked the changes I was seeing in Eadlyn. Will Maxon find a solution to please the people of his kingdom? Will Eadlyn fall in love and choose a husband? I’m not sure when book five is due out but for me, it can’t get here fast enough.

“I’m not sure anyone knows what they’re looking for until they find it.”

[Josu Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

He tardado un mes en leerlo. UN MES.

Siendo una de mis sagas favoritas, esperaba mucho más de esta extensión de la historia principal. No me ha gustado nada el personaje de Eadlyn (aunque al menos evoluciona durante la novela, eso no lo niego), ni el planteamiento ni la mitad de las cosas. La otra mitad estuvo bien. A secas.

Lo mejor de The Heir ha sido, sin duda, volver a reencontrarme con Maxon y America. AY. Los feels. Su relación es preciosa después de todo lo vivido en The Selection, y Kiera Cass sabe sacarle partido. Por otro lado, las otras tramas de 'amor' que se dan en la Selección en sí me han parecido mal llevadas.

La protagonista ha sido insufrible. Una pesada, o sea, así lo digo. No para de cambiar de opinión, de decir que no a todo antes de pensarlo un poquito si quiera. No se para a reflexionar, y cuando lo hace, le da la razón a los demás. Es una absurda manera de ganar páginas sin contar nada. Aunque bueno, The Heir debería llevarse el Premio Goodreads a la Novela con MÁS Relleno y Páginas sin Historia Decente del Año. De verdad, qué pereza me daban algunos capítulos.

Sin embargo, pese a haber estado un mes leyéndolo (y es mucho, los otros libros los leía en dos o tres días), he encontrado ciertas partes que me gustaban o me animaban a seguir. Eso sí, siempre me tenías que obligar a leer. Pero bueno, que sí que ha habido algún romance que al final me ha convencido, personajes como Ledger, la Tía May y demás que echaba de menos de la saga original... Ha habido algún giro en la trama más que interesante, y sobre todo el final: OMG. La Cass siempre lo consigue.

Así que The Heir ha sido una novela un poco de relleno cuyos puntos fuertes son ver a personajes pasados y nuevas relaciones de todo tipo dentro de la vida en palacio, así como las inteligentes tretas que de vez en cuando Eadlyn hacía para salvar su Selección. El tema de los rebeldes era menos importante que en la trilogía original, pero me temo que en The Crown será un tema mucho más relevante. En fin, que me ha gustado pero me esperaba muchísimo más.

[Sophia Sardothien · Rating 3 out of 5]

official rating 2.5



I have to say I'm really disappointed in this book, the selection was one of my favorite reads of 2014 despite the fact that America is extremely whinny and annoying. But for her daughter, HA! She's just spoiled and mean, for that I have zero tolerance on it. In addition, the plot was extremely dull... Nothing happens. Nevertheless as much as I dislike this book, I would still be reading the next one.





For some reasons this quote annoyed me, if it happened in Throne of Glass or any other YA books I would have love this.

I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more powerful than me.

I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more bitchy than me.
or
I was potato, no one was more mashed than me.

[Bhavya · Rating 2 out of 5]

“There are some things you don't learn about yourself until you let someone else into the most intimate places of your heart.”

Rating- 2.75 stars

( Content/ Trigger Warnings)

*Spoiler alert for The Selection, The Elite and The One.*

The plot
The Heir by Kiera Cass is a the first book in spinoff series of the Selection. This book is about our main character Princess Eadlyn, America and Maxon's eldest daughter.

Eadlyn is the Heir to the Throne and America and Maxon urge Eadlyn to organise a selection to choose her husband. (I still haven't understood why)

That is the plot.



*sighs*

Ok, there is really nothing in this book that makes the plot unique.

There is a Selection, and Eadlyn has to choose someone to marry.

Now, I would have actually felt sad for Eadyln about the fact that she's forced to marry if only she wasn't annoying.

“I'm a princess. I have everything."

(but more on that later)


Now for one of the actual issues I had with the plot;

America and Maxon as rulers
In the previous books, we see that Maxon's father felt that Maxon was not efficient to rule. At first, I kind of disagreed as I though Maxon would be a good ruler. In this book it did not seem so.

Maxon and America removed the cast system, and now there is havoc in the country. So, instead of addressing the problems of the citizens and coming up with a a solution, they think a selection will somehow help.





The citizens actually agreeing to the Selection
Now, I'll believe that America and Maxon thought this was a good idea, but why did the people? Why did they think the Selection is going to benefit them?

There will be only one person who will be chosen, and the only person who will benefit from it will be that person and their family. What about everyone else? What about their issues?




So I fail to understand why the people agreed to this. There should have been more protesting. We are told that the people are rebelling, but we are not shown that enough.





The world building
These books are just not strong with world building, but I expected some here. This is 20 years later, which means there should have been some changes in the world.

Did we get to explore them?- No.
Was I irritated with this?- Yes.

I honesty would have enjoyed to see how the world is now that there is no caste system, but we never get to explore this.






The writing
If the purpose of the writing was to make me dislike the main character, it was accomplished.




Otherwise, the rest of the writing was ok.

The characters

The selected
I liked most of the selected, but I don't have any strong feelings for them.

Ahren
He is Eadlyn's twin brother. I liked him a bit.
He and Eadlyn are suppose to be very ~close~ but they just have like 5 conversations.

Neena
She was one of the characters I actually liked. I felt bad that she had to put up with Eadlyn.


And now, we fill finally talk about Eadyln Schreave, and why I DO NOT like her

“I’m Eadlyn Schreave, and no one in the world is as powerful as me.”

1. Eadyln constantly complains about everything.

What they didn't understand was that their attempts to make my life fair seemed rather unfair to me.

America and Maxon decide to break traditions and let Eadyln be Queen.(which I was all here for!)

But then Eadyln complains about this, instead of being grateful.

2. She is rude.

"This is strange," I said, picking up one of he applications. "I don't want to be judgmental, but look at this. I caught three different spelling mistakes for this one."
Mom took the form. "It's possible he was nervous."
"Or an idiot," I offered.

She is rude to all the selected.
She is rude to her parents.
She is rude to her family.
She is rude to basically everyone.

I did not like it.

3. She doesn't act like an adult, even though she is.

“No!” I shouted. “I won’t do it.”
“Calm down, love.” [Mom said]
“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m not a child!”
Mom sighed. “You’re certainly acting like one.”
“You’re ruining my life!” I ran my fingers through my hair and took several deep breaths, hoping it would help me think. This couldn’t happen. Not to me.

It was just childish.

Staring into the mirror, I talked to my reflection. “You are Eadlyn Schreave. You are the next person in line to run this country, and you will be the first girl to do it on your own. No one,” I said, “is as powerful as you.”

The fact that she has to tell us this by taking to herself is just



Ok, so hear me out on this. I have no problem with a strong, independent female lead. In fact, I WANT to read about such a character.

But the character has to actually be likeable. Unlike Eadyln.

*sighs again*

So now that I have ranted about her, I'm going to say I did appreciate the fact that she kind of came to her senses towards the end of the book.

I also liked the fact that she was a determined person.

“I only have one heart, and I'm saving it.”

It's just that I found her very annoying but you may like her.

The romance
Even though this book is about a selection, there wasn't really much romance. I liked the fact that this time we did not know who was being selected. There was that element of suspense.

Why did I rate it 2.75 stars?
Despite its flaws, I did still enjoy the book. I was able to fly through it.

Final thoughts
If you are a huge fan of the Selection series, you might enjoy this book. It unfortunately was not for me.

My ratings and reviews for other books in the series-

The Selection - 3 stars

The Elite - 2.75 stars

The One - 3 stars

The Crown - 2.5 stars

Happily Ever After (all the novellas) -3 stars

DISCLAIMER- All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite

[Ishika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The song is Blank Space by Taylor Swift

Nice to meet you, hope you're feeling fine
Welcome to Selection Part 2 this time
Tragic, madness, incessant sin
Never ending pain but then everyone thought
"Oh my God, look at that face
He look like the one who'll win the race
Cause love's a game and they're gonna play"
Ayy

New dummy, suit and tie
Ead believes she can read them like a magazine
Ain't it funny? Rumors fly
And I know you heard about me
So hey, let's be friends
I died almost seeing how this one ends
Grab your smartphone and cancel your plans
'Cause I'm gonna roast these guys to kill my boredom

So it's gonna be forever
Until things go down in flames
You have to beg the saints for it to get over, mm
However the ending is not worth the pain
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
'Cause you know I don't like players
And I'm tired of their cheating game

Since I was young and too reckless
So I made my way to the end
But it left me senseless, hmm
And with a nasty brain scar
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
Ead's got a blank brain, baby
But she decides if you go or stay

Feelings crushed, brain fried
I wished for some incredible things
Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You're piece of dirt, don't forget Ead's your Queen
She don't care about what you want
Be happy that you stayed for a month
Wait, the worst is yet to come, oh no

Screaming, crying, feet stomping
Might make your great mood turn
Rose garden filled with thorns
Perfect for her cause you'll be like
"Oh my God, who is she?"
Why the fuck is she selected to rule the country
But you'll come back as soon as 'The One' you'll leave
'But, darling, it's a nightmare dressed like a daydream

So it's gonna be forever
Until things go down in flames
You have to beg the saints for it to get over, mm
However the ending is not worth the pain
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
'Cause you know I don't like players
And I'm tired of their cheating game

Since I was young and too reckless
So I made my way to the end
But it left me senseless, hmm
And with a nasty brain scar
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
Ead's got a blank brain, baby
But she decides if you go or stay

Read this book if you like torture
Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
Read this book if you like torture
Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya

So it's gonna be forever
Until things go down in flames
You have to beg the saints for it to get over, mm
However the ending is not worth the pain
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
'Cause you know I don't like players
And I'm tired of their cheating game

Since I was young and too reckless
So I made my way to the end
But it left me senseless, hmm
And with a nasty brain scar
Got a long list of people to murder
Or they might make you go insane
Ead's got a blank brain, baby
But she decides if you go or stay

Okay so you might get it from the above song the intensity with which I dislike Eadlyn. The plot was kind of boring and interesting at the same time. I have said this and I'll say it again- Maxon is the reason I read Kiera Cass's books. And to be honest my young and naive self believed the first 3 books to be the one of the best series I had ever read. But then these two books got released and I comitted the crime of rereading the first three and then this book. And here I am hating this book and Kiera Cass's work.

But there were some times I liked reading this book. Like some of the selected boys were great. Kile was likeable too though I hated him at first. I thought he was going to act like a spoilt brat. Then we had Erik and Henri. I loved both of them.

2.5 stars.

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You can be brave and still be feminine. You can lead and still love flowers. Most importantly, you can be queen and still be a bride."

Highly entertaining, unpredictable, and royally fabulous. This book nailed what a highly enjoyable sequel should be. I like this book as a whole. The only downside I found was Eadlyn's attitude. *smirks



I have to admit I had a hard time liking Eadlyn at first because she's bratty, spoiled, and quite obnoxious but as the story went by, I witnessed her remarkable character development and I was glad somehow. :)

The whole story revolves in the Selection process where Eadlyn chooses a husband out of 35 gentlemen. The best thing about the book is how you can never predict who among her suitors will win her heart, because you basically live in her POV. By the way, there are lots of guys you will be torn.



This book, as a whole, lives up to my expectations. :) But to be honest, I like The Selection series far better than this book. I like America's conquest to win Maxon's heart. :) But still, The Heir is a great read. If you've been a fan of The Selection series, I recommend you to read this sequel. :)

Rating: 4 Stars

[Little Yams]

WHAT? THIS IS A THING?


There's more. I have hope that this one will be good. AND IT'S NOT JUST ONE MORE BOOK, IT'S TWO MORE BOOKS. This is so weird. I thought basically everything was settled. I guess not.


I wasn't totally satisfied with The One, so these next two books better be good. I'm kinda torn between being happy, and being kinda annoyed. A part of me feels this series is getting too long. And the other part of me hopes that this book will redeem the series.


SO CONFLICTED


I'm interested whose POV it will be in, because apparently it won't be from America's perspective. (thank goodness. She gets on my nerves)


OH, AND THE COVER. I wonder if America will be on it still, probably not. I'm sure they'll will be just as pretty as the others though.

EDIT: THERE IS A SYNOPSIS
"Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story"

HA. If I do do remember correctly, there was a ton of unnecessary drama, crying, and fits.

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILERS DE LA ELEGIDA, OJO, NO LEAS SI NO HAS TERMINADO LOS PRIMEROS TRES LIBROS DE LA SELECCIÓN. ESTÁS AVISADO. LUEGO NO TE QUEJES.

Antes que nada, quiero decir que Eadlyn me cayó muy bien. Lo sé, soy rara. Todo el mundo la detesta o no la soporta, pero a mí me encantó. Dicho esto...

La historia de La Heredera empieza 20 años después de La Elegida. Maxon y America han estado felizmente casados todos esos años, han gobernado Illéa de una manera inteligente y han tenido 4 hijos: Osten, Kaden, Ahren y Eadlyn. Vaya nombres, ¿no? Nuestra pareja favorita ha estado viviendo una vida de ensueño, su propio cuento de hadas. Han eliminado el sistema de castas y todo parece ir bien... hasta que empiezan a resurgir los descontentos y las personas inconformes que quieren acabar con la monarquía.

Aquí es cuando entra Eadlyn. La princesa y heredera al trono de Illéa es una chica que ha tenido todo lo que ha querido en su vida: vestidos, tiaras, educación y lujos. Sin embargo, el peso de su inminente ascenso al trono siempre le ha puesto muchísima presión, así que para probarse ante todo el mundo y demostrar que puede ser la primera reina por sucesión directa de sangre, ha optado por tener una actitud dura, distante y responsable... lo que a veces la hace parecer una niña mimada y caprichosa. Se supone que Eadlyn ascenderá en solitario al trono y se casará cuando lo considere prudente, pero dada la situación inestable del país, Maxon y America le proponen que haga una Selección para encontrar esposo, de manera que ellos tengan tiempo para idear un plan mientras los ciudadanos se distraen con este reality. Eadlyn monta en cólera, pero finalmente accede deseando secretamente eliminar a todos y cada uno de los pretendientes. La pregunta es... ¿podrá Eadlyn sellar su corazón a 35 chicos encantadores o caerá bajo el hechizo de alguno y repetirá el cuento de hadas de sus padres? CHAN CHAN CHAAAAAAN.

Vamos a ver. En mi opinión, La Heredera nunca llegará a ser una historia tan atractiva como la de los tres primeros libros de La Selección por varios factores: 1) Ninguna pareja literaria, NUNCA, llegará a causarme los mismos feels que produjeron en mi Maxon y America. 2) La fórmula de una Selección no es un recurso nuevo, así que más o menos podemos esperar cómo se desarrollarán los acontecimientos. 3) No hay ningún candidato que tenga ese je ne sais quoi para ser la pareja ideal de Eadlyn. Y sí, sé que no es justo comparar un libro con otro... pero en este caso es inevitable.

A pesar de todo esto, la historia que crea Kiera Cass en este libro tiene un giro innovador que hace que necesitemos saber más de una Selección desde el punto de vista de quien escoge. Es MUY diferente estar en la cabeza de America como Seleccionada a estar en la cabeza de Eadlyn como Seleccionadora... especialmente de una Eadlyn que no quiere llevar a cabo este proceso. Ahora, lo interesante es que somos testigos de una evolución, que no es instantánea (chapeau!), en la manera de pensar y actuar de Eadlyn. Pasa de ser una z*rra completa con los candidatos a darles una oportunidad, a empezar a conocerlos y a formarse un criterio propio sobre estos chicos.

Quizá otro de los puntos fuertes de este libro son los personajes. No es fácil hacer que se nos queden en la cabeza los nombres de todos los candidatos, ni que identifiquemos quién es quién, qué hacen, qué piensa Eadlyn sobre ellos... pero Kiera Cass nos los va presentando de una manera que no nos abruma y, por el contrario, nos invita a conocerlos más, a que queramos verlos más seguido en las páginas y a que apostemos por ellos. Claramente hay unos nombres que sobresalen más que otros: Hale, Erik, Kile, Henri...

¿Qué se me hizo difícil en este libro? Ver a Maxon y America como adultos, como padre y madre... y no como los dos enamorados que eran en su Selección. Aunque, todo sea dicho, es increíble ver el instinto protector de Maxon en cierta escena en la que tiene que defender a su hija. Eso fue hermoso.

¿Cuáles fueron mis personajes favoritos? Ahren, el hermano mellizo de Eadlyn. Es adorable y la relación con su hermana es preciosa. Se dan consejos y siempre están ahí el uno para el otro, pero también están para sacar de los errores fatales a su otra mitad. Kile, por otra parte, es el hijo de Marlee e [ inserte aquí el nombre del guardia con el que ella se casó ], y por cuestiones de la vida termina participando en la Selección a pesar de haber vivido toda su vida en el palacio. Eadlyn y Kile no se soportan durante toda su niñez, pero eventualmente ambos van a ver que podrán sobrevivir todo este reality si trabajan juntos. Adoré a Kile por sus frases, sus gestos con Eadlyn y por su sensatez. Finalmente, tengo que mencionar a Henri y a Erik. Ambos vienen de Swendway, por eso Henri sólo habla ¿finlandés? y necesita a Erik como traductor. Este par son de los personajes más adorables de La Heredera. A riesgo de sonar cursi, diré que tienen corazones puros <3.

En resumen, lean este libro, denle una oportunidad y vuelvan a disfrutar de la vida de palacio, de los corredores llenos de candidatos de la Selección. Vuelvan a soñar con citas llenas de música, paseos por los jardines a la luz de la luna y tomadas de mano discretas. Vean a través de los ojos de Eadlyn la confusión y el tratar de romper la coraza que guarda su corazón; vivan con ella los besos robados y los momentos de pasión. Vuelvan a Illéa a través de una historia nueva, con personajes dulces y capullos, atrevidos y tímidos, y no se pierdan de los giros de trama que los van a dejar con las manos en la cabeza y la mandíbula en el suelo.

¡Disfrútenlo!

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️s

**CONTAINS SPOILER RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS THREE BOOKS. DO NOT READ IF YOU PLAN ON READING THE SELECTION, THE ELITE, AND THE ONE**

As a fan of the Selection Trilogy, I was very much looking forward to The Heir and going along for the ride of another fairytale love story. You can imagine my disappointment finding out that Princess Eadlyn not only wants nothing to do with The Selection but is also basically guilted into it. The country is in unrest after the removal of the caste system and The Selection is brought back as a means of distracting the people.

I have two main issues with this book and basically ruined the experience for me. ONE, Eadlyn is a very unlikeable character. Whereas America, yes she could get on our nerves, but she had spunk and Fire! Eadlyn is spoiled, snotty, and rude for the majority of the book. And her reluctance and distance to The Selection process made it really hard to connect to the experience and really root for anyone. TWO, what the hell happened to our beloved Maxon and America!?! I find it incredibly hard to believe that these two raised such a selfish child. They both had such strong and recognizable qualities about them but they were lost in this book. America had ZERO of the fire that I loved so much about her. She basically sat in the shadows and was really nice to everyone. Maxon, while he did some really great things in the past 20 years, we only get to see this tired, run down, aging man. I couldn't even picture them as the same people from the previous books. Ugh!

What I did like though were the selected boys! Besides the first couple of meetings, Eadlyn's interactions with them were my favorite part of the book. Some were actually quite charming and funny! There are a handful who I really adore and think would be great matches. Although my heart is already stuck on KILE! Even before he was selected he roped me in :) I will be greatly upset if Eadlyn doesn't choose him lol. I am a sucker for childhood sweethearts. Even though they technically never were, I still get the same kind of vibe from them growing up together.

Overall, Cass is undoubtedly a fantastic writer and kept me turning page after page even with a spoiled princess narrating. I did read it in under 24 hours after all! I do have hope that the next book will redeem itself. It has excellent potential with Eadlyn seeming to finally realize the error of her ways and wanting to change on the very last page (of course). Here's to hoping for character growth!

So yes, I will be counting down the days till the next installment to find out how Eadlyn's story ends and hopefully choosing my boy :) I will cry if she doesn't!! I know it seems like I didn't like this book but that's not true at all. Even with the issues I had, I did enjoy it quite a lot and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of The Selection. It's fast paced and addictive and will leave you reeling after that terrible cliffhanger!