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lunelis's review
2.0
I'm stating this as a 2.5, maybe 3 if I'm being a little more generous. Which is honestly rather sad considering that this looked primed to be a really engaging, unique story.
So, why was the execution off? Well, it's too short, too simple, too shallow, too swift. It had the makings for some really dark, intense themes and some rather interesting ideas. I was expecting a much more severe, sharp, sensual kind of book, but ultimately it was trying too hard to appeal to the lower end of the YA spectrum by cashing in on The Selection's fading notoriety without being a complete rip off.
I don't know if it's obvious to anyone else, but it's very obvious to me, as if a siren were screaming it in my ear that a 30-40 something white man trying to get into the head of an 18 year old girl and thinking he's doing a great job of it because he read some female-targeted YA for research and copied a lot of those tropes/details/scenes wrote this book and fully believed it was going to be a success because he thinks female audiences are stupid and only need a few tropes to be popular.
Michael Pierce doesn't seem like a bad writer, but he didn't really nail down the psyche of a believable 18 year old girl. He honestly doesn't seem to understand them at all.
Victoria's motivation ends up coming off as very shallow and not well thought out, it feels... repackaged and basic. All her justifications for doing something seem to stem from the author's belief that ALL YA heroines do things for these reasons, rather than the justification coming from the unique beliefs and motivations of the heroine. Her actions are sometimes jarring because it feels like she'll do one thing, then she does something else.
For example, you'd think a girl so willing to sacrifice and take risks to protect her younger adopted sister would take advantage of an opportunity to do something about her abusive foster father so that he's no longer a threat, yet, Victoria leaves him be because she "just wants to leave it in the past." That seems so out of character for her! It's in character for someone who's proven themselves too passive or too forgiving, or even if the justification was that Victoria is so traumatized she feels totally helpless in the face of her abuser (which could then lead to a moment of growth later where she CAN face him properly and eliminate his ability to be a threat), but Victoria didn't appear that way and with her position, it seems like she'd have no reason to be too afraid to take action against him.
Like this, it's almost like the author went "Hm, teen girls never seem to kill bad guys because they think its too immortal, so Victoria will just have to let him go because that's what all other heroines I've read about do."
This book feels so much like a cobbled together female-targeted YA without much substance sadly, and it definitely ripped off the worst parts of The Selection without drawing in much of the good. Although the new additions to the plot are interesting, they can't make up for how poorly the rest of the story fares.
As for the romance aspect... Byron is a joke of a love interest in my opinion and he does that same "Well, you ignored me so I kissed several other girls" thing that Maxon in The Selection did, except instead of it clearly being multiple unique individuals, it's a bunch of clones of one girl that all look identical and who aren't given very fleshed out characters, so they're essentially just slight tweaks of Victoria and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Byron didn't really care to differentiate. Plus, he's super spineless and lacking in any princely qualities. Kale has an unfortunate name and is overall shaping up to be a pretty good love interest, but he is pushed to the side probably just because the author thinks all heroines are dumb and always pick the prince over any other love interest.
And as for the villains... the queen's motivations aren't given to us in book 1 and she seems 1-dimensionally evil. Like, what we know is that her actual daughter has some sort of illness and so she's been kept locked away and for the sake of appearances, the queen had clones created and is deciding which of the non-sickly clones will take up her daughter's identity and act as crown princess, but it overall seems like the queen could have just made 1 clone and raised it up herself however she liked. What was the point of sending all these clones to different families to be raised then making them compete and then being like "all the losers are gonna die"? Why even put yourself in a position to have those loose ends and then put yourself in a position where you'll have to kill all but one off? Maybe things will be explored more later, but so far the queen just seems cruel for the sake of being cruel because she's too stupid to be a more threatening villain.
The majority of the story is Victoria going on dates or doing basic shit in the palace, which I honestly found mega boring and pointless because it doesn't really do much for her or Byron or Kale and it offers almost nothing towards the plot about clones or what the queen's plans are or anything like that.
I may read the next three books just because I'm curious whether book #1 is just a rocky start or if things keep the same vibe. We'll have to see. I already own book #3 because I was thinking positively that I'd like this series a lot and the author baited me with "get it now and get a free extra chapter that'll be removed later" and I wanted to have that in the book and now it just seems like a dumb bait to get $4 out of me which probably is not doing him any favors with my disposition regarding his stark inability to do a heroine character justice in a story.
So, why was the execution off? Well, it's too short, too simple, too shallow, too swift. It had the makings for some really dark, intense themes and some rather interesting ideas. I was expecting a much more severe, sharp, sensual kind of book, but ultimately it was trying too hard to appeal to the lower end of the YA spectrum by cashing in on The Selection's fading notoriety without being a complete rip off.
I don't know if it's obvious to anyone else, but it's very obvious to me, as if a siren were screaming it in my ear that a 30-40 something white man trying to get into the head of an 18 year old girl and thinking he's doing a great job of it because he read some female-targeted YA for research and copied a lot of those tropes/details/scenes wrote this book and fully believed it was going to be a success because he thinks female audiences are stupid and only need a few tropes to be popular.
Michael Pierce doesn't seem like a bad writer, but he didn't really nail down the psyche of a believable 18 year old girl. He honestly doesn't seem to understand them at all.
Victoria's motivation ends up coming off as very shallow and not well thought out, it feels... repackaged and basic. All her justifications for doing something seem to stem from the author's belief that ALL YA heroines do things for these reasons, rather than the justification coming from the unique beliefs and motivations of the heroine. Her actions are sometimes jarring because it feels like she'll do one thing, then she does something else.
For example, you'd think a girl so willing to sacrifice and take risks to protect her younger adopted sister would take advantage of an opportunity to do something about her abusive foster father so that he's no longer a threat, yet, Victoria leaves him be because she "just wants to leave it in the past." That seems so out of character for her! It's in character for someone who's proven themselves too passive or too forgiving, or even if the justification was that Victoria is so traumatized she feels totally helpless in the face of her abuser (which could then lead to a moment of growth later where she CAN face him properly and eliminate his ability to be a threat), but Victoria didn't appear that way and with her position, it seems like she'd have no reason to be too afraid to take action against him.
Like this, it's almost like the author went "Hm, teen girls never seem to kill bad guys because they think its too immortal, so Victoria will just have to let him go because that's what all other heroines I've read about do."
This book feels so much like a cobbled together female-targeted YA without much substance sadly, and it definitely ripped off the worst parts of The Selection without drawing in much of the good. Although the new additions to the plot are interesting, they can't make up for how poorly the rest of the story fares.
As for the romance aspect... Byron is a joke of a love interest in my opinion and he does that same "Well, you ignored me so I kissed several other girls" thing that Maxon in The Selection did, except instead of it clearly being multiple unique individuals, it's a bunch of clones of one girl that all look identical and who aren't given very fleshed out characters, so they're essentially just slight tweaks of Victoria and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Byron didn't really care to differentiate. Plus, he's super spineless and lacking in any princely qualities. Kale has an unfortunate name and is overall shaping up to be a pretty good love interest, but he is pushed to the side probably just because the author thinks all heroines are dumb and always pick the prince over any other love interest.
And as for the villains... the queen's motivations aren't given to us in book 1 and she seems 1-dimensionally evil. Like, what we know is that her actual daughter has some sort of illness and so she's been kept locked away and for the sake of appearances, the queen had clones created and is deciding which of the non-sickly clones will take up her daughter's identity and act as crown princess, but it overall seems like the queen could have just made 1 clone and raised it up herself however she liked. What was the point of sending all these clones to different families to be raised then making them compete and then being like "all the losers are gonna die"? Why even put yourself in a position to have those loose ends and then put yourself in a position where you'll have to kill all but one off? Maybe things will be explored more later, but so far the queen just seems cruel for the sake of being cruel because she's too stupid to be a more threatening villain.
The majority of the story is Victoria going on dates or doing basic shit in the palace, which I honestly found mega boring and pointless because it doesn't really do much for her or Byron or Kale and it offers almost nothing towards the plot about clones or what the queen's plans are or anything like that.
I may read the next three books just because I'm curious whether book #1 is just a rocky start or if things keep the same vibe. We'll have to see. I already own book #3 because I was thinking positively that I'd like this series a lot and the author baited me with "get it now and get a free extra chapter that'll be removed later" and I wanted to have that in the book and now it just seems like a dumb bait to get $4 out of me which probably is not doing him any favors with my disposition regarding his stark inability to do a heroine character justice in a story.
chelseatheting's review
3.0
Good
Secret Garden meets The Selection. Good, but too familiar to be really great. Similar premise and following of events. Will be interesting to see where it goes.
Secret Garden meets The Selection. Good, but too familiar to be really great. Similar premise and following of events. Will be interesting to see where it goes.
kate_k554's review
4.0
Review posted on http://www.momkatreads.com/2017/07/royal-replicas-by-michael-pierce.html
softcalico's review
2.0
While it was enjoyable to read, it misses the mark on what a teenage girl is like. I don't know any teenage girls who were so... docile as Victoria. She comes off as one dimensional. There was a lot of chances for this book to explore deeper themes, but Victoria just narrates point A to point B. The writing was "I did this, I did that, and then I went to bed." I also felt like there was no true danger. The love interest is nice but has the personality of a potato.
ameserole's review
5.0
One word. AMAZING. This book was interesting from the start and I absolutely love Victoria. I thought the ending was going to be a cliché but WHAM! no. it. didn't. I really hope there is going to be another book!! :)
popthebutterfly's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I bought this book after it was recommended to me! Trust your friends!
Book Series: Royal Replicas Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: n/a
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 17+ (gore, violence, mentions/references of sex, TW for parental abuse, TW for potential sexual abuse, TW for self harm)
Publisher: ParousiaSix Press
Pages: 420
Amazon Link
Synopsis: "Princess Amelia is dead... and one of you will replace her."
Seventeen-year-old Victoria Sandalwood has served the Duke and Duchess all her life. Over the years, she’s learned to make do with what she has and endure her surrogate father’s awful punishments. She dreams of escape, but never expected it to come in the form of a message from the Queen of Westeria.
Victoria learns that she’s the Queen’s daughter, the younger sister to Princess Amelia, and it’s time to come home and claim her birthright. When she arrives, she discovers she’s not the only one who received the royal message.
Victoria must compete with six other girls to earn the affection of both the Queen and a princely suitor… and to replace the secretly deceased Princess Amelia. If she fails to win the crown, Victoria may just have to fight for her life…
Royal Replicas is the first book in a YA dystopian series. If you enjoy courtly intrigue, heart-pounding adventure, and sweet romance, then you’ll love this captivating story. Perfect for fans of Kiera Cass, Bella Forrest, and Veronica Roth.
Review: I was recommended this book from Mary Ellen @aparanormalromance and I have no regrets. This book was everything I wanted. I got part The Selection, part dystopian, and part gore and violence! I loved it and I loved the concept of this book and series. The characters are very well developed, the writing is amazing, and that cover is to die for! I seriously read this book in 3 hours, continuously.
My only issue with the book is that cliffhanger ending, which had me like “nooooo” and how the book put me in a book hangover! I also felt the pacing was a bit wonky, slow in parts and fast in others, but it wasn’t that noticeable when I read it in 3 hours LOL. I also felt that the romance was a bit rushed, but I understand that for this character, being a teen and being enslaved, the romance would probably be a bit “oh I’m so in love with you” when you’ve known that person for like a month.
Verdict: If you liked The Selection but wanted something a bit more bloodthirsty, definitely check out this series!
Book Series: Royal Replicas Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: n/a
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 17+ (gore, violence, mentions/references of sex, TW for parental abuse, TW for potential sexual abuse, TW for self harm)
Publisher: ParousiaSix Press
Pages: 420
Amazon Link
Synopsis: "Princess Amelia is dead... and one of you will replace her."
Seventeen-year-old Victoria Sandalwood has served the Duke and Duchess all her life. Over the years, she’s learned to make do with what she has and endure her surrogate father’s awful punishments. She dreams of escape, but never expected it to come in the form of a message from the Queen of Westeria.
Victoria learns that she’s the Queen’s daughter, the younger sister to Princess Amelia, and it’s time to come home and claim her birthright. When she arrives, she discovers she’s not the only one who received the royal message.
Victoria must compete with six other girls to earn the affection of both the Queen and a princely suitor… and to replace the secretly deceased Princess Amelia. If she fails to win the crown, Victoria may just have to fight for her life…
Royal Replicas is the first book in a YA dystopian series. If you enjoy courtly intrigue, heart-pounding adventure, and sweet romance, then you’ll love this captivating story. Perfect for fans of Kiera Cass, Bella Forrest, and Veronica Roth.
Review: I was recommended this book from Mary Ellen @aparanormalromance and I have no regrets. This book was everything I wanted. I got part The Selection, part dystopian, and part gore and violence! I loved it and I loved the concept of this book and series. The characters are very well developed, the writing is amazing, and that cover is to die for! I seriously read this book in 3 hours, continuously.
My only issue with the book is that cliffhanger ending, which had me like “nooooo” and how the book put me in a book hangover! I also felt the pacing was a bit wonky, slow in parts and fast in others, but it wasn’t that noticeable when I read it in 3 hours LOL. I also felt that the romance was a bit rushed, but I understand that for this character, being a teen and being enslaved, the romance would probably be a bit “oh I’m so in love with you” when you’ve known that person for like a month.
Verdict: If you liked The Selection but wanted something a bit more bloodthirsty, definitely check out this series!
i_love_read_ing's review
5.0
Captivated my attention for 2 days straight! A fun and fast paced YA read. Cannot wait for The third book!
sophslaw's review against another edition
1.0
such a :/ book— don’t get me wrong, some enjoyable moments but I mostly read it so I could find out the ending. Then I found out there are multiple books and I don’t think I can do that to myself. You can tell it’s written by a man. I did listen to the audiobook rather than reading so maybe that had a factor. When describing this book to friends they state “it’s like an off brand Selection book” which I agree with.