The Beholder Blog Tour: Review

The Beholder (The Beholder #1) 
Author: Anna Bright 
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retellings
Release Date: June 4, 2019 
Publisher: HarperTeen

Description:

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

The Beholder is a fantastic new young adult novel full of fantasy, fairy tales, and a strong female lead. I loved that the main character was a girl who had to travel across the ocean to meet strangers and pick one to marry before she could return home. Normally it's the prince who has all the girls fawning over him, but this role reversal was refreshing and made the story more fun for me.

I loved Selah's character. She was incredibly realistic and I immediately connected with her at the beginning of the story. She was a very loving and devoted daughter, kind and caring, smart, determined to do what was right and to fulfill what her country needed from her in order to thrive. She had a lot thrown on her at a young age, but she grew and matured throughout the novel - which was another thing I loved getting to see. One major plus for me was the author's choice of writing style. She wrote the story in the first person from Selah's point of view. This is almost always my favorite writing style and definitely was in this story as well. I loved getting to know Selah on such a personal level. It's like the reader gets a peek inside of her heart and mind, which allows a deeper connection than other writing styles. The plot was one of fairy tales, fantasies, action and adventure, and becoming the person you were meant to be. I definitely recommend this novel to fans of YA fantasy, fairy tales, retellings, and romance.

 

 

I believe in woods, mountains, highways, cobblestones, roller coasters, dancing, concerts, cherry Pop Tarts, books, and magic. When I'm not reading or writing on my couch, I'm dragging my husband off on an adventure, communing with Salem (my kitten/spiritual familiar), or causing trouble at One More Page Books, where I work.