Book Review: ROYAL BASTARDS By Andrew Shvarts Is The Classic Outcast Tale Revamped

What happens when a YA novel completely goes for it, giving you a medieval fantasy world with a sarcastic edge and a whirlwind team-up adventure? You get Andrew ShvartsRoyal Bastards, a surprising delight of a novel!

Tillandra (or “Tilla”), bastard daughter of Lord Kent of the Western Province, picked the wrong night to play host to the rebellious urges of the visiting princess, Lyriana. While sneaking around the Western Province with Lyriana, Tilla’s half brother, Jax, and two other bastard teens, the five witness the unspeakable. Soon, they’re caught up in the middle of a full-tilt rebellion, running from the people who they thought loved them most. How will they outsmart the people who taught them everything they know, reconcile their many differences, and survive a world full of magic and wild dangers?

(The book’s official synopsis, posted at the bottom of this review, gives even more detail than this. It’s a bit more detail than we’d prefer to get before reading, so proceed with caution!)

Here’s what you’ll get: Game of Thrones-y world-building with a modern, snarky tone that lends itself to a teen, all-human Guardians of the Galaxy feel. Plus generous coatings of magical tech and diverse characters. It’s definitely part of the Young Adult genre, complete with violence and swearing and one particularly gruesome scene, offset by an epic escape story. When you mush all that together, perhaps it doesn’t sound like it should work, but it does.

Tilla is a relatable main character. Despite her very different life, you connect with her on a human level– She wants little more than to know that she matters, that she’s loved by her father, and to lead a meaningful life of her own. Tilla’s closeness with Jax, her half-brother through her deceased mother, leads her toward more of a “commoner” lifestyle. She sneaks out to party with Jax and his friends, electing to sleep on his floor in her dirty clothes rather than return to the castle and her comfy bed. You can see why: Jax is a lovable ox of a character, as quick to come to someone else’s defense as he is to offer up a dirty joke.

Outside of her family, she’s earned the awkward affection of Miles Hampstead, the only other bastard of her age who hasn’t been disowned yet. Miles is smart, savvy, and attentive, but he’s not always able to keep up with Tilla’s more wild ways. He reminded me of someone I knew growing up, and I think others will see that too. They also finds themselves in the company of Zell, the bastard son of the visiting Zitochi warrior tribe with a mysterious past, fierce fighting skills, and a chip on his shoulder. His differences and sullen attitude make him stick out, but that isn’t always a bad thing. The group is cinched together by Princess Lyriana. Highborn, beautiful, and a little aloof, she’s not exactly a quick favorite. But there’s far more to this character than first impressions.

The “ragtag group” dynamic doesn’t always play out smoothly throughout literature, but Andrew Shvarts forms relationships between the characters that make you invest in their developing bonds and their journey. His writing style, which includes spunky dialogue and realistic (sometimes fairly modern) teen behavior, is really what gives Royal Bastards its flair. There’s also plenty of romance and drama to enjoy, though it doesn’t overpower each character’s individual purpose.

The novel started a little slow but didn’t face any major pacing pitfalls once the action picks up. The plot didn’t feel formulaic, which I worry about as an avid reader of YA who easily notices recycled tropes. It contains twists that I didn’t see coming from 100 yards away. Gut-wrenching twists! It’s rarer than you might think and a total delight.

Royal Bastards is the first in a trilogy. The ending of this book definitely leaves you wanting more, but also feel like the proper end of a chapter rather than a dreaded cliffhanger. We’re on board for the next book and waiting (im)patiently for news!

RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

Royal Bastards is out now. You can order it via Amazon.

 

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . .

By Molly

Molly is a proud Canadian who is currently attending university in Scotland. She loves to read, write, watch films, and talk about Sarah J. Maas books. If not snuggled up with a book, Molly can usually be found tapping at the dance studio, or writing yet another essay.