Title: Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite School #3)
Author: Rina Kent
Genre: High School Bully Romance (New Adult)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The last books in trilogies are always tricky for me; it’s like I’m watching my children leave the nest. The story is all grown up, and now I feel so fulfilled and still somewhat empty at the same time.
The ultimate ending of Aiden and Elsa’s story ticked off all of my boxes, except for some backstory questions with which I’ve been struggling. How did Ethan know to show up at the Meet-Up at that moment? What is the actual heart condition Elsa suffers? I know how it started, but what is it she is at risk for developing–because at first, I thought it was some genetic thing, and then we find out ‘oh-no worse.’ But I don’t understand resulting complications–then again I believe that is by far the last thing I should be cross-examining.
But HOW DID ETHAN KNOW TO GO TO THE MEET-UP THAT DAY?
So right, that is where Steel Princess left off, and Rina doesn’t disappoint with the story continuation. I am attributing my Team Aiden campaign to the POV alternating in SP. But I’m not talking about which Horsemen team, but instead Team Aiden vs. Team Elsa. Twisted Kingdom opened up Aiden King’s black heart, and I felt he had a wealth of character depth–but it served to prove to me that Elsa is a fickle and fairweather girlfriend who I couldn’t support.
The majority of highlighting I’ve used for this reading was things Elsa did that pissed me off, and by the time she got on board, it was too late for me. Deviant King, I was itchy on things like her willful ignorance of other people despite this rally point of strategy, chess, and Sun Tzu. Elsa is supposedly this master of the playfield — she was shit at it then. She is shit at it now.
So by the time I came to the end of Twisted Kingdom, I had hoped that her growth would increase exponentially. Elsa isn’t someone I like as a character, and as Kim, Silver, and Teal begin to form, she is even less impressive entirely.
There is a treasure trove of reveals in this last book. It delivers on a lot of promises made in the previous books. And some surprising POVs pop up in this that deepen the plot further.
I enjoyed the last part of this trilogy.
I do have one criticism, and that is that Rina Kent does some heavy-handed hinting that I don’t feel it was necessary to plant to readers. It’s unnecessary to tell your reader that there is more to a character than they know. If you write a compelling character, you don’t need to justify that character for sympathy. She does this a few times with Silver, who she has received a great deal of grief over on her reader groups. I feel like it cheapened Silver’s character to have Elsa tell us that we shouldn’t judge her and that we should give her the benefit of curiosity.
Meh.
Oh, also, meh on Knox. He feels like Ronan-lite. I don’t need a diet-Ronan. I have one entirely sinful and enjoyable Ronan. Knox is fluff.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
About Rina Kent:
Rina Kent in an English author who’s constantly parading between France and North Africa due to her studies and her husband’s demanding job.
When she’s not packing suitcases or hopping from one plane to the other, she’s busy whipping her characters to shape.
Since a young age, Rina has been obsessed with storytelling and flawed, edgy characters. Her heroes are often killers and anti-heroes and her books are always sprinkled with darkness, angst, violence, and lots of heat.
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