About the Book
-
Author:
- Cat Patrick
- Genre:
- Contemporary
Cover Story: Urban Outfitters
BFF Charm: Yay x3 and Mayb—Hell No
Talky Talk: Up With Royal People
Bonus Factors: Alternate Universe, Diversity
Relationship Status: Approved Tourist
Content Warning: A scene near the end of Court is sexually abusive/domineering. It is shocking, extremely uncomfortable, and could be triggering for some readers.
Cover Story: Urban Outfitters
Need something vaguely hipstery to put on your wall? This decal comes in a variety of colors, including Pabst Blue, Bleached Skull White, and Vintage Avocado.
The Deal:
Not all of the Englishmen who came to America in the time of the Puritans agreed with their severe views on life and religion. Some even liked the idea of a monarchy, just not under the thumb of English royalty. Some of those individuals decided to move west, intermingle with the Native Americans, and establish a new monarchy—the Kingdom of Eurus—in what would later become Wyoming. A monarchy that continues to exist to this day, unbeknownst to the rest of the world.
BFF Charm: Yay x 3 and Mayb—Hell No
Court’s chapters are written from four different POVs: Haakon, Gwendolyn, Mary and Alexander. Haakon is the heir to the Eurus throne. Gwendolyn is the daughter of a powerful courtier and Haakon’s betrothed. Mary is a common citizen of the realm. And Alexander is the youngest son of another of Eurus’ most powerful families, and Haakon’s best friend.
Gwendolyn will make a great queen someday—she’s regal and poised and intelligent and cunning. She chafes at this role, however, and so finds ways to bend (or break) the rules as much as she can. Nothing too dangerous, however; the girl just wants to have fun and be a normal teenager from time to time.
Although she’s a “commoner,” Mary doesn’t let the fact that she’s not one of the privileged class get her down. She’s a loyal friend, and takes no crap from anyone. She’s also a gifted barrel rider, which is pretty dang badass.
Alexander’s pretty much spent his life living in the shadow of Haakon, his supposed best friend. He’s the youngest son of a powerful family with multiple sons, too, so his prospects for power aren’t that great. All of this, plus an attraction to someone he “shouldn’t” be attracted to, add up to a confused young man, but by the end of the book, he’s made choices that should lead him out of the shadows.
A the start of Court, Haakon is confused and having trouble figuring out who he is other than the crown prince. His father, the King of Eurus, is a closed-off man. His mother is a powerful woman who wants to hold onto that power. He’s not in love with Gwendolyn; in fact, he barely knows her. He’s a smart and charismatic guy, which would make for an appealing character … but he devolves throughout the book into someone I’d likely cross the street to avoid. Or punch in the throat. Maybe both.
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
There are multiple relationships in Court, thanks to the multitude of main characters. And at least two of them are very swoonworthy. But I’ll leave it up to you to find out which.
*twirls Snidely Whiplash moustache*
Talky Talk: Up With Royal People
Four different POVs might seem like a lot for a book that wasn’t written by George R.R. Martin, but Cat Patrick pulled off all of the different characters without much issue. I didn’t ever have to go back to the start of a chapter to figure out whose it was (in part because of the action that went on, but still).
Additionally, Court’s mix of modern life, palace intrigue and 1700s-era traditions is an inventive and fun idea. Patrick does a great job of mixing both old and new. She’s obviously thought a lot about what a group of people would have to do to hide themselves in plain sight, and although she doesn’t go into depth on how the kingdom hides itself, she does mention a few things such as tourism control and census tampering.
Bonus Factor: Alternate Universe
Although I like to think I have a pretty big imagination, I’ve never really considered the idea of a secret kingdom in a contemporary world. It sounds silly, but it’s a fun idea for sure.
Bonus Factor: Diversity
The founding father and mother of Eurus were an Englishman and a Native American. The two believed that it would take their people working together to make the kingdom work. Therefore, many of the characters in Court have Native American ancestors, and the culture is prominent in certain aspects of life in Eurus.
Relationship Status: Approved Tourist
When I first read about your plot, Book, I laughed a little at how ridiculous it sounded. Surprisingly, and thankfully, your story was entertaining and filled with characters I’d like to get to know better. Can I get a Eurus-approved tourist pass? I’d love to learn more.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from West 26th Street Press, but got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Court is available now.
