Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Glass Queen

Author: Gena Showalter

Book Series: The Forest of Good and Evil Book 2

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: retelling, fantasy, ya

Publication Date: September 29, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance)

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 324

Synopsis: Ashleigh Anskelisa may be called the Glass Princess due to her weak heart, but Saxon, king of the Avian, knows she is more dangerous than broken glass, in this Cinderella retelling that sweeps readers into the magical land of Enchantia, filled with treacherous enemies, unexpected allies, forbidden love, and dangerous magic! Can destined lovers find their way to each other, or will evil win the day? Everything changes at the stroke of midnight as one determined princess fights for her legacy, her love, and the crown that is her destiny.

Review: This was an ok book. Again, the plot and story were the driving points of the book and I enjoyed both of them. The world building was also a bit better and the pacing was still pretty good.

However, the book is full of SJM references (mates… Ugh) and the romance is really bad. The author used to write romance novels so I don't know why the romance in these books are so bad but they are. Maybe it's due to the lack of character development. The use of the word mate is also very troubling for me. In my opinion, the books would have been better as an adult series where the author could have went full SJM. I also have issue with this being called a series when it feels like just a group of books set in the same world.

Verdict: It was a good book, but a bit cringy.