Rule is a new fantasy by debut author Ellen Goodlett and when I read the summary of this book I knew I was going to have to read it. It has danger, deception, and an intriguing story that will have you flipping the pages to see what happens next.

The story focuses on three girls whose only connection is that their father happens to be the King and because his only other heir is dead, he has decided to bring them all to Kolonya so they can learn what it takes to rule. It just so happens that none of these girls knows that he is their father and because they all have a dangerous secret that could lead to their execution, they are all thinking they are in danger when his men come to bring them to the city. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is someone who knows exactly what each girl is hiding, and they begin to threaten them all just to keep them from the throne.

I thought Goodlett did a great job setting up the story for each of the girls. There is just enough backstory on each one to give the reader an idea of what drove them to do what they did and put themselves as risk. I am not going to say anything about their secrets only because the way you are introduced to them in the story helps to lay the groundwork for what happens when they meet the King and have to live at court.

These characters are all very different and have different motives for wanting to succeed. I loved having such different characters with varied motivations as the primary focus of this book as it provided such different perspectives.

Zofi is a part of a Traveler clan and while they are viewed by people in towns across the Reaches as lower class, Zofi loves her family and will do anything for them. As a practitioner of the Arts, she knows how to use her blood to work magic and give her strength and she relies on this to push herself to become valuable so that she can help her people.

Ren has grown up in the court as a ladies’ maid, so she is fully aware of the politics and backstabbing that can occur. When she finds out she has been serving the people of the court that she should actually be ruling, she is pretty upset with her mother. As she comes to understand her mother’s reasoning, she also decides she is going to win the throne.

Akeylah grew up in a family that hated and abused her in the Eastern Reach and when she is summoned, she jumps at the chance to get away even though living at court could put her at bigger risk of her secret getting out. When she gets to Kolonya, she recognizes just how out of place she is but eventually finds a friendship she never hoped for…with someone she never expected.

At first, these three don’t trust each other and as they are each faced with a threat and warning to leave, they all think it is one of the other girls. This definitely created some tension amongst them but they all eventually confront each other and form a bit of a partnership. As they learn more about each other and court, they learn who they can trust…and not.

The secondary characters were well developed too, and I thought they helped to move each of the girls’ stories forward. Some of them were shady and some of them were genuine but all had a role to play and I thought they added to each of the storylines.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I picked it up. I’ve tried to keep this review spoiler free so don’t hate me for being vague, but you will appreciate it when you pick this one up. If you like a story that has great characters and a page turning story with some twists and turns, consider checking this one out. If anything, the ending will have you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.