If you grew up reading The Selection series, a contemporary YA classic that graced many, many bookshelves in the 2010s, then you might be interested in author Kiera Cass’ other work, A Thousand Heartbeats. Published in 2022, the novel centers on Princess Annika and Commander Lennox, two young people on opposite sides of a violent conflict between their two countries. Annika is beloved by her people, but her unstable father rarely lets her out of the castle and controls all her actions. Lennox fights an army of freedom fighters hellbent on taking over Annika’s country, which they believe is their rightful birthplace. Both are passionate and loyal to their people, but when they are suddenly forced together in Lennox’s military bunker, sparks fly. Lennox and Annika must fight for both their homes and their love, while contending with their duties to their families.
I loved The Selection growing up, so I was excited to pick up another Kiera Cass book. For being 576 pages, this book reads pretty quickly. However, it certainly wasn’t my favorite. I felt that both the main characters, especially Lennox, were grossly underdeveloped. Even though the novel is almost 600 pages, it feels as if the characters barely grow. There is a lot lacking in worldbuilding as well, and I felt myself disappointed in Cass as I read more and more. I wish that the story focused more on the political and family ties that both characters had, as for me that was the most compelling aspect of the novel. The book wasn’t all bad, as the romance was sweet and fun, making it enjoyable. However, if you’re in the market for fantasy books, I probably would not recommend this. I give it 2 out of 5 stars.