Short Review: The Essence by Kimberly Derting

The Essence

Kimberly Derting

(The Pledge #2)

Publication Date: January 2013

Hardcover, 352 pages, Margaret K. McElderly

Genres: YA, Fantasy/Dystopian

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At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

My Review

Is this dystopian? Or is this just fantasy…?

Because this review is of a second book in a trilogy, I won’t be going into too much detail. I’m just going to say what I think and get out of here so I can go stare at my bookshelves for thirty minutes and then decide what to read next. You’re welcome for this—the short review, not the staring. Or not welcome, depending on how you feel about short reviews.

This book started off a little ways down the road from where the first one left off, and since I haven’t read The Pledge in a looong time, I wish this hadn’t been the case. I had forgotten everything besides the main plotline. This especially includes the side and minor characters. I really had to wrack my brain to figure out who they were (it didn’t work).

I also thought it was weird that everyone who was in power was young. That annoys me. Even with books like Throne of Glass I sometimes get annoyed that the captain of the guard is only like 19 years old. It just doesn’t make sense.

The beginning of the story was slightly boring. I did not want to push myself through, but I did, and I enjoyed the last half. It had more action and conflict than the first half.

All in all, if you haven’t read the sequel to The Pledge yet and you wish to, I would encourage you to do it now, before it’s too late and you forget everything, because it’s easy to forget this fantasty/dystopian/I-don’t-know-what-to-call-it world.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself.