Author: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Hardcover, 454 Pages
Published April 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Hardcover, 454 Pages
Published April 2018
Summary: In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone. The singleborn. A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him. The diminished. When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what's left of her life in peace. As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.
Today on the blog we have a guest review from Michaela over at Librarium Dream! She was kind enough to stop by and review The Diminished and share her thoughts on it, and we couldn't be more excited to have her here as our guest reviewer for today! So without further ado, let's get into it!
I seriously appreciate having my twin with me 24/7 after reading this book! As much as I grumble about having a twin when people who don’t , say “Oh, I wish I had a twin,” I’m quick to say No. No you don’t. I think this is because having a twin is special thing that only other twins understand. Ok, now onto the book.
Well for one, I breezed through this story, it was that good --- I cannot wait for Book 2. Bo is being groomed to be named the crown prince of Alskad when he is betrothed to his cousin Penelope, who, along with his mother, suddenly dies. Claes, Penelope’s twin brother succumbs to being dimmy and dies. Shortly after, Bo heeds the queens mention of checking his own finances and records to show the nobility that he can manage his own affairs. He finds some interesting information in his mother’s ledgers, a payment of 200 drott per annum to an X.A.-G.O.A.T. Bo writes to Gerelene, his mother’s solicitor, that he will be there when X.A comes for their next payment and that he was going to look in his deceased father’s journals for any clues of this X.A.-G.O.A.T.
Vi gets caught with her stash of pearls and sent away to Ilor to work for the temple, she with the help of Mal and Quill a pair of twins on board the ship giving her passage, wormed her way into a new contract with a rich man named Phineas Laroche. He also is the man who bought Lily and Sawny’s labor contracts. Long story short, she goes in hope of being reunited with her best friends; turns out Phineas is a horrible guy and the twins are no longer alive, and Vi desperately tries to make the best of her situation gone wrong. Bo befriends a dimmy named Swinton who helps find Vi and Mal and Quill on Ilor.
Together Bo and Swinton uncover more dark secrets about Bo’s relatives. Vi befriends another twin, Myrna who works in the horse barn on Phineas’s land, there Vi is being groomed to be of assistance to Aphra, Phineas’s wife who is an amalgam. In the end Aphra was truly against her husband. Vi, Mal, Quill, Bo and Swinton along with a few others begin to work on making changes to the future where Bo is King and will have that ability. Vi and Quill have an adorable relationship. Mal is a great source of entertainment and Bo and Swinton have an interesting relationship but it adds to the story.
Well for one, I breezed through this story, it was that good --- I cannot wait for Book 2. Bo is being groomed to be named the crown prince of Alskad when he is betrothed to his cousin Penelope, who, along with his mother, suddenly dies. Claes, Penelope’s twin brother succumbs to being dimmy and dies. Shortly after, Bo heeds the queens mention of checking his own finances and records to show the nobility that he can manage his own affairs. He finds some interesting information in his mother’s ledgers, a payment of 200 drott per annum to an X.A.-G.O.A.T. Bo writes to Gerelene, his mother’s solicitor, that he will be there when X.A comes for their next payment and that he was going to look in his deceased father’s journals for any clues of this X.A.-G.O.A.T.
Vi gets caught with her stash of pearls and sent away to Ilor to work for the temple, she with the help of Mal and Quill a pair of twins on board the ship giving her passage, wormed her way into a new contract with a rich man named Phineas Laroche. He also is the man who bought Lily and Sawny’s labor contracts. Long story short, she goes in hope of being reunited with her best friends; turns out Phineas is a horrible guy and the twins are no longer alive, and Vi desperately tries to make the best of her situation gone wrong. Bo befriends a dimmy named Swinton who helps find Vi and Mal and Quill on Ilor.
Together Bo and Swinton uncover more dark secrets about Bo’s relatives. Vi befriends another twin, Myrna who works in the horse barn on Phineas’s land, there Vi is being groomed to be of assistance to Aphra, Phineas’s wife who is an amalgam. In the end Aphra was truly against her husband. Vi, Mal, Quill, Bo and Swinton along with a few others begin to work on making changes to the future where Bo is King and will have that ability. Vi and Quill have an adorable relationship. Mal is a great source of entertainment and Bo and Swinton have an interesting relationship but it adds to the story.
We'd like to once again thank Michaela for stopping by The Book Bratz today to post this guest review. Don't forget to check out her blog!
** Psst! Interested in guest reviewing on The Book Bratz? Shoot us an email at thebookbratz@gmail.com or DM us on Twitter (@thebookbratz) and we'd love to have you!
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