American Royals II: Magesty by Katharine McGee

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genres: Young Adult
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Book Review

Majesty picks up right where the first American Royals left off, with the death of King George. Beatrice, now no longer the heir but about to be crowned queen, must decide between what’s best for her country and following her heart. Samantha, now the heir, not the spare, struggles with the additional expectations and responsibilities. Nina, heartbroken over what happened with Jefferson, tries to make the best of her time in college. And then there’s Daphne, causing drama as usual.

First and foremost, American Royals II: Majesty was one of my highest anticipated books of 2020. So when I got an email containing a review copy, I think I squealed and jumped out of my chair. However, I found that the storyline fell a bit flat for me. I think a big part of that was the way the story pivots away from what I was expecting into new territory. I still enjoyed it very much! My advice would be to leave your presumptions from the first book behind and come into Majesty fresh and without expectations.

Honest review time: I thought Majesty was a bit of a letdown. I found that it was slower than I expected and I struggled to get through several sections. I still loved Beatrice and discovered a new love for Samantha, but I didn’t enjoy the way the story walked back so many plot points from the first book. As a story of its own, it was pretty decent. As the sequel to one of my favorite books for 2019, it was a letdown.

Thank you to Random House Kids and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.