First Impression:Truth be told, I wanted The Last Princess based on its cover alone. The idea that the story was dystopian-ish didn't hurt my desire for the book either.While Reading:Set in a England of the future, the world has been decimated by what is referred to as 'The Seventeen Days.' A period when, ecologically speaking, you name it, it probably happened. But if that wasn't enough, someone is out to eliminate the royal family.The Last Princess was an incredibly easy and fast-paced read. I was drawn instantly into Eliza's world. Although the details of 'The Seventeen Days' and the fall of society as we know it are a bit sketchy, I loved it anyways. It was like taking a step back in time... only the book takes place in the future, and the world has all but been destroyed.There were plenty of items that were done extremely well with The Last Princess... and some not too much. As previously, mentioned, the world building was a tad inconsistent. The Last Princess takes place in the future, but the book never had a futuristic vibe. Eliza, our main character, is well beyond old enough to remember a time before 'The Seventeen Days' and make quite a few references to that, but even the conveniences that we experience presently are all but absent. Strangely enough, one of the only real mentions of technology, a mobile phone, is listed in passing towards the end of the book. Other advances such as medicine or travel are discussed as if the MC has no real understanding of what they are.Genealogically speaking, I am confused as well. Eliza and the royal family hail from the House of Windsor, the same family as England's current Queen Elizabeth II. However, Craze never fleshes out the relation of the fictitious family to the House of Windsor. The late Princess Diana and currently Princess Kate are mentioned in passing, but these royals are never referred to in a familiar manner. They are Princess or Queen, not Aunt, Grandmama, etc. Personally, I think that this may be a case of present-day references gone bad. As for our villian... truth be told, he is a bad one. His back-story, motivation? Your guess is really as good as mine. He hates the royal family enough to want to kill them and goes after that plan. I applaud Craze for making a suitable villian, but wish that he had more depth. Craze gives the reader a few plot breadcrumbs, but I fear that it may take till the sequel to really understand him.Final Verdict:The Last Princess, on the surface, is an engaging read. I was completely absorbed in the book from the very beginning. However, when I really got thinking about the book and put certain items into perspective massive potholes emerged. Do these holes effect my feelings for the book? No, not really. But it gave me plenty of things to think about and ponder in anticipation for the next installment.
