What if a maid became royalty?
Book review: Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart
Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart
Published: November 18, 2025 by HarperCollins
Buy this book at: Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Bookshop.org
Synopsis:
Ruby has never found a puzzle she couldn’t solve. Even though she’s destined to spend the rest of her life as a servant to the royal family, her mind itches for a true challenge. But no puzzle could prepare her for the king’s decision to name Ruby as the next heir to the throne just before his death.
Thrown into the viper’s nest of court, Ruby is forced to contend with a kingdom in crisis, the dead king’s angry wife, and the three entitled and annoyingly handsome princes. Then, as if being newly crowned queen wasn’t enough, she discovers a note left by the king that claims he was murdered . . . and that she might be next.
Unsure of who she can trust, Ruby makes uneasy alliances with each of the princes as she tries to solve the king’s murder. But with the clock winding down, she will face her most difficult challenge finding the truth before the killer comes for her.
Rating:
Review:
In general, I dislike when books are marketed as “blank meets blank!” This book was marketed in such a way and it just never holds up. If I wanted to read either of the things it’s being compared to then I would read those things and the book almost never lives up to that hype. To me, it sets the wrong expectations for a reader. But this is also a huge trend in books right now, so consider this a personal gripe.
This book was solidly okay. Ruby is a find young adult heroine, though she’s a bit dumb and I was surprised that she made some of the dumb decisions that she ended up making. How many times do people have to tell you not to trust anyone? They tell her, she trusts them and then is surprised when it was a mistake. You were warned babe and you ignored the warning!
There were a few good twists in here that I didn’t see coming and that definitely boosted the rating for me. I always enjoy it when a turn happens that I didn’t anticipate. I also was kept guessing at who was responsible for the king’s death. I am not sure that the ultimate solution was the payoff I wanted, but it was unexpected so its gets points for that.
Ultimately this was a solid young adult fantasy but nothing groundbreaking. If you enjoy this kind of book then you’ll likely enjoy this one as well. It’s a quick read too, which is always appreciated.