“The Princess Electric is one heck of a Dystopian Fantasy, complete with revolutions, lots of weapons, and a mind-boggling world.”

Review by Rayleigh Setser

How do you help your sister remember when all you want to do is forget?

Violet wants nothing more than to forget how she put her sister in the hospital. When she discovers that her sister’s amnesia is caused by otherworldly creatures stealing memories, Violet is propelled into Dementia, an alternate world of lost moments and forgotten dreams.

It is there that Violet meets the Rememberists, a rag-tag crew of memory freedom fighters led by Declan and Cheshire, brothers who try to recruit Violet into their cause. Yet their shadowy demeanors make Violet question their motivations, even when she discovers that they can help her sister. But if Violet doesn’t start trusting someone soon, she’ll never be able to save her sister’s memories—or herself.

THE PRINCESS ELECTRIC is the first book in The Rememberist Saga, a young adult urban fantasy series set in an alternate world of lost memories, where the most precious commodity is the ability to remember, and the pain of forgetting is a tortured silence that lasts forever.

I received this book from the author/publisher via Edelweiss for free. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.

"Tomorrow can bloom brighter than today if you want it to, just like a dream."

I didn't realize just how trippy this book was until I tried explaining it to my husband. It's like a hyped twist between Alice in Wonderland and steampunk dreaming. It also reminded me of a more adult version of Perceiver by E.C. Fuller, which I did like (despite its flaws). I was thankful for the repeated use of the kaleidoscope illustration in this book because that is exactly how I imagined the world of Dementia. I also pictured the Mirror Dimension from Dr. Strange, just more glittery--which was very fun by the way! The Princess Electric is one heck of a Dystopian Fantasy, complete with revolutions, lots of weapons, and a mind-boggling world.

Violet is a classic main character in a dystopian novel. Fueled by her own hurts and motivations, she often comes off as selfish and cold, but in the end, she really just wants to right her wrongs and ease her conscience. Declan and Cheshire are one heck of a pair of brothers, one with powers of light and one with powers of shadow. Both are vying for Violet's attention and though they have the same goal, they have very different methods. I never had a strong feeling of preference for either of the brothers; I distrusted them equally, so I can't say I was ecstatic over Violet's eventual choice and resolution. It's pretty odd for me (personally) to not choose a side in the love triangle competition, but I never really felt like either of the brothers was worth Violet's attention, though if I had to choose sides, I would've chosen Declan. In a lot of ways, I sort of feel like the brothers were locked in a petty, alpha-male battle between themselves rather than actually caring about Violet's well-being so it made it that much more difficult to view them as potential love interests. It felt like "getting to Violet" meant that they won some unspoken game.

The story was epic and exciting. I really enjoyed the world of Dementia and the throwbacks and peeks into history that it provided. I liked the neurology connections and illustrations. And of course, the rebel group attempting to overthrow the queen was a blast to be part of! Overall, I enjoyed reading The Princess Electric and I'm here for the rest of the series!

Content Ratings:

7. Very strong action/gore (action scenes are more common and described to the reader with the intention of producing a mental image.

2. Mild content (holding hands and mild kissing).

7. Intense cursing (all words used frequently).

Other Trigger Warnings:

Triggers: The cursing content is very high and while there is no true romance plot (only one kiss) within the pages, there are several sexual references and innuendos/jokes that may make some readers uncomfortable. The gore is also very descriptive during battle sequences and there are some stories that the Rememberists tell/relive that are pretty gory. A large amount of the plot revolves around dr*g distribution and consumption as well. If it were a TV series (which I would binge so fast), it would be rated TV-MA.

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