ALA Booklist

The bastard's table was Tillandra's usual place when her father entertained royalty, and one night she is joined by several bastard sons, including one from a neighboring estate and another from the feared Zitochi tribe. Everyone is shocked when Princess Lyriana requests a seat at the same table. Later that night, accompanied by Tilla's stable hand half brother, the group heads through secret castle passageways to the ocean, where they unexpectedly witness a treasonous act that turns their world upside down. Offered up as murderers and traitors, their only hope is to get the princess to safer territory in order to prevent a second Great War. This is entertaining, standard fare: a motley band of strangers in a distant time works together, and, with a bit of magic, they confront a greater force. Shvarts includes the requisite unlikely attractions and treachery, but the narrator is a determined young woman, and many of the main characters are people of color in a situation where that isn't a defining characteristic, it's just who they are. A solid, refreshingly diverse fantasy adventure.

Horn Book

As the illegitimate daughter of a lord, Tilla enjoys certain royal privileges but prefers the company of her half-brother, Jax, at the "Bastard Table." Then a visiting princess and a murder throw Tilla and her fellow bastards' world into disarray. This series-starter's casual dialogue feels mismatched to the stylistic high fantasy with complex culture- and world-building, but genre fans will be entranced.

Kirkus Reviews

In this book readers follow a troupe of bastards, some royal and some not, on an epic adventure to save their lives and attempt to stop another great war. White, illegitimate half siblings Tillandra, 16, and Jax, 17, are looking forward to the black princess Lyriana's visit to the castle, Tilla's noble father's, which coincides with a visit from white Lady Hempstedt and her by-blow, Miles, and the Zitochi leader and his brown-skinned bastard son, Zell. The excitement fizzles when they witness Tilla's, Miles' and Zell's parents kill the princess's uncle and escort. Fleeing for their lives, the bastards, plus Lyriana, must now outrun their parents (who wish them dead), protect the princess of their realm, and try to prevent further loss of life on both sides. It's a promising setup. Readers may find themselves jolted out of Shvarts' medieval-feeling fantasy world by the characters' use of modern slang, as well as by Tilla's modern mindset. Regardless, Shvarts brings readers along on a daring adventure with this motley crew, who become as one over its course. Tilla also grows throughout the book, and readers learn more about the other characters that adds dimension. Being a bastard means people expect the worst, but only one of them will be willing to betray the group of friends. Shvarts creates a diverse world with distinct geography and subcultures for this series opener, though tired tropes of the "savage" creep into the depiction of the Zitochi. Adventure-loving fantasy readers will eat it up. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Sixteen-year-old Tillandra Kent is the bastard daughter of Elric Kent, a high lord; it-s unlikely that Elric will ever legitimize Tilla, but until he disowns her, she enjoys royal privileges. During a banquet honoring princess Lyriana Volaris and her uncle, archmagus Rolan, the princess eschews Lord Kent-s company to dine with Tilla and her fellow bastards, Miles and Zell. Seeking adventure, Lyriana persuades her tablemates to sneak out of the castle. They meet up with Tilla-s half-brother, Jax, and head to the beach, where they witness Rolan-s murder and overhear plans for a coup. The teens are spotted and flee; when morning comes, they learn that the perpetrators have faked Lyriana-s death and framed them for both crimes. With combat looming and a bounty on their heads, the group ventures forth to warn the king. First in a planned series, Shvarts-s action-packed debut champions diversity, counsels perseverance, and highlights the human cost of war. The pace is zippy, Shvarts-s mythology is rich, and while the overall tone skews breezy, the conclusion packs thrills and a serious emotional wallop. Ages 14-up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (May)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-s the bastard daughter of Lord Kent of the Western Province, Tillandra has always lived between two worlds, that of the nobility, where she strives for recognition and acceptance, and that of her stablehand half brother Jax, where she is free to swill wine and run wild. When Princess Lyriana, daughter of the royal family to whom Tilla's father was forced to swear allegiance, disregards social etiquette by sitting at the Bastards Table during a banquet to honor her visit, Tilla is thrown into the company of the model of a perfect royal daughter, along with fellow bastards Zell, a barbarian Zitochi warrior from the north country, and bookish Miles. When this ragtag group of misfits encounter a sinister plot to overthrow the royal family, they are catapulted into a life-and-death mission to save Princess Lyriana, as well as themselves, and rescue the kingdom from an inevitable and bloody civil war. Elements such as magic and deadly mythical creatures will be familiar to fans of the fantasy genre, but the book's hurried plot and crass language paint a confused picture and give the narrative a disjointed feel. The result is a novel that strives to include every possible element of the genre, rather than a captivating fantasy adventure. VERDICT A strictly additional purchase.Sarah Lorraine, J. Sterling Morton High School, Cicero, IL

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Sixteen-year-old Tilla has always felt as if she is caught between two worlds. Her father, Lord Kent, rules the Western Province of their kingdom, while her mother was a castle servant who died during childbirth. Tilla’s father dotes on her—until he has legitimate children, and now, he no longer has time for her. Although Tilla has a room in the castle, she feels more comfortable with her stablehand, half-brother Jax, partying in the stables. Tilla still has some royal duties, however, which is how she ends up at a state dinner with Lyriana, the kingdom’s princess, and Zell, a hardened warrior from the rugged land to the north. When Lyriana wants to explore the castle grounds after dinner, Tilla, along with Jax, Zell, and her childhood friend, Miles—the four titular bastards—accompany her. The group stumbles upon a clandestine meeting of their families and witnesses the murder of Lyriana’s uncle. Suddenly they are on the run, and must work together to keep safe and figure out what their relatives are plotting. In the process, Tilla forges a friendship with Lyriana and a budding romance with Zell. In his debut novel, a series opener, Shvarts combines mystery, romance, and fantasy with dynamic and diverse characters of different ethnicities to create a book that is difficult to put down. This story has something for everyone; readers will be clamoring for the sequel.—Kirsten Pickel.