Editorial Reviews

Book viral Review

With Teen & Young Adult Romantic Fantasy proving ever popular Galloay weaves a delightfully spirited tale that courts intrigue from the very first page as she brings her Velazian setting to life.

The Royal Matchmaking Competition doesn’t have a particularly complex plot but it doesn’t need one as Galloay’s forte is in finding the perfect balance between blossoming romance and heart-rending indecision coupled with superb character development. There’s the dazzlingly handsome Zazan, Prince of Eldoren, Qinrel The Prince of Nololay, The Knight of Centaurus City and the lowly actor Kip with a heart of gold, but will love prevail or politics force Princess Qloey to accept her mother’s choice of suitor in the repulsively priggish Prince of Baylor?

There’s all the drama and sensibilities expected of the Teen & Young Adult Romantic Fantasy genre with a sprightly narrative and richly layered detail that creates a genuine sense of time and place. But what makes Galloay’s novel most notable is her unerring ability to delve into the minds of her characters who she vividly brings to life.

On this level, Galloay’s penned more than a captivatingly voyeuristic novel. It’s piquant and playful as she puts her readers in touch with the battle of emotions raging in Princess Qloey whilst the mood is further augmented by a bewitchingly vibrant blend of mischief and subtle levity which provides timely relief from the mounting tension.

As Qloey’s dates with her amorous suitors unfold Galloay’s narrative expands to include a darker subplot with shocking revelations and new alliances formed. We know what we want to happen – what must happen, given the conventions of the Royal Matchmaking Competition but with a character with no redeemable qualities like Clayton in the mix, Qloey’s final choice goes right up to the wire to give Galloay’s readers a cracking ending!

The Royal Matchmaking Competition 1: Princess Qloey

Indie Book Review

By Alexandria Ducksworth

YA fantasy features one of my favorite tropes: a young woman coming of age on her journey to save the world, but only doing so while juggling multiple love interests. It’s not always so easy to choose between the two dashing dudes battling their way into her heart. This trope has been used over and over throughout the years with a special thanks to Twilight and Hunger Games, but Zoiy G. Galloay takes it a step further: it’s not two boys who are fighting for Qloey’s heart; it’s twelve.

In addition to providing the tone and atmosphere of a good romance, the book features a really satisfying coming of age story. Plus, readers will know exactly who’s who among the suitors. Not all of them are exceedingly attractive with little personality.

Princess Qloey of Velazia must choose her future husband during the Royal Matchmaking Competition (RMC). Twelve royal princes from all over have entered for a chance to win Qloey’s hand. She thinks she already knows who she wants to marry until reality comes knocking. An assassin attempts to steal the princess’s life. As Qloey tries to stay safe throughout the competition, she must deal with her conniving mother, warring centaurs, and unexpected conflicts of the heart.

Princess Qloey is a wonderful journey of the self. In the beginning, Qloey is kind of unlikable. She is arrogant and incredibly closed-minded. A close encounter with death and interacting with each of her suitors changes it all. Qloey becomes more intelligent, kind, and open-minded throughout the story. She even becomes a lovable public figure despite her parents’ disapproval. If Qloey had become anything like her cold-hearted mother, the story would’ve ended sooner. Readers will be satisfied with Qloey’s character develop ment here. Galloay gets a mark for presenting readers Qloey’s tremendous change.

Readers will love Galloay’s diverse fantasy world and its people. It’s filled with elves, dwarves, nymphs, fairies, and more with their own unique cultures. When it comes to Qloey’s suitors, it’s pleasing that not all of them are 6-foot-tall walking Adonises. Sure, there are handsome elves in the RMC, but there are other good candidates too, like the dwarf prince. Readers will get to see the 101 reasons why Qloey falls for him. Not all dwarves are bushy-bearded, dirty men obsessed with mining; there’s more to people than your preconceived stereotypes. This is something we can take note of in our own reality.

There are many great things one can say about Princess Qloey. Galloay does well with the pacing without employing too much exposition. There’s so much you will want to know about Qloey’s world, but story always comes first. Readers will be glad to have discovered this one. Princess Qloey is the book to read if you’re looking to dive into multiple love interests and character growth.

The Royal Matchmaking Competition 1: Princess Qloey

Reedsy Discovery

Reviewed by S. A.

Princess Qloey is of age, and must choose her husband. The man who will rule beside her as Emperor. But with the Empire in a fragile state, she has to choose from a per-approved list of twelve eligible bachelors from different regions. Two Elven Princes, a Dwarven Prince, a selection of human Princes from neighbouring Kingdoms as well as an assortment of other royal titles. There’s a chivalrous knight, and an illiterate, but talented actor thrown into the mix too. All of them taking part in the Royal Matchmaking Competition; the winner becoming Qloey’s husband and future Emperor.

While Qloey is enjoying the attentions of the handsome candidates and learning all she can of their lands and customs, she’s also in grave danger from one of them. One of them is aiming to kill her. Will she pick the perfect husband, or will she fall for the assassins charms?

Qloey is very much the ‘perfect’ leading lady in the trope of being a princess. She’s naïve about the world around her, having never really left the huge palace. She is very much under the thumb of her domineering mother, the current Empress. Her mother is a cruel woman, prone to divisive prejudices and greed – and as a result, see’s Qloey’s innate compassion as a weakness. But Qloey, in true heroine fashion, aims to be better than her mother; pushing her patience to her limits when she introduces new protocols and attempts to quash her mothers harsh laws. It makes Qloey a little hard to swallow; yes, it’s good to see her grow and learn from her own previous ignorance – but her incessant need to please everyone is a little too sweet.

As for Qloey’s mother; I like a wicked female as much as the next person. But she’s almost too nasty. There’s very little redeeming factors about her – always quick to criticize her daughter in public and private. She’s truly a monstrous figure and a villain that Galloay should be proud of. However, sometimes a softer side is desirable in a villain; make us question their motives when they show they have some sort of redemption possible. But that’s simply a personal preference.

The Royal Matchmaking Competition 1: Princess Qloey

Reader Views Review

Reviewed by Megan Weiss

“The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel” is the second book in Zoiy Galloay’s series, “The Royal Matchmaking Competition.” As the heir to the throne, Zadkiel must participate in a special competition specifically designed to bring together twelve beautiful, talented girls for the express purpose of competing to be Zadkiel’s bride and, beyond that, the next Queen.  While everything seems like fun and games at first, he soon realizes that love is not easily won.  Not to mention that amidst forming special connections with several of the contestants, Zadkiel starts to get the feeling that someone is out to get his family – perhaps even hoping to assassinate one of them.  All becomes fair in love and war when both hearts and the kingdom itself may be at stake.

“Prince Zadkiel” was a much more fun read than I anticipated.  I had worried that it would come off a little too juvenile, but I thought the book would find a great target audience of older teens and young adults.  In fact, the blossoming romances between Zadkiel and his possible brides, such as Grace, Esperanza, and Makayla, were both sweet and wholesome while also holding a fair amount of slow-burn, spicy romantic zest.  It was a perfect combination that made sure the romances did not come off as cheesy or forced.  Combining the romance aspect with the larger threat looming throughout the book against Zadkiel and his family created a read that was both fun and suspenseful, and I cannot wait to read the next part of Zadkiel’s journey in the next book!

“Prince Zadkiel” did move a little too fast at times, I thought.  There were some contestants that barely got any mention, and I wondered if maybe those characters might not have been entirely necessary to the main purpose of the book.  I understand that since it’s a competition, there will be some contestants off the bat that will get the short end of the stick and not peg high on Zadkiel’s radar.  Still, this book had a lot of characters to keep straight to begin with, so having some of those extraneous girls did not always seem to make much sense to me. Galloay did a phenomenal job making sure that all her characters were portrayed in unique ways, though, and that they would each be memorable in the reader’s mind as the book went along.  Sometimes, having so many characters and supporting actors can be a little confusing. Still, I always understood who each person was supposed to be and never had any instances where I was confusing multiple characters together.

Overall, Zadkiel is a charming, strong, and lovable protagonist that attracts the reader’s attention at once and makes you want to see him find true love with one of these girls and live both a happy life and rule successfully as an adult once married.  I loved watching how his opinions and respect towards women, in general, grew as he became closer with the girls.  I highly recommend “The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel” by Zoiy Galloay to any fans of YA Romance, be it based in the contemporary or fantasy genres.

The Royal Matchmaking Competition 2: Prince Zadkiel

Reedsy Discovery

Reviewed by Jamie Garner

A young, half-elf crown prince is asked by his parents to choose a bride from among a dozen eligible maidens in the form of a competition called the Royal Matchmaking Competition. His mother chose her husband, the prince’s father, in her own Royal Matchmaking Competition years before. With colorful commentary from his sisters and brother, he goes out on a series of dates with various contestants, gradually learning more about them and himself. As he does, however, a neighboring kingdom is making secret plans against his parents’ kingdom. And by the time that they find out what is going on, it may be too late…

This book is a bit like a fun recipe. If you take a scoop of “The Bachelor”, a scoop of fantasy, a teaspoon of “The Dating Game,” a dash of royal family drama and a sprinkling of “Princess Diaries” I think that you’d end up with something fairly close to this book. I had such fun with this book.

I found Prince Zadkiel and his siblings enjoyable, especially the relationship he has with the oldest of his sisters, with whom he enjoys a great deal of comedic back and forth. Each contestant is fleshed out enough and has her own unique story and personality, and each, with few exceptions, seem to teach Zadkiel a little something. The only thing that I found a bit jarring was the occasional use of modern language. It doesn’t seem to fit in a fantasy world, although I’m sure this won’t matter to some readers, and it might just be a minor nitpick on my part.

I enjoyed the story so much that I picked up the prequel, and I’ll probably pick up the sequel to see where everything leads. I’d be happy to recommend this to most of my friends who – like me – enjoy princes, princesses, fantasy and fun!

 The Royal Matchmaking Competition 2: Prince Zadkiel