For those who want to immerse in a future dystopian world that’s rich in romance, intrigue, and even the magical–an ordinary girl’s fairy-tale dream–The Selection books by Kiera Cass are a must-read. But do you know how many books there are in the series?
There are nine books in total in Kiera Cass’s The Selection series. Of the nine, there are five novels and four novellas, all centered around the main characters, America Singer and Prince Maxon Schreaves, as they journey towards the “selection” that will change their lives forever.
Want to get swept off your feet by Prince Maxon yourself but unsure whether the book will deliver as promised? Read further as we talk about all nine books in the series in more detail.
Book 1: The Selection
The first book in the whole series is The Selection, published in 2012. If you enjoy modern fairy tales, you will definitely enjoy this one. The rich boy-poor girl plot through which peasant but talented artist America Singer and Prince Maxon Schreaves come to life delivers not only swoon-worthy romance, but also humor and even drama.
In the first book, you will find America, forced by financial need to join the Selection, a once-in-a-lifetime event where the Prince gets to choose a bride from among 35 young ladies from different castes–something that would be unthinkable outside of this one particular event.
To all the other girls, the Selection is the one competition that matters. There’s no shortage of glamor, beauty, and the intoxicating promise of a crown. But to America, whose heart already belongs to someone else, it’s just something that had to be done.
But what happens when she meets the Prince himself?
Book 2: The Prince
The Prince is a novella published the following year, in 2013. The book focuses on Prince Maxon’s story, particularly what his life was like leading to the Selection. We discover that just like America, the Prince also had a love interest before the Selection began, which colors his feelings about the competition.
The novella captures the excitement and the thrill of the Selection both from the perspective of the Prince as well as the ladies that took part in it. This is also where we read the most-awaited first meeting between the Prince and America.
The fairy tale is just getting started.
Book 3: The Elite
In this third book, the fairy tale gets more exciting, as out of 35 ladies who joined the competition, only six are left–and all but one of them are excited to trade their ordinary lives away for a lifetime with Prince Maxon.
On the other hand, America is not as sure about wanting a life with the Prince. She is torn between her first love Aspen and the dazzling Prince Maxon. But in the midst of the dizzying intensity of the competition and her internal dilemma, America also develops a deeper relationship with the Prince as they get to know each other better.
Will America turn her back on the life that she knew and pour all her effort into getting the crown?
Book 4: The Guard
The Guard is the second novella in The Selection series. In it, we get inside the heart and mind of Aspen Leger, America’s first love who still is very much in love with her. He is now also in the palace together with America, as the competition becomes tighter with now only six ladies left in the game.
We get to know Aspen not only as America’s first love but as a man who is determined to show America that he is still worthy of her love. He joins the palace by getting a job as a guard and uses this as a platform to get closer to America, while she battles within herself whether she still wants Aspen or life as a queen.
Book 5: The One
In this next novel, the struggle inside America to choose between Aspen and Prince Maxon comes to a head. She grows fond of the Prince and at the same time realizes that if she doesn’t get the crown, she will have to go back to the hard and unforgiving life that she once had.
This time, she is resolute to win the crown and turn her back on her life before the palace, including Aspen. The competition heats up even more, as she vies for a crown that everyone else also wants.
Book 6: The Queen
If you think this novel is about America as the queen, you’re mistaken. This is the story of Prince Maxon’s mother, Queen Amberly, way before the Selection happened. In fact, it is set during the time when she herself had to participate in the Selection, competing for the place of queen beside King Clarkson.
It is ultimately the story of how Prince Maxon’s parents met and fell in love and how, just like America, Queen Amberly rose from a lower caste to royalty by willing the Selection.
Book 7: The Favorite
This is another novella that is told from the perspective of America’s best friend, Marlee. While America is torn between life with Aspen and life with Prince Maxon, Marlee was sure that she would choose the love of her life.
Marlee’s boldness leaves an impression on America, who then also decides to go for what she wants.
Book 8: The Heir
Twenty years later, we find that Prince Maxon and America now have a daughter, Princess Eadlyn, who now has to choose her own prince. She has heard about how her parents met, and she yearns to have as beautiful a love story as theirs. However, she doesn’t think she would be as fortunate.
In her own Selection, she doesn’t expect much. But when she meets the candidates, one piques her special interest.
Book 9: The Crown
Here, Princess Eadlyn becomes queen and goes through her own Selection with much more excitement than she expected she would have. Everything changes for her when one young man joins the Selection and captivates her heart.
She hopes to have the kind of love story that her parents had, but will she?
Final Thoughts
The Selection series is a fascinating read for young adults aged 13 to 17. You get to immerse in a different kind of modern world where fairy tales still happen, and ordinary women capture the hearts of princes.
