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bookedbrunette's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
𝐇𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Capture The Crown
Jennifer Estep
433 pages
FC: Delmira, REIKO, Grims, Leo
This truly felt like a DND campaign in the best way.
The world building was verbalized in a way that kept us immersed without letting anything of the plot on. I adored the world. The multiple monarchies, the long list of kings and queens (annoying but, makes a fantasy A FANTASY lol), the wildly supernatural beasts that represent each place and are kept by monarchs like pets. It was just really insanely good. Plus the world should have felt HUGELY like a melting pot but it was done so delicately that it never did.
Something else that surprised me was that all of these characters were full fledged adults. Gemma Ripley, our MC and Crown Princess of Andvari, is 29 years old. Her rival, leonidas Morricone, is 31. I LIKE that they’re a little bit older because the decisions they make are never stupid. If this book gets five stars on anything, it’s lovable and moral characters. Not all of them are moral, and a lot of them are evil, but even those were written well. Expect a good villain! But the characters were so smart. Just so clever and witty in their remarks, so intelligent in battle strategy and very sly when it came to politicians. Any type of situation, they got it thought through.
I really, really loved the drama of it all as well. There was death and slaughter of battle but…there was soap opera drama moments included with multiple royal families, fiancés, and balls. Some cheating and trifling is fun when all the characters are smart and silly.
The conversations are fun to read at least 😂
One other thing I wanted to touch upon was the evidence of a clear scope of mental health in the authors perspective of this book. Gemma deals with some very absorbent and full nightmares and memories from a traumatizing time in her childhood. She suffers from high levels of PTSD and sorrowfully lives while the trauma claws at her insides. I was at first annoyed with the amount of times she brought up this traumatic event but…I realized it’s because she’s really never gotten a break from those horrible memories, you’d understand why she talks about it a lot. Another thing that was mentioned was very harsh child abuse. Some royal families are evil but some are villainous. Any king who has to whip down a child in order to feel powerful, is no king of mine fr.
Good story. All in all. Solid, solid story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
shelbysfavreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
cait's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Blood, Cursing, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War
noellelovesbooks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warning: witnessing the massacre of a family, sexual harassment, anxiety, PTSD, overwhelming guilt, torture [talked about and detailed on-page], child abuse/torture.
2/13/2023 OMG still so good! 3rd read but I was still finding things I didn't notice in my first 2 reads. I am so ready to dive into book 2 again and then dive into 3 for the first time! 💜
3/2/2022
I originally read this as an ARC ahead of its release last year. After binging through the CROWN OF SHARDS trilogy [KILL THE QUEEN, PROTECT THE PRINCE, and CRUSH THE KING] in late 2020 I was so excited to see a spin-off take place, as I wasn’t ready yet to leave this magical world. If you’d like to read my original review I have it linked above.
As I’m about to read the ARC of book 2, TEAR DOWN THE THRONE, I thought it was the perfect time for a re-immersion into this fantastic realm. Let me tell you the re-read did not disappoint. After finishing I’m even more in love than my first read and am so excited to be cracking open the ARC of book 2!
In CAPTURE THE CROWN we meet a grown-up Gemma Ripley, who was one of the few survivors of the Seven Spire massacre. At the age of twelve, she witnessed the slaughter of countless people and felt helpless to stop it. Almost sixteen years later Gemma has devoted her life to making sure she always protects her family and people. Though she’s taken on the persona of a vapid princess, who only cares about fashion and parties, those that truly know her, know that she works hard to find any, and all, potential threats to her kingdom…even if that means donning disguises and being a spy.
When tearstone starts disappearing from the mines, Gemma isn’t afraid to jump into some coveralls and work the mines, until she can find any ideas of where the tearstones are going. Alert for the potential danger, she wasn’t prepared to run into Leonidas Morricone, Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta. Although they’re meant to be enemies, as their families are sworn enemies, Gemma struggles to deny the spark of attraction, and kinship, she feels for him.
Although all grown up Gemma is always worried that she, or her powers, will endanger those she cares about or that she’ll freeze up when they need her most. I love this book so much, especially as I noticed more things during my re-read. The way Estep portrays both Gemma’s strong/fierce/loyal side while also showing her insecurities and battles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. And though we only see the story through Gemma’s perspective we’re still able to see the complexities of so many characters.
I highly recommend checking out this story of finding your strength and learning to let go of, and work through, guilt and pain. Gemma is a survivor and she’s much stronger than she, or anyone else around her, realizes. I’m so happy I decided to re-read this before jumping into book two!
3/3/2021
Since I read the “Crown of Shards” trilogy last fall I have constantly checked Goodreads.com and Amazon waiting for any synopsis and title for this book. I loved devouring the world Jennifer crafted in the original trilogy and knew I needed more. The excitement I felt when I saw there was an ARC available through NetGalley was overwhelming, knowing there was a chance I could dive back in before the July release.
When we originally meet Gemma, in the Crown of Shards series, she’s twelve or thirteen and when we see her again, in this new book, she’s now thirty. She has perfectly crafted a persona of being a spoiled and materially obsessed princess, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. When her subjects think she’s off an other shopping spree, she’s actually disguised and investigating threats to her people and crown.
Although a grown woman, Gemma was so deeply affected by witnessing the Seven Spires massacre, she constantly fears her magical abilities and tries to keep them reigned in. She has many people, who love and adore her, surround her and encourage her but at times she still feels like that scared little girl…frozen as she hides under a table watching chaos unleashed around her.
This book reunites her with Leo, the son of the enemy, someone who she should hate but who constantly leaves her confused and flustered. She should hate him, she should want him dead, but why does it feel so good to be close to him…why does she long for him to close the distance between them?
Through Gemma’s eyes, we’re able to see Morta, the enemy land, in all it’s beauty and chaos. We meet Mortan’s who are kind and others who are just as bad, if not worse, than the King Mauven killed for her crown. We see enemies and friends we met in the “Crown of Shards” trilogy as well as meet new friends, enemies, and people who could be either.
Start to finish this book was an adventure and a great re-introduction to this world. I look forward to seeing the next book (set to release in 2022) as we continue to see Gemma evolve into a strong and confident woman and leader. Although Gemma faced a lot of trauma as a child, I look forward to seeing her fully triumph over it, and become the strong and fierce woman she’s always been meant to be.
2/13/2023 OMG still so good! 3rd read but I was still finding things I didn't notice in my first 2 reads. I am so ready to dive into book 2 again and then dive into 3 for the first time! 💜
3/2/2022
I originally read this as an ARC ahead of its release last year. After binging through the CROWN OF SHARDS trilogy [KILL THE QUEEN, PROTECT THE PRINCE, and CRUSH THE KING] in late 2020 I was so excited to see a spin-off take place, as I wasn’t ready yet to leave this magical world. If you’d like to read my original review I have it linked above.
As I’m about to read the ARC of book 2, TEAR DOWN THE THRONE, I thought it was the perfect time for a re-immersion into this fantastic realm. Let me tell you the re-read did not disappoint. After finishing I’m even more in love than my first read and am so excited to be cracking open the ARC of book 2!
In CAPTURE THE CROWN we meet a grown-up Gemma Ripley, who was one of the few survivors of the Seven Spire massacre. At the age of twelve, she witnessed the slaughter of countless people and felt helpless to stop it. Almost sixteen years later Gemma has devoted her life to making sure she always protects her family and people. Though she’s taken on the persona of a vapid princess, who only cares about fashion and parties, those that truly know her, know that she works hard to find any, and all, potential threats to her kingdom…even if that means donning disguises and being a spy.
When tearstone starts disappearing from the mines, Gemma isn’t afraid to jump into some coveralls and work the mines, until she can find any ideas of where the tearstones are going. Alert for the potential danger, she wasn’t prepared to run into Leonidas Morricone, Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta. Although they’re meant to be enemies, as their families are sworn enemies, Gemma struggles to deny the spark of attraction, and kinship, she feels for him.
Although all grown up Gemma is always worried that she, or her powers, will endanger those she cares about or that she’ll freeze up when they need her most. I love this book so much, especially as I noticed more things during my re-read. The way Estep portrays both Gemma’s strong/fierce/loyal side while also showing her insecurities and battles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. And though we only see the story through Gemma’s perspective we’re still able to see the complexities of so many characters.
I highly recommend checking out this story of finding your strength and learning to let go of, and work through, guilt and pain. Gemma is a survivor and she’s much stronger than she, or anyone else around her, realizes. I’m so happy I decided to re-read this before jumping into book two!
3/3/2021
Since I read the “Crown of Shards” trilogy last fall I have constantly checked Goodreads.com and Amazon waiting for any synopsis and title for this book. I loved devouring the world Jennifer crafted in the original trilogy and knew I needed more. The excitement I felt when I saw there was an ARC available through NetGalley was overwhelming, knowing there was a chance I could dive back in before the July release.
When we originally meet Gemma, in the Crown of Shards series, she’s twelve or thirteen and when we see her again, in this new book, she’s now thirty. She has perfectly crafted a persona of being a spoiled and materially obsessed princess, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. When her subjects think she’s off an other shopping spree, she’s actually disguised and investigating threats to her people and crown.
Although a grown woman, Gemma was so deeply affected by witnessing the Seven Spires massacre, she constantly fears her magical abilities and tries to keep them reigned in. She has many people, who love and adore her, surround her and encourage her but at times she still feels like that scared little girl…frozen as she hides under a table watching chaos unleashed around her.
This book reunites her with Leo, the son of the enemy, someone who she should hate but who constantly leaves her confused and flustered. She should hate him, she should want him dead, but why does it feel so good to be close to him…why does she long for him to close the distance between them?
Through Gemma’s eyes, we’re able to see Morta, the enemy land, in all it’s beauty and chaos. We meet Mortan’s who are kind and others who are just as bad, if not worse, than the King Mauven killed for her crown. We see enemies and friends we met in the “Crown of Shards” trilogy as well as meet new friends, enemies, and people who could be either.
Start to finish this book was an adventure and a great re-introduction to this world. I look forward to seeing the next book (set to release in 2022) as we continue to see Gemma evolve into a strong and confident woman and leader. Although Gemma faced a lot of trauma as a child, I look forward to seeing her fully triumph over it, and become the strong and fierce woman she’s always been meant to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual harassment
More...