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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.9 stars
I received an e-ARC copy of Capture the Crown from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I am overdue on this review, mostly because every time I picked up this book I got barely into it and was unhappy. With book 2 out, I decided to give it another go. It took a week of pick up, put down to get it finished and so much ranting to my friends and sister. (Thank you Shale, I probably owe you cupbop).
I have super mixed feelings about this book. It was okay mostly but I had some major issues. I read and enjoyed the Crown of Shards trilogy set in this world. While there were a few trip ups, the plot for me was engaging and I wanted to know what would happen. That was not how I felt about this book.
I have two major issues. One is Gemma and the other is the plot. I spent the book either frustrated with Gemma or bored. Gemma, traumatized by the Seven Spires Massacre, has decided that the best way to protect her people from the awful Morta threat is to become a spy. She has crafted a persona of a bubbly happy carefree princess that she hates and that the reader never sees. Hearing rumors that there is missing tearstone from a mine near the border with Morta, Gemma sets out to investigate... as a miner.I'm not sure I believe that.
After just a couple days of working in the mine, Gemma manages to get picked to help the thief, has to dispose of a body, saves a prince and almost gets herself killed. This is all in the first 30% and it should be exciting but I was bored. Gemma switches between "poor me, I'll never master my magic and be scared and helpless forever" and "All Mortans are evil, how dare they exist". She carries as special prejudice for Leonidas and every encounter ends that he can't be trusted.
Gemma has the same issue for me that Everleigh in Kill the Queen did. The way she acts and her inner thoughts make me think of her as a YA protagonist. The royal spy plot can be tricky. I think that the scrapes she gets into and way she handles things wouldn't bother me as much of she was 19-20. But at 28 she should know better and act with more maturity. I feel that at this age, if she is spying, she should have a network that she gets information from and delegate/cultivate spies, instead of doing everything herself. Her spy craft does need some work, because every time she runs into a possible clue, Gemma discards it as not really important. She really needs to pay attention to what people are saying without actually saying the words. There is a conversation with Maeven that is super important and Gemma just worries about being recognized. Also just saying that as a nation's only princess, just minorly cutting and dying your hair is not a disguise. Spy school 101 would help Gemma.
Frankly I found almost every other character more interesting then Gemma. I like Delmira and I really want her to show up again. The liladorns are mysterious and cool. Maeven is such a complex interesting character, with a thousand plans in her head. Even Leo, who has a lot going on and still keeps coming back to help/rescue/save Gemma, while she tells him how untrustworthy he is because he is a Morricone.
The one giant plus about this book. I finished it. Most of the time when I feel like this, it ends up in the DNF pile. This did not. So it had enough potential and excitement to make me rant about it.
I think my feelings about this book all boil down to disappointment. The plot was slow. Gemma is afraid and bitter about her magic, but she won't do anything about it. She gets herself into situations that she has to be rescued from and she is not a good spy.
I hope book two is better. Also I would like an Evie cameo please.
I received an e-ARC copy of Capture the Crown from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I am overdue on this review, mostly because every time I picked up this book I got barely into it and was unhappy. With book 2 out, I decided to give it another go. It took a week of pick up, put down to get it finished and so much ranting to my friends and sister. (Thank you Shale, I probably owe you cupbop).
I have super mixed feelings about this book. It was okay mostly but I had some major issues. I read and enjoyed the Crown of Shards trilogy set in this world. While there were a few trip ups, the plot for me was engaging and I wanted to know what would happen. That was not how I felt about this book.
I have two major issues. One is Gemma and the other is the plot. I spent the book either frustrated with Gemma or bored. Gemma, traumatized by the Seven Spires Massacre, has decided that the best way to protect her people from the awful Morta threat is to become a spy. She has crafted a persona of a bubbly happy carefree princess that she hates and that the reader never sees. Hearing rumors that there is missing tearstone from a mine near the border with Morta, Gemma sets out to investigate... as a miner.
After just a couple days of working in the mine, Gemma manages to get picked to help the thief, has to dispose of a body, saves a prince and almost gets herself killed. This is all in the first 30% and it should be exciting but I was bored. Gemma switches between "poor me, I'll never master my magic and be scared and helpless forever" and "All Mortans are evil, how dare they exist". She carries as special prejudice for Leonidas and every encounter ends that he can't be trusted.
Gemma has the same issue for me that Everleigh in Kill the Queen did. The way she acts and her inner thoughts make me think of her as a YA protagonist. The royal spy plot can be tricky. I think that the scrapes she gets into and way she handles things wouldn't bother me as much of she was 19-20. But at 28 she should know better and act with more maturity. I feel that at this age, if she is spying, she should have a network that she gets information from and delegate/cultivate spies, instead of doing everything herself. Her spy craft does need some work, because every time she runs into a possible clue, Gemma discards it as not really important. She really needs to pay attention to what people are saying without actually saying the words. There is a conversation with Maeven that is super important and Gemma just worries about being recognized. Also just saying that as a nation's only princess, just minorly cutting and dying your hair is not a disguise. Spy school 101 would help Gemma.
Frankly I found almost every other character more interesting then Gemma. I like Delmira and I really want her to show up again. The liladorns are mysterious and cool. Maeven is such a complex interesting character, with a thousand plans in her head. Even Leo, who has a lot going on and still keeps coming back to help/rescue/save Gemma, while she tells him how untrustworthy he is because he is a Morricone.
The one giant plus about this book. I finished it. Most of the time when I feel like this, it ends up in the DNF pile. This did not. So it had enough potential and excitement to make me rant about it.
I think my feelings about this book all boil down to disappointment. The plot was slow. Gemma is afraid and bitter about her magic, but she won't do anything about it. She gets herself into situations that she has to be rescued from and she is not a good spy.
I hope book two is better. Also I would like an Evie cameo please.
This was a comforting (although make sure to check out the content warnings) and fun read. I enjoyed the Crown of Shards series, and this had the same strength in characters, mystery, and action. I believe this one is better than book one of Crown of Shards because we actually get to know the male romantic lead, unlike in the other series. I really like Jemma, I like that she's flawed but also still a badass. On to the next book!
CW: torture, violence, murder, PTSD, grief
CW: torture, violence, murder, PTSD, grief
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have been provided with a copy of Capture the Crown from the publisher through NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the first book in the brand-new Gemma Ripley series and this was just a great way to start off a new series. This new series takes place in the same world as the Crown of Shards series so you get to see some familiar characters. I just absolutely loved this world so I am so glad that the author decided to revisit it with a brand-new trilogy. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I forget how much I like Jennifer Estep's books until I read another Jennifer Estep book *Insert Crying Laughing Emoji*
I liked Leonidas and the enemies to lovers slow burn that was going on. And I'm super curious to see what happens in book 2!
I liked Leonidas and the enemies to lovers slow burn that was going on. And I'm super curious to see what happens in book 2!
3.5 stars. Set in the same world but a later time period than the Crown of Shards series, Capture the Crown focuses on twenty-nine year old crown princess, Gemma, last seen as a twelve-year old in the prior series, and one of the few survivors of the Seven Spire massacre. Gemma is acting as a spy to try to determine the perpetrator and reason for the theft of tearstone from the Andvarian mines.
Of course, Leo and Lyra (the stryx) appear in this installment, with an unexpected collaboration between Gemma and Leo to solve the conspiracy mystery. Yes, there’s some insta-hate coupled with insta-love in this installment, but it wasn’t over-the-top, and I liked the two characters enough to keep reading.
I also liked the supporting characters, including Grimley, Gemma’s best friend and gargoyle, Delmira, Leo’s gentle sister, and Gemma’s unlikely ally, Reiko, the dragon morph. But what I didn’t like was the excessive use of the f-word - it was entirely misplaced and completely unnecessary in a novel that would seem young adult, if not for that. This book was also 100 pages too long. I just hope the next one is more succinct.
Of course, Leo and Lyra (the stryx) appear in this installment, with an unexpected collaboration between Gemma and Leo to solve the conspiracy mystery. Yes, there’s some insta-hate coupled with insta-love in this installment, but it wasn’t over-the-top, and I liked the two characters enough to keep reading.
I also liked the supporting characters, including Grimley, Gemma’s best friend and gargoyle, Delmira, Leo’s gentle sister, and Gemma’s unlikely ally, Reiko, the dragon morph. But what I didn’t like was the excessive use of the f-word - it was entirely misplaced and completely unnecessary in a novel that would seem young adult, if not for that. This book was also 100 pages too long. I just hope the next one is more succinct.
2.5; this was kind of.. a mess
and look i knew what i was getting into because i've read a number of jennifer estep's books but i've come to realise her writing style just doesn't really work for a high fantasy sort of novel (for me, personally)
and look i knew what i was getting into because i've read a number of jennifer estep's books but i've come to realise her writing style just doesn't really work for a high fantasy sort of novel (for me, personally)