Scan barcode
nessietwihard02's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!
A couple of things I want to note: I was really, really sucked into this world and I was beyond excited to get a copy of the eARC.
I’ve always been curious of the world of dance, and the ballet world is something I’m really in awe of. The discipline and the dedication that the dancers have is awe inspiring. I do think that they’re in a lot of pressure to do well and that leads to strained psychological health.
Reading this book is such an experience. The author paints a picture of the worlds that Sasha has been immersed in, and I thought that the world building (both of them), was really, really great. However, I did find myself confused in a few parts because I’m not as well versed in books with this much dark themes
A couple of things I want to note: I was really, really sucked into this world and I was beyond excited to get a copy of the eARC.
I’ve always been curious of the world of dance, and the ballet world is something I’m really in awe of. The discipline and the dedication that the dancers have is awe inspiring. I do think that they’re in a lot of pressure to do well and that leads to strained psychological health.
Reading this book is such an experience. The author paints a picture of the worlds that Sasha has been immersed in, and I thought that the world building (both of them), was really, really great. However, I did find myself confused in a few parts because I’m not as well versed in books with this much dark themes
tbhonest_uk's review against another edition
5.0
The Chalice and the Crown is a beautifully written. A dark and vivid read that takes your breath away with the sinister and deceptively beautiful world it creates.
A must read.
A must read.
rhodesbookshelf_'s review
5.0
The Chalize and the Crown tells the story of Sasha, a ballet dancer who suffers from awful nightmares that drag her into a world of violence and magic, and makes her slowly lose contact with reality.
Wow, that was incredible. I have no words.
It’s been a while since a read a book that left me in shock and sobbing. This story was so well written, so beautiful and raw and freaking interesting from page one. I couldn’t stop reading, it was THAT addictive. I love every character with my heart. What Sasha goes through, and the way her story is written, just dragged me into that world too. I definitely feel like even the villains are absolutely necessary for the actual background of the story.
So many scenes broke my heart, so many made me smile and so many made me sob like a baby, and even though I was expecting another ending to it, I wouldn’t change what happened. And the plot twists? WOW I was all the time trying to figure out what was happening and the meaning of certain scenes and characters, and still it all surprised me.
Am I sad that Sasha and Sadra didn’t end up together? Definitely. Am I happy with the final ships anyway? Hell yes.
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, that was incredible. I have no words.
It’s been a while since a read a book that left me in shock and sobbing. This story was so well written, so beautiful and raw and freaking interesting from page one. I couldn’t stop reading, it was THAT addictive. I love every character with my heart. What Sasha goes through, and the way her story is written, just dragged me into that world too. I definitely feel like even the villains are absolutely necessary for the actual background of the story.
So many scenes broke my heart, so many made me smile and so many made me sob like a baby, and even though I was expecting another ending to it, I wouldn’t change what happened. And the plot twists? WOW I was all the time trying to figure out what was happening and the meaning of certain scenes and characters, and still it all surprised me.
Am I sad that Sasha and Sadra didn’t end up together? Definitely. Am I happy with the final ships anyway? Hell yes.
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the tour company. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Chalice and the Crown
Author: Kassandra Flamouri
Book Series: Standalone?
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Magic, Rebellion
Publication Date: June 5, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, assault, slavery, death, sexual abuse TW, physical abuse TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 364
Synopsis: Driven, talented, and determined to live up to her family's fame, Sasha Nikolayeva is ballet’s crown princess. But just when Sasha lands her most prestigious role yet, she falls prey to a host of disturbing neurological symptoms that threaten to end her career and her very life. As her mind and body deteriorate, Sasha spirals into a nightmare world where beauty and cruelty exist in the same breath and villains rule from the shadows.
In the glittering, sharp-edged City of Roses, Sasha is no princess. She’s a thrall, a slave. Thousands like her suffer in cursed silence while citizens enjoy the splendor of the City, blissfully unaware that their servants are anything more than living dolls enchanted to do their bidding. But the City's slavers know the truth, and they are always watching. One misstep could cost Sasha her life—or her soul.
Even as she endures the violence and indignity of captivity, Sasha can't help being drawn to the beauty of her nightmare world and the underground rebels who offer her friendship, shelter, even love. Before Sasha can break her chains for good, she'll need to choose between the life waiting for her at home and the countless lives she could save if she stays. To choose a nightmare over her real life, her future, would be madness...but maybe a little madness is just what it takes to change the fate of a city built on lies.
Review: For the most part this book was pretty good. The plot was interesting and the character development was really well done. I feel like the writing was also very well done and it made it easy to breeze through the novel.
However, this was an incredibly dark book and it was very hard for me to get through. I advise everyone to be careful reading this one.
Verdict: A good book, but so dark.
Book: The Chalice and the Crown
Author: Kassandra Flamouri
Book Series: Standalone?
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Magic, Rebellion
Publication Date: June 5, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, assault, slavery, death, sexual abuse TW, physical abuse TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 364
Synopsis: Driven, talented, and determined to live up to her family's fame, Sasha Nikolayeva is ballet’s crown princess. But just when Sasha lands her most prestigious role yet, she falls prey to a host of disturbing neurological symptoms that threaten to end her career and her very life. As her mind and body deteriorate, Sasha spirals into a nightmare world where beauty and cruelty exist in the same breath and villains rule from the shadows.
In the glittering, sharp-edged City of Roses, Sasha is no princess. She’s a thrall, a slave. Thousands like her suffer in cursed silence while citizens enjoy the splendor of the City, blissfully unaware that their servants are anything more than living dolls enchanted to do their bidding. But the City's slavers know the truth, and they are always watching. One misstep could cost Sasha her life—or her soul.
Even as she endures the violence and indignity of captivity, Sasha can't help being drawn to the beauty of her nightmare world and the underground rebels who offer her friendship, shelter, even love. Before Sasha can break her chains for good, she'll need to choose between the life waiting for her at home and the countless lives she could save if she stays. To choose a nightmare over her real life, her future, would be madness...but maybe a little madness is just what it takes to change the fate of a city built on lies.
Review: For the most part this book was pretty good. The plot was interesting and the character development was really well done. I feel like the writing was also very well done and it made it easy to breeze through the novel.
However, this was an incredibly dark book and it was very hard for me to get through. I advise everyone to be careful reading this one.
Verdict: A good book, but so dark.
thewanderingnerdette's review against another edition
5.0
When starting off the book, you (the reader) are put into a world that is normal, filled with ballet. Yet, the main character starts to experience weird things, things that her own mother faced and died with causing for her to freak out as she doesn't want to deal with the same fate all with watching over her own grandmother as her health goes down. But that's not the best part about the book. It moves from a regular human world to one of fantasy and light and magic and a kingdom and don't forget about a love interest because duh there has to be one.
In terms of the plot and the story I loved it! It took a little while for the story to really get going. It is separated into acts so once you get through the first act it picks up pretty fast as you move into the fantasy aspect of the story. I understood why it took awhile to pick up as we needed pre-context to this magical fantasy world that the main character was going to be thrown into, so please don't skip it when you read it. It is very VERY important, trust me. Otherwise you will be very confused.
Once the fantasy world was brought up it took some adaption to get used to as everything changed like a flip of the dime. And to be honest I am still a little confused on how the transition happened, but I am just glad it did.
MORE LIKE THE AUTHOR WAS EDUCATING ME ON FEELINGS WHEN LUCA SHOWED UP
The characters were AMAZING! Part of me couldn't help but to think back to the vampire diaries when reading this story as I am binging it again but Luca just had this aspect of Damon and Klaus but with the morals of Stefan and Enzo and Bonnie. I also loved Sasha as she wasn't a weak protagonist. In some stories the characters can be whinny but she not only was fighting her own health battle, but for her freedom along with her people. This in my eyes made her one of the best protagonist I have read in almost any story. There is a bunch of other characters that I would love to talk about, but I will only do it if you read this book so I don't spoil you.
And of course I have to mention this but I am a sucker for a good fictional boyfriend and DAMN is Luca one. Like I am not lying I love him, and really hope there is another book so we can see how his presence affects the story as it continues.
In terms of the plot and the story I loved it! It took a little while for the story to really get going. It is separated into acts so once you get through the first act it picks up pretty fast as you move into the fantasy aspect of the story. I understood why it took awhile to pick up as we needed pre-context to this magical fantasy world that the main character was going to be thrown into, so please don't skip it when you read it. It is very VERY important, trust me. Otherwise you will be very confused.
Once the fantasy world was brought up it took some adaption to get used to as everything changed like a flip of the dime. And to be honest I am still a little confused on how the transition happened, but I am just glad it did.
MORE LIKE THE AUTHOR WAS EDUCATING ME ON FEELINGS WHEN LUCA SHOWED UP
The characters were AMAZING! Part of me couldn't help but to think back to the vampire diaries when reading this story as I am binging it again but Luca just had this aspect of Damon and Klaus but with the morals of Stefan and Enzo and Bonnie. I also loved Sasha as she wasn't a weak protagonist. In some stories the characters can be whinny but she not only was fighting her own health battle, but for her freedom along with her people. This in my eyes made her one of the best protagonist I have read in almost any story. There is a bunch of other characters that I would love to talk about, but I will only do it if you read this book so I don't spoil you.
And of course I have to mention this but I am a sucker for a good fictional boyfriend and DAMN is Luca one. Like I am not lying I love him, and really hope there is another book so we can see how his presence affects the story as it continues.
musingofsouls's review against another edition
3.0
It felt like watching parts of twelve dancing princesses. But, everything just didn't add up. Somehow, i was very much intrigued in the first part. The world twitching between the dark world(nightmares) and real life doesn't seem to adjust into the picture very well.
Yet, I enjoyed it enough to finish it!
Yet, I enjoyed it enough to finish it!
saccalai's review against another edition
4.0
Sasha is a starring ballerina with a wonderful career ahead of her, until she falls ill. She thinks she's going mad and suffering the same illness which took her mother. The visions Sasha sees turn into another world where she is nothing more than a mindless slave. There she finds out there was more to her mother's death than she ever imagined.
The book was very heartfelt and emotional. The descriptions of Sasha's dancing were very evocative and immersive and sounded so beautiful. I really liked the narrator, she fit the character very well and this is one of the very rare times I didn't need to speed up the reading too much as the speed was great.
The book was very heartfelt and emotional. The descriptions of Sasha's dancing were very evocative and immersive and sounded so beautiful. I really liked the narrator, she fit the character very well and this is one of the very rare times I didn't need to speed up the reading too much as the speed was great.
aliteraryprincess's review
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC.
DNF at 58%
The Chalice and the Crown is about Sasha, a rising ballet star drawn into a magical world when she sleeps. In this world, she is a thrall, a slave who has no memories and exists only to serve her mistress. As she is drawn further into this world, her body and mind back in her world rapidly decline. As she breaks her mindless thrall state, she also seeks a way back to her real life. This story is dark and contains violent and upsetting content. Kassandra Flamouri includes a content warning right at the beginning, which I greatly appreciated, as will many other readers.
DNF at 58%
The Chalice and the Crown is about Sasha, a rising ballet star drawn into a magical world when she sleeps. In this world, she is a thrall, a slave who has no memories and exists only to serve her mistress. As she is drawn further into this world, her body and mind back in her world rapidly decline. As she breaks her mindless thrall state, she also seeks a way back to her real life. This story is dark and contains violent and upsetting content. Kassandra Flamouri includes a content warning right at the beginning, which I greatly appreciated, as will many other readers.
I had a very hard time getting into this book at first. The narrative felt disjointed and confusing. We never see how Sasha first comes to enter the other world and we are only told about her sufferings before being bought instead of actually seeing them. Large periods of time are skipped over during her decline in reality, and I felt it would have been better to see this to truly understand what Sasha loses in all this. Part of the confusion comes from Sasha herself being confused. She loses her memories after being made into a thrall and they only come back in snippets. I understand what Flamouri was trying to do here; the reader is supposed to be experiencing the same confusion Sasha feels. However, I think understanding the events taking place ultimately makes for a better reading experience.
The book started to pick up for me around the 30% mark. Sasha breaks out of the thrall state, regains her memories, and becomes more aware of what’s going on around her. Flamouri has created a fascinating and unique world. I was interested to see more of it and explore the magic system further. I also appreciated the focus on relationships between women. All of Sasha’s most meaningful relationships, at least until the point I stopped at, are with women. She is raised by her grandmother and Emily, an employee turned family, after the death of her mother. In the fantasy world, she has Sadra, who is trying to free her from slavery and befriends her in the process, and Dove, a fellow thrall who has also broken out of the mindless state. I love books that involve female friendships and I’m glad that it seems to be an upward trend recently.
I ultimately stopped reading due to a scene around the halfway point of violent animal death. To be fair, animal death is in the content warning at the beginning. By the time I reached the scene, I had completely forgotten about that. However, it is a topic that I’m very sensitive to and, for me, there is a big difference between regular animal death and violent animal death. With regular animal death, I might cry a lot but I can ultimately make it through. With violent animal death, it upsets me so much that I have difficulty continuing on with the book, especially if it’s an animal I have come to care about a lot over the course of the story. That’s exactly what happened here.
Overall, this is by no means a bad book and I recommend checking it out if you’re interested in dark, psychological fantasy. I may eventually come back to it when I feel I’m in a better state of mind to read it because I am interested to know how the story ends. I’m just not emotionally capable of handling the content right now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Slavery
julesg's review
2.0
DNF at 32%
It was tough getting through the chapters. The feature of the book - the two worlds in which Sasha exists - made it very hard to connect with the MC and made the story feel disjointed for me.
It was tough getting through the chapters. The feature of the book - the two worlds in which Sasha exists - made it very hard to connect with the MC and made the story feel disjointed for me.
evervalley's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
★★★ / 5
This book was interesting to say the least, at first I kept getting really confused by the plot/how it was written, I think the plot itself was interesting but I just wasn’t *that* interested in the book, sascha had some interesting development throughout the book and i really enjoyed sandra and it was a shame when we saw less of her, i kinda wanted more from the book i’m not gonna lie, other than that it was a decent read even though I was left a bit disappointed by the ending.
This book was interesting to say the least, at first I kept getting really confused by the plot/how it was written, I think the plot itself was interesting but I just wasn’t *that* interested in the book, sascha had some interesting development throughout the book and i really enjoyed sandra and it was a shame when we saw less of her, i kinda wanted more from the book i’m not gonna lie, other than that it was a decent read even though I was left a bit disappointed by the ending.