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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Timing is everything, when it comes to reading books. I find that my opinion on some books is heavily influenced by what I've read in the months/weeks before. Maybe that is the case here as well. Having just finished the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and not being all that impressed by it, I found the Crown Tower to be just what I needed. The story is by no means very complicated, but the characters are well-rounded, witty and rememberable. It's been over a year and a half since I've finished The Heir of Novron but meeting up with Hadrian and Royce again was like rekindling an old friendship. The story is fast-paced, which I REALLY appreciated, but still leaves enough to not feel rushed.
I'll gladly give this 5-stars, for bringing me my joy back in reading.
I'll gladly give this 5-stars, for bringing me my joy back in reading.
i loved the characters in this book, excited to read more from this world
The author never ceases to create such amazing characters going through such impossible situations. I always fall in love with them like I have now!
adventurous
funny
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
This was a delight. The lower stakes compared to the original Riyria series makes everything in this story feel less epic, but I think that if I read it first by accident I wouldn't even be rating it by how epic it is, and knowing it eventually leads into Revelations negates that feeling anyway. The reduced cast makes it easier to focus on a few core characters. This is the level of grasp I wanted to get for Hadrian and Royce's characters back when I was reading the first couple Revelations books. I feel like, when I go back, I'll have a much deeper appreciation for Gwen in particular. I had no reason to dislike her in the original series, but I didn't see enough of her to develop a personal attachment either. Now her scenes will hit harder.
That, and I'm just a sucker for banter. That a lot of this book's plot is focused on Royce and Hadrian learning to get along while the heist is explicitly and in-story an excuse plot to force them to hang out makes for more moments where it feels like they're purely bouncing off one another, rather than progressing a grand plot while making the occasional quip. My only real grievance with the book is that it isn't until late in the story that you get more Royce POV scenes.
I don't know how much of the difference in Royce's POV here compared to in Revelations is due to Sullivan having improved, because his writing style in his earlier books do feel less in the head of whoever the POV character is, or if it's that Royce in this book has undergone 0% of the character development that Hadrian mentions him having needed to go from feral to passing for civilized in Revelations, but this book made me a little sad that so many people had already worked to get Royce to be semi-normal by the time Revelations started. His shamelessly amoral POV is hilarious.
(Technically, another criticism is that this book doesn't strictly adhere to the original series, as the heist plays out a bit different from how it's mentioned to have gone in Revelations. But I'm willing to forgive that because I think it would have been harder to have it play out as previously mentioned without the story feeling repetitive.)
That, and I'm just a sucker for banter. That a lot of this book's plot is focused on Royce and Hadrian learning to get along while the heist is explicitly and in-story an excuse plot to force them to hang out makes for more moments where it feels like they're purely bouncing off one another, rather than progressing a grand plot while making the occasional quip. My only real grievance with the book is that it isn't until late in the story that you get more Royce POV scenes.
I don't know how much of the difference in Royce's POV here compared to in Revelations is due to Sullivan having improved, because his writing style in his earlier books do feel less in the head of whoever the POV character is, or if it's that Royce in this book has undergone 0% of the character development that Hadrian mentions him having needed to go from feral to passing for civilized in Revelations, but this book made me a little sad that so many people had already worked to get Royce to be semi-normal by the time Revelations started. His shamelessly amoral POV is hilarious.
(Technically, another criticism is that this book doesn't strictly adhere to the original series, as the heist plays out a bit different from how it's mentioned to have gone in Revelations. But I'm willing to forgive that because I think it would have been harder to have it play out as previously mentioned without the story feeling repetitive.)
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfectly fine, fun origin story. The enemies-to-BFFs trope is definitely in play here. I'm pretty sure I'll go on to read more in this series, but I'm not jumping at the opportunity right this moment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
Here's to the beginning of the story of Hadrian and Royce and Gwen. Engaging and entertaining with quite a few twists and turns to arrive at the end of the book, which proves to be another beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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