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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
This book was simply fun, and as a widowed mom looking for distraction, I appreciated the š¶ļø
There were a lot of typos, and that was distracting because I'd have to figure out what it actually was supposed to say, instead of paying attention to the story.
I'm hoping the MCs story gets deeper in the next book, because I felt like I was waiting the whole time for it go beyond "enemies to lovers" who really want to hate each other.
There were a lot of typos, and that was distracting because I'd have to figure out what it actually was supposed to say, instead of paying attention to the story.
I'm hoping the MCs story gets deeper in the next book, because I felt like I was waiting the whole time for it go beyond "enemies to lovers" who really want to hate each other.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Iām both simultaneously sad I waited so long to read this one and happy I can now read books 2 and 3 without waiting, because that ending!š® This is the kind of book thatās easy to get lost in, and I loved that it was King Arthur inspired!
The main thing driving the plot in this one is the mystery of who is responsible for Arthurās death and Veyka finding her revenge. Aaronās main concern is the kingdom and their people which Iāll admit made him more likeable to me than Veyka at first. Her laser focus on revenge when she was ruling over an entire kingdom did make her seem immature and selfish. As we get to know her and see her relationships we see glimpses of sides of her she tries not to acknowledge. The sides of her that mean showing vulnerability. We see her care about more than just her brotherās loss.
The romance between Veyka and Aaron was good, but didnāt completely drag me in. The spicy scenes are plentiful but do not over take the story. I hope to connect more with the romance in book 2, but ultimately Iām reading this one for the politics and the interesting world Ash has created!
š§Audio Review: I also had the audio and both Lilly Drake and Xander Marceaux did an excellent job of bringing the drama to each scene. The differences in the voices of the side characters was excellent.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.**
This dark, steamy fantasy reimagines the Arthurian legend with a fae twist. The story centers around Veyka Pendragon, who unexpectedly becomes queen after her brother's murder. I was captivated by the intricate political intrigue and the murder mystery at the heart of the plot. Veyka, a strong, physically imposing character, breaks the mold of traditional female leads, which I found refreshingly empowering. The spicy and frequent romance may not be for everyone, but I appreciated it. However, I struggled with Veyka's focus on revenge and her sometimes unlikable character. The book ends on a cliffhanger, but I'm intrigued to see what happens next.
Now this story at the start had me very confused and I had no idea what I was reading or getting myself into thankfully it got much better. As we all know starting a fantasy book/series takes a bit to adjust to, to the world, the wording etc so I let it slide. Iād give it TIME and push through, like up to 50% of the book until you gather your thoughts and make a decision. The storyline, world building, side characters and fantasy elements are truly worth pushing through.
BUT:
King Arthur - sadness 10000%
Themes of depression but slowly coming back to oneās self - written perfectly
Veyka and Arran- tension and banter 10/10
Storyline/plot - making its way well into the next book.
At 90% - Arran had my heart
Keen to read the rest ā
BUT:
King Arthur - sadness 10000%
Themes of depression but slowly coming back to oneās self - written perfectly
Veyka and Arran- tension and banter 10/10
Storyline/plot - making its way well into the next book.
At 90% - Arran had my heart
Keen to read the rest ā
Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this eCopy to review
Crown of Earth and Sky was an interesting take on the King Arthur legacy. Here Arthur dies and his twin sister Veyka has to take the crown. There is just one problem she has no magic and must marry the Brutal Prince. How can she keep her secret, how can she become High Queen, What is the darkness affecting the human realm?
Full of twists and turns with court intrigue and lots of sensual moments between Veyka and Arran, will they ever trust one another?
What a cliff hanger I cannot wait to read book 2
Warning: this has references to rape so may be triggering for some
Crown of Earth and Sky was an interesting take on the King Arthur legacy. Here Arthur dies and his twin sister Veyka has to take the crown. There is just one problem she has no magic and must marry the Brutal Prince. How can she keep her secret, how can she become High Queen, What is the darkness affecting the human realm?
Full of twists and turns with court intrigue and lots of sensual moments between Veyka and Arran, will they ever trust one another?
What a cliff hanger I cannot wait to read book 2
Warning: this has references to rape so may be triggering for some
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a great book. I couldn't wait to read each night. I love the characters, I love the story. Veyka is awesome and I grew to love the Brutal Prince.
I was hooked to this book from the first line, this book had all my favourite things, fae, shifters, enemies to lovers, spice and it was written so well.
I loved Vella the main female character, I loved how she was a little morally Grey at the start but was also the powerful heroin, I loved that she was curvy and also held herself with power and pride. Arran was a good leading male, I really liked him but I did not love how he went back and forth between hating her then loving her a second later.
The story was amazing, the world building was amazing, it was well written and kept me interested the whole way through. I cannot wait to dive into book 2.
Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I loved Vella the main female character, I loved how she was a little morally Grey at the start but was also the powerful heroin, I loved that she was curvy and also held herself with power and pride. Arran was a good leading male, I really liked him but I did not love how he went back and forth between hating her then loving her a second later.
The story was amazing, the world building was amazing, it was well written and kept me interested the whole way through. I cannot wait to dive into book 2.
Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
Crown of Earth and Sky is a steamy enemies to lovers fantasy romance with Arthurian flavour. Arthur Pendragon, destined to secure peace and unite the Terrestrial and Elemental kingdoms of Annwyn, is murdered before he can ascend the throne. His twin sister, Veyka has been the spare āPrincess of Peaceā, sequestered most of her life, becomes the Queen of Secrets. To be Queen demands power, but Veykaās secret is that she is the only fae without any power at all. Knowing her time is likely short, she crumples under her grief and lives only for the hope of revenge.
A new Terrestrial Heir emerges to unite Annwyn, the Brutal Prince Arran Earthborn, the most powerful terrestrial fae to exist. Thrust into an unexpected destiny together, Arran and Veyka have to overcome well placed mistrust in order to survive a scheming court in a power vacuum, for the sake of their people if not anything else.
The turns with the mystery first offered to Veyka and Arran was really impressive, as someone who has heightened pattern recognition, the foreshadowing sometimes felt imperceptible in a way that delighted me! I didnāt spend half the book waiting to call my hunch which was SO refreshing.
At first I REALLY didnāt like Veyka despite how similar she is to me, but this Queen of Secrets is an onion with layers. Usually Iām turned off by instant attraction, enemies who canāt stop thinking about each other for no discernible reason but I found Veyka and Arranās relationship played out well with heavy complex feelings from both sides. Huge points for having a powerful, large woman in charge, taking up space apologetically. Bigger points for an alpha male who clearly wants to worship her despite better judgement.
What initially kept me was the world building which is weaved through dual perspectives, enough to provide appropriate structure for the reader to build upon visually. You get dropped right into trouble the second you have your bearings which can be so difficult to time, but I think Emberly Ash nailed it. Both protagonists brought something to the table, the way Ash has structured their perspectives felt like a very natural multiple POV. With a medium pace, I never felt jarred by the change, and there were only one or two points where I had to check whether I was reading from Arran or Veykaās perspectives.
The spice was everywhere and absolutely delightful, the voices felt comfortable, confident and not cringy. Ash writes proper eye-porn, liberally sprinkled throughout. If it was a slow burn I wouldāve chucked my kindle across the room because the sexual tension is just always there even with a robust plot. Though I was left a bit dissatisfied with this first resolution to the threat within the kingdom, the reveal fell a little flat, BUT I feel like thatās for a reason, because I love a good cliffhanger that speaks to the much larger conflicts ahead.
All that to say, Iām enthused about starting the sequel today with high regards, and even higher expectations āŗļø