A review by kayhush
Heavy Crown by Sophie Lark

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Heavy Crown was a spectacular finale to the Brutal Birthright series.  Seeing characters from previous books come back, while others had their stories wrapped up.  It was a fantastic culmination of all the storylines, while simultaneously opening new ones for the Kingmaker series.  While you can read most of this series out of order, I highly recommend saving this one for last.  Its impacts are most powerful when it is read as the finale.  

I was always curious how the Kingmaker series would be set up, to make it a logical next phase of this world that was set up in Brutal Birthright.  The end of Heavy Crown certainly starts to set up the next series, and in a way that it seems like a natural progression.  The Heir is on my TBR for January 2024!

I find it extremely fitting that my 200th book of 2023 is also my 50th review on NetGalley and also the final book of the Brutal Birthright series.  I first read Sophie Lark's work through NetGalley and will continue to read through her backlog, she is a new favorite author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for a free digital advanced reader copy.  All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.