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A review by fulltimefiction
The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
2.0
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: ★★★
2 1/2 stars
The Crown of Gilded Bones was one of my most anticipated books this year. These books are like junk food for me. High quality? No. But very enjoyable. And sometimes that’s all we need. The first book was tons of fun. I had a few issues with the second book but I still enjoyed it anyway. However, this installment simply wasn’t as good as the first two.
This book continues directly from the cliffhanger of AKOFAF and the first chapters (which were released as a sample) made me very excited to read this book. Well, suffice to say it started with a BAM. Then from 15% to 55% (approx.) almost nothing happens…
I have no idea why JLA decided to stretch this series into 6 books. Considering that these books are so long and just like in AKOFAF, there was little progress on a considerable chunk of the book, it could’ve been easily a trilogy. Some speculated that the 3 other books might be a spin-off but no. This book ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger (an event unresolved but not like the one in AKOFAF). Maybe because of the success? I don’t know but I certainly hope she stops at book 6… or makes the books shorter at the very least because we’re talking here about 600+ pages where not much happens for the most part!!
Spoilers for the first two books from here. I’ll be writing pros and cons (but oh mostly cons list)
Pros:
✘The characters were the highlight of this book for me. I care about Poppy, Cas, Kieran & co. I like these characters and care deeply about them, something I’ve been struggling with lately with other books. Even though I’m complaining about 6 books, as long as Poppy and Cas stay awesome, I don’t think I’ll get bored reading about them (unless we still have 1800+ pages about them, then I don’t know).
✘ The book started with a bang. For the first 4-5 chapters I couldn’t put the book down (I read the sample though first). It also ended on a high note for me too.
In-Between:
- This book definitely lacked the addicting quality I loved in the first two books. Mind you, not always. Like I mentioned above, I couldn’t put the book down at the beginning and then towards the ending I finished it quickly, but I struggled with the middle because little -if anything- was happening.
- While I like that it’s not a simple fantasy like it started, as I said in AKOFAF, this series did not set up the stage for such a level of fantasy.
- The thing I love about these books the most is the fun and while some parts were fun to read, I had to push myself to read some others because of some of the cons I’m going to talk about later.
The cons
✘ Remember everything you (not everyone but many still) and I have complained about in book 2? If you don’t let me wrap them up for you:
➻ the repetitiveness
➻ how SSSSSSPECCCCIAL Poppy is
➻ her QUESTIONS
➻ stabbing people! How hot!!
➻ the abundant unnecessary details about Poppy’s day-to-day life
➻ the indecent inappropriate stuff Casteel wants to do to Poppy
Well, in case you assumed we got our fill (and then some more) of these ridiculous comments, YOU’RE WRONG! JLA did not have enough! While Cas barely made any comments about the questions, Kieran did. A lot.
This really annoyed and tired me because these comments were abundant.
✘ Let’s talk about the fantasy genre. What makes a fantasy book actually good? Well, the world-building is definitely an important aspect of the book. The magic system. The fantasy elements. And how do you usually introduce them? Gradually in book 1, you prepare the reader. Not in freakin book 3. What makes them even better is the FORESHADOWING. So we have a map now and I’ll give you a very simple example: Iliseeum. It’s an area in the East and important in this book. I searched in AKOFAF for one mention of it but got 0 results. And yes, Casteel knows of it. It could’ve been casually mentioned just to say it was not invented in this book. but nope. Seems like JLA is figuring out stuff as she go along.. I mean please this is speculation and not a spoiler, of course, Poppy will win and survive and this can be done in numerous ways. Well, JLA is deciding the "how" as she progresses.
✘ The info dump in a third installment. I cry. This annoyed me in book 2 but JLA really wasn’t planning for such a complex fantasy but hey who cares? We can still pull off this shit now. The whole god/deity thing for example was so vague and confusing. And Poppy’s ancestry was debated so much with each time a different result that when the “plot twist” in this regard happened, I was thinking please be the last. I don’t think I can take another different parentage.
JLA Mudded things enough that when yet another plot twist about Poppy was revealed, she was able to get away with it because of the vagueness I mentioned.
✘ Speaking of which, Poppy is overpowered much?? No training no nothing with her new abilities yet she can do everything?? The same day she discovers them?! Also, I literally, thought oh I have these abilities but I can’t do this… then but who said I can’t? And of course, she was able to do what she had in mind.
✘ I found the whole thing with the Queen of the Ascendents pretty illogical
✘ The writing… style. I don’t… I don’t know what to say about… it. CAN POPPY STOP USING … IN HER (countless) INNER MONOLOGUES? This was also getting common in SJM’s books, is this a new trend? It’s annoying af. Fine I wouldn’t have minded in dialogues but otherwise?? I really.. really… really….. don’t like it.
✘ Again, I mentioned already how
✘ In the second half, something is said. I understood its implication right away and was surprised when the characters didn’t until much later. It was pretty obvious to be even considered a plot twist.
Overall, this was a disappointment from the previous books. I decided to lower my rating to two stars because the cons outweighed the pros by far and while I was mostly subjective regarding the first two, since like I said I’m only reading them as a light fantasy + romance, I simply wasn’t impressed at all with installment. That being said, I’m still definitely going to read the sequel. I also still am excited about it because I really want to know what happens next.
Since many asked me about it, does the joining happen?
Thanks to Social Butterfly for sending me an e-arc.