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My Review:Title: Crown of One Hundred Kings
Author: Rachel Higginson
Series: Nine Kingdoms Trilogy #1
Published by: Indie, Tantor Audio
Release Date: October 27, 2020
Format: Audiobook, Kindle Book
Narrator: Devon Sorvari
Pages: 314
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Hoopla
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 Backlist Reader Challenge, Lenoreo's 2022 Bookish Resolutions Beta Reviews, Lenoreo's 2022 COYER Summer
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:A lost princess…
Tessana Allisand had a family once. A home. A title. A future. Until one night when everything she loved was taken from her. Secreted away to an isolated monastery in the farthest region of the realm, Tess was raised in the silence of monks and the loneliness of tragedy. And there she would have stayed if the dark magic that killed her family hadn’t finally found her.
An impossible quest…
With her identity discovered, Tessana must face the home she fled all those years ago. The Crown of Nine must return to its rightful place and Tess must be the one to carry it across the nine kingdoms. And when she arrives? She’ll need to convince a dying kingdom that the crown that has belonged to one hundred kings should be given to a queen.
A rebellious prince…
Taelon Treskinat was in love once. With a princess. The daughter of a slaughtered king. He risked everything to save her, to make sure she survived. When that same princess tumbles back into his life no longer the scared little girl he remembers from childhood, he must decide where his duty lies. With the girl that will threaten everything he knows and loves. Or the kingdom he will do anything to protect.
4.5 stars — Well wasn’t that all that and a bag of chips! This is technically my 3rd time reading this book, though it has changed over that time. I think this final copy is just about perfect: it has humour, action, suspense, mystery, great friendships, and a splash of romance.
Tessana is everything I love in a YA heroine — feisty, sassy, vulnerable, but still with so much courage and hope. She has a huge task set in front of her, and honestly she could be a bit naïve at times — the way she would trust some, but more importantly the way she was wary of others for reasons that others had given her. But it left so much room for her to grow, and she did just that. She still has a long ways to go, but that’s what makes it compelling to want to continue on her journey with her…you know, besides all the plot stuff *snort*.
While we didn’t see a lot of Taelon, I really loved what we did see. He seems so right and honourable, but with a bit of roguishness thrown in for good measure. I appreciated the glimpses we got of her past with him as well.
Oliver was the perfect best friend companion. I loved the way he would call her on her shit, and bring her back down to earth. He was hilarious, but also brave and loyal. I hope we continue to see more of them bantering back and forth in the rest of the trilogy. There were a lot of other great secondary characters, most with not a lot of screen time but enough to be impactful. And then there’s Shiksa…I love that sweet girl and can’t wait to see her role in the future.
My romantic heart was rewarded with a truly fire kissing scene, which was enough to satisfy me.
The whole mystery surrounding her family’s deaths, and what has happened in Elysia, has me in tenterhooks. I have theories out the yin yang, but no idea how many are actually correct…only time will tell.
All in all, as with all books by Ms. Higginson, the story stands the test of time and rereadings, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Side Note: I tried listening to the audiobook for this reread, but I was not a fan of the narrator. For me, she didn’t make the story compelling. And she didn’t have a great range of consistent voices, so it didn’t bring anything new to the experience, and I just read instead.
COYER Community: I buddy read this book with Brandee, and she gave it 4.5 stars (her review coming soon). It’s always exciting to introduce a favourite author to a friend, and even better to read together! We had a blast chatting about where it might be going, and gushing about the writing.
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