In this new epic fantasy, three societal outcasts must work together to fulfill the orders of a dead king’s ghost or risk their nation falling to a tyrant.
Hi everyone. Today, I am happy to share a review of an ARC I received.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daw Books for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary:
The king is dead, his queen is missing. On the amber coast, the usurper king is driving Zavonia to the brink of war. A dangerous magical power is rising up in Biela Miasto, and the only people who can set things right are a failed bodyguard, a Landstrider witch, and the assassin who set off the whole sorry chain of events.
Valdas, Captain of the High Guard, has not only failed in his duty to protect the king, but he’s been accused of the murder, and he’s on the run. He’s sworn to seek justice, but his king sets him another task from beyond the grave. Valdas doesn’t believe in magic, which is unfortunate as it turns out.
Mirza is the healer-witch of a Landstrider band, valued and feared in equal measure for her witchmark, her scolding tongue, and her ability to walk the spirit world. When she’s given a task by Valdas’ dead king, she believes that the journey she must take is one she can never return from.
Lind is the clever assassin. Yes, someone paid him to kill the king, but who is to blame, the weapon or the power behind it? Lind must face his traumatic past if he’s to have a future.
Can these three discover the real villain, find the queen, and set the rightful king on the throne before the country is overcome?
My Thoughts:
I know the saying goes that we’re not supposed to judge books by their covers – but I have to admit it was the beautiful cover of this book that first caught my eye. Luckily, the story matched the cover.
The Amber Crown is a new adult fantasy novel that follows our three main characters/unlikely heroes as they attempt to fulfill the wishes of the ghost of their dead king and save the kingdom of Zanovia from falling into the hands of a tyrant.
The story is told from multiple POV’s and is full of political intrigue, magic, and interesting characters. I enjoyed reading about all of the characters and finding out their backstories. Mirza was definitely my favourite though – she’s a witch and a healer who can walk in the spirit world, and I loved how snarky she was.
I was definitely invested in and enjoyed the story. The only things I would mention is that this book does deal with some pretty dark subject matter (rape) – so don’t go into it expecting it to be light. I also occasionally struggled with the pacing and wanted a bit more from the ending. However neither of these things detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story.
The Amber Crown comes out tomorrow – January 11th. Let me know if you’re interested in checking it out.
Happy Reading!
Liss
theclumsybookworm.com 