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Bellonans are very good at playing the long game.
- Traditional Bellonan motto
~ 'Crush the King' by Jennifer Estep ~
I received this book as a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. A big thank you goes here to Jennifer Estep and HarperCollins US.
Spoiler-Alert: I always try not to spoiler but especially the overview might spoiler you, if you haven't read book #1 in this series!
Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It's time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies.
There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don't turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.
Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom's survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins - US
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062797697
ISBN-13: 978-0062797698
Well, the cover for 'Crush the King' definitely suits the mood of the story itself. It's perfect for this grand finale of the 'Crown of Shards' trilogy and all three books look simply gorgeous next to each other!
What an emotional ride this story has been. I have read this final chapter of Evie and her companions months ago and still have trouble finding the right words to describe this book for you.
While reading, I have been overwhelmed with emotions like fear, joy, friendship, and love. The author's smooth like silk writing style captured me within seconds and I couldn't put the book down. I inhaled it in one evening and was kind of devastated to let all those amazing characters go. The good ones and the bad ones, to be honest. They all grew on me and will always have a special place in my reader's swooning heart. I might even have spilled a couple of tears while reading this one.
The plot of 'Crush the King' has been very well thought through and all those surprising twists and turns as well as all the growth of the characters just convinced me. I also couldn't find any boring or dull scenes as this book is extremely action-loaded. In the end, everything makes sense and the conclusion of Evie's adventure definitely is heartbreaking.
The amazing author Jennifer Estep did it again. With every single one of her books I think: She can't top that for me. But honestly? She surprises me every time anew and this time? Well, she said herself: she wanted to write an epic Fantasy series. And guys? She SO did it! Because if this series is one thing, it's epic. It's heartbreaking and -warming at the same time. It slowly killed me, chapter by chapter but in the end I knew, I'll forever be in love with this series with all my heart.
I can clearly recommend this amazing story with its strong, charismatic characters and the perfectly worked through story-line. All the unexpected twists and turns will shock you - in a good way though - and believe me, you'll be addicted to this series as quickly as I was.