Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep
Series: Gargoyle Queen #1
Pages: 464
Published by HarperVoyager
Release Date: July 6th 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Sci-Fi
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC
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Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy.
Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier—and a spy.
Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta—her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.
Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.
The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne…
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Cue: Noble Blood by Tommee Profitt (feat. Fleurie)
This was my first read by Jennifer Estep and I was not disappointed. I had heard about The Crown of Shards world but I had never dove in. Will I go back and read them? I hope to make time to, this year. This is an epic-fantasy. When I saw it was not YA, I couldn’t begin to explain my excitement. As a reviewer and lover of fantasy in my thirties, sometimes I can’t relate to YA stories anymore. What I can relate to is a 29 year-old heroine, hell bent on living her own life outside of the responsibilities of her crown.
“? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???????,” ? ????????, ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??????. “?? ???? ?? ?? ???, ??? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??.”
Enter Crown Princess Gemma of Andvari, or as most of us got to know her as, Gemma. While other people in the surrounding kingdoms call her Glitzma because they only see the Princess side of her, dressed in gowns and dripping with jewels, we see the real Gemma, the spy. The spy who will do anything to secure the safety of her country. Even working with Leonidas, a Mortan prince and sworn enemy from the Morricone royal family.
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When these two star-crossed lovers (yes, I’m calling them that because that’s what it feels like) paths cross again since childhood, a set of perilous events occur that result in Prince Leonidas whisking Gemma… I mean Armina… off to Morta to save her life. Gemma decides while in the heart of enemy territory to spy on the Mortan royals to help save her own country and Leo decides to help her to defeat his evil brother. Can Gemma resist Prince Leo? Can Leonidas resist the spy with the bluest eyes in all the kingdoms? Can they stop the kingdoms from going to war?
“?? ????? ????? ?? ? ?????, ??? ?? ????’? ?????? ?? ????? ??????’? ???????? ??? ????????. ??? ??????, ??? ?????. ??, ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ????. ?? ?????, ?? ????????, ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????. ? ??? ??? ???? ?????. ?????????????. ??????????????. ???????????.”
While I couldn’t put this story down, there were a few things that stood out for me that I needed more of. Jennifer built this EPIC magical world around Gemma & Leo but I found myself getting lost in the construction of the narrative. My heart wanted more Gemma & Leo banter. I needed more moments between them. While the ones we got were powerful enough to satisfy me, I could have easily given the book a higher rating if we got more dialogue between them… and a little more steam. Despite that, I am very excited to read the next book and see where the story and relationship goes. They have a lot to overcome and I am along for the adventure.
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Cue: You Should See Me In A Crown by Billie Eilish
Spiceometer:
Oh Hi! I’m Krysten (@ladyofbookshire). Wife. Mom to two fur-babies. Lover of Fiction, Fantasy, Romance and I spend every day (almost) trying to make Romantasy an actual genre. It’s my favorite. I call sunny Orlando, Florida home. That’s right… i’m 15 minutes from Disney World. I mainly only text in GIFs. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. I’m originally from Maryland. The only thing I may love more than reading is coffee… this is still up for debate. I’m passionate about finding new stories and sharing them with others and am always open to having a reading conversation. Not a fan of love triangles unless they are done really well and I love dark romance… especially a dark romantasy. That genre will always call to my heart.