#youngadult
I blew through this in one day which was an unexpected but wonderful surprise. Crown of Coral and Pearl is far more nuanced than your standard princess, young adult story.
Nor and Zadie have been raised to prize unblemished beauty above all else. Their beauty will ultimately be their town’s salvation when the Prince of Ilara chooses a new bride. A tragic accident takes Nor out of the running which is unfortunate because of the two sisters, she is the one who wants to escape to land. With the selection no longer hanging over Nor’s head, her rebellious nature and passion for exploration resurfaces. This all comes to a head when during the selection, Zadie is chosen. Zadie who cannot bear to leave home or her land behind. She concocts a terrible plan to escape her fate and her sister Nor takes her place. While she is sad to leave her family and sister, she is excited to see Ilara but not all is what it seems on land. Valeria is in more danger than she anticipated.
I really enjoyed how complex Nor and Ceren’s relationship is. The reader is made to pity Ceren’s traumatic and loveless upbringing but not enough to forgive the horrors he commits. Nor’s relationship with Talin was sweet but overshadowed by Nor’s struggles with right and wrong. I think I enjoyed that the most. Despite being told someone was evil, she stuck with her morals. The conclusion of book left us with anticipation of a sequel but I also can’t shake the feeling that Talin is not what he seems. I guess we will have to wait to find out!
For fans of Victoria Aveyard, Laura Sebastian, and Richelle Mead.
I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and the author!
XX
Susan
Nincs Karácsony Diótörő Nélkül
Katherine sóhajtva nézett ki a hatalmas ablakon és figyelte az alatta sürgő-forgó Londont. Még egyetlen karácsonyi ajándékot sem szerzett be pedig vészesen fogytán volt az ideje. Átvéve a lábát a balettrúdon az orrát a hideg ablakhoz nyomta és próbálta eldönteni kinek mit ajándékozzon. Sohasem volt túl jó abban, hogy kitalálja mit vegyen a szüleinek vagy a legjobb barátjának. Ami nem volt…