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The Singer's Crown

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Prince Kattanan duRhys was in direct line to the throne—until his royal family was cruelly slaughtered by a usurping uncle who spared the life of his "favorite nephew" but left the boy mutilated and incapable of claiming his birthright.Nearly a decade on, Kattanan is a harmless wanderer—a coveted prize—serving many different masters. But now the singer's simple life is threatened by chaos and dark wizardry, by his impossible secret love for the betrothed Princess Melisande . . . and by an obligation of the blood that forces Kattanan to pursue vengeance and a crown he's not certain he wants.

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First published October 11, 2005

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Elaine Isaak

23 books53 followers

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5 stars
26 (16%)
4 stars
43 (28%)
3 stars
58 (37%)
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17 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Mitticus.
1,158 reviews240 followers
January 7, 2020
+Digital ARC gently provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review+

2.8 stars

The wimpiest and lame protagonists of all. The secondary are a bit better and more interesting.

This is a medieval fantasy.

The story opens up as many stories of a bloody royal succession, the murdered family, and with the youngest prince to whom they forgive his life but at the same time neutralize to prevent it from being a threat of succession - They castrate him.

The young orphan is raised among monks to be a singer. Kattanan always liked to sing, but after the destruction of the monastery his life evolves into a future of traveling and people, turned into a luxury object of exchange for favors between nobles and merchants. But ... and here is something that catches my attention and seems to me to be a fault, because the fact that this may have become sexual abuse is never mentioned nor hinted. Especially after separating him from Jordan, his mentor.

The story itself really begins when Kat is used as an object of favor by a noble to win the hand of a princess. Kat is a broken young man, beaten up often, his hands shakes all the time. But he see the princess and fall in love. Why? Not a clue. She is a spoiled thing. The princess Melisande is only interested in dogs and puppies, nothing more, she finds her brother and the government boring. But favours her singer, because yeah new toy/slave to play to.

The thing is I never care about those two. The secondary characters are the reason I keep reading, but it was tiring to do so.

The book must have been about Jordan; a man struggling with his conscience.
Or Alswytha; a survivor.
Or even Brianna; the badass lady.

They worship 'The Lady', and have priestess. Why? Not enough worldbuilding.
They have witches, and fear them.


“The what?” Kattanan asked. Jordan shot him a fierce glance.
“The Liren-sha, the man born who is death to magic.”
“I wish he were here; we could show that wizard.”
“A legend,” Jordan snapped, “No more.”
The servant peered at him, with a warning finger wagging. “None has been here in my time, but the Liren-sha is no legend. Somewhere he is born, and lives, and may die never to know his power. Every man born with no magic hopes to meet this man who makes all equal.”


The relation among siblings is interesting and the story of the farmer raising a future king. That was a story that would be writing, and even Wolf is more complex and grant more sympathies than Kat.

Not bad writen but bad choice of MCs.

----------------------

(In spanish)

Los protagonistas más tontos y cobardes de todos. Los secundarios son un poco mejores y más interesantes.

Esta es una fantasía medieval.

La historia abre como tantas historias de una sangrienta sucesión real, la familia asesinada, y con el príncipe más joven a quien perdonan su vida pero al mismo tiempo neutralizan para evitar que sea una amenaza de sucesión: lo castran.

El joven huérfano se crió entre los monjes para ser cantante. A Kattanan siempre le gustó cantar, pero después de la destrucción del monasterio, su vida evoluciona hacia un futuro de viajes y personas, convertido en un objeto de lujo para intercambiar favores entre nobles y comerciantes. Pero ... y aquí hay algo que me llama la atención y me parece un error, porque el hecho de que esto pueda haberse convertido en abuso sexual nunca se menciona ni se insinúa. Especialmente después de separarlo de Jordan, su mentor.

La historia en sí realmente comienza cuando Kat es utilizado como un objeto de favor por un noble para ganar la mano de una princesa. Kat es un joven roto, golpeado a menudo, sus manos tiemblan todo el tiempo. Pero él ve a la princesa y se enamora. ¿Por qué? Ni idea. Ella es una malcriada. La princesa Melisande solo está interesada en perros y cachorros, nada más, encuentra a su hermano y al gobierno aburridos. Pero favorece a su cantante, porque sí, nuevo juguete/esclavo para jugar.

La cosa es que nunca me importan esos dos. Los personajes secundarios son la razón por la que segui leyendo, pero fue agotador hacerlo.

El libro debió haber sido sobre Jordan; quien tiene muchas cosas en que pensar
O Alswytha (la bruja) Una sobreviviente.
O incluso Brianna; a dama que sabe luchar.

Adoran a 'The Lady' y tienen sacerdotisas. ¿Por qué? No hay suficiente construcción del mundo.
Tienen brujas y les temen.

La relación entre hermanos es interesante, y la historia del granjero criando a un futuro rey. Esa era una historia que estaría escribiendo, e incluso Wolf es más complejo y otorga más simpatías que Kat.

No está mal escrito, pero es una mala elección de protagonistas.
Profile Image for Tucker.
Author 28 books226 followers
May 5, 2013
This is set in a fantasy realm in the 1200s according to years measured "Since the Second Walking." It resembles thirteenth-century Europe, plus magic.

Prince Rhys is castrated at age four in the year 1215, and his family is murdered. He is tied to a monastery gate, raised as Kattanan duRhys, and trained as a singer. Eventually he is brought to the Princess Melisande, who is one year younger than he is. Melisande asks Kattanan what it is like "being as you are." He answers, "If not for that, my voice would be ordinary. I would be as any slave, unremarkable." (p. 33) Much later, Melisande acknowledges: "Which of us is ever whole, Kattanan?" (p. 442)

People refer to his condition mainly in mockery or insult, as in: "Don't fool yourself, eunuch," (p. 38), "Crawl from my sight, Castrate," (p. 93), or "Your life is forfeit, castrate" (p. 142). Despite being mocked, he is able to return to his family position as King Rhys. A wizard helps him by giving him a tenor voice so he will have a commanding presence.

This could have been more interesting if it explained more about the religion in which men are castrated to become "Virgins of the Goddess". This cult seemed to function as a generic stand-in for any kind of superstition or nominal religion; it wasn't clear if anyone believed it in a meaningful, specific way. Its mythology was never described. People referred to the "Goddess's will" to discuss their fate and used "Goddess's Tears" or even "Goddess's Toes" to avoid swearing. On the site of the abandoned Temple of the Sisterhood, they did uncover an old sword with the Morning Prayer written on the leather scabbard: "Now comes the bless-ed eunuch's son, of him who sings with the stars. Let his heart be joyous, let his reign be long, let his voice reach from the mountains to the sea." (pp. 256-257) This is pleasant enough, but there just wasn't quite enough of it to build sense out of it.

Also, it wasn't clear why the wizard could un-castrate Kattanan's voice but not his reproductive system.
Profile Image for Kathryn.
47 reviews19 followers
March 26, 2008
This book was fantastic. I cannot believe that this was a first novel, it makes me happy anticipating how much better subsequent novels by Elaine will be.

First, I have to tell you, it has the most boring and over-used plot in the world: The usurper uncle murders the royal family, but one child survives, and is raised in obscurity until the day he is discovered by the rebel organization who is determined to put the rightful heir on the throne.

Now, the plot may be typical, but it's execution is absolutely phenomenal. It will make you cringe and think, surely not, surely something is going to happen to forstall what's about to happen--

It's beautiful, poignant, and best of all, Elaine doesn't suffer from the tendency of fantasy authors to over-describe the world and scenery, she tells you just enough and knows when to let the reader's imagination fill in the gaps. The action doesn't drag, but it also doesn't move so fast you're left in the dust; the relationships have just enough angst to make you really feel for the characters without rolling your eyes in disgust; the characters are flawed, but still sympathetic...I guess I could say Elaine has found a good balance with her writing.
Profile Image for Elyse.
3,074 reviews148 followers
December 30, 2018
I've read 500-page books in a day but this one was a slog. It was long, it was boring, I didn't care about any of the characters. Nothing was explained very well. There's this whole holy order and there was no reason for it, it was not explained! Why are they being castrated for the Goddess? Too many questions, not enough answers. Meh. I won't be reading any more Isaak.
Profile Image for Ashley.
100 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2009
This book was only okay. Sometimes it was a very quick pageturner, other times I couldn't get a grasp of what was going on, or why I really cared about it. I felt there were too many characters - I didn't connect to any of them (except perhaps the wizard).

It's kind of a shame that I didn't like this book that much, as I thought the concept was very interesting (seriously, how many books have you read where the main character is an eunuch?). But, really, I guess I only picked it up because I thought the sequel's title was cool. Of course, now I don't really want to finish the sequel...

Not that bad of a read, just not one of the better ones I've read recently.
Profile Image for Haley Kilgour.
1,310 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2021
This book started off strong, faded away in the middle, then ended with a bang.

Honestly this was more or less Game of Thrones but without the incest and dragons. A lot of politics was involved and that’s what made it seem to drag on. Especially after you reach what seems like the climax and yet you’ve got 400 pages left.

The world is fairly well developed, especially in the sense of religion. There were a few things relating to the woodsmen and the wizards that I would’ve liked more information on.
272 reviews
November 16, 2019
Awesome epic adventure. The main characters are well fleshed out and interesting, the world is easily recognized as medieval, and lots of action takes place. Starts off with a 5 year old child, heir to the throne, is castrated on his uncle's order while the rest of his family is murdered. This is done to ensure he will never claim his rightful position. He is then deposited at a monestary where he is given a new name and trained as a singer. Over the years he is owned by many, given as a gift to curry favor. His identity is discovered and many changes happen. His behavior reflects his upbringing but many want to use him. Kings rule, people betray each other, swords end arguments and everyone fears wizards.
This is the first in a trilogy, all available.
I enjoyed this book right up to the last couple of chapters and epilogue. The ending seemed a little rushed. I understand why the author did it this way, so no cliffhangers but after over 500 pages a few more wouldn't matter. No way do I buy the king suddenly becoming reasonable and contrite. And did they have ceramics in medieval times? Is that the same as clay? Might seem a nitpick but it just stopped me cold when I read it. Minor stuff, overall enjoyed this book very much.
Profile Image for Aslee.
187 reviews13 followers
October 31, 2019
Thank you to Rocinate for supplying me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Singer's Crown is a book that reminds me of every 80s fantasy paperback I've ever read, in all the best ways. Set in a world where magic is real but not common, it strikes chords of both low and high fantasy tropes, and could have easily been derivative-- In fact, that was a major worry of mine, as I began the journey. Too many things seemed too familiar, especially our headstrong, dog-loving princess. However, as the story crept on, I realized that the characters I thought I had seen before were completely new to me. Isaak has a real talent for using her characters to tear emotion out of the reader's chest, and there were several characters I started out hating only to fall desperately in love with. The plot, while having been done before, was handled with a level of detail I've never seen a standalone be handled with. There were no loose ends, no plotholes-- Everything was thought out and well-executed

However, there were a few things that kept this from being a book I will recommend in the future. Firstly, there is an obsession with romance here that I genuinely feel detracts from the plot. Everyone is in love, even when it does the character a disservice, and while the romance plots have potential, with so many of them eating screen time, almost none of them are resolved in a satisfying way. Secondly, I feel like the first half of the novel could stand to be shorter. While I understand the narrative needed to set up Kat's motivations, sometimes telling actually is better than showing, especially with a book already this long.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys old paperback fantasies like I do, but beware of the romance plots. They're everywhere.
Profile Image for Sarah.
127 reviews54 followers
January 13, 2012
Not a perfect story. I'll say it up front ... it's one of my absolute favorite books, though.

Some of the characters are really out there, clogging up the flow of the story and the cohesion of the world itself. Jordan's personality fits very well, I think, but the whole saber-wielding, anti-magic field thing is just too much. Some of the women's personalities are either too strong or too weak by turns, leading me to want to reach through the page to smack them up-side the head.
And does everyone have to get paired up? This isn't Jane Austen, here!

All that aside, though, this story is so deep and so ... okay, resonating might be totally cliche, but grit your teeth and bear it! This book makes you FEEL. Kat is such a tragic character; you break your heart over him and everything that has been done to him. Don't make the mistake of thinking him a weepy, pathetic protagonist, however. He possesses that inner strength (battered and bruised though it may be) that we love to see in our heroes. Isaak delivers his voice so eloquently and with such a desperate plea to be heard and accepted: "A human being! A person, just like you, with dreams and terrors - just like you. I fear, I hope, I hurt, and yes, I love." When you're not throwing your fist in the air rooting for Kat, you just wanna hug him!

If you like emotional explorations that touch on the psychological scars of someone who has been mistreated by life, and like your fantasy, then give this a try.
Profile Image for Dora Okeyo.
Author 25 books202 followers
July 12, 2019
I was intrigued by Kattanan's life. The story begins with a memory, it's his memory of his mother telling him to run, no, actually demanding that he runs but he's too young to understand why and as it unravels we learn that he's a Court Singer. So, he's hired and passed on from one master to another for the purposes of entertainment, and what makes his story sad is that he's the rightful heir of his father's throne.
The book's pace picks up in the middle and you get caught up in a whirlwind of court politics, desire and obsession with power and magic, rivalries and battles and Kattanan realizes that there is more to taking back what's rightfully his than he'd bargained for.
I loved the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series because I believe there are more battles to be won in this saga.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
Profile Image for Amy.
59 reviews4 followers
October 22, 2011
I found this a slow start, but that might have just been because I was distracted. Once I had time to sit down with it, I found it very intriguing. I loved the characters, and the plot kept twisting and winding and surprising me. It's nice and long, too, which is nice since I kept wanting more and wondering what would happen next. It had a good ending, too.
I found the sentences and word choices sometimes a bit odd, but again, once I got into it, the book story took over and I didn't mind so much.
Profile Image for Shauna.
Author 24 books130 followers
November 10, 2010
A fascinating and twisting plot made this book an enjoyable read.

Two quibbles I had:
1. Why the hero loved the silly Melisande completely escaped me.
2. The book reads as if it originally were two books that were then combined into one by taking the major plot points of the first and sticking them into the early chapters of the second book as flashbacks and backstory. I would have really liked to have read those elements in a book of their own.
Profile Image for Laura Baugh.
Author 69 books153 followers
September 9, 2009
This book has a wonderful premise and moments of real talent -- and then the writing pales to merely competent. I really wish it were more even and generally, well, better, living up to its premise. Still reading, though.
Profile Image for Meg.
342 reviews6 followers
January 10, 2017
7/24/11: I picked this up completely on a whim, never having heard of it or the author before, and quite enjoyed it. There were elements of mythology and fairy tale, an interesting, well built world, strong characters, and a good balance of familiar and fresh fantasy elements.

Profile Image for Denise.
484 reviews74 followers
August 26, 2015
Couldn't get into it. Author appears to have done no research on the basics of prepubescent-castrated eunuchoid features, i.e. they're tall and fat. References to main character as small or slight were very amusing to me.
12 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2011
Boring and an inaccurate depiction of a Castrato. Elaine Isaak shows a lot of potential. I love her style of writing. I just didn't enjoy the story.
Profile Image for Carla Lewis.
41 reviews8 followers
June 28, 2011
The world was well developed, and felt very easy to pick up and read (even though I read this series out of order)
99 reviews10 followers
did-not-finish
September 28, 2017
Stopped reading midway, the book starts out pretty intense and interesting then becomes too convenient.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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