The Shattered Crown

Steelhaven #2

by Richard S. Ford

Heroes must rise ...

The King is dead. His daughter, untested and alone, now wears the Steel Crown. And a vast horde is steadily carving a bloody road south, hell-bent on razing Steelhaven to the ground

... or the city will fall

Before the city faces the terror that approaches, it must crush the danger already lurking within its walls. But will the cost of victory be as devastating as that of defeat?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Ebooks, Dark Fantasy, Epic, Adventure

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2014

About the author

R S Ford originally hails from Leeds in the heartland of Yorkshire. He is a writer of fantasy and historical fiction (check out Richard Cullen on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...)

You can find out more about what he's up to, and download free stuff, here:
http://wordhog.co.uk

And follow him on Twitter here: @rich4ord
And Instagram here: thewordhog

Reviews

[Metodi Markov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Имаше някои по-интересни моменти, но като цяло е на нивото на първата част от поредицата. Това не е непременно лош атестат, като знаем колко много автори ползват втората книга единствено за пълнеж.

Поизясниха се някои неща, други се завързаха. А аз вече с голямо нетърпение очаквам хуртите да се изсипят под стените на града!

Моята оценка - 2,5*.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without doubt, one of the best book 2's I have ever had the enjoyment of reading. This has become a wonderful series and one that I am enjoying immensely. Whilst I found book one a little slow in the beginning, all of that world and character building is starting to pay off as the story begins to develop into a fascinating adventure.
This book has a lot of what I like in my fantasy, great character building and then development, a rich over view of the world, some political intrigue, twisted sub plots, humour ans some dark elements. I am definitely sticking my hand up to say; if you liked the First Law series or Riyira or The Emperor of Thorns trilogy, you will almost certainly enjoy this.

I have already nagged the author about book 3, but it appears that May 15 is the best we can hope for.

Great having a 5 star book 2, way above my expectations!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly one of the best book 2s you ever read. None of the filler we normally get to move us on too book 3.

all of the characters are maturing into likeable interesting people.

the tension is measured and we kept interested and guessing till the end, starting to wonder if its a 3 book series or more with all the new plotlines and new characters inserted.

so its a must read the same as the first book.

[John McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been three years since I read the first in the Steelhaven series - Herald of the Storm - so it took me a while to re-acquaint with the myriad number of characters. Thankfully,due to the clarity of Richard's writing and his excellent characterization ,this didn't spoil my enjoyment of The Shattered Crown. Taking just about every Fantasy character from our favourite books and then placing them in the grimdark setting of Steelhaven makes this book a lot of fun. One thing I've learned ; that in Richard's world the use of magic can lead to some very unfortunate side effects .Put it this way ; you need plenty of spare undercrackers !😧💩💩
An excellent sequel which would be perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie.

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...

A short while ago I read Richard Ford's first book in the Steelhaven series, Herald of the Storm, this strong character driven book won me over from the start and got me quite eager for the sequel. Richard Ford managed to create an interesting "grimdark" fantasy setting and just as the title of the book, Richard Ford heralded a storm, a storm so powerful that only leaves one question remaining, will Steelhaven survive?

Just a not up front, The Shattered Crown is one of those books that makes a reader like me excited, it's these kind of sequels that you want to read. Taking a story that much further, not falling in any sudden silences that have a tendency to derail or make you loose interest. Richard Ford tightens the reigns on his story, showing the direct consequences of all that has happened in Herald of the Storm.

The Shattered Crown opens up with a devious murder plot regarding the newly seated queen initiated by some of the less savory characters that we got introduces to in the first book. After which you aren't spared a moment before Richard Ford directly picks up his immense character cast. I do have to mention that if you want to enjoy the full story and accompanied complexity of several characters, it is advisable to start with the first book. Anyway the focus is soon on one of my favourite character the wizards apprentice Waylian. Next to Waylian a lot of other threads are being followed, like Nobul abandoned his blacksmithing job in order to seek redemption for being a bad father and for loosing his son and lets not forget Merrick, Kaira and the Queen Janessa. Like I told in my review of Herald of the Storm, a lot of the storylines that RIchard Ford introduced us to slowly started to merge, and a most of the lines continue this way in The Shattered Crown, similarly are the way that a lot of the events that build up the story follow-up on each other. I will therefore refrain from spoiling to much of the story itself. I think I will stick to this.

Steelhaven, after the death of the King isn't what it once was, the tyrant warlord Amon Tugha's armies are still on the rise and plan to lay siege on Steelhaven. Everyone knows that certain doom is coming, and it is coming soon, the citizens of Steelhaven are loosing control and martial law is being opted, however this would mean that Queen Janessa has to give control of her city away... Mercenaries have heard of the need to defend Steelhaven, but not only they find themselves ready to fight, even the fabled Wyvren Guard departs from their training grounds to help Steelhaven, let by the notorious Tannick Ryder (BAM YES! ok eager mode off). Nobul finds himself in the ranks of the Greencoats, but it also seems that other people have set their minds on him... Merrick and Kiara have given up their earlier employ and are now conscripted in the Queens guard, the Sentinels. And well let's not forget the Queen herself, because Richard Ford really, really invests a lot of time with developing her character, though there are a lot of strong characters, it feels that the book does revolve more around Janessa but this is a very wise decision as she is in charge of making sure the right choices are made when it comes down to not letting Steelhaven loose the unavoidable battle, and she goes through a rough couple of phases to say the least. This is not pretty much what it comes down to but the most that I am willing to share. The Shattered Crown shows how Steelhaven is preparing for the battle with the warlord Amon Tugha and everything that comes looking around the corner to do this.

One thing that can often time be hard to keep up with character driven fantasy is developing them, especially when you have a character cast that has a lot of faces. I have to say that I was more than pleased with how Richard Ford continued the development of his characters. The above mentioned characters all make a colorful appearance. Wylian is still apprenticed to Gelredida, and after having felt the immense power of magick flowing through his veins he now knows certain he wants to feel it again, but through all his efforts he hasn't been able to conjure it up again, making him question himself once again. I just like Waylian's character, he started off as a bit of lackey only doing chores but now we see a more gradual shift in him taking the reins of his own life, not getting in rebellion or anything along those lines but more maturing and seeing that calculating your next move is better than acting rash, also he grows a pair! Another character that I am pleased with is Nobul, he only wants to have justice, but getting it is the hardest... When I read the ending of I think chapter fifty-four, I got a smile on y face, I hope Richard Ford can deliver on this front! Lastely there are Merrick and Kiara who now work in the Sentinel guard of Queen Janessa. Kiara is still her determined self, always seeking to be virtuous and she has sworn to protect the Queen at every cost. Merrick is a complete opposite to Kiara, he was and still is acting in his rogueish kind off way with some consequences in tail... A for Janessa, just wow, in Herald of the Storm, she felt more like a rich stuck up kind of girl, but now that you see the weight of keeping Steelhaven free weighing down on her shoulders she becomes a very strong heroine, especially the training with Kiara has done her some good and whats cooler that seeing a and imagining Janessa wielding the triumphant blade Helsbayn! This is gonna be good stuff in the third book.

Now besides revisiting and developing the steady character cast, keeping a story excited also requires the addition of new content. Well this also isn't lacking in The Shattered Crown. If you have read Herald of the Storm you know that Nobul was involved in a tough battle at the Bakhaus Gate, well this is explored further in it's sequel. As I said a lot of mercenaries are being drawn to Steelhaven, as so are the famed Zatani warrior, who fight with tooth and claw, it is against these brutes that Nobul has once had to face off. The Zatanie warriors are feared among the general population, they have a bad reputation, but all that the leader, Regulus, wants is to proof their worth and bring glory to their names once again. What better way is their to defeat the warlord Amon Tugha and the re-united Kurtha hordes? Another addition to the storyline is Tannick Ryder, yup father to, anyway. Tannick is the leader of the famous, held in awe, Wyvern Guard. There isn't a tougher people to be found on the face of the planet than the Wyvern Guard, they excel in everything that they do. They could just safe Steelhaven, but for some like Merrick, seeing his father again opens a lot of feelings that he would have rather have kept locked away. It was great to see just how vulnerable Merrick was when facing his father and it came to show that all Merrick ever wanted of him was a gentle hand on the should and his father saying: you have done well, you have made me proud. Brilliant.

The Shattered Crown is a terrific continuation of the Steelhaven series and it is these kind of sequel that really put a smile on my face. Where an author takes his story that much further and outdoing himself. If you have thought Herald of the Storm was a great read wait till you get your hand on The Shattered Crown. Richard Ford doesn't hesistate one moment to throw you once again into the fray of his storm with the upcoming unavoidable confrontation between Amon Tugha and the people of Steelhaven. He further develops his characters and solidly roots them down into the story, I got to feel for a lot of them through all the hardships they had to go through, this is probably owed to the fact that I had already gotten quite acquainted to them in the first book. if you want to read about well fleshed out characters, what are you waiting for? Richard Ford also keeps his story lively and dynamic by introducing some new elements like the Zatani warriors and the Wyvern Guard and there are a few more that you will have to find out for yourself. Steelhaven and Richard Ford so far hasn't let me down, I am eager to find out how it will all come down to in the end. Can't wait!

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing 4/5
Imagination 4/5
Plot 5/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 5/5


My Overall Enjoyment 5/5


"Many more deaths." is how this second book in the Steelhaven series ends, and how appropriate for a book that makes you crave to find out more about it's excellent cast of characters. This is one of the best books I have read this year, and one of the best in the grimdark genre. The author accomplishes more in 400 pages than many do in twice as many. Richard Ford has become one of my favorite authors with this book. It is cleanly written, no unnecessary details, everything moves the stories or ads something to the character which helps the reader to know them better.

This book starts off great as opposed to the first one, Herald of the Storm, which took about 100 pages to take off and really hook me. From the get go in this book I was hooked, flying through, neglecting other much better known books, and when I was reading those, I thought about this book and the characters I loved, which were most of them. Before I knew it, there were 75 pages left and I realized everything has been building up for a magnificent and glorious ending in book 3. And for that, I'm glad. This book built and built, plots were hatched, major people were killed, revenge was enacted, people were reunited and betrayed. Good guys were bad, bad guys were good, much was pleasantly surprising and equally upsetting.

This is a dark and violent world, with a lot of anti-heros, and it most reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones) and even though grimdark fans will love it, it also has major crossover appeal to readers who enjoy that book. It's not senselessly brutal or violent, it's expertly written, with a bit more than a touch of magic but not overpowering as in traditional epic fantasy, there is a decent size cast of characters but not needlessly huge with tons of minor characters which is distracting to me, and even if a reader doesn't enjoy all the characters POVs as I do, they are all unique and include an elderly magus, a teenage girl in an underworld guild called Rag, several mercenaries, a queen, her elite bodyguards, a middle age ex-warrior named Nobul Jacks, the 7 foot tall Regulus Gor,whose tribe of warriors fight with teeth and claws as well as swords, the Father of Killers and his sons River and Forest, and several others. The fact I can remember all of these characters without any notes is testament to the power of this story. There are only a few other books I have read that I connected so well with and remembered so much about the story and characters. If real estate and fishing are about "location location location" then fantasy is "characters characters characters" and The Shattered Crown does a stellar job.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. If I have to recommend a fantasy series from the past two years, this is in the top 10. This series is objectively as good, if not better than ASoIaF and I actually prefer it. More action, less confusing, quicker pace, less minor characters, and less politicking. Basically, everything I like in that series minus the things I didn't. I could see the sword and sorcery influences as well as David Gemmell , one of my favorite authors. If you are looking for something new, try this series. Start with book 1, Herald of the Storm because this book builds on that story.

[Marius · Rating 5 out of 5]

First one was very good. This was even better.
A lot more action-packed.

[Zornitsa Rasim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Много по добра от първа

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Разбитата корона” (изд. „Студио Арт Лайн”) – книга втора от трилогията „Стийлхейвън” на Ричард Форд. Продължението на „Вестителят на бурята” държи ниво и радва почитателите на фентъзи жанра с кавалкада от интересни герои и сюжет, изпълнен със задкулисни интриги, мрачен хумор, любими тропи, но и неочаквани обрати. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Libros Prohibidos · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5/5
Segunda parte a remolque de la predecesora que, en mi opinión, empobrece el global de la trilogía, y que si no se lleva peor valoración es debido al interés suscitado por el desenlace en el tercer y último libro. Paradójicamente, esto hace que las ganas de completar la saga (y las de asesinar) aumenten.
Reseña completa:

http://www.libros-prohibidos.com/rich...

[Chris C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moves on from book one, which introduced you to the multiple characters and builds on that with aplomb, although, the story is central throughout, the development of each character is compelling and stages you in. An absolute must read for fantasy lovers.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Oh my god, I absolutely loved this book. From the first page to the last I was hooked and it is one of those books that I didn’t want to put down. I was gripped by the twists and turns and the characters were just so good.

In the last book, there was an oncoming threat which looks like it’s going to destroy Steelhaven. The Shattered Crown doesn’t really focus on that story much at all, it very much remains a background threat to be dealt with in the final book but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot happening in this book because there are a lot of internal threats that need to be dealt with first.

There is so much happening in this book. There’s assassination attempts, family drama and, of course, lots and lots of violence and I loved all of it. There wasn’t really a point where I was bored or found the plot dragging because everyone was playing their parts.

My favourite characters continued to be Merrick and Kaida. Not only do they work as characters in their own right but their relationship with each other is a lot of fun to read. Kaida’s trying to help Merrick out even when he’s being a self-pitying and self-destructive shit and Merrick spends a lot of this book dealing with his daddy issues which I love. Just give me the angst. Janessa continued to grow as a character and it was good to see her weakness as well as her strength. Nobul was absolutely fucking brutal in this book and I nearly had to lift my jaw off the floor at one point. Awesome stuff.

The Shattered Crown didn’t go where I was expecting it to go, I was expecting the Amon Tugha storyline to be the prominent one, but it was nonetheless an excellent book. The characters work really well on their own and interacting with the other POV characters and there are some interesting revelations spread throughout the course of the book. I had so much fun reading The Shattered Crown and I am really looking forward to finishing the series. That is for May though.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herald of the Storm was a surprise hit of 2013 with its mixing of the familiar with a somewhat outrageous twisting of it in the various story-lines that follow the multiple (and wonderfully diverse in all ways) cast.

I was wondering a little if that was a one time trick only as there is a clear logic to the "usual" fantasy storyline (whether new gritty and ambiguous or older traditional with clear sides) and what reads new in a first series novel can look gimmicky and become tired fast in a second, but The Shattered Crown managed to deliver another superb reading experience one could not put down.

This time I would say that the novel is less interested in twisting the familiar tropes and more in brutal no let up action that has our main characters in continual dangers as the outside threat of the dark magic invader army becomes imminent; sides are drawn, agents are exposed or make their final move and the novel bursts with action from page one to the last.

Mostly the same cast in pov chapters, but this time with no introduction needed the narrative moves from page one. While there are glimpses of the outside world, the book still takes place mostly in the capital and it resolves its immediate storylines set up in the first few pages or continuing from the previous book, while of course leaving the big picture confrontation for the next installment, so it reads in some ways like a middle book true, but it offers enough closure to be fully satisfying on its own.

Narrative energy, twists and turns and intriguing characters still mixing the traditional trope with the twisting of earlier volume (the magician apprentice, the urchin girl, the berserker soldier turned family man, turned policeman, turned berserker back, the young untested queen, the warrior priestess, the former wastrel young nobleman re-discovering honor etc), so another highly recommended installment of this wonderful series.

[Stretch's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Ford has crafted the best book 2 of a series I have read in a long time. My disappointment at having to read a paperback aside, I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to book three.

The character development is excellent. It's action packed from beginning to end. "The Shattered Crown", like I said, is the best book 2 in a long time.

Let's see if John Gwynne's "Valour" beats it. Shall we?

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good follow up. Some good character work and a good pace. Recommended - full review coming closer to publication date.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

The Shattered Crown is worthy sequel to Herald of the Storm, expanding the story and raising the stakes.

The book picks up right after the end of the book one, as the city of Steelhaven prepares for the approaching enemy horde. By now all hope is gone that the Khurtas can be stopped before it reaches the city, the focus shifting now to readying Steelhaven to survive the coming assault. We follow along with the same characters from the first book, along with a few new ones thrown in.

This was another really enjoyable book. Richard Ford is a talented writer, creating a gritty and atmospheric setting that makes the city of Steelhaven come alive. He shines when it comes to characterization, not an easy thing to do considering the number of POV characters presented. One of the most impressive things he does that helps flesh out the character’s personality is giving each person a unique voice. Merrick Ryder is one of the standouts, as much of his character is revealed simply by his internal thoughts in a way that feels organic. We can see each character grow as they move throughout the events of the book, each of them evolving in their own ways. For me, Merrick and Nobul Jacks are two standout characters, ones that will stick with me after I’m done reading the series. There is only one POV that I enjoyed a bit less than the others.

Much of the action is still centered around Steelhaven, though we see a few more glimpses of the broader world. There is also more action than in the first book, including one scene that made me cringe a bit. These books are definitely a bit on the dark side, though without that pervasive gloominess of some other books. I have to mention the pacing again. Ford sticks with the short chapters, a format used by John Gywnne and a few other authors, and it's a style that I think really helps keep the pace moving.

I’ve already bought the final book, and I can’t wait to see how the story ends.

[Joebot · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

This first book of this trilogy had me hooked from page one. This second book took a while. It wasn't until about one-third of the way in before it latched onto me and held me tight.

The plot progression for some of my favorite characters played out in ways that I am not the biggest fan of. Characters that I wasn't so big on did step up a lot here. I've said this repeatedly, R S Ford weaves characters and plots together as well as any of the masters of the fantasy genre. I find it to be his authoric signature. Authoric is totally a word, btw.

And, oh yeah, Lionmen. Fucking lionmen. Let's go!

[Mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4.5*

[Scott Hitchcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 1: 3.5*
Book 2: 3.5*

The series overall has been a good story with good characters. The reason it isn't great is the author never goes into the depths in any aspect. He hints at Grimdark but doesn't want to insert the gore. He write of pain, loss and suffering but doesn't really give us the inner clockwork and emotional turmoil required to bring forth empathy. He writes from multiple perspectives and talks of ages to give the appearance of epic but really the story is quite simplistic.

That's a lot of negativity but again it's a good story, it just isn't great. The author's writing style is smooth and I like quite a few of the characters.

I look forward to book 3 and finishing this off.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose its something you have to accept when you're on a publishers mailing list, getting a book that is part of a series or trilogy. I know of Richard Ford - members of the same forum - and I know of Klutus his first novel. But until I received The Shattered Crown in the post I'd never heard of the Steelhaven trilogy. But even so I still decided to give it a go without any foreknowledge.

Its the mark of a good author that you can pick up the middle book of a trilogy and not feel lost. Even though events, characters, plots were mentioned throughout the opening chapters, they were done in such a way that I didn't feel I was out of the loop and didn't have a clue what was going on. Richard crafted the story to give enough "previously" information without making it info dumpy.

The Shattered Crown is a great piece of fantasy, it has a cracking pace, some standout characters - Nobul Jacks is not only a brilliant name but a hardass bastard at that - and gives you enough to satisfy and leave you wanting more. Strangely I will be getting the first book, and also waiting for the final part eagerly.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

c2014: FWFTB: daughter, untested, Sentinels, Wyvern, hammer. Sometimes, the second book in a series does not live up to the first and this must play on the minds of the relevant authors and publishers. Not so in this case. It's another great instalment with a few unexpected plot elements. The only reason that I did not do a fab five star is that there was no map and - even worse- not even a hint as to what has happened before. I am not sure why this is constantly allowed to happen. Perhaps it is to ensure that the first book is read again or so that the book could be considered as a stand alone. Neither of which works for me. But, irrespective of my personal peeves, I would highly recommend to the normal crew. "Your persistence is admirable, but futile. You will promise yourself and throne to my master whether you want to or not. You cannot resist. You must yield to my will."

[Ptitelfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mon avis complet : http://www.leblogdeptitelfe.fr/2016/1...

En quelques mots, le tome 2 d'Havrefer ressere les liens entre les personnages rencontrés précédemment. On découvre de nouvelles trahisons, des complots visant à assassiner la Reine Janessa, et on voit l'ombre de l'armée d'Amon Thuga se refermer autour de la cité portuaire. J'ai trouvé qu'il y avait vraiment beaucoup de révélations dans ce tome, la multinarration aide à se plonger encore plus facilement dans cet univers, et l'écriture de Richard Ford est très agréable à lire! Un must have à posséder!

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sequel! Such fun. So brutal. So many great characters. Such a horrible place this Steelhaven!
Can’t say enough about this series. Such a wonderful horrible story.
The first book had me cheering on the assassin River. This time it was an ex warrior. This guy is ruthless!!! Love this city. Love this series. On to book 3!

[Arve Kvaloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series with interesting chars, not so many point of views in the second installment an a increase in pace was very beneficial to the story. Epic fantasy about a besieged city of the more gritty and grim variant. Thanks to http://grimdark-fantasy-reader.blogsp... for pointing this one out :)

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...

The second book of the Steelhaven trilogy, the Shattered Crown carries all the weight of the previous installment, but does a much better job of handling it. All POVs return—save one: River’s tale has taken him outside the city and gets little exposure because of it—and even adds an additional character to the mix. While I felt that all the POVs weighed down Herald of the Storm, affecting both its pace and flow, the Shattered Crown rolls along much more smoothly, telling an action-packed story of love, hope, and betrayal.

Janessa now wears the Steel Crown. With few real allies and no real confidants, she is untried and untested. Yet with the Horde looming on the horizon, she must mature quickly. But will the girl become a Queen, or will she burn along with her city, becoming little more than a footnote to history?

Though the shadow of war looms large, life in Steelhaven carries on. The citizens have a choice to make, however. Will they stand in defense for the city, or pin all their hope on mercy from Amon Tugha? It seems that Kaira, Nobul, Waylian and Regulus have all made their choice—but for Merrick, choice is an illusion. While he carries duty and responsibility now, he mind rebels at the very thought of it.

Rag simply wants to be protected. Amon Tugha, the Guild, even the Greencoats—she’s not picky. But due to her choices in Herald of the Storm, life seems more real and death more inevitable lately. And yet, even her choices will help shape the fate of the city. For the Horde is coming, and no city is greater than the sum of its parts.

Herald of the Storm stumbled straight out of the gate. Each of the first seven chapters introduce a new character. That means a whole lot of new faces and backstories to take in, and not a whole lot of opportunity to establish any kind of a rhythm. Now, while the Shattered Crown follows exactly the same equation—the first seven chapters, each with a different POV, though only one of them is truly new—it seems to go much more smoothly than before. I think it’s because we’ve become used to these characters. With a book under his belt, the author doesn’t need to introduce a whole new motivation and backstory for each one. Instead, it’s more—here’re your returning POVs, here’s what they’ve been up to since you saw them last. While it still makes for a slow start, it doesn’t seem nearly as clumsy as it did before.

As usual, this story revolves around its characters. Each (except Regulus) have had a book to flesh out. While I didn’t find each and every one as deep and intricate as the last, there were a few that surprised me with their depth and impressed me with their ability to keep the story moving. I found some, like Kaira and Regulus, to be little more than cut-outs to progress the story. Others, like Rag, Merrick and Janessa, impressed me. Still more, Waylian and Nobul, haven’t made up their minds yet. I’m quite curious to see what will happen in the series conclusion—will every character experience some kind of development? Nobul and Kaira have been pretty stagnant up to this point, with Janessa, Merrick and Rag carrying most of the developmental weight. Will everyone finally progress? Or will some regress? Or will they all just die when Amon Tugha finally gets to the city?

Oh yeah, some spoilers. Amon Tugha doesn’t actually GET to the city yet. I mean, everyone knows he’s coming, but the dude is taking his sweet time. So far we’ve spent two books building up to the epic battle, and I’m more than ready for it to begin. Truth is, I was ready for (and anticipating) it sometime in the Shattered Crown, only for that moment to never arrive. I’d say that’s the largest disappointment in store for would-be readers. But otherwise, nothing’s too bad.

TL;DR

The Shattered Crown picks up where Herald of the Storm left off, but succeeds where the previous entry often disappointed. The story is interesting and entertaining. It takes a darker turn than I was expecting, as if to remind you that Steelhaven isn’t a place of sunshine and posies. There’s action, suspense, intrigue. Love, drama, hope, betrayal. The character development needs some work, and the world-building might as well not exist outside of Steelhaven. But there’s very little outside to pay any mind to—little that relates directly to the story, at least. And the characters of the Shattered Crown are better than they were in Herald of the Storm, which gives me hope for Book #3. All in all, a good read, and a better follow-up to a lackluster debut.

[Patricia Marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda parte de la trilogía Steelhaven.
En este segundo libro ya tenemos a los personajes asentados que vimos en el primero, pero con los cambios que se produjeron en ellos. Hay algunos personajes que cambian, que evolucionan, pero lo hacen de manera lenta y sin grandes golpes de efecto. Son evoluciones muy pasivas que aportan desarrollo para la historia. Aunque de manera secundaria tenemos la gran trama y el asedio a la ciudad, son las pequeñas historias y las vidas de estos personajes las que forman el tapiz y entresijos de una novela muy ligera y bastante entretenida de leer.
No hay narración densa, los capítulos son cortos y los arquetipos de personajes no son siempre lo que parecen.
Me ha gustado mucho esta segunda parte, al nivel de la primera, y la recomiendo a quién le guste leer fantasía. A mí me resulta un poquito frustrante a veces que ese wordbuilding del que abusa no profundice más, porque hay cosas muy interesantes que se mencionan de pasada y me apena que se acabe en un libro, sin poder ahondar más en el universo que el autor ha creado.
A por la siguiente! Estoy muy contenta con la trilogía :)

[Erick Adams Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*
Pensé que en esta segunda parte iba a haber más acción (guerra), pero fue más un libro para llegar a ella y no me quejo. Lo que sí hubo fue una evolución tremenda de los personajes, mis favoritos (Nobul y Kaira) demostraron lo que valían, se hicieron más fuertes y se volvieron indispensables para la historia; a los que detestaba (Rag y Janessa) los seguí detestando, pero evolucionaron y maduraron, lo que agradecí con el alma porque comenzaba a cansarme de ellas; los demás (Waylian, Merrick, Río) siguen ahí aportando a la trama; y el nuevo (Regulus) solo hizo que mi emoción aumentara con cada capítulo.
Me gustó demasiado la forma en la que los caminos de los personajes se van cruzando y se hacen indispensables, o al menos se ayudan, entre ellos. Y a pesar de amar cada segundo de Steelhaven, también odié que las cosas sucedieran tan lento y algunas decisiones que tomaron los personajes, pero nada grave que el siguiente libro no pueda arreglar (eso espero).
Sinceramente no puedo esperar a leer el desenlace aunque a la vez me niego porque es fantástico el mundo que Ford creó.

[James Barrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sequel. With books with different POV characters you usually have at least one character you dread reading. Every character was interesting in this book and the last. The addition of Regulus was good too. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Dan Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first one! Can't wait to see how the story ends 💯

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I was quite taken with Herald of the Storm , the first book in the Steelhaven trilogy, so I was very much looking forward to this second instalment called The Shattered Crown. I liked the setting, the tone of the first novel, and the fact that there were many different flavours of type of story in the book. On the other hand I had some difficulties with the pacing and some of the characters. I was hoping that Ford would improve on the points I found lacking and keep everything I liked. And he did, mostly.

While in the previous book the seven viewpoint characters each had their own story arc for the most part, which only overlapped some of the time, the events of said book have conspired to clump the viewpoints together in fewer storylines. This clustering of the different viewpoints created a clearer movement in the plot, allowing the pace to pick up more and the narrative feel less jumpy; even if we are head-hopping, we don't hop storylines as often, so it seems more of a continuous whole. The story arcs are now mainly divided between the palace, the Greencoats, the Tower of Magisters and the underworld of Steelhaven. There is one significant viewpoint added, which is that of Regulus, former chief of the Sho'tana, a Southern mountain tribe. His is the outsider's view and an interesting extension of our view of the world Ford's created and of Steelhaven.

The characters I had some trouble with last time, mostly were better in this book, but unfortunately there is also a character that became decidedly less enjoyable than last time. Whereas I thought Rag and River could have been easily been omitted from the previous book, this time around Rag was vital and I loved her story line. River, however, is still seemingly peripheral to the story, which really makes me wonder what his role will be next book. The character that really disappointed me though was Waylian. While I still enjoyed his storyline, I found him a little too "Why me?" at times, which became wearing. The way Merrick and Kaira's story developed was really enjoyable and given an interesting twist, especially when they form a close rapport with Janessa. I liked the questions of duty and loyalty their storyline posed, while still having some of the funniest dialogues in the story. Janessa fulfilled her potential this time around by grabbing her destiny by the horns and wrestling it in the direction she wants it to take. That isn't to say she necessarily succeeds, but she felt more active and in control in The Shattered Crown, even if she keeps swinging between competent ruler and uncertain adolescent. I loved the rapport Janessa develops with Kaira and the way she decides to swing her own sword literally. Nobul storyline is fantastic, and reveals his very dark and mysterious past. He also forms the link between the Sho'tana and the rest of Steelhaven in a way that was quite compelling.

We see far more palace intrigue this time between Janessa, Merrick, and Kaira and their storyline. I liked the different guard divisions and their rivalries, the Skyhelm Sentinels, who provide the monarch's personal guard, and the Order of the Blood Knights, who are elite fighters. The legendary Wyvern Guard were kick-ass and I can't wait to see what happens with their story in the next book. The setting is once again firmly focused on the city of Steelhaven, though we catch more glimpses of the rest of the world and learn more about the different countries and the world's history through Nobul and Regulus' stories.

One question I was left with is who is Gelredida? Why isn't she one of the council when she's obviously quite powerful and she bullies them around anyway? And what about Amon Tugha, who and more importantly what is he, beyond the leader of Steelhaven's enemy? Is he a magic user too? There's much to be answered in the next book, not least whether there will be a city of Steelhaven at the end of it. The Shattered Crown is a strong second entry in the Steelhaven series and I can't wait for the conclusion of the tale.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.