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Blood of the Sovereign #1
Crown Burning
In the veiled halls of the Palace of Omomel, where whispers cloak themselves in silk and secrets wear crowns, I am bound to serve.
Oh, how I serve.
With a mop as my scepter and a wild yearning clawing at my soul, I scrub the floors beneath the feet of the mighty. They call him Prince Asher, but to me, he's the dream that keeps the nightmares at bay.
They say it's a dangerous game, watching him with these hungry eyes, trailing him with my shadow. But what's life without a little danger? Without a little... obsession? They think they know the blood that beats in the veins of this palace.
They know nothing.
For when the walls shiver and the screams rise, it's not just the stone that bleeds.
The palace is on the brink of an abyss. And something inside me... awakens. A fury, a power, a burning vengeance that roars for release.
And then there's Tate—steadfast, enigmatic, the ember of something new and terrifyingly tender within the chaos. With each clandestine glance, with every guarded whisper, the dance of our intertwined paths grow ever more complex.
I am Jaelyn, once a whisper in the background, now a name that will be etched in the flames of rebellion.
I’m now on a path paved with razor-edged intentions and a quest that dances on the knife's edge between devotion and madness. They wanted a servant. They sought a handmaiden. They spawned a storm with the essence of fixation coursing through her being.
Will you follow me through the ashes? Will you watch me rise?
For I am Jaelyn, and this is but the beginning of the dance. Pick up "Crown Burning," the first in the "Blood of the Sovereign" series, and step into a world where the line between loyalty and obsession blurs, and where every heart hides a throne drenched in shadow and fire.
Welcome to the palace, my future subjects. Let the game of power and passion begin.
Who said obsession was a bad thing?
Oh, how I serve.
With a mop as my scepter and a wild yearning clawing at my soul, I scrub the floors beneath the feet of the mighty. They call him Prince Asher, but to me, he's the dream that keeps the nightmares at bay.
They say it's a dangerous game, watching him with these hungry eyes, trailing him with my shadow. But what's life without a little danger? Without a little... obsession? They think they know the blood that beats in the veins of this palace.
They know nothing.
For when the walls shiver and the screams rise, it's not just the stone that bleeds.
The palace is on the brink of an abyss. And something inside me... awakens. A fury, a power, a burning vengeance that roars for release.
And then there's Tate—steadfast, enigmatic, the ember of something new and terrifyingly tender within the chaos. With each clandestine glance, with every guarded whisper, the dance of our intertwined paths grow ever more complex.
I am Jaelyn, once a whisper in the background, now a name that will be etched in the flames of rebellion.
I’m now on a path paved with razor-edged intentions and a quest that dances on the knife's edge between devotion and madness. They wanted a servant. They sought a handmaiden. They spawned a storm with the essence of fixation coursing through her being.
Will you follow me through the ashes? Will you watch me rise?
For I am Jaelyn, and this is but the beginning of the dance. Pick up "Crown Burning," the first in the "Blood of the Sovereign" series, and step into a world where the line between loyalty and obsession blurs, and where every heart hides a throne drenched in shadow and fire.
Welcome to the palace, my future subjects. Let the game of power and passion begin.
Who said obsession was a bad thing?
610 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2024
42 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 28, 2024
I will be honest, I DNF’d this book. I believe the author has good ideas, but I feel like they weren’t executed well. The main character felt very unlikable and it was hard to connect with her in any way, and I felt like I had little idea of what was going on with her and the world around her. The writing itself felt a bit cheesy, unnatural and forced, as if the whole glossary was thrown at it to make it sound more intelligent. The book certainly has potential, but the character, world building, and writing could use some improvement.
April 6, 2024
Crown Burning by Harper Lynn
⭐️⭐️.5/5
🔥female rage / obsession
✨new spin on a magic system
🖤 black cat / golden retriever romance vibes
‼️Spoilers‼️
TLDR; this debut novel had so many amazing ideas and themes. However, the writing style continues to need to be refined and in detail for development to come full circle. I have no doubt as Harper grows in her writing style that she will only get better. The fresh ideas are HERE and they are AWESOME! I can’t wait to see what other novels she has upcoming.
The Good:
-A debut novel with a lead FMC with rage/obsession. I was so excited to learn about Jaelyn in the beginning! I love how off-the-handle she truly came to be. I thought for a minute she was going to be an unreliable narrator as well.
-Tate was hilarious. I loved how he contributed to the juxtaposition of the dynamic between Jaelyn and himself. Their banter was funny and I found myself actually laughing out loud at how cheery he was when Jaelyn was anything except that! Lol. This was my type of humor for sure and I highly appreciated the writing style in this.
-The magic system was a whole new fresh take which I LOVED! It’s definitely nothing I’ve read before and in the best way. I loved that there were different types of Resonances and that they’re powered by different specific emotions. I thought this was really new and intriguing which kept me reading.
-The relationship between Kaelys and Jaelyn reminded me sort of karate kid vibes as they were training; in a good way lol! It provided some nostalgia there.
-Action scenes were my favorite! They were detailed/descriptive and across the action scenes they were all DIFFERENT! It was new each time and I read so fast during these sections because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen!!
Critiques:
-Character development needed more detail and time spent on for the reader to understand their backgrounds more and motives. I felt like I wanted more depth to each character, and like there was a lot missing from Jaelyn & Tate specifically. I wished there was more romance or tension between them as well compared to what I had expected going into this novel. I still don’t fully understand the main concept of the obsession over prince Asher or the history there; with this being a huge plot point to move the story it fell flat for me.
-World building needed more thorough detail to be able to quickly grasp the magic system/world building. It essentially needs to be dummy proof to reach a broader audience and be more where all different readers can understand.
-The magic system was tough to understand fully throughout the book and it took me a couple times to flip back pages and re-read to make sure I was understanding it correctly. By the end I understood better, however again here it should be idiot proof (lol) to where the full understanding is evident within at least the first 20% of the book to lessen chances others will put the book down.
-Writing style critique includes expanding upon different ways to describe interactions and internal monologues between different characters. I found myself thinking hey that wording feels super familiar or repetitive and flipped back pages to see that it had been too similarly phrased here and there during the entire novel.
⭐️⭐️.5/5
🔥female rage / obsession
✨new spin on a magic system
🖤 black cat / golden retriever romance vibes
‼️Spoilers‼️
TLDR; this debut novel had so many amazing ideas and themes. However, the writing style continues to need to be refined and in detail for development to come full circle. I have no doubt as Harper grows in her writing style that she will only get better. The fresh ideas are HERE and they are AWESOME! I can’t wait to see what other novels she has upcoming.
The Good:
-A debut novel with a lead FMC with rage/obsession. I was so excited to learn about Jaelyn in the beginning! I love how off-the-handle she truly came to be. I thought for a minute she was going to be an unreliable narrator as well.
-Tate was hilarious. I loved how he contributed to the juxtaposition of the dynamic between Jaelyn and himself. Their banter was funny and I found myself actually laughing out loud at how cheery he was when Jaelyn was anything except that! Lol. This was my type of humor for sure and I highly appreciated the writing style in this.
-The magic system was a whole new fresh take which I LOVED! It’s definitely nothing I’ve read before and in the best way. I loved that there were different types of Resonances and that they’re powered by different specific emotions. I thought this was really new and intriguing which kept me reading.
-The relationship between Kaelys and Jaelyn reminded me sort of karate kid vibes as they were training; in a good way lol! It provided some nostalgia there.
-Action scenes were my favorite! They were detailed/descriptive and across the action scenes they were all DIFFERENT! It was new each time and I read so fast during these sections because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen!!
Critiques:
-Character development needed more detail and time spent on for the reader to understand their backgrounds more and motives. I felt like I wanted more depth to each character, and like there was a lot missing from Jaelyn & Tate specifically. I wished there was more romance or tension between them as well compared to what I had expected going into this novel. I still don’t fully understand the main concept of the obsession over prince Asher or the history there; with this being a huge plot point to move the story it fell flat for me.
-World building needed more thorough detail to be able to quickly grasp the magic system/world building. It essentially needs to be dummy proof to reach a broader audience and be more where all different readers can understand.
-The magic system was tough to understand fully throughout the book and it took me a couple times to flip back pages and re-read to make sure I was understanding it correctly. By the end I understood better, however again here it should be idiot proof (lol) to where the full understanding is evident within at least the first 20% of the book to lessen chances others will put the book down.
-Writing style critique includes expanding upon different ways to describe interactions and internal monologues between different characters. I found myself thinking hey that wording feels super familiar or repetitive and flipped back pages to see that it had been too similarly phrased here and there during the entire novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2024
I received this book as an ARC and honestly I cannot get into it. While description is very important for readers to immerse themselves into the life of the book this was incredibly forced. There were times I wanted to scream “get to the point!” There are so many filler words, adjectives and is incredibly repetitive. I got about 150 pages in.
The FMC is so unlikeable. I immediately hated her. She seems immature and obsessive. The use of exclamation points in places they didn’t have to be maybe added to that for me. I just got the ick, it was a rough read in my opinion.
I’m seeing a lot of good reviews for this book and I had really high hopes for it but unfortunately just could not move forward. I think in the 150 pages I read it could’ve easily told a cohesive, descriptive story in 50 pages.
The FMC is so unlikeable. I immediately hated her. She seems immature and obsessive. The use of exclamation points in places they didn’t have to be maybe added to that for me. I just got the ick, it was a rough read in my opinion.
I’m seeing a lot of good reviews for this book and I had really high hopes for it but unfortunately just could not move forward. I think in the 150 pages I read it could’ve easily told a cohesive, descriptive story in 50 pages.
April 3, 2024
I hate giving reviews about books that I couldn't get into but i received this book x
I didn't end up finishing this book as I really couldn't get push how much I disliked the main character.
One of my number musts for me to like a book is for me to like the main character it pushs me through the book wanting to see what happens to them.
I did struggle a bit with the writing although i could understand the author did this. There are so many filler words throughout like over descripting her repetitive thoughts and the scene.
Maybe one day i will be able to do back into it and if i do, i will rewrite this
I didn't end up finishing this book as I really couldn't get push how much I disliked the main character.
One of my number musts for me to like a book is for me to like the main character it pushs me through the book wanting to see what happens to them.
I did struggle a bit with the writing although i could understand the author did this. There are so many filler words throughout like over descripting her repetitive thoughts and the scene.
Maybe one day i will be able to do back into it and if i do, i will rewrite this
March 22, 2024
I received this book as an ARC - while I’m proud of this author for having written their first book, I have to admit I DNF’d this one. I was 100 pages in and it’s just not my cup of tea. I did rate 4 stars though - very descriptive and detailed writing, and I did chuckle a bit at some of the phrases the characters used.
March 30, 2024
TL;DR - This book could've been half the length and accomplished the same thing. Read it if you like magical powers and zero smut.
I read this as an ARC, and I will say that the blurb did not match with how this story played out. This book was very difficult for me to finish... I wanted to DNF almost every chapter. The rest of the time I was saying to myself "get to the point". As a debut novel though, I tried to keep my expectations in check. The author had a good concept, but the execution was pretty poor. It also is written in present tense which is more difficult to follow, in my experience.
Note, there are more spelling and grammar issues throughout than I have ever seen in anything I've read. I also understand that edits have been made to the published work due to many ARC reviews having similar experiences. Let's get into the story, though.
The first five or so chapters could be condensed into one; you could honestly start the book in the third chapter and not miss anything. The FMC comes across as very immature, very cocky and a little stalker-ish.
Throughout the story, it felt the way school papers do when you have to meet a word or page minimum: like there were too many words, saying the same things, but not really progressing the journey playing out. The prince calls the FMC "little mouse" many times, yet we never learn why he chooses to call her that. Again with the "get to the point" vibes.
In the earlier chapters, we encounter the strange beasts referred to as "unhallowed". Now, this is never used as an official term and we never learn if there is a proper name to call these beasts. The word "unhallowed" though, is used eight times in one chapter alone to describe the beasts. It's very confusing.
Once Jaelyn and Tate come back to the city after the attack, Tate slinks off a lot and we never learn why. He also refers to the packs they carried during this time towards the end of the book, and we don't learn what, if anything, he's hoping is still in the packs.
Kaelys' story played out as not important, to then being spilled at the end in a rushed manner. Tate deserved better than the way Jaelyn treated him; Jaelyn reads as too immature to approach her relationship with Tate in an adult manner.
It takes almost 300 pages to meet the rebels, which honestly could've happened a lot sooner. I'd take more scenes with them and getting to know them over the drawn-out internal dialogues that seem to happen every other page. Especially since they all die at the end, it would've had a bigger impact on the reader to feel that we know them better.
Learning how Violet and Kaelys are related was a little confusing too, but I'd like to have seen more of their interactions before Violet went with the Other.
At the end, Kaelys' advice hints at there being multiple more books (one based on each Resonance, if I'm correct) and I don't think I'll be reading them if the speed of the storyline is anything like this was. I also don't think her death was entirely necessary. It felt more as a build to create more drama and tension, forcing Jaelyn into the position she needs to be in for the next book. I don't think forcing her death is the best way to create character growth for Jaelyn, though. It didn't really work when Asher died.
I'm also highly upset that there was ZERO romance in this book- like, not even a single kiss. I think maybe having that physical connection to Tate (on top of their emotional one) could've helped Jaelyn get out of her funk about Asher faster.
I read this as an ARC, and I will say that the blurb did not match with how this story played out. This book was very difficult for me to finish... I wanted to DNF almost every chapter. The rest of the time I was saying to myself "get to the point". As a debut novel though, I tried to keep my expectations in check. The author had a good concept, but the execution was pretty poor. It also is written in present tense which is more difficult to follow, in my experience.
Note, there are more spelling and grammar issues throughout than I have ever seen in anything I've read. I also understand that edits have been made to the published work due to many ARC reviews having similar experiences. Let's get into the story, though.
The first five or so chapters could be condensed into one; you could honestly start the book in the third chapter and not miss anything. The FMC comes across as very immature, very cocky and a little stalker-ish.
Throughout the story, it felt the way school papers do when you have to meet a word or page minimum: like there were too many words, saying the same things, but not really progressing the journey playing out. The prince calls the FMC "little mouse" many times, yet we never learn why he chooses to call her that. Again with the "get to the point" vibes.
In the earlier chapters, we encounter the strange beasts referred to as "unhallowed". Now, this is never used as an official term and we never learn if there is a proper name to call these beasts. The word "unhallowed" though, is used eight times in one chapter alone to describe the beasts. It's very confusing.
Once Jaelyn and Tate come back to the city after the attack, Tate slinks off a lot and we never learn why. He also refers to the packs they carried during this time towards the end of the book, and we don't learn what, if anything, he's hoping is still in the packs.
Kaelys' story played out as not important, to then being spilled at the end in a rushed manner. Tate deserved better than the way Jaelyn treated him; Jaelyn reads as too immature to approach her relationship with Tate in an adult manner.
It takes almost 300 pages to meet the rebels, which honestly could've happened a lot sooner. I'd take more scenes with them and getting to know them over the drawn-out internal dialogues that seem to happen every other page. Especially since they all die at the end, it would've had a bigger impact on the reader to feel that we know them better.
Learning how Violet and Kaelys are related was a little confusing too, but I'd like to have seen more of their interactions before Violet went with the Other.
At the end, Kaelys' advice hints at there being multiple more books (one based on each Resonance, if I'm correct) and I don't think I'll be reading them if the speed of the storyline is anything like this was. I also don't think her death was entirely necessary. It felt more as a build to create more drama and tension, forcing Jaelyn into the position she needs to be in for the next book. I don't think forcing her death is the best way to create character growth for Jaelyn, though. It didn't really work when Asher died.
I'm also highly upset that there was ZERO romance in this book- like, not even a single kiss. I think maybe having that physical connection to Tate (on top of their emotional one) could've helped Jaelyn get out of her funk about Asher faster.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
A book of love, obsession, war, betrayal and magic. This was a solid book and I’m really glad I got the chance to read it.
This might be a little controversial, but I honestly didn’t like Jaelyn for most of the book. She was incredibly obsessive (intentionally so) and kind of delusional/narrow minded because of that obsession. But when you have such strong feelings about a certain character, you know the author has done a good job creating them. My thoughts on her changed as we got to the end of the book and she kind of had her redemption arc.
Tate was fantastic, it was nice to have a MMC who was upbeat and positive as opposed to always reading about the male being grumpy and brooding all the time. He was such a supportive MMC.
The magic confused me a little bit. There were a couple times when I had to go back and reread a few scenes to understand what was going on. But it started to make more sense the further I got into the book when it was being yielded more often.
I think the characters really made this book, and I’m excited to see what the next book has in store for Jaelyn and Tate. Make sure you read the epilogue though, it’s super important going forward to book two.
This might be a little controversial, but I honestly didn’t like Jaelyn for most of the book. She was incredibly obsessive (intentionally so) and kind of delusional/narrow minded because of that obsession. But when you have such strong feelings about a certain character, you know the author has done a good job creating them. My thoughts on her changed as we got to the end of the book and she kind of had her redemption arc.
Tate was fantastic, it was nice to have a MMC who was upbeat and positive as opposed to always reading about the male being grumpy and brooding all the time. He was such a supportive MMC.
The magic confused me a little bit. There were a couple times when I had to go back and reread a few scenes to understand what was going on. But it started to make more sense the further I got into the book when it was being yielded more often.
I think the characters really made this book, and I’m excited to see what the next book has in store for Jaelyn and Tate. Make sure you read the epilogue though, it’s super important going forward to book two.
March 22, 2024
Shadow and Bone vibes while being a shining star in its own right.
Summary
In the beginning, we meet Jaelyn. She is a simple maid in the palace, or so it seems. Her “connection” to the Prince is complicated and her heart is set up to break from the beginning due to her status. When her world is suddenly turned upside down, she finds herself paired with a guard that risks his life to save hers and unfounded power that suddenly sparked. She must choose her path - the light or the dark? What will rule her choices? Madness or love?
Tate, our witty and loyal guard, finds himself taking care of a young palace maid that has done extraordinary things in the face of adversity. He is immediately taken with her, but her heart belongs to another. She seems to obsess over her loses. He struggles with guiding her through rational and pushing her to see herself as more.
As our two MCs navigate an ever changing world charged with powerful beings beyond comprehension, they also try to navigate their own feelings. Jaelyn struggles with letting go of the past, and Tate struggles with trying to protect her future. With less power and less control, how can they fight the more powerful beings that long laid a trap for their kingdom? Will their devotion, borderlined on madness, win?
Opinion
The answers to those questions come in a form of thrilling, silver-tongued excitement. Through loss, love, hope, and a little obsession, this book is tantalizing.
The only reason this book is not a five star is because I would have liked a little bit more of an overview of the world building to really gauge the territory. I’m a maps girl. ****I edited my review to 5* BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING A MAP!!!***
I loved the story, the characters, and the way Harper Lynn has created a magical world. She elegantly creates a tumultuous system built on loving and hating magic, that you can see the world itself struggling with. Ultimately, magic can corrupt all, but will it?
Low spice, high stakes
I would recommend this to lovers of Shadow and Bone and/or the Shannara Chronicles.
Summary
In the beginning, we meet Jaelyn. She is a simple maid in the palace, or so it seems. Her “connection” to the Prince is complicated and her heart is set up to break from the beginning due to her status. When her world is suddenly turned upside down, she finds herself paired with a guard that risks his life to save hers and unfounded power that suddenly sparked. She must choose her path - the light or the dark? What will rule her choices? Madness or love?
Tate, our witty and loyal guard, finds himself taking care of a young palace maid that has done extraordinary things in the face of adversity. He is immediately taken with her, but her heart belongs to another. She seems to obsess over her loses. He struggles with guiding her through rational and pushing her to see herself as more.
As our two MCs navigate an ever changing world charged with powerful beings beyond comprehension, they also try to navigate their own feelings. Jaelyn struggles with letting go of the past, and Tate struggles with trying to protect her future. With less power and less control, how can they fight the more powerful beings that long laid a trap for their kingdom? Will their devotion, borderlined on madness, win?
Opinion
The answers to those questions come in a form of thrilling, silver-tongued excitement. Through loss, love, hope, and a little obsession, this book is tantalizing.
The only reason this book is not a five star is because I would have liked a little bit more of an overview of the world building to really gauge the territory. I’m a maps girl. ****I edited my review to 5* BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING A MAP!!!***
I loved the story, the characters, and the way Harper Lynn has created a magical world. She elegantly creates a tumultuous system built on loving and hating magic, that you can see the world itself struggling with. Ultimately, magic can corrupt all, but will it?
Low spice, high stakes
I would recommend this to lovers of Shadow and Bone and/or the Shannara Chronicles.
March 20, 2024
"Crown Burning" by Harper Lynn is a spellbinding tale of obsession, power, and intrigue set within the halls of the Palace of Omomel.
From the captivating protagonist Jaelyn, bound by duty yet consumed by a fixation on Prince Asher, to the richly woven tapestry of palace life, Lynn masterfully crafts a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
With immersive world-building, dynamic characters, and twists that keep you guessing, this novel heralds the arrival of a talented new voice in literature.
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo will find themselves utterly enthralled. Excited for the next installment in the "Blood of the Sovereign" series!
From the captivating protagonist Jaelyn, bound by duty yet consumed by a fixation on Prince Asher, to the richly woven tapestry of palace life, Lynn masterfully crafts a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
With immersive world-building, dynamic characters, and twists that keep you guessing, this novel heralds the arrival of a talented new voice in literature.
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo will find themselves utterly enthralled. Excited for the next installment in the "Blood of the Sovereign" series!
March 21, 2024
I loved this book! I can not wait for the sequel. The main character Jaelyn was so intriguing, I was captivated by her obsessive character tendencies from the first chapter. The world building is so so so good. I didn’t know what to expect because this is Harper Lynn’s debut novel and I was blown away. The story is gripping and the characters are layered. I am sad it’s over but I can’t wait for the next one!
March 25, 2024
I received this book as an ARC, and while i give the author so much applause for her first book & all the great reviews so far, i have to admit that i DNF’d it. there was a large worldbuilding gap that the author has since fixed but it really just messed up my reading experience. couple that along with the fact that the author wrote the first 100 pages (that i read) in this really elegant way of using old english, i got irritated having to look up the definition of words almost every other page in the first chapter. overall i gave it a four starts because i do believe that this is and could be a great book, it just wasn’t for me.
April 10, 2024
I tried to finish this book, but ended up DNF’ing it. I read about 150 pages. I felt that the story was very difficult to follow and I did not like the FMC. I feel that the author has some good ideas but the execution was not very good. The verbiage used throughout made it very hard to understand the storyline, it felt very forced and too over descriptive in parts. The characters and world building needs improvement as well.
March 30, 2024
I don’t really like writing what I feel like are bad reviews on an ARC because I feel like the author trusted me with their baby but I want to be as honest as I can. I really wanted to DNF this book I found the FMC, Jaelyn, to be unlikeable and annoying so it was hard to connect with her. The super weird blind obsession from the beginning, suddenly becoming very powerful, the relationship with the prince, none of it made a whole lot of sense to me. The writing style was not it for me, it felt like most sentences were forced to be longer than they had to, it was like the language was supposed to sound like a high fantasies/ olde English but it just felt kind of unnatural. It took me so long to read and I had to take a lot of breaks between, since I just did not enjoy reading it at first. If Tate (MMC) hadn’t shown up when he did, I am not sure I would have been able to push through this novel. He offered a lot of comic relief and was a likable character. He was supportive, witty and charismatic and just an overall nice guy. I really do think the author has good ideas, but I feel like they weren't executed very well but hopefully the final book is better from getting feedback! The magic and how it works/how it manifests was not really well explained at first and the world building was lackluster. I did receive an email from the author containing the reasons for why there’s like some different idioms used and also like a glossary of them and how different classes of people use different English so that was helpful and I also received a map so that helped a lot because it was confusing, And also some explanation on the magic system which are going to be included in the final book. Now, that being said this book does have a lot of other reviews that are positive and I did end up understanding more towards the end and it was a good storyline once I got into it but I don’t think I would pick up this series again. This is also this authors first novel from what I understand so I know there’s a learning curve. The premise is super interesting so please check it out and form your own opinion!
dnf
March 27, 2024So I received this book on as an Arc as my very first one, but unfortunately I am going to have to dnf for now. I hope to revisit in the future. Right now I just feel like I’m forcing myself to read it, and I don’t want that to make me read it in a bad light. I like the idea of the magic system, but I am still confused on exactly how it works which I think will be added to the from of the book in the final copy. It reads in a way that we are already supposed to know how the system works which made it frustrating. I can’t tell if I like how obsessive the fmc is cause on the one hand it frustrates me but on the other it reminds me of fanfics with character bashing that amuse me. The description I think was a little too much for me. There just seemed to be a lot of unnecessary words. However I also have grace because this was the author’s first book. I think this has great potential and hopefully I’ll revisit one day!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2024
Good bones, bad skin.
This book has a good plot and premise, but the way it is written was very off putting to me.
The first few chapters seemed like gibberish at times. Sentence structure was poor and it seemed like a thesaurus was used to make it seem smart.
I was very confused as to what was happening. And not in a “oh I wonder what will happen, I can’t guess the plot”. More like, from sentence to sentence I couldn’t even grasp what was happening. I couldn’t picture the scene in my head.
There was zero background on the world so whole plots and themes were hard to understand (this was an arc, so I’ve been told there will be more in the published book)
Throughout the book, it seemed nearly whole sentences were copied, or some with only minor changes. A lot of the chapter seemed to just be saying the same thing over and over, and it could have just been a lot shorter.
Too many metaphors, too many annoying riddles.
Now this parts just my opinion and I know others differ, but the mix between old world speak and modern language was very annoying and hard to understand.
I won’t lie, I wanted to DNF this book most of the way through. It took me a long time to finish. However the last few chapters did catch my attention. But it wasn’t enough.
What was good: decently fleshed out characters, good world building, fun magic premise.
It just seems unfinished, unedited.
I won’t read the next one
This book has a good plot and premise, but the way it is written was very off putting to me.
The first few chapters seemed like gibberish at times. Sentence structure was poor and it seemed like a thesaurus was used to make it seem smart.
I was very confused as to what was happening. And not in a “oh I wonder what will happen, I can’t guess the plot”. More like, from sentence to sentence I couldn’t even grasp what was happening. I couldn’t picture the scene in my head.
There was zero background on the world so whole plots and themes were hard to understand (this was an arc, so I’ve been told there will be more in the published book)
Throughout the book, it seemed nearly whole sentences were copied, or some with only minor changes. A lot of the chapter seemed to just be saying the same thing over and over, and it could have just been a lot shorter.
Too many metaphors, too many annoying riddles.
Now this parts just my opinion and I know others differ, but the mix between old world speak and modern language was very annoying and hard to understand.
I won’t lie, I wanted to DNF this book most of the way through. It took me a long time to finish. However the last few chapters did catch my attention. But it wasn’t enough.
What was good: decently fleshed out characters, good world building, fun magic premise.
It just seems unfinished, unedited.
I won’t read the next one
April 4, 2024
Magic, action & obsession!
Harper Lynn really knows how to draw you in to the magic city of Omomel! The story is packed with action and the witty banter between Jaelyn & Tate will keep you wanting more. The characters are well written and the development was fantastic and I loved the humor in the MMC.
The story can be a little confusing at times but in my case, that only sparked my curiosity even more! I am so happy I stuck to this book. It has the perfect mix of low spice and slow burn. It was intriguing and very much enjoyable!
I can’t wait to see what Harper Lynn has in store for Jaelyn & Tate
I didn’t give it 5 stars because I did find it a tiny bit “wordy” and repetitive.
Harper Lynn really knows how to draw you in to the magic city of Omomel! The story is packed with action and the witty banter between Jaelyn & Tate will keep you wanting more. The characters are well written and the development was fantastic and I loved the humor in the MMC.
The story can be a little confusing at times but in my case, that only sparked my curiosity even more! I am so happy I stuck to this book. It has the perfect mix of low spice and slow burn. It was intriguing and very much enjoyable!
I can’t wait to see what Harper Lynn has in store for Jaelyn & Tate
I didn’t give it 5 stars because I did find it a tiny bit “wordy” and repetitive.
April 5, 2024
ARC Review!
This magic system was so different than anything else that I’ve read thus far and made it so much more enjoyable! I will say, the beginning of the book was a tad difficult to get through, as Jaelyn’s fantastical (or maybe obsessive??) way of looking at the love interest was confusing at times. BUT once it starts switching POV’s with Tate, it developed into a much easier and enjoyable read. Jaelyn’s character growth with Kaelys as her mentor made for good development within the story. Kaelys overall was probably my favorite!
Overall, the story kept my attention throughout and I’m excited to see what Harper Lynn has in store next!
This magic system was so different than anything else that I’ve read thus far and made it so much more enjoyable! I will say, the beginning of the book was a tad difficult to get through, as Jaelyn’s fantastical (or maybe obsessive??) way of looking at the love interest was confusing at times. BUT once it starts switching POV’s with Tate, it developed into a much easier and enjoyable read. Jaelyn’s character growth with Kaelys as her mentor made for good development within the story. Kaelys overall was probably my favorite!
Overall, the story kept my attention throughout and I’m excited to see what Harper Lynn has in store next!
April 3, 2024
Absolutely fell in love with this book and the unique world/characters Harper Lynn created with it💙 Jaleyn’s obsession was definitely a bit annoying at parts to be how at but I feel it suited the overall story fairly well. Definitely a very slow burn for her and Tate and the beginning/explanation of Jaelyn and Asher’s relationship (or lack of?) was kind of confusing, but by the end it gets a bit better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
I couldn’t finish this book due to not liking the main character. This is only a personal opinion. Maybe in the future I can try again but it just wasn’t something I could get past, the blind obsession and repeat of vengeful feelings is what ended it for me. I love the genre of the book and the premise behind it, I look forward to other books this author comes out with in the future. I hope you give this book a chance like I did and form your own opinion. You may end up loving it!
April 1, 2024
I was given this as an ARC and I don’t want to completely demolish something that someone has put time in to write, But I wanted to DNF this the entire time. The main character for me was extremely unlikeable and frustrating. The storyline was hard to follow, jumping timelines from one paragraph to the next and a bit repetitive.
Overall I think the bones of the story are good, but the way it’s written and the timing of the plot makes it hard to read.
Overall I think the bones of the story are good, but the way it’s written and the timing of the plot makes it hard to read.
April 1, 2024
I DNF’d this book. The main character was extremely unlikable and the story had so much and so little going on at the same time I couldn’t understand what was going on. That combined with the constant bird references in the first few chapters and the overuse of “fancy” wording was enough for me to dnf.
March 29, 2024
This book has a great story line and I love the setting, use of magic, and most of the characters. However, I couldn’t connect with the FMC. I also felt that there were a lot of unnecessary descriptive passages and things were repeated multiple times just in a different way?
Harper Lynn has great potential as an author, and I loved the story line, the writing style was just not my preference.
Harper Lynn has great potential as an author, and I loved the story line, the writing style was just not my preference.
March 30, 2024
The plot of this book really peaks my interest but I’ve discovered I’m a mood reader and couldn’t fully get into it so I’ve put it on pause for the time being. The first few chapters had too many instances of alliteration for my liking but it was only the first few chapters.
May 3, 2024
Very unique world and unique magic system, a little tricky to follow at first just like any new fantasy series but once it clicked it was great! The author has unique ways of building the world.
April 3, 2024
Spoiler-Free Thoughts:
This book was a solid 3 stars for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the world and some side characters, but the plot and main characters left a little to be desired. For people looking to find a new romantasy (heavier on the fantasy with very little romance, if I'm honest) with a unique magic system, I would recommend giving this a read!
This book was a solid 3 stars for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the world and some side characters, but the plot and main characters left a little to be desired. For people looking to find a new romantasy (heavier on the fantasy with very little romance, if I'm honest) with a unique magic system, I would recommend giving this a read!
April 12, 2024
Let me start by saying, this is my first ARC review. This is the author's debut novel, so I was trying to give her some grace while reading it, but it was extremely difficult for me. I am a fantasy reader and am extremely well versed in world building and info dumping. This book was lacking both of those for me. It's almost like we are missing a prequel or something? I wish there was more background on her obsession with Prince Asher and the whole first 5 chapters just kind of lacked a lot of exposition I desired for the characters. With that being said, let's get into it.
Writing: The writing style for this book is simply not for me. It is poetic, but very thesaurus heavy, and took away from the plot for me. It was hard to focus because it was SO descriptive and very repetitive. I think with a strong editor cutting out unnecessary descriptions and repetition of words, this could be much better.
Plot: I loved that the plot took off fairly quickly. Because the writing style was so hard to get used to, it was a relief to have plot progression immediately. However, I did find that this book was lacking basic world building, exposition, and just information in general that made it hard to connect with Jaelyn the FMC.
Theme: I absolutely love the concept of the Resonance magic being fueled by different emotions. I think it's super unique and was the driving force in finishing this book. Each person who wields the resonance is fueled by a certain emotion: Resolve, Dread, Passion, Aspiration, Covetousness, Empathy, Obsession, and Corruption.
Multi POV: I don't usually like multiple POVs in fantasy, but I did find that Tate's POV was a breath of fresh air compared to Jaelyn and much easier to read. I struggled through almost every single Jaelyn chapter.
Characters: I liked the obsession theme with Jaelyn, but I almost wish her name was Violet instead of Lady Violet.. The use of "violet flames" in conjunction with every Lady Violet chapter was almost impossible to read, and extremely confusing.
I liked the character arch of Prince Asher, he went from relatively cool with her, to a total prick, back to cool and protective of her... but his storyline ended fairly quickly that just honestly pissed me off for introducing him at all. Vengeance and obsession of that vengeance was the main theme, so it makes sense for him to have just a quick in and out introduction.
Tate was extremely likable from the beginning, even if he was a little cheesy. He definitely lightened the mood of this book and made it easier to get through.
I loved Kaelys arch as well. She is just a stubborn old lady, but eventually did help the dynamic duo which I appreciated. I liked the background she gave on the Resonance and all of her convos with the MCs.
All in all, it was a struggle to complete this book with the writing, but I think that with a strong editor, less worry about page/word count, a little less thesaurus usage, and maybe more exposition and world building this could be a 5 star book!
Writing: The writing style for this book is simply not for me. It is poetic, but very thesaurus heavy, and took away from the plot for me. It was hard to focus because it was SO descriptive and very repetitive. I think with a strong editor cutting out unnecessary descriptions and repetition of words, this could be much better.
Plot: I loved that the plot took off fairly quickly. Because the writing style was so hard to get used to, it was a relief to have plot progression immediately. However, I did find that this book was lacking basic world building, exposition, and just information in general that made it hard to connect with Jaelyn the FMC.
Theme: I absolutely love the concept of the Resonance magic being fueled by different emotions. I think it's super unique and was the driving force in finishing this book. Each person who wields the resonance is fueled by a certain emotion: Resolve, Dread, Passion, Aspiration, Covetousness, Empathy, Obsession, and Corruption.
Multi POV: I don't usually like multiple POVs in fantasy, but I did find that Tate's POV was a breath of fresh air compared to Jaelyn and much easier to read. I struggled through almost every single Jaelyn chapter.
Characters: I liked the obsession theme with Jaelyn, but I almost wish her name was Violet instead of Lady Violet.. The use of "violet flames" in conjunction with every Lady Violet chapter was almost impossible to read, and extremely confusing.
I liked the character arch of Prince Asher, he went from relatively cool with her, to a total prick, back to cool and protective of her... but his storyline ended fairly quickly that just honestly pissed me off for introducing him at all. Vengeance and obsession of that vengeance was the main theme, so it makes sense for him to have just a quick in and out introduction.
Tate was extremely likable from the beginning, even if he was a little cheesy. He definitely lightened the mood of this book and made it easier to get through.
I loved Kaelys arch as well. She is just a stubborn old lady, but eventually did help the dynamic duo which I appreciated. I liked the background she gave on the Resonance and all of her convos with the MCs.
All in all, it was a struggle to complete this book with the writing, but I think that with a strong editor, less worry about page/word count, a little less thesaurus usage, and maybe more exposition and world building this could be a 5 star book!
May 9, 2024
So I received this book as an ARC to review. Firstly I feel bad for rating a debut author's work so low as a 3 but there are reasons behind it. Firstly we meet the female main character Jaelyn and she is literally obsessed with the crown prince Asher. It's to a point it comes across very stalker-like and creepy. So it's very hard to like her. However, our male main character Tate is a breath of fresh air. His personality throughout the book is what I needed to get through the first half of it. Tate is basically a Golden Retriever like character funny, good natured and protective. In my opinion Jaelyn doesn't deserve his friendship in the first half of the book. She comes across very childish and narrow minded when it comes to anything outside of what she sees as right. To be honest I was very close to DNFing this book. But I am glad I didn't. Once I reached the halfway mark it really started to pick up and we see Jaelyn grow as a person and grow with understanding her power. The powers she has remind me of the Force from stars and her mentor like Yoda. However, her power is literally called obsession which explains why she is the way she is when it comes to Asher. We do find out later on in the book that she actually had more of a relationship with Asher than we originally think. I do wish we got more flashbacks showing that relationship so she doesn't come across as creepy as she does in the beginning. Overall I think the first half of the book was slow and hard to get through, maybe sprinkling in flashbacks here and there and cutting down on some of the scenes with jaelyn and Tate begging and working for coin would be better. I felt the amount of those scenes were unnecessary. However, the plot, ideas the author has laid out are there, with good characters, so as a debut novel it is decent. I do understand that this is an unedited copy and some things may be taken out. Which is do hope it's some of those unnecessary drawn out parts in the first half that do not lead into the major story line. To me it's just filler words as if the author was trying to read a word count. The way the story ends leaves the reader on a cliff hanger and I want more. I want to see how Jaelyn and Tate's story continues. The jaelyn at the end of the story is much more mature and has learned not to be selfish. So I do believe more readers would want to continue her story due to this. This story has major potential and I would have ranked it hirer if the first half wasn't so slow, drawn out, and how the FMC was portrayed. I do believe if we got more flashback scenes with Asher showing their relationship it would make her seem less of a stalker and more of a heartbroken person.
Thank you Harper Lynn for providing me this ARC. I do hope my review helps you in your editing.
Thank you Harper Lynn for providing me this ARC. I do hope my review helps you in your editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2024
3.5 Stars: A slow-burn, magical fantasy that is worth the read!
Brief plot: Jaelyn is a maid in the castle and believes she is destined to end up with the prince. But when an enemy attacks the castle, killing the prince, Jaelyn has a magical violet power that ignites. She teams up with Tate, a palace guard, and he makes it his mission to protect Jaelyn as she tries to learn more about her newfound power. Will Jaelyn choose vengeance or to help save the people of Nelah’s from a possible bigger threat?
My thoughts:
✨The start of the book felt very heavy on the thesaurus. It was hard for me to get into at first because I couldn’t get used to the writing style, however, once the next character POV (Tate) entered the book, I felt like Lynn’s writing flowed more naturally. I did appreciate the use of details Lynn used throughout the book.
✨ Not sure if it was just the ebook version I received, but there needs to be spacing between paragraphs that change storylines. I had to backtrack a few times because I didn’t realize we had skipped to a new scene. (Again, this might already be fixed!)
✨Jaelyn wasn’t my favorite character, and even at 15% into the story, I was still trying to figure her out. However, I did enjoy her growth as a fmc.
✨I also was confused with Jaelyn’s initial “relationship” with the prince. Was it just infatuation? Did she feel a bond? I didn’t personally feel like we had enough information on the relationship to understand her entire “vengeance” arc due to his death. I also had a hard time understanding why she, being a maid, thought she stood a chance with a prince?!
✨ Tate was my favorite! I love a man with a sense of humor. Also, the “touch her and you die” trope is a favorite! Tate gives Flynn Ryder vibes. 🖤
✨ I was a little annoyed with Tate & Jaelyn’s first meeting. Jaelyn was a little bit of a drama queen… and I was annoyed with her “my prince is dead, and I shall die too” attitude. I’m so glad she got over that! Lol. I also would have loved a little more insight and depth into their relationship & a little more romance.
✨I sure wish I had a physical book with the map. I love a good map and I’m glad the author is including it! I was a little confused with some of their travels. I wish they would’ve ventured out a bit more instead of back-and-forth… but hopefully we will see more of this world in future books!
✨I’m a Star Wars nerd… and Kaelys & Violet give Obi-Wan & Anakin vibes. Loved that!
✨Loved the ending! Loved the epilogue choice and how the story is open for book 2!
Brief plot: Jaelyn is a maid in the castle and believes she is destined to end up with the prince. But when an enemy attacks the castle, killing the prince, Jaelyn has a magical violet power that ignites. She teams up with Tate, a palace guard, and he makes it his mission to protect Jaelyn as she tries to learn more about her newfound power. Will Jaelyn choose vengeance or to help save the people of Nelah’s from a possible bigger threat?
My thoughts:
✨The start of the book felt very heavy on the thesaurus. It was hard for me to get into at first because I couldn’t get used to the writing style, however, once the next character POV (Tate) entered the book, I felt like Lynn’s writing flowed more naturally. I did appreciate the use of details Lynn used throughout the book.
✨ Not sure if it was just the ebook version I received, but there needs to be spacing between paragraphs that change storylines. I had to backtrack a few times because I didn’t realize we had skipped to a new scene. (Again, this might already be fixed!)
✨Jaelyn wasn’t my favorite character, and even at 15% into the story, I was still trying to figure her out. However, I did enjoy her growth as a fmc.
✨I also was confused with Jaelyn’s initial “relationship” with the prince. Was it just infatuation? Did she feel a bond? I didn’t personally feel like we had enough information on the relationship to understand her entire “vengeance” arc due to his death. I also had a hard time understanding why she, being a maid, thought she stood a chance with a prince?!
✨ Tate was my favorite! I love a man with a sense of humor. Also, the “touch her and you die” trope is a favorite! Tate gives Flynn Ryder vibes. 🖤
✨ I was a little annoyed with Tate & Jaelyn’s first meeting. Jaelyn was a little bit of a drama queen… and I was annoyed with her “my prince is dead, and I shall die too” attitude. I’m so glad she got over that! Lol. I also would have loved a little more insight and depth into their relationship & a little more romance.
✨I sure wish I had a physical book with the map. I love a good map and I’m glad the author is including it! I was a little confused with some of their travels. I wish they would’ve ventured out a bit more instead of back-and-forth… but hopefully we will see more of this world in future books!
✨I’m a Star Wars nerd… and Kaelys & Violet give Obi-Wan & Anakin vibes. Loved that!
✨Loved the ending! Loved the epilogue choice and how the story is open for book 2!
April 10, 2024
I was selected as an ARC reviewer for this book. Thank you to the author, Harper Lynn, for selecting me.
I personally did not enjoy parts of this novel, but I can appreciate the hard work, dedication, and time that goes into writing an entire book, even if it didn't fully resonate with my own taste.
Pros:
- The magic system is new and very interesting. I enjoyed learning about it as I read. It was definitely fresh and exciting, and I liked how it was used to progress the story.
- Plot definitely has good bones and is a unique idea. It is certainly creative and the major events were well thought out, though it was lacking backstory. See below for further explanation.
- Character building through different POVs held my attention. I thought it was interesting to learn about everyone through other character's thoughts and conversations. Some of the characters are pretty funny and likeable.
- World building was fantastic. The descriptions helped me get a vivid picture in my head, though at times it was too much and didn't benefit me as a reader. See below.
- Character dialogue was great, readers love witty banter and this book definitely did a good job with that
Cons:
- Plot lacks backstory, needed clearer motivation for characters, especially Jaelyn (FMC) who comes off as flippant and insufferable without really understanding why. Her obsession with the prince seems very strange because of this, too.
- Extremely wordy over all, to the point where I'd forgotten what I'd just read after having just finished a sentence. There were just too many words to say a simple idea. Using words in that way is appreciated in some parts of a story, like when describing a new setting, but is not needed for basically every sentence.
I will certainly give credit where credit is due. For this being a debut novel, it is pretty solid, and I am certain that the rest of the series will only get better. The cons I listed did not stop me from finishing the book, and I am glad because the last several chapters really picked up and left me wondering what would happen next. I would read the sequel because of the last quarter of the book alone.
I personally did not enjoy parts of this novel, but I can appreciate the hard work, dedication, and time that goes into writing an entire book, even if it didn't fully resonate with my own taste.
Pros:
- The magic system is new and very interesting. I enjoyed learning about it as I read. It was definitely fresh and exciting, and I liked how it was used to progress the story.
- Plot definitely has good bones and is a unique idea. It is certainly creative and the major events were well thought out, though it was lacking backstory. See below for further explanation.
- Character building through different POVs held my attention. I thought it was interesting to learn about everyone through other character's thoughts and conversations. Some of the characters are pretty funny and likeable.
- World building was fantastic. The descriptions helped me get a vivid picture in my head, though at times it was too much and didn't benefit me as a reader. See below.
- Character dialogue was great, readers love witty banter and this book definitely did a good job with that
Cons:
- Plot lacks backstory, needed clearer motivation for characters, especially Jaelyn (FMC) who comes off as flippant and insufferable without really understanding why. Her obsession with the prince seems very strange because of this, too.
- Extremely wordy over all, to the point where I'd forgotten what I'd just read after having just finished a sentence. There were just too many words to say a simple idea. Using words in that way is appreciated in some parts of a story, like when describing a new setting, but is not needed for basically every sentence.
I will certainly give credit where credit is due. For this being a debut novel, it is pretty solid, and I am certain that the rest of the series will only get better. The cons I listed did not stop me from finishing the book, and I am glad because the last several chapters really picked up and left me wondering what would happen next. I would read the sequel because of the last quarter of the book alone.
April 5, 2024
I received Crown Burning as an ARC edition. The story follows Jaelyn, a palace maid, and Tate, a palace guard. Jaelyn is nothing short of obsessed with the prince and fully believes they belong together. When the palace is attacked and the prince murdered, a dark power is awakened within Jaelyn. With the help of Tate, they escape the destruction. Jaelyn and Tate seek to bring justice to the lady Violet while Jaelyn seeks knowledge and control over her newly found power.
I enjoyed this book overall, but it was difficult at the beginning. Jaelyn is completely arrogant, obsessive, and all consumed with the prince , and I almost hated her as a character, BUT it got much better. I do believe her character development over the book was huge, and she still has room for growing with the series. Her obsession with the prince is also her basis of her magic, so it was necessary, albeit irritating to me at the beginning. Her negative Nelly personality was perfectly balanced with Tate's sarcastic humorous one. Tate, I feel, was such a unique character for the fantasy realm. When I read fantasy, guards usually fall into a general attitude or personality, and it's not light or fun like Tate. His sarcasm at things that happened were perfect and had me cracking smiles while reading. Their balance as a team helped ease Jaelyn's heavy personality, and I greatly enjoyed their verbal sparring. All in all, I enjoyed the book, and after that ending, I look forward to learning more in the next book.
I enjoyed this book overall, but it was difficult at the beginning. Jaelyn is completely arrogant, obsessive, and all consumed with the prince , and I almost hated her as a character, BUT it got much better. I do believe her character development over the book was huge, and she still has room for growing with the series. Her obsession with the prince is also her basis of her magic, so it was necessary, albeit irritating to me at the beginning. Her negative Nelly personality was perfectly balanced with Tate's sarcastic humorous one. Tate, I feel, was such a unique character for the fantasy realm. When I read fantasy, guards usually fall into a general attitude or personality, and it's not light or fun like Tate. His sarcasm at things that happened were perfect and had me cracking smiles while reading. Their balance as a team helped ease Jaelyn's heavy personality, and I greatly enjoyed their verbal sparring. All in all, I enjoyed the book, and after that ending, I look forward to learning more in the next book.
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