Crown of Sorrows

by Bex Gil

Heavy is the head...

The High Queendom has been restored, and Valine has her throne back. But she has lost something else. Her husband. A darkness and evil even greater than her former adversary exists, a secretive order, one that is stealing magic. Conniving nobles and evil societies is a lot to handle for one person. She just finished fighting one war, but it looks like she is about to start another. Will she be able to overcome the dark entities that plague Saego? Will the doubts and disappointment be the end of her reign?

As she searches for her husband across the continent and tries to navigate the darkness, her crown is once again put in jeopardy. But a long forgotten prophecy promises salvation while demanding sacrifice. This time it’s not just her kingdom at stake but the whole world.

This is the conclusion to this fast-paced, YA fantasy, and is perfect for those who suffer or know someone who suffers from chronic illness.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2024

Reviews

[AshleysReadingRoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In terms of book one to this one, this book guts you hard with emotional damage. There are a lot harder topics touched in this one from losing friends in gruesome ways, being held in captivity, suffering from chronic pain (the invisible illness), and just really struggling with wanting to hold on. This book covers it all and then some.

In this book we come across a prophecy while they are looking into more information on the new bad guy we encounter at the end of book one. I feel like this piece of information really solidified the message that Bex gave us with the Creator putting the people in your path that are meant to be there on your journey.

She also really showed that not all friendships are perfect all the time and gave us a bit of relationship struggles, overcoming them, and covering topics like feeling like you problems are real enough because someone else has it worse. That's such a valid feeling that so many of have that just because we don't have the same struggles or they are not as bad as someone elses that we can't or shouldn't talk about them. We absolutely should. There's no scale that says because your problems aren't as severe or the same that they aren't valid too. I loved that we discuss this topic.

I truly enjoyed book two and as always honored to have received an arc copy and finally concluding the story of Valine and Lux. PS the epilogue was FREAKING adorable, worth all the trauma of the previous chapters.

[Ellie Ember · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crown of Sorrows is the second (and final 😭) book in the Throne of Anguish duology. It is a YA Christian Dark Fantasy book that follows a new queen as she goes on a mission to save her husband, finding herself in a battle between light and darkness.

I recommend this duology to Christian readers who want a book that really grapples with darkness and pain, while also providing hope; the characters have their moments of questioning and doubting God, but they always keep the faith.

Crown of Sorrows is a powerful book in the way that it describes the battle between light and darkness (between“The Creator” and a servant of “The Dark One”). The final battle in particular was amazing, from the action to the scene descriptions to the characters’ prayers. The portrayal of depression and chronic illness was so real and raw, in a way I have rarely seen before, especially in Christian books.

This book was great in its plotting and description. Every location that the characters traveled to was described so vividly, and the villain(s) were also described in a way that made me *feel* what they looked like.

The plot was really tight and driven all the way to the final battle; one thing to note is that this battle happens around 65% of the way through, and while I was certainly interested in the consequences of the climax, the final chapters might only interest you if you’re invested in the characters (like I am). Because of this, I recommend reading both books in the duology back to back as one narrative arc.

Thank you, Bex, for the ARC, and for bringing these wonderful characters into the world. I can’t wait for your next books! ☺️🤍

CW for the duology: Profanity (the B’s, A’s, D’s, and H’s—rare, but present), gore and violence, self-h*rm, attempted r*pe, SA, mild innuendo

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!!

The second book in the Throne of Anguish Duology!! I had a good time reading this one!!

Tropes:
- good vs evil
- FMC saves MMC
- higher power

This book took me a little bit longer to read versus her first book, just because of the ending of school and trying to get a few other things done! Compared to Throne of Anguish, this book felt a lot deeper and darker. I really felt the Christian themes strongly in this book, especially with Noctis. (SPOILERS START HERE) In the battle at the end, I thought it was genius to have prayers to the Creator be able to aid in the fight against Noctis and the Fallen. I really loved how strong Valine is as a character, both physically and mentally. I also really enjoyed exploring the Throne of Anguish world more through Valine and Co.'s traveling throughout the different countries. I thought the descriptive language was beautiful, and I could definitely picture the different locations in my mind. There were many tough themes involved in this story, but I thought that Bex wrote about them beautifully. I really felt for Valine as she was struggling with her health in the ending of the book, and really saw how strong she was. This was something really different than what I find in a lot of fantasy books, the sacrifice of the FMC's health instead of her powers. The epilogue with Valine and Lux's children (I love their love btw), was so cute.

This book was a little bit harder for me to get through than the first book. I felt like it took a little to long for me to get really invested in this book, possibly because of pacing. I enjoyed the read, but I definitely liked the first one a bit more!

Spice Level: 0 (suitable for under 18)
- one fade to black scene

(I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review, thank you Bex!)

[Ruthless The Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throne of Anguish was enjoyable, Crown of Sorrows had me on the edge of my seat. I loved seeing the characters in their new roles and seeing their perspective shift. The side characters really stood out for me, which is always a good note in my opinion. The romance plot was much stronger and the emotions were better expressed. I definitely felt like this book flowed better and was less clunky in the writing!

In saying that, this book was hard to read with the themes it dealt with. Bex Gil does not hold back on her characters and they go through hell in Crown of Sorrows. The tough topics are handled with care, and it does feel like the author carries you through the downs. I found this a great insight into ways I haven't thought about things or haven't had to think about things on a number of topics. Our characters definitely learn a lot and we are able to track that journey with them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt that the first one was made all the better for having the sequel.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Leora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Crown of Sorrows a little tentatively. The first book in the series had its small issues and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author, Bex Gil, had improved somewhere in between books one and two and I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. Story, romance and action are well balanced.
With several chapters left I was surprised to reach the point where most writers would have ended the story. Instead, Bex decided to show something people rarely think about - the consequences, the difficult moments, the imperfect life after trauma and tragedy.
She touches on some heavy topics, keep this in mind.
But if you ever felt betrayed by all the happy endings you couldn't relate to, if you need to feel some light in the middle of the dark, without necessarily seeing the way out, then this book is for you.

[Marthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to book one, this one is much more emotional and touches on harder topics than book one. I liked the first book, although it had some issues, but I would say that the author has improved between the books.
The plot is better linked and I like the journey the characters are on. We get more information and backstory on characters, which I would say was needed. The world is intriguing, but I still would like more information about the world. The book is fast-paced and heavily faith based.
Even though the book came to a natural stop in the plotline, Bex showed the consequences of what happened after. I really liked this, but in my opinion it could have been done in just one to two chapters. I felt it dragged on for more than was needed.

Over all the book was good and it was a good ending of the series and the epilogue was so sweet!

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This duology is DEFINITELY worth reading!
If you haven’t read the first book (Throne of Anguish), don’t keep reading!

At the end of the first book when Valine gets her throne back, things obviously quickly go awry. This book delved into the “after” side of war/dictatorship and heavily showed the internal struggles Valine had with balancing her priorities. Although shorter than the first book, it was such a nice addition to the series, especially getting to see the characters face some of the challenges that come up with the changes in their roles.

[H. K. Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. I would've liked a little more action/combat in the first half, but the big battle really made up for it. Sometimes the story felt a bit too fast, but THE MESSAGE. This duology is a great read for Christians and non-Christians alike, and helps provide a response to the age-old question: why? As someone with chronic health struggles, the last part of the book after the big battle really got me. Pure, raw, unfiltered emotion and I could really see the author pouring her heart out in those parts.

[Elizabeth Greenop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite reads of the year! This story delves into the struggles of chronic illness, mental illness, and suffering in the life of a Christian (or suffering for anyone!)

Valine is a very inspiring character because she is so human in the things she struggles with. Her crisis of faith as a result of her suffering is one of the most real human experiences I have ever read. It is so raw and powerful.

An absolute must read!

[Ashlyn Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great sequel to Throne of Anguish! There was great growth in each character, both within their own self and trust in The Creator. Gil did a wonderful job incorporating faith and real issues within the story.
The speed was not consistently fast based or slow and character based, similar to the first book, but it did not take away from the main plot.
The ending seemed a little rushed, but overall, a very good sequel and conclusion to the duology.

[Jordyn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling and amazing conclusion to a great series. For those who find themselves wanting more fantasy this is the book for you. It has been an honor to watch this series start and conclude.

[Kate Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second and final book in the Throne of Anguish duology, A Dark Christian fantasy, and I very much enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the way the characters changed and involved, how chronic illness is portrayed as well as the relationship between the characters.

I think I spent more time crying reading this book than I did during the first book, but it was very much worth it. I enjoyed the first book, but this one is much better.

Valine is still the absolute best and I'm sorry to have to part ways with her and the other characters. I Can't wait for Bex's next novel.

[Minesha Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

True to its name this book was not afraid to delve into deep darker topics. Valine’s desperation and inner conflicts were portrayed well. We get to see more of the world and each location was described vividly. The sprinkles of the characters backstory throughout their travels was written nicely without straying too far from the plot. This was a very emotional read and the dark topics were handled delicately yet realistically. Overall I feel this was a great conclusion to the series and I hope to see more from this author.
I received this book as an arc and I leave my honest review.