The thrilling conclusion to the Crown of Ellova Duology
Mortals may be forbidden in Ellova, but since Izadella was forced to bring Leon back to the fae realm, their feelings for each other have only deepened.
Ellova was supposed to be safe, but a traitor in their midst will stop at nothing to destroy everything Izadella and her friends have fought for. After an attack in the gardens, every precious petal of the anafaea flower has been reduced to ash. Devastated by the setback but determined to save what mortals they can, Izadella, Leon, Nueena, and Tavien must finish the lifesaving elixir before Nueena’s coronation.
In the mortal realm, King Grayden’s wicked ambitions are growing, and two enemy kingdoms on the brink of war still seek the crown Izadella wears. If she cannot find a way to remove it, the magic will destroy her.
Leon and Izadella long to be together but fate seems intent on tearing them apart. No matter how much danger Leon is in, he refuses to forsake Izadella. Yet the longer he remains in the fae realm, the faster the madness will claim him, leaving them torn between destiny and destruction.
The Crown of Ellova duology is an angsty, slow burn adult fantasy romance. This dramatic, character-driven romantasy is rich with whimsical worldbuilding and powerful female friendships. It features a forbidden romance between Izadella, a magical jewelry maker, and Leon, the protective mortal healer she must bring back to the fae realm.
Wow wow wow! The Captive Crown 👑 is the second half of a duology and it does not leave you disappointed at all. Arc review given freely and I had to share its sooo good!
There’s so much that happens, twists you never saw coming, it rips your heart out but also puts it back together. The main characters Leon and Della have so much growth, depth and chemistry, no wonder they are zemras. (Read to find out 😘) Once I started this duology I could not stop, I didn’t want to put it down. It has slow-burn 🌶️ Enemy’s to lovers 😍 One bed 🛏️ Magic powers 💥 Secrets 🔐 Strawberries 🍓 Amazing fae story telling and so…… much more!
This duology “Crown of Ellova and Captive Queen” is a must read for any fantasy, romance, romantasy reader
I did not think it was possible to love the second book more than I loved the first, but I did. The story had me gasping out loud, crying, yelling. It is a rollercoaster of the best kind. I felt like these characters became family to me through reading both books, and when they go THROUGH IT, I feel like I am too. This story captures so beautifully the tests relationships (friendships and romantic) go through. It follows Izadella through some tumultuous times, and we finally also get some Leon POV! I loved every single surprise and emotional beat this book delivered, run don’t walk to read it!
💫 Captive Queen — A Cozy Finish to a Fae-Mortal Romance
If you loved the dreamy moonlit realm of Ellova, the delicate slow-burn between Della and Leon, and the promise of magic and danger swirling in the air, Captive Queen is that warm blanket pull you’ve been waiting for — with extra stakes, emotion, and of course: strawberries. 🍓
Della (aka Izadella) didn’t get off easy after the first book — she’s now deeply entwined with the power of the crown, the realm of the fae, and the mortal she loves (Leon). Now she’s fighting on multiple fronts: a traitor in Ellova, blooming war-clouds in the mortal world, the magic of the crown that may destroy her, and the fact that Leon being in Ellova is slowly driving him mad. The blurb sums up the set-up:
“Ellova was supposed to be safe, but a traitor in their midst will stop at nothing to destroy everything Izadella and her friends have fought for… If she cannot find a way to remove it [the crown], the magic will destroy her.” That line alone made my heart race, and the book delivers on that tension.
Here’s what I loved — and what you might want to know before you dive in:
✅ What I Loved
The emotional escalation: Where Book 1 was simmering, Book 2 turns up the heat. It’s not just “Can they be together?” but “Can they survive together?” I found myself rooting for Della and Leon in a way that tugged at me.
The world-building deepens: The realm of Ellova now feels richer, more lived in. The danger, the magic, the connections between characters—all feel more real and urgent.
The found-family and friendship vibe: The bond between Della and her best friend (and fae royalty), as well as other allies, still warms me. Their camaraderie gives the story heart beyond just the romance.
The romance still sparkles: Yes, the forbidden-love trope is strong, but what I appreciated is the wanting and the doing both get addressed. One line popped out:
“That urge to forge my soul to his, it is its own kind of madness, one magic plays no part in.” (Yes—I totally paused and reread that.)
Touches of whimsy amidst the stakes: Little moments of serenity (like sharing strawberries) are offset by big dangers—so you get cozy feels and adrenaline.
🧁 Overall Impression
If the first book hooked you, Captive Queen delivers a meaningful, satisfying follow-through. I’d give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It kept me curled up under a blanket, staying up a bit past bedtime because “just one more chapter”. I laughed, my heart pounded, I shed a little tear (okay, maybe more than a little). And when the final page closed, I was quietly delighted and satisfied
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was an excellent sequel to The Crown of Ellova and I absolutely love and will miss this world! I demand a spin off post haste, I do not want to leave this world or these characters behind!
I love how Sienna Harlow placed a reminder in the beginning of the book of where The Crown of Ellova left off. Having been a follower of this book since the beginning it was an excellent refresher so I was completely immersed into the story immediately from the get go!
The romance in this one was romancing! All of the characters have really strong bonds with not only each other but especially with their significant others. There was a lot of depth in different relationship pairings in this book which I appreciated, showing its not always a smooth road to love but worth the effort.
The world building in this story intrigues me to no end as well, I really enjoyed being able to see the transition of power for the realm keepers and all of the different courts with all the different types of magic.
The plot had me twisting and turning and at one point I had to stop and GASP in disbelief. I love a story that is able to surprise me and this was one of them!
If you like: 👑 Found Family Dynamic 🍓Fated Mates 👑 Cosy with Plot and Action 🍓Strong Romance 👑Finished Duology 🍓Betrayal and Traitors 👑Incredible World Building
Thank you so much to Sienna Harlow for the advanced copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Captive Queen — the anticipated ending to the Crown of Ellova duology by Sienna Harlow! If you enjoy fantasy romance with high stakes, political intrigue, and emotional conflict, then this one is for you!
This review does NOT contain spoilers!
One cool thing I have to mention before my review… Sienna Harlow included a summary recap of Book 1 before the first chapter of Captive Queen. I haven’t come across this before by any other author, and I hope to see it in other series in the future! Absolutely genius!
The first book ended on a cliffhanger, and because I have so much love and concern for these characters, I was so excited to finally dive back into this captivating world! Given that cliffhanger, plus the looming war, AND the title of Book 2, I knew these characters were going to be facing even more twists and turns! I loved reading about the team (Della, Leon, Nueena, and Tavien) as they try to save as many as they can from the sickness ravaging the mortal realm.
The worldbuilding is breathtaking and the character arcs are intriguing! And the twists are… twisting! I did not see it coming, but after the big reveal, I realized that the author was dropping hints in the first book!!
I love the balance between Della’s love with Leon and her friendship with Nueena! I find that romance books tend to focus more on the love interest, understandably! So I admire how Sienna Harlow was able to highlight the power of female friendships, too!
The internal stakes of the characters and the external stakes of the world reach a satisfying end! And while this duology marks the end, I’m a fan of the world and the characters and I hope the author writes more in this universe (crossing my fingers for some short stories in the future)!
Can I just have a moment of silence..... Okay, Sienna Harlow, the things you did to me in this second installment of the Crown of Ellova Duology! My heart! Seriously, the roller coaster ride of emotions readers will go on in this book is INSANE, but sooooo worth it. I shall not spoil the plot twists that will most definitely occur, but I will say "Make sure to carve out time to read Captive Queen because you will be on the edge of your seat, constantly turning to the camera/audience that we all know is not there when we are reading, but we cannot help ourselves." It is that good 🙂↕️ All questions you may have had during the first Crown of Ellova book get answered in Volume 2 of the series. Also, Captive Queen picks up right where the first volume ends!! I cannot tell you enough how in love I am with this series, this world, and these characters. Again, do not simply take my word for it. Discover and dive into Ellova, Kalvorn, and the mortal realm for yourself. If you like detailed imagery, highly descriptive words, slow burn, found family, in-depth world building, women being WOMEN, revenge, and reading about a society founded upon equality and uplifting others, then the Crown of Ellova Duology is for you.
As for Isabella and Leon, I am still not over their love story - like a cupid blessed dagger to the heart 💘 I won't lie, there were times I was frustrated or annoyed with Izadella, but that's only because I saw how much love her and Leon had for one another - the intensity and passion that they were trying so hard to contain. I understand her fears and appreciate his patience, though there is more than meets the eye *wink wink* All in all, they have a beautiful romantic journey that I will forever cherish. My book loving heart just keeps growing 🫶
I would like to start this review by saying my dear friend, Ms. Sienna Harlow, has a gift. I cannot remember the last time during my over year long reading slump that I was so captivated (see what I did there?) by a book that I ate it up in a few hours.
I was truly, truly lucky to beta read this story for her and I was unable to focus on anything else outside of this book right from the first chapter. I have been in love with Leon since she first told me about him two years ago, especially since I first read about him in Crown of Ellova, but in Captive Queen??? I didn’t think this man could get any sexier and she just smirked and handed me Captive Queen. Having his POV in this story really added to the dynamic between him and Della and the story as a whole.
And Izadella, our strong, fiery FMC. I love that she’s been through so much, suffered so much, was captive, and her heart and openness to love still remained so pure. She’s the true embodiment of softness and strength and what I would envision femininity to be. Her character is the kind of woman I aspire to be. I love that everything she wanted and hoped for was given to her in this book, and I’m so incredibly happy she got her happy ending.
I can honestly say this duology will be a comfort read for me. The world building, semi-dramatic parts, the pining, the best friends, the cute fox, the love story… it makes for such a feel good read through and through.
Captive Queen took an absolute wild twist & there WILL be spoilers so read at your own risk!
We were left off with a cliffhanger where Della & Leon were kidnapped, but it was fairly easily resolved (thankfully) & we moved onto the HUGE twist: Leon actually being a fae king! It actually made a lot of sense in regards to his character in the first book, so it was a pleasant surprise—even if Della didn’t think so!
Their time apart after that reveal & Della’s genuine time as a “captive queen” also felt like a pretty short portion of the story, so once it was resolved there wasn’t much conflict left aside from Leon possibly dying from a broken heart (a super awesome concept that was teased in the first book that I loved to see explored a bit more here!) but magic also fixed that pretty quickly in one of my favorite scenes in the book.
After all of that, the tension admittedly disappeared from the story, but it was also nice to see Della & Leon be together. It was definitely a lot more page time of “happy, conflict free” couple than you ordinarily get to see in books.
I was overall happy with the ending of the story & really hope that the author decides to explore this world some more as I’m super fascinated by the different courts we didn’t get to visit & the different stories that could be brewing in them!
Disclaimer: I was an ARC reader for Captive Queen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
After reading the first book in this duology, I was unsure what exactly was going to happen, character wise. But, as I was desperately hoping, this second installment did NOT disappoint! Although there were times that scenes were hard to follow and seemed to jump around a bit, it was relatively easy to make sense of what was happening. I will say, the first big plot reveal blindsided me and I LOVED that. With how much I read, I have a tendency to guess major plot reveals which makes finding things that truly surprise that much better.
As an added bonus, Sienna didn't write her book the way most fantasy books are written. A lot of the time, the MC (usually female), start the series with average powers and then are somehow thrown into major power ups that they can magically control immediately. This time, the FMC didn't retain her super crazy power up and ultimately preferred her very average amount of power.
Ultimately, I have to give a big round of applause to Sienna for the creation of a fantasy novel that continued to surprise throughout the story and in some major ways, fought AGAINST the norm we have all come to expect from fantasy FMC's and novels.
I would definitely recommend this duology to anyone that wants to be genuinely surprised and prefers the main characters to seem somewhat average sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The second instalment to Crown Of Ellova duology. Captive Queen!!
I have had the absolute pleasure, once again to Arc read another of Sienna Harlow’s Masterpieces.
After leaving off of the first book with Della and Leon in the middle of being kidnapped. Della still with the crown stuck to her head and the worry of Leon going mad in the fae lands. Continuing Della and Leon’s story with the help of Della’s best friend Nueena and her zemra Tavien continue to try and make enough to cure all the sick in the mortal lands.
I have loved Della and Leon’s relationship and though it seemed their love is destined for heart break. I will never look at a strawberry the same way again.
The ups and downs, twists and turns has me hooked and devouring every word and my heart aching for Della and Leon’s love.
But Leon has been hiding a secret. And once revealed it changes everything.
Captive Queen was amazing and the perfect ending to this story. Chefs kiss 😙
Sienna Harlow closes out The Crown of Ellova Duology with a finale that’s equal parts devastating and breathtaking. Captive Queen burns a little hotter, cuts a little deeper, and reminds you that love,especially forbidden love,can be the most dangerous kind of magic.
Izadella and Leon’s chemistry is magnetic, their connection threaded with longing, sacrifice, and that delicious kind of tension that makes you hold your breath. The emotions hit harder this time,loss, devotion, hope,and every page feels like it’s building toward a heartbreakingly beautiful release.
It’s tender, intense, and just spicy enough to make your pulse race while still feeling deeply emotional. The perfect ending for a romantasy that proves love can survive even when the odds (and the realms) are stacked against you.
I had the honors of being one of the ARC readers for this series. For starters Sienna was sweet enough to send me a copy of the first book, and to say I was absolutely hooked within the first chapter is an understatement.
This duology has been one of my absolute favorite reads this year. the author has such a creative way of writing that brings everything to life.
This book continues the twist and turns that you can truly never predict what will happen next or how it could even end. Part of me wants to say I love the second book more than the first, but I have to say I love them equally. Mostly because without book one, there would be no second.
I won't include any spoilers of the book, but I will say if you come across this book READ it! I am an admin of a book group on facebook, and this will be one of my book recommendations to the members. Such a incredible story! 💕
Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed the first book, but unfortunately couldn't love it simply due to my own book types at the moment. And that has extended to this read.
The characters continue to be loveable, and the story definitely picked up in pace and interest. However, the style just isn't what I find myself drawn to at the moment so decided to DNF. This is not due in anyway to the actual book itself. It is beautifully written, and I can see this becoming many peoples love and comfort read. I just tend to enjoy darker storylines at this point in time.
I will definitely be returning to this in the future though and giving it another go!
This book hit the ground running from the first one! nothing was held back in this one. I loved the first one but I LOVED the second one! omgosh, the twists and turns the things you don't see coming, just wow! I can say i was pulled in and just couldn't stop reading. The story was fascinating, and so beautifully written. so much description. it felt like you were there going through the motions with them. this one was so emotional, but in the best kind of way. Loved loved loved!
I’m so happy to know what happens with my bbs Leon and Izadella 🥹 I knew they were just meant to be!
Sienna did not hold back when it came to the twists, turns, and betrayals in this duet. I did NOT see some of them coming. Poor Della, all she did was love and care for everyone only to be treated like a pawn.
I would love some more stories from this world. Especially with some of the side characters (ahem, Viella & Lillian). Or even a prequel with more details about the lore of the Forger. Just an idea 😘 this duet is fabulous as it is.
I would have given this book 5⭐️ but the pacing just didn’t hit with me. The first half of the book felt very drawn out while the second half seemed more rushed. But the vibes were vibingggggg ❤️
Absolutely incredible ending to an unforgettable story! This book is beautifully written, with a heartfelt romance between the main characters, just the right amount of emotional tension (enough to move you, but never overwhelming), unexpected plot twists, and a touch of magic that makes it truly special. It reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Tessonja Odette—if you enjoy her style, I can’t recommend this duology enough. I’ll definitely be reading it again. I loved every moment of it.
BABYYY this is how you do fantasy romance! This is also how you conclude a series! I’m just going to say the cliffhanger was worth it because the twist in book two are epic and make you root for them harder than we did in book 1. I just love how Sienna writes. You feel so apart of the story that the characters and their experiences come off the page. It’s just that good! I have loved this world. I said it in book 1 and I’ll say it again... Ellova I love ya!
The story really picked up in this book which had me flying through the beginning. This was one of those books/series where a little communication would have gone a long way in the most frustrating way. If you like that type of plot then this is a great read. I was getting so annoyed at all the inner dialogue just thinking to myself ‘say it out loud you fool!’ Haha. There were a few twists in this series that I guessed and a couple that actually surprised me! Overall an enjoyable read.
This was a wonderful conclusion to a beautifully written duet. I am sad to leave behind the characters and world as this is only a duet. The slow burn of the first book gives away to wonderful spice with twists and lies coming to light. Sienna's writing is wonderful and brings you into the world with your mind swirling with all the possible endings. This is truly a stunning must read duet.
I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this second instalment and I am so grateful I got to be!! This is such an amazing duet. It’s such an intense read and has a world built so beautifully, you don’t want to leave it.
It’s has my fave tropes, found family and betrayal and it’s just absolutely perfect!!
I loved The Crown of Ellova and was so excited for the completed duology. Captive Queen delivers on the romance, mystery, and magic of the first book while weaving in our favorite characters. If you are looking for a warm-hearted romantasy with stakes that don’t leave you stressed, read these books!
How could I not read book 2 after enjoying the first one so much. This did not disappoint. If you enjoy richly descriptive, whimsical worlds with a heavy focus on romance between two sweet main characters, then you will enjoy this book. The side characters were all too lovely! Haha Ohh and the spice was spicy without being too much. 😉🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
An absolutely wonderful ending to an AMAZING duology. The spice, the character development, the plot twists! All 10/10. I read this book in two days, I couldn’t keep it out of my hands. Thank you Sienna for a wonderful escape from reality.
I loved Crown of Ellova so I was not surprised that I loved Captive Queen too! The romance, the intrigue, THE REVEALS?? I am so here for all of it and this was the perfect wrap up to the story :D I absolutely cannot wait to see what Sienna does next!
This book was absolutely amazing. The love in this book was bursting at the seams. Every page read felt like I was part of the family and feeling every emotion written on the pages. Leon's betrayal had my jaw on the floor. Loved the fight and devotion of found family
An absolutely stunning conclusion to this series. I have been searching for a good romantasy series and could not be more happy that I was chosen to read it. I was given this book as an ARC reader and I 100% will be buying both of the books in this series to put on my shelf. An absolute must read!