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The Unbreakable Crown
The magic and adventure continue in the second book from the New York Times bestselling Feast and Famine series, as heirs of the two houses must survive the trials at a boarding school for demons if they are to return home to the land of Fauret.
Abundance Feast excels at throwing parties, assembling fashionable outfits, and being polite. Prophecies have always been for her sister, Merri, heir of House Feast. Besides, Bun doesn't know magic like her sister. So she's not prepared to be part of the Eternal Three, let alone trapped in the demon realm with Merri, Rue, Wort, and Sage.
Wort Erebos grew up in the woods with his father and little sister. Their life was magical in its own way, but their focus was on survival. In Demonspace, Wort discovers the Erebos family has a long heritage that his father has kept secret...but why? And at what cost? And how can Wort trust the very people who lied to him?
Merri and Rue are anxious to return home to their guardian duties in Fauret, but the pathway between realms is damaged. The only hope of returning is by gaining access to the ancient library at Tenebrun, the magical boarding school for the elite of this world. Merri and Rue spent their lives training for their guardianship duel. How will Bun and Wort survive these Tenebrun trials?
Abundance Feast excels at throwing parties, assembling fashionable outfits, and being polite. Prophecies have always been for her sister, Merri, heir of House Feast. Besides, Bun doesn't know magic like her sister. So she's not prepared to be part of the Eternal Three, let alone trapped in the demon realm with Merri, Rue, Wort, and Sage.
Wort Erebos grew up in the woods with his father and little sister. Their life was magical in its own way, but their focus was on survival. In Demonspace, Wort discovers the Erebos family has a long heritage that his father has kept secret...but why? And at what cost? And how can Wort trust the very people who lied to him?
Merri and Rue are anxious to return home to their guardian duties in Fauret, but the pathway between realms is damaged. The only hope of returning is by gaining access to the ancient library at Tenebrun, the magical boarding school for the elite of this world. Merri and Rue spent their lives training for their guardianship duel. How will Bun and Wort survive these Tenebrun trials?
- GenresFantasy
304 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I would recommend reading the first book before starting this one, but the characters in this book go on a fantastic adventure and need to figure out who they are in this new place. I'm excitedly waiting for book #3.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The first book of the Feast and Famine series, The Last Great Heir, follows Merriment "Merri" Feast and Rue Famine as they prepared for their impending duel to determine who will rule the entire realm of Fauret. The Unbreakable Crown picks up from that point but shifts the story to a new setting, Demonspace. The point of view also changes from Merri and Rue to Wort Erebos and Abundance "Bun" Feast, which initially took me a minute to adjust to. I found it easy to lose track of who the characters were and how they were connected. Therefore, I recommend starting with the first book in the series.
In The Unbreakable Crown, five young friends are brought to Demonspace in search of a satchel. Unfortunately, the bridge or Interstice that once connected their world to this one is now inoperable, leaving them stranded in this new land. Within Demonspace, Wort discovers that his family descends from a line of demon royals, a truth his father, Silas hid when he took Wort and his younger sister, Sage to the forests of Famine. There, Wort and Sage often went hungry, surviving only through the potions the land of Famine provided. Wort is angry and confused by this new revelation.
Bun Feast has always lived a life of luxury, filled with parties and fashionable outfits. Unlike her sisters, she has never learned to use magic. Merri, heir to House Feast, along with Bun and Rue, share the special bond of the Eternal Three. Through this connection, they can communicate with one another, and their united bond drives their determination to return to Fauret.
This second installment broadens the characters and introduces a magical school, Tenebrun, adding depth to the story's worldbuilding. Tenebrun is a school for demons, that Wort's Uncle, Nicol insists he attends to gain power. The school's purpose is to identify and shape future leaders. The head scholar, Sister Alerune declares that Wort belongs there because he is not human, a claim that infuriates him and goes against what he knows thus far. Sister Alerune decree's that Merri, Wort, Bun and Rue must all attend Tenebrun if they hope to have their wish to return to Fauret granted. Their only path home lies within the school's library on the eve of Silver Twilight, provided they can survive a series of trials and harness the magic needed to complete their wish.
At Tenebrun, the first trial goes to Wort and is a Trial of Fire. He meets Howie and Jax, both higher demons, as well as Cyrena, a lesser demon. His new friends seem more interested in his family's lineage than in Wort himself. Bun faces a Trial of Deception and meets Avery. Both Bun and Wort are placed among the Primes, an elite group within the school, while Merri and Rue become Seconds. Rue undergoes a Trial of Combat, using shadow and potion magic but sustains an injury. Merri, meanwhile, is faced with a solitary Trial of Fear. During her second trial, she is unfortunately signaled out by the Sister's and following an emotional outburst is taken to the Monument Garden, cursed with becoming a statue. At the same time, Sage has gone missing and is believed to be held in the Nyx Sister's Tower.
The Unbreakable Crown feels similar to the Harry Potter series meets The Iron Trial (Magisterium series) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare and The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. Tenebrun is a magical school which specializes in Chaos, Bibliomancy and Charm's. It has the feel of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yet doesn't emphasize the individual classes that the children take as much. There are also children who are unfamiliar with their ability to wield magic and even floating, talking crowns that are part of a prophecy promising great power. While somethings felt similar, others made the worldbuilding stand out. Although the ending itself felt abrupt, I really enjoyed the direction the story was taking. Both Bun and Wort continue to grow in their abilities and confidence. I'm eager to see whose perspectives the next book will follow and whether the friends will ultimately find their way back home.
In The Unbreakable Crown, five young friends are brought to Demonspace in search of a satchel. Unfortunately, the bridge or Interstice that once connected their world to this one is now inoperable, leaving them stranded in this new land. Within Demonspace, Wort discovers that his family descends from a line of demon royals, a truth his father, Silas hid when he took Wort and his younger sister, Sage to the forests of Famine. There, Wort and Sage often went hungry, surviving only through the potions the land of Famine provided. Wort is angry and confused by this new revelation.
Bun Feast has always lived a life of luxury, filled with parties and fashionable outfits. Unlike her sisters, she has never learned to use magic. Merri, heir to House Feast, along with Bun and Rue, share the special bond of the Eternal Three. Through this connection, they can communicate with one another, and their united bond drives their determination to return to Fauret.
This second installment broadens the characters and introduces a magical school, Tenebrun, adding depth to the story's worldbuilding. Tenebrun is a school for demons, that Wort's Uncle, Nicol insists he attends to gain power. The school's purpose is to identify and shape future leaders. The head scholar, Sister Alerune declares that Wort belongs there because he is not human, a claim that infuriates him and goes against what he knows thus far. Sister Alerune decree's that Merri, Wort, Bun and Rue must all attend Tenebrun if they hope to have their wish to return to Fauret granted. Their only path home lies within the school's library on the eve of Silver Twilight, provided they can survive a series of trials and harness the magic needed to complete their wish.
At Tenebrun, the first trial goes to Wort and is a Trial of Fire. He meets Howie and Jax, both higher demons, as well as Cyrena, a lesser demon. His new friends seem more interested in his family's lineage than in Wort himself. Bun faces a Trial of Deception and meets Avery. Both Bun and Wort are placed among the Primes, an elite group within the school, while Merri and Rue become Seconds. Rue undergoes a Trial of Combat, using shadow and potion magic but sustains an injury. Merri, meanwhile, is faced with a solitary Trial of Fear. During her second trial, she is unfortunately signaled out by the Sister's and following an emotional outburst is taken to the Monument Garden, cursed with becoming a statue. At the same time, Sage has gone missing and is believed to be held in the Nyx Sister's Tower.
The Unbreakable Crown feels similar to the Harry Potter series meets The Iron Trial (Magisterium series) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare and The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. Tenebrun is a magical school which specializes in Chaos, Bibliomancy and Charm's. It has the feel of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yet doesn't emphasize the individual classes that the children take as much. There are also children who are unfamiliar with their ability to wield magic and even floating, talking crowns that are part of a prophecy promising great power. While somethings felt similar, others made the worldbuilding stand out. Although the ending itself felt abrupt, I really enjoyed the direction the story was taking. Both Bun and Wort continue to grow in their abilities and confidence. I'm eager to see whose perspectives the next book will follow and whether the friends will ultimately find their way back home.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Unbreakable Crown builds on the strengths of The Last Great Heir, with rich characterizations and an imaginative new setting in Demonspace. The narrative is told from the perspectives of Bun and Wort, rather than Rue and Merri. The sequel picks up the theme of bridging prejudice from the first book, to some extent, though focused on human–demon prejudice, rather than Feast–Famine prejudice. But, the primary theme is of self-discovery: Bun is learning that there is more to her than etiquette and social excellence, and Wort is coming to terms with his half-demon heritage that his father has been keeping from him for all these years. Both must decide how to handle the seductive allure of power and the ways it wants to (re)shape each of them.
As much as I did enjoy the Bun/Wort perspectives, I did find myself missing Merri’s voice (Rue was at least present and active in scenes relayed by Bun and Wort), particularly as Merri was withdrawing and turning in on herself. Something was clearly not right with my friend Merri, and it pained me not to know what was happening! But, this did feel entirely appropriate to the narrative, as it gave the reader a taste of what Bun herself must feel as her sister is drifting out of her reach.
The ending was, unfortunately, rather abrupt; and while it did relate thematically to Bun and Wort’s self-discovery, it didn’t really address the originally stated goal of the novel (protect friends, get back to Fauret), possibly leaving readers a bit unsatisfied. The novel sits decidedly in the middle of a series.
Despite wanting a slightly stronger ending, I was delighted by this second volume in Finn’s Feast and Famine series, and I eagerly await the next!
Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
As much as I did enjoy the Bun/Wort perspectives, I did find myself missing Merri’s voice (Rue was at least present and active in scenes relayed by Bun and Wort), particularly as Merri was withdrawing and turning in on herself. Something was clearly not right with my friend Merri, and it pained me not to know what was happening! But, this did feel entirely appropriate to the narrative, as it gave the reader a taste of what Bun herself must feel as her sister is drifting out of her reach.
The ending was, unfortunately, rather abrupt; and while it did relate thematically to Bun and Wort’s self-discovery, it didn’t really address the originally stated goal of the novel (protect friends, get back to Fauret), possibly leaving readers a bit unsatisfied. The novel sits decidedly in the middle of a series.
Despite wanting a slightly stronger ending, I was delighted by this second volume in Finn’s Feast and Famine series, and I eagerly await the next!
Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
October 13, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
So it took me a minute to catch up to what was going on in The Unbreakable Crown because I didn't remember what happened in The Last Great Heir, but once I figured out the major plot points I was ready to go. In this sequel, the majority of the chapters alternate between Bun and Wort's POVs, and Merri Feast really ends up taking a backseat for the entire plot. I spent most of the time reading feeling sorry for Merri (while also frustrated that Finn doesn't ever fully clue reader's in to what's going on with this character) and missing Rue Famine's voice - though Rue does get some truly amazing moments.
I enjoyed Tenebrun and the trials the students had to face to advance in their educations, I thought Avery and Cyrena were interesting new characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next given that it ended with some pretty high stakes being mentioned.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
So it took me a minute to catch up to what was going on in The Unbreakable Crown because I didn't remember what happened in The Last Great Heir, but once I figured out the major plot points I was ready to go. In this sequel, the majority of the chapters alternate between Bun and Wort's POVs, and Merri Feast really ends up taking a backseat for the entire plot. I spent most of the time reading feeling sorry for Merri (while also frustrated that Finn doesn't ever fully clue reader's in to what's going on with this character) and missing Rue Famine's voice - though Rue does get some truly amazing moments.
I enjoyed Tenebrun and the trials the students had to face to advance in their educations, I thought Avery and Cyrena were interesting new characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next given that it ended with some pretty high stakes being mentioned.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
👑Fantasy
📖Ages 10+
🫶Friendship
📚Trials
Thr 2nd book in what appears to be at least a 3 book series. Read in order.
Merri, Rue, Bun and Wort must get back to Fauret. Because of damage between realms they have to attend a newly introduced place, the magical boarding school. The must go through trials and gain access to the ancient library at Tenebrun.
A great read for young fantasy readers and a nice continuation from the first book.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
👑Fantasy
📖Ages 10+
🫶Friendship
📚Trials
Thr 2nd book in what appears to be at least a 3 book series. Read in order.
Merri, Rue, Bun and Wort must get back to Fauret. Because of damage between realms they have to attend a newly introduced place, the magical boarding school. The must go through trials and gain access to the ancient library at Tenebrun.
A great read for young fantasy readers and a nice continuation from the first book.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews