The Protection of Ren Crown

Ren Crown #2

by Anne Zoelle

Barely surviving her first term at college, all Ren wants to do over break is relax and bond with her roommate—not get eaten by a sentient building or attacked on the street. But with increasingly open warfare brewing between the magical factions and Layers of the world, this time, Ren will not fail in making sure everyone she loves stays safe and protected.

That includes doing things like filling her parent's house with personal art heavily embedded with wards, bubble-wrapping her increasingly imperiled roommate, and even making sure that a certain sexy thorn-in-her-side continues to breathe free air.

Finding herself on duty protecting the entire university alongside campus god Alexander Dare...was not what she'd had in mind.

But this time it's not only her life on the line. And Ren will do anything to protect those she loves.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult, Found Family, Science Fiction Fantasy, Humor, Friendship

597 pages, ebook

First published May 9, 2014

Reviews

[☂️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

the ending of this book was insane and completely solidified that i love ren/constantine as a ship and also that i would die for ren crown and olivia price. i hope my thoughts come out coherent.

HERE WE GO.

ren is genuinely one of my favorite characters ever. god, i love her SO much. she is so capable and strong and loving and determined and loyal and courageous and reckless and powerful and self-sacrificing and pure. from the first scene in the library, you can see how much see how much she is willing to give up in order to protect those who matter to her. this whole book is, after all, about the protection of ren crown. her protection comes with no strings attached. it comes only with love and fierce loyalty.

on another hand, there is a dark side to ren. she is willing to do ANYTHING for the people she loves. the consequences do no matter. one of my favorite quotes was, "What was the point of being the monster under the bed, if I couldn't use the monster's power?" i think that's what makes her so complex. i am truly so, so infatuated with ren.

now... does anyone else ship ren and constantine? because i'm not going to lie, despite how... messy it can be, I find myself drawn to this ship. that is not to say i hate ren and alexander although i don't particularly like them, but i definitely prefer con and ren. is that just me? their dynamic is by far the most interesting relationship in the book from their creative genius to how he values her above everyone else (that is to say, as much as constantine can value a person at all). i won't deny it's obvious he is drawn to her because of her power but i do think it goes beyond just that. there's more there. if there weren't, he wouldn't have acted in the manner he did at the end of the book.

ren continuously refers to her and constantine as "business partners" but everyone else can clearly see it's more than that, even if she can't.

examples:

will tasky:

Will's attention focused on me.

“I don't know of a single person he calls a friend. Except maybe you, Ren. He gave you that item last term to help us downgrade our offense level when we were going to do the secret ritual—and you hadn’t even asked for his help. That was insanely unusual.”

Everyone was looking at me, and I could feel Olivia's pointed thoughts about my stupidity in trusting Constantine with anything like friendship. “He felt he owed me. Constantine is very business oriented. He pays debts promptly.”

Will's gaze was piercing. “And coming to the non-magical layer to give you a present on your birthday?”

“Hubris?”

Will grinned.

nephthys bau:

“Leandred trusts no one, but he obviously treats Ren differently,” Neph said soothingly.

olivia price:

“I'll do it,” a new, but familiar voice said.

Everyone spun to see Constantine casually leaning with his back against a tree at the edge of the swamp.

“What are you doing here?” Olivia demanded. Then her gaze swung to me. “No, I know what he is doing here.”

alexander dare:

He grimaced. “It's none of my business. That is exceptionally true. And you aren't Leandred's normal type of visitor. He never, and I do mean never, lets anyone into his workroom, but he's...”

my point being that ren and constantine are most definitely friends -- and honestly, more. they have incredible build-up and development. constantine doesn't show a semblance of care for anyone except for ren. he worries about her often and is willing to protect her despite what it might cost him... and ren shows him a kindness that no one else will even consider affording him. she knows there's more to him than meets the eye and actively seeks it out and believes in him.

can we talk about how he nearly died protecting her even though it meant going against the plan he'd been putting into action for ages? can we talk about how she could have chosen to hate him after his betrayal, but instead made it clear she was willing to hear him out? can we talk about the relief that filled him knowing that their relationship was repairable -- that he hadn't lost her? can we talk about she gave him a nickname when no one else cares enough to even look beyond his image? can we talk about how she sees the best in him when others see the worst? can we talk about how she is the only person to have ever been in his workroom and that she's been there hundreds of times? can we talk about how godfrey makes it clear that con cares about no one (except his hate for alexander) yet here is ren, a person he clearly cares about? can we talk about the fact she is the mage on campus with the most power on him? can we talk about the fact that she's his weakness and that he would do anything for her? wow... i'm shook. PLEASE tell me there are other people that ship this too!

onto less interesting things. ren and alexander. their first interactions in this book were amusing, only because ren is so silly and awkward and flustered. it honestly endeared her even more to me. i absolutely adore her rambling. when she dropped the paper... i was DYING. poor ren honestly. i sincerely hope alexander found her as endearing as i did in that scene. (between you and me, he better have or I will literally fight him on ren's behalf.) (i'm completely rooting for constantine though.)

like olivia, i am doubtful about his intentions. for the most part i do think they work well together. the problem with this relationship though is that ren clearly hero-worships him and this puts into place a power imbalance. she constantly feels this need to impress him and be good enough for him and while right now, it's okay (although i don't like it at ALL), in an actual romantic relationship, this would incredibly unhealthy and if he were to ever exploit it, it would become abusive. i don't doubt that he would or could, especially given his superiority complex. also, he's slightly stalker-ish and it's... uncomfortable to say the least.

i also don't like the scene in his room where he slut-shames her/constantine. upon assuming she intends to sleep with constantine, he expresses "extreme disappointment" which frankly -- WHO IS HE, thinking he has the right to be disappointed in her? if she chooses to spend her time with someone, albeit with the intention of having sex or not, that has nothing to do with him and sure as hell doesn't entitle him to make judgements about ren's sex life. mind your business, buddy.

side note: i said in my last review that i had a theory that constantine and alexander were roommates. naturally, they are.

on the topic of spoilers, the line "Make no mistake, anything a Dare does is plotted meticulously," worries me a lot. given olivia's worries, i'm inclined to believe that the dares do plot meticulously - like perhaps having their son befriend the world's only origin mage and getting her to trust him so later on, they can use her only spurred on by the fact she has a crush on him and he can use it to manipulate her. she certainly admires him enough to allow him to do such a thing... this entire relationship is a huge YIKES to me.

also: THEORY TIME. the firework core that alexander gave ren...? what if he didn't give it to her at all? while in canon, we are supposed to assume he gave it to her, let's reject canon for a moment and i'll explain why i think someone else *cough* constantine *cough* gave it to her instead.

to put this into perspective: between chapter 3 and chapter 13, ren and constantine do not interact. she receives the firework core in chapter 12. chapter 3 is after constantine does the Most and pushes him and ren into an uncomfortable situation where he more or less risks losing ren. he wheedles his way into using the leech and this leaves them at an impasse. however, in chapter 13, it's clear that constantine has been worried/anxious about this situation and that he clearly felt bad and was unsure. he was also worried about whether ren would forgive him because it scares him that she might not. at this point, he's struggling with the feelings he feels for her and balancing his revenge at the same time, so overall undergoing a lot of emotional turmoil.

in chapter 3, this occurs:

“I'm not going to hurt her.” Constantine's words were clipped, as if he didn't want to admit them.

constantine is having a difficult time admitting, even to himself, that he wouldn't hurt ren--that he cares about her more than he's cared about anyone in ages.

in chapter 13, this occurs:

The door opened as my knuckles hit the third time and the movement pulled my hand forward.

“Crown.” His customary seductive smile was in place, but the confidence that usually underscored his direct gaze was tempered, as if he thought he needed to monitor what he said to me. The expressions in his eyes and smiles rarely matched, but the caution I sensed in him, was something new. “Something you need?” he asked smoothly.

(...)

I wondered if he really had been standing on the other side of the door for the past two minutes, wondering if I would knock. With all of the other indications, that was entirely possible.

I looked down. The violet and bronze threads that spanned the space between our elbows pulsed with guarded, yet hungry, bursts. The feeling in them was so similar to Olivia’s.

My shoulders drooped with remorse. “I'm sorry it took me so long to visit. Can we talk?”

His expression grew less readable, but the threads gave a jolt and he opened the door fully.

(...)

“Con, I—” I swallowed, suddenly unable to get the words out. His black ribbon went as still as his body. “I need to know about the leech.”

His ribbon stayed still. “A trick-worthy line of questioning finally, even if the trick is emotional extortion.” His tone was considering, but his body positioning was not."

as evident in the scene above, he feels guarded and he feels like he needs to monitor himself around her. he literally waits behind the door for her to knock, not knowing if she will but hoping anyways. the second she makes it clear she isn't here to end their friendship/cut ties with him, he relaxes and feels more at ease. from their threads, she's able to see how he really feels around her. furthermore, the ribbon as well (which constantine uses as a safety blanket in a lot of ways as well as an indicator of his feelings) and how it goes still. what's more is that the scene the ribbon stills is when when ren chokes up thinking about the leech--constantine literally freezes up and then refers to what ren is doing as "emotional extortion" because ren being upset does affect him because he cares about her more than he planned for and he thinks she knows that (even though she doesn't). this undoubtedly means his feelings are complicated and he's having a tough time and like i said before, he's also scared that she won't forgive him.

what i'm trying to say here is that between chapters 3 and 13, constantine is very vulnerable in regards to his feelings towards ren and he seeks forgiveness but doesn't know how to go about receiving it. he would never be able verbally tell her that he was sorry (at this point in their relationship, at least) and he wouldn't WANT to deal with the repercussions of directly dealing with it. he also has a history of not apologizing with words but with actions, as it is less confrontational.

now, let's consider the fact constantine KNOWS that christian, ren's brother, is dead. he was there for the entirety of the ren's fall term where she attempted to revive christian. also consider that he was invited to ren's birthday party (her first birthday party without christian) and saw ren that night when she herself was extra sensitive to her loss. given his ability to read surface thoughts (as well as the fact they have connection threads between them that can be used both ways), he undoubtedly knew how much she's missed christian and how much it affects her on a daily basis and how deeply upset she is about his death.

pairing that with the fact that constantine wants forgiveness but isn't willing to directly confront her, what would be a way to appease the darkest parts of his mind that insist he do something to gain ren's forgiveness, or at least to make it up to her? perhaps, sending her an anonymous gift?

in chapter 12, when ren receives the gift, this is what occurs:

Beneath the brown paper was a wooden box containing a glass orb. Gold and white light drifted inside the orb like gentle lightning trapped in a container. My fingertips stroked it automatically. It was beautiful.

Olivia's arms uncrossed as she stepped nearer, seemingly drawn to it as well. “A lightning blast. A very expensive one.”

She must have read my blank expression, because she continued. “A firework core. For the Lightning Festival. Haven't you heard anyone talk about it?”

Something vague tugged at my memory, but I had been pretty busy thinking about other things in the past few days. “Maybe?”

“We were supposed to be in the First Layer tonight with your parents.” Her gaze turned slightly wistful. “I guess I hadn't given it much thought what we'd do in the First Layer on the eve of the new year. But here the eve is used as the night to remember and reflect upon the past year.” Her voice softened. “To remember those you've lost.”

(...)

She nodded, still looking at the swirling lightning. “This is a very fine core. Craftsman grade. Expensive.” She set the firework back in my hand. “And it is made to be personalized. We are stuck here for another three hours and I can see your brain is starting to seep from your ears. Look up enchantments on your reader. You can put as little or as much of yourself into the firework as you wish.”

“Do you know who sent it?”

Her eyes narrowed and she picked up the wooden box, turning it in her hand. “No. Didn't it say?”

I shook my head. The list of people who knew I had lost someone was short, though, and didn't require anonymity. My thoughts must have been obvious, because Olivia regarded the firework even more closely.

(...)

Olivia shook her head, lips pinched. “Someone took pains to remain anonymous. Not very like Verisetti, I think. If he sent it, though, then he truly means no harm by it. Not even of the emotional kind.”

so a very ~expensive, very ~anonymous lightning blast that is used for remembrance of those lost arrives at ren's dorm after her and constantine have a fight... and the only people who knows about christian's death are olivia, neph, will, delia, mike, constantine and alexander. the first five have no reason to send an anonymous gift. at this point in the book, yes, alexander knows ren lost someone because of the chapter before BUT he's only been either hostile to her (outright glaring, being rude, etc.) or blatantly annoyed with her thus far. so why in the world would he send this random girl who irritates him this gift? especially given the type of person he is (emotionally detached), it doesn't fit in with his character that he would give strangers who annoy him random, expensive, anonymous gifts.

considering the reasoning above, it would make the most sense that constantine, feeling bad for the whole ordeal of what occurred on ren's birthday and also knowing how much christian means to ren, would send the firework core, especially since he's realizing he genuinely cares about her. not to mention, him never taking credit for it also fits in with his character.

in chapter 30, this happens:

[Dare] said nothing.

“You heard me talking to the book in the library about not letting anyone else die,” I said just as absently, stitching past events together in my mind. “I received the firework the next morning. You sent the firework to me.”

Even irritated with me for hitting him with the search spell, and for using an avoidance spell against him, he'd sent something anonymously to offer help. I stared into ultramarine eyes and swallowed heavily. This boy was always giving me a last, priceless moment, patching me up, unaware that the wounds he was healing went deeper than skin.

He didn't acknowledge the gifting of the firework verbally, but I could see my guess was right.

even though alexander doesn't CONFIRM he sent the lightning blast/firework, ren automatically assumes it was him (despite the fact she listed all the reasons it couldn't possibly be him). now, let's say alexander is aware that constantine sent it anonymously (which he could be, given they're roommates) -- then he KNOWS constantine will never take credit for it, so if ren wants to assume the incorrect thing and think alexander did something good for her... and constantine would never tell ren otherwise... why not let ren think that? it makes perfect sense.

tl;dr: constantine sent ren the firework core.

THEORY DONE. boom!



anyways,

i love olivia and her fierce friendship with ren. i relate to olivia more than i originally anticipated and it made me very, very happy that ren was there to be the friend she needed and deserved. from the beginning when olivia is clearly unused to ren's notions of friendships but trying to acclimate and make it work to her choosing to stay with ren in the beginning, even when it might have put her in danger. we see olivia go through many trials and tribulations in the book, learning to let ren (and others) into her life and learning to accept help and learning what friendship and family truly is. the end of the book was intense as i've already said, but what olivia did... she's amazing and i'm so glad her and ren have each other. in my honest opinion, ren/olivia is the central relationship of this series.

frankly, ren is the best friend on the planet. she stretches herself thin for her friends time and time again and i think that's why her friends are as loyal to her as they are. even the people who make friends with no one else can't help but be drawn to ren because of the effort she puts in her friendships and into making them last.

i also loved will, neph, mike, delia, trick and saf. i love ALL of ren's friends to be honest. they are all pure and lovely.

i know i talked at length about constantine earlier but i want to say that aside from ren, he is my favorite character in this series so far (although olivia is a close third). there are so many dimensions to him and i want to know so much more. i hope the series continues to deliver in that aspect. i'm always drawn to messy characters to stan with tragic backstories and that's undeniably why i love con. he really shocked me in the end MULTIPLE times - it gave me whiplash but in a good way. to be honest, every action he took shocked me, right up to the very end. he is incredibly multi-faceted and his slow development is incredibly captivating. knowing his true motivations causes a lot of things to make sense and i think helps him appeal to me even more because as far as motivations go, that's a good one and one ren can most definitely ally herself with, since they coincide to an extent.

another thing: the politics in this world are almost too relatable to what's currently happening in american politics today. when mike and bella were arguing over refugees and terrorists and feral mages, i was honestly overwhelmed and surprised at how much it overlapped with our current politics. the scene made me respect mike a million times more.

the entire ending had me in a whirlwind of emotions and i'm almost incoherent from the events that just took place. i plan to start the next book as soon as possible. i now own the physical copies and they're beautiful and i'm very excited to keep reading.

5/5 for sure.

[Ornella · Rating 5 out of 5]

21/10/23 / Loooooove

9/10/17 - Screw it. It's totally 5 starts now. That ending is fantastic.

6/7/14 - 4.5 Stars Definitely. And yes I reread it already :P

3/6/14 - 4.5 Stars?

I'm not sure yet. All I can think about is Constantine! I don't know if to love him or hit him over the head with a blunt object.

Constantine opened the door as I approached, then tsked as soon as he closed the door behind me. "You destroyed it. Darling, you really must stop getting rid of such useful devices."

"Constantine, it did horrible things to her."

He smiled. "I know."

Constantine is such a fascinating character. He is brilliant, hot, a man-slut, devious, manipulative, goes after what he wants with no regards towards other people and yet he still can't help but care for Ren.

"I am merely bestowing an offering to my favorite. One that would gain me an article in the Journal of Scientific Magic and get us both imprisoned."

He is obviously not trustworthy, but he is too useful to not have him on your side, or as much as you can have someone like him on your side. But even after everything that Constantine has done, Ren still considers him her friend. She won't give up on him.

I liked how Olivia's character started getting some more growth and depth here. She is finally thawing a bit and embracing the friendship that Ren is offering her, because once Ren considers you hers, she'd do anything for them, and that is both one of her greatest strengths and weaknesses.

And watching someone who was so deadly revive a plant was a little like looking at a calendar of hot Marines holding kittens.

There was a bit more romance here, very light, but it was so sweet and funny watching Ren getting accustomed to Alexander Dare. She would just stutter and ramble in his presence till she finally started seeing him more as a friend and got herself under control.

"Business?" His tone implied exactly what he thought any business with Constantine might be. Extreme disappointment laced it.

"Not that kind," I said, flustered. "The kind with favors. Business favors." Hi, I'm a hooker! "Legal ones! Well, not legal, but not prostitution! I mean, the kind of favors that you exchange with business partners.
...

He was studying the paths, though, his expression unreadable again. "He lets you in his workroom."

"There's no bed in there!" I clamped my lips together and shut my eyes. "You know what...? No. I don't have to defend myself."

And that's why I loved Ren. I adore these books, but I'm not gonna lie, after so long between books the complicated magic system hit me right between the eyes and I was left seeing stars for a good chunk at the start. But it was totally worth it. And that ending?! What a clusterfuck that was. Can't wait for the next one! :)

“Two months to go or not, Axer Dare was still seventeen last year,” Delia said. “Against all the twenty-one- and twenty-two-year-olds. A very big deal. Hot.” She winked at me.

I could see him warming up on the field. Five seconds of staring pulled his image closer, as if he stood only five feet away. I panicked, looking to my left and right.

Neph cocked her head at me, her gaze questioning.

“Can anyone see what I see?” I whispered.

“No, it is all individual.”

Thank God. I took a deep breath, then watched to my heart's content. I watched him do a particularly complicated maneuver and thought how nice it would be to see it again in slow motion, when suddenly up popped an instant replay with four different angles to swap between. That explained the eye and hand motions in the crowd. I gave the magic a whirl, swapping images and angles. Wow. There were some nice body angle options. I was coming to these events as often as possible from now on.

[Sara XuHerondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is like the only thing keeping me going in the moment, I'm so obsessed. Even though I spent more time yapping and theorizing about the plot and the characters with my friend than reading, it just shows how thoroughly I'm enjoying it. I ADORE these characters, I can't even pick a favorite, and some of them are simply TOO hot. I loved them all from the first book too, but they just keep more and more growing on me (even Dare, who is sus af). Can't wait for the next books to send me into an early comma, I've been told it's only gonna get crazier from now on.

[lyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was all about renlivia that is IT aka one of the best f/f friendships to ever exist

[Elizabeth Saltmarsh Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reached the end of this book and thought, "When can I read the next one?" Thankfully, in this case, the thought was less due to a cliff-hanger ending and more because I want to see how this series keeps developing. Don't get me wrong - there's plenty of ends that have been left unresolved, but the same was true of the first book in this series and I felt that was a strength. In both cases, there's narrative room to build on.
The work Zoelle started in Book 1 of world building was continued here, although the focus appropriately shifted more heavily towards character and plot. We continue to learn details about the world of Excelsine and the Layer system which were left vague in the first book, but this is often used as a means of building relationships between Ren and others. The list of people whom she trusts grows, and some of this trust is shown through her increased willingness to reveal (dangerous) information about her newness to the world of magic.
My favorite aspect of this book was the introduction of Alexander Dare as a character rather than a constant source of embarrassment for Ren. I like him, I like his sense of humor, and overall think he's worthy as a male lead. The other characters in Ren's circle of friends from the first book are also fleshed out, with the notable exception of Will who had to take a bit of a back seat to allow other narrative elements to shine through. This is understandable but I hope we see more of him or see him take a larger role going forward.
As far as "second novel syndrome" (my term), I was glad to see that this book didn't feel like a placeholder for the events of the grand finale. This may be partly due to the fact that the planned series is four books, but regardless, it was refreshing to have a story the felt self-contained even as it feeds into a larger overarching plot. Now I just have to wait a year or two to see where it goes next.

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really starting to love these books, this one was a lot better than the first. The best parts of these books is hands down the relationships, and Olivia and Ren's is what makes me like these books so much.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ship Renstantine. :-D

[Navdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaahhh this book is such a delightful read! There is lots of action, great character developments, some pretty important reveals and overall 400+ pages of awesomeness and magical ka-pow. The pacing is pretty good. The book starts and ends with a bang..and the middle is full of Ren growing her friend circle at Excelsine, trying to free herself of Raphael, working with Con and Will on more crazy inventions, getting to know Dare better and being adorably dorky and brilliant at the same time (oh and simultaneously trying to save the Second Layer from the increasing threat of Verisetti and other Third Layer terrorists. Talk about being busy..wheww!)

Let me first talk about the character development for some of the characters in this book. After finishing book 1, I wasn't sure why or when I had developed a soft spot for Olivia but while re-reading book 2, it all came back to me. We see Olivia's character come to realize what families and friends could mean to each other. She tries to maintain her distance from Ren but fails miserably and ends up getting reeled into Ren's close-knit circle of "friends-to-die-for".

Besides Olivia, we also get to see a lot more of Dare. You know how authors like to make some male MC's to be this exceptionally, absurdly perfect guy? Well, Dare isn't quite that perfect but in Ren's eyes, he definitely is the all-knowing, incredibly gorgeous, extremely dangerous and kind guy that she knows she doesn't stand a chance with but can't help falling for. However in this book, we see her getting to know him more as a person instead of just someone who saved her life and gave her the last few moments with her brother. And at the same time, Dare also gets to know Ren. He sneakily lets Ren know that he knows. I think he does respect and admire her in his own way but it's Dare and I think even after all that, his end goal is something that would end up sacrificing Ren for his family or himself.

As for my favorite person (other than Ren) in this series: Constantine Leandred. He is the epitome of what authors want their dark, hot, gorgeous bad boy to be. He is so wonderfully brilliant, devious, and dedicated to Ren that it just makes my heart swell with so much love for him and Ren that the thought of them not having a happy ever after makes me anxious, resigned and depressed. All at once! I love his relationship with Ren. I love how he treats her so differently than everyone else. I love how they work together in his workshop. I love how Ren doesn't ever give up on him. I love how she keeps on believing in him and defending him from all her friends. *sigh* My poor heart..

As for the other characters (some new, others old): Can I just say that I ADORE them all?? Will & Neph are as fantastic as ever. Mike is GREAT! Trick and Saf are hilarious and Delia is freaking cool. I just want to give them all a big hug and not let them go.

Now, moving on to the actual plot and the ending. I think the story progressed really well. We see Ren trying to acclimate to the fact that Christian has found his peace and that she has to start living without him now. She keeps trying her best to protect her family and friends. It's so heart-warming to read Ren trying to protect everyone in her life because she couldn't protect her brother. She keeps on giving and giving without any strings attached. She is so naive in some matters, yet so smart, observant and quick in others. I loved how she made Olivia a member of the Delinquent Club. I loved how she made awakening level paint with Con. I really liked the fact that some important questions about Raphael's hooks and how he used Ren's magic were answered. Con's motives were also laid bare and even though Dare's motives about Ren are still shady and glossed over (even now.. AFTER 4 freaking books *grumbles*), I'm hoping that they will be answered in the final installment.

Anyhoo, to wrap up, here's a list of some of my favorite scenes:
- The library scene in the beginning
- Ren trying to tell Dare about her mixed algorithm spell
- The lighting festival (dem feeelzzzz)
- Ren making the caterpillar protection egg for Olivia
- All of Guard Rock and Guard Friend scenes!!!
- Dare sneakily handing Kinsky papers to Ren to draw on
- Will, Con and Ren working together <3
- Ren finding out that Dare and Con were roommates
- Con protecting Ren in the end
- Actually, all of Ch. 34

Glorious rating of 4.5 stars!

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

... that showed me the secrets of the universe for a single moment in time. So tantalizing and frustrating. So perfectly you”

This book was even better than the first one and wow, I'm honestly so amazed.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning.

Ren met so many new people and made both friends and enemies. I absolutely loved Olivia in this book, she's fierce, dependent and loyal.

Moving on, we got to see Alexander Dare actually smiling and being friendly/nice, I wasn't ready.

And Constantine, my God, I love him so much. Every thing he does amazes me and I realise that I'm being biased here because he's one of my favourite characters.

The last few chapters were chaotic and I loved every second of it. We also got to witnessjust how much Constantine cares about Ren and now I can't wait to read the third book!

[sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because there was too much dare but otherwise holy shit this book was so good!!!!

[Eri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 4/2/18

I honestly forgot how much I loved Constantine, one of my fave fictional boys ever. Also lol throwback to naive me who didn't see how manipulative Dare can be. Dare and Con are still the most interesting characters for me though, despite feeling mixed towards Dare as a person, and the roommate scene made me laugh.


I have no words for the massively good vibes I got from reading this like the elation I get from reading about my favorite characters is powerful.

Constantine and Dare are the best characters and I love reading about them so much. Also Olivia rocks and is brilliant and Ren couldn't have a better support team.

Plot-wise, infinitely better than the jarring parts of the first book and more fun stuff to come.

[Navdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read review
I had planned on writing the review for this as soon as I finished it but then I started re-reading The Rise of Ren Crown and now I'm too invested in it to take a break and gather my thoughts for this. But I will write a review because there are many things I want to say.
---------------------------------------------
That was one magical ending..with a lot of magical ka-boom! Now how long do I have to wait for the next one?

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so even though I have the first book 5 stars and this one also 5 stars, this one like blows the first book out of the water. which i didn't think was possible.

Anyways, this continues with the amazing magic stuff, but now the pacing is rapid fire and the friendships are deeper than ever and ugh oh my god so much shippable material in this one.

Things I really loved:
-The library of alexandria!! The fact that it tries to eat knowledge from the mages!! This is just another one of the cool whacky things that Zoelle throws in on every single page.
-The time spent in the midlands w Dare!
-AXER DARE. i love him and ship him and ren with every fiber of my soul
-constantine!! dont really like him but also somehow love him, loved how he sorta betrayed ren
-ren's character is wonderful because despite her being a very kind, brilliant protag she has real flaws like trusting too easily to the point of stupidity. i like that she isn't perfect

[Sarah ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have no words to express my love for this series

[lu (taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

to celebrate alexander's dare victory? I'd rather die HISTORY WAS MADE LIVES WERE CHANGED, ETCETC

"con, you told them about my weakness?"
he looked me straight in the eye "yes" SHAKING CRYING THROWING UP SUENA TRAITOR DE FONDO

olivia mi pupi te amo

constantine, alexander and ren: LET ME SHOW U POWER

[maru · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS HOW YOU CONTINUE A SERIES!!!! THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE FANTASY!!
Olivia price my beloved i love her with my entire heart

[n&#x1faf6;&#x1f3fd; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I love the characters (Constantine especially), I love that the world building is well thought out (even if the complexity is confusing), and I love how long these books are. Seriously, I even wish they were 500 pages longer.

A lot of the things I didn't like about the first book were improved on. There was more character interaction, development, and dialogue. We also get a better understanding of Ren's personality because she's not as insane or confused as she was in the last book. She's incredibly loyal to all her friends, and in a way that seems completely genuine and not contrived. What I love most about her is that no matter what Constantine does, she gives him the benefit of the doubt and stays his friend.

Constantine is amazing.

I also like the romance. The practically non-existent romance. Because it's so easy to find romance in fantasy books, but it's rare when the main character has completely platonic relationships with guys, and the best romance is built on friendship. It actually wouldn't have bothered me if there was a little more. Ren did have a crush on Dare, but it was more so a crush on the untouchable, badass image of him coupled with the memory of what he did for her the night of Christian's death. And that eventually morphed into friendship, although there are still faint hints at building feelings there.

I also like how the author takes her time storytelling. She doesn't rush through anything. She slowly reveals the story, layer by layer, so much that you can tell she put a lot of thought into it. The world building is seriously incredible. Complex and confusing, yes, but incredible. Anyone who puts that much effort into a book deserves some props.

The book spreads out on 500+ pages because of the way she writes. But nothing is actually SLOW and nothing drags-- everything is revealed in its time. We don't know any character within the first two interactions and we don't know what's going on at first, but that's realistic. No one knows everything about a person as soon as they meet. Also, another thing, no one makes friends as fast as people do in books, but this book doesn't have the cheesy introductions and instant friends thing going on. It takes time to really get to know them and for them to be established as Ren's friend and then things move on.

I'd love to talk about Constantine some more but I'm in desperate need of sleep so I can read the next book asap.

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. The only issue I had was the length to action ratio. The book was very long but not action packed until the very end! Don’t get me wrong I love life on campus and the build up of relationships, but a lot of the time there was nothing interesting going on.

I’m annoyed with myself because I would get lost or not understand certain parts of the book with the whimsical magic. I really really love magic and just wanted to catch up already but always felt like I was behind. Grrrrrr

I gave the book 5 stars because the last few pages were wonderful. They were exactly what I was waiting for every-time I turned a page. Of course now I am dying to read the next novel! So many questions need to be answered.


Ren: she is developing nicely. She’s a great friend and all about protecting others. I love that she is not timid in any way. I really wish she would figure out her magic though.

Olivia: she was in some kind of internal struggle the whole time. Between the Liv that Ren loves and the one who Olivia really sees herself as (selfish). Of course she needs to sacrifice herself in the end DUH. What better way to push our protagonist over the edge and unleash some badassness.

Constantine: uuuuuugh dreamy Constantine! I really hope he and Ren end up together. By the end of the book we kind of get to understand him a bit more but he is still such a mystery. He is one of the main reasons I NEED to read the next book.

Dare: let’s hope he becomes Ren’s “good friend” and nothing more. Please God no love triangle pleeeeeeeeease. Though I feel it is headed in that direction.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm seriously loving this series!!! Ren is such a supportive and loyal friend, and her relationships with Will, Neph, and especially with Olivia are so wonderful.

"I tugged on the thread that connected to Olivia. She arrived minutes later, as if she had been waiting for me to call - as if this connection had always existed as a way to contact each other.
I couldn't put into words any of my thoughts, but when our shoulders touched, I realized words weren't needed on such a night."

I enjoyed every chapter that Ren was with Constantine and Dare, and I can't decide which guy I ship her with more, however at this point, it might be Dare?? Or Con?? I don't even know. I enjoyed them working and training together so much, and the chapter that included all three of them was so amusing.

"This boy was always giving me a last, priceless moment, patching me up, unaware that the wounds he was healing went deeper than skin."

I love Ren's attitude so much, and how dedicated she is to helping out her friends. The delinquent group of friends that she has found is so fun. Ren is, like a lot of the characters in this series, so likeable and relatable and I absolutely love her.

"There was something special about sunrise, I just preferred to experience it behind closed eyelids."

So excited to start the next book!

[Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still here rolling in my Constantine and Raphael lane

[Valery]

I am seriously falling in love with this series. The characters are complex, the world has so many political ramifications, and the predictability factor is so very low it almost doesn't register...almost.

The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is the language.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It was definitely worth the wait. I'm hoping the wait for the next book isn't too long.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

wild

[claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I.. um.. what?

That knocked me off my feet. I don’t know how to write a decent review at the moment.

[Nini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only on the second book but I'm already so in love with these characters. Their love, compassion, loyalty for each other is awe inspiring. And I can only imagine how much stronger their bonds will get farther into the series. I would like to talk about each character (more exactly the ones I care about) separately a bit.

Ren. I lover her. I can't even describe with words how much I adore her. There really couldn't have been a better heroine for this whole story than Ren. She's absolutely with no doubt the most compassionate character I have ever read about. The love and care she holds for each of her friends is the biggest treasure of this series. There really is nothing she wouldn't do for her loved ones, she would sacrifice herself for them without any hesitation. There is so much warmth in her, so much bravery and strength and she doesn't even realize it. If in the first book she gave her everything to bring back Christian, in this one Ren gave it all to keep her friends happy, safe and protected. I don't know how anyone can read this series and not burst with admiration for her.

Neph. Soft natured, sweet Nephthys who does so much to protect her friends. She is the biggest comfort for them and just like they can't imagine their circle without her, I can't do it either. I believe that Neph is the glue in this little family. I love her so very much.

Olivia. I love her. And I love how halfway through the first book she started opening up to Ren and their friendship developed so much in this one. Those scenes where Ren was teasing her were some of my favorites (just like they were Olivia's even though she would die before admitting that). I hated what her mother did to her for so many years and how love and acceptance were such foreign concepts to her before Ren appeared in her life. But that made all the friendship moments even more emotional and sweet. The way Ren made it her mission to make Liv happy and show her that she couldn't push her away is probably one of the most special parts of the book.

Constantine. He is most definitely in the morally gray category but I still love him a lot. I was so eager to find out the reasons behind his actions and I did in the end of the book. Those are what made me forgive his betrayal. And also the fact that in my opinion he was at war with himself through the whole book, about how he wanted his revenge and how he didn't want to betray Ren. I think that Ren forgiving him will be a major push for him to change in the next books. His and Ren's relationship is one of my favorite parts of the book and I can't wait to see it develop.

This family wouldn't be whole without Will aka my favorite mad scientist and Ren's partner in crime, Mike who's Will's voice of reason and Delia. I love all these kids so much and I can't wait to continue reading about their adventures.

[Chachic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted as a bookstagram.

The Protection of Ren Crown is the second book in the Ren Crown series, and was so much better than the first book for me. The first book was almost a DNF for me because of the confusing way the worldbuilding was explained, a lot of info dump that felt like it could have been edited more. But I saw reviews saying that the sequel was better so I kept reading the first book, and just skimmed the parts that I found dragging. I'm glad I kept going because the second book, The Protection of Ren Crown, has been a much more engaging read.

This series is set in a university where students get to learn magic, and the story starts when Ren transfers to this school as a newly Awakened mage. The most absorbing part of the series are the relationships and friendships that Ren forms at school. She is fiercely loyal and would do anything for the select few that she has let into her inner circle, even the ones who are proving to be morally gray characters. The hilarious part is some of those friends loathe each other, so it's always funny seeing them try not to kill each other whenever they happen to be in the same room because of Ren.

There's no romance yet but two of Ren's new friends, Constantine and Alexander look like they could be potential love interests for a super slow burn romance. I hope it won't develop into a full fledged love triangle with a lot of drama, because I wouldn't want that. Although I am enjoying the tension between Ren and these two. So much so that sometimes I pause reading and ask the book, "So who is she really going to fall in love with??" I'll just have to wait and see.

I'm diving straight into the third book, and will probably do the same for the fourth and fifth. I just came up for air to talk about how I've suddenly started enjoying this series when I finished book one and started book two.

[Beth ~Book Loving Is My Superpower~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2... much more revealed... twice the awesomeness!

This, the second book of the Ren Crown series, is everything I hoped for. Originally I was afraid it might suffer from the dreaded Lax of the Second Book syndrome BUT I am ecstatic to report that I worried for nothing, it was brilliant!

The characters are just as robust as ever. When Ren adopts you into her circle she'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe and happy. Olivia and Rens' friendship is blossoming into such a complicated, beautiful thing that they may end up near the top of my Favorite Female Friendships list of all time.... talk about a slowly percolating/hard won but decidedly worth it relationship! I love almost all of the characters but Olivia is simply (reluctantly) amazing. Oh, and that ship I mentioned in my last review?? Well, I happen to love them together even more now! You'll see... Con + Ren = Swoon.

The world development, on the other hand, is as steady as can be. It did not drop off in any way, it's as creative and imaginative as always.

Now onto the writing. The writing is solid, not flowery or verbose and that ending??? Well let's just say that that ending is 100% not boring.... in fact it is most certainly a briskly paced, character defining, crazy revelations revealing page turner. Queue betrayl and shocking realizations.


Overall:
I loved this book just as much, if not a bit more, than I loved book #1 and that's saying a lot. Go ahead, pick this series up and treat yourself... you deserve it!

~ Enjoy

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I detoured. In the future, you should probably schedule me five minutes earlier than you want me. I’m terminally on time. Early is a five letter word—which is far worse than four.”

This book is the best fantasy book I've ever read in my entire life. It's full of a homely secure feeling. Every time I opened my Kindle to read, I felt absorbed in the universe and I was just so happy. The connections Ren grows are described throughout the book, and it's just beautiful. We get to know more characters that have been important since the first book, such as Alexander, and some other connections are getting deeper, such as Olivia and Constantine's. I felt that there were a lot of moments that didn't contain crucial information for the development of Ren as a mage or even the development of her relationship but were full of so much love and fondness... I enjoyed reading every single word in this book. I laughed, cried, loved, and was mad. I felt so much with just words and characters. It's something I haven't felt in so long.

The magic? Unbelievable. There are a few moments where the feeling of the magic is described and is heartwarming and incredible. I adore how the magic here seems to have its feelings, and how Ren feels so connected to it. Also, there are other moments when we can experience someone else's magic and the descriptions are amazing. The author is extremely talented in her writing.

The book also explains the politics of the world Ren is currently living in, and I was so happy to finally understand where the conflicts come from and why. We receive so much information but it doesn't feel heavy in the reading, it's perfect. The pace of the book is perfect.

This book focused on the found family trope, and how Ren is dealing with her grief. I rated the first book four stars, but I believe this one has a thousand stars over it. It's that good.

My favorite characters in this book, apart from Ren, were Constantine, Alexander, and Olivia. I want to talk a bit about them and the politics of their world.

Olivia. Olivia is such an interesting and different character. I believe her link to Ren is even more crucial to her than to Ren, as Ren is opening her world to her. The immediate click she gets with Trick and Saf, and how she has evolved from the first book. I loved it. Olivia just felt so closed-off and a rule follower before. We have the chance to understand that that was not her, and also we learn a bit about her family background. Her mom seems evil.

Constantine. I have adored Constantine since the first time he appeared in book one. I was giddy in his interactions with Ren, mostly when she asked him to help her make paint. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was pure excitement. His character is probably my favorite one if we talk about construction. We learned about his past and his intentions, and how his revenge is the only fuel in his life. I was surprised by his betrayal, but I could understand Ren's intentions. And I also felt the situation escaped Constantine's hands. He was so blinded by his revenge that he didn't realize he was endangering Ren's life until it was too late. I think he didn't realize the situation was bigger than himself and his feelings. I feel so sorry for him, as this is the way he's been managing his grief. Ren could understand him because she almost tore the world apart in her way to resurrect Christian. And I think a lot of when she said that Constantine was just a young Raphael, but Raphael hadn't been saved. Constantine still had time. She values him so much that she'd rather try than blame him for his betrayal. It was incredible this moment between them and how their friendship works.

Alexander. I LOVED EVERY MOMENT WHERE ALEXANDER BLESSED US WITH HIS EXISTENCE. My favorite relationship in this book is Alexander and Ren's. They have so much chemistry. I was high in their interactions. Everything Ren feels for him is so strong. And they have so many significant moments. Alexander is probably the mage with more power over Ren, as he's linked directly to the most important moment in her life—her brother's death. Ren hasn't been transparent about that moment with anyone but Alexander. And that weighs.
Their bickering is on another level. He's not as sarcastic as Constantine, but he makes me laugh so much. When he found her connection in Battle Room and they played, I had the best time. When she gifted him her inventions. When he left her to protect the campus. When he sat down at her table in the cafeteria. When he speaks about his mom and how he's not scared of Ren. I think it was symbolic that the first person who used magic on Ren was also the first person who confronted her and told her she was an Origin Mage. There are so many moments I can recall from memory, I just enjoyed them so much. They made me feel butterflies in my stomach. He's kind of perfect in his love-interest role. I could reread all their moments over and over and wouldn't get tired.

Politics. The author is blowing my mind with the conflict she was able to create. Not only the magic world she built is expansive, as the magic has a lot of forms and feelings; but the conflict between Layers is crazy. Ren's responsibility and importance as an Origin Mage has been laid in front of us since the very beginning, with Raphael stealing her power and destroying cities with it, but here it's even worse. She can change the world. She can destroy it. Reform it. It's so much power. And there's so much we still don't understand. But it's so difficult to favor a side. Third Layers deserve to have their magic back. Second Layers has been using magic in their development and are not able to return it. But it's not the people's fault, they weren't the ones starting this power dispute.
Also, I'm interested in the power discussion. I understand Alexander's point of view—a powerful mage doesn't have to act badly—but at the same time I understand it's difficult to maintain everything under control if you have a lot of powerful and rare mages with free will. It's such a conflicting topic. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

The book is simply amazing. Five stars are not enough.

[Malena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tive um começo bem ruim com ren Crown não vou mentir, mas o segundo livro valeu super a pena, a ren e um personagem incrível que com certeza brilhou no livro e o jeito como ela é leal as amizades dela é apenas perfeito. Eu amo os personagens e o mundo e com certeza valeu a pena eu tentar de novo esse livro.

[Amilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love this book and this series.

The story constantly keeps me intrigued and entertained. Well written. I feel like I am a part of the characters and world.

Have re read multiple times and enjoyed it more each time.

Would absolutely recommend the series to anyone.