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Dragonwall Royals #1
For the Crown
For twenty-seven hopefuls, discovering a mate-bond with Dragonwall’s princess offers a chance to gain the crown.
When King Cornan issues a summons, hopefuls flock to the capital to try their luck with the princess. Lena wants absolutely nothing to do with them, but she understands the rules of Dragonwall’s Charter. If she fails to find her mate by the age of eighteen, she must relinquish the crown. All she has trained for will be lost.
Fate deals Lena a terrible blow. Then a mysterious stranger appears to compete for the crown, with pearlescent dragon scales and smoldering green eyes. Tristan’s name is on everyone’s lips, even Lena’s. As she gets to know him, she begins to question everything. Perhaps the life she has always wanted might not compare to the unimaginable future Tristan has to offer.
The Selection meets Gladiator in this sweeping tale about unexpected love.
When King Cornan issues a summons, hopefuls flock to the capital to try their luck with the princess. Lena wants absolutely nothing to do with them, but she understands the rules of Dragonwall’s Charter. If she fails to find her mate by the age of eighteen, she must relinquish the crown. All she has trained for will be lost.
Fate deals Lena a terrible blow. Then a mysterious stranger appears to compete for the crown, with pearlescent dragon scales and smoldering green eyes. Tristan’s name is on everyone’s lips, even Lena’s. As she gets to know him, she begins to question everything. Perhaps the life she has always wanted might not compare to the unimaginable future Tristan has to offer.
The Selection meets Gladiator in this sweeping tale about unexpected love.
366 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2020
16 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Mitchell
15 books308 followersInstagram: @melissa.nicole.mitchell
Mrs. Mitchell is an author of young adult fantasy and paranormal romance. Her debut novel, Blood and Ballet, is a unique combination of two of her favorite things: vampires and ballet. She is currently working on a young adult epic fantasy series set in the fictional world of Dragonwall. You can purchase the first and second installments, Talon the Black and Reyr the Gold, through bookstores worldwide. Autographed copies can be obtained from her website store.
Mrs. Mitchell also has her Ph. D in physics with an emphasis in non-imaging optics; she is an illumination engineer for a large corporate lighting company in the United States.
She adores spending time with her husband and their three dogs (two Siberian huskies and an English lab). She also enjoys playing piano, reading, writing, baking goodies, eating chocolate, tea, wine, Prosecco, and especially bullet journaling.
Mrs. Mitchell offers “author reviews” for books that catch her eye, and you are welcome to submit your book request via goodreads messages. She reserves the right to leave messages unanswered if the book does not catch her attention.
Mrs. Mitchell is an author of young adult fantasy and paranormal romance. Her debut novel, Blood and Ballet, is a unique combination of two of her favorite things: vampires and ballet. She is currently working on a young adult epic fantasy series set in the fictional world of Dragonwall. You can purchase the first and second installments, Talon the Black and Reyr the Gold, through bookstores worldwide. Autographed copies can be obtained from her website store.
Mrs. Mitchell also has her Ph. D in physics with an emphasis in non-imaging optics; she is an illumination engineer for a large corporate lighting company in the United States.
She adores spending time with her husband and their three dogs (two Siberian huskies and an English lab). She also enjoys playing piano, reading, writing, baking goodies, eating chocolate, tea, wine, Prosecco, and especially bullet journaling.
Mrs. Mitchell offers “author reviews” for books that catch her eye, and you are welcome to submit your book request via goodreads messages. She reserves the right to leave messages unanswered if the book does not catch her attention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
September 6, 2020
3.5 ⭐
This was a cute story. What I loved the most were the dragons. Humans that can shift into dragons? You can't go wrong there. The plot was somewhat predictible, but it was still enjoyable. My only complaint was the MC, that girl needed to stop being so selfish. I got tired of her complaining and hurting others through her bad choices. I don't know if this is a standalone or if there will be more books. Overall it was a fun read.
This was a cute story. What I loved the most were the dragons. Humans that can shift into dragons? You can't go wrong there. The plot was somewhat predictible, but it was still enjoyable. My only complaint was the MC, that girl needed to stop being so selfish. I got tired of her complaining and hurting others through her bad choices. I don't know if this is a standalone or if there will be more books. Overall it was a fun read.
September 26, 2020
First half: ★★★★★
Second half: ★★★
After reading a good portion of this book, I thought for sure this was going to be a new favorite book. It was everything I could have hoped for and I was hooked from the very beginning. This book delivered its own version of The Selection but with Dragons and better. I loved it so much and our main character was also fun to follow as she was known for being a trickster.
However, for some reason I found myself enjoying less the rest of the story. There were a few things with the writing that made me pause and that took me out of the story at times. I think now that I've finished it, the thing that bothered me the most was the romance with Tristan. It felt underwhelming and I expected more after really liking the flirtation that our main character had with Daryn. Obviously, this couldn't last forever as he was looking for his mate and Lena wasn't her. I didn't mind that since we knew from the beginning it was only temporary. However after that, I was expecting to love her interactions with Tristan even more but unfortunately, it was just okay.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would be interested in reading the sequel even though I didn't love this book completely. I'm sad not to add it to my favorites shelf but I guess until you've read the last page, you never know.
(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
Second half: ★★★
After reading a good portion of this book, I thought for sure this was going to be a new favorite book. It was everything I could have hoped for and I was hooked from the very beginning. This book delivered its own version of The Selection but with Dragons and better. I loved it so much and our main character was also fun to follow as she was known for being a trickster.
However, for some reason I found myself enjoying less the rest of the story. There were a few things with the writing that made me pause and that took me out of the story at times. I think now that I've finished it, the thing that bothered me the most was the romance with Tristan. It felt underwhelming and I expected more after really liking the flirtation that our main character had with Daryn. Obviously, this couldn't last forever as he was looking for his mate and Lena wasn't her. I didn't mind that since we knew from the beginning it was only temporary. However after that, I was expecting to love her interactions with Tristan even more but unfortunately, it was just okay.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would be interested in reading the sequel even though I didn't love this book completely. I'm sad not to add it to my favorites shelf but I guess until you've read the last page, you never know.
(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
October 5, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For the Crown was an interesting take on some dragons and bonding. It started off on a pretty good note for me but then it sort of dragged towards the end. In it, you will meet Lena and Tristan. For me, I liked Lena a whole lot more but I did find it weird that her parents just kept forcing her to mate with someone. Like Tristan.
There was also some weird drama going around and Lena kept thinking that he didn't truly love her and such. Well girl, do you love him? I'm just asking because if you do, then fight for him. Or I don't ask him about his feelings or emotions. Communication is key girlfriend.
Other than that, we get a fight and an underwhelming bonding towards the end of the book. I was honestly expecting something a bit more than what I got. So I'm not really sure how I feel about this ending besides being disappointed in it.
For the Crown was an interesting take on some dragons and bonding. It started off on a pretty good note for me but then it sort of dragged towards the end. In it, you will meet Lena and Tristan. For me, I liked Lena a whole lot more but I did find it weird that her parents just kept forcing her to mate with someone. Like Tristan.
There was also some weird drama going around and Lena kept thinking that he didn't truly love her and such. Well girl, do you love him? I'm just asking because if you do, then fight for him. Or I don't ask him about his feelings or emotions. Communication is key girlfriend.
Other than that, we get a fight and an underwhelming bonding towards the end of the book. I was honestly expecting something a bit more than what I got. So I'm not really sure how I feel about this ending besides being disappointed in it.
August 20, 2020
A fabulous fantasy world centered around dragons!
I’m loving this book. Throughout reading this I had a maniac grin on my face since nearly everything was so engaging. I expected to find another YA fantasy book that was just run of the mill. Those books are fine and I do like them, but this was not it. I would compare this story and prose to Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy instead of Kiera Cass’s The Selection. The beginning did have a similar idea to Cass’s Selection but it was carried out in a much more different way.
The pacing was decent. I did feel the beginning was much more slower than the climax. The story is centered around the characters, so I feel like this impacted the pacing the most.
This has historical accuracy and I’m going to cry. It was used in the book logically and was correctly placed. I am so impressed! Also, thanks author for not tightening Lena down to a size 0 waist size with the corset.
My two favorite scenes are the ceremony bowing scene followed by the garden honesty scene.
The characters were the most important part of the story.
• The main character Lena was lit. She actually learned skills and learned more about herself. Her relationship with others seemed fairly natural. I found her personality to be almost perfectly balanced.
• Tristan was fabulous. My biggest complaint with his character is that he was too perfect. I kind of wanted to see him fail, to be honest. He was too amazing. He’s such a good book boyfriend tho! I’m torn!!
• The father and mother are the best supporters of Lena and its fabulous. Lena learned quite a lot from both of them and I’m glad she was able to grow past their mistakes. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I didn’t see the mother a lot. I’ll have to reread to make sure.
• I really liked the handmaidens because they were shown well and they had realistic personalities.
I did find some downsides to this book, though, hence the docking of a partial star.
The biggest was the lack of information about things not relevant to the plot or scene. Every scene is important to either character development or plot development, so everything included is important. It doesn’t include anything else to throw you off and make other guesses. Of course, there are plot twists included that I found witty. It wasn’t missing those at all. I would say it’s like a Youtube video with just a plain green screen and no filters used. It’s GOOD, yes. It was just missing that last element.
This book was very black and white good and evil. You could ask me who was the main bad guys and I would easily be able to point out the people. It could have been improved on this aspect too.
The final downside was the VERY spoilery summary included. I already knew to expect Tristan thanks to that, so I couldn’t really root on Lena with her other relationships before him.
I really enjoyed this!! I’m going to have to get a few copies for me and my friends. They’re going to love it! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher Melissa Ricketts Paperback for the ARC!!
I’m loving this book. Throughout reading this I had a maniac grin on my face since nearly everything was so engaging. I expected to find another YA fantasy book that was just run of the mill. Those books are fine and I do like them, but this was not it. I would compare this story and prose to Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy instead of Kiera Cass’s The Selection. The beginning did have a similar idea to Cass’s Selection but it was carried out in a much more different way.
The pacing was decent. I did feel the beginning was much more slower than the climax. The story is centered around the characters, so I feel like this impacted the pacing the most.
This has historical accuracy and I’m going to cry. It was used in the book logically and was correctly placed. I am so impressed! Also, thanks author for not tightening Lena down to a size 0 waist size with the corset.
My two favorite scenes are the ceremony bowing scene followed by the garden honesty scene.
The characters were the most important part of the story.
• The main character Lena was lit. She actually learned skills and learned more about herself. Her relationship with others seemed fairly natural. I found her personality to be almost perfectly balanced.
• Tristan was fabulous. My biggest complaint with his character is that he was too perfect. I kind of wanted to see him fail, to be honest. He was too amazing. He’s such a good book boyfriend tho! I’m torn!!
• The father and mother are the best supporters of Lena and its fabulous. Lena learned quite a lot from both of them and I’m glad she was able to grow past their mistakes. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I didn’t see the mother a lot. I’ll have to reread to make sure.
• I really liked the handmaidens because they were shown well and they had realistic personalities.
I did find some downsides to this book, though, hence the docking of a partial star.
The biggest was the lack of information about things not relevant to the plot or scene. Every scene is important to either character development or plot development, so everything included is important. It doesn’t include anything else to throw you off and make other guesses. Of course, there are plot twists included that I found witty. It wasn’t missing those at all. I would say it’s like a Youtube video with just a plain green screen and no filters used. It’s GOOD, yes. It was just missing that last element.
This book was very black and white good and evil. You could ask me who was the main bad guys and I would easily be able to point out the people. It could have been improved on this aspect too.
The final downside was the VERY spoilery summary included. I already knew to expect Tristan thanks to that, so I couldn’t really root on Lena with her other relationships before him.
I really enjoyed this!! I’m going to have to get a few copies for me and my friends. They’re going to love it! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher Melissa Ricketts Paperback for the ARC!!
October 16, 2020
This novel take place in the world of Dragonwall, but precedes Claire and Talon's adventure by a few thousand years. If you've read Melissa's other books in the series, you'll adore this one! But don't be disheartened if you haven't, For The Crown is a standalone and can be enjoyed as a a delightful aperitif, though it's by no means a short read. The plot's also a lot more lighthearted and romantic than Talon the Black and Reyr The Gold whose storyline's offer equal measures dark mystère and enchanting adventure.
So let's dive into For The Crown:
Lena is a princess whose life is all but mapped out for her. Although she's smart and quick-witted, she's also a little spoiled and naive. The only way she feels she has any control over her immediate fate is by playing pranks. Highest on her list of grievances against the unbreakable Dragonwall Charter that governs her life is the fact that she, the only heir of the Queen and King of Dragonwall, is denied the crown because she's a woman! It's less an issue of misogyny than it is that a Drengr (half dragon, half man) must always occupy the throne. And since only males are born drengr, Lena's plight is apparently hopeless. A princess born to a drengr is rare...as in once in a few thousand years kinda rare. So though the charter is binding and without loopholes, it's never actually been required until Lena’s birth.
Failing to find her dragon mate, Lena, the Princess of the Patriarchal kingdom of Dragonwall, must now endure the role of spectator to the Tournament for the Crown and stand by as all the eligible drengr of Dragonwall compete for the heirdom. Compete for HER crown.
It takes a mysterious and unexpected entrant to stir things up in both the palace...and Lena's heart. It takes a little fortitude, a dash of romance, and some sneaky pranking to finally realize that no one is merely a spectator to their own destiny.
For The Crown is a leisurely read at first, but as it picks up the pace, you better grab your popcorn and settle in for a roaring romance of epic fantasy proportions.
So let's dive into For The Crown:
Lena is a princess whose life is all but mapped out for her. Although she's smart and quick-witted, she's also a little spoiled and naive. The only way she feels she has any control over her immediate fate is by playing pranks. Highest on her list of grievances against the unbreakable Dragonwall Charter that governs her life is the fact that she, the only heir of the Queen and King of Dragonwall, is denied the crown because she's a woman! It's less an issue of misogyny than it is that a Drengr (half dragon, half man) must always occupy the throne. And since only males are born drengr, Lena's plight is apparently hopeless. A princess born to a drengr is rare...as in once in a few thousand years kinda rare. So though the charter is binding and without loopholes, it's never actually been required until Lena’s birth.
Failing to find her dragon mate, Lena, the Princess of the Patriarchal kingdom of Dragonwall, must now endure the role of spectator to the Tournament for the Crown and stand by as all the eligible drengr of Dragonwall compete for the heirdom. Compete for HER crown.
It takes a mysterious and unexpected entrant to stir things up in both the palace...and Lena's heart. It takes a little fortitude, a dash of romance, and some sneaky pranking to finally realize that no one is merely a spectator to their own destiny.
For The Crown is a leisurely read at first, but as it picks up the pace, you better grab your popcorn and settle in for a roaring romance of epic fantasy proportions.
October 25, 2020
This book seemed like a mash-up of several of my favorites. The first half reminded me of the Selection, and then the second half was the competition from Throne of Glass with a few switch-ups. That being said, it didn't feel like a repeat of other books. Despite its similarities to other books, I still really enjoyed this.
My main problem with this was out main character, Lena. She was supposed to be 18, but she really acted like a 13 year old for the first half of the book. I felt like she really matured throughout the book, but she really irritated me in the beginning. Her complaints about the succession were completely logical, but the way she went about issuing them was ridiculous. (her pranks weren't even that good or entertaining)
Another one of my issues with this was the romance. Our main character seemed a bit flighty, her affections ran a bit quick. Both of her relationships were super insta-lovey, and it had been apparent since the beginning that her and Daryn weren't endgame. I did like her and Tristan together, and I felt like it was a good way for the book to end.
When I picked up this book, I hadn't realized that it was a prequel to a series, so I wasn't familiar with the world at all. Regardless, I feel like I understood this pretty well, and this read like a standalone. I enjoyed this book, and may pick up the rest of the series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My main problem with this was out main character, Lena. She was supposed to be 18, but she really acted like a 13 year old for the first half of the book. I felt like she really matured throughout the book, but she really irritated me in the beginning. Her complaints about the succession were completely logical, but the way she went about issuing them was ridiculous. (her pranks weren't even that good or entertaining)
Another one of my issues with this was the romance. Our main character seemed a bit flighty, her affections ran a bit quick. Both of her relationships were super insta-lovey, and it had been apparent since the beginning that her and Daryn weren't endgame. I did like her and Tristan together, and I felt like it was a good way for the book to end.
When I picked up this book, I hadn't realized that it was a prequel to a series, so I wasn't familiar with the world at all. Regardless, I feel like I understood this pretty well, and this read like a standalone. I enjoyed this book, and may pick up the rest of the series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2020
For the Crown is the story of Selena, a human princess in line for the throne. However, her path is not guaranteed and she must find a Drengr mate to inherit the crown. The solution? Lena meets with 27 eligible Drengr bachelors also hoping to find their mate. For the Crown is a classic fantasy tale that puts a unique spin on the soulmate trope- plus dragon shapeshifters! There was clear character growth throughout and well-developed supporting characters. I was excited to see a subversion of well-known tropes and solid world-building. While I appreciated how well the romance was constructed, I didn’t feel overly invested in it. For me, the world and quest for the crown was more gripping and engaging. I would love to know more about the mental bond between Drengr and see what happens next for supporting characters, such as Evelyn and Daryn. I will definitely be waiting for the next installment in this world! Thank you to Melissa Mitchell and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2020
I received an advanced readers copy of For the crown in exchange for my honest review! Also this is my first public book review so I hope I can do the book justice!
For the Crown takes you to a time in Dragonwalls history that is still early, still new. Unexpected and unpredictable times have made their way into Princess Lena's life. She is the first princess in Dragonwall's history to reach her eighteenth naming day, with that comes the touching ceremony to find a mate in order for her to step into her birthright and become queen. Princess Lena is averse to the idea of binding herself to another in order to claim her birthright. Because she was born a female she is not able to become queen without a drengr mate by her side as king. Had she been born a male there would be no need for a touching ceremony, because drengr males can rule without having a mate by their side. Princess Lena struggles with this concept, she sees it unfair and cruel to females born to drengr couples; especially those born to the king and queen. She also struggles with failure but soon learns that if you let fear of failure hold you back you may never find what you never thought to be missing. You will never be truly happy and complete. When she finds her happiness she knows everything her parents did for her was all worth it in the end.
This book takes you on an exciting and at certain times heartbreaking adventure in the life of Princess Lena. In this captivating story you will see action, failure, acceptance, love and you may even learn something about yourself through it! The character's characteristic's are so real you will feel connected to them; a part of them and may even see yourself in them! You will feel their feelings, rejoice and perhaps even shed a few tears with them!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, action, adventure and even a good love story! If you have not read the Dragonwall series I recommend reading them after reading this, this gives a good understanding and background to the series and the Dragonwall series is just as captivating and rich as this book!
For the Crown takes you to a time in Dragonwalls history that is still early, still new. Unexpected and unpredictable times have made their way into Princess Lena's life. She is the first princess in Dragonwall's history to reach her eighteenth naming day, with that comes the touching ceremony to find a mate in order for her to step into her birthright and become queen. Princess Lena is averse to the idea of binding herself to another in order to claim her birthright. Because she was born a female she is not able to become queen without a drengr mate by her side as king. Had she been born a male there would be no need for a touching ceremony, because drengr males can rule without having a mate by their side. Princess Lena struggles with this concept, she sees it unfair and cruel to females born to drengr couples; especially those born to the king and queen. She also struggles with failure but soon learns that if you let fear of failure hold you back you may never find what you never thought to be missing. You will never be truly happy and complete. When she finds her happiness she knows everything her parents did for her was all worth it in the end.
This book takes you on an exciting and at certain times heartbreaking adventure in the life of Princess Lena. In this captivating story you will see action, failure, acceptance, love and you may even learn something about yourself through it! The character's characteristic's are so real you will feel connected to them; a part of them and may even see yourself in them! You will feel their feelings, rejoice and perhaps even shed a few tears with them!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, action, adventure and even a good love story! If you have not read the Dragonwall series I recommend reading them after reading this, this gives a good understanding and background to the series and the Dragonwall series is just as captivating and rich as this book!
September 22, 2020
Where do I begin? There was so much I loved about this book! The characters were great. They had real depth, made real mistakes, and had realistic actions, reactions, and emotions. It was a refreshing and pleasant change of pace from most casts of characters in the fantasy genre.
The story was unique too. It was laid out well and the writing was smooth and vivid. I was on the edge of my seat many times throughout the story. Every chapter left me guessing at what was going to happen next.
It didn’t have the story structure you typically see read in books either. Lena went through a lot, experienced things, learned things, and met and had connections with many characters, all before her main love interest was even introduced.
Because of this, we were able to learn about her, connect with her, experience things with her, and watch her fail and grow, all before she ever met Tristan.
I think my only complaint about the entire book is just that, how we did get the connection between Lena and Tristan so far into the story. I absolutely adored their relationship. It would have been fine with me if the majority of the book had just been scenes between the two of them.
When Tristan was finally introduced, I enjoyed watching his and Lena’s story play out, seeing the unique circumstances of their meeting as well as how they connected and got to know one another, especially coming right off the heels of everything Lena had gone through and was going through from the first half of the book.
There were a few twists and surprises I anticipated long before they ever occurred, but that just made me all the more excited to see them when they actually did happen.
Overall, I love the way everything happened. It was different and set apart from many other books I’ve read regarding the setup and the events of the story.
On a side note, can we talk about that cover? It’s crazy gorgeous. I plan to purchase a copy of this book in paperback someday to display on my bookshelf!
I look forward to reading more of this author’s work, and I recommend For The Crown to anyone who loves a well-written story with princesses, dragons, and romance!
The story was unique too. It was laid out well and the writing was smooth and vivid. I was on the edge of my seat many times throughout the story. Every chapter left me guessing at what was going to happen next.
It didn’t have the story structure you typically see read in books either. Lena went through a lot, experienced things, learned things, and met and had connections with many characters, all before her main love interest was even introduced.
Because of this, we were able to learn about her, connect with her, experience things with her, and watch her fail and grow, all before she ever met Tristan.
I think my only complaint about the entire book is just that, how we did get the connection between Lena and Tristan so far into the story. I absolutely adored their relationship. It would have been fine with me if the majority of the book had just been scenes between the two of them.
When Tristan was finally introduced, I enjoyed watching his and Lena’s story play out, seeing the unique circumstances of their meeting as well as how they connected and got to know one another, especially coming right off the heels of everything Lena had gone through and was going through from the first half of the book.
There were a few twists and surprises I anticipated long before they ever occurred, but that just made me all the more excited to see them when they actually did happen.
Overall, I love the way everything happened. It was different and set apart from many other books I’ve read regarding the setup and the events of the story.
On a side note, can we talk about that cover? It’s crazy gorgeous. I plan to purchase a copy of this book in paperback someday to display on my bookshelf!
I look forward to reading more of this author’s work, and I recommend For The Crown to anyone who loves a well-written story with princesses, dragons, and romance!
November 6, 2023
For the Crown is a fun, romantic, and high stakes ya fantasy romance. It’s perfect for fans of The Selection and to quench the need for dragons after Fourth Wing!
I am not ashamed to claim that I am an OG fan of Mitchell’s writing and the Dragonwall World. Reading For the Crown was like coming home!
I loved Lena and Tristan’s story. I found Lena’s mischievous nature entertaining and telling of her character and upbringing. While it may have seemed immature at times, it was contrasted by Lena’s maturity and instincts to rule demonstrated in the scenes with her father. Additionally, throughout the book we see her mature from her first scene to her last as she realizes that phase of her life is better behind her. She always had good intentions with her pranks but now that she’s older she can peruse those intentions more maturely and effectively to make the changes she desires. Overall I thought her character progressed so well for such a short book.
I also enjoyed the ceremony and tournament aspects of this book. I wish our dear Tristan had more page time! He didn’t show up until the tournament, but it’s okay. He still stole my heart!
Finally, the attacks leading up to the final battle was the best part! Since I’m familiar with DrengrxRider pairs from the authors other works, I was on the edge of seat!!
Overall, I loved this little romance and it may be time to revisit Talon the Black for a reread!
I am not ashamed to claim that I am an OG fan of Mitchell’s writing and the Dragonwall World. Reading For the Crown was like coming home!
I loved Lena and Tristan’s story. I found Lena’s mischievous nature entertaining and telling of her character and upbringing. While it may have seemed immature at times, it was contrasted by Lena’s maturity and instincts to rule demonstrated in the scenes with her father. Additionally, throughout the book we see her mature from her first scene to her last as she realizes that phase of her life is better behind her. She always had good intentions with her pranks but now that she’s older she can peruse those intentions more maturely and effectively to make the changes she desires. Overall I thought her character progressed so well for such a short book.
I also enjoyed the ceremony and tournament aspects of this book. I wish our dear Tristan had more page time! He didn’t show up until the tournament, but it’s okay. He still stole my heart!
Finally, the attacks leading up to the final battle was the best part! Since I’m familiar with DrengrxRider pairs from the authors other works, I was on the edge of seat!!
Overall, I loved this little romance and it may be time to revisit Talon the Black for a reread!
November 2, 2020
Absolutely LOVED! Melissa Mitchell takes us back into the world of Dragonwall with this book. I loved every minute of reading this one. The same can be said with all of Melissa Mitchell's books. I never doubted for a second that I'd love this one. I love exploring the world of Dragonwall every time I read one of these books. She does a great job with character development and the details blows my mind every time. I cannot wait to read the next book by this author! Read this one and all of her books. You won't regret it!
September 15, 2020
I loved it! A highly enjoyable read, a bit predictable but in this genre I don't think that matters very much., and I loved the unique twist in the 'battle to become a prince/princess' theme. And of course I loved the dragons! I would love to learn more about the history between the dragons and men and also about the future of the endangered dragons, so I'm hoping for another story in the same worldbuilding!
October 18, 2020
From the moment I saw that 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 had fantasy meets Bachelorette vibes, I knew I would be hooked. I was NOT disappointed. Melissa Mitchell writes such an immersive world of dragons, royalty, strength, and love.
The first half of the book gave me The Selection vibes and the battles during the tournament had a Hunger Games energy to them. By the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up so late finishing this book because it is a page-turner. The final battle had my heart racing, Tristan and Lena’s bond was absolutely beautiful, and Melissa writes everything so perfectly.
I will absolutely read whatever is to come next from this series and I can’t wait to go read her previous novels from the Dragonwall world.
The only reason I docked a star was because I felt Lena’s romances at the beginning didn’t add much to her story. I would’ve loved more Tristan throughout instead of halfway through.
The first half of the book gave me The Selection vibes and the battles during the tournament had a Hunger Games energy to them. By the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up so late finishing this book because it is a page-turner. The final battle had my heart racing, Tristan and Lena’s bond was absolutely beautiful, and Melissa writes everything so perfectly.
I will absolutely read whatever is to come next from this series and I can’t wait to go read her previous novels from the Dragonwall world.
The only reason I docked a star was because I felt Lena’s romances at the beginning didn’t add much to her story. I would’ve loved more Tristan throughout instead of halfway through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2020
I’m really struggling with what to rate this book. At the moment I am leaning towards a 2.5 star rating and I guess I’ll just get into why...
Okay, so initially this book had everything I wanted. Royalty, a competition, a strong female lead, fantasy elements. I didn’t know anything about this book going in and the summary was slightly misleading for what we got.
Let’s break it down:
1. Nothing happens, literally nothing happens until about 40% into the book. This book does not focus on the competition to become the king via the princess much at all and it is advertised as similar to The Selection series. This is the part I wanted and it was unbelievably rushed.
2. Tristan doesn’t even make an appearance until over halfway through the book and he’s meant to be our male lead. I didn’t believe in their romance at all & their conversations were frankly boring. I would have much rather have read about two birds meeting for the first time.
3. There’s no world building whatsoever. I haven’t got a clue what the world looks like, why it is the way it is, why no women have been born in the royal family or anything. It’s as if the author has presumed us as the readers would know this already.
4. The predictability. Nothing came as a surprise and I was constantly rolling my eyes at the choices everyone seemed to be making. The ending was boring and I wasn’t gripped enough to want more.
Overall this book felt boring and flat. The only reason this isn’t a lower rating for me is that Melissa does have a writing talent but this book felt like it was trying to be something it wasn’t.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so initially this book had everything I wanted. Royalty, a competition, a strong female lead, fantasy elements. I didn’t know anything about this book going in and the summary was slightly misleading for what we got.
Let’s break it down:
1. Nothing happens, literally nothing happens until about 40% into the book. This book does not focus on the competition to become the king via the princess much at all and it is advertised as similar to The Selection series. This is the part I wanted and it was unbelievably rushed.
2. Tristan doesn’t even make an appearance until over halfway through the book and he’s meant to be our male lead. I didn’t believe in their romance at all & their conversations were frankly boring. I would have much rather have read about two birds meeting for the first time.
3. There’s no world building whatsoever. I haven’t got a clue what the world looks like, why it is the way it is, why no women have been born in the royal family or anything. It’s as if the author has presumed us as the readers would know this already.
4. The predictability. Nothing came as a surprise and I was constantly rolling my eyes at the choices everyone seemed to be making. The ending was boring and I wasn’t gripped enough to want more.
Overall this book felt boring and flat. The only reason this isn’t a lower rating for me is that Melissa does have a writing talent but this book felt like it was trying to be something it wasn’t.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2020
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I totally would! I ADORED THIS BOOK! From the premise, to the characters, the world, and of course, the dragons!
I have followed Melissa on Wattpad for a while now, and was always intrigued by her stories of Dragonwall, but had never picked them up until now. And man, was I missing out!
I loved Lena’s character and her arc, especially when she met Tristian. He just seemed like her rock, someone who could keep her grounded. The progress in their relationship was a beautiful thing to witness. Overall, I loved this story! I can’t wait to check out Melissa’s other books as well! I will definitely be adding this to my wishlist! I need a physical copy! I think the fact that I finished this in 3 days is proof that I enjoyed this book.
If you are a fan of the Selection series and The Inheirtance, pick up this book, you won’t regret it! Thanks to Netgally and Melissa for sending me an e-arc! Definitely gained a new favorite author!
I’ve also made a fan cast, if your interested feel free to check it out my Bookstagram!
I have followed Melissa on Wattpad for a while now, and was always intrigued by her stories of Dragonwall, but had never picked them up until now. And man, was I missing out!
I loved Lena’s character and her arc, especially when she met Tristian. He just seemed like her rock, someone who could keep her grounded. The progress in their relationship was a beautiful thing to witness. Overall, I loved this story! I can’t wait to check out Melissa’s other books as well! I will definitely be adding this to my wishlist! I need a physical copy! I think the fact that I finished this in 3 days is proof that I enjoyed this book.
If you are a fan of the Selection series and The Inheirtance, pick up this book, you won’t regret it! Thanks to Netgally and Melissa for sending me an e-arc! Definitely gained a new favorite author!
I’ve also made a fan cast, if your interested feel free to check it out my Bookstagram!
September 12, 2020
Primero que nada, thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
First, I want to start with the things that I liked about this book, the things this books does really well. The whole feel of the book overall is done pretty well. The writing style feels very classic-y, like I was reading a time-piece novel. This compliments the pacing of the book: how events and characters are brought up, how we might follow our main character at full detail trough her breakfast, but at the same time, we might fastforward two weeks. It works in the way it stylizes the novel's tone.
Moreover, another thing I liked about the story was the fact that dragons were in it. I actually loved the whole concept (even though I have some after-thoughts about the age thing). I can't lie, I love dragons and dragon-fiction in general. I wasn't expecting it so it was even better. That was great. Plus, I was entertained more or less all troughout.
However, there are some things that quite didn't seem all-well rounded for me. The same thing I said before about the pace of events, when one aplies that to the plot and how it unravels, it stops working on the book's favour. The plot feels a bit clunky. The first eighteen chapters don't have that much to do with the rest. The actual actual story doesn't start until then, when the right character is introduced. I was sort of thrown off by that. At first I might have thought it was because of the synopsis being weird about that (the original Goodreads blurb), but the author says on the acknowledgments that the novel intended to be named after that character, so I don't think that's it. I just feel like the structure of the main storyline isn't as cohesive as it could be. One could argue that the story is about Lena's journey to the crown (and believe me, I get and appreciate what Lena's arc was intenteded to do, her overcoming fate) but it didn't go full on on that either. If it was about the romance, the romance came in late. What I'm trying to say is: standing at the end where I'm standing, knowing what I know, some parts of the book feel out of place, some characters fullfil not that much of a purpuse.
On top of this, sort of regarding to the weird romance delay, I felt like some characters could've been more developed.
In conclusion, I recommend this. It's worth the while, but it's better to read it during a large period of time not thinking that hard about it, so it doesn't seem as mismatched within itself.
//
La sinopsis en español es más engañosa que en inglés. Con vinculo de pareja no solo se refiere a encontrar el amor, sino a encontrar a esa persona que por la magia Drengr, estos están destinados a estar (y una vez que un humano se vincula con los Drengr, es su jinete cuando están en forma dragón, tienen un poquito de su magia para vivir por mucho tiempo, etc.) juntos.
Bueno, primero, quiero comenzar con las cosas que me gustaron de este libro, las cosas que este libro hace realmente bien. La sensación general del libro en sí está bastante bien. El estilo de escritura se siente muy clásico, como si estuviera leyendo una novela de época. Esto complementa el ritmo del libro: cómo se mencionan los eventos y los personajes, cómo podríamos seguir a nuestro personaje principal con todo detalle durante su desayuno, pero al mismo tiempo, podríamos avanzar rápidamente dos semanas. Funciona en la forma en que estiliza el tono de la novela.
Además, otra cosa que me gustó de la historia fue el hecho de que había dragones en ella. De hecho, me encantó todo el concepto (aunque tengo algunos pensamientos ahora sobre la cuestión de la edad). No puedo mentir, me encantan los dragones y la ficción de dragones en general. No me lo esperaba, así que fue aún mejor. Eso fue genial. Es más, me entretuvieron más o menos todo el tiempo.
Sin embargo, hay algunas cosas que no me parecieron muy completas. Lo mismo que dije antes sobre el ritmo de los acontecimientos, cuando uno aplica eso a la trama y cómo se desenreda, deja de funcionar a favor del libro. La trama se siente un poco torpe. Los primeros dieciocho capítulos no tienen mucho que ver con el resto. La historia real real no comienza hasta entonces, cuando se presenta el personaje correcto. Eso me desconcertó un poco. Al principio, podría haber pensado que se debía a que la sinopsis era extraña sobre eso (el resumen original de Goodreads), pero la autora dice en los agradecimientos que la novela pretendía llevar el nombre de ese personaje, así que no creo que sea eso. Siento que la estructura de la historia principal no es tan cohesiva como podría ser. Se podría argumentar que la historia trata sobre el viaje de Lena a la corona (y créanme, entiendo y aprecio lo que se pretendía hacer con el arco de Lena, ella sobrellevando lo que le puso el destino y las reglas), pero tampoco se extendió por completo. Si se trataba del romance, el romance llegó tarde. Lo que estoy tratando de decir es: parada en el final donde estoy parada, sabiendo lo que sé, algunas partes del libro se sienten fuera de lugar, algunos personajes no cumplen mucho con un propósito.
Encima, con respecto al extraño retraso del romance, sentí que algunos personajes podrían haberse desarrollado más.
En conclusión, recomiendo esto. Vale la pena el tiempo, pero es mejor leerlo durante un largo período de tiempo no pensando mucho, para que no parezca tan desigual en sí mismo.
Dragonwall’s princess Lena has trained all her life to become the queen, but her future depends on discovering a mate-bond with one of twenty-seven hopefuls, Drengr, dragon shape-shifters, eager to get to be kings. Lena wants absolutely nothing to do with them, but she understands the rules. If she fails to find her mate by the age of eighteen, she must relinquish the crown. All she has worked so hard for for will be lost. As fate deals her a terrible blow, she must remain focused for her sake, her family's and most importantly, her kingdom's.
First, I want to start with the things that I liked about this book, the things this books does really well. The whole feel of the book overall is done pretty well. The writing style feels very classic-y, like I was reading a time-piece novel. This compliments the pacing of the book: how events and characters are brought up, how we might follow our main character at full detail trough her breakfast, but at the same time, we might fastforward two weeks. It works in the way it stylizes the novel's tone.
Moreover, another thing I liked about the story was the fact that dragons were in it. I actually loved the whole concept (even though I have some after-thoughts about the age thing). I can't lie, I love dragons and dragon-fiction in general. I wasn't expecting it so it was even better. That was great. Plus, I was entertained more or less all troughout.
However, there are some things that quite didn't seem all-well rounded for me. The same thing I said before about the pace of events, when one aplies that to the plot and how it unravels, it stops working on the book's favour. The plot feels a bit clunky. The first eighteen chapters don't have that much to do with the rest. The actual actual story doesn't start until then, when the right character is introduced. I was sort of thrown off by that. At first I might have thought it was because of the synopsis being weird about that (the original Goodreads blurb), but the author says on the acknowledgments that the novel intended to be named after that character, so I don't think that's it. I just feel like the structure of the main storyline isn't as cohesive as it could be. One could argue that the story is about Lena's journey to the crown (and believe me, I get and appreciate what Lena's arc was intenteded to do, her overcoming fate) but it didn't go full on on that either. If it was about the romance, the romance came in late. What I'm trying to say is: standing at the end where I'm standing, knowing what I know, some parts of the book feel out of place, some characters fullfil not that much of a purpuse.
On top of this, sort of regarding to the weird romance delay, I felt like some characters could've been more developed.
In conclusion, I recommend this. It's worth the while, but it's better to read it during a large period of time not thinking that hard about it, so it doesn't seem as mismatched within itself.
//
La princesa de Dragonwall, Lena, ha entrenado toda su vida para convertirse en la reina, pero su futuro depende de descubrir un vínculo de pareja con uno de los veintisiete aspirantes, Drengr, cambiaformas de dragones, ansiosos por llegar a ser reyes. Lena no quiere tener absolutamente nada que ver con ellos, pero comprende las reglas. Si no logra encontrar a su pareja a los dieciocho años, debe renunciar a la corona. Todo por lo que ha trabajado tan duro se perderá. Mientras el destino le da un golpe terrible, debe permanecer concentrada por su bien, el de su familia y lo más importante, el de su reino.
La sinopsis en español es más engañosa que en inglés. Con vinculo de pareja no solo se refiere a encontrar el amor, sino a encontrar a esa persona que por la magia Drengr, estos están destinados a estar (y una vez que un humano se vincula con los Drengr, es su jinete cuando están en forma dragón, tienen un poquito de su magia para vivir por mucho tiempo, etc.) juntos.
Bueno, primero, quiero comenzar con las cosas que me gustaron de este libro, las cosas que este libro hace realmente bien. La sensación general del libro en sí está bastante bien. El estilo de escritura se siente muy clásico, como si estuviera leyendo una novela de época. Esto complementa el ritmo del libro: cómo se mencionan los eventos y los personajes, cómo podríamos seguir a nuestro personaje principal con todo detalle durante su desayuno, pero al mismo tiempo, podríamos avanzar rápidamente dos semanas. Funciona en la forma en que estiliza el tono de la novela.
Además, otra cosa que me gustó de la historia fue el hecho de que había dragones en ella. De hecho, me encantó todo el concepto (aunque tengo algunos pensamientos ahora sobre la cuestión de la edad). No puedo mentir, me encantan los dragones y la ficción de dragones en general. No me lo esperaba, así que fue aún mejor. Eso fue genial. Es más, me entretuvieron más o menos todo el tiempo.
Sin embargo, hay algunas cosas que no me parecieron muy completas. Lo mismo que dije antes sobre el ritmo de los acontecimientos, cuando uno aplica eso a la trama y cómo se desenreda, deja de funcionar a favor del libro. La trama se siente un poco torpe. Los primeros dieciocho capítulos no tienen mucho que ver con el resto. La historia real real no comienza hasta entonces, cuando se presenta el personaje correcto. Eso me desconcertó un poco. Al principio, podría haber pensado que se debía a que la sinopsis era extraña sobre eso (el resumen original de Goodreads), pero la autora dice en los agradecimientos que la novela pretendía llevar el nombre de ese personaje, así que no creo que sea eso. Siento que la estructura de la historia principal no es tan cohesiva como podría ser. Se podría argumentar que la historia trata sobre el viaje de Lena a la corona (y créanme, entiendo y aprecio lo que se pretendía hacer con el arco de Lena, ella sobrellevando lo que le puso el destino y las reglas), pero tampoco se extendió por completo. Si se trataba del romance, el romance llegó tarde. Lo que estoy tratando de decir es: parada en el final donde estoy parada, sabiendo lo que sé, algunas partes del libro se sienten fuera de lugar, algunos personajes no cumplen mucho con un propósito.
Encima, con respecto al extraño retraso del romance, sentí que algunos personajes podrían haberse desarrollado más.
En conclusión, recomiendo esto. Vale la pena el tiempo, pero es mejor leerlo durante un largo período de tiempo no pensando mucho, para que no parezca tan desigual en sí mismo.
June 4, 2021
⭐⭐ 2.5 stars
This book started out great but went downhill fast. That might be because the things I didn't mind so much at the beginning really started to bother me towards the end, because I realized those things weren't going to change ; an annoying main character being one of those things. This book was also really predictable which is fine, but I at least expect some excitement, which for the most part just wasn't the case.
with that said was this a bad book? No not at all , it was quite decent actually, just had the potential to be so much more than it was, and I can't help feeling disappointed about that.
overall an okay yet disappointing read for me.
I received a digital copy via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book started out great but went downhill fast. That might be because the things I didn't mind so much at the beginning really started to bother me towards the end, because I realized those things weren't going to change ; an annoying main character being one of those things. This book was also really predictable which is fine, but I at least expect some excitement, which for the most part just wasn't the case.
with that said was this a bad book? No not at all , it was quite decent actually, just had the potential to be so much more than it was, and I can't help feeling disappointed about that.
overall an okay yet disappointing read for me.
I received a digital copy via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 30, 2020
I have read a variety of fiction books, ranging from dystopian to fantasy, so I would consider that I have a good amount of experience in reading these types of books, specifically fantasy.
If you like magic, dragons, pirates, drama, and sword fighting (sword fighting!), I highly recommend you read this book.
PLOT: Many details make this book a refreshing read. In "For the Crown", there is a Drengr Monarchy. Drengr are dragons blessed with humanity. In this monarchy, we have Princess Lena. She failed to find her mate by age eighteen, and so, a tournament was scheduled in which the winner will be the Crowned Prince, ruling the monarchy after the current King and Queen die. Mate, you may ask? As stated, this plot revolves around Drengr and their Rider, who is their mate. The idea is very unique which you won't find in many other places. However, some aspects of the plot were a bit predictable, but Mrs. Mitchell kept the overall plot intriguing, so I felt that it balanced each other out.
CHARACTERS: The main character, Princess Lena, is alright. At first, I found her to be a bit spoiled and childish. It was somewhat hard to relate to her. As the book continued, I found her to be more appealing and relatable--especially the parts about her finding a way to be worthy--and by the end, her development had indeed progressed from the beginning of the book, so it was nice to read. Princess Lena is definitely a strong female character, which anyone can appreciate. However, the character development felt a bit rushed at times-this is, after all, a standalone book. The other characters were nice, but I felt that it could have used a bit more backstory with Princess Lena's parents, the King and Queen. Overall, the characters did have a bit of development, but not as much as I would have liked.
DETAILS: Mrs. Mitchell made this book with hints of humor scattered here and there, which made for a few chuckles and laughs. I am bad with names, and so it was nice to see Raff, one of the contenders for the crown, referred to as Raff the Ruthless. This flowed to other side characters as well. There were also heartbreaking moments that made me want to cry and just stare at the sky. To be honest, I'm a sucker for drama, it was all the more rewarding to see these moments, especially as Lena overcomes all of them.
CONCLUSION: The author made this a refreshing light read to anyone who is interested in some magic, dragons, and a whole lot of fighting! I feel that the character development could have used a few more touches, and at first, I did not really relate to Lena, but that changed throughout the book. I could have also used a bit more backstory on Lena's parents, but I do understand that this is a standalone book and that there are only so many details you can put in just one book. Some aspects of the plot were predictable, but it was an intriguing read. Overall, this is such a great book to read if you want some drama, LOTS of fighting (with swords!), magic, dragons, and pirates!
If you would like to read more of Mrs. Mitchell's works, I highly recommend the Dragonwall Series, which takes place centuries after this book, and, in my opinion, is more fascinating and intriguing a read (however, it is longer).
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
If you like magic, dragons, pirates, drama, and sword fighting (sword fighting!), I highly recommend you read this book.
PLOT: Many details make this book a refreshing read. In "For the Crown", there is a Drengr Monarchy. Drengr are dragons blessed with humanity. In this monarchy, we have Princess Lena. She failed to find her mate by age eighteen, and so, a tournament was scheduled in which the winner will be the Crowned Prince, ruling the monarchy after the current King and Queen die. Mate, you may ask? As stated, this plot revolves around Drengr and their Rider, who is their mate. The idea is very unique which you won't find in many other places. However, some aspects of the plot were a bit predictable, but Mrs. Mitchell kept the overall plot intriguing, so I felt that it balanced each other out.
CHARACTERS: The main character, Princess Lena, is alright. At first, I found her to be a bit spoiled and childish. It was somewhat hard to relate to her. As the book continued, I found her to be more appealing and relatable--especially the parts about her finding a way to be worthy--and by the end, her development had indeed progressed from the beginning of the book, so it was nice to read. Princess Lena is definitely a strong female character, which anyone can appreciate. However, the character development felt a bit rushed at times-this is, after all, a standalone book. The other characters were nice, but I felt that it could have used a bit more backstory with Princess Lena's parents, the King and Queen. Overall, the characters did have a bit of development, but not as much as I would have liked.
DETAILS: Mrs. Mitchell made this book with hints of humor scattered here and there, which made for a few chuckles and laughs. I am bad with names, and so it was nice to see Raff, one of the contenders for the crown, referred to as Raff the Ruthless. This flowed to other side characters as well. There were also heartbreaking moments that made me want to cry and just stare at the sky. To be honest, I'm a sucker for drama, it was all the more rewarding to see these moments, especially as Lena overcomes all of them.
CONCLUSION: The author made this a refreshing light read to anyone who is interested in some magic, dragons, and a whole lot of fighting! I feel that the character development could have used a few more touches, and at first, I did not really relate to Lena, but that changed throughout the book. I could have also used a bit more backstory on Lena's parents, but I do understand that this is a standalone book and that there are only so many details you can put in just one book. Some aspects of the plot were predictable, but it was an intriguing read. Overall, this is such a great book to read if you want some drama, LOTS of fighting (with swords!), magic, dragons, and pirates!
If you would like to read more of Mrs. Mitchell's works, I highly recommend the Dragonwall Series, which takes place centuries after this book, and, in my opinion, is more fascinating and intriguing a read (however, it is longer).
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
August 17, 2020
A fabulous fantasy world centered around dragons!
I’m loving this book. Throughout reading this I had a maniac grin on my face since nearly everything was so engaging. I expected to find another YA fantasy book that was just run of the mill. Those books are fine and I do like them, but this was not it. I would compare this story and prose to Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy instead of Kiera Cass’s The Selection. The beginning did have a similar idea to Cass’s Selection but it was carried out in a much more different way.
The pacing was decent. I did feel the beginning was much more slower than the climax. The story is centered around the characters, so I feel like this impacted the pacing the most.
This has historical accuracy and I’m going to cry. It was used in the book logically and was correctly placed. I am so impressed! Also, thanks author for not tightening Lena down to a size 0 waist size with the corset.
My two favorite scenes are the ceremony bowing scene followed by the garden honesty scene.
The characters were the most important part of the story.
• The main character Lena was lit. She actually learned skills and learned more about herself. Her relationship with others seemed fairly natural. I found her personality to be almost perfectly balanced.
• Tristan was fabulous. My biggest complaint with his character is that he was too perfect. I kind of wanted to see him fail, to be honest. He was too amazing.
• The father and mother are the best supporters of Lena and its fabulous. Lena learned quite a lot from both of them and I’m glad she was able to grow past their mistakes. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I didn’t see the mother a lot. I’ll have to reread to make sure.
• I really liked the handmaidens because they were shown well and they had realistic personalities.
I did find some downsides to this book, though, hence the docking of a partial star.
The biggest was the lack of information about things not relevant to the plot or scene. Every scene is important to either character development or plot development, so everything included is important. It doesn’t include anything else to throw you off and make other guesses. Of course, there are plot twists included that I found witty. It wasn’t missing those at all. I would say it’s like a Youtube video with just a plain green screen and no filters used. It’s GOOD, yes. It was just missing that last element.
This book was very black and white good and evil. You could ask me who was the main bad guys and I would easily be able to point out the people. It could have been improved on this aspect too.
The final downside was the VERY spoilery summary included. I already knew to expect Tristan thanks to that, so I couldn’t really root on Lena with her other relationships before him.
I really enjoyed this!! I’m going to have to get a few copies for me and my friends. They’re going to love it! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher Melissa Ricketts Paperback for the ARC!!
I’m loving this book. Throughout reading this I had a maniac grin on my face since nearly everything was so engaging. I expected to find another YA fantasy book that was just run of the mill. Those books are fine and I do like them, but this was not it. I would compare this story and prose to Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy instead of Kiera Cass’s The Selection. The beginning did have a similar idea to Cass’s Selection but it was carried out in a much more different way.
The pacing was decent. I did feel the beginning was much more slower than the climax. The story is centered around the characters, so I feel like this impacted the pacing the most.
This has historical accuracy and I’m going to cry. It was used in the book logically and was correctly placed. I am so impressed! Also, thanks author for not tightening Lena down to a size 0 waist size with the corset.
My two favorite scenes are the ceremony bowing scene followed by the garden honesty scene.
The characters were the most important part of the story.
• The main character Lena was lit. She actually learned skills and learned more about herself. Her relationship with others seemed fairly natural. I found her personality to be almost perfectly balanced.
• Tristan was fabulous. My biggest complaint with his character is that he was too perfect. I kind of wanted to see him fail, to be honest. He was too amazing.
• The father and mother are the best supporters of Lena and its fabulous. Lena learned quite a lot from both of them and I’m glad she was able to grow past their mistakes. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I didn’t see the mother a lot. I’ll have to reread to make sure.
• I really liked the handmaidens because they were shown well and they had realistic personalities.
I did find some downsides to this book, though, hence the docking of a partial star.
The biggest was the lack of information about things not relevant to the plot or scene. Every scene is important to either character development or plot development, so everything included is important. It doesn’t include anything else to throw you off and make other guesses. Of course, there are plot twists included that I found witty. It wasn’t missing those at all. I would say it’s like a Youtube video with just a plain green screen and no filters used. It’s GOOD, yes. It was just missing that last element.
This book was very black and white good and evil. You could ask me who was the main bad guys and I would easily be able to point out the people. It could have been improved on this aspect too.
The final downside was the VERY spoilery summary included. I already knew to expect Tristan thanks to that, so I couldn’t really root on Lena with her other relationships before him.
I really enjoyed this!! I’m going to have to get a few copies for me and my friends. They’re going to love it! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher Melissa Ricketts Paperback for the ARC!!
July 3, 2020
I received an advanced reader's copy of "For The Crown" in exchange for my honest review.
I have always been an avid reader and fan of fantasy and Melissa's stories are one of the best to quench the thirst.
This book is a stand alone and any fantasy book to be a stand alone is a task in itself and Melissa, being such an amazing writer has managed it very well.
For The Crown is a prequel to the Dragonwall Series sharing a light on the history of their monarchy.
The book deals with lots of emotions be it failure, helplessness, confusion, acceptance, duty, love, etc. The language used takes you in on a time travel. This book, though is predictable on many levels, there are no major turn of events that leave you gasping. Even though there is a competition for the crown there is only one type of competition included, it would have made it more exciting for that would have kept the suspense levels high. I just have one complaint, the book is about a headstrong Lena and how she strongly overcomes the difficulties thrown at her by fate for being a female born, here even though she just accepts every situation admirably it says that she needs a man to be the queen - that she cannot conquer without a man even though she has all the capabilities. Apart from that the book shows a wonderful combination of emotions and situations.
Characters:
LENA - Princess Lena is a strong character, realistic and a character with which one can relate. She has her own flaws but that is exactly what makes the the best. Lena shows a great character development throughout the book even though I wished
GALLANT - He is every bit of a hero he is made out to be. His nature, emotions, capabilities are all shown wonderfully.
KING COLLINS and QUEEN AMARA - Lena's father I feel is a great person, living far ahead of his time. The way he trained his daughter in matters of politics, strategy, ruling. He is the support system of his daughter. One person I truly admire.
Queen Amara is how you would imagine a queen to be- regal, but, an amazing mother. She is firm towards Lena but kind at the same time.
CONCLUSION - Overall I think this story is a light read and a fantasy lover would love it.
P.s. I cannot leave without mentioning the vibrant and lovely Bartlett. He is the brother she never had and one of my favourite character. He is the perfect combination of mischief, innocence and loyalty.
I have always been an avid reader and fan of fantasy and Melissa's stories are one of the best to quench the thirst.
This book is a stand alone and any fantasy book to be a stand alone is a task in itself and Melissa, being such an amazing writer has managed it very well.
For The Crown is a prequel to the Dragonwall Series sharing a light on the history of their monarchy.
The book deals with lots of emotions be it failure, helplessness, confusion, acceptance, duty, love, etc. The language used takes you in on a time travel. This book, though is predictable on many levels, there are no major turn of events that leave you gasping. Even though there is a competition for the crown there is only one type of competition included, it would have made it more exciting for that would have kept the suspense levels high. I just have one complaint, the book is about a headstrong Lena and how she strongly overcomes the difficulties thrown at her by fate for being a female born, here even though she just accepts every situation admirably it says that she needs a man to be the queen - that she cannot conquer without a man even though she has all the capabilities. Apart from that the book shows a wonderful combination of emotions and situations.
Characters:
LENA - Princess Lena is a strong character, realistic and a character with which one can relate. She has her own flaws but that is exactly what makes the the best. Lena shows a great character development throughout the book even though I wished
GALLANT - He is every bit of a hero he is made out to be. His nature, emotions, capabilities are all shown wonderfully.
KING COLLINS and QUEEN AMARA - Lena's father I feel is a great person, living far ahead of his time. The way he trained his daughter in matters of politics, strategy, ruling. He is the support system of his daughter. One person I truly admire.
Queen Amara is how you would imagine a queen to be- regal, but, an amazing mother. She is firm towards Lena but kind at the same time.
CONCLUSION - Overall I think this story is a light read and a fantasy lover would love it.
P.s. I cannot leave without mentioning the vibrant and lovely Bartlett. He is the brother she never had and one of my favourite character. He is the perfect combination of mischief, innocence and loyalty.
August 25, 2020
Title: For the Crown
Author: Melissa Ricketts
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This was a wildly imaginative world that mixed humans and dragon shapeshifters (Drengrs), with some full dragons and sprites thrown into the back story. The world building was solid and unique compared to what I typically read - I might now be somewhat addicted to the idea of dragon shapeshifters.
The main character, Lena (Selena), is a human girl who is the daughter of the Drengr king and queen, but the kingdom's rules for succession do not allow a fully human queen to rule. As the Crowned Princess, the only hope she has of ascending to the throne is to find her perfect Drengr mate by her 18th birthday. If she can find her Drengr mate, the Drengr magic allows for a mind meld to occur between the pair and the Drengr's long life span is also passed to the female half of the pair. However, Lena balks at the requirement that she tie herself to a mate in order to rule. Her fierce spirit is admirable and she resents the rules that prevent her from ruling in her own right.
In order to find her mate, all unmated Drengr are summoned to the capital for a 2 week period wherein Lena is expected to get to know the men before a ceremony is held to determine which is her perfect mate. If no mate is found, Lena is expected to relinquish her crown and will live an ordinary human life span unable to ever rule the kingdom she loves.
Lena must confront feelings of resentment, anger and failure throughout this story. She must also confront her own troublesome ways and find a way forward when everything she dreamed of seems out of reach. As she goes through this process, she resents the fact that she is obligated to follow certain paths that are dictated for her rather than doing what she wants for herself. But will Lena find that sometimes fate has a way of choosing paths for us that we never even imagined? And can she put aside her stubborn nature to find a compromise? You will have to read it yourself to see how those questions play out.
This was my first read set in the Dragonwall kingdom but it definitely will not be my last. I found Lena's character to be highly relatable as I also struggled with preset expectations back when I was 17 and had to learn how to balance what I wanted with what I could actually accomplish and what was best for me in the long term.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Melissa Ricketts
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This was a wildly imaginative world that mixed humans and dragon shapeshifters (Drengrs), with some full dragons and sprites thrown into the back story. The world building was solid and unique compared to what I typically read - I might now be somewhat addicted to the idea of dragon shapeshifters.
The main character, Lena (Selena), is a human girl who is the daughter of the Drengr king and queen, but the kingdom's rules for succession do not allow a fully human queen to rule. As the Crowned Princess, the only hope she has of ascending to the throne is to find her perfect Drengr mate by her 18th birthday. If she can find her Drengr mate, the Drengr magic allows for a mind meld to occur between the pair and the Drengr's long life span is also passed to the female half of the pair. However, Lena balks at the requirement that she tie herself to a mate in order to rule. Her fierce spirit is admirable and she resents the rules that prevent her from ruling in her own right.
In order to find her mate, all unmated Drengr are summoned to the capital for a 2 week period wherein Lena is expected to get to know the men before a ceremony is held to determine which is her perfect mate. If no mate is found, Lena is expected to relinquish her crown and will live an ordinary human life span unable to ever rule the kingdom she loves.
Lena must confront feelings of resentment, anger and failure throughout this story. She must also confront her own troublesome ways and find a way forward when everything she dreamed of seems out of reach. As she goes through this process, she resents the fact that she is obligated to follow certain paths that are dictated for her rather than doing what she wants for herself. But will Lena find that sometimes fate has a way of choosing paths for us that we never even imagined? And can she put aside her stubborn nature to find a compromise? You will have to read it yourself to see how those questions play out.
This was my first read set in the Dragonwall kingdom but it definitely will not be my last. I found Lena's character to be highly relatable as I also struggled with preset expectations back when I was 17 and had to learn how to balance what I wanted with what I could actually accomplish and what was best for me in the long term.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2020
“I’ll tell you a joke, Mother, a wonderful joke.” Lena’s face flushed. “That I cannot rule because I am a woman - that I cannot step into my birthright because of my sex? That is a joke. The funniest joke in all the world.”
CW: Violence; War; Death; Beating of a child
Summary: As decreed by the Dragonwall Charter, in order for Princess Lena to rule she must find her mate before she turns 18, or surrender the crown. In the weeks leading up to her 18th birthday, the King summons all of the eligible Drengr (half-men, half-dragon shapeshifters) to Stonewall to meet with Princess Lena before her Selection date. However, when Selection day ends in disaster, Lena must face her fate, and wrestle with what it means to be the Princess of the Drengr Monarchy, and decide who she truly wants to be.
Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and impressed by the originality of the world-building. Lena was mischievous and independent, and I truly loved her close relationship with her parents, who trusted and believed in her. There always seems to be a Big Dark Family Secret in YA novels, and I enjoyed that instead, this family was close-knit and loving. They were leaders who seemed to upload the crown with wisdom, compassion, and grace, which I found refreshing. Overall I really enjoyed this book and found myself staying up until early in the morning to finish it.
That said, I will say that the plot was predictable, and there were several times I wished that Mitchell just got to the point. I also found the pace to be needlessly slow in several spots and thought the book lost a lot of its tension in the lead up to the second half when the male lead was introduced. While I did love the detailed descriptions of the gowns Lena wore, I found that descriptions in other sections of the book were lacking, and I had a hard time picturing a lot of the characters.
Overall, I think this book is worth reading if you’re looking for a quick YA novel that’s a little different, is filled with dragons, magic, and sword-fighting, and that has a strong female protagonist.
You should read this book if you like: YA; Fantasy; Dragons; Romance; Magic; Strong female protagonist; Drama; Royalty
Similar: The Selection; Eragon; Fable
I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Violence; War; Death; Beating of a child
Summary: As decreed by the Dragonwall Charter, in order for Princess Lena to rule she must find her mate before she turns 18, or surrender the crown. In the weeks leading up to her 18th birthday, the King summons all of the eligible Drengr (half-men, half-dragon shapeshifters) to Stonewall to meet with Princess Lena before her Selection date. However, when Selection day ends in disaster, Lena must face her fate, and wrestle with what it means to be the Princess of the Drengr Monarchy, and decide who she truly wants to be.
Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and impressed by the originality of the world-building. Lena was mischievous and independent, and I truly loved her close relationship with her parents, who trusted and believed in her. There always seems to be a Big Dark Family Secret in YA novels, and I enjoyed that instead, this family was close-knit and loving. They were leaders who seemed to upload the crown with wisdom, compassion, and grace, which I found refreshing. Overall I really enjoyed this book and found myself staying up until early in the morning to finish it.
That said, I will say that the plot was predictable, and there were several times I wished that Mitchell just got to the point. I also found the pace to be needlessly slow in several spots and thought the book lost a lot of its tension in the lead up to the second half when the male lead was introduced. While I did love the detailed descriptions of the gowns Lena wore, I found that descriptions in other sections of the book were lacking, and I had a hard time picturing a lot of the characters.
Overall, I think this book is worth reading if you’re looking for a quick YA novel that’s a little different, is filled with dragons, magic, and sword-fighting, and that has a strong female protagonist.
You should read this book if you like: YA; Fantasy; Dragons; Romance; Magic; Strong female protagonist; Drama; Royalty
Similar: The Selection; Eragon; Fable
I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2020
*I am an ARC for Melissa Mitchel. I received an advanced copy of “For the Crown” in exchange for an honest review.*
To start, I fell in love with this book like I do with many other of my favorite reads- slowly, then all at once. The journey you go on with the main character, Princess Lena, is one that will forever be a beloved one for me. Being of similar age, I found myself really relating to her character at certain points in the story. You see what life is like as royalty in high society, the benefits and drawbacks that come with being Dragonwall’s princess. Lena’s character shows a fresh, interesting perspective of a princess who is not only intelligent and knowledgeable of her kingdom, but also full of mischievousness. She knows how to turn an unsavory situation into one of merit, be it with pranks or a reflective perspective.
Note: This review is spoiler free!
What I enjoyed most about this novel is the perspective we are put in through Lena’s character. Despite her intelligence and ability to grasp concepts well, her naivety and youth still shines through. New experiences she undergoes expose her to lessons and invaluable pieces of wisdom that she grows from as a person. Like any great book, she underwent a splendidly written character development as the gripping plot progresses alongside other wonderful characters that I had the pleasure of getting to know. Even though the point of view is from a young woman’s perspective, people of all ages can learn and consider the amazing morals Melissa intertwined with this story. The realness the author put into Princess Selena’s character, demonstrating the reality of life for a female heir in a patriarchal society, and how she grew from the harsh circumstances she was forced under- seriously, well done, author. In addition, she tied this story wonderfully with the world she created in the Dragonwall series.
I was talking about this book to family and friends (without giving away the plot) as I was reading it because I was thoroughly enjoying “For the Crown.” Do yourself, and Melissa Mitchell, the favor of buying this gem of a book, and when you haven’t had enough like the rest of us, go to her profile page and take a look at her Dragonwall series if you haven’t already 😊.
To start, I fell in love with this book like I do with many other of my favorite reads- slowly, then all at once. The journey you go on with the main character, Princess Lena, is one that will forever be a beloved one for me. Being of similar age, I found myself really relating to her character at certain points in the story. You see what life is like as royalty in high society, the benefits and drawbacks that come with being Dragonwall’s princess. Lena’s character shows a fresh, interesting perspective of a princess who is not only intelligent and knowledgeable of her kingdom, but also full of mischievousness. She knows how to turn an unsavory situation into one of merit, be it with pranks or a reflective perspective.
Note: This review is spoiler free!
What I enjoyed most about this novel is the perspective we are put in through Lena’s character. Despite her intelligence and ability to grasp concepts well, her naivety and youth still shines through. New experiences she undergoes expose her to lessons and invaluable pieces of wisdom that she grows from as a person. Like any great book, she underwent a splendidly written character development as the gripping plot progresses alongside other wonderful characters that I had the pleasure of getting to know. Even though the point of view is from a young woman’s perspective, people of all ages can learn and consider the amazing morals Melissa intertwined with this story. The realness the author put into Princess Selena’s character, demonstrating the reality of life for a female heir in a patriarchal society, and how she grew from the harsh circumstances she was forced under- seriously, well done, author. In addition, she tied this story wonderfully with the world she created in the Dragonwall series.
I was talking about this book to family and friends (without giving away the plot) as I was reading it because I was thoroughly enjoying “For the Crown.” Do yourself, and Melissa Mitchell, the favor of buying this gem of a book, and when you haven’t had enough like the rest of us, go to her profile page and take a look at her Dragonwall series if you haven’t already 😊.
August 21, 2020
In her book For the Crown, Melissa Mitchell presents us with a wonderfully imaginative fantasy world populated by humans, dragons, sprites, and drengrs (dragon/human creatures who are able to shape shift between their two aspects at will.) At the center of the book is a wonderfully well drawn strong-willed, mischievous young princess named Lena. She is immediately introduced as she is preparing to spring a prank on the group of young single drengr males who have come in hopes of becoming Lena’s bonded mate. It seems that the drengr are only males and chose a mate by finding the one psychically matched to link minds with him.
The rub in all this is that as princess of Dragonwall, Lena must find a mate before her next birthday or loose any possibility of becoming queen. As a result, all unmated drengr males are ordered to come to the palace to be tested. When none prove to be a match, Lena reluctantly accepts her fate and renounces the crown. A tournament of all mated and unmated drengr are invited to compete, the winner to be named the crowned prince.
The crisis of the story is inherent in what Lena recognizes as the basic misogyny of the Dragonwall’s rules. The unfairness is an affront to Lena—even though through a mated match the human female would gain nearly eternal life. Angered by the unfairness, Lena plots and schemes to find loopholes—or create a few illegal ones on her own. Along the way, of course, Lena discovers her true match in Tristan, a drengr who did not come to the matching party.
The key to the story is that Lena must find a measure of maturity as well as learning her purpose in Dragonwall aside from her role as the king’s daughter. Only after that can she find her mate and accept a new role in the realm.
I only read a few YA books, but this was far and away the best one I have read in that’s genre. I look forward to reading others in the series as they come. In the meantime I will definitely be taking a look at the others by this author.
I was given this book by NetGalley with the promise of a fair and honest review. I am very grateful for that opportunity.
The rub in all this is that as princess of Dragonwall, Lena must find a mate before her next birthday or loose any possibility of becoming queen. As a result, all unmated drengr males are ordered to come to the palace to be tested. When none prove to be a match, Lena reluctantly accepts her fate and renounces the crown. A tournament of all mated and unmated drengr are invited to compete, the winner to be named the crowned prince.
The crisis of the story is inherent in what Lena recognizes as the basic misogyny of the Dragonwall’s rules. The unfairness is an affront to Lena—even though through a mated match the human female would gain nearly eternal life. Angered by the unfairness, Lena plots and schemes to find loopholes—or create a few illegal ones on her own. Along the way, of course, Lena discovers her true match in Tristan, a drengr who did not come to the matching party.
The key to the story is that Lena must find a measure of maturity as well as learning her purpose in Dragonwall aside from her role as the king’s daughter. Only after that can she find her mate and accept a new role in the realm.
I only read a few YA books, but this was far and away the best one I have read in that’s genre. I look forward to reading others in the series as they come. In the meantime I will definitely be taking a look at the others by this author.
I was given this book by NetGalley with the promise of a fair and honest review. I am very grateful for that opportunity.
June 5, 2020
For the Crown takes place in the world of Dragonwall. A fictional world that any avid reader would wish to be immersed in. There are Humans, Mages, Sprites and Drengr. The Drengr are “dragons blessed with humanity”, they can shape shift from dragon to human.
Dragonwall is ruled by a Drengr Monarchy that resides in “The Great Keep of Kastali Dun”. The Drengr have exceptionally long-life spans that allows the Kingdom to be ruled by a single King for hundreds of years and with his mate as his Queen. This also meant that no humans were allowed to rule due to their significantly shorter life spans. The idea of having one ruler for so long is a concept that’s a little surprising to me.
The story follows Princess Lena’s struggle with her unfair fate. She is a female and as such all females born of Drengr are not blessed with longevity, or the ability to transform into a dragon, they are merely humans. Only a female mated to a Drengr could live as long as the Drengr and perform magic as the Drengr do. Having a mate is special to the Drengr and something most of them wish for. Princess Len must find a mate or lose her crown, her crown that should rightfully be hers by birth.
I grew fond of many of the characters, Ramar especially. Melissa has a way of making very likable and relatable characters, I know from experience from reading her other books.
Lena was a relatable character because she was not perfect; she made mistakes, she suffered from anxiety that she hid well and feelings of uselessness. I did not agree with all that she did, but that was what made her so much more real.
My only disappointment was the ending of the book. I felt unsatisfied with the ending as it felt too rushed and I was left a little unconvinced on certain matters that I will not mention to keep this spoiler free.
I recommend this book to all fantasy, adventure, and dragon loving readers. I assure you that this is a book worth reading. I will definitely reread For the Crown in the future.
I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.
Dragonwall is ruled by a Drengr Monarchy that resides in “The Great Keep of Kastali Dun”. The Drengr have exceptionally long-life spans that allows the Kingdom to be ruled by a single King for hundreds of years and with his mate as his Queen. This also meant that no humans were allowed to rule due to their significantly shorter life spans. The idea of having one ruler for so long is a concept that’s a little surprising to me.
The story follows Princess Lena’s struggle with her unfair fate. She is a female and as such all females born of Drengr are not blessed with longevity, or the ability to transform into a dragon, they are merely humans. Only a female mated to a Drengr could live as long as the Drengr and perform magic as the Drengr do. Having a mate is special to the Drengr and something most of them wish for. Princess Len must find a mate or lose her crown, her crown that should rightfully be hers by birth.
I grew fond of many of the characters, Ramar especially. Melissa has a way of making very likable and relatable characters, I know from experience from reading her other books.
Lena was a relatable character because she was not perfect; she made mistakes, she suffered from anxiety that she hid well and feelings of uselessness. I did not agree with all that she did, but that was what made her so much more real.
My only disappointment was the ending of the book. I felt unsatisfied with the ending as it felt too rushed and I was left a little unconvinced on certain matters that I will not mention to keep this spoiler free.
I recommend this book to all fantasy, adventure, and dragon loving readers. I assure you that this is a book worth reading. I will definitely reread For the Crown in the future.
I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2020
Setting the scene in a standalone of the author’s Dragonwall series, this book takes place hundreds of years before the events of the main series, enriching the history of the Dragonwall monarchy. Quickly capturing readers, For the Crown is ideal for readers who crave an adventure and enjoy a strong and feisty female lead. The intrigue surrounding the events of the story will have readers at the
edge of their seats in anticipation.
The character development felt a little rushed and at first and I was frustrated by the main character’s childish nature. As the book progressed, however, I came to appreciate the different parts of Lena’s personality and her desire to prove herself worthy, leaving me satisfied by the character in the end. The storyline was a little bit predictable, but well mastered by the author who provided intrigue to keep the reader on their toes and make the story unique.
I loved the way that the author played with the names of the characters to easily describe them, eg Rhold the Bold, which made for a few laughs along the way. The prankster nature of the main character also had me in stitches at times at the absurd way that she pulls her pranks. Lena does not lay down and roll over when things don’t go her way, and I appreciated her strong character and set morals by which she makes her decisions. Melissa Mitchell did well in portraying Lena as a naïve teenager who has to grow up quickly and take responsibility for her actions.
I honestly enjoyed this story. It was a lovely light and an easy read that immerses the reader in a fantasy world of dragons and royalty. It follows the main character, Lena, in her battle to for the throne and her search for purpose when plans go awry. I highly recommend this story to any teen and young-adult reader who enjoys stories about dragons, destiny and finding yourself.
I was given an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
edge of their seats in anticipation.
The character development felt a little rushed and at first and I was frustrated by the main character’s childish nature. As the book progressed, however, I came to appreciate the different parts of Lena’s personality and her desire to prove herself worthy, leaving me satisfied by the character in the end. The storyline was a little bit predictable, but well mastered by the author who provided intrigue to keep the reader on their toes and make the story unique.
I loved the way that the author played with the names of the characters to easily describe them, eg Rhold the Bold, which made for a few laughs along the way. The prankster nature of the main character also had me in stitches at times at the absurd way that she pulls her pranks. Lena does not lay down and roll over when things don’t go her way, and I appreciated her strong character and set morals by which she makes her decisions. Melissa Mitchell did well in portraying Lena as a naïve teenager who has to grow up quickly and take responsibility for her actions.
I honestly enjoyed this story. It was a lovely light and an easy read that immerses the reader in a fantasy world of dragons and royalty. It follows the main character, Lena, in her battle to for the throne and her search for purpose when plans go awry. I highly recommend this story to any teen and young-adult reader who enjoys stories about dragons, destiny and finding yourself.
I was given an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2020
i have received this book in exchange for an honest review
this will be my first review ever so please do bear with me.well I've got to start first with saying that im a huge fan of fantasy novels so I'm rather very critical when it comes to them so for me a fantasy novel first and foremost should be well constructed and I've got to say this novel was one of the best in that aspect the dragonwall world from its history to it's description to its characters is very much complete .It's a unique and fresh take on Dragon shifters and i find that very captivating .the work done on the setting of all dragonwall series is very much supreme .moving on from that and looking at the novel story wise I should and will say that this story is every hopeless romantic dream .no one hates a destined mate romance I sure do not well it's true I was getting rather frustrated with the lack of r rated scenes, I'm a huge pervert in that sense and always prefer a 1 or 2 adult scenes in the mix but nonetheless the romance was sweet .gallant was a dream come true I litteraly fell in love with that character . And in that sense I've got to say that the ending was too abrupt for me .I wanted more from it, I wanted to see more of the character development, a lot more fighting scenes and definitely an adult scene " cue awkward laughter".
last but not least the story overall was simply too good it has all the element that a fantasy / romance fan would ever want .there never was a dull moment when reading it ,And you better beleive it because I've read it twice and counting .So everyone out there reading this review should definitely read this book I guarantee you, you won't regret it even one bit .And I would recommend the rest of the dragonwall series books as they're the ones who got me hooked on this world in the first place .
this will be my first review ever so please do bear with me.well I've got to start first with saying that im a huge fan of fantasy novels so I'm rather very critical when it comes to them so for me a fantasy novel first and foremost should be well constructed and I've got to say this novel was one of the best in that aspect the dragonwall world from its history to it's description to its characters is very much complete .It's a unique and fresh take on Dragon shifters and i find that very captivating .the work done on the setting of all dragonwall series is very much supreme .moving on from that and looking at the novel story wise I should and will say that this story is every hopeless romantic dream .no one hates a destined mate romance I sure do not well it's true I was getting rather frustrated with the lack of r rated scenes, I'm a huge pervert in that sense and always prefer a 1 or 2 adult scenes in the mix but nonetheless the romance was sweet .gallant was a dream come true I litteraly fell in love with that character . And in that sense I've got to say that the ending was too abrupt for me .I wanted more from it, I wanted to see more of the character development, a lot more fighting scenes and definitely an adult scene " cue awkward laughter".
last but not least the story overall was simply too good it has all the element that a fantasy / romance fan would ever want .there never was a dull moment when reading it ,And you better beleive it because I've read it twice and counting .So everyone out there reading this review should definitely read this book I guarantee you, you won't regret it even one bit .And I would recommend the rest of the dragonwall series books as they're the ones who got me hooked on this world in the first place .
July 6, 2020
I signed up to be one of the advanced readers for this book and I received an advanced copy of “For the Crown” in exchange for an honest review. I thank the author for this lovely opportunity.
I came across the works of Melissa on Wattpad and have been a follower of since then. This book was of interest to me because it is set in the Dragonwall Series Universe, which I am in love with. And I also love dragons. That aside, lets talk about this book.
The best thing about this book for me is the strong female protagonist Melissa has created. At times, you might find Lena immature or wilful and she might get on your nerves. Nevertheless, that’s part of her charm and character build up. She is a teen maturing into an adult throughout the book and seeing that change and her growth is satisfying. I could really relate to her character because coming from a patriarchal society, I could feel her pain, frustration and heartbreak because of the rules imposed by the society. Thank fully, in the universe of the book, apart from that one condition of the crown, females don’t have to face stifling restrictions.
This book takes you on an exciting adventure in the world of Princess Lena. It is a story of growth, struggle, heartbreak, acceptance, love, failures and success. Most of the lessons given in the book are relatable to the real life struggles and adventures. I also love the way the relationship between the two lead protagonists grows and builds up.
The book is a satisfying and pleasurable read because you live through the feelings and emotions of the characters. The author has the ability to portray every scene beautifully that it makes your imagination come alive. I would recommend this story to people who love fantasy, especially Dragons, a love story, action and adventure and comedy.
I came across the works of Melissa on Wattpad and have been a follower of since then. This book was of interest to me because it is set in the Dragonwall Series Universe, which I am in love with. And I also love dragons. That aside, lets talk about this book.
The best thing about this book for me is the strong female protagonist Melissa has created. At times, you might find Lena immature or wilful and she might get on your nerves. Nevertheless, that’s part of her charm and character build up. She is a teen maturing into an adult throughout the book and seeing that change and her growth is satisfying. I could really relate to her character because coming from a patriarchal society, I could feel her pain, frustration and heartbreak because of the rules imposed by the society. Thank fully, in the universe of the book, apart from that one condition of the crown, females don’t have to face stifling restrictions.
This book takes you on an exciting adventure in the world of Princess Lena. It is a story of growth, struggle, heartbreak, acceptance, love, failures and success. Most of the lessons given in the book are relatable to the real life struggles and adventures. I also love the way the relationship between the two lead protagonists grows and builds up.
The book is a satisfying and pleasurable read because you live through the feelings and emotions of the characters. The author has the ability to portray every scene beautifully that it makes your imagination come alive. I would recommend this story to people who love fantasy, especially Dragons, a love story, action and adventure and comedy.
August 29, 2020
This book perfectly fits into my category of a guilty pleasure read!
I started this book interested in its claim to be a mix between The Selection and The Gladiator. It was kinda both, but with some differences. The Selection similarities were heavy in the first half of the book, while The Gladiator was more the second half. I actually really enjoyed the split themes, it gaves the book a nice feel. However, I would say that the book overall is very different from either of the others.
One book I did feel like this book was a little like was a Sarah J Maas book. I think part of that came from the whole mates things, but there was also a scene where she throws a show at a guy, so if you know you know 😉
Lena was definitely an interesting character to read from. I found that she was pretty much an even mix of pretty generic ya character traits along with some pretty unique ones. For instance, she likes sweets and isn’t thrilled with showing too much cleavage, however, she did love pranks and jokes, so I loved to see that side because for how young she was it really made sense. She also had some decent character growth in the book. She comes off as really naive when you start reading and definitely learns, which is always great!
Something else I liked was The Selection part at the beginning had me laughing, it really had a bad first date, almost like an online dating vibe! I feel like you rarely see first dates in books!
In the end, the actual romance was probably my favorite part. I won’t spoil for those you haven’t read it, but it definitely had me smiling and pretty invested!
Ultimately, The plot was enjoyable and I had a great time reading, but it is not the most serious of ya reads. I would 100% recommend for anyone looking for a fun romance read with some magic, dragons, and royalty.
I started this book interested in its claim to be a mix between The Selection and The Gladiator. It was kinda both, but with some differences. The Selection similarities were heavy in the first half of the book, while The Gladiator was more the second half. I actually really enjoyed the split themes, it gaves the book a nice feel. However, I would say that the book overall is very different from either of the others.
One book I did feel like this book was a little like was a Sarah J Maas book. I think part of that came from the whole mates things, but there was also a scene where she throws a show at a guy, so if you know you know 😉
Lena was definitely an interesting character to read from. I found that she was pretty much an even mix of pretty generic ya character traits along with some pretty unique ones. For instance, she likes sweets and isn’t thrilled with showing too much cleavage, however, she did love pranks and jokes, so I loved to see that side because for how young she was it really made sense. She also had some decent character growth in the book. She comes off as really naive when you start reading and definitely learns, which is always great!
Something else I liked was The Selection part at the beginning had me laughing, it really had a bad first date, almost like an online dating vibe! I feel like you rarely see first dates in books!
In the end, the actual romance was probably my favorite part. I won’t spoil for those you haven’t read it, but it definitely had me smiling and pretty invested!
Ultimately, The plot was enjoyable and I had a great time reading, but it is not the most serious of ya reads. I would 100% recommend for anyone looking for a fun romance read with some magic, dragons, and royalty.
February 12, 2021
Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review For the Crown in exchange for an honest review.
I was approved for this book on #NetGalley months ago and thought I missed downloading the book prior to it being archived, but I found the ARC this past week and am so happy I was still able to read it. I LOVE the concept / idea behind this book series and can’t wait to read the sequel when it’s published.
The book had a strong start and my immediate reaction was that the early parts of the book reminded me of a fantasy version of The Selection series... plus there are DRAGONS 🐉😍. I really liked the idea of the human-form-Dragons and some of this in a different way reminded me of Avatar. This series has so much potential as the world / concept felt original with lots of room to grow expand on the world. The main character Lena is young, silly, naive and sweet and her voice and point of view are geared towards a younger YA audience than some YA reads (aka clean PG read) and I’d recommend this novel to every lover of YA fantasy. Some of how Lena talks / the story is written actually remind me of how I felt reading Throne of Glass book number one so I can’t wait to see what happens in book number 2 of the Dragonwall Royals series.
I think what mainly held this back from being a 5-star read for me is that the lead characters voice was a little too young / naive for my tastes BUT I think her voice fits with a teenager or even a book I would have adored in middle school.
I also didn’t like the title of the chapters as they gave too much of the story away. For example the chapter titles “Daryn’s Beating” or “Tristan Goes Away”... I knew what was going to happen in those chapters so it spoiled it for me a bit.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(SO close to 4-stars!)
I was approved for this book on #NetGalley months ago and thought I missed downloading the book prior to it being archived, but I found the ARC this past week and am so happy I was still able to read it. I LOVE the concept / idea behind this book series and can’t wait to read the sequel when it’s published.
The book had a strong start and my immediate reaction was that the early parts of the book reminded me of a fantasy version of The Selection series... plus there are DRAGONS 🐉😍. I really liked the idea of the human-form-Dragons and some of this in a different way reminded me of Avatar. This series has so much potential as the world / concept felt original with lots of room to grow expand on the world. The main character Lena is young, silly, naive and sweet and her voice and point of view are geared towards a younger YA audience than some YA reads (aka clean PG read) and I’d recommend this novel to every lover of YA fantasy. Some of how Lena talks / the story is written actually remind me of how I felt reading Throne of Glass book number one so I can’t wait to see what happens in book number 2 of the Dragonwall Royals series.
I think what mainly held this back from being a 5-star read for me is that the lead characters voice was a little too young / naive for my tastes BUT I think her voice fits with a teenager or even a book I would have adored in middle school.
I also didn’t like the title of the chapters as they gave too much of the story away. For example the chapter titles “Daryn’s Beating” or “Tristan Goes Away”... I knew what was going to happen in those chapters so it spoiled it for me a bit.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(SO close to 4-stars!)
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