Blog Tour, Review, Playlist & Giveaway: Crown of Coral and Pearl (Crown of Coral and Pearl #1) by Mara Rutherford

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Blog Tour, Review, Playlist & Giveaway: Crown of Coral and Pearl (Crown of Coral and Pearl #1) by Mara Rutherford

Title: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl #1
Author: Mara Rutherford
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…

Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.

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Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.

The premise of this book really pulled me in. I adore a story where siblings, especially identical twins, have to switch places for the greater good or to thwart evil. Throw in marrying crown princes, court politics, and a mission to save one's people? Yep, I'm so here for this.

I found the world-building. The imagery was very elaborately detailed and the surroundings felt almost surreal. Very dream-like in its intensity. I loved it. I felt as though I could walk right through the mist of the dream and be in this world. I loved the different locations that we experience in the story.

I found the integral parts of the plot intriguing and entertaining, but some of the story dragged on a bit for me. While this book does have some tropes that I have read before, I felt that the execution of these tropes was well planned. I did love that there were twists in the story that I didn't necessarily see coming.

I adore a story with incredible sibling dynamic and this book really has that. Each of the characters in the story is beautifully written. Each character was developed arduously which only added to the overall plot and dynamics between characters.

The romance was bearable but not ultimately my favorite. It definitely had its moments, but I am not a fan of insta-love. It felt very underdeveloped to me. I am hoping for some more to win me over to the romance in the next book of the series.

Overall, I am very eager to see what will happen in the second book of this series. I am so overjoyed that I took a chance on this amazing story and I highly recommend it to all fantasy fans!

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world, from Russia to Peru, along with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband and two sons. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a Master's degree in Cultural Studies from the University of London and would rather study the folklore of her next post than the language (which she has found is a lot more fun but not nearly as useful). She is a former Pitch Wars mentee and three-time mentor. Her debut YA fantasy, CORAL AND PEARL, will release from Harlequin Teen in Fall 2019.