Fantastic story. Good carry over from the prior novels. I will definitely plan to follow this story as it continues. Nice character development and plot twists.

The Hollow Crown is a strong start to a new chapter in the Kingfountain series. While you could read this book as a stand alone, to some extent, I would greatly recommend reading the first three books in the series first.

Trynne is the heroine of this tale, and a heroine is what she strives to be. She is an extremely likable character that yearns to be a help to her family and country in whatever way she can. Kudos to Wheeler for writing Trynne as a serious and obedient girl and young woman. (It's not that I'm a fan of obedient women as much I'm tired of strong female character written as immature girls who are more interested in being reckless rebels than actual legit heroines.) There is never a point in the book that I felt like Trynne is doing anything because she is looking for personal glory or because she doesn't understand the gravity of what is happening around her. If anything, Trynne understands her strengths and limits better than the adults around her do and she is willing to be underestimated for as long as she needs to be.

I also liked that Wheeler didn't set Trynne up to be ridiculed for wanting to follow a path that was completely non-traditional in her country. While she might not have been immediately welcomed in the roll I'm sure she is destined to play, she did have people who helped her learn what she needed to.

The storyline itself is interesting and follows what you would expect in this series. The secondary characters are well written and I am interested to see what happens to them as well in future books.

I recommend this book and all of the Kingfountain books to anyone who enjoys Fantasy novels.

I really enjoyed getting back into this world, especially since I believed the Kingfountain series was only to be a trilogy. This fourth book with the promise of two more has come as a pleasant surprise!

With this book we get a change of point of view, which I found both refreshing and frustrating. It took me a little time to get used to Trynne’s voice but once I did, I really enjoyed the story. Life delt her a pretty harsh hand and I love seeing how strong she is in spite of it.

The characters are developed enough that I’m able to visualize them and imagine interacting with most of them. A few of the secondary characters felt a bit flat in comparison with what I’m used to from Jeff Wheeler, but that might be something that gets more detail in the next couple books.

I do want to say though that while it’s obvious we’re meant to ship Trynne with Fallon, I just didn’t like him. He came off as a typical spoiled brat and I just can’t understand why Trynne loves him romantically.

The world is built on top of the existing framework from the previous books so, while I noticed the storyline was fairly independent, it would be best to read the first three books in the series to have a good grasp of the world and he history within it. There were spaces that were introduced in this novel and they were built up to be quite immersive and enjoyable.

The story itself was really enjoyable and hard to put down once I stopped trying to read so many books at once. It’s definitely another page turner but that’s what I’ve come to expect from Jeff Wheeler’s work. I feel like it’s not quite as good as the first three books, but it’s definitely still kept some of my attention on the series. There is somewhat of a cliffhanger at the end. I’m anticipating the release of the fifth book in August!

Why do these books make me feel this way? I'm just reading along, everything is hunky dory and then BAM. It ends and I need a good cry. Wheeler does an excellent of job of making you care about his characters. He also puts them through hell and back which I think is what makes these books so emotional for me.

This book continues the Kingfountain series' Arthurian legend theme, with Owen's daughter Trynne being a reimagined Lancelot, the "King's Protector". Trynne, like her parents, is fountain blessed. Her gift seems similar in nature to Owen's. She is able to predict attacks and can thus defend herself against them, as well as sense other people's weaknesses. Her mother, Sinia, wants her to be a Wizr, but she wants to be an Oath Maiden. She wants to fight in the war like the men, and of course, in Kingfountain this has never been done before. She has an uphill battle ahead of her, but the Fountain is helping her out a little.

I absolutely loved Trynne. She's a no nonsense sort of girl, which fits perfectly with who her parents are. She is clever and determined, and refuses to let anything stand in the way of her destiny and her dreams. She also dual wields swords and daggers... which makes her just about the awesomest heroine ever. I don't know how realistic it is, but it's a fantasy. To hell with realistic. Dual wielding swords all the way.

We are introduced to new characters, new enemies and new kingdoms, and we also see many of the original characters in a less integral part of the plot. The storytelling and the writing are both excellent. Wheeler is wonderful at showing and not telling. He lets the reader decide for themselves what to think about other characters. He gives subtle clues as to where the story might be headed, but nothing is ever fully revealed. You want to trust certain characters, but you're never really sure if you should. It keeps you on your toes and turning the pages, looking for answers.

This book ends on a massive cliff hanger and with a huge twist. I can't stress this enough, I am DYING to get my hands on a copy of the next book. Thank goodness I only have to wait for August, and then it will be another few months until the next installment. The wait is already killing me.

I do want to leave a note about how this book fits in with the Kingfountain series in general. This book mostly happens about 15 years after the events of [book:The King's Traitor|29469165]. The plot of this story is not dependent upon the first three books, but many of the events and characters referenced as well as the fountain magic are explained in the first book. The author does not insult his readers with repetitive explanations or info dumps. Do I think you could read this book and get by okay? Yes. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not. The first three books are so magical anyway, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip them. There is also a prequel, [book:The Maid's War|32488960], which I haven't read, but fully intend to pick up.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I do love Jeff Wheeler's Kingfountain series, and was excited to see it continue. The Hollow Crown, Book 4, has moved to the next generation. While the original characters are still here, and have important roles, their children are now the main characters. Wheeler has created a wonderful world here, full of magic, honor, treason, strong and compelling characters with many elements of Arthurian legend re-imagined. There are many twists and turns to this story, and Wheeler's writing just gets better and better. While I didn't love this story quite as much as the prior trilogy, I am already anxiously awaiting the next installment. And oh, that cliffhanger ending! What a twist! Many thanks to NetGalley and 47North for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommend this whole series!

A well written book once again by Jeff Wheeler, i couldn't put it down, the only downside i see is i read it in less than a day, This was a good continuation to the kingfountain series. I will definitely be picking this book up on release.

As of last week, I was under the assumption that I had completed the Kingfountain series by Jeff Wheeler with the third book, until I stumbled upon this website and signed up!

I have always been a sucker for tales where we follow the lead protagonist through the ages, watch them mature and see what makes them tick. We know these people like we could never know anyone in real life, even ourselves for that matter! Owen Kiskaddon was one such character, a child you marvel at and watch him go through life and grow into a man you could admire. I felt the 3rd book had ended well enough and had all the strings tied. When I saw this book during my maiden voyage through netgalley.com I could not believe my eyes. I started the book today feeling like the story would probably stretch and not be as good as the last. In the first few chapters, I was afraid history was just about to repeat itself. But as Tryneowy (daughter of Owen) grew up, with different baggage than her predecessors, and different setbacks, it got interesting.

The newly united country of Ceredigion is now under attack from previously unknown enemies. This book is a look into what comes after the happily ever after and when contentment is forced on some just because the others feel it. People may change but emotions are a constant and this is proved as the story unfolds. Outsiders have set their eyes on the Hollow crown and now it's up to the new cast to see it through. It is hard not to guess and second guess the turns and twists and I am extremely impatient to know what happens next. I console myself that at least I got here , to this story ahead of others and as of now I should be happy with that!I gave it 4 stars only because I want to see how much I like the next and not regret setting the bar too high/low

The Hollow Crown by Jeff Wheeler is the 4th book in the Kingfountain series, and I've enjoyed them all. This is not my favorite, but that may be partly because the story has moved to the second generation. I'm always reluctant to let favorite characters take on secondary roles.

Once again, Wheeler intertwines myth and history in the imagined world of Ceredigion, but the key player is no longer Owen Kiskaddon. Trynne, Owen's daughter, tries to subdue her desire to become a knight and become the Wizr her mother expects her to be. It seems, however, that the Kingfountain has plans for Trynne that support her own preference. Or maybe her preference is a result of Kingfountain magic.

I'm eager for the next book in this series.

NetGalley/47 North

Fantasy. June 13, 2017. Print length: 304 pages.