Crown of Coral and Pearl is a great book. The story is so unique and interesting and the plot is fast paced. Plus Nor is such a badass you couldn’t have a better MC.

I loved Nor. Nor is absolutely what made the book for me. She is brave and fearless and doesn’t take anyone’s crap. Even when maybe she should calm it down a little. She also have such a severe love for her family and her sister. Even when her mother is crap to her. She still understands where she is coming from. She can see what lies beneath people’s exterior.

One of the reasons for this is because Nor grew up in Varenia. A kingdom that survives by harvesting pearls from their deep waters and creating an alliance with the kingdom of Ilara by sending their most beautiful girl as a bride. The people of Varenia are not allowed to leave and they live in fear of these rules that they follow them closely. It’s almost like a prison, even though they love their home and their people. Very complicated in a way. They also hold beauty to an impossibly high standard because they want one of their daughters chosen at the choosing ceremony. Not only for the bride price but also the honor. So these girls are severely judged on their looks. Nor was scarred as a young child and therefore is out of the running for the ceremony. This however gives her an unexpected freedom and allows her to see how the beauty standards are ridiculous.

We actually spend a lot of time on Varenia before a bride needs to be sent and when Zadie can no longer go. Nor must go in her place. Once she gets to the Ilara and sees that things are not as they seem. The plot really picks up and gets very crazy with politics and court mysteries. It keeps you reading. We are also introduced to a host of characters that I did develop a fondness for.

The romance is sweet and cute. There is definitely a large difference between Ceren the crown prince and Talin, his half brother.

I don’t want to say too much about the characters because i don’t want to give any of the story away. I did really really enjoy it and I’m curious what the sequel is going to be about. I imagine it will be great too.

An ARC exchanged for an honest review.

Nor lives with her twin, Zadie, and parents in what at first glance appears to be paradise. Varenia is a true ocean village.
Children learn at a young age how to dive to the bottom of the sea and explore the coral reefs to look for oysters and collect rare pink pearls. However, paradise is not a wonderful as it appears at first glance. With those pearls becoming scare, times are hard. Friendships are also hard to come by for Nor and Zadie. You see, beauty in girls is the most precious commodity. Every generation the most beautiful girl in the village is chosen to be sent to the kingdom of Ilara to wed the Prince and become Queen. This not only makes the mothers overprotective of their daughter's beauty, but it fosters jealousy and rivalry. Nor and Zadie haven't even been allowed the chance to form friendships with girls.

"Boys may be physically stronger, Mother always said, but girls could be twice as vicious."

Fortunately for Nor and Zadie, there had never been any competitiveness between them, but perhaps that was because of an accident early in life that put Nor out of the running. However, a series of events and fate would decree that Nor would be the girl who was the Prince. After spending her entire life dreaming of going to Ilara, Nor finds it nothing like she expected and a whole host of problems. Her intended, Prince Ceren, appears to be just as cold and forbidding as the mountain fortress he lives in. The people are dying and her people are in danger.

Mara Rutherford has done some amazing world building in The Crown of Coral and Pearl. There are so many layers.
- The ugliness lurking under the beauty of Varenia.
- The contrast between the warmth and softness of Varenia to the cold and harshness of Ilara.
- The legends behind the blood coral.

If this was a standalone, I would say that one of this book's greatest messages was tainted by Talin and Ceren. Rutherford does a great job of showing a world in Varenia that puts too much emphasis on beauty. Nor's tiny blemish had disqualified her when she had so many wonderful internal qualities. (On a side note, I appreciated that the twin was not made to be a horrible person to contrast Nor.) The problem comes with Talin. Nor's only reason for liking Talin seemed to be his pretty blue eyes. Ceren on the other hand, while the villan, seemed to be a much more flushed out character. You couldn't help but feel for him, the older but less attractive brother who has been mistreated his entire life by his stepmother. Now, with a sequel in the works, it's possible that Rutherford could switch live interests on us, and I'm hoping that she does.

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford is a fantasy about how love can destroy and how it can rebuild.

I loved the first half of the book more than its second half. Althought the summary tells us what happens in the first half, it’s still enjoyable due to the atmospheric world-building, beautiful description of the various relationships, history of Varenia and Ilara. My heart cried out when Nor was leaving Varenia and Zadie; their love was so pure and captivating that I fell in love with the book at that very moment.

The second half was interesting but lost the magic of the first half. Nor arrives in court and lo and behold, the emissary of Ilara Talin whom she met in Varenia is one of the Ilarian princes. She is to marry his older brother Ceren and he is such a Joffrey ( you know..from GOT!!). I don’t know if I should warn about an insta-love trope between Talin and Nor because it felt more like insta-attraction to me. I read through some of their chapters and they didn’t exactly say they love each other. I really hope to see more development on both of their parts in the sequel rather than fall headfirst into love.

Ceren was a Joffrey sure but you will sympathize with him in some parts of the book and then you know.. fall in utter hate with him. With that said..am I looking forward to the sequel? Definitely! There were a lot of things that were open-ended and I need a book two for those and I’m definitely here for more Nor and Zadie!!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you love books about the bond between sisters, engaging YA fantasy in a unique setting, wonderful worldbuilding, and easy writing to immerse yourself in.

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book from the first chapter!

The first third of the book is set in Nor’s hometown of Varenia. A small fishing village that is built on stilts over the sea. None of her people are EVER aloud on to land. The only exception being the one girl chosen to be queen. You fallow her and her sisters’ preparations for their lives apart as Zadie, Nor’s twin sister, will more then likely be taken as the next queen and sent to land. In a twist of events Nor takes her place.

The rest of the book was not quite as gripping for me. I think I fell in love with the community of Varenia and the salt water and way of life and it was hard for me to switch gears. I grew up in a fishing village and still live a short walk from the beach. I would never want to be anywhere that I couldn’t smell the salt in the air. I understand Nor’s feeling of confinement and claustrophobia living in the mountain castle.
The characters were very well flushed out, including Ceren the villain of the story. You get a real since of who the characters are and there dreams and the motives behind what drives them to do and act the way that they do. The descriptions of the setting were not boring but felt organic. The author did a great job of introducing new setting through Nor’s eyes and you feel and fear right along with her.

If your looking for an epic love story this is not it. If you are looking for an amazing book with a touch of romance then this one is for you!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can never get enough of YA Fantasy, I truly believe that. I was immediately drawn into the world of Varenia and Ilara. I found the idea of a village at sea to be very fascinating, and the world building was very on point. I left with few questions about the world, and information was provided in well timed and paced chunks. Varenians are obsessed with beauty, as the only Varenian ever allowed to leave the village and walk on land is the most beautiful woman in the village - once every generation when a Prince is ready to be married. It is seen as a high honor to be chosen, and families will do just about anything to send their daughters away.

Nor and Zadie are twins (their names mean Coral and Pearl, respectively). They are easily the most beautiful women in Varenia, at least until Nor is injured saving Zadie from drowning. Zadie is now a shoe in to win, and Nor is a cast off in her mother's eyes. The catch is that Zadie is in love with the Varenian Governor's son, Sami. She will do <strong>anything </strong>to be able to stay with him, instead of bringing her family the highest honor. After Zadie makes some ill advised decisions, Nor is sent in Zadie's place - but she must pretend to <strong>be</strong> Zadie. Both girls are strong in their own ways. Nor is the main focus, but she handles (most) of what's thrown at her with grace.

The Princes are great. Ceren is a smol and hurt boy who is a classic villain. Very cruel, but enough sad moments to make you question whether he is actually bad. Talin is gorgeous and kind, but unfortunately the younger brother. They have an obvious, and predictable rivalry with Ceren being jealous of the more liked brother and Talin being jealous that he wasn't born first.

My single critique of this book is that it was highly predictable. If you read enough YA Fantasy, you begin to see a common framework for most novels. A lot of the plot moved through predictable lines. The ending also seemed very rushed, and not as well thought out. This did not severely impact my enjoyment of the book, so it only bumped the book down from 5 stars slightly.

This book brings light romance, political intrigue, and strong, confident women. Originally intended to be a duology, but sold as a stand alone, Crown of Coral and Pearl has an ending that leaves more to be told while still being wrapped up. A sequel has been ordered by the publisher though, so more Nor and Zadie will be upon us next year (hopefully). I for one, will be purchasing a copy of Crown of Coral and Pearl - along with <strong>Kingdom of Sea and Stone</strong> when released!

Characters. I actually found all of the characters really enjoyable to read about! Nor was headstrong and loves her sister fiercely. I don’t have sisters, but I know I would do anything for my brothers. Nor also has some awesome healing abilities that I so wish were real! She also stood up to what was wrong in her society and what was wrong in the larger kingdom. Talin was also likable. He has some hard core secrets of his own that shapes how he lives his life. Ceren. Oh boy. It’s very clear that something is wrong in his mind. He honestly doesn’t understand that most of the things he does is extremely creepy. Like baking bats in a pie. Gross. He is a pretty messed up prince/ bad guy.

Writing. Loved the writing. Pretty straight forward. I never got lost or anything.

World Building. Rutherford’s world seems really interesting! I would love to get more details on the other kingdoms! The geography makes sense and of course I love the whole little village world in the ocean.

Plot. Here are the things I loved: The water! I am part Polynesian and my love for water knows no bounds. Where Nor and Zadie live is my dream. In a small house, on stilts, in the ocean. And they swim or take their boat to their neighbors house or the market. I also loved the author’s take on healing properties of water. I don’t personally believe water itself can heal you, but I honestly feel better when I am in water. I also liked the plot line of how their village was being threatened by the kingdom that “owns” them. And Nor sets out to fix things.

Didn’t like: There were no plot twists. What you see is what you get. Also, the romance. While I like those two characters together, it was too insta-lovey for my tastes.

Final Thoughts. Again, the things I liked outweighed the things I didn’t like! My water loving soul loved this take on the ocean! It was a really FUN read. And it looks like there is a sequel so I will definitely be reading that!

Mara Rutherford’s stunning debut, Crown of Coral and Pearl, is a richly detailed fantasy full of drama and political intrigue that sadly stumbles toward the end of the book and collapses under a rapidly increasing pace and cramming way too much in the last few chapters.

Crown of Coral and Pearl is following in a long line of YA fantasies that border on the dystopian and focus on the idea of beauty as a commodity. In the village of Varenia, which is located entirely on the ocean, beauty is prized more than any other trait, as all the eligible young women compete to be chosen as “most beautiful” so they can be sent to Ilara as the king’s bride-to-be. This is a custom that goes back centuries, and no one quite knows why it continues. Twins Zadie and Nor both know Zadie will be chosen, but she is in love with the son of the village chieftain and Nor desperately wants to escape their tiny village and see the world. After Zadie risks her life to take herself out of the running, Nor must take her place.

Rutherford did a fabulous job with the setting; it was so easy to picture the stilted houses that make up Varenia and the opulent caves of Ilara’s New Castle. Most of the characters are just as well-developed, and even the villain is humanized in such a way that, while you might not agree with his methods, you can still empathize with the idea of a motherless child watching his father die of unknown circumstances and worrying he will meet the same fate. Unfortunately, Talin does not seem to have much going for him other than his appearance, and we are warned multiple times not to base things on beauty. His “romance” with Nor is shallow and completely on the surface, which is sadly a continuous trend in media. Just because they are attractive doesn’t mean they’re meant to be. I was hoping their relationship would be fleshed out more, but it never quite gets the depth that it should.

My main issue with Crown of Coral and Pearl is the pacing. The first probably three quarters of the book are done well; the setting is established, the characters are introduced, you are starting to get a sense of the villain and what his motivations are, and if you’re paying attention you can probably figure out some of the things that aren’t being said. However, once the book approaches its climax, things start happening much too quickly. This title was sold as a one-book deal, which explains why Rutherford felt the need to give it an ending, but the ending it has is very Poochie’s home planet needs him. I hesitate to call it a deus ex machina, because I think there was enough groundwork laid that it didn’t come completely out of nowhere, but I can understand how some readers may feel that way. There is going to be a sequel, which will hopefully smooth out some of the rough edges of the ending.

I think this book could have done with a little better structure. Some of the plot points introduced at the very end would have been much better served in the sequel; even if a second book wasn’t guaranteed at the time, there are ways this could have ended without stuffing all of this information in the last chapter. As such, my opinion of the book went down a few notches. This could have been one of my go-to recommendations, but the ending sours it. Will these issues be fixed in the next installment? We shall see.

3.5 stars

Crown of Coral and Pearl told the story of two sisters who were taught that their beauty was of the utmost importance. Due to a long history, their tiny village had to send their most beautiful woman to be sent as the mainland crown prince's bride. What should have been an interesting story of betrayal and plot twists lost itself in the instalove between two characters and I found the story to be lacking. The plot was pretty straight forward which lessened my overall enjoyment. I probably won't continue the series, but I don't regret reading it.

I'm sorry to say this book was just not for me. I'm so disappointed because it had so much potential to be a favorite!

im sad too bc the imagery of their life in the sea was so so good! I could smell the saltwater, the brine, the sun beating down. But the plot was too slow and the characters were too bland to carry the story.

the "twist" if you could call it that, was just so obvious.

idk I'm actually v disappointed. I was mostly reading b/c I had so many questions, but the reveals were so unsatisfactory. I kept thinking there was going to be a devious twist, but nothing happened. and then it was over.

While I had trouble following the plot at times, I liked the descriptions of Varenia and Illaria. Also, I enjoyed the sister relationship between Zadie and Nor. Whilst I wasn't the biggest fan of Zadie, I still found her compelling to read about and their bond reminded me vaguely of Frozen.

Over all this seems to be a standalone, which is a good thing since I'm not sure I would have read a sequel. It was an okay read but once I saw the direction it was heading in, I did struggled to finish.

Rating 3🌟

Varenia is an ocean kingdom and for generations only the most beautiful maidens are sent to marry the princes of Ilara. Every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, but the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine...

Nor once dreamed of seeing the beautiful kingdom of Ilara, until one accident left her scarred. Since that day, she always new her twin sister Zadie would be chosen in her place to marry the crown prince.

Then Zadie is gravely injuries, and Nor is sent in her place. Her future husband, Ceren, is forbidding and cold as is his home. A castle carved into a mountain devoid of sunlight. As she grows closer to Ceren’s brother Talin, she starts to uncover startling truths about a failing royal bloodline and a plot to destroy the home she once was eager to leave.

To save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But learning that strength is more important than beauty might be the one move that costs her everything.

You guys... I have not read a YA fantasy novel as good as this since Red Queen. The timeline moved along perfectly! Rutherford did an amazing job with descriptions an creating such a unique world. When it ended I wanted more! Thank goodness there is going to be a second book because I have so many questions! The ending left a lot open and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here! This beauty publishes August 27th. So if you love YA Fantasy you are going to want this book!!!

Good, solid fantasy read! I feel like this is one a ton of people will overlook just purely based on the number of YA fantasy novels that are released. Would I have picked it up if not for getting the ARC? Probably not, again, just purely based on the number of fantasy books I had my eyes on, but I'm glad that I got around to this!

The book centers around a kingdom where beauty is worth a fortune. Our main character, Nor, has a scar that basically puts her out of the running to mary the Crown Prince. However, her twin sister is injured, and Nor has to step up and take her place. When Nor joins the kingdom, she finds that not everything there is as beautiful as it might seem.

Aside from the fantasy elements, I loved the bond Nor had with her sister.

Overall, it was a good fantasy and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the genre!

“And what is wrong with being shallow?” I’d asked him.

“What lies beneath the surface of shallow waters? Nothing. It’s only when you go deeper than the ocean comes alive. The deeper you go, the more mysteries and surprises await.”



This quote describes exactly how I felt about this novel. The deeper I fell into the story, the more I found I loved it.



I felt engaged in this story from the very beginning. It’s funny because when I was trying to explain the concept of the book to someone, they mentioned that the basic bones of the story were similar to A Bug’s Life. I had to laugh because I suppose part of that is true. Nor’s people sacrifice their lives to provide something the Ilarians require of them ever since a tragic accident took their previous Queen. This story was fast-paced and build-up for the climax points of the story were expertly done. Mara’s writing style is beautiful and detailed but she has another special talent…creating amazing characters.











I honestly think the characters are what I loved most about this book. They were flawed and that just made them more believable. I can relate to a character more if they have flaws, it makes them more enjoyable and gives them room to grow and improve. I could spend all day talking about each character but I think today I’ll stick with my favorite one, the main character.



I had sacrificed all of that to come here, and I would be damned if it had all been for nothing.



Nor: She is the most selfless and brave character that I’ve run into recently. She would risk her own life not help not only her family but her entire village. She faces many different challenges and always holds on to her core values and those of her people. Though much of the time she was away from her sister, she never forget why she came and what she was fighting for. The relationship between her and Zadie (her sister) is refreshing to read. My sister and I were close growing up but never that close. That is something that every sister dreams of having.







I do feel that I have to mentions there is a romance here, the instant love kind. Not all instant love stories are bad, I actually enjoyed this one. The desperation to be together, it just made me feel for them.





I absolutely love the world-building in this story. The history of the two villages was well thought out and delivered in a digestible way rather than being dumped on us from the start. With such detail that I could see the color of the coral and feel the smoothness of the pearls. I could imagine diving for pearls and hoping to find one so that I can buy food for my family.









Crown of Coral and Pearl has some great underlying themes regarding outer beauty.



Your mother taught you to believe your scar made you ugly, but it has made you brave.





Hiding our scars doesn’t mean they’re not there. Just as beauty cannot disguise who we really are beneath the surface.



People in Nor’s village are pressured to grow up as beautiful and flawless as possible. Due to an accident at a young age, Nor is left with a scar, one that her mother makes sure she knows is ugly. What she doesn’t know is that she is still beautiful and having a scar such as hers, she has had time to become brave. She is the bravest and selfless character in this entire book. Though some might not see her as beautiful by their standards, she has the most beautiful heart.



Inner beauty is not the only deeper theme here, the book is full of them.



Sorrow is good for the soul, Father had said after the incident when I had recovered from the pain and sickness but had still not grown used to the feel of the torn flesh on my otherwise flawless skin. “Those who have never known pain or adversity are as shallow as the waves lapping on the shore.



Overall, this novel offers characters that are relatable and engaging, a fast-paced storyline, and some dreamy detailed world-building. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and I was not disappointed.

3.5 stars

This is a fast paced story filled with political intrigue, fantasy, and family. I enjoyed the characters, and I found Varenia to be fascinating. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. But, that's just my personal preference. Other than that, I thought it was pretty good. I would definitely read more from this author.

This book was sweet and very well written. The characters were well-rounded and the relationships were interesting, strong, and well-developed. The story simply just was not for me. I would recommend it to certain people for sure. Particularly, my younger students.

First off, let me just say that this cover is freaking gorgeous! Honestly, I would buy this book just on the cover itself. Instantly eye catching.

 Crown of Coral and Pearl is your typical YA fantasy with a unique and all out infuriating story. Twins Zadie and Nor (meaning Pearl and Coral and I am insanely ashamed at how long it took me to connect their names) are raised to value nothing more than external beauty in order to one day be chosen to move to land and marry the Prince, as is tradition custom.

 On land?

 Are they mermaids?

 No, although that would be pretty cool.

 The most unique part of this book is the world. The village of Verenia, where the girls live, is completely on the ocean where they fish and dive for pearls as trade for the reigning king. Due to a ridiculous urban legend of “star crossed lovers” the Varenians are banned from ever setting foot on land, save for the chosen bride. The kingdom on land also stay away for the ocean village but because they choose to, not because they have to. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

 So why marry the Prince to one of the outcast ocean villagers instead of a neighboring Princess or, you know, anyone else? Well Varenian women are the most beautiful and who doesn’t like to have nice things? Sure, there are other reasons for this tradition but I’m not going to give you everything. What’s the fun in that?

 I ended up reading this in one day. The pacing was perfect for keeping the reader engaged in the story. YA books in general tend to be a little on the predictable side if you read enough of them so not much surprised me while reading but it was really enjoyable to read anyway. There was this one part that made me question this as a series, though, because I saw it coming but not when it did so I guess I was a little shocked at that point.

 I really enjoyed the character relationships, especially between Zadie and Nor. I think the bond the twins had was presented in a way that, even if you couldn’t relate, you could appreciate. Prince Ceren and Talin….meh. I know there has to be a triangle somewhere but this just didn’t make much sense to me. I found that I was more interested in the villain in this story and I was actually a little disappointed that things didn’t quite work out the way I had anticipated. I tend to take things a step too far and I was hoping that the author would as well. I absolutely adored Ebb and I wish there would have been so much more of her! There’s a fantastic story there and I want to get to know her more!

 Of all the things in Crown of Coral and Pearl that are fairly generic in the YA fantasy genre, the one thing that really stood out for me was the marking of time. In almost every fantasy novel we measure time by fortnights, turns of the moon or some form of reference to the chosen Gods. What I found incredibly interesting in this book is that Rutherford made the choice to modernize the measurement of time, in days, weeks and months anyway. This was really surprising for me but there are elements, in Prince Ceren’s New Castle for instance, where it seems like the author was attempting to show a modernization in this world that aren’t incorporated in a lot of fantasy novels. Don’t get me wrong, it’s refreshing to know that Tuesday is Tuesday and not Thornsday or whatever made up day the author chooses to use but it is also a risky move on Rutherford’s part as it does eliminate a small part of the fantasy aspect the we are used to. I’m still not sure how I feel about this but if this was a conscious decision, it was a bold one and I like that.

 I will say that I was not exactly impressed with the ending, though. It felt a bit rushed for me and felt very anti-climactic.

 In all, Crown of Coral and Pearl is a very quick and compelling read that I would highly recommend to any YA fantasy readers out there. Rutherford has a talent for creating a story and a world that makes you want more and I will be very interested to see where she takes us next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion.

I thought the general premise of this was so good. Nor seemed like a really great, strong character, with one main weakness: Zadie. I honestly hated Zadie as a character. She was so selfish and it was annoying that she could almost do no wrong in Nor's eyes. Ugh just thinking about all of the things that Zadie did make me so angry/annoyed, so I'm going to stop thinking about them. In terms of the other characters, Sam was ok, I liked Nor's dad, Nor's mom was terrible, Prince Ceren was a little sad, and Prince Talin was "charming" but just ok. Honestly, Nor and some of the other people in the castle were the only ones I really liked. 

Crown of Coral and Pearl was a very plot driven book, which I really liked, so it doesn't really matter that I only liked a few characters. It's a relatively short book (the e-arc was only 300 some pages while the other ones I read right before it were in the 500s), so the plot line moves at a really good pace. Things seemed a little too neatly tied at the end, so I kind of wish there was a little less neatly tied and a little more on the loose threads end, because I really liked the world and would have loved to read more things set in this world. 

Overall, I really liked Crown of Coral and Pearl and I think you will too!

Beautiful fantasy debut for Mara Rutherford. Family values, sisters love, kingdom and the prince. What else do we need? There were few plots and twists which made this book even more interesting. Very well written with good developed characters, right away I got my favorites and figures that I dislike.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

A Crown of Coral and Pearl is one of my favorite fantasy debuts of the year. With the young adult market being flooded with fantasy books, I found this one stood out of the usual stories coming out.
The author made the perfect world and characters to tell such an entrancing story. Nor and Zaddie may be twins but they are nothing alike. The author intertwines the love of siblings and a controlling kingdom and you have the perfect storm. Nothing is what it seems and you never who to trust. 
I was 90% through and felt I knew the outcome but was taken completely by surprise. There were lots of plot twists that made the story great. if you’ve read my past reviews, you know that I love a story that I can’t predict. I also love a story that feels finished but also leaves you wanting more of the characters. 
I highly recommend a Crown of Coral and Pearl for fantasy fans teenage and up. This story is definitely a red pearl in a sea of pink.

TL;DR – Nor says many unwise things and makes many unwise decisions, but is still a likable character. Some things don’t make a ton of sense, but can be ignored.

This book was a little different than I thought it would be but at the same time is also exactly what I thought it would be. Does that make sense? Plotwise, there were many things that the reader knows is going to happen (because of course) but the author takes her sweet time getting there. For example, it took FOREVER for Nor to come to the conclusion that she needs to take Zadie’s place. I understand in the context of the story that it wasn’t that simple, but we probably could have saved at least 50 pages. It’s when Nor gets to Ilara that things take some interesting turns that I didn’t really anticipate.

I thought the relationship between Nor and Zadie was a really interesting one. The author herself is a twin (as I found out in the Acknowledgements section) and that gives authenticity to the sister relationship. Never having been a twin myself, I felt like I understood better what it would be like to go through life with someone always at your side. I appreciated that there was no jealousy between the girls. They were legitimately the best of friends and sisters.

There were some minor plot points that didn’t quite make sense to me. Some of them were explained (kind of), but some weren’t. There were times when Nor’s plans didn’t make sense and I can’t tell if that was purposeful to show her naivety or…what. I also felt like she didn’t act or speak with the appropriate amount of caution, especially when Talin was involved. Ceren is this seriously dangerous dude and she’s just randomly mouthing off to him or snubbing him in favor of Talin whenever possible. HE COULD END YOU, NOR.

As far as the other characters, I felt like the author was maybe trying to create some moral grey-ness with Ceren? But then she also wanted to make sure we knew he was a BAD GUY. It just made his character seem inconsistent and I didn’t feel like that worked with the story. Also, his and Talin’s relationship made approximately 5% of sense to me.

Overall, I actually liked this book quite a bit and will definitely be reading the second. Though, I’m not really sure where the plot can go from here? I have some suspicions, but if my suspicions are correct, I don’t like it. I guess we’ll see!

Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.