I liked this book more than I thought I would, to the point I was half way finished with it before I even realized it. But now that a day has passed, I'm struggling to say why I liked it; for every reason I liked it, my brain tells me why I am wrong.

I did think the book had a lot of similarities to some other YA books out there, but to be honest, I don't worry about that so much because there are only so many unique plot points out there.
I liked the premise of the story, but was also frustrated because I'm tired of stories where the princess to be was chosen, or won a contest or whatever but instead of actually wanting to be with the prince she was promised to, she falls in love with his brother. I appreciated that this book was kind of subtle about the budding romance.

I had trouble connecting to the characters in the story. Talin didn't really appear enough to fully get to know. I don't like Nor or Zadie-and I understand that is because of how they were raised. Hell the only character with real substance was Ceren...the guy we are all suppose to hate. And now I wonder if there is more to come from him.

But I will keep reading the series, I enjoyed the story enough to want to know what happens after all the surprises at the ending!

This book caught my attention from the very beginning! It was packed full, so much happened my head is still reeling! I can't recommend this book enough!

This book took me places and made me feel all the feels!

The world-building is fantastic. From the ocean to the mountains, everything is so real you can smell the salt on the breeze and hear the echoes in the caverns. I felt like I understood the people and belonged in their world.

The cast of characters is excellent. From friend to foe, it's hard not to feel strongly about each of them. The heroine, Nor, was so very well-written. Her pain is real, her love is strong, and her bravery knows no bounds. Her family is realistic. Her friends are loyal till the end. And her love interests? Wow.

First we have a handsome emissary Talin, who comes to evaluate Nor before she is married off to the Crown Prince. And their meet cute is SO cute, as she makes a fool of herself and flees in embarrassment. She leaves an everlasting impression that ensures he won't forget about her.

Then she meets her betrothed, Prince Ceren. He is as cruel as he is beautiful. And even if he was painted as the villain, there were moments when I liked him, even rooted for him, even dared to hope he would change his wicked ways and win the heroine's heart.

The first half of the book, when the world and plot are being set up, is when the writing really shines the most. I was quickly drawn into the setting. When the scene changed from the ocean village to the kingdom in the mountains, as a reader I made the transition along with Nor, who was setting foot on land for the very first time. Everything was fresh and new and took a small amount of adjusting.

After that, there was a middle section of the book where I felt like things grew a bit vague. The royal family lives inside caves in the mountain, I understand that. But it seems like every night they are dining with the local noble families, and whenever Nor wants to visit one of them she just walks to their quarters. So...it appears all of the nobility dwells inside the caverns together? I'm not sure if that's just the way things are or if I'm making assumptions, because the specific people she visits are the king's former mistress and the king's war council member, so it makes sense for them to live in the "palace," but...does everyone else, too? They always seem to be there.

I do feel like this book could have been a lot longer. The plot progressed at an even pace for the first half, but the second half felt somewhat rushed. I might have liked it to slow down, to give me time to savor the scenery a bit more. Nor and Ceren clash almost immediately. I feel like there should have been more build-up to their relationship before his intentions suddenly became violent. Because I was low-key rooting for him, I also wished he and Nor had had some more tender moments like at the lake, when I was fooled into believing he could become a good man and earn her love. And the times when he behaved like a complete and utter villain, I wish she had reacted with more horror, instead of greeting him the next day as if he hadn't just choked her or baked her a pie full of live bats like some kind of monster.

But the plot is SO good, every bit of it. It was unpredictable and exciting, sometimes even grotesque.

The ending is either left to the readers' imaginations or is pending closure in a sequel, and I'm strongly hoping for the latter!

Likes
I was absolutely blown away by this book! I didn't know what to expect when I went into it but I found myself immersed in the story almost immediately. The plot is such a unique one and learning about the way that world worked was fantastically done. Therefore, the world-building is done very well. I wasn't left questioning why something was the way it was and the stories were the best part about the book. There was world-building with the society of pearls and their worth as well as some invention-type stuff going on that gave it this extra flavor that I enjoyed. Nor is an awesome main character. You can feel the way she cares for her sister and I would liken this relationship to Scarlet and Tella from Caraval. I thought the idea of diving for pearls sounded super fun until I found out there were deadly jellyfish in the water, but that's beside the point. I really loved Talin. A lot. He was that character that you knew you were going to fall in love with. His brother, Ceren on the other hand? Really annoying for most of the book but he did get a tiny sweet spot from me towards the end. I appreciated how the book took a sort of feminist turn and I was totally here for it! It felt very organic and I feel like the story flowed really well, which kept me interested for the duration of the book.

Dislikes
I can't say I disliked much about this book. The pacing was wonderfully done and I literally had to finish it in one day because I needed to know what was going to happen! My only real dislike is that this isn't a series. I've been trying to read more standalone titles recently but this I feel could be expanded so much into something like Priory of the Orange Tree with the way the world has been laid out and I can't wait to see what else this author writes!

Solid four star read!

Crown of Coral and Pearl has been on my radar for a few months now, so you can only imagine how stoked I was when Net-Galley graciously provided a copy for me to review.

First things first, this beginning of the book was THE BEST THING EVER. I loved the dynamic between Nor (our Main Heroine) and her twin sister, Zadie. Add in a community who lives and breathes all things sea related and BAM instant love. The second half of the story was great as well, but toward the end things felt a bit rushed which is the only thing holding back me awarding this tale the elusive the fifth star. We’ll get to that in a minute because first can we get an amen for sisters who would do anything for each other!

Nor and Zadie are twins, so I was expecting a bond to be present but the one the reader experiences throughout the first half of the book is phenomenally displayed. You can literally feel their kinship and loyalty to one another. So when it comes to a super tough decision on Nor’s part I actually shed a single gangster tear because the emotions racing through her are so on point. It all felt so real! THE DRAMA!

If you’ve read the synopsis then you’ll know Nor is set to travel to Ilara to marry the Crown Prince. The whole arrangement is set up flawlessly, but when she finally makes it to Ilara my interest started to wane a bit. The crown prince is not a likeable character-at all. Think Carden from The Cruel Prince, but darker with no redeeming qualities. So if you’re going into this story hoping for a bad boy turns good trope-this ain’t it sis! Which again is perfectly fine! My only complaint is the last five chapters kind of rushed by and (for me) didn’t really set up what the theme of the next book would be...assuming there is a next book.


Overall opinion is this book was so beautifully written and you can tell the author is a twin herself because the bond/emotions the sisters feel are so realistic! Thank you again to Net-Galley for letting me dive in head first and review this baby!

I am entirely enthralled and in love with this book. The surface of it seems shallow and demeaning to girls and women, and we do get to see both sides of this- but overall the characters recognize that beauty isn't necessarily a strength. The characters realize that their lives aren't their own because of the standards of beauty thrust upon them by their society. Refreshing to see imperfect heroines who admit it! We also see the shallowness and bitterness that imperfection brings to some in personalities that could be true to life.
The world that is built seems very interesting as well. I love the concept of the Blood Corals, the danger and the beauty of the sea being shown but not bashing us over the heads with it. The plot has a few minor twists and turns, nothing drastic but the voice of Nor is complicated and REAL. She yearns for more but is terrified of the prospect. She’s not a fearless and robust get-it-done revolutionary but a girl who wants more than her small village can give her and one with real stakes in the game of change.
My only complaint is the tropey-love at first sight triangle going on. While I was happy with the resolution it’s still something that felt like it could have been more developed. This book is worth a read regardless of this facet of the plot however.

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many positives, that even though I had a few issues it, overall I really liked it and am looking forward to (the hopeful) sequels. At the very heart of this book, and one of my favorite things about it, was the relationship between the sisters. The bond was so strong and really was the lifeline of the book. I also LOVE the trope of a girl between two brothers and this aspect didn't disappoint here. It was quite good.

If I had any issue with the book, it was that it wasn't super original, though honestly I don't really care since I love any kind of books like this (e.g. Red Queen, Ash Princess, etc.). The ending was also a little weak. While I thought everything had been built up pretty well, I was disappointed by the quick resolve of the ending. Hopefully that will be corrected if the author does any sequels.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

GO READ THIS BOOK. This is the best YA novel I've read in ages. I was drawn into Nor and Zadie's world from the very first chapter. Varenia is a beautiful village built on docks in the ocean, and the descriptions of life by the sea did not disappoint. The premise is believable, all the characters are well-written, and the romance aspect does not overshadow the plot or limit the characters. Even the "villain" is almost sympathetic.

I also really enjoyed that this was a stand-alone novel and there is no waiting for new books to find out what happens.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, my review is spoiler-free and was not affected by the ARC.

First of all, I have to admit I'm surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. It had a variation on a lot of familiar themes, but the way they were addressed and handled in this book made them feel fresh again. I was always engaged, always eager to know what would happen next. I liked the characters and the world enough that I would be glad to come back to them should a sequel be published.

Usually the romance in YA really bothers me, but not as much in this one. It wasn't the main focus of the story and they actually had conversations and got to know each other before their first kiss. I would've actually liked even more fleshing out of Talin's character, but since we're stuck in Nor's perspective, we don't get too much. It was nice that there was no love triangle and it wasn't too heavy on love angst, either. It's still there, but again, it's not the main focus of the story.

The world Ms. Rutherford introduces the reader to is an interesting one. At first I didn't like how Nor's society put so much emphasis and pressure on women to be beautiful, but later on this is addressed and I ended up liking how it was handled. I found the politics of the world to be interesting as well. There was still a lot I would've liked to know about-- especially the history of the various countries and their religious beliefs-- but what we got still intrigued me. A lot of what was going on I could see reflections of the real world in them. Yes this is a fantasy, but when things happened I often thought "Yeah, I can see that happening in real life", which I like in fantasy since it brings a relateability to the characters and their circumstances.

Nor is one of the better YA heroines I've come across in a while. Any of the insecurities she may have, like thinking she's not as beautiful as her sister or what have you, are perfectly understandable because of how she was raised. I also like that not only are we told that she's kind, resourceful, brave, stubborn, and curious; we're also shown that through her actions. I don't have a sister but I think that was depicted well, even if they spent way too long worrying over a problem with a very obvious solution. Again, we're stuck in her perspective so we don't really get that much insight into how and why Ceren became what he was, but I liked him (in that "I hate you but you're well-written to be hated" kind of way).

Since this is an ARC, I won't dwell too long on the formatting. I'm assuming they'll fix it in the final product, but I would've liked more of a break between the final sentence of one chapter and the start of a next. Usually books start new chapters on a new page; I'm sure this will do the same. As it was, it did compel me to keep reading, but I still would've liked that break. The biggest editing error I noticed was that every single word that had "fl" somewhere spaced those two letters out. So for example it would read "f loat" or "aff luent". I did eventually learn to expect it but it was still really distracting and constantly pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book a lot. I'm definitely going to be suggesting it to my libraries for purchase. Thanks again for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A beautiful debut with one of the most interesting worlds! Beautifully drawn characters, action scenes that were actually easy to follow, and wonderful twists make this a fantasy to be loved and remembered. Also I’m such a Nor/Talin shipper and I hope there is more to this story and so much more from Mara.

I was not a fan of this book. at all. I will probably not read more from this author in the future...……………………………...

With Crown of Coral and Pearl Mara Rutherford has created a world filled with intrigue and adventure. I was drawn into this story from page one and was a little disappointed when it ended because it meant I had to leave these characters for a while (at least until book 2 comes out).

There is so much going on in this novel, but it never feels like the author is trying to do too much. I found learning about the history and traditions of Varenia was as interesting as the court intrigue in Ilara. Nor and Zadie's sisterhood is beautifully written and I appreciated that Nor is never painted as a martyr - she makes sacrifices, but never acts like a victim. Although getting all of the benefits of life, Zadie does not become full of herself and never forgets everything that Nor has done for her. It would have been easy to write Zadie as selfish, but really she's just a teenage girl who wants some control over her destiny.

Nor is a great heroine because of both her strengths and her weaknesses. She always does what she thinks is right and recognizes when she makes mistakes. I really enjoyed seeing her grow from a young girl looking to escape her small community into a young woman seeking to protect her family and her home. She makes mistakes and doesn't avoid dealing with the consequences of those mistakes. I think Ceren had it right when he pointed out that she is more interested in protecting others than herself - the best part of this is that she doesn't even stop to think about the harm that could come to her and only thinks of others (even though many of the people she protects are strangers to her). In the end she has to do something that goes against everything she's been taught and I appreciated that she didn't just complete this action without emotion.

Ceren is a well crafted villain in that you are repulsed by many of his actions and his selfishness but are also given little glimpses into what has made him that way and left feeling sorry for him at times (although those moments are very very very brief). He is given enough of a backstory to understand why he is the way he is rather than just having him be a stock villain. He is one of those characters that you wonder how he would have turned out had his childhood played out a little differently or if he hadn't grown up in a mountain.

I think my liking of Talin had to do as much with him being a genuinely good guy as with the way he accepts Nor and sees her beauty when so many others in her life have not. He and Nor do not always think before they act which ends up getting them in trouble, but also helps them save one another.

I saw that this is currently a standalone, but I really really really hope the publisher picks up the sequel. There is definitely more story to be told and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I know some reviewers have felt there was nothing original with this story, but even though some of the elements are familiar they are pieced together in a way that makes for an interesting and engaging story. There were a few twists that I did not see coming and kept it from getting to predictable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels and is looking for a new characters and worlds in which to get invested!

This book is a gem! There are some places you come across in books that you immediately wish to see on the big screen, just so you can step back and take it all in, and Varenia was one of those places for me. I fell in love with this world on page one. Rutherford writes such strong world building here that I was completely immersed within the first chapter. I loved the concept of a people trapped on a village in the sea with the sole purpose of providing pearls to a kingdom, and all because of some myth from long ago. Also, the conversation of beauty and the high expectations society places on its young girls was heartbreaking, authentic, and, sadly, very current in today’s society in this novel. I appreciated Rutherford’s decision to not shy away from that especially in the beginning of this story.

I loved Nor’s selflessness and her all around shining light, but more than once I wanted to kick her twin sister, Zadie, in the shin for being the opposite. And I know that he was the villain and all, but I kind of loved Ceren. There was so much to his backstory that I would have loved to have seen more of, and to dig deeper into his psyche. To learn why he did what he did. And then there is Talin—swoony, dreamy, tanned Talin. Need I say more? No didn’t think so.

This book was a beautiful story, one of sisterhood and strength, and the courage it takes to be a fish out of water (See what I did there? Well, you will if you read the book. It comes out August 19, 2019).

This review will be available on my blog, Cheykspeare, on Instagram, 5/28/19. Link provided.

Beautiful world building, lovable characters, a sisterly bond that makes me super jealous I'm not a twin, and political intrigue? This book has it all in spades. It was just such a wonderful story, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for Nor, Zadie, and Talin.

This book is so completely different than other YA. I'm not entirely sure what is so different, perhaps the water setting or the fact that it is a world of deception, of corruption and star-crossed lovers. The way this book is written is so fast-paced, and we finally get that lovely twin sister relationship! A slow-burning romance, a corrupted prince, and women rulers. I dunno, there's nothing NOT to like!

**Review will be posted on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on June 27, 2019, a month before the book publication.**

Thank you to Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

The beginning of this story is intriguing. We meet twin sisters, Nor and Zadie, and they live in Varenia, a place on the water where the most beautiful girls are from. They are so beautiful, the kingdom of Ilara always goes there to find their future queen. Requirements for being chosen as a queen? The potential queen has to be the most beautiful girl in Varenia. Appearance wise, you have to be flawless, meaning no scars among other things.

Zadie is perfect. Nor, on the other hand, has a scar on her face she acquired from saving her sister’s life. I love their sisterly bond and how they would do anything for each other. I also enjoyed this world of Varenia that the author created, it’s a poor place to grow up in, the people are struggling and the pearls they survive on is becoming more scarce. It’s a beautiful place with gorgeous girls, but the reality is that they will struggle without their pearls. Varenians are a part of the sea, their life is the ocean, but Nor dreams of exploring beyond Varenia.

I think the first part of the book was stronger than the second half only because Nor’s connection is strongest with her sister and her home. When she arrives in Ilara it cuts her off from the sunshine, ocean, fresh air and her relationships. In New Castle she is bereft of all the things she loves and lives with a villain, her future husband.

There is a romance in the story but it doesn’t take over the book, which was fine. I felt like even if it it didn’t have romance, the love between the sisters would have been enough for me. There is also some thrilling action which I enjoyed. But the ending was rushed which is so unfortunate because this book started off so well and I was really into it.

Overall, it is an enjoyable read about a loving sisterly bond and how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

This book was a bit of a let down. The premise made it sound so great and unique but the characters fell flat. The protagonist specifically had no exciting qualities and the insta love was terrible. I would’ve loved more focus on the villain.

Firstly, the cover is lovely as is the title. I was intrigued right away and then even more so when I read the description. And I am truly glad I read this one! I was hooked immediately by the characters and the setting. The dynamic between the sisters was wonderfully done and you could really feel their love for each other. The setting was beautifully described, the sun, the heat, the saltiness of the ocean. It was all perfect. It doesn't take long for the story to really pick up, either, and once it did it was impossible to put down. The story takes a darker turn, but it is well worth the read. Nor is an amazing and strong main character and I liked her a lot. The only thing about this book was that I found the ending to be rather abrupt and felt it could have been fleshed out a bit more, but otherwise this was just a great read! Highly recommend.

Review to be posted to Goodreads on May 23, 2019 and on retail sites, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, upon publication date, August 27, 2019.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nor and Zadie are twin sisters from the ocean village of Varenia. They are raised to value beauty above all because the most beautiful girl in their village is chosen to marry the Crown Prince of Ilara, Prince Ceren. Due to an accident when she was younger, Nor believes she will never be chosen and that honor will go to her sister, Zadie, but due to a twist of fates Nor is sent to marry Prince Ceren instead. In Ilara she must figure out the politics of court and the schemes of the royals in order to save her family and village.

I’m not sure if there are enough ways to say how much I love this book. It had a strong message of taking charge of your own fate because the world is a cruel place and only you can make your own happiness. The first half of this book focuses on the relationship between twin sisters Nor and Zadie. They love each other so much even though most siblings in their situation would hate each other. Their relationship was so refreshing and their love for each other was so pure that it made me tear up on more than one occasion. For me, this was the most important relationship showcased in this book and Rutherford wrote it beautifully.

The book felt mature for a young adult novel and had an overall seriousness and darkness to it that I personally enjoyed. All the characters had their flaws but I felt that made them more relatable, especially Nor whose thoughts and decisions throughout the book resonated with me. Nor and Zadie were both fierce, independent characters who faced massive obstacles that fate dealt them but with every challenge they faced they both grew stronger.

Prince Ceren and Prince Talin were both fascinating characters but as different as night and day. Prince Ceren alternated between from being a sympathetic character that you wanted to root for to being cold-hearted and calculated in his manipulation of those around him. Prince Talin was the exact opposite. He exuded warmness and people around him were instantly attracted to him. I thought it was interesting of Rutherford to compare the pure love of sisters Nor and Zadie to the tainted love of brothers Prince Talin and Ceren because it showed what could have happened to Nor and Zadie if they chose to resent rather than love each other their whole life.

Overall I adored this book. It was dark and serious, but also featured some remarkable characters and their complicated relationships with each other. My only complaint is that the book ended so abruptly and left several storylines dangling but I think it set up the opportunity to write a sequel. I would be heartbroken if Rutherford did not continue this series.

**I received an Arc through Netgalley and all opinions are my own***

WOW.

I had such mixed feelings about this book. Mainly because this is a standalone novel (for now, hoping for a sequel!!). It was such a fun world with absolutely adoring characters. I fell in love with all of them, and was sad to see the story end. I want MORE. This book had a good ending of course, but I want to see the outcome after the end of the book takes place. I believe so much more can be done with this story and the world it would be sad to see it go.

I loved the characters. Nor was a strong female lead, who never complained. She was dealt a hard hand her whole life being compared to her sister and having a tiny scar that ruined her chances of becoming the princes betrothed. I felt so much for her character and how she was treated in the novel. I also understood her struggle, and was amazed at the lack of her resentment towards her twin, Zadie. Nor is constantly being outshone by Zadie's beauty and frowned upon because of her scar. She goes to great lengths for her sister, and would do anything for her. Zadie was a great character too, but she was a lot more impulsive. I liked this about her character because it shows how she isn't perfect, and hates being told so. Talin was also a great character, a little rebel himself. A lot of his character is shown in minimal ways, but when you get a glimpse, you fall in love. Ceren was a great antagonist. He reminds me of the Darkling in a way, where you almost admire him, but love him as the villain more. Sammi was also a great side character, as well as Ebb. ALL OF THEM WERE GREAT, WHAT CAN I SAY??

This story was fresh and unique and I really liked it. Some people could compare it to a lot of books and that's okay. It is unique in its own way and I think that comparing this book to others would do it a disgrace. The world was so different (hello, people LITERALLY live on the sea in boats) and the tales of the royal lines always intrigued me. There is a lot of spying, conspiring, and heated romance in this book. None too overwhelming, but the beast fighting scene is by far my favorite. I think the ending had an almost twist that I had not seen coming. I came up with a few theories, but never really guessed the ending. I really wish she would continue on, I would buy it in a heartbeat.