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.

Crown of Coral and Pearl is a wonderful, dark and incredibly rich fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, the characters and that the romance ... 🔥

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building, as complex as it is, never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind.

The characters are well-rounded, developed and realistic for the most part. Nor is a lovely young adult, strong, independent and responsible but without ever being cocky. The characters of this book all feel plausible, all have a mission in life and their perspective in the book are all equally interesting.

All in all, a fantastic and well rounded fantasy!

Thank you for the opportunity to review #CrownofCoralandPearl by Mara Rutherford.
A slow burner of a novel that brings the uniqueness of a society on the water with the mix of mythology. The political undertones ties with the fantasy aspect make this novel hard to put down.

Possible mini spoilers, so read with caution

I was a little hesitant when I first started reading this book. Because it starts out pretty slow. There's a lot of setting up and back story that happens.

But a few chapters in, all the action and intrigue really start to pick up. I adored the world building that happened in this story and how descriptive each place was. I really felt like I was out at sea, and then in the mountain/castle

I enjoyed the concept of the story. I haven't read a lot of books that are set at sea (to begin with, at least)

I loved the relationship that Zadie and Nor had. And the relationship that they both had with Sami.

Honestly, I thought Zadie was a little selfish at first. I felt like she only thought about herself and what she would be losing. And then to ask her sister to help her do something so.. terrible! But she did eventually apologize, and it did seem that she grew up a little at the end.

Nor was great. I love how she was able to handle herself even though she was basically a fish out of water (lol) She was pretty scared about things, but she was still able to defend herself and hold her own when she had no idea what she was doing.

Talin. Oh Talin, my sweet Little Bean. He was the most amazing part of the story, and I only wish that he had been a more prominent piece. I kind of had my suspicions about who he was, and I was right. He loved his brother, but at the same time, he hated what Ceren was doing and he didn't support it.

I also liked the fact that, even though Nor and Talin were enamored with each other, it didn't turn Nor into a brainless jellybean. She was able to think for herself, and not be so obsessed with Talin that she was thinking of him 24-7-365.

I couldn't stand the twins' mother. She was absolutely horrid! But their father was great, and he tried to do right by them.

I couldn't decide what I thought of Ceren for a long time. At times he was absolutely horrible, but then he had moments that he was kind of decent. I finally decided that I felt sorry for him. He was so messed up in the head, and he didn't stop to take the time to realize that he had people who would care about him and help him, if only he would pull his head out of his... um..well, you know.

I know the author said this book sold as a standalone, but she also said it has an option for a sequel, and I really hope that sequel happens, because there was so much left undone at the end of this book.

Is Sami okay? He's stranded out in the middle of nowhere! Do they ever find him?

What happens with the Twins and their family?

What about my Little Bean, Talin? Do he and Nor ever get to see each other again? Do they get their HEA?? I need them to get their HEA!

And what about Ceren? I'm still not convinced he's 100% dead. *Squints suspiciously*

And what does Queen Talia do once she's back on the throne? How does that go for her?

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait for it to be available to purchase.

*Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC through NetGalley

My review is live on Goodreads now, and it will be live on my Blog on 5-23-19

This book blew me away!! WOW! From the characters, to the intense and every intriguing plot, everything was masterfully created and developed. I loved the world and it was a great combination of mysterious and flushed out. The story line was unique and didn't feel like anything I've ever read before. overall, such a great book that I can't wait to recommend to people!

I dived into this book, because the world was exciting and new! Who’s ever read a book where a society (Varenians) lived on boats in the middle of the ocean? Not me! I loved the setting and the mythology surrounding Varenia’s origins.

I was really into this book for a time. I loved Nor because she was brave, selfless, and kind, despite her mother, and the villagers looking down on her for a tiny skin imperfection. Nor’s relationship with her twin sister Zadie was also sweet, compelling, and so powerful. It was probably my favorite part of this whole book. I loved the love between them.

I also really liked our antagonist, Ceren, because he was multifaceted. Even though he did many horrible things, he still showed tiny signs of compassion. I love morally grey characters! They’re always the most intriguing.

Somewhere, about ¾ of the way through this book, I started to lose steam while reading. I’m not sure what exactly caused it. At some point the story itself just stopped grabbing me like it had in the beginning. I took a couple weeks-long break before picking up this book again. When I finally did start reading again, I finished the story in two sittings.

Unfortunately the story never quite recovered the same quality of zest like it did in the beginning. I think part of it was location. I was really hoping to learn more about Varenia, but unfortunately we never visited that part of the world again.

Finally, the ending also left a bit to be desired. It felt a little too happily-ever-after. I’m also unsure as to whether this is a standalone or if we can expect more books. The story was kinda wrapped-up and kinda not.

*3.5 stars*

I was blown away by this story and I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. The synopsis makes the girls sound very self-involved and shallow, but it's a great exploration of beauty and the power it can hold over people.

The relationships were the strong suit of this novel and oh my god were they stunning. We got to see a wide variety of relationships and I loved all of them. Nor has a close bond with her twin sister, a strained relationship with her mother, and a great relationship with her best friend Sami. We see her struggle with her relationship with herself and who she thinks she is, along with what others think of her. We get to watch her village turn on her before she's shipped off to land for the first time. We see her grow as a person as she makes friends and plenty of enemies in the castle.

I loved the unique premise of this book. The mythology that started the rocky relationship between the kingdom and Nor's sea village. The magic in this book was utterly unique and stunning, from the blood coral to the pink pearls. Gender stereotypes are a theme in the book that helps shape Nor into who she is, from what she thinks a beautiful woman should be to what a beautiful woman really is.

We've also got some politics and sneaky stuff going on in this book. We've got a dead queen, a resentful heir, and a woman king in the south. The love interest in this book is very swoonworthy BUT I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him.

I'm dying to read the second one to know who the real liar is here because a lot of things were revealed to be not what they seemed. Who really is the good guy? The bad guy? Can Nor really save her people without losing herself and what she stands for in the process?

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Inkyard Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

(4.75) Ugh! I loved this! I was really into the character dynamics (between the sisters and also the villain). I got sucked in from page one; although, I will admit, it ended up lacking just a tiny bit in world building (it's honestly hard to find perfect world building in fantasy standalones).

3.85 stars, I think?

A Crown of Coral and Pearl was a standalone fantasy with great family bonds but very little world building. The first 60% was slow moving but really great. The story is told from Nor's perspective. On the floating town of Varenia, Nor and Zadie (meaning Coral and Pearl, respectively), beauty is everything. Every generation the most beautiful girl in Varenia is picked to become the next Queen of of land. Nor and Zadie are identical twins. Zadie is their mother's clear favorite and the assured pick to for future Queen. Despite being set against each other and compared in every way, the unconditional love and support between Nor and Zadie is unbreakable. Their bond is undoubtedly the strongest feature of this novel.

The last 40% is mostly Nor's adventures on land, learning that everything on land is not as amazing as everyone makes it out to be. This is where the book takes a downturn. Nor is engaged to the future king, Prince Ceren, but she only has eyes for his younger half brother, Talin. They openly flirt and yearn for each other. And while, the Ceren isn't exactly charming, Nor could have at least TRIED. Alas.

We get to know the villain better than we do anyone else on land, honestly. He is not a monster by birth, but one created due to circumstance. Nothing was really explained. Not Nor's mysterious power, or why red corals and pearls are the way they are and provide what they do--which is key in the book. The place the royals live is an unhealthy place that makes them sick, yet they refuse to move--the whole thing doesn't make much sense.

overall I think if the world itself was a little more fleshed out an the ending was so abrupt, it could have easily been a 4 star stand alone.

This was a great read! I loved it so much more than I anticipated I would! It had plenty of action and excitement! I would definitely recommend this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Guys.... this book had such a great start. Plot was on point and intriguing and i especially enjoyed the sisterly bond Nor and Zadie had throughout the book. The middle was still great and solid but i felt as if the ending was a bit rushed and inorganic. Things were revealed that came out of no where and the writing looked lazy and rushed in comparison to the beginning. This goes the same for Nor and Talin’s relationship. They had great chemistry at the start but it became too instalove for me. They spent less time with one another and their relationship seemed more based off of their physical attraction to one another? Prince Ceren was also an interesting character. He was definitely what you would call a complex character yet i found myself not sympathizing with his motives and reasoning. I couldn’t quite figure him out and his characterization felt random and all over the place. The reason i gave this 3.5 stars is because i truly did enjoy the first half of the book. Everything was on point until it began to fall apart in the second half.

5/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher for the early copy via netgalley.

Nor and her twin sister, Zadie live in Varenia. A small village that has a pact with Ilara a kingdom that rules Varenia. This involves the most beautiful girl being sent to Ilara to marry the heir. Nor and Zadie are twin sisters, but Nor has a scar on her face so she knows her sister will be chosen. Everything changes when Zadie is injured and Nor has to go in her place.

This book was so hard for me to put down, there were so many factors: number one was that I absolutely LOVE the author's writing and I will DEFINITELY be looking out closely for her future books. Number two: the mystery behind it, the people of Varenia are struggling to get by but the King keeps pushing them for more! Number three: Nor discovers so much about herself and her story of self discovery and learning to live herself and her flaws was beautifully done.

Highly recommend this book!

My favorite part of this book was the sister relationship depicted. It is clear that the two girls love each other very deeply. The world was interesting and fun to read about. I truly didn't see the end reveal coming! Also, I felt like the atmosphere of New Castle was delightfully dark and creepy.

I wasn't crazy about the insta-love. Also, the bad guy was very obviously the bad guy. The mother character was also at times a bit over the top.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read!

I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Wow!!!! I loved this book so much that I sacrificed some much needed sleep for it!! First of all the world building was top notch and the storyline fresh. Nor was a kick butt heroine. I loved everything about it. I hope she continues to series! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love a good YA fantasy novel and the Crown of Coral and Pearl did not disappoint. The descriptions of the scenery and worldbuilding were really well done. This was a book that captured my attention from the beginning and was difficult to put down. I loved Nor’s strong relationship with her sister which was really heartwarming and was also really rooting for Nor and Talin. Their relationship built up slowly with a lot of tension and I couldn't get enough. My only issue with this book is that I did feel the end was slightly underwhelming and was looking for more. The ending felt rushed and I think this should have been split into two books.

Alrighty, folks. Let's do this thing.

I really, really thought I was going to like this book. And for the first act of the story, which took place in Varenia, I did. I enjoyed the bond between Zadie and Nor, I thought that their family dynamic was interesting, and the world building of Varenia was interesting. If I was rating the book based just on that first section, it would have probably been a four star read. However, the book continued.

After Nor is sent in her sister's place to the castle, the book unfortunately took a turn for the worse, and we are introduced to the two Princes: Ceren and Talin. Both were poorly done in different ways. Nor and Talin had an instalove connection that never really developed past that, and Talin as a character didn't exist beyond that. He clearly existed only as a Prince Charming love interest with no personality of his own. Ceren, on the other hand, is the villain of the book, and Rutherford never really struck the right balance between sympathetic and evil to get the morally grey recipe exactly right. Ceren was extremely sympathetic, to the point where his cruelty felt kind of bizarre to me? I was in a constant state of confusion with him, and Talin just annoyed me.

Most of the plot was fine, but not great. However! The last ~30 pages went a little bit bonkers. I suspect this was because Rutherford was scrambling to complete a story in one book which she's stated was meant to be a duology. There was sort of an information dump of plot twists that came out of nowhere and felt extremely abrupt. This same problem led to there being several plot points that just never went anywhere. I'm sure they would have become important in the second book, but since this book was sold as a standalone, I'm assuming there won't be a second book, and I feel that some of that content should have been removed.

All in all, I can see where this book was going, and how it could have been really good. The execution just didn't do it for me.

I received this book from Netgalley to review.

I have to say the relationship between Nor and Zadie was so well done and showed the twin bond so well. It's crazy to think everything Nor did for her sister and how it changed her life for the better.
I really wish this book was broken up into two books as I felt like the end was rushed all together. A second book would have given more detail into the world and given us just what we needed, a buildup to the end with more detail.
The world created was so interesting and I really would love more books about it.

I did really enjoy this book and the world of Varenia. It also gave a great look into the world of beauty. I gave it 4 stars because it was too rushed in the end but the plot was well done. I just wanted more.

Crown of Coral and Pearl shines in its worldbuilding. I found myself loving the village on the sea. I loved the myths built into the world and how they came up later, slightly altered, from another perspective. This lent authenticity to the world in a beautiful way. This is the type of worldbuilding that feels authentic and researched.

The story centers on the perspective of Nor, a twin, who was raised in a village generation of which one will be chosen for the honor of marrying the prince who controls the land. I think readers may center on this being the inciting incident, but really that comes much later and they do spend some time in the village establishing character relationships and motivations.

I really love the transition from the village sea scenes to the mountainous land setting. It's a shock and done well.

The author also interacts well with the romance aspects, leading to some great moments of tension for the reader.

One of the strengths of this story is the consequences of the characters actions. Each action taken results in serious consequences that make up big parts of the plot. I enjoy seeing a character that can affect the story in such a way. Nor and Zadie's relationship at the beginning is wonderful, and you get to see them really live through the consequences.

I don't want to get too into details of characters for fear of spoilers, but I like where it goes when the story moves to land. The only confusion for me came when it got to the very end and some plot things seemed tied up too easily. The setup for a sequel seemed really thin, hopefully I'll be able to see more of that direction in a re-read.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story and I definitely got sucked into the romantic, friendship and family tension.