Title: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Note: Review to be posted to Goodreads on May 6, 2019 and on retail sites (Barnes & Noble, Amazon) upon publication date, August 27, 2019.

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

Mara Rutherford’s debut novel, Crown of Coral and Pearl, completely captivated me from beginning to end. With each word, I was spellbound by this story, which dazzles from Rutherford’s gorgeous world-building and standout cast of characters.

In the ocean village of Varenia, a woman’s worth is determined by her beauty as the girl deemed most beautiful will be selected to marry the crown prince of their kingdom. Here we are introduced to twin sisters Nor and Zadie, who are inseparably close and considered to be among the most attractive girls in their village. However, it is understood that Zadie is most likely to be chosen as Nor is seen as imperfect due to a scar on her cheek from a childhood accident.

Unsurprisingly, Zadie is chosen to be the crown prince’s bride; yet following a complicated set of events, Nor is sent in her sister’s place. Although she always dreamt of seeing the world beyond her village, Nor slowly begins to discover that her dream may actually be a nightmare. Told solely from Nor’s perspective, Crown of Coral and Pearl follows her journey to self-discovery as she navigates a dark new world of court politics and intrigue.

As an adult reader, I loved that Rutherford’s writing included more mature elements that are not always present in YA books, such as the message that real beauty does not lie only on the surface and the overall feminist undertones present (i.e., queendoms, woman kings). Furthermore, one of the standout elements of this book was its memorable female characters, especially Nor, who reminded me of Feyre from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (one of my all-time favorite heroines). Nor is a strong, independent woman who loves fiercely and stands by her values. Within the first chapter, I felt a strong connection with her and thoroughly enjoyed watching this story unfold through her eyes.

My only critique of Crown of Coral and Pearl is that the last several chapters felt a little rushed, with a lot of information and plot twists thrown at the reader within the span of a few pages. I think the full effect of these turns in the story would have been more dramatic if they were spread out over several more chapters. That being said, I was satisfied with how this book ended and felt most loose ends were tied up neatly. However, I would love to see this story expanded into a series.

Crown of Coral and Pearl was an impressive debut novel and a standout of the books I’ve read thus far in 2019. I would love to read more from Mara Rutherford in the future (this book continued to a series or otherwise)!

YA/teen fantasy with romantic elements and some violence. Nor and Zadie are twin sisters that grow up in the seaside village of Valeria, whose economy is dependent on export of pearls to the sovereign kingdom of Ilara. Zadie is chosen to marry the crown prince of Ilara, but because Zadie is in love with someone else Nor ends up taking her place. The court of Ilara is not what Nor expects and she must figure out who to trust and how to save Valeria. I like how principled and brave Nor is, and the loving relationship she shares with her twin. There is also plenty of YA melodrama and a love triangle of sorts. The main love interest could have been better developed (a bit of “insta-love” there) but overall entertaining read. I couldn’t tell if it was the first in a series - ending was satisfying but also left the door open for more later. Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book: the title, cover art, unique plot, setting, writing style, characters… It hooked me from the start and was a pleasure to read.

The character relationships, particularly the sisterly “twin bond” between Nor and Zadie, were wonderfully depicted, and I even enjoyed the scenes between Nor and Ceren. In fact, I felt Ceren was a callous, despicable (and incredibly well-developed) villain, which the stories I’ve been reading lately have lacked. Ceren was so complex that my feelings about him were complex, as well. He may have even been my favorite character as I felt his actions and dialogue were rich and completely inhumane. I despised him as much as Nor did, and yet I held such a fascination with this character throughout the novel and couldn’t get enough of him.

My one complaint, I suppose, would be the very end of the novel where everything sort of unraveled. I ultimately felt that the final fight scene, the romance, the truth about a particular royal, and what should have been a special reunion was rushed, which left me a bit unsatisfied as a reader. Of course, another reader may feel completely the opposite.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope it has much success upon being published.

Themes of sisterhood, loyalty and longing all play beautifully in Rutherford's Crown of Coral and Pearl. Lovely, intense character relationships set the tone of the novel, with stark reality and intrigue adding another layer to both the plot and character dynamics. Rutherford's writing is smooth and comforting, effortlessly transporting the reader into Ilara and Varenia. Otherwise a fluent read, Crown suffers slightly at the end -- it is obvious that a sequel was planned, but the novel seems to be written as a stand alone. Let's hope for a second novel!

Zadie and Nor, twins, live on Varenia -- an atoll in that provides the Kingdom of Ilara with two exports, pink pearls and a bride for the Ilarian prince. Raised to be the future queen, the most beautiful sister will be separated from her family and sent to live in Ilara. Nor lives her life care-free, the small scar on her cheek guaranteeing her a life stuck in Varenia, even if she wants more. When Zadie's life is at stake, Nor makes a decision that will alter both her life, and an entire kingdom.

This book just blew me away!! I was hooked the moment I started reading! I just love how beautifully written this book is and how well rounded the characters are!!
As far as Zadie and Nor go, I just love their bond!
My favorite has to be Nor as I love how strong and brave she is! I hope there's another book! I am so happy I was able to get an advanced copy of this!

I really liked the sister bond and the loyalty Nor had to her home. I felt this part of the book was very well developed and got me invested in the story. I was definitely thinking this was a five star read until I got to the ending of the story. I was underwhelmed with the romance plot and felt it was very underdeveloped. If you love a story about sisterhood and family bonds I would recommend this book!

**Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I've been working with Mara on an interview for the blog for the past few weeks, so I was super excited when I was approved on NetGalley for Crown of Coral and Pearl. I blew through this book in two sittings, it was a quick read with an intriguing story line that captured me from page one.

I really loved the bond between Nor and Zadie. Being twins and being groomed to become the next princess of Varenia. Especially how after Nor's accident and how the attention that was split among the both of them was now mostly focused on Zadie. Something that was devastating and that had lasting consequences for Nor made the bond between the twins even stronger. The story shows how far you will go for the people you love and the sacrifices are willing to make for their happiness. I know for me I would go to the ends of the earth for my sister and though we are not twins everything that Nor did for Zadie in this novel, I would do for my sister. Hands down. No questions asked.

I really enjoyed the two different settings the story takes place in. The first half Crown of Coral and Bone take place in the sun on the ocean and Nor feels free. She has the water, her sister and Sami and that is all she ever needed. The people of Varenia get a long, they have a fair governor and though it isn't easy to find pearls, they manage. The second half takes place on land in the darkness of the mountain castle that has little sunlight and keeps Nor caged and in the dark unlike her previous life.

The only issue I had with Crown of Coral and Bone is that I felt that the romance was a bit rushed. I get that Nor's situation was dire. But there was very little development in it before she was "in love" with this character. Don't get me wrong, the romance still managed to make me swoon and I loved it. I just wish it wasn't as rushed and there was more development.

Overall I really enjoyed Crown of Coral and Pearl and I am crossing my fingers for a sequel. I would love to see where these character's are going to go next and the fall out of the events of the end of the novel. If this does happen to be a stand alone, I've created a happily ever after for all of them. But fingers crossed!!!

This was a very unique and refreshing read. I love the world-building in this novel. It is simple but very realistic. I love the characters, especially the villain. The villain was very sympathetic and complex. I love the sister relationship in this novel. Overall, I recommend this for fans of Sarah Fine and C. J. Redwine,

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I loved loved loved this book! I stayed up WAY too late reading it, finally went to bed when my eyes refused to cooperate, and then finished it today at work! Such a wonderful story with a great cast. The world building was so rich and I loved seeing the contrast between Varenia and Ilara. Nor was such an awesome MC; so brilliant and brave. She proved again and again that she was more than just a pretty face. Talin was fabulous and everything I wanted (although I kept waiting for him to be too good to be true), and Ceren was the perfect villain. He had some serious issues and it made him so creepy. I got some serious Maven vibes. The ending had quite the cliffhanger and I'm not sure things are as hopeful as they seem.
All told, this was a total 5-star for me, and I cannot wait for the next book!

Right up until the end, I thought this was going to be a 4-star read. Nor was wonderfully smart, the politics were actually interesting, and I loved the premise of the story. But there were three main problems:

1) The romance was absolutely shite.

2) I sympathised with the 'villain' way more than I did with the 'heroes.'

3) The ending was extremely deus ex machina and not worthy of the book at all.

Like I said, the premise really good. Seventeen-year-old Nor (whose name means 'coral') lives in the ocean village of Varenia with her twin sister Zadie ('pearl'). It's literally an ocean village - the houses are on stilts over the water, and due to an ancient rule made by the nearby land kingdom of Ilara, no Varenian is allowed to go to shore.

With one exception: whoever is chosen by the village elders to be the next queen of Ilara. Once every generation, the most beautiful girl in the village will travel to Ilara to wed the king. Nor has always wished it could be her, because she feels stifled in her tiny beauty-obsessed village with a mother who wants nothing more than to have gorgeous daughters. But she can never be chosen. A childhood accident left her with a tiny blemish on her cheek, and it's Zadie whom everyone knows will be picked. And when Zadie is picked, everything is as it should be.

Only, Zadie doesn't want to go. She's in love with their childhood friend Sami, and she's willing to go to desperate lengths to make sure she isn't sent away from him forever. Nor is packed off to Ilara instead, armed with a pot of cream designed to hide her scar - the only thing identifying her from Zadie. There she meets her betrothed Prince Ceren, a mercurial and oddly cruel young man. She also meets his half-brother Prince Talin, much more handsome and kind, whom she feels drawn to immediately.

Nor quickly realises that things are rotten in the state of Ilara. The Ilaran nobles are weak and aged, compared to the healthy youthfulness of Varenians. Ceren believes it's because of the blood pearls: rare pink pearls harvested only in Varenia, they're its main export. But the pearls are running thin and Nor's people are starving. She will have to balance the needs of her people with appeasing her spoiled, maniacal husband-to-be.

Right, let me start with the negatives.

Problem #1: The Romance

This was, quite frankly, nothing more than insta-love. Talin is an extraordinarily handsome man. Nor is an extraordinarily beautiful girl. Naturally, they fall in love with each other! I had no idea WHY she was attracted to him beyond stupidly superficial stuff like his 'sea-blue eyes', or whatever. This is a book which is supposed to be about celebrating all kinds of beauty, not just the physical. It's trying to show us how wrong Varenia is to be obsessed with beauty. And yet? All we see of Talin is his good looks. It was very ironic but also totally destroyed any page where he appeared.

It also destroyed my respect for Nor. She's clearly a clever girl, avoiding many of the TSTL traps which can ensnare a fantasy heroine who's not careful. Yet she actively annoyed her actual fiancé by flirting with his brother right in front of him. What the hell? Why would you deliberately annoy Ceren, whom you know has got a bad temper, like that? And why are you attracted to him AT ALL?

Problem #2: The Villain

Ah, Ceren. Where do I begin with him? The author definitely tried to humanise him, but it's reached such a peak that I feel more for him than I do for Nor, or the 2D-cardboard-cut-out that is Talin. His mother died when he was young, and his father immediately remarried to a gorgeous new bride who gave birth to a gorgeous young son. Who WOULDN'T feel threatened in that sort of situation? Especially because it's made obvious that Talin's mother disliked her husband's heir, was jealous her own son wouldn't get the throne, and did her best to exclude Ceren from family activities.

When they matured, Ceren was uglier and less social than Talin, who easily won hearts wherever he went. And THEN Ceren's own fiancée Nor appeared and made it obvious from the beginning that she preferred his brother to him - like everyone else on the planet. You really have to feel for Ceren here.

Nor and Talin don't come off well here at all. Nor just latched onto handsome Talin and never let go; Talin is far too quick to hate an elder brother who has never actually hurt him. Yes, Ceren is definitely no saint, but he was an extremely interesting character and I don't think he was done justice by the author or any of the characters.

Problem #3: The Ending

I obviously can't say too much here, because spoilers. But it was rushed, implausible, and badly-thought-out. It also relied heavily on Nor's character making a U-turn from what it was previously written as.

What I liked:

✔️ Wonderful exploration of the difficult, but always close, relationship between twins.

✔️ Quite good world-building.

✔️ Good pacing; I wasn't bored for lack of action.

✔️ When Talin wasn't around, I did respect Nor and her lack of stupid actions.

Overall

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 (at the 70% mark) I struggled a bit to finish.

What a thrilling ride! I was drawn to the book from the cover - it’s lovely - but I stayed for the story. It was engaging the whole way through. Definitely adding to my recommendation list. Can’t wait for the sequel

As a child of the sea, Nor, is forbidden to step on land but an accident may once again give her the opportunity that she thought she lost years ago. But Nor is finding that Ilara, isn’t the wondrous place she fantasized of and the price that was paid to go ashore, may not have been worth all she has lost.

-
I have been reading Harlequin for years but this is my first venture into their teen/YA imprint Inkyard. The summary caught my attention (reminding me a little of Uprooted) and the sisters relationship turned out to be big bonus for me, as I had been thinking recently how nice it would be to read a story where the girls relationship is as close and/or had that ‘buddy story’ feel that you generally only get with the guy leads. I enjoyed the first part of this story a ton just because of Nor and Zadie’s closeness and their devotion to one another. I also liked the way Zadie was kept ‘present’ in the story later at Ilara, though she wasn’t around.

Varenia was a cool setting and I liked the culture around their home (especially about the blood coral) and that as the world opened up to Nor, we see hints of other cultures/giving with lots of room for possibilities to expand the kingdom or for more stories.

The importance of the girls being beautiful and its message that it shouldn’t consume your life etc.. was a big portion of the beginning and felt like Nor had already learned after her accident but since it was the main strife between her mom and her- I kind of wished for some sort of closure between them. I did like that Nor, got to see why it was so important for her mom to see her daughters succeed, and in her own way she was looking out for her daughters as best as she could.

The ‘villain’ was excellent (though the bat thing might have felt a bit mustache-twirly). He was functioning, with swings between totally mad in the head, and hurt child, and I loved the glimpses of what he could have been/be if someone had cared for him. These are my favorite types of villains, the ones where you wonder when they’re going to snap. Well done.

Talin and Nor had some great chemistry at times, and I especially loved their first meeting- you knew right off that he was the love interest but wondered how that could possibly work out. But their end meeting/farewell was somewhat lacklustre in comparison. Also, after Ceran’s scene stealing personality, he seemed a little bland at times. I kept expecting a twist or something with Talin and his own motivations to not be quite so pure.


The story was quick, lots of fun, with some fluttery first-time love feelings, and a good dose of danger for our heroine to overcome. I liked the first half because of the setting and the sisters, and second half for the characters and the intrigue. The ending felt a tad bit rushed but I enjoyed this book as a whole and blew through it in a few sittings.



Other notes-

-I liked that there was lots of room to expand on everything from the worldbuilding, to relationships between her and her family, Talin, and others if there was to be another story without leaving this one feeling like it was unfinished.

-My copy had some formatting issues, most likely will be fixed in the final cleanup.

-A special thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen/InkYard press for the ARC.

-Review will be posted closer to publication date

Loved this book. Very uncommon storyline involving a girl with dreams of seeing land after living on water all of her life and discovering it's not all what she dreamed it would be. If you like fantasy and young adult books, you'll love this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book. The writing felt a little unpolished but overall it was well written. The only complaint I have is the princess part. In YA fantasies right now, princesses are everywhere. For those of us over 18 this is not new and in my opinion a little over done. Though the younger crowd may not feel this way because they haven’t seen it all their life. I must say though even though the princess part is a bit cliche that is the end of cliches in this story. It is original and fun. I will most likely be purchasing this book for the library. I am curious to see how the book is received by the YA readership.

This book was received as an ARC from Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) - Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so intrigued by the description of this book that I had to pick it up and read it. While reading I can see similarities to a modern Cinderella and the twisted fairy tale that Red Queen has brought us. Reading this book made me think that royalty and the high life may not be so glamorous as the media makes it look or as we know it to be and this book really emphasized the sacrifices that have to be made and great power comes at a cost.and the sacrifice Nor made for royalty could cost her everything! Our community will enjoy this story with its compelling story and drama filled context.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Not my usual topic to read, but I was completely captivated. Such a rich world and an unforgettable story. Cannot wait to recommend to young library patrons that enjoy fantasy and new worlds to explore. Also, can't wait to see what this author writes next!

I feel like the author googled basic template for fantasy novel and filled them in with details. If you changed some of the character names, and setting this book is so unemarkable it falls into the category of any fantasy novel.
The writing of this book was very basic, it seemed like a 8th grader wrote it. The plot was so basic and bland with most of the actual action happening through DIALOGUE explaining it happening instead of the reader experiencing it themselves. The writing of this book was very difficult to get through and it brought the overall book down.
The characters were also extremely one-dimensional and existed to further the plot nothing more. There was no character development for the hollow shells of humans that were supposed to be characters. The protagonist was EXTREMELY annoying and made me want to pull my hair out. She was a regular shmegular girl but the author attempted to draw her out to be the savior of the people, but she didn’t really do anything? Everyone else did stuff and she would interject here and there but nothing too much.
The relationship in this book made me choke. The protagonist and her love interest spoke FOUR TIMES, I repeat FOUR TIMES in vary brief conversations, and all of a sudden they were in love? Are you kidding me? The author didn’t even try to make it seem like there was anything besides physical attraction and brooding looks behind their oh so amazing love.
Reading the synopsis I knew the book would be a bit basic, but I had no idea it would be as badly written and as basic as it was.
I received this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this wonderful book. I adored this book. It was so unique and the world building was really cool. I loved Varenia which was Nor's home, a village of floating houses out at sea. The first half of the book that Nor was in Varenia was absolutely stunning. I knew right away I was going to love it. Nor, Zadie, Sami and Talin are all characters that are relatable and loveable and I was rooting for every single one of them. The idea of the pearls being so important was a really neat idea too. I didn't LOVE the second half of the book when Nor was in the New Castle in the mountain (only because it was no longer an ocean setting) but the story line was still strong and captivating. Nor is such a fierce character who believes in the good and wishes to save her people. The author does a beautiful job with the world building and the descriptions. This was such a wonderful book that everyone should read when it comes out on August 27th! I might cry because I really want a physical copy! P.S. This might only be a standalone and my heart is breaking because I want more of this world and these characters. There is a chance for a sequel and I am keeping my fingers triple crossed! ;)

Link to Instagram review: https://www.instagram.com/p/BwnRXTznoY2/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

I blew through this in one day which was an unexpected but wonderful surprise. Crown of Coral and Pearl is far more nuanced than your standard princess, young adult story.
Nor and Zadie have been raised to prize unblemished beauty above all else. Their beauty will ultimately be their town’s salvation when the Prince of Ilara chooses a new bride. A tragic accident takes Nor out of the running which is unfortunate because of the two sisters, she is the one who wants to escape to land. With the selection no longer hanging over Nor’s head, her rebellious nature and passion for exploration resurfaces. This all comes to a head when during the selection, Zadie is chosen. Zadie who cannot bear to leave home or her land behind. She concocts a terrible plan to escape her fate and her sister Nor takes her place. While she is sad to leave her family and sister, she is excited to see Ilara but not all is what it seems on land. Valeria is in more danger than she anticipated.

I really enjoyed how complex Nor and Ceren’s relationship is. The reader is made to pity Ceren’s traumatic and loveless upbringing but not enough to forgive the horrors he commits. Nor’s relationship with Talin was sweet but overshadowed by Nor’s struggles with right and wrong. I think I enjoyed that the most. Despite being told someone was evil, she stuck with her morals. The conclusion of book left us with anticipation of a sequel but I also can’t shake the feeling that Talin is not what he seems. I guess we will have to wait to find out!

For fans of Victoria Aveyard, Laura Sebastian, and Richelle Mead.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and the author!

So right away, I really liked the first half of this book. The sister bond was well done and I really connected with Nor.

For me, I kept waiting for the romance to build between Nor and Talin, or take away the romance. I loved their connection at the beginning of the book but then their whole relationship was underdeveloped, which would have been fine, but I kept getting insta love vibes from Nor! Ceren was actually well developed and he was quite the baddy, but I liked him?

The writing was beautiful and the world the author created was really cool. Side note: I with there would have been more Sami! He was probably my favorite character and there should definitely be a whole book on him!