Crown of Coral and Pearl has probably one of my most favorite reads of 2019. Y’all. I couldn’t put this book down. I finished it at 2:30 in the morning and it was one that I definitely won’t regret staying up late for. Rutherford knows how to write a book that will leave you wanting more…. Especially with how it ends.
Crown of Coral and Pearl follows Nor, a twin from Varenia, who has grown up in a culture that puts beauty before anything else. When the crown prince of Ilara comes of age to take the throne, Varenia sends them their most beautiful girl due to a thousand years old agreement between the two places. For all of their lives, Nor and Zadie were the front runners to be chosen until Nor survived a deadly accident which left her face permanently scarred. Zadie, now being the frontrunner indeed gets chosen to go to Ilara. There’s one problem: Zadie has fallen in love and no longer wants to go. After an incident at Zadie’s planning, Nor ends up going in Zadie’s place as the future queen of Ilara. Once on land, she finds out that the dreams she’s had of what it would be like is nothing like she’d hoped. The emissary that visited after Zadie was picked, Talin, was actually a prince, the prince to which she’s betrothed, Ceren, is actually a danger to himself and others, and Nor now lives in a mountain away from the sea she’s grown up in and the sun and air her lungs are used to. As she starts to learn her way around the castle, she finds that Ceren’s inventing something dangerous to her people. As she finds a way to stop him, Talin realizes who she is and things for Nor start to get messy. What follows is a story of survival, courage, and sacrifice that will keep you glued to the pages and you won’t want to put it down.
Starting this book, Rutherford does a really great job of setting the story up. And also creating and integrating it’s own mythological system for Varenia and Ilara. I loved getting more of these kingdoms and their cultures. Especially since in the book, these two nations/kingdoms/territories are intertwined.
Also, overall, I really loved Nor’s story. After all she did to make sure her sister was safe, she ended up once again making the biggest sacrifice for her sister in order to keep her from further harm. Granted, the whole book is from her perspective, but still. There’s something about Nor’s character that has always been strong. As she pretends to be Zadie, she realizes how much strength her sister had in order to see the good in everything. But as herself, Nor, constantly being told she was other due her “lost” beauty, finally gets a chance to see herself how someone else sees her both with the stain to cover her scar and without. Nor is probably one of my favorite characters to date. She does her best to not let Ceren get under her skin. She tries her hardest to understand the culture of the court. She secretly wishes that Talin would know it was her and not Zadie as the twin that arrived but knows that if he knows she might be in danger. Also, she’s fiercely loyal, not just to her family, but also to those that she knows can’t defend themselves or innocent, like Ebb and the page boy.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. If I had one complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed, a bit completed, and a bit unfinished. Crown of Coral and Pearl was sold as a one-book deal. While that does mean there is a bit finality of this book, it also left ends that could be picked and finished in a second book. I really hope that there’s another one because I need more of this story, more of these characters, and I really need to know what happens next. Rutherford has created a cast and world that you don’t want to leave. The suspense and action will keep you turning pages and I was so surprised when it ended.

This book captured me from the first page. The world that was built was unlike any other and the characters had so much depth. The story was amazing. I loved hearing about the different cultures and learning about the characters. The plot twists and betrayals were amazing.

First and foremost, I would like to say thank you for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. Now let’s get on to the review story. This story was not what I expected in so many ways, it was an everyday fiction novel with a splash of fantasy in there. I do wish the fantasy aspects were explored and explained more, they just kind of left me with questions. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to seeI got what else this author has to offer.

This was SO good! I loved the relationship between the sisters and it was a well written, well paced story.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was nothing like I first thought it was going to be! The world was so enchanting and unique while the characters made you feel exactly what they were feeling. I loved experiencing the love of a twin and the love of adventure in our leading lady. The idea that beauty is the only way to escape a hard life was very interesting to read about and so many plot lines were carefully planted throughout the story that I cannot wait to learn more about them in the next book!

The cover and the premise of Crown of Coral and Pearl initially drew me to this story, but I will have to say that my likes and dislikes of the book are pretty equal.

I enjoyed the world-building of Varenia immensely. The ocean village seemed simple and beautiful all at once.

I also loved the twin bond between Nor and Zadie. I always like these kind of relationships in books, and I felt this one was done well.

Nor herself was a strong, stubborn character who made for a great female protagonist...except when she was around Talin. With him, she mostly came off as a silly, insipid girl who fell in love with a man on sight and had minimal interactions with him throughout the book. This was quite disappointing because the romance aspect could have been so much better.

New Castle was dreary and depressing, but again, I thought the world-building here was good because that's exactly how I felt about the place, depressed.

Ceren was simultaneously disturbing and interesting, and I actually found myself pitying him at times.

I'm not sure how I felt about the pacing of the book. I was bored, per se, but it did seem to take a long time to move along. Then the end came up very quickly and wrapped up in an odd, unsatisfying way. There was closure of sorts, but there were many loose ends that could have been tied up much more neatly because I don't think this book needs a sequel. If there is going to be one, I'm not sure how a well-fleshed out book could be made.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Wow! I wasn't sure what to expect when picking up this book... Throne of Glass, Waterworld, Wrath of Dawn, The Belles? I think if you combine all of those together you wind up with this book. Seriously!

I'm loving the fact ocean inspired books are in this year, being a coastal gal I'm totally vibing off of it, but more than that the way it's becoming a thing in fantasy. Personal love for the ocean aside, this book really has a fascinating concept. Original folklore and politics ensure that the sea folk who live on boats/floating houses cannot step foot on land without being abducted/punished severely. Not to mention a beauty is selected for the King's male heirs to wed to appease the sea god, Thalos, and to keep the peace.

Nor, the leading lady in the novel, is strong and stubborn but not cold in the least. She has a heart of gold, and it is her bond with her twin sister that is front and center throughout the novel. Everything Nor does is for her sister, for her family and her people. I didn't find that she grew throughout the book, but she didn't need to—she remained the same for the better.

There is romance and it doesn't hit us until halfway through the book or more which was nice. Overall the plot was solid, and the pacing was steady. There were times I would have preferred it to pick up but it was a steady read.

Mara Rutherford created a fascinating world.

3.8 savvy crowns.

I couldn't really get into this but honestly, I think it's a case of 'it's not you, it's me'. I don't really like water type Fantasy stories even though they all sound so interesting and sister stories are a hit or miss. Unfortunately, this was more of a miss. The sisters spend much of the story apart. I would still recommend Crown of Coral and Pearl to others and with all The Little Mermaid drama currently I want to recommend it even more.
***Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin TEEN (Inkyard Press) for providing me with a review copy of Crown of Coral and Pearl.***

SUCH a good book and I loved the bond of sisters in such a fierce, loving way. I also enjoyed that even though you knew one of the characters couldn’t be trusted, you had your doubts about other ones and this made you want to keep reading to find out more. I devoured this book in less than a day.

This book was excellent, a perfect summer read. The story centers on the brave and resourceful Nor, who lives in a society where all the girls train their whole lives to be chosen as the next queen to Ilara, the country that rules them. Nor’s twin sister, Zadie, is originally chosen, but when an injury puts her life in jeopardy, Nor volunteers to take her place and marry the cruel Prince Ceren. Along the way, she finds herself caught up in the intrigues of court and some unexpected romance.

I thought this book was really unique in its premise, it’s character, and it’s world. It evokes thought about how how women are viewed in society and what true beauty is. The sibling bond between Nor and Zadie is really well done. I also enjoyed the love triangle between Nor and the two princes. Ceren is a really well developed villain. I loved every twist and turn of this book. Fans of the Hunger Games, To Kill a Kingdom, and Red Queen will love this boo. Go read it!

I admit I was so looking forward for this upcoming release, because it had such an interesting synopsis and I tend to love stories that are more focused on the sea or sea living (especially in fantasy), so I went with pretty high expectations into Crown of Coral and Pearl, and overall I have to say that though it didn’t blow me away as much as I hoped, it was a solid read and I enjoyed it.

The thing that I found this particular book had was that it was a pretty common YA fantasy plot. I feel I’ve read these characters and this type of plot before in other young adult books after all these years, so it wasn’t as refreshing as I thought. Though it was a super fast paced story and it was so easy to get into it, it’s true that sometimes, especially once we reached the half mark of the story, that plot weaken and I had the sense that nothing was actually happening. The beginning and ending were a bit stronger and I liked them more, because there were some actual things that kept the plot flowing.

Another issue that I had was regarding the magic system and the world building. Though we got time to explore the world and the society a bit throughout the novel, there was a lot of info dump thrown at us in the first couple of chapters, and I personally like my fantasy books to provide that information as I keep reading the story and not everything at the very beginning, because that’ll only make me more confused and I’m not going to remember it in the end. Also, I felt a lot of explanations about the magic were a bit lacking. The concept of corals and pearls was super unique, and I just wish we’d known more about them.

When it comes to the characters, I have to say I ended up changing my mind about them. At the beginning I wasn’t the biggest fan of our protagonist Nor. She was pretty flat and average, and there was something about her that didn’t really make her stand out from other main characters I’ve read in the past. However, I really enjoyed her development throughout the story, and to see her grow so much. She had a very interesting arc, and I liked to see her interact with different characters and stood out for herself.

Another element I really appreciated seeing was the connection between the two sisters. Though we didn’t get to see it that much because during most of the novel they were apart, I feel the reactions and feelings were pretty realistic and made me empathize with Nor and what she was going through a lot more. I love me a good sisters’ relationship, and I think this one was well written.

Overall, though I had some mixed feelings about Crown of Coral an Pearl, it had some elements and tropes I don’t mind seeing in my YA books, and though the plot wasn’t amazing and I would have loved to know more about the magic, I consider this quite a solid story.

Rating: 3.5

Crown of Coral and Pearl is a book about Nor, a girl living in a society that values beauty above everything else. Her twin sister is deemed the most beautiful in the village and selected to travel to the capitol and marry the crown prince, but after an accident, Nor is sent in her place.

I had somewhat mixed feelings about this one. I think it was a book that was much better in theory than in practice. The world building was fantastic, and I felt like there were some unique spins on some of the typical fantasy tropes. It was vaguely Bachelorette meets Little Mermaid meets Stolen Songbird. (The blood coral was SUPER AWESOME. Coral! From dead people! That produces cool pearls!) But there were also some major issues.

Things I liked:

1. Have I mentioned that the blood coral concept was SUPER COOL?
2. I felt like the author did an excellent job of portraying the bond between twins, and the effects of intense social pressure to be beautiful at the expense of everything else.
3. I really enjoyed the portion of the book set in Varenia. Floating city! Fishing! Diving! Oysters!
4. Nor is a fascinating character with some interesting traits - I enjoyed that the things she used to get out of trouble (her ability to breathe underwater) were unique to her upbringing in Varenia.

Things I did not like:

1. I read a few other reviews on here complaining about the "insta-love" between Nor and Talin. I have to admit that I completely agree with them. They have like three interactions before she decides she's madly in love with him. (Check that: it really happens after like one interaction.) You don't actually see their relationship develop, it feels rushed and contrived, and you're sort of left going, "What? Where did that come from?"
2. A lot of the characters are... fairly one dimensional. Ceren is evil! Zadie is so, so, so good and beautiful and perfect! I think there was a bit of an effort to make Ceren more of a relatable character by discussing his family background and mother, but... it honestly didn't work.
3. Nor falls into the traditional fantasy heroine trap: she gets out of every situation without serious harm, her mistakes never end that badly, and she can handle anything that comes her way. (Knife fights: check. Two and a half day ride while suffering from major blood loss: check. Monsters: check.)
4. This book has issues with foreshadowing that's so blatantly obvious you can't steer around it. I saw the major twist at the end coming from a mile away. I think you could probably easily predict the last quarter of the book.

Overall, a fairly fun read with some super neat world building. Characterization and pacing needed some work.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I had a hard time getting into this book. The premise was interesting, as was the the world building. Once every generation, the most beautiful girl in the village will travel to Ilara to wed the king. Nor can never be chosen as she has a small blemish on her cheek. Now this is the bit in the beginning where I was put off, I understand that the point was to make a big deal out of something so small but part of me wished that instead of a small blemish it would have been a major scar, I know it defeats the point of the story but since the blemish is so easily covered it seems to defeat the point of her having a blemish at all. I digress. Nor has a sister whom is the obvious chose and does not wish to go so she takes drastic measures and Nor takes her place. My other issues with this book are that the romance in this book is insta-lovey, the villain is a bit one-dimensional and the ending was rushed .

I would recommend it if you enjoy fantasy, but personally there isn't anything about this book that stands out from the rest.

I for one was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't realize how involved in the story I was until my kindle said I was over 60% through already.

This book is about twins Zadie and Nor. They are raised in a floating village where for a girl, beauty is the only thing that matters, because once every generation the most beautiful girl is sent to the mainland as a bride for the prince. The village is very poor and every family wants to receive the bride price that the royal family pays.

I don't want to spoil anything so I will be vague. One of the twins is sent to marry the prince. However things are not as she thought they would be. The castle on the mainland is cold and dark, her fiance even more so. Nothing is as she was taught, and she has no one that she can trust in this strange place. How can she survive there, much less help her starving family and friends back home??

This book was enchanting, while at the same time addressing issues that plague all of us. Mara does a wonderful job of blending real problems such as poverty, oppression, and the struggle for beauty, with the feeling that you are involved in something magical.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for sending me a ebook version of this lovely book for an honest review.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Crown of Coral and Pearl

Author Mara Rutherford

Description

For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…

Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen…and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.

Initial Thoughts

I was super bummed at Book Con 2019 when I met Mara Rutherford, but unfortunately was not able to snag an ARC of this book. However, as luck would have it, I was meant to read it. My request on NetGalley was approved last week and I jumped at the chance to read this story.

Favorite Character

Ebb — I loved her name. It made me think of ebb and flow and that’s exactly what she represented. She kept everything moving for Nor and made sure she was where she needed to be and dressed appropriately at all times.

Some Things I Liked

I loved all of the names used in this book. Everyone’s name had meaning and I thought that was a really cool feature. The writing and naming conventions of this story were very thoughtfully crafted and I enjoyed that.
Twins — I’m a sucker for a story about twins. Not sure if I have any fans of The Office reading this post, but there’s a scene from one episode where Dwight tells Michael to abandon the lady he’s talking to at the bar for “twins”. Michael jumps at the chance only to discover Dwight meant two large, bearded men were the twins Dwight was referring to. That’s me with twins. I am the Dwight Schrute of the YA reading world (minus the beet farm). I loved Nor and Zadie’s connection and the way they would do anything to protect the other. I also loved in the Acknowledgements (yes, I always read those too), that Mara Rutherford thanked her twin for being part of her inspiration.
Something I Wasn’t Crazy About

The ending. I didn’t love the cliffhanger-esque ending. It’s final, but I felt it was lacking that conclusion of everyone together in the end that I wanted to see.
Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I think it had some flaws (a smidge predictable and a somewhat inconclusive ending), but, overall, I liked it. I think there is a lot of potential for a series here and I liked the political and social aspects that dictated the characters’ society. I thought this was a very thoughtfully written story with so much meaning behind every word.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date August 27, 2019

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Princess in the Opal Mask and The Opal Crown by Jenny Lundquist – this is another story of twins where one takes the place of the other meant to marry a prince.
Everless and Evermore by Sara Holland – no spoilers here, but there are some **STRONG** parallels between the storylines here. Secrets, royals, romance, check these stories out if you liked the plot twists and relationships in Crown of Coral and Pearl.
Caraval, Legendary, and Finale by Stephanie Garber – this is an amazing series about sisters who would do anything for each other.

Crown of Coral and Pearl
By Mara Rutherford
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


"Can you hear the ocean humming? See the blood go sweeping past? The child of the waves is coming. To set our people free at last."

About/Synopsis:

For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine...



Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.



Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen…and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.



In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.

My Thoughts:

Thank you to the Publisher as well as NetGalley for this early copy in exchange for my honest review...

Sadie and Nor are twins, and have grown believing that beauty is everything. Nor having been injured and having a scar was considered 'damaged' so when her sister is chosen to leave it came as no surprise. But we quickly learn what a person will do for the ones she loves!! As Zadie is preparing to leave she plots to harm herself and ruining her chances of going this put Nor in her corner and she goes for her but what will happen if the king or the prince finds out.
Upon arriving there she again meets Talin the gentlemen sent to see them before areiving but he couldnt know of her either, even though he has secrets of his own... She is not impressed by the spoiled, disturbed, and dangerous young prince and things get worst for Nor from there as she makes her way through the webs of Court Politics and back to her sister and her people. Nor is a very strong and independent character. She speaks her mind, she is intelligent and witty... And I just loved her relationships and attributes. A real coming storyline with the perfect writing style to bring together a fantastic and fast read!! Once you start you wont want to put it down!!

There were things I loved about this but there were also things that made me very annoyed.

The good

-A beautiful world with good development
-A dash of magic
-A pretty writing style
-Layered, complex villain

The Bad

- Predictable at times
- INSTA-LOVE 😡
-One sided love interest
-Ending wrapped up to nicely

I really loved this story, and while I've been wanting more standalone in my life, this time I honestly would have liked to get more books following Nor and Talin, because I felt like there was so much more to tell with this story.

While things start out a little slow, once Nor leaves for Ilara, things get a little more exciting. I really loved the connection between Nor and Talin and how he knew it was her from the beginning. I love how he always thought her the most beautiful girl, even though all her life she was told she was useless because of her scar. I love how she found someone who saw her for her and didn't compare her to her sister or think her a lesser version of Zadie.

I really loved Nor and Zadie's relationship and how much they loved one another, how they would have done anything for each other. I wish we could have gotten more of their interactions after Nor left. And I really adored Sami and how much he loved Zadie and how he was like a brother to Nor, how he helped her by meeting with her at the market, how he wanted to help make things better for their people. I also wish we could have gotten more of him.

Talin was a great character and I really loved his love for Nor and how he wanted to fight against what Ceren was doing, while simultaneously still caring about his older brother. I loved how he helped Nor along the way and how he was there for her when she needed him.

The ending did feel a little rushed, and I honestly thought Ceren was going to come back with super healing powers and become impossible to beat. I feel conflicted on Ceren because there were times when I thought there was a chance for him to find redemption, but then there were all his cruelties. And then I love that Talia was actually alive and had a daughter and how she's going to come back and bring the queendom back to life. I just need so many more books to get to watch Zadie and Sami get to be together, to watch Talin as an older brother to Zoi, to watch Nor and Talin get their happily ever after.

I really loved this book and I can't wait for it to be published and for everyone to fall in love with these lovely characters <3

I’m surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It was the kind of book I could put down but that I kept thinking about until picking it up again.

The sister bond is really well done although the beginning with it feels a bit slow. Everything flies after Nor gets to Ilara though. I think it was a little too much insta love with Nor and Talin but at least it didn’t feel too forced. Ceremony felt like a creepy vampire locking himself in the mountain and doing experiments.

I liked the ending too. I’m glad Nor wasn’t the damsel saved by someone else, she is a strong girl who can do things herself. Some of the twists were kind of predictable but ehh whatever this is YA fantasy, that’s expected. All in all I really liked this book, perfect summer fantasy to read!

Crown of Coral and Pearl is a great read.

This book has a little bit of everything you’d want in a fantasy book. A competition to become Queen, an identical twin identity swap, danger, forbidden love and a whole lot of intrigue. I loved the fantasy world that Rutherford has created. It had a rich history and some very interesting elements to it. I also really enjoyed Nor’s character. She was inquisitive, strong willed, fiercely loyal and always tried to do the right thing. There were some elements of the story that felt expected for the genre but there was plenty to keep things interesting and made me want to read more.

Overall, this was a great read. Fans of Grace and Fury and the Red Queen will love this book with the strong sister bond and rivalry between princes.