First of all, thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC of this! I absolutely loved Crown of Coral and Pearl, and was eagerely awaiting its sequel!

Following the events of book 1, we find Nor returning home ot her family, only to be rushed away with some dark news on the horizon.

I obviously don't want to spoil some major news at the beginning of this book, so let's dive right into the review portion of this! Since book 1 was a debut, you can see the slight shift in writing. This book felt much darker, and it's almost entirely set on land, so I did miss some of the watery vibes we get in book 1.

I did prefer the complexity of the relationships in this. Coming out of book one, Nor really grew as a character, so it was nice to see her coming into her own! There were some cool new characters introduced in this one, along with some increased tensions. We see more kingdoms and more magic, and overall, I htink I actually prefer Kingdom of Sea and Stone to Crown of Coral and Pearl!

I'm going to preface this by saying I loved Crown of Coral and Pearl when I read it last year. I loved the sea vibes, the twin-sisterly love, the magic, and the tense plot. Unfortunately, Kingdom of Sea and Stone was a disappointment for me. The plot was quite boring and slow, I got annoyed with Nor and Talin's relationship, and the ending felt lackluster. I wonder if I would've liked it better if I'd reread Crown of Coral and Pearl before reading the sequel. I just didn't enjoy reading it, and at no point did it live up to my (low) expectations. On a positive note though, I do love the cover.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 1
Character Development: 2
Overall: 2

Thank you, Inkyard Press and NetGalley, for the review copy!

[ BLOG TOUR ] Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

"Kingdom of Sea and Stone" is a wonderful duology and well-written retelling of "The Little Mermaid and Mulan." If you loved either of those stories, then you are going to love this one as well. Book 2 was an enjoyable read but could have used more action considering war is on the horizon.

Nor never ceases to amaze me. Her character development made this novel shine. She wants something more in life though doesn’t know what because she still feels beholden to the community that shunned her. Nor is a fighter despite the uncertainty for herself, her people, and her relationship with Talin plague that her every move. I was surprised by how her particular story ended but I think it ended in the best of ways. She truly is a “wandering crab.”

The idea of blood coral and blood bonds and their uses were interesting. It brought a lot of tension and a sense of impending doom to spice up the story. Yet considering how cruel Ceren can be and how much of a threat he’d be to many as king, I expected more….something in response. The mood would stagnate here and there, leaving the reader hanging. Ceren is such an excellent antagonist with a great backstory. A worthy evil to fight against the good (Nor and friends).

I liked all the new characters that were introduced. Roan is snarky, confident, and laid back. I’m still unsure if his character was meant to be another love interest or just there to disrupt/challenge Nor and Talin’s relationship. Adriel I liked because she gave Nor a particular support (an outsider looking in) only she could provide. I also loved the Galethian horses. They’re highly trained horses and companions.

The ending of "Kingdom of Sea and Stone "was good. For the most part, things tied up nicely but I wanted to see some kind of justice/reconciliation of some sort from the Varenians for the poor treatment of Nor, her family, and Sami.

I’m sad this story is over. I would have loved to see where life takes Nor. But for now it’s a bittersweet goodbye to a wonderful heroine and series.

Well I started this book thinking “I’ll just read a few chapters before bed.” At 1 am I finished the last page. Oops.
I again was swept away into this captivating story. Nor have gone through so much already, and yet there is so much more she has to endure. Trying to figure out what she really wants out of life, she questions things she thought she was certain of. She travels to new lands, meets people with vastly different ways of life than she is accustomed to. Nor is left wondering what else does the world have to offer. Where does this leave her with Prince Talin? My heart was bursting with anticipation as she dealt with these feelings, and tried to reconcile them against her feelings for Talin.

I absolutely loved her sister Zadie’s character development in this book. How she evolved from the “do exactly as I’m told”, meek personality to the fierce bold attitude of whatever it takes to do what is right. It’s a complete turnaround from the first book and I loved every second of it.

Than there’s Prince Ceren. Thought to be dead only to come to find out he survived, and has come back dare I say worse than before. You can’t help but still feel bad for him as you get a glimpse into his past through memories. It’s heartbreaking to see a child neglected, looked down upon, and even treated cruelly. It almost seems as though how could he have turned out any different. However, he can’t let the past go and see beyond it to the people that would care for him and love him. Instead he lets the past fester into an evil that hardens his heart.

I loved every heart pounding twist and turn this emotional roller coaster of a book led me on. I was super happy with how the story concluded and wrapped all the loss ends up. It was the perfect ending to a much adored duology.

I was really looking forward to finishing up this duology this year. The first book was amazing and grabbed my attention right away. Although I liked bits here and there for the sequel, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

One thing I was very curious about when it came to the sequel was the plot. The ending to the first left us with many questions.

For me, this plot was filled with too much will they or won’t they and not enough action. I was excited to see Talin and Nor. They never got a chance at happiness in book one due to many reasons and even though things were still unsettled, at least they were together. The thing is, I didn’t really like the parts with them. Nor didn’t seem to be interested him and kept trying to tell people they weren’t really together. If you truly loved someone why would you do that? I just felt that there was so much buildup for them in book one and in this one it just fell short.

As for the rest of the plot, there were some good action scenes and I enjoyed seeing new faces. Roan was pretty cool and I really liked his characters. I also liked that there was development between the sisters, Nor and Zadie. After them being away from each other for so long it was nice to see them together.

When it came to the villain part of the story, I did expect more. The ending wrapped up too nicely.

Overall, it was decent. It did take me a lot longer to read because it was just hard to get into at times. There were good moments but not enough for me to really enjoy it.

I really enjoyed Crown of Coral and Pearl, so I was especially excited to return to this world. I was also looking forward to see more of these characters! Kingdom of Sea and Stone was a fast-paced sequel that explores new territories and familiar ones.

This review will contain spoilers for book one.

After returning to Varenia, Nor reunites with her twin sister Zadie. They are desperate to find Sami, but then Prince Talin returns with dire news; the three of them journey to a new land, Gareth, and meet new characters that aid them in their fight for Ilara and Varenia alike.

My favorite part about the first book was the characters, and this book was no exception. I liked how headstrong Nor is and how she’s willing to do anything for her family. Zadie also so obviously cares for Nor, and vice versa. We are also introduced to new characters, namely Roan, a commander, and Adriel, a witch. Lighthearted Roan adds some levity to the book while Adriel provides Nor with support when she has no one else to turn to. I really liked both of these new characters.

The plot was incredibly fast-paced; the characters were always on the move, eager to set out and defeat Ceren once and for all. The worldbuilding was also interesting. I really liked visiting Gareth and seeing how different their values were compared to Varenia and Ilara. Unlike Varenia, Gareth prizes accomplishment over beauty and allows for less restriction for women.

Honestly though, my biggest issue with the first book was Talin and that definitely carried over to this book. I just felt like he was a little underdeveloped as a love interest and important character, and I didn’t really care much for his scenes with Nor.

Overall, Kingdom of Sea and Stone wrapped up nicely and provided a good closing arc for Nor and the other characters. The ending was a little unexpected, but I liked how it left off. If you enjoy strong sister relationships or intriguing fantasy worlds, you should check out this series!

Before I even start my review for this book you need to read Crown of Coral and Pearl first or you're not going to have any idea what is going on. That being said this book was just as great as the first book. You really get to see Nor come into her own and stand up for what she believe's in. I loved all the new characters that were introduced in this book and I would have rather seen her end up with Roan than Talin like she did though I did want her to end up with Ceren but that wasn't happening obviously. I hate how Ceren died. That was a cop-out. I believe he was too dignified to throw himself over a cliff but there you go. Also I do believe that Ceren loved Nor in his own way.

I really do recommend reading this duology if you are a fan of pale-skinned, white long-hair villains and fiesty heroines.

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

I jumped into this sequel without rereading book one, so it did take me a moment to get adjusted, but once I was in I was swept into the story once again. Nor is such a great MC, and I loved that we saw more of her world in this book. It came as no surprise that Ceren survived being stabbed, and the dynamic between he and Nor was as intense as ever. I liked that we saw more of Zadie and that Nor and Talin were working on redefining their relationship. All in all, a great wrap up to this duology, and one I will revisit again!

This was an amazing sequel and I absolutely loved being able to dive back into this world. I enjoyed being able to read more about this world. Thank you so much NetGalley for this e arc!

The conclusion to the duology is here!


I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, so when the opportunity to pick up the sequel and conclusion popped up, I jumped at it!

We pick up with Nor, back at home, after escaping and <I>killing</i> the king. She's trying to settle into her old life but finds she can't seem to take up the same role she once had. Then, in comes Prince Talin, bearing bad news.

Character-wise, everyone shows how much they've grown since the first book, continuing to grow and shift with one another even in this book. Many more characters are introduced, although unnecessary, they add to the world-building that takes place as Nor hits the road on a journey. Ceren, our villain, grew immensely too, and I wish more was offered to his character arc.


At the end of the book, I concluded this could've easily been a standalone, and likely would have worked better as one.

2.8 but rounded up to 3 via Goodreads.

Sequel to Crown of Coral and Pearl, Kingdom of Sea and Stone is a direct follow up to the events of the first book. I do like when sequels start up right at the end of the first, without having to wonder really what happened in the midst of the two books. The story is still told from Nor's POV exclusively.

I love the concept of the duology so much. The villain is the perfect, no redeemable but you still feel kinda bad for him, character. Nor is a super capable and intelligent main character. Tallin is the hero you live for as a YA reader. The setting is rich and beautifully told, and the magic system that was only slightly touched on in book one is expanded in this one in amazing ways. It is truly unique and I would love to have more information and stories about it, even in companion novels!

I found myself less invested in the romance in this book. I actually felt like a background character would be a better love interest for Nor than Tallin. I knew it wouldn't happen, but Tallin was not great in this book. I also felt like the ending left much to be desired. It is fairly open ended, so I could see the author returning to the world in the future - which would be open to and would read. Some of the scenes and writing in this book just felt disjointed and off pace compared to the first book.

**Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

**Review will be posted on my blog during blog tour**

My Attention: read in three days

World Building: In this sequel we get to venture into the land of the Galethians

Writing Style: easy to read, descriptive

Crazy in Love: definitely

Creativity: We learn more about magic in this sequel.

Triggers: blood magic, manipulation, violence

My Takeaway: You can be more than beautiful on the outside.

I Liked:
*I liked that the story ventured to Galeth and we get to meet new characters like Roan and Adriel. I especially thought Roan was an intriguing character. Adriel brings more knowledge about magic and healing, so now Nor can actually learn something about her rapid healing abilities and about blood magic.

*Zadie, Nor’s twin sister comes back into the story and it’s nice to get to know her a bit. She’s very much in love with Sam still and the book focuses on traveling to Galeth to find him.

*Nor and Talin is very much in love still though the business of taking Ceren down interrupts their happy ever after. We get to meet Talin’s mother and sister in this book as well.

*Nor’s personal journey on becoming more than just the most beautiful girl/wife in the world was the main message for me in this series. She wants to travel, she has skills as a healer, there is so much she wants to do and I thought it was noble of Talin to let her realize those dreams.

Random Notes:
*The beginning was a bit slow for me. This had more political intrigue between the kingdoms of Galeth, Ilara and Varenia. Prince Talin and his mom need people to join their fight to take the throne from Ceren so they have to work on convincing the Galethians.

*Ceren doesn’t really show up a lot in this book. He’s still evil and want to keep his throne. We get glimpses of his childhood because he is bonded to Nor. But I felt the ending with him was anti-climatic.

*Honestly, I thought Roan was going to change Nor’s mind about Talin! Haha…it would have made the story maybe a little more interesting. Talin was his usual princely self, but it seemed like for a moment there, there would be some problem in their relationship.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed the first book more than book two because I was so amazed with Varenia. Also, Ceren’s character made the story so intriguing. In this sequel we get more of Nor and Talin’s romance, some new characters and much less Ceren. Ultimately, Nor’s journey from flawed beauty and a future as a perfect wife to a healer and adventurer has a great message. We are more than our beauty. This is a solid end to an enjoyable, and creative duology.

I DNF'ed this book at 50%. You may ask why since I enjoyed the first one so much and there is quite a variety of reasons.

First off, it was very kissy and talked a bunch about certain...stuff. It never outright said what it was implying but beat around the bush in such a way that it was obvious. There just came a point where I did not feel comfortable reading any longer so that is partially why I quit.

The other reason why I quit has to do with a worldbuilding thing. This book is set in a fantasy world in what is likely a past time (tech was not very advanced.) However, it got very preachy on political stuff pertaining to current matters. I felt like it was talking down on a lot of people who may have different opinions but still accept the opinions on others.

All in all, I am quite disappointed, especially since the first book was one of my favorites from last year.



Rating: 1/5

Language: d***

Romance: very kissy

Spiritual: did not finish

Violence: did not finish

Note: very modern-day political (set in a fantasy world)



*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

I love love LOVE this duology so much. I think it's a duology, I checked the author's website.

The characters and story were so wonderful to come back to, truly. It's been a while since I've read the first one but I really appreciated that it started off right where the other left off. It was easy to follow and get back into the world that I missed so much!

This book had the perfect pacing and I think that would be my favorite thing about it. It didn't feel rushed and I enjoyed the gradual unfolding of the story. The characters I still loved just like the first book and it was wonderfully done with the romances! Yes, I said romances because we definitely followed both sisters' paths.

I am so looking forward to whatever the author writes next!

I received a copy of this book from Inkyard Press and Netgalley.

This book is the perfect end to this duology. I really loved Nors interactions with the new characters and even managed to work up a smidge of compassion for Ceren!

This sequel to Crown of Coral and Pearls completes Nor’s journey to protect her family. Kingdom of Sea and Stone continues the thrill of the first book.

Here we are again, this is the sequel and finale to Crown of Coral and Pearl. The story picks up where we left off with Nor returning home after stabbing Prince Ceren. Unfortunately for her but fortunately for us Prince Ceren has survived! ( I was genuinely so happy my favorite character survived haha, you really can’t keep a bad bitch down). Nor, now facing the fact that her sister’s boyfriend Sami is missing and that Ceren is after her, must now embark on another journey. This time she is accompanied by Talin and her Zadie. We are also introduced to a new character, Roan, aka the random love interest that is supposed to create a love triangle between Nor and Talin. A majority of this book is spent with Nor struggling with her feelings of feeling trapped by Talin and not know what to do with her future. We are also introduced to Talin’s family and how his mother plays into the political situation in the story. Ceren doesn’t really make an appearance until about 40% into the book and thats when things start to actually pick up, after consuming Nor’s blood he is now connected to her and they both have been seeing visions of each other. Ceren still is a sympathetic villain to me and honestly, he still remains my favorite character out of everybody in this duology. Sadly, the story wasn’t as interesting as the first book but still was a nice way to conclude the journey of the characters. The first book was much more focused and had a more stake driven plot with Nor trying to survive the palace, while this one was much more of a road journey story about Nor and co trying to reach a destination and than trying to sort out the political drama amongst all of them. All in all this was a fine way to end the series and I was so happy to get to read more about Ceren!

*Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.5/5 stars. - To Be Released in October 2020.
Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Kingdom of Sea and Stone picks up right where Crown of Coral and Pearl left off. Nor has returned to Varenia to be with her family when she receives some disturbing news from Talin. They embark on a journey to try and prevent a war from taking over Ilara.

Just like with the first book, there were some parts I absolutely loved and others that were just okay. The beginning of the book is somewhat predictable but becomes less so as the novel progresses. One of my favorite parts of the book was Nor's search for herself. Her internal struggles with trying to find her place in the world is one that all young people can relate to. The book expands more on the intricacies of the blood coral and Nor's special connection that developed from her accident as a child. Overall, this was a great sequel to wrap up this unique duology.

Book: Kingdom of Sea and Stone
Author: Kara Rutherford
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC.

I really did enjoy the first book a lot and was so excited when Inkyard Press reached out. I love the world and the characters that this series brings to the world. However, for some reason, I thought it was a standalone. I thought everything was wrapped up pretty nicely. However, I am glad that we got a second book. I really enjoyed getting to return to the world and getting to watch the characters grow.

I love the use of the sea kingdoms. I think it really adds to the world. Well, not just the sea kingdoms. Just how the different parts of the world are written and presented to us just makes this book. I love that we got to return to places from the first book, but, yet, we got to go to so many new places. No matter where we went, you could tell that Kara had put so much thought and care into each word. This is on the short side for a fantasy, yet the way Kara presents everything, you will find that it has the same world building as a longer fantasy. This is just shows the amount of skill that Kara has a writer. It is like you are traveling through the world with the characters-which is something that we all want in our books.

I loved getting to see the bonds between the characters. In the first book, we get to see them start to form, but here they really start to take shape. We see how many layers all of the characters have and how things are actually a lot more complex than what first meets the eye. I really enjoyed the bond between the sisters. It is one of the strongest that I have read in a long time. I also liked Talin’s character growth. Here, we get to see him being the leader that he is meant to be. I know a lot of people claim that all of his mommy issues were on the annoying side, but I actually enjoyed them. Maybe enjoyed is the wrong word, but I felt that it really added to his character.

The ending was really great. I could feel the pain coming off the page. It was like everything was coming around full circle. However, it was just the way that Kara did it. Again, it all comes down to her amazing writing ability that really made that ending hit home. Like in the first book, everything is tied up, but still, just the way that it was down. Talk about some good stuff there.

So, why four stars? Well, if I am being completely honest, I did not think that is one was as strong as the first book. To me, it kind of had that middle book feeling-I’m not actually sure if this is the last book or not. It just felt like it was missing that punch that made it a five star read. I’m still glad that we got a second book and I would not upset if we got a third one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great read.
This book comes out on October 6, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/-b3vwH0DX6w

I did not realise this was a sequel to a book I have yet to read. It is on my tbr but I won't get to it for a while yet.