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A Crown of Thorns and Magic: A Dark Epic Fantasy Romance
E. Evans
2.71
14 ratings13 reviews

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Born a bastard to a king and a formidable amazon captain, raised in the shadow of her father's throne, sixteen-year-old Astar had to claim the crown through trial by combat.

She has ruled for only three months when treachery leads her into a devastating trap. Captured by former allies and the Sorceress Seluma, she finds herself chained in the Shadow Keep, a dungeon teeming with undead nightmares and eldritch abominations.

There, she discovers she's not the only captive. Hathan, a broken mage apprentice with haunted eyes, has been Seluma's prisoner and experimental subject for years. Once the apprentice of a great mage persecuted by Astar's father, he has every reason to hate her. Still, they have no choice but to form an unlikely alliance. With his forbidden magic and her unwavering courage, they must escape the labyrinth of horrors and race across enemy territory to reclaim a throne under siege—all before Seluma and her allies crush Astar's homeland forever.

But returning to reclaim her throne would be just the beginning. With dark magic threatening everything she holds dear, Astar must embrace the very power she was taught to fear. In a world where magic corrupts and trust is a luxury, can a bastard queen and a broken sorcerer save a kingdom?

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193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2025


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E. Evans
22 books

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My Review
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Clare
91 reviews · 5 followers
September 15, 2025
🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 A Crown of Thorns and Magic
✒️ E Evans
💫💫

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much potential and it fell flat on its face. I should have DNF'd it but I kept pushing because I wanted it to redeem itself but it did not.

The timing was too quick, I thought we would get a good world building but instead we got a basic plot that lasted only a few weeks! It needed to be fluffed out and detailed!

The characters I found annoying but it might be because of their ages and I found the plot to be lack lustre in excitement.

It really wasn't for me sorry.

A Crown of Thorns and Magic is the first book in a series. It is fast-paced and never slows down, but the stakes never quite have the chance to hit home as we are thrown in after the FMC kills her uncle to take the throne when her father dies.

It's a great premise--I love the adventure--but I wish the worldbuilding and character development had been explored more thoroughly. At least enough to get us to 'care' before throwing all of the twists at the reader. I didn't quite believe that Astar, the 16-year-old FMC, was as mature and skilled as a warrior and queen as portrayed. I do like the adventures that brought her to Hathan, as well as the set up for a new world in subsequent instalments of the series, but there wasn't enough development to make me feel for the characters.

For me, this book has a lot of potential to be great, and I would read the next in the series to find out what happens.

Thank you @NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐

DNF at 50 percent. I just couldn’t go through it. The writing needed a sweep of an edition . While the story had a good idea it missed out. Too much world building in too few pages. More telling than showing. Sorry for this but I really tried.

Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC of this book!


I think this book is trying to accomplish what (until now) has been a pretty unfamiliar concept to the Fantasy world. "Quick read" fantasy. With so many other genres, you tend to get the option of just how "involved" you'd like your book to be. Such as Mystery, Romance, Horror, General Fiction, etc. But when it comes to Fantasy, a lot of the time, it's a genre that's more of a process. Not here however, if you're on a "time crunch"..but don't like passing free time by, doom scrolling , staring at a wall, or lugging a 900 page fantasy book around everywhere, this is the PERFECT book for you!

It has absolutely everything you LOVE about fantasy condensed into a much more digestible form! And it is a series, so just because the book was "short" doesn't mean the story is going to be.

This is my review which as of today can be found on the following platforms:
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BANGER!!! This was a banger from page 1 to the last page. It was a short read with a powerful punch! I am so obsessed with Astar and Hathan! I cannot wait for book 2!!! #ACrownofThornsandMagic #NetGalley

👑⚔️ A badass young queen, a tortured mage, and a dangerous dungeon escape. This was a fast-paced fantasy ride! ⚔️👑

This was a very quick and short read.

The story begins with Queen Astar, who secures her crown after defeating her uncle in a brutal trial by combat. Just three months into ruling, she’s already navigating her new duties when she is suddenly caught in a trap and imprisoned by a powerful sorceress named Seluma. In her attempt to escape, Astar encounters Hathan, another prisoner in Seluma’s dungeon, and the two of them must rely on each other to survive the monsters that lurk in the shadows.

The pacing is fast—covering only a week or two—and the action never slows. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and the background given to both Astar and Hathan. Astar herself stood out as a strong, fiery heroine, full of determination and grit, though I sometimes found it hard to believe she was supposed to be a teenager given her maturity and skill in both ruling and combat. The relationship between her and Hathan was less about romance and more about trust built in the name of survival. It wasn’t swoony or emotional, but it felt authentic to their situation: two people thrown together, fighting to live another day, and recognizing that things might not be the same once they were free.

Because the book was so short, there wasn’t much room for deep world-building or character development. The kingdoms, politics, and history of humans and sorcerers were not really covered, and I would have loved to see more detail in those areas. That said, the story itself was engaging and kept me turning the pages quickly.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a fast-paced fantasy adventure. It felt more like an introduction to something bigger, and I’m eager to see where the sequel goes—especially with the favour Astar owes to the creature.

Spice: ❌ None
Rating: ⭐⭐.75

Tropes:
👑 Badass queen
🗡️ Tortured MMC
✨ Magic
💘 Queen × Mage

Thank you NetGalley and E. Evans for this ARC! 💜

A Crown of Thorns and Magic by E. Evans is a thrilling and immersive fantasy that swept me into a world of danger, betrayal, and resilience. Astar is a fierce and compelling heroine whose strength and vulnerability made me root for her every step of the way. The dark atmosphere, rich worldbuilding, and powerful alliances kept me hooked from beginning to end. I truly enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.

DNF.

I tried. I read over half of it. It's just... it's not ready.

The story has good bones, the idea is solid, it's just not ready for publishing. The author has talent, yes, but hasn't honed the skill part of writing. I really really hope they do some edits and rewrites and rerelease this book - it could be really good!

If you’re looking for a quick-paced fantasy with romance, A Crown of Thorns and Magic offers some moments of charm — especially the unexpected romance that sparks during shared dungeon trauma and a thrilling dragon-back journey. There’s something about those intense, high-stakes scenes that definitely turn up the heat between the protagonists.

But here’s where things get tricky. The worldbuilding is minimal at best, leaving the setting feeling bare and underdeveloped. The story tries to cram an ambitious plot into far too few pages, which leaves little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausible character development.

Speaking of characters, the protagonists’ ages — 16 and 18 — made their hyper-competence and rapid emotional growth feel quite a stretch. For example, Hathan emerges from three years in captivity as a sorcerer so talented even Gandalf would raise an eyebrow, but the story doesn’t quite make this leap believable.

The writing itself can be stilted, with several grammar issues, contradictions, and moments where I struggled to keep the characters straight. These problems pulled me out of the story at times and made it harder to fully invest.

In summary, A Crown of Thorns and Magic has flashes of potential and some fun, spicy romance moments but ultimately feels rushed and underdeveloped. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fast fantasy read and can overlook some rough edges — but if you want immersive worldbuilding and nuanced characters, you might want to look elsewhere.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars – Crown of Thorns and Magic

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Crown of Thorns and Magic drew me in from the very start and refused to let go. The pacing is wonderfully quick, making it a “just one more chapter” kind of read, but it never sacrifices depth when it comes to the characters. Each one is distinct and layered, and even secondary characters feel fully realized, with motivations and flaws that make them believable.

The plot is packed with unexpected twists that kept me invested and eager to see what would happen next. Every revelation added to the world-building instead of feeling forced, and the stakes kept rising in ways that felt both fresh and thrilling. I appreciated how the author balanced action and emotional beats, creating a story that was both exciting and heartfelt.

While the rapid pace drives the story forward, the author still manages to weave in meaningful backstory and rich character development—a rare combination that’s a treat to read.

Though this book has received lower reviews, I liked it. I knew that it was the foundation of a new series and took that into accounting my rating. My only complaint is that Astar did not resonate as a 16 year old. I understand the author wanted to establish her as a very young queen,but that could have been achieved as early twenties. Her age made a few of the storylines feel improbable.

This is the kind of book that leaves you eager for more, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next. If the next installment delivers as well as this one, this could easily become one of my favorite fantasy series of the year.

A Crown of Thorns and Magic introduced me to a world that feels raw and charged, with a sixteen year old heroine, Astar, thrown into political machinations and magic she never asked for. The pacing kept me invested: there are moments of stillness, but betrayal and supernatural tension quickly pull you back in. I loved how her claim to power isn’t glamorous, it’s urgent, fraught, and reflects her complicated inheritance as both bastard and amazon captain.

The writing style landed for me in a visceral way. It balances gritty, high stakes fantasy with intimate emotional beats. I could sense her burden as she navigated traps, shifting alliances, and a traitor’s shadow. The tone felt intense and dark, with magic that seemed more threatening than wondrous, a perfect complement to the crown she never wanted.

If I had one wish, it’d be for early clarity around the world’s magical rules and hierarchy. The intrigue drew me in, but I occasionally paused, trying to anchor myself in the political factions or magical limitations. More context early on would have helped deepen my entry without dulling the tension.

DNF @ 75%. Really, tragically not good. There's so much story trying to be crammed into too short number of pages and it didn't work. I felt zero connection to the characters and had difficulty keeping track of who each person was with significance to the story. I found myself skimming most of this and honestly have regrets about not DNFing earlier. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

⭐️⭐️ Too much story for too few pages

Astar secured her throne the old-fashioned way—by running her uncle through with a sword at the tender age of sixteen, after he tried to snatch her crown. Slight hiccup: she’s technically a bastard, daughter of the leader of the royal Amazon guard. Trained from toddlerhood in weapons, politics, and intrigue, she’s deadly with a blade and not bad with a bit of statecraft either.

Three months into her reign, she cheerfully marches herself and her escort straight into an ambush set by two neighboring kings, apparently working for a mysterious black sorceress. Instead of killing her outright (which would have been much simpler), they toss her into the sorceress’s dungeon to be “persuaded” into resigning. The persuasion method? Feeding her to the sorceress’s nightmare pets. Naturally.

Inside the conveniently labyrinthine prison, Astar stumbles upon Hathan—an 18-year-old former sorcerer’s apprentice who has spent the last three years as plant food in a cage. (How he’s still conversational is never explained.) By sheer coincidence, he’s been having visions of Astar and just happens to know both the way out and the secret route to the sorceress’s chambers—through her magical wards, no less. There they find the perfect shopping list of ingredients to summon a dinosaur-dragon hybrid, which then flies them straight back to Astar’s capital, where they arrive just in time for her to keep her throne—with a pinch of magic for garnish. Subsequently they kill off the kings and the sorceress in a night raid through a portal that Hathan can conveniently open with the help of three other sorceress, who are conveniently detained in Astar‘s prison.

Along the way, they feel a growing attraction. Because nothing says romance like shared dungeon trauma and a couple of hours of dragon-back travel.

The verdict:
• Almost no worldbuilding.
• The protagonists’ ages (16 and 18) make their hyper-competence and emotional leaps… ambitious, to say the least.
• Hathan, after three years in a cage, emerges as a sorcerer so talented Gandalf would be jealous.
• Far too much story crammed into far too few pages, leaving little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausibility.

A linear, fast-moving adventure that never slows down long enough to convince me to care.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was hooked from the first page and so glad I was able to get into this world. It had that fantasy romance element that I was looking for and engaged with. I was glad everything was so well written and enjoyed the way the characters were used during this storyline. I enjoyed this as a opening chapter to the Bramble Throne series and how E. Evans wrote this.

Thank you Netgalley, and E. Evans for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
DNF @ 50%

Cover is most likely AI. The writing is so stilted, loads of weird grammar errors, couldn't keep characters straight, and full of contradictions. This writing in this book is likely also AI. I loved the idea of this story, but it was completely un-readable.

A Crown of Thorns and Magic by E. Evans had me hooked from the beginning!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.