Chant and Crown
(Book One)
by Jordan McMakin
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Pub Date 20 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 30 Nov 2020
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Description
The Kingdoms of Trestlewen have feared the exiled magic people known as Chants for centuries. 16-year-old Prince Aylan and his brother Ezrick are their next victims. And it will cost them far more than their lives. When Ezrick is nearly killed in a vicious Chant attack on their kingdom, the estranged brothers are forced to confront their issues with each other, forging a volatile bond between love and pain. What follows is an intense coming-of-age wrought with rule‑breaking, forbidden friendships, and romance straying dangerously out of bounds. Darkness is falling. Chant war is on the horizon, and secrets of the brothers’ past have returned to haunt them. Soon a troubling discovery has them lying to their own court, for reasons behind the attack are far graver than the courtiers believe. Ezrick and Aylan are more alone than ever, and it’s only a matter of time before everything goes wrong. Because the very thing which brought them together, will destroy their entire world.
Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Sarah Rees Brennan.
*This is an Uncorrected Proof*
A Note From the Publisher
Jordan McMakin holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in business management. She interned at Puffin Books and Viking Books for Young Readers, and was an editorial assistant at Disney*Hyperion Books. Her first novel, Prince Ezrick and the Morpheäs Curse, won the 2006 BuzzBook Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, as well as a 2007 Writer’s Digest Honorable Mention out of 2,400 entries worldwide. She has lived in France and Thailand, and resides in Washington State.
Advance Praise
“[H]ard to put down…. A thoroughly engrossing saga…. Highly recommended for teen to new adult readers for its depth of psychological drama and entwined relationships.” —Midwest Book Review (D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer)
“McMakin presents a complex look at sibling relations that gradually unfolds as a dark fantasy thriller...satisfyingly nuanced characters...the otherworldly Chants and their minions are fantastic...a fine tale of royalty featuring tempestuous emotion and deep, dark magic.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Marketing Plan
MOBI-file download recommended.
MOBI-file download recommended.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9780976418450 |
PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
3.75 stars!
Books centred around sibling bonds often have a direct path to my heart, and so it was no surprise that I fell in love with these brothers and their attempts to reconcile with each other.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
The kingdoms of Trestlewen are haunted by Chants--magical beings known to wreak havoc. For this reason, Chants are hunted by knights and put to death.
The Princes of Astara have a rocky relationship as brothers. For one, royalty is only permitted a single child, and their very existence opposes that.
Aylan lives with the knowledge that he is supposed to die. Ezrick lives with the knowledge that he was never meant to be born. The two have a relationship built on hatred and trauma, which hardly allows them in a room together without argument.
When a chant attack sets the kingdom ablaze and leaves Ezrick temporarily kidnapped, the brothers receive a rude awakening. With their lives on the line and the kingdom on their shoulders, Ezrick and Aylan do everything to piece together their relationship.
~★~ Characters ~★~
Ezrick and Aylan were easily my favourite thing about this book, their backstory the biggest point of interest for me. Aylan’s grudge was not without reason, and uncovering bits of his past as the story progressed was great.
Ezrick’s wish for his brother to love him warmed my heart and propelled the story wonderfully. The development on both of their parts was by the end really evident.
While I didn’t care too much for the side characters, Ezrick and Aylan more than made up for that.
~★~ Writing ~★~
The writing was yet another high point of this novel. Jordan McMakin’s narrative contains the elegance that many great fantasy novels have. The atmosphere was established well, along with any other points that called for added descriptiveness. McMackin’s writing is in no way simplistic, yet remains easy for the reader to follow.
~★~ Plot ~★~
While objectively quite unique, the plot was my least favourite aspect of this novel. If Chant and Crown were slightly longer in length, I think it could have been executed a lot better. There wasn’t enough time to completely map out the magic system in such a short book. The breadth of Astara and the other kingdoms felt so vast, I would have liked further explanation on chants and their origin. The conclusion left me with questions, and it’s unfortunate that this will likely be a standalone, because I would have loved to follow Aylan and Ezrick a bit further into their adventures.
~★~
This was an all around solid character-driven fantasy. The story and plot are fast moving, and I really do think there are many who will come to love this book.
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