The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 608pgs

The Story

A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed - Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.

Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa "ana'"Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells' inner turmoil, Raisa's best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.

The Review

Honestly what more can I possibly say about this series except that it is brilliant beyond any other fantasy book I've read in a long, long while and I'm quite obsessed with it. If you've been reading my reviews over this year of Chima's Seven Realms series, you would know how much of a fan I am of her writing and of her characters. So for her fourth and final installment, THE CRIMSON CROWN, Cinda Williams Chima sure doesn't disappoint her readers. In fact, she has excelled my own very high expectations of this final conclusion to her much beloved series and she has blown my mind into pieces!

Even for a very long book I enjoyed and practically inhaled every single moment featured in this book - from the forbidden romances, the deadliest schemes of kingdom politics, the action and the suspense, and even the whole debacle of men and women wanting to destroy each other in order to achieve great power in Chima's medieval-like world . . . it was all brilliant needless to say. But what Chima succeeds well in with her books is with her colourful cast of characters and how each of them are perfectly contrasted within the book's own storyline. She not only brings such power to her writing, but she also has this very unique way of making us readers feel this raw emotion for each and every character of hers. They're just too amazing - the characters - and I could go on and on all day about them.

But what made this book even more gratifying was the two main characters, Raisa and Han, and how everything was concluded at the very end. For me, Raisa and Han are two of my absolute favourite main characters in the entire fantasy genre and never once did I loose my love nor faith for them. Not even when it came to this book. While both of these two main characters may have their flaws and show them from time to time, but in each and every installment that I've read - from books one to four - they have grown and matured so much, which is exactly why I love them because they feel so real and honest to me. I mean, these two characters get under my skin (in a good way of course) and I just don't know what I will do myself since the series has now come to an end. This also leads me to the book's ending. Both sad and giving me the 'over-the-moon' feeling, I have to say this is one of the best conclusions I've read for a favourite series of mine and it was so . . . well let's just say it was such a very happy ending for most of the characters in this final book and it nearly made me tear up a bit, so let's just leave it at that note, shall we?

Overall, both richly detailed and extremely satisfying, THE CRIMSON CROWN blends the wonderful combination of fantasy elements and foreign lands together, engaging Chima's readers from the beginning of the book and leaves you wanting more!

The Rating

5/5 stars

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Pages: 517pgs

The Story

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana'Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he's concerned, the princess's family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it - he's saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive - and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

The Review

Honestly where do I start with this book review? Okay so I'm going to admit here I'm a huge fangal when it comes to the Seven Realm series and it's by far one of my favourite fantasy series EVER! It might have actually beaten my love for the Game of Thrones series which only goes to show what a brilliant author Cinda Williams Chima actually is! I mean seriously, with each and every installment getting better and better as the series goes along, and with so much story progression happening not to mention fantastic character development waiting in tow, what more could you possibly want from a book series such as this one? Right . . . nothing more because this series is beyond awesomeness . . . it's absolute perfection.

THE GRAY WOLF THRONE, the third installment of the Seven Realm series, continues the stories of daring wizards, political intrigue, family feuds, forbidden romances and strong male heroes and their unpredictable female heroine leads. With Princess Raisa ana'Marianna forced to flee her home in the Fells in order to escape a forced marriage by none other than a son from the Bayar wizard bloodline, from ultimate betrayals to unforeseeable trickery, Raisa has managed to survive as long as possible along with Amon, her friend and main protector. But just when she finds herself safe in Oden's Ford, flaunting and hiding behind the facade of a servant girl and tutor named Rebecca Morley, she's soon discovered by the Bayar's and makes a deadly bargain of continuing - as planned - to marry Micah Bayar (the boy she fled from the Fells) to keep herself and many others safe from harm. So as she travels with Micah, there is a sudden attack and it leaves Raisa to make her quick escape only to be left fatally wounded in the end. But with another wizard and a former friend of 'Rebecca Morley', Han "Cuffs" Allister, someone who is hot on Raisa's trail (only he doesn't know of her real identity) and whom is eager to find her, when he eventually finds Raisa/Rebecca he not only saves her life using magic and nearly killing himself in the process, but he discovers who Raisa/Rebecca actually is which leaves him feeling utterly betrayed and angry . . . even though he can't help but stay to protect Raisa - whether she's a princess or not.

Out of all the installments I've read, THE GRAY WOLF THRONE is by far my favourite book in the entire series. At least right now, considering we have one more book to go! Raising the stakes higher then ever before, we not only have more scenes shared between Han and Raisa (I know finally!) but we also have far more action scenes than we've seen previously in the books, which only causes me to jump up and down in excitement because it was ALL so AWESOME from beginning to end! So freaking  awesome indeed. I mean there's so much love I have for Chima's beautiful writing and the world she has somehow created effortlessly . . . I'm beyond speechless right now with just how magnificent this book series really is! Like I said before: There's so much love here between me and this book!

But it's not only the storyline that keeps getting better and better, it's also the characters too. Oh boy oh boy, how I love these characters as well! With readers suggesting they like Han more than Raisa or liking Raisa more than Han, it's fair to say I adore them both equally as our main characters for many reasons. The thing is, they're both very different characters - personality-wise at least - to one another and whether you love or hate them, or whether you agree or come to disagree with their gut instincts and some actions in decision-making, they are just two very complexed characters that bring many sides to the story and I'm proud of the author herself in the way she continues to make them grow and be at their best and at their worse as well, which increases my love for them in every step of their journey.

For Raisa in particular, she's not exactly a favorable character from what I've read in past reviews, but to me I adore her completely. She's not perfect but who can blame her? After all, she's still a young girl trying to figure out her life and her future, in which this book she finally comes to grips with so I'm glad for that. Faced with many impossible routes, in terms of ruling as a future queen and loving those she cannot love as it's forbidden (my poor Raisa and Amon - how I love those two together), Raisa has such a strong role to play and I think in this book she has grown up and it's amazing seeing a character I've loved for a short while become someone so fierce and so powerful at the same time too. For the most part I just love her more for her own strengths and her courage.

As for Han Allister, he's a character that is a force to be reckoned with and he's one main character whom continues to blow me away in every book! Much like in Raisa's situation, Han has many difficult choices to make but he remains strong throughout the entire book, even when he's always feeling angry and betrayed by Raisa's dark 'hidden identity  secret. But here's the thing I love most about our dear "Cuffs": He maybe tough on the inside and out, but he's always playing everything as a game, one where each and every step he makes . . . he's always watching what's going on around him and he's always on the lookout to who maybe watching. But that's not all I love about him. I love how he's with Raisa. He has always knew her as Rebecca Morley - someone he could possibly share a life with - but since she's a princess and her secret is out now . . . he's still trying to keep his distance. But when they're together, no matter the awkwardness and betrayal lying between them, there's this spark that no one can deny between them and boy . . . my heart is swooning right now. Gah! They're just so cute together and yet so wrong for each other which only makes them even more perfect for one another if you get my meaning. Yes, I heart them so much if you can't tell already!

Overall, THE GRAY WOLF THRONE was one of the most critical points within the series and it's by far the perfect book to help me gear up in excitement and utter despair for the final book coming out this month, The Crimson Crown! With many struggles of political power, assassination attempts on princesses and forbidden love to tear your own heart apart, this book sets up a wonderful fantasy series and it won't be the last I read of Chima's . . . she is such a sublime author who needs more praises than others are willing to give her! Just love her writing so, so much!

The Rating

5/5 stars

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Pages: 586pgs

The Story

You can't always run from danger . . .

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden's Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn't mean danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery - but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raise ana'Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will ofer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

The Review

In ranks with some of my favourite books of all time including Lord of the Rings, Eragon and A Game of Thrones, I too absolutely adored Cinda Williams Chima's The Demon King, the first book in the series, and I wished I had read this series sooner than I did because this series alone is a true beauty that stood out from all the rest and this fantasy world Chima has managed to create . . . is something that just fascinates me to the core.

With her second installment of the Seven Realms series, THE EXILED QUEEN sure doesn't disappoint its readers and if anything, from the superb character development to the exciting, fast-paced action sequences, everything just keeps on getting better and better as the series progresses which only pumps up my enthusiasm once more. THE EXILED QUEEN continues the story of where The Demon King left off from, where the book is told alternatively by two of our main characters, Han Alister and Princess Raisa. However unlike the setting we've seen from the previous installment, this time round the majority of the book takes place in Oden's Ford with Raisa disguising herself as a cadet for Corporal Byrne, fearing for her own life, her own kingdom and not to mention she's also trying to escape an arranged marriage, and as for Han, who is now currently traveling with his friend companion, Dancer, he wants to be enlisted into a Wizardry school so he can gain the necessary training for his new and dangerous powers that could - and will - possibly destroy an entire kingdom. But as these two teens tread through many triumphs and downfalls, to the strict and cut-throat politics of this mundane and magical world, Han Alister and Princess Raisa will soon cross paths again and every single decision they choose to make will affect both themselves and for the rest of their lives.

Here's the thing about this particular book series . . . I'm so in love with the characters. Literally I love every single one of them, no matter the wrongs they do to themselves and to others! I mean, much like with another favourite book series of mine, the popular A Game of Thrones, neither character is painted as fully good or fully evil which only goes to prove what a great book series this actually is because I believe every character can have many sides to them, no just one entirely! But out of all the characters the two major ones I love most with all my heart and soul is of course the main characters we see through their lives, Han Alister and Princess Raisa ana'Marianna, who totally deserve more praise than other readers are willing to give them.

Han and Raisa couldn't be anymore different. Han basically lives in the slums whereas Raisa lives in total luxury or so it would seem at first. Han knows nothing more than of the dangers in the world and being the common criminal whereas Raisa knows nothing more than being presentable for her kingdom and looking pretty for the suitors who want to marry her to gain power and status. The list goes on when it comes to these two main characters but as you can see this hero and heroine are completely different and yet when they cross paths with one another, they couldn't be any more than perfect for each other . . . ahhhhh . . . I just adore them so, so much! The same goes with the supporting characters too and in particular with Raisa's I guess "bodyguard" Amon, who is so super sweet to Raisa and so beyond the line of duty that he possesses. I just adore him as well. But to get to real point, what I love more about this sequel compared to the first book was having more moments shared between Amon/Raisa and Han/Raisa, making me LOVE this book even more than I already do right now. So well done Chima for doing that to me!

Overall, THE EXILED QUEEN was so AWESOME in many respects and it was the sequel I expected it to be like so I'm one happy reader! To prove a point here, it's the kind of book that needs to be read by all if you catch my drift even if you might think it's not your cup of tea because in all honesty I believe this book is underrated for the most part which is a real shame since this series is so brilliant in every way, shape and form! I just LOVE it so, so much! Obviously.

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Pages: 506pgs

The Story

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell - the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked - as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history - it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raise ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains - riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea - the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her - including marriage to a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between the clans and wizards.

The Review

This book has been on my to-read shelf for quite some time now and I've been wanting to read it after hearing some really good things about it. Well, after recently ordering the sequel and the third book in this YA fantasy series, I finally managed to read and finish the book in a matter of days, and it surely didn't disappoint me because I really, REALLY loved it!

The story is told in dual perspective and it follows mostly two of the main characters who come from very different worlds. There's mysterious and almost too confident Han, the former streetlord known as 'Cuff' with mysterious silver bracelets that he has worn for most of his life and ones that are nearly impossible to take off, and then there's the prim and proper Princess Raisa ana'Marianna, the heir to the Gray Wolf Throne. For the last three years Raisa has spent this time with her father in order gain some of her own personal freedom while she still can. Only now, she must be returned to her Queen of a mother who lives back in Fells where Raisa must make the impossible choice of marrying one of her suitors when she comes of age to then be trained in becoming the next Queen. As you can see, these two main characters we follow are from completely different paths and yet their parts to play in this particular storyline were equally as important as the other, so it's really interesting to see their sides of their own worlds and compare them between each other. Now Han and Raisa were so easily loved by me and there was so much to like about them too - even when they frustrated me at times, which in all fairness made them even more human to me. And heck, even the supporting characters such as Amon Byrne (another lovable character of mine) and the likes of Micah Bayar (a character you love to hate) were just as well-written as the main characters were. So all around I loved them all! Every single character.

When it comes to story-wise just like the characters it was so easy to be caught up with the plot and all the little surprises that snaked around each and every corner. I can't necessarily say too much without giving things away but everything in this story has a little bit of everything and it's so very involved and not to mention intense for the characters themselves. But as the story begins to pick up the pace and unwraps the many layers until everything is out in the open, it's great to finally find a book where I can say I have no idea where it will lead to, only that I'm very excited to read more from this series and from this author as well. She's just brilliant in bringing this story to life!

Overall, THE DEMON KING has that familiar vibe of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series only this one is for a much younger audience and I loved every moment of it! If you love a good old read with some action, adventure, magic and basically anything that will satisfy any sort of fantasy reader, then this book will definitely keep you up at night!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars