erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
Broken Crowns, the final book of the Internment Chronicles by Lauren DeStefano, is a book I was both looking forward to but also dreading. I really enjoy this series and I am horrible with final books in a series mostly because I don’t want the good ones to end. On the other hand, of course I want to know all the things so…it is a balance.
The story picks back up shortly after Burning Kingdoms and we get to dive back into the world of the main characters, Morgan, Pen, Basil, and the rest of the group. As we get back into it, it is revealed that Internment is sinking and Morgan decides she is going to do what she can to stop it.
As far as characters go, Morgan is still interesting and wants what is best for those she loves but I really wanted her to be better to Basil. I loved him and thought he was lovely and no matter what wrong Morgan did, he was always willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
The story itself moved along well and the twists and turns made it interesting. I have to admit that this book didn’t keep me as engaged as book one – I have a feeling it is because I had to wait in between each book and tended to forget everything in between which meant I had to get caught back up each time I dove back in. With that said, I thought this was a solid series that might be a better experience if all the books are read back to back.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy!
The story picks back up shortly after Burning Kingdoms and we get to dive back into the world of the main characters, Morgan, Pen, Basil, and the rest of the group. As we get back into it, it is revealed that Internment is sinking and Morgan decides she is going to do what she can to stop it.
As far as characters go, Morgan is still interesting and wants what is best for those she loves but I really wanted her to be better to Basil. I loved him and thought he was lovely and no matter what wrong Morgan did, he was always willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
The story itself moved along well and the twists and turns made it interesting. I have to admit that this book didn’t keep me as engaged as book one – I have a feeling it is because I had to wait in between each book and tended to forget everything in between which meant I had to get caught back up each time I dove back in. With that said, I thought this was a solid series that might be a better experience if all the books are read back to back.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy!
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
5.0
What I Liked
As always, I love DeStefano's beautiful writing. I love the characters in this trilogy - every single one.
I think what I like the most about this series is the role that friendship plays. In so many YA books, I find romance being the main focus - and romance exists here... but friendship exists the most. As someone who was influenced much more by friends than by romances when I was a teen, I appreciate this. The fact that Pen and Morgan trust each other and stick together despite all of the hurts of the past and the present is beautiful. And their friendship is what makes this book truly worth reading, more than anything else.
While I was left craving more from these worlds, I was satisfied with the ending.
What I Didn't Like
That the trilogy is over. But really, there is so much of the world below to explore - so little that we saw in these few books, and I wish I could be there while Morgan and Pen explored all of it.
While I get this is YA fiction, I'm not a big fan of the fate of the world being left up to a handful of kids, and this has that... big time. Assassinations, saving the world, ruling the world, saving each other, literally discovering issues with science and engineering and technology - the kids can do everything here, which isn't that realistic to me.
I wish more was done with Judas. Not necessarily in a love triangle, but just more of a conclusion in general.
As always, I love DeStefano's beautiful writing. I love the characters in this trilogy - every single one.
I think what I like the most about this series is the role that friendship plays. In so many YA books, I find romance being the main focus - and romance exists here... but friendship exists the most. As someone who was influenced much more by friends than by romances when I was a teen, I appreciate this. The fact that Pen and Morgan trust each other and stick together despite all of the hurts of the past and the present is beautiful. And their friendship is what makes this book truly worth reading, more than anything else.
While I was left craving more from these worlds, I was satisfied with the ending.
Spoiler
Even the way things ended with Morgan's parents worked for me. It was sad and tragic, but it worked. Same with Basil - and even with Pen's parents.What I Didn't Like
That the trilogy is over. But really, there is so much of the world below to explore - so little that we saw in these few books, and I wish I could be there while Morgan and Pen explored all of it.
While I get this is YA fiction, I'm not a big fan of the fate of the world being left up to a handful of kids, and this has that... big time. Assassinations, saving the world, ruling the world, saving each other, literally discovering issues with science and engineering and technology - the kids can do everything here, which isn't that realistic to me.
I wish more was done with Judas. Not necessarily in a love triangle, but just more of a conclusion in general.
teawiththefates's review against another edition
3.0
I had a difficult time deciding how to rate this book. It made me feel a LOT, which is typically the sign of a good story, but mostly what I felt at the end was book-throwing anger. In some ways I liked it more than book two, and I can understand why most characters made the choices they did - over all I found them well written and well motivated... with the exception of the protagonist. Morgan's storyline had a very unsatisfying ending for me. While I get the idea that the author wanted to challenge the premise of being betrothed, the idea that an opportunity to see more of the world trumped Morgan's love for the boy she kept insisting "knew her so well" and was the "only one" she could see herself ending up with... just kind of felt selfish. I mean, I get her worrying about resenting Internment if she never left it, and Basil not being able to leave his family at the moment... but why couldn't Morgan have waited the 5 years to go see the rest of the world on the ground? It wasn't going anywhere. (Not to mention that there was still the suggestion that Morgan's father was maybe still alive and hiding? Slim chance but still... leaving seemed hasty if there was ANY chance.) Throughout the series Basil was nothing but supportive and encouraging of Morgan's need to step out and take chances and it just felt like she took him for granted. Poor Basil. I don't know. Maybe I'm just too old to still appreciate the need to "be free" and figure out who you are... A partner who loves you so selflessly and faithfully was far more compelling to me and watching her trade it in for a few years of travelling was ultimately just frustrating.
On a side note, Celeste ended up being one of my favorite characters, which was a pretty neat trick since I hated her at the end of book one.
On a side note, Celeste ended up being one of my favorite characters, which was a pretty neat trick since I hated her at the end of book one.
peachxslime's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 / 5 ⭐️
Overall I enjoyed this trilogy, however I feel like book two & three had a lot of extra fluff that could have been done without, and made into one book. Which would have left book 3 to really explore the futures of the characters (which may be in the works - a spin off series mayhaps? Although it’s been years so. .)
Book one was so visually pleasing and had so much wonder in it, that I felt was lost in the second & third books. I would have loved to experience “our” world through Morgan’s eyes. I also am confused what happened to Judas & Amy? They just kind of slowly disappeared from the story. I also wish that Birdie would have been brought back in, yes healing takes time but she felt like a new important character that just got left behind as well.
I think Lauren has beautiful writing and a way with words that I adore but I do feel like there were smaller snippets of her metaphors & comparisons in this book compared to the others.
I found myself having a hard time getting through this book because the wanderlust & magic of the worlds and all the curiosity was gone. It was all about war and who would come into power which felt like a world away from what the first book encapsulated.
This is my initial thoughts, I’ll probably add / update this after I’ve mulled everything over.
Overall I enjoyed this trilogy, however I feel like book two & three had a lot of extra fluff that could have been done without, and made into one book. Which would have left book 3 to really explore the futures of the characters (which may be in the works - a spin off series mayhaps? Although it’s been years so. .)
Book one was so visually pleasing and had so much wonder in it, that I felt was lost in the second & third books. I would have loved to experience “our” world through Morgan’s eyes. I also am confused what happened to Judas & Amy? They just kind of slowly disappeared from the story. I also wish that Birdie would have been brought back in, yes healing takes time but she felt like a new important character that just got left behind as well.
I think Lauren has beautiful writing and a way with words that I adore but I do feel like there were smaller snippets of her metaphors & comparisons in this book compared to the others.
I found myself having a hard time getting through this book because the wanderlust & magic of the worlds and all the curiosity was gone. It was all about war and who would come into power which felt like a world away from what the first book encapsulated.
This is my initial thoughts, I’ll probably add / update this after I’ve mulled everything over.
uwaeish's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
greylandreviews's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
felt like a good ending to this series but, the first book was just so amazing and these other two didn't live up to it. Still Morsil or Basgan for life though.
felt like a good ending to this series but, the first book was just so amazing and these other two didn't live up to it. Still Morsil or Basgan for life though.
juliaslibrary21's review against another edition
3.0
3.75
A shit ton of politics but I did like the ending a lot. I need more Basil and Morgan content, I love them so much.
A shit ton of politics but I did like the ending a lot. I need more Basil and Morgan content, I love them so much.
sbrads's review against another edition
3.0
A fine read but once again, nothing much really felt like it was happening. What I did enjoy about this series however, was that rather than it being about a bunch of teenagers trying to save the world, it was more about them trying to cope as things fall apart around them. They do their best, even if it is often misguided and doesn't always work out.