Reviews

The Crown's Dog by Elise Kova

tbrwithmel's review

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4.0

As one of my favorite characters in the Air Awakens series, having a story focused on Jax was a gift from the gods. I laughed, I cried and cried some more. Having Jax's back story gave me so much perspective on his behaviors and personality. This story also connects to Air Awakens and the Vortex Chronicles seamlessly which absolutely blew my feeble mind. Also, teenage Jax, Baldair and Erion are everything. I haven't read the other two books in the trilogy yet, but if you love Jax, you'll definitely want to read this.

amybraunauthor's review

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5.0

This was an absolute blast to read! There were pirates, adventures, surprises, magic, handsome guys, and witty dialogue. I loved the obstacles this trio faced during their hunt, which became a lot more dangerous than they realized. While I loved the bits of darkness that crept into the story, such as hints at Jax's past and how he became owned by the crown, I have to say the highlight was the banter and loyalty between Jax, Erion, and Baldair. They were hilarious, playing off each other's personalities and quipping faster than whips, but their friendship was rock solid, something that paid off given how little Jax thought of himself (Stop thinking that, Jax! We love you!). Though the ending didn't quite play out as I expected it to, this was no doubt a fantastic addition to a stellar series and I was more than happy to see beloved characters return for one more adventure. A definite recommend if you like trouble-makers clashing with pirates and mystery!

sydney_arcuri's review

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4.0

So far I am not sure what to think, I like prequeals but at the same time I never feel attached to the characters. So I guess we will have to wait until the main series to see how this goes.

lpcoolgirl's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved reading this book, it was so fantastic, I love these characters and this world, and I can't wait to read more! 

eyleen's review against another edition

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4.0

4,5 stars!
Ooooh, I had almost forgotten how much I love the Air Awakens world and Elise Kovas writing!!
Spending time with Baldair, Jax and Erion and their glorious banter was awesome and if the last mystery in the very end would have been lifted I would easily rate this book 5 stars. Now I'm left wondering which dampens my euphoria a bit.
But maybe I'll find out more in the next story? I bought the Golden Guard trilogy in one book, so I'll happily continue on now :)

firefox's review against another edition

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5.0

Can we just call me a Elise Kova superfan because again, I've found a new obsession.

curls's review against another edition

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4.0

I love this world and this series but I would have enjoyed this book if it had come out between earths end and waters wrath. It's really hard to read prequels when I already know how the story ends.

It is well written but prequels aren't my thing. I still love this world and the magic woven into it.

lrwlee's review against another edition

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5.0

If you've read Air Awakens, you know the name "Crown's Dog" refers to Jax Wendyll. He's a good-hearted character who is quirky and unbalanced as a result of his past that torments him. We see him in action in this book and his deeds are definitely consistent with his later life. I love this character for he's not afraid to breach convention and we see that on full display as he "deals" with the antics of a 16-year-old Prince Baldair who has yet to make a name for himself. I particularly loved the end of the book where events make him the "elder" identifying with Baldair and Erion's inexperience with their first kills.

Speaking of Baldair, we find him at the awkward age of sixteen with too much testosterone and not enough sense, behaving impetuously. I loved how Kova sets up the tension between he and his older brother, Aldrick, which clearly reveals his motivations and undisciplined behavior. I guess the only surprising thing was the lack of any parental involvement--of course that would have destryed the entire storyline (LOL!). While I doubt he would agree, when my son was 16, he required adult intervention/supervision to avoid doing stupid things that would impact his life longer-term. The Emperor clearly has other things occupying his attention...but what of Baldair's mother? We never see her in action.

And then there's Erion. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him in action. The Air Awakens series alludes to him and then we see him up at the front, but only cameos. This is the first time I saw him in action in a way that allowed me to understand him motivations and I loved it. I really got the sense of his political motivations and how he wrestled with exploiting his relationship with the prince for his own and his family's gain. That, and his ties to the history with his homeland that had been conquered by and incorporated into the Solaris Empire.

All in all, the plot was engaging--who can't appreciate preying on people's fear of ghosts--and the characters made it a very enjoyable read. I'll definitely be reading the next book in this trilogy!

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simmyk91's review against another edition

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4.0

Baldair, Erion and Jax go hunting for the list treasure of The South but find much more. Quite interesting to see these characters in there youth and learn more about there history together and with other characters.

cuckleberryfins's review against another edition

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DNF at 16%