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excaliburbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
hellobookbird's review against another edition
4.0
"I wrote in my note at the end of The King's Traitor that I thought the children of these main characters needed a turn on the stage."
I was both excited and hesitant when I found out the Kingfountain series had another installment. It is exceptionally hard (or perhaps I'm just exceptionally picky?) to pull off a series that picks up a generation later, shifting the focus to the children of the characters you love while still maintaining the integrity of the original characters in the recent iteration. Too often I find they turn into paper parents - two dimensional characters I no longer know that are just...there.
But boy howdy, was I ever pleasantly surprised that Jeff Wheeler pulled it off and pulled it off well. While The Hollow Crown is considered the fourth book of the Kingfountain series, I consider this book to be the first in a connected trilogy.
The Hollow Crown opens up to introduce Trynne (Owen's daughter) and Fallon (Elyse's son). They've been raised fairly close despite being part of different households because of their parent's friendship. The way they pick on each other instantly reminds me of the saying about adolescent boys, "If he's picking on you it means he likes you."
(I'd be lying if I didn't say this made me a little giddy because while I obviously wasn't able to have Owen+Elyse, maybe I could have that with their children. But I'm getting off track.)
Trynne embodies everything I love about strong female leads. She's suffocating under the yoke of her mother's expectations to become a Wizr. Being a good daughter, she truly tries...but her heart lies not in studying books and magic but in battle and strategy. Despite the pressures she faces both by familial duties and societal expectations, she relentlessly pursues her dreams.
Her dreams become reality when she secretly becomes an Oath Maiden, sworn to serve the Fountain and protect the king. As the threat of an impending invasion sets tensions on edge, the dance between King Drew, Queen Geniveve, Owen, Sinia, Trynne, Fallon, Morwenna, Elwis, and other players (both known and unknown) will keep you riveted to your seat and begging for more.
Note: while the ending doesn't have a cliffhanger, certain events will make you unable to stop once you've finished. You will be compelled to immediately pick up The Silent Shield to continue. Be sure to allot enough time to read both back-to-back (you'll thank yourself later).
Recommended for everyone that loves a well-developed read full of magic, suspense, and intrigue. Two thumbs way, way up!
I was both excited and hesitant when I found out the Kingfountain series had another installment. It is exceptionally hard (or perhaps I'm just exceptionally picky?) to pull off a series that picks up a generation later, shifting the focus to the children of the characters you love while still maintaining the integrity of the original characters in the recent iteration. Too often I find they turn into paper parents - two dimensional characters I no longer know that are just...there.
But boy howdy, was I ever pleasantly surprised that Jeff Wheeler pulled it off and pulled it off well. While The Hollow Crown is considered the fourth book of the Kingfountain series, I consider this book to be the first in a connected trilogy.
The Hollow Crown opens up to introduce Trynne (Owen's daughter) and Fallon (Elyse's son). They've been raised fairly close despite being part of different households because of their parent's friendship. The way they pick on each other instantly reminds me of the saying about adolescent boys, "If he's picking on you it means he likes you."
(I'd be lying if I didn't say this made me a little giddy because while I obviously wasn't able to have Owen+Elyse, maybe I could have that with their children. But I'm getting off track.)
Trynne embodies everything I love about strong female leads. She's suffocating under the yoke of her mother's expectations to become a Wizr. Being a good daughter, she truly tries...but her heart lies not in studying books and magic but in battle and strategy. Despite the pressures she faces both by familial duties and societal expectations, she relentlessly pursues her dreams.
Her dreams become reality when she secretly becomes an Oath Maiden, sworn to serve the Fountain and protect the king. As the threat of an impending invasion sets tensions on edge, the dance between King Drew, Queen Geniveve, Owen, Sinia, Trynne, Fallon, Morwenna, Elwis, and other players (both known and unknown) will keep you riveted to your seat and begging for more.
Note: while the ending doesn't have a cliffhanger, certain events will make you unable to stop once you've finished. You will be compelled to immediately pick up The Silent Shield to continue. Be sure to allot enough time to read both back-to-back (you'll thank yourself later).
Recommended for everyone that loves a well-developed read full of magic, suspense, and intrigue. Two thumbs way, way up!
snowonthebeach_13's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
bookish_itineraries's review against another edition
5.0
The Song of the Lioness Quartet meets Arthurian legends, The Hollow Crown is the best Kingfountain book so far. Not only is this book well written for it's intended audience of young readers (mid to high school, and um, those with advanced degrees...) with it's realistic and heartwrenching understanding of the pains of growing up, heart ache, insecurity, body image issues, and trying to achieve our parent's wildest dreams. I love Trynne, and for me, she joins a venerated list of heroines who role model for girls what it means to be trustworthy, reliable, strong, vulnerable, and unique. I put her in line with all the heroine's of Tamora Pierce's Tortal Realm, and the women of Robin McKinnley's world of Damar.
Supporting characters return in this series, which switches focus from Owen to his daughter. New characters emerge to varying degrees of success. My heart yearned, I almost cried, and I frequently yelled back at the audiobook in the car. I'm sure my emotional reaction to this book was a show to watch for the others sharing the highway with me. I'm eager to read the next installment.
Supporting characters return in this series, which switches focus from Owen to his daughter. New characters emerge to varying degrees of success. My heart yearned, I almost cried, and I frequently yelled back at the audiobook in the car. I'm sure my emotional reaction to this book was a show to watch for the others sharing the highway with me. I'm eager to read the next installment.
angelic712's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into these new characters... but I don’t know that it was the writing... I think I probably had a bit of a book hangover.
ellyrarg's review
3.0
So twisty and turny! Took a while to adjust to the second generation of characters, but that final chapter was gripping. I’m enjoying the middle books, for sure.
Second read through: the ableist bs about being disabled and then her life was over? What absolute rubbish.
Also, how very unlikely that half your face would be paralysed, but not a single other part of your body would experience any weakness? Just, blah.
Second read through: the ableist bs about being disabled and then her life was over? What absolute rubbish.
Also, how very unlikely that half your face would be paralysed, but not a single other part of your body would experience any weakness? Just, blah.
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know how I would feel about Wheeler's staging for this series. Each book leap frogs ahead a considerable number of years creating a partial new cast of characters, in addition to some of the previous players. I have ended up enjoying this method because I feel like we are transported to the critical points in the history of Kingfountain and leave the dross behind. Where would be the interest if the kingdom were to flourish? A new conflict arises from outside Ceredigion, but we don't know if the factions within the kingdom can work together to obliterate the threat.
I love the complex character created by Wheeler. The protagonist, Tryneowy Kiskaddon (usually called Trynne) is filled with self-doubt and is trying to understand her role that has been chosen by the power of the Fountain. She is perceived differently by others because 1- her parents are powerful leaders and supporters of King Drew (her father is Owen Kiskaddon and mother is Sinia the Wizr), 2- she was disfigured in an attack while young, and she has been uncomfortable with being seen, 3- she is female (and as all women know from first-hand experience that alone is a fact that changes everything). What's even better is that Wheeler based his character on...
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
I love the complex character created by Wheeler. The protagonist, Tryneowy Kiskaddon (usually called Trynne) is filled with self-doubt and is trying to understand her role that has been chosen by the power of the Fountain. She is perceived differently by others because 1- her parents are powerful leaders and supporters of King Drew (her father is Owen Kiskaddon and mother is Sinia the Wizr), 2- she was disfigured in an attack while young, and she has been uncomfortable with being seen, 3- she is female (and as all women know from first-hand experience that alone is a fact that changes everything). What's even better is that Wheeler based his character on...
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
coffeedragon's review against another edition
5.0
I read The Queen's Poisoner in 2016 as my last book for the year and I can't believe 1) it's been so long and 2) I'm only just reading The Hollow Crown now. It's taken me awhile but I've decided to pick up this series again and there's only three words to describe how I feel
OH MY GOODNESSS
This book is probably my favorite of the series. Unlike the first 3 books, this one is more fast paced and we actually end up following Owen's daughter's adventures. Trynne wants to be a warrior like her father and after it's seen that the kingdom is going to be attacked by a foreign army and that Owen won't be returning home (SOBS NOO), Trynne is even more adamant about becoming a warrior. She believes that she can help out somehow and with the help of an ancient guy (forgot his name), she actually becomes the fountain magic's new female warrior, which if you read The Maid's War and picked up throughout the series, is not common (but not unheard of). The only thing is that she needs to keep it a secret, which causes turmoil with her relationships and within herself.
There's action, romance (GOD MY HEART), suspense (GAHHH NOT MY HEART AGAIN), intrigue (*bites nails*), and just so much happening (SCREAMS) and so many FEELS (and not just my own). It's something I felt I had been deprived of in the first 3 books.
I really need to hop on the next book SOON/NOW.
OH MY GOODNESSS
This book is probably my favorite of the series. Unlike the first 3 books, this one is more fast paced and we actually end up following Owen's daughter's adventures. Trynne wants to be a warrior like her father and after it's seen that the kingdom is going to be attacked by a foreign army and that Owen won't be returning home (SOBS NOO), Trynne is even more adamant about becoming a warrior. She believes that she can help out somehow and with the help of an ancient guy (forgot his name), she actually becomes the fountain magic's new female warrior, which if you read The Maid's War and picked up throughout the series, is not common (but not unheard of). The only thing is that she needs to keep it a secret, which causes turmoil with her relationships and within herself.
There's action, romance (GOD MY HEART), suspense (GAHHH NOT MY HEART AGAIN), intrigue (*bites nails*), and just so much happening (SCREAMS) and so many FEELS (and not just my own). It's something I felt I had been deprived of in the first 3 books.
I really need to hop on the next book SOON/NOW.