A review by sch91086
The Hollow Crown by Jeff Wheeler
5.0
Why do these books make me feel this way? I'm just reading along, everything is hunky dory and then BAM. It ends and I need a good cry. Wheeler does an excellent of job of making you care about his characters. He also puts them through hell and back which I think is what makes these books so emotional for me.
This book continues the Kingfountain series' Arthurian legend theme, with Owen's daughter Trynne being a reimagined Lancelot, the "King's Protector". Trynne, like her parents, is fountain blessed. Her gift seems similar in nature to Owen's. She is able to predict attacks and can thus defend herself against them, as well as sense other people's weaknesses. Her mother, Sinia, wants her to be a Wizr, but she wants to be an Oath Maiden. She wants to fight in the war like the men, and of course, in Kingfountain this has never been done before. She has an uphill battle ahead of her, but the Fountain is helping her out a little.
I absolutely loved Trynne. She's a no nonsense sort of girl, which fits perfectly with who her parents are. She is clever and determined, and refuses to let anything stand in the way of her destiny and her dreams. She also dual wields swords and daggers... which makes her just about the awesomest heroine ever. I don't know how realistic it is, but it's a fantasy. To hell with realistic. Dual wielding swords all the way.
We are introduced to new characters, new enemies and new kingdoms, and we also see many of the original characters in a less integral part of the plot. The storytelling and the writing are both excellent. Wheeler is wonderful at showing and not telling. He lets the reader decide for themselves what to think about other characters. He gives subtle clues as to where the story might be headed, but nothing is ever fully revealed. You want to trust certain characters, but you're never really sure if you should. It keeps you on your toes and turning the pages, looking for answers.
This book ends on a massive cliff hanger and with a huge twist. I can't stress this enough, I am DYING to get my hands on a copy of the next book. Thank goodness I only have to wait for August, and then it will be another few months until the next installment. The wait is already killing me.
I do want to leave a note about how this book fits in with the Kingfountain series in general. This book mostly happens about 15 years after the events of [b:The King's Traitor|29469165|The King's Traitor (Kingfountain, #3)|Jeff Wheeler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459586497s/29469165.jpg|52006338]. The plot of this story is not dependent upon the first three books, but many of the events and characters referenced as well as the fountain magic are explained in the first book. The author does not insult his readers with repetitive explanations or info dumps. Do I think you could read this book and get by okay? Yes. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not. The first three books are so magical anyway, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip them. There is also a prequel, [b:The Maid's War|32488960|The Maid's War (Kingfountain #0.5)|Jeff Wheeler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475776052s/32488960.jpg|53078059], which I haven't read, but fully intend to pick up.
Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book continues the Kingfountain series' Arthurian legend theme, with Owen's daughter Trynne being a reimagined Lancelot, the "King's Protector". Trynne, like her parents, is fountain blessed. Her gift seems similar in nature to Owen's. She is able to predict attacks and can thus defend herself against them, as well as sense other people's weaknesses. Her mother, Sinia, wants her to be a Wizr, but she wants to be an Oath Maiden. She wants to fight in the war like the men, and of course, in Kingfountain this has never been done before. She has an uphill battle ahead of her, but the Fountain is helping her out a little.
I absolutely loved Trynne. She's a no nonsense sort of girl, which fits perfectly with who her parents are. She is clever and determined, and refuses to let anything stand in the way of her destiny and her dreams. She also dual wields swords and daggers... which makes her just about the awesomest heroine ever. I don't know how realistic it is, but it's a fantasy. To hell with realistic. Dual wielding swords all the way.
We are introduced to new characters, new enemies and new kingdoms, and we also see many of the original characters in a less integral part of the plot. The storytelling and the writing are both excellent. Wheeler is wonderful at showing and not telling. He lets the reader decide for themselves what to think about other characters. He gives subtle clues as to where the story might be headed, but nothing is ever fully revealed. You want to trust certain characters, but you're never really sure if you should. It keeps you on your toes and turning the pages, looking for answers.
This book ends on a massive cliff hanger and with a huge twist. I can't stress this enough, I am DYING to get my hands on a copy of the next book. Thank goodness I only have to wait for August, and then it will be another few months until the next installment. The wait is already killing me.
I do want to leave a note about how this book fits in with the Kingfountain series in general. This book mostly happens about 15 years after the events of [b:The King's Traitor|29469165|The King's Traitor (Kingfountain, #3)|Jeff Wheeler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459586497s/29469165.jpg|52006338]. The plot of this story is not dependent upon the first three books, but many of the events and characters referenced as well as the fountain magic are explained in the first book. The author does not insult his readers with repetitive explanations or info dumps. Do I think you could read this book and get by okay? Yes. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not. The first three books are so magical anyway, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip them. There is also a prequel, [b:The Maid's War|32488960|The Maid's War (Kingfountain #0.5)|Jeff Wheeler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475776052s/32488960.jpg|53078059], which I haven't read, but fully intend to pick up.
Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!