A review by teawiththefates
Broken Crowns by Lauren DeStefano

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.