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A review by tiareleine
Broken Crowns by Lauren DeStefano
5.0
Lauren DeStefano is, undeniably, one of my top favorite authors. But I know her work can be divisive, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. It's entirely possible that the things I like about this book (and this series) are exactly what someone else doesn't like about it.
First up are the characters. This series (just like Lauren DeStefano's others) is extremely character driven. I loved Morgan for her quiet strength, Pen for her... well... loud strength, Basil for his supportiveness, Celeste for her optimism, Azure for his realism, Nim for his enthusiasm-- basically, I loved all the characters. They all felt very real to me, and also very unique, which is impressive since there were so many of them. They all had interesting storylines and development throughout the series
And speaking of storylines; plot. The plot of Lauren DeStefano's books tends to be a little bit all over the place, but not in a bad way. The characters make decisions that make sense for them, it just happens that there's a lot of traveling around, meeting eccentric people, and being swept up in big conspiracies. And also planes. And arranged marriages. Those last two things seem to be recurring themes in her book.
There is romance in this book, but I wouldn't say it overtakes the plot. Yes, a lot of time is spent on Morgan and Basil, and Pen and Thomas, as they try to figure out their futures, but their relationships are more the manifestation of their lack of/desire for control in their lives, rather than the point in and of themselves. They're a feature in the book, nothing more. Just like love is only one facet of life.
The other thing I want to mention is the writing style. Personally, I love it. Lauren DeStefano's prose is beautiful without being purple. It's not too flowery-- in fact, it has a certain simplicity to it. It's not dumbed down, just relieved of anything unnecessary. I appreciate it, because it kind of reminds me of the way I think and feel; hesitant to show emotion, but not robotic. Although I can see why some people might not feel the same way, since they might instead find it to be lacking in emotion.
That brings me back to the divisive nature of Lauren DeStefano's books. They're not going to be appreciated by everyone. They're a little quirky, a little weird, but beautiful. Strange and beautiful, I think, is the best way to describe them. I highly recommend The Internment Chronicles series to fans of strange and beautiful books. And I can't wait for her next series, The Glass Spare, which she just announced!
First up are the characters. This series (just like Lauren DeStefano's others) is extremely character driven. I loved Morgan for her quiet strength, Pen for her... well... loud strength, Basil for his supportiveness, Celeste for her optimism, Azure for his realism, Nim for his enthusiasm-- basically, I loved all the characters. They all felt very real to me, and also very unique, which is impressive since there were so many of them. They all had interesting storylines and development throughout the series
And speaking of storylines; plot. The plot of Lauren DeStefano's books tends to be a little bit all over the place, but not in a bad way. The characters make decisions that make sense for them, it just happens that there's a lot of traveling around, meeting eccentric people, and being swept up in big conspiracies. And also planes. And arranged marriages. Those last two things seem to be recurring themes in her book.
There is romance in this book, but I wouldn't say it overtakes the plot. Yes, a lot of time is spent on Morgan and Basil, and Pen and Thomas, as they try to figure out their futures, but their relationships are more the manifestation of their lack of/desire for control in their lives, rather than the point in and of themselves. They're a feature in the book, nothing more. Just like love is only one facet of life.
The other thing I want to mention is the writing style. Personally, I love it. Lauren DeStefano's prose is beautiful without being purple. It's not too flowery-- in fact, it has a certain simplicity to it. It's not dumbed down, just relieved of anything unnecessary. I appreciate it, because it kind of reminds me of the way I think and feel; hesitant to show emotion, but not robotic. Although I can see why some people might not feel the same way, since they might instead find it to be lacking in emotion.
That brings me back to the divisive nature of Lauren DeStefano's books. They're not going to be appreciated by everyone. They're a little quirky, a little weird, but beautiful. Strange and beautiful, I think, is the best way to describe them. I highly recommend The Internment Chronicles series to fans of strange and beautiful books. And I can't wait for her next series, The Glass Spare, which she just announced!