Return of the Crown (edition 2012)

I received this book as a Goodreads ARC giveaway. This was a great book and I really enjoy it ( )

This was a fine read that I enjoyed. It tells the story of a girl named Ravyn who is sort of “expelled” from her home and her mother and father (the king and Queen) are presumed dead, even though they are really just in a frozen magical state (under a spell) from the queens evil (and I mean EVIL) sister Zelera, who assumes the role of ruler of not just the lands of Aigerach, but the whole world. But Ravyn has other ideas, and she, along with her trusted advisor Connor and best friend Blade (and magical creatures) plan to take back the crown and save her parents. But the evil empress wants Ravun dead, so there is plenty of peril and tension along the way. I enjoyed the ride and can see this being a big hit with teens and middle schoolers, but I will confess that I am well into my forties and though it was great. ( )

Overall I thought that “The Return of the Crown” was an impressive novel that I would have no problem recommending to my friends and family. I was immediately pulled into the story, and thought the author did an excellent job of world-building and keeping the action moving forward. It is very well written, although at times I thought it could use some trimming as the pace seemed to slow with some unnecessary descriptions or superfluous events that seemed to take us in circles at times. But this ranks up there with some of the better YA fantasies I’ve read, and would encourage fans of the genre to give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed. ( )

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “Return of the Crown” by Millie Burns follows in the tradition of fantasy-quest literature, this time the fate of the world rests in a young princess named Ravyn who is coming into her magical powers during her 16th year. She needs to rescue her parents, the King and Queen of Aigerach from the curse of the queen’s older sister, Zelera. Zelera is skilled in the Dark Arts (Bad magic), and the King and Queen (and everyone else) practices the Light Arts (Good Magic). The theme of good v. evil is very front and center in this novel, and there really isn’t much middle ground. I read this in a few nights and it was great right up until the final showdown. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. ( )

This novel by Millie Burns was a lot of fun, more so than I’d expected it to be. It was full of adventure and action that kept me interested, and I liked the heroine, Ravyn. She was smart and resourceful and brave and strong. Kind of a tomboy but is relatable. Sometimes I was unclear on a few things, mainly the passage of time and where the characters were in relation to one another (far? Close?) I could never quite get a clear grasp. Also, there seemed like there were A LOT of characters but we never really got to know most of them very well. I know this is standard with fantasy books, but for me it just gets confusing at times when every page or two we are meeting new characters. But I think the plot was good and it made for an entertaining read. I recommend this book for readers aged 12 and up who like an engaging story of action and fantastical adventure. ( )