The Fiery Crown
Reviews
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
The Fiery Crown is the second book in the "Forgotten Empire" series and this book picks off from where the first book "Orchid Thone" leaves off. Conri and Lia have come together in a agreement into a marriage of convenience and to plan to take down evil Emperor Anure and solidify the safety of Lia's kingdom of her island. Lia and Conri are having to learn what it means to be married, to bring balance to their relationship and the responsibilities to the court and to come up with a plan that will bring down Anure. The Fiery Crown is definitely a bit more intense in some regards so I would recommend seeing the trigger warnings on this one, because there is torture in this one. But I loved how edgy this one was, it really builds on the plot while at the same time still delivering a good HFN theme ending on it. Which I greatly appreciate it, too many fantasy romances have cliffhangers, so its so nice to see an author not do that to her readers.
First Line
Good morning, Conri! I must congratulate myself-how did I know I'd find you here
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Conri
The Heroine: Lia
What I Loved
The Fiery Crown was such a fascinating book. I found the pacing to be a little bit better than the first book. We are seeing Conri and Lia delving into their marriage of convenience and really learning what it means to be together. They are both so strong willed and so stubborn that their way is the right way. We also see how they both make mistakes and also are correct in different ways. We see how different that they think from each other. I really liked how strong and courageous both of them are especially in intense situations. We see how Conri is learning to adapt to court life and the dynamics that come into play. We see how plans can always go wrong no matter how strong you think they are. We see what these two are made of and the love that sneaks up on them that gives them the strength to withstand the fury of the Emperor. It definitely gave me some surprises and I knew it probably wouldn't end so well...but the turn of events really shocked me even though I KNEW it was coming haha Jeffe Kennedy really build the edge in this story and the third act especially kept me on the edge of my seat.
What I Struggled With
Some of their dynamic felt a bit off at times. I really wished that there was more emotional swoons in this book. It was still a bit slow at parts. And I felt like the stubbornness of both Conri and Lia was a bit too strong. And Lia isn't my favorite lol but sometimes this author writes these types of heroines. She is a bit too cocky and superior thinking in that she is above Conri. I would have liked to see more softer moments between these two. The moments that we did get just didn't feel enough to me.
Narration
Gabrille Baker was so much different than the first book. I think the complaints were obvious for the first book, and this narrator did so much better so you can actually see the different character's POV better. Its 3rd POV, but you can sense who is speaking and was much better. Not a perfect narration, but leagues ahead of what we got in "Orchid Throne"
Overall View
The Fiery Crown was a angsty adventurous installment that brings together beautiful aspects of marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers, seeing a couple learn to let go of their preconceptions and learning to adapt to new circumstances. Of seeing characters rise above the conflicts and come together when it matters....
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance
Character Types: Royalty, Tortured Hero, Abused Heroine
Themes: Angsty, Political Intrigue
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both but more focus on the relationship conflicts
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
CL Wilson
Elizabeth Vaughan
Grace Draven
Song This Book Inspires
Broken by Lifehouse
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes you must read these books in order
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Gabrielle Baker
“The Fiery Crown” was a decent followup installment of the “The Orchid Throne” in the Forgotten Empire series. I wish I could say it wow me yet I am sad to report that this novel definitely lacked that spark that drew me originally to this series. If you haven’t read the blurb, “The Fiery Crown” follows Lia and Conri’s marriage of convenience and their uneasy alliance. I enjoyed the tense and the fierce banter between the two as they struggle to rule the Kingdom while seeking vengeance but less than a week has passed and the I love yous are thrown around. It kind of ruined the fierce image I had for this couple and wish they had more of a slow-burn kind of romance. Nevertheless, it wasn’t terrible and I look forward to the conclusion of their story.
