Name: The Crowning
ISBN: 9780648485315

Nattie Kate Mason

Rivalry, magic, betrayal, healing, death, hope. In the pursuit of power, only one may be crowned Heir.

Book 1

The Crowning

Sheila Goicea

See this full review along with others on my blog at: foalsfictionandfiligree.com

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks so much, Nattie!



  ”Magic is the happiness that we create when we give ourselves permission to follow our dreams.”

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Attempted Rape.



The Crowning: Book 1 is the first installment in a three-book series. Siblings of the royal family of Alearia, bestowed with magical powers, must compete with one another to prove which will become the next heir to the throne. Alexander, Agnus, Alecia, and Anastasia have been training their entire life for this opportunity. One is the definite favorite, while another is looked over for her weaker abilities. Neglect and favoritism can only lead to one thing--jealousy. With an ability discovered, the tables are turned. People are sabotaged and secrets are uncovered. Set in a Medieval realm, Aleria awaits its next ruler. 

I genuinely liked the concept of the plot. It was like a mix between the Three Dark Crown series, and the Heroes television show. I especially enjoyed learning about the different abilities, and what set them apart from the next (my personal favorite being the wind whisperer.) Fire wielders, sages, and the like, all have their place and purpose. These characters and their abilities gave this story and undeniable attractiveness. 

The writing itself was a bit too formal and didn’t flow as much as I would like. Instead of being shown aspects of the plot, the reader is more or less told how they are. While I appreciated the author trying to tell the story from so many different character’s perspective, it was difficult to get to know the characters themselves utilizing this technique. Furthermore, the use of names all starting with the letter “A” may be confusing for some readers. I personally, didn’t find it very difficult to follow, but it could pose an issue for others. 

Another aspect about the story that I wished would have been fleshed out more was the world building. While there is some information divulged, I felt that a lot was simply left out. While the story of the characters flourished, the setting remained flat and ambiguous. Anytime there are knights present, well, anywhere, I want as much detail as possible for the setting and era!



All-in-all, this was a decent read. I would have liked more suspense and overall chance to get to know the characters more intimately. The ending was a bit obvious as well, but also necessary. I’m curious to see where this story will lead, and how the characters will settle into their budding roles.

Vulgarity: Little to none.
Sexual content: There is one scene where a character (I won’t name names for spoiler sake) encounters some men in the woods, and one tries to take advantage of her.
Violence: Minimal, without gore.

My Rating: ★★★

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Mary winkler

Good story line but found it hard to get past the typos, random extra letters in the middle of sentence and extra spaces between words. It was strange how formal the Royal family was with each other. The

The Crowning Book 1

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