Victoria Aveyard

Discover the truth of Norta's bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1New York Times bestseller Red Queen. Plus, a Glass Sword sneak peek!

Cruel crown

The trouble is I want to rate the Queen's story a 5/5, but this is a book in two, and the second I didn't care for at all.

Melissa Palmer

Book #14 Read in 2016
Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

This book consists of two novellas, both prequels to Red Queen. I believe they set the back story of the warring groups of the Red and the Silver. Both were decent reads with a good amount of action. The characters were interesting and the fictional society was complex. I will continue this series.

Jazelle H

Even though these are merely novellas by page count, there is nothing "mere" about these stories. Aveyard's imagery, word choice, descriptions, metaphors all intertwine into their own art. Start reading her stories, guys, and don't put them down until you've reached the final page.

I liked Corianne’s story more than Farley’s but I don’t think either lended much additional information. 

Syrina Akbari

Beatriz Pereira

Emelie

Oh im so Sad! For some reason i had big problems with this book... Dont get me wrong now, i LOVE Red Queen and im sooo exited for Glass Sword.. BUT, this book was just not adding anything for me, the stories were boring and it took forever to go through them when i usually can read a book at this size in one sitting! 

To be honest, when i read the second novella, steel scars, i was actually thinking about doing the dishes.. And thats something i hate doing! So yeah...

Ashley Wendt

I enjoyed learning more about Queen Coriane in the Queens Song novella of this compilation. I actually wish we could've stayed in that story a little longer. I feel like it could've been a little bit richer of a history, but it got the job done of giving us her backstory. Steel Scars and Farley's backstory wasn't as intriguing. I had a hard time staying focused and invested in her story, although, i enjoyed getting to know Shade better and how he came to be in the SG. Overall, it was a nice little companion to The Red Queen.

This was a great book! It was really cool to get a more detailed backstory on Coriane and Farley

Iseult🦋

sarah 

Kendall Deranek

Overall, these stories were boring.

Queen Song
I liked Queen Song better because I liked seeing the conflicts through the eyes of a Silver. I also liked the characters more, especially Coriane. I wish this story would’ve been longer because I wanted more out of it, and there definitely was more we could’ve gotten. 

I love Queen Coriane. I love that she wanted to build and create things, that she was sarcastic, that she saw the value in Reds who worked hard for their value, and I love that Tibe fell in love with her and chose her rather than go through Queenstrial. Cal is definitely her son even though he has his father in him, which is to be expected since his mom died. When I learned Coriane loved to build things it reminded me of how Cal built his bike in Red Queen. I hate that Elara destroyed her and was the only one to see her diary. I hope that Coriane’s writings about Cal come to pass. I hope he and Mare bring peace together.

Steel Scars
This one was too long and a little too confusing. There was too much happening and the correspondence letters threw me off because I didn’t always know who was sending them and where they were going. I also didn’t always know what they were talking about. They pulled me out of the story too much too. 

I did like seeing Shade in this and getting background on how his death was faked, why, and where he went. I really like Shade as a character a way, so I’m glad he was in this.

Ruth Lykins 

Full disclosure: I didn't read the second story. I started it and I just didn't care about it. That being said, I loved the first story. The second one I just couldn't get into

Lila Harrison

Sarah McGrath

Sheila Goicea

See my review for Queen Song on my blog here.

3.5 stars.

See my review for Steel Scars on my blog here.

2.5 stars.

Overall rating: 3 stars.

Jessica Williamson

3.25 Stars

This rating is mostly because I really enjoyed the first story Queen Song. I mean, I didn't like the way it ended, but we all knew where it was going. It's a really interesting story with some background information on the Queens of King Tiberius the 6th. Also, the consort of King Tiberius the 5th. I'm allll about that crap. I really just loved the love story of Tibe and Cori, such a sweet, yet sad story. It also gives us a good view of what Elara is capable of doing. Holy cow.

Steel Scars was, pretty boring. It didn't really enlighten me on anything I didn't know, and it didn't tell it in a particularly interesting way. This is probably because I just don't really like Farley's character. The highlight of this story for me is Shade. Shade brought life to this story, unfortunately, he came far too late.

Also, this quote that basically explains the reason the Red Gaurd exists, "Because the war is not a war at all. It is an extermination."

Queen Song: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 
Steel Scars: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Two women on either side of the Silver-Red divide tell the stories no one else knows. Queen Song Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary - how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life. Steel Scars Diana Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation - Mare Barrow. Contains an extract from GLASS SWORD, the second novel in the Red Queen series.

Cruel Crown

Lily Govett

Very nice way of a backstory for Farley and filling in the gaps with shade. Cals mother’s backstory also is written well, it really shows why everyone in this story hates the Jacos house, even though there is not much need for it.

Jawahir M

Description Summary: Two prequel stories that did not really entice anything more in me before the actual first book. Agreeble with Queen Song being slightly better than Steel Scars.

Score: 3/5

To me this prequel felt like another reason to drag out a story without putting something stimulating for the reader to actually continue the series. If this book was a color it would be drab greys with nothing significant character wise standing out about the characters or it's just wasn't done effectively. I did not connect with anyone (except poor Queen Coraine), heck NO ONE stimulated anything from me. 

Queen song was manageable but Steel Scars was tiresome. For a short story I thought it would go on for ages with no buildup or excitement or a sense of trepidation. The story starts with an electronic transcript that's confusing and it is hard to understand the point behind it. Only afterwards do we learn what these transcripts are and who are they intended to. The reader now has to revert back to these transcripts and read them once again to get the meaning and message. 

To me the line of events were boring to be honest, we're following Captain Farley from place to place but because the author failed to transport me into that world and setting there wasn't much difference between them. It's like moving from one greyscale to another, no color or even distinctive black and white to at least present the reading with some sense of anything atmospheric. I honestly couldn't wait for it to end. Even "Shadow's" bring revelation did not take me by surprise (if you've read the synopsis of the first book you could even pick it out). 

I only hope I did not waste my time and money on a mediocre series. Though the writing is not bad and since this is a prequel I'm treating it as "the author is too lazy to put much thought into it and build something worthwhile". I'll still go ahead and give Red Queen a go. 

Do I recommend? Don't think it's worth it, pass.

Chelsea Breher

I wanted to love this as it was about two kickass females but I just didn't love it. It was hard to get through for me.

Wren Hardwick

Queen Song

So I am reading the novella’s before Glass Sword comes out [so excited, really. I dream of coming home and finding it on my porch and screaming with glee.].

So Coriane… I can’t really say anything about her without spoiling. So below is my full review. So don’t click on it unless you like spoilers.

What I will say is this: I relate to Coriane a lot, with what she is dealing with. We all have our own versions of Elaras. 

People thought that since she was a singer, someone who can control someone with an eye-lock, that Coriane forced her way to the crown.

So not true. If anything Elara helped her get to the crown by scaring her away from the dinner after her uncle’s funeral and into the space-heater of a prince Tiberias.

After many things are told and said, she is pregnant, and married, to the prince. 

She has miscarriages. She is plagued with nightmares. Someone is messing with her. Someone is putting her into a depression and making her paranoid.

Someone else wants the crown.

Over all, this was a great fifty some novella. I haven’t ever read a novella, so I didn’t really know what to expect. But I love Aveyard’s stories and assumed it was something I should read before the next masterpiece comes to my front door. 


  Steel Scars

So I am reading the novella’s before Glass Sword comes out [so excited, really. I dream of coming home and finding it on my porch and screaming with glee.].

So Farley… I knew she was going to be of some importance to the story. And I kind of picked up on the (view spoiler)[Shade and Farley love thing that is going to happen (WHICH I AM SUPER OKAY WITH (hide spoiler)]. 

The mission reports were kind of hard to read and really, I would have been okay with her just saying them in the italic way they do when we are seeing into their thoughts.

I like Farley fair enough, but really I didn’t like this novella as much until Shade was involved. I was excited to learn more about him for sure.

I feel as if this novella was important to the story as well, so I am glad I read it. 


  Glass Sword Sneak Peak: Chapters 01-04

So this sneak peek was to DIE FOR. 

I really can’t be anymore in love with a fictional character. I’m talking about Cal. I really need him to be a real person so I can like, marry him.

Really I have never actually felt so strongly about a fictional character. This probably means I need counseling and am going clinically and unclinically crazy.

Don’t know what that means either. 

The end of that battle [the one that they are practically heading into at the end of “The Red Queen”] is a terrific thing to read about. Minus people dying and how horrible Maven is. Even though Maven is kind of a wonderful person in the completely and utterly horrible way.

I’m excited and can’t wait for February 9th 2016! LIKE COME YESTERDAY PLEASE.

Geneviève Rouleau

I'm glad I read this right after reading Red Queen! It's definitely helping me understand the context to some things we learn about in the first book. I absolutely loved the first part of this novella, where we learn what actually happened to Cal's mother, when he was just a baby. The second part about the Scarlet Guard is slightly more tedious (war and tactics, you know. also why I gave it 3 stars ahaha) but it's a quick read anyways!!

Eleni Liakou 

This book was such a great addition to Red Queen! I loved both stories, espiecially the first one, and many unanswered questions I had from Red Queen were explained through these short stories! Now I'm ready to devour Glass Sword the moment it comes out, since Cruel Crown kind of revived my excitement for the series! Plus, the cover is amazing!

Manon van Heumen

I'm giving this 3.5 stars. The stories were okay, I guess, but they didn't draw me in. I liked reading them, but they didn't give me that special feeling I had while reading the first book. The second story revealed some important and cool information, but the first one felt like an unnecessary background story. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Ashlee

4.0 Stars!

I really enjoyed getting Coriane’s backstory in Queen Song and have really come to sympathize with her. Her whole story is tragic and I hope the memory of her finds some retribution as the story goes on. She deserves it!

On the other hand, I really wasn’t too terribly interested in Farley’s backstory in Steel Scars until about the point that Shade came into the picture. However, seeing the relationship between Farley and the Colonel firsthand before starting Glass Sword has been invaluable.

Overall, solid novellas! Not necessary to continue the series, but they give some interesting insight into the history of several key characters.

Cruel crown

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