by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Amidst all the insanity that is her world, Poppy has somehow managed to find happiness and the potential of a new life. But when she arrives in Atlantia, the welcome she receives is violence. Join Poppy, Cass, Keiran and all the rest in The Crown of Gilded Bones, as they uncover the secrets of Poppy’s ancestry and the forgotten history of their lands. What will Poppy do when she has to make the choice not to wield the power of a princess but to reign as queen?
Let’s find out.
Read if you like: Adult fantasy, adult fantasy romance, morally ambiguous baddies, character-driven storyline, evil plots & ancient prophecies, dark and overconfident men, a leading lady who is trying to come into her own power.
Poppy arrives in Atlantia and before she can even meet her new family a whole world of trouble is thrust upon her. She’s queen by birthright, and we all have a lot of questions. Luckily, some people at least *think* they have answers. After Cas and fam secure her safety, they get to work identifying new threats and dealing with doubters. Eventually, they realize their current situation is far beyond their scope and the whole crew sets off to hopefully find the truth, and aide, in the realm of the gods. They meet new friends, foes, and key players for the story to come.
For my reread I did something a bit different and listened to the Audible version. And that was the BEST decision I’ve ever made. While JLA is one of my ‘fun’ writers, always serving me up some brain candy, FBA is a change of pace and my brain has to get ready for the fantasy feast. What does that mean? Basically, there’s a lot going on in this world and with my reading speed and general tiredness I can miss stuff. Or I’m looking for specific details and in doing so, miss others.
However, on this re-read/ first listen there was so much information that I didn’t remember at all and helped me to make connections within the book and beyond. I also felt like some of my more critical opinions were changed after listening. Some of the parts that I previously thought were slow to develop seemed to have better pacing while listening. I’m not sure if that’s from the narrator or just that I was already familiar with the story. Even with this the modern phrases liberally sprinkled throughout sometimes push me out of the setting at times. And I struggle with if I enjoy it or are annoyed by it. It gives me A Knight’s Tale vibes with the modern flavor in a medieval world… but do we need it?
I digress.
I had so much fun with this book the first time through, and the second surpassed the first. I love Poppy’s growth, but man do these characters need a breather. There’s always something about to go down… (there’s a joke in there that Cas would appreciate, I’m sure you can find it.) I love getting to see the characters in action and come into their new roles and relationships. And if you’re into it, there’s a lot of spice.