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A Crown of Thorns and Magic: A Dark Epic Fantasy Romance
Born a bastard to a king and a formidable amazon captain, raised in the shadow of her father's throne, sixteen-year-old Astar had to claim the crown through trial by combat.
She has ruled for only three months when treachery leads her into a devastating trap. Captured by former allies and the Sorceress Seluma, she finds herself chained in the Shadow Keep, a dungeon teeming with undead nightmares and eldritch abominations.
There, she discovers she's not the only captive. Hathan, a broken mage apprentice with haunted eyes, has been Seluma's prisoner and experimental subject for years. Once the apprentice of a great mage persecuted by Astar's father, he has every reason to hate her. Still, they have no choice but to form an unlikely alliance. With his forbidden magic and her unwavering courage, they must escape the labyrinth of horrors and race across enemy territory to reclaim a throne under siege—all before Seluma and her allies crush Astar's homeland forever.
But returning to reclaim her throne would be just the beginning. With dark magic threatening everything she holds dear, Astar must embrace the very power she was taught to fear. In a world where magic corrupts and trust is a luxury, can a bastard queen and a broken sorcerer save a kingdom?
She has ruled for only three months when treachery leads her into a devastating trap. Captured by former allies and the Sorceress Seluma, she finds herself chained in the Shadow Keep, a dungeon teeming with undead nightmares and eldritch abominations.
There, she discovers she's not the only captive. Hathan, a broken mage apprentice with haunted eyes, has been Seluma's prisoner and experimental subject for years. Once the apprentice of a great mage persecuted by Astar's father, he has every reason to hate her. Still, they have no choice but to form an unlikely alliance. With his forbidden magic and her unwavering courage, they must escape the labyrinth of horrors and race across enemy territory to reclaim a throne under siege—all before Seluma and her allies crush Astar's homeland forever.
But returning to reclaim her throne would be just the beginning. With dark magic threatening everything she holds dear, Astar must embrace the very power she was taught to fear. In a world where magic corrupts and trust is a luxury, can a bastard queen and a broken sorcerer save a kingdom?
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2025
13 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 10, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC of this book!
I think this book is trying to accomplish what (until now) has been a pretty unfamiliar concept to the Fantasy world. "Quick read" fantasy. With so many other genres, you tend to get the option of just how "involved" you'd like your book to be. Such as Mystery, Romance, Horror, General Fiction, etc. But when it comes to Fantasy, a lot of the time, it's a genre that's more of a process. Not here however, if you're on a "time crunch"..but don't like passing free time by, doom scrolling , staring at a wall, or lugging a 900 page fantasy book around everywhere, this is the PERFECT book for you!
It has absolutely everything you LOVE about fantasy condensed into a much more digestible form! And it is a series, so just because the book was "short" doesn't mean the story is going to be.
I think this book is trying to accomplish what (until now) has been a pretty unfamiliar concept to the Fantasy world. "Quick read" fantasy. With so many other genres, you tend to get the option of just how "involved" you'd like your book to be. Such as Mystery, Romance, Horror, General Fiction, etc. But when it comes to Fantasy, a lot of the time, it's a genre that's more of a process. Not here however, if you're on a "time crunch"..but don't like passing free time by, doom scrolling , staring at a wall, or lugging a 900 page fantasy book around everywhere, this is the PERFECT book for you!
It has absolutely everything you LOVE about fantasy condensed into a much more digestible form! And it is a series, so just because the book was "short" doesn't mean the story is going to be.
October 3, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC!
Ok … this one is a bit of a difficult one to review for me BECAUSE I enjoyed the story on the whole BUT this is what I am going to be calling a fantasy-lite book. This is a very plot driven story, which is fine, if you want a quick read or a palette cleanser between books then this one is for you! Personally this took me less than 24 hours. HOWEVER, that is not traditionally how I like my fantasy books! I want the 1000 pages, I want the backstory, I want the stakes so high they forget they are attached to the floor, and I what to know what all the characters in the book had for their dinner! I’m looking at my men GRRM or JRRT on that last point!
This story had some depth to it. You got some of the backstory of the two main characters but it was not always very impactful as the plot was very quick and busy. This book is also really short, so I mean you can’t fit too much character development into such a short book! However, it is a really fun read and if viewed in this spirit of fantasy-lite then I think this book achieved what it set out to do. Not all books need to be epics!
One issue with the plot that I had was how was the kingdom controlling magic users? The ending explains some things but how were they capturing and containing the stronger ones!? This needed to be explained I think as it is a critical plot point.
Astar (FMC) is 16 in the book… She is also a bastard, barbarian, possibly shamanic, princess! Quite the mouthful! She is just very precious! I will say that she did not act like a 16 year old though. This FMC for me was not under 25! She also has the ability to be good at everything she does. There is competence and then there is this godlike level that the FMC has achieved. Astar is godlike with fighting and statecraft. She is the girlie you want by your side on the battlefield and at a banquet. It was a bit much at times!
Hathan (MMC) also suffers with the same type of hyper-competence! Of course, you need your protagonists to be ‘good at things’ but this level was a bit beyond that. Hathan’s infinite store of magical juice lacked plausibility. He always seemed to be able to fight some more even when he was physically exhausted after being THREE years in a torture prison/sex dungeon??? The guy has some serious powers! Like for real! It was a bit much, especially when he said he was still an apprentice … but then he pulled moves like Dumbledore! Boulders and trees were flying everywhere at one point …. Hmmm, Hathan are you sure that you are not a master Jedi?
However, despite that I still really enjoyed the dynamics between the FMC and MMC. They had some really good moments together:
FMC: ‘“And you endured three years in that cage, being fed upon by that … thing. That takes strength.”
MMC: “Or cowardice. Fear of death can be a powerful motivator.”
FMC: “So can hope,” I countered…
MMC: “You don’t know what I did to survive.”
And I so wanted to know what he did!!! I wanted more character driven stuff! The characters have great bare bones! I wanted to know what Hathan went through! He was so stoic after being held captive for SOOOO LONG, I wanted to see through the façade!
FMC: ‘“And how do I look at you?”
MMC: “Like I’m worth saving.”
The words hit deeper than any flowery profession of love might have. We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of honesty settling between us.’
Seriously, they have a nice like relationship going on! I would have liked 100 pages more just focused on them and their story and their pain. The plot was great but lets add in some character stuff too! And let’s make Hathan the ‘apprentice’ he was supposed to be! And lets make the FMC have like really bad table manners then it would have been great!
Some sentences that I really enjoyed and would quite visual for me:
❀ ‘…the canopy closing over us like a verdant tunnel.’
❀ ‘His backhand was like being hit by a battering ram.’
❀ ‘The mighty King … reduced to cooling meat on silk sheets.’
⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️
╰➤ Swearing - a few times, I did not really like the c word being used!
╰➤ Killing of family members - without remorse I might add!
╰➤ There is mention of paedophilia - ‘…sorcerer who enjoyed sleeping with small children.’ Hmmm, horrific! Did not need that visual in my head thank you!
╰➤ Torture
╰➤ Death
🤍 Tropes 🤍
👑Strong Queenie - FMC
🪄 Magic Man- MMC
💘Torture
🐉Magical Beasties
🗡️Fight! Fight! Fight!
However, having said all that, I would read book 2! So does that mean I liked it … yes!
Thank you all for reading!
Ok … this one is a bit of a difficult one to review for me BECAUSE I enjoyed the story on the whole BUT this is what I am going to be calling a fantasy-lite book. This is a very plot driven story, which is fine, if you want a quick read or a palette cleanser between books then this one is for you! Personally this took me less than 24 hours. HOWEVER, that is not traditionally how I like my fantasy books! I want the 1000 pages, I want the backstory, I want the stakes so high they forget they are attached to the floor, and I what to know what all the characters in the book had for their dinner! I’m looking at my men GRRM or JRRT on that last point!
This story had some depth to it. You got some of the backstory of the two main characters but it was not always very impactful as the plot was very quick and busy. This book is also really short, so I mean you can’t fit too much character development into such a short book! However, it is a really fun read and if viewed in this spirit of fantasy-lite then I think this book achieved what it set out to do. Not all books need to be epics!
One issue with the plot that I had was how was the kingdom controlling magic users? The ending explains some things but how were they capturing and containing the stronger ones!? This needed to be explained I think as it is a critical plot point.
Astar (FMC) is 16 in the book… She is also a bastard, barbarian, possibly shamanic, princess! Quite the mouthful! She is just very precious! I will say that she did not act like a 16 year old though. This FMC for me was not under 25! She also has the ability to be good at everything she does. There is competence and then there is this godlike level that the FMC has achieved. Astar is godlike with fighting and statecraft. She is the girlie you want by your side on the battlefield and at a banquet. It was a bit much at times!
Hathan (MMC) also suffers with the same type of hyper-competence! Of course, you need your protagonists to be ‘good at things’ but this level was a bit beyond that. Hathan’s infinite store of magical juice lacked plausibility. He always seemed to be able to fight some more even when he was physically exhausted after being THREE years in a torture prison/sex dungeon??? The guy has some serious powers! Like for real! It was a bit much, especially when he said he was still an apprentice … but then he pulled moves like Dumbledore! Boulders and trees were flying everywhere at one point …. Hmmm, Hathan are you sure that you are not a master Jedi?
However, despite that I still really enjoyed the dynamics between the FMC and MMC. They had some really good moments together:
FMC: ‘“And you endured three years in that cage, being fed upon by that … thing. That takes strength.”
MMC: “Or cowardice. Fear of death can be a powerful motivator.”
FMC: “So can hope,” I countered…
MMC: “You don’t know what I did to survive.”
And I so wanted to know what he did!!! I wanted more character driven stuff! The characters have great bare bones! I wanted to know what Hathan went through! He was so stoic after being held captive for SOOOO LONG, I wanted to see through the façade!
FMC: ‘“And how do I look at you?”
MMC: “Like I’m worth saving.”
The words hit deeper than any flowery profession of love might have. We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of honesty settling between us.’
Seriously, they have a nice like relationship going on! I would have liked 100 pages more just focused on them and their story and their pain. The plot was great but lets add in some character stuff too! And let’s make Hathan the ‘apprentice’ he was supposed to be! And lets make the FMC have like really bad table manners then it would have been great!
Some sentences that I really enjoyed and would quite visual for me:
❀ ‘…the canopy closing over us like a verdant tunnel.’
❀ ‘His backhand was like being hit by a battering ram.’
❀ ‘The mighty King … reduced to cooling meat on silk sheets.’
⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️
╰➤ Swearing - a few times, I did not really like the c word being used!
╰➤ Killing of family members - without remorse I might add!
╰➤ There is mention of paedophilia - ‘…sorcerer who enjoyed sleeping with small children.’ Hmmm, horrific! Did not need that visual in my head thank you!
╰➤ Torture
╰➤ Death
🤍 Tropes 🤍
👑Strong Queenie - FMC
🪄 Magic Man- MMC
💘Torture
🐉Magical Beasties
🗡️Fight! Fight! Fight!
However, having said all that, I would read book 2! So does that mean I liked it … yes!
Thank you all for reading!
August 3, 2025
Thank you Netgalley, and E. Evans for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
DNF @ 50%
Cover is most likely AI. The writing is so stilted, loads of weird grammar errors, couldn't keep characters straight, and full of contradictions. This writing in this book is likely also AI. I loved the idea of this story, but it was completely un-readable.
DNF @ 50%
Cover is most likely AI. The writing is so stilted, loads of weird grammar errors, couldn't keep characters straight, and full of contradictions. This writing in this book is likely also AI. I loved the idea of this story, but it was completely un-readable.
August 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️ Too much story for too few pages
Astar secured her throne the old-fashioned way—by running her uncle through with a sword at the tender age of sixteen, after he tried to snatch her crown. Slight hiccup: she’s technically a bastard, daughter of the leader of the royal Amazon guard. Trained from toddlerhood in weapons, politics, and intrigue, she’s deadly with a blade and not bad with a bit of statecraft either.
Three months into her reign, she cheerfully marches herself and her escort straight into an ambush set by two neighboring kings, apparently working for a mysterious black sorceress. Instead of killing her outright (which would have been much simpler), they toss her into the sorceress’s dungeon to be “persuaded” into resigning. The persuasion method? Feeding her to the sorceress’s nightmare pets. Naturally.
Inside the conveniently labyrinthine prison, Astar stumbles upon Hathan—an 18-year-old former sorcerer’s apprentice who has spent the last three years as plant food in a cage. (How he’s still conversational is never explained.) By sheer coincidence, he’s been having visions of Astar and just happens to know both the way out and the secret route to the sorceress’s chambers—through her magical wards, no less. There they find the perfect shopping list of ingredients to summon a dinosaur-dragon hybrid, which then flies them straight back to Astar’s capital, where they arrive just in time for her to keep her throne—with a pinch of magic for garnish. Subsequently they kill off the kings and the sorceress in a night raid through a portal that Hathan can conveniently open with the help of three other sorceress, who are conveniently detained in Astar‘s prison.
Along the way, they feel a growing attraction. Because nothing says romance like shared dungeon trauma and a couple of hours of dragon-back travel.
The verdict:
• Almost no worldbuilding.
• The protagonists’ ages (16 and 18) make their hyper-competence and emotional leaps… ambitious, to say the least.
• Hathan, after three years in a cage, emerges as a sorcerer so talented Gandalf would be jealous.
• Far too much story crammed into far too few pages, leaving little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausibility.
A linear, fast-moving adventure that never slows down long enough to convince me to care.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.
Astar secured her throne the old-fashioned way—by running her uncle through with a sword at the tender age of sixteen, after he tried to snatch her crown. Slight hiccup: she’s technically a bastard, daughter of the leader of the royal Amazon guard. Trained from toddlerhood in weapons, politics, and intrigue, she’s deadly with a blade and not bad with a bit of statecraft either.
Three months into her reign, she cheerfully marches herself and her escort straight into an ambush set by two neighboring kings, apparently working for a mysterious black sorceress. Instead of killing her outright (which would have been much simpler), they toss her into the sorceress’s dungeon to be “persuaded” into resigning. The persuasion method? Feeding her to the sorceress’s nightmare pets. Naturally.
Inside the conveniently labyrinthine prison, Astar stumbles upon Hathan—an 18-year-old former sorcerer’s apprentice who has spent the last three years as plant food in a cage. (How he’s still conversational is never explained.) By sheer coincidence, he’s been having visions of Astar and just happens to know both the way out and the secret route to the sorceress’s chambers—through her magical wards, no less. There they find the perfect shopping list of ingredients to summon a dinosaur-dragon hybrid, which then flies them straight back to Astar’s capital, where they arrive just in time for her to keep her throne—with a pinch of magic for garnish. Subsequently they kill off the kings and the sorceress in a night raid through a portal that Hathan can conveniently open with the help of three other sorceress, who are conveniently detained in Astar‘s prison.
Along the way, they feel a growing attraction. Because nothing says romance like shared dungeon trauma and a couple of hours of dragon-back travel.
The verdict:
• Almost no worldbuilding.
• The protagonists’ ages (16 and 18) make their hyper-competence and emotional leaps… ambitious, to say the least.
• Hathan, after three years in a cage, emerges as a sorcerer so talented Gandalf would be jealous.
• Far too much story crammed into far too few pages, leaving little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausibility.
A linear, fast-moving adventure that never slows down long enough to convince me to care.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.
August 23, 2025
👑⚔️ A badass young queen, a tortured mage, and a dangerous dungeon escape. This was a fast-paced fantasy ride! ⚔️👑
This was a very quick and short read.
The story begins with Queen Astar, who secures her crown after defeating her uncle in a brutal trial by combat. Just three months into ruling, she’s already navigating her new duties when she is suddenly caught in a trap and imprisoned by a powerful sorceress named Seluma. In her attempt to escape, Astar encounters Hathan, another prisoner in Seluma’s dungeon, and the two of them must rely on each other to survive the monsters that lurk in the shadows.
The pacing is fast—covering only a week or two—and the action never slows. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and the background given to both Astar and Hathan. Astar herself stood out as a strong, fiery heroine, full of determination and grit, though I sometimes found it hard to believe she was supposed to be a teenager given her maturity and skill in both ruling and combat. The relationship between her and Hathan was less about romance and more about trust built in the name of survival. It wasn’t swoony or emotional, but it felt authentic to their situation: two people thrown together, fighting to live another day, and recognizing that things might not be the same once they were free.
Because the book was so short, there wasn’t much room for deep world-building or character development. The kingdoms, politics, and history of humans and sorcerers were not really covered, and I would have loved to see more detail in those areas. That said, the story itself was engaging and kept me turning the pages quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed this as a fast-paced fantasy adventure. It felt more like an introduction to something bigger, and I’m eager to see where the sequel goes—especially with the favour Astar owes to the creature.
Spice: ❌ None
Rating: ⭐⭐.75
Tropes:
👑 Badass queen
🗡️ Tortured MMC
✨ Magic
💘 Queen × Mage
Thank you NetGalley and E. Evans for this ARC! 💜
This was a very quick and short read.
The story begins with Queen Astar, who secures her crown after defeating her uncle in a brutal trial by combat. Just three months into ruling, she’s already navigating her new duties when she is suddenly caught in a trap and imprisoned by a powerful sorceress named Seluma. In her attempt to escape, Astar encounters Hathan, another prisoner in Seluma’s dungeon, and the two of them must rely on each other to survive the monsters that lurk in the shadows.
The pacing is fast—covering only a week or two—and the action never slows. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and the background given to both Astar and Hathan. Astar herself stood out as a strong, fiery heroine, full of determination and grit, though I sometimes found it hard to believe she was supposed to be a teenager given her maturity and skill in both ruling and combat. The relationship between her and Hathan was less about romance and more about trust built in the name of survival. It wasn’t swoony or emotional, but it felt authentic to their situation: two people thrown together, fighting to live another day, and recognizing that things might not be the same once they were free.
Because the book was so short, there wasn’t much room for deep world-building or character development. The kingdoms, politics, and history of humans and sorcerers were not really covered, and I would have loved to see more detail in those areas. That said, the story itself was engaging and kept me turning the pages quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed this as a fast-paced fantasy adventure. It felt more like an introduction to something bigger, and I’m eager to see where the sequel goes—especially with the favour Astar owes to the creature.
Spice: ❌ None
Rating: ⭐⭐.75
Tropes:
👑 Badass queen
🗡️ Tortured MMC
✨ Magic
💘 Queen × Mage
Thank you NetGalley and E. Evans for this ARC! 💜
August 12, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars – Crown of Thorns and Magic
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Crown of Thorns and Magic drew me in from the very start and refused to let go. The pacing is wonderfully quick, making it a “just one more chapter” kind of read, but it never sacrifices depth when it comes to the characters. Each one is distinct and layered, and even secondary characters feel fully realized, with motivations and flaws that make them believable.
The plot is packed with unexpected twists that kept me invested and eager to see what would happen next. Every revelation added to the world-building instead of feeling forced, and the stakes kept rising in ways that felt both fresh and thrilling. I appreciated how the author balanced action and emotional beats, creating a story that was both exciting and heartfelt.
While the rapid pace drives the story forward, the author still manages to weave in meaningful backstory and rich character development—a rare combination that’s a treat to read.
Though this book has received lower reviews, I liked it. I knew that it was the foundation of a new series and took that into accounting my rating. My only complaint is that Astar did not resonate as a 16 year old. I understand the author wanted to establish her as a very young queen,but that could have been achieved as early twenties. Her age made a few of the storylines feel improbable.
This is the kind of book that leaves you eager for more, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next. If the next installment delivers as well as this one, this could easily become one of my favorite fantasy series of the year.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Crown of Thorns and Magic drew me in from the very start and refused to let go. The pacing is wonderfully quick, making it a “just one more chapter” kind of read, but it never sacrifices depth when it comes to the characters. Each one is distinct and layered, and even secondary characters feel fully realized, with motivations and flaws that make them believable.
The plot is packed with unexpected twists that kept me invested and eager to see what would happen next. Every revelation added to the world-building instead of feeling forced, and the stakes kept rising in ways that felt both fresh and thrilling. I appreciated how the author balanced action and emotional beats, creating a story that was both exciting and heartfelt.
While the rapid pace drives the story forward, the author still manages to weave in meaningful backstory and rich character development—a rare combination that’s a treat to read.
Though this book has received lower reviews, I liked it. I knew that it was the foundation of a new series and took that into accounting my rating. My only complaint is that Astar did not resonate as a 16 year old. I understand the author wanted to establish her as a very young queen,but that could have been achieved as early twenties. Her age made a few of the storylines feel improbable.
This is the kind of book that leaves you eager for more, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next. If the next installment delivers as well as this one, this could easily become one of my favorite fantasy series of the year.
August 14, 2025
If you’re looking for a quick-paced fantasy with romance, A Crown of Thorns and Magic offers some moments of charm — especially the unexpected romance that sparks during shared dungeon trauma and a thrilling dragon-back journey. There’s something about those intense, high-stakes scenes that definitely turn up the heat between the protagonists.
But here’s where things get tricky. The worldbuilding is minimal at best, leaving the setting feeling bare and underdeveloped. The story tries to cram an ambitious plot into far too few pages, which leaves little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausible character development.
Speaking of characters, the protagonists’ ages — 16 and 18 — made their hyper-competence and rapid emotional growth feel quite a stretch. For example, Hathan emerges from three years in captivity as a sorcerer so talented even Gandalf would raise an eyebrow, but the story doesn’t quite make this leap believable.
The writing itself can be stilted, with several grammar issues, contradictions, and moments where I struggled to keep the characters straight. These problems pulled me out of the story at times and made it harder to fully invest.
In summary, A Crown of Thorns and Magic has flashes of potential and some fun, spicy romance moments but ultimately feels rushed and underdeveloped. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fast fantasy read and can overlook some rough edges — but if you want immersive worldbuilding and nuanced characters, you might want to look elsewhere.
But here’s where things get tricky. The worldbuilding is minimal at best, leaving the setting feeling bare and underdeveloped. The story tries to cram an ambitious plot into far too few pages, which leaves little room for depth, atmosphere, or plausible character development.
Speaking of characters, the protagonists’ ages — 16 and 18 — made their hyper-competence and rapid emotional growth feel quite a stretch. For example, Hathan emerges from three years in captivity as a sorcerer so talented even Gandalf would raise an eyebrow, but the story doesn’t quite make this leap believable.
The writing itself can be stilted, with several grammar issues, contradictions, and moments where I struggled to keep the characters straight. These problems pulled me out of the story at times and made it harder to fully invest.
In summary, A Crown of Thorns and Magic has flashes of potential and some fun, spicy romance moments but ultimately feels rushed and underdeveloped. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fast fantasy read and can overlook some rough edges — but if you want immersive worldbuilding and nuanced characters, you might want to look elsewhere.
September 21, 2025
*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
1.5/5 Stars
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
👑 Badass queen
💫 Tortured MMC
👑 Magic
💫 Queen × Mage
𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-
｡ ₊°༺” Magic isn’t something I fear. It’s something I admire.”༻°₊ ｡
💭 Thoughts-
-ˋˏ✄┈┈Ok I get if you want to try to make a fantasy book that’s faster paced and quicker read but honestly this just felt rushed which I did not love at all.
-For example…the fricken romance was happening wayyyyy too quick like they know each other for two days, and it’s like ‘oh my gosh you know me better than anyone else’. I’m just like brother, you don’t even know him!!!
-ˋˏ✄┈┈I will say the idea was not bad, it was just how it was accomplished that was bad in my opinion.
1.5/5 Stars
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
👑 Badass queen
💫 Tortured MMC
👑 Magic
💫 Queen × Mage
𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-
｡ ₊°༺” Magic isn’t something I fear. It’s something I admire.”༻°₊ ｡
💭 Thoughts-
-ˋˏ✄┈┈Ok I get if you want to try to make a fantasy book that’s faster paced and quicker read but honestly this just felt rushed which I did not love at all.
-For example…the fricken romance was happening wayyyyy too quick like they know each other for two days, and it’s like ‘oh my gosh you know me better than anyone else’. I’m just like brother, you don’t even know him!!!
-ˋˏ✄┈┈I will say the idea was not bad, it was just how it was accomplished that was bad in my opinion.
September 6, 2025
A Crown of Thorns and Magic is the first book in a series. It is fast-paced and never slows down, but the stakes never quite have the chance to hit home as we are thrown in after the FMC kills her uncle to take the throne when her father dies.
It's a great premise--I love the adventure--but I wish the worldbuilding and character development had been explored more thoroughly. At least enough to get us to 'care' before throwing all of the twists at the reader. I didn't quite believe that Astar, the 16-year-old FMC, was as mature and skilled as a warrior and queen as portrayed. I do like the adventures that brought her to Hathan, as well as the set up for a new world in subsequent instalments of the series, but there wasn't enough development to make me feel for the characters.
For me, this book has a lot of potential to be great, and I would read the next in the series to find out what happens.
Thank you @NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐
It's a great premise--I love the adventure--but I wish the worldbuilding and character development had been explored more thoroughly. At least enough to get us to 'care' before throwing all of the twists at the reader. I didn't quite believe that Astar, the 16-year-old FMC, was as mature and skilled as a warrior and queen as portrayed. I do like the adventures that brought her to Hathan, as well as the set up for a new world in subsequent instalments of the series, but there wasn't enough development to make me feel for the characters.
For me, this book has a lot of potential to be great, and I would read the next in the series to find out what happens.
Thank you @NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐
September 15, 2025
🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 A Crown of Thorns and Magic
✒️ E Evans
💫💫
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had so much potential and it fell flat on its face. I should have DNF'd it but I kept pushing because I wanted it to redeem itself but it did not.
The timing was too quick, I thought we would get a good world building but instead we got a basic plot that lasted only a few weeks! It needed to be fluffed out and detailed!
The characters I found annoying but it might be because of their ages and I found the plot to be lack lustre in excitement.
It really wasn't for me sorry.
📚 A Crown of Thorns and Magic
✒️ E Evans
💫💫
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had so much potential and it fell flat on its face. I should have DNF'd it but I kept pushing because I wanted it to redeem itself but it did not.
The timing was too quick, I thought we would get a good world building but instead we got a basic plot that lasted only a few weeks! It needed to be fluffed out and detailed!
The characters I found annoying but it might be because of their ages and I found the plot to be lack lustre in excitement.
It really wasn't for me sorry.
August 6, 2025
This has a solid foundation of being a fantastic book. Definitely need some improvements. A bit more showing compared to telling, more world building. The romance felt very sudden but you could see it coming. Astar also feels far older than 16, I would assume 20+. Now thats out of the way. I did not want to put the story down. Very fast paced, entertaining dark fantasy with monsters. Fun read would love to see this better developed.
August 11, 2025
DNF @ 75%. Really, tragically not good. There's so much story trying to be crammed into too short number of pages and it didn't work. I felt zero connection to the characters and had difficulty keeping track of who each person was with significance to the story. I found myself skimming most of this and honestly have regrets about not DNFing earlier. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!
August 16, 2025
DNF.
I tried. I read over half of it. It's just... it's not ready.
The story has good bones, the idea is solid, it's just not ready for publishing. The author has talent, yes, but hasn't honed the skill part of writing. I really really hope they do some edits and rewrites and rerelease this book - it could be really good!
I tried. I read over half of it. It's just... it's not ready.
The story has good bones, the idea is solid, it's just not ready for publishing. The author has talent, yes, but hasn't honed the skill part of writing. I really really hope they do some edits and rewrites and rerelease this book - it could be really good!
October 30, 2025
I like a fast paced story as much as the next one, but this story feels like it should have been 500 pages instead of less than 200. Too much was happening for such a short story.
I personally didn't connect to any of the characters which made it hard to really engage with the book.
Some of the sentences throughout the book were just strange to read.
I personally didn't connect to any of the characters which made it hard to really engage with the book.
Some of the sentences throughout the book were just strange to read.
August 1, 2025
This ARC has been provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed our main character, Astar! Though she wasn't perfect. Our world was intriguing and I cannot wait for more world building in future books, and our love interest was very sweet and lovable!
I thoroughly enjoyed our main character, Astar! Though she wasn't perfect. Our world was intriguing and I cannot wait for more world building in future books, and our love interest was very sweet and lovable!
August 23, 2025
BANGER!!! This was a banger from page 1 to the last page. It was a short read with a powerful punch! I am so obsessed with Astar and Hathan! I cannot wait for book 2!!! #ACrownofThornsandMagic #NetGalley
September 4, 2025
DNF at 50 percent. I just couldn’t go through it. The writing needed a sweep of an edition . While the story had a good idea it missed out. Too much world building in too few pages. More telling than showing. Sorry for this but I really tried.
October 18, 2025
Well, this book has rather more fantasy than romance, and dark fantasy at that, but I don't mind. It's also rather unconventional. The FMC is certainely not a damzel in need of rescue. The MMC is a very interesting guy and the baddie is really scary. I'm curious where the next book will take us.
March 3, 2026
I struggled to get through this one. The plot felt chaotic and the pacing dragged, with too much happening at once without enough buildup. The characters had potential but weren’t fully developed, and the magic system left me confused.
March 4, 2026
Issues with wrong pronouns being used/switched multiple times which makes me question this author.
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