There are some books that feel as though they were written in candlelight shadow (this book has me feeling a little dramatic, can you tell?), and Haunted Crowns carries that atmosphere from the very beginning. If you loved Underworld especially the first two films, that dark, gothic undercurrent where danger hums quietly beneath every exchange, then you will recognise the mood almost immediately. There is a heaviness to this world, an unspoken sense that something ancient and unsettling is moving beneath the surface, and that the heroine herself is far more entangled in it than she initially understands.
What I appreciated most is that her strength does not come from training or from stepping neatly into a role she was prepared for. Instead, it grows out of fear and discomfort. She is scared, she knows the risks, she hesitates, and yet she still chooses to move forward because she believes it is the right thing to do. That kind of courage, the kind that exists alongside doubt rather than in the absence of it, feels deeply human. As the revelations unfold and we begin to understand the danger surrounding her, the stakes sharpen in a way that feels more purposeful rather than dramatic just for the sake of it.
The pacing is quick, and for the most part I enjoyed that sense of momentum. The story rarely lingers, and there is an urgency that keeps you turning the pages. The romantic tension especially benefits from this. The love triangle element is handled in a way that keeps you genuinely uncertain, because the chemistry feels present on both sides. You are not nudged too obviously toward one outcome, and that balance makes the emotional stakes far more engaging than if one option had felt clearly inferior from the start.
At the same time, the speed occasionally comes at the expense of texture. We move from place to place without always knowing how much time has passed or what the journey between those spaces felt like. I found myself wishing for small grounding details, perhaps a pause at an inn, a night spent travelling, a quiet moment that allows the characters to process what has just happened. Not because the story needs to slow down dramatically, but because those quieter beats would give the world a little more weight and realism.
I also struggled somewhat with the point of view shifts. Perspectives move rapidly, sometimes even within the same paragraph during dialogue, and while it is interesting to have access to multiple interior worlds at once, it can feel slightly disorienting. Instead of deepening the tension, it occasionally pulls you out of the moment as you adjust to whose thoughts you are inhabiting. A clearer separation might have allowed certain emotional exchanges to land more fully.
Even with those structural frustrations, the foundation of this story is strong. The premise is compelling, the emotional core feels sound and the prose itself is beautiful. The writing is poetic and confident without becoming indulgent, and even in moments where I wished for more breathing room, the language continued to carry me forward. There are good bones here, and a sense that this author is building toward something even bigger.
Haunted Crowns leaves you with that lingering, slightly haunted feeling, as though you have stepped into a world still humming with unresolved tension, and that, more than anything, is what makes it memorable.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.