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The Hidden Mage #3
Crown of Strength
Verene and Darius should be celebrating their greatest triumph, but instead they’re left with heavy responsibilities and too many questions. As they dig deeper for the truth, they discover a threat beyond any they could have imagined.With enemies both within and without, even the Academy isn’t a safe haven from the looming threat. Verene is ready to use her new powers to defend everything she loves, but she can’t stand alone.If she and Darius can’t heal the rift between them, then they have no hope of protecting the Academy and uniting a kingdom torn apart by decades of bloodshed and power struggles. And if they can’t unite Kallorway, then destruction is coming for them all.If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the world of the Spoken Mage series now!The Hidden Mage reading of SecretsCrown of DangerCrown of StrengthCrown of PowerVerene lives in a world of written power—a world turned upside down by the first ever Spoken Mage. If you missed the adventures of her mother, Elena, then check out the completed Spoken Mage series, starting with Voice of Power.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2020
394 people are currently reading
2132 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Cellier
126 books2,773 followersMelanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
September 6, 2024
3 stars, personally. (Clean, no faith content, no language, and no sexual innuendoes.)
I had a feeling things would happen in regards to Verene’s new powers/skills in this book. I’m not a fan of how she’s keeping it from her family, but I do understand her reasoning that they first care about their country and may try to use her skills for the country’s benefits. I wasn’t thrilled with that thought, but was able to deal with it because she hadn’t told Darius either for the same reason. At least she’s not fully picking the boy over her own family. She struggles with telling either of them. These thoughts are why the ending hit harder than I was expecting, and I’ve already downloaded the next book to read right way to see how things will play out.
There is a little bit more of the typical YA book drama in this book in the sense of “can they be together” “can they not be together” “what’s going to happen” “what won’t happen”, but I was invested. Obviously. By the fact that reading all four of these books in three days. They’re entertaining, what else can I say? The covers are also stunning, perfection even.
Main Content-
(Basically the same as the first book)
Same fantasy/magic elements as the prior books, but this one adds in the possibility of someone being able to control and influence (brainwash) others with their powers (we see this on page); A mention of a superstition.
Fighting & Self-defense (up to semi-detailed); Being in the middle of bad storms/hurricanes & people are injured (up to semi-detailed); Verene throws up after a trying event; Mentions of past assassination attempts; Mentions of deaths & wars; Mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written).
Spoiler*
An semi-detailed kiss and an almost kiss that’s had a few sentences of build up; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Nearness, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Being in love, longing for another, & some of the emotions; A guy suggests that he can warm a girl when she’s cold and she tells him off; A few mentions of a couple sneaking off together in the gardens at night; A few mentions of jealousy.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4)
I had a feeling things would happen in regards to Verene’s new powers/skills in this book. I’m not a fan of how she’s keeping it from her family, but I do understand her reasoning that they first care about their country and may try to use her skills for the country’s benefits. I wasn’t thrilled with that thought, but was able to deal with it because she hadn’t told Darius either for the same reason. At least she’s not fully picking the boy over her own family. She struggles with telling either of them. These thoughts are why the ending hit harder than I was expecting, and I’ve already downloaded the next book to read right way to see how things will play out.
There is a little bit more of the typical YA book drama in this book in the sense of “can they be together” “can they not be together” “what’s going to happen” “what won’t happen”, but I was invested. Obviously. By the fact that reading all four of these books in three days. They’re entertaining, what else can I say? The covers are also stunning, perfection even.
Main Content-
(Basically the same as the first book)
Same fantasy/magic elements as the prior books, but this one adds in the possibility of someone being able to control and influence (brainwash) others with their powers (we see this on page); A mention of a superstition.
Fighting & Self-defense (up to semi-detailed); Being in the middle of bad storms/hurricanes & people are injured (up to semi-detailed); Verene throws up after a trying event; Mentions of past assassination attempts; Mentions of deaths & wars; Mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written).
Spoiler*
An semi-detailed kiss and an almost kiss that’s had a few sentences of build up; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Nearness, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Being in love, longing for another, & some of the emotions; A guy suggests that he can warm a girl when she’s cold and she tells him off; A few mentions of a couple sneaking off together in the gardens at night; A few mentions of jealousy.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4)
August 6, 2025
Now Playing [Power By Little Mix]
0:26 ———♡——— 3:50
◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷
ʚ ͜ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ୨𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝔂 𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓻 {𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 3 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓯 4}୧ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ͜ ɞ
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 3 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴
𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦: 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
𝘈𝘨𝘦: +13
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦
╰──────┄ °❀
We love Verene! Verene is the best. I love her so much and I love how far she has come to this level of power. She has been known as powerless, useless, just a pretty face at court. But now she is rivaling her mother with her power. She is now battling internal and external pain. I find myself relating a lot to her. From being a younger sibling and all. (Even though she is a middle). Anyways I feel like she is way more mature than her mother was at this age.
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴
╰──────┄ °❀
Now, now, now Prince Darius. I love him so much! He is strong being. He cares so much for people he cares about. He felt so betrayed by Jereth. He is such a loving person and people may not see that. People think he is cold and dark and the "Evil Prince" But really he is a TEDDY BEAR! I love him sooooo much. I cannot wait to read his POV in the extras!!
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩/𝘉𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘺
╰──────┄ °❀
We Love them! Okay so let me just make a small summary for both. Jereth oh Jereth what to do with you. I forgive yu for almost stabbing Darius in his sleep. Because you were controlled but that is it! You are still weird. And also I hate how Darius half to be the "Bad Prince" while you are the "Good Prince" Like dude. You were sketchy from the beginning. Anyways let go to Bryony! We love her she is the best and I do wish Melanie did a small novella on her and her future. Anyways she is literally my opposite which is sorta why I like her so much. She is so outgoing and does what she thinks is right without hesitation. She always will protect her friends and family.
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘔𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
╰──────┄ °❀
This book is a 3 star. I liked it it was just so how do I say it. Plainish? Something like that. You get the rush in the first book them you get the push in the second and now this book is sorta barreling down hill and the last book will push it up. Anyways, I find Verene and Darius much more mature than Elene and Lucas were when they were trying to find away to be together. Verene and Darius are honestly the cutest!! Also Bryony we got to see much more in here which I loved so much.
Other Reviews on the book series
𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟭 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 2 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 3 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 4 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
0:26 ———♡——— 3:50
◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷
ʚ ͜ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ୨𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝔂 𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓻 {𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 3 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓯 4}୧ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ͜ ɞ
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 3 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴
𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦: 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
𝘈𝘨𝘦: +13
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦
╰──────┄ °❀
We love Verene! Verene is the best. I love her so much and I love how far she has come to this level of power. She has been known as powerless, useless, just a pretty face at court. But now she is rivaling her mother with her power. She is now battling internal and external pain. I find myself relating a lot to her. From being a younger sibling and all. (Even though she is a middle). Anyways I feel like she is way more mature than her mother was at this age.
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴
╰──────┄ °❀
Now, now, now Prince Darius. I love him so much! He is strong being. He cares so much for people he cares about. He felt so betrayed by Jereth. He is such a loving person and people may not see that. People think he is cold and dark and the "Evil Prince" But really he is a TEDDY BEAR! I love him sooooo much. I cannot wait to read his POV in the extras!!
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩/𝘉𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘺
╰──────┄ °❀
We Love them! Okay so let me just make a small summary for both. Jereth oh Jereth what to do with you. I forgive yu for almost stabbing Darius in his sleep. Because you were controlled but that is it! You are still weird. And also I hate how Darius half to be the "Bad Prince" while you are the "Good Prince" Like dude. You were sketchy from the beginning. Anyways let go to Bryony! We love her she is the best and I do wish Melanie did a small novella on her and her future. Anyways she is literally my opposite which is sorta why I like her so much. She is so outgoing and does what she thinks is right without hesitation. She always will protect her friends and family.
❀° ┄──────╮
𝘔𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
╰──────┄ °❀
This book is a 3 star. I liked it it was just so how do I say it. Plainish? Something like that. You get the rush in the first book them you get the push in the second and now this book is sorta barreling down hill and the last book will push it up. Anyways, I find Verene and Darius much more mature than Elene and Lucas were when they were trying to find away to be together. Verene and Darius are honestly the cutest!! Also Bryony we got to see much more in here which I loved so much.
Other Reviews on the book series
𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟭 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 2 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 3 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 4 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
December 29, 2020
30th Dec 2020
After this long wait...finally the book is out now....I read it in one sitting as I couldn't bear to be parted from it. The series is progressing very well. And I was pleasantly surprised multiple times by the plot twists that went very differently from what I had anticipated. And the ending pretty well wraps up the book , providing insights while simultaneously building up the footwork for the next book.
I would write a thorough review soon. These are just my random thoughts after just finishing the book.
20th oct 2020
26th December 2020. That's the date I'm waiting for
The previous book eluded to something big coming up Darius and Verene's way. The next two months are going to be torturous. The recently released description on Amazon too promises a GREAT PLOT TWIST.
Description:
Verene and Darius should be celebrating their greatest triumph, but instead they’re left with heavy responsibilities and too many questions. As they dig deeper for the truth, they discover a threat beyond any they could have imagined.
With enemies both within and without, even the Academy isn’t a safe haven from the looming threat. Verene is ready to use her new powers to defend everything she loves, but she can’t stand alone.
If she and Darius can’t heal the rift between them, then they have no hope of protecting the Academy and uniting a kingdom torn apart by decades of bloodshed and power struggles. And if they can’t unite Kallorway, then destruction is coming for them all.
If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the world of the Spoken Mage series now!
Hope it lives upto my expectation. Super excited!!!!
After this long wait...finally the book is out now....I read it in one sitting as I couldn't bear to be parted from it. The series is progressing very well. And I was pleasantly surprised multiple times by the plot twists that went very differently from what I had anticipated. And the ending pretty well wraps up the book , providing insights while simultaneously building up the footwork for the next book.
I would write a thorough review soon. These are just my random thoughts after just finishing the book.
20th oct 2020
26th December 2020. That's the date I'm waiting for
The previous book eluded to something big coming up Darius and Verene's way. The next two months are going to be torturous. The recently released description on Amazon too promises a GREAT PLOT TWIST.
Description:
Verene and Darius should be celebrating their greatest triumph, but instead they’re left with heavy responsibilities and too many questions. As they dig deeper for the truth, they discover a threat beyond any they could have imagined.
With enemies both within and without, even the Academy isn’t a safe haven from the looming threat. Verene is ready to use her new powers to defend everything she loves, but she can’t stand alone.
If she and Darius can’t heal the rift between them, then they have no hope of protecting the Academy and uniting a kingdom torn apart by decades of bloodshed and power struggles. And if they can’t unite Kallorway, then destruction is coming for them all.
If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the world of the Spoken Mage series now!
Hope it lives upto my expectation. Super excited!!!!
December 28, 2020
I liked this book. I won't say much because it's the 3rd book in the series with major spoilers, but a lot of plot is revealed. We find out who the big bad is, and our group of characters figured out all the mysteries going on. I really liked all of the character moments, as well as all the romantic bits. It was nice to read the group both as individuals, and as a group. Their dynamic is fantastic.
Stand out characters for me were Jareth, and Elsie. Elsie is a great addition to the cast, and nice to see her brought into Verene's inner circle. It was also nice to see Jerith as himself after all that happened in books 1 and 2. Like I said, I enjoy all of the characters, but in this book those 2 were the stand outs for me.
The magic is expanded in here, as is the lore of the story. I like the author harkening back to old things in the previous series, and using it to flesh out the world. I will say the final chapter had some unnecessary drama that I don't think will pay off, but it was nice to see Verene's powers and abilities grow in this book regardless.
Like I said, can't say much else without spoiling, but this is a very solid entry in the series. I enjoy all of these books though, well thought out series of fantasy romance. Can't wait for book 4 to come out!
Stand out characters for me were Jareth, and Elsie. Elsie is a great addition to the cast, and nice to see her brought into Verene's inner circle. It was also nice to see Jerith as himself after all that happened in books 1 and 2. Like I said, I enjoy all of the characters, but in this book those 2 were the stand outs for me.
The magic is expanded in here, as is the lore of the story. I like the author harkening back to old things in the previous series, and using it to flesh out the world. I will say the final chapter had some unnecessary drama that I don't think will pay off, but it was nice to see Verene's powers and abilities grow in this book regardless.
Like I said, can't say much else without spoiling, but this is a very solid entry in the series. I enjoy all of these books though, well thought out series of fantasy romance. Can't wait for book 4 to come out!
November 21, 2023
So much fun to read! This story and series is a YA fantasy lovers delight.
May 30, 2021
Slow
Still struggling through the series. Not seeing a lot of character growth. The MC is making the same mistakes she made in the first two books, and somehow the romance is still based on scraps instead of meaningful time spent together. I still find Verene largely unlikable, and am increasingly annoyed at her damsel in distress moments: clutching her throat, gasping, speaking weakly or in a gasp or whisper, and watching stuff fall apart before she realizes she can do something about it. And constantly being asked if she is all right or if everything is ok, as if she's made of glass. I spent most of the book wishing she'd pull her head out of the sand and grow up.
The whole book felt dragged out, with me knowing the next step or steps while the MC is still fighting out the equation is 1+1. So while the plot does move along, it's at a pace way too slow for me. I also felt like there was so much distraction in terms of text around what was actually happening. In nearly every scene Verene's mind wanders to unimportant things and her attention has to be wrenched back to her purpose. Not attentive or focused at all, this main character. Instead, she was constantly in la la land. I personally feel it muddied the storytelling with unnecessary details that had little of value to provide. It made progress slow.
Still struggling through the series. Not seeing a lot of character growth. The MC is making the same mistakes she made in the first two books, and somehow the romance is still based on scraps instead of meaningful time spent together. I still find Verene largely unlikable, and am increasingly annoyed at her damsel in distress moments: clutching her throat, gasping, speaking weakly or in a gasp or whisper, and watching stuff fall apart before she realizes she can do something about it. And constantly being asked if she is all right or if everything is ok, as if she's made of glass. I spent most of the book wishing she'd pull her head out of the sand and grow up.
The whole book felt dragged out, with me knowing the next step or steps while the MC is still fighting out the equation is 1+1. So while the plot does move along, it's at a pace way too slow for me. I also felt like there was so much distraction in terms of text around what was actually happening. In nearly every scene Verene's mind wanders to unimportant things and her attention has to be wrenched back to her purpose. Not attentive or focused at all, this main character. Instead, she was constantly in la la land. I personally feel it muddied the storytelling with unnecessary details that had little of value to provide. It made progress slow.
April 1, 2022
DARIUS YOU DUMBASS. SHE TOLD YOU SHE HADNT TOLD HER PARENTS. YOU IDIOT
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2025
Rating 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This one… well it might have been my favourite one in the series so far.
And I’m still kinda dumb struck about the instructor being bad! And they’re FRIEND Tyron of all people was bad!! My flabbers are gasted from that one.
Darius and Verene are still slightly back and forth with their relationship. I feel like at the end of this one they solidified that a bit. But yet they also kinda had a fight cuz he told Verenes parents about her abilities when she hasn’t yet, but I felt bad for Darius in the situation cuz he thought Verene told her parents already. So it’s kinda her fault she didn’t tell them sooner.
And I know in the next book they want to get married but Darius wants her parents approval when she just feels like they will come to be fine with it over time, but Darius doesn’t want that.
But overall it was really good and interesting!
[Definitely clean. No Christian themes. No cussing]
This one… well it might have been my favourite one in the series so far.
And I’m still kinda dumb struck about the instructor being bad! And they’re FRIEND Tyron of all people was bad!! My flabbers are gasted from that one.
Darius and Verene are still slightly back and forth with their relationship. I feel like at the end of this one they solidified that a bit. But yet they also kinda had a fight cuz he told Verenes parents about her abilities when she hasn’t yet, but I felt bad for Darius in the situation cuz he thought Verene told her parents already. So it’s kinda her fault she didn’t tell them sooner.
And I know in the next book they want to get married but Darius wants her parents approval when she just feels like they will come to be fine with it over time, but Darius doesn’t want that.
But overall it was really good and interesting!
[Definitely clean. No Christian themes. No cussing]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2025
Ir pagājuši aptuveni 20 miera pilni gadi kopš iepriekšējās The Spoken Mage sērijas noslēguma. Lai arī izteikti cieša sadarbība starp Ardenas un Kalovejas karalistēm nav izveidojusies, tad arī šķiet drauds par jauna un varbūt tikpat ilgstoša kara atjaunošanos arīdzan nav. Lai censtos jo vairāk tuvināt un varbūt beidzot sākt jēgpilnāk sadarboties, uz Kalovejas maģijas akadēmiju tiek sūtīta The Spoken Mage galveno tēlu Elenas un Lūkasa meita Verīna.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/02/07/me...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/02/07/me...
March 30, 2024
3.5 stars.
November 30, 2021
I really like the story, and the plot is well overall. But, the writing style isn't to my liking I guess? I don't know how to say this properly, but it wasn't that engaging.
However, I want to know what would happen next in the last book of the series, so I'll definitely read "Crown of Power".
However, I want to know what would happen next in the last book of the series, so I'll definitely read "Crown of Power".
March 8, 2023
Whew! This was quite the adventure! I went through it really fast, and remember that the ending was torture, but so many important things happened in this book. The plot took a crazy new direction that, looking back, makes sense, but took me by so much surprise! Overall, it was awesome, with so many revealed secrets and a ton of stuff FINALLY making sense. I'd recommend for anybody who likes fantasy 12+!
January 2, 2021
This book is a lot better than the previous ones. It still suffers from some scenes being told rather than shown but the overall flow has greatly improved.
Still can't say I like Darius. That boy changes his opinion like a weather vane during hurricane season. Considering how little actual personality he has him flip-flopping between "we can never be together" and "I'll do anything to be with you" isn't exactly endearing. No, seriously, that's the only thing he does the whole book.
At least Verene is finally starting to think about politics instead of swooning over the hot guy incessantly. I guess even she's grown bored with the whole "gotta steel my heart against disappointment" shtick.
While the writing is still unpolished I would have given the book five stars if it wasn't for the sloppy finale. The main antagonist of the previous books reveals himself in an endless infodump that we couldn't possibly have seen coming or suspected in any way which rather takes the fun out of the mystery. I'm also a bit disappointed that there's no attempt at misdirection at all; Verene suspects someone and without fail they turn out to be a bad guy no matter how flimsy her accusation. I mean her entire reason for disliking Jareth in the previous books was just a gut feeling. That's not great writing.
There's another minor antagonist that has been in every previous book and yet their motivations are also infodumped on us in their last moments, no foreshadowing at all. In fact, I had actually liked that character and was exasperated that they were ""evil"" now for no other reason than plot contrivance.
Looking back on the series I find it hard to believe that this book was edited at all. Anyone halfway competent would have changed the structure of the first book to prevent the infodump fatigue setting in and insisted on inserting some foreshadowing scenes at the very least. There's just absolutely no fun in a reveal if you had no possible way to solve anything. Despite the odds I had fun reading this, the magic system is surprisingly engaging despite the protagonists nearly universal powers. (less)
Still can't say I like Darius. That boy changes his opinion like a weather vane during hurricane season. Considering how little actual personality he has him flip-flopping between "we can never be together" and "I'll do anything to be with you" isn't exactly endearing. No, seriously, that's the only thing he does the whole book.
At least Verene is finally starting to think about politics instead of swooning over the hot guy incessantly. I guess even she's grown bored with the whole "gotta steel my heart against disappointment" shtick.
While the writing is still unpolished I would have given the book five stars if it wasn't for the sloppy finale. The main antagonist of the previous books reveals himself in an endless infodump that we couldn't possibly have seen coming or suspected in any way which rather takes the fun out of the mystery. I'm also a bit disappointed that there's no attempt at misdirection at all; Verene suspects someone and without fail they turn out to be a bad guy no matter how flimsy her accusation. I mean her entire reason for disliking Jareth in the previous books was just a gut feeling. That's not great writing.
There's another minor antagonist that has been in every previous book and yet their motivations are also infodumped on us in their last moments, no foreshadowing at all. In fact, I had actually liked that character and was exasperated that they were ""evil"" now for no other reason than plot contrivance.
Looking back on the series I find it hard to believe that this book was edited at all. Anyone halfway competent would have changed the structure of the first book to prevent the infodump fatigue setting in and insisted on inserting some foreshadowing scenes at the very least. There's just absolutely no fun in a reveal if you had no possible way to solve anything. Despite the odds I had fun reading this, the magic system is surprisingly engaging despite the protagonists nearly universal powers. (less)
December 26, 2020
That's another cliffhanger. -_-
But anyway, this book did an excellent job with giving us readers ANSWERS. The big fight is still yet to come but on the emotional and magical side, everything is charged up and ready to go.
I will say the first half of the book made me rather....dislike it. It was just too drama filled for my personal tastes and Verene's family stubborn streak was showing up in a way that made me apprehensibe. But the introduction of an interesting element restored my faith. As well as GROWTH. Of multiple characters. And I now trust Cellier once again to pull it all off beautifully.
I do have misgivings about the romance, still, and thought the book could have done better without it...but I'll withhold judgment because, again, I have full faith in Cellier. :) And she portrayed the messiness of emotions very neatly (I think?).
Content: some violence, romantic tension/kiss. But nothing much else
But anyway, this book did an excellent job with giving us readers ANSWERS. The big fight is still yet to come but on the emotional and magical side, everything is charged up and ready to go.
I will say the first half of the book made me rather....dislike it. It was just too drama filled for my personal tastes and Verene's family stubborn streak was showing up in a way that made me apprehensibe. But the introduction of an interesting element restored my faith. As well as GROWTH. Of multiple characters. And I now trust Cellier once again to pull it all off beautifully.
I do have misgivings about the romance, still, and thought the book could have done better without it...but I'll withhold judgment because, again, I have full faith in Cellier. :) And she portrayed the messiness of emotions very neatly (I think?).
Content: some violence, romantic tension/kiss. But nothing much else
December 28, 2020
Ehhhhh. Not as good as the others. The exposition has always leaned towards feeling like a dump, and there’s plenty of events going on in this book to warrant some exposition dumps. That said, the reveals are smart and the challenges fairly realized. I didn’t like the ending. Sure, some secrets were past due for coming to light, but I’m not a fan of ending each book on a note of distance between Verene and Darius. Melanie Cellier can do great romance teams. And after three (or seven) books, the same romance formula of starting apart and getting closer is tired. Great for stand alones, but grating otherwise.
All that aside, I did like this book. Bryony remains an icon who can do no wrong, and I really liked Elsie as a new character. Jareth has always been interesting, and I want to see more of him in the next one. Zora is the best and deserves her own spin off.
All that aside, I did like this book. Bryony remains an icon who can do no wrong, and I really liked Elsie as a new character. Jareth has always been interesting, and I want to see more of him in the next one. Zora is the best and deserves her own spin off.
January 21, 2021
This book is an AWESOME continuation of this series! Verene figures out more uses for her magic and just how powerful she is! And some of the mystery is revealed in stunning fashion that had me on the edge of my seat. This whole series is un-put-down-able, and this book especially made me stay up far too late!
I can't WAIT for book 4 and the grand finale to Darius' and Verene's story!
I can't WAIT for book 4 and the grand finale to Darius' and Verene's story!
November 7, 2021
this book was flatter than saskatchewan
August 7, 2024
Of all the books so far in this series, I think this one is easily my favorite (but I'm hoping it will be topped by book 4)!
There's so much build-up and tension... so much exploration of Verene's capabilities... and so many big revelations that I know will be a shaping force in the finale.
It's been a while since I've read a series that follows the same main character through a whole saga, but I'm really enjoying it, and I'm going to hate having to depart from this story world and the darling characters. Bryony and Darius continue to be such supporters, and we even make a couple new friends in this book.
I honestly was completely taken off guard by the big reveal, and also by the ending of the book. But I have faith that things will work out for our main characters. ;)
Overall, this was a thrilling, twist-riddled fantasy, and I am so eager to start book 4.
There's so much build-up and tension... so much exploration of Verene's capabilities... and so many big revelations that I know will be a shaping force in the finale.
It's been a while since I've read a series that follows the same main character through a whole saga, but I'm really enjoying it, and I'm going to hate having to depart from this story world and the darling characters. Bryony and Darius continue to be such supporters, and we even make a couple new friends in this book.
I honestly was completely taken off guard by the big reveal, and also by the ending of the book. But I have faith that things will work out for our main characters. ;)
Overall, this was a thrilling, twist-riddled fantasy, and I am so eager to start book 4.
February 2, 2022
Absolutely epic! And talk about plot twists… I did NOT see that coming. This book was just amazing!! Verene’s power is so intriguing.
I loved the addition of a new character, Elsie. I loved Jareth in this one too. Previously I had been too afraid to trust him but now I can wholeheartedly say he’s a great character and I’m so glad!
I really liked getting to know more about their other year mates too. It was intriguing and surprising to say the least.
Bree is just the best friend and sidekick for this story.
I’m still hoping for Verene and Darius’s happy ending because these two must end up together. ❤️
Ahh! This series is just soo good. I could not put this book down. I finished it at all at once. These books really do fly by. Intrigue, powers, danger, secrets, betrayal, royalty, plot twists… 😍
But that ending… I started book 4 immediately. I need to know what happens. Ahh!
I loved the addition of a new character, Elsie. I loved Jareth in this one too. Previously I had been too afraid to trust him but now I can wholeheartedly say he’s a great character and I’m so glad!
I really liked getting to know more about their other year mates too. It was intriguing and surprising to say the least.
Bree is just the best friend and sidekick for this story.
I’m still hoping for Verene and Darius’s happy ending because these two must end up together. ❤️
Ahh! This series is just soo good. I could not put this book down. I finished it at all at once. These books really do fly by. Intrigue, powers, danger, secrets, betrayal, royalty, plot twists… 😍
But that ending… I started book 4 immediately. I need to know what happens. Ahh!
January 17, 2021
The Hidden Mage series is genuinely one of the most binge-worthy series I have ever read. I could hardly put Crown of Strength down. It has everything you could want in a high fantasy binge-read: a magic system so fleshed out that it feels real and believable, political intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat, lots and lots of swords, broody love interests, twists and turns galore, and character development that will hit you right in the feels.
April 23, 2025
A great continuation of this series! Quite a bit happens in this book and we finally get a clear understanding of what’s going on. We find out who the villain is, how they’re attacking our beloved royals, and why they’re doing so.
I’m still really enjoying this series and once again I’m immediately moving on to the next book!
I’m still really enjoying this series and once again I’m immediately moving on to the next book!
December 28, 2020
Absolutely wonderful
This 3rd book in the series was so worth the wait for it to come out. I love this series as much as the Spoken Mage and that is a huge compliment. I love Melanie Cellier. Highly, highly recommended.
This 3rd book in the series was so worth the wait for it to come out. I love this series as much as the Spoken Mage and that is a huge compliment. I love Melanie Cellier. Highly, highly recommended.
February 12, 2023
Hooray! New plot twists and character reveals that make the third book in the series interesting again.
Can't help but cheer for Princess Verene and her hopes and dreams.
Love the audio book reader with an Australian/English accent.
Can't help but cheer for Princess Verene and her hopes and dreams.
Love the audio book reader with an Australian/English accent.
July 11, 2021
“¿Me quieren lo suficiente como para dejarme elegir mi propia vida?”
December 30, 2021
Wow again. No lazy storytelling from this author. I immediately raced to the next book.
February 8, 2022
This third book actually started out slow, and I didn't care for the first part much. But with a few plot twists, the rest of the book was very interesting and I'm glad I read it.
July 28, 2024
SOOO MANY PLOT TWISTSSSSSSS!!! This book was so good!!!
October 11, 2022
Best book so far. Varene’s power is amazing. On to book 4.
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October 19, 2022Really enjoying this series! Some young adult books are just too young adult, not the case here.
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