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Kingdom of the White Sea #1
The Kingless Crown
A crown woven together by lies.
A kingdom with the power to unravel them.
Four Reaches. Four brides. Only a fortnight separates the young women from becoming reluctant queens of the usurper king, Eoghan Rhiagain.
Twenty years earlier, King Eoghan’s father cunningly devised marriages between the highborn sons and daughters of the oft-warring Reaches, sealing the unions before they could protest, shattering existing betrothals in place of forced alliances.
Now, Eoghan, the cruel boy king who stole his crown through murder, demands the eldest daughters of these unions. To accept is unfathomable. To refuse is treason.
The lords and ladies of the kingdom have no choice but to prepare their beloved daughters for the horrors ahead. But they’ll soon discover there are no longer any daughters left to present. All four have disappeared, painting the world with their rebellion.
Theirs is not the only rebellion. Across the kingdom, little fires light within. From the enigmatic sorcerers in the northern mountains, to the magi who both wield and regulate the kingdom’s magic, and beyond… to a place where two prisoners are not what they seem.
As the Reaches ready themselves to face the king, the kingdom hovers on the edge of chaos.
And there are many who recall, in candlelit secrecy, tales of a time before…
A kingdom with the power to unravel them.
Four Reaches. Four brides. Only a fortnight separates the young women from becoming reluctant queens of the usurper king, Eoghan Rhiagain.
Twenty years earlier, King Eoghan’s father cunningly devised marriages between the highborn sons and daughters of the oft-warring Reaches, sealing the unions before they could protest, shattering existing betrothals in place of forced alliances.
Now, Eoghan, the cruel boy king who stole his crown through murder, demands the eldest daughters of these unions. To accept is unfathomable. To refuse is treason.
The lords and ladies of the kingdom have no choice but to prepare their beloved daughters for the horrors ahead. But they’ll soon discover there are no longer any daughters left to present. All four have disappeared, painting the world with their rebellion.
Theirs is not the only rebellion. Across the kingdom, little fires light within. From the enigmatic sorcerers in the northern mountains, to the magi who both wield and regulate the kingdom’s magic, and beyond… to a place where two prisoners are not what they seem.
As the Reaches ready themselves to face the king, the kingdom hovers on the edge of chaos.
And there are many who recall, in candlelit secrecy, tales of a time before…
655 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
424 people are currently reading
7113 people want to read
About the author
Sarah M. Cradit
99 books898 followersSarah is the USA Today and International Bestselling Author of over forty contemporary and epic fantasy stories, and the creator of the Kingdom of the White Sea and Saga of Crimson & Clover universes.
Born a geek, Sarah spends her time crafting rich and multilayered worlds, obsessing over history, playing her retribution paladin (and sometimes destruction warlock), and settling provocative Tolkien debates, such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, she's been to over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration, and is always planning her next adventure.
Sarah and her husband live in a beautiful corner of SE Pennsylvania with their three tiny benevolent pug dictators.
Connect with Sarah:
sarahmcradit.com
Instagram: @sarahmcradit
Facebook: @sarahmcradit
Born a geek, Sarah spends her time crafting rich and multilayered worlds, obsessing over history, playing her retribution paladin (and sometimes destruction warlock), and settling provocative Tolkien debates, such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, she's been to over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration, and is always planning her next adventure.
Sarah and her husband live in a beautiful corner of SE Pennsylvania with their three tiny benevolent pug dictators.
Connect with Sarah:
sarahmcradit.com
Instagram: @sarahmcradit
Facebook: @sarahmcradit
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
May 24, 2024
Rating: 3 stars
THE KINGLESS CROWN, by Sarah M Cradit is the first book of the epic fantasy “Kingdom of the White Sea”. It is a “Game of Thrones”-type offering minus the dragons.
My disappointment at not being able to rate this higher stems from my inability to follow the story. Having chosen the audiobook version of this read was definitely a mistake on my part. The reader of the 21 hr saga, Kimberly M Wetherell, was assigned a difficult task. Ms Wetherell voiced between 25-30 different voices—both male and female. After a while it was impossible for me to tell the difference between the characters which I think might have been better suited to having a second reader assist. Also, with this being a fantasy there were hard to understand names of not only places but also characters. Very frustrating and I’m sure just my issue.
Consequently, I did not want to rate below a 3 as I think if I had read the physical book, I would have been so hooked by the storyline, I would read the entire series. My inability to grasp a lot of the nuance in the audiobook and storyline does not allow me to rate the story above a 3.
THE KINGLESS CROWN, by Sarah M Cradit is the first book of the epic fantasy “Kingdom of the White Sea”. It is a “Game of Thrones”-type offering minus the dragons.
My disappointment at not being able to rate this higher stems from my inability to follow the story. Having chosen the audiobook version of this read was definitely a mistake on my part. The reader of the 21 hr saga, Kimberly M Wetherell, was assigned a difficult task. Ms Wetherell voiced between 25-30 different voices—both male and female. After a while it was impossible for me to tell the difference between the characters which I think might have been better suited to having a second reader assist. Also, with this being a fantasy there were hard to understand names of not only places but also characters. Very frustrating and I’m sure just my issue.
Consequently, I did not want to rate below a 3 as I think if I had read the physical book, I would have been so hooked by the storyline, I would read the entire series. My inability to grasp a lot of the nuance in the audiobook and storyline does not allow me to rate the story above a 3.
October 29, 2021
TGR! Thumping Good Read™️. This was just what I didn’t know I needed…it’s been a while since I read a door stopper epic fantasy and I came across this one purely by chance. I’m delighted to see the rest of the trilogy has already been published and I’ve already bought it. The themes of this book have been done before but I was so entertained it still gets the full 5. There’s magic and Sorcerers and backstabbing megalomaniacs; ambition, insanity, murder and Parents with Problems. What more could you want?!
November 23, 2021
Definitely got some Game of Throne vibes while reading The Kingless Crown. Some of what happened completely grossed me out and made want to be blind for the rest of my life. Others made me constantly question what was going on throughout the entire book. Then I got to that ending. The last sentence got to me and now I need to figure out what is going to happen next.
November 10, 2021
4 stars
The Kingless Crown is a really strong high fantasy reminiscent of Game of Thrones with some great underlying feminist themes. I really liked the characters and romances, but I found it a bit difficult to keep up with the plot and distinguish between different characters' voices (there's multiple POVs). Granted, I haven't read a high fantasy in a while, so it could just be me. I don't know if I'll continue this series, but I'd definitely recommend it to those transitioning from fantasy to high fantasy.
TW: sexual assault
Thank you to NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Kingless Crown is a really strong high fantasy reminiscent of Game of Thrones with some great underlying feminist themes. I really liked the characters and romances, but I found it a bit difficult to keep up with the plot and distinguish between different characters' voices (there's multiple POVs). Granted, I haven't read a high fantasy in a while, so it could just be me. I don't know if I'll continue this series, but I'd definitely recommend it to those transitioning from fantasy to high fantasy.
TW: sexual assault
Thank you to NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2021
Wow. I did not anticipate this book ending up as one of my favorites, but it really sunk its claws into me.
The Kingless Crown is an epic fantasy, and I was blown away by the world building and scope of the story. It is definitely darker in tone, and I will add content warnings to the end of this review, for you consideration, but nonetheless, I definitely recommend.
This heart of this story is that of youth enduring the faults and choices of their elders, and let me tell you, they made me SWEAT. Sarah M. Cradit knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and there were definitely moments I was left reeling at the end of chapters.
This is one of those stories that has multiple POVs that seem to be following their own stories or plotlines at the beginning of the book, but as a reader you can see all of the near misses or know when characters are about to meet before they actually do. This is one of my FAVORITE types of storytelling and I feel as though Sarah M. Cradit handled it all really well.
I love that there is a little bit of everything in this book, too. There is the vile, heartless tyrant, there is friendship and family, there is immense suffering and grief, there is sweet first love and decades old love, there is magic and heroism, there are various factions with their own goals, family feuds that span generations, and there are some really incredible secrets and mysteries for you to uncover as you read.
This is also a story in which the most heroic characters aren’t necessarily the ones you’d expect, and Sarah M. Cradit certainly isn’t afraid to put her characters in situations where every choice comes with heartache. But there are also sweet and lighthearted moments that left me laughing or smiling! It’s so epic in its scope, you can definitely expect to feel all the emotions!
This is perfect for fans of high fantasy in the vein of George R.R. Martin and I cannot recommend it enough. Even better, the trilogy is complete! I’m looking forward to continuing it and seeing where it goes!
Content warnings: Please note, that I would label this as adult dark (epic) fantasy, I’ve seen some people label it as YA fantasy, and I believe that is a misrepresentation. There is rape, sexual assault, incest, breastfeeding (for sexual gratification), torture, imprisonment, starvation, assassination, kidnapping, ableism.
Thank you to Sarah M. Cradit and Book of Matches Media for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
The Kingless Crown is an epic fantasy, and I was blown away by the world building and scope of the story. It is definitely darker in tone, and I will add content warnings to the end of this review, for you consideration, but nonetheless, I definitely recommend.
This heart of this story is that of youth enduring the faults and choices of their elders, and let me tell you, they made me SWEAT. Sarah M. Cradit knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and there were definitely moments I was left reeling at the end of chapters.
This is one of those stories that has multiple POVs that seem to be following their own stories or plotlines at the beginning of the book, but as a reader you can see all of the near misses or know when characters are about to meet before they actually do. This is one of my FAVORITE types of storytelling and I feel as though Sarah M. Cradit handled it all really well.
I love that there is a little bit of everything in this book, too. There is the vile, heartless tyrant, there is friendship and family, there is immense suffering and grief, there is sweet first love and decades old love, there is magic and heroism, there are various factions with their own goals, family feuds that span generations, and there are some really incredible secrets and mysteries for you to uncover as you read.
This is also a story in which the most heroic characters aren’t necessarily the ones you’d expect, and Sarah M. Cradit certainly isn’t afraid to put her characters in situations where every choice comes with heartache. But there are also sweet and lighthearted moments that left me laughing or smiling! It’s so epic in its scope, you can definitely expect to feel all the emotions!
This is perfect for fans of high fantasy in the vein of George R.R. Martin and I cannot recommend it enough. Even better, the trilogy is complete! I’m looking forward to continuing it and seeing where it goes!
Content warnings: Please note, that I would label this as adult dark (epic) fantasy, I’ve seen some people label it as YA fantasy, and I believe that is a misrepresentation. There is rape, sexual assault, incest, breastfeeding (for sexual gratification), torture, imprisonment, starvation, assassination, kidnapping, ableism.
Thank you to Sarah M. Cradit and Book of Matches Media for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2020
3.5 Stars
Uff da, that was long.
This was a fantastic epic fantasy story. I can see why some have mentioned GOT as a comparison; the author isn't afraid of hurting her characters to further the story. As such, there are some triggers here:
With some editing, this could have been a 5 star read for me. I loved the characters, connected with them, and had no trouble rooting for them. Unfortunately, the book's structure of multiple 3rd person POVs made it difficult to follow at first. I had to constantly refer to the list of families and reaches that were (thankfully) provided at the beginning to understand who was who. Around 25% was when I found it a bit easier to follow. So, fair warning, you have to hang in there.
I prefer books with a fast pace. Sadly for me, this one was slower than molasses in January. And while, yes, part of that was due to the multiple POV structure, it wasn't the only issue. There was an imbalance between narration and dialogue, and heavy use of internal monologuing (some redundant and/or repetitive). If the story didn't have me hooked, I might have put it down.
FYI: This is written in serial style with an abrupt end and no story resolution.
Uff da, that was long.
This was a fantastic epic fantasy story. I can see why some have mentioned GOT as a comparison; the author isn't afraid of hurting her characters to further the story. As such, there are some triggers here:
With some editing, this could have been a 5 star read for me. I loved the characters, connected with them, and had no trouble rooting for them. Unfortunately, the book's structure of multiple 3rd person POVs made it difficult to follow at first. I had to constantly refer to the list of families and reaches that were (thankfully) provided at the beginning to understand who was who. Around 25% was when I found it a bit easier to follow. So, fair warning, you have to hang in there.
I prefer books with a fast pace. Sadly for me, this one was slower than molasses in January. And while, yes, part of that was due to the multiple POV structure, it wasn't the only issue. There was an imbalance between narration and dialogue, and heavy use of internal monologuing (some redundant and/or repetitive). If the story didn't have me hooked, I might have put it down.
FYI: This is written in serial style with an abrupt end and no story resolution.
April 16, 2021
Wow.
Últimamente estoy descubriendo puros diamantes en bruto, libros no muy conocidos que me dejan preguntándome una y otra vez por qué no son best seller, y deseando hipnotizaros a tod@s para que los leáis.
Este libro lo descubrí a través de otro diamante en bruto (House of Bastiion) por un sorteo en instagram. Bendito instagram.
Yo siempre leo YA, y algún NA, y no tenía ni idea de con qué me iba a encontrar (no leo las sinopsis de los libros, es un vicio que tengo). He de decir que no es juvenil, aunque tenemos también protagonistas adolescentes (y más jóvenes, así como adultos) pero no tiene la suavidad de los libros YA (yo ya me entiendo).
La historia, las historias, los personajes, el mundo creado, las situaciones, … todo es una absoluta pasada. Sí que es verdad que soy mala con los nombres, y hay muchos personajes y muchos POV distintos y a veces no sabía quién era quién, pero al principio del libro tenemos un pequeño resumen de cada reino, con los personajes, y eso ha sido como el Santo Grial para mí.
Animaos a leerlo porque vale mucho la pena.
Últimamente estoy descubriendo puros diamantes en bruto, libros no muy conocidos que me dejan preguntándome una y otra vez por qué no son best seller, y deseando hipnotizaros a tod@s para que los leáis.
Este libro lo descubrí a través de otro diamante en bruto (House of Bastiion) por un sorteo en instagram. Bendito instagram.
Yo siempre leo YA, y algún NA, y no tenía ni idea de con qué me iba a encontrar (no leo las sinopsis de los libros, es un vicio que tengo). He de decir que no es juvenil, aunque tenemos también protagonistas adolescentes (y más jóvenes, así como adultos) pero no tiene la suavidad de los libros YA (yo ya me entiendo).
La historia, las historias, los personajes, el mundo creado, las situaciones, … todo es una absoluta pasada. Sí que es verdad que soy mala con los nombres, y hay muchos personajes y muchos POV distintos y a veces no sabía quién era quién, pero al principio del libro tenemos un pequeño resumen de cada reino, con los personajes, y eso ha sido como el Santo Grial para mí.
Animaos a leerlo porque vale mucho la pena.
August 16, 2021
Whew. Yall this book was INTENSE. I loved the story and characters, and it was sooooo well written. I would easily bump this to a 4 star, but the multiple 3rd person POV made following the story tricky. Also, I had to refer to the family trees multiple times and that is so frustrating. Overall this series started off strong, even if it was a more slow read for me than normal!
June 20, 2021
A thoroughly enjoyable book, that grabs you from the very beginning. The characters are easy to follow (but not boringly easy to like!), and their adventures are many and varied which keeps the book interesting.
October 5, 2020
If you loved 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Game of Thrones' then you will certainly love this new world that has been created by Ms. Cradit. It is an incredible story about a kingdom with four Reaches where not everything is what it seems to be and there is magic! :-) Oh, and the kingdom is on the verge of being turned up-side-down, children are on the run, hidden wonders and did I mention Magic? Really this story is just so good, you have to read it for yourself.
The characters are all incredibly detailed and well written and the plot keeps twisting and turning and you will feel as if you are in the middle of it all. With unexpected events and 'saviours' in strange places this book will leave you with wanting more... Happily Ms. Cradit loves writing as much as we love reading!!
The characters are all incredibly detailed and well written and the plot keeps twisting and turning and you will feel as if you are in the middle of it all. With unexpected events and 'saviours' in strange places this book will leave you with wanting more... Happily Ms. Cradit loves writing as much as we love reading!!
October 13, 2020
I have a soft spot for epic fantasy novels and what Sarah M Cradit delivers with The Kingless Crown, is something so stunning that I could not put it down. From the first page I was engulfed into this world that the author created with such amazing attention to detail that I felt like I was there watching it all play out. There is a lot of information to take in as this is the first installment and we are introduced to the reaches and all the kids. It is intense, spellbinding and has heart stopping moments. I loved the characters, the build, absolutely everything that Cradit gives us in this story. It is unique and has you wanting more. So much happens that you do need to absorb it all and be completely enthralled by every word!
July 8, 2022
Dnf @ 13%. And skimmed a lot till the end 😳
Good God, I wanted to like this. I really really did. But I couldn't. And not because it wasn't good. It just didn't hold my interest in a book format.
It wasn't that hard to keep up with the story, but it was slow paced and dealing with that took a lot of patience and hopeful assurances to myself that I'll get faster.....which my lovely ass does NOT have and cannot bear.
I want to say one thing though, and I genuinely mean it.....this story (from whatever I could glean through my 13% and the rest of the skimming) will be fucking awesome as a TV show. It has the potential to be the next GOT.
I'll be ecstatic to see it if it does get a cinematic turn someday but I couldn't read this. Not my thing.
Good God, I wanted to like this. I really really did. But I couldn't. And not because it wasn't good. It just didn't hold my interest in a book format.
It wasn't that hard to keep up with the story, but it was slow paced and dealing with that took a lot of patience and hopeful assurances to myself that I'll get faster.....which my lovely ass does NOT have and cannot bear.
I want to say one thing though, and I genuinely mean it.....this story (from whatever I could glean through my 13% and the rest of the skimming) will be fucking awesome as a TV show. It has the potential to be the next GOT.
I'll be ecstatic to see it if it does get a cinematic turn someday but I couldn't read this. Not my thing.
did-not-finish
June 29, 2021This book was just a bit to complicated for me, which made me DNF at 78%. The introduction with all the information was a lot to take in, and it still didn't make a lot clear to me. There were some parts this book was really good, however because of the many characters and switching POV's I couldn't get into the story. This caused it to be a really slow read, and a DNF for me.
November 16, 2021
I received an early copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio. All opinions are my own!
I was going to try to add my usual quick summary here, but I honestly have no idea what I just read.
This book is a pretty good example of "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
When I first started this book, I remember thinking "wow, I'm going to end up loving this book." It started out so mysterious and with beautiful writing. But by 20%, when I realized that there hadn't yet been 2 chapters about the same character(s), I knew I was wrong.
There are far too many characters to keep up with. So much so that I can hardly name any of them by the end. And the ones I can name, I'm not sure who they are or what their importance is. The worldbuilding is pretty much non-existant. There are people who can turn into ravens? Not sure why. There are familiars? Not sure who they are familiars of. There's magic? Not sure who has it or what it can do. The king wants 4 brides from 4 kingdoms? I have literally no idea why he wants them, how that was arranged, or what it's supposed to achieve.
Not to mention how strange the characterization is. The villain seems almost to be written as someone with a cognitive disability who doesn't seem to function at his age level. Every scene with him just felt very strange and gross. There are people who like others to act like dogs/mice. A child gets raped and then that rape has literally no bearing on the plot from there.
I had such high hopes for this book, but it definitely disappointed. I wouldn't personally recommend it.
I was going to try to add my usual quick summary here, but I honestly have no idea what I just read.
This book is a pretty good example of "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
When I first started this book, I remember thinking "wow, I'm going to end up loving this book." It started out so mysterious and with beautiful writing. But by 20%, when I realized that there hadn't yet been 2 chapters about the same character(s), I knew I was wrong.
There are far too many characters to keep up with. So much so that I can hardly name any of them by the end. And the ones I can name, I'm not sure who they are or what their importance is. The worldbuilding is pretty much non-existant. There are people who can turn into ravens? Not sure why. There are familiars? Not sure who they are familiars of. There's magic? Not sure who has it or what it can do. The king wants 4 brides from 4 kingdoms? I have literally no idea why he wants them, how that was arranged, or what it's supposed to achieve.
Not to mention how strange the characterization is. The villain seems almost to be written as someone with a cognitive disability who doesn't seem to function at his age level. Every scene with him just felt very strange and gross. There are people who like others to act like dogs/mice. A child gets raped and then that rape has literally no bearing on the plot from there.
I had such high hopes for this book, but it definitely disappointed. I wouldn't personally recommend it.
July 21, 2021
I really wanted to love this one, but sadly, that's not what ended up happening. After suffering through 600 pages, all I can say is I'm happy this is over.
I think the main problem with this is the mass amount of characters. Seriously, we have at least 4 perspectives per family. Perspectives from children, cousins, lovers, parents, and friends. While I like having multiple POV books, this one was too much. It took 50% of the book for me to finally understand who was who, but even by the end, I still struggled with keeping everyone and their goals straight.
I also wasn't a fan of the plot. It was so meandering, there was no end goal in sight. Considering at least 4 of the main characters are kids, this makes sense, but it doesn't excuse it. I had nothing to root for because I didn't even know what our characters were trying to achieve.
The ending of this was way too abrupt, and didn't wrap up a single storyline. It was like the author reached the max number of pages and just ended the story there. Even though I didn't like this, I wanted some sort of resolution.
I can definitely see why this is compared to Game of Thrones, as they do have much in common. They're both sprawling fantasies with an overabundance of characters. They both tend to be darker and include more nuanced characters. I think this ran into the same problem as GoT, as it became too sprawling.
I can see why this would appeal to people, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I loved the idea, and I loved parts of the story, but overall, it wasn't something I enjoyed reading.
I think the main problem with this is the mass amount of characters. Seriously, we have at least 4 perspectives per family. Perspectives from children, cousins, lovers, parents, and friends. While I like having multiple POV books, this one was too much. It took 50% of the book for me to finally understand who was who, but even by the end, I still struggled with keeping everyone and their goals straight.
I also wasn't a fan of the plot. It was so meandering, there was no end goal in sight. Considering at least 4 of the main characters are kids, this makes sense, but it doesn't excuse it. I had nothing to root for because I didn't even know what our characters were trying to achieve.
The ending of this was way too abrupt, and didn't wrap up a single storyline. It was like the author reached the max number of pages and just ended the story there. Even though I didn't like this, I wanted some sort of resolution.
I can definitely see why this is compared to Game of Thrones, as they do have much in common. They're both sprawling fantasies with an overabundance of characters. They both tend to be darker and include more nuanced characters. I think this ran into the same problem as GoT, as it became too sprawling.
I can see why this would appeal to people, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I loved the idea, and I loved parts of the story, but overall, it wasn't something I enjoyed reading.
August 17, 2021
First off, thank you so much Sarah M. Cradit and Book of Matches Media for my review copy 🥰. All thoughts and opinions are mine
CW:
This was a long and satisfying read. It has a huge cast of characters and told in multiple perspective; think of ASOIAF but make it YA. It was a slow start for me since there's a lot of information I needed to digest, and I keep getting lost with the POVs. Big thanks to the author for putting a list of families a the start.
The world-building is massive and complex. It's set in a world on the verge of a rebellion. Eoghan, a cruel boy king is demanding the delivery of his four brides that was secured by his father in a Red Wedding-like set up. Now, all four decided to take matters into their hands and ran away, thereby setting things in motion.
The characters are well fleshed out and distinct from each other. As this was told in multiple perspective, the transition of change in POV flowed naturally. Sarah M. Cradit's prose is beautiful. She flawlessly weave each thread that will leave her readers captivated.
Like every well-written epic fantasy, there are multiple plotlines happening all at once. A healthy dose of political intrigue, betrayal, magic, and conspiracy. Tons of mystery and twists that will keep you guessing.
Overall, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 is a well-crafted start to a series. It's immersive and detailed, full of suspense that you won’t want to put down. I'm so excited to read the next installment soon!
CW:
This was a long and satisfying read. It has a huge cast of characters and told in multiple perspective; think of ASOIAF but make it YA. It was a slow start for me since there's a lot of information I needed to digest, and I keep getting lost with the POVs. Big thanks to the author for putting a list of families a the start.
The world-building is massive and complex. It's set in a world on the verge of a rebellion. Eoghan, a cruel boy king is demanding the delivery of his four brides that was secured by his father in a Red Wedding-like set up. Now, all four decided to take matters into their hands and ran away, thereby setting things in motion.
The characters are well fleshed out and distinct from each other. As this was told in multiple perspective, the transition of change in POV flowed naturally. Sarah M. Cradit's prose is beautiful. She flawlessly weave each thread that will leave her readers captivated.
Like every well-written epic fantasy, there are multiple plotlines happening all at once. A healthy dose of political intrigue, betrayal, magic, and conspiracy. Tons of mystery and twists that will keep you guessing.
Overall, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 is a well-crafted start to a series. It's immersive and detailed, full of suspense that you won’t want to put down. I'm so excited to read the next installment soon!
August 19, 2021
I know it has already been said but I am going to repeat what other reviewers have said. This book had an epic fantasy feel, in the vein of Game of Thrones and Wheel of Time. As a huge fan of this genre, I was hooked from the very first page. It feels long, and at 610 pages I suppose it is, but it didn’t feel like a slog. The author took ample time to build the world and set the background for the characters, but it was done perfectly. Not rushed and not drawn out so that you get bored before the story actually starts. The premise was really interesting. Yes we have come across evil boy kings before, but for the Lords of his kingdom to send him their daughters to be his wives, was something slightly different. Not one arranged/forced marriage, but four and to the same prospective husband. I am not going to give away any spoilers, but needless to say that things don’t pan out quite as everyone thinks they will. The plot line is very well crafted, with twists and turns and unexpected events. Due to the perfect introduction to the characters, I really felt like I knew them well, despite there being so many, and so was invested in their stories and personal situations right from the start. A brilliant start to a new series that I am looking forward to continuing with, and an author that is definitely going onto my auto buy list.
August 19, 2021
Holy moly oly y’all. This book is a rich tasting dessert! It is a chunker and full of a whole world! I LOVED it!! It has old love, new love, backstabbing, a horrible baddie, adventure (like, TONS! My adventure reading heart was thrilled!), mystery, magic, deep politics! I could not put this bad boy down! I saw it likened to Game of Thrones and I have to agree! Listen, I love Game of Thrones BUT if that was too dry for you, I highly recommend giving this a shot! There are tons of characters so I’ll stick with my favorites! Lisbet, Ravenna, and Emberley! They are clever young women making choices that will change the whole world. I literally have nothing bad or “off” to say about this book. So freaking good.
June 13, 2021
Captivating like gold. Mesmerizing like diamonds. A new fantasy to trail blazes like Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo!
This is my first Sarah Cradit book and I was not prepared for how much this book consumed me. Phenomenal world building and fantastic characters make for an out of this world read! The story is both mesmerizing and entertaining. At different points, the story gave me the chills.
This is book will have you under its spell and will stay with you long after you’ve finished. I give this 5 fantastic stars!
This is my first Sarah Cradit book and I was not prepared for how much this book consumed me. Phenomenal world building and fantastic characters make for an out of this world read! The story is both mesmerizing and entertaining. At different points, the story gave me the chills.
This is book will have you under its spell and will stay with you long after you’ve finished. I give this 5 fantastic stars!
September 28, 2020
There are ways to introduce a series that take you completely out of one place and plop you clearly into the new world step by step as it unfolds in front of you. There may be some confusion or blurry parts but it all becomes crystal clear it's just a matter of time. This author is one who does that and does it well. The Pretender has done so much damage to their past, destroying histories without a thought. All of the secrets will come to light but it comes at a cost. The kids have found the courage their parents lacked and taken things into their own hands. Their individual journeys will take them to far away places with dangers they never realized. At the same time things are happening at home that leave them even more vulnerable. There are a multitude of things going on and this author makes us feel the total chaos, destruction, courage and determination to make things right again and the cost.
This introduction isn't a quick read. It's one that will have you settling in for the long hall as you piece together the clues as their truths collide. It's going to be a wild ride as this author tends to do but oh it's so much fun no matter how hard she makes it getting to the end.
This introduction isn't a quick read. It's one that will have you settling in for the long hall as you piece together the clues as their truths collide. It's going to be a wild ride as this author tends to do but oh it's so much fun no matter how hard she makes it getting to the end.
did-not-finish
March 17, 2022DNF at 15%
This was a really interesting book but so so confusing. There were way too many characters and places introduced in the first 20% of the book. I wouldn't have even known what the book was about if there hadn't been a summary at the beginning. I loved the world and the plot, but was so lost the entire time!
Kimberly M. Wetherell (the narrator) did a fantastic job. She really got into the accents and that helped a lot with distinguishing characters. If there hadn't been 10000 characters to keep track of it would have been perfect. She pulls off a not shabby Irish accent along with a few others which really helped the world feel like an epic place with lots of different lands.
For now I have to put the book down at the 15% mark, but I think I'd like to try it again in the future with a physical copy to help keep track of names and places.
Thanks to Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for giving me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really interesting book but so so confusing. There were way too many characters and places introduced in the first 20% of the book. I wouldn't have even known what the book was about if there hadn't been a summary at the beginning. I loved the world and the plot, but was so lost the entire time!
Kimberly M. Wetherell (the narrator) did a fantastic job. She really got into the accents and that helped a lot with distinguishing characters. If there hadn't been 10000 characters to keep track of it would have been perfect. She pulls off a not shabby Irish accent along with a few others which really helped the world feel like an epic place with lots of different lands.
For now I have to put the book down at the 15% mark, but I think I'd like to try it again in the future with a physical copy to help keep track of names and places.
Thanks to Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for giving me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 18, 2021The Kingless Crown is a historically set high fantasy that gives off a lot of GOT vibes. There are multiple POVs in this book which is something I always love as I find it helps give the full story in a more in depth way, and again, this was no different. Cradit did a great job at making the character voices unique enough that it wasn’t hard to follow when a new POV popped up. There are a lot of characters so you’re bound to find one that you love and relate to.
She also did a great job at creating the setting for the book. The world building was super well done and definitely one of the highlights for me. I really liked the amount of history and background info that was clearly very well thought out and portrayed throughout the novel. It definitely helped build stronger characters.
Overall, this was a bit of a long but great start to a fantasy series!
She also did a great job at creating the setting for the book. The world building was super well done and definitely one of the highlights for me. I really liked the amount of history and background info that was clearly very well thought out and portrayed throughout the novel. It definitely helped build stronger characters.
Overall, this was a bit of a long but great start to a fantasy series!
Read
March 3, 2022I have read and loved other Sarah Cradit books but I’m afraid there were too many characters for me to keep straight right off the bat and the cast continued to grow as we went. The narrator has such a lovely accent that I enjoyed listening to her but I’m afraid I didn’t know which POV we were in at any given time.
If you’re a fan of high fantasy, this could definitely be for you. The twists, the turns, the world building! Some of the violence was far too much for me, I’m afraid.
I received an audiobook copy from Netgalley and Orange Sky Audio in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
If you’re a fan of high fantasy, this could definitely be for you. The twists, the turns, the world building! Some of the violence was far too much for me, I’m afraid.
I received an audiobook copy from Netgalley and Orange Sky Audio in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
December 19, 2021
I listened to this book thanks to NetGalley and couldń´t be more great full. This book is amazing! I’m not into fantasy books a lot, but this just converted me. The book is settled in the Kingdom of the White Sea, that is divided in four lands, plus the wastelands and the Islands of Duncarrow and Selcarrow it tells the story of the families that rule the lands and the pretender, a cruel king that intends to marry the eldests daughters of all said families in a night, being this daughters the product of an infamous night in which the princesses and princes of the lands where married at the will of the former king.
This book begins with the plots to avoid the night in which the King Eoghan will marry all the princesses. By coincidence all the princesses scape in a intricate web of conspiracies. What begins as a simple plot and the will to change the destiny, finishes as a carefully threaded conspiracy.
There’s magical beings, horrendous kings and my favorite, strong women. Not only because they are independent, but it shows the different strenghts that women have. My favourite is Lady Blackwood.
This is a series of three books. I cannot wait to rad or listen to the next ones as the book ended a little bit abruptly.
This book begins with the plots to avoid the night in which the King Eoghan will marry all the princesses. By coincidence all the princesses scape in a intricate web of conspiracies. What begins as a simple plot and the will to change the destiny, finishes as a carefully threaded conspiracy.
There’s magical beings, horrendous kings and my favorite, strong women. Not only because they are independent, but it shows the different strenghts that women have. My favourite is Lady Blackwood.
This is a series of three books. I cannot wait to rad or listen to the next ones as the book ended a little bit abruptly.
December 1, 2020
There are some books for which 5 stars is insufficient. This is one of those books. I know I shouldn’t be surprised because I’ve yet to read a mediocre book from Sarah Cradit, yet I find myself blown away by this story. Sarah has crafted an epic world that is complex and realistic with a collection of complicated and sympathetic characters, and a few serious villains. She’s not afraid to sacrifice some of those characters to further the story, whether through physical/psychological trauma or even death, knowing that the story becomes richer with pain. Indeed, I find it amazing that I am so saddened by the death of one fictional character in particular. Although it needed to happen, that doesn’t make it easier to bear.
There are so many different characters and so many threads to this story at the beginning, that I wondered whether I’d be able to keep up and remember the cast. I read through the list of characters and wondered whether I could possibly commit them to memory. I couldn’t, but the story is told in such a way that it was never difficult to figure out who was who and what was happening. Once or twice, I looked back to check on a name, but for the most part, the story flowed in such a way that it never became confusing.
The story flows with a pace that is exactly right to build tension without torturing the reader. Breaks between scenes, to highlight what other characters are experiencing at the same time, are smooth transitions that propel the reader forward. While breaks might otherwise cause the reader to become impatient to follow the current thread, every character journey was equally compelling so when one character was left to follow another, I found myself eagerly continuing in the direction I was led. Of course, I wanted to find out what happened next to every character, but somehow Sarah managed to navigate my need to know everything by guiding me at her pace and revealing what I needed to know at the appropriate moments. The story was so compelling, I never had a chance to wonder about another character because I was so engrossed in whatever was happening at that moment. And then, when the story moved on to the next character, I became engrossed in that.
Sarah Cradit is a master storyteller with an imagination that makes me envious. She creates imagery that is palpable and evokes a multitude of emotions with apparent ease. She is a wordsmith, at times stating universal knowledge in ways that seem original and new, like this one: “Every man and woman alive is possessed of insecurities that make sense only to them.” And again, though not original, I loved the wording of this: “The years grow shorter as you grow older.”
Some phrases were brief, yet so rich in detail, that they must be noted because they conveyed exactly what was necessary. For example, in the prison the “nondescript meal” is described: “Truth was, it smelled as good as it looked and tasted worse.” At one point, Jesse turned to look behind himself to make sure everything was okay. “Esmerelda, for once, had done as she was asked. If there was any strong indication something was amiss, it was her easy obedience.” And I loved this: “Eoghan yawned, but it was a feigned gesture, a strange contortion in the face of someone who had never actually watched someone do it. A desperate attempt to be rid of the moment.”
There is a vivid and heartbreaking description of the sorrow felt by a mother missing a child, a mother who doesn’t wish to share that sorrow with anyone else: “...tears she could not cry in the presence of anyone else leapt from her eyes, blossoming into stains on what was left of the vellum. The great, heaving sorrow clawing its way from the center of her chest burst forth and she sounded it into the room that had been vacant for far too long now.” It was phrases like these that made me feel the pain and loss of the characters, as well as the hope. This is book one; there is more to come. Thankfully, it is not a cliffhanger, although I will be anxiously awaiting book two. And might I add, this is exactly the sort of book that should be adapted into a movie or TV series.
There are so many different characters and so many threads to this story at the beginning, that I wondered whether I’d be able to keep up and remember the cast. I read through the list of characters and wondered whether I could possibly commit them to memory. I couldn’t, but the story is told in such a way that it was never difficult to figure out who was who and what was happening. Once or twice, I looked back to check on a name, but for the most part, the story flowed in such a way that it never became confusing.
The story flows with a pace that is exactly right to build tension without torturing the reader. Breaks between scenes, to highlight what other characters are experiencing at the same time, are smooth transitions that propel the reader forward. While breaks might otherwise cause the reader to become impatient to follow the current thread, every character journey was equally compelling so when one character was left to follow another, I found myself eagerly continuing in the direction I was led. Of course, I wanted to find out what happened next to every character, but somehow Sarah managed to navigate my need to know everything by guiding me at her pace and revealing what I needed to know at the appropriate moments. The story was so compelling, I never had a chance to wonder about another character because I was so engrossed in whatever was happening at that moment. And then, when the story moved on to the next character, I became engrossed in that.
Sarah Cradit is a master storyteller with an imagination that makes me envious. She creates imagery that is palpable and evokes a multitude of emotions with apparent ease. She is a wordsmith, at times stating universal knowledge in ways that seem original and new, like this one: “Every man and woman alive is possessed of insecurities that make sense only to them.” And again, though not original, I loved the wording of this: “The years grow shorter as you grow older.”
Some phrases were brief, yet so rich in detail, that they must be noted because they conveyed exactly what was necessary. For example, in the prison the “nondescript meal” is described: “Truth was, it smelled as good as it looked and tasted worse.” At one point, Jesse turned to look behind himself to make sure everything was okay. “Esmerelda, for once, had done as she was asked. If there was any strong indication something was amiss, it was her easy obedience.” And I loved this: “Eoghan yawned, but it was a feigned gesture, a strange contortion in the face of someone who had never actually watched someone do it. A desperate attempt to be rid of the moment.”
There is a vivid and heartbreaking description of the sorrow felt by a mother missing a child, a mother who doesn’t wish to share that sorrow with anyone else: “...tears she could not cry in the presence of anyone else leapt from her eyes, blossoming into stains on what was left of the vellum. The great, heaving sorrow clawing its way from the center of her chest burst forth and she sounded it into the room that had been vacant for far too long now.” It was phrases like these that made me feel the pain and loss of the characters, as well as the hope. This is book one; there is more to come. Thankfully, it is not a cliffhanger, although I will be anxiously awaiting book two. And might I add, this is exactly the sort of book that should be adapted into a movie or TV series.
June 13, 2021
I really love this one. I'll definitely re read it before getting to book two.
October 12, 2020
Having Read Sarah's books I was excited to read this book. I was not expecting to be pulled in to it so deeply that I didn't want to leave. Now this is a problem since I'm a mother to a 7 year old 😃 so I read until late at night. This felt like a version of Reign (the tv show) mixed with magic and battles and issues of Game of Thrones. So needless to say I loved it! Being on the next one!!!
May 16, 2021
This book was an interesting epic fantasy. It had touches of dystopian fiction to it. The book was difficult to understand in the beginning, with all the names. Luckily, there was a name guide. Reading multiple POVs was great but I needed to use the name guide a few times.
Plot development was fantastic. Even with the multiple POV, Cradit still had you guessing what was going to happen next. I loved the plot twist throughout the book. This book may have been slow, but it kept you on your toes.
I loved the character development. It was easy to love the main characters and understand why they did what they did.
Overall, this was a incredible read. I enjoyed the plot and story. It was unique and fun to read. The book was a bit slow and hard to understand at times, but there were guides to help with that.
I received this book from the author, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Plot development was fantastic. Even with the multiple POV, Cradit still had you guessing what was going to happen next. I loved the plot twist throughout the book. This book may have been slow, but it kept you on your toes.
I loved the character development. It was easy to love the main characters and understand why they did what they did.
Overall, this was a incredible read. I enjoyed the plot and story. It was unique and fun to read. The book was a bit slow and hard to understand at times, but there were guides to help with that.
I received this book from the author, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 16, 2021
The Kingless Crown is the first book in the Kingdom of the White Sea series, which is an epic fantasy series by Sarah Cradit. I haven't ever read a book by Sarah before but this will not be the last. I loved The Kingless Crown and I can't wait to continue on with this series! There are a lot of players in this big world, but Sarah did such a wonderful job telling the story because I was never confused, I never had any issue keeping track of everyone, which in a world this big is no easy feat.
In The Kingless Crown we join a world ruled under a central king. The King rules over different regions, and our story starts when one of the kings arranges marriages across all regions, marrying enemies' families and uniting them by force. But that was really 20 years before our story kicks off. Our main story sees the grandson of that king ruling, and King Eoghan decrees that each of the families from the four main reaches must send they eldest daughter to all be wed to the king.
The story is told in multiple points of view, switching back and forth between the families of the four reaches, plus a couple of extra POVs. The children from the four ruling families run away to try and escape their fate, and thus they set into motion a larger plan. I loved the experience of reading this book. I never knew what was going to happen next. There are twists, turns and one heck of a plotline woven throughout all of the POVs. Sarah Cradit is a master storyteller, and I am beyond thrilled that I have discovered her books. Fans of Epic Fantasies must check out the Kingdom of White Sea series. I need book 2 asap!
In The Kingless Crown we join a world ruled under a central king. The King rules over different regions, and our story starts when one of the kings arranges marriages across all regions, marrying enemies' families and uniting them by force. But that was really 20 years before our story kicks off. Our main story sees the grandson of that king ruling, and King Eoghan decrees that each of the families from the four main reaches must send they eldest daughter to all be wed to the king.
The story is told in multiple points of view, switching back and forth between the families of the four reaches, plus a couple of extra POVs. The children from the four ruling families run away to try and escape their fate, and thus they set into motion a larger plan. I loved the experience of reading this book. I never knew what was going to happen next. There are twists, turns and one heck of a plotline woven throughout all of the POVs. Sarah Cradit is a master storyteller, and I am beyond thrilled that I have discovered her books. Fans of Epic Fantasies must check out the Kingdom of White Sea series. I need book 2 asap!
June 22, 2021
Rating: 4.5/5
Beautifully written, The Kingless Crown might just be the next best Fantasy Novel out there.
Throughout the book, I felt that each word word was carefully chosen and each sentence was carefully framed. I’ve read many books that read like revised drafts. This was way beyond the final draft.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. If you’ve loved Game Of Thrones, you would definitely love this.
It contains a great deal of characters which are all introduced at the start but the author eases them into the story, making it much easier to follow. The characters are well developed, the plot is well done. And it has a map!! It had everything you would want in a book. It’s got family dynamics, romance, action and much more. You hardly find books that have so much depth. It just makes the book worthwhile. I found myself deeply immersed in the story. There is so much. No filler chapters, no unwanted subplot. A series of suspense, chilling twists and magic to take you down the tunnel of enjoyment.
I’ve loved it so much that I’m going to buy myself a copy of this book and wait for the next one.
Thank you Sarah Cradit and Gladys Atwell for this ARC. Definitely one of the best ARCs I’ve read this year.
Beautifully written, The Kingless Crown might just be the next best Fantasy Novel out there.
Throughout the book, I felt that each word word was carefully chosen and each sentence was carefully framed. I’ve read many books that read like revised drafts. This was way beyond the final draft.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. If you’ve loved Game Of Thrones, you would definitely love this.
It contains a great deal of characters which are all introduced at the start but the author eases them into the story, making it much easier to follow. The characters are well developed, the plot is well done. And it has a map!! It had everything you would want in a book. It’s got family dynamics, romance, action and much more. You hardly find books that have so much depth. It just makes the book worthwhile. I found myself deeply immersed in the story. There is so much. No filler chapters, no unwanted subplot. A series of suspense, chilling twists and magic to take you down the tunnel of enjoyment.
I’ve loved it so much that I’m going to buy myself a copy of this book and wait for the next one.
Thank you Sarah Cradit and Gladys Atwell for this ARC. Definitely one of the best ARCs I’ve read this year.
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