The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 608
Series: The Seven Realms #4
Review Source: Finished copy for review from Hachette Book Group Canada (@HBGCanada)

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.

Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.

My Thoughts:
The Seven Realms is one of my favourite series, so needless to say I was very excited to read this final volume. This is one of those books that’s filled with so many things that I enjoy. There are absolutely amazing characters, tons of action scenes, some romance, and a political aspect with fighting for the throne. In this volume of the series everything is brought together. There are so many different plots to wrap, and yet it’s done masterfully. I can’t think of a single big remaining question I have about the series, because it’s all brought together in such a seamless manner.

Character wise, Raisa is the strong warrior queen who is willing to fight and do the best for her queendom. However she’s not a robot, fighting or serving blindly. She has wants and ambitions of her own (such as being able to marry for love) which aren’t compatible with her queenly duties. On the other hand, we have Han who has grown so much as a character throughout the series. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to be with Raisa; he want to prove his love and his worth, not just to Raisa but to everyone around her. There are also so many amazing side characters in this series, and yet it’s never confusing. The author gives all of them life and personality.

This is a massive tome at over 600 pages and yet I absolutely inhaled it. I adore Cinda Williams Chima’s writing style, and I love the characters and the story itself. I’m sad that it’s the end of the story for these characters (although I’ve heard Cinda has written an adult series set in this world where some characters are familiar to us), and yet I’m so happy where the book left off. This is really one of those perfect endings where you get a happy ending for the characters, and yet you can imagine a future for them as well. It feels, to me at least, like a big compliment when I can almost see the characters as real individuals outside of the text, and that is very true for me here. I absolutely love this series, and I highly encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already.

The Cover:
Gorgeous!!

Rating:
[5/5]

Find The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima on Goodreads, Book Depository, Amazon.