Review: Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Published by Inkyard Press on August 2019
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie

This is a tough review for me because there are some really great aspects to this debut. The world, the built in tensions and the danger were all well done, drawing me in from the first page. I liked the original world that the author built. There was a lot of tension just existing in the world right away, plus the added complications of Zadie and Nor’s position really heightened the story’s urgency. While pretending to be Zadie, Nor’s internal struggles are authentic and the world in the castle she is thrust into is both frightening and mysterious.

That said, I had some problems with Nor and Zadie. A lot of the story at the beginning was with them in their home before the switch, but it moved a little slowly for me. Zadie didn’t have much character for me. She was beautiful and perfect and didn’t want to be chosen. Nor was more interesting as the cast aside, slightly blemished sister. But I couldn’t really connect with her as much as I wanted to. Also, I had a problem with some of Nor’s choices.

Most of all, Prince Ceren was hard for me. He was sickly and damaged and perhaps evil (not sure yet)? The author goes back and forth between showing sympathy for a misunderstood Ceren and turning him into a monster who murders children the next. These two polarizing personality traits were really hard for me reconcile. I think the author is trying to leave us guessing – is he really as awful as we think? Is he misunderstood underdog? Is Talin as wonderful as we are lead to believe?

Frustratingly, none of these questions are really answered. This is the first book in the series so I understand the need for some open plot points, but I didn’t finish the book with an easy feeling of knowing where the story was going, which should be intriguing but instead left me confused.

Overall I think it was interesting and original. I think YA fantasy fans should try it out for its unique setting and commentary on beauty, life and society. I’m not sure if I will continue with the series but I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.