Cruel Crown

Cruel Crown consist of two novellas, Queen Song and Steel Scars, set in Victoria Aveyard's world of the Red Queen.

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary- how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead of her in royal life.

Steel Scars

Diana Farely was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected.  As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation- Mare Barrow.

The Breakdown:
1. I am going to break it down by story, starting with Queen Song.  I really liked this story.  I enjoyed getting to know Coriane, Cal's mother and Julian's sister.  Even in such a short story, Aveyard really brought her character through beautifully.  It was interesting to see that she is where Cal got his love of tinkering with things from.  I also like the glimpses of Cal's grandparents, and what their life was like.  Also interesting seeing her first meeting with both Elara and the Crown Prince, and learning just how cruel and conniving Elara was before she was ever queen.  Even though, I knew how it would end, I got me right in the feels.

2. Steel Scars gives an interesting look at Farely and how she came to start the Red Guard movement in Norta, and how she met Shade.  I liked seeing her reactions to events and her command style.  It was easy to see why she inspired loyalty in her troops.  She is smart and has an excellent strategic mind. Plus, this book also gives glimpses of what Lakeland is like and how similar it is to Norta, and the real reasons behind their war.

To Read or Not to Read:
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