Deborah Chester's "The Crown" is an exquisite fantasy novel. It has all the aspects of a fairy tale, as well as action that one would find in a blockbuster. The book follows the story of Lea, a princess of light. She is captured by Shadrael and his men. Pretty as can be, Lea is subjected to wooing from Shadrael's men; yet Shadrael himself shows no sign of his libido around her. Shadrael has no soul and was supposed to deliver Lea to his brother. Instead, he sends Lea to Vindicants in exchange for a soul. Over the course of the novel, Lea bewitches Shadrael so that eventually, Shadrael realizes that Lea is the most important thing in his life. After all, Lea has several opportunities in the book to run away from Shadrael or kill him; however, she stays by his side and even protects him. Drama and action ensue as one of Shadrael's men betrays him and Lea is used as a source of life for evil lords. The overall genre is fantasy, but this book incorporates all genres into it, making Chester worthy of her national bestselling author title.
This book is a page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, reading the entire book in a night. Deborah Chester's "The Crown" spins a tale of romance and forbidden love, action and classic light vs. dark combat. The chemistry between Lea and Shadrael is wonderfully composed. It is subtle at first and escalates to matrimony towards the end of the novel. The love between the characters is tender, yet there are no grotesquely chauvinistic love scenes described. Hence, this book is great for those whom love romance yet do not want to read a steamy book full of explicit descriptions and no literary density. Also, many small internal conflicts arise between characters and their families. Chester's writing style flows superbly, and the chapters coalesce in an ebbing fashion. Lea struggles against her fate with light, whilst Shadrael struggles against his taste for blood and deceit. This novel is magical and depicts the coveted struggle which is so clearly portrayed on the cover.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
