Crown of Cinders

Wings of Fury, Book 2

By: Emily R. King

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Going to battle against a Titan in the war of all wars, one woman is making history in an epic novel of ancient Greece by Emily R. King, author of the Hundredth Queen series.

May Gaea be with you...

Althea Lambros is growing into her power, wrestling with a burdensome heritage, and unwilling to concede to Cronus, the redoubtable God of Gods. For that, Cronus is making good on his promise. Calling upon the elder Titans, he’s bringing down his wrath on the world. Suffering quakes, tempests, fire, and hail, mortals are paying in blood for the war of the gods.

With the help of her friend Theo, Althea takes cover with her sisters, Bronte and Cleora. But they can’t hide forever. To mastermind the downfall of the evil king, Althea must recruit allies of her own before the aggrieved mortals surrender the sisters to Cronus in exchange for peace.

Is Althea formidable enough to win? It’ll take the help of her sisters and those willing to fight for the cause of the just. As the gods pick sides, Althea must divide heaven and earth to defeat the enemy and write the true history of the war to end all wars.

©2021 by Emily R. King. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Greek myths get a creative makeover with a refreshing female perspective…the strong female characters and enticing mix of romance and adventure make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly

“In her action-packed novel with flawed and powerful characters, King gives the Lambros sisters uplifting emotional arcs as they discover their extended family…King’s feminist retelling broadens myth with family, fury, and power.”—Library Journal

#abrknpoet reviews Crown of Cinders

Crown of Cinders by Emily R. King is the second and final book in the Wings of Fury series, a fantasy saga inspired by Greek mythology. The story follows Althea, who discovers that she is Hera, the daughter of Cronus, the tyrannical king of the Titans. Along with her sisters and friends, she must fight against Cronus and his allies, who are unleashing havoc on the mortal world and trying to destroy the new generation of gods and goddesses.

Positives: The book is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns. The author does a good job of weaving in elements from Greek mythology, while also creating her own original characters and plot. The book explores themes such as family, loyalty, courage, and destiny. The romance between Althea and Theo is sweet and satisfying, and the ending is epic and emotional.

Negatives: The book suffers from some inconsistencies and plot holes, such as how Cronus can be defeated so easily after being built up as an unstoppable force. Some of the characters are underdeveloped or stereotypical, such as Rhea, who is portrayed as a weak and passive mother figure. The book also relies on some convenient coincidences and deus ex machina moments to resolve conflicts.

@stuartbrknjohns Twitter/Goodreads

Still don't love the narrator

I really enjoyed the book/series, but at the same time I am left a bit bereft at the ending. It is very bittersweet and doesn't feel weighty enough or complete. There were many times in the book that I questioned decisions that were made. There was also a ridiculous amount of standing around while people were being attacked and/or disarmed. The final thing that irritated me was the lack of people telling it like it was. Sometimes, especially in dire circumstances, you need the absolute truth told. Irregardless of feelings. It could have been better. These are some dang strong women and I'm not sure if the story was worthy of them.

Amazing story

The only reason i finished this book was because a friend of mine encouraged me too. I loved the story line but the narration was almost too much. If you like super intense narrators then you’ll enjoy this but she definitely wasn’t my cup of tea

Love Greek mythology stories

A very feminist’s framework to this derivative from Greek mythology. I enjoyed the story line and the characters.
The narrator had some trouble with male voices, other than that a good narration.

bleh

Uneven pacing. Story premise alright just execution not pleasing to me. Could not finish. Nor will I.