Crown of Earth and Sky

Secrets of the Faerie Crown, Book 1

De: Emberly Ash

Narrado por: Lilly Drake, Xander Marceaux

What do I want? A quick death. Barring that, I only dream of one thing—revenge.

Veyka Pendragon was crowned queen in a farce fit for any circus. Now, as her traitorous court plots around her, the new Queen of the Elemental Fae must take revenge on the humans who betrayed her while also guarding a dangerous secret.

The arrival of her betrothed, the storied Brutal Prince, is merely another cog in the wheels of time and space spinning around her.

Arran Earthborn is the strongest terrestrial fae in millennia. If Veyka wishes to keep the peace her ancestors fought and died for, she must join with him soon.

But the Brutal Prince has not earned his name by playing nice. The torture he exacts will enrage and enflame her—and endanger a secret that would rip their world to shreds.

The days are slipping by. Very soon I will have to choose between the crown that destroyed my life but protects my kingdom… Or settling the scores that haunt my every step.

Crown of Earth and Sky is a twisted mythology retelling of the Arthur legend. It is a high-steam fantasy romance with dark elements.

©2023 Emberly Ash (P)2024 Podium Audio

excited to see how certain pieces of the plot fit

Crown of Earth and Sky by Emberly Ash is the first book in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series. This is a dark romantic fantasy and is a King Arthur retelling with some twists, and fae. Tropes and themes include touch her and die, a badass FMC, mental health rep, court intrigue, found family, enemies to lovers and fated mates. This is a spicy book for adults only, and please check content warnings for dark topics and themes.

The Lovely: I loved the plot - quite possibly my favorite part of the book (closely followed by the magic/Fae world building). There were so many plot concepts that were flipped from what we normally see in romantasy - from the characters to gender norms. The story kept me engaged as I tried to mentally solve the puzzle right along with the FMC. It kept me guessing up until the end and then we had a *massive* cliffhanger.

The Mundane: I liked the characters but didn’t necessarily love them or their relationship. Their physical attraction felt insta-lovey without substance behind it. Their emotional relationship though is slow burn and still didn’t feel totally there by the end end. So, I’m hoping that it develops more in the next book.

The Dreadful: The biggest downside for me was the pacing. It started off strong with action and angst but then faltered. We spend a lot of time hearing the FMC’s somewhat one-track internal monologue. To be clear, I don’t disagree with her actions or feelings, given her past, but those scenes were too frequent and long.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t wait for book two in December. One, to find out what happens after the cliffhanger ending, and two, because I hope we see the MMC and FMC’s relationship develop more. I’m also excited to see how certain pieces of the plot fit together. If you like Fae romantasy with angst and lusting where both the FMC and MMC are strong characters, and don’t mind a bit of darkness, I think you would like this book. I definitely recommend this book for your #tbr.

A Mesmerizing Fairytale Brought to Life

*Crown of Earth and Sky* by Emberly Ash is an enchanting journey into a world of elemental fae, dark secrets, and intense romance. The audiobook, narrated by the immensely talented Lilly Drake and Xander Marceaux, elevates this captivating story to a whole new level.

Lilly Drake, as always, is the perfect voice for a fairytale romance. Her narration of Veyka Pendragon is both powerful and nuanced, capturing the queen's struggle for revenge and her fight to protect her kingdom. Drake’s voice effortlessly conveys Veyka’s strength, vulnerability, and determination, making her a character listeners will both empathize with and admire.

Xander Marceaux is the ideal choice for Arran Earthborn, the storied Brutal Prince. His deep, commanding voice brings Arran’s character to life, perfectly matching the intensity and complexity required for this role. Marceaux’s portrayal of Arran’s ruthless exterior and the hidden depths beneath is compelling and adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

The chemistry between Drake and Marceaux is electric, making their interactions as Veyka and Arran both intense and captivating. Their performances complement each other perfectly, enhancing the tension and romance between the characters.

Emberly Ash’s twisted mythology retelling of the Arthur legend is rich with dark elements, high stakes, and steamy romance. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep listeners on the edge of their seats, and the world-building is vivid and immersive.

If you’re looking for a high-steam fantasy romance with dark elements, *Crown of Earth and Sky* is a must-listen. Lilly Drake and Xander Marceaux’s stellar narrations make this audiobook an unforgettable experience. Five stars for this mesmerizing fairytale brought to life!

Great story line

The Narration was done really well. The Story was intriguing. Kept me very entertained. 15 words are a bit much

Great story! Great performance!

The story was different for a good change. I enjoyed the whole book.! Good spice and good adventure/action! Im ready for the 2nd book! Can’t wait to find out what happens to Veyka!

Crown of Earth and Sky by Emberly Ash

Absolutely amazing!!! A captivating story from beginning to end of the retelling of King Arthur and the nights of the Round Table. Absolutely amazing!!! 10 out of 10

Exciting, Sexy, & Tension Laced

Crown of Earth and Sky, book 1 in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series, is an exciting, sexy, and tension laced romantasy that you won’t be able to put down!

What you can expect:
👑King Arthur Retelling
🗡️Faerie Romantasy
👑Murder Mystery
🗡️Elemental/Shifter Magic
👑Arranged Marriage
🗡️Age Gap
👑Political Intrigue
🗡️Dual POV
👑Warrior Monarchs
🗡️Found Family
👑Yearning & Tension
🗡️Trauma, Loss, & Healing

This story was very engaging and an awesome mix of “reliable” faerie romantasy mixed with a clever and unique King Arthur retelling. The storyline unfolds as they try to solve a murder, which acts as a way for history and details to unfold steadily, allowing the reader to learn along with the characters. The world building is secondary to the characters, but what we do know is intriguing and lays perfect groundwork to see it continue to expand through the rest of the series.

Veyka is a very well crafted FMC that is relatable and real. Her manner of processing grief is very believable, as is her strength through adversity- especially when life has thrown her some particularly rough circumstances. I really enjoyed her dynamic with Arran; the push and pull of their relationship feels very organic. I appreciated the way the age-gap was handled, with it being subtly acknowledged but not grotesquely emphasized like some books do. There various secondary characters are all well crafted and developed, leaving you feeling like you really know and understand everyone involved.

I would absolutely recommend the audiobook for this one; Lilly Drake and Xander Marceaux do a fantastic job bringing this story to life. The chemistry and talent of both narrators comes through in how well the story flows and the cohesiveness of the dual POV. The emotion, range of tone, and energy is top notch from beginning to end, with both Lilly and Xander really personifying their characters excellently.

This is a super engaging story that I couldn’t put down, and I cannot wait to dive into book 2! If you’re looking for a new sexy faerie romantasy full of tension, political intrigue, and mystery, then I’d encourage you to check this one out!!

Great performance!

I love the way the performers imagined the voices and their personalities!
Such a great story! Can’t wait to hear the next one!

Such a shame..

This book should have been right up my alley: a fae fantasy romance, Arthurian mythos, political intrigue and court machinations, plenty of spice.. but alas, the structure was odd and stilted, the characters impossible to relate to, even the authors word choice made certain scenes awkward and unappealing. The characters motivations often felt opaque and some scenes were flat out confusing, like the author expected you to read between lines that weren’t there or just had a poor grasp of metaphorical writing. It’s such a shame because the narrators were phenomenal and it really could have been something, but it just didn’t build the foundation it should have for what the story was trying to be.