Corruption, betrayal, and danger lurk in the shadows of this young adult political drama.
Since she was seven, Anansia has been a pawn in a game far larger than herself. Born to a leader of the rebellion against the corrupt Reduarnian monarchy, danger has been a constant companion.
When her parents die trying to protect her and her infant twin brothers, her life changes. Put into the hands of Queen Lien, she is forced into a new role. Trained by the elite law enforcement organization, The Kennel, she learns to fight, lie, and kill for the very people who murdered her parents.
What she has not banked on is her first mission: handling and protecting Princess Lumière. Lumière is everything that Anansia is not. Bright, warm, and sweet. She is the coveted heir to the throne, beloved of her family and her people. The one thing she and Anansia have in common is that they are both bit players in someone else’s game. Anansia knows it, while Lumière is completely oblivious. If Anansia wants to keep her brothers safe, she will need to keep Lumière in the dark and keep her in line while navigating her growing feelings for her.
Told from dual perspectives, The Crown’s Shadow follows both sides: the royal line and the daughter of the uprising. While it’s set in our world, it deals with a fictional country that is on the precipice of a violent rebellion. It’s got the makings of a story that YA audiences will love, featuring a cute lesbian romance, some lovely found-family bonds, and a great dose of royal drama.
I love political intrigue in my fantasy novels; lucky for me, The Crown’s Shadow delivers it in droves. Anansia has been trying to navigate her shadowy, undercover role as the Princess’s bodyguard while simultaneously earning her trust and manipulating her into living the life Queen Lien expects.
Behind the scenes, a mysterious figure is pulling strings, setting events rolling to change Reduarnia’s future. The Crown and its law enforcement agencies monitor and sensor all social media in the realm, making sure that anyone stepping out of line is dealt with swiftly. There’s the feeling of brutal retribution hanging over the story, which makes the uncertainty about Anansia’s past so much more compelling.
There’s a dearth of narrative structure in The Crown’s Shadow. Despite the fact that the novel centers around a country with a corrupt monarchy and the rebellion rising to shatter it, it lacks viable stakes. The story follows characters who are peripheral rather than central to the action of the novel, and, as such, readers miss out on some important events.
The drama of The Crown’s Shadow unfolds on a dynamic tapestry of complicated friendships, a history of rebellion, and seriously intriguing royal politics.
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