THE SHATTERED CROWN

Leena and Noc must stop their enemies and fix old wrongs in this follow-up to The Frozen Prince (2020).

Following Yazmin’s attack on the Charmers, newly named Crown of the Council Leena must unify her people with Noc’s assassins so that they can stand together against Yazmin’s plot to awaken Ocnolog and use that legendary beast to destroy the kingdom of Lendria. They spell out what they know of Yazmin’s plan and launch a counterplan to consolidate their forces, including having long-lost prince Noc take his crown to depose villainous King Varek and claim Lendria’s army to fight Yazmin. This path continues the visits to burial sites and finds action and tension in unexpected obstacles, ambushes, and—of course—the charming of (or merely surviving) dangerous beasts. Leena and Noc’s love story is a done deal (sealed in racy, physical love scenes), so romantic tension comes in side characters (whose narration unfortunately feels fairly indistinguishable). Yazmin’s chapters, however, have a stronger voice and fresher perspective. Frequent recaps of the near past and future plans help readers keep the plot straight—especially those who won’t be tackling it in a single sitting—though sometimes too much signposting undercuts the narrative tension, and some reveals are too obvious. The ending leans into a wish-fulfilling happily-ever-after after a massive battle. Most characters default to White.

Existing fans will appreciate this trilogy closer that ends on a reader-friendly high note.