Capture the Crown
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4.1 • 22 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy.
Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier—and a spy.
Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta—her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.
Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.
The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne …
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Estep returns to the world of gargoyles, mind magiers, and political intrigue first conjured in the Crown of Shards series with this romantic and exciting fantasy adventure, the first in her Gargoyle Queen trilogy. To most, Gemma Ripley seems like nothing more than the pampered princess of Andavari, obsessed with dresses, balls, and herself—but she also secretly works as a spy. While undercover as a tearstone miner at the border town of Blauberg, she discovers a smuggling ring and lands herself in mortal peril. But the real danger might come from her rescuer, the handsome and mysterious Morta prince, Leonidas Morricone. Whisked to the royal castle of Morta, Andavari's rival kingdom, Gemma must figure out who she can trust while confronting her traumatic past and the magic she has suppressed. Some of the ensuing intrigue feels thin, and the characterization is often rather black-and-white: Andavari equals good, Morta equals bad. Despite the flaws, though, the gripping romp flies, like Grimley, Gemma's beloved gargoyle, at a breakneck speed that will keep readers turning pages. Fans of Tamora Pierce who are ready for a little more gore should take note.
