Capture the Crown
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4.7 • 7 Ratings
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- $11.99
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.
Customer Reviews
detailed and complex
CAPTURE THE CROWN is the first instalment in Jennifer Estep’s GARGOYLE QUEEN fantasy series –a spin off from the author’s CROWN OF SHARDS series. The Gargoyle Queen trilogy focuses on the secondary characters introduced in the original series. This is twenty-nine year old, Andvari Princess Gemma Ripley, and Mortan Prince Leonidis Morricone’s story line.
WARNING: Due to the graphic violence in the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from first person perspective (Gemma Ripley) CAPTURE THE CROWN follows twenty-nine year old Andvari princess Gemma Ripley, sixteen years after Queen Maeven killed several members of the Andvari family. Princess Gemma Ripley is living and working undercover in enemy territory, in Morta, investigating the disappearance of large amounts of mined tearstone but Gemma is surprised to be targeted by the people in charge, finding herself at death’s door when she discovers the who and how of the missing stone. Rescued and now recuperating in the Mortan castle, Gemma must now focus on the how and why of her would-be rescuer. Enter Prince Leonidas Morricone, Queen Maeven’s son, and persona non-grata in the Mortan kingdom. As Gemma, along with Leonidas begin a search for the truth, betrayal will once again find Gemma struggling with her magic, her life, and her inability to trust.
Sixteen years earlier, Gemma Ripley lost everything including the ability to control her magic the day Queen Maeven declared war on her family. Fearing another loss of control, Gemma battles between head and heart when she needs her magic the most. Gemma’s ‘mind magic’ is dangerous and deadly but Gemma quickly discovers that she is not the only royal heir to wield her magical talent. Leonidas Morricone knows his time within the Mortan castle is limited. Not only does his brother wish for his death, but his mother’s guards have placed a target on his back. Leonidas Morricone plays both sides of the battle but Gemma does not know if Leo can be trusted, or if he is the ultimate enemy in a war between Kingdoms.
CAPTURE THE QUEEN is a story of family, betrayal, vengeance, power and control. A story of elemental magic (of a sorts) and anthropomorphic others including gargoyles, strixes, and dragon shifters. The slow building premise is detailed and complex; the characters are numerous and energetic; the attraction between Gemma and Leo is an enemies to ‘friends’ destroyed by issues of betrayal and trust- there was no discernible attraction between the leading characters.
For fans of the author’s Elemental Assassin series, and the previous Crown of Shards, the similarities are numerous. Once again, Jennifer Estep’s signature story line components are front and center such as elemental magic, violence against the story line heroine, and the big baddie name Maeven.
The world building is intricate but the author uses real world details and modern day vernacular that distracts from the overall fantasy impression. Also, there are some issues of redundancy and repetition as it pertains to the use of ‘color’. Morta is a world/Kingdom of purples including eye color (used 90 times), and lilac (17 times)- the constant reminders were a little much.