Everleigh Blair is a noblewoman turned orphan turned Gladiator turned Queen and the star of the Crown of Shards. This underrated series falls under the adult fantasy genre and shares similar themes to Game of Throne. What sets this series apart from other fantasy novels is that in this universe, there is a way to snuff out magic. Evie may be the queen of Bellona, but unlike the other royals, she has no magic, rather she is immune to it, which makes her far more dangerous.
If you want to know more about the previous books in this series here’s the link to my review of the second novel in the series, Protect the Prince.
–Summarizing Things-
- Evie and friends are gearing up for the Regalia Games in which all the surrounding Kingdoms compete against each other in various sporting events. In attendance, this year is none other than Evie’s number one hater, the pesky King Maximus of Morta.
- Maeven, president of the Kill Evie Fanclub, trails behind her half-brother Maximus along with her son Leonidas. Evie’s been playing mind games with Maeven since the first novel, and she will continue to do so in this one too.
- Evie needs Maximus dead before the Regalia ends, but accomplishing the task is tricky when she discovers the King is drinking magical creature blood to push his power level over 9000.
- Evie gains a key ally in Leonidas when she shows the kid some kindness, and in turn, he spills his uncle’s secrets.
- Evie is fed up with the King, after Maximus tries to wipe out everyone in the Regalia, and officially challenges him to a duel to the death.
- Their duel is crazy af! I was caught off guard with the final twist and outcome.
Me? A freak? He was the one who ingested crushed tearstone and amethyst-eye poison. He was the one who killed strixes, the symbol of his kingdom. He was the one who drank blood like some undead monster. Maximus needed to look in a fucking mirror.
Crush the King Jennifer Estep
My Thoughts
Crush the King gives the Crown of Shards series the satisfying conclusion it deserves, and it even hints at possible spin-offs. However, what I enjoyed most about this final novel is that Evie has stopped doubting her ability to rule. At the beginning of this series, Evie was timid, but she was smart and knew how to haul ass when needed, now she’s grown more confident and doesn’t hesitate to protect Bellona at all costs.
Before entering the arena, Evie is cheered on by thousands of Bellona citizens, all who traveled overnight to come and watch their queen protect them. Evie has felt undeserving of her title in the past and has beat herself up about it has no doubts now about being the queen Bellona deserved.
“A kiss on the nose?” I muttered. “Really?”
“What were you expecting?” Sullivan kept teasing me. “Some grand romantic gesture?”
Crush the King Jennifer Estep
I was surprised that Evie and Sullivans’ romance took a back seat in this novel. Evie and Sully share one sex scene at the beginning of this book, which featured all the teasing and jokes I loved about their relationship, but after this scene, I found their relationship boring. I think their relationship could have brought some much needed comic relief from all the plotting and scheming, but sadly that wasn’t the case.
This OTP went from Hot It Couple to boring all in the span of a few months.
I’m a bit disappointed in the lack of romance, but it didn’t affect the way I felt about the conclusion of this series. And now without further ado, I’m going to spoil the end. X out now while you still can.
Spoilers Darling!
As stated earlier, the duel was wild, but instead of killing the king, Evie takes all of the power from him, rendering him a bully in a crown. Then Maeven enters the arena in a stunning purple gown and stabs her brother through the heart, slits his throat, and declares herself Queen of Morta.
As queen Maeven foolishly believes she will have all the time and resources to devote to the Kill Evie fan club but killing the legitimate heirs to the throne pissed off a lot of royals with legitimate claims. Maeven has no time to plan Evie’s death when she needs to protect her crown.
Evie is a real bad bitch for hyping up Maeven into taking the crown. She not only crushed the King but also any threat from Morta for the foreseeable future.
“I’m eager to hear about your progress in holding on to your throne. Goodbye, Queen Maeven. Long may you reign.”
Crush the King Jennifer Estep
The Crown of Shards series isn’t as popular as other adult fantasy novels but it really should be! I recommend it for fans who are okay with violence, gore, romance, political intrigue, steamy sex scenes, and badass heroines.
Until next time continue living in libros,
Gaby
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