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A review by headertime1981
Crystal Crowned by Elise Kova
3.0
3.5 Stars
I continue to see this trend of strong female characters who've grown through various books. I invest in these journeys and then feel elated by the reward of finally seeing them rule and see how they behave once they have power or the opportunity to lead. Lately, many of these MFCs have turned from their nature into nasty, bitter, vicious, and almost villainous characters. Bryce did in HOFAS along with Diem in the third book in Everflame, and now Vhalla has in her role as Empress. In these entire stories, they've bucked against people who rule with cruelty, yelling, irrationality, and, in most cases, lack of transparency and then, when given power, emulate it—and rarely apologize but try to validate their actions, their reasons for cruelty, for not listening to their friend's and families' counsel, keeping secrets from their most trusted allies, and screaming at anyone who opposes or disagrees with them.
I hope to see this trend fade. The journey that brought these female characters to their current positions of power was built on strength of character, empathy, and the ability to respect and listen to opposing perspectives. Women do not have to become monsters to be powerful. We do not have to become what we fought or hated to win. These are fantasies, made-up stories with real-life truths weaved in, but it does matter how our heroes win. That defines the story, and it defines us as humans.
I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast of Air Awakens. It was one of the highlights of the journey. I have a soft spot for Baldair and Jax, who I always imagine speaking like a pirate, and I love the magic system. Despite not being a huge fan of magic in general, I found how it was portrayed and utilized in this series to be entertaining and thought-provoking.
Despite losing momentum in the last two books of this series, I still found them incredibly enjoyable. My overall experience with the series was positive, and I will likely read more books by Elise Kova. Even with my complaints, I read the entire series in 10 days without any issues. It's been a long while since I've been so wrapped up in something new, and that's a testament to the series' engaging nature. I really did enjoy this, with the exception of the trope mentioned above.
I continue to see this trend of strong female characters who've grown through various books. I invest in these journeys and then feel elated by the reward of finally seeing them rule and see how they behave once they have power or the opportunity to lead. Lately, many of these MFCs have turned from their nature into nasty, bitter, vicious, and almost villainous characters. Bryce did in HOFAS along with Diem in the third book in Everflame, and now Vhalla has in her role as Empress. In these entire stories, they've bucked against people who rule with cruelty, yelling, irrationality, and, in most cases, lack of transparency and then, when given power, emulate it—and rarely apologize but try to validate their actions, their reasons for cruelty, for not listening to their friend's and families' counsel, keeping secrets from their most trusted allies, and screaming at anyone who opposes or disagrees with them.
I hope to see this trend fade. The journey that brought these female characters to their current positions of power was built on strength of character, empathy, and the ability to respect and listen to opposing perspectives. Women do not have to become monsters to be powerful. We do not have to become what we fought or hated to win. These are fantasies, made-up stories with real-life truths weaved in, but it does matter how our heroes win. That defines the story, and it defines us as humans.
I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast of Air Awakens. It was one of the highlights of the journey. I have a soft spot for Baldair and Jax, who I always imagine speaking like a pirate, and I love the magic system. Despite not being a huge fan of magic in general, I found how it was portrayed and utilized in this series to be entertaining and thought-provoking.
Despite losing momentum in the last two books of this series, I still found them incredibly enjoyable. My overall experience with the series was positive, and I will likely read more books by Elise Kova. Even with my complaints, I read the entire series in 10 days without any issues. It's been a long while since I've been so wrapped up in something new, and that's a testament to the series' engaging nature. I really did enjoy this, with the exception of the trope mentioned above.