Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was different to my normal reads but it had everything. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would hughly recoment it. This has been one of my fav reads this year.

Coming in to this one, I had high expectations - I absolutely adored Crown of Coral and Pearl. But this one seemed a little like it had Second Book Syndrome and with it being a duology that's kind of a problem.

All the old characters were back with Ceren once again trying to take over the kingdom that shouldn't be his. Talin becomes more of a major character while Nor works out just where her loyalties lie.

The start is relatively fast paced, with everything in Verenia happening in a short period of time before they all leave for other reasons. Once the trek around the countryside starts, Kingdom takes a turn for the worse. The dialogue felt repetitive and a little tedious. Also everyone kind of became self absorbed.

By the final 50 pages, it wasn't anywhere close to being done. I thought I must have been wrong in thinking it was a duology. Alas the ending was super rushed and then given a 'then everyone was happy'. Everyone has been at war for many years, its not ending that fast.

Basically, I just wanted more from this. More action, more respectful endings for various characters and more settings in which I could relate to the entire cast.

I rely enjoyed this second book in the duology. I felt like it was the perfect follow up to Crown of Coral and Pearl and loved Nor's character arc. The ending was lovely and felt really well done.

Initial Thoughts upon Finishing
A great sequel to the series! This really picked up the pace and I flew through it. I really loved the character development in this book too, Nor is such a boss!

What it's about (spoilers for book one)
Kingdom of Sea and Stone dives straight back into the action after the first book following a trail of chaos that made up the glorious events of book one. From the get-go we are not to be disappointed.

After the horror and stress of Nor escaping from Prince Ceren (in a rather bloody fashion), she is now on the run with Talin and on a mission to get the woman king into power and make sure Ceren stays dead. A trickier task than anyone could have ever anticipated.

We find ourselves beginning our journey back in Varenia where Nor and Zadie are reunited. Sami has gone missing and Zadie is very worried about what has happened to him. Nor is wracked with guilt that her actions of going in Zadie's place seem to have done more damage than good, and now she's faced with even more tough decisions to stop the kingdom falling apart and save everyone she loves.

A damn good sequel
If you're looking for that series that FINALLY keeps things exciting and amazing and awesome, this is it. I was so delighted by how much I enjoyed book one and that book two continued to deliver and didn't get old. I confess going into this somewhat wary and unsure what direction the story would take, but Rutherford has explored the furthest reaches of this fantastical land in the best ways possible.

We are always on the go in this book and the character development is *muah*. I loved the quest-style story with many horses involved and just the right amount of sexual tension between Talin and Nor to keep us on our toes. It simultaneously delightful and stressful.

My favourite thing? Romance is not the be all end all. I repeat: we have a strong female lead who does not put romance and pretty boys ahead of more important duties. CAN I GET A HECK YEAH?! This drove the story in all the right directions. Nor is able to keep her head on straight and appreciate Talin in small doses that are both delightfully teasing and leave enough room for real action and storylines to take place. This was a huge thumbs up from me.

My favourite part of this story was this strong portrayal of female characters. Women really take front and centre in this book: whether it's Nor putting duty ahead of self, Zadie proving that marriage/motherhood is a valid vocation, a woman king trying to take the throne, or the unquestionable love of a mother—every basis is covered.

Moreover, sapphic relationships!! They are here!! We have one new character introduced into this story who brings in a nice bit of diversity to really ground this book in the good stuff. I really loved this new character and I WISH we got to spend even more time with her—but I won't say anything more than the fact she is basically a witchdoctor because I'll let you discover all that goodness for yourself (there's also a cat (okay I'm done)).

Summary
Am so satisfied with this book. A beautifully little duology that potentially has room for more stories if Rutherford ever wanted to expand on this world and write something from someone else's perspective. This definitely makes me think of what Cashore has done with the Graceling series by using different characters to explore different regions. That would make me veeeerry happy.

This was a disappointing second book in a duology. Whereas I couldn't put the first book down at all, this took me ages to finish. Everything was kind of flat and meh and lost the spark and flair the first book had.
All loose ends were tied up and we got more of Ceren's backstory and reasoning why he became who he is.
Roan was the only interesting character besides Nor, who ended up doing a one-woman show to save the day.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 out if 5 ⭐

A worthy successor to the first book, I fell back in love with our brave twins. We were introduced to a new land and it’s peoples, and swept along in a fast-paced story to defeat the wicked king. Original and engaging, I will be reading anything else Rutherford writes.

I really loved this follow up to Crown of Coral and Pearl, with its lush and atmospheric world building and fascinating plot!
I loved seeing Nor again, and getting sucked right back into her world.

"Maybe contentment wasn't what I was searching for after all"

I'm always quite happy when a series is a duology, I find that they typically get wrapped up a lot neater and the stakes seem a bit higher because you know everything needs to be resolved in two books. It's like the commitment of a trilogy but with the countdown of a standalone - a perfect match. Kingdom of Sea and Stone picks up where Crown of Coral and Pearl left us and I can safely say that it was like getting back in the saddle without too much effort to remember what happened in book 1.

Nor, and what she wants from her life, is expanded on beautifully in this novel and we get to see and understand her inner conflicts - trying to be true to herself, knowing herself, caring for her loved ones and trying to save the kingdom from tyrants. I really enjoyed where we went with Nor, there are a few pathways that could have been taken throughout the story and I'm not sure if any of those would have had the satisfaction of the one we did take. Of course there will always be more that could be expanded on, however I feel content at where we ended up.

We are introduced to the Galethian's in Kingdom of Sea and Stone, and I'm so glad we spent as much time with them as we did. The characters we met from Galeth (Roan and Adriel) are integral to Nor discovering who she is and who she wants to be - I would absolutely love a spin-off novel of Adriel. I was concerned that we would end up getting a love triangle (which is one of my most disliked tropes), however I'm pleased to say that it didn't end up this way.

A thoroughly enjoyable sequel and Rutherford has proven herself as an author who can develop and wrap up a lush fantasy series, with political intrigue and compassion being the focal point.

*I was provided an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, however I ended up purchasing the published copy on release date and read purely from that one.

An excellent second installment from this author! It was filled with adventure, turmoil, heroics and young love!

I truly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from this author!

Before I begin my review for Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl book 2) by Mara Rutherford, I would personally like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and I have reviewed it honestly.

SPOILER ALERT‼️
This review contains possible minor spoilers if you have not yet read Crown of Coral and Pearl!

The enemy returns with a vengeance in this stunning conclusion to the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology. Kingdom of Sea and Stone takes us on an epic journey through undiscovered territory with familiar characters, new friends and more danger.

Kingdom of Sea and Stone features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ YA fantasy
○ YA romance
○ Royals
○ Hierarchy
○ Journey
○ War
○ Loyalties



My overall rating for Kingdom of Sea and Stone is...

5 stars!

An emotional conclusion to an epic YA fantasy duology! This book was intense! With a war on the horizon, our favourite characters pursued by the enemy and inner turmoil from the horrific events of book 1, this novel proved to be an unimaginably unique page turner. I can't wait to experience more work by Mara Rutherford!

If you couldn’t get enough of Mara Rutherford’s Crown of Coral and Pearl, never fear- there’s now a second book, Kingdom of Sea and Stone! Reuniting us with sisters Nor and Zadie, this next installment continues to be a unique story in its own right!

I was personally thrilled to learn that there would be a second book, because that meant that I could have more time with Nor and Zadie. Get that extra time, I did indeed. In this second book, we see both Nor and Zadie grow into their characters more, and I loved how this happened. I also loved the interactions between the sisters and it really took a more protective stance in this book against the bad guy, and it made me smile because I love that type of sisterly bond. I like how the bond grows because it’s kind of nice and rather unique to have in a book.

I also loved how the world building was also absolutely superb, and continued to capture me into the world, and I really enjoyed it as a whole. Especially the kingdom that is focused on the sea aspects that really made the first book for me! Tie this in with both the characters and the plot and you have such a great escapist read (for those of us still locked down- i.e. me). The world descriptions, as well as each scene’s descriptions are rather rich! In fact, those descriptions made me feel the different moods within the scenes, and by the end- I was feeling in pain because the characters were. The writing was paced so well that I read this one in no time!

I loved how badass Nor was, trying to save the kingdom from the bad guy (no spoilers on who that is, because I’m definitely no snitch!), and also Talin taking more of a front seat in this one. I also love how there was a little bit of romance in there, but it didn’t take a front seat (sorry fantasy romance lovers!).It was also great to see some rather excellent side characters that added that little extra into the book that I didn’t realise I was missing until I read on! Roan was definitely one of my favourite side characters, although I can’t put my finger on why that’s the case! I also loved how this is a fantasy, but is on the lighter side- something I did enjoy as I don’t see much of this type of book around.

I was also a big fan of the plot, and some of the morals that were embedded within the book- some of which are really relevant to the real world as is! The twists that came within the pages on my ereader kept me clicking for more.

Overall, an excellent sequel, and something for those looking for something a little bit different in the fantasy genre. I also recommend it to those that like books with siblings, and those that enjoy a kick-ass female main!

Rating: 4/5

(Note this review will also feature on The Nerd Daily)

I was really excited to return to this world again, after loving Crown of Coral and Pearl. Like the first book, there were parts I loved and others I found a bit flat.
I loved the sea kingdom in book one, but enjoyed seeing other parts of the land through Nor's journey in this one. We get to see a lot of the bonds formed in book one strengthened and challenged, and a lot of new characters added to the mix.
I did really like learning a bit more about the blood coral, and it's effect on Nor's blood, and how that came into play in terms of her connection with Ceren. The addition of magic and Nor's connection to the land was very interesting.
I did find it a bit short and think it could have benefited from more depth in some aspects of the story and relationships between characters, but overall this was an enjoyable sequel and a decent wrap-up to the duology.

With new forces gathering, more mysterious than anyone could have predicted and an old enemy, stronger than ever, Nor is faced with imposible choices to save those she cares for while trying to save a kingdom on the brink of war.

This book was the perfect end to an amazing duology. I enjoyed every second of it and found myself flying through the pages. Just like book one, Kingdom of Sea and Stone was fast passed, suspenseful and continued to blow me away with the world building. While I loved all of the character bonds in book one I amazed at the character growth displayed and the trust, patience and loyalty they had for one another.

The first half of the story saw our main characters travelling to the unexplored land of Galeth in search of aid in the impending war. I loved exploring Galeth and seeing the freedom their people lived in but it left me incontinent and longing for more. I feel as though there is so much more of Galeth and even the Penery Islands left to explore.

With the new lands came some amazing new characters. The freedom of Galeth and the unbreakable bond the Galethians shared with their horses was admirable. Lets all face it, Titania carried this book! Adriel was one of my favourite introductions to the story and I loved all the new possibilities she brought to the table.

I already see the backlash coming but I am not a fan of Roan at all. Sure, he is charming, handsome and things would have ended very different without hum but this guy had zero boundaries! I could have gotten over his smugness and overly personal questions however there was something about him cornering Nor while she was upset and ignoring her request for some time alone that set off red flags.
Dude. B. O. U. D. A. R. I. E. S!

Nor's growth continued to amaze me. I love how willing the author was to display her confusion and fears for the future. I honestly didn't know what her fate would be by the end of the book. Would she chose love or would she follow her dreams. Talin was always the perfect Prince. While the romance was somewhat lacking and it may seem that Talin was more invested in their relationship than Nor, his willingness to give her space and patience while she faced her uncertainties made my heart weep.

The plot twists and continued all the way to the last chapter. While I have mixed feelings about the ending I loved Talins willingness to stand by Nor and her dreams. This story was amazing for a debut duology and I can't wait to see what Mara Rutherford come up with next.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Review to be posted elsewhere closer to publication date.