Member Reviews

What an outstanding conclusion to the battle between the old gods and the new. I am so grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm not sure I would have come across it otherwise, and I am so glad I did. Emily King has become one of my favorite authors, and I can't wait to read her other works. I love how strong of a character Althea is, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her own doubts about their chances at victory and her own ability to lead. I was cheering for her the entire time, and even thought I know Zeus is the ruler of the gods, I so wanted Althea to become the leader the world so desperately needed. I've read a lot of books inspired by Greek mythology, and I feel King's series really stands out from the rest.

Was this review helpful?

Took me a minute to finally finish reading this. (RL suckage is so hard for readers)

Just a quick thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.

I enjoyed this. There were moments where it felt slower than the first book, maybe getting a little stuck in the middle but it did not ruin the story for me. I will say there were some cringy (Zeus) moments that I realize (he was...well you know what he was) this issue (or issues) with him might come up so I was not surprised. Still made it hard for me at times. That however did not deter from the story. As a whole, I did like the story. I was heartbroken at the end. Even went to try and find when the next one comes out lol But yes, it was a fun read with a topic I've always been obsessed with.

My Rating: 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Was this review helpful?

I couldn't finish this book. I really don't think this series is for me. I know some people who just loved the first book and this second one but I just didn't like it.

Was this review helpful?

Crown of Cinders picks up right where the first book left off. Our main character has now realized the truth about her past and now is given a mission t9 find her missing brothers. What I enjoyed most about this book was the author’s take on how the Olympian gods came to be. The author really builds to the final battle scene, and the introduction to a new villain made me want to scream in the best way. I loved the ending and I am so excited to read the next one!

Make sure you read the previous one before this because the author creates a complex world. I did have to go back and look u9 some previous characters, but I did not hurt my reading experience. I highly recommend checking out this series!

Was this review helpful?

Althea has just learned she and her sisters are not mortals but daughters of Cronus and goddesses at the end of the first book in the series, " Wings of Fury". As this book opens, plans are being made to aid Zeus and their siblings in taking down their father. Althea, or Hera, her true name, must journey to seek out two more brothers, and this will eventually find her traveling through the underworld and will require great strength from her. Finally, she will use all her power and ability in order to make sure she and her siblings and allies succeed in bringing down Cronus.

Essentially this is a retelling of the story of Cronus being removed from power but from the perspective of Hera. It's very much a feminist retelling and it takes a fair amount of liberty with the stories from Greek mythology. It's truly an interesting retelling and tries to balance some of the mostly patriarchal stories with possible alternatives that don't wipe out all the roles of women. It took me some time to finish this, mostly because I needed to go back and read the first book. I must admit I didn't quite catch on to the fact this was a retelling of Greek myth until well into the first book. Despite not being a big fan of retellings, I did enjoy this for the most part. It seems to be the story behind the story in the end and it comes out well.

Overall, I'm giving this 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and 47North for giving me this advanced reader copy. I have provided this review voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great second book! There was great twists and turns. I’m sorry about getting to the review so late cause this book is awesome!! Go read it.

Was this review helpful?

Emily King is an author that I read anytime I see a new book by her. I wasn't in love with the ending of this book. After reading her other girl power books this one fell a little flat at the ending. I look forward to her next books though.

Was this review helpful?

This was so good! I'm glad I buddy read it because it allowed me to savor the story. I enjoyed the relationship between each sibling and what each brought to the story as a whole. This was filled with adventure from beginning to end and included many tense moments.

We're so used to stories about the children of Gods like Zeus but not many stories tell of their story and how they became Gods. I liked learning more about Cronos and his siblings. I think it made for an interesting and unique read.

I am bummed this is only a duology because I would love more books set in this world but overall I definitely recommend it and enjoyed it.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review*

This review may contain spoilers for the first book, Wings of Fury.

After reading Wings of Fury, I was so ready for this sequel! I wound up enjoying it even more than the first book. If you’ve read and enjoyed the first book, you’re going to love this one!

Althea still can’t quite come to grips with the fact that she’s Hera, daughter of Cronus, the abominable Titan king. After Althea failed in casting Cronus down into the deepest pit of Tartarus, he calls upon his powerful allies to come against her. In order to force Althea to surrender, the elder Titans strike the mortal world with earthquakes, famine, pestilence, hurricanes, etc. Althea and her siblings have been hiding, but alas they can’t hide forever, and they begin recruiting the younger Titans to their cause. They hope to win them to their side, before the mortals who are suffering turn them over to Cronus to gain peace.

Poseidon and Hades have also been in hiding, and Althea goes on a quest to find her brothers. Tracking them down, and getting them to take her side might prove to be impossible. She finds she has much to learn about her crown and her Titaness powers. She is determined to do all that she can to protect her mortal home and friends, and unite her brothers and sisters in the war to end all wars.

A series perfect for fans of mythology, fierce female characters, action and adventure. I am hoping for another book in the series after that ending! I loved these characters so much and would love more in this world.

Was this review helpful?

Crown of Cinders is the stunning sequel to Wings of Fury. Picking up six months later. King delivers an engaging feminist version of Hera, which I throughly enjoyed.

Just like the first book the reader is given an exceptional author inspired mythological retelling. It hits the ground running right from the start, it’s fast paced and breathless. Althea, will stop at nothing to bring down Cronus. The three sisters Demeter, Hestia and Althea, are coming into their own, while looking for their abandoned brothers. Althea is committed to fulfilling the prophecy about Zeus from book one. Everything isn’t that easy as Zeus jealousy towards Hera is starting to surface.

Emily King narration makes sure you are thrown right into a beautiful, vivid and established world she has created I was completely drawn in the characters and the drama and trials during the fall of the Titans.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. This was an amazing second in the series and I could not put it down. I can't wait to read the next one!

Was this review helpful?

A continuation of the Wings of Fury series, retelling the downfall of the Titans.

I do not have much knowledge of greek mythology however, after reading book 1 I was excited to continue with this story.

6 months after the first book, Althea and her 2 sisters are finding their place in this new world as the children of Cronus and Rhea. Alongside their youngest brother Zeus, they are trying to locate their remaining 2 siblings Poseidon and Hades. They are getting used to their Titan names of Hera, Demeter and Hestia and the powers that they possess.

Hera is the main character who is a leader of people, always trying to do the right thing and faced with the difficult task of entering the underworld to retrieve Hades. All siblings must be united for them to overthrow Cronus. Hera continues to be supported by Theo a demigod and their relationship continues to develop throughout the story with Theo never faltering in his love or support for her.

The prophecy outlines that Zeus will replace Cronus however, he is a bit of a self righteous brat and Hera tries to keep him on the right path. The hard work is all done by Hera and this is a story lifting up the strengths of females.

Due to my limited Greek mythology knowledge, I found it confusing at times with all the different Titan names and what they were rulers of. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Thanks to #NetGalley and 47North and to Emily R. King for this title #CrownofCinders in exchange for my honest review. This title releases on 5 October and I would recommend that the series is read in order.

Was this review helpful?

I'm not a huge fan of Greek mythology and usually avoids retellings of them but somehow, I managed to dive into Wings of Fury (book 1)... As usual, I wasn't paying much attention to the description and just started reading. In the end, I decided that I really like Althea and I wanted to find out what happens next.

Crown of Cinders opens some time after the end of Wings of Fury, where 2 siblings are yet to be found but Cronus has begun to make his move to destroy these siblings yet again. A very fast read culminating in a climactic battle for world rule where a heartbreaking moment made me sobbed but yet, the ending made me unsure whether this is it or if there is another book coming. I feel that the story is mostly finished but I'm also annoyed at a certain character at this point so I'm not actually sure if I'd like another one or not.

On the other hand, I feel that this book is about a particular goddess for which I am not at all familiar with her 'background' as such so this was a lovely fill for me. She is a strong heroine who have had to fight for her freedom, her independence, her situation in life. I believe this is what author wanted to get across and she definitely had done that very well.

Your value is not in how others treat you but in how you treat yourself. We must believe in ourselves first or there is nothing anyone can say, Titan or moral, that we will believe.

My thanks to 47North for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

Was this review helpful?

Crown of Cinders is the sequel to Wings of Fury. This story takes place six months after the ending of the previous novel where Cronus is now gathering his strength after the last battle and is preparing for a full war against the Upstart Gods (his children). As there are a lot of characters to track in this story, I liked that there is a family tree at the beginning of the novel. There was also an amazing map, so I could picture the placement of all the different locations. Since this novel is a direct sequel, it is best to read the first before beginning this one to avoid spoilers and to gain a complete understanding of the tale.

The story continues to center around Althea, who is now coming to terms with her new identity as Hera, although she prefers to use her mortal name. She is now with Theo and they are currently together at Midnight Mansion, the home of Helios. Staying with them are Althea’s sisters Bronte (Demeter) and Cleora (Hestia). The three sisters continue to be protective of each other and I loved seeing their characters develop even further through these interactions. Zeus is now married to his betrothed Metis, although he is not faithful from the start in their relationship. Now that the four children of Cronus are together, it is time to locate the remaining two brothers. This leads the group on a mission to locate Poseidon and Hades. I loved the introduction of these two Gods are they were enjoyable characters.

Throughout the novel Zeus and Hera’s relationship is explored with Zeus becoming more possessive over her. The two of them continue to have love for each other and their relationship was very interesting of how it mirrors the mythology. Zeus was not as likable to me compared to the first novel, but he still fit well into the story. Cronus and his gathering of the elder Titans to bring destruction and chaos served as an excellent common enemy for the group of Gods and helped provide tension to the story. The adventures to the new locations, such as the Isle of Keos and the Underworld, were entertaining and the characters continued to be unique takes on their known counterparts.

Overall, this was an entertaining and unique take on the origin of the Olympian Gods. There is a nice balance between the known mythologies with some changes to fit the story. Some pieces of Hera and some of the other characters do not fully match many myths, but they work well in the context of the story. For me, it worked well with these changes, but they may not work for every reader. There were some situations that felt a little too convenient, but they did help keep the plot moving. The world is interesting and while this novel served as a great conclusion to a duology, there is more room to expand, if the author wishes.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, 47North, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Was this review helpful?

Crown of Cinders by Emily R. King is a stunning fantasy inspired by Greek Mythology. Admittedly, I have little knowledge of Greek Mythology, but reading about the origins and domains of the gods and goddesses was a cultural experience. King mentions qualities about the gods that had me Googling for more information. Every time, King was historically accurate. Hera and the Upstart Gods are authentic, relatable, and multi-faceted. The romance in this book was clearly written for a reader younger than me, but it is still satisfying and complex. The only thing I disliked is the word, "humping." If you are going to say, "pleasure burst from my core," you might as well say sex. However, this wasn't enough to distract me from reading the book. The tension between Zeus and Hera is palpable and I can't wait to see what they do next. Overall, the book is engaging and draws the reader in with the atmosphere, characters, and history. I'll just be waiting here patiently for the next book.

Was this review helpful?

Crown of Cinders, by author Emily R. King, is the second book in the Wings of Fury series. It has been 6 months since Althea (Hera) learned that she, and her sisters Bronte (Demeter), and Cleora (Hestia) are daughters of Cronus and Rhea. Now, Cronus is whipping up the old guard in order to suppress the new Gods and Goddesses while focusing on Hera who worked with Zeus to send Cronus packing and into hiding. With a bit of help from Selene and others, Hera searches for her other brothers (Poseidon and Hades) hoping they will stand with her, Zeus, and her sisters against Cronus.

Hera and her lover Theo, formerly an officer with the First House's Army, and Half Titan himself, must deal with a plethora of hurdles including traveling to the Underworld to find another lost brother known better as Hades. Thanks to General Atlas, the new head of Cronus's army, there's a large bounty on their heads and every sell sword and mercenary is eager to collect. If Hera and her group are captured, the likelihood of them being sent to Tartarus is very good.

Especially since Cronus loves sending his enemies, including Uranus, there for eternity. The first generation Titans (Pallas, Perses, Menoetius, Lelantos) have mostly aligned with Cronus, but there are a few exceptions. Hera, Theo, and Poseidon's adventure to the Underworld is well done. The author includes some of the biggest monsters of mythology who are more than they seem. One of the biggest storylines of this series was the alleged prophecy that claims that Zeus is fated to defeat Cronus in battle.

Books are supposed to evoke emotions. Welp, my emotions are telling me that I hate the very fabric of Zeus's existence for what he does and attempts to do in this book, especially towards Hera who is twice the warrior that Zeus is. No matter how many mythology books you read about Hera, or Zeus, etc, it pains me to believe these two ended up together or that Hera is thought to be evil. Zeus has been portrayed as hero yet the author makes it known that mythology is always who controls the narrative.

Often times the losers are forgotten about. Zeus and his "relationships" wasn't sugar coated by the author which I respected. He was a total weasel and there's no sugar coating his sexual deviancy. It's also curious that Hera became the Goddess of Marriage, Motherhood, and Familial Love after all of Zeus's shenanigans. Watching Hera come into both her name and her abilities, and her relationship with Theo was done well.

I think one of the worst things historians have done over the centuries is to belittle the hard working women who stood on their own merits and didn't need men to help guide them. This includes Hera. She loves Theo, but there's so much else at stake to actually hope for a future together. I will keep an eye out for the next works by this author who, it seems, I seem to read everything she writes.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed even more this second book in the series. It gave more depth to each character and it added some good twists to the entire plot. I like how the story continued and the fact that the author highlights the power the women have - they are fierce leaders, and they cover any weak point a strategy might have when a battle arises.

I appreciated how the story was realigned with the classically known mythology and for sure some surprises are still ahead in the next volume. For sure this is among the best Greek mythology retellings I have read in a while.

Was this review helpful?

This book starts off immediately where it left off in Wings of Fury" and can I just say, wow. Wow. WOW!
As others have mentioned, this is mythology retold. Retold by the women who have never had their stories told in their own, powerful right. Heard by the women who side pieces, side hustle, sisters, and the lesser wives of the gods. Goddesses in their own rights they are, but just a blip in the mythology story.
I love how King makes their story so empowering, watching these women come into their own and walking with the power they hold.
The emotions I experienced in the book as Althea navigates the truth of who she is and where she came from really helped me to love this book.

*Mythological Goddess retelling
*Romance
*Family Reunions
*GREEKS!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This review was completely mine and written in my words based on my opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book immensely. Greek Mythology will always be near and dear to my heart and it was refreshing to read a book that wasn't your typical myth retelling or fantasy based on the myths. Generally second books fall short of the impact that first books have, but not this one. Both books are phenomenal.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this one, even more than the first. I loved seeing the two new brothers get introduced and fit in with their family. Gutted that Zeus became insufferable as he was my favourite character in the first book. It’s action packed and fast paced, with a clear message that women’s stories matter and we don’t have to fall into supporting roles. A fab duology, I do recommend reading them in order and not just one or the other as there’s a lot of names to remember.

Was this review helpful?