Wow, I truly could not put this book down! I devoured this book, like neglected-all-responsibilities-to-read-this-in-two-days devoured. I haven’t read a King Arthur retelling quite like this. I really liked the uniqueness of it.

The plot was really intriguing. The fae court can only have one heir, and as twins were birthed, and Veyka being second born and without powers, was locked away and tortured by her mother in hopes to instill powers in her. Once Arthur become king, he frees Veyka and locks mommy dearest away. That is until he dies and Veyka is betrothed to the Brutal Prince. I really enjoyed their chemistry, while I was a bit confused why Veyka hated Arran, I can chalk it up to her PTSD, hatred for being crowned Queen, and him being in closest proximity. Their enemies to lovers plot line was great.

Huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m still reeling from the cliffhanger ending!! Luckily I have the next book waiting.
I enjoyed the world building of this book and I really enjoyed the last 1/3 of the book. Things really started to come together then and the plot seemed to take off.
The FMC seems to have finally found her footing by the end and I think I’ll enjoy seeing her growth in the next book. A word of warning there are some super dark elements to this book which may be triggering.

I would say a strong 3.5/5 for me with fingers crossed for the next book.

Thank you to Emberly Ash and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for a review!

Key Points:
Arthurian legend retelling
Enemies to lovers-ish
Shifters
Elemental magic
Arranged marriage
Badass FMC
Touch her and die
Spice
Political/court intrigue

I enjoyed reading this book so much! It's a loosely based retelling of Arthurian legend in a fascinating fantasy world filled with fae, spice, and political intrigue.

Veyka, our FMC, endured hell before her brother came to her rescue. She's harboring a secret that she believes makes her weak, and has trained endlessly to hone her body into a weapon. She's stubborn and has some tunnel vision when it comes to revenge, but I loved watching her grow and learn to trust others.

The MMC, Arran, known as the Brutal Prince, is unexpectedly betrothed to Veyka upon her ascension to Queen. He honors and upholds his duty to the kingdom, doing whatever it takes to protect the realm and Veyka. It was amazing to witness him learn more about Veyka and realize just how cunning and protective of the kingdom she is as well. He's broody and has an inner beast with a fierce temper, but Veyka matches him in every way.

I would definitely recommend this book for romantasy readers. It ends on a cliff, but thankfully Book 2 is out!

3.5 stars
In "Crown of Earth and Sky," author Ash weaves a twisted mythology retelling of the Arthurian legend, blending fantasy, romance, and dark elements into a captivating narrative. The story revolves around Veyka Pendragon, the newly crowned Queen of the Elemental Fae, as she navigates a treacherous court, seeks revenge on those who betrayed her and grapples with a dangerous secret that could unravel her world.

The strength of the novel lies in its characters, particularly the formidable and relatable female protagonist, Veyka. The characters are easily likable, and the banter between characters adds a layer of charm to the story. Veyka's resilience and strength make her a compelling lead, She really reminds me of Aelin from ToG.

While the strengths of "Crown of Earth and Sky" are evident, there are some drawbacks that affected my rating of this book. One notable aspect is the rapid progression of the romance between the main characters. The declaration of love in the first book felt a bit rushed for me as did all of the steamy scenes. Along with a fast-paced romance, the storyline occasionally becomes confusing, making it challenging to follow the intricate web of plot twists and character motivations. I hope to see some character growth from Veyka, I think that would solve most of the issues I had with this book.

Despite these drawbacks, the novel presents a fresh take on familiar mythology and offers an intriguing blend of fantasy and romance. Fans of the Arthurian legend will appreciate the unique twists, and those who enjoy strong female protagonists will find Veyka's journey compelling. I would love to read the 2nd book in the series and I can't wait to see what unfolds next!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Right off the bat this book had a strong start.
-Arranged Marriage
-Enemies to Lovers
-Magic
-Fae / Shifters
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This dark romance fantasy follows Veyka Pendragon and her journey to the throne she was never meant to rule. The book hooked me from the beginning, jumping right in which I love. I did find the spice was there fairly early on in the book and while I generally prefer a slightly slower burn, with more build up, it was an enjoyable read for me. The ending left off with a cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

I really liked this one and the cover is beautiful. This was a fantasy romance that was fast paced and interesting. I also loved the romance. Veyka and Arran made a great match for each other and I just couldn’t get enough of them.
I didn’t find it very dark and it was realistic. I recommend this book if you like fantasy and I’m excited for book 2.
4.5⭐️
Thanks Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I had a lot of fun reading this book! It definitely brought me out of the slight reading slump I was in.

The highlight of the book for me was the characters. We have our FMC Veyka who is grieving the loss of her brother. She is despondent and disinterested in everything except avenging her brother’s death. She was so tough and independent, but also just in so much pain. I really enjoyed her character arc in this first instalment and I’m excited to see her growth in the next book. And then we have Arran🙈 Ahhh I loved him so much! He was grumpy and ruthless, but with Veyka, we got to see different sides to him. The romance between Veyka and Arran was a great slow-burn romance. There is no she fell first, he fell harder situation here because Arran just fell HARD, that’s it. He was resisting his feelings for so long, but we knew that he was a goner for her🤭

We have also have a great group of supporting characters. Gwen and Parys were some of my favourites. Both of them have suffered following Arthur’s death, but they handle it in different ways. I really hope we get to see them find some happiness in the next book because they deserve it.

The only reason I didn’t give it a higher rating was because I felt that the world-building and the plot were confusing at times. Some things were not explained clearly and it would take me a few pages to grasp what was going on. But that didn’t stop this book from being super addicting and I can’t wait to dive into the second book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was amazing! The romance was beautifully done and the writing was perfect. I absolutely loved the plot line and it was very well planned out.