Crown of Coral and Pearl

July 1, 2019
Two impoverished sisters aspire to be chosen to become a royal bride. Nor and her identical twin sister, Zadie, dive for pearls along with other struggling villagers in Varenia, a tiny, oppressed kingdom of wooden homes built on stilts in the sea. Tradition holds that when the crown prince of the kingdom of Ilaria is ready for marriage, the elders select the loveliest girl in Varenia for him to marry. Sweet-tempered Zadie is her family's expected choice; Nor isn't really a contender, having sustained an injury that left a scar on her cheek. In some ways, this liberates her: She is outspoken and defiant, questions society's preoccupation with beauty, and dreams of one day setting foot on dry land. When Zadie reveals that she is in love with the governor's son, their neighbor, the sisters quickly realize that a simple accident can produce the necessary flaw to keep her home and send Nor in her stead. Debut author Rutherford's saga begins with the promise of originality, with intriguing kingdoms and worthy heroines. However, the characters can feel two-dimensional, particularly the gallantly handsome love interest and cold, cruel villain. Despite some predictability, it's a fun read, as the tempo canters along. In tropical Varenia, citizens have a wide range of hair and skin colors and value them all as beautiful. A fun and adventurous bit of fantasy romance. (Fantasy. 12-15)

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July 26, 2019

Gr 8 Up-Twins Nor and Zadie descend from a long line of people who reside at sea in a village made of boats, condemned by an age-old legend and oddly resigned to their fate. Their people scrape together a meager living diving for pink pearls, which are highly prized by their inland rulers, the wealthy Ilarans. Every generation, the girls in the floating village are groomed for a beauty contest. The winner will marry the Ilaran prince, and since Nor has been knocked out of the running, it's all up to Zadie and the twins' striving mother, the ultimate stage mom, to secure this dubious prize. When Zadie is selected, fate intervenes (with a little help) and Nor goes in her place, impersonating her twin sister, which seems inevitable from the start. The ruse takes Nor into the bizarre inland fortress lair of her betrothed, Prince Ceren (though his seductive brother Talin is never far off). Nor is a courageous and believable character, but many of the characters are known YA tropes. The story's plot feels half conceived and is full of teasers that never pan out, and the climax strains credulity. VERDICT The influences of Game of Thrones, Kiera Cass's The Selection, and Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen are quite obvious in this too-familiar fantasy novel about an innocent girl in a lethal world. This may tempt fans of world-building, but the lack of surprises and twists will leave readers unsatisfied.-Sara Scribner, Marshall Fundamental School, Pasadena, CA

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