review:crown of coral and pearl by mara rutherford
Lately, itâs been rare for me to find novels on NetGalley that I enjoy. Crown of Coral and Pearl was a diamond in the rough, and made my long subway ride feel like a hot second. Itâs by no means a flawless read, but it stood out from the pack thanks to Rutherfordâs beautiful writing.Â
In comparison to the last book I reviewed (âGravemaidensâ), I felt the bonds of sisterhood in this one. Nor and Zadie are identical sisters who live in a small village surrounded by water. The village is known for beautiful maidens, and sending a bride to marry the royalty of Ilara. (Yes, vapid, but thatâs the point.) Nor is itching to see the world, but only the woman chosen to be married is ever allowed to leave the village. And she has a permanent scar that determined years ago her sister, Zadie, would win the Crown Princeâs hand. In a twist of fate, Nor is sent to Ilara to marry the Crown Prince in her place. Her future husband is Prince Ceren, a cold, quirky boy who lives in a castle devoid of sunlight. Heâs not easy to like, so good thing she fell madly in love with his half brother, Prince Talin, at first glance.Â
Let me be clear - there are no surprises in this one for a well-read individual. You watch the plot unfold, but donât feel like youâre in it with the MC in all the twists and turns. There is no murder mystery. The romance is kind of crap to be honest. What was interesting for me was watching Nor make the choices she does. I know that sounds strange, but itâs kind of intriguing as she unravels every little thread and realizes how big the world she lives in really is. Her world was her village, and she discovers that in the grand scheme of things, Ilara has way bigger fish to fry. Reason why it was also so fun? Nor is a strong, opinionated character with a set of morals she stuck to the whole book. Weirdly enough, itâs a rare sight to see such a predictable path from MCs, and I admired it.Â
World-building was A+. The pacing was great. And if Talin and their quick, vapid romance wasnât involved, Nor was a fun character and a loyal sister. You felt how much she cared through the pages.Â
Crown of Coral & Pearl: 3.5 stars
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.















