ARC REVIEW: The Fate of Crowns (The Fate of Crowns #1) by Rebecca L. Garcia

The Fate of Crowns (The Fate of Crowns #1) by Rebecca L. Garcia
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Format: eBook (Gifted from Book of Matches Media) + Audiobook (Gifted from Author)

The Fate of Crowns by Rebecca L. Garcia is an enchanting introduction to a new fantasy series and world. If you love stories with the enemies-to-lovers trope, a love triangle, and political intrigue, then this would be a great choice for you. It’s at the young adult level, and I would have no reservations with offering it as a suggestion to readers at that age level and above. 

The worldbuilding was magical. I easily imagined myself in all the places that Winter’s journey takes her. Ms. Garcia delivered a lot of fantastical elements, such as sorcerers, fae, mer-creatures, elves, and even a pixie. Fantasy readers like me will definitely enjoy this aspect. The dynamics between the different countries and their rulers were great too and really added to the stakes and political intrigue of the story. As a side note, if you do have the chance to read the novella Ruin. I would highly recommend it. It’s not necessary to enjoy and understand this book, but I do think it adds to the worldbuilding and it explains some of the events that are referenced in the book in greater detail. 

There were some issues with the pacing of the story. It felt very inconsistent to me. The book certainly starts off with a bang, but it keeps up a break-neck pace and didn’t provide opportunities where I could pause and absorb what was going on. As a result, certain moments didn’t click until much later in the story (which took away some of the fun). I wanted the pauses and breaks not just for me, but for the characters. For example, there is a major character death that greatly affects Winter in the book. Despite this, the events of the book move on fairly quickly and she never really takes the time to process what happened or mourn properly. 

The audiobook narrator, Amanda Stribling, did a great job bringing the story to life. Audiobook narrators provide depth for a story that you just can’t get by reading it in print, and Ms. Stribling certainly delivered. There were a couple of moments when I wanted a bit more feeling (i.e. when Winter is arguing with her father), but overall it was a great performance. 

This book does end on a cliffhanger, but the sequel The Princess of Nothing is already out for those who want to immediately jump into the next part of the story. As an extra bonus, it’s available to read for free in eBook format to those with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. 

Thank you to the author for my gifted audiobook copy, and to Book of Matches Media for my gifted eBook copy. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed The Fate of Crowns. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.  

About the Author: Rebecca L. Garcia

Rebecca lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and son. Born and raised in England, you can find her drinking tea, writing new worlds, and designing covers.
Rebecca devoured every book she was given from the age of five and fell in love with magical worlds. When she got older, her imagination grew with her and she delved into writing strong characters and vast worlds.

When she's not writing or spending time with her family, you can find her traveling, and hosting book signings with Spellbinding Events.

 

Rebecca is represented by The Next Step PR. For the latest sign-ups, tours, and cover reveals for Rebecca's releases you can go to www.thenextsteppr.com