Blood Crown by Ali Cross

Blood Crown by Ali Cross

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


☆ ☆ ☆☆
Actual 3.8 but rounded up for good feels.

No spoilers and colorful language abound! I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.




I took part in a little "judge a book by it's cover" on this one and maybe not in the most flattering way, I guess I should explain. I've been in a bit of a book rut, and I've been clutching onto the only good book I've read in awhile refusing to finish it because of my issues, then I found The Blood Crown. I didn't request it on NetGalley because I thought it was going to be fantastic, I thought it might be distracting and was mildly curious but my expectations were very low. Then it starts off with a chapter titled Archibald Nine Years Earlier, with little to no info dump, we jump right into the perspective of an android serving and raising the princess of the West, Serantha. On the second page Archibald is trying to protect this little girl from the mutinying androids who have risen to kill the King and Queen and enslave the people. A thousand years of monarchy, humans bestowed with gifts from their Servants as hypothesized by The Creator culminate with Serantha of the West and Nicolai of the East, the ultimate combination of humanity and nanotechnology. They are destined to create the next race to ensure the survival of not only humans but androids as well and must be protected at all costs.






All the sudden it hit me. Was this actually going to be good? Maybe even... better than good? Spoiler: Yes. This is what I wanted Cinder to be but feel so epically short of. I loved it. The world building, the space ships, the war, the savagery, the technology, the prophecy, the writing. Oh my, the writing! I highlighted so many passages that struck a chord with me, it was a joy. The romance was obvious but not suffocating, they were genetically made to love each other, so there were reasons for it all. The Blood Crown is a great stand-alone, fast paced delicious book. You should read it.

Edit: I just noticed that this says Eden Project #1… so there will be more? This really felt complete at the end and I just made the assumption that it is stand alone. I stand corrected and I'm looking forward to what Cross has to add to this story!













View all my reviews