Review: The Crown Tower

The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The Crown Tower is an enjoyable glimpse into the past of The Riyria Revelations. Not only do we get to see how Hadrian and Royce meet up, but we also learn more about Gwen, which was a pleasant surprise. She is one character who never had the spotlight in earlier books and I always wanted to know more about her.

I have to say this moved slowly, especially at the beginning. The element of surprise that I enjoyed so much in the original series was less apparent - of course, because this is a prequel and I already know the outcome. It could be different if this is your first Riyria book. But although knowing their history removed some of the element of discovery, I loved having the chance to go back to this world and to unveil some of the mystery of Hadrian and Royce. It made me miss the other characters that won't be appearing in the prequel, but it's full of adventure, and I can't wait to see where the next books takes us.

I wouldn't say the Crown Tower ends on a cliffhanger, but it ends at the beginning, if that makes any sense. It was really fun to live through "the forging," but now that I've experienced the legendary heist, I don't know exactly what will happen next. I need the sequel - good thing it's coming out tomorrow.

I don't recommend reading this without reading the original series first, because you'll miss references and might not know why you care about the characters. I think you'll come to care regardless, but it might feel a bit slow for a while. Once you've read the original series, you'll be happy for any crumbs you can get from this table and find this a treat that leaves you wishing for more.

**So excited to receive free arc for review!



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