Today is super exciting for a few reasons. The first being that as I am writing this, I am sitting in a fifth-wheel camper ready to go mining tomorrow. Granted, the full day drive was rough with the two boys and they are in their bunk room misbehaving but it should be fun tomorrow! The boys can sift through the creek all day and find all kinds of great gems and crystals. Buying them is great and all, especially since we can sell them to you now (Yay business!), but there is just something about digging in the ground, getting dirty, and pulling them out yourself that is much more rewarding. As if you are receiving a gift from Gaia (Mother Earth) herself.
The second reason I am so excited is that I am a part of yet another blog tour hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club! I have to thank them again because they are the most amazing tour group I’ve worked with. They also don’t charge authors for tours which are, let’s be honest, amazing!! Well this tour, as you might have seen from the title, is for Crown of Coral and Pearl.
Don’t forget to check out all the other great posts for the tour here.
Crown of Coral and Pearl (Crown of Coral and Pearl #1) 
Author: Mara Rutherford
Published: August 27th, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Book Length: 432 Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
Disclaimer: I received a NetGalley copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book to come out and when the cover was released I was in love. First of all…the cover scheme is amazing. I love the simplicity of this book’s cover as well. It doesn’t need much but it gets some major parts of the story. I like how the coral is wrapped around some of the letters as well.
About the Author
Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world, from Russia to Peru, along with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband and two sons. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of London and would rather study the folklore of her next post than the language (which she has found is a lot more fun but not nearly as useful). She is a former Pitch Wars mentee and three-time mentor. Her debut YA fantasy, CORAL AND PEARL, will release from Harlequin Teen in Fall 2019.
Review & Favorite Quotes
“And what is wrong with being shallow?” I’d asked him. “What lies beneath the surface of shallow waters? Nothing. It’s only when you go deeper that the ocean comes alive. The deeper you go, the more mysteries and surprises await.”
This quote describes exactly how I felt about this novel. The deeper I fell into the story, the more I found I loved it. I felt engaged in this story from the very beginning. It’s funny because when I was trying to explain the concept of the book to someone, they mentioned than the basic bones of the story were similar to A Bug’s Life. I had to laugh because I suppose part of that is true. Nor’s people sacrifice their lives to provide something the Ilarians require of them ever since a tragic accident took their previous Queen. This story was fast-paced and build-up for the climax points of the story were expertly done. Mara’s writing style is beautiful and detailed but she has another special talent…creating amazing characters. 
I honestly think the characters are what I loved most about this book. They were flawed and that just made them more believable. I can relate to a character more if they have flaws, it makes them more enjoyable and gives them room to grow and improve. I could spend all day talking about each character but I think today I’ll stick with my favorite one, the main character.
I had sacrificed all of that to come here, and I would be damned if it had all been for nothing.
Nor: She is the most selfless and brave character that I’ve run into recently. She would risk her own life not help not only her family but her entire village. She faces many different challenges and always holds on to her core values and those of her people. Though much of the time she was away from her sister, she never forget why she came and what she was fighting for. The relationship between her and Zadie (her sister) is refreshing to read. My sister and I were close growing up but never that close. That is something that every sister dreams of having. I do feel that I have to mentions there is a romance here, the instant love kind. Not all instant love stories are bad, I actually enjoyed this one. The desperation to be together, it just made me feel for them. 
I absolutely love the world-building in this story. The history of the two villages was well thought out and delivered in a digestible way rather than being dumped on us from the start. With such detail that I could see the color of the coral and feel the smoothness of the pearls. I could imagine diving for pearls and hoping to find one so that I can buy food for my family. 
Crown of Coral and Pearl has some great underlying themes regarding outer beauty.
Your mother taught you to believe your scar made you ugly, but it has made you brave.
Hiding our scars doesn’t mean they’re not there. Just as beauty cannot disguise who we really are beneath the surface.
People in Nor’s village are pressured to grow up as beautiful and flawless as possible. Due to an accident at a young age, Nor is left with a scar, one that her mother makes sure she knows is ugly. What she doesn’t know is that she is still beautiful and having a scar such as hers, she has had time to become brave. She is the most brave and selfless character in this entire book. Though some might not see her as beautiful by their standards, she has the most beautiful heart. Inner beauty is not the only deeper theme here, the book is full of them.
Sorrow is good for the soul, Father had said after the incident, when I had recovered from the pain and sickness but had still not grown used to the feel of the torn flesh on my otherwise flawless skin. “Those who have never known pain or adversity are as shallow as the waves lapping on the shore.
Overall, this novel offers characters that are relatable and engaging, a fast-paced storyline, and some dreamy detailed world-building. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and I was not disappointed. Get your copy now!!
Giveaway
Surprise!! There is a hidden pearl in this post…see what I did there? US residents have the chance to win 1 of 15 copies of Crown of Coral and Pearl!!!!
What do you think? Is this book something you’d enjoy to read? Have you read it, what did you think?
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