Lost Crow Conspiracy | Review

Greetings readers!

Last year I was lucky enough to review an ARC of Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves, a historical fantasy which I found very interesting. I really enjoyed the Hungarian folklore and the ending was very cliff-hangery so when Penguin Random House Canada sent me the ARC of book 2, I was overjoyed to dive in!

Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves

via Goodreads

Sixteen-year old Anna Arden was once just the magically barren girl from an elite Luminate family. Now she has broken the Binding—and Praetheria, the creatures held captive by the spell, wreak havoc across Europe. Lower-class citizens have access to magic for the first time, while other Luminates lose theirs forever. Austria and Hungary are at odds once more.

Anna Arden did not know breaking the Binding would break the world.

Anna thought the Praetheria were on her side, content and grateful to be free from the Binding. She thought her cousin Matyas’s blood sacrifice to the disarm the spell would bring peace, equality, justice. She thought her future looked like a society that would let her love a Romani boy, Gabor.

But with the Monarchy breathing down her neck and the Praetheria intimidating her at every turn, it seems the conspiracies have only just begun.

As threat of war sweeps the region, Anna quickly discovers she can’t solve everything on her own. Now there’s only one other person who might be able to save the country before war breaks out. The one person Anna was sure she’d never see again. A bandit. A fellow outlaw. A man known as the King of Crows. Matyas.

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*Book releases March 27th, 2018*

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*I received an advanced copy from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review*

I remember really enjoying the first book. The thing is, I read it so long ago that I forgot quite a few events and people. What I didn’t forget was the ending, which is what really intrigued me to read the sequel. Suffice to say, I enjoyed how the events of the ending from book one unfurled in book two and the new problems these characters got into!

What I liked:

Characters:

Anna: From what I recall, I think Anna really changed in this novel. In the first book, I think she was still a little too in-the-box, a little brat-like, but in this book she came in guns blazing with her skirts bunched in her fists. Anna was really focused on finding her voice. She wanted to defend he defenseless and bring a halt unfair policies, the problem was that her being a woman stopped her from having that voice. I loved that she strove to find it anyways and that she avoided marrying a man in order to “gain a voice.” All in all, I really enjoyed her growth as a character, she still makes some foolish decisions, but no one is perfect right?

Matyas: I was really excited that the book contained his perspective!! Considering the events of book one, I had no doubt that he would be getting a more significant role in this book. He was a really fun character to follow. A little bit of sass and a whole lot of self-depreciation which was hilarious. He also made some very not smart decisions, but I think that is what his personality is all about; learning to make the right gamble.

The Creatures & Magic:

I loved all the new creepies and creatures that are in this book! This time I expected the glossary of terms in the back of the book, so I could keep track of all the Praetheria that played a significant role in the story. The creatures had their own experience of oppression and revolution which I enjoyed reading about. I liked that the larger plot expanded to include their oppression with all the other crazy battles that European nations were preparing to fight.

Political Intrigue:

As mentioned, literally every nation in this book was tip-toeing across each other, scheming and sneaking around, waiting for the right moment to strike. It was really political especially with Anna trying to voice herself in a very anti-woman era. I loved seeing all the nations bicker and try to prove their resolutions as the best, only to find out about their conniving ulterior motives.

The very climax of the book:

And I am literally talking about the half way point, right in the middle of the book. There is this one chapter where Anna makes a pretty not-so-thought-out decision and everything goes to hell for her. I don’t know exactly why, but I felt the shock that Anna felt herself. We both thought her decision could lead to a good change, but I was tricked! It all went down hill from there. Wow.

The last 50% of the book:

After the climax, the book just got better and better to me. Perhaps it was because I had spent enough time with the characters to know their goals and aspirations, but I was just 100% more involved in the last half of the book. The events that unfolded were much more suspenseful and action packed. I was torn between wanting to read more from Anna or Matyas. I was just flipping and flipping.

What I Disliked:

The Beginning (i.e. first 50%):

It was a struggle. A mix of me trying to remember the characters and the events of the last book while trying to keep up with new characters. Plus, I like the politics, but too much gets boring fast. Nothing was really moving quick enough, it was a snails pace. It’s not the best start to a read I suppose, but the last 50% was definitely worth the wait!

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Overall, I enjoyed this sequel! I even think it’s better than the first! Although the first half might have been a little grueling to get through, the second half was so much more fun and adventurous. Anna and Matyas’ stories swept me off my feet and by the end I was feeling quite thrilled. The ending itself could have used a little more suspense, but I am looking forward to the final installment!

Rating: 4 / 5 (Really it’s more of a 3.85ish, but for the sake of clarity, I’ll round)

Recommend: Like Historical Fiction? Want to try a little fantasy? This series is a great start!

Let me know what you think! Have you read this book? What about Blood Rose Rebellion? What are some of your favourite genre-crossing books (i.e. books that mix genres)?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz