Review by Carol ♥ Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

A Review by Carol

Book – Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author – Mara Rutherford
Series – None
Cliffhanger? - No
Publication Date – August 27, 2019
Genre – Fantasy
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary copy generously provided by the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.




My Thoughts - Story

Hmmm…I think the number 1 thing that irked me the most about this book was how much I despised Zadie and the crap that she put Nor through. Which, don’t get me wrong, isn’t a bad thing…it shows how talented an author is to get the reader experience feelings whether negative or positive. It made me think back to when I was young and watching “Little House on the Prairie” and how much I hated that character “Nell” and my mother would tell me that just shows the writers knew what they were doing that you hate the character as much as you do!

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there but back to the story. I thought this was so imaginative and I absolutely LOVED this world on the sea. I ached for Nor – all the tough breaks that she had and how no one saw her inner beauty, which to me radiated the most out of all the characters. It broke my heart the relationship she had with her mother and how terrible her mother treated her.

The other downside I felt to this book is the romance between Talin and Nor ---- I just didn’t feel it until further in the book – I’m not a big fan of insta-love and felt that there were times that Talin didn’t really deserve the affection of Nor.

Now to the good stuff! I ate this book up – another fantasy I couldn’t put down from beginning to end. I connected with Nor – I really felt her in my heart and in my soul. I loved the undercurrent theme of the beauty underneath and how vain some people can be. What is most important in life? Outer or Inner Beauty?

I LOVED the world building and after reading, I wanted to go live on the ocean like Varenia!

I would like to see more of this book and have it developed into a series because I just need more of Nor!


Reason for Reading – NetGalley Review
Story – 5 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 4 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 5 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Would Read More from Author? Definitely
Recommend To – Readers who love a strong female protagonist