Review: Crown of Crimson

Crown of Crimson by Karina Halle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore Karina Halle, and River of Shadows had me eager to see how the second book in the Underworld Gods series would play out. Although I had high hopes for this one, the book left me conflicted. In truth, this is a case where I have rounded my three-point-five-star rating up.

While there were so many interesting new elements introduced in this one, the pacing at the start was much slower than expected. Especially considering the things that were happening. It made it feel like the book was dragging somewhat, despite how much I enjoyed the details that were introduced. I think a big part of this comes down to the detail that bugged me overall about the book. The chosen one theme (something that is mocked in this one) was so strong. It almost made it feel like I was reading a different character considering how easily she accepted everything and changed with the blink of an eye. Plus, as much as I love Karina Halle’s smut, I feel like the characters needed to get their priorities right. There were times when important things were happening, and those important things should have been the focus. Combined, it left me feeling conflicted about this one. In fact, I think I enjoy the first book more.

Although this wasn’t quite what I had hoped from the second book, I am interested in seeing what the next book brings. It is such an interesting world, with so many fun elements, I just fear this one might have suffered from second book syndrome.

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