A fierce gladiator queen must face off against her enemies in an epic battle in this next thrilling installment of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series—an action-packed adventure full of magic, murderous machinations, courtly intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, … survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It’s time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies.
There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don’t turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.
Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom’s survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.
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This series just got better and better with each book, and Crush the King is a fantastic conclusion to the series. I couldn’t put this book down. If you haven’t read the first two books, you are in for a treat.
Guys, if you like your fantasy epic, you really must check out this series. Betrayal put Everleigh Blair on the throne and treachery threatens to take her off. But Queen Everleigh survives the dangerous and vindictive courtly world and emerges a true Winter Queen – this is a gripping tale of one woman’s survival and triumph. You don’t have to start at the beginning of the series, but all three books are great, so why not?
I hope there’s more in this series!!
If Jennifer Estep wrote the phone book, I might buy it and read it. I have yet to read ANYTHING of hers I did not love. I have a list of writers I wish wrote faster and she is right near the top!
Love this series, and this book is just as good as the others. This is one you will find yourself staying up way too long to finish reading, as you just want to find out how it ends. Excellent writing. Enjoy.
I highly recommend this fabulous series!
Crush the King is the final action-packed fantasy novel in Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards trilogy. The story is filled with magic, deception, death, romance, action, and strategy, all leading to one epic battle. The showdown is against the King of Morta, who continues to commission assassination attempts against Lady Everleigh Winter Blair. Apparently he doesn’t remember that Evie has ascended to the Bellona throne after dispatching her deceiving and murderous cousin, Vasilia, dealt with nobles who have everything but her and Bellona’s best interests at heart, and is capable of defending herself, her people, and her new alliance with Andvari.
After the last attempt on her life, Evie knows it’s time to put the King of Morta in his place. Evie plans to put her plan into place at the upcoming Regalia Games. All the kingdoms are brought together, and the very best members compete against one another. What better time to be up close and personal with the enemy and try to turn the tables?
I love Evie’s form of magic. Evie’s magic allows her to destroy other forms of magic, making her a formidable foe. Jennifer Estep has created a very strong character in Evie. She’s had a tragic upbringing but one that allowed her to move through the kingdom and learn both the important aspects and those that were most unsavory. She trained as an elite warrior while Vasilia and the rest of Bellona though she was dead. She brought Vasilia to her knees and took her rightful place on the throne.
The epic conclusion to the Crown of Shards series delivers suspense and riveting action. The King of Morta’s tricks know no bounds and has Evie fighting her life, the lives of her people, and the preservation of all the other kingdoms. Unbelievably complex situations are threaded through this book and unsuspecting events threaten the sanctity and spirit of the Regalia Games. It’s a battle of wills, strength, and know-how and Evie relies on everyone to do their part in taking down the Mortan king.
There hasn’t yet been a book written by Jennifer Estep that I haven’t like, and I’ve ready most of them. Her stories are fascinating, full of action, and engaging. Crush the King is a well-written fantasy novel with wonderful characters and detailed world building. The story played out like a movie as I read. The book has a killer cover and intriguing synopsis and I was pulled in from the start.
Everleigh Blair, Queen of Bellona, is still avoiding being killed by other monarchs who want her kingdom, internal forces who don’t believe she’s capable of saving Bellona, and a new enemy whose land abuts Bellona. She’s fed up with her enemies and decides not to be nice any more. She wants to take the fight to her enemies, and she wants to do it during the Regalia Games, where all the kingdoms come together to compete in sporting events. What could possibly go wrong with that decision?
This is the third book (and final book?) in the Crown of Shards series featuring the fierce gladiator Queen, but you need not have read the first two books in the series to thoroughly enjoy this one.
This is another well-written, cleverly conceived fantasy with characters finely drawn, and a complex action-filled plot. The author’s world-building skills are once again on display as we visit the nearby kingdom where the Games are being held.
If you like your fantasy books with a strong female main character who is a bad ass, are well-written, and with solid plots, then this is the book for you and should be at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Harper Voyager and Edelweiss for an eARC.
This is the third book, and the whole trilogy was absolutely amazing. Estep really knows her stuff
What a wonderful story!! I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. Watching Evie grow and develop into a strong independent woman and then queen. The love story that developed between her and Sully. And finally the epic revenge she gets for herself and her family against the devious Mortans. Sad to see the end but so happy to have gone along on the journey!!
What an amazing conclusion to this series! I could not put this book down and loved seeing Evie’s character grow through all three books. Very satisfied with her character and the plot of this conclusion but wished to see a little more growth with her relationships with her friends and Sullivan. Overall, recommend and now it looks like there might be more books coming from this world- CANT’T WAIT!!
Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series is a fantasy lover’s thrill ride. Stunning magic, epic battles, masterful political plays, strong friendships, shocking twists, a touch of romance, and enemies to absolutely hate while others surprise you make this story unputdownable and one for the keeper shelf. Estep gives us a heroine to root for, whose bravery and cunning set her apart and whose compassion and loyalty will keep readers turning the pages to see what this remarkable leader will do next. Everleigh Blair isn’t only a Winter Queen; she’s an avalanche.
A fantastic book with intrigue, battles, revenge, and just enough romance to keep this romance-lover happy. I highly recommend the whole series!
The end…Gosh I wish it didn’t have to end! This book was everything! Ever since I first picked up ‘Kill the Queen’, I have fallen in love with the characters, the world ‘Crown of Shards’ is set in & overall the plot. Each book has been better than the last and each ending has left me wanting more.
Crush the King concludes Evie’s story however I full expect Jennifer will be continuing writing more books in this world particularly focusing on a special little gargoyle friending girl.
Perfect for readers who are looking for a story that includes action, fantasy & a hint of romance!
I devoured this book! I always have a long list of books that I need to be reading and I try to work through those books in order but every once in a while a book comes along and all of my plans are thrown out. I just had to get started with this book as soon as I had a copy in my hands and once I started, I couldn’t put it down. It is just that good!
Evie and her group are on the defensive once again. It seems like the assassins just are not going to stop trying to get to Evie so she wants to turn things around and go on the offensive. It is time for the Regalia Games and Evie is gathering her times to match up against the other nearby kingdoms. There is a lot at stake and all eyes will be on Evie for the duration of the event.
I think that I grow to love Evie more and more with each book in this series. She is smart and seems to be able to think several steps ahead at all times. She is incredibly brave and will put herself on the line when necessary. She never planned to be queen and hasn’t trained for it like most have the opportunity to do but she is a natural. She wants what is best for her kingdom and really does care about others.
This book was incredibly exciting. From the early assassination attempt until the final scene, I couldn’t look away. I had no idea how things would go and I was pretty worried about the characters several times during the story. There was a lot of action but there was also a lot of political maneuvering which was a lot of fun to watch as well. I loved that the book was able to keep me guessing until the very end.
I would highly recommend this series to others. I would recommend reading the series in order since each book builds on the events from the previous installment. I will say that this book felt very final to me which was a bit of a surprise. I hope that we see more books in the series and the finality that I felt was just the conclusion of a larger story arc. I definitely plan to read more from this very talented author.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Harper Voyager via Edelweiss.
4.5 stars– CRUSH THE KING is the third instalment in Jennifer Estep’s CROWN OF SHARD’S epic fantasy series focusing on the newly crowned Queen of Bellona, Queen Everleigh (Evie) Saffira Winter Blair, a young woman whose ascension to the throne is predicated on a murderous coup against our heroine’s family. CROWN THE KING should not be read as a stand alone. There is a continuous theme throughout the series as Everleigh sets her sights on avenging the deaths of everyone she loved.
SOME BACKGROUND: The Crown of Shards series is the focus of elemental magic, magic of which our heroine is believed to have not been blessed, but Everleigh’s ‘mutt magic’ is much more than anyone could have imagined. As the series progresses, Everleigh’s strengths and powers make her the target of a group of assassins hoping to destroy whomever wears the crown. With the power to ‘scent’ out emotions, as well as her ability to manipulate magic, Everleigh is a powerful Queen, indeed. With her own band of ‘gladiators’ and Lucas Sullivan, the man that she loves, Everleigh is a force unto herself, a force that is constantly tested by would-be assassins, and spurned kings and queens.
Told from first person perspective (Everleigh) CRUSH THE KING focuses on the preparations for the Regalia Games, a competition between kingdoms wherein Everleigh, as the new queen of Bellona, will prove she is worthy to wear the crown. Months earlier, the murder of her entire family, ordered by the Mortan King Maximus, left Everleigh the sole surviving member of the Winter bloodline, and as such our heroine is the ongoing target of numerous assassination attempts, all of which Everleigh has defended using her powerful magic but when the murderous plots continue to unfold at the Regalia Games, Everleigh knows that to stop the attempts on her life, she is going to have to take down and crush the king.
Like Estep’s Elemental Assassin series, the Crown of Shards series focuses on elemental magic. From weather mages, elementals, gem and metal workers, ogres, shifters and gladiators, the similarities are numerous and familiar. Jennifer Estep pulls the reader into an enchanting, detailed, complex, intriguing, and intense story of family, power, greed, and magic.
Wow, I couldn’t get enough of this book!
Everleigh Blair has survived a mass murder, became a gladiator, and became the new queen. Now she is playing the long game to defeat her enemies and the Realia games are the perfect time to strike. With her friends at her side, Evie goes on the attack and slowly takes her enemies down one by one.
I love this series and I don’t want it to end. I actually started and finished other books while reading this to prolong the ending because I wasn’t ready for it to end. Evie is such a kickass character and an amazing queen. I just can’t get enough of her. Actually, every character in this series was amazing, even the villains, which is another reason why this is such a good series. I loved how Evie played the long game to take down King Maximus. She used all her skills, not just her magic, to reach her end goal and protect the kingdoms. I so admire her for that. I don’t really want to say much more than that about this book because I don’t want to spoil anything inadvertently.
Overall, this is an amazing fantasy series that I totally recommend. I really hope we see more of this world in the future because I am not ready to let this amazing world go. Maybe a Paloma story or Leonidas story?
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
Crush the King was the perfect ending for the Crown of Shards series! If you enjoy Estep’s Elemental Assassins series with Gin and her gang then you will certainly enjoy Everleigh and her crew. This entire series is chockfull of intrigue, magic, royal conspiracies and politics, action, suspense, and romance.
I loved Evie’s strength and endurance. She had survived so much and yet continued to grow in confidence and abilities. I enjoyed watching her plan come to fruition. She turned from being on defense to playing offensively and her strategy, ruthlessness, and cunning were fascinating and exciting to see.
The storyline was executed perfectly with surprises, twists, and turns to keep you guessing and hold your attention from beginning to end. This was a great read and the perfect ending to the trilogy. I hope Estep will delve further into this world with new adventures.
*ARC copy provided by Edelweiss and author; I am voluntarily providing my honest review.
I really hope this is the last book in the series. I say that not because I did not enjoy it, but because I am very much did. Crush the King was a fitting end to the Crown of Shards trilogy, and I would hate for anyone to mess with such a good ending.
This book is Queen Everleigh’s chance to finally face off with her mortal enemies. Not only Maeven, but her brother King Maximus who has been pulling the strings on the assassination attempts— and successes—from the beginning.
It all happens at the Regalia Games. It hearkens back to the gladiator days of book one, only all of the kingdoms attend with their strongest fighters to duke it out in the name of glory. It’s also an opportunity for the Royals to make alliances and cement their feuds. Evie wants to do both. Make alliances with some of the other kings and queens, while crushing King Maximus under her heel. Of course, this isn’t that easy. Maximus is very powerful and magically gifted, not to mention cruel. Between his machinations and the dastardly plans of the family of bankers which host the event, Evie has to fight for her life over and over and over again.
But this is her chance to prove herself. As both a strong fighter and strategist. I really liked watching her ruthlessness play out. Obviously, she’s the good guy, but that doesn’t mean she’s a wilting flower. I like that she’s willing to kill. I like that she doesn’t necessarily stay above the fray in these bottles of life and death.
The bad guys are fun to hate here and Evie’s band of comrades are just as easy to love. Sullivan is back, although this installment is much lighter on the romance than the last one. After all, they’ve already sealed the deal. That was OK, though. I liked this book for what it was. A solid fantasy with a strong female lead and an ending that satisfies. Would recommend this trilogy, especially for fans of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series.
If you like Gin Blanco, you will love Queen Everleigh.
I put off reading Protect the Prince, Volume 2 of the Crown of Shards trilogy, because I’d thoroughly enjoyed Kill the Queen. It wasn’t that there was a cliffhanger, but I was left with a bad case of grabby hands and didn’t want to go through that again if I was going to have to wait all the way to March to read to the end.
Then I lucked into an early galley of Volume 3, so…
Evie Blair started as an inconsequential royal with a sad magic that seems limited to an enhanced sense of smell and an unreliable resistance to the magic of others. In a royal family of gladiatorial wielders of fire and electricity, she bakes pies.
By Crush the King, she is Queen of Bellona having survived the slaughter of her family, gladiatorial training & multiple assaults on her fledgling reign by the psychopath king of the aptly named Morta.
I truly liked the other two books, but this is the best. Evie is no longer constantly fighting just to hold on by her fingernails. Now she has allies, including her beloved Lucas, the powerful bastard prince of a neighboring kingdom and her gladiator friends. Now she knows her own power. Now she is an apex predator, herding her prey away from his cohort and onto slippery stones where she will take him down and I love it.
I get the comparisons to Game of Thrones: it is an epic fantasy with mythic creatures, shifting alliances and politics is played with knives, but Estep has created a different, more magical world where sometimes people are nice.
I am not sure if it is a trilogy or the author plans to write more parts but certainly I would love to read another book from this amazing series.