The Immortal Crown, An Age of X Novel By Richelle Mead

Jun 14, 2014 | 2014 Articles, Fantasy & Fangs, Terrance V. Mc Arthur

by Terrance Mc Arthur

Details on how to win a copy of The Immortal Crown at the end of this review along with a link to purchase the book with a portion going to help support KRL.

Speculative fiction creates strange new worlds for the reader. Richelle (Vampire Academy) Mead’s The Immortal Crown takes the characters from Gameboard of the Gods out of their strange world, and puts them into a stranger one.

After the ravages of the Mephistopheles virus, the Republic of United North America (RUNA) renounced religion as dangerous superstition, only allowing small groups without the potential to become a threat. Surprise! The Gods are back…and they want worshipers!book

Justin is a government religion expert, weeding out the bad halos from the harmless ones. Mae is a Nordic super soldier with tech-enhanced adrenalin, assigned to protect Justin. Justin also is semi-pledged to Odin, gifted with two crows to give him advice in his head. If he takes Mae to his bed—again—he will belong to Odin as his prophet.

All of that is pretty strange. Then, they are assigned to a politician’s entourage for treaty negotiations in bordering Arcadia (Deep South, Dixie, the Bible Belt) where men are men and women are property. The Arcadian religion sanctions multiple wives and concubines, refusing women education and modern conveniences (There may be flush toilets in the house, but the women still have to carry water from the well.). Women are not supposed to look good, for fear of tempting men. In fact, Mae is so strikingly gorgeous, she has to be wrapped, robed, and swathed until all feminine shape is covered. She was not required to make the trip, but Mae had her own reason for going into this misogynistic place…a niece who is on her way to concubinehood. Where is Mae getting her information on how to rescue her relative? She’d like to know where these revelations are coming from, too.

Justin’s sect-busting activities have earned him many enemies, so his family needs protection, including a bodyguard for a girl he rescued from Panama. The young woman has extra-credit schoolwork that may uncover the most dangerous element of RUNA society…religious worshipers.

This book has voodoo murder, animal transformation, artifacts of power, forced genetic diversity, dangerous religious leaders, and physical abuse. There is also tabloid journalism, a rigid class system, political dirty tricks, and religious worship invented on the fly. If you have a disregard of organized religion, you’ll find a lot to love. If you have a deep-seated belief system, you’re bound to find something that will cut uncomfortably close to your heart. The Immortal Crown does not rest easily, but it goes beyond what you expect.

To enter to win a copy of The Immortal Crown simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Crown,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 21, 2014. U.S. residents only.

Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.

Use this link to purchase the book and a portion goes to help support KRL:

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a Community Librarian for the WoW! (WithOut Walls) Division of the Fresno County Public Library, roaming the Valley to meet the public’s information needs.

1 Comment

  1. We have a winner
    Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher

    Reply

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