Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) [Hardcover]

Kate Elliott (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crown of Stars, Vol. 7 | Publication Date: February 7, 2006

The land is beginning to recover from the cataclysmic return of the spell-cast Aoi lands to earth. But many new alliances are forming even as Sanglant struggles to legitimize his own leadership. The Aoi are carrying out random attacks-while implicating him as their leader. Stronghand has begun a march of conquest into the heart of Sanglant's realm. Adelheid and Antonia have made an unholy alliance. And Sabella and Duke Conrad are moving to seize Sanglant's crown. Cultures, religions, and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the fine conclusion to Elliott's seven-volume fantasy epic based in part on the European medieval period, Earth is beginning to recover from the cataclysmic events—tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, vast dust clouds that obscure the sky—unleashed in book six, In the Ruins (2005). Prince Sanglant, the bastard son of King Henry of Wendar, seeks to legitimize his relationship with his consort, the martial and shrewd sorceress Liath, and found a dynasty that can continue their work of healing the battered world. Curses, King Henry's murder and ambitious rivals put formidable obstacles in Sanglant's path. Elliott has a gift for creating grim, dark settings as well as swashbuckling action scenes (both magical and material) worthy of Rafael Sabatini. This is a splendid piece of intelligent entertainment, even if it makes few concessions to new readers. (Feb.)
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Review

A world of depth and color...once you're caught up in the story, you're going to spend many pleasant hours. -- SF Chronicle

High fantasy...entirely captivating. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; 1ST edition (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075640326X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756403263
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #857,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate Elliott lives in Hawaii, USA. In addition to the Crossroads series and the Crown of Stars series, she is co-author of THE GOLDEN KEY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent conclusion to a wonderful series, February 16, 2006

By 

jules (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) (Hardcover)

I have to admit, I started this book with some trepidation as it's always hard to successfully wrap up a well-written series. In addition, I thought the prior book, In The Ruins, was the worst of the series. The characters seemed flat, and the plot almost simplistic, especially given the wonderful complexity of the prior books. I shouldn't have worried; in Crown of Stars, all plot lines were successfully tied up in a logical manner, and the characters back to their original three dimensions.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, but you must have read the predecessors before tackling this one.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Soooo disappointing in so many ways, February 12, 2006

By 

N. Finney "Finn" (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) (Hardcover)

I can't possibly give the book only 1 star, since I DID enjoy it, up to a point. But as other reviewers have mentioned, it was ultimately very disappointing.

The premise of the series - with the early middle ages setting in, I guess, an alternate Germany, has always been wonderful. The society, with its matriarchal spin, the magic system, the rest, fabulous. And the Hugh and Antonia characters were among the best depictions of complex, self-absolving evil that I've come across (though they were dispatched with surprising swiftness in this novel). And of course, Liath, Sanglant, Alain, are pleasantly compelling protagonists.

But Crown of Stars is a hasty, fumbling attempt to tie up the various tangled plot lines that have dragged this series down for several volumes. The denouement of Alain's fate is particularly disappointing. Secondary characters - Anna, Ivar and Hanna for example - have far too much 'air time', once again. If it weren't for an ultimately meaningless focus on secondary characters, the series would have been completed a couple of volumes ago.

And Ivar and Hanna as a romantic couple? Whoa. Where did THAT come from?

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Major disappointment, February 11, 2006

By 

Fantasy Junkie "FJ" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) (Hardcover)

This series began with so much promise, and then slowly, as it wore on, it became a jumbled mess. Ms. Elliott had so many strings to tie up, and so many storylines to complete that I think she lost her path. Instead of focusing on completeing the arcs throughout the book. She choose to start new ones!! In the final book, in the last one hundred pages. The Blessing arc, which she could have fleshed out so much more, came to a closing that left so much unexplained. Why did she age so fast, the implications of being with the Aoi, her reunion with Liath. These important plots, which drew readers in, and made them fans of the series were either brushed over or summarized in the last few chapters of the book.

Though the author promised to tell us who Alain's parents were, After completeing book the reader is still not sure. Then she attempts to tie in the Lady of Battles in with the Alain/Fifth Son arc and it was a mess. As if Alain and Fifth Son knew the entire time what would happen when in the first six books they were as lost and confused as Liath. I am going to have to reread it just to get a handle on what happened. Also, she never explains what happens to major characters. In the last chapter (epilougue)of the book she introduces a whole new set characters and uses them to basically summarize the main characters lives. I was so upset, because she spent the first two hundred pages with very little plot advancement. Finally the pivotal meetings, Liath and her grandmother, Liath and Hugh are brushed past so fast that you wonder if you were on a wild goose chase the entire series. And don't get me started on the Sanglant/Henry's childern arc. Overall, I would not reccommend this book to ANYONE!!! Which is saying alot, since the first three books in the series were so fulfilling.