Book Review: Crown of Souls by Ronie Kendig
This book is part of a series called The Tox Files. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read the previous book(s) in the series. As a result, there were a few confusing parts that mentioned things from earlier books, and I had to learn all the characters pretty fast and seemingly all at once.
So I highly recommend reading these books in order.
This book has all the action, suspense, and drama that would make a thrilling movie. I loved the archaeology and supernatural elements throughout. It felt like an exciting mix of Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings, with a Medieval twist — yet it’s based (mostly) in present times. Intrigued yet? You just need to read it.
The writing style did bother me a little bit. The author seems to tell more than show — especially when it comes to how the character feels. Unfortunately, this technique was distracting and made the emotions seem forced.
It also took me a while to really connect with the characters, and it sometimes seemed that their actions or decisions were sudden and not realistic. However, this may be related to the fact that I hadn’t read the previous books. (If anyone else has, feel free to jump in on this point!)
Overall, I’m glad I stuck with the book — wading through all the sudden and quick character introductions (there’s a lot of characters) and trying to piece together everyone’s back story — because the story got really good about halfway through.
In summary, here’s a speedy review:
Suspense? Yes
Believable characters? Not sure — need to read the first book(s)
Steady plot pace? Slower at first but picks up halfway through
Easy to read? Yes
Easy to follow? If you’ve read the books in order — probably
Would I read this author again? Yes
I received a complimentary copy of this book to read and review it, so you could know exactly what to expect from this novel. Hopefully, after reading my honest notes on the story and writing style, you‘ll have a better idea about whether or not you’d enjoy this book.
