SYNOPSIS:
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?
Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world’s only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.
But even with the aid of Emrys’ magic, Eleanor’s extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen’s Guard.
Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie’s face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she’s always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she’s always dreamed of–the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor’s court: trust no one.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
The synopsis doesn’t mention it, but this novel takes place in an alternate-history where magic is part of reality. The Franco-British Empire is reigning and it’s the 1920s! The story plays with royal scandal and gossip, magic-backed aristocracy, Arthurian legend, and a large enough cast to handle it all.
Every time we see it, the cover draws our attention. The vibrant colors and the flower crown promise lavishness and intrigue over any fantasy battlefields.
Author Melissa de la Cruz is the genius behind the BLUE BLOODS series, THE AU-PAIRS series, and the brand new HEART OF DREAD series!
OTHER YA MAG COVERAGE
Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston on their novel ‘FROZEN’.
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
The lives of five teens intersect in turn-of-the-20th-century London, the capital of the Franco-British Empire. … De la Cruz effectively plaits real-world history together with what-ifs both magical and political to create a fizzy period soap opera. (Kirkus Reviews)
Romance, intrigue, betrayal, and magic are interwoven in this complex and somewhat overwrought drama… The magic-dominated society de la Cruz creates has a certain faded charm—part Gatsby, part Downton Abbey… (Publishers Weekly)
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Historical Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 384 pages
Published on April 1st 2014 by Disney-Hyperion (ISBN 1423157427)
http://un-requiredreading.com/books/the-ring-the-crown