Review: A Crown of Ivy and Glass

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via the publisher and Netgalley.  As always all opinions expressed in my review are my own.

As you can see from the synopsis this follows Gemma, the youngest of a noble family blessed with magical abilities.  Gemma is the only one who does not have magic, and when she spends time around those with magic, she suffers great pain and panic attacks.  When Gemma meets charming and handsome Talan at one of her lavish parties, she is immediately smitten.  In Talan she is able to forget about her constant pain and he helps her with her panic.  Gemma and Talan strike a deal to help each other navigate high society in exchange for gaining revenge against those who have wronged their families.  In their quest for vengeance they uncover curses, demons, and other unsavory things.  

This was a unique adult fantasy romance.  This has all of the elements of a regency romance mixed in with the fantasy romance you expect from FBAA or ACOTAR.  I really enjoyed the fantasy elements, and hope that the author flushes out the magic system a bit more in the next book.  I look forward to reading about what the sisters find out about their magic in the next installment.  I thought the worldbuilding was good and there was a good mix of fantasy creatures and lore present.  I hope that continues to expand in the next book as well.

This has quite a few adult romance scenes.  They aren't overly graphic as some romance books, however there are a good amount of them.  Gemma suffers from a sickness that causes her pain when she is around magic.  Being that she is surrounded by magic most of the time, she uses intimate relations as an escape from the pain and the isolation her condition brings with it.  In the beginning I felt Gemma was immature and spoiled, and a bit unlikable.  She is quite aware that she is spoiled but as the story progresses she comes into her own as she learns about her affliction and starts to take control.  I thought her relationship with Talan was a bit instalovey and she forgave him too quickly and trusted him too easily after she uncovers some damning information about him.  Love conquers all I guess.  I did really enjoy the sister relationship between Gemma, Mara, and Farrin.  

I felt this was a big on the long side.  There are long periods where the plot isn't advancing and the characters aren't really making headway in any particular direction.  Then all of a sudden lots of things happen all at once.  If you liked Furyborn series, I think you'll enjoy this.  The writing style and characters feel very similar, but it has alot more adult content.  

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