Crown of Coral and Pearl (Crown of Coral and Pearl, #1)

by Mara Rutherford

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Crown of Coral and Pearl has such a generic cover that I almost overlooked it entirely. Add to this that the summary sounds a bit like other novels like Grace and Fury, and I wasn’t expecting much from it. However, while it does have the general tone and structure of many mainstream YA fantasies, the story still struck me as unique and one worth reading if you like court intrigue, forbidden romance, and strong sister friendships.

I was initially drawn into the book by the world building. Protagonist Nor and her twin sister Zadie live in a sea village—as in located in the middle of the sea, not on the coast—where they are entirely dependent on trading with merchants from the land to survive and which they are forbidden to leave on pain of execution. The culture of their small, mostly tight-knit village reveals itself page after page, both positives and negatives, and it reads not quite like anything I’ve read before. There is a bit of magic to the place, but the author does take care to mention some nuances like how one might get sick adjusting to land, if one ever gets there.

Next, I fell in love with Nor and Zadie, both strong girls devoted to each other and to fighting for what they want out of live. I’ve noted before that twins in literature can be incredibly stereotypical, but the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl is a twin herself, and I think that shows in the care she takes to show how close Nor and Zadie are without overdoing it. She also touches on some of the downsides—being compared to your twin, constantly having to respond to her name instead of your own, having people assume you’re competing with your twin when you’re not, etc. I don’t read a lot of books where I really become invested in the sibling relationships, but I loved the portrayal here.

The plot is also excellent. It does proceed in some of the ways one might expect from a YA fantasy, but I still did feel as if I were generally reading something original. Nor is clever and resourceful in ways that make sense from her upbringing, and she drives the plot to make decisions that she hopes will benefit her and her people. Around her, court politics and plotting she does not fully understand take place, and small twists and turns keep things exciting for readers.

Crown of Coral and Pearl is an excellent story on every level, and I can’t wait to read the next book.