Reviews of Return of the Crown

This is a great book for teens as well as adults. Not many books I read can crossover like that, but it has elements that will appeal to almost everybody. Millie Burns writes like a seasoned pro and master of her craft as she weaved an adventurous and exciting tale that kept me up until the wee hours of the night and turning the pages on my Kindle as fast as I could. There was never a boring moment and I was eager to see what would unfold next, and if the young magical princess would be victorious against her evil, wicked and powerful aunt. Does she succeed? You just have to read to find out!

This is the first book I’ve read from Millie Burns, but I really hope it won’t be the last! I loved how Ms. Burns writes in such a descriptive and literary way, but its not boring with too many unnecessary details… I felt like I was really inside the story as it unfolded every step of the way, not outside looking in. Even with the 3rd person POV (which isn’t really my fave) I felt connected to the characters and liked that the occasional POV change here and there let us see more perspectives. I thought the epilogue was interesting too and am wondering if this is leaving the door open for a part 2? Recommend for fans of literary fantasy and adventure.

Ok, I admit I’m not a huge fan of “fantasy”. I like my novels as realistic as possible, and I’m not particularly a fan of “teen” heroes/heroines. So why did I read this book? Well, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone for a bit and try to expand my horizons. The synopsis seemed straightforward enough, and I could tell by the sample pages that the author actually knew how to write. So I gave it a shot. Imagine my surprise when I started reading only intending to read a few chapters and before I knew it I’d crossed the 60% mark! I just didn’t want to stop, it was that good! I found myself wholly immersed in the world Ms. Burns created and was rooting for young Ravyn and crew. And I hated Zelera SO MUCH! You know that’s the sign of a good writer when you want to scream at and hit one of the characters! Haha. Needless to say I really enjoyed this novel (much to my surprise) and want to thank Millie Burns for making my foray into the world of fantasy such a magical and memorable one. I’ll be back :-).

Return of the Crown by Mille Burns is a traditional fantasy about a young girl who wishes to save her parents and her kingdom. It is a typical quest-novel, and the lines between good and bad are very obvious with little subtlety. There are no shades of grey in this black-or-white world, and for me that takes the realism down a notch, even if it is a fantasy. I would have liked to see the characters be a bit more fleshed out and even humanized some, as sometimes the descriptions were a bit over the top with describing just how “bad” something was, or how “good”. Just a personal preference. However, for younger readers this lack of nuance may be a benefit, and it does simplify what otherwise could be complex plot points. But all in all this is a safe and satisfying read – I mean safe as in I’d rate it PG, no real sex, language (the occasional mild one here and there) or gratuitous violence. It doesn’t feel particularly original in theme or premise, but there is a certain sense of comfort in that as well.

This is one of those books where the synopsis (the book description) does not do it justice at all. Not that it’s bad, I just don’t know how intrigued I’d be to read it just on that alone. It just sounds pretty run-of-the-mill for these types of books. Well, I’m glad I gave it a shot because this book was amazing! And so much happens, and there are so many cool characters and magical creatures, it’s hard to describe, you just have to experience it for yourself. I loved the epilogue and hope this mean that there will be another, although this novel does seem like a standalone. Oh well, one can hope!

A classic good versus evil fantasy story that takes you on a wild adventure. I enjoyed the cast of supporting characters almost as much as the heroine of the story, Ravyn. The pace starts a little slow, but ramps up to speed soon enough. I'd recommend this book to anyone age 10+ who likes to escape from the here and now into other magical worlds.