Where to even begin in describing this fantastic fantasy tale, full of dragons! The Bone Crown is the first book introducing the realm of Charassi to the reader and sees our protagonist, Ophelia Monroe thrust into a magical realm and suddenly declared its sovereign, through an extraordinary set of circumstances triggered when she leaps to the defence and aid of a dragon, who really shouldn’t be there! If that wasn’t enough for a human girl to deal with, Ophelia is then caught up in a plot to usurp the one who should be ruling the kingdom, whilst preventing her own execution, saving the realm, and at the same time, getting used to sharing her mind and body with a dragon she has inadvertently bonded to. Which, I can wholeheartedly say, all makes for an exciting read!
The tale of The Bone Crown, weaved by Ava Richardson, captivates the reader from the very beginning, the story moving at a good pace, the pages turned with much enthusiasm as you are drawn further into the world of Charassi. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved the whole bonding process between Ophelia and the Dragon and the exchanges that take place between the two characters.
The reader easily builds an emotional connection, especially with the two main dragons, Sunny and River who come to Ophelia’s aid. Ophelia, herself is a strong and believable character, that is immediately admired and well liked, for her courage and attitude, as she stands up for herself and others. There is a genuine empathy for her by the end of the book, as she finds herself torn between the two worlds, and must decide what is the right thing to do, which inevitably comes at a price.
This is a beautifully written fantasy adventure, with credible dialogue, no issues relating to the editing and so nothing to drag the reader out of the story, and wonderfully developed characters to fall in love with. The ending nicely paves the way for the next book in the series, which I am looking forward to reading.
I award, The Bone Crown, a well deserved 5 stars.
