Monday, November 11, 2019

Review: Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Title: Crown of Oblivion
Author: Julie Eshbaugh
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published By: HarperTeen (November 12, 2019)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
Astrid is the surrogate for Princess Renya, which means she bears the physical punishment if Renya steps out of line. Astrid has no choice—she and her family are Outsiders, the lower class of people without magic and without citizenship.

But there is a way out of this life—competing in the deadly Race of Oblivion. To enter the race, an Outsider is administered the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memory clear of their past as they enter a new world with nothing to help them but a slip of paper bearing their name and the first clue. It’s not as simple as solving a puzzle, however—for a majority of the contestants, the race ends in death. But winning would mean not only freedom for Astrid, but citizenship and health care for her entire family. With a dying father to think of, Astrid is desperate to prevail.


From the beginning, the race is filled with twists and turns. One of them is Darius, a fellow racer Astrid meets but isn’t sure she can trust. Though they team up in the race, as Astrid’s memories begin to resurface, she remembers just who he was to her—a scorned foe who may want revenge. Astrid also starts to notice she has powers no Outsider should—which could help her win the race, but also make her a target if anyone finds out. With stakes that couldn’t be higher, Astrid must decide what is more important: risking her life to remember the mysteries of the past, or playing a cutthroat game in order to win her—and her family’s—freedom.









With an enchanting blend of fantasy and dystopian, The Crown of Oblivion was a breath of fresh air.
Wholly entertaining with flairs of magic, espionage, and a race to the death, it was a story that kept me engaged and rapidly turning the pages.

If you want something a bit different without being wholly unique but still fresh and new enough to keep you engaged and entertained, I definitely recommend giving this a try. It truly held my attention and left me captivated until the very end.






*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher, I was compensated for this review.*

33 comments:

  1. Nice review Kindlemom I have to admit I LOVE dystopian and fantasy mix.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh this sounds like an intriguing mix, Ali! I'm definitely interested.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was and weirdly it seemed original even though it really wasn't in a lot of ways.

      Delete
  3. I'm not the biggest fan of these genres, but I am really happy you enjoyed this one!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
  4. That sounds like a crazy way to run a race but what an interesting idea for a book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was interesting and yes, definitely a crazy concept!

      Delete
  5. This book is definitely on my radar for November so I'm glad you enjoyed it. No question, I have to pick it up this month. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. A standalone!! I am curious and the race sounds intense!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As of now it is but it can certainly be a series. It was intense. ;)

      Delete
  7. Ooh I'm glad to hear this was good! I wondered what her next book would be like, I really liked her previous two books.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This one sounded interesting. I'm glad if was good. I wasn't sure about the whole race thing bug I like that she has magic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The race put an interesting spin on it and I did love the magic aspect as well.

      Delete
  9. I love it when a story fresh, engaging and keeps me turning the pages! Sounds like a win. I'll have to check it out. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. i've seen this book before and thought it looked good. thanks for sharing your review
    sherry @ fundinmental

    ReplyDelete
  11. lovely review, I was looking at this one and it did look so interesting! Love that it was a breath of fresh air

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, it was nice to have something a bit different.

      Delete
  12. With everything going on in our world I can't read a dystopian novel. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I was looking for a gift for my young cousin for a book exchange and now I've found it! She'll love this one! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Great Review!

    Simply Angela

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have been seeing this book and wondering about it. It sounds like a good read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was and it was nice to read something from this genre again.

      Delete
  15. This sounds like a fast, fun, and magical read! Great Review Ali :)

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

    ReplyDelete
  16. This one was new to me, but I definitely added it to my TBR! The synopsis alone was captivating, but then you said it was fresh and engaging -- sold. Thanks for sharing!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is the first I've heard of this one but I like the sound of it!

    ReplyDelete