CRYSTAL KINGDOM (Book 3 in The Kanin Chronicles) by Amanda Hocking

Bookoutlet.com – Frostfie (Book 1 of The Kanin Chronicles)

Bookoutlet.com – Ice Kissed (Book 2 of The Kanin Chronicles)

Amazon.com – Crystal Kingdom (Book 3 of The Kanin Chronicles)

Genre: YA/Adult/Fiction/Fantasy

Plot: Cast out by her kingdom and far from home, she’s the Kanin people’s only hope.

Bryn Aven-unjustly charged with murder and treason-is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the gorgeous and enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him?

As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers’ darkest secrets are coming to light… and now the entire troll world is on the brink of war. Will it tear Bryn from Ridley Dresden, the only guy she’s ever loved? And can she join forces with Finn Holms and the Trylle kingdom? Nothing is as it seems, but one thing is certain: an epic battle is underway-and when it’s complete, nothing will ever be the same…

Opinion: This is the FINAL book in The Kanin Chronicles, and I am so sad to see it end! I wish there were twenty more books to go along this these, but unfortunately there isn’t. Crystal Kingdom wraps up the ever-growing turmoil in the Kanin kingdom, but not without bringing a full-fledged war that Bryn finds herself in the heart of.

After being charged with treason, Bryn Aven is on the run from the Kanin kingdom. But after only a few days in hiding, Konstantin Black finds her and persuades her to join forces to protect each other. Though Bryn is still unsure if she can fully trust Konstantin, she realizes that she could use all the help she can get in order to get back to Doldastam and protect the people she cares about. In an effort to clear her name, Bryn travels to different kingdoms in the hopes that she can persuade them in fighting against Queen Mina. But soon the Kanin Queen declares war on the Skojare kingdom, and Bryn has no other choice but to enlist in the fight against her home. Soon alliances are formed, and the kingdoms break out into a war for the ages.

I just LOVED this series. Crystal Kingdom perfectly wrapped everything up, and I was very happy with everything that happened. In this installment of The Kanin Chronicles Bryn is on the run because Queen Mina has charged her unjustly with treason. She teams up with Konstantin Black, and we are shown how much his character really has changed. I knew I was right in my reasoning for why Konstantin was always finding Bryn and protecting her, but I am more than a little disappointed in the final events. I won’t elaborate on that for a reason…read the books to know what I’m talking about! 😉 I found the character of Ridley to be a little…off in this book. Considering the things that happened to him in this book, I still think his character was just a little out of it. He was such a strong presence in Frostfire and Ice Kissed, so I think he fell a little flat in this one and I kind of forgot about his character. With so much going on in Crystal Kingdom, I don’t think I can be blamed for that one.

The reader is once again introduced to all new characters to love and hate, as well as “seeing” other places besides Storvatten and Doldastam. I enjoyed how the author showed many differences between the other kingdoms, in their ways of life and their royalty. We also FINALLY get to find out what has been really going on, and trust me, it ALL comes back around full circle. The author did a really fantastic job of tying everything together. She is so fantastic in her descriptions and small details, I felt like I was watching a movie unfolding in my hands.  The character of Bryn really shines in this final book, and she grows up a lot. I was so proud to see her character realize that honor and duty aren’t the only important things in life, but I do love what a strong and fierce warrior she is. Though I loved this series and this final book, I do have a qualm with how rushed the ending felt. So many times I’ve read a well-written and imagined story, with an ending that just feels too quick. I wish the author could have elaborated on some of those final scenes, because the pace of the series really needed there to be a strong ending to seal the deal for the reader.

With that said, AMAZING series! Maybe I just really like getting lost in fantasy stories about a strong female lead taking names with a badass sword in her hands. Or maybe, this series is just that addicting, who can really say? In any case, GO OUT AND GET THIS SERIES READERS! It’s a great way to get lost in another world for a few days, and who doesn’t love that?!