The story:
The crown of gilded bones is the third part in the "from blood and ash" series and so this review may contain spoilers from part and part 2 (I recommend you to only read this after you have read at least those two parts). This book continues directly where part two ended, and that is necessary. As a reader you don't have to get back into the story, because it continues immediately and especially if you read the parts in a row, the first three parts are one big book. In this story Poppy finds out more about her origin and she is entitled to the crown of the kingdom of Atlantia, but not every inhabitant is waiting for that. Poppy, Casteel and all the whelves (who are now all connected to Poppy) have to cross many obstacles. Other secrets come to light and people come on their path to find them, but whether those people are still as they remember is questionable. The biggest threat they face is the Queen of Blood and Ash. Poppy and Casteel must travel to the land of the gods and decide how far they will go for each other and their people. But one thing they don't know throws off all the plans they had made.
The characters:
In this story there is a lot of depth between Poppy and the whelves. This provides many beautiful and especially funny moments within the story. You can also see how the relationship between Poppy and Casteel becomes more and more stable and they themselves become more mature in life. There are also characters that you didn't know that well before, who suddenly take on a bigger role in this story and become an added value in the book. A lot of attention is paid to the deepening of the characters and their relationships, it really adds an extra layer to the story and the world. Also the trio, Poppy, Casteel and Kieran brings a lot of hilarity, but also beautiful scenes. It's very easy to see that these three are the biggest part of the story and that most attention is paid to them as well.
My opinion:
This story started right back where the second part left off and I definitely needed that. Immediately after that, you fall into a lot of action and a lot happens in a short time. After this obstacle is overcome, the story starts to focus more on accepting all this new information and deepening the bonds between characters. Although you don't always realise it, there is still quite a lot going on, especially among the Atlantians who have to get to know their new, future queen. From the moment a message arrives from one of the brothers, the tension and action begins to build and you know something is about to happen. You get all ready for a fight or the plan they have already come up with, but in the end you are treated to something you didn't see coming and an ending that makes you want to read on immediately.
At times, I found the middle section quite long and felt that the story could have been written in fewer words and pages. At certain points it felt a bit long-winded and I was ready for a bit more action. Also, in my opinion, a bit too much attention was paid to the relationships between the characters, as this was already done a lot in the second part when they were travelling.
However, all this was made up for a bit more towards the end and I could not stop reading. The characters really stole my heart and I am so curious about what is to come. The story then suddenly ended and now I can't wait to read the fourth part. I have a feeling there will be more action in it, even though I haven't read much about it yet.
Conclusion:
Crown of Golden Bones is the third part in this series and a very nice book for anyone who also enjoyed the first two parts. It comes down to the same level as the other stories and again highlights a whole other side of the story that also goes on. There is not a lot of action here, but it does focus on deeper layers of the story that are already there. It confuses you, but also makes things clear. And of course the ending leaves you longing for the fourth part.
Let's finish with one of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Life doesn't wait to hand you a new puzzle until you've figured out the last one."
- Jennifer L. Armentrout. The crown of gilded bones.
{I received this book as a review copy, wherefore I thank the Dutch publishing house from this book, but this doesn't influence my opinion on the story}