A fast-moving fantasy with lots of parts, some originality but not enough discipline to hone the story down to make it more coherent. ( )

CONTAINS SPOILERS

I received an ebook version as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program

This book launches -- from what I've been able to find -- a first book off another major series. Unfortunately, it relies too much on the readers already having been along for the other books, adding in too many references to something for which I had no context and characters I was clearly already supposed to be able to slot in, limiting it's appeal to those already familiar with the author's work.

The book starts really weakly with an overreliance on brand names littered throughout the initial pages. This faded, thankfully and the story generally improved but was so full of contradictions about how people behaved, thought about each other one minute to the next, engaged with each other that it was confusing.

There was a weird mix of awareness of the supernatural and lack of awareness. Humans seemed to know about witches but not wholly? The witch didn't know about goblins but knew about other kinds of supernaturals? If this was a launch of a new series, the choice made by Baba Yaga at the end of the books to close off the goblin world felt really limiting?

There was so much stuffed into this book-- multiple prophecies, she's a nearly nude model he fantasized about (it was very objectifying), ageism against models, an extremely convoluted thread about violence against children, the two of them going from oh can't possibly this is business only to suddenly three days later he wants to stay in goblin realm forever, 18 different plot twists.

I wanted to like the relationship between them because she was supposed to be the lead but it was deeply inconsistent -- with "oh and then he did all the things for the next day" ... about decisions in the goblin realm that he wouldn't be making. That wouldn't be appropriate for him to make.

And I'm pretty sure they changed her hair color somewhere around the 38% mark.

Overall it was exhausting to try and deal with something new and shiny and different every few pages and had I not been reviewing it I probably would have burned out about halfway through. Best for current fans of the author looking for a side story but not a good entry point for new readers.

Vori is a world renowned supermodel and a goblin princess. She has been stuck in the human realm ever since the Wicked Crown took its toll on her father and he went on a murderous rampage killing every other goblin royal. Vori's mother, a fae, sacrificed herself by pushing Vori into the human realm before her father reached her. Now, Vori is in a time crunch to fulfill a blow vow to Baba Yaga if she ever wants to return to the goblin realm. Vori needs all of the amethysts once part of the crown along with a consort. She is working on the amethysts, but her planned consort, Perry, a male witch is currently in jail. Once she busts Perry out and returns to her realm, Vori finds a world in trouble and is faced with a decision of taking the crown that she never wanted in order to save her home.

Wicked Crown is a fun, adventurous and unexpected paranormal romance. I was wondering how goblins were supposed to be sexy, and these goblins definitely were! The writing dives right into the action as Vori tracks down an amethyst and attempts to retrieve it. Vori's second challenge was breaking Perry out of jail. I did feel momentarily lost with Perry's past involvement with the Witch Senate and why he had been captured, tortured and given powers. I was captivated by the goblin realm and the origin of the crown. I loved the descriptions of the realm, the castle, the other goblins and their royalty. The suspense only heightened as Vori and Perry entered the Goblin world and were faced with problem after problem that they relied on one another to solve. The gradual build of the romance between Perry and Vori was also exciting; from Perry being repulsed by Vori's goblin form, to accepting, to seeing that as her true self. I was glad to see that through Vori's time within the Goblin realm, she realizes and embraces her fate on her own terms.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

GOODNESS, TALK ABOUT NONSTOP ACTION!! I loved Vori compassion for her people, but I felt that she was wrong to deny her legacy and to live as a supermodel in the Earth realm. She was a green goblin, a princess in her own realm but she didn't want the throne; look how her father went mad with greed, killed most of the Royal Blood and her mother as she hurried Vori through the glass to get her away from her father killing her, but her mother had paid the ultimate price. Thirteen years later, she need a fake husband to return to her realm because she didn't want to be paired up some old man as she never intended to stay. At first, I didn't like Perry's snarks at Vori and his disgust when he knew that she was a goblin shifter. She had saved him from capture twice, he was a male with with no power yet she risked her life to set him free so he guessed if she needed a fake husband for a few days it was the least that he could do. Boy was he wrong! BOOK ONE HAD ME RAPIDLY READING AND I CAN'T TO READ BOOK TWO!! ( )

A good read. Vori is a total goblin that has no choice but to go back to the goblin realm. But she needs a fake marriage to be able to get out of there alive. Daniel Perry is the witch that agrees to help her but things don’t go according to plan. The marriage is no longer fake as they are both committed to each other. But can they beat the evil that is after Vori?
Great characters from the half demons to the crazy goblins. Vori & Daniel make a cute couple ( )