Title: The Starless Crown
Author: James Rollins
Publication Date: January 4, 2022
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Various
James Rollins, best known for his Sigma Force series of thrillers, launched his MoonFall epic fantasy saga in 2022. With A Fist of Molten Fire concluding the saga this December, I thought it was time I finally got into the saga.
The Starless Crown is a stellar example of how to launch a fantasy series, fully establishing the plot, characters, and world, and mythology all at once. Whereas so many books tend to fumble at least one part of that mix at the expense of another, Rollins layers the elements just about perfectly. Each POV character gets a dedicated arc to open the novel, and through them we gradually learn about the larger world, its violent history, and its complicated future.
While a genre debut for Rollins, this is clearly the work of an established author, with the structure and pacing building upon his thriller work. The action is exceptionally well-choreographed, both hand-to-hand and sky-ship-to-sky-ship. The monsters and creatures are unique variations on fantasy tropes, bringing in some of the more horrific elements of his work, with the giant bats standing in for dragons (and doing so admirably).
For all the action, adventure, and big ideas, though, it's the characters who make this so engrossing and who keep us reading. While there's one core character who represents the 'chosen one' trope, she's far from the only main character. Any one of the POV characters could be the protagonist, strong enough to carry the book on their own, and that strength of the cast makes this a well-rounded story.
The Starless Crown was a fantastic read, and I'm eager to get started on Cradle of Ice - just as soon as I catch my breath.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
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