Goddess Crown

Goddess Crown is a fast-paced, character-driven novel about Kalothia, a 16-year-old girl determined to uncover the secrets of her parents that led to her being isolated and raised by Teacher and Auntie. Unbeknownst to her, she ends up being destined to rule the kingdom of Galla. The story starts with Kalothia’s grand plan to escape her current circumstances—cut off from the outside world and constantly monitored and protected, but full of love and learning—but quickly spirals into a survival situation as Kalothia is hunted by unknown henchmen. The people she loves the most become casualties of her daring plan, and Kalothia is left with only two known comforts: her faithful monkey companion, Ye-Ye, and the head of her security, Nahir, whom she had grown up with and teased for being so serious about the position despite only being a few years older than she. The grief of the tragedies and her cloaked past set Kalothia on a mission: she must learn about her parents and uncover who was sent to kill her and everyone around her, and, most importantly, why. Being hunted for unknown and nefarious reasons becomes even more twisted when Kalothia receives the biggest shock of her life: she is the daughter of the recently deceased King and the once beloved Queen who was betrayed and executed, meaning she is now in line for the throne.

Kalothia has no desire to be Queen and is put off by the horrific treatment she receives from the current Lords in the palace. She is spoken to as if she is incapable of being a leader because she is a woman, and she is tasked with an impossible quest to retrieve the egg of a near-mythical bird to prove she is worthy of the throne. Despite not wanting to be the Queen, Kalothia knows that the best way for her to get information and ultimately uncover who was behind the deadly attacks that killed her loved ones is to be in the palace with as much access to informants, documents, and enemies as possible. When Kalothia sets out to find the egg, she has a face-to-face encounter with Goddess, the deity of Galla, who informs her that she wants Kalothia to take the throne to help progress the treatment of women in the kingdom.

While all of these events could be the making of an entire novel, the above only describes the first third of Goddess Crown. The novel is high-action and complex without being complicated. Readers who are interested in fantasy or royal-esque type reads will have no problem diving into the kingdom of Galla. There are several events and characters to keep track of, but their connection to Kalothia and how that connection impacts her life is always clear, making the writing flow fairly seamlessly despite being jam-packed with adventure. There are several twists and turns—none of which would likely catch a seasoned reader of the genre off-guard—and an interesting mix of learning about Kalothia’s past while wondering about her future. Kalothia is a strong female protagonist with a romance subplot that doesn’t detract from her strength—she doesn’t need to fall in love or get married to speak her mind or devise the plans that will keep her safe. Goddess Crown is described as the first novel set in Galla, and I think readers will be eager to continue reading about Kalothia’s adventures.

And if you were wondering... Ye-Ye the monkey is alive and well at the end of the book!