Like Kristen's other books, Shadow Crown did not end up on my favorites shelf, but I found it quite satisfying to read. (You know those books that have a combination of elements working in their favor that make you want to read and finish them? This was one of those for me.)

For starters, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not usually one to stylistically arrange my bookshelves, but this is a book whose cover looks good displayed on my shelf. Shadow Crown is also large enough and thick enough that I’m drawn to reading it - I like books that are large enough that they can promise a worthwhile read. While this book didn't really do much for me, it was enjoyable to read.

The style in Shadow Crown took some getting used to, but overall I found it a quick read. The chapters for the main character, Arden, are in first person, but the chapters with other points of view are in third person. I’m not sure why Kristen chose to do this, because sometimes the third person chapters read rather awkwardly and would have better benefited from being in first person. Kristen also chose to not number her chapters, instead labeling them with the character the chapter was centered around, which took awhile for me to get used to since I like to mentally check chapters off.

I thought Kristen did a great job of interweaving many different points of view (there are 5), and I thought the plot flowed well. The plot’s climax seemed to be rushed in the last portion of the book, and I would have appreciated if Kristen had spent more time wrapping up, answering questions, and laying the groundwork for the next novel in the series. Overall, I found it enjoyable and it was clear Kristen had put a lot of thought and effort into world building and the story itself. I’ve also watched Kristen's YouTube videos where she explains parts of her books; Shadow Crown is very personal to her, and I applaud her for her strength to share some of the struggles Arden faces with the world.

The entire time I spent reading Shadow Crown I kept thinking I could do this - I could be holding my book. I found reading Shadow Crown to inspire me to work on my own writing projects, which was great timing right before NaNoWriMo.

Unfortunately, there were several typos, inconsistencies, and plot holes that I was very disappointed to find. There were several terms and expressions that did not fit the world Kristen was trying to create - such as using modern time keeping methods. After creating an entire world and magic system, I’m not sure why Kristen stopped short with these details. I feel spending more time on this book would have allowed for further plot, setting, and character development, and it would have fixed most of the mistakes I came across.