The Crown (Selection #5)

                Hello happy readers!  Last week I finished the Selection series with The Crown (Selection #5) as stated in my monthly challenge wrap-up but life has been in my way and I haven’t had a chance to type up my thoughts before now.  That’s right I have went from being super behind and having not read any to finishing the whole series the last couple of months!  Score!  So now I’m ready to share my thoughts on the final book as well as my thoughts on the series as a whole.

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                So if you remember from my review of The Heir (review) I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I did the first three books in the Selection series.  It wasn’t bad but Eadlyn just didn’t pull me in as much.  Plus while it was a gender reversal the selected guys didn’t have to go through nearly as much as the girls did to prove they could in fact handle it.  I went into The Crown a bit worried yet still optimistic as she had started to grow on me a bit more towards the end.  And it paid off because I did really enjoy this one. 

                Eadlyn started to make me feel for her struggle more and I saw her as more than a spoiled brat.  So huge plus there.  I could see in this more that she wanted more than to be powerful and stand on her own and not rely on a man, which I did respect from the start.  She wants to rule because she wants to help her people, even if she is a bit out of touch with them.  Also her harsh exterior has something soft and warm inside and some of the things that made her seem harsh were practical things designed to compensate for her being a female leader taken a bit too far.  Things came more into light.  Basically I’m saying I really came to enjoy Eadlyn and care for her. 

                As for her selected.  Well this is where things got real tricky.  I still with they had to preform like the girls did, tasks and such to prepare them and equality and all, but I enjoyed getting to know more of them.  I was conflicted in the first one because I was really liking a couple of different ones for different reasons.  I thought I knew which one I wanted her to end up with and I could see it playing out but at the same time I was kind of rooting a bit more for another.  Still as we get to know the guys was spot on.  Some you know while it wouldn’t work out you will always be able to count them friends which is a huge plus to have people leave on good terms.  Some not so much. 

                 Boy drama for sure.  Still we also have many things to deal with in way of the people, politics, family issues and lots of personal struggles.  The Crown gave us a wrap up to Eadlyns selection and figuring out her heart but more than that it worked out some more political issues.  The first trilogy set up some serious changes and for a long time things have been well and peaceful but as with life nothing is able to stay that way forever and changes must continue to be made.  While I liked the way the original books ended and could see and love the happily ever after feel, seeing years later how while it was like that it also had its hardships and such.  It brings it back into reality and shows there is more.

                 I enjoyed this final book and the selection series as a whole with a minor stumble in The Heir.  Still this one brought me back up and I’m so glad to have finally caught up and finished this series I have heard so much about over the years.  I do recommend anyone who hasn’t read the series yet but has been lingering to go ahead and give it a try.