Broken Crown by Lauren DeStefano

Broken Crown by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date - March 22, 2016

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 272 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received from publisher for an honest review**

**spoilers for previous books in the series**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

War rages everywhere and Morgan is caught in the middle in the haunting conclusion of The Internment Chronicles, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chemical Garden trilogy.

The city is falling out of the sky…

Morgan always thought it was just a saying. A metaphor. The words of the dying. But as they look up at the floating island that was their home, Pen and Morgan make a horrible discovery—Internment is sinking.

And it’s all Morgan’s fault.

Corrupted from the inside by one terrible king and assailed from the outside for precious resources by another, Internment could be destroyed because Morgan couldn’t keep a secret. As two wars become one, Morgan must find a way to bring her two worlds together to stop the kings that wage them…

Or face the furthest fall yet.

Finding your place in the world as a teenager is hard. Leaving your home behind and discovering some place new can be exciting and scary. Broken Crowns may be about war, and its cost. It may be about discovering the hidden truths behind things, but it is also about the eye opening and heavy rush of seeing the world outside your little piece of it for the first time... even if it is taken to this extremes in this case.

Lauren DeStefano is known for her simple, but beautiful writing. It's laced with lyrical quality that throws you into the story effortlessly. It is her writing that usually shines brightest in her novels. Characterization, along with her beautiful prose, is the selling feature of The Internment Chronicles series. This ending, especially, reminded me of that bittersweet time where everything is changing and people are going off in different directions.

The novel revolves around the war that is on the ground, and what Internment has that could be useful in the war. We quickly see that perhaps none of the rulers involved are good people and that this war could prove disastrous for not only the ground, but the city in the sky as well. The casualties of war are shown in the second book, and this third instalment deals with the fallout of that.

Morgan isn't going to save the world by fighting. She's not physically strong. There is a strength within her all the same. She's resilient, and leads with her heart. She has a taste for adventure and exploring. She's rebellious in her own ways. I love that Lauren DeStefano decided to create a heroine that is different from the typically physically strong trope that we've seen in abundance recently. Morgan never wanted to be involved in the situation she finds herself in, but she does what she can to protect those she loves and that is admirable.

Pen is such a fascinating character. Intelligent, cautious, and someone who has built walls around herself. The truth behind the reason for Pen's distrustful, and cold, demeanour is heartbreaking  and rage inducing. Her character is a direct contrast to Morgan who is an open book with her heart on her sleeve. The friendship between the two is my favourite relationship in the novel. It is the type of bond that is unshakeable. It is instinctual. Each of them know immediately what the other needs.

The romance between Basil and Morgan is one of my favourites. Kindness, patience, and understanding are the themes of their romance. Basil is such a sweet guy. There is plenty of uncertainty with a forbidden kiss between Morgan and Judas looming between them and the possibility that perhaps Morgan's heart may lead her in a different direction. There is not really a love triangle here however, and the status of their relationship at the end of the novel is one of the most realistic I've ever read in YA.

Ending a series is tricky and Lauren DeStefano has shown twice now that she capable of offering surprising and satisfying ends to her series. Broken Crowns is heartbreaking, hopeful and beautiful just like her previous series. Those looking for a thought provoking read that has some incredible characters will want to check out this series.