The Opal Crown

by Jenny Lundquist

Overview

Only One Princess Can Wear the Crown . . .

A year after her betrothal to the Kyrenican prince, no one has suspected that Princess Wilha has been a decoy — and that Elara, her secret twin sister, has been pretending to be Wilha all along. Back in Galandria, their kingdom is deteriorating, and returning home could bring peace — or add fuel to the slow-burning fire.

When their father, the king, mysteriously dies and Elara and Wilha's younger brother, Andrei, claims the Galandrian throne, he reveals the girls' deception. Viewed as traitors, they realize they are now fighting for their lives — and for their country.

In Jenny Lundquist's concluding sequel to The Princess in the Opal Mask, Elara and Wilha must decide who will become queen. Or rather, who will become the next savior for their people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762454228
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/28/2014
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jenny Lundquist was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies with a minor in TESOL at Biola University. Lundquist is the author of The Princess in Opal Mask and two middle-grade novels, Seeing Cinderella and Plastic Polly. She lives in Rancho Cordova, California, with her husband and two sons. Visit her online at jennylundquist.com and Twitter @Jenny_Lundquist.

Editorial Reviews

"[F]ull of surprising plot twists . . . Fans of Jennifer A. Nielsen's 'Ascendance Trilogy' (Scholastic) should enjoy this."—School Library Journal.

“[S]uited for fans of romance . . . this concluding story will also satisfy those looking for 'clean' reads.”
–Kirkus Reviews

“Fans of the first title will appreciate the satisfyingly logical plot flow, compelling characters, and strong feminist roots.”
—Booklist

“[Lundquist's] characters are distinct and accessible.... Fans of fantasy romances will enjoy getting to know Wilha and Elara in an action-packed foray into this world.”
—VOYA

From the Publisher

11/01/2014
Gr 6–10—The unresolved events at the end of The Princess in the Opal Mask (Running Pr., 2013) involving intrigue in a royal court smoothly segue into this equally gripping sequel. Identical twin princesses Wilha and Elara, who were separated at birth because of an ancient family prophecy, were reunited in the previous installment of this duology that riffs off Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and Alexandre Dumas's The Man in the Iron Mask. Now, a year later, Elara has continued to pretend to be Princess Wilha and even begun to fall for Stefan, while her twin secretly lives in the village as an ordinary seamstress. After their father, the King of Galandria, dies and their younger brother Andrei assumes power, he reveals their deception and declares them traitors. As Andrei fails to win over his citizens, Wilha dreams of ruling jointly with Elara, but Elara's hatred of Andrei makes her determined that she would make the better ruler. Narrated in alternating chapters by the sisters, the novel is full of surprising plot twists. Elara isn't always very sympathetic and Wilha can appear too passive, but Lundquist effectively portrays how they both grow and change for the better. Fans of Jennifer A. Nielsen's "Ascendance Trilogy" (Scholastic) should enjoy this.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

School Library Journal

2014-08-12
The royal intrigue and twin bonding of The Princess in the Opal Mask (2013) continue in this sequel.Ample back story from the start refreshes readers on the ongoing dilemmas from the first novel. The separated-at-birth twins carry on their secret, switched lives in the foreign land of Kyrenica and narrate alternating chapters. Wilha, once the Masked Princess of Galandria, serves as a seamstress while Elara, raised as an orphan, has assumed Wilha's role (even possibly falling for the prince that Wilha was intended to marry). When the teens' father, King Fennrick, dies and their younger brother, Andrei, not only assumes a position as Galandria's next king, but quickly becomes a coldhearted ruler, the twins' secret is made public. What ensues is an overcomplicated plot featuring opposing factions trying to control each of the three possible heirs and usurp their power. The story remains light, however, even as family secrets are revealed, the twins acknowledge their feelings for unlikely suitors, and the siblings grapple with the challenges of repairing their relationships with one another and the question of who will lead Galandria. Better suited for fans of romance than fantasy enthusiasts, this concluding story will also satisfy those looking for "clean" reads. (Fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews