The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

I picked up The Crown Conspiracy on the Kindle for ninety-nine cents because I was looking for a fun, light-hearted fantasy novel. I was not disappointed. I would describe it as a lighter Fahfrd and the Grey Mouser, more akin to books by David Eddings, Terry Brooks, or Katherine Kurtz. You know the kind I mean, stories where the characters talk like us but wear period costumes and use magic.

I know that some fantasy readers turn their noses up at such novels, but sometimes I just want to settle in for the night with an imaginative story that has a quick-paced plot and quick-witted characters, never mind the literary pretensions. And that’s exactly what you get with The Crown Conspiracy. Sure, the dialogue is a little artificial at times, but the pace is good, the twists keep you guessing, and the characters are fun to hang around with.

I especially recommend this for junior high students looking for a fun, quick read. I’ve already praised it to my 8th grade students, and I’ll be looking for a copy to add to my classroom library.

I’m tempted to give this four stars because it was so fun, but I’m going to stick with three because it lacks a certain style and polish. However, I have a feeling the rest of the books in the series are only going to improve on this solid start, so I’ll be giving the next book a try.

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan
Ridan Publishing, 2008
Print length: 324 pages

[Note: This review was originally written on Goodreads in January of 2011 and reposted to One Catholic Life in November of 2016.]