Review: To Steal the Sun
To Steal the Sun is the thrilling conclusion to Melanie Cellier's duology of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." Like the first book, To Ride the Wind, the story is told between Gwen and Charlotte's alternating perspectives. Unlike most of Melanie's books, this one cannot be enjoyed as a standalone since it is a direct sequel to To Ride the Wind. I had only completed that book a month ago, but I still had a hard time jumping into this one right away because there was no recap or refresher at the beginning of this book, even a short one. For that reason, I would not recommend reading anything else in between these two books because it might be a struggle to jump back in. However, if you enjoyed To Ride the Wind, you will likely enjoy To Steal the Sun as well.
At the end of To Ride the Wind, Princess Gwen is reunited with her lost love, Easton, and Charlotte has been separated from her new husband, Prince Henry. To Steal the Sun picks up right where the first book left off with both couples plotting to defeat the wicked Queen Celandine, who is determined to force Gwen to marry Henry for her own gain even though he is already married to Charlotte. Although there was a brief explanation of why it had to be Henry in the first, it was not reiterated here, which made it difficult to understand why Celandine was so bent on forcing the marriage to take place. It was established that Gwen's fully consensual marriage to Easton would just as easily break the curse that turns the residents of her kingdom into bears every night. However, understanding a clearly deranged villain is not necessary to enjoy this book as it is mainly about Gwen's growth from a princess into a queen, which the book develops beautifully.
I've enjoyed just about all of Melanie Cellier's books, and this one contains the same elements that make her writing so thrilling. As Charlotte struggles to find a way to speak to Henry, Gwen and Easton plot with the kingdom's rebel force about how to overthrow Celandine. There are lots of secret passages, close calls, and exciting twists throughout their attempts to thwart the wicked queen's plans. The most important revelation comes when Gwen learns the truth about their relationship, which allows place her reservations at bay and step forward as a true queen. The book also contains plenty of romance, another staple of Melanie Cellier's writing. Both couples have already been established in the previous book, so this is a story of lovers overcoming challenges to be together long-term. Even though it wasn't about new love, the relationships between Gwen and Easton and Charlotte and Henry were charming and believable, and the friendship between Gwen and Charlotte added an extra layer.
Although this duology was more of an extension of the Four Kingdoms books than a conclusion, I still would have liked to see a reunion between Charlotte and Princess Daisy. Charlotte was first introduced in The Abandoned Princess, which was the official ending of all the Four Kingdoms series, and Daisy was distraught about not being able to find her at the end. A quick reunion to see Daisy's reaction to Charlotte's new husband would have been the perfect cherry to top off this princess-filled sundae. However, To Steal the Sun contains two epilogues and a detailed description of everything that happened to the major characters years after the story ended, so I can't complain too much. Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to a two-part story about two very different princesses.
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