Review – Crystal by Darby Cupid

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from the author.**

Title Crystal

Author Darby Cupid

Description from Amazon

When she fell to Earth, she had no idea just how far she’d fall.

Someone wants Crystal dead.
Princess Crystal Akinara survives the attack that kills her parents, only to find herself stranded on a strange, primitive planet called Earth, with no way of getting home.

Dylan has to choose.
Torn between passion and responsibility, Dylan’s world is changed forever as he risks everything to protect the injured girl he finds unconscious in a field.

Jake can’t remember.
Living with his violent uncle, Jake has no memory of his past, but when he’s sent to keep watch on a murdered scientist’s house, the truth about who he really is begins to unravel.

As their lives become inextricably tangled, new friendships are put to the test as they face dangerous strangers with mysterious and deadly powers. When Crystal discovers the reason behind her family’s assassination, she must accept the crown to save her planet, even if it means making the hardest choice of all.

Release Date July 31, 2020

Initial Thoughts

This book wasn’t on my radar before my lovely friend, Karley @acciobooksandplants on Instagram, asked if I’d be interested in reading it. The cover really caught my eye and I want to read more books set in space.

Some Things I Liked

• Stranger Things vibes. Ok, ok, ok. I have not watched Stranger Things but, I imagine these are the vibes that show gives off. A group of spunky teens uncovers a crazy problem and works together to figure it out and help their new friend. Reading this book almost makes me want to watch that show.
• Alternating POVs – I love when stories are told from multiple POVs. I thought the scene changes and POV changes were really well done here and added to the suspense of the characters being in different places. I also liked the way the POVs worked with Crystal’s ability to see and share memories.
• Sci-Fi with out being over the top. This story has aliens, space, and super advanced technology. However, it wasn’t bogged down by the sci-fi elements. I really liked that. I also didn’t find myself overthinking those portions of the story. The details of Crystal’s world were vivid, without being unrealistic.
• Supergirl vibes. Now that’s a subject I’m quite familiar with. Crystal gave me all kind of Supergirl vibes from the older Superman cartoons. A girl from another planet lost in a small town where she meets a group of friends who are on her side no matter what. Definite Supergirl vibes.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Insta-love. It’s not my favorite. I thought the relationships between the characters were a smidge unbelievable in that sense but I liked them all the same. I liked the romances and friendships. My issue is how quickly they formed and that made the characters seem younger.

Series Value

I’d definitely read the next book in the series. I also hope that we get some different POVs in the subsequent sequels because I enjoyed several of the side characters in Crystal.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I probably wouldn’t have found it on my own if Karley hadn’t shown it to me and I’m really glad she did. This book was a bit out of my comfort zone (as I don’t read much sci-fi), and I was excited about that too. I also found that this book would be suitable for younger YA audiences (some violence, but overall, something that I’d be ok with giving to a younger or new YA reader).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• The King’s 100 by Karin Biggs – if you liked the concept of a new girl getting lost in a world without the advanced technology and science she’s used to, try this new release by Karin Biggs.
• The Elements of the Crown by Kay L. Moody – if you’re looking for another indie author, look no further than Kay L. Moody. The relationships are slower burn but the friendships and romances felt very similar in Kamdaria and in Crystal.