Crown of Flames: Kingdom Beyond: The Fire Queen, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sayantani DasGupta's Crown of Flames is the sequel to Force of Fire and prequel of sorts to the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond trilogy featuring the origin story of a rakkhosh fire demon named Pinki, who lives in the Kingdom Beyond. Like the trilogy and Force of Fire, this is inspired by folk tales and folklore from West Bengal, India. The violence shifts in this story thanks to many characters' new focus on nonviolence. During a nonviolent protest, marchers asking for freedom from oppressive rule are surrounded by heavily armed soldiers who beat them, round them up as prisoners, and set fire to property. Also in retaliation, characters are separated from loved ones, sucked into wormholes, and mourned heavily -- it's not known if they will ever be found. Of course nonviolence is a strong message in Crown of Flames. So is the value of our elders as loved ones, keepers of our history, and so much more. When Rontu calls them "useless oldies" Prince Arko explains to his thoughtless brother, "It's so easy to think that we young people invented everything radical, everything forward-thinking, but that's just self-serving nonsense! Our elders are radical, and visionary, and not expendable!"
What's the Story?
In CROWN OF FLAMES: KINGDOM BEYOND, BOOK 2, Pinki the rakkhosh demon has the worst dream imaginable. Not only is she the winner of the Demon King or Queen contest at her school, a contest she definitely has no interest in entering, but also the long-dead Demon Queen Hidimbi herself bequeaths Pinki her magic crown. Pinki wakes up when the crown sets on fire, signifying that she's unfit to rule and better not ever try to put it on. So of course the next day she's goaded into joining the very same contest by her disapproving headmistress. How does she know just how much her headmistress disapproves? When a professor's soul-bee gets stolen, Pinki is the one she blames. Now Pinki must recover it in a hurry and tries to enlist the help of her fierce rebel friends. Only problem is her rebel friends aren't so fierce anymore. They are all about nonviolence now and want Pinki to join them in protesting against their snake overlords who have led the Kingdom Beyond with cruelty for too long. Add to that problem that Sesha, the snake prince, is the one Pinki must negotiate with to find the missing soul-bee. Before Pinki knows it, she's made a mess of the contest and all her friends' important work. She's forced to strike a deal with Sesha declaring the prince her consort-to-be if she wins the Demon King or Queen contest.
Is It Any Good?
This sequel strikes a more soulful, less playful tone with talk of nonviolence, oppression, and the importance of our elders. Sure, there are still some fun characters to follow in Crown of Flames, like the hair-product-loving Aakosh and Pinki's three little demon cousins who try and fail to be fierce. And all those distinctively rakkhoshi terms of endearment are still there, in excess when Pinki and Seshi feign a courtship. "My dumpling-faced evil genius of a cruciferous consort" is a particular favorite. But now the fight for the Kingdom Beyond is ramping up, the villains are behaving more villainous, and Pinki is caught in the middle of it, especially after she's accused of soul-bee theft, needs the terrible snake-prince's help, and gets it for a horrible price. Having Sesha for a consort can't be a good idea. And when she finds out she can have two consorts and they can fight to the death for her hand, her prospects don't improve in the least.
For Pinki and her friends, the Demon Queen's next consort is the least of all their worries, at least for now. The revolutionaries, including Prince Arko and the moon maiden Chandni, have launched a new nonviolent movement and the snake overlords retaliate in a major way. A scene with marchers surrounded by snake soldiers escalates and readers will feel Pinki's frustration and Prince Arko's despair when things get violent. And soon it's not just the marchers who need saving. Whole families are torn apart. Author Sayantani DasGupta notes in her afterword that she was so stricken by how much was lost with the death of elders from COVID-19 (and treatment of the vulnerable during the pandemic in general) that she was inspired to make respect for them a lesson in Crown of Flames. Besides it being a good reminder for us all to call our grandmas, it adds poignancy and an urgency for Pinki and friends to stop those nasty snakes in the series finale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the "useless oldies" as thoughtless Rontu calls them in Crown of Flames. Respecting your grandparents isn't a common theme in fantasy books. How does this story pay tribute to the elderly and remind readers of their importance?
The most violent moment of the story comes during a nonviolent protest. How do the soldiers react to Prince Arko's march? How hard do you think it is for the protesters to refrain from violence when they become victims of violence? There are many moments in history this scene calls to mind. Can you think of any of them depicted in books you've read or movies you've seen?
What do you think is next for Pinki and friends?
Book Details
- Author: Sayantani DasGupta
- Illustrator: Vivienne To
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Activism, Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Publication date: October 4, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 26, 2022
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