The Call of Crowns: Book Two of Birth of a Dynasty – Electrifying Fantasy Sequel Where a Kingdom Fractures and Loyalty Becomes a Dangerous Gamble Book Review and Summary
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Piotr Nowak - 23 Aug, 2026 17:16
Author: Chinaza Bado
Page Count: Unknown
Publication Date: Expected publication 2026-11-24 APL
The subway car’s fluorescent lights buzz like a dying insect—that’s the kind of atmosphere The Call of Crowns will need to sell itself. A throne room lit like a funeral parlor, where the air smells of iron and bad decisions. The synopsis doesn’t just hint at palace intrigue—it leans into it like a gambler at a rigged table, and that’s either genius or a trap. Either way, it’s the kind of setup that makes you wonder if the author’s read too much Game of Thrones and not enough The Shadow of the Wind—because this feels like a story that’s been designed to be dissected, not just read.
Zikora’s secret? That’s the kind of line that could’ve been a full paragraph in a better synopsis. Instead, it’s buried in a sentence like a landmine with no warning. Khalil’s loyalty? Forced to choose between duty and morality—classic fantasy shorthand, but the execution here might either be the kind of razor-sharp prose that makes you forget you’re reading a book, or it might be the kind of cliché that makes you roll your eyes mid-commute. The princes eyeing the throne like vultures? Yes, yes, we’ve seen this before—but the way it’s framed as a “game” makes it feel less like a rehash and more like a high-stakes poker match where the stakes are your soul.
And then there’s the blood oaths—oh god, blood oaths—because nothing says “epic fantasy” like a trope so overused it’s practically a meme. But here’s the thing: if Bado pulls it off with the same precision she did in the first book, it could be the kind of twist that makes you forget you’ve read this before. If not? Well, then we’re back to square one, aren’t we? The synopsis doesn’t even mention the first book’s ending—just drops us into the chaos like we’re supposed to remember the setup from a year ago. That’s either lazy or deliberately cryptic, and I’m leaning toward the latter because the fantasy world is built on mystery, right?
The real question is whether this will feel like The Poppy War’s political grit or A Song of Ice and Fire’s slow-burn betrayal. The synopsis doesn’t give us enough to tell—just a viper’s nest of ambition, which is exactly what we’ve been promised for years. But here’s where it gets interesting: the mention of “ancient powers” awakening. That’s the kind of line that could either be a red herring or the foundation of something truly original. If Bado leans into it like The Priory of the Orange Tree, this could be the kind of book that redefines the genre. If she treats it like an afterthought? Well, then we’re just another entry in the “princess saves kingdom” graveyard.
And Khalil—oh, Khalil—caught between warring factions. That’s the kind of moral dilemma that could either be the backbone of the story or the kind of contrived tension that makes you want to scream at the page. The problem with this synopsis isn’t that it’s vague—it’s that it’s too vague. It doesn’t tell us why the kingdom is fracturing, just that it is. It doesn’t explain how the princes are dividing, just that they are. That’s the kind of hand-wavy storytelling that makes you wonder if the author’s ever actually written a book before—or if they’ve just been reading too many synopses.
But then again, maybe that’s the point. Maybe The Call of Crowns is supposed to be the kind of book that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the chaos, like you’re the one trying to keep up. And if so, then it’s either going to be the kind of ride that leaves you breathless—or the kind that makes you question why you ever thought fantasy was your thing.
The driver just took a wrong turn, and now I’m stuck in traffic with no way out. The book’s not even out yet, and I’m already late for something. Maybe that’s a metaphor. Maybe it’s just life. Either way, I’ll be waiting for The Call of Crowns like I’m waiting for the next train—because if it’s half as good as this synopsis promises, it’ll be worth the ride. If it’s not? Well, at least I’ll have a good story to tell.
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