It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with a review of The Unbreakable Crown by Carina Finn

 

The Unbreakable Crown (Feast and Famine book #2) by Carina Finn
Publisher:  Sourcebooks for Young Readers
Format Read:  E-ARC
Number of pages:   304 pages
Publishing:  February 3rd, 2026
Source: NetGalley

Opening Lines from prologue:  "Silas Erebos swore he would never walk through the carved marble doors of Forum again."

The first book of the Feast and Famine series, The Last Great Heir, follows Merriment "Merri" Feast and Rue Famine as they prepared for their impending duel to determine who will rule the entire realm of Fauret.   The Unbreakable Crown picks up from that point but shifts the story to a new setting, Demonspace.  The point of view also changes from Merri and Rue to Wort Erebos and Abundance "Bun" Feast, which initially took me a minute to adjust to.  I found it easy to lose track of who the characters were and how they were connected.  Therefore, I recommend starting with the first book in the series. 

In The Unbreakable Crown, five young friends are brought to Demonspace in search of a satchel.  Unfortunately, the bridge or Interstice that once connected their world to this one is now inoperable, leaving them stranded in this new land.  

Within Demonspace, Wort discovers that his family descends from a line of demon royals, a truth his father, Silas hid when he took Wort and his younger sister, Sage to the forests of Famine.  There, Wort and Sage often went hungry, surviving only through the potions the land of Famine provided. Wort is angry and confused by this new revelation.  

Bun Feast has always lived a life of luxury, filled with parties and fashionable outfits. Unlike her sisters, she has never learned to use magic.  Merri, heir to House Feast, along with Bun and Rue, share the special bond of the Eternal Three.  Through this connection, they can communicate with one another, and their united bond drives their determination to return to Fauret.  

This second installment broadens the characters and introduces a magical school, Tenebrun, adding depth to the story's worldbuilding.  Tenebrun is a school for demons, that Wort's Uncle, Nicol insists he attends to gain power.  The school's purpose is to identify and shape future leaders.  The head scholar, Sister Alerune declares that Wort belongs there because he is not human, a claim that infuriates him and goes against what he knows thus far. Sister Alerune decree's that Merri, Wort, Bun and Rue must all attend Tenebrun if they hope to have their wish to return to Fauret granted.  Their only path home lies within the school's library on the eve of Silver Twilight, provided they can survive a series of trials and harness the magic needed to complete their wish.

At Tenebrun, the first trial goes to Wort and is a Trial of Fire.  He meets Howie and Jax, both higher demons, as well as Cyrena, a lesser demon.  His new friends seem more interested in his family's lineage than in Wort himself.  Bun faces a Trial of Deception and meets Avery.  Both Bun and Wort are placed among the Primes, an elite group within the school, while Merri and Rue become Seconds.  Rue undergoes a Trial of Combat, using shadow and potion magic but sustains an injury.  Merri, meanwhile, is faced with a solitary Trial of Fear.  During her second trial, she is unfortunately signaled out by the Sister's and following an emotional outburst is taken to the Monument Garden, cursed with becoming a statue.  At the same time, Sage has gone missing and is believed to be held in the Nyx Sister's Tower. 

The Unbreakable Crown feels similar to the Harry Potter series meets The Iron Trial (Magisterium series) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare and The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.  Tenebrun is a magical school which specializes in Chaos, Bibliomancy and Charm's.  It has the feel of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yet doesn't emphasize the individual classes that the children take as much.  There are also children who are unfamiliar with their ability to wield magic and even floating, talking crowns that are part of a prophecy promising great power. While somethings felt similar, others made the worldbuilding stand out.  Although the ending itself felt abrupt, I really enjoyed the direction the story was taking.  Both Bun and Wort continue to grow in their abilities and confidence.  I'm eager to see whose perspectives the next book will follow and whether the friends will ultimately find their way back home. 
              

I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog  HERE 

     

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