Crown of Crystal Flame (Tairen Soul) by C.L. Wilson (2011) Mass Market Paperback

this is a wonderful ending to a truly inventive tale, however I wish I had bought it in either Kindle or a hardback book. The Google books were not as easy to deal with regarding page marking and print size.

this is a wonderful ending to a truly inventive tale, however I wish I had bought it in either Kindle or a hardback book. The Google books were not as easy to deal with regarding page marking and print size.

Absolute pleasure to read. Great writing, excellent characters and fantastic imagination.
Fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series and Christene Feehan's Carpathan series will love the Tairen Soul.

I've read the Tairen Soul series a number of times

1st book had it all. an umfathomable love. rain was the true tortured hero and i too fell in love. the language of the fey rolled accross your tongue and was sexy. it was one of the best romance books i ever read. however all others since #1 are more of a sci fi genra as it goes into elves and mage wars. indepth. romace was a forgotten dream relegated to the fading lands. i would say enjoy book 1 and be conent to stop there. sieks'ta cl wilson.

This is a spoiler-free review of Crown of Crystal Flame. However, I do talk about previous events that occur in this series.

I adore this series and these characters C.L. Wilson has brought to life. She writes the evilest of all villains and the most tortured of all heroes. Between these two men is Ellyseta, a woman so in love with the light, yet marked with evil and teetering on the edge of darkness.

Crown of Crystal Flame, the final book in the Tairen Soul series starts right where Queen of Song and Souls ends. Actually, the prologue is the heartbreaking event of Adrial and his truemate all over again (and their death plays a big role in this book). I don't know how C.L. Wilson does it, but she gets me so wrapped up in these characters. While I love the story of Rain and Ellysetta, I have become so attached to Bel and Gaelen (part of her guard) and Shan and Elfeya (her parents stuck in prison). She weaves in the stories of her supporting characters to the point I latch on and I don't want to let go.

C.L. Wilson has so much to address and wrap up in this book and I think she does an amazing job. Ellysetta is fighting her four mage marks while Rain is desperate to find a way to finish his bonding before the madness overtakes him. Shan and Elfeya are at wits end after endless torture. Kieran and Kiel are missing with Ellysetta's sisters. King Dorian and Queen Annoura are struggling in their marriage and constant political maneuverings. And finally, the epic war is on the horizon. Vadim Maur, who may be my favorite villain of all time, has amassed not only a stunning number in his evil army, but has a plan set to capture his prize possession Ellysetta.

This book is intense, action-filled and with some absolutely heartbreaking moments that made me tear-up. Everyone's story, not just Rain and Ellysetta's, are resolved. Some with joy, others with tragedy. The action starts right from the beginning, and although the actual romance scenes are fewer in this book, there are an abundance of poignant, touching scenes. At this point in the series, we know of the love between Rain and Ellysetta - what we need to see is the final outcome and we are not disappointed.

I honestly don't have any complaints. This book is an outstanding end to one of my favorite series. You must read this series in order, this isn't one you can casually pick-up halfway through but I highly recommend it. I am not huge into reading fantasy, but this one delivers romance, action and characters that are unforgettable.

SPOILERS BELOW

Initially, I had so many questions:

Why aren't the Fey using counter-intelligence instead of waiting on the Eld to meet them head on in combat? Rain and Elly were only in the Eld Forest for a few hours before they heard one of the mages explaining one of their intended tactics. They should have been sending a spy out in the weeks before the war.

Why is their first course of action always sacrifice?

Why didn't Ellysetta use the invisibility weave? She was running around with that red hair and her bright red outfit, literally a walking bullseye. It's amazing she made it through the first battle. And why can't the protective weaves follow her?

Why did Elly let those Mages bind her in seldor as if she hadn't melted the seldor off of Shan twice? When is she going to embrace her power?!

And then I got my answers

When the Eld managed to launch a sneak attack on the Fey King, the Tairen Soul, and his all-powerful mate with something as simple as camouflage, that's when I knew that the good guys were playing checkers instead of chess. All brawn, no brains. Except for Gaelen, who really deserves his own book. He was too to be a sub character.

****
I may be on my own on this, but I felt like Elly weaving Azrhan to save Rain was a total slap in the face. I know this is their story, but come on! Those people who died in the war loved and were loved by someone. Even truemates died in this war. But when it's her mate in the Well of Souls, Elly's like "Hey, Papa, sisters, real mom and dad, Fey kids, Dorian, hundreds of thousands who have sacrificed your lives on my behalf, nothing personal but to hell with you all. Literally". She had no way of knowing that all would work out. In fact, she gave in, expecting all to be lost when she did.

Lastly, I deducted a star because of the romantic undertones of the Kieran/Lillis, Kiel/Lorelle relationships. Whenever you make the love interest (future or otherwise) of a man, in this case, a 1000+-year-old man, a prepubescent girl, you're venturing into disturbing territory. No matter how you try to dress it up as him being her protector, it still comes off as a creepy guy who is biding his time.

“Let love, not fear, be your guide...

CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME by C. L. Wilson was a passionate, action-packed conclusion to this magically awesome series. There was not one dull moment. It had me on the edge of my seat a lot and made me appreciate the phrase: 'My heart was in my throat.' Some books rob me of the proper words to adequately describe them; This whole series set in a complex magical world merits that description. If you've been following my reviews of this series, you already know that I love this series to distraction.

I discovered this author when I happened to read her THE WINTER KING, which was another awesome read. I am so glad I found it and her! As I was waiting on the sequel to THE WINTER KING, I spotted that she'd also written The Tairen Soul series and it quickly became my obsession.

This is a series that you absolutely must read in order. The hero and heroine are the same for all five books in the series. The series is phenomenally complicated in a fantastic way and relationships with the colorful array of characters have been developing with each book. Honestly, you would be hopelessly lost without the background from the previous stories. Each book picks up where the former book left off. Do yourself a huge favor and read the series in order. You won't be sorry.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this fantastic closure to the series:

"You are a force rarely born to a world, something we Elves call leinah thaniel, the Song that sings all Songs, the Mirror that shows all Mirrors, the Change that changes everything."
---
"There are no fates I cannot change, but this fate is one I cannot change without you. You are my strength, Rain. You are the courage I've always lacked."
He gave a choked laugh, and tears glittered in his eyes. "If I am your courage, then why does this idea of yours leave me so frightened?"
---
“But the Dark cannot claim what Light does not surrender.”

I cannot say enough good things about this series. There is absolutely nothing that falls short in the series. Period. As with every book in this series, CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME is a beautifully woven story that is compelling, intense and overflowing with raw passion. C.L. Wilson's writing blows me away with its depth and scope This series is a masterpiece encompassing five books. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys epic romantic fantasies. I can see myself reading it again and enjoying it just as much as the first time.

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there.

5 Wine Glasses

With Crown of Crystal Flame, C.L. Wilson concludes her epic TAIREN SOUL quintet. The series has always walked the line between romance and epic fantasy. In the later books, however, with the connection between Rain and Ellysetta mostly established (other than that pesky incomplete soul-bond issue), the balance has shifted more toward fantasy as the war with the Eld Mages moves to the forefront.

In this installment, the Fey and their Elven and Celierian allies make their last stand against the Mages. Meanwhile, the insurrection brewing within Vadim Maur's stronghold comes to a head as well. The good guys are vastly outnumbered and the Mages have terrible powers at their disposal. Yet Rain, Ellie and friends refuse to give up hope, and help from an unexpected quarter may just be enough to turn the tide.

I advise against starting with Crown of Crystal Flame. The characters and their struggles will be more meaningful to you once you've followed them through the first four books, and the plot will make more sense if you've read the buildup. But have no fear of an endless series. Crown of Crystal Flame is an actual, honest-to-goodness ending, tying up all the threads Wilson has introduced.

With its focus on the war, it's the most violent book of the five. Ellie and Rain undergo unimaginable suffering on their way to the climactic scene, and some beloved characters don't make it. The darkness is not total, however. There are victories along the way, and beautiful moments of romance (both joyous and bittersweet). My favorite scene involves a minor character finally learning how much another character loved them. Reader, I bawled. I also enjoyed the developments regarding the dahl'reisen, and the rediscovered lore about Azrahn and its role in the history of the Fey.

Wilson's influences bleed through the story in a few places. This is most evident in a scene reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Isengard (particularly Peter Jackson's interpretation thereof), and in a Fey proverb that sounds a lot like one I remember from Robert Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME series.

On the whole, however, Crown of Crystal Flame satisfies, giving readers the conclusion they've been waiting for. Now that the series is finished, I can enthusiastically recommend it to fans of romantic fantasy.

I read the series and enjoyed this final book best of all, because the author illustrated the battle scenes in vivid, descriptive and nail-bitingly desperate language that sucked me right into the story. I was so worried my favorite characters would die! (shades of Deathly Hallows). This good versus evil tale is nicely told. The ending is glorious. Maybe too glorious. I would rather spend time with the people I've come to love, rather than reading the pageantry scenes.

ps. Book 3 was my second favorite, where Elly saves the dying Tairen babies (dragon-like lions). I also liked book 1, but it drove me nuts that the mortals, including Queen Annoura and her court, treated King Rain, the Tairen soul, and his chosen queen, Ellysetta, the woodcarver's daughter, to so much scorn, knowing that he (Rain) had flamed the world 1000 years prior and could do so again.

Back to THIS book, the series finale was fantasy akin to Tolkien in some respects (the battle scenes, creating a key role for a youth, Melliandra, and also just the feeling of fellowship and camaraderie). However, unlike Tolkien, Wilson spices things up with with romance, including some sex. I would have been happy with fewer references to sex, because the plot was so absorbing.

What becomes of Melliandra, the young ensorcelled slave girl who risked her life to rescue Shia's baby? What about the Fey healer? I know they escaped the prison, but I want to know more. That bit felt unfinished. Would really like to see Mellandra find a happy future, after such a miserable past.

I have since learned from the Q&A section of the author's website that Gaelen and Bel will each get a book, and Mellendra might reappear again.

The final book of an incredible series. I read it in one sitting finishing at 2:00AM yesterday. This was not my favorite book of the series, but it deserves ten stars if I had them to give. I knew all along we were heading for a terrible showdown between good and evil, and all of the Fey I have come to love would be in terrible danger. I think the first fourth or so of the book was a little tedious for me because I knew it was setting up for what was to come. Then it CAME and I could not have put the book down had my house been burning down.

This book was the darkest of them all, the most threatening to Rain and Ellysetta at a time when she is most vulnerable to the evil Mage and when Rain is fighting against the madness of the truemate bond that has not been completed (you have to read them to understand that one). The most beautiful part (well nearly) is when they they are saved by the dahl'reisen who have been reviled and banished from the Fading Lands for thousands of years. What happens then turns upside down everything that the Fey have believed in for milleniums. There are no words for the bravery and loyalty that is shown by so many in Rain and Ellie's race to outrun their enemies. If one likes reading about battles, this book has it, and strangely this is something I normally do not like and yet in this book it all worked for me. I don't enjoy reading real dark stories and yet the evil in this book was necessary because Light only really triumphs when darkness is at it's worst. I am sure I was holding my breath more than once during that last half of this final book. Wonderful wonderful author. Beylah vo.

I hate to say good-bye to this series and I am sure I will read it many times again. I even learned a new language - Feyan.

Crown of Crystal Flame is the ifth and final book in the Tairen Soul series and this magnificent wok ends the series on a crescendo of near perfection.

C.L Wilson's poignant and lyrical writing completely engrossed me and I came to love all the major and supporting characters in equal measure. From the lead couple, Rain and Ellysetta, I became connected to Belliard, Gaelen, Shan and Elfeya, Tajik, Sheyl and Farel, Maryssa and Dax, the twins, Lorelle and Lillis, Kiel amd Kieran, Melliandra, the Elves, the Dahl'reisen and of course my most beloved character, the magestic Tairen, Steli. My heart broke for Adrial and Talisa as well as for Rowan. I latched onto these stories and characters and don't want to let go.

The series is pure magic. I felt the range of emotions coursing through the characters, soared through the skies on the backs of the Tairen, stood on the grim battlefields against the Eld, wove magic along the fey warriors and felt the loss of the many fallen friends. The storylines of the four preceding books were seamlessly woven into a epic conclusion of this multi layered and richly drawn series. An outstanding reading adventure.

I read the series and enjoyed this final book best of all, because the author illustrated the battle scenes in vivid, descriptive and nail-bitingly desperate language that sucked me right into the story. I was so worried my favorite characters would die! (shades of Deathly Hallows). This good versus evil tale is nicely told. The ending is glorious. Maybe too glorious. I would rather spend time with the people I've come to love, rather than reading the pageantry scenes.

ps. Book 3 was my second favorite, where Elly saves the dying Tairen babies (dragon-like lions). I also liked book 1, but it drove me nuts that the mortals, including Queen Annoura and her court, treated King Rain, the Tairen soul, and his chosen queen, Ellysetta, the woodcarver's daughter, to so much scorn, knowing that he (Rain) had flamed the world 1000 years prior and could do so again.

Back to THIS book, the series finale was fantasy akin to Tolkien in some respects (the battle scenes, creating a key role for a youth, Melliandra, and also just the feeling of fellowship and camaraderie). However, unlike Tolkien, Wilson spices things up with with romance, including some sex. I would have been happy with fewer references to sex, because the plot was so absorbing.

What becomes of Melliandra, the young ensorcelled slave girl who risked her life to rescue Shia's baby? What about the Fey healer? I know they escaped the prison, but I want to know more. That bit felt unfinished. Would really like to see Mellandra find a happy future, after such a miserable past.

I have since learned from the Q&A section of the author's website that Gaelen and Bel will each get a book, and Mellendra might reappear again.

The final book of an incredible series. I read it in one sitting finishing at 2:00AM yesterday. This was not my favorite book of the series, but it deserves ten stars if I had them to give. I knew all along we were heading for a terrible showdown between good and evil, and all of the Fey I have come to love would be in terrible danger. I think the first fourth or so of the book was a little tedious for me because I knew it was setting up for what was to come. Then it CAME and I could not have put the book down had my house been burning down.

This book was the darkest of them all, the most threatening to Rain and Ellysetta at a time when she is most vulnerable to the evil Mage and when Rain is fighting against the madness of the truemate bond that has not been completed (you have to read them to understand that one). The most beautiful part (well nearly) is when they they are saved by the dahl'reisen who have been reviled and banished from the Fading Lands for thousands of years. What happens then turns upside down everything that the Fey have believed in for milleniums. There are no words for the bravery and loyalty that is shown by so many in Rain and Ellie's race to outrun their enemies. If one likes reading about battles, this book has it, and strangely this is something I normally do not like and yet in this book it all worked for me. I don't enjoy reading real dark stories and yet the evil in this book was necessary because Light only really triumphs when darkness is at it's worst. I am sure I was holding my breath more than once during that last half of this final book. Wonderful wonderful author. Beylah vo.

I hate to say good-bye to this series and I am sure I will read it many times again. I even learned a new language - Feyan.

Crown of Crystal Flame is the ifth and final book in the Tairen Soul series and this magnificent wok ends the series on a crescendo of near perfection.

C.L Wilson's poignant and lyrical writing completely engrossed me and I came to love all the major and supporting characters in equal measure. From the lead couple, Rain and Ellysetta, I became connected to Belliard, Gaelen, Shan and Elfeya, Tajik, Sheyl and Farel, Maryssa and Dax, the twins, Lorelle and Lillis, Kiel amd Kieran, Melliandra, the Elves, the Dahl'reisen and of course my most beloved character, the magestic Tairen, Steli. My heart broke for Adrial and Talisa as well as for Rowan. I latched onto these stories and characters and don't want to let go.

The series is pure magic. I felt the range of emotions coursing through the characters, soared through the skies on the backs of the Tairen, stood on the grim battlefields against the Eld, wove magic along the fey warriors and felt the loss of the many fallen friends. The storylines of the four preceding books were seamlessly woven into a epic conclusion of this multi layered and richly drawn series. An outstanding reading adventure.

This final book in the Tairen Soul series brings the epic tale of Rain and Ellysetta to a close. I first fell in love with these two characters in Lord of the Fading Lands. The romance and passion between the two soon to be lovers was a pleasure to read.
All of the loose ends are pulled together in this final book and the outcome was exactly what I wanted.
The thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was that I felt that the "chemistry" that I had come to love between the main and supporting characters was missing. For some reason the dialogue felt different to me and the unraveling of certain events seemed "rushed". I missed the "feeling" that each character had contributed in previous books. The war, the weapons, the creatures, and battlefield were very vivid and greatly described, but I felt that some of that took away from the REAL battle between Ellysetta and the High Mage and her battle within herself to bond with Rain.
All in all, I was very sad to see the story end, but I was very pleased that the ending was a happy one. This entire series is definitely worth reading!
Job well done Ms. Wilson.Crown of Crystal Flame (Tairen Soul)

I learned about the Tairen series from an the store thread. The first book 'Lord of the Fading Land' pulled me in, and the story really picked up the steam with the second book that I almost ended up devouring the whole series in a sitting. I don't think it does the author justice to call the five books 'paranormal romance'. The stories were reminiscent of Tolkien but much darker and grimmer. Whereas Tolkien alluded to the dark descent of some of the elves and the torture inflicted on his heroes and heroines, C.L. Wilson actually goes one layer deeper, without being graphic, to lay bare the suffering of the captives and the fall into descent of previously 'light' beings. When I finished reading 'Crown of Crystal Flame', I could only sit back in admiration at how she managed to create this completely new world and bring all the disparate pieces together into a satisfying finale. A most satisfying journey.

This is a wonderful conclusive story about Ellysetta and Rainiers journey. It will make you smile and cry. I would like to read a story of Nicolene and Melliandra, hopefully a book about them is in the works.

I fell in love with this series when I discovered it being discussed on the romance forums here at the store, and purchased the first 2 books to give it a try. Books with stories such as these written by C.L. Wilson are why I love to read, and treasures such as these are few and far between.
The stories are vibrantly rich with characters that the reader will love and come to care for as the adventures, dangers, and evil threatens the future of just not the lead characters, but the whole world that this story inhabits.
This series has it all, and I live to discover stories such as these.
I cannot remember the last time I fell in love with a series as I have this romantic Fantasy Adventure written by new author C.L. Wilson..
Remember her name because I see a brilliant future for us readers if we readers keep up with this author's potently delicious stories.
I will purchase everything I see with her name on it.

At a time when the adversary, the malevolent Eld Mages, seems not just ready to attack, but overwhelmingly poised to win, the alliance between the Fey and Celieran splinters. At the same they fear their side will break apart the alliance, Rain Tairen Soul and Ellysetta Baristani struggle on a personal issue as they have failed to finish their mating bond, which if not done soon will lead to their deaths.

Meanwhile the Malevolent High Mage Vadim Maur knows his scheme is working as everything is coming together. The conquest has begun as his evil horde marches across the fading lands killing anything in their way and leaving wanton destruction behind. Ellysetta refuses to give up on love, on her people, on the alliance and on herself as she plans to write her destiny in order to save those she cherishes.

The finale to the great Tairen Song saga is a superb climax to the strong quartet. Somehow C.L. Wilson ties up the overarching fantasy on a larger than life plane yet this brilliant author also provides a deep personal look at the key players in a desperate quest to save their world risking their lives. Only the love between Rain Tairen Soul and Ellysetta Baristani keeps this pair going against the hopelessness of the overwhelming darkness that engulfs their world.

Harriet Klausner

This was the final installment in the Tairen Soul series. I loved, loved, loved this series! It was Lord of the Rings for women. It was Christine Feehan with better, more complex plots. It was simply magnificent.

That being said, I had very mixed feelings about the final book. The earlier books were squarely in the romance genre, with a fantasy backdrop. They had wonderful forays into interesting kindgoms, great descriptions of the various cultures and political pressures, and of course, the most fun was watching the progress of the epic love story between Rain and Ellie. Most of that romantic element was not here in this book. Understandable, because they are fighting for survival, but I really missed it.

This book had a much darker tone than the rest of the series. It was grim, unrelenting darkness. There were a few moments of lightness where the characters basically "dreamed" of a better time and place. I almost had the feeling the author inserted these because she knew the reader needed a bit if light amidst all the grimness.

The last 20% was the best part of the book. As the tide turns, it was impossible to put down. The storylines weave together beautifully. The moment I turned the last page I rushed to the computer to see if C.L. Wilson intends to write another book in the series, because there was one storyline that was left dangling and unresolved. The good news is that another book is in the works, but it is likely to be a long time coming. She is launching a new series before she gets back to the Fading Lands. Her website implies that the focus of the series will shift to another lead character, which is probably wise, since I think she pushed the Rain and Ellie story to its logical conclusion. But who knows? This author is simply fascinating to read. Highly recommended.

LIGHT SPOILERS: If you haven't read the other books, you will be lost with this one. References to other books, and light spoilers ahead!

Let me start off by saying that I wholeheartedly LOVED the first 4 books in this series. The characterizations, the romance, the emotion... all perfect. I was gripped by the action, disgusted by the bad guys, and everything was a complete joy to read. It is for that reason that I am so very disappointed in this last installment of the Tairen Soul Series. The resolutions I was most interested in (mainly the incomplete bond between Ellysetta and Rain and the conflict between the High Mage and Ellysetta)were a MUCH smaller part of the book than I expected. The imminent war was actually the least of my cares, but it garnered the largest sections of this book. For a book billed as fantasy/paranormal romance, and with 4 books before it that fit this bill perfectly, this book had almost no heart or romance! All of the emotion was replaced with detailed descriptions of battles. I can read through a battle or two, but this felt like a flat-out war book or more straight fantasy without the romance. The final 100 or so pages start to resolve some of the interpersonal conflicts from previous books, but the treatment felt hasty after hundreds of pages of drawn-out battle scenes and war prep. 150 pages in and I was actually starting to think about other books from my to-be-read pile. 150 pages into the other 4 books in this series I was starting to wave off food and hide from my husband in the bathroom in order to see what happened next. I grabbed this book the day it came out excited to be whisked back to the world that had so completely drawn me in over the course of the first 4 books, so was very sad when I found myself getting bored while reading. In a series with 5 books, you expect that one will end up being your least favorite. But, what a supreme bummer for it to be the last book - the one you have been waiting for - the one you want to cap off 2000 pages of perfect reading.

Don't get me wrong... Things turn out the way they should, but I just expected to enjoy getting there so much more than I did. Still, if you read the other 4 books, it really doesn't matter what I have to say about it. You will read it anyways because you simply have to. I just felt the need to share my disappointment.

This series goes beyond five stars. Man, what a movie it could be! Just keep Tom Cruise out of it.

Some characters you love,some you hate. Some bad guys are ultimately good guys and some of the good guys are too stuck in the old ways to be effective. C L Wilson is an artist and a brilliant writer. I promise you can't go wrong with this series. Once she sucks you in, you're done!

My favorite series of all time, best writing, best characters and the most imaginative fantasy world I've ever read! This is the kind of story and writing style that just takes you out of your every day life and before you realize it your almost done with the book! Can't wait for another book in this Fae world with these characters! Recommend this book to anyone who loves great fantasy & amazing writing! Love this book and series! 5 stars, would give double or triple that if I could...