When Kiera Cass first announced she was extending the beloved Selection trilogy into a five-book saga, the fandom basically had a collective heart attack. We’d all spent three books rooting for America Singer to find her "happily ever after" with Maxon Schreave, and then—bam—suddenly we were twenty years in the future. Enter Eadlyn Schreave. She wasn’t the relatable, fiery underdog her mother was. She was, honestly, kinda a brat. But The Crown Kiera Cass isn't just a sequel; it’s the high-stakes finale that had to fix Eadlyn’s reputation while wrapping up an entire monarchy.
If you’ve spent any time in the YA book community, you know that the reception for The Crown was... well, mixed. Some people loved the subversion of the "Selection" rules. Others felt like the ending happened so fast it gave them whiplash.
The Eadlyn Transformation: From Brat to Queen
Let’s be real for a second. In The Heir, Eadlyn was hard to like. She was cold, detached, and seemingly obsessed with her own power. But The Crown picks up the pieces of her shattered world. With Queen America in a coma after a heart attack and King Maxon too distraught to lead, Eadlyn is thrust into the role of Regent.
This isn't just about a girl picking a husband anymore. It’s about a girl keeping a country from imploding.
Her character development in this book is wildly fast. Like, Olympic-sprint fast. She starts realizing that her people don't just dislike her—they don't know her. She begins to see her suitors not as annoyances to be managed, but as actual humans. The way she handles the Elite—narrowing the field to Kile, Gunner, Ean, Fox, Hale, and Henri—shows a much more vulnerable side of her.
The Guys Who Didn't Stand a Chance
One of the weirdest (and arguably coolest) things about The Crown is how Kiera Cass handled the eliminations. Usually, in these books, guys get sent home because of a lack of "spark" or some dramatic argument. Here? It was basically a game of "Let’s find a reason you shouldn't be King."
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- Hale and Ean: In a move that caught most readers off guard, it’s revealed that Hale and Ean have actually fallen for each other. Eadlyn, showing a level of compassion we hadn't seen before, lets them go so they can be together.
- Kile Woodwork: This was the "safe" choice. The childhood friend. The fan favorite. But Eadlyn realizes that marrying her would trap him in a palace he hates. She "banishes" him for a year just so he can go be an architect. It’s selfless, which is a word nobody would have used to describe her fifty pages earlier.
- Henri Jaakoppi: The literal human sunshine. He was so sweet, but the language barrier was a constant hurdle. Plus, he eventually realizes Eadlyn’s heart is elsewhere.
The Big Twist: Why Erik Changed Everything
If you were Team Kile, the ending of The Crown Kiera Cass probably felt like a personal insult. But if you were paying attention to the quiet moments, Erik (or Eikko) was always the endgame.
Erik wasn't even a suitor! He was Henri’s translator.
Their romance is built on those tiny, "unimportant" conversations that happen when the cameras aren't rolling. While the other guys were trying to impress the future Queen, Erik was just talking to Eadlyn. He saw the girl behind the crown. When Eadlyn finally admits she loves him, it’s a massive middle finger to the entire Selection process.
Breaking the Monarchy
This is where the book goes from a romance to a political drama. Eadlyn realizes that if she marries Erik, the people will riot because he wasn't "chosen" through the traditional system. Her solution?
She basically dissolves the absolute monarchy.
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She transitions Illea into a constitutional monarchy. It’s a huge move. One chapter she's worried about her dress, and the next, she's fundamentally changing the government structure of a nation. Some critics, like those at The Obsessive Bookseller, felt this was way too "neat and sweet." It’s definitely a bit of a deus ex machina moment. Problems that had been brewing for five books are suddenly solved with one speech and a wedding.
Why the Ending Still Sparks Debate
Ten years from now, people will still be arguing about whether Eadlyn and Erik make sense. Here’s the thing: E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) in book reviewing suggests we look at the narrative structure.
The primary criticism of The Crown is that the romance feels rushed. Eadlyn and Erik have very few scenes together compared to her and Kile.
- Pacing: The book is only about 300 pages. That’s short for a series finale.
- The Villain: Marid Illea felt like a threat that appeared out of nowhere and was dispatched just as quickly.
- The Resolution: Everything wraps up perfectly. No one is heartbroken for long. The country is suddenly okay with a massive government overhaul.
However, many fans defend it as a "fairytale ending." If you go into a Kiera Cass book expecting gritty political realism, you’re in the wrong aisle of the bookstore. These books are about the "happily ever after." In that context, Eadlyn’s growth from a selfish princess to a queen who gives up her absolute power for love is a pretty solid arc.
Fact-Checking the Selection Universe
People often get confused about the timeline and the family tree. Let’s clear some stuff up:
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- The Timeline: The Heir and The Crown take place twenty years after The One.
- The Siblings: Eadlyn is the oldest. She has a twin, Ahren (who runs off to France), and two younger brothers, Kaden and Osten.
- The Caste System: By the time Eadlyn is Queen, the castes have technically been abolished, but the social stigma still exists. This is the main source of the public unrest.
- The Parents: America and Maxon are still very much in love. Their relationship serves as the (intimidating) blueprint for what Eadlyn thinks she’s supposed to find.
What to Read After The Crown
If you’ve finished the series and you're feeling that post-book void, you have a few options. You could dive into Happily Ever After, which is a collection of novellas that gives more backstory on characters like Amberly and Maxon.
Or, you could look at other authors who capture that "royal competition" vibe.
- The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead.
- American Royals by Katharine McGee.
- Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (if you want more magic and less dating).
Honestly, nothing quite hits like the original Selection series. It’s the ultimate comfort read. Even with its flaws, The Crown gave Eadlyn a voice that was distinctly hers. She wasn't America 2.0. She was a different kind of leader—one who realized that sometimes, to keep the crown, you have to be willing to change what it stands for.
To get the most out of your re-read, pay close attention to the scenes where Erik is translating for Henri. The subtext is all there. You'll see the stolen glances and the way Eadlyn relaxes around him in a way she never does with the actual Elite. It makes the "sudden" ending feel a lot more earned.
Next Steps for Selection Fans
- Re-read The Heir first: Seriously. The Crown makes way more sense if the events of the first book are fresh.
- Check out the novellas: The Guard and The Prince provide a lot of context for the world Eadlyn inherited.
- Join the community: Sites like Goodreads and Reddit still have active threads discussing the Schreave family legacy.
Actionable Insight: If you’re writing your own YA fiction or analyzing romance tropes, look at how Cass uses the "Selection" as a foil for Eadlyn's internal growth. The competition isn't the point; Eadlyn's realization that she can't be forced into a box is the real story. Use this "breaking the rules" trope in your own analysis to see how it subverts reader expectations.
Source References:
- Cass, Kiera. The Crown. HarperTeen, 2016.
- SuperSummary: The Crown Plot Analysis.
- Goodreads community reviews and "Who Saw It Coming?" discussion threads.
- The Selection series sales data via HarperCollins.