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mxsallybend's review
4.0
As I mentioned last time around, Rowena Cory Daniells is an author I've had my eye on for a while now, ever since Besieged (the first book in her Outcast Chronicles) made my Waiting on Wednesday list back in May. So, when she reached out to me last month to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing both trilogies, I jumped at the chance.
The Uncrowned King is the second instalment of her King Rolen's Kin trilogy, traditionally the weakest part of any trilogy. With the story already established, and the conclusion yet to come, the middle volume could be forgiven if it didn't really move the story forward. Fortunately, there's enough going on here to make it just as compelling a read as the first. What's more, since we already have an attachment to the characters, their perils and triumphs have more of an emotional impact. There were at least two occasions where excitement nearly had me jumping out of my seat, and one notable occasion where I found myself seething over a betrayal.
At its essence, this is the story of a ruling family being torn apart, forced to struggle their way back from exile and ruin to rescue their kingdom. Byren, by far, faces the toughest challenge, despite the fact that his journey seems like it should be so easy. Betrayed, wounded, and touched by the power of Affinity, he is a man we watch losing all hope, yet still struggling forward. Fyn, as I suspected (indeed, hoped) comes into his own as a hero who can stand proudly beside his brother. His journey is the most wondrous of the three, full of surprises for both him and the reader. As for Piro, even though she's largely left to hide, flee, and disguise herself against her enemies, she is clearly set up to have a large role to play in the final volume.
We do get to see much more of the villains in this instalment, with Cobalt revealing his true colours, but I will say no more on that subject for fear of spoilers.
This volume doesn't add much to the world-building begun in The King's Bastard, but it does smartly develop what's already been established. We learn more about the Affinity-touched beasts roaming the countryside, and get a deeper glimpse into the mythology and religious structure of the kingdom. We don't actually get to see Merofynia (not yet, at least), but we do see more of its dark side - one full of slavery, renegade power workers, and assassins.
Fast-paced, just as engaging, and (much to my relief) absent the convenient delays and lapses of memory that bothered me about the first volume, this is another good, solid, page-turning read that's sure to satisfy fans of traditional fantasy. Bring on The Usurper and let's see how (or, perhaps, if) justice can prevail!
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
The Uncrowned King is the second instalment of her King Rolen's Kin trilogy, traditionally the weakest part of any trilogy. With the story already established, and the conclusion yet to come, the middle volume could be forgiven if it didn't really move the story forward. Fortunately, there's enough going on here to make it just as compelling a read as the first. What's more, since we already have an attachment to the characters, their perils and triumphs have more of an emotional impact. There were at least two occasions where excitement nearly had me jumping out of my seat, and one notable occasion where I found myself seething over a betrayal.
At its essence, this is the story of a ruling family being torn apart, forced to struggle their way back from exile and ruin to rescue their kingdom. Byren, by far, faces the toughest challenge, despite the fact that his journey seems like it should be so easy. Betrayed, wounded, and touched by the power of Affinity, he is a man we watch losing all hope, yet still struggling forward. Fyn, as I suspected (indeed, hoped) comes into his own as a hero who can stand proudly beside his brother. His journey is the most wondrous of the three, full of surprises for both him and the reader. As for Piro, even though she's largely left to hide, flee, and disguise herself against her enemies, she is clearly set up to have a large role to play in the final volume.
We do get to see much more of the villains in this instalment, with Cobalt revealing his true colours, but I will say no more on that subject for fear of spoilers.
This volume doesn't add much to the world-building begun in The King's Bastard, but it does smartly develop what's already been established. We learn more about the Affinity-touched beasts roaming the countryside, and get a deeper glimpse into the mythology and religious structure of the kingdom. We don't actually get to see Merofynia (not yet, at least), but we do see more of its dark side - one full of slavery, renegade power workers, and assassins.
Fast-paced, just as engaging, and (much to my relief) absent the convenient delays and lapses of memory that bothered me about the first volume, this is another good, solid, page-turning read that's sure to satisfy fans of traditional fantasy. Bring on The Usurper and let's see how (or, perhaps, if) justice can prevail!
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
helenkat's review
4.0
4.5 stars
It's been a number of years since I've read book 1. I settled into this book easily and reestablished the connection to King Rolen's children - Byren, Piro and Fyn. They face danger, uncertainty, fear and the loss of loved ones. The winter background to the kingdom is different and reading how they traverse across is interesting as is learning more about Affinity.
I believe I got into the rhythm of the story more with book two. There are many threads to the story but it was woven in a way that was able to be followed without getting lost as can happen with high fantasy. Daniells makes it all seem effortless in her storytelling which is the mark of a talented author.
Disclaimer: while I know the author personally, this doesn't affect the star rating.
It's been a number of years since I've read book 1. I settled into this book easily and reestablished the connection to King Rolen's children - Byren, Piro and Fyn. They face danger, uncertainty, fear and the loss of loved ones. The winter background to the kingdom is different and reading how they traverse across is interesting as is learning more about Affinity.
I believe I got into the rhythm of the story more with book two. There are many threads to the story but it was woven in a way that was able to be followed without getting lost as can happen with high fantasy. Daniells makes it all seem effortless in her storytelling which is the mark of a talented author.
Disclaimer: while I know the author personally, this doesn't affect the star rating.
deehaichess's review
3.0
Slightly shorter than the first book, this continues to be readable but mildly frustrating. This book - actually both these books so far - could have benefited from more detail and depth. Some developments are glossed over or just plain skipped (Seela arriving at the rebel's mountain hideaway for instance. How did she know where to look if the enemy can't find it?), and I am still having major problems with the flipping the character Byren is doing over his gay best friend. One minute he's guilting about how unfairly he's treated him, the next he's coldly brushing him off. On a purely objective reading level I can understand what's going on - he freaks out when confronted with the fact of it, but then logic and evidence lead him to realise there's no reason to freak out, except he can't help freaking out because he's been conditioned to, and around and around he goes.
But subjectively, a) I want my heroes to be a little sturdier of spirit than that and b) I'm not really involved emotionally with his dilemma because of that lack of writing detail I was talking about. Ergo, his flipping just frustrates, and the throw-away references to his hetero-ness just seem like token justifications. On the whole I don't care and just wish he would either reject his friend forever or strip him naked and do it hard. (Ironically enough, I'm sure this is what the poor friend is probably feeling too, if there was at any point any insight at all into his character.)
You might wonder, based on this review, why I'm still reading if I dislike it that much, but I am enjoying some of the details. The developments involving the wolf pack, for example, and the two main baddies - Cobolt in book 1 and Dunstany in book 2 - are possibly the most interesting aspects of the whole story! I also live in hope that the third (even shorter) book will right all the wrongs that are at play in this world. I don't expect it will, but I do still hope.
But subjectively, a) I want my heroes to be a little sturdier of spirit than that and b) I'm not really involved emotionally with his dilemma because of that lack of writing detail I was talking about. Ergo, his flipping just frustrates, and the throw-away references to his hetero-ness just seem like token justifications. On the whole I don't care and just wish he would either reject his friend forever or strip him naked and do it hard. (Ironically enough, I'm sure this is what the poor friend is probably feeling too, if there was at any point any insight at all into his character.)
You might wonder, based on this review, why I'm still reading if I dislike it that much, but I am enjoying some of the details. The developments involving the wolf pack, for example, and the two main baddies - Cobolt in book 1 and Dunstany in book 2 - are possibly the most interesting aspects of the whole story! I also live in hope that the third (even shorter) book will right all the wrongs that are at play in this world. I don't expect it will, but I do still hope.
thiefofcamorr's review
Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
cindyc's review
4.0
We start off immediately where The King's Bastard left us. Byren is leaving behind a blazing Dovecote estate and skating as fast as possible to warn the monks of Halcyon of the impeding danger. Meanwhile Piro is still trying to escape the cunning Cobalt who has wrapped her father around his finger and Fyn, left behind with the young and elderly while the monks went to battle, realizes there is something very wrong with the message the abbot received from his father to call the monks to arms. Each of King Rolen's Kin is faced with new threats and danger lurks around every corner. And like every good book it made me anxious to read on, to find out if the characters I'd come to care for so much would find a way out of this mess.
The story moves on at breakneck speed, switching between the three children of King Rolen and his Queen Myrella, just like in the first book. The pace was ideal for the situation described in 'The Uncrowned King', because Rolencia is now fully at war and there is so much happening all over the country, that the story really needed to move forward pretty fast. I'm glad there wasn't a lull here, Daniells succeeded in keeping us on the edge of our seats.
The writing was again very good, aside from some repetitiveness in sentences that I'll gladly overlook because the story itself was yet again very entertaining.
I loved the way the Affinity beasts came back in this book. The reader gets to see a whole other side of them and wonder what more there is hidden behind the dangerous demeanor of those roaming beasts.
The ending leaves us with the children at locations we couldn't have imagined at the beginning of the book. They've been through a lot and all of them are determined to take Rolencia back one way or another. I did feel that the pacing slowed down a bit after the first part of the book, but again, it didn't bother me, because it seemed to fit the story. All of them are trying to get their bearings and trying to reorganize their lives so they can go back to Rolenhold stronger.
Was 'The Uncrowned King' a stronger book than 'The King's Bastard'? Not really, but it was definitely on par with it. It has its own strengths and weaknesses and the story has switched to a whole different level. Where the first book was more of a 'get to know' book and the start of the action, 'The Uncrowned King' throws us full on in the action, without flinching back from some cruelty and horror. Definitely a series I still enjoy reading. Now on to ‘The Usurper’ to find out what happens with all my favourite characters.
The story moves on at breakneck speed, switching between the three children of King Rolen and his Queen Myrella, just like in the first book. The pace was ideal for the situation described in 'The Uncrowned King', because Rolencia is now fully at war and there is so much happening all over the country, that the story really needed to move forward pretty fast. I'm glad there wasn't a lull here, Daniells succeeded in keeping us on the edge of our seats.
The writing was again very good, aside from some repetitiveness in sentences that I'll gladly overlook because the story itself was yet again very entertaining.
I loved the way the Affinity beasts came back in this book. The reader gets to see a whole other side of them and wonder what more there is hidden behind the dangerous demeanor of those roaming beasts.
The ending leaves us with the children at locations we couldn't have imagined at the beginning of the book. They've been through a lot and all of them are determined to take Rolencia back one way or another. I did feel that the pacing slowed down a bit after the first part of the book, but again, it didn't bother me, because it seemed to fit the story. All of them are trying to get their bearings and trying to reorganize their lives so they can go back to Rolenhold stronger.
Was 'The Uncrowned King' a stronger book than 'The King's Bastard'? Not really, but it was definitely on par with it. It has its own strengths and weaknesses and the story has switched to a whole different level. Where the first book was more of a 'get to know' book and the start of the action, 'The Uncrowned King' throws us full on in the action, without flinching back from some cruelty and horror. Definitely a series I still enjoy reading. Now on to ‘The Usurper’ to find out what happens with all my favourite characters.
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