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alwroteabook's review
5.0
In just two words - simply awesome. Full review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2019/09/01/city-of-kings-by-rob-j-hayes/
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this one! The main characters really are what makes this special. A big but not very intelligent brute and a pregnant ex-whore who are on the way to rid the land of bad people and take over the rule. Some of the side characters are also simply brilliant! I want to go to the pub with all of them and drink myself stupid...
They really are my kind of people and I enjoyed every second I got to spend with them!
It's quite a bit dark, but not overly so. It has some big action scenes, but also lots of sitting around and strategic planning. It struck a nice balance for me between easy read and yet some politics and planning, grim but still hopeful. low life characters but still with the right intentions and a plot that had me hooked.
Definitely would recommend it! Also loved the audible narration, so if you're into audio, definitely give that one a look!
They really are my kind of people and I enjoyed every second I got to spend with them!
It's quite a bit dark, but not overly so. It has some big action scenes, but also lots of sitting around and strategic planning. It struck a nice balance for me between easy read and yet some politics and planning, grim but still hopeful. low life characters but still with the right intentions and a plot that had me hooked.
Definitely would recommend it! Also loved the audible narration, so if you're into audio, definitely give that one a look!
maxines_obsessions's review against another edition
5.0
City of Kings was the perfect entry point into Hayesѓ?? First Earth saga. While Iѓ??m guessing that some of the characters are mentioned in an earlier series, and that some of the events discussed actually happened in them as well, I didnѓ??t feel like I was missing out on anything. I didnѓ??t feel like I had to read the other books to enjoy this. Although I would like to read all of his books now.
There was so much to love about this book. Lets start with the most obvious. That coverѓ?Э Holy shit, it is special. I want it on my shelves, so Iѓ??ll be picking up a physical copy down the track.
If you have read the synopsis, you know that the Black Thorn is bringing the Blooded to heel, he is taking back the Wilds for the people. Putting an end to the tyranny that has caused so many to die and suffer. He has gone from outlaw to hero, with a massive army at his back he is going after the impenetrable City of Kings, Crucible.
There is no mention of his wife in the synopsis. So when I dived into this book you can imagine my surprise when I discovered Rose, Black Thornѓ??s wife, was the master player in this. She was a scary fucker who I immediately could relate to. Look, being pregnant is painful, running a campaign while pregnant would be the worst. Dealing with all the fucksticks around you who assume the men are calling the shots and overlook you would be enough to make any woman mad. I could totally empathise with her frustration, bossiness and wanting to stab people.
The book takes place over a couple of days. It is the attempted take down of a city. It is battles, espionage and death. It is the ugly side of war. What in another book might get a chapter or two, here it is given an entire book. Every arrow loosened, every pot of tar thrown from the wall, every person trampled to death. There is no sugar coating it. This is a conclusion to a war that has taken place off page and it is fucking brutal.
By having multiple point of views we are given an insight into every aspect of the battles. We watch how the fighting shapes people. How even those used to killing and fighting, buckle under the pressure of trying to take a city. Each character has their own motivation, whether itѓ??s loyalty, money or vengeance. Each character has their own distinct voice and character arc. Itѓ??s not just the Black Thorn.
When you have a story full of so many truly amazing characters, it makes the book hard to put down. It means you read for longer than you should, you find yourself holding your breath when the tension gets high and even laughing out loud at a certain alcoholic. I enjoyed everything about this book. The writing, the characters, the fact it made me want to order the rest of his work straight away. Iѓ??m excited to dive back into this world. I liked that the author didnѓ??t hold anything back. Honestly I donѓ??t think the term brutal, conveys just how gruesome and fucked up some events that take place in this book are.
This isnѓ??t just a story with swords and fighting. Itѓ??s the story of the people who were willing to do the dirty work and overthrow the blooded. The people who dreamed of a different future and were willing to stab every fucker in their way to try to make it happen.
There was so much to love about this book. Lets start with the most obvious. That coverѓ?Э Holy shit, it is special. I want it on my shelves, so Iѓ??ll be picking up a physical copy down the track.
If you have read the synopsis, you know that the Black Thorn is bringing the Blooded to heel, he is taking back the Wilds for the people. Putting an end to the tyranny that has caused so many to die and suffer. He has gone from outlaw to hero, with a massive army at his back he is going after the impenetrable City of Kings, Crucible.
There is no mention of his wife in the synopsis. So when I dived into this book you can imagine my surprise when I discovered Rose, Black Thornѓ??s wife, was the master player in this. She was a scary fucker who I immediately could relate to. Look, being pregnant is painful, running a campaign while pregnant would be the worst. Dealing with all the fucksticks around you who assume the men are calling the shots and overlook you would be enough to make any woman mad. I could totally empathise with her frustration, bossiness and wanting to stab people.
The book takes place over a couple of days. It is the attempted take down of a city. It is battles, espionage and death. It is the ugly side of war. What in another book might get a chapter or two, here it is given an entire book. Every arrow loosened, every pot of tar thrown from the wall, every person trampled to death. There is no sugar coating it. This is a conclusion to a war that has taken place off page and it is fucking brutal.
By having multiple point of views we are given an insight into every aspect of the battles. We watch how the fighting shapes people. How even those used to killing and fighting, buckle under the pressure of trying to take a city. Each character has their own motivation, whether itѓ??s loyalty, money or vengeance. Each character has their own distinct voice and character arc. Itѓ??s not just the Black Thorn.
When you have a story full of so many truly amazing characters, it makes the book hard to put down. It means you read for longer than you should, you find yourself holding your breath when the tension gets high and even laughing out loud at a certain alcoholic. I enjoyed everything about this book. The writing, the characters, the fact it made me want to order the rest of his work straight away. Iѓ??m excited to dive back into this world. I liked that the author didnѓ??t hold anything back. Honestly I donѓ??t think the term brutal, conveys just how gruesome and fucked up some events that take place in this book are.
This isnѓ??t just a story with swords and fighting. Itѓ??s the story of the people who were willing to do the dirty work and overthrow the blooded. The people who dreamed of a different future and were willing to stab every fucker in their way to try to make it happen.
ababoglo's review against another edition
5.0
4+ roundup and extra credit for this extremely high-quality indie release.
The closest comparison is [a:Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg]'s writing. In fact, this story reads a little like [b:The Heroes|9300768|The Heroes (First Law World, #5)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375671200s/9300768.jpg|12879765] + [b:Best Served Cold|2315892|Best Served Cold|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347732723s/2315892.jpg|2322406] + [b:Red Country|13521459|Red Country (First Law World, #6)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333663008s/13521459.jpg|19082135] got rolled into one action-packed narrative. See for yourselves: the plot takes place just over a few days, in a fantasy setting with a strong western flavour with a powerful female protagonist driven by a revenge agenda.
I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and the worldbuilding. This is a first [a:Rob J. Hayes|7075073|Rob J. Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1516116970p2/7075073.jpg]'s novel for me and it was lots of fun. I also picked up on the adventuring/D&D module flavours - that made my experience even better.
A true indie wonder that you would struggle to tell apart from a big budget commercial release. So kudos to the author and his team.
So if you are in a mood for grimdark-ly fantasy blockbuster - I got a splendid recommendation for you ;)
The closest comparison is [a:Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg]'s writing. In fact, this story reads a little like [b:The Heroes|9300768|The Heroes (First Law World, #5)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375671200s/9300768.jpg|12879765] + [b:Best Served Cold|2315892|Best Served Cold|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347732723s/2315892.jpg|2322406] + [b:Red Country|13521459|Red Country (First Law World, #6)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333663008s/13521459.jpg|19082135] got rolled into one action-packed narrative. See for yourselves: the plot takes place just over a few days, in a fantasy setting with a strong western flavour with a powerful female protagonist driven by a revenge agenda.
I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and the worldbuilding. This is a first [a:Rob J. Hayes|7075073|Rob J. Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1516116970p2/7075073.jpg]'s novel for me and it was lots of fun. I also picked up on the adventuring/D&D module flavours - that made my experience even better.
A true indie wonder that you would struggle to tell apart from a big budget commercial release. So kudos to the author and his team.
So if you are in a mood for grimdark-ly fantasy blockbuster - I got a splendid recommendation for you ;)
bigchipper's review against another edition
5.0
This is essentially Hayes' version of (Abercrombie's) The Heroes. It's a standalone, battle-driven novel set in the Ties That Bind world. Rose and the Black Thorn are on a mission to rid The Wilds of the blooded families who have repressed the natives for a long time. I won't get into much of what happens (you need to read this) except to say it's at times hilarious, scary, bloody, and sad.
Rob has firmly entrenched himself as my favorite author (Sorry Joe and Mark). He manages to put so much personality in each character that it's frankly amazing.
Highly recommended!
Rob has firmly entrenched himself as my favorite author (Sorry Joe and Mark). He manages to put so much personality in each character that it's frankly amazing.
Highly recommended!
ethoslost's review
3.0
I can see why many people would enjoy this book. A pregnant battle leader is pretty badass. This is a stand alone but by not reading other books in this series I feel like I'm missing too much dynamic between characters. This was a 'did not finish' book for me. I read about half and gave up.
barb4ry1's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5/5
Hayes set the bar high with Where Loyalties Lie. I was curious if he would outdo himself in near future. Let's see.
City of Kings is set in the same world as Hayes' other books and while focused on characters introduced in his previous series, it works as a standalone. Rose and Black Thorn are a power couple, but in reality, it's pregnant Rose who holds the steering wheel. She wants to become the queen of Wilds and everything goes according to plan until her army tries to conquer Crucible - the City of Kings. Its defences are unbreakable, its walls unassailable, all built so one hundred can hold back a thousand.
Unfortunately for her soldiers, Rose is adamant about breaking Crucible's defences before she gives birth. A slaughter ensues. Thousands of people die. I like morally ambiguous characters. I'm fine with anti-heroes. I'm not ok with power-hungry idiots, though. And Rose behaves like one. Failure is not an option for her and a price to pay is irrelevant. Rose is, undoubtedly, a strong and charismatic heroine but I don't care about her. Additionally, I fail to see how senior, battle-hardened generals yield to her will despite her questionable choices. Are they so afraid of Black Thorn?
Black Thorn is a fearless warrior who used to be a cruel outlaw. He wants to make his wife happy. Even when it requires sacrificing thousands of people. Sweet. I'll be honest - I don't feel this couple's dynamics. Intellectually, I can see it. Emotionally, I just don't relate to them.
The same is, unfortunately, true for other characters. There was no one I could relate to in this book. Anders is a funny fellow, and he's stolen the show in many places. He does have charm and wit and some of his scenes were hilarious. And yet when you see him for who he is (a coward, a drunkard, a traitor), he's as despicable as almost every single character illustrated on the pages of City of Kings.
On the other hand, all characters share difficult and violent pasts. One can assume that characters' behaviour may be treated as an exploration of how trauma can affect a person, cutting them out of the world, instilling violent fantasies of revenge, and leaving psychological wounds that linger long after the physical trauma had healed.
It's a violent, gruesome book and Hayes holds nothing back. Some scenes displayed savage cruelty that didn't sit well with me. On the other hand, good action scenes force the reader to turn the pages making it a quick read. The events develop at a breakneck pace, and strong twists and turns keep the reader at the edge of a seat.
There's plenty of battle scenes many fantasy readers will love. Personally, I'm not into large-scale battles - they tire me. But here, they're done very well and I'm sure others will be enthralled in them.
In the end, I think it's a good standalone book that will appeal to many fantasy readers. I didn't give it four stars because of lack of connection with the characters, but it's hugely subjective. If you'll be able to take a breath between the outpourings of gore and violence, you'll appreciate this effective, deeply unsettling and violent siege story.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Hayes set the bar high with Where Loyalties Lie. I was curious if he would outdo himself in near future. Let's see.
City of Kings is set in the same world as Hayes' other books and while focused on characters introduced in his previous series, it works as a standalone. Rose and Black Thorn are a power couple, but in reality, it's pregnant Rose who holds the steering wheel. She wants to become the queen of Wilds and everything goes according to plan until her army tries to conquer Crucible - the City of Kings. Its defences are unbreakable, its walls unassailable, all built so one hundred can hold back a thousand.
Unfortunately for her soldiers, Rose is adamant about breaking Crucible's defences before she gives birth. A slaughter ensues. Thousands of people die. I like morally ambiguous characters. I'm fine with anti-heroes. I'm not ok with power-hungry idiots, though. And Rose behaves like one. Failure is not an option for her and a price to pay is irrelevant. Rose is, undoubtedly, a strong and charismatic heroine but I don't care about her. Additionally, I fail to see how senior, battle-hardened generals yield to her will despite her questionable choices. Are they so afraid of Black Thorn?
Black Thorn is a fearless warrior who used to be a cruel outlaw. He wants to make his wife happy. Even when it requires sacrificing thousands of people. Sweet. I'll be honest - I don't feel this couple's dynamics. Intellectually, I can see it. Emotionally, I just don't relate to them.
The same is, unfortunately, true for other characters. There was no one I could relate to in this book. Anders is a funny fellow, and he's stolen the show in many places. He does have charm and wit and some of his scenes were hilarious. And yet when you see him for who he is (a coward, a drunkard, a traitor), he's as despicable as almost every single character illustrated on the pages of City of Kings.
On the other hand, all characters share difficult and violent pasts. One can assume that characters' behaviour may be treated as an exploration of how trauma can affect a person, cutting them out of the world, instilling violent fantasies of revenge, and leaving psychological wounds that linger long after the physical trauma had healed.
It's a violent, gruesome book and Hayes holds nothing back. Some scenes displayed savage cruelty that didn't sit well with me. On the other hand, good action scenes force the reader to turn the pages making it a quick read. The events develop at a breakneck pace, and strong twists and turns keep the reader at the edge of a seat.
There's plenty of battle scenes many fantasy readers will love. Personally, I'm not into large-scale battles - they tire me. But here, they're done very well and I'm sure others will be enthralled in them.
In the end, I think it's a good standalone book that will appeal to many fantasy readers. I didn't give it four stars because of lack of connection with the characters, but it's hugely subjective. If you'll be able to take a breath between the outpourings of gore and violence, you'll appreciate this effective, deeply unsettling and violent siege story.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
filipmagnus's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this novel for free thanks to the r/fantasy TBRindr initiative, in return for an honest review. The purpose of this initiative is to showcase the works of independent authors.
City of Kings is a tale of siege, dark necromancy and bloody betrayal. It’s the sixth book in Rob J. Hayes’ First Earth setting, but it works well as a stand-alone. I should know since I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading any of his previous works. And I don’t use ‘pleasure’ lightly.
Let’s jump straight into what I loved about this book!
The Characters:
Five main characters, five diverse viewpoints.
Meet Rose, leader and de facto queen of the Wilds. Rose is on a quest to rid the land of the blooded, long-time lords and despots of the Wilds. This is one scary pregnant lady, ready to put everything on the line for vengeance.
Anders is a good-for-nothing drunk, a charming spy, and capable of inexplicable feats of magic. He is also the son of our big bad, the blooded lord and military tactician Niles Brekovich.
The Black Thorn is a giant of a man, and a wielder of a great-axe much more at home lopping off heads than acting the part of nominal leader of an army and being called a hero. His romantic relationship with Rose is written well, and the prospect of fatherhood in the world he inhabits is examined well.
Red Henry delights in blood, murder and mayhem…but she is no soldier. And the battlefield is all too foreign to a woman used to striking from the shadows.
Pern Susku is an honour-bound warrior who failed in his mission to protect his master; who, in fact, allowed that very master to be killed by The Black Thorn. This failure haunts him, as does the tribe of warriors he comes from.
These five main characters come alive over the three-hundred pages or so of City of Kings. None of them are good people, with the possible exception of Szusku who does a fair bit of agonizing over past decisions. They‘re one and all opposed to the blooded; much like Joe Abercrombie‘s First Law trilogy, this presents characters wholly entwined with one side of the conflict. The blooded are ever seen as adversaries and for good reason.
Not that our protagonists are much better, mind. Hayes does very well with the ending when one of the main characters steps over the line in what is a particularly gory and memorable scene.
The side characters are memorable, too. Two captains, a sergeant, and of course the Five Kingdoms general, Verit, deserve mention. So does Pug, The Black Thorn’s young squire, whose fear and lack of skill don’t stop him from putting his hide in harm’s way time and time again.
The Plot:
Fast-paced and with the highest stakes, City of King‘s plot takes place over just six days. Not the time to pull off a proper siege, but time is not on Rose‘s side. With an empty coffer and enemies threatening to push on all sides, the self-styled queen of the Wilds only has one choice – to wager the men and women under the Black Thorn’s banner in a desperate bid to break the last bastion of the blooded.
But if a siege blood-curdling in its intensity isn’t enough for you, you might be won over by the shambling hordes of undead, or the daring battles with horrifying cave-trolls! Or perhaps you seek betrayal and heartbreak? There’s plenty of that, too!
I appreciate the downtime between battles, the moments of quiet reflection and discussion on what comes next, how the siege is compounded by whatever disaster our protagonists are forced into dealing with. It is during those times I most appreciated the character-building skill Hayes possesses, and so will you.
Conclusion:
Like the best of grimdark, this book doesn’t contain violence for violence’s sake. There is a point to it all, and it reflects on and deeply affects the characters who witness or perpetrate it. You will find no glamour in the clash of attackers and defenders, no allure to battle in City of Kings.
What you will find, is a deftly written story, detailed and unafraid to show characters at their worst. Rob J. Hayes displays a tremendous amount of skill with a fully realized world, as well as a string of unexpected twists and turns all the way to the end.
With City of Kings, Hayes has earned a great deal of my interest. I’m looking forward to revisiting the First Earth setting both in future installments, and by picking the past five novels!
Did I have any problems with it? Not as such; more nitpicks than anything. Anders, despite being a favourite character of mine, was a bit too verbose even for a nervous drunk prone to bouts of chattering. A letter is missing here and there, maybe even two!
…I really have no issues with this book. I’m not shy about pointing out what I dislike, but there wasn’t anything I had problems with here, neither in terms of story and characterization nor on the technical side. The writing style is clear, crisp. Descriptions set the backdrop of scenes well.
You’ll enjoy City of Kings by Rob J. Hayes if:
*You are a fan of grimdark;
*You are planning to besiege a fortress in the bloodiest way possible;
*You’re looking at a handy how-to guide to pregnancy;
*You enjoy books written by men who can pull off a gambeson;
*And more! Prob’ly.
I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads! (4.5 Stars)
City of Kings is a tale of siege, dark necromancy and bloody betrayal. It’s the sixth book in Rob J. Hayes’ First Earth setting, but it works well as a stand-alone. I should know since I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading any of his previous works. And I don’t use ‘pleasure’ lightly.
Let’s jump straight into what I loved about this book!
The Characters:
Five main characters, five diverse viewpoints.
Meet Rose, leader and de facto queen of the Wilds. Rose is on a quest to rid the land of the blooded, long-time lords and despots of the Wilds. This is one scary pregnant lady, ready to put everything on the line for vengeance.
Anders is a good-for-nothing drunk, a charming spy, and capable of inexplicable feats of magic. He is also the son of our big bad, the blooded lord and military tactician Niles Brekovich.
The Black Thorn is a giant of a man, and a wielder of a great-axe much more at home lopping off heads than acting the part of nominal leader of an army and being called a hero. His romantic relationship with Rose is written well, and the prospect of fatherhood in the world he inhabits is examined well.
Red Henry delights in blood, murder and mayhem…but she is no soldier. And the battlefield is all too foreign to a woman used to striking from the shadows.
Pern Susku is an honour-bound warrior who failed in his mission to protect his master; who, in fact, allowed that very master to be killed by The Black Thorn. This failure haunts him, as does the tribe of warriors he comes from.
These five main characters come alive over the three-hundred pages or so of City of Kings. None of them are good people, with the possible exception of Szusku who does a fair bit of agonizing over past decisions. They‘re one and all opposed to the blooded; much like Joe Abercrombie‘s First Law trilogy, this presents characters wholly entwined with one side of the conflict. The blooded are ever seen as adversaries and for good reason.
Not that our protagonists are much better, mind. Hayes does very well with the ending when one of the main characters steps over the line in what is a particularly gory and memorable scene.
The side characters are memorable, too. Two captains, a sergeant, and of course the Five Kingdoms general, Verit, deserve mention. So does Pug, The Black Thorn’s young squire, whose fear and lack of skill don’t stop him from putting his hide in harm’s way time and time again.
The Plot:
Fast-paced and with the highest stakes, City of King‘s plot takes place over just six days. Not the time to pull off a proper siege, but time is not on Rose‘s side. With an empty coffer and enemies threatening to push on all sides, the self-styled queen of the Wilds only has one choice – to wager the men and women under the Black Thorn’s banner in a desperate bid to break the last bastion of the blooded.
But if a siege blood-curdling in its intensity isn’t enough for you, you might be won over by the shambling hordes of undead, or the daring battles with horrifying cave-trolls! Or perhaps you seek betrayal and heartbreak? There’s plenty of that, too!
I appreciate the downtime between battles, the moments of quiet reflection and discussion on what comes next, how the siege is compounded by whatever disaster our protagonists are forced into dealing with. It is during those times I most appreciated the character-building skill Hayes possesses, and so will you.
Conclusion:
Like the best of grimdark, this book doesn’t contain violence for violence’s sake. There is a point to it all, and it reflects on and deeply affects the characters who witness or perpetrate it. You will find no glamour in the clash of attackers and defenders, no allure to battle in City of Kings.
What you will find, is a deftly written story, detailed and unafraid to show characters at their worst. Rob J. Hayes displays a tremendous amount of skill with a fully realized world, as well as a string of unexpected twists and turns all the way to the end.
With City of Kings, Hayes has earned a great deal of my interest. I’m looking forward to revisiting the First Earth setting both in future installments, and by picking the past five novels!
Did I have any problems with it? Not as such; more nitpicks than anything. Anders, despite being a favourite character of mine, was a bit too verbose even for a nervous drunk prone to bouts of chattering. A letter is missing here and there, maybe even two!
…I really have no issues with this book. I’m not shy about pointing out what I dislike, but there wasn’t anything I had problems with here, neither in terms of story and characterization nor on the technical side. The writing style is clear, crisp. Descriptions set the backdrop of scenes well.
You’ll enjoy City of Kings by Rob J. Hayes if:
*You are a fan of grimdark;
*You are planning to besiege a fortress in the bloodiest way possible;
*You’re looking at a handy how-to guide to pregnancy;
*You enjoy books written by men who can pull off a gambeson;
*And more! Prob’ly.
I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads! (4.5 Stars)
celeste57's review
4.0
You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rose has decided that she will become queen of the Wilds or die trying, and the Black Thorn is dead set on doing everything in his power to keep his heavily pregnant wife happy. For the most part, this story takes place over the course of a week as Rose and her Thorn lead their army of misfits in a siege of the last city holding out against Rose’s reign. Her goal is to take the city before her daughter is born, and to slaughter the remaining blooded families hiding within the walls. The problem? The city is impenetrable. But Rose will accept no excuses, even legitimate ones, and she will have that city, even if every man and woman fighting for her is slaughtered in the process.
This is a standalone novel in Hayes’s First Earth, the setting for his The Ties That Bind trilogy and his Where Loyalties Lie duology. While I haven’t read the first trilogy, I loved Where Loyalties Lie. It was definitely grimdark, which isn’t my favorite genre, but I absolutely adore pirates. And Hayes created some great ones. Where Loyalties Lie was filled with an eclectic cast of miscreants who would all stab you for a cookie, but they were likable and endearing just the same. The duology also featured a varied plot with some intricate twists. It’s among my favorite self-published works.
In City of Kings, Hayes once again gives us a cast of likable but morally bankrupt characters who you can’t help rooting for even as they commit travesties. I enjoyed them, but I feel that I would have enjoyed them even more had I read The Ties That Bind first. While this is indeed a standalone novel, it features characters from this trilogy. I never felt lost while reading, but I did feel that I was missing out on some deep history between various characters. I highly recommend reading that trilogy before picking up this book. I’m kicking myself for not doing so; don’t make my mistake!
As I wrote earlier, this entire book is about a siege and roughly takes place over the course of a week. Almost the entirety of the book is one giant battle scene. There were small breaks in the fighting here and there, but I would say a solid three quarters of the book is comprised of descriptive action scenes. I’m a lover, not a fighter, so this was a lot for me. Thankfully Hayes is very good at writing action scenes in a way that maintains my interest, but I do have to confess to feeling some battle fatigue myself by the final pages.
I have never seen a catchphrase on the cover of a book that captures the content of the story within quite so aptly. Remember earlier when I mentioned that grimdark isn’t my favorite genre? Well, this was one of the grimmest, darkest things I’ve ever read. First Earth is a world of almost unrelenting bleakness, and in this tale I didn’t have swashbuckling pirates to distract me a bit from that bleakness. I did have Anders, who provided a bit of comedic relief, but he was facing down horrors of his own, so even that humor had an edge to it. The story was just too dark for me to fall in love with.
However, it was an engaging story well told, full of interesting characters living in a fascinating world, albeit a dark one. And if you happen to be a true fan of the grimdark genre, I strongly believe that this book will work extremely well for you. It’s a story dark and dire and full of daring deeds, and will have you rooting for people who will never be heroes. Once again, I suggest that you read The Ties That Bind first before diving into this one, but if you don’t, City of Kings will definitely whet your appetite for Hayes’s First Earth and have you running to check out the rest of the book set in that world.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rose has decided that she will become queen of the Wilds or die trying, and the Black Thorn is dead set on doing everything in his power to keep his heavily pregnant wife happy. For the most part, this story takes place over the course of a week as Rose and her Thorn lead their army of misfits in a siege of the last city holding out against Rose’s reign. Her goal is to take the city before her daughter is born, and to slaughter the remaining blooded families hiding within the walls. The problem? The city is impenetrable. But Rose will accept no excuses, even legitimate ones, and she will have that city, even if every man and woman fighting for her is slaughtered in the process.
This is a standalone novel in Hayes’s First Earth, the setting for his The Ties That Bind trilogy and his Where Loyalties Lie duology. While I haven’t read the first trilogy, I loved Where Loyalties Lie. It was definitely grimdark, which isn’t my favorite genre, but I absolutely adore pirates. And Hayes created some great ones. Where Loyalties Lie was filled with an eclectic cast of miscreants who would all stab you for a cookie, but they were likable and endearing just the same. The duology also featured a varied plot with some intricate twists. It’s among my favorite self-published works.
In City of Kings, Hayes once again gives us a cast of likable but morally bankrupt characters who you can’t help rooting for even as they commit travesties. I enjoyed them, but I feel that I would have enjoyed them even more had I read The Ties That Bind first. While this is indeed a standalone novel, it features characters from this trilogy. I never felt lost while reading, but I did feel that I was missing out on some deep history between various characters. I highly recommend reading that trilogy before picking up this book. I’m kicking myself for not doing so; don’t make my mistake!
As I wrote earlier, this entire book is about a siege and roughly takes place over the course of a week. Almost the entirety of the book is one giant battle scene. There were small breaks in the fighting here and there, but I would say a solid three quarters of the book is comprised of descriptive action scenes. I’m a lover, not a fighter, so this was a lot for me. Thankfully Hayes is very good at writing action scenes in a way that maintains my interest, but I do have to confess to feeling some battle fatigue myself by the final pages.
“War makes monsters and corpses of us all.”
I have never seen a catchphrase on the cover of a book that captures the content of the story within quite so aptly. Remember earlier when I mentioned that grimdark isn’t my favorite genre? Well, this was one of the grimmest, darkest things I’ve ever read. First Earth is a world of almost unrelenting bleakness, and in this tale I didn’t have swashbuckling pirates to distract me a bit from that bleakness. I did have Anders, who provided a bit of comedic relief, but he was facing down horrors of his own, so even that humor had an edge to it. The story was just too dark for me to fall in love with.
However, it was an engaging story well told, full of interesting characters living in a fascinating world, albeit a dark one. And if you happen to be a true fan of the grimdark genre, I strongly believe that this book will work extremely well for you. It’s a story dark and dire and full of daring deeds, and will have you rooting for people who will never be heroes. Once again, I suggest that you read The Ties That Bind first before diving into this one, but if you don’t, City of Kings will definitely whet your appetite for Hayes’s First Earth and have you running to check out the rest of the book set in that world.
alwroteabook's review against another edition
5.0
In just two words - simply awesome. Full review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2019/09/01/city-of-kings-by-rob-j-hayes/