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A review by lizflynn
King of the Rising by Kacen Callender
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Okay, I finally finished this book. I wanted to like this series so much more than I actually did. I feel pretty much the same about this book as I do about Queen of the Conquered, but this book’s storyline was less compelling. Or, I guess, the flaws of the book were more apparent and detracted from the reading experience to the point where I couldn’t overlook them and enjoy the story.
First off: this plot is GOOD. It’s brutal, and the ending is bleak, but I appreciate the message that Callender is sending with such an “unpopular” conclusion. I have never read a fantasy novel like this. Sigourney is such an interesting character, and I may have enjoyed the first book more because it was from her POV.
However, the writing is what got me. There is so much tell-not-show text, and SO much of it is repetitive to the point where I was skimming some paragraphs. Some characters died, but they weren’t even an integral part of the narrative. They were just mentioned as being integral, not mentioned again, and then brought back only to die. I feel like a lot could have been edited out, and the descriptions could have been better. I was not able to sink into this story in the way I thought I would. Overall, this duology has an interesting premise and a lot of potential, but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
First off: this plot is GOOD. It’s brutal, and the ending is bleak, but I appreciate the message that Callender is sending with such an “unpopular” conclusion. I have never read a fantasy novel like this. Sigourney is such an interesting character, and I may have enjoyed the first book more because it was from her POV.
However, the writing is what got me. There is so much tell-not-show text, and SO much of it is repetitive to the point where I was skimming some paragraphs. Some characters died, but they weren’t even an integral part of the narrative. They were just mentioned as being integral, not mentioned again, and then brought back only to die. I feel like a lot could have been edited out, and the descriptions could have been better. I was not able to sink into this story in the way I thought I would. Overall, this duology has an interesting premise and a lot of potential, but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Death