King's Blood (Kinsman Chronicles)

Title: King's Blood

Series: Kinsman Chronicles (Book #2)

Year: 2017

Author: Jill Williamson

Summary: The Five Realms have been destroyed. The remnants of the population who escaped now find themselves confined only to several hundred ships adrift at sea. Guided by hope, rumor, and a promise, they sail north into the unknown, desperate to find land that might become their new home. 

As the king's illness worsens, Sâr Wilek takes authority over the expedition and struggles to rule the disjointed people, while assassination attempts, vicious serpents, dangerous storms, and dark magic endanger his life and the survival of his people. 

One prophecy has come to pass, but another looms dauntingly in the future. Who is this promised Deliverer? And if the Magonians have him, what might that mean for the realm of Armania?

Review: This book is not for the faint of heart. If you don't want a darker, twisted, heart-wrenching tale, this is probably not for you. I -- however -- read it, enjoyed it, and had my heart ripped out and torn in half before my very eyes.

Gone are the kingdoms of the past. The land that once housed the Five Realms is no more, swallowed by the earth. And now the people who survived are confined to ships sailing for the unknown. One man claims to know where an island is, but can they find it, and will it be sufficient enough to house everyone? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, there's lots of royal and political intrigue happening upon the ships. Trevn pursues his forbidden courtship with Mielle and takes up nautical lessons. Wilek is stretched to the limit trying to keep the peace and stay on top of his slowly deteriorating father, while constantly forgetting about things. Janek's claim as the Second Arm and legitimate heir is challenged and no one knows quite how to prove his loyalties.

This book, honestly, has everything. In the middle of the ocean, the fleet is attacked by pirates and sea serpents (Dawn Treader, anyone?). Mantics are still alive, rationing out the little magical evenroot they have left, and they're just as eager to take over the Five Realms.

Trevn, as was in the first book, was my favorite. It was so much fun following his adventures with learning the ropes (literally) on the ships, and seeing his impulsive decisions (no spoilers, sorry). Inolah was fantastic, too. I mean, how many other heavily pregnant women do you know who can pick up a sword and defend themselves?? She also has a great amount of sass, though she only dishes it out regally and discretely.

I feel like the involvement of the demon/spirit realm was more in this book when compared to the first. Granted, it'd been about 4 years since I read King's Folly, so it took me a bit to remember everything and get back into the tale. But things are definitely getting darker. Gozan, Magon, and the other shadir are not content to let things slide by; they're ready and waiting for the opportune moment to take over. The number of traitors to the Hadar line just grow and grow. There's a lot at stake here, and the Five Realms are on the verge of complete collapse and ruin.

Once they think the journey's over, they're going to realize it's just the beginning.

One simply cannot write a review of this book without mentioning the end. I cannot allow spoilers, but I must at least say this: the writer in me applauds Jill for cleverly building up to that, while the reader in me is screaming out in pain and clamoring for justice.

Advisory: Again, as with the first book, harems and multiple wives and concubines are involved. While it does provide a lot of the plot for the book, Jill does start to show the polygamy as more of a sin in this book. Some characters are mentioned as acting intimate, etc. One woman wants to get pregnant and tries to seduce a man. During a wedding, the bride and groom are given a white handkerchief to prove the bride's virginity, and they are said to "give themselves to each other." I thought the topic was handled very well, but I would recommend that this series is definitely for older, mature readers.

Also, lots of violence. I lost count of how many people died in this book. The writer in me nods and agrees the deaths were necessary, but you should be warned. Battles and blood. A few women give birth, but nothing is too terribly graphic. One character's hand is smashed; several are stabbed. People get sick, and one man gambles his whole set of clothing away (again, nothing is described).

The realm of magic and spirit-stuff is heavy in this book, as I said before. To me, though, since the world is clearly fictional, it doesn't bother me. Additionally, the spirit realm parallels the eternal battle of good vs. evil. Slowly, the people have been realizing and worshipping the one true God of the Five Realms, but many still hold to the false gods. In a way, it feels like Christians in the early ages coming away from Greek/Roman god worship and finding truth, life, healing, and love in the one true God.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars