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mxsallybend's review
4.0
If you're already a fan of the Chronicles of King Rolen's Kin, odds are you were left hanging after the end of the third book, and are anxiously looking forward to the release of Kingbreaker in late 2013. The King's Man doesn't off up any developments or revelations to make that wait any easier, but it does tell an interesting side-story of a character we all assumed lost . . . and whom, I suspect, may come to play an important role in the story yet to come.
In her e-book only novella, Rowena Cory Daniells rewinds things a bit to the fall of Lord Dovecote's castle, casts new light on Garzik's failed efforts to light the warning beacon, and then carries his tale forward. Captured, enslaved, and stripped of his very identity, the young man is carried far from everything he's ever known, and everyone he's ever loved. His journey is a dark one, in which he suffers almost as much physical torment as he does emotional anguish. With no way of knowing what events have transpired back home, or just how futile his efforts to light the warning beacon really were, he shoulders the blame for failing an entire kingdom.
Given his role as a secondary character, and the fact that his fate was never really a burning question for me, I wasn't sure whether Garzik could carry a tale on his own. Young, immature, and prone to emotional outbursts, he was largely defined by his place within the dynamic of Byren, Orrade, Fyn, and Piro. To take him out of that dynamic was certainly a risk, but it allows Daniells the opportunity to transform him into a much more mature, respectable, and even admirable protagonist. It takes a while for him to find his feet, but once he starts taking control of his situation, the story really takes off.
Along the way, we get our first real look at the Utlanders. Having been portrayed as little more than a barbarian scourge, it's interesting to learn who they really are and how their society operates. While they expose Garzik to abuses that will leave even the most jaded reader cringing, we come to see them not as capriciously cruel, but as survivors of their environment. Watching Garzik struggle to adjust to such conditions, and to find a place in such a hostile environment, is really quite fascinating.
By the end of the tale, much of what we came into the story believing has been turned on its head, and Garzik is left to ponder a betrayal of a very different sort. Showing Daniells' trademark flair for efficient, engaging, well-paced fantasy, The King's Man is a quick and compelling read, offering up just enough of a taste to make us truly hungry for Kingbreaker.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
In her e-book only novella, Rowena Cory Daniells rewinds things a bit to the fall of Lord Dovecote's castle, casts new light on Garzik's failed efforts to light the warning beacon, and then carries his tale forward. Captured, enslaved, and stripped of his very identity, the young man is carried far from everything he's ever known, and everyone he's ever loved. His journey is a dark one, in which he suffers almost as much physical torment as he does emotional anguish. With no way of knowing what events have transpired back home, or just how futile his efforts to light the warning beacon really were, he shoulders the blame for failing an entire kingdom.
Given his role as a secondary character, and the fact that his fate was never really a burning question for me, I wasn't sure whether Garzik could carry a tale on his own. Young, immature, and prone to emotional outbursts, he was largely defined by his place within the dynamic of Byren, Orrade, Fyn, and Piro. To take him out of that dynamic was certainly a risk, but it allows Daniells the opportunity to transform him into a much more mature, respectable, and even admirable protagonist. It takes a while for him to find his feet, but once he starts taking control of his situation, the story really takes off.
Along the way, we get our first real look at the Utlanders. Having been portrayed as little more than a barbarian scourge, it's interesting to learn who they really are and how their society operates. While they expose Garzik to abuses that will leave even the most jaded reader cringing, we come to see them not as capriciously cruel, but as survivors of their environment. Watching Garzik struggle to adjust to such conditions, and to find a place in such a hostile environment, is really quite fascinating.
By the end of the tale, much of what we came into the story believing has been turned on its head, and Garzik is left to ponder a betrayal of a very different sort. Showing Daniells' trademark flair for efficient, engaging, well-paced fantasy, The King's Man is a quick and compelling read, offering up just enough of a taste to make us truly hungry for Kingbreaker.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
blodeuedd's review
3.0
This is a novella from Daniell's King Rolen's Kin world. The main character is Garzik, the son of Lord Dovecote. And it was believed Garzik was dead. But he sure was not.
This is a novella from Daniell's King Rolen's Kin world. The main character is Garzik, the son of Lord Dovecote. And it was believed Garzik was dead, but that is the thing, he survived.
It's a not so short novella, it does have over 120 pages, and it also leaves the ending open. It is both hopeful and not so hopeful at the end. She truly has to give us more cos she does leave us hanging, a lot of things can still happen to Garzik.
I can not really go into details about what happens cos that just feels like one big spoiler. But he will be on an "adventure." Good things happens, but mostly bad things. He is not happy, but he has a goal and he is finding his way.
Conclusion:
A good novella that also can be read as a stand alone. And it did make me want to read more.
This is a novella from Daniell's King Rolen's Kin world. The main character is Garzik, the son of Lord Dovecote. And it was believed Garzik was dead, but that is the thing, he survived.
It's a not so short novella, it does have over 120 pages, and it also leaves the ending open. It is both hopeful and not so hopeful at the end. She truly has to give us more cos she does leave us hanging, a lot of things can still happen to Garzik.
I can not really go into details about what happens cos that just feels like one big spoiler. But he will be on an "adventure." Good things happens, but mostly bad things. He is not happy, but he has a goal and he is finding his way.
Conclusion:
A good novella that also can be read as a stand alone. And it did make me want to read more.
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.
tsana's review
5.0
The King's Man by Rowena Cory Daniells is a novella set in the King Rolen's Kin universe. It follows, Garzik, one of the characters whose fate in the trilogy is not definitively known (he's presumed dead when he disappears). It (and this review) contains some spoilers for the ending of book two, The Uncrowned King, but not any for book 3, The Usurper. The story starts just before the end of book two and while it fills a gap the trilogy doesn't cover, I don't think previous knowledge of the trilogy is required to enjoy this novella. I read the trilogy something like two years ago and it took me a while to remember who characters were when I started The King's Man. I found, however, that the story made perfect sense in the interim.
The King's Man follows Garzik (the younger brother of Orrade for those of you who've read the trilogy), a fourteen or so year old lord's son who was close to the royal family. When their kingdom is under attack he is sent to light the warning beacon but is waylaid and captured by slavers on the way. This is the beginning of his many misfortunes.
Daniells does not pull any punches and many horrible things happen to Garzik. There were many moments where I cringed on his behalf and several generally tragic moments. It felt like each time something could go wrong or could work out OK, the worse case happened. However, all of this served to give Garzik a trial by fire (or inferno) forging him into a stronger person by the end of the story. I really hope he appears in the sequel to King Rolen's Kin.
What I found interesting in The King's Man is the way in which Daniells uses other characters to illustrate Garzik's own character traits. Most obviously this is done with a similarly aged and noble boy in the same situation as Garzik in the second half of the novella, who copes much less well with his circumstances than Garzik does. But Daniells also uses a variety of other characters who all react in different ways to Garzik at various times. It was refreshing to have such a broad range of perspectives presented, even though most of them were from minor characters. Just because everyone agrees something is horrible, doesn't mean they won't react to it in different ways. Garzik is a survivor, but he's not the only kind of survivor we encounter in the story; a variety of horrible things happen to every character.
The King's Man was a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Those of you waiting to find out what happens next to Byren and the other main characters in King Rolen's Kin won't find answers in this novella. It will, however, remind you why you loved the series so much in the first place. And it builds on the world Daniells has already set up by exploring an area not covered in the trilogy. While I'm at it, I also highly recommend the King Rolen's Kin trilogy which I read before I started this blog. It's a really great piece of political intrigue type epic fantasy set in a cold world where only a small strip of land around the equator is habitable (it also takes place on a smaller scale than the Outcast Chronicles). And I have it on good authority that Daniells is currently writing the fourth King Rolen's Kin book, so it shouldn't be too long a wait for more "adventure, betrayal, revenge and unrequited love" (to quote the author's tweet).
4.5 / 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the author.
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
The King's Man follows Garzik (the younger brother of Orrade for those of you who've read the trilogy), a fourteen or so year old lord's son who was close to the royal family. When their kingdom is under attack he is sent to light the warning beacon but is waylaid and captured by slavers on the way. This is the beginning of his many misfortunes.
Daniells does not pull any punches and many horrible things happen to Garzik. There were many moments where I cringed on his behalf and several generally tragic moments. It felt like each time something could go wrong or could work out OK, the worse case happened. However, all of this served to give Garzik a trial by fire (or inferno) forging him into a stronger person by the end of the story. I really hope he appears in the sequel to King Rolen's Kin.
What I found interesting in The King's Man is the way in which Daniells uses other characters to illustrate Garzik's own character traits. Most obviously this is done with a similarly aged and noble boy in the same situation as Garzik in the second half of the novella, who copes much less well with his circumstances than Garzik does. But Daniells also uses a variety of other characters who all react in different ways to Garzik at various times. It was refreshing to have such a broad range of perspectives presented, even though most of them were from minor characters. Just because everyone agrees something is horrible, doesn't mean they won't react to it in different ways. Garzik is a survivor, but he's not the only kind of survivor we encounter in the story; a variety of horrible things happen to every character.
The King's Man was a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Those of you waiting to find out what happens next to Byren and the other main characters in King Rolen's Kin won't find answers in this novella. It will, however, remind you why you loved the series so much in the first place. And it builds on the world Daniells has already set up by exploring an area not covered in the trilogy. While I'm at it, I also highly recommend the King Rolen's Kin trilogy which I read before I started this blog. It's a really great piece of political intrigue type epic fantasy set in a cold world where only a small strip of land around the equator is habitable (it also takes place on a smaller scale than the Outcast Chronicles). And I have it on good authority that Daniells is currently writing the fourth King Rolen's Kin book, so it shouldn't be too long a wait for more "adventure, betrayal, revenge and unrequited love" (to quote the author's tweet).
4.5 / 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the author.
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
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