Jill Williamson. King’s Blood. Bethany House Publishers, 2017. See here to buy the book.
King’s Blood is the second book of the “Kinsman Chronicles” series. It is a fantasy work.
As would be expected, Book 2 takes up where Book 1 left off. Armania
has been destroyed through an earthquake, so the remnant of Armania is
on a sea-ship. Prince Janek of Armania is accused of being the son of
the occultist traitor Rogedoth, who is still up to his subversive
tricks. The country of Magonia is still anticipating a Magonian Messiah
who will rule Armania and Magonia, and Magonian women are assuming the
form of specific Armanian women so that an Armanian prince will
impregnate them. There are Armanians who believe in worshiping the god
Arman alone, as well as Armanians who worship Arman alongside other
gods. And people in the Magonian elite are guided by spirits called
shadir.
Some of the questions from Book 1 get resolved. New characters are born, and some characters die.
The world that the book depicts is intriguing, and there were notable
plot-elements. The bodyguard Kal is exiled from the Armanians after a
scandal, and he is among the Magonians, helping to raise the boy who may
be the Magonian Messiah. This boy is physically maturing rapidly, yet
he is still a boy mentally. What’s more, due to a root that his mother
took, he has the power to kill people with his mind. Kal tries to teach
him to control his anger, even though Kal has a problem with anger
himself!
Another notable scene was when a concubine was sharing why being a
concubine was so difficult: she had to appear happy and loving all of
the time!
There is a scene in which King Wilek of Armania wants to go to war
against Rogedoth, and the blind prophetess Onika seeks to dissuade him.
Wilek believes that Arman has provided an opportunity to attack, and
Onika responds: “You think Arman made Rogedoth’s army attack Sarikar?
Arman does not move his people around like clay figurines” (page 575).
Actually, in the Old Testament, there are places in which God seems to
operate that way (i.e., Judges 14:4; I Kings 12:15). Jill Williamson
should know that, since she bases one of her scenes on the story of
Micaiah in I Kings 22, showing she is biblically-literate. Maybe Onika
is wrong about how Arman acts, since Onika admits that she has not heard
from Arman in a while.
Charon is an interesting character. She is to become the ruler of
Magonia, and she has a cunning streak. Yet, her impoverished background
makes her compassionate and empathetic.
The book was rather dry and plodding, so I am giving it three stars.
Due to its intriguing world, a few compelling plot elements, and the
occasional interesting religious discussion in the first two books,
however, I may very well read the sequel when it comes out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My review is honest!