Kings & Daemons has so much going on, and has so many cool characters, I’m honestly not sure where to start. I will say this: As soon as I finished, I asked my husband if I could buy the next book in the series. I needed to know what happened!
Thank you to the author for giving me a copy of Kings and Daemons, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I haven’t had a chance to read the next book yet, but knowing it’s there is kind of like having a security blanket. I know I can read it whenever I want. If you’re interested in reading my thoughts on this book, then come on, let’s go!
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The Story
The country is in ruins. People are starving, and no one can see a way out of the suffering. Mothers give birth to children, only to die during childbirth. Until Maya is born, this is the way things have been for decades. Maya’s mother is ready to die to bring her child into the world. Maya’s father has come to terms with the fact that he is going to lose his wife.
Until something miraculous happens.
Not only did Maya’s mother not die during childbirth, but her parents have discovered something awesome: Maya has the gift of healing. She heals her mother, and gives her an additional 10 years on Earth. Desperate to keep her gift a secret, Maya’s parents train her on what to do in order to keep everyone from finding out about her gift.
Their plans are perfect, until Maya gets stuck outside the city walls overnight, and when she gets back, her father is killed as punishment. When she tries to heal him, she reveals her gift, and is brought to the attention of the King.
The Witch-King has the absolute antithesis of Maya’s gift, and has been slowly starving the country of every last bit of life it can muster. When he finds out about Maya’s gift, he is intrigued to the point of wanting her kidnapped and brought to him. If he can use her gift to give life back to the country, he can give himself an everlasting source of life. Or can he?
Can Maya save herself and her world before it is completely destroyed?
Maya is the main character of the book, but the story is told through 3 different points of view: Taran, Maya, and Rakan. Sometimes we read from other points of view, but these three characters are the focal point of the story.
My favorite character is Maya, but she isn’t first by much. Taran is such a great character! His ability to read minds and intentions gives him the perfect ability to protect Maya. He is part of the contingent tasked with taking Maya to the capital, and since she has to arrive alive, protection is necessary.
I had kind of a rough reading month in December, and so far this is the only book I’ve finished. It was really good, and I’m so glad I got my copy! I’m looking forward to reading the next part in the story!
The Characters
One of my favorite things about Kings & Daemons was the descriptions of the characters. I feel like I would recognize them immediately if I saw them walk down the street. They were so real! I can’t really say I related with one over the other, as the book is a fantasy, so obviously these weren’t normal human beings. But they were wonderfully written, and the book was very enjoyable.
Some of the way the author worded things was a little confusing for me, but I’ve seen the same word uses in other books, so can only surmise that it’s a personal preference and not really something wrong with the book itself. What I’m talking about is the use of saying a character did something, then stating the reason for the action second. I prefer to know the reason first, then the action. At the very least, I like when the author mixes it up and doesn’t use the same tool every time.
I always have trouble not giving spoilers when a book is part of a series. I had the same problem with Bobby Ether and the Temple of Eternity. I never did get a chance to write my review, because I was too afraid of spoiling anything. This book is still difficult for me, but not as bad since this book is the first in a series, and not the second.
The Author
Marcus Lee is the author of 2 books, part of the Gifted & The Cursed Trilogy. His first book, Kings and Daemons, is the result of a hobby-turned-career because of 2020. I am really glad he gave this a shot, because I loved these books, and hope he continues to write! You can find more about Marcus here on his website, and here on Twitter
Conclusion
This book is described by Marcus as “Epic Fantasy,” and I have to say I agree. If you enjoy longer term fantasy books, with maybe a darker theme than you can find in most books, you will enjoy this book. Kings and Daemons gives me the same feeling as Shadowless did. It has the same dark fantasy feel, and the same idea that this would make a fantastic movie!
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Until Next Time, Friends!
