Review – The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
**Disclaimer – I got an eArc from Netgalley, and I have no idea if I actually got the entire book. I did get 21 chapters though, so consider it a review of that, if nothing else. With that in mind – here’s the review.**
The Ruin of Kings tells the tale of Kihrin, a thief turned slave (upward mobility?) whose life has been no picnic. Left on a garbage heap as a newborn but rescued by a (now) blind musician, he currently lives in a brothel while robbing from the rich to provide a nice retirement for his disapproving adoptive father. However, he has a gift. He can see through the Second Veil, normally a talent restricted to wizards. While he has no magical powers, it makes him a darn good thief, as he can recognise the true signature (not the best description) of objects. This makes him good at what he does, as nothing can be hidden or disguised from his discerning eye.
When we meet Kihrin for the first time, he is a prisoner to Talon, a murderous shapeshifter who demands that Kihrin tell his story. This sets up a story told in two parts, the present (or so), told by Kihrin and in the first person, and the past told in third person. This might be jarring for some, but I’m a sucker for differing writing styles, and this is done very well. In addition, there is the novel addition of annotation at the end of each chapter, as if someone is reading and adding some further information to Kihrin’s story – a nice plus, especially for worldbuilding.
The world is dark, one of vast cultural and economic divide, rampant slavery and (potentially) evil cults. Magic is alluded to, but not explained in great detail, but I can see that being added later on. There are monsters galore, so familiar and some not so, but there’s never a feeling of “been there, done that.” It’s also very engaging, I blasted through it over the course of a day and a half, although being laid up and off work sure helped.
It’s intended to be part of a series/trilogy, so the book doesn’t end on a “The End” note, but rather lays the groundwork for the next in the series, another thing some of you may hate. For me, though, I liked it. It was funny, clever and well-written. Despite the dark setting, there was a touch of YA vibe, but perhaps that had more to do with a teen in the lead. I dare you not to like Kihrin, or his surly father, and root for them through to the end. Everyone else seems to have their own agenda, but the author keeps this well under wraps so we don’t spoil the end of the tale by guessing the ending (something I am wont to do).
So a fun and interesting, but not quite perfect 4 out of 5 stars.
