City of Kings by Rob J Hayes

I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author in return for an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinions.

The City of Kings is the newest novel in the First Earth Saga, in a world Rob J Hayes has been building for a long time. If you haven’t read the author’s work before, have no fear of jumping in here, as the standalone is written in a way that includes characters from previous books, without excluding new readers (although I believe it does add to experience), he’s gotten good at skills like that. Anyway…

The Wildlings are on the verge of regaining their home, eh, the Wilds, from the Blooded who have ruled with an iron fist for too long. One final city stands in their way, the Crucible, home of the Brekovich (probably spelt wrongly) family, the worst of the Blooded. Rose, Black Thorn and company have the fortress in their sights, but have the tall order of getting inside. Not only do they face the army of Crucible, but there are worse things in their way on the outside. Can the Wildling scale the walls and end the Blooded, or will they fall at their last and biggest hurdle.

Worldbuilding

This is a world that has been many novels in the making, so you’d expect it to be polished, and it is, but if you expect it to be worn and hackneyed, you’d be wrong. The Wilds are a dangerous place, and close to crucible they are at their worst – those big walls are there for a reason. Along the way, our “heroes” have to face zombies (Yay! Zombies), and not those shuffling morons from the Walking Dead. These are more akin to the Draugr from Norse mythology, and all the more dangerous for it, There are some nasty-ass cave trolls and necromancers. As for Crucible, it is as imposing as it is impregnable, and the difference in “standard of living” of those who live within, and those who live without, is not lost on us.  

Score – 4.5/5

Characters 

All your favourites (at least those who survived) are here for this one – Black Thorn, Rose, Pern and many more, and there are some new ones to boot. But, intentionally or otherwise, the stars of this show (at least for me) are Henry and Anders. Henry, the cold-blooded assassin, is shocked by the horrors of war, and waxes philosophical on many occasions about war, humanity and other things often. Anders the disowned son of Niles Brekovich has his own reasons for being on the wrong side of Crucible’s walls, and we’re never quite sure of his loyalty. That being said, he’s a freakin’ hoot, and he is everything a hero of traditional epic fantasy isn’t, even more so than the crew of villains he has latched onto. But the one thing that will stay with you longer than any other part of this book, and that is the non-existent line between our heroes and their enemies.  Sure, Black Thorn and Co are trying to free the Wilds from the oppression of the Blooded, but their modus operandi is far from noble. If you don’t believe me, wait until you’ve read the chilling ending to this one before you disagree.

Score – 5/5

Plot

I haven’t read all of the preceding books, so I can’t honestly state whether the plot ties everything up in a neat little bow, but it certainly fits with those I have. Within the confines of this book, the plot is relatively straightforward, although it is never really clear who will win, or if they did in fact win, while the author throws out lots of breadcrumbs to lure us into his next trap (novel). 

Score – 4/5

Writing

Rob Hayes is the finest fantasy authors out there, self-published or otherwise, and while his grimdark stylings aren’t for everyone, there’s no denying he is skilled at this writing lark. His description of places and events, his crisply diverse characters, his skilled use of metaphor (check out the spider and fly) and his ramblings on the human condition are all very impressive, and he has just gotten better over the years. If I sound fanboyish, it’s because I am , but I don’t gush like this often, which says a lot about the author’s work.  I realised I published this without mentioning the narrator, so she was no afterthought. Using a woman to voice a mainly male cast could be considered risky, but the narrator, Rosa B Watkinson, was terrific, and I couldn’t imagine another narrator, of any gender, doing a better job. I will definitely watch for her work in the future.

Score – 5/5

Personal Enjoyment

What else can I say? It’s pitch dark, funny but not jokey, with characters and events  that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. I would hate to be the next book on your TBR.

Score – 5/5

Verdict

Grimdark as it should be written.

Total Score – 23.5/25