Pale Kings by Micah Yongo
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinions.
You know when a car breaks down, and you push it to give the engine a jump. Well, at the start, it’s flippin’ hard, and you wonder if you’ll ever get the thing moving. Then the car starts to roll a bit, and you’re feeling like the Hulk. Then the engine starts to sputter to life, and you almost fall over as the car starts to pick up speed. That’s what it was like for me reading this book. At first I was mildly confused at what was going on, and actually put it down for a bit to read other books. Then I came back, and stuff started to happen. Before I knew it, I could not put the book down. Well, I just found out this was book two in a series (sometimes we should read/reread the blurbs).
Anyway, this is a story of a disparate bunch of people, drawn by unknown forces to convene at the finest city in the Five Lands. Most of the book is about their journey, and the revealing of events is almost a footnote at the end (not in a negative sense). Here’s my thoughts on the book (and yes, you could probably skip book one):
Worldbuilding
The world in this book has an African feel to it. From the cities to the land, how people dress and how they talk, it gives my amateur opinion a sense of African mythology, at least according to my limited knowledge base. The frequent references to Sumeria, on of the five kingdoms in the book, does nothing to alter my opinion, although it could be coincidence. Still, the world is quite glorious. Lush lands populated by religious cults, assassins and political ne’er-do-wells, and ruled over by the titular Pale Kings, and gods who have come here from another place, similar in vein to the Nigerian-based David Mogo, Godhunter. The settings are excellent, dripping in authenticity, while there are similarities to the world we know (flora and fauna), and the wildly diverse (gods and monsters).
Score – 4.5/5
Characters
There is a diverse bunch of characters in display here. Junior assassin Neythan seems to get top billing, as heis called on what he believes to be a mission, but turns out the be a quest far greater than he could ever imagine. Along the way he meets, or runs into, a host of others, some “good” and some “bad,” but all well drawn out by the author, and each has their own raison d’etre. There are no superheroes or epic warriors here, every single character reacts as we would imagine real people in similar situations would, and the book is all the better for it.
Score – 4.5/5
Plot
Feuding cults, deadly assassins, plots against (earthly) kings and people discovering powers they always thought were mere fairy tales – this book has a lot going for it, and one’s interest is always piqued as another plot card is turned over. But at the end, for the big reveal (just like a Bond villain), we discover just how paltry all these prior events are. Loses a bit for tell-all at the end though.
Score – 4/5
Writing
It’s well written. The world is well drawn, and we feel like we are part of it as we progress The ratcheting up of tension as the plot is slowly played out, and the crisp and believable dialogue suggests a writer who knows what he is about.
Score – 4.5/5
Personal Enjoyment
A tale of two books. There was the start where I felt a bit lost for a 100 pages or so. Granted, I missed all of book one, but many writers have pulled off book two magic where this was kept to a minimum. Once I was fully on board, I was sold, and would recommend The Pale Kings to anyone who wants to check out something different from the norm.
Score – 3.5/5
Verdict
Another strong entrant into the growing field of African mythology-based fantasy.
Total Score – 21/25
