Blood and Honor

Forest Kingdom #2

by Simon R. Green

It’s seven years after the end of the Demon War. Rupert and Julia are becoming legends, their story one for performers to tell.Performers like Jordan, who was in debtors prison a year ago and is now to be cast in the role of a lifetime. Magicked to look like Prince Viktor, the middle child of the recently deceased -- and likely poisoned -- King Malcolm, his stage the halls of Castle Midnight, Jordan will be playing at politics instead of theater. While Jordan is in the middle of a struggle for succession with Viktor’s two brothers, all three are pawns in a much bigger war. The forces of Real and Unreal see an opening in the battle for Malcolm’s throne, and the very corridors of Castle Midnight become a constantly changing landscape for a new battle that could again tear the Forest Kingdom asunder.This is the second Forest Kingdom novel from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green, and a worthy successor to his long-popular Blue Moon Rising.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Magic

383 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Simon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.

His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: gore, body horror, blood, violence, murder, death, fire

9/1/2023
This time around, I'm bumping this up to 5 stars. I love Jordan so much as a protagonist. Kate is a delight. The Unreal is creepy and unsettling and used extremely well throughout. And yeah, there are some pacing issues, but it was so much FUN that I was having a fantastic time even in the slower moments.

10/6/2017
4.5 stars.

I love the crap out of this. Jordan is such a great character, and I love how much he develops as he slowly realises that Viktor is a big ol' bag of dicks who gives zero fucks about anyone but himself. I love Kate Taggart a lot. I love the way the Unreal isn't exclusively evil. As I said last time, the pacing is a little off at times, but it's so much fun and there's so many twists and turns and I love the crap out of it.

4/11/2013
I love Simon R. Green's books. They're equal parts fantastic worlds, cringeworthy gore, and "I'm taking none of your crap" sass and humour. This is no exception. I found this book in a discount bin for $5 several years ago, and loved it pretty much from the get-go. Despite being book 2 in the Forest Kingdom series, it can serve very nicely as a stand alone. It features completely new characters, although there are passing references throughout to the Demon War, the High Warlock, and Princes Rupert and Harald.

Jordan's a pretty fabulous character. Yes, he's a bit full of himself, but he undergoes some pretty dramatic character development after arriving at Castle Midnight. Green's female characters are, as always, total badasses. But not in a stereotypical, cookie cutter way. They're complex and strong and determined, with motives that aren't revealed until the last minute. And there are only hints at romance between Jordan and Kate.

Yes, there are some pacing issues - I was surprised by how much of the story was still to come when I only had 100 pages to go - and in typical Green fashion, there were some scenes that made me downright nauseated, even on the umpteenth reread. But it's still pretty damned fabulous.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5
Not as funny as the first and the characters aren't as fun, interesting, or engaging either. The story was tense and exciting for most of the book until the final act where everything felt way too rushed. Don't get me wrong the ending was very exciting and I ended the book with a smile on my face. I just feel like another 100 pages or so would've helped make the pacing better and flesh out the final act a bit.

[Galadrielė · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Vilius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iš šios knygos tikėjausi sužinoti apie tolesnius Ruperto ir Džulijos ir "Kylančio mėlyno mėnulio" nuotykius ir kaip jie galų gale tapo Hauku ir Fišer. Bet nieko panašaus nebuvo. Veiksmas vyksta ne Miškų karalystėje, o gretimoje Redharto ir visi veikėjai nauji. Pirmos knygos įvykiai tik trumpai paminėti.
Apskritai patiko šiek tiek mažiau nei pirmoji knyga, bet apskritai gavau maždaug tai ko galima tikėtis Simono Gryno knygos - paprasta, lengvai skaitoma, daug veiksmo.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realise that this was second in the series of Blue Moon Rising and that was a book I really did enjoy. This was fun, read it in a day, smiled in a couple of bits and found myself be transported away to a different place.
My only gripes was that book took a long time to get started and then heads off at a cracking pace. I was at about page two hundred and I was thinking there must be another book as there was so much going on. I hoped it would not be finished in a rush which can be disappointing. This was tied up nicely and it was good fun.
The characters had some depth to them and there was a fair amount to keep you intrigued.
I like Green's writing, his ideas and he really deserves a bit more recognition.

[Jai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood favorite so rating is going to be super biased. I think I've read this at least 3 times. It's a comfort read at this point and hits certain tropes I love like court intrigue, outsider's perspective of family squabbles, pretending to be someone you're not, and magic castles.

This story centers around Jordan, a down on his luck actor who is recruited to pretend to be Prince Viktor while the original is hiding his illness. The king has recently died and Viktor and his two brothers are scrambling to grab the throne and to kill each other in the process. Meanwhile the castle is in disarray as the lack of a king means nothing to hold back the Unreal monsters that like to wiggle into reality through the castle.

I always find this to be a fast, absorbing read, though at times a bit cheesy, in the way comfort food is. There is also a lot of gore, though I think of it the way I like of a 80s movie violence: gross but with enough camp to remove yourself from really getting freaked out about it.

[Kevin Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I like the characters, there's a nice mystery or two, and although the end is fairly obvious a short way into the book, it's not at all clear how we will get there. It has a real ending and a nice denouement.

[Totoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

ببینیم به خوبی جلد اول بوود؟؟!؟

https://youtu.be/Cs0jvixSuPo?si=45Fc4...

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series. It worked as a stand alone fantasy.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came in expecting a sequel and was happily surprised to find a stand alone story in the same world. The growth of the main character felt more organic than a usual hero's journey, and watching their growth felt rewarding.

[Della Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think this book is one of my all time favourites! I have re-read it a number of times. The characters are engaging, drawing you into the storyline which has you totally engrossed and anticipating what will/could/should happen.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Forest Kingdom fantasy series, and this story revolves around the most horrible family.

My Take
Nope, it doesn't appear to be your usual Simon Green, for it is a more fantastical fairy tale than urban anything with its monsters in the castle — both the ghostly, other realm ones and the human ones. But Green shines with the horrifying descriptions of all the awful, vicious, cruel, disgusting!, nightmarish creatures he creates and the betrayals that abound. Only one of those betrayals rebounds, lol.

This series seems to be loosely held together in that it refers back to the Forest Kingdom from the first book, Blue Moon Rising , 1, but without the same characters. From the horrors of the people Jordan must deal with, the story quickly includes then increases the horrors of the monsters as battle after battle is waged attempting to save the unimportant, save the castle, and provide the princes with amusement.

Jordan was really desperate or else he would have been much more suspicious of how easily they offered him more and more money. I'm surprised he didn't lash back at Argent about his comment about "a dozen just like you".

I can't imagine why anyone would want any of the king's sons to inherit. The king sounds like he was the best of the lot and that's not saying much. He was an idiot carried away with delusions of grandeur and not the welfare of his people. Nor can I blame Brion for wanting some respect, but he has a lousy way of going about it.

Interesting that the Regent who is depicted as such an honest man has his own ambitions to be the new king's advisor. With what he knows about the brothers, why would he think he'd be allowed to live?

Whoa…I think Elizabeth deserves what she gets, but still…

It's a clean slate in this one, and I'm looking forward to Down Among the Dead Men , 3.

The Story
It's the greatest role Jordan will ever play — and the money they offer is out of this world.

But when Jordan arrives at Castle Midnight, he must wonder if even that is enough. For the Castle has been without half of the restraining hand with the king dead, and Catriona is hard pressed to keep the Unreal on its own side. Monsters are melting through and taking people, rooms.

To win the right to rule, the princes must find the crown, the seal and the will, and they've taken too long. The Regent has thrown the hunt open to any with the Blood. The Rite of Transference will allow anyone powerful enough to take the throne.

The more Jordan gets to know the man he's impersonating, the people who surround him, and the others involved, the more he wants out. For none of them are worthy. And it's a new hero who steps forth.

The Characters
The Great Jordan is a down-on-his-luck actor, once acclaimed throughout the land, but no more.

Count Roderik Crichton is an advisor to King Malcolm of Redhart. Robert Argent, a trader, and Sir Gawaine of Tower Rouge are his accomplices. Sir Gawaine's brother is Vivian Hellstrom (I think he's the Lord Vivian in Blue Moon Rising , 1); they were the only two who survived the siege at Tower Rouge. Lady Emma is Gawaine's wife.

Castle Midnight is…
…very old and a place of power. What is Real or Unreal is a matter of opinion. It's the king and the steward, Catriona Taggert, a.k.a., Kate, who keeps the balance between them. Damon Cord is her apprentice. Brion DeGrange is in charge of security. A former bandit leader, Roderik has him under a geas, forced to serve.

Prince Viktor of Redhart is too ill to appear and undergo the rituals, but he must to inherit. Weak, capricious, arrogant, and vicious, his talent is with fire. The ambitious Lady Heather Tawney is Viktor's current love.

King Malcolm is dead, which has upset the balance of power. Until the rituals are undergone and the heir chosen, the Regent, Count William Howerd, leads the kingdom. He's married to Lady Gabrielle, the king's daughter with an air power. Count Richard Penhalligan, one of the Regent's staunchest supporters, and his family were not safe in their chambers. Jonathan of Virbrook is the son of Michael and Clarissa Trelawney of Virbrook, only not.

Prince Lewis is the oldest and has a gift for earth magic. He's a master with a sword and viciously cruel at everything else. He employs the sorcerous Monk and Ironheart, a knight who gave up everything for immortality and is now Lewis' pet murderer.

Prince Dominic is the youngest brother with a gift for water. He's also, as Gawaine puts it, barking mad and too interested in the darker magics. He's married to the cold, calculating Lady Elizabeth, who played Viktor off against Dominic to the point that Viktor was banished for some years. Dark John Sutton works for Dominic with forty-seven kills to his credit.

A sanctuary is a person who radiates peace, ease, and comfort against the darkness of the world. Grey Davey is one of the best, and Mother Donna is another, one of the most powerful, with an aura of peace, calm, and genuine love and caring. Captain Matthew Doyle is one of the reliable guardsmen. Captain Timothy Blood had been a spy for most of his life, now he treasures the trust he has in his fellow guardsmen.

Access to the Stone is dependent on there being a king; it also imparts power to the king and to the steward, who is running ragged with her efforts to defend against the Unreal. Geordie is one of the ghosts in Castle Midnight. He's looking for his mother, Lady Mary of Fenbrook. The bloodhound came with Viktor's room.

The High Warlock saved the Forest Kingdom in the Demon Wars. He also made Gawaine his magic ax. Bloody Bones is one of the old creatures, a Transient Being who lived on blood and has been bound to his barrow. A Gateway is High Magic and allows the Unreal access into the castle. A lich is a walking dead man.

The Cover
The cover is, well, it is fantastical in its bright colors. The monsters and Jordan are accurate enough, but don't count on reading of any almost nude, pointy-breasted women in this.

The title is a conundrum, for both Blood and Honor are important, but only one is respected.

[Anna Vogt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is very interesting, if not the most original. The overall worldbuilding itself is a little bland, but that's not really the focus of the book anyways - where the book really shines is in its depictions of the 'Unreal', which is some very intriguing eldritch horror, and the most unique element of the story. A relatively lighthearted read despite the horror and gore elements. I do feel as if the pacing was a little off - it takes a good while for the actual plot to kick off, and I wish we'd been introduced to characters like Kate etc. far earlier. In part because of this I think, the ending felt a little abrupt, especially in the romance with Kate, given she never actually found out that 'Victor' was really Jordan. Additionally the narration was a little jarring at first as to whose perspective it was in, as although it was mostly Jordan it would often switch to Kate, Gawaine, etc. with no real warning. The book also has a slight problem with introducing characters it tells us are very powerful, but then having them be defeated within only a couple pages. This all sounds remarkably negative, but it really is a very enjoyable read - Jordan, Kate, etc. are all delightful, and Jordan's character arc from becoming actor to reluctant hero to king is compelling. The political intrigue is also very fun to read and a good (if a little obvious) mystery. Overall, not a brilliant work of fantasy, but a very fun and enjoyable read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an old favourite of mine, set in the same world as Simon R Green's earlier Blue Moon Rising but just, well, seemingly missing something compared to that earlier novel.

I struggle to put my hand on what that something is, though.

In this, a down on his luck actor - 'The Great Jordan' - is hired to impersonate Price Victor, one of the three claimants to the throne of Redhart following the mysterious death of its former incumbent, and after the chaos of The Demon War, which is really only mentioned in passing, with a few cameos from characters from said war.

None of the three claimants, however, are particularly nice characters ...

Cue a mix of magic and mayhem, with an outsiders view of the politics played in the courts of those high in the land, a few twists and turns - some of which you can see coming a mile and a half off, but others of which you (or, at least, I) didn't the first time around.

Then again, I was in my early teens that first time around ...

[Don Goodrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Green's Forest Kingdom books have never been as notable as say, The Nightside or The Deathstalker books, but that doesn't make them any less worth reading. The world is carefully drawn and painstakingly maintained, the characters are rich and full of drama and the stories filled with magic, swordplay and humor. Plus, the Forest Kingdom books, like all Green's work, tend to be a mystery as well, tying all the sword and sorcery and royal intrigue up in a satisfying whodunnit for the fantasy set. And the way Green artfully ties this series into the Hawk and Fisher books is just the cherry on top of the sundae. I've read this series (not to mention all Green's other series) at least three times now and they never fail to satisfy.

[Elmer Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a fan of the NightSide Tales, this is easily a pickup book, being written by Simon Green.

Also read the first series installment, but it doesn't matter a wit, as this story works excellently as a stand-alone without any foreknowledge.

Our hero, Jordan the Great, isn't doing so great, and his tale is what we are here for. Royal backstabbing, succession claims for an unknown kingdom's throne, shady misdeeds by nearly all involved, snatched my attention and held it until the final page.

The addition of world crossover from the Real and the Unreal, a common operational display of magic in various forms, and simple battle sequences made this one truly an enjoyable read.

Highly recommend for anyone.
Thanks for reading.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wild ride. I loved how it departs from the average fantasy story. The second born prince is the real hero. The dragon is not the man-eating monster that is often the case in age old stories - despite there being a princess in his hold - she’s not the average princess either. I had difficulty trying to guess the next direction of the story and I really liked that I did. After reading the same type of format in some manner or other I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book. The entire series is definitely on the top of my reading list for the summer. Whenever you can find a fresh approach to story-telling, you know that you have something very good in your hands.

[Laci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit disappointed. And I expected something a lot different: namely, all the things that made the first book in the series, Blue Moon Rising, entertaining and unique. This didn't include any of the endearing characters; it didn't even include the titular Forest Kingdom, darn it. And while I don't generally mind authors coming up with various names for their beasts so they don't have to call them 'demons' as everybody else, calling them "the unreal" was just dumb, immersion-breaking and unbelievable in-universe.

[Lael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was missing the Nightside and thought I would try this.
I loved the story. First time I’ve read one Green’s earlier books.

It’s not as polished as his newer work, but... that just makes it more entertaining.

This book uses great language to describe a fast paced action story in all its gory detail. Some blood and guts, but less than a lot of his books.

Would highly recommend this if you like Green’s other work.

[Iryna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Дуже сподівалась, що друга книга "Лісового королівства" буде про героїв з першої, яку я не могла випустити з рук.
На жаль, це не продовження, але зрештою ще одна цікава історія про престол, інтриги та магію.
Виживає хитріший, мудріший і в даній книзі добріший. ттт
Я полюбила книги Гріна і це не остання, яка буде прочитана :)
Вміє автор захопити своїми магічними й фантастичними світами.
4 з 5 за те, що без драконів і Руперта

[James GoodMorning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like where Jordan is coming from. I just want to read a fun fantasy when I started Blue Moon Rising... but this book is something else. I'm not yet done reading but will he stay noble? or be corrupted towards the end? How is he going to justify to others and to himself what he has done and will do in the future? Hmmm...

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some days when nothing but Simon Green will do. Feeling dark, cynical, and ironic? John Taylor is your guy. Feeling snarky but still hankering for rainbows and unicorns? Head to the Forest Kingdom. Although Blood and Honor turns to the outlying kingdoms rather than following Rupert and Julia (as in Book 1) or (wink) Hawk and Fisher in the later books, it's got the same snarky hero quality in which you know that the blood and gore and evil will still end in the Rainbow. The actor-turned-hero Jordan has the same sensibility I've come to expect from Green's best characters, and while the end is utterly predictably, it's a ride worth taking.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun, a fish-out-of-water tale of a man growing into responsibility. There’s lots of action and weirdness, and just general entertainment. Some of the character development is sparse for side characters, and the pacing rushes every now and then, but nit enough to detract from the overall effect of this book.

[Marie Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely spectacular

An amazing second book in the forest Kingdom series and absolutely stunning qll the way through the characters are hugely likeable even those you love to hate because they are so wholly and intrinsically broken as human beings that they through the written word give off so much evil, the only thing is that it could have been a little longer for my liking

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fairly predictable book that was a string of bad fantasy cliches from start to finish. At least it was short. The ending was fairly entertaining, although perhaps I was just glad I'd made it that far. I'd probably rate it a 1.5.

[Andrea C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aj keď mala svoje chyby, túto knihu som si veľmi užila.
Old school fantasy s čarami, intrigami a zaujímavými postavami.
Vrelo odporúčam :)

Aj keď je to druhý diel, kľudne sa dá čítať samostatne, nenadväzuje na prvú časť.

[Tim Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Effectively a stand-alone - the characters are mentioned in other stories occasionally but that's about it (apart from an incident in one of the secondary character's past which I seem to recall reading once).

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced read. Nice and short compared to wheel of time. Magic & Mystery abound.

[Debbie Marchant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun!

Heroes, actors, royalty and monsters with a murder mystery and a body double. A wonderfully written fantasy that entertains throughout.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good addition to this series. Nice world-building, interesting characters - and a great job done by Graphic Audio on the narration.