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Kydona #1
Kydona
Named for heaven, the kingdom of Elessia once served as a beacon to the world. Now its name has become a byword for decadence. When Lord Prince Marcus de Pilars hears the beginnings of a vast conspiracy from the lips of his dying mother, he sets out to uncover the motives lurking behind the war his father waged. With the help of Kaelyn Beauvais—a sharp-tongued courtesan nursing a long-hidden desire—and Vernon de Gauthier—a near-disturbingly prolific womanizer with a weakness for apples—Marcus slowly unearths the truth: his country lies on the brink of collapse. And soon, the vanquished nation of Kydona will rise to settle a generation-old score.
In Elessia’s debauched court, the threat goes unheeded. Marcus’s romances bloom and just as quickly wither. Blood is shed, lives extinguished. It matters little. Quarrel and murder, lust and love, right and wrong—the lines that separate these are hopelessly blurred in the throes of court intrigue. And the difference between each rests on a knife edge so sharp that even a hero cannot tell them apart.
Kydona is the first installment of its series. The story continues in Kydona: From Ashes.
In Elessia’s debauched court, the threat goes unheeded. Marcus’s romances bloom and just as quickly wither. Blood is shed, lives extinguished. It matters little. Quarrel and murder, lust and love, right and wrong—the lines that separate these are hopelessly blurred in the throes of court intrigue. And the difference between each rests on a knife edge so sharp that even a hero cannot tell them apart.
Kydona is the first installment of its series. The story continues in Kydona: From Ashes.
374 pages, ebook
First published April 4, 2013
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
T.K. Krug III
2 books13 followersTom lives in Skippack, Pennsylvania with his beautiful fiancé, Caitlin. When not whittling away at sequels, he’ll either be glued to his Xbox or sipping bourbon—always on the rocks. He put the finishing touches on his first book in Afghanistan, where he served as a junior officer in the United States Army.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 3, 2013
Can't gather the will to continue reading beyond the halfway point. There are no likable characters. The plot might turn out to be interesting, but so far it's driving me crazy. The main character -- a prince of dubious moral character -- is always insulting the ruling class (the nobles) and acting like he's a good guy, though he's not (and he even realizes this), that's a bit interesting but also just annoying.
Their religion tells of the return of their gods (or angels) when the kingdom of man once again needs to be, uh, reformed, and frankly they would do well to show up now and wipe these people out. The prince sees room for redemption (or, he said he does, I don't think he does) but I don't.
I made it halfway. The battle might interest me, but the characters don't, the courtesan-centric court doesn't, the 'intrigue' doesn't, and the writing doesn't. Some irritating info-dumps, like when the king reports on the war he was fighting, he explains it all from the beginning. Then the council is shocked... even though letters were mentioned, so you'd think along with (unread) letters to his (ingrate) son he'd have sent some to his council. Guess not. Not that it wasn't interesting, it just didn't fit. Maybe if the king were the main character it would be more my type of book.
I'm guessing the prince goes through character changes and becomes a better man, the problem is the author did only too-well a job of making him an irritating jerk.
Their religion tells of the return of their gods (or angels) when the kingdom of man once again needs to be, uh, reformed, and frankly they would do well to show up now and wipe these people out. The prince sees room for redemption (or, he said he does, I don't think he does) but I don't.
I made it halfway. The battle might interest me, but the characters don't, the courtesan-centric court doesn't, the 'intrigue' doesn't, and the writing doesn't. Some irritating info-dumps, like when the king reports on the war he was fighting, he explains it all from the beginning. Then the council is shocked... even though letters were mentioned, so you'd think along with (unread) letters to his (ingrate) son he'd have sent some to his council. Guess not. Not that it wasn't interesting, it just didn't fit. Maybe if the king were the main character it would be more my type of book.
I'm guessing the prince goes through character changes and becomes a better man, the problem is the author did only too-well a job of making him an irritating jerk.
January 3, 2015
Received via Member Giveaway on LibraryThing
Spoilers ahead!
I was attracted to this book because the blurb said it was inspired in part by Kushiel's Dart, which is hands down one of my favorite books, and Game of Thrones, which I've been really excited to read long before the TV show was even dreamt up. I love hard fantasy, I love court intrigue and huge pitched battles and sex and death and everything in between. I was really excited about this book.
Now, I'll grant that inspiration can take a lot of forms, and that inspired works might not be the same as the source of the inspiration, but I was really, really hoping better for this book.
First, the good:
The plot was quite engaging, when it came around. What's going on with Kydonia? Why's everything going on? What's the ambassadorial group doing outside of their country (and apparently unexpected)? Sentences were kept short and sweet, for the most part, so this was a quick read. The author clearly pulls on his own experience in the armed forces for the sections dealing with the army in the book, which gives it an air of authenticity, even if the sections on this particular army seem to be stuck in the wrong era.
Then, the bad (and, unfortunately, the bulk of the review):
Okay, so, I'm under the impression that hard fantasy generally takes place in a quasi-Medieval Europe setting, MAYBE going as far forward in time as the Renaissance, and generally not back into antiquity, with a lot of feudal aspects and virtually no industrial aspects (which is generally the realm of steampunk). But there was a weird combination of medieval aspects and post-Renaissance (almost Industrial Age) aspects in this setting that I found particularly jarring—like epaulets and medals on the soldiers, as well as regiments with names and numbers and, hell, histories. Guns (or, excuse me, firelances) weren't being dreamt up in medieval times, and they were starting to take hold maybe late Renaissance. (Maybe.)
But this time-period weirdness I'm willing to attribute to personal preference—it's certainly reasonable to have a warped time frame in a work of fiction, and it's just something to get used to. Fine.
Another annoyance was the number of typos in the book—which, since this is "published" and not an advance copy, should be nonexistent. "Baulk[-ing, -ed]" for "balk[-ing, -ed]" should be caught, so should misplaced commas (comma splices and other unnecessary commas). On top of the commas, m-dashes were used way too much; there are other forms of punctuation to set off thoughts and asides, and they make the m-dash aside SO much stronger (as it should be). I'm not familiar enough with Smashwords to know whether this is a venue for self-published or indie-publisher-published ebooks, but regardless, it doesn't reflect well on the industry or on the book itself to have a sloppy copyediting job done. (I say, "I'm reading a self-published ebook!" and others laugh at me and say, "OH GOD WHY DO YOU SUBMIT YOURSELF TO THAT TORTURE?" because these books tend to not be of good quality, you see.)
Yet another annoyance was the anachronistic speech in the dialogues (both inner monologue and outer dialogue), and some of the names fell prey to this as well. I have friends' parents who are named "Cheryl", so I don't expect this to be coming up as a viable name in a hard fantasy book. And all of these "fuck"s—fuck, fucking, fuck you, fuck off—there are other words. You are an author. USE NEW WORDS. (Incidentally, another thing that an editor will catch.)
Annoyance: Useless sex scenes. I get that this novel was inspired by Kushiel's Dart, where a key plot point is all of the sex-having, but here, not so much. The sex scenes in this book were positively laughable. I think all together they probably constitute a solid hour of sex for actual people, and they really didn't propel the plot any more than saying something like, "...and then they had sex. NEXT CHAPTER." There is no point to them. They're not especially well written—fortunately, they're not BADLY written, either—and I certainly wouldn't have walked around with a "tent in [my] trousers" if I had just read one.
Annoyance: Racial stereotyping. Oh, yes, of course the gypsies are going to be the mystics and the petty thieves. Of course they're going to be the ones wandering away with the main character's purse, even though he later walks through a really poor section of the city and also at various times walks by a lot of people who'd be quite willing to steal from him—but because they're not gypsies, oh no, they certainly don't steal from the prince. Nope.
More than an annoyance is that there were times where the motivation or the reasoning behind various happenings is missing, or not well explained. The main character is someone entirely reprehensible that I would wish a slow and painful death on, but once he joins up with the army he becomes this hardworking, supportive good guy—what change could have possibly happened in the week at MOST that he had been there to evoke a full personality change? How does he know the history of the regiment he joins well enough to inspire not only the regiment but commanders of other regiments—when at the time of his joining, he barely seemed to know what a regiment was? (This tries to be swept under the rug with the old "oh my royal tutor" trick, but that really doesn't fly here.) Why doesn't he follow up on his feelings toward Kaelyn? Why in the world does he develop feelings for Jacqueline? Why does he try to have both when he's in mental agony trying to have both? This should be clear to the reader—they should be able to understand why everything is happening the way it is, regardless of whether they're thinking critically about the book, or whether they're reading it for fun on the beach or mindlessly before bed (I have done all three with this novel, for what it's worth, and it doesn't get any clearer).
One of the worst things, though, is that I don't think the amount of research done for this book was anywhere near sufficient. Any good fantasy writer worth their salt will have done enough research to know that generally, Crown Princes are not going to be anonymous except to people living very far away indeed, and they will not be attended by maids (much less a single maid) but by a manservant. They will not dress themselves; that's part of the manservants' job. Military did not have uniforms in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, and most of them didn't even have general-issue uniforms until well into the 1800's. They did not award medals for service, unless it was someone high-born who did the serving. A brief foray into tarot card history will show that tarot cards are not shuffled like ordinary playing cards (because they need to be treated with more respect, like any other tool of divination—it's not like you're going to be playing catch with your crystal ball). A quick foray into the "Cyrillic alphabet" Wikipedia page (which you can get linked to from the "Russian" page) will tell you that as the title is written on the cover, it should be pronounced "Koo-doh-ee-a", rather than what I assume the pronunciation should be ("Kai-do-nee-ya", or maybe "Kee-do-nee-ya"). Courtesans are not prostitutes, but they are much more respectable. Otherwise they wouldn't be included in the royal court. And the king, if he takes a consort in addition to his wife, would not be nearly so open about it as the king in this novel is, because it's a slight toward his wife. Women would also not be sworn around without apology—they were, after all, considered weak and in need of protection, and swearing is still considered vulgar in the Middle Ages. High-born and noblewomen would CERTAINLY not be sworn around without apology. There should not be someone who has a "Cockney accent" when neither the particular region of London nor England itself exists. And highland pipes are more commonly known as bagpipes (why a soldier is carrying them on many-miles-long marches for his own entertainment is beyond me), named for the Scottish highlands they came from—so why not A) specify where these highlands are (since there's also a character who speaks with a highlands accent), B) call them bagpipes, or C) name them something else altogether?
The reason why this is so awful is because these are easy facts to find—for the most part they're on Wikipedia. You can Google them. The average person might not know them, but when you're an author and typing away at four in the morning at your eighteenth draft, you can certainly go to Wikipedia to fact check. And this is also something a knowledgeable editor should fact check and catch beforehand; and when you're having someone edit your book, they should be at least as knowledgeable about the book as the author is, as well as able to bring in other outside information. This too speaks of a sloppy job.
The other "worst thing" is the portrayal of women in this novel. There aren't strong women. There aren't positive women. There are, in fact, two types of women in this novel—there are the courtesans, who are always conniving bitches solely out for their own gain, and there are the noblewomen, who are simpering, delicate flowers. All women want sex, particularly if it's with the reprehensible Crown Prince, even if he'd just completely insulted them a little bit ago and explained (in his head) how he was just incapable of apologizing and/or was otherwise not responsible for his own actions. And all women can be mollified with money and/or gifts. At least the men in this novel are sort of multifaceted (well, they have two facets, anyway), but the women REALLY don't change. Character development is a weakness in this novel, but the weakness that will drive a particular gender away from this novel (and potentially an author) is how terribly the author writes women.
This is something I found incredible, particularly given that it was inspired by the Kushiel's Dart books, which feature a well-written, multifaceted woman, who is strong, both conniving and kindhearted, and on top of all that, is all of those qualities while being a masochistic submissive. HOW can this book have such horrendously written women when it's inspired by THAT woman? I'm baffled.
This was really not a good book. Free was the appropriate price to pay for it (and, if anyone's curious, at the time of this writing, it is free on Smashwords and Amazon), but even then... It was tough to get through, and I will not be reading the subsequent books.
Spoilers ahead!
I was attracted to this book because the blurb said it was inspired in part by Kushiel's Dart, which is hands down one of my favorite books, and Game of Thrones, which I've been really excited to read long before the TV show was even dreamt up. I love hard fantasy, I love court intrigue and huge pitched battles and sex and death and everything in between. I was really excited about this book.
Now, I'll grant that inspiration can take a lot of forms, and that inspired works might not be the same as the source of the inspiration, but I was really, really hoping better for this book.
First, the good:
The plot was quite engaging, when it came around. What's going on with Kydonia? Why's everything going on? What's the ambassadorial group doing outside of their country (and apparently unexpected)? Sentences were kept short and sweet, for the most part, so this was a quick read. The author clearly pulls on his own experience in the armed forces for the sections dealing with the army in the book, which gives it an air of authenticity, even if the sections on this particular army seem to be stuck in the wrong era.
Then, the bad (and, unfortunately, the bulk of the review):
Okay, so, I'm under the impression that hard fantasy generally takes place in a quasi-Medieval Europe setting, MAYBE going as far forward in time as the Renaissance, and generally not back into antiquity, with a lot of feudal aspects and virtually no industrial aspects (which is generally the realm of steampunk). But there was a weird combination of medieval aspects and post-Renaissance (almost Industrial Age) aspects in this setting that I found particularly jarring—like epaulets and medals on the soldiers, as well as regiments with names and numbers and, hell, histories. Guns (or, excuse me, firelances) weren't being dreamt up in medieval times, and they were starting to take hold maybe late Renaissance. (Maybe.)
But this time-period weirdness I'm willing to attribute to personal preference—it's certainly reasonable to have a warped time frame in a work of fiction, and it's just something to get used to. Fine.
Another annoyance was the number of typos in the book—which, since this is "published" and not an advance copy, should be nonexistent. "Baulk[-ing, -ed]" for "balk[-ing, -ed]" should be caught, so should misplaced commas (comma splices and other unnecessary commas). On top of the commas, m-dashes were used way too much; there are other forms of punctuation to set off thoughts and asides, and they make the m-dash aside SO much stronger (as it should be). I'm not familiar enough with Smashwords to know whether this is a venue for self-published or indie-publisher-published ebooks, but regardless, it doesn't reflect well on the industry or on the book itself to have a sloppy copyediting job done. (I say, "I'm reading a self-published ebook!" and others laugh at me and say, "OH GOD WHY DO YOU SUBMIT YOURSELF TO THAT TORTURE?" because these books tend to not be of good quality, you see.)
Yet another annoyance was the anachronistic speech in the dialogues (both inner monologue and outer dialogue), and some of the names fell prey to this as well. I have friends' parents who are named "Cheryl", so I don't expect this to be coming up as a viable name in a hard fantasy book. And all of these "fuck"s—fuck, fucking, fuck you, fuck off—there are other words. You are an author. USE NEW WORDS. (Incidentally, another thing that an editor will catch.)
Annoyance: Useless sex scenes. I get that this novel was inspired by Kushiel's Dart, where a key plot point is all of the sex-having, but here, not so much. The sex scenes in this book were positively laughable. I think all together they probably constitute a solid hour of sex for actual people, and they really didn't propel the plot any more than saying something like, "...and then they had sex. NEXT CHAPTER." There is no point to them. They're not especially well written—fortunately, they're not BADLY written, either—and I certainly wouldn't have walked around with a "tent in [my] trousers" if I had just read one.
Annoyance: Racial stereotyping. Oh, yes, of course the gypsies are going to be the mystics and the petty thieves. Of course they're going to be the ones wandering away with the main character's purse, even though he later walks through a really poor section of the city and also at various times walks by a lot of people who'd be quite willing to steal from him—but because they're not gypsies, oh no, they certainly don't steal from the prince. Nope.
More than an annoyance is that there were times where the motivation or the reasoning behind various happenings is missing, or not well explained. The main character is someone entirely reprehensible that I would wish a slow and painful death on, but once he joins up with the army he becomes this hardworking, supportive good guy—what change could have possibly happened in the week at MOST that he had been there to evoke a full personality change? How does he know the history of the regiment he joins well enough to inspire not only the regiment but commanders of other regiments—when at the time of his joining, he barely seemed to know what a regiment was? (This tries to be swept under the rug with the old "oh my royal tutor" trick, but that really doesn't fly here.) Why doesn't he follow up on his feelings toward Kaelyn? Why in the world does he develop feelings for Jacqueline? Why does he try to have both when he's in mental agony trying to have both? This should be clear to the reader—they should be able to understand why everything is happening the way it is, regardless of whether they're thinking critically about the book, or whether they're reading it for fun on the beach or mindlessly before bed (I have done all three with this novel, for what it's worth, and it doesn't get any clearer).
One of the worst things, though, is that I don't think the amount of research done for this book was anywhere near sufficient. Any good fantasy writer worth their salt will have done enough research to know that generally, Crown Princes are not going to be anonymous except to people living very far away indeed, and they will not be attended by maids (much less a single maid) but by a manservant. They will not dress themselves; that's part of the manservants' job. Military did not have uniforms in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, and most of them didn't even have general-issue uniforms until well into the 1800's. They did not award medals for service, unless it was someone high-born who did the serving. A brief foray into tarot card history will show that tarot cards are not shuffled like ordinary playing cards (because they need to be treated with more respect, like any other tool of divination—it's not like you're going to be playing catch with your crystal ball). A quick foray into the "Cyrillic alphabet" Wikipedia page (which you can get linked to from the "Russian" page) will tell you that as the title is written on the cover, it should be pronounced "Koo-doh-ee-a", rather than what I assume the pronunciation should be ("Kai-do-nee-ya", or maybe "Kee-do-nee-ya"). Courtesans are not prostitutes, but they are much more respectable. Otherwise they wouldn't be included in the royal court. And the king, if he takes a consort in addition to his wife, would not be nearly so open about it as the king in this novel is, because it's a slight toward his wife. Women would also not be sworn around without apology—they were, after all, considered weak and in need of protection, and swearing is still considered vulgar in the Middle Ages. High-born and noblewomen would CERTAINLY not be sworn around without apology. There should not be someone who has a "Cockney accent" when neither the particular region of London nor England itself exists. And highland pipes are more commonly known as bagpipes (why a soldier is carrying them on many-miles-long marches for his own entertainment is beyond me), named for the Scottish highlands they came from—so why not A) specify where these highlands are (since there's also a character who speaks with a highlands accent), B) call them bagpipes, or C) name them something else altogether?
The reason why this is so awful is because these are easy facts to find—for the most part they're on Wikipedia. You can Google them. The average person might not know them, but when you're an author and typing away at four in the morning at your eighteenth draft, you can certainly go to Wikipedia to fact check. And this is also something a knowledgeable editor should fact check and catch beforehand; and when you're having someone edit your book, they should be at least as knowledgeable about the book as the author is, as well as able to bring in other outside information. This too speaks of a sloppy job.
The other "worst thing" is the portrayal of women in this novel. There aren't strong women. There aren't positive women. There are, in fact, two types of women in this novel—there are the courtesans, who are always conniving bitches solely out for their own gain, and there are the noblewomen, who are simpering, delicate flowers. All women want sex, particularly if it's with the reprehensible Crown Prince, even if he'd just completely insulted them a little bit ago and explained (in his head) how he was just incapable of apologizing and/or was otherwise not responsible for his own actions. And all women can be mollified with money and/or gifts. At least the men in this novel are sort of multifaceted (well, they have two facets, anyway), but the women REALLY don't change. Character development is a weakness in this novel, but the weakness that will drive a particular gender away from this novel (and potentially an author) is how terribly the author writes women.
This is something I found incredible, particularly given that it was inspired by the Kushiel's Dart books, which feature a well-written, multifaceted woman, who is strong, both conniving and kindhearted, and on top of all that, is all of those qualities while being a masochistic submissive. HOW can this book have such horrendously written women when it's inspired by THAT woman? I'm baffled.
This was really not a good book. Free was the appropriate price to pay for it (and, if anyone's curious, at the time of this writing, it is free on Smashwords and Amazon), but even then... It was tough to get through, and I will not be reading the subsequent books.
May 15, 2013
I must say, I should stick to reading new and/or indie authors. They seem to be the ones surprising me at every turn.
If you like hard fantasy without a straight and forward plot, and are not shy about a bit o’ erotica…written by a man, real life possibilities, and twisted egos…this one’s for you. You will enjoy it for the hard romance, a handsome prince, a war-worn king, royal friends who act more like court jesters, and then there’s those scheming wenches and the mystery and intrigue that surround them all. Much of which they create themselves, I must add.
Kydona is a character-driven tale that reads like historical fiction based on true past accounts. The author’s knowledge of what I perceive to be ancient weaponry and war, and history all together leads me to believe he’s done his homework and/or research. That is important to me. I kept trying to read between the lines thinking that the backdrop of this story…the area, the people, the languages…have to based upon something that already happened. Just the search in my mind for the real life countries, wars and Kings kept my interest as I constantly wondered…is Kydona maybe Russia in fantasyland?
T.K. Krug’s knowledge of what he wrote about and his ability to describe it and make one “see” is amazing in this book. In fact, when he describes the defense mechanisms of a fort, not only did I see that clearly, I recalled reading some of that in my own studies years ago. He just didn’t make that stuff up.
I enjoy character-centered stories. You know, there doesn’t have to be a well-thought out plot to everything we read. As a sociology major I tend to prefer character driven. I want to know as much about the people as I do plot. I like themes, or the “prize” types of tales.
You might find that the story drags on a bit here and there if you are a plot lover. If you are a lover of characters and their plights and lives, you’ll like this story. You’ll want to follow some of them into the future.
As for characters, I think Vernon is the one who surprised me the most… I won’t tell you why, of course. I don’t want to spoil. But let’s just say…I thought for the longest that he was terribly superficial. It turns out he’s actually more faithful and brave than shallow.
Truthfully (& for your information), I did not realize that there was to be a sequel for this book. So this brings me to my reactions at the end. When I was about 90% done with the book, I was a bit weary. I thought, wow, I’m nearly to the end, but I don’t see an ending in sight. When I read the last words of this book I had a couple different reactions. The first was shock…it felt like the book slammed shut on me because I expected a final ending (not a beginning) so the final words hit me like a brick. Maybe I was disappointed after the shock. Then the realization hit me that there is to be a sequel…actually, I would call this book and its forthcoming counterparts a “saga” as this book’s ending actually, for me, is the beginning of what’s to come next.
Regardless, when I realized that there will be another, I felt relief because I do want to read it. I have to read it. And I hope if you read Kydona, you’ll have the same feelings when you read the last word. Let’s follow these characters to their futures.
Admittedly, the cover art, while lovely as it is, threw me for a loop as did the title. I’m just going to throw this out there to get it out of the way because while reading the book – for the longest – I wasn’t truly sure why there was a graphic of a female on the cover. I did recognize her quickly as probably being Kaelyn. After reading the author’s interview I see why he chose that cover art. However, I cannot say I would’ve gone that route, but his explanation makes sense.
Next is the name of the book, Kydona. It’s seems the beginning through to the middle is more about the characters and their ongoing drama (which is how character-centered stories go usually) and less about anything else. I did not see Kydona as the focal point right off the bat. However, I seen by the last quarter of the book that everything these characters did has propelled Marcus and Vernon to Kydona, so the country does become the focal point. But the name threw me off at first as the subject.
On Amazon and Goodreads, I awarded this book 4 stars for great character development, colorful characters with huge selfish agendas, the author’s wonderful knowledge of all things ancient war and his ability to keep me searching my mind for these places in real life. And I have to say, despite my shock at the end, I am glad that there will be more books because I have come to care for some of these characters and I have to know how it turns out in Kydona. If you like steadily moving sagas like I do, this one is for you.
Oh yes. I just have to mention for a bit o’ fun… I asked the author in the interview if his book(s) were going Hollywood, what actor would he choose to play the main character, Marcus. You can read his reply on the interview blog. But, my vote goes to Theo Thomas (Golden Boy). Hey…I just thought I’d throw that in to give the ladies something to dream about as they read.
(Also check my Blogs shortly for a blog interview with the author, T.K. Krug III)
If you like hard fantasy without a straight and forward plot, and are not shy about a bit o’ erotica…written by a man, real life possibilities, and twisted egos…this one’s for you. You will enjoy it for the hard romance, a handsome prince, a war-worn king, royal friends who act more like court jesters, and then there’s those scheming wenches and the mystery and intrigue that surround them all. Much of which they create themselves, I must add.
Kydona is a character-driven tale that reads like historical fiction based on true past accounts. The author’s knowledge of what I perceive to be ancient weaponry and war, and history all together leads me to believe he’s done his homework and/or research. That is important to me. I kept trying to read between the lines thinking that the backdrop of this story…the area, the people, the languages…have to based upon something that already happened. Just the search in my mind for the real life countries, wars and Kings kept my interest as I constantly wondered…is Kydona maybe Russia in fantasyland?
T.K. Krug’s knowledge of what he wrote about and his ability to describe it and make one “see” is amazing in this book. In fact, when he describes the defense mechanisms of a fort, not only did I see that clearly, I recalled reading some of that in my own studies years ago. He just didn’t make that stuff up.
I enjoy character-centered stories. You know, there doesn’t have to be a well-thought out plot to everything we read. As a sociology major I tend to prefer character driven. I want to know as much about the people as I do plot. I like themes, or the “prize” types of tales.
You might find that the story drags on a bit here and there if you are a plot lover. If you are a lover of characters and their plights and lives, you’ll like this story. You’ll want to follow some of them into the future.
As for characters, I think Vernon is the one who surprised me the most… I won’t tell you why, of course. I don’t want to spoil. But let’s just say…I thought for the longest that he was terribly superficial. It turns out he’s actually more faithful and brave than shallow.
Truthfully (& for your information), I did not realize that there was to be a sequel for this book. So this brings me to my reactions at the end. When I was about 90% done with the book, I was a bit weary. I thought, wow, I’m nearly to the end, but I don’t see an ending in sight. When I read the last words of this book I had a couple different reactions. The first was shock…it felt like the book slammed shut on me because I expected a final ending (not a beginning) so the final words hit me like a brick. Maybe I was disappointed after the shock. Then the realization hit me that there is to be a sequel…actually, I would call this book and its forthcoming counterparts a “saga” as this book’s ending actually, for me, is the beginning of what’s to come next.
Regardless, when I realized that there will be another, I felt relief because I do want to read it. I have to read it. And I hope if you read Kydona, you’ll have the same feelings when you read the last word. Let’s follow these characters to their futures.
Admittedly, the cover art, while lovely as it is, threw me for a loop as did the title. I’m just going to throw this out there to get it out of the way because while reading the book – for the longest – I wasn’t truly sure why there was a graphic of a female on the cover. I did recognize her quickly as probably being Kaelyn. After reading the author’s interview I see why he chose that cover art. However, I cannot say I would’ve gone that route, but his explanation makes sense.
Next is the name of the book, Kydona. It’s seems the beginning through to the middle is more about the characters and their ongoing drama (which is how character-centered stories go usually) and less about anything else. I did not see Kydona as the focal point right off the bat. However, I seen by the last quarter of the book that everything these characters did has propelled Marcus and Vernon to Kydona, so the country does become the focal point. But the name threw me off at first as the subject.
On Amazon and Goodreads, I awarded this book 4 stars for great character development, colorful characters with huge selfish agendas, the author’s wonderful knowledge of all things ancient war and his ability to keep me searching my mind for these places in real life. And I have to say, despite my shock at the end, I am glad that there will be more books because I have come to care for some of these characters and I have to know how it turns out in Kydona. If you like steadily moving sagas like I do, this one is for you.
Oh yes. I just have to mention for a bit o’ fun… I asked the author in the interview if his book(s) were going Hollywood, what actor would he choose to play the main character, Marcus. You can read his reply on the interview blog. But, my vote goes to Theo Thomas (Golden Boy). Hey…I just thought I’d throw that in to give the ladies something to dream about as they read.
(Also check my Blogs shortly for a blog interview with the author, T.K. Krug III)
January 2, 2015
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The prologue started off fantastic and really got me hooked – minus the crude language between the two best friends. After that however, I felt that for the most part the start of the book could have just been left aside.
Although the first third of the novel gave insights into the daily life of Marcus, establishing who he is, how he functions in his role as crown prince and in his role as a human being, it practically didn’t further the plot in any way. It was a way to develop the character and let the reader properly make the acquaintance of Marcus and his entourage, but it felt like the plot was stagnant throughout those pages.
I was very much cringing over certain scenes and sometimes the attempted comic relief by Vernon was quite simply painful. Nevertheless, the latter was a rather likeable character in his role as the best friend who is always there when needed. I didn’t find him believable as a womanizer though, but as a best friend, absolutely.
It was only after the first third that the book slowly started coming back to the plot string hinted at in the very first chapter, but from there on out, the story was much more gripping and action filled. There were still a few scenes that made the action flop to a near standstill because Marcus couldn’t keep it in his pants but the plot was progressing, and in an interesting way at that. The initial plot point was partially revealed and so were various intrigues although the reader was left in the dark on the background on most of those plot points – which is what made this story all the more interesting. The reader was left to keep guessing. And towards the end of the book, I increasingly felt as though the author was finally properly connecting with his own character which made the writing flow more freely. Along with the main character, I more than once felt the urge to punch Jaspar’s lights out.
While I had my initial trouble with Marcus as a character, after the half-way point in the novel, I was starting to come more to grips with him and I felt as though I could finally start seeing him better in his role, after he himself seemed to have had a few revelations about what it was he was meant to do with his life.
However, that realisation should have been sort of the starting point of the story, and everything leading up to that part of the novel could easily have been reduced to just a few pages or completely left aside.
Also, the book needs to be edited some more. There were a few instances where a word was missing or even too much, for example.
That said, I’m still interested to see how this will be continued in the next book.
The prologue started off fantastic and really got me hooked – minus the crude language between the two best friends. After that however, I felt that for the most part the start of the book could have just been left aside.
Although the first third of the novel gave insights into the daily life of Marcus, establishing who he is, how he functions in his role as crown prince and in his role as a human being, it practically didn’t further the plot in any way. It was a way to develop the character and let the reader properly make the acquaintance of Marcus and his entourage, but it felt like the plot was stagnant throughout those pages.
I was very much cringing over certain scenes and sometimes the attempted comic relief by Vernon was quite simply painful. Nevertheless, the latter was a rather likeable character in his role as the best friend who is always there when needed. I didn’t find him believable as a womanizer though, but as a best friend, absolutely.
It was only after the first third that the book slowly started coming back to the plot string hinted at in the very first chapter, but from there on out, the story was much more gripping and action filled. There were still a few scenes that made the action flop to a near standstill because Marcus couldn’t keep it in his pants but the plot was progressing, and in an interesting way at that. The initial plot point was partially revealed and so were various intrigues although the reader was left in the dark on the background on most of those plot points – which is what made this story all the more interesting. The reader was left to keep guessing. And towards the end of the book, I increasingly felt as though the author was finally properly connecting with his own character which made the writing flow more freely. Along with the main character, I more than once felt the urge to punch Jaspar’s lights out.
While I had my initial trouble with Marcus as a character, after the half-way point in the novel, I was starting to come more to grips with him and I felt as though I could finally start seeing him better in his role, after he himself seemed to have had a few revelations about what it was he was meant to do with his life.
However, that realisation should have been sort of the starting point of the story, and everything leading up to that part of the novel could easily have been reduced to just a few pages or completely left aside.
Also, the book needs to be edited some more. There were a few instances where a word was missing or even too much, for example.
That said, I’m still interested to see how this will be continued in the next book.
November 16, 2013
Callow young prince Marcus learns from his mother on her deathbed that evil threatens the kingdom. But he continues in his frat-boy hi-jinks despite this and subsequent warnings--a letter in a masculine hand warning of conspiracy among the "let them eat cake" aristocracy, admonitions from his ex (a courtesan), and the Tarot read by a gypsy to whom he is led by a girl in a "garrulously-colored dress." The gypsy reads for him a card she had never in fifty years ever dealt--the Void/Doom.
Only the near rape of his then girl-friend and the consequences of his attempt to defend her honor awaken him "to Duty"! He is sent to the front to serve in the first line of combat against Kydona in a settlement with vengeful aristocrats brokered by his father's courtesan.
This happens too late in the book to redeem it from the impression left by such gems as--it is "impossible to be a woman's friend without wanting her," and "the line between love and lust was thin and blurred," and "you have made enemies, tread lightly," and "parliament was an honorless arena."
There are moments that brighten this book, possibly unintentionally; Marcus' clueless companion volunteers to the same regiment to keep him company (how the two of them survived the march to the front is a mystery). Marcus finds vital support ("cover") from a commander and a non-com under whom he serves; he and they had crossed paths before. But he must still face the enemy. Why the author chose the kingdom of the enemy for his title is another mystery; it is not unlike writing a novel about the making of a Luftwaffe hero and titling it The Battle of Britain.
Only the near rape of his then girl-friend and the consequences of his attempt to defend her honor awaken him "to Duty"! He is sent to the front to serve in the first line of combat against Kydona in a settlement with vengeful aristocrats brokered by his father's courtesan.
This happens too late in the book to redeem it from the impression left by such gems as--it is "impossible to be a woman's friend without wanting her," and "the line between love and lust was thin and blurred," and "you have made enemies, tread lightly," and "parliament was an honorless arena."
There are moments that brighten this book, possibly unintentionally; Marcus' clueless companion volunteers to the same regiment to keep him company (how the two of them survived the march to the front is a mystery). Marcus finds vital support ("cover") from a commander and a non-com under whom he serves; he and they had crossed paths before. But he must still face the enemy. Why the author chose the kingdom of the enemy for his title is another mystery; it is not unlike writing a novel about the making of a Luftwaffe hero and titling it The Battle of Britain.
June 18, 2013
I received this book for free, in return for an honest review.
First of all, I have to say that this book grabbed me right from the start. The characters are well written, and the on going events have enough mystery surrounding them to make me want to keep reading. I read other reviews of this book, and one of the main things that people were saying was that the main character, Marcus, is not likeable and therefor made them like the book less. I personally feel like Marcus acts exactly as you would expect a prince to act. He is careless with people and his money, he is arrogant and reckless and does the wrong thing a lot of the time. He does not listen to the authority figures in his life, and he seems to look down on people at times. However...he is also smart and he tries to be a better person than he knows he is. I find him to be a very well rounded character who lives up to his title and birth. A character does not need to necessarily be likeable to be a good character.
Overall, this book was a good read for me. I will be buying the second one, I need to find out what happens next!
First of all, I have to say that this book grabbed me right from the start. The characters are well written, and the on going events have enough mystery surrounding them to make me want to keep reading. I read other reviews of this book, and one of the main things that people were saying was that the main character, Marcus, is not likeable and therefor made them like the book less. I personally feel like Marcus acts exactly as you would expect a prince to act. He is careless with people and his money, he is arrogant and reckless and does the wrong thing a lot of the time. He does not listen to the authority figures in his life, and he seems to look down on people at times. However...he is also smart and he tries to be a better person than he knows he is. I find him to be a very well rounded character who lives up to his title and birth. A character does not need to necessarily be likeable to be a good character.
Overall, this book was a good read for me. I will be buying the second one, I need to find out what happens next!
June 7, 2013
I liked this book just wish I had known at the end that there was suppose to be another book after. Without knowing I felt that there was a lot of questions unanswered and wondered if I'd ever get them answered. With that being said I feel like the book wasn't finished. Marcus should have at least accomplished something that made the reader feel like the book was finished.
Marcus de Pilars is the crown prince of Elessia. In the beginning of the book Marcus is warned by his mother to keep his eyes and ears open to everyone and everything even his father. As the book goes on Marcus keeps getting more warnings about a disaster that is coming. There is a part in the book where Marcus finds a lover in Jacquelyn but fights with himself on where they stand. Can Jacquelyn and the kingdom deal with a lower status then himself.
The real problem for Marcus is when three Kydonians come in to their city and request a right to talk to the High Council Marcus discovers some bad news and regrets that he ends up facing.
Marcus de Pilars is the crown prince of Elessia. In the beginning of the book Marcus is warned by his mother to keep his eyes and ears open to everyone and everything even his father. As the book goes on Marcus keeps getting more warnings about a disaster that is coming. There is a part in the book where Marcus finds a lover in Jacquelyn but fights with himself on where they stand. Can Jacquelyn and the kingdom deal with a lower status then himself.
The real problem for Marcus is when three Kydonians come in to their city and request a right to talk to the High Council Marcus discovers some bad news and regrets that he ends up facing.
October 11, 2014
Couldn't finish, despite this being a LibraryThing Member Giveaway. It needed unbiased editing (and a new cover), badly. Frequent use of "alright?", mention of something being "just to piss her off" in a medieval sort of a setting ... awkward phrasings:
"the way she wagged her hips sinuously as she walked"
... And silliness:
"For the briefest of instants the sun caught the blade, turning it to a length of white fire. It was mesmerizing, almost. Then in the same instant, Marcus realized that the blade was hurtling toward his head."
... And just plain errors:
"When the ceremony finally came, the entire city turned out for the ceremony"
Along with an honest-to-goodness Gen X Man Hug:
"They clasped hands and exchanged a one-armed hug."
... I wasn't stout-hearted enough to finish. Thanks for the review copy; sorry for chickening out and moving on to more readable fare.
"the way she wagged her hips sinuously as she walked"
... And silliness:
"For the briefest of instants the sun caught the blade, turning it to a length of white fire. It was mesmerizing, almost. Then in the same instant, Marcus realized that the blade was hurtling toward his head."
... And just plain errors:
"When the ceremony finally came, the entire city turned out for the ceremony"
Along with an honest-to-goodness Gen X Man Hug:
"They clasped hands and exchanged a one-armed hug."
... I wasn't stout-hearted enough to finish. Thanks for the review copy; sorry for chickening out and moving on to more readable fare.
May 22, 2013
I liked the overall story but most stories have an ending. I didn't read one? So where is it? Another book? I'm not harping but for you new authors who keep ending your books with no ending....uh hello? Why not put out a book with an actual ending in it, gain readers and then do the series thing... I mean come on. I'm not going to remember to get a second book. I wasn't satisfied. Kydona is an impressive length book, I get it. But at least give a teaser to let us know what to expect, or if there will be an ending. The story of Marcus and Jacqueline was really fun to read, then you throw in courtesans and court life...it get's better. The gypsy that read the fortune, well I was looking for that ending. I wouldn't end this book the way you have it. Finish the story.
July 1, 2013
This book was really, really good. It has a little of everything, and keeps you on your feet in anticipation. Although I wish It had a little more detail, it sure is an exciting book to read. All the emotions and memories are all put to good use in this book, and are not overused, like in other books.
November 19, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by Kydona. I found it a very enjoyable read however it just misses out on that final star because I could not bring myself to quite fall in love with it.
First off I am impressed that the author showed us an extremely well-realised world. One thing I absolutely love is when I get the feeling the author knows much more than s/he is letting on. A world feels real when you can imagine that it has a history where many adventures have already taken place before the current crop of main characters were even born. And I got that feeling with this book, mainly because of the mythology of Ancel and Elessia, on which the culture/religion of this land is based.
Crown Prince Marcus de Pilars is our main character and the eyes through which we view this world. Other readers have described him as arrogant and reckless and hard to like. Personally, I am attracted to protagonists who aren't whiter than white. Had he been always valiant and honourable, always ready to defend the weak and vanquish evil I would have found him boring. Because a character like that can only be broken by the external world. A more realistic character, who has many facets and shades, can be defeated by his own personality flaws and bad decisions and that is far more interesting to read. He is young, inexperienced and suddenly exposed to new things like grief, love, deception and betrayal, all while bearing the burden of his position and having a strained relationship with his father. This is Marcus the boy and as the series goes on I think we will see him grow into Marcus the man. It will be good to see how circumstances, like war, change him and what decisions he makes in the future.
But my criticism here is that Marcus is the only rounded character in this book. The rest are flat. Vernon is a one dimensional party animal. The noble lords are of course cunning and conniving. Jaspar is your quintessential spoilt brat bully. Possible exception is King Audric who one feels is a reluctant ruler ruing the bad decisions he has made regarding his family life.
Allow me here to air one small gripe; not about the book but rather in defence of it. Other reviewers have commented on the use of certain elements that are ill-fitting for the 'time' of the novel. Listen to me, lovely readers. Please don't get bogged down by this. As a fantasy author myself, I vociferously promote the freedom to create worlds that are unlike our own and this means playing around with time, technology, real events in human history, use of magic systems etc. Kydona, like a lot of fantasy novels, is based in a version of medieval Europe. But that doesn't mean it is actually ABOUT medieval Europe. It is still Fantasy Fiction not Historical Fiction, so give us a break!
So despite a great main character and a well-written setting, why did I not love Kydona? There are a couple of reasons. The first is the disappointing way the female characters were reduced to virgin/whore stereotypes. In the red corner, the courtesans Kaelyn and Roslene and in the blue corner, sweet, sweet Jacquelyn who is actually a virgin. Also the word bitch was used to insult women far too many times for my liking, even when it was used by a female character.
The second reason is that unfortunately the Intrigue part comes second to Marcus's love story. If the blurb had led me to believe this was primarily a romance I wouldn't have a problem. But my expectations were based on a blurb that talked about court politics and a Game of Thrones-style Trust No One policy. Marcus's dying mothers words of warning were vague to say the least. She did not give enough information for any mystery to be truly thrilling. If I was Marcus I would have put her 'warning' down to pain and delusion.
Overall this book was a little slow on impact and pace even though it was well written. The dialogue is punchy and the descriptions nice and vivid.
One last thing, why is the name of the enemy country the title of the book??
First off I am impressed that the author showed us an extremely well-realised world. One thing I absolutely love is when I get the feeling the author knows much more than s/he is letting on. A world feels real when you can imagine that it has a history where many adventures have already taken place before the current crop of main characters were even born. And I got that feeling with this book, mainly because of the mythology of Ancel and Elessia, on which the culture/religion of this land is based.
Crown Prince Marcus de Pilars is our main character and the eyes through which we view this world. Other readers have described him as arrogant and reckless and hard to like. Personally, I am attracted to protagonists who aren't whiter than white. Had he been always valiant and honourable, always ready to defend the weak and vanquish evil I would have found him boring. Because a character like that can only be broken by the external world. A more realistic character, who has many facets and shades, can be defeated by his own personality flaws and bad decisions and that is far more interesting to read. He is young, inexperienced and suddenly exposed to new things like grief, love, deception and betrayal, all while bearing the burden of his position and having a strained relationship with his father. This is Marcus the boy and as the series goes on I think we will see him grow into Marcus the man. It will be good to see how circumstances, like war, change him and what decisions he makes in the future.
But my criticism here is that Marcus is the only rounded character in this book. The rest are flat. Vernon is a one dimensional party animal. The noble lords are of course cunning and conniving. Jaspar is your quintessential spoilt brat bully. Possible exception is King Audric who one feels is a reluctant ruler ruing the bad decisions he has made regarding his family life.
Allow me here to air one small gripe; not about the book but rather in defence of it. Other reviewers have commented on the use of certain elements that are ill-fitting for the 'time' of the novel. Listen to me, lovely readers. Please don't get bogged down by this. As a fantasy author myself, I vociferously promote the freedom to create worlds that are unlike our own and this means playing around with time, technology, real events in human history, use of magic systems etc. Kydona, like a lot of fantasy novels, is based in a version of medieval Europe. But that doesn't mean it is actually ABOUT medieval Europe. It is still Fantasy Fiction not Historical Fiction, so give us a break!
So despite a great main character and a well-written setting, why did I not love Kydona? There are a couple of reasons. The first is the disappointing way the female characters were reduced to virgin/whore stereotypes. In the red corner, the courtesans Kaelyn and Roslene and in the blue corner, sweet, sweet Jacquelyn who is actually a virgin. Also the word bitch was used to insult women far too many times for my liking, even when it was used by a female character.
The second reason is that unfortunately the Intrigue part comes second to Marcus's love story. If the blurb had led me to believe this was primarily a romance I wouldn't have a problem. But my expectations were based on a blurb that talked about court politics and a Game of Thrones-style Trust No One policy. Marcus's dying mothers words of warning were vague to say the least. She did not give enough information for any mystery to be truly thrilling. If I was Marcus I would have put her 'warning' down to pain and delusion.
Overall this book was a little slow on impact and pace even though it was well written. The dialogue is punchy and the descriptions nice and vivid.
One last thing, why is the name of the enemy country the title of the book??
July 22, 2013
This is the first in a series of book centred round Kydona and, in this book we find a lot of the scene setting done that will, hopefully come to fruition in later episodes, which definitely does not make it a standalone read.
Time has been taken to develop the characters in this book, starting with a male lead that is gradually fleshed out in the opening chapters. He is arrogant, reckless and an all round heel; visualise Joffrey in Game of Thrones, and you are on the right track. As befits someone in his position, he has very little regard for those around him, even his own Mother and, as the novel progresses we see a change brought about by the realization of the consequences of his acts. Not enough of a change to make this character likeable, but enough to make the reader wonder where, and how, he will develop in later books. It is suffice to say that he not your stereotypical hero and, if you cannot put your dislike of him to the side, you may not read to the end of the novel; a character does not have to be likeable to be a good character.
In writing Kydona, the Author has revealed an amazing ability to describe court intrigue, weaponry and warfare, which led me to believe he had done a fair amount of research. Some aspects written about though, would not have all been present in the same era so, because of this, I would not wholly regard this book as fitting in the Fantasy genre as it has more of the elements found in a good Steampunk novel. This clash of elements though, only added to the book and made me wonder which direction things would go, making me want to read on.
Dialogue is very precise and drawn out in some places, making the reader wish they would get on with it already and move on. But again this slow and precise interaction is what makes this a good little read, setting more scenes for future works, and also answering questions that come up whilst reading this one. If you are averse to swearing and gratuitous sex scenes in your reads, this may not be the book for you. In my opinion, I sometimes felt as if the sex scenes were added as fillers and because the Author was a little at a loss as to how to tie up that particular section; they don't propel the plot onward or in any direction I could see. Fortunately they are not badly written, so at least that was their one redeeming feature. There is a little racial stereotyping in this novel, but again we are not naive enough to believe it has been stamped out entirely in our real world, so why should it not appear in our literature as long as it isn't written offensively, and this isn’t.
This is another easy read little book that fell by the wayside because of some proofreading and editing errors. Some so obvious, I was surprised that they had not been picked up by someone out there prior to it being published. There were so many missing words, grammatical errors and a general butchering of the English language, that even I had to reread some passages several times before the light bulb went on and I could continue, and this led to the book only being awarded 3 thumbs. I expected this to deliver so much more than it did and, even though I enjoyed it, because of all the errors I probably won’t read the next book in the series.
If you like the fantasy and Steampunk genres, I would recommend this as a quick read, as long as you are not expecting too much from its pages.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Time has been taken to develop the characters in this book, starting with a male lead that is gradually fleshed out in the opening chapters. He is arrogant, reckless and an all round heel; visualise Joffrey in Game of Thrones, and you are on the right track. As befits someone in his position, he has very little regard for those around him, even his own Mother and, as the novel progresses we see a change brought about by the realization of the consequences of his acts. Not enough of a change to make this character likeable, but enough to make the reader wonder where, and how, he will develop in later books. It is suffice to say that he not your stereotypical hero and, if you cannot put your dislike of him to the side, you may not read to the end of the novel; a character does not have to be likeable to be a good character.
In writing Kydona, the Author has revealed an amazing ability to describe court intrigue, weaponry and warfare, which led me to believe he had done a fair amount of research. Some aspects written about though, would not have all been present in the same era so, because of this, I would not wholly regard this book as fitting in the Fantasy genre as it has more of the elements found in a good Steampunk novel. This clash of elements though, only added to the book and made me wonder which direction things would go, making me want to read on.
Dialogue is very precise and drawn out in some places, making the reader wish they would get on with it already and move on. But again this slow and precise interaction is what makes this a good little read, setting more scenes for future works, and also answering questions that come up whilst reading this one. If you are averse to swearing and gratuitous sex scenes in your reads, this may not be the book for you. In my opinion, I sometimes felt as if the sex scenes were added as fillers and because the Author was a little at a loss as to how to tie up that particular section; they don't propel the plot onward or in any direction I could see. Fortunately they are not badly written, so at least that was their one redeeming feature. There is a little racial stereotyping in this novel, but again we are not naive enough to believe it has been stamped out entirely in our real world, so why should it not appear in our literature as long as it isn't written offensively, and this isn’t.
This is another easy read little book that fell by the wayside because of some proofreading and editing errors. Some so obvious, I was surprised that they had not been picked up by someone out there prior to it being published. There were so many missing words, grammatical errors and a general butchering of the English language, that even I had to reread some passages several times before the light bulb went on and I could continue, and this led to the book only being awarded 3 thumbs. I expected this to deliver so much more than it did and, even though I enjoyed it, because of all the errors I probably won’t read the next book in the series.
If you like the fantasy and Steampunk genres, I would recommend this as a quick read, as long as you are not expecting too much from its pages.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
June 27, 2013
“Kydona” by Thomas Krug III is a fantasy novel set in the mythical kingdom of Elessia, a once proud nation that has fallen into decadent opulence. The main character is Marcus de Pilars, the crown prince of the kingdom. He hears of a treacherous conspiracy from his dying mothers lips and is thrust into a dangerous game of intrigue and mystery.
Although this book uses the conspiracy as a hook, it fades to the background rather quickly, resurfacing here and there, but remaining kind of a backdrop and not the major focus of the plot—at least, not yet. From the outset, the story revolves around the prince, Marcus … which is refreshing, that there is but one real character to follow. There’s a lot of sex in the story described in a relatively graphic way. Marcus has two main love interests, the courtesan, Kaelyn, and the lesser noblewoman, Jacquelyn. Actually, Kaelyn is more of a much-repeated one-night-stand. Jacquelyn is the only woman that Marcus actually has feelings for; although, Kaelyn’s infatuation with Marcus turns it into a love-triangle.
The plot of the book is largely a development of what I presume to be upcoming books in the future. A lot of questions are raised, and problems developed, but little is resolved. As a result, it is more of an adult romance than it is a fantasy story of sword and sorcery. There is some fighting, but very little magic—only one vague prophecy by a gypsy woman.
Strengths: the writing. Throughout it was exceptional. The prose flowed smoothly and there were few typos. Also, attention to detail: I could tell just from reading this book that the author has some military experience and that served as a plus for his descriptions of military activity and such; he clearly had a grasp of the concepts involved and knew how to weave that into a plot. Weaknesses: this really isn’t a fair criticism, because it is listed as an adult book, but I tend not to like graphic depictions of sexual situations and harsh profanity in a fantasy novel. To me, the default audience of a fantasy novel is a younger one. Anyway, other than that, I think the lack of magic is also a point against this book (but again, that is mostly personal preference), and I wanted a clearer depiction of the intrigue that was going on. We get just glimpses, which may be more realistic, but it failed to pull me in.
With the caveat that this is an adult book, I’ll give it four stars.
Although this book uses the conspiracy as a hook, it fades to the background rather quickly, resurfacing here and there, but remaining kind of a backdrop and not the major focus of the plot—at least, not yet. From the outset, the story revolves around the prince, Marcus … which is refreshing, that there is but one real character to follow. There’s a lot of sex in the story described in a relatively graphic way. Marcus has two main love interests, the courtesan, Kaelyn, and the lesser noblewoman, Jacquelyn. Actually, Kaelyn is more of a much-repeated one-night-stand. Jacquelyn is the only woman that Marcus actually has feelings for; although, Kaelyn’s infatuation with Marcus turns it into a love-triangle.
The plot of the book is largely a development of what I presume to be upcoming books in the future. A lot of questions are raised, and problems developed, but little is resolved. As a result, it is more of an adult romance than it is a fantasy story of sword and sorcery. There is some fighting, but very little magic—only one vague prophecy by a gypsy woman.
Strengths: the writing. Throughout it was exceptional. The prose flowed smoothly and there were few typos. Also, attention to detail: I could tell just from reading this book that the author has some military experience and that served as a plus for his descriptions of military activity and such; he clearly had a grasp of the concepts involved and knew how to weave that into a plot. Weaknesses: this really isn’t a fair criticism, because it is listed as an adult book, but I tend not to like graphic depictions of sexual situations and harsh profanity in a fantasy novel. To me, the default audience of a fantasy novel is a younger one. Anyway, other than that, I think the lack of magic is also a point against this book (but again, that is mostly personal preference), and I wanted a clearer depiction of the intrigue that was going on. We get just glimpses, which may be more realistic, but it failed to pull me in.
With the caveat that this is an adult book, I’ll give it four stars.
November 24, 2013
Frankly I was expecting a very average affair, with typical debauchery, corruption, class divide, petty court intrigues and the usual works. And I pretty much hit the mark except that it NO WAY was an average affair, run of the mill kind of story.
The plot and setting is brilliant with strong well defined characters that all have their multiple shades of grey while some are outright black. It beautifully portrays a young man who has never known deprivation and consequently is disillusioned. Love, loyalty are all lost on him and it is a matter of existing from 1 day to another. He is inconsiderate and excels when it comes to making enemies. However these definitely un-endearing characteristics don't make popular crown princes'. Especially when the nobles in court are becoming ever more powerful and war is knocking at your doors.
The only thing that can be said in favor of Marcus de Pillars is his concern for the poor. The prince is a rebel to his people and the only decent noble. The motivation is however suspect. It looks more like an attempt at being different and a rebel in defiance of authority.
Another interesting character is the young courtesan Kaelyn. She embodies the saying "Hell hath no fury like a women scorned". She has wits, the looks and fights like she has nothing to lose.
After going through the book, I did get the impression that too much time has been futilely spent at creating a premise and setting up characters. So much so that, the book ends without any of the various threads un-entangled and our prince banished to the front line of the marching Ellesian armies that is on its way to quell the rebellion in Kydona. However, it is apparent that some major conspiracy is brewing and certainly whets your appetite for the next book in the series.
In all, its a story I found appealing for the stark portrayal of the human side of it's characters. We all deem ourselves to be more righteous than the next guy and justify our loathing of him. But are we really any better than him? Do we use different scales when we weigh their sins as compared to when we weigh our own? Our loathing turns to reasons and justifications when we are the ones in dock.
The plot and setting is brilliant with strong well defined characters that all have their multiple shades of grey while some are outright black. It beautifully portrays a young man who has never known deprivation and consequently is disillusioned. Love, loyalty are all lost on him and it is a matter of existing from 1 day to another. He is inconsiderate and excels when it comes to making enemies. However these definitely un-endearing characteristics don't make popular crown princes'. Especially when the nobles in court are becoming ever more powerful and war is knocking at your doors.
The only thing that can be said in favor of Marcus de Pillars is his concern for the poor. The prince is a rebel to his people and the only decent noble. The motivation is however suspect. It looks more like an attempt at being different and a rebel in defiance of authority.
Another interesting character is the young courtesan Kaelyn. She embodies the saying "Hell hath no fury like a women scorned". She has wits, the looks and fights like she has nothing to lose.
After going through the book, I did get the impression that too much time has been futilely spent at creating a premise and setting up characters. So much so that, the book ends without any of the various threads un-entangled and our prince banished to the front line of the marching Ellesian armies that is on its way to quell the rebellion in Kydona. However, it is apparent that some major conspiracy is brewing and certainly whets your appetite for the next book in the series.
In all, its a story I found appealing for the stark portrayal of the human side of it's characters. We all deem ourselves to be more righteous than the next guy and justify our loathing of him. But are we really any better than him? Do we use different scales when we weigh their sins as compared to when we weigh our own? Our loathing turns to reasons and justifications when we are the ones in dock.
August 24, 2013
*received a free copy of this book for an honest review.*
First let me explain, that I realized that about half way through the book, I realized that the book was not for me. I do like historical fiction/ fantasy, however, the politics was the part that I did not enjoy. This book was almost all politics. I did expect some politics, but not so much.
I must say that the writing is superb. You really felt as though you have traveled back in time. There were moments in which I felt like I was transported back to 21st century, however, I love the details and the accuracy that he put into this book. It really helped build this book. However, there are some details and language use that did bring me to the 21st century, it was not a common occurrence.
I also enjoyed the setup that he put at the end of the book for his sequel. I really believed that he set it up to start the second book in a good place. Though, I can see where people are coming from, and I can agree with them, he could have ended the book about 50 - 60 pages sooner. Otherwise, I am glad for the set up. I really feel as though it brings excitement and desire to read the second book.
The characters, plot, and setting are very believable. However, I am still trying to figure out where on the world map this city was placed. I know that Kydona is Russia. I also liked how the characters changed over time. Nevertheless, I felt that Marcus had changed too much at the end of the book. I understood that he went through something traumatic, but still it was a lot of change in a short amount of time. I also found it interesting that his best friend joined him. I would have thought he would have left his friend cope with his problem by himself. In all, they were still believable with everyday problems.
Finally, I would recommend this book to people who are into politics and historical fiction. I understand that not everyone would enjoy the politics that exist in this book. To me, it was a little to much, but that might be because I am not that interested in reading about political controversy and scams that happen on a daily basis. For those who are into such topics, enjoy.
First let me explain, that I realized that about half way through the book, I realized that the book was not for me. I do like historical fiction/ fantasy, however, the politics was the part that I did not enjoy. This book was almost all politics. I did expect some politics, but not so much.
I must say that the writing is superb. You really felt as though you have traveled back in time. There were moments in which I felt like I was transported back to 21st century, however, I love the details and the accuracy that he put into this book. It really helped build this book. However, there are some details and language use that did bring me to the 21st century, it was not a common occurrence.
I also enjoyed the setup that he put at the end of the book for his sequel. I really believed that he set it up to start the second book in a good place. Though, I can see where people are coming from, and I can agree with them, he could have ended the book about 50 - 60 pages sooner. Otherwise, I am glad for the set up. I really feel as though it brings excitement and desire to read the second book.
The characters, plot, and setting are very believable. However, I am still trying to figure out where on the world map this city was placed. I know that Kydona is Russia. I also liked how the characters changed over time. Nevertheless, I felt that Marcus had changed too much at the end of the book. I understood that he went through something traumatic, but still it was a lot of change in a short amount of time. I also found it interesting that his best friend joined him. I would have thought he would have left his friend cope with his problem by himself. In all, they were still believable with everyday problems.
Finally, I would recommend this book to people who are into politics and historical fiction. I understand that not everyone would enjoy the politics that exist in this book. To me, it was a little to much, but that might be because I am not that interested in reading about political controversy and scams that happen on a daily basis. For those who are into such topics, enjoy.
May 9, 2015
This book has a lot of potential to be something really great. However, the fact that the majority of the characters were unlikable and there was an overabundance of unnecessary vulgarity in some of the language really robbed this book of what it could have been. The author did, however, obviously have a decent storyline and a firm grasp on some of the historical aspects integrated throughout. The female characters were strong, but kind of reminded me of those video games you know were created by men. You know what I'm talking about? The ones where all the female characters you pick are tall, curvy pillars of hotness whose only choices for armor are scandalously clad frocks. It's like all the women in here were just what a man could dream and more.
Another thing I didn't really like was the now-becoming cliche of "the parent on their death bed suddenly reveals to the son/daughter that there is a mission, but they leave it vague and open so the said son/daughter has to first figure out what the mission is and how to accomplish it." Sigh. Okay. So it's not as much of a creative storyline if the rising action is set into motion by someone else's recycled conflict.
And the grammatical errors. There were several grammatical errors. Guys, if you're going to self publish, but are actually serious about truly being published some day...please, PLEASE put some pennies together to hire someone to edit your work.
I know it doesn't sound like it, but this was an okay read. Like I said, it has potential. It just needs a bit more work.
Another thing I didn't really like was the now-becoming cliche of "the parent on their death bed suddenly reveals to the son/daughter that there is a mission, but they leave it vague and open so the said son/daughter has to first figure out what the mission is and how to accomplish it." Sigh. Okay. So it's not as much of a creative storyline if the rising action is set into motion by someone else's recycled conflict.
And the grammatical errors. There were several grammatical errors. Guys, if you're going to self publish, but are actually serious about truly being published some day...please, PLEASE put some pennies together to hire someone to edit your work.
I know it doesn't sound like it, but this was an okay read. Like I said, it has potential. It just needs a bit more work.
December 2, 2013
Prince Marcus Audric de Pilars has been questioning many things since the death of his mother Lady Geneva. Lady Geneva's last words continue to haunt Marcus and inspire him into actions that go against the nobles. Kaelyn Beauvais is skilled courtesan that often puts Marcus in a bad position and sometimes at her mother Lady Roselene Beauvais' direction. Marcus sees more than he has ever before and understand part of what his mother was trying to tell him before her death. Even among Marcus' peers there is clearly disdain for him as his position. When King Audric returns from unsuccessful campaign to answer the nobles demands. King Audric and Marcus don't see eye to eye on many things including King Audric's consort Lady Roselene. Marcus is forced to take action against a peer to stop a vile crime from happening. He comes under fire and is sent away for his own good or so it would appear at face value. What is Marcus to learn? What is Lady Roselene plotting now? Will King Audric reconcile with his son? Who wants Marcus gone? Your answers await you in Kydona.
I'm sucker for fantasy books and have been since I discovered the genre. This book has all the classical elements that comprise fantasy including some new ones like intrigue and mystery. I loved reading Marcus' transformation throughout the book. I had love/hate relationship with Kaelyn. I'm definitely looking forward to next installment of this series.
I'm sucker for fantasy books and have been since I discovered the genre. This book has all the classical elements that comprise fantasy including some new ones like intrigue and mystery. I loved reading Marcus' transformation throughout the book. I had love/hate relationship with Kaelyn. I'm definitely looking forward to next installment of this series.
June 14, 2013
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was not able to finish this book, I got 40% of the way into the book.
This book started off very intriguing we have the Prince who find out on his mothers death bed that things are not as he thinks they are. But that plot is dropped and not picked up for some time later. I don't know if it were me, I'd start investigating that pretty darn quick, but hey that's just me.
I will admit after the first chapter I thought this book was going to be good, the intrigue was right there with the excellent plot point and then it was gone. Which happened a few times in the course of what I did read. We would learn something, but we'd put everything on hold to get ourselves a sex scene and then maybe we'd pick it up later down the road.
One of the reasons I dropped the book was because I can't get attached to the characters. By this point in the book I should care about what happens to them. And I don't. Not to mention I can't seem to figure out what time frame these people are supposed to be in. The description always depicts a more medieval setting, yet the way they talk is very modern.
I give it a 2 star because besides my dislike of the novel some of the writing is very well done. His use of descriptions is probably his best quality. He painted amazing pictures of the surroundings.
I was not able to finish this book, I got 40% of the way into the book.
This book started off very intriguing we have the Prince who find out on his mothers death bed that things are not as he thinks they are. But that plot is dropped and not picked up for some time later. I don't know if it were me, I'd start investigating that pretty darn quick, but hey that's just me.
I will admit after the first chapter I thought this book was going to be good, the intrigue was right there with the excellent plot point and then it was gone. Which happened a few times in the course of what I did read. We would learn something, but we'd put everything on hold to get ourselves a sex scene and then maybe we'd pick it up later down the road.
One of the reasons I dropped the book was because I can't get attached to the characters. By this point in the book I should care about what happens to them. And I don't. Not to mention I can't seem to figure out what time frame these people are supposed to be in. The description always depicts a more medieval setting, yet the way they talk is very modern.
I give it a 2 star because besides my dislike of the novel some of the writing is very well done. His use of descriptions is probably his best quality. He painted amazing pictures of the surroundings.
June 20, 2013
*I was given this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
I am sort of one the fence with this one. I love the concept behind the story. The writing itself is very descriptive. The author weaves a tangled web though it's well developed characters with very colorful albeit self obsessed agendas. The main character Marcus is spoiled, arrogant and for me unlikeable. Which in turn makes this book hard for me to love if I don't feel invested in the main character. The authors extensive knowledge of ancient weaponry and court life is very impressive on the page. I find the fact that it is clearly set in medieval times but the language is so modern offsetting. The plot was good. I found the end of the book left me wanting more as any book with a sequel should. Although whether I care enough about these characters to actually endure another book is debatable at this point.
I am sort of one the fence with this one. I love the concept behind the story. The writing itself is very descriptive. The author weaves a tangled web though it's well developed characters with very colorful albeit self obsessed agendas. The main character Marcus is spoiled, arrogant and for me unlikeable. Which in turn makes this book hard for me to love if I don't feel invested in the main character. The authors extensive knowledge of ancient weaponry and court life is very impressive on the page. I find the fact that it is clearly set in medieval times but the language is so modern offsetting. The plot was good. I found the end of the book left me wanting more as any book with a sequel should. Although whether I care enough about these characters to actually endure another book is debatable at this point.
January 20, 2016
In return for an honest review, the author allowed me to read this for free.
There is so many amazing qualities about this story, that I find I only have time to highlight the few negative aspects. Though the plot is amazing, I feel as if the story itself was rushed. The author brushed through so many things so quickly it was difficult to define the conflict -which I'm assuming is an internal conflict for the main character. The intrigue and fascination that the author brings to light does not enhance the story at all and seems to be quite a bit of fluff to capture the reader's attention without actually being useful. Aside from that and a few grammatical errors, the characters were intriguing and the setting was described to perfection.
This is novel is not my usual 'cup of tea' but I am glad to have read it.
There is so many amazing qualities about this story, that I find I only have time to highlight the few negative aspects. Though the plot is amazing, I feel as if the story itself was rushed. The author brushed through so many things so quickly it was difficult to define the conflict -which I'm assuming is an internal conflict for the main character. The intrigue and fascination that the author brings to light does not enhance the story at all and seems to be quite a bit of fluff to capture the reader's attention without actually being useful. Aside from that and a few grammatical errors, the characters were intriguing and the setting was described to perfection.
This is novel is not my usual 'cup of tea' but I am glad to have read it.
November 11, 2014
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The plot has potential and the author's writing skills are strong overall. However, I found the excessive number of typos distracting. The book needs to be edited. I started this book and had to take a break due to a busy class schedule, which turned out to be a good thing. I was having difficulty connecting with the characters during the first half of the book and found the scenes of intimacy to be simply awkward, unrealistic, and even unnecessary at times. Honestly, I wasn't sure that I would finish the book. However, the character development does improve, especially with regards to Marcus. I may read the next book...I am curious to see how the story unfolds.
July 7, 2013
*I received a free copy from the author in exchange of a honest review.
The book literally pulled me in right from the start. The story is very fast moving, yet very detailed and interesting, and gives an exciting insight on the schemes at the court.
I have to agree with other reviewers here on Goodreads, you can really only love or hate the characters in the book, but it's fairly easy to make the decision. I, personally, loved them, even the "bad" ones, also, it was really great that the characters were so flawlessly crafted.
All in all, I give the book 4 stars and would definitely suggest that others read it.
The book literally pulled me in right from the start. The story is very fast moving, yet very detailed and interesting, and gives an exciting insight on the schemes at the court.
I have to agree with other reviewers here on Goodreads, you can really only love or hate the characters in the book, but it's fairly easy to make the decision. I, personally, loved them, even the "bad" ones, also, it was really great that the characters were so flawlessly crafted.
All in all, I give the book 4 stars and would definitely suggest that others read it.
August 25, 2013
Kydona by T.K. Krug III
Prince Marcus de Pilars hears a disturbing confession from his dying Mother. He finds his father has started a war and he sets out to find the truth. He learns that nation of Kydona is about to take over the kingdom of Elessia.
As he sets out with his long time friend Kaelyn Beauvais, he faces many vices. Murder, lust, love and soon the boundaries between right and wrong are going to be tested.
I don't do spoilers so I won't say much more. But I am not sure if I liked Marcus and his womanizing ways. I did Like the story line, and I would not mind reading more in this series.
Prince Marcus de Pilars hears a disturbing confession from his dying Mother. He finds his father has started a war and he sets out to find the truth. He learns that nation of Kydona is about to take over the kingdom of Elessia.
As he sets out with his long time friend Kaelyn Beauvais, he faces many vices. Murder, lust, love and soon the boundaries between right and wrong are going to be tested.
I don't do spoilers so I won't say much more. But I am not sure if I liked Marcus and his womanizing ways. I did Like the story line, and I would not mind reading more in this series.
dropped
June 12, 2013"Verdict: Not for me. I didn't finish it.
Marcus is the crown prince. On his mother's deathbed, he learns that there are dark plots afoot around him, and he should tread lightly and trust no one."
Full review on my blog:
http://knrbooks.blogspot.com/2013/06/semi-review-kydona.html
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for a review.
Marcus is the crown prince. On his mother's deathbed, he learns that there are dark plots afoot around him, and he should tread lightly and trust no one."
Full review on my blog:
http://knrbooks.blogspot.com/2013/06/semi-review-kydona.html
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for a review.
July 10, 2013
I received this book in return for an honest review. Initially I had gotten the 2nd book and had to start over with this one as the 2nd one is not a stand alone book at all and I was incredibly confused.
The author is very talented with his descriptions and creating his fantasy world but I had a really hard time getting into the main character. I was hoping would start to like him after reading the first book but alas no.
The author is very talented with his descriptions and creating his fantasy world but I had a really hard time getting into the main character. I was hoping would start to like him after reading the first book but alas no.
July 8, 2013
This book was really good.The plot was interesting and I really liked the way the character of Marcus developed through the story.He wasn't the goodie-good kind of hero from the start which considering the life around him would have been unrealistic,but after his mother's death he starts changing.I would really love to read the second book to see where the story leads.
November 26, 2013
*I recieved a free copy for an honest review*
not as good as it could be. Characters are likable but the mechanics of the book land it somewhere between young adult and erotic. It just doesnt read well. The overuse of expletives combined with erotic scenes that are less erotic than explicit made ths book easily forgotten.
not as good as it could be. Characters are likable but the mechanics of the book land it somewhere between young adult and erotic. It just doesnt read well. The overuse of expletives combined with erotic scenes that are less erotic than explicit made ths book easily forgotten.
April 28, 2013
I received a copy of this book from the author, Thomas K. Krug III, through the Modern Good Reads Group on Goodreads.
May 15, 2013
God, this was boring as hell.
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