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Tellus #2
The Almost King
Return to a world of airships and adventure in this sequel to Take Back the Skies, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sarah J. Maas.
In the second book in this sprawling saga, Aleks is the youngest of four brothers, each with his future predictably mapped out. But Aleks wants more than a life in his father’s shop. So when he hears his parents worrying about money, he decides to save them the cost of his keep by running away.
Aleks joins the army—but when that doesn't answer his problems, he breaks the law and deserts. Wanted and alone, he heads north, where he stumbles into love, adventure, and a skyship he might be able to call home . . . if he can evade the soldiers pursuing him.
Prepare for another sweeping adventure by nineteen-year-old Lucy Saxon in a series that seamlessly blends genre elements and a compelling contemporary voice.
In the second book in this sprawling saga, Aleks is the youngest of four brothers, each with his future predictably mapped out. But Aleks wants more than a life in his father’s shop. So when he hears his parents worrying about money, he decides to save them the cost of his keep by running away.
Aleks joins the army—but when that doesn't answer his problems, he breaks the law and deserts. Wanted and alone, he heads north, where he stumbles into love, adventure, and a skyship he might be able to call home . . . if he can evade the soldiers pursuing him.
Prepare for another sweeping adventure by nineteen-year-old Lucy Saxon in a series that seamlessly blends genre elements and a compelling contemporary voice.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2015
About the author
Lucy Saxon
5 books130 followersLucy Saxon is 26 and lives in Hertfordshire with her parents. She describes herself as a cosplayer, con-goer, book-lover and all-round nerdgirl.
Lucy wrote her first novel, Take Back the Skies, at the age of sixteen, finding a home for it with Bloomsbury at seventeen, and is now working on the rest of the series.
When not writing, Lucy spends most of her time on the internet, reading books and slaving over her sewing machine.
Lucy wrote her first novel, Take Back the Skies, at the age of sixteen, finding a home for it with Bloomsbury at seventeen, and is now working on the rest of the series.
When not writing, Lucy spends most of her time on the internet, reading books and slaving over her sewing machine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this, more so than the first book in the series.
This covered so many themes; feeling overshadowed by older siblings, feeling trapped, class, romance, exploration and did them all well. The themes I feel transcend gender and background so this book would appeal to a wide audience.
It took a while for me to work out where the story was going and how it linked to the first book, but once this fell into place the novel flowed very well and was such an enjoyable read.
The Almost King didn't have quite as much of a steam punk feel as the previous novel and I think benefitted from this. I don't think you necessarily need to have read the first novel, The Almost King works as a stand alone novel purely on its own merit.
This covered so many themes; feeling overshadowed by older siblings, feeling trapped, class, romance, exploration and did them all well. The themes I feel transcend gender and background so this book would appeal to a wide audience.
It took a while for me to work out where the story was going and how it linked to the first book, but once this fell into place the novel flowed very well and was such an enjoyable read.
The Almost King didn't have quite as much of a steam punk feel as the previous novel and I think benefitted from this. I don't think you necessarily need to have read the first novel, The Almost King works as a stand alone novel purely on its own merit.
February 22, 2016
I received an advanced ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Almost King is the second book in the Take Back the Skies series.
This book follows Aleks' journey which consists of enlisting in the army, falling in love and going on an adventure that he had always dreamed of. But in between all of this, he is on the run from a very brutal soldier who wouldn't stop searching for Aleks till he found him and got what he wanted...
I found this book to be slightly different to Take Back the Skies; although I enjoyed reading about Aleks' adventure, I didn't fall in love with this book as I did the first one.
The Almost King is the second book in the Take Back the Skies series.
This book follows Aleks' journey which consists of enlisting in the army, falling in love and going on an adventure that he had always dreamed of. But in between all of this, he is on the run from a very brutal soldier who wouldn't stop searching for Aleks till he found him and got what he wanted...
I found this book to be slightly different to Take Back the Skies; although I enjoyed reading about Aleks' adventure, I didn't fall in love with this book as I did the first one.
May 23, 2015
4.5*
January 26, 2016
In hindsight I have no idea what the point of this story was and I doubt I'll continue with the series. It's safe to say I enjoyed Take Back The Skies more!
November 15, 2016
The Almost King is the second book in Lucy Saxon’s Tellus series and, interestingly, follows a new protagonist with a whole different bunch of characters - which I now realise will be the theme of the six-book series as each book revolves around a different MC on each of the six countries in the story world. Cool concept, right?
I loved how different The Almost King was to Take Back The Skies while still having the similarities that come from being in the same story world. The characters and events of TBTS are only briefly mentioned, giving this book fully over to Aleks and his adventure.
Aleks doesn’t want to work in his father’s shop, so decides to leave home and join the army. But when things don’t go to plan, he escape and starts a new life in a new city that leads to him going on a epic adventure evolving the cool skyships we were introduced to in TBTS.
With a different style of story, I liked Aleks as the new protagonist and related to his dreams and decisions all the way through. I found the The Almost King better written than TBTS, showing Lucy Saxon is growing as a writer as she expands her world. The exploration/discovery adventure was really cool and when mixed with a great cast of characters, I found myself always eager to find out what happened next.
Kind of spolier alert, but I’m realising Lucy Saxon likes to add in shock deaths. I’m sensing this might be a theme in her books and it’s already messing me up!
So, if you liked the cool world introduced in TBTS or want a great adventure story with interesting characters and awesome skyships - then pick up The Almost King.
I loved how different The Almost King was to Take Back The Skies while still having the similarities that come from being in the same story world. The characters and events of TBTS are only briefly mentioned, giving this book fully over to Aleks and his adventure.
Aleks doesn’t want to work in his father’s shop, so decides to leave home and join the army. But when things don’t go to plan, he escape and starts a new life in a new city that leads to him going on a epic adventure evolving the cool skyships we were introduced to in TBTS.
With a different style of story, I liked Aleks as the new protagonist and related to his dreams and decisions all the way through. I found the The Almost King better written than TBTS, showing Lucy Saxon is growing as a writer as she expands her world. The exploration/discovery adventure was really cool and when mixed with a great cast of characters, I found myself always eager to find out what happened next.
Kind of spolier alert, but I’m realising Lucy Saxon likes to add in shock deaths. I’m sensing this might be a theme in her books and it’s already messing me up!
So, if you liked the cool world introduced in TBTS or want a great adventure story with interesting characters and awesome skyships - then pick up The Almost King.
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June 13, 2015I liked Take Back The Skies, but just can't get into this one. The flashbacks are really jarring.
May 20, 2016
This series really does get better and better! I loved the first book when it came out, it had it's own brand of originality to it and we all know I love books that are a little bit different. There's an entirely different world, skyships, it has Tyrium that fuels most things, and it was totally different from anything I had read before, it was an easy to read fantasy that I quickly marked down as one I would read again and again, and would sit and wait eagerly for the next book.
Now, this is a sequel, and as much as I loved Take Back the Skies and the characters and wanted to see what else happened to Cat after the heartbreaking ending and what happened to Matt and Ben, I was kind of glad that this had totally new characters, because I couldn't really see what would happen next in Cats world, and I love the idea of each of the books in the series showing a different part of the rather extensive world.
The world of Tellus is imaginative and richly vivid. The world building sucks you in to the book and you become lost to the real world as you galavant around Tellus with the characters. The book and it's world and characters completely take you out of reality and it's always a bit of a jolt when you surface from the book and back to the real world. The world of Tellus is clearly very extensive, and while I can work out where some of the countries may be based, Mericus and Siberene for example, others are a bit of a mystery. Throughout the book we hear bits and pieces about the other lands, but I'm itching to actually get to their books and learn all about them.
Siberene is different to Anglya, Anglya is a mining country and seems to be like England with it's weather and so on, I'm fairly certain Anglya is based on England for some obvious reasons. Siberene is very monochrome, cold, dark, I was picturing Russia and winter and cold when I was reading haha. From the sounds of it, each country has it's own different look and feel and the atmosphere of Siberene comes off the page and gets under your skin.
While this is a sequel but not really a sequel, and had new characters and a new plot and a new setting to the first book, this book was linked to the first book nicely. It's linked without having the plot being taken over by threads from the previous book and basically being Skies part two. It was a little thing, that had importance to the plot as it's why Shulga was determined to hunt him down, but it wasn't the entire plot of the book and I kept thinking something huge was going to happen with it but then it didn't and it was dealt with and tied up nicely. The main plot of the book is Aleks fleeing the army and flying to the Stormlands and so on.
I enjoyed the idea of the expedition to the Stormlands that no-one has ever managed to get through before, it had the kind of huge expeditions of history feel to it but in an entirely different way. I liked the questions and issues it raised, about the land being ruined by people and so on. I would imagine that's what some people would have thought before other lands which are now countries where colonized. But I liked that they didn't want to colonise it and destroy it.
I can't really decide if this book is a little bit darker than the first one. I mean the first one was kinda dark with the whole kids thing, but maybe what I mean is that this one is a bit more violent with the army and how things are there and the whole Kara thing. This one just felt like it was a bit more mature or darker, or something than the first one.
In the least rude way possible, the writing in this book has definitely improved. In the first book it was very easy to read, I sped through, and there where a few moments when it was quite cheesy and cliche, don't get me wrong I loved the first book and I don't really mind the odd cliche and cheese so it wasn't a problem for me. The writing in this book seemed more grown up, more mature and at another level to the first book. I can't really describe it, but I definitely thought there was a difference in the writing between the two books and a bit in the tone. But it was all good, like I'm just making a note that it's different! Which just means the series is getting better and better because I'm confident that the next book will be, again, on another level. I have no idea which bit we'll visit next though!
There was a cutely, subtle romance that bloomed naturally and adorably, and even had a little bit of an obstacle in the form of an aunt whose comments had me snorting, chuckling and rolling my eyes! The romance also had some conflict with everything going on, and rather than being just for the sake of drama, it was all natural and organic and was just a perfectly written romance really! It was subtle and didn't take over the plot, it was as an addition to enhance rather than the main focus of the book.
The Almost King takes us on a sweeping journey across Siberene, we see the west and the village Aleks lives in, we see the south and the north and a fair amount of Siberene, as well as the Stormlands. So it's not like we get just a glimpse, we get a proper look at this other country that we heard so much about in the first book and saw briefly. We even see the exact place from the first book, and I loved the comments about it being the tourist area and the grass being imported for the tourists, and I had a chuckle remembering Cat noting it! She even gets a few mentions as well!
The Almost King has everything you love in a good book, it's got romance, action, adventure and even, regrettably, heartbreak. Now it wasn't quite as heartbreaking as the death in the first book, but it was pretty up there to be honest. I think I'm so jaded by Game of Thrones that I'm reading books like this, and I'm thinking the worst is going to happen. I'm like "something really bad is going to happen, this person is going to get killed or something or something's going to go horrifically wrong" or "that character is going to screw this person over" and while there is a bit of betrayal and a death that literally had me like "NO OMG NO", I wasn't expecting them at all. Then the bits that I was expecting bad stuff to happen....nothing bad ever did so I was constantly being surprised with no idea what was going to happen next.
Aleks was easy to connect with, I could relate to him quite well to be honest! I've had many of the same feelings he has regarding family, although not with an actual sibling! The dangers of having a cousin near enough the same age as you! Anyway, he was realistic, believable and very well created as was the rest of the colourful and lively cast of characters. Each is well developed with plenty of depth and dimensions to them. I really felt for him and felt everything he did regarding his brothers.
Shulga reeked of shadiness and was so creepy and just ugh. I shuddered when I was reading about him multiple times he was kind of the perfect villain. The King wasn't what I was expecting, he was kind of a douche to be honest. But it did make a change as I was expecting him to be all nice and everything! I LOVED Luka, he made me laugh so much and he was so, so lively and vivid, and he jumped off of the page just slightly more than the others! But only slightly! He kind of reminded me a bit of Doc Brown as well if I'm honest haha. Aleks's brothers where an interesting bunch, but I was sad we didn't get to see more of them! I also really, really loved Zhora and Drazan and Raina and Ksenia and Bodan. The brothers where just brilliantly separate and together, their relationship brought a smile to my face as I was reading about them together. The Compass crew, well Ksenia reminded me a bit of Alice, and they were the perfect home away from home for Aleks and I felt like they all appreciated him more than his actual family from what I'd seen. I was so glad that Raina wasn't a love interest to make a love triangle, I loved Aleks and Raina's relationship and it was so well done.
Saria was pleasantly surprising. I mean at the beginning I had this suspicion she was going to be horrible and he'd end up with Raina but I was pleasantly surprised with how things panned out. Saria was actually quite a brilliant character, and the perfect match for Aleks. I loved her right up until she did the thing. I kept thinking she'd been forced in to doing it or coerced, and when I realised she'd done it because she was angry, my opinion changed of her a little bit and I was a little bit like "okay she betrayed you but you're not even angry at her, you just instantly forgive her?" that was the only bit that seemed a bit suspect to me but then it's all got to be wrapped up in one book and so we can't have ages faffing I suppose!
The Almost King is vividly created, richly brought to life, imaginative, atmospheric and cinematic. The world is extensive, with visible differences in each country that I loved noting as I read. The politics of this new country where complex, it had an atmosphere to it that seeped over you. The plot was soaring and intricate and had a lot going on, all of which was perfectly wrapped up by the end without rushing things. The threads of the plot were combined in to one web, with subtle links to the first book and a subtle romance to make you squeal. The characters where relatable, colourful and lively, brought to life right before your eyes. The tone of this book is different to the first book, and this one is even better than the first! I can't wait to see where the series is going next. It gets better and better and stronger and stronger.
July 27, 2016
Reviewed at my blog: Babbling Books
Honestly, part of me wishes I didn't have to do this review. I know that sounds terrible but now that I've read this book and thought through what I could possibly say about it, I think I'm just going to try and keep this as short as possible.
So, I don't think I've ever disliked a main character as much as I did Aleks. I usually don't read books that focus on a male POV just because I can't relate to the character but I don't think that was what made me dislike his character so much, especially considering the book is told in third person. Aleks is probably the most selfish main character I have ever had the displeasure of reading about in my experience. I know this sounds harsh, and I could give many many examples but the hardest part for me was that at the end of the book it felt like his character had experienced almost no character growth. For instance
The lack of character depth didn't end with Aleks, unfortunately. Now I'm all for chaste romances and cute handholding. And I don't mind when love interests make mistakes or when there are misunderstandings. But Saria, Aleks's love interest was just such an incomplete character that I couldn't even believe them as a couple, which makes the book hard to read. Aleks acts as if Saria is the love of his life, but her actions betray otherwise several times and her naivety isn't cute or endearing as Aleks tries to make it out it be, it's just annoying. And the fact that Aleks claims to love her so much but tells her nothing is a ridiculous notion. I would've much rather seen him with Raina, who had far more personality, knew Aleks far better, treated him with more respect and acted like her own person.
Just like Raina, the secondary characters were really the only thing I enjoyed about this book. Drazan, his brother Zhora and Luka were great and I would've been fine with the book having more of them in it and less of Aleks and Saria, which is sad considering those two are thought to be more important. Drazan was funny, cavalier and his moments in the book were the only ones that I felt myself getting truly invested in, and his brother Zhora was just as good a character, what happened to him was such a waste. The crazy old mechanic Luka was fantastic every time he was on the page and I was sad when he stopped appearing for awhile. I would've been happy just reading about the secondary characters more than what was going on with Aleks.
The plot wasn't hard to follow, but at the same time it wasn't exciting either. And to be honest I wasn't completely sure what the "main" plot even was. The story ended up branching off into several different avenues that it just became more of an adventure story than a story of characters who learn anything or try to overcome and defeat a specific "big bad". Considering how much danger they kept supposedly being in, I never felt like the characters were really at risk or there was any true problems coming their way. I think this was the way everything was presented and how the narrative seemed to meander on unimportant facts and then gloss over scenes that needed to have more depth. Like I was just always waiting for something MORE to happen that never did.
Overall this was just a frustrating read for me, the world felt underdeveloped, the characters lacking in depth and while I was and still am intrigued by the overarching concept I really do think that many aspects of this book would need a lot of work for me to truly enjoy it. However, some things, like Drazan and Zhora were just engaging enough to keep me interested in reading it all the way through and I do believe that there are readers out there who would enjoy this book's particular brand of chaotic storytelling.
*I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book through NetGalley from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books in exchange for an honest review*
Honestly, part of me wishes I didn't have to do this review. I know that sounds terrible but now that I've read this book and thought through what I could possibly say about it, I think I'm just going to try and keep this as short as possible.
So, I don't think I've ever disliked a main character as much as I did Aleks. I usually don't read books that focus on a male POV just because I can't relate to the character but I don't think that was what made me dislike his character so much, especially considering the book is told in third person. Aleks is probably the most selfish main character I have ever had the displeasure of reading about in my experience. I know this sounds harsh, and I could give many many examples but the hardest part for me was that at the end of the book it felt like his character had experienced almost no character growth. For instance
The lack of character depth didn't end with Aleks, unfortunately. Now I'm all for chaste romances and cute handholding. And I don't mind when love interests make mistakes or when there are misunderstandings. But Saria, Aleks's love interest was just such an incomplete character that I couldn't even believe them as a couple, which makes the book hard to read. Aleks acts as if Saria is the love of his life, but her actions betray otherwise several times and her naivety isn't cute or endearing as Aleks tries to make it out it be, it's just annoying. And the fact that Aleks claims to love her so much but tells her nothing is a ridiculous notion. I would've much rather seen him with Raina, who had far more personality, knew Aleks far better, treated him with more respect and acted like her own person.
Just like Raina, the secondary characters were really the only thing I enjoyed about this book. Drazan, his brother Zhora and Luka were great and I would've been fine with the book having more of them in it and less of Aleks and Saria, which is sad considering those two are thought to be more important. Drazan was funny, cavalier and his moments in the book were the only ones that I felt myself getting truly invested in, and his brother Zhora was just as good a character, what happened to him was such a waste. The crazy old mechanic Luka was fantastic every time he was on the page and I was sad when he stopped appearing for awhile. I would've been happy just reading about the secondary characters more than what was going on with Aleks.
The plot wasn't hard to follow, but at the same time it wasn't exciting either. And to be honest I wasn't completely sure what the "main" plot even was. The story ended up branching off into several different avenues that it just became more of an adventure story than a story of characters who learn anything or try to overcome and defeat a specific "big bad". Considering how much danger they kept supposedly being in, I never felt like the characters were really at risk or there was any true problems coming their way. I think this was the way everything was presented and how the narrative seemed to meander on unimportant facts and then gloss over scenes that needed to have more depth. Like I was just always waiting for something MORE to happen that never did.
Overall this was just a frustrating read for me, the world felt underdeveloped, the characters lacking in depth and while I was and still am intrigued by the overarching concept I really do think that many aspects of this book would need a lot of work for me to truly enjoy it. However, some things, like Drazan and Zhora were just engaging enough to keep me interested in reading it all the way through and I do believe that there are readers out there who would enjoy this book's particular brand of chaotic storytelling.
*I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book through NetGalley from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books in exchange for an honest review*
March 10, 2017
Ms. Saxon, I have scanned this book and read it as quickly as I could - however, nothing guarded my eyes from the enumerable times that your editor left an 's at the end of Aleks. Really? Aleks? You just had to write it all steampunk like? With names like Shulga and Saria... he's riding a horse into town and then getting on a skyship ... when in the world will this book stop? and then I realize that this is book 2 of a 6 book series. Holy cow! How can one person subject themselves to this stupidity over and over again - clearly, I'm missing something. Maybe its the entire premise of this book. Grades 7+. Do Not Purchase.
July 29, 2015
This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.
Let the record show – I have not read book one, Take Back The Skies. But while set in the same world, The Almost King seems to have no connection to the story before it –or little enough that you can understand one without reading the other. So I don’t think the fact that I hadn’t read the first one is the reason I didn’t like this one.
This was a painful read. Aleks Vasin has just run away? Left home? I don’t know exactly but he’s Making A Statement. Going to See The World. Refuses to work in his father’s shop to support his brothers and their wives who all live under the same roof but nobody works, or something? And in these first few chapters we jump between Before and Now with little subheadings like The Beginning and The Decision, sometimes multiple times in the same chapter. This style was jolty and all over the place and did not give a good first impression. If you wanted a before, make it all in your prologue or your first chapter. Especially as we don’t even jump that far in future and we even get an in between – it was unnecessary. Anyway, so 17-year-old Aleks leaves home on his Adventure. He’s going to Join The Army, except after being there for a day he decides he cannot handle something designed for criminals and he’s going to escape, right after he uncovers a sinister plot and steals a secret diary. Oh jeebus. What have I got myself into?
Aleks is an incredibly wooden character. The book read like it was just going through the motions and I spent far more time thinking to myself “really? REALLY?” I didn’t believe him and I didn’t believe in the story, and not because it was set in an alternate universe with advanced technology but ships that fly. I feel like I could have believed that, had I believed the characters. The world building is not particularly bad and it is an interesting world. But unfortunately, if I was a DNF-er, I would have DNFed before I hit the 100 page mark. Because when I got there and saw how much I still had left it made me very upset!
So the story continues, Aleks goes north instead, where there are much nicer people who are going to give him a place to stay and a job and he just falls into everything he does, even a relationship (despite this relationship having no substance whatsoever) – he even manages to end up as captain as a skyship despite having very little previous experience. There is so much in this book that did not make sense. The character interactions, the things they said, the way events transpired – nothing felt like it flowed or that it could be real. The girl, Saria? I have no idea why he loves her. None whatsoever. I didn’t even think they had gotten to that point in their relationship – I swear they had had only a handful of dates! I don’t get it. I didn’t think it was serious at all and at best she felt like a side character.
Aleks annoyed me because he was such a gung-ho character – until he did something. Then he wimped out and was like ‘no, I don’t like this, take me home.’ No guts! And mush for brains. A very poorly developed character, who could not stop complaining despite the fact he had fallen on his feet, that I could not like and I do not know why everyone who met him loved him and would do anything for him. I am at a loss.
After this terrible bore of a book, it is safe to say I will not be reading another Take Back The Skies book. Unimpressed.
Let the record show – I have not read book one, Take Back The Skies. But while set in the same world, The Almost King seems to have no connection to the story before it –or little enough that you can understand one without reading the other. So I don’t think the fact that I hadn’t read the first one is the reason I didn’t like this one.
This was a painful read. Aleks Vasin has just run away? Left home? I don’t know exactly but he’s Making A Statement. Going to See The World. Refuses to work in his father’s shop to support his brothers and their wives who all live under the same roof but nobody works, or something? And in these first few chapters we jump between Before and Now with little subheadings like The Beginning and The Decision, sometimes multiple times in the same chapter. This style was jolty and all over the place and did not give a good first impression. If you wanted a before, make it all in your prologue or your first chapter. Especially as we don’t even jump that far in future and we even get an in between – it was unnecessary. Anyway, so 17-year-old Aleks leaves home on his Adventure. He’s going to Join The Army, except after being there for a day he decides he cannot handle something designed for criminals and he’s going to escape, right after he uncovers a sinister plot and steals a secret diary. Oh jeebus. What have I got myself into?
Aleks is an incredibly wooden character. The book read like it was just going through the motions and I spent far more time thinking to myself “really? REALLY?” I didn’t believe him and I didn’t believe in the story, and not because it was set in an alternate universe with advanced technology but ships that fly. I feel like I could have believed that, had I believed the characters. The world building is not particularly bad and it is an interesting world. But unfortunately, if I was a DNF-er, I would have DNFed before I hit the 100 page mark. Because when I got there and saw how much I still had left it made me very upset!
So the story continues, Aleks goes north instead, where there are much nicer people who are going to give him a place to stay and a job and he just falls into everything he does, even a relationship (despite this relationship having no substance whatsoever) – he even manages to end up as captain as a skyship despite having very little previous experience. There is so much in this book that did not make sense. The character interactions, the things they said, the way events transpired – nothing felt like it flowed or that it could be real. The girl, Saria? I have no idea why he loves her. None whatsoever. I didn’t even think they had gotten to that point in their relationship – I swear they had had only a handful of dates! I don’t get it. I didn’t think it was serious at all and at best she felt like a side character.
Aleks annoyed me because he was such a gung-ho character – until he did something. Then he wimped out and was like ‘no, I don’t like this, take me home.’ No guts! And mush for brains. A very poorly developed character, who could not stop complaining despite the fact he had fallen on his feet, that I could not like and I do not know why everyone who met him loved him and would do anything for him. I am at a loss.
After this terrible bore of a book, it is safe to say I will not be reading another Take Back The Skies book. Unimpressed.
February 17, 2017
I have not read Take Back the Skies (Take Back the Skies #1) but delved into this one when Bloomsbury India sent me a review copy. The blurb gave me the feeling that the books could be read as standalone and out of order. Each book is supposedly set in a different land within the world setting of Take Back the Skies. It made me think of the Giver Series by Lois Lowry. However, while reading this one, I did get the feeling that I was missing something and hence would like to recommend the readers to read this series in proper order.
Aleks Vasin has a big family and his life cut out for him. However, he has different plans and he puts his plans in motion by running away from home. He goes ahead and enlists in the army only to find out that life with the kingsguard is not what it is built up to be. After an incident, he deserts and embarks on an adventure that changes his life…
What I liked the most about this book was its world building. The world of Tellus and the land of Siberene are beautiful and fascinating. The way the author has built it up and developed it is vibrant and I found it easy to get lost in this brand new world. I wish I could say the same about the characters though. Aleks, our protagonist, made it very difficult to like him. I wish he had a little bit more strength in him. It felt to me like he was just running away from situations whenever they got tough. Admittedly he does find his way in the end but by then it was too late for me to like him. Saria was a bit easier to like but her actions and Aleks’ reaction just didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them either. The plot had much to offer as well and it was interesting as well. A little bit of character development could have taken this book to another level.
I feel that without reading the first book and finding out whether I was indeed missing something, I cannot comment on whether one should take a chance with the series. On its own, the book is pretty average, but just maybe as a series it is much better? It is up to the reader to take a call on this one.
Aleks Vasin has a big family and his life cut out for him. However, he has different plans and he puts his plans in motion by running away from home. He goes ahead and enlists in the army only to find out that life with the kingsguard is not what it is built up to be. After an incident, he deserts and embarks on an adventure that changes his life…
What I liked the most about this book was its world building. The world of Tellus and the land of Siberene are beautiful and fascinating. The way the author has built it up and developed it is vibrant and I found it easy to get lost in this brand new world. I wish I could say the same about the characters though. Aleks, our protagonist, made it very difficult to like him. I wish he had a little bit more strength in him. It felt to me like he was just running away from situations whenever they got tough. Admittedly he does find his way in the end but by then it was too late for me to like him. Saria was a bit easier to like but her actions and Aleks’ reaction just didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them either. The plot had much to offer as well and it was interesting as well. A little bit of character development could have taken this book to another level.
I feel that without reading the first book and finding out whether I was indeed missing something, I cannot comment on whether one should take a chance with the series. On its own, the book is pretty average, but just maybe as a series it is much better? It is up to the reader to take a call on this one.
August 9, 2015
I was lucky enough to grab myself a copy early, and needless to say I'm glad I did. I'm one of those readers where if a book grabs me, it really grabs me and won't let me put it down until I'm done. The Almost King was one of those books.
To say that I bought the book Saturday afternoon and had it finished by the following Monday afternoon should tell you enough. I quite literally couldn't put it down. The plot was gripping enough to hold my interest all the way through - not once did I find myself wavering or skimming like I can sometimes do if a book's plot starts to lapse or drag on. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out and their individual personalities really shine through their interactions with the protagonist, and the little bits of culture you see in and around the places within Siberene really add to the whole setting, and help to submerge you in the world of Tellus.
I was a fan of Take Back The Skies. I'm an even bigger fan of The Almost King, and I cannot wait to see where the next Tellus book takes us!
To say that I bought the book Saturday afternoon and had it finished by the following Monday afternoon should tell you enough. I quite literally couldn't put it down. The plot was gripping enough to hold my interest all the way through - not once did I find myself wavering or skimming like I can sometimes do if a book's plot starts to lapse or drag on. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out and their individual personalities really shine through their interactions with the protagonist, and the little bits of culture you see in and around the places within Siberene really add to the whole setting, and help to submerge you in the world of Tellus.
I was a fan of Take Back The Skies. I'm an even bigger fan of The Almost King, and I cannot wait to see where the next Tellus book takes us!
June 13, 2016
This was a rather dull read for me. To be fair, I read this as a stand alone, and I know it is a companion work. While I had no trouble picking up the story here, I wonder if some who read the first book would find it more engaging. Too much time was spent developing characters and scenes that were not relevant to the adventure, so the pace was slow. I didn't connect with the characters, sometimes because their motivations were muddy and sometimes because the dialogue was stilted and didn't do much to help me discern their emotions. The romance was not very compelling, and more time was spent introducing the romantic interest's aunt than really explaining the attraction between the two characters. The ending was not what I expected and felt a bit like a begrudging Dues Ex Machina. Overall, this is a monster of a book that I can't see my high school readers finishing. Language and situatations are appropriate for grades 7+. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2016
This book was not bad. While it is simplistic in its reading, it seems like an early draft and needs more revisions before being sent for its publication.
Like most of the characters, Aleks' character seemed a bit unfinished. He did not have much depth to his thinking and behavior. To me, it seemed as if he was younger than 17 years old.
This is not a bad story, it just needed to have more substance for older readers. For a children's book, it is a fine read and seems to be well within a child's vocabulary range. In retrospect, I wished the story contained harder words in it to help expand the vocabulary of the reader.
Like most of the characters, Aleks' character seemed a bit unfinished. He did not have much depth to his thinking and behavior. To me, it seemed as if he was younger than 17 years old.
This is not a bad story, it just needed to have more substance for older readers. For a children's book, it is a fine read and seems to be well within a child's vocabulary range. In retrospect, I wished the story contained harder words in it to help expand the vocabulary of the reader.
March 24, 2017
Back to the Stormlands, skyships and steampunk! Yes it's Tellus again!
The Almost King is the second book in Lucy Saxon's Tellus Saga, this time bringing us to the cruel, icy country of Siberene.
Aleks Vasin is the youngest of four brothers and is fed up of being over shadowed. Headstrong, determined, and foolish; Aleks finds himself out of the mines and signed up in Ravka's army. Fearing for his life in the prison like compound, Aleks decides to flee, taking with him a stolen piece of evidence - Nathaniel Hunter's diary.
Aleks finds safety in an inn with a new family, working for a strange engineer on an exciting project. Can he prove himself to be more than just the fourth brother, whilst also hiding from the army and courting the beautiful Saria?
The Almost King is almost a saga in itself, following Aleks through a number of points in his life, with a life-changing journey appearing fairly late in the game. Saxon creates a bloodthirsty villain in the terrifying Shulga and a realistic frustrated teen in Aleks, desperate for his future.
The Almost King touches on more than you'd expect - without spoiling too much - including how societal background passes into armed forces life, destruction of lands through overuse of resources, corruption and colonialism.
The Tellus Saga are standalone novels set in the continent of Tellus, but I recommend reading them in order as this book contains spoilers for Take Back the Skies.
Saxon's writing continues to evolve, and takes us on an adventure into the skies once again.
What to read next:
Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
The Almost King is the second book in Lucy Saxon's Tellus Saga, this time bringing us to the cruel, icy country of Siberene.
Aleks Vasin is the youngest of four brothers and is fed up of being over shadowed. Headstrong, determined, and foolish; Aleks finds himself out of the mines and signed up in Ravka's army. Fearing for his life in the prison like compound, Aleks decides to flee, taking with him a stolen piece of evidence - Nathaniel Hunter's diary.
Aleks finds safety in an inn with a new family, working for a strange engineer on an exciting project. Can he prove himself to be more than just the fourth brother, whilst also hiding from the army and courting the beautiful Saria?
The Almost King is almost a saga in itself, following Aleks through a number of points in his life, with a life-changing journey appearing fairly late in the game. Saxon creates a bloodthirsty villain in the terrifying Shulga and a realistic frustrated teen in Aleks, desperate for his future.
The Almost King touches on more than you'd expect - without spoiling too much - including how societal background passes into armed forces life, destruction of lands through overuse of resources, corruption and colonialism.
The Tellus Saga are standalone novels set in the continent of Tellus, but I recommend reading them in order as this book contains spoilers for Take Back the Skies.
Saxon's writing continues to evolve, and takes us on an adventure into the skies once again.
What to read next:
Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
August 4, 2017
1 out of 5 stars.
Yeah, no.
Just no.
I'm not going to continue with this series. I tried my hardest but this book was just so boring.
The writing grew tedious, like it was the first draft that got published. There were phrases that were way too long, that gave too much information with little to no punctuation, and made the story drag on and on...
The characters were bland, one dimensional and forgettable. Protagonist Aleks was such a dolt. I really disliked him. His character had no point - even when he finally FINALLY flew the way he wanted, he was so bland...
The naming scheme also bugged the hell out of me. Like, "I want a fantasy name! How about... Aleks!". Ksenia. Zorha was one I think? I mean, a comment got made about on of the names being uncommon and I literally swore aloud because it was such an unbelievable statement with the names that had cropped up.
So yeah. No more. Not doing it. Book 3 can stay away, I'm not putting up with this anymore.
Yeah, no.
Just no.
I'm not going to continue with this series. I tried my hardest but this book was just so boring.
The writing grew tedious, like it was the first draft that got published. There were phrases that were way too long, that gave too much information with little to no punctuation, and made the story drag on and on...
The characters were bland, one dimensional and forgettable. Protagonist Aleks was such a dolt. I really disliked him. His character had no point - even when he finally FINALLY flew the way he wanted, he was so bland...
The naming scheme also bugged the hell out of me. Like, "I want a fantasy name! How about... Aleks!". Ksenia. Zorha was one I think? I mean, a comment got made about on of the names being uncommon and I literally swore aloud because it was such an unbelievable statement with the names that had cropped up.
So yeah. No more. Not doing it. Book 3 can stay away, I'm not putting up with this anymore.
January 4, 2026
The Almost King is a solid, gritty YA fantasy that succeeds in expanding the canvas of the Tellus world. It is best suited for readers who appreciate military-inspired fantasy, stories of personal transformation, and innovative series structures where the world itself is the main character. While its pace may be uneven for some, it is a worthwhile read for those invested in seeing Saxon's ambitious six-book vision unfold. Recommended for fans of the series and those seeking a standalone fantasy with a strong survivalist core.
August 24, 2017
I was annoyed that it didn't say anywhere on the book that it was the second book in the series, and I only found out when I updated my currently reading books. Turns out it didn't matter, as it was a different story.
A few things I anticipated happened, and I hated how the book ended. It seemed like the author had been in a rush, and just written some random sentence associated with the story to end it quickly.
It was still a good book though.
A few things I anticipated happened, and I hated how the book ended. It seemed like the author had been in a rush, and just written some random sentence associated with the story to end it quickly.
It was still a good book though.
May 10, 2023
Aleks makes poor choices trying to escape the smothering effect of his older brothers. Escape is both dangerous and illegal. Stealing a book from his superior Officer complicates things. Aleks is lucky he finds good people who give him a break. His job becomes very interesting and he learns to fly. Does Aleks sort his life?
I enjoyed the fantasy.
Recommended for readers ten years and older.
I enjoyed the fantasy.
Recommended for readers ten years and older.
November 26, 2018
It was okay I guess, there was nothing that made me feel attached to the characters so I kind of just didn’t care. Also their reactions didn’t always make sense so I was sometimes a bit confused. Also saria and Alex’s just felt a bit forced
September 12, 2017
Aleks is the youngest son of four. He feels he must prove himself, so runs away to join the army. Unfortunately, he quickly realizes that the brutality and cruel environment are more than he bargained for. After only a few days, he runs away again. But now he has the added label of deserter. Realizing he cannot go home, Aleks heads to the cold far north. There he finds friendship, love, the opportunity to fly a skyship, and amazing adventure. A wonderful new life awaits him, but only if he can avoid those from his past determined to find him and take it all away.
Like many teens, Aleks is selfish, short-sighted, and surprised by the consequences of his actions. Through his misadventures and the gift of true friends, Aleks begins the journey to adulthood as he begins to recognize the bigger picture. While this story pushes the boundaries of plausibility and has many convenient plot points, fans of Opal and Westerfield should enjoy the adventure. The Almost King is book 2 of the Tellus series. Each book in this series is stand alone, but with some overlapping characters and settings.
Like many teens, Aleks is selfish, short-sighted, and surprised by the consequences of his actions. Through his misadventures and the gift of true friends, Aleks begins the journey to adulthood as he begins to recognize the bigger picture. While this story pushes the boundaries of plausibility and has many convenient plot points, fans of Opal and Westerfield should enjoy the adventure. The Almost King is book 2 of the Tellus series. Each book in this series is stand alone, but with some overlapping characters and settings.
November 12, 2018
A light and pleasant read, quite simplistic in places e.g. easy escapes, but an enjoyable adventure.
July 17, 2016
Take Back the Skies told the story of feisty aristocrat Catherine as she hopped aboard a skyship, unravelled long-hidden secrets and initiated the downfall of an entire government. But while some of us are still reeling from the shock of that book’s ending (!), The Almost King takes place in a different country with a different cast. The only links between fan-favourite Cat and newcomer Aleks is that they’re both runaways and both live in the same fictional universe – but you don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this one, so new readers can dive in right away.
Besides, The Almost King has its own fair share of adventure, danger and mystery. The series is evidently still gunning for a movie deal, with its exciting action sequences and cinematic locations. I actually thought there’d be more hype and buzz for it, perhaps some events or competitions, particularly as The Almost King has the potential to appeal to a totally new audience. Take Back the Skies was firmly marketed as YA, but I said at the time that it would’ve been more suited to older children’s or younger teen readers, and with a new, more illustrated cover style planned for the series, it looks like Bloomsbury are seeing those possibilities, too. The best thing about this series for me, however, will always be its steampunk roots and style. It’s still one of the most unique series on the UKYA shelf, and The Almost King is a quick, easy read, perfect for slotting in between hard-hitting contemporaries or heavy historical fiction.
The plot is clear and straightforward, and I loved seeing more of Tellus as a world, too. The Almost King is a wonderfully visual story, which works particularly well when it comes to the characters. Female leads Raina and Saria are downright brilliant - both kick-ass and clever, down-to-earth and still so much fun. They stand on their own two feet and really bring something special to the narrative. Quicksilver, Aleks’ horse, gets a handful of stars all by himself. He’s sent away about halfway through the book, but I would have loved to have seen more of the bond between Aleks and his noble steed, increasingly dangerous events around them or not! There’s a wide range of secondary characters, from Aleks' older brothers and family back at home, to Bodan and Ksenia who help Aleks’ forge a new family after his desertion.
If only I’d liked Aleks as much as I liked the other characters. The book suffers from a slow, robotic start, and it’s almost as if he Aleks was simply designed to carry out the plot, instead of letting the story unfurling naturally and surprisingly ahead of him. The decision to switch protagonists has clearly come back to haunt the series, and I just couldn’t invest in it the way I did with Take Back the Skies. There's no passion in the writing and it lacks the spark that makes a fantasy novel truly spring to life. It's not as emotional or shocking as it could be, and a lot of readers will miss seeing the story of Cat and her friends unfold. The romance, while thankfully not a love triangle, was flat. I think it’s to do with the writing style more than anything – it’s very compact and economical, and doesn’t conjure the magic and wonder of books like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas or Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. I kept willing the story to take risks, to be bold and sweeping and carve out a new path, but with its troubling lack of diversity and a plot that rarely challenges the reader, it just didn't ignite the way it should have.
In short: The Almost King is a quick, easy read, packed with action and some truly fantastic characters. As much I enjoyed the previous book in this series and I was let down by its writing style and execution. That said, it could be ideal for younger readers just starting to read YA.
Read the full review here at Daisy Chain Book Reviews: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
Besides, The Almost King has its own fair share of adventure, danger and mystery. The series is evidently still gunning for a movie deal, with its exciting action sequences and cinematic locations. I actually thought there’d be more hype and buzz for it, perhaps some events or competitions, particularly as The Almost King has the potential to appeal to a totally new audience. Take Back the Skies was firmly marketed as YA, but I said at the time that it would’ve been more suited to older children’s or younger teen readers, and with a new, more illustrated cover style planned for the series, it looks like Bloomsbury are seeing those possibilities, too. The best thing about this series for me, however, will always be its steampunk roots and style. It’s still one of the most unique series on the UKYA shelf, and The Almost King is a quick, easy read, perfect for slotting in between hard-hitting contemporaries or heavy historical fiction.
The plot is clear and straightforward, and I loved seeing more of Tellus as a world, too. The Almost King is a wonderfully visual story, which works particularly well when it comes to the characters. Female leads Raina and Saria are downright brilliant - both kick-ass and clever, down-to-earth and still so much fun. They stand on their own two feet and really bring something special to the narrative. Quicksilver, Aleks’ horse, gets a handful of stars all by himself. He’s sent away about halfway through the book, but I would have loved to have seen more of the bond between Aleks and his noble steed, increasingly dangerous events around them or not! There’s a wide range of secondary characters, from Aleks' older brothers and family back at home, to Bodan and Ksenia who help Aleks’ forge a new family after his desertion.
If only I’d liked Aleks as much as I liked the other characters. The book suffers from a slow, robotic start, and it’s almost as if he Aleks was simply designed to carry out the plot, instead of letting the story unfurling naturally and surprisingly ahead of him. The decision to switch protagonists has clearly come back to haunt the series, and I just couldn’t invest in it the way I did with Take Back the Skies. There's no passion in the writing and it lacks the spark that makes a fantasy novel truly spring to life. It's not as emotional or shocking as it could be, and a lot of readers will miss seeing the story of Cat and her friends unfold. The romance, while thankfully not a love triangle, was flat. I think it’s to do with the writing style more than anything – it’s very compact and economical, and doesn’t conjure the magic and wonder of books like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas or Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. I kept willing the story to take risks, to be bold and sweeping and carve out a new path, but with its troubling lack of diversity and a plot that rarely challenges the reader, it just didn't ignite the way it should have.
In short: The Almost King is a quick, easy read, packed with action and some truly fantastic characters. As much I enjoyed the previous book in this series and I was let down by its writing style and execution. That said, it could be ideal for younger readers just starting to read YA.
Read the full review here at Daisy Chain Book Reviews: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
December 14, 2016
The Almost King: The book starts off with Alecks a young boy from the Eastern end of the country he lives in riding his horse to the army training place in the South of the country. The people at the training base tell Alecks to do very hard obstacle courses. After four days of this he decides to run away. He runs to a town called
This book started off slow, but got faster quickly. The author had a lot of flashbacks at random points which took my mind off the actual story. After Alecks left the army the story actually started moving faster. After Alecks got into the town he got a job at an old workshop. At this workshop there is a man who he becomes an apprentice to.
This is a great story, but it didn’t move along fast and I stopped reading it not long after I started it. The flashbacks were not very interesting to me and they never say anything about why Alecks left his home. Alecks life in the mines may not have been fun, but nothing could prepare him for the training the army made him go through. I think he left his home because he was laid off from his job at the mines.
This book started off slow, but got faster quickly. The author had a lot of flashbacks at random points which took my mind off the actual story. After Alecks left the army the story actually started moving faster. After Alecks got into the town he got a job at an old workshop. At this workshop there is a man who he becomes an apprentice to.
This is a great story, but it didn’t move along fast and I stopped reading it not long after I started it. The flashbacks were not very interesting to me and they never say anything about why Alecks left his home. Alecks life in the mines may not have been fun, but nothing could prepare him for the training the army made him go through. I think he left his home because he was laid off from his job at the mines.
February 5, 2017
OH MY GOODNESS. I loved this book so much. On Goodreads it says I’ve been reading it for a while, but I read this in one day. 410 pages in one single day. Seriously this series is becoming one of my favorite series!
This is the second installment in the six book series (SIX BOOKS!). In this book you follow Aleks Vasin down to the south of his country where he tries to find what he wants to do. He enlists in the army because no one in his family has, and having four successful older brothers, he needs to take a different path. He quickly finds out that this military camp in the south of the country is brutal and violent. There has never been a chance that he’ll get to fight the way he wants to coming from this camp. He wants to travel. He has wanderlust that he needs to fulfill...
Read more here!
https://pointextaken.wordpress.com/20...
Aubrey Joy
This is the second installment in the six book series (SIX BOOKS!). In this book you follow Aleks Vasin down to the south of his country where he tries to find what he wants to do. He enlists in the army because no one in his family has, and having four successful older brothers, he needs to take a different path. He quickly finds out that this military camp in the south of the country is brutal and violent. There has never been a chance that he’ll get to fight the way he wants to coming from this camp. He wants to travel. He has wanderlust that he needs to fulfill...
Read more here!
https://pointextaken.wordpress.com/20...
Aubrey Joy
July 5, 2015
It was good to find out more about Tellus, and the Stormlands but the whole book seemed rushed - there wasn't as much detail or world / character building. There was only one character that I actually gave a crap about even evidently not that much considering the events of the book.
All in all after the first book I was really really disappointed.
All in all after the first book I was really really disappointed.
January 27, 2018
One of my favorite things about following an author is wittnessing their improvement from book to book. And in young Saxon's Tellus series, her improvement is nearly physical tangible. Rich with vivid descriptions and humorous characters, The Almost King was a refreshing steam punk read.
July 14, 2015
Not as good as Take Back the Skies, but still as good read.
July 28, 2015
Skimmed the last half. Just a bit flimsy.
August 18, 2015
This book is fantastic, although I loved the fist book better.
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