Raulin: Rise of the Forest King

by Benjamin J. Denen, Josh Jack Carl (Illustrator), Amanda Maile (Editor)

Orphaned at just ten years of age, Raulin vows to track down the eleven men who murdered his family and make them pay for what they have taken from him; however, he finds himself thrust into the middle of a conflict that soon proves to be much bigger than his quest for revenge. Can he become the man his father always envisioned or will the hatred in his heart make him into the very man he is hunting? Conscripted into the Keepers at a young age, Bruschian—now thirty—is finally about to get his first true tasted of freedom. He must discover who he will become now that he is no longer forced to bear arms in the name of a Church in which he does not believe. After all these years, is he more than just the killer they created? Rise of the Forest King, takes place in the years prior to the events of The Keeper of Edelyndia. It is the origin story of a fledgling rebellion and an orphaned king.

Genres: Fantasy

340 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

Benjamin J. Denen is a husband, father, son, brother, friend, Christ follower, author, musician, pizza aficionado, promoter of the Oxford comma, and fan of all things Chicago sports (Cubs not White Sox). He holds a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Guitar Performance from Belmont University (a fancy way of saying he plays guitar good) and a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. When he’s not reading, he’s writing. Sometimes that means he is composing music for film/media in his project studio (i.e. in his converted garage). It could also mean that he is writing his latest novel.

He writes much in the same way that he reads, which is to say that he bounces around between different genres like Tigger after drinking a 5-Hour Energy. In music that means one day is laying tracks for a metal piece for a client. The next day he is composing a symphonic ballad for another. In his career as a novelist, it means that he writes urban fantasy, murder/mystery, epic fantasy, humorous young adult, Hallmark Channel-esque novellas, and so on. He thinks it makes him creative. His wife thinks it is adult A.D.D.

Being a writer is what he does not who he is. As much as he enjoys crafting music and stories, he places a much higher value on being a present father and husband. He’d rather play toys with his son than write a best seller (of course if he could do both he wouldn’t complain).

Reviews

[Gin Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

Couldn't put it down from the minute I started it. Characters easy to know and identify with, action without gore and tough fighting men without offensive language. I shouldered anything by this author and highly recommend this book. Do yourself a favor and read this truly exciting book. :)

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! :)

[R.M. Lutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice prequel to The Keeper of Edelyndia. Those who have not read The Keeper and those who have will both enjoy it. It contains some great fantasy action and explores various moral themes. (Read more at my blog, thebookhoundchrisitanspecfic.blogspot.com)

[Shannon Granade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun exciting read!!

Loved the storyline and the characters. Of course my favorite is Raulin. I can't wait to read the next in the series as soon as they are done.

[Kendra Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading the first in the series, The Keeper of Edelyndia. I didn't even bother to read the synopsis, so I was surprised to discover it was more of a prequel rather than a continuation. That was not a problem, just not what I expected.

I thought the book was okay. I get that there was too much exposition and not enough action through most of the book. While I understand that the author needed to convey a significant amount of information, I felt like he could have done it more actively. I almost put it down a few times out of boredom, but I'm glad I stayed with it. Toward the end, the action picked up and the story got better, finishing well.

If you enjoyed the first book in the series, you may enjoy this one as well if you can get past the exposition. My favorite part of the book was the epilogue.

[Anna Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this book is heartbreaking. But the darkness serves to let the light of loyalty, love and self-sacrifice shine all the more brightly.
I eagerly followed Raulin's quest for vengeance and shuddered at the effects this had on him.
I would recommend this book highly.