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The King's Fall
The Celestial King is the heart of the kingdom. He ensures peace and prosperity. His time of death has come. As the Celestial King is slowly dying, the Kingdom of Narilan is withering away. In these harsh times, people pray for a just and compassionate ruler. Yet rumors speak of a powerful and merciless warrior who is already on the way. This is his tale.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2017
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Rain
4 books14 followersPatrick Rain considers two zones to be truly limitless: the water and one’s own imagination. It was in the freedom of these zones, during an evening swim, that the first idea for a story came to him, and he has been writing ever since. He has a passion for learning languages, which he devotes much of his free time to. He speaks English, Polish, and Japanese.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2017
A mix of fantasy and action. The fights were great and Kyle was a strong protagonist. A good read.
April 1, 2018
Why I chose this book:
I enjoy epic fantasy, sword and sorcery fantasy, so when I learned that Patrick Rain's fantasy novel was being offered for review, I was interested. I received a copy of The King's Fall from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review
When the Celestial King is close to death, a potential successor endeavors to earn the throne.
The King's Fall follows Kyle and his companions as they journey through Narilan. Kyle aims to be crowned and control everything; the Celestial King is both omniscient and omnipotent. This is accomplished through the use of mana, an energy found in everything that can be harnessed by those with a talent for doing so. (Think of the Force from Star Wars, but in a medieval setting, and you have the basic premise for the land of Narilan.) As Kyle journeys through the kingdom, he must perform different labors to be considered for the throne; he and his companions must also face various enemies.
Without spoiling anything, my favorite character for most of the story was Ellia, a supporter and companion of Kyle. Although she was timid at first, her confidence increased with each leg of their journey, concluding with a turn of events that surprised me, but was not unrealistic in the story's frame. Along with Ellia, Kyle's other companions have an air of mystery about them. The author does not overdo this mystery, however, and imparts information about them at a reasonable pace.
The pacing of the entire tale, not just character revelations, is well done - the storyline kept this reader interested and even wondering what happens to the characters after the story ends. In addition to the pacing and plot, I enjoyed the world created by Patrick Rain. While the concept of mana feels inspired by Star Wars' Force (I just saw the recent movie, so it's on my mind), my personal taste is fantasy, not sci-fi, so the setting appealed to me from the start.
Although I enjoyed the book, there were some detractors from that enjoyment. Typos interrupted the narrative flow for me, as did unexpected phrasing. For example, I think of cities crumbling, but Rain uses the phrase, "make the city crumple." I acknowledge that typos and unfamiliar phrases can be minor; it was the frequency with which they occurred that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. The story is good, but I might say that the delivery needs a bit of polishing.
I enjoy epic fantasy, sword and sorcery fantasy, so when I learned that Patrick Rain's fantasy novel was being offered for review, I was interested. I received a copy of The King's Fall from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review
When the Celestial King is close to death, a potential successor endeavors to earn the throne.
The King's Fall follows Kyle and his companions as they journey through Narilan. Kyle aims to be crowned and control everything; the Celestial King is both omniscient and omnipotent. This is accomplished through the use of mana, an energy found in everything that can be harnessed by those with a talent for doing so. (Think of the Force from Star Wars, but in a medieval setting, and you have the basic premise for the land of Narilan.) As Kyle journeys through the kingdom, he must perform different labors to be considered for the throne; he and his companions must also face various enemies.
Without spoiling anything, my favorite character for most of the story was Ellia, a supporter and companion of Kyle. Although she was timid at first, her confidence increased with each leg of their journey, concluding with a turn of events that surprised me, but was not unrealistic in the story's frame. Along with Ellia, Kyle's other companions have an air of mystery about them. The author does not overdo this mystery, however, and imparts information about them at a reasonable pace.
The pacing of the entire tale, not just character revelations, is well done - the storyline kept this reader interested and even wondering what happens to the characters after the story ends. In addition to the pacing and plot, I enjoyed the world created by Patrick Rain. While the concept of mana feels inspired by Star Wars' Force (I just saw the recent movie, so it's on my mind), my personal taste is fantasy, not sci-fi, so the setting appealed to me from the start.
Although I enjoyed the book, there were some detractors from that enjoyment. Typos interrupted the narrative flow for me, as did unexpected phrasing. For example, I think of cities crumbling, but Rain uses the phrase, "make the city crumple." I acknowledge that typos and unfamiliar phrases can be minor; it was the frequency with which they occurred that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. The story is good, but I might say that the delivery needs a bit of polishing.
April 11, 2018
DNF
And well, I just wasn’t impressed by it. Kyle didn’t get to me and none of the characters struck a chord, or even made an impression on me.
The premise did sound intriguing, but it just did nothing to really delve deeply into the characters. Although I know that the style of epic fantasy tends to not focus on character development, or at least the kind that I prefer.
But really, this didn’t have a single character whom I even remotely liked or enjoyed. I wasn’t even intrigued by any of them or found their choices interesting. And they were bland, the world didn’t feel different or try to make itself more unique.
And that was where it failed. For me, epic fantasy have to a lot more to impress. And really, characters are the core which I look into, and how I read most books, getting me to care is the main thing here.
Even a fully developed world will not catch my eye as much as a well written character would. But this just had neither, and I couldn’t find a reason to continue. So, I dropped it. It just wasn’t for me, and if you enjoy epic fantasy, you could give this a go. It might be for you, but it wasn’t made for me.
And well, I just wasn’t impressed by it. Kyle didn’t get to me and none of the characters struck a chord, or even made an impression on me.
The premise did sound intriguing, but it just did nothing to really delve deeply into the characters. Although I know that the style of epic fantasy tends to not focus on character development, or at least the kind that I prefer.
But really, this didn’t have a single character whom I even remotely liked or enjoyed. I wasn’t even intrigued by any of them or found their choices interesting. And they were bland, the world didn’t feel different or try to make itself more unique.
And that was where it failed. For me, epic fantasy have to a lot more to impress. And really, characters are the core which I look into, and how I read most books, getting me to care is the main thing here.
Even a fully developed world will not catch my eye as much as a well written character would. But this just had neither, and I couldn’t find a reason to continue. So, I dropped it. It just wasn’t for me, and if you enjoy epic fantasy, you could give this a go. It might be for you, but it wasn’t made for me.
April 5, 2018
This was my first book to read in the Magical Fantasy Genre and I enjoyed the story. The magic, fighting, and adventure really kept me interested to the very end. I would suggest this book for anyone that enjoys this genre.
July 28, 2017
I really enjoyed my journey through Narilan. Well-paced story, good characters and an interesting magic system. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy.
February 27, 2018
For being a brick I read it pretty quickly and I absolutely loved the world of Narilan! As for the writing it didn’t really match the story but I’m more of a plot driven reader so this didn’t bother me too much.
All in all this was a really entertaining read and exactly what I needed right now. It was well paced and enjoyable and I was satisfied with the ending although it was bittersweet.
full review at: https://wordpress.com/post/rhythmicbo...
All in all this was a really entertaining read and exactly what I needed right now. It was well paced and enjoyable and I was satisfied with the ending although it was bittersweet.
full review at: https://wordpress.com/post/rhythmicbo...
September 30, 2018
I received a free copy of The King’s Fall in exchange for my candid opinion. The King’s Fall is a fantasy story that answers my question about what happens if God is a mortal. Powerful mages, called Dreamers, move throughout the kingdom and earn blessings by warlords. Once they receive ten, they’re able to challenge for the right to become the next Celestial King. The Celestial King has omnipotent powers to ensure the kingdom has ample food and protection. However, when the king is close to death, that’s when disease and natural disasters become more rampant. It was an interesting idea, but the execution is similar to many fantasy stories that have come before. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
The opening is strong and bloody. I like a good action scene. The author provides many to satisfy my interest.
The premise of a god having a successor is interesting. Especially considering the prize isn’t what it originally appears to be.
Hilda’s death scene was good up until the point she was able to kill her murderer. Her opponent got way too cocky, way too fast.
The way Kyle killed Ned. The setup led me to believe something else was in store. I enjoyed the simplicity of the fight.
I also enjoyed how quickly Kyle killed the former Celestial King. Dorrell’s reaction and planning to just wait the new king out, were also strong points.
The Bad.
I didn’t like how quickly Hilda sacrificed her arm. She seemed too pure and innocent. I understand her village bred people like that, but her lack of resentment for Ellia seemed weird.
Ellia’s ultimate fate was also upsetting. I feel we were TOLD why Kyle let her live, but the author should have SHOWED us. That scene could have played out for many pages of agony as Kyle determines her fate. Instead, he basically just says, “There’s the door.” It was also odd how much the story focused on her to mostly abandon her in the final act.
There are numerous grammar issues in this book. Not on every page, but definitely two or three per chapter. When you factor in 61 chapters, you can see how the frequency can be jarring. A more thorough editing process is necessary.
The Technical.
This book is violent with many severed limbs. If you don’t like a body count, you may wish to stay away.
The Good.
The opening is strong and bloody. I like a good action scene. The author provides many to satisfy my interest.
The premise of a god having a successor is interesting. Especially considering the prize isn’t what it originally appears to be.
Hilda’s death scene was good up until the point she was able to kill her murderer. Her opponent got way too cocky, way too fast.
The way Kyle killed Ned. The setup led me to believe something else was in store. I enjoyed the simplicity of the fight.
I also enjoyed how quickly Kyle killed the former Celestial King. Dorrell’s reaction and planning to just wait the new king out, were also strong points.
The Bad.
I didn’t like how quickly Hilda sacrificed her arm. She seemed too pure and innocent. I understand her village bred people like that, but her lack of resentment for Ellia seemed weird.
Ellia’s ultimate fate was also upsetting. I feel we were TOLD why Kyle let her live, but the author should have SHOWED us. That scene could have played out for many pages of agony as Kyle determines her fate. Instead, he basically just says, “There’s the door.” It was also odd how much the story focused on her to mostly abandon her in the final act.
There are numerous grammar issues in this book. Not on every page, but definitely two or three per chapter. When you factor in 61 chapters, you can see how the frequency can be jarring. A more thorough editing process is necessary.
The Technical.
This book is violent with many severed limbs. If you don’t like a body count, you may wish to stay away.
Read
August 2, 2017Polish reviewer here. Recommend it to fans of Epic Fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews