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Ash and Sand #1
Kings of Paradise
A deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide.
Only one can be king.
Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who've wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery. Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin.
But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king... The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic.
Only one can be king.
Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who've wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery. Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin.
But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king... The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic.
608 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2017
1194 people are currently reading
15967 people want to read
About the author
Richard Nell
8 books768 followersRichard Nell concerned family and friends by quitting his real job in 2014 to 'write full-time'. He is a Canadian author of fantasy, living in one of the flattest, coldest places on earth with his begrudging wife, who makes sure he eats.
His debut novel, Kings of Paradise, is the first of an epic, coming-of-age, low fantasy trilogy, and a Canadian Amazon best-seller in dark fantasy. It's available now.
He also writes flintlock fantasy! Join his mailing list for news on finished work, freebies, and the occasional philosophical rant.
His debut novel, Kings of Paradise, is the first of an epic, coming-of-age, low fantasy trilogy, and a Canadian Amazon best-seller in dark fantasy. It's available now.
He also writes flintlock fantasy! Join his mailing list for news on finished work, freebies, and the occasional philosophical rant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 515 reviews
July 30, 2018
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I finally got around to review Richard Nell’s highly acclaimed indie debut, Kings of Paradise. My verdict: an impressive grimdark debut.
I was first offered to review Kings of Paradise by Nell himself back in November 2017. Back then, Kings of Paradise had around 20 ratings and I simply didn’t have time to read it because I was swamped by ARCs, review copies, and Oathbringer’s release, which was also in November; I told Nell that I’ll give his book a read in 2018. I certainly didn’t expect that the book would garner 150 new ratings and many extremely positive reviews; I’m pretty sure there’s a Nell fan club being formed already. I won’t bother you with rearranging the synopsis into my own words, the blurb is spoiler-free and you should read that if you want to know what the plot is about. I’ll start off this review immediately with my favorite part of the book, Ruka’s storyline.
I can’t emphasize highly enough how much I love Ruka’s storyline. If you think Jorg Ancrath was a good anti-hero? I’ll raise Ruka to challenge that. Just within one book, in my opinion, Ruka has already triumphed over Jorg as an anti-hero. Nell is extremely good at his characterizations of the two main characters but what he did with Ruka was truly something special. Ruka’s story was dark, a deliciously grim and dark tale and I’ll be honest here, Ruka’s POV was easily one of the best anti-hero POV I’ve ever read in grimdark fantasy. The story of the book literally begins with him cannibalizing someone and then it immediately shifted to his traumatizing past as a kid. Being deformed and growing up in a cruel world, he started off as this sweet child who loves his mother but became more ruthless with the story progression. Right from the first chapter, I was immediately hooked to find out what made him become such a character in the present timeline. However, even more importantly, what made his story even better was the depth of empathy I have towards his character despite the insane, dark, savage, and brutal actions he had to do growing up. Enough said, truly a brilliant, original, and fantastic coming-of-age anti-hero story. Although Ruka completely stole the spotlight for me, Kale’s story was one of the most positive aspects of the book.
Kale and Ruka’s story can be described as light versus darkness in comparison but they do have similarities in the harsh way they were brought up; despite their different circumstances. Kale’s story is centered on his coming of age and he genuinely tries to become a good person. The best way to describe Kale’s story, in my opinion, would be the combination of both Vaelin from Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song and Brian Staveley’s The Emperor Blades. Kale’s story is one of brotherhood, forbidden love, and military school. If you love Vaelin’s story in The Emperor’s Blade and Blood Song (like I did), I have no doubt you’ll love his POV. Despite my issue with the abundance of romance that didn’t work for me (no surprise really coming from me) in Kale’s story, I was never bored with reading his POV; delightful, gripping, and definitely one of the highlights of the book for me.
The originality in Nell’s world-building is another factor that I highly appreciate. The setting of his world didn’t stick to the famous medieval European setting, he instead adapts a lot of different cultures of our world into his book. The first example, the 'Ascomi' which came from 'Ascomanni', which is what the Scandinavians called themselves originally. The meaning behind it is 'men of ash'. Another example, Orang Kaya, which was the term used to describe wealthy people in the book. If you’re not Indonesian, you probably won’t know about this but Orang Kaya is literally an Indonesian term for, guess what, rich people/human. Don’t believe me? Go search Orang Kaya on Google and I guarantee you’ll see images of rich people throwing their money everywhere. There are of course plenty more such as Pyu (a group of city-states that existed in Burma) and a few Norse inspirations but I’ll have to stop here and let you find out for yourself. Nell’s prose was also praise-worthy. His prose was lyrical and engaging to read and there was literally only two typo I spotted within this 600 pages tome. It absolutely didn’t feel like a debut as it was very well-polished, easy to read, and words flowed wonderfully. A bit of a very minor gripe is that Nell used a lot of italic words; I don’t think they’re really necessary. I’m not speaking about characters inner dialogues, but this is the best example. As for the typo, I literally spotted only two typos out of this 600 pages tome. There was however a lot of words being italicized which I thought was unnecessary. It didn’t detract my overall ratings but it did distract my immersion several times because the majority of the pages were filled with it, and I’m not talking about inner dialogues.
After all these praises, you might be wondering why not 5 stars? Trust me, I wish I can give this book 5 stars but I can’t. I have two main issues with this book despite all its greatness. Have you ever read POV’s that was so good that it became a double-edged blade for the book? This is one of those cases. I have mentioned my love for Ruka’s and Kale’s story but there was actually one more main POV in the book, Dala; this is where one of my main issues lies. I never stop wishing to go back to the other two main POV. Was Dala’s story bad? Not really, it just pales in comparison and I personally wasn’t interested in her story at all. Dala’s story felt like an unnecessary side dish in the face of the main courses to me. Her POV did eventually converge with another main character at 70% mark. That’s the point where I finally started to care about her POV, but it’s not because I was invested in her character but because I care about knowing the other main character’s storyline from her view, not her. She’s just not memorable in my opinion, give it a day or two and I know I’ll forget about her.
The other issue I had with the book was the pacing. The last 30% of the book moves way too fast, with many completely new POV’s to follow popping out and there was plenty of time skip happening. This felt different from the first 70% which really took its time building the characters and story meticulously. Also, the amount of time we spend with a character can be too long and the POV’s changes between characters were too far in between. Here’s an example, the first 32% was dominated heavily by Ruka and Kale’s POV. Kale’s last POV in part one ended at the 32% mark. By this point, I was already super engaged with both Ruka and Kale’s storyline but the story shifted its focus to a new character, Dala and it never goes back to Kale’s story again until the 56% mark; that’s around 140 pages. This probably would be okay if I actually care about Dala’s story but like I mentioned before, I wasn’t. This means that I was forced to read 140 pages before getting back to POV that I care about. In this kind of epic fantasy, I also wish there were more engaging female characters for variety. Other than Dala, there was only one or two very brief side female character’s POV to read so if you don’t like Dala, there probably won’t be any female character for you to root for. In fact, other than Ruka’s mom which appeared briefly, none of the female characters were memorable at all to me.
I’ll be honest here, some of the problems I mentioned most likely come from the fact that my expectation for this book was quite high. I can’t help it. When you saw many reviews saying something along the line of “this will win SPFBO for sure!” “I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t win SPFBO!” several times before the competition even started, expectations bounded to increase. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that this is a strong contender for the competition and like they said, it might even actually win; especially knowing the judges’ preferences with loving grimdark and epic fantasy. The book just fell short a bit from my high expectation so I’m partly to blame here.
Despite the issues I had on the book, my rating—4 stars—speaks for itself that overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I’m pretty sure that Nell’s career as an author will be a bright one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves A Song of Ice and Fire and grimdark epic fantasy. Kings of Paradise was a fascinatingly dark, original, and magnificent read. I’m definitely looking forward to how this will fare in SPFBO.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
I finally got around to review Richard Nell’s highly acclaimed indie debut, Kings of Paradise. My verdict: an impressive grimdark debut.
I was first offered to review Kings of Paradise by Nell himself back in November 2017. Back then, Kings of Paradise had around 20 ratings and I simply didn’t have time to read it because I was swamped by ARCs, review copies, and Oathbringer’s release, which was also in November; I told Nell that I’ll give his book a read in 2018. I certainly didn’t expect that the book would garner 150 new ratings and many extremely positive reviews; I’m pretty sure there’s a Nell fan club being formed already. I won’t bother you with rearranging the synopsis into my own words, the blurb is spoiler-free and you should read that if you want to know what the plot is about. I’ll start off this review immediately with my favorite part of the book, Ruka’s storyline.
I can’t emphasize highly enough how much I love Ruka’s storyline. If you think Jorg Ancrath was a good anti-hero? I’ll raise Ruka to challenge that. Just within one book, in my opinion, Ruka has already triumphed over Jorg as an anti-hero. Nell is extremely good at his characterizations of the two main characters but what he did with Ruka was truly something special. Ruka’s story was dark, a deliciously grim and dark tale and I’ll be honest here, Ruka’s POV was easily one of the best anti-hero POV I’ve ever read in grimdark fantasy. The story of the book literally begins with him cannibalizing someone and then it immediately shifted to his traumatizing past as a kid. Being deformed and growing up in a cruel world, he started off as this sweet child who loves his mother but became more ruthless with the story progression. Right from the first chapter, I was immediately hooked to find out what made him become such a character in the present timeline. However, even more importantly, what made his story even better was the depth of empathy I have towards his character despite the insane, dark, savage, and brutal actions he had to do growing up. Enough said, truly a brilliant, original, and fantastic coming-of-age anti-hero story. Although Ruka completely stole the spotlight for me, Kale’s story was one of the most positive aspects of the book.
Kale and Ruka’s story can be described as light versus darkness in comparison but they do have similarities in the harsh way they were brought up; despite their different circumstances. Kale’s story is centered on his coming of age and he genuinely tries to become a good person. The best way to describe Kale’s story, in my opinion, would be the combination of both Vaelin from Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song and Brian Staveley’s The Emperor Blades. Kale’s story is one of brotherhood, forbidden love, and military school. If you love Vaelin’s story in The Emperor’s Blade and Blood Song (like I did), I have no doubt you’ll love his POV. Despite my issue with the abundance of romance that didn’t work for me (no surprise really coming from me) in Kale’s story, I was never bored with reading his POV; delightful, gripping, and definitely one of the highlights of the book for me.
The originality in Nell’s world-building is another factor that I highly appreciate. The setting of his world didn’t stick to the famous medieval European setting, he instead adapts a lot of different cultures of our world into his book. The first example, the 'Ascomi' which came from 'Ascomanni', which is what the Scandinavians called themselves originally. The meaning behind it is 'men of ash'. Another example, Orang Kaya, which was the term used to describe wealthy people in the book. If you’re not Indonesian, you probably won’t know about this but Orang Kaya is literally an Indonesian term for, guess what, rich people/human. Don’t believe me? Go search Orang Kaya on Google and I guarantee you’ll see images of rich people throwing their money everywhere. There are of course plenty more such as Pyu (a group of city-states that existed in Burma) and a few Norse inspirations but I’ll have to stop here and let you find out for yourself. Nell’s prose was also praise-worthy. His prose was lyrical and engaging to read and there was literally only two typo I spotted within this 600 pages tome. It absolutely didn’t feel like a debut as it was very well-polished, easy to read, and words flowed wonderfully. A bit of a very minor gripe is that Nell used a lot of italic words; I don’t think they’re really necessary. I’m not speaking about characters inner dialogues, but this is the best example. As for the typo, I literally spotted only two typos out of this 600 pages tome. There was however a lot of words being italicized which I thought was unnecessary. It didn’t detract my overall ratings but it did distract my immersion several times because the majority of the pages were filled with it, and I’m not talking about inner dialogues.
After all these praises, you might be wondering why not 5 stars? Trust me, I wish I can give this book 5 stars but I can’t. I have two main issues with this book despite all its greatness. Have you ever read POV’s that was so good that it became a double-edged blade for the book? This is one of those cases. I have mentioned my love for Ruka’s and Kale’s story but there was actually one more main POV in the book, Dala; this is where one of my main issues lies. I never stop wishing to go back to the other two main POV. Was Dala’s story bad? Not really, it just pales in comparison and I personally wasn’t interested in her story at all. Dala’s story felt like an unnecessary side dish in the face of the main courses to me. Her POV did eventually converge with another main character at 70% mark. That’s the point where I finally started to care about her POV, but it’s not because I was invested in her character but because I care about knowing the other main character’s storyline from her view, not her. She’s just not memorable in my opinion, give it a day or two and I know I’ll forget about her.
The other issue I had with the book was the pacing. The last 30% of the book moves way too fast, with many completely new POV’s to follow popping out and there was plenty of time skip happening. This felt different from the first 70% which really took its time building the characters and story meticulously. Also, the amount of time we spend with a character can be too long and the POV’s changes between characters were too far in between. Here’s an example, the first 32% was dominated heavily by Ruka and Kale’s POV. Kale’s last POV in part one ended at the 32% mark. By this point, I was already super engaged with both Ruka and Kale’s storyline but the story shifted its focus to a new character, Dala and it never goes back to Kale’s story again until the 56% mark; that’s around 140 pages. This probably would be okay if I actually care about Dala’s story but like I mentioned before, I wasn’t. This means that I was forced to read 140 pages before getting back to POV that I care about. In this kind of epic fantasy, I also wish there were more engaging female characters for variety. Other than Dala, there was only one or two very brief side female character’s POV to read so if you don’t like Dala, there probably won’t be any female character for you to root for. In fact, other than Ruka’s mom which appeared briefly, none of the female characters were memorable at all to me.
I’ll be honest here, some of the problems I mentioned most likely come from the fact that my expectation for this book was quite high. I can’t help it. When you saw many reviews saying something along the line of “this will win SPFBO for sure!” “I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t win SPFBO!” several times before the competition even started, expectations bounded to increase. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that this is a strong contender for the competition and like they said, it might even actually win; especially knowing the judges’ preferences with loving grimdark and epic fantasy. The book just fell short a bit from my high expectation so I’m partly to blame here.
Despite the issues I had on the book, my rating—4 stars—speaks for itself that overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I’m pretty sure that Nell’s career as an author will be a bright one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves A Song of Ice and Fire and grimdark epic fantasy. Kings of Paradise was a fascinatingly dark, original, and magnificent read. I’m definitely looking forward to how this will fare in SPFBO.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
July 5, 2018
4.5 -> 5*
Oh man... where do I even begin?!
Okay... let me just start by stating the obvious: this is a fantastic debut novel. If you don't know this is indie - you will never be able to tell.
It is also a crazy mix of plotlines and themes. Some places are deeply poignant and lyrical others are pure badassery. In fact, there is so much going on and plot twists so sharply all the time that, like me, you may be feeling that you are reading an anthology. Except all parts are joined up by the braided paths of the three main protagonists: Ruka (my absolute favourite), Dala (I did not like her very much - sorry) and Kale (I liked him well enough, but Ruka steals the show).
The synopsis of the book compares it to 'A Game of Thrones'. I don't think this is a fair comparison. Or it is similar only insofar as grimdarkness goes...so it is more like 'A Feast for Crows'.
I think a better benchmark would be The Emperor's Blades or even Blood Song for Kale chapters. Ruka's and Dala's parts are pure creative insanity. Every time I started thinking: 'ah! - i see, this is like [...]' - the plot was twisting savagely as if on purpose to nullify my hypothesis. But Beyond Redemption comes as close as it gets. (Less supernatural stuff though).
This book is hard to review without spoilers, so I all would say in conclusion: you are looking at 2018 SFPBO winner. This book is incredible (providing you don't mind some excessive brutality e.g. cannibalism etc). So... read it. And hide it from your children.
***
A welcome brand new voice in a modern fantasy arena! A well crafted coming of age story set in the unusual setting inspired by the South East Asian culture. The story follows two parallel storylines or two main protagonists and allows to appreciate the worldbuilding from multiple points of view. Somewhat reminiscent of Anthony Ryan's 'Blood Song' and Brian Staveley's 'Emperor's Blades'
I was particularly pleasantly surprised by Richard Nell's storytelling ability and clarity of his writing. I will definitely be on a lookout for his new releases and recommend others to discover his writing.
You can find 'Kings of Paradise' on Kindle Unlimited
Oh man... where do I even begin?!
Okay... let me just start by stating the obvious: this is a fantastic debut novel. If you don't know this is indie - you will never be able to tell.
It is also a crazy mix of plotlines and themes. Some places are deeply poignant and lyrical others are pure badassery. In fact, there is so much going on and plot twists so sharply all the time that, like me, you may be feeling that you are reading an anthology. Except all parts are joined up by the braided paths of the three main protagonists: Ruka (my absolute favourite), Dala (I did not like her very much - sorry) and Kale (I liked him well enough, but Ruka steals the show).
The synopsis of the book compares it to 'A Game of Thrones'. I don't think this is a fair comparison. Or it is similar only insofar as grimdarkness goes...so it is more like 'A Feast for Crows'.
I think a better benchmark would be The Emperor's Blades or even Blood Song for Kale chapters. Ruka's and Dala's parts are pure creative insanity. Every time I started thinking: 'ah! - i see, this is like [...]' - the plot was twisting savagely as if on purpose to nullify my hypothesis. But Beyond Redemption comes as close as it gets. (Less supernatural stuff though).
This book is hard to review without spoilers, so I all would say in conclusion: you are looking at 2018 SFPBO winner. This book is incredible (providing you don't mind some excessive brutality e.g. cannibalism etc). So... read it. And hide it from your children.
***
A welcome brand new voice in a modern fantasy arena! A well crafted coming of age story set in the unusual setting inspired by the South East Asian culture. The story follows two parallel storylines or two main protagonists and allows to appreciate the worldbuilding from multiple points of view. Somewhat reminiscent of Anthony Ryan's 'Blood Song' and Brian Staveley's 'Emperor's Blades'
I was particularly pleasantly surprised by Richard Nell's storytelling ability and clarity of his writing. I will definitely be on a lookout for his new releases and recommend others to discover his writing.
You can find 'Kings of Paradise' on Kindle Unlimited
July 8, 2018
Thanks to SPFBO, indie books got on my radar and even though I haven’t read many of them, it was a positive experience so far. Based on that experience and some positive blog buzz, I decided to add Kings of Paradise on my ever-growing to read pile. And you know how it goes, you add a book and then it just sits there waiting and collecting virtual dust while you read other books and lie to yourself you’ll start it as soon as you finish your current read. Well, I stopped lying to myself.
Hear ye, hear ye!
Kings of Paradise is the best indie book and one of the most impressive fantasy debuts I have ever read.
Before I start rambling why you should read this book, let me point out its biggest flaw, the sequel isn’t out yet. The moment I was done I wanted more and I can’t wait to continue. Kings of Ash has now become one of my most anticipated books this year and I sincerely hope it will continue to impress because this series has a big potential.
KoP recently won "The Indie Reader Discovery Award for fantasy", and it also entered SPFBO 4 which will for sure help spread the word in the fantasy community. Don’t be surprised if you see it among the best books of the contest. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins.
So, what is so great about this book? The short answer would be: the perfect balance. I have read many good books and most of them lacked a certain thing to be considered great. For instance, a book can have a great story with a well-executed world-building but if the characters aren’t compelling, it’s hard to fully enjoy it. Some books had it the other way around but you catch my drift.
With an elegant writing style, Nell delivers a gripping story which revolves around two central characters; Ruka and Kale. To be more precise, they have separate storylines. Ruka’s story is about revenge and Kale’s is a coming-of-age story. For more info about them, you can read the blurb, or better yet, read the book. There is also a story about survival which brings us to another important character, Dala, but I can’t really say more about her without potential spoilers so there is another reason for you to read the book. Whenever I read a book with multiple POVs, I usually can’t wait to get back to my favorite one. This wasn’t the case here. Not because I didn’t have a favorite but because Nell succeeded in making each POV so compelling that reading about one makes you forget about the others. And more important, he made me care about each one. We don’t just blindly follow their actions, we follow their train of thought. We can see how the changes in the world and in their immediate surroundings are affecting their state of mind and how they change and progress accordingly. That goes for the side characters as well. Characters’ emotions are the driving force behind this story, making the characters more down to earth and relatable.
These multiple plotlines don’t have a big convergence in this book but the way it ended, suggests that is bound to happen in the following books.
World-building is very subtle and skillfully interwoven with the story creating a vibrant and fascinating world inspired by Nordic and Asian culture and folklore. The setting, culture, religion and magic system are vividly depicted and all play an equally important part in creating the atmosphere and setting the tone.
The overall tone is dark. There are plenty of brutal and graphic scenes but they are not just present for shock value, they serve the narrative, further the story and represent an element of indirect characterization.
With its compelling characters, skillfully told story, elegant prose, excellent world-building and intriguing magic system, all coexisting in the perfect balance, Kings of Paradise is a brilliant start of a potentially great series.
Hear ye, hear ye!
Kings of Paradise is the best indie book and one of the most impressive fantasy debuts I have ever read.
Before I start rambling why you should read this book, let me point out its biggest flaw, the sequel isn’t out yet. The moment I was done I wanted more and I can’t wait to continue. Kings of Ash has now become one of my most anticipated books this year and I sincerely hope it will continue to impress because this series has a big potential.
KoP recently won "The Indie Reader Discovery Award for fantasy", and it also entered SPFBO 4 which will for sure help spread the word in the fantasy community. Don’t be surprised if you see it among the best books of the contest. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins.
So, what is so great about this book? The short answer would be: the perfect balance. I have read many good books and most of them lacked a certain thing to be considered great. For instance, a book can have a great story with a well-executed world-building but if the characters aren’t compelling, it’s hard to fully enjoy it. Some books had it the other way around but you catch my drift.
With an elegant writing style, Nell delivers a gripping story which revolves around two central characters; Ruka and Kale. To be more precise, they have separate storylines. Ruka’s story is about revenge and Kale’s is a coming-of-age story. For more info about them, you can read the blurb, or better yet, read the book. There is also a story about survival which brings us to another important character, Dala, but I can’t really say more about her without potential spoilers so there is another reason for you to read the book. Whenever I read a book with multiple POVs, I usually can’t wait to get back to my favorite one. This wasn’t the case here. Not because I didn’t have a favorite but because Nell succeeded in making each POV so compelling that reading about one makes you forget about the others. And more important, he made me care about each one. We don’t just blindly follow their actions, we follow their train of thought. We can see how the changes in the world and in their immediate surroundings are affecting their state of mind and how they change and progress accordingly. That goes for the side characters as well. Characters’ emotions are the driving force behind this story, making the characters more down to earth and relatable.
These multiple plotlines don’t have a big convergence in this book but the way it ended, suggests that is bound to happen in the following books.
World-building is very subtle and skillfully interwoven with the story creating a vibrant and fascinating world inspired by Nordic and Asian culture and folklore. The setting, culture, religion and magic system are vividly depicted and all play an equally important part in creating the atmosphere and setting the tone.
The overall tone is dark. There are plenty of brutal and graphic scenes but they are not just present for shock value, they serve the narrative, further the story and represent an element of indirect characterization.
With its compelling characters, skillfully told story, elegant prose, excellent world-building and intriguing magic system, all coexisting in the perfect balance, Kings of Paradise is a brilliant start of a potentially great series.
April 4, 2019
KINGS OF PARADISE is equally divided between two separate lands with two separate storyline POVs. Ruka was born with a deformity which resulted in him being seen as a demon by the local priestesses of the frigid wasteland of Ascom. A barbarian living along the outskirts of the city, the only reason why he hasn't been killed already by the superstitious and very influential matriarchy is because his mother Beyla is a child of the gods who still carries with her an impressive reputation of her own. So much so that the priestesses are hesitant to act against her and her tainted son. However, when Beyla succumbs to a mysterious illness that Ruka suspects may have been brought about by one of the priestesses, all bets are off and Ruka is now unprotected and left to fend for himself as he is hunted across the frozen tundra. Ruka soon embarks on a journey far away from his homeland to try to evolve into the man he is supposed to become and maybe in the process uncover some small part of his past as well. This shy unassuming boy must learn to be a hardened man and warrior if he hopes to wreak vengeance on those who have taken everything from him. The only question is can he learn fast enough before he is captured by his pursuers.
Kale on the other hand, could not be more different from the aforementioned Ruka. Around the same age as Ruka, Kale is born into a royal family of privilege. The problem is that he is a huge disappointment to his father the King of the sandy paradise island empire of Pyu. The reason for this disappointment resides in the fact that Kale is a bit of a slacker who doesn't really fancy his role as the fourth prince in the inheritance line. He and his father are like oil and water and they never seem to agree on anything. This lands him a place in the lowest regiment in the Pyu Navy, an open slap in the face to his youngest son and a public shaming above all else. Kale has had everything in his life come easy to him until now and his current situation leaves him both defiant and also bewildered. If he fails to prove himself in this rugged marine corps, he may eventually be cast aside and disowned by his father. This is a real problem since Kale is in love with a young woman who he can never even hope to marry if he remains a lowly military grunt. It's at this point that Kale needs to make a decision about what is really important to him and who he is as a maturing man of means. Will he accept the challenge or wallow in his misery to the point where he just gives up?
What a glorious experience this book was to read. At first it took me some time to get acclimated to the settings and both characters' individual conflicts. But as the story unfolded I found myself reading in larger and larger chunks. I actually read the last 250 pages in one sitting, which is unheard of for me because of the distractions that having two small children and a busy schedule bring. That is a true testament to how great this story is though and I did not want to put it down for fear of having to wait to find out how it all wrapped up. The first thing I will say is that the world-building is flat out second-to-none. The two settings of Ascom and the Pyu Islands couldn't be more different in climate and economy. Yet each was brilliantly rendered to the point that you could feel the sand between your toes and the frostbite stinging your fingers. Just as the settings were disparate, so were the main characters. Each born from different backgrounds and upbringings, but each with their own trials and tribulations to attempt to overcome. Ruka is one of my favorite characters of any fantasy book as his unwavering determination propels him forward at all times even when everything seems to be standing in his way. His emotional allegiance to his mother is also unflinching and gives him a courage that makes him almost superhuman at times. Kale is one of those characters in the mold of a Jaime Lannister. You want to punch him in the mouth most of the time he is speaking, but there's also this subtle and underlying charm that makes you almost root for him against your better judgment. That's a really difficult trick to pull off and Richard Nell should be praised for the depth that he brings to both Kale and Ruka. I really enjoyed every minute of this book even when it got very dark, brutal, and violent. And believe me, it does go there and Nell doesn't sugarcoat anything in this regard. But the writing is just so absolutely beautiful that you can't help but continue to follow along on each characters' separate journeys of discovery and coming of age. If you want to read one of the very best fantasy books of the new millennium, then pick up KINGS OF PARADISE immediately and enjoy the amazing ride you will undertake. It will be well worth your time and effort, I promise. Book two, Kings of Ash was just released a couple of months ago and I definitely plan on reading that one as well. I can't wait to see where this story goes from the terrific finish of this first book. Richard Nell has most certainly brought us a phenomenal new series to savor, we should all rejoice and embrace it. Very highly recommended by yours truly.
Kale on the other hand, could not be more different from the aforementioned Ruka. Around the same age as Ruka, Kale is born into a royal family of privilege. The problem is that he is a huge disappointment to his father the King of the sandy paradise island empire of Pyu. The reason for this disappointment resides in the fact that Kale is a bit of a slacker who doesn't really fancy his role as the fourth prince in the inheritance line. He and his father are like oil and water and they never seem to agree on anything. This lands him a place in the lowest regiment in the Pyu Navy, an open slap in the face to his youngest son and a public shaming above all else. Kale has had everything in his life come easy to him until now and his current situation leaves him both defiant and also bewildered. If he fails to prove himself in this rugged marine corps, he may eventually be cast aside and disowned by his father. This is a real problem since Kale is in love with a young woman who he can never even hope to marry if he remains a lowly military grunt. It's at this point that Kale needs to make a decision about what is really important to him and who he is as a maturing man of means. Will he accept the challenge or wallow in his misery to the point where he just gives up?
What a glorious experience this book was to read. At first it took me some time to get acclimated to the settings and both characters' individual conflicts. But as the story unfolded I found myself reading in larger and larger chunks. I actually read the last 250 pages in one sitting, which is unheard of for me because of the distractions that having two small children and a busy schedule bring. That is a true testament to how great this story is though and I did not want to put it down for fear of having to wait to find out how it all wrapped up. The first thing I will say is that the world-building is flat out second-to-none. The two settings of Ascom and the Pyu Islands couldn't be more different in climate and economy. Yet each was brilliantly rendered to the point that you could feel the sand between your toes and the frostbite stinging your fingers. Just as the settings were disparate, so were the main characters. Each born from different backgrounds and upbringings, but each with their own trials and tribulations to attempt to overcome. Ruka is one of my favorite characters of any fantasy book as his unwavering determination propels him forward at all times even when everything seems to be standing in his way. His emotional allegiance to his mother is also unflinching and gives him a courage that makes him almost superhuman at times. Kale is one of those characters in the mold of a Jaime Lannister. You want to punch him in the mouth most of the time he is speaking, but there's also this subtle and underlying charm that makes you almost root for him against your better judgment. That's a really difficult trick to pull off and Richard Nell should be praised for the depth that he brings to both Kale and Ruka. I really enjoyed every minute of this book even when it got very dark, brutal, and violent. And believe me, it does go there and Nell doesn't sugarcoat anything in this regard. But the writing is just so absolutely beautiful that you can't help but continue to follow along on each characters' separate journeys of discovery and coming of age. If you want to read one of the very best fantasy books of the new millennium, then pick up KINGS OF PARADISE immediately and enjoy the amazing ride you will undertake. It will be well worth your time and effort, I promise. Book two, Kings of Ash was just released a couple of months ago and I definitely plan on reading that one as well. I can't wait to see where this story goes from the terrific finish of this first book. Richard Nell has most certainly brought us a phenomenal new series to savor, we should all rejoice and embrace it. Very highly recommended by yours truly.
March 28, 2025
“Faith is the desire for virtue. The pursuit is worthy of respect, if not the conclusions. Try not to judge those who have been led astray.”
this is a very straight forward coming of age story, but one that’s bathed in bloodshed. both of the main characters Ruka and Kale, have had a rough start in life but for very different reasons. Ruka was born deformed and has been treated like garbage from mostly everyone around him, while Kale is actually a prince but he’s not favored by his father in any way, shape or form.
”Love is the very worst reason for a prince to marry, especially the daughter of a rival. What secrets might you whisper in the night to what is all but a spy?”
Ruka’s path is one of vengeance and persuasion, which i could see coming from a mile away so it was just interesting to see things play out. Kale falls into the “good/hero” category in comparison to Ruka, but i still found him a compelling character to follow. my favorite section with Kale was when he was sent off to this island paradise— in order to train and be mentored. there’s also another pov: Dala, and while i did like her.. i preferred the other 2 povs cause her chapters didn’t really add much tbh. i loved the setting and the ending was not what i was expecting, im glad i decided to give this book and series a try because it was worth it.
this is a very straight forward coming of age story, but one that’s bathed in bloodshed. both of the main characters Ruka and Kale, have had a rough start in life but for very different reasons. Ruka was born deformed and has been treated like garbage from mostly everyone around him, while Kale is actually a prince but he’s not favored by his father in any way, shape or form.
”Love is the very worst reason for a prince to marry, especially the daughter of a rival. What secrets might you whisper in the night to what is all but a spy?”
Ruka’s path is one of vengeance and persuasion, which i could see coming from a mile away so it was just interesting to see things play out. Kale falls into the “good/hero” category in comparison to Ruka, but i still found him a compelling character to follow. my favorite section with Kale was when he was sent off to this island paradise— in order to train and be mentored. there’s also another pov: Dala, and while i did like her.. i preferred the other 2 povs cause her chapters didn’t really add much tbh. i loved the setting and the ending was not what i was expecting, im glad i decided to give this book and series a try because it was worth it.
Read
September 6, 2020A malformed hero that would make Joe Abercrombie proud.
A prince who would prompt Mark Lawrence to weep with envy.
A leading female that not even N.K. Jemisin could have written better.
And a story so intimate, you will hold it in your heart forever and so vast that it can shatter the world.
Full review to come!
____
So, I opened the book late at night, because I like to get a teaser of something new before I go to sleep. But this book starts in the following way: "Ruka stared at the corpse of the boy he's killed, and his stomach growled."
Wait a moment! Are we starting with cannibalism?! Then what comes next??? I needed to know. And, as you can imagine, I went to bed quite late last night.
It has been some time since a book shook me so from the outset.
I wanted to thank Richard, who is both kind and brave, for sharing his work with me. (I'm still reading, but keep those drugs at hand!)
A prince who would prompt Mark Lawrence to weep with envy.
A leading female that not even N.K. Jemisin could have written better.
And a story so intimate, you will hold it in your heart forever and so vast that it can shatter the world.
Full review to come!
____
So, I opened the book late at night, because I like to get a teaser of something new before I go to sleep. But this book starts in the following way: "Ruka stared at the corpse of the boy he's killed, and his stomach growled."
Wait a moment! Are we starting with cannibalism?! Then what comes next??? I needed to know. And, as you can imagine, I went to bed quite late last night.
It has been some time since a book shook me so from the outset.
I wanted to thank Richard, who is both kind and brave, for sharing his work with me. (I'm still reading, but keep those drugs at hand!)
September 13, 2018
First, I would like to thank Richard Nell for reaching out to me, and offering a free digital copy of Kings of Paradise for an honest review.
Well, where do I begin? The world building, the characters, the unique feel to the story. It doesn't matter really. It is all top notch and very well done. So well done in fact that I am adding book 2 to my most highly anticipated releases of 2018. I know we only have 4 months left in the year, but what the hell. I will be reading it as soon as it is released, so I may as well add it now. On to the review!
The world building Nell has demonstrated in Kings of Paradise is detailed in such a way that it really brings the characters and cultures to life. The harsh tribe-like peoples of The Ascom and the merchant society of the Pyu Islands felt like real places while I was reading the book. I know this is the intent of all authors, but not many have captured me in a fictional world the way Nell did with this book. The people, places, and overall atmosphere had me hooked from the beginning.
I have read my fair share of coming of ages stories, but I have yet to read one like Kings of Paradise. Instead of one character that dominates the story, Nell has given the reader two characters that share page time. This does seem a bit unconventional, but believe me it works brilliantly. Ruka and Kale could not be more different and I believe that is what helps this book work so well. The cruel and grimdark style that Nell demonstrates in Ruka's storyline contrasts with Kale's more conventional coming of age storyline. Both characters grew and changed so much from beginning to end. They both endured a journey of hardships and unfair treatment, but came out changed in a completely different way in the end. I enjoyed both Ruka and Kale's chapters, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Ruka by a slight margin. Mainly due to my preference for grimdark and Ruka's story did keep me a little more on the edge of my seat.
The unique feel this story had can be attributed to any number of things. The world building, characters, cultures, and varying storylines I have already mentioned. Some of these things did remind me a little of other authors, but as a whole they created a distinctive world that can rival a lot of mainstream writers out there in the fantasy genre. I used to be pretty ignorant on the subject of Indie authors, and that wasn't too long ago. But I am here to tell you these authors put just as much hard work into their books as all the others, and Richard Nell's Kings Of Paradise is a testament to that. It seems I need to stray off of the beaten path a little more often. Suffice to say I will be reading many more Indie books in my future.....very near future....like right now.
King's of Paradise is one of those reads that will stay with you for a long time. You get to go on not one, but two incredible journey's filled with revenge, love, discovery, heartache, and many other emotions. There are plenty of shocking and cringeworthy moments. And all of this builds up to an ending that has me itching to read the second book right away. Keep an eye out for the name Richard Nell in the fantasy genre. I have a feeling he is just beginning to make his impact.
4.5 stars ****
Well, where do I begin? The world building, the characters, the unique feel to the story. It doesn't matter really. It is all top notch and very well done. So well done in fact that I am adding book 2 to my most highly anticipated releases of 2018. I know we only have 4 months left in the year, but what the hell. I will be reading it as soon as it is released, so I may as well add it now. On to the review!
The world building Nell has demonstrated in Kings of Paradise is detailed in such a way that it really brings the characters and cultures to life. The harsh tribe-like peoples of The Ascom and the merchant society of the Pyu Islands felt like real places while I was reading the book. I know this is the intent of all authors, but not many have captured me in a fictional world the way Nell did with this book. The people, places, and overall atmosphere had me hooked from the beginning.
I have read my fair share of coming of ages stories, but I have yet to read one like Kings of Paradise. Instead of one character that dominates the story, Nell has given the reader two characters that share page time. This does seem a bit unconventional, but believe me it works brilliantly. Ruka and Kale could not be more different and I believe that is what helps this book work so well. The cruel and grimdark style that Nell demonstrates in Ruka's storyline contrasts with Kale's more conventional coming of age storyline. Both characters grew and changed so much from beginning to end. They both endured a journey of hardships and unfair treatment, but came out changed in a completely different way in the end. I enjoyed both Ruka and Kale's chapters, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Ruka by a slight margin. Mainly due to my preference for grimdark and Ruka's story did keep me a little more on the edge of my seat.
"You must take that good boy, and hide him here." She put her fingers to his chest. "Put him so deep, my son, that only you and I can find him, in a special place. Hide him there until it's safe to return." She swallowed and took his lumpy chin and held it hard enough to hurt. "Then you take this world by the throat and you throttle it."
The unique feel this story had can be attributed to any number of things. The world building, characters, cultures, and varying storylines I have already mentioned. Some of these things did remind me a little of other authors, but as a whole they created a distinctive world that can rival a lot of mainstream writers out there in the fantasy genre. I used to be pretty ignorant on the subject of Indie authors, and that wasn't too long ago. But I am here to tell you these authors put just as much hard work into their books as all the others, and Richard Nell's Kings Of Paradise is a testament to that. It seems I need to stray off of the beaten path a little more often. Suffice to say I will be reading many more Indie books in my future.....very near future....like right now.
King's of Paradise is one of those reads that will stay with you for a long time. You get to go on not one, but two incredible journey's filled with revenge, love, discovery, heartache, and many other emotions. There are plenty of shocking and cringeworthy moments. And all of this builds up to an ending that has me itching to read the second book right away. Keep an eye out for the name Richard Nell in the fantasy genre. I have a feeling he is just beginning to make his impact.
"I will destroy this land of ash, and make my followers kings in paradise."
4.5 stars ****
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October 11, 2018*Updated to include audiobook links!*
I thought I'd make myself useful and mention a few things:
1. This book is always on Kindle Unlimited.
2. Now available as an audiobook! US link UK link
3. If you'd like to check out something smaller I've written, you can get a 100ish page flintlock fantasy novella for free by subscribing to my mailing list: free books are awesome!
4.If you'd like to know the meaning of life, please just message me. Have your credit card ready.
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I thought I'd make myself useful and mention a few things:
1. This book is always on Kindle Unlimited.
2. Now available as an audiobook! US link UK link
3. If you'd like to check out something smaller I've written, you can get a 100ish page flintlock fantasy novella for free by subscribing to my mailing list: free books are awesome!
4.If you'd like to know the meaning of life, please just message me. Have your credit card ready.
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September 24, 2025
A phenomenal grim high fantasy novel and a rare self-published debut that I can wholeheartedly support.
There are two main storylines in this book and they're almost completely separate stories for the bulk of the novel. One is harsh, brutal, bloody, and challenging to weak stomachs. The other is brighter, shinier, not without serious challenges but much more the life of a naive, lucky boy than the rejected, cursed outcast of the first. The two stories need each other; without the lightness, the grimness would be too dreary. Without the horror and struggle to survive, the brighter side would be too twee. And although the two stories seem vastly unconnected until quite late, they're each so engrossing and well-executed that my patience was continually rewarded.
POVs are chosen superbly. The main character of the grim, Ruka, traumatizes others through encounters with them, then those others' stories spin off and expand the plot and themes of the book in unexpected ways. I was frequently surprised and delighted by these turns. For the entire book I had no idea what was to come. Even on a smaller scale, chapter by chapter, the reader knows something big is coming, a hammer is dropping, but the story never rushes to get there. It perfectly balances the tension of anticipation and discovery, making the journey as worthwhile as the result.
The book's themes are rich. It's about power structures, their fragility and the oppression they bring. It's about the thinness of law and words and rule. It's about coming of age (a good bildungsroman will always turn my crank) and seeing through the lies we are told about reality. It's about the impact of trauma. Let me tell you: when I can pick out themes that are not explicitly discussed in a book, the book did a tremendous job of presenting them, because I'm typically quite dense.
My only beef with the book is that I have to read the rest of the trilogy. Some books provide a certain degree of self-encapsulated story within a single volume while remaining open for the rest of the series. This one doesn't do that, but it manages to still be utterly satisfying as a single volume by virtue of its quality. For all that there is no story resolution, the depth and breadth of character and plot development was impressive.
I don't recall which of my friends here recommended this, but it's the exception to my usual struggle to enjoy self-published epic fantasy. Usually I'll try something hugely hyped and be incredibly disappointed. This one is not hugely hyped; I only knew of it through personal word of mouth. If I can hype it a bit myself now, that's great, but perhaps potential readers should know this author's publication history. He completed this trilogy, published (what I think is) an unrelated standalone novel, then the first book of a sequel series to this book. That last was in 2021. I thought, oh no, did Covid get him? Did he give up due to disappointing sales? It's tough for an independent author now as ever, and actual high quality writing doesn't often get you far. (This book was entered in SPFBO, I think the 4th year of the competition, and was eliminated in the first round. I've read enough SPFBO contenders to know this was a tragedy and a mistake on the assigned blogger's part, and the author's blog captured his dismay at this event.)
But Dear Reader, let me tell you what happened to the author, instead of continuing his latest epic fantasy series: he wrote and published erotic harem litRPG under a different pen name instead.
Well goddamn if I'm not going to follow him to The First Great Game now. May his new series bring him all the success he deserves.
There are two main storylines in this book and they're almost completely separate stories for the bulk of the novel. One is harsh, brutal, bloody, and challenging to weak stomachs. The other is brighter, shinier, not without serious challenges but much more the life of a naive, lucky boy than the rejected, cursed outcast of the first. The two stories need each other; without the lightness, the grimness would be too dreary. Without the horror and struggle to survive, the brighter side would be too twee. And although the two stories seem vastly unconnected until quite late, they're each so engrossing and well-executed that my patience was continually rewarded.
POVs are chosen superbly. The main character of the grim, Ruka, traumatizes others through encounters with them, then those others' stories spin off and expand the plot and themes of the book in unexpected ways. I was frequently surprised and delighted by these turns. For the entire book I had no idea what was to come. Even on a smaller scale, chapter by chapter, the reader knows something big is coming, a hammer is dropping, but the story never rushes to get there. It perfectly balances the tension of anticipation and discovery, making the journey as worthwhile as the result.
The book's themes are rich. It's about power structures, their fragility and the oppression they bring. It's about the thinness of law and words and rule. It's about coming of age (a good bildungsroman will always turn my crank) and seeing through the lies we are told about reality. It's about the impact of trauma. Let me tell you: when I can pick out themes that are not explicitly discussed in a book, the book did a tremendous job of presenting them, because I'm typically quite dense.
My only beef with the book is that I have to read the rest of the trilogy. Some books provide a certain degree of self-encapsulated story within a single volume while remaining open for the rest of the series. This one doesn't do that, but it manages to still be utterly satisfying as a single volume by virtue of its quality. For all that there is no story resolution, the depth and breadth of character and plot development was impressive.
I don't recall which of my friends here recommended this, but it's the exception to my usual struggle to enjoy self-published epic fantasy. Usually I'll try something hugely hyped and be incredibly disappointed. This one is not hugely hyped; I only knew of it through personal word of mouth. If I can hype it a bit myself now, that's great, but perhaps potential readers should know this author's publication history. He completed this trilogy, published (what I think is) an unrelated standalone novel, then the first book of a sequel series to this book. That last was in 2021. I thought, oh no, did Covid get him? Did he give up due to disappointing sales? It's tough for an independent author now as ever, and actual high quality writing doesn't often get you far. (This book was entered in SPFBO, I think the 4th year of the competition, and was eliminated in the first round. I've read enough SPFBO contenders to know this was a tragedy and a mistake on the assigned blogger's part, and the author's blog captured his dismay at this event.)
But Dear Reader, let me tell you what happened to the author, instead of continuing his latest epic fantasy series: he wrote and published erotic harem litRPG under a different pen name instead.
Well goddamn if I'm not going to follow him to The First Great Game now. May his new series bring him all the success he deserves.
August 27, 2020
I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this. An epic fantasy using a low magic system, lots of grit and grim, and a fairly expansive world? Sure. That sounds reasonable. And pretty standard.
Pretty soon after we get through a pretty general opening with a downtrodden prince and a few other rather more interesting low characters, I think it started getting pretty good. I wasn't all that impressed with the start. But later on? It definitely drew me in and kept me engaged.
Runes? Count me in. A main character that goes through MANY, MANY changes of life, learning, failing, getting the full reversals, and still keeps on chugging?
I admit I began to LOVE it. No matter what happens, there's high risk, higher consequences, and a chance it all goes to worse hell than ever before. And yet, I'm glued to the page.
At this point, I'm totally hooked. It's not always the ideas that do it. It's the sheer storytelling goodness. I'm reminded fondly of some of the epic fantasy greats. :) Think about a mix between Feist and Rothfuss and you might get an idea.
Give me more!
Pretty soon after we get through a pretty general opening with a downtrodden prince and a few other rather more interesting low characters, I think it started getting pretty good. I wasn't all that impressed with the start. But later on? It definitely drew me in and kept me engaged.
Runes? Count me in. A main character that goes through MANY, MANY changes of life, learning, failing, getting the full reversals, and still keeps on chugging?
I admit I began to LOVE it. No matter what happens, there's high risk, higher consequences, and a chance it all goes to worse hell than ever before. And yet, I'm glued to the page.
At this point, I'm totally hooked. It's not always the ideas that do it. It's the sheer storytelling goodness. I'm reminded fondly of some of the epic fantasy greats. :) Think about a mix between Feist and Rothfuss and you might get an idea.
Give me more!
June 16, 2018
Vast in scope and intimate in its telling, Kings of Paradise is an impressive novel from a brilliant mind.
The story unfolds naturally and starts with humble beginnings. Ruka, an only child raised by a single mother, and Kale, fourth son of an island king, and not very skilled at anything.
In the land of Ash, Ruka is an exile who longs to expose the corruption of the religious order and claim some personal justice for crimes against his mother. These are tribal people whose governing system is centered around women and their hierarchy of priestesses. They are isolated from other cultures and have an ancient lineage of gods and legends. Ruka is unique for his knowledge of runes, which his mother taught him though most of his people no longer understand, especially not men.
In a distant but no less unique culture, we follow the life of Kale, a young prince who goes through many different types of studies and training trying to find his purpose, where he can best serve and what his contribution to the world should be. He learns some rare and powerful metaphysical skills that earn him a few followers and a few enemies.
The most impressive aspect of the book is how the complexity of the cultures, politics and religions become increasingly revealed as the characters mature and are themselves gaining more perspective. The world building is so intricate and so expertly shown, only as details pertain to the story at hand. There are many point-of-view characters whose lives contribute to the story in different ways, sometimes only for a chapter or two.
My only critique is that the distribution of point-of-view changes is somewhat irregular, at times spending several chapters with one character before switching to another. It only mildly affected my reading pleasure as I sometimes took a few pages to remember who the next character was and what he or she had going on, at least in the early stages of the story.
This book is so engaging. It was incredibly hard to put down. The characters have much at stake, and their personalities are inspiring and demanding.
I highly recommend Kings of Paradise for readers of epic fantasy who are looking for something impressive, unique, authentic and complex.
The story unfolds naturally and starts with humble beginnings. Ruka, an only child raised by a single mother, and Kale, fourth son of an island king, and not very skilled at anything.
In the land of Ash, Ruka is an exile who longs to expose the corruption of the religious order and claim some personal justice for crimes against his mother. These are tribal people whose governing system is centered around women and their hierarchy of priestesses. They are isolated from other cultures and have an ancient lineage of gods and legends. Ruka is unique for his knowledge of runes, which his mother taught him though most of his people no longer understand, especially not men.
In a distant but no less unique culture, we follow the life of Kale, a young prince who goes through many different types of studies and training trying to find his purpose, where he can best serve and what his contribution to the world should be. He learns some rare and powerful metaphysical skills that earn him a few followers and a few enemies.
The most impressive aspect of the book is how the complexity of the cultures, politics and religions become increasingly revealed as the characters mature and are themselves gaining more perspective. The world building is so intricate and so expertly shown, only as details pertain to the story at hand. There are many point-of-view characters whose lives contribute to the story in different ways, sometimes only for a chapter or two.
My only critique is that the distribution of point-of-view changes is somewhat irregular, at times spending several chapters with one character before switching to another. It only mildly affected my reading pleasure as I sometimes took a few pages to remember who the next character was and what he or she had going on, at least in the early stages of the story.
This book is so engaging. It was incredibly hard to put down. The characters have much at stake, and their personalities are inspiring and demanding.
I highly recommend Kings of Paradise for readers of epic fantasy who are looking for something impressive, unique, authentic and complex.
March 9, 2023
I recently learned that Richard Nell will be submitting Kings of Paradise, the first book in the Ash and Sand trilogy, into next year’s SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) competition. In my mind, there’s no question of whether it will be a finalist or not. In fact, I will be shocked if it doesn’t outright win the whole contest.
This book is that good.
Clocking in at over 200,000 words, Kings of Paradise is a methodically paced and richly detailed story that primarily focuses on two teenage boys coming of age in vastly different circumstances in distant areas of the world: Ruka is a genius with eidetic memory; he remembers every detail of every book he’s ever read, details of every conversation he’s had, and learns new information at a phenomenal rate. He even recalls experiencing his own birth. However, he was born with a malformed face, and the surrounding communities label him as an outcast, a demon child. He lives in the frozen woods of the South with his mother Beyla, an influential yet shunned child of the gods, who loves Ruka unconditionally. Beyla raises and reveres Ruka, teaching him how to survive among society’s fringes: living off the land while having minimal interactions with surrounding clans. Beyla believes that Ruka’s genius and deformity marks him as a child of destiny, though it is unclear which path Ruka is destined to pursue.
The narrative shifts from this frozen land of ash to a much warmer climate in the North, a land of sand and sun and prosperous islanders who live and trade in a time of peace. Kale is the fourth son of the king of Pyu, an island empire with a strong navy and delicate political ties to an ever increasing empire to the West. Kale’s older brothers are loyal servants to the king and court, and are motivated to fulfill their princely duties to secure and strengthen their father’s empire. But Kale views his princedom as a burden; he has a troubled relationship with his father due to his immaturity and rebellious nature, so he is placed in Navy boot camp where we first join Kale on his journey.
It isn’t immediately apparent where these storylines will go, and this holds true for the majority of the novel. In other stories I might take issue with this narrative choice, but in Kings of Paradise it is a welcome advantage. Nell is a talented writer of beautiful, elegant prose, and a knack for deep characterization that brings this cast to life. We spend a lot of time inside the characters’ heads, and I was surprised at how quickly and how deeply I’ve come to care about their fates. As the cast begins to expand and we start rotating through new points-of-view, Nell wisely dedicates ample pages to allow for each of the new characters to breathe and connect with the reader. Every time I spent a few chapters following one character, I was disappointed when having to switch POVs, but when it was time to switch back, I did not want to leave the current story. The characters are strong-willed, sympathetic, and surprising. There are many bleak moments scattered throughout the novel, but small victories along the way had me cheering, fearful, or shocked.
World-building is another high point of this novel. The settings are detailed and rich, and often reflect the mood of its characters. The political landscapes, environmental hazards, village hierarchies, familial values, religious sects, morally questionable law-keepers, and military forces all play varying roles in the story, with many having unique takes of their effect on surrounding societies. Some naturally play bigger roles than others, but the world feels like it is a living, breathing entity that continues on whether the characters live or die, instead of hinging on the fate and decisions of our characters.
But that might be changing in the novels ahead. The final 15% of the book accelerates the storylines at a blistering pace, and the stakes are raised surprisingly high given the more methodical pace of the earlier sections of the book. It was a bit jarring in comparison, but this minor quibble might be attributed to the fact that I didn’t want the story to end so soon.
I realize that I have spent most of this review talking about the characters and setting, so I want to make clear that this book has plenty of action, and much of it is grim. The violence is sudden and visceral. There are graphic and detailed sex scenes. There’s even a scene that involves cannibalism and children, and, oh yes, that’s on page 1. There’s even a bit of magic, and though it doesn’t show up until the end of the story, it feels earned – a natural progression that opens exciting possibilities in the books ahead.
Kings of Paradise is a brilliant book, and I expect it catch fire in the fantasy community as word-of-mouth spreads. It is a self-published novel, though I think that is a temporary label – other than very few grammatical or spelling gaffes, this book feels more polished and professional than many, or most, of the traditionally published fantasy books I’ve read over the past several years. This is a diamond of a novel, and one that I can recommend to any fan of speculative fiction. Read this book, buy copies to gift to your family and friends. I have no doubt that this will be a fixture in the annals of truly great fantasy literature for years to come.
5/5 stars
This book is that good.
Clocking in at over 200,000 words, Kings of Paradise is a methodically paced and richly detailed story that primarily focuses on two teenage boys coming of age in vastly different circumstances in distant areas of the world: Ruka is a genius with eidetic memory; he remembers every detail of every book he’s ever read, details of every conversation he’s had, and learns new information at a phenomenal rate. He even recalls experiencing his own birth. However, he was born with a malformed face, and the surrounding communities label him as an outcast, a demon child. He lives in the frozen woods of the South with his mother Beyla, an influential yet shunned child of the gods, who loves Ruka unconditionally. Beyla raises and reveres Ruka, teaching him how to survive among society’s fringes: living off the land while having minimal interactions with surrounding clans. Beyla believes that Ruka’s genius and deformity marks him as a child of destiny, though it is unclear which path Ruka is destined to pursue.
The narrative shifts from this frozen land of ash to a much warmer climate in the North, a land of sand and sun and prosperous islanders who live and trade in a time of peace. Kale is the fourth son of the king of Pyu, an island empire with a strong navy and delicate political ties to an ever increasing empire to the West. Kale’s older brothers are loyal servants to the king and court, and are motivated to fulfill their princely duties to secure and strengthen their father’s empire. But Kale views his princedom as a burden; he has a troubled relationship with his father due to his immaturity and rebellious nature, so he is placed in Navy boot camp where we first join Kale on his journey.
It isn’t immediately apparent where these storylines will go, and this holds true for the majority of the novel. In other stories I might take issue with this narrative choice, but in Kings of Paradise it is a welcome advantage. Nell is a talented writer of beautiful, elegant prose, and a knack for deep characterization that brings this cast to life. We spend a lot of time inside the characters’ heads, and I was surprised at how quickly and how deeply I’ve come to care about their fates. As the cast begins to expand and we start rotating through new points-of-view, Nell wisely dedicates ample pages to allow for each of the new characters to breathe and connect with the reader. Every time I spent a few chapters following one character, I was disappointed when having to switch POVs, but when it was time to switch back, I did not want to leave the current story. The characters are strong-willed, sympathetic, and surprising. There are many bleak moments scattered throughout the novel, but small victories along the way had me cheering, fearful, or shocked.
World-building is another high point of this novel. The settings are detailed and rich, and often reflect the mood of its characters. The political landscapes, environmental hazards, village hierarchies, familial values, religious sects, morally questionable law-keepers, and military forces all play varying roles in the story, with many having unique takes of their effect on surrounding societies. Some naturally play bigger roles than others, but the world feels like it is a living, breathing entity that continues on whether the characters live or die, instead of hinging on the fate and decisions of our characters.
But that might be changing in the novels ahead. The final 15% of the book accelerates the storylines at a blistering pace, and the stakes are raised surprisingly high given the more methodical pace of the earlier sections of the book. It was a bit jarring in comparison, but this minor quibble might be attributed to the fact that I didn’t want the story to end so soon.
I realize that I have spent most of this review talking about the characters and setting, so I want to make clear that this book has plenty of action, and much of it is grim. The violence is sudden and visceral. There are graphic and detailed sex scenes. There’s even a scene that involves cannibalism and children, and, oh yes, that’s on page 1. There’s even a bit of magic, and though it doesn’t show up until the end of the story, it feels earned – a natural progression that opens exciting possibilities in the books ahead.
Kings of Paradise is a brilliant book, and I expect it catch fire in the fantasy community as word-of-mouth spreads. It is a self-published novel, though I think that is a temporary label – other than very few grammatical or spelling gaffes, this book feels more polished and professional than many, or most, of the traditionally published fantasy books I’ve read over the past several years. This is a diamond of a novel, and one that I can recommend to any fan of speculative fiction. Read this book, buy copies to gift to your family and friends. I have no doubt that this will be a fixture in the annals of truly great fantasy literature for years to come.
5/5 stars
January 14, 2019
* I was sent this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *
I must admit, I picked this up largely because of Esme's recommendation as she just made it sound so good. I love epic fantasy stories, particularly those which have a lot of characters I like to follow, and this story is quite a mixture of old favourites and new ideas.
I audiobook-ed this one, and I recommend the audio as I think it was done well and I personally enjoy the characters being brought to life as it helps distinguish them. We follow two main characters, Ruka and Kale, and there are also quite a few side characters who get a look in too. Dala is probably the next most important character, but Linnea (sp?) also gets a chance to shine a little later in the story.
Ruka is a very young boy with a disfigurement when we start the story and he and his mother live alone after she became an outcast in order to raise him away from society. They live in the middle of a harsh land away from most of the other characters in the story, and as Ruka grows he learns a lot from his mother and the 'Book'.
Kale is a prince who lives a fairly glamorous life except that he is sent away by his father to the army to train there. Whilst there he develops some strong ties to friends and he bonds with the men who are forced through the ordeal with him. It helps him to learn a lot which he will need as time goes on.
Finally we have Dala, a young girl who's left with her younger siblings to die when her father's farm is starving and he wants to rid himself of extra mouths. She is abandoned in the world and she ends up trying to become a Priestess in training, but her low status means she is an outcast among the girls.
What I liked most about this is that there is magic throughout and it feels like a good old classic epic story. There's heroes who are clear to see, like Kale, but then there are also morally grey characters like Ruka who have been through a lot and come through changed. Ruka and Dala are both more grey in their ambitions and their intent, but I think this makes them interesting to read about whilst Kale is inspiring. Sometimes it's hard for a character to really feel fun to read if they're always being 'good' but Kale defies the odds and remains a great character throughout. I believe he and Ruka were definitely my favourites.
The magic of this world is varied and comes in a few forms. We have the inspiration of people fighting back and inspiring change as we do in many stories, but we also have the magical enhancements that some of these people possess. We see Kale develop some powers as the story goes on and he is tested further, and Ruka seems to possess something peculiar and wonderful from the start when he can learn ultra fast and he has his own world inside his head where he can train etc and then really hone his skills. The magic had some familiar traits, but some of it was original too and the blend worked well.
Overall I think the start of the book was slower than the end and I enjoyed the build up but I loved the second half and ending where everything was crazy. I found this to be an excellent way to end the book, and it left me super excited for the sequel which (luckily) is due out in just a few days! I cannot wait to pick it up and see what comes next! 4.5*s
I must admit, I picked this up largely because of Esme's recommendation as she just made it sound so good. I love epic fantasy stories, particularly those which have a lot of characters I like to follow, and this story is quite a mixture of old favourites and new ideas.
I audiobook-ed this one, and I recommend the audio as I think it was done well and I personally enjoy the characters being brought to life as it helps distinguish them. We follow two main characters, Ruka and Kale, and there are also quite a few side characters who get a look in too. Dala is probably the next most important character, but Linnea (sp?) also gets a chance to shine a little later in the story.
Ruka is a very young boy with a disfigurement when we start the story and he and his mother live alone after she became an outcast in order to raise him away from society. They live in the middle of a harsh land away from most of the other characters in the story, and as Ruka grows he learns a lot from his mother and the 'Book'.
Kale is a prince who lives a fairly glamorous life except that he is sent away by his father to the army to train there. Whilst there he develops some strong ties to friends and he bonds with the men who are forced through the ordeal with him. It helps him to learn a lot which he will need as time goes on.
Finally we have Dala, a young girl who's left with her younger siblings to die when her father's farm is starving and he wants to rid himself of extra mouths. She is abandoned in the world and she ends up trying to become a Priestess in training, but her low status means she is an outcast among the girls.
What I liked most about this is that there is magic throughout and it feels like a good old classic epic story. There's heroes who are clear to see, like Kale, but then there are also morally grey characters like Ruka who have been through a lot and come through changed. Ruka and Dala are both more grey in their ambitions and their intent, but I think this makes them interesting to read about whilst Kale is inspiring. Sometimes it's hard for a character to really feel fun to read if they're always being 'good' but Kale defies the odds and remains a great character throughout. I believe he and Ruka were definitely my favourites.
The magic of this world is varied and comes in a few forms. We have the inspiration of people fighting back and inspiring change as we do in many stories, but we also have the magical enhancements that some of these people possess. We see Kale develop some powers as the story goes on and he is tested further, and Ruka seems to possess something peculiar and wonderful from the start when he can learn ultra fast and he has his own world inside his head where he can train etc and then really hone his skills. The magic had some familiar traits, but some of it was original too and the blend worked well.
Overall I think the start of the book was slower than the end and I enjoyed the build up but I loved the second half and ending where everything was crazy. I found this to be an excellent way to end the book, and it left me super excited for the sequel which (luckily) is due out in just a few days! I cannot wait to pick it up and see what comes next! 4.5*s
June 6, 2018
Making me read a large, weighty book that counts more than six hundred pages is almost impossible. Even bribery doesn't work. And yet I reached for Kings of Paradise and couldn't put it down.
It's brilliant. It's, undoubtedly, one of the best books I read this year*. The hype is real and high scores are well deserved.
Kings of Paradise is a dark and gritty coming-of-age story that follows multiple characters. Some of them are secondary and their chapters, while making the narrative more colourful, serve mainly to show three main characters through the eyes of others.
Ruka is a beast. He's a deformed, twisted genius with an eidetic memory and bright, golden eyes of a wolf. He's a ruthless killer who won't hesitate to maim others or eat them when the food is in short supply.
All of us experienced existential isolation before. The feeling that no other human being can comprehend who you truly are, no matter how close you become. Sure, it's depressing, but it's an experience that binds us all. Ruka, though, is alone in a way no other fantasy protagonist is.
Born in the frozen, snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom—the land of ash—Ruka was spared from death at birth by his mother’s love. His childhood was cruel, he's lost everything he loved, and all he has left is a desire for vengeance. He struggles with psychological demons, and at times he behaves as a borderline schizo. And yet, he's one of the most complex and interesting characters I've ever met. In fact, he wants a better world, and he's ready to burn and break our wicked world to change the things.
I had goosebumps while reading the scene in which he said these words.
Kale is a fourth son of the king Farahi. He's a good, innocent and likeable protagonist. He has a high drive to be something, or do something, but he doesn't know what. He believes in people, looks for what's best for them and tries to make the world a better place.
Unfortunately, his father, King Farahi is a cunning paranoid and Kale's life will soon become very dangerous and complicated. On the other hand, Kale may have some supernatural skills that come handy when he's in danger. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I loved Kale's Monastery trials and their unexpected consequences. Suffice to say, that he plays with the powers that can alter the very fabric of the world. I was literally glued to my Kindle when these powers were demonstrated**.
Then, there's Dala. She's an intriguing heroine who goes through hell in her youth. When she joins a religious order, she hopes to make the world a better place. She isn't prepared for the godless, power-hungry people and their cold politics. But she learns fast, and to make a change, she's ready to stir a revolution and drown the streets in blood. I'm definitely interested in more of her story, and I believe my curiosity will be satisfied in sequels.
Secondary characters were all done exceptionally well. They all have distinct traits and voices. Every single one of them. It takes some serious skills to make a reader feel this kind of visceral connection and, sometimes, dislike towards fictional characters, and Nell does it flawlessly. Damn impressive.
I find king Farahi fascinating - while he's not a caring parent role-model, his cold and cunning mind is impressive. Asna Fetlan Isha Fetnal is a killer, but his inner monologues, carefree attitude, and sarcastic remarks were humorous and made me crack a bit in the end. The scene was far from funny mind you, but Asna's voice was hilarious.
My favourite thing about Kings of Paradise was the amount of development the characters get and evolving relationships between them and their entourage. It's a surprisingly deep and layered story that pulls no punches. Despite things getting messy and gory, I never felt the violence served to shock the reader. Actually, it's the opposite - even the grittiest scenes helped the plot or character evolution.
There's no single villain in the story; the conflict is centred around protagonists' beliefs and dreams colliding with the corrupted world and petty, power-hungry leaders playing politics. It was especially evident in religious orders pictured in Dala and Kale's storylines in which scholars, priests, and priestesses were sullying the sacred teachings with very mortal aims.
It won't be a surprise to anyone, but I loved the hell out of Kings of Paradise. It's not a joyous book - at times it's tragic and sad, and Ruka's story alone can make you reach for Prozac. It is, however, intelligently written and powerful book with stellar world-building and a fantastic cast of characters. The ending of Kings of Paradise can lead to numerous explosive developments.
* Which would mean little if I read, say, five mediocre books. This is not the case, though. So far I've read 102 books, and many of them were excellent.
** A side-effect of my lifelong love for comic books and Marvel heroes
It's brilliant. It's, undoubtedly, one of the best books I read this year*. The hype is real and high scores are well deserved.
Kings of Paradise is a dark and gritty coming-of-age story that follows multiple characters. Some of them are secondary and their chapters, while making the narrative more colourful, serve mainly to show three main characters through the eyes of others.
Ruka is a beast. He's a deformed, twisted genius with an eidetic memory and bright, golden eyes of a wolf. He's a ruthless killer who won't hesitate to maim others or eat them when the food is in short supply.
All of us experienced existential isolation before. The feeling that no other human being can comprehend who you truly are, no matter how close you become. Sure, it's depressing, but it's an experience that binds us all. Ruka, though, is alone in a way no other fantasy protagonist is.
Born in the frozen, snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom—the land of ash—Ruka was spared from death at birth by his mother’s love. His childhood was cruel, he's lost everything he loved, and all he has left is a desire for vengeance. He struggles with psychological demons, and at times he behaves as a borderline schizo. And yet, he's one of the most complex and interesting characters I've ever met. In fact, he wants a better world, and he's ready to burn and break our wicked world to change the things.
I want a world where love is not a crime, where children are not doomed to misery because they are different. I want only laws with mercy, and justice, and wisdom.
I had goosebumps while reading the scene in which he said these words.
Kale is a fourth son of the king Farahi. He's a good, innocent and likeable protagonist. He has a high drive to be something, or do something, but he doesn't know what. He believes in people, looks for what's best for them and tries to make the world a better place.
Unfortunately, his father, King Farahi is a cunning paranoid and Kale's life will soon become very dangerous and complicated. On the other hand, Kale may have some supernatural skills that come handy when he's in danger. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I loved Kale's Monastery trials and their unexpected consequences. Suffice to say, that he plays with the powers that can alter the very fabric of the world. I was literally glued to my Kindle when these powers were demonstrated**.
Then, there's Dala. She's an intriguing heroine who goes through hell in her youth. When she joins a religious order, she hopes to make the world a better place. She isn't prepared for the godless, power-hungry people and their cold politics. But she learns fast, and to make a change, she's ready to stir a revolution and drown the streets in blood. I'm definitely interested in more of her story, and I believe my curiosity will be satisfied in sequels.
Secondary characters were all done exceptionally well. They all have distinct traits and voices. Every single one of them. It takes some serious skills to make a reader feel this kind of visceral connection and, sometimes, dislike towards fictional characters, and Nell does it flawlessly. Damn impressive.
I find king Farahi fascinating - while he's not a caring parent role-model, his cold and cunning mind is impressive. Asna Fetlan Isha Fetnal is a killer, but his inner monologues, carefree attitude, and sarcastic remarks were humorous and made me crack a bit in the end. The scene was far from funny mind you, but Asna's voice was hilarious.
My favourite thing about Kings of Paradise was the amount of development the characters get and evolving relationships between them and their entourage. It's a surprisingly deep and layered story that pulls no punches. Despite things getting messy and gory, I never felt the violence served to shock the reader. Actually, it's the opposite - even the grittiest scenes helped the plot or character evolution.
There's no single villain in the story; the conflict is centred around protagonists' beliefs and dreams colliding with the corrupted world and petty, power-hungry leaders playing politics. It was especially evident in religious orders pictured in Dala and Kale's storylines in which scholars, priests, and priestesses were sullying the sacred teachings with very mortal aims.
It won't be a surprise to anyone, but I loved the hell out of Kings of Paradise. It's not a joyous book - at times it's tragic and sad, and Ruka's story alone can make you reach for Prozac. It is, however, intelligently written and powerful book with stellar world-building and a fantastic cast of characters. The ending of Kings of Paradise can lead to numerous explosive developments.
* Which would mean little if I read, say, five mediocre books. This is not the case, though. So far I've read 102 books, and many of them were excellent.
** A side-effect of my lifelong love for comic books and Marvel heroes
July 7, 2018
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Richard Nell, for the opportunity.
This is a fantastic debut novel, and by the end, I felt like I'd just stepped off a roller coaster. The story unfolds organically, and is essentially a coming of age tale, connecting several characters. But despite their young ages, be warned, this is a very dark novel. After all, it opens with a boy who has just killed another boy, and he is now eating him.
It's dark, but not bleak. There's hope.
Kings of Paradise is very complex and filled with politics, different cultures and intricate world building, which is slowly revealed through each character's point of view as they grow and mature. The setting feels unique and is rich and detailed. It's a brutal world, but none of the gory events feel unnecessary, all of them are believable.
At over 600 pages, Kings of Paradise is a long book, but it's engaging until the very end, the stakes are incredibly high, and the pacing is fantastic. Throughout the book, I never really knew where the author would take us, and many twists and turns took me by surprise.
Richard Nell is a very talented writer, and I found the prose elegant, and the way plot, world building and character development was revealed pretty impressive.
I am very fond of Kale, the prince, who is a disappointment, but all characters are fleshed out and get developed in incredible ways. They behave in questionable ways, and often repulsed me, but I could understand their actions and reasons to the very end, and despite everything I was rooting for them. However, I don't want to meet any of them in a dark alley. Especially Ruka. He's a fantastic character. One I loved at first but feared by the end. I must admit, he's the only one who ended up losing my sympathy, though I still understood why he was acting the way he was.
I recommend Kings of Paradise to readers who enjoy morally grey characters, grimdark fantasy, and are looking for a complex plot.
This is a fantastic debut novel, and by the end, I felt like I'd just stepped off a roller coaster. The story unfolds organically, and is essentially a coming of age tale, connecting several characters. But despite their young ages, be warned, this is a very dark novel. After all, it opens with a boy who has just killed another boy, and he is now eating him.
It's dark, but not bleak. There's hope.
Kings of Paradise is very complex and filled with politics, different cultures and intricate world building, which is slowly revealed through each character's point of view as they grow and mature. The setting feels unique and is rich and detailed. It's a brutal world, but none of the gory events feel unnecessary, all of them are believable.
At over 600 pages, Kings of Paradise is a long book, but it's engaging until the very end, the stakes are incredibly high, and the pacing is fantastic. Throughout the book, I never really knew where the author would take us, and many twists and turns took me by surprise.
Richard Nell is a very talented writer, and I found the prose elegant, and the way plot, world building and character development was revealed pretty impressive.
I am very fond of Kale, the prince, who is a disappointment, but all characters are fleshed out and get developed in incredible ways. They behave in questionable ways, and often repulsed me, but I could understand their actions and reasons to the very end, and despite everything I was rooting for them. However, I don't want to meet any of them in a dark alley. Especially Ruka. He's a fantastic character. One I loved at first but feared by the end. I must admit, he's the only one who ended up losing my sympathy, though I still understood why he was acting the way he was.
I recommend Kings of Paradise to readers who enjoy morally grey characters, grimdark fantasy, and are looking for a complex plot.
January 28, 2018
Plot:
This book has a rather complicated plot, with each of the characters sort of doing their own thing at the beginning.
Ruka is the first character you meet, and you see him as an adult who’s murdered a young child and he’s frying up his limbs on a skillet. After that, you flash back to when he was a kid and watch him grow up into the person he became. Ruka is “Noss Born”, which means he’s been touched by the Mountain God aka The God of Death, Chaos, and Suffering. He starts off as a nice enough kid, but he and his mother keep getting beaten down over and over again. Over the course of the years you watch him turn into a monster and it nicely parallels another character, Kale.
Kale is a prince, he’s the son of the King of Sri Kon, an island nation in the south. He’s sort of a rebellious kid, and as one of the youngest sons he’s considered ‘expendable’, so he’s been put into the navy to train to be a marine. You get to see a whole different culture through his POV, kings and nobles of a totally different land. Kale’s POV has the opposite arc from Ruka’s, he learns to be more disciplined, more responsible and grows to be a better and better person.
Dala grew up on a farm rather poor, and one year the harvest completely failed and would leave her family to starve. It was then her father decided to tie the youngest children up, and dump them in the wilderness to die. She was rescued by a band of misfits she considered to be more of a family than the one she was born into. Unfortunately, she loses them to and moves on to be a Priestess of Galda. She has a fascinating plotline where she gathers up the lowest of the low in the city, those people call “Nightmen” or “Unchosen”, they haven’t been picked for marriage and live in squalor mostly coming out at night. She’s riled them up into a rebellion, they call themselves the Nameless and are fighting back their oppressors, murdering them in the night.
Final Score: 9/10
---------------------------------------------
Characters:
Ruka was interesting to me from the start, not only because the opening scene was cannibalism, but right away something was very different about him. His story is one of pain and brutality and watching him go from a decent kid to someone who eats kids was very interesting. Even when he’s a monster he’s interesting when he was eating the kid, he was thinking to himself “did your mother love you?”, and it just hit me in all the right ways.
Dala is a very lonely POV, she misses her misfit band of brothers and is always on the outside of things. She doesn’t have many friends in her sisterhood and is having a hard time maintaining a high enough level to keep her place in the Order. She can be bold and charismatic, winning the Nightmen over to her side wasn’t easy, but she managed to be convincing enough to lift the spirits and morale of a defeated people.
Kale is another favorite of mine, I really loved his interactions with his family, particularly his father and brother, and watching him grow as a person. I don’t often thoroughly enjoy coming of age stories but this was an exception. I think it’s because he was a fairly mature character given his age, he was still stubborn and teenagery at times, but overall reading his chapters didn’t make me cringe or get irritated with angst you can see in other teenage pov’s.
All of these characters had unique voices, and they all totally captured my attention – well done!
Final Score: 9/10
------------------------------------------------------
World Building:
I think the world building may have been my favorite part of the book, each culture was really fascinating and very different from one another.
Ruka’s mother is called “God Born” which allows her to claim the title of “First Mother”. As “First Mother” she can lay claim to any man in the village she wants to take as a mate or husband, or multiple men if that’s what she wants. Ruka’s mother, Beyla, was quick to use this as a threat to get out of certain situations in the village.
In Ruka’s culture, it’s believed that women are sort of automatically accepted into paradise, but that men have to earn it through great deeds.
“Noss Touched” people usually have a deformity of some kind that makes them stand out from the rest, they are considered to be touched by the God of Chaos and those people born Noss Touched are typically ostracized. Ruka is Noss Touched, he and his mother had an encounter with a group of women who told Beyla she should have gotten rid of the child, and that he’s a freak of nature.
Some of the POV’s take place in a frost bitten land, and the other POV is set in a tropical environment, it really kept things interesting switching back and forth.
The King of Sri Kon is considered a Sorcerer King, and has been rumoured to have killed members of his own family.
The city where Dala is living there is a class of people known as “Nightmen”, who remain “unchosen” and have no wives. They are considered the bottom of humanity and treated with little more dignity than animals. Dala is forming them into a group known as the “Nameless” who are striking back at society by murdering their oppressors.
Final Score: 9/10
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
The book opens with a young boy being hacked apart to be eaten, so you sort of know right away what kind of story this is going to be, and although it wasn’t all dark, there were definitely some moments where I was like “wtf”.
The pacing here may vary, I think some people could be tripped up by how long it can take to switch pov’s, you could feel like you’re starting all over again when you get to a new pov or were really invested in one pov and then it switches. I loved all 3 POV’s so I sailed right through, I read this in under 24 hours and it’s 600 pages long.
I really loved the writing, it’s rare when I can highlight someone’s writing in Indie – that’s not meant as an insult, but many indie authors are debut or new authors and it sort of shows. Most SPFBO books I’ve rated the writing around a 7, which means it serviced the story and I wasn’t tripped up by awkward writing, but it wasn’t anything exceptional. I can’t believe this was a debut, everything flowed nicely, the dialogue was believable and I caught 0 errors. I am a far cry from an editor, but I usually catch something.
Pacing Final Score: 8/10
Writing Final Score: 8.75/10
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Originality:
This had completely unique world building – the cultures, the religions, the environments were all fresh.
Final Score: 8.75/10
----------------------------------------------------
Audience:
For people who like multi pov
For people who like unique world building
For people who like darker stories
For people who like villain or dark POVs
For people who like coming of age stories
For people who like character driven stories
---------------------------------------------------------
Wrap Up:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes multi pov epic fantasy. I would say that if you’re not sure where the plot is going, and you’re getting kind of worried it won’t come together – it does. It’s just a long book that builds up for the first 30% or so.
Final Score: 52.5/60 or 8.8/10
This book has a rather complicated plot, with each of the characters sort of doing their own thing at the beginning.
Ruka is the first character you meet, and you see him as an adult who’s murdered a young child and he’s frying up his limbs on a skillet. After that, you flash back to when he was a kid and watch him grow up into the person he became. Ruka is “Noss Born”, which means he’s been touched by the Mountain God aka The God of Death, Chaos, and Suffering. He starts off as a nice enough kid, but he and his mother keep getting beaten down over and over again. Over the course of the years you watch him turn into a monster and it nicely parallels another character, Kale.
Kale is a prince, he’s the son of the King of Sri Kon, an island nation in the south. He’s sort of a rebellious kid, and as one of the youngest sons he’s considered ‘expendable’, so he’s been put into the navy to train to be a marine. You get to see a whole different culture through his POV, kings and nobles of a totally different land. Kale’s POV has the opposite arc from Ruka’s, he learns to be more disciplined, more responsible and grows to be a better and better person.
Dala grew up on a farm rather poor, and one year the harvest completely failed and would leave her family to starve. It was then her father decided to tie the youngest children up, and dump them in the wilderness to die. She was rescued by a band of misfits she considered to be more of a family than the one she was born into. Unfortunately, she loses them to and moves on to be a Priestess of Galda. She has a fascinating plotline where she gathers up the lowest of the low in the city, those people call “Nightmen” or “Unchosen”, they haven’t been picked for marriage and live in squalor mostly coming out at night. She’s riled them up into a rebellion, they call themselves the Nameless and are fighting back their oppressors, murdering them in the night.
Final Score: 9/10
---------------------------------------------
Characters:
Ruka was interesting to me from the start, not only because the opening scene was cannibalism, but right away something was very different about him. His story is one of pain and brutality and watching him go from a decent kid to someone who eats kids was very interesting. Even when he’s a monster he’s interesting when he was eating the kid, he was thinking to himself “did your mother love you?”, and it just hit me in all the right ways.
Dala is a very lonely POV, she misses her misfit band of brothers and is always on the outside of things. She doesn’t have many friends in her sisterhood and is having a hard time maintaining a high enough level to keep her place in the Order. She can be bold and charismatic, winning the Nightmen over to her side wasn’t easy, but she managed to be convincing enough to lift the spirits and morale of a defeated people.
Kale is another favorite of mine, I really loved his interactions with his family, particularly his father and brother, and watching him grow as a person. I don’t often thoroughly enjoy coming of age stories but this was an exception. I think it’s because he was a fairly mature character given his age, he was still stubborn and teenagery at times, but overall reading his chapters didn’t make me cringe or get irritated with angst you can see in other teenage pov’s.
All of these characters had unique voices, and they all totally captured my attention – well done!
Final Score: 9/10
------------------------------------------------------
World Building:
I think the world building may have been my favorite part of the book, each culture was really fascinating and very different from one another.
Ruka’s mother is called “God Born” which allows her to claim the title of “First Mother”. As “First Mother” she can lay claim to any man in the village she wants to take as a mate or husband, or multiple men if that’s what she wants. Ruka’s mother, Beyla, was quick to use this as a threat to get out of certain situations in the village.
In Ruka’s culture, it’s believed that women are sort of automatically accepted into paradise, but that men have to earn it through great deeds.
“Noss Touched” people usually have a deformity of some kind that makes them stand out from the rest, they are considered to be touched by the God of Chaos and those people born Noss Touched are typically ostracized. Ruka is Noss Touched, he and his mother had an encounter with a group of women who told Beyla she should have gotten rid of the child, and that he’s a freak of nature.
Some of the POV’s take place in a frost bitten land, and the other POV is set in a tropical environment, it really kept things interesting switching back and forth.
The King of Sri Kon is considered a Sorcerer King, and has been rumoured to have killed members of his own family.
The city where Dala is living there is a class of people known as “Nightmen”, who remain “unchosen” and have no wives. They are considered the bottom of humanity and treated with little more dignity than animals. Dala is forming them into a group known as the “Nameless” who are striking back at society by murdering their oppressors.
Final Score: 9/10
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
The book opens with a young boy being hacked apart to be eaten, so you sort of know right away what kind of story this is going to be, and although it wasn’t all dark, there were definitely some moments where I was like “wtf”.
The pacing here may vary, I think some people could be tripped up by how long it can take to switch pov’s, you could feel like you’re starting all over again when you get to a new pov or were really invested in one pov and then it switches. I loved all 3 POV’s so I sailed right through, I read this in under 24 hours and it’s 600 pages long.
I really loved the writing, it’s rare when I can highlight someone’s writing in Indie – that’s not meant as an insult, but many indie authors are debut or new authors and it sort of shows. Most SPFBO books I’ve rated the writing around a 7, which means it serviced the story and I wasn’t tripped up by awkward writing, but it wasn’t anything exceptional. I can’t believe this was a debut, everything flowed nicely, the dialogue was believable and I caught 0 errors. I am a far cry from an editor, but I usually catch something.
Pacing Final Score: 8/10
Writing Final Score: 8.75/10
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Originality:
This had completely unique world building – the cultures, the religions, the environments were all fresh.
Final Score: 8.75/10
----------------------------------------------------
Audience:
For people who like multi pov
For people who like unique world building
For people who like darker stories
For people who like villain or dark POVs
For people who like coming of age stories
For people who like character driven stories
---------------------------------------------------------
Wrap Up:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes multi pov epic fantasy. I would say that if you’re not sure where the plot is going, and you’re getting kind of worried it won’t come together – it does. It’s just a long book that builds up for the first 30% or so.
Final Score: 52.5/60 or 8.8/10
July 12, 2024
I had high expectations for this series. Whenever I read a new author, I am optimistic, and I want to love them and read all their works, but I had a weird experience with this book.
At its core, Kings of Paradise is a vengeance dark fantasy story and every now and then I want to read those stories. The book follows three characters, Ruka who is like the antagonist, Kale who represents the good side but is actually not the sharpest knife in the drawer and Dala, who happens to connect those stories somehow.
The book is quite lengthy, and the pacing often feels slow. With three points of view, we linger in each for an extended time. This led to two main issues for me: it felt like starting a fantasy novel three times, forcing me to read slowly to adjust to each setting. Once I became invested in one POV, I’d be abruptly shifted to another, causing my interest to dip.
Additionally, the POVs vary in quality. Ruka’s perspective is the most compelling, followed by Kale, while Dala’s storyline felt rather dull, making me long to return to Ruka’s viewpoint. Despite these challenges, I pushed through because I heard the last third picks up, which it did.
While the plot isn’t groundbreaking, it’s well-written enough that I’m torn about continuing the series. The next installment is from Ruka’s perspective, which intrigues me, but I’m concerned about the pacing. For now, I’ve decided to take a break and consider revisiting the series in the future.
At its core, Kings of Paradise is a vengeance dark fantasy story and every now and then I want to read those stories. The book follows three characters, Ruka who is like the antagonist, Kale who represents the good side but is actually not the sharpest knife in the drawer and Dala, who happens to connect those stories somehow.
The book is quite lengthy, and the pacing often feels slow. With three points of view, we linger in each for an extended time. This led to two main issues for me: it felt like starting a fantasy novel three times, forcing me to read slowly to adjust to each setting. Once I became invested in one POV, I’d be abruptly shifted to another, causing my interest to dip.
Additionally, the POVs vary in quality. Ruka’s perspective is the most compelling, followed by Kale, while Dala’s storyline felt rather dull, making me long to return to Ruka’s viewpoint. Despite these challenges, I pushed through because I heard the last third picks up, which it did.
While the plot isn’t groundbreaking, it’s well-written enough that I’m torn about continuing the series. The next installment is from Ruka’s perspective, which intrigues me, but I’m concerned about the pacing. For now, I’ve decided to take a break and consider revisiting the series in the future.
May 4, 2019
Ruka is such a great MC!
September 9, 2019
2.5
This started off really good dark and interesting characters, but I lost interest about halfway, which is what I kinda always do when the book is very character driven.
I really liked the characters flawed as they were, but as always I just need something more, cuz really there is basically no plot here. I would've loved at least some sarcastic cynical character, those always do it for me, but alas there was none.
I don't think I'll continue with this series 😞
This started off really good dark and interesting characters, but I lost interest about halfway, which is what I kinda always do when the book is very character driven.
I really liked the characters flawed as they were, but as always I just need something more, cuz really there is basically no plot here. I would've loved at least some sarcastic cynical character, those always do it for me, but alas there was none.
I don't think I'll continue with this series 😞
November 21, 2021
Kings Of Paradise is a debut fantasy novel told in mainly three POV’s: Ruka (the anti-hero), Kale (the hero) and Dala (my enjoyment killer).
Since reading this book was a rollercoaster of emotions, I'll divide it in three parts:
✧ ✦The best part: first 30%✦✧
Where Kale’s sweet, feel-good POV was the perfect balance for ruthless Ruka and I couldn’t stop reading.
Kale was the typical hero -I swear there is nothing this boy can’t do. I rolled my eyes a bit but I really enjoyed his character. I loved the brotherhood developed between him and the other boys at the Marine and smiled with them every time they achieved something.
“You’ve become an expert, then? Few months as a recruit and you know my job better than I do? That it?”
Kale didn’t know what to say. Yes?
It's my first time reading a grimdark character, but if all of them are as Ruka, I’m not reading a hero POV ever again. It was bizarre how easy it was to root for Ruka, the sweet little child who ends up killing and eating humans (not a spoiler, it happens at the beginning) because life has shown him we are not better than animals. For some reason, there was something comforting in Ruka thinking of killing every person who annoys him -followed by a long night imagining the details of the death.
“You’re just a boy, so you can’t yet see, but you’re good, you’re special and wise. But this world is dark and cold and cruel, Ruka. It eats weakness and spits it out. You must take that good boy, and hide him here”. Beyla put her fingers to his chest. “Put him so deep, my son, that only you and I can find him, in a special place. Hide him there until it’s safe to return. Then you take this world by the throat and throttle it.”
✧ ✦The middle✦✧
Where Dala appears and spoils everything.
I was super excited to see a new POV with a female character but it ended up destroying all my previous enjoyment. I really dislike Dala, and not in a good way like: I hate you, you are the best villain ever. I was so bored that reading her POV felt like self-punishment. It didn’t help that there wasn’t any Kale’s POV for 140 pages and Ruka’s POV felt ephemeral next to the endless chapters narrated by Dala. Besides, sometimes I felt Dala’s POV wasn’t needed because at the end she did the same as Ruka. They both relied on religion to manipulate people to do what they wanted, only that Ruka was an interesting character to follow and Dala was not.
“We serve the same God, you and I. One day you will see.”
I think my boredom could have been fixed with a better structure. If it was a continuous exchange of POVs, it would have been easier to not feel overwhelmed by a POV you don’t like. When Kale’s POV came back I was already feeling so detached from the story for making myself read that I couldn’t go back to adoring the book like I did in the beginning.
✧ ✦The ending: last 25%✦✧
Where Kale and Ruka’s POV go back to being the center of the story.
Kings Of Paradise is probably the only book I was close to dnf for hundreds of pages, always telling myself something good might come later, and something good did come. Whereas soft magic is not my favourite and I had some minor and one big problem I’ll discuss later, the action and the characters made up for it.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but my main problem were the continuous happy endings: every goal was accomplished, every problem solved and justice was served. It made me stop worrying about the characters, because I knew they were going to be alright.
Whereas I’d enjoyed books where I know everything is going to be fine, from a book featuring a grimdark hero I expect a more realistic plot, with actual failures instead of minor complications. I’m not saying I wanted the characters dead, but there were other secondary problems where things could have gone wrong. There were only two unhappy outcomes and both happened because they were absolutely required for the story.
As for the minor issues, I wish fantasy authors didn’t add romance just for the sake of adding romance. If you are written a forbidden love and things go south, you can’t show me the new love interest in the following scene. How can a character say this:
‘I don’t have much purpose in this world, but you’re part of it, for the rest of my life. You’re not alone, you’ll never be alone. Even if I never see you again. I love you, I’ll come to you, whenever you ask, however you ask.’
… And then pins over the first other girl who talks to him? Are you kidding me?
Finally, and this is a personal preference, I don’t like religion to be the main focus of a story (the world God appeared 272 times) and I prefer hard fantasy over soft. There is something comforting about having some rules instead of asking a God to let you do whatever you want and wait for His verdict.
Overall, this may seem like a really negative review but it would have been a solid 3.5 if it wasn’t for Dala’s POV, which is a good rating for a fantasy debut. I recommend it if you like a religion-centered fantasy story with grimdark characters (Ruka is AMAZING), medieval setting, too-good-to-be-true heroes and soft magic.
*Rating: 2.5/5
Since reading this book was a rollercoaster of emotions, I'll divide it in three parts:
✧ ✦The best part: first 30%✦✧
Where Kale’s sweet, feel-good POV was the perfect balance for ruthless Ruka and I couldn’t stop reading.
Kale was the typical hero -I swear there is nothing this boy can’t do. I rolled my eyes a bit but I really enjoyed his character. I loved the brotherhood developed between him and the other boys at the Marine and smiled with them every time they achieved something.
“You’ve become an expert, then? Few months as a recruit and you know my job better than I do? That it?”
Kale didn’t know what to say. Yes?
It's my first time reading a grimdark character, but if all of them are as Ruka, I’m not reading a hero POV ever again. It was bizarre how easy it was to root for Ruka, the sweet little child who ends up killing and eating humans (not a spoiler, it happens at the beginning) because life has shown him we are not better than animals. For some reason, there was something comforting in Ruka thinking of killing every person who annoys him -followed by a long night imagining the details of the death.
“You’re just a boy, so you can’t yet see, but you’re good, you’re special and wise. But this world is dark and cold and cruel, Ruka. It eats weakness and spits it out. You must take that good boy, and hide him here”. Beyla put her fingers to his chest. “Put him so deep, my son, that only you and I can find him, in a special place. Hide him there until it’s safe to return. Then you take this world by the throat and throttle it.”
✧ ✦The middle✦✧
Where Dala appears and spoils everything.
I was super excited to see a new POV with a female character but it ended up destroying all my previous enjoyment. I really dislike Dala, and not in a good way like: I hate you, you are the best villain ever. I was so bored that reading her POV felt like self-punishment. It didn’t help that there wasn’t any Kale’s POV for 140 pages and Ruka’s POV felt ephemeral next to the endless chapters narrated by Dala. Besides, sometimes I felt Dala’s POV wasn’t needed because at the end she did the same as Ruka. They both relied on religion to manipulate people to do what they wanted, only that Ruka was an interesting character to follow and Dala was not.
“We serve the same God, you and I. One day you will see.”
I think my boredom could have been fixed with a better structure. If it was a continuous exchange of POVs, it would have been easier to not feel overwhelmed by a POV you don’t like. When Kale’s POV came back I was already feeling so detached from the story for making myself read that I couldn’t go back to adoring the book like I did in the beginning.
✧ ✦The ending: last 25%✦✧
Where Kale and Ruka’s POV go back to being the center of the story.
Kings Of Paradise is probably the only book I was close to dnf for hundreds of pages, always telling myself something good might come later, and something good did come. Whereas soft magic is not my favourite and I had some minor and one big problem I’ll discuss later, the action and the characters made up for it.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but my main problem were the continuous happy endings: every goal was accomplished, every problem solved and justice was served. It made me stop worrying about the characters, because I knew they were going to be alright.
Whereas I’d enjoyed books where I know everything is going to be fine, from a book featuring a grimdark hero I expect a more realistic plot, with actual failures instead of minor complications. I’m not saying I wanted the characters dead, but there were other secondary problems where things could have gone wrong. There were only two unhappy outcomes and both happened because they were absolutely required for the story.
As for the minor issues, I wish fantasy authors didn’t add romance just for the sake of adding romance. If you are written a forbidden love and things go south, you can’t show me the new love interest in the following scene. How can a character say this:
‘I don’t have much purpose in this world, but you’re part of it, for the rest of my life. You’re not alone, you’ll never be alone. Even if I never see you again. I love you, I’ll come to you, whenever you ask, however you ask.’
… And then pins over the first other girl who talks to him? Are you kidding me?
Finally, and this is a personal preference, I don’t like religion to be the main focus of a story (the world God appeared 272 times) and I prefer hard fantasy over soft. There is something comforting about having some rules instead of asking a God to let you do whatever you want and wait for His verdict.
Overall, this may seem like a really negative review but it would have been a solid 3.5 if it wasn’t for Dala’s POV, which is a good rating for a fantasy debut. I recommend it if you like a religion-centered fantasy story with grimdark characters (Ruka is AMAZING), medieval setting, too-good-to-be-true heroes and soft magic.
*Rating: 2.5/5
May 12, 2019
READ THIS BOOK.
Several people have read my review of Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song and have asked me to let them know when another craic read comes along.
HERE IT IS. READ IT. READ IT NOW. READ IT TWICE.
Books like this are a privilege. Books like this remind you of why you are a person who reads for fun.
I started to write a deep analysis of what the book is about and why I love it. But that’s not what I want to do with this review because I don’t want to be the adult who takes apart the toaster right now. I don’t want to fiddle under the hood. Maybe some day.
But right now I just want to revel in this book the way I reveled in Heidi when I was 5. I want to revel in the memory of the book’s world and enjoy having been there.
This book goes on my Better Than Five Stars shelf.
Note to the author: I broke my Martin Rothfuss rule for you and read the first book before the others were complete and I am imploring you to keep faith and release the others. Yes, I know you’re not a slave to my whims (we’ll leave the misogynistic term to Neil Gaiman) and yet I’d love to read more of these people and their world.
Several people have read my review of Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song and have asked me to let them know when another craic read comes along.
HERE IT IS. READ IT. READ IT NOW. READ IT TWICE.
Books like this are a privilege. Books like this remind you of why you are a person who reads for fun.
I started to write a deep analysis of what the book is about and why I love it. But that’s not what I want to do with this review because I don’t want to be the adult who takes apart the toaster right now. I don’t want to fiddle under the hood. Maybe some day.
But right now I just want to revel in this book the way I reveled in Heidi when I was 5. I want to revel in the memory of the book’s world and enjoy having been there.
This book goes on my Better Than Five Stars shelf.
Note to the author: I broke my Martin Rothfuss rule for you and read the first book before the others were complete and I am imploring you to keep faith and release the others. Yes, I know you’re not a slave to my whims (we’ll leave the misogynistic term to Neil Gaiman) and yet I’d love to read more of these people and their world.
April 7, 2019
‘A demon from Noss’ mountain rose up behind a standing stone. His voice boomed as rolling thunder, words enunciated, measured and clear, like a bard at his craft. He wore a black cloak with a hood drawn to his eyes, face shrouded in gloom...’
Kings of Paradise is a self published novel by Richard Nell. After reading several raving reviews, especially a great one by Petrik, on Goodreads, I was over the moon when the author contacted me and kindly offered to send me a paperback copy for review all the way from Canada! I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book, because folks, it’s a goddamn good one!
Kings of Paradise is set on an island where the whether is treacherous, religion dominates all aspects of life, and many live on the edge of survival. There are three main characters, and each follow separate storylines. I won’t dwell too much on the plot here, I always think it’s something best discovered by yourself. However, to briefly explain; Ruka’s journey throughout the book is one of utter revenge. Kale, the young prince, has a coming of age story, and Dala’s is one of courage and dedication.
I would say that this book is very much grimdark, the themes present are dark ones indeed. It’s violent, sexual, gritty and I absolutely adored it being that way. Nell’s writing just lured me in right from the beginning; each scene had its purpose, and nothing felt like it was there to merely shock the reader. Everything vividly bought the world and characters to life, and I could feel the characters just pulling at my heart!
My favourite was Ruka!! Oh my god, Ruka was INSANE!! Just... gah! If you know me, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy. You’ll know that The Bloody Nine is one of my all time favourite characters. Well, Ruka comes so close to him! He’s RUTHLESS! He’s all about the stabby stabbyness, he’s extremely intelligent and that makes him cunning; his moral compass is certainly out of whack, and his anger at the world and the people who have wronged him seeps from the page. You do feel much empathy for him though, you feel his reasoning is justified. I really wish there had been more scenes from him. I’m told this is remedied in the sequel though, so my wish will come true!
~
‘“I want a world where love is not a crime, Priestess, a world where children are not doomed to misery because they are different. I want only laws with mercy, justice and wisdom. That is what I want.”’
~
Kale was a character that I adored too, he’s just one of those that you can’t help caring about instantly. In complete contrast to Ruka, Kale is very much a courteous and charming young man. He’s witty, sometimes foolish, but ultimately he has a big heart. Much of his narrative reflects his struggle with his father, and his quest to be with his beloved. Yes, the romance was heavy in his chapters, which normally I’d complain about, but not in this one. Nell writes the relationship so realistically, that I dug the hell out of it! It was great to see Kale grow, and he created many laugh out loud moments, and many edge of your seat moments too.
I found that the female character Dala, disappointed me somewhat. I just felt she was kind of bland in comparison to the other characters, and I didn’t really warm to her. Her storyline was intriguing, especially towards the end, but I just wasn’t invested in her.
The world building was set up quite well. Nell, thankfully doesn’t write info dumping sections, he rather weaves in various cultures such as Asian influences, which was fascinating. It was brilliant to see this all developed on an island setting rather than a more traditional medieval world. I did feel I wanted a bit more depth to the magic system though, as most of the magic use came towards the end and were quite brief. I also felt the ending could have been cut a bit shorter; although a few chapters felt rushed, I do think some of the time jumps introduced may have been better done in more detail in the sequel.
Overall this is definitely a book you need to have on your radar, especially if you’re a fan of darker reads, its truly such a promising debut!
Big thank you to Richard Nell for my copy!
Kings of Paradise is a self published novel by Richard Nell. After reading several raving reviews, especially a great one by Petrik, on Goodreads, I was over the moon when the author contacted me and kindly offered to send me a paperback copy for review all the way from Canada! I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book, because folks, it’s a goddamn good one!
Kings of Paradise is set on an island where the whether is treacherous, religion dominates all aspects of life, and many live on the edge of survival. There are three main characters, and each follow separate storylines. I won’t dwell too much on the plot here, I always think it’s something best discovered by yourself. However, to briefly explain; Ruka’s journey throughout the book is one of utter revenge. Kale, the young prince, has a coming of age story, and Dala’s is one of courage and dedication.
I would say that this book is very much grimdark, the themes present are dark ones indeed. It’s violent, sexual, gritty and I absolutely adored it being that way. Nell’s writing just lured me in right from the beginning; each scene had its purpose, and nothing felt like it was there to merely shock the reader. Everything vividly bought the world and characters to life, and I could feel the characters just pulling at my heart!
My favourite was Ruka!! Oh my god, Ruka was INSANE!! Just... gah! If you know me, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy. You’ll know that The Bloody Nine is one of my all time favourite characters. Well, Ruka comes so close to him! He’s RUTHLESS! He’s all about the stabby stabbyness, he’s extremely intelligent and that makes him cunning; his moral compass is certainly out of whack, and his anger at the world and the people who have wronged him seeps from the page. You do feel much empathy for him though, you feel his reasoning is justified. I really wish there had been more scenes from him. I’m told this is remedied in the sequel though, so my wish will come true!
~
‘“I want a world where love is not a crime, Priestess, a world where children are not doomed to misery because they are different. I want only laws with mercy, justice and wisdom. That is what I want.”’
~
Kale was a character that I adored too, he’s just one of those that you can’t help caring about instantly. In complete contrast to Ruka, Kale is very much a courteous and charming young man. He’s witty, sometimes foolish, but ultimately he has a big heart. Much of his narrative reflects his struggle with his father, and his quest to be with his beloved. Yes, the romance was heavy in his chapters, which normally I’d complain about, but not in this one. Nell writes the relationship so realistically, that I dug the hell out of it! It was great to see Kale grow, and he created many laugh out loud moments, and many edge of your seat moments too.
I found that the female character Dala, disappointed me somewhat. I just felt she was kind of bland in comparison to the other characters, and I didn’t really warm to her. Her storyline was intriguing, especially towards the end, but I just wasn’t invested in her.
The world building was set up quite well. Nell, thankfully doesn’t write info dumping sections, he rather weaves in various cultures such as Asian influences, which was fascinating. It was brilliant to see this all developed on an island setting rather than a more traditional medieval world. I did feel I wanted a bit more depth to the magic system though, as most of the magic use came towards the end and were quite brief. I also felt the ending could have been cut a bit shorter; although a few chapters felt rushed, I do think some of the time jumps introduced may have been better done in more detail in the sequel.
Overall this is definitely a book you need to have on your radar, especially if you’re a fan of darker reads, its truly such a promising debut!
Big thank you to Richard Nell for my copy!
October 23, 2023
Ruka stared at the corpse of the boy he'd killed, and his stomach growled.
If that opening line doesn’t grab your attention, then you’re not reading the right books.
4.25⭐️
You can’t help but feel for Ruka despite his many moral misgivings and horrific deeds. He’s hated from birth, abandoned by everyone except his mother who dies, and is apparently marked by the gods and destined to bring about the end of world.
He starts out a naive young boy, but the book trawls through time to show the trajectory of his life which has led him to a societal outcast, menace, and villain.
I'll be part of your book, Mother, but not like Egil or Haki or Rupa. I'll be Omika, the giant. I'll be the monster who frightens little girls. That's what I am. I'll butcher the whole world one by one with my bare hands, and when they're all dead, the lawmakers and priestesses and all their servants, then I'll go to the afterlife and find you, and I'lI make you their queen.
Then we have Kale - the fourth, least favourite son of the King of Pyu, an island empire with a strong navy and delicate political ties to an ever-increasing empire to the West. Owning to his immaturity and rebellious nature, Kale l is placed in Navy boot camp where we soon learn he is ambitious, loyal, and honourable.
There are other viewpoints littered in, but this is mostly an epic high fantasy coming-of-age story about two boys from two very different casts of life.
What I found absolutely fascinating was that Ruka’s world order is based on a matriarchy where the priestesses are those who have the power to dictate the lives of all others. Nell takes the common idea of Chiefman taking numerous wives and controlling their families and inverts it, giving this mainly uncontested to the women.
Interestingly, the women cannot back this up with physical prowess, so must rely on the men they subjugate to continue their devotion and belief in the order and propaganda.
This is gritty, dark, and bloody. And I mean bloody. Ripping body parts and maybe eating them bloody.
Normally, I’m not a fan of desensitised, graphically over-done violence, but Nell makes this work with the characterisations, conflict, and story he crafts.
”I will destroy this land of ash, and make my followers kings in paradise."
If you enjoyed the Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, or The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee, I would recommend this!
Bookstagram
If that opening line doesn’t grab your attention, then you’re not reading the right books.
4.25⭐️
You can’t help but feel for Ruka despite his many moral misgivings and horrific deeds. He’s hated from birth, abandoned by everyone except his mother who dies, and is apparently marked by the gods and destined to bring about the end of world.
He starts out a naive young boy, but the book trawls through time to show the trajectory of his life which has led him to a societal outcast, menace, and villain.
I'll be part of your book, Mother, but not like Egil or Haki or Rupa. I'll be Omika, the giant. I'll be the monster who frightens little girls. That's what I am. I'll butcher the whole world one by one with my bare hands, and when they're all dead, the lawmakers and priestesses and all their servants, then I'll go to the afterlife and find you, and I'lI make you their queen.
Then we have Kale - the fourth, least favourite son of the King of Pyu, an island empire with a strong navy and delicate political ties to an ever-increasing empire to the West. Owning to his immaturity and rebellious nature, Kale l is placed in Navy boot camp where we soon learn he is ambitious, loyal, and honourable.
There are other viewpoints littered in, but this is mostly an epic high fantasy coming-of-age story about two boys from two very different casts of life.
What I found absolutely fascinating was that Ruka’s world order is based on a matriarchy where the priestesses are those who have the power to dictate the lives of all others. Nell takes the common idea of Chiefman taking numerous wives and controlling their families and inverts it, giving this mainly uncontested to the women.
Interestingly, the women cannot back this up with physical prowess, so must rely on the men they subjugate to continue their devotion and belief in the order and propaganda.
This is gritty, dark, and bloody. And I mean bloody. Ripping body parts and maybe eating them bloody.
Normally, I’m not a fan of desensitised, graphically over-done violence, but Nell makes this work with the characterisations, conflict, and story he crafts.
”I will destroy this land of ash, and make my followers kings in paradise."
If you enjoyed the Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, or The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee, I would recommend this!
Bookstagram
July 5, 2018
Just delving into the world of self-publushed indie author's an I think I picked an amazing place to start. Nell has crafted a sweeping world by telling a coming-of-age tale for 3 different point of view characters, all with good intentions, to improve and shape what they see as a cruel world. As the characters themselves make cruel decisions that they see as necessary to gain enough powered to make the world a better place as they see it, they inevitably come into conflict with one another. I am eager to see how this intricate dance plays out as the author completes this story.
Forget that this is an indie title, this is epic fantasy at its finest and a pretty amazing debut for an author I know I will keep my eye on.
Forget that this is an indie title, this is epic fantasy at its finest and a pretty amazing debut for an author I know I will keep my eye on.
April 18, 2019
http://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/13...
KINGS OF PARADISE by Richard Nell is one of the favorites to win the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (#SPFBO). It is a story which has been recommended to me over and over again. I was surprised by this because the fantasy fans I hang around with are a very cynical bunch. If one liked THE POPPY WARS, then the next disliked it. I was a huge fan of 1000 SCARS but others were iffy about it. Here? Just about everyone who read this novel had nothing but praise for it. They said it was the best grimdark they'd read since THE GREY BASTARDS or WHERE LOYALTIES LIE. So, i decided to check it out.
What did I think? Kings of Paradise is really solid fantasy. I didn't like it quite as much as the aforementioned books but it's definitely something that both earns its moniker of grimdark (which I define as "dark, gritty fantasy for adults") but also is just good fiction in general. The characters are interesting, the twists are actually unpredictable, and world-building is solid. This is one of those books for people who don't like their fantasy to read like Dungeons and Dragons but more like George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie.
The premise is centered around three characters: Ruka, Kale, and Dala. Ruka is a deformed cannibal savage who may be the son of a god but is certainly the son of a witch. After being raised with love by his mother, he is cast out of civilized society by a corrupt priestess--which causes him to decide that it his destiny to destroy the old world. Kale is the spoiled prince of an island nation is that is one part England and one part Polynesia. Dala is a beautiful farm girl who grew up on a impoverished farm with an abusive father, when a chance encounter with Ruka results in her deciding to join the upper-crust priestesses on what she believes is a mission from her goddess.
Ruka is an interesting character and reminds me a bit of Kratos from God of War crossed with Caliban from The Tempest--not exactly a very common pair of team-ups. He's a genius with the face of a monster and his rage is all-consuming. He's not quite as sharp as he thinks he is and his only real move is "burn down everything that ticks him off." It's an effective move, though, and it's interesting how his partners keep trying to screw him--only to realize they've brought down holy hell on their heads.
Kale is a character I want to punch in the face and that's a good thing because it's what the author obviously intended as a reaction. Kale reminds me strongly of Jezal from THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY and his romance with Lala is not too dissimilar to said character's romance with Ardee West. That isn't to say the characters are identical but they have arcs of privileged individuals discovering their privilege comes with severe costs and have left them helpless once outside their comfort zone. The fact he discovers he has an incredible talent that can change the world struck me as a bit annoying but I am interested in where it takes him.
Dala is probably my favorite character in the story and I was saddened her role wasn't bigger. Dala is a seemingly sweet poor girl with a story which wouldn't be too out of home in a Disney movie, right before it goes in a bizarre and horrifying direction. When confronted with women who are going to kick her out of the priesthood and destroy her life solely because of her impoverished background, she assembles an army of assassins from the lower classes. It shows a woman with a keen sense of survival and who is every bit as dangerous as Ruka.
I like Kings of Paradise and recommend it for people who want to see a big complicated story with multiple interlocking parts. The book is divided into three parts and really does feel like reading an entire trilogy in one sitting. That's more bang for your book, though, and I'm interested in where the story goes from here. I think readers will enjoy the care and detail Richard Nell has put into his masterpiece and I'll certainly be picking up the next installment.
9/10
KINGS OF PARADISE by Richard Nell is one of the favorites to win the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (#SPFBO). It is a story which has been recommended to me over and over again. I was surprised by this because the fantasy fans I hang around with are a very cynical bunch. If one liked THE POPPY WARS, then the next disliked it. I was a huge fan of 1000 SCARS but others were iffy about it. Here? Just about everyone who read this novel had nothing but praise for it. They said it was the best grimdark they'd read since THE GREY BASTARDS or WHERE LOYALTIES LIE. So, i decided to check it out.
What did I think? Kings of Paradise is really solid fantasy. I didn't like it quite as much as the aforementioned books but it's definitely something that both earns its moniker of grimdark (which I define as "dark, gritty fantasy for adults") but also is just good fiction in general. The characters are interesting, the twists are actually unpredictable, and world-building is solid. This is one of those books for people who don't like their fantasy to read like Dungeons and Dragons but more like George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie.
The premise is centered around three characters: Ruka, Kale, and Dala. Ruka is a deformed cannibal savage who may be the son of a god but is certainly the son of a witch. After being raised with love by his mother, he is cast out of civilized society by a corrupt priestess--which causes him to decide that it his destiny to destroy the old world. Kale is the spoiled prince of an island nation is that is one part England and one part Polynesia. Dala is a beautiful farm girl who grew up on a impoverished farm with an abusive father, when a chance encounter with Ruka results in her deciding to join the upper-crust priestesses on what she believes is a mission from her goddess.
Ruka is an interesting character and reminds me a bit of Kratos from God of War crossed with Caliban from The Tempest--not exactly a very common pair of team-ups. He's a genius with the face of a monster and his rage is all-consuming. He's not quite as sharp as he thinks he is and his only real move is "burn down everything that ticks him off." It's an effective move, though, and it's interesting how his partners keep trying to screw him--only to realize they've brought down holy hell on their heads.
Kale is a character I want to punch in the face and that's a good thing because it's what the author obviously intended as a reaction. Kale reminds me strongly of Jezal from THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY and his romance with Lala is not too dissimilar to said character's romance with Ardee West. That isn't to say the characters are identical but they have arcs of privileged individuals discovering their privilege comes with severe costs and have left them helpless once outside their comfort zone. The fact he discovers he has an incredible talent that can change the world struck me as a bit annoying but I am interested in where it takes him.
Dala is probably my favorite character in the story and I was saddened her role wasn't bigger. Dala is a seemingly sweet poor girl with a story which wouldn't be too out of home in a Disney movie, right before it goes in a bizarre and horrifying direction. When confronted with women who are going to kick her out of the priesthood and destroy her life solely because of her impoverished background, she assembles an army of assassins from the lower classes. It shows a woman with a keen sense of survival and who is every bit as dangerous as Ruka.
I like Kings of Paradise and recommend it for people who want to see a big complicated story with multiple interlocking parts. The book is divided into three parts and really does feel like reading an entire trilogy in one sitting. That's more bang for your book, though, and I'm interested in where the story goes from here. I think readers will enjoy the care and detail Richard Nell has put into his masterpiece and I'll certainly be picking up the next installment.
9/10
March 27, 2021
This is a fantastic debut to a trilogy I am so excited to dive into.
It was a slow start for me, and it hasn't been a great month for reading, but after I picked it up again, I couldn't put it down. Ruka and Kale were the two characters I was most interested in, and the contrast between the two coming-of-age storylines was an interesting setup for future events.
Like most readers I've seen reviews from, it was a bit hard for me to get into Dala's story, but I can see a lot of potential for her story to expand, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out in book two.
It was a slow start for me, and it hasn't been a great month for reading, but after I picked it up again, I couldn't put it down. Ruka and Kale were the two characters I was most interested in, and the contrast between the two coming-of-age storylines was an interesting setup for future events.
Like most readers I've seen reviews from, it was a bit hard for me to get into Dala's story, but I can see a lot of potential for her story to expand, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out in book two.
January 18, 2019
Updated Review:
Whenever I fall head over heels in love with a book I always have an abnormally hard time writing reviews for them. It’s like my brain stutters and refuses to articulate all of the emotions swirling around in my head, and Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell was that kind of story for me. So hopefully I won’t totally butcher this review and Kings of Paradise will get the praise it so rightly deserves.
Pros, Cons and Everything Else
Kings of Paradise centers around 3 main characters, Ruka (a god touched outcast who lives with his mother, Beyla), Kale (a rather unimportant prince) and Dala (also god touched, but her family abandoned her). The very first character we meet is Ruka and his change from innocent boy to vengeful, sort of villain was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever read. Ruka is horrible, vicious and seemingly without emotion, yet I could still love him despite his choices. Ruka is also a big part of the reason why I don’t think this book is going to be a good read for everyone. There are pretty graphic scenes of cannibalism and torture throughout the storyline, but Ruka’s character participates more than the others.
"He saw the half-frozen corpse of a ground squirrel and stopped to watch, then noticed another of its kind dragging it, as if to bring it home.
"Mother, look, it’s trying to help!” He pointed.
She followed his eyes, then looked away. “No, child. The winter dragged too long. It will eat its own to survive.”
He looked again and felt the happy pride slip away. Then he tried to put this new knowledge from his mind, or accept it as only natural and not horrifying, but on both counts failed."
To balance out the extreme cold heartedness of Ruka, the next character we meet it Kale. Kale is everything Ruka isn’t. He was born on the other side of the world, is revered by society for being a prince, has always had plenty to eat, is lazy and he’s good looking. His story is a bit more on the classic, coming of age side. Kale joins his fathers army, meets a bunch of new people, discovers new things that boost his confidence and then he's flung out into the world. Kale is an easy character to like with an interesting story line that doesn't really get going until the end.
Then there’s my favorite character, Dala. Everything bad that could happen to Dala, does, and yet she just keeps going. Every single time she got the rug pulled out from under her, she just wiped off the blood, gave karma the finger, and soldiered on. Dala is the strong female character that I have been waiting for, a perfect blend of badass awesome and human understanding. She genuinely wants to make the world a better place and is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
"Or she could fail, now, here, and utterly. She could suffer as few women under God suffered with men who’d never had a woman, and later feed the wheat-fields with her corpse. But I will not fail."
But it’s not just the characters that make this book so good, the world building around them is just as fascinating. This book had the feel of Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones but without the dragging storyline and Richard Nell’s descriptions are a lot of fun to read.
"The girl’s pale skin had gone white as wool—a stark contrast to the bright red blood that was now poured over her hair, streaking down her face and shoulders to drip and pool at her feet. The hall was silent, and the girl shook. Then she gagged and coughed, and finally vomited, perhaps at the shock of having her future stolen in an instant—all hope of love or children gone at an otherwise happy event—or perhaps just from the smell."
Conclusion
I seriously loved every second of this book and plan on reading it again sometime soon. I wouldn't change a thing about it and can't wait to read the next book! The very beginning was a little bit confusing with all three of our characters having very different story lines, but after a few chapters it was easier to keep everything straight. If you enjoy epic fantasy and don't mind starting an unfinished series, this book is a must read!
Whenever I fall head over heels in love with a book I always have an abnormally hard time writing reviews for them. It’s like my brain stutters and refuses to articulate all of the emotions swirling around in my head, and Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell was that kind of story for me. So hopefully I won’t totally butcher this review and Kings of Paradise will get the praise it so rightly deserves.
Pros, Cons and Everything Else
Kings of Paradise centers around 3 main characters, Ruka (a god touched outcast who lives with his mother, Beyla), Kale (a rather unimportant prince) and Dala (also god touched, but her family abandoned her). The very first character we meet is Ruka and his change from innocent boy to vengeful, sort of villain was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever read. Ruka is horrible, vicious and seemingly without emotion, yet I could still love him despite his choices. Ruka is also a big part of the reason why I don’t think this book is going to be a good read for everyone. There are pretty graphic scenes of cannibalism and torture throughout the storyline, but Ruka’s character participates more than the others.
"He saw the half-frozen corpse of a ground squirrel and stopped to watch, then noticed another of its kind dragging it, as if to bring it home.
"Mother, look, it’s trying to help!” He pointed.
She followed his eyes, then looked away. “No, child. The winter dragged too long. It will eat its own to survive.”
He looked again and felt the happy pride slip away. Then he tried to put this new knowledge from his mind, or accept it as only natural and not horrifying, but on both counts failed."
To balance out the extreme cold heartedness of Ruka, the next character we meet it Kale. Kale is everything Ruka isn’t. He was born on the other side of the world, is revered by society for being a prince, has always had plenty to eat, is lazy and he’s good looking. His story is a bit more on the classic, coming of age side. Kale joins his fathers army, meets a bunch of new people, discovers new things that boost his confidence and then he's flung out into the world. Kale is an easy character to like with an interesting story line that doesn't really get going until the end.
Then there’s my favorite character, Dala. Everything bad that could happen to Dala, does, and yet she just keeps going. Every single time she got the rug pulled out from under her, she just wiped off the blood, gave karma the finger, and soldiered on. Dala is the strong female character that I have been waiting for, a perfect blend of badass awesome and human understanding. She genuinely wants to make the world a better place and is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
"Or she could fail, now, here, and utterly. She could suffer as few women under God suffered with men who’d never had a woman, and later feed the wheat-fields with her corpse. But I will not fail."
But it’s not just the characters that make this book so good, the world building around them is just as fascinating. This book had the feel of Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones but without the dragging storyline and Richard Nell’s descriptions are a lot of fun to read.
"The girl’s pale skin had gone white as wool—a stark contrast to the bright red blood that was now poured over her hair, streaking down her face and shoulders to drip and pool at her feet. The hall was silent, and the girl shook. Then she gagged and coughed, and finally vomited, perhaps at the shock of having her future stolen in an instant—all hope of love or children gone at an otherwise happy event—or perhaps just from the smell."
Conclusion
I seriously loved every second of this book and plan on reading it again sometime soon. I wouldn't change a thing about it and can't wait to read the next book! The very beginning was a little bit confusing with all three of our characters having very different story lines, but after a few chapters it was easier to keep everything straight. If you enjoy epic fantasy and don't mind starting an unfinished series, this book is a must read!
September 6, 2018
Kings of Paradise is a great fantasy book, with an original setting that I really liked. I felt invested in each of the major POV characters, but I gotta say Ruka was my clear favorite. My only big critique against Kings of Paradise would be the POV shifts, which lead to some pacing issues. With this said, I will definitely read the next book when it comes out.
I really don't enjoy writing reviews but I know how important they are to support authors. Hence my very short reviews.
I really don't enjoy writing reviews but I know how important they are to support authors. Hence my very short reviews.
June 26, 2018
Any book that can make me feel sympathy for a cannibalistic child-killer is obviously doing something profound. Richard Nell’s first book in his Ash and Sand series is nothing if not ambitious. Which I love. I love when writers try to actually say something with their work, when they try to find deeper truths. Exploring the inner workings of a broken sociopath while also delving into big questions like, “Why is the world unjust?” and “How are we called to respond to that injustice?” is a feat unto itself. Most writers satisfy their ambitions by trying to write a good plot with good characters; few writers seem up to the challenge of writing a great story, great characters, and powerful themes. Nell attempts that here, and I find that immensely exciting.
As soon as I read the first few chapters I knew that Kings of Paradise was trying to do more than just tell a ripping good story. It was trying to say something, to explore themes, to offer meaning, to stick to the bones in a way that had me immediately hooked. It also helps that Nell is a gifted writer with an amazing knack for creating characters that are dynamic, rounded, and utterly engaging. Whether it’s in the story line of the aforementioned sociopath, Ruka, or in the idealistic survivor Dala, or in the struggles and heartbreaks of the fundamentally-decent Kale, Nell’s characters feel fully alive, and I wanted to join them in their journeys of revenge, self-discovery, and enlightenment.
The world of Kings of Paradise is a neat little twist on the usual geography we residents of the Northern Hemisphere usually get in our fantasy settings. The Ascom, with its vaguely Norse-inspire names and culture is actually an Antarctic-type continent where South is colder than North. And the island kingdom where Kale lives and is prince is modeled on South East Asia (it’s a great economic power in the region, so maybe we are meant to see nods to the great Malacca trading empire of the Middle Ages). I’m not familiar with many fantasy epics that take place in a S.E. Asia-inspired setting, so for that alone, the book is intriguing.
What’s also intriguing is how Nell creates a matriarchal society in the Ascom, a place where a theocratic regime of women priestesses rules the land, and where families are known by their mothers’ names. One of the things I find most exciting about this world is the tension between the different religious beliefs: the old ways which seem to be more pantheistic and which favor traditional manly values like strength and feats of arms, versus the priestess-religion which focuses on one god (actually a goddess) and its values of law and orderliness. The dichotomy is set up between a might-makes-right/Chaos belief system and a follow-the-laws-and-conventions-of-society/Lawful system. Of course, as we discover, the matriarchal Lawful society is actually brimming with corruption, so we also get to explore themes related to dealing with a corrupt system and what to do when the laws and conventions of a society break down. This stuff: I LOVED.
And I also loved the journeys the characters went on — at least through the first 3/4 of the book. Ruka and Dala’s journeys were my favorite — not because they were good people, but actually despite their not-good-ness. They are each crusaders, fanatics in their own ways, and yet I was sympathetic to them and to their brokenness. Kale, despite being the nicest guy in the book, was actually my least favorite of the three major story lines. While the Ruka/Dala stories felt original and startling, the Kale story felt a little bit like a hodge-podge of other stories (a little Kaladin and Bridge Four at times; other times I felt like I was reading the “Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei” sequence from Kill Bill vol. 2). The Kale story isn’t bad by any means, but the lessons he learns and the themes that get explored felt a bit trite, especially when contrasted with the stories set in the Ascom.
For three-quarters of the book, I was entranced. Unfortunately, that last quarter was a bit of a disappointment. All of the thematic questions raised earlier in the story seemed to get dropped by the end. One of the characters deals with his “goal” at about the 70% mark, and then from that point forward switches into a much more straight-forward villain. He goes from having a complicated and twisted motivation — something that I both wanted him to achieve and also not achieve at the same time — to having a simplistic “Let’s go conquer stuff” motivation that I found uninteresting. It moves the plot forward, I guess, but it’s not as rich as what was happening earlier in the book.
The other characters, as well, end up being less interesting when the final chapters roll along. I don’t want to spoil things, but one character gets dropped from the narrative almost entirely, and the other turns into something from a video game. Almost everyone goes from being multifaceted to being one-or-two-dimensional by the end.
EXCEPTION: One of the female characters does something so deliciously soap opera-y at the very end that I was immediately hooked to read the next book. So that’s a good thing. Ending on a crazy high note cliffhanger is always good. And what’s great about the gonzo ending is that even though it’s outrageous in some ways, it also makes some kind of crazy sense too. Now I’m fascinated to discover more about this person and her inner motivations and desires. Again, Nell has a way of hooking us with great characters who have hidden depths.
I know I am in the minority in finding these kinds of flaws in the book, but the last quarter of the story really left me disappointed, especially in comparison with what came before. The pacing was perfect up until about the 70% mark, but then during the last 30% new POVs kept getting introduced, events happened at a breakneck speed, and it felt very “off” compared with the earlier sections. All of this rushing about meant that the themes suffered, the characters grew flatter, and the promise of early greatness felt a bit dashed.
All of these criticisms aside, Kings of Paradise is a very good book. The writing, at a craft level, is stellar. Nell knows what he’s doing with language and it shows throughout. He also knows what he’s doing with character (for the most part), and I am excited to see where things go in the next book. I cannot say this is a book I will reread, but it is a book I will heartily recommend.
4.5 stars
N.B.: The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Hearty thanks to Richard Nell!!
As soon as I read the first few chapters I knew that Kings of Paradise was trying to do more than just tell a ripping good story. It was trying to say something, to explore themes, to offer meaning, to stick to the bones in a way that had me immediately hooked. It also helps that Nell is a gifted writer with an amazing knack for creating characters that are dynamic, rounded, and utterly engaging. Whether it’s in the story line of the aforementioned sociopath, Ruka, or in the idealistic survivor Dala, or in the struggles and heartbreaks of the fundamentally-decent Kale, Nell’s characters feel fully alive, and I wanted to join them in their journeys of revenge, self-discovery, and enlightenment.
The world of Kings of Paradise is a neat little twist on the usual geography we residents of the Northern Hemisphere usually get in our fantasy settings. The Ascom, with its vaguely Norse-inspire names and culture is actually an Antarctic-type continent where South is colder than North. And the island kingdom where Kale lives and is prince is modeled on South East Asia (it’s a great economic power in the region, so maybe we are meant to see nods to the great Malacca trading empire of the Middle Ages). I’m not familiar with many fantasy epics that take place in a S.E. Asia-inspired setting, so for that alone, the book is intriguing.
What’s also intriguing is how Nell creates a matriarchal society in the Ascom, a place where a theocratic regime of women priestesses rules the land, and where families are known by their mothers’ names. One of the things I find most exciting about this world is the tension between the different religious beliefs: the old ways which seem to be more pantheistic and which favor traditional manly values like strength and feats of arms, versus the priestess-religion which focuses on one god (actually a goddess) and its values of law and orderliness. The dichotomy is set up between a might-makes-right/Chaos belief system and a follow-the-laws-and-conventions-of-society/Lawful system. Of course, as we discover, the matriarchal Lawful society is actually brimming with corruption, so we also get to explore themes related to dealing with a corrupt system and what to do when the laws and conventions of a society break down. This stuff: I LOVED.
And I also loved the journeys the characters went on — at least through the first 3/4 of the book. Ruka and Dala’s journeys were my favorite — not because they were good people, but actually despite their not-good-ness. They are each crusaders, fanatics in their own ways, and yet I was sympathetic to them and to their brokenness. Kale, despite being the nicest guy in the book, was actually my least favorite of the three major story lines. While the Ruka/Dala stories felt original and startling, the Kale story felt a little bit like a hodge-podge of other stories (a little Kaladin and Bridge Four at times; other times I felt like I was reading the “Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei” sequence from Kill Bill vol. 2). The Kale story isn’t bad by any means, but the lessons he learns and the themes that get explored felt a bit trite, especially when contrasted with the stories set in the Ascom.
For three-quarters of the book, I was entranced. Unfortunately, that last quarter was a bit of a disappointment. All of the thematic questions raised earlier in the story seemed to get dropped by the end. One of the characters deals with his “goal” at about the 70% mark, and then from that point forward switches into a much more straight-forward villain. He goes from having a complicated and twisted motivation — something that I both wanted him to achieve and also not achieve at the same time — to having a simplistic “Let’s go conquer stuff” motivation that I found uninteresting. It moves the plot forward, I guess, but it’s not as rich as what was happening earlier in the book.
The other characters, as well, end up being less interesting when the final chapters roll along. I don’t want to spoil things, but one character gets dropped from the narrative almost entirely, and the other turns into something from a video game. Almost everyone goes from being multifaceted to being one-or-two-dimensional by the end.
EXCEPTION: One of the female characters does something so deliciously soap opera-y at the very end that I was immediately hooked to read the next book. So that’s a good thing. Ending on a crazy high note cliffhanger is always good. And what’s great about the gonzo ending is that even though it’s outrageous in some ways, it also makes some kind of crazy sense too. Now I’m fascinated to discover more about this person and her inner motivations and desires. Again, Nell has a way of hooking us with great characters who have hidden depths.
I know I am in the minority in finding these kinds of flaws in the book, but the last quarter of the story really left me disappointed, especially in comparison with what came before. The pacing was perfect up until about the 70% mark, but then during the last 30% new POVs kept getting introduced, events happened at a breakneck speed, and it felt very “off” compared with the earlier sections. All of this rushing about meant that the themes suffered, the characters grew flatter, and the promise of early greatness felt a bit dashed.
All of these criticisms aside, Kings of Paradise is a very good book. The writing, at a craft level, is stellar. Nell knows what he’s doing with language and it shows throughout. He also knows what he’s doing with character (for the most part), and I am excited to see where things go in the next book. I cannot say this is a book I will reread, but it is a book I will heartily recommend.
4.5 stars
N.B.: The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Hearty thanks to Richard Nell!!
January 18, 2019
This is probably the most epic grimdark story I’ve ever read. For some, that would be a very good thing. For me it was a bit of a mixed bag.
I feel I should start by pointing out that I listened to this one on Audible, and I honestly think the narrator’s performance hurt my enjoyment a little bit. Maybe it was by design, but he made everybody sound so angry all the time that I found myself exhausted by it. Again, this would probably work for many, but for me it just seemed as if the entire performance was delivered with a side-helping of bile.
So the story has 3 main threads. There’s Ruka, who may or may not be a demon, and is kind of like a cross between Kvothe and Jorg without the charisma of either. He picks up everything he tries his hand at in an instant, hates the world and murders folk on a whim, and I found him utterly unlikeable… which may have been by design.
Kale is an island prince without a purpose. He flails his way through life, sometimes being dragged and other times walking there himself. He believes in the good of the world, and in happiness, and in having sex with lots of princesses.
Then there is Dala who is occasionally there and does some stuff, but then never really serves a purpose. I’m assuming she becomes more important in the later books.
The pacing of the book is a little strange. We spend a massive amount learning about Ruka’s childhood, then a lot with Kale’s early teen years, and then a lot of with Dala’s late teen years. And then the book just starts skipping large periods of time and feels in a rush to finish.
I’m reading back through my own review and I’m already sounding a bit lukewarm to the book, and that’s because I am. It was a good book, well-written and compelling. It has an epic scale, and certainly sets up a lot that is no doubt to come. But it never gripped me like it obviously has others. I think it was a combination between my utter dislike of Ruka, the incredibly odd pacing of the book, and the fact that it has an oppressively grimdark tone. I like my grimdark with some humour to it, and this book is without humour.
So when it comes to the rating, I’m giving it 3.5 (but of course I round up, so 4). I liked it. It has an epic feel and is unfailingly and unrepentantly grimdark, but it never really gripped me.
I feel I should start by pointing out that I listened to this one on Audible, and I honestly think the narrator’s performance hurt my enjoyment a little bit. Maybe it was by design, but he made everybody sound so angry all the time that I found myself exhausted by it. Again, this would probably work for many, but for me it just seemed as if the entire performance was delivered with a side-helping of bile.
So the story has 3 main threads. There’s Ruka, who may or may not be a demon, and is kind of like a cross between Kvothe and Jorg without the charisma of either. He picks up everything he tries his hand at in an instant, hates the world and murders folk on a whim, and I found him utterly unlikeable… which may have been by design.
Kale is an island prince without a purpose. He flails his way through life, sometimes being dragged and other times walking there himself. He believes in the good of the world, and in happiness, and in having sex with lots of princesses.
Then there is Dala who is occasionally there and does some stuff, but then never really serves a purpose. I’m assuming she becomes more important in the later books.
The pacing of the book is a little strange. We spend a massive amount learning about Ruka’s childhood, then a lot with Kale’s early teen years, and then a lot of with Dala’s late teen years. And then the book just starts skipping large periods of time and feels in a rush to finish.
I’m reading back through my own review and I’m already sounding a bit lukewarm to the book, and that’s because I am. It was a good book, well-written and compelling. It has an epic scale, and certainly sets up a lot that is no doubt to come. But it never gripped me like it obviously has others. I think it was a combination between my utter dislike of Ruka, the incredibly odd pacing of the book, and the fact that it has an oppressively grimdark tone. I like my grimdark with some humour to it, and this book is without humour.
So when it comes to the rating, I’m giving it 3.5 (but of course I round up, so 4). I liked it. It has an epic feel and is unfailingly and unrepentantly grimdark, but it never really gripped me.
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