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The King's Gambit
It has been centuries since Earth's societies crumbled, leaving the planet a nearly barren wasteland. Since then, the remnants of humanity have slowly rebuilt isolated civilizations with new cultures and ideas, all seemingly unaware of how the world ended. It is a world ravaged by war, illness, and famine. To Benedict Limmetrad, the outcast son of Freztad's former chief, that world is about to get much bigger. When the mysterious forces of a faraway land capture a beloved member of his village, Ben embarks on a quest to bring her home-only to discover that the world is far more dangerous and mysterious than he had once thought. His journey proves perilous, and he is faced with death and danger at every turn. Throughout his quest, Ben's values and sense of self are pushed to the limits as he uncovers the secrets of the world, its past, and himself.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2018
12 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Thom L. Matthews
4 books14 followersMy name is Thom. I'm the author of The Vault Guardian Series. Book 4, Void and Shadow is set to release November 18, 2024.
I started writing it during my final year of undergraduate studies and continued to write and edit throughout my first year of graduate school. I was inspired to write by the death of my mother, which I presume would have been a significantly more traumatic experience had I not found writing. I plan to continue writing because I enjoy telling stories and sharing my imagination with others. The Vault Guardian series is meant to be a story that teaches, as well as entertains. Topics of morality and personal growth are of particular interest to me, and I only hope that readers will take something away from the experience.
Mythology and fantasy are of particular interest to me, though I suppose my work is more of a science fiction (I think it works well, as my education has been science-based). There are many allusions to various mythologies within my story because I find that it ties quite deeply into the human experience; moreover, I believe it is for good reason that humans have developed such rich beliefs, and the diverse cultures we see today would not be the same without them. Regardless of what is true or not, humanity has grown alongside these belief systems, and my characters grow as a result of them, too. I like to think I grew as a person during the writing process, and I can only hope my readers do as well.
I started writing it during my final year of undergraduate studies and continued to write and edit throughout my first year of graduate school. I was inspired to write by the death of my mother, which I presume would have been a significantly more traumatic experience had I not found writing. I plan to continue writing because I enjoy telling stories and sharing my imagination with others. The Vault Guardian series is meant to be a story that teaches, as well as entertains. Topics of morality and personal growth are of particular interest to me, and I only hope that readers will take something away from the experience.
Mythology and fantasy are of particular interest to me, though I suppose my work is more of a science fiction (I think it works well, as my education has been science-based). There are many allusions to various mythologies within my story because I find that it ties quite deeply into the human experience; moreover, I believe it is for good reason that humans have developed such rich beliefs, and the diverse cultures we see today would not be the same without them. Regardless of what is true or not, humanity has grown alongside these belief systems, and my characters grow as a result of them, too. I like to think I grew as a person during the writing process, and I can only hope my readers do as well.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 22, 2018
Very interesting story
It was an easy read, so much that it flowed very well. The story grabs the reader's attention, and keeps it. The author brings the reader right in the story. It's written pretty well, and the characters have a great depth to them. The journey followed a great pace, and it was easy to imagine the futuristic world inside this author's head. I liked that the author provided maps, which lent to the story. It was captivating so much that I look forward to future stories within the series. I look forward to more stories from this new author.
It was an easy read, so much that it flowed very well. The story grabs the reader's attention, and keeps it. The author brings the reader right in the story. It's written pretty well, and the characters have a great depth to them. The journey followed a great pace, and it was easy to imagine the futuristic world inside this author's head. I liked that the author provided maps, which lent to the story. It was captivating so much that I look forward to future stories within the series. I look forward to more stories from this new author.
July 3, 2018
A great story with lots of twists. I didn't see the ending coming at all, which is always enjoyable. A nice balance of action and story/character development. Definitely worth a read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
June 2, 2018
Definitely a good young adult & coming of age story. I found that everything fit together and there wasn't a wasted page in the entire book. Everything foreshadowed what was to come in this book and the ones in the future. Even though there will be others, I found that this really works well as a story on its own. For the author's first book, I found that this was extremely well written.
August 15, 2018
I'm a big fan of the post apocalyptic genre and this one did not disappoint! This book had me at the prologue! Strong start with some intense action followed by fantastic world building (loved the maps!) and character development. That twist at the end! Did not see that one coming! Would love to get into specifics about certain things but do not want to spoil the book for other readers. I'll just say that I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
October 26, 2018
Review can be found on my blog here: https://booksonthebookshelf.wordpress...
This book was very well written. I enjoyed the style of writing and the way the story was told in such a way to grab the audience. I enjoyed reading about the various civilizations and how they were all different from one another in various ways. The characters and the civilizations all had unique names which I liked and felt added to the uniqueness to the story.
The main character Ben was abandoned by his father. Ben has no memory of him at all, or his mother, and was raised by his father’s sister. The only thing Ben has that belonged to his father was a watch with a mysterious symbol on it. But Ben doesn’t know what the symbol is or what it means.
Ben grew up with his cousin Rose. They are best friends and like siblings. They did everything together, and grew up together in the village of Freztad.
We are introduced to many characters in this book, and it was fun to read about the various characters and learn their different personalities and way of life. Some characters you will hate and some characters you will love.
We follow Ben on his journey as he leaves the safety and comfort of his village on a quest to rescue someone he cares about who left the village and was supposed to return a few days later but seems to have vanished. Ben braves the outside world, having only been in his own village of Freztad. It is all he has known and he has no knowledge or experiences with other villages.
Ben faces many challenges and does quite well I think in the big world that is new and unfamiliar to him. He is faced with many trials and tribulations that he must overcome, in order to find the missing person from his village that he is looking for.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and reading about the various villages that were created in this new world. Since this book is the first book in a series I am curious to know what will happen next.
This book was very well written. I enjoyed the style of writing and the way the story was told in such a way to grab the audience. I enjoyed reading about the various civilizations and how they were all different from one another in various ways. The characters and the civilizations all had unique names which I liked and felt added to the uniqueness to the story.
The main character Ben was abandoned by his father. Ben has no memory of him at all, or his mother, and was raised by his father’s sister. The only thing Ben has that belonged to his father was a watch with a mysterious symbol on it. But Ben doesn’t know what the symbol is or what it means.
Ben grew up with his cousin Rose. They are best friends and like siblings. They did everything together, and grew up together in the village of Freztad.
We are introduced to many characters in this book, and it was fun to read about the various characters and learn their different personalities and way of life. Some characters you will hate and some characters you will love.
We follow Ben on his journey as he leaves the safety and comfort of his village on a quest to rescue someone he cares about who left the village and was supposed to return a few days later but seems to have vanished. Ben braves the outside world, having only been in his own village of Freztad. It is all he has known and he has no knowledge or experiences with other villages.
Ben faces many challenges and does quite well I think in the big world that is new and unfamiliar to him. He is faced with many trials and tribulations that he must overcome, in order to find the missing person from his village that he is looking for.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and reading about the various villages that were created in this new world. Since this book is the first book in a series I am curious to know what will happen next.
June 13, 2025
The King's Gambit by Thom L. Matthews took me by surprise. What starts off feeling like a familiar post-apocalyptic quest turns into something richer and more introspective as the story unfolds. The setting a shattered Earth slowly rebuilding itself into isolated civilizations is bleak but immersive, and Matthews does an excellent job painting a picture of a world scarred by forgotten catastrophe. There's an eerie realism to how each community has formed its own culture and myths in the absence of history.
The protagonist, Ben Limmetrad, really grows on you. At first, he comes across as your typical outcast-turned-reluctant-hero, but the more you journey with him, the more complex he becomes. His personal evolution is one of the book's strengths. Matthews doesn’t shy away from putting him through hell loss, betrayal, moral ambiguity, and literal life-or-death decisions. It’s that emotional weight that gives the book its heart.
The pacing is generally solid, with some standout action scenes and intense moments of suspense. That said, there were a few lulls in the middle where the world-building took precedence over momentum. But even then, I appreciated how layered the world was it felt lived in, not just a backdrop for the plot.
What really stuck with me was how the novel explores truth and myth. As Ben uncovers more about the world’s forgotten past, there's a quiet commentary on how societies choose to remember or erase certain truths. It’s never preachy, just woven in smartly through Ben’s discoveries and internal struggles.
I finished The King's Gambit feeling satisfied but also wanting more from this world. There are still questions unanswered, and if Matthews decides to expand this into a series, I’ll be first in line.
The protagonist, Ben Limmetrad, really grows on you. At first, he comes across as your typical outcast-turned-reluctant-hero, but the more you journey with him, the more complex he becomes. His personal evolution is one of the book's strengths. Matthews doesn’t shy away from putting him through hell loss, betrayal, moral ambiguity, and literal life-or-death decisions. It’s that emotional weight that gives the book its heart.
The pacing is generally solid, with some standout action scenes and intense moments of suspense. That said, there were a few lulls in the middle where the world-building took precedence over momentum. But even then, I appreciated how layered the world was it felt lived in, not just a backdrop for the plot.
What really stuck with me was how the novel explores truth and myth. As Ben uncovers more about the world’s forgotten past, there's a quiet commentary on how societies choose to remember or erase certain truths. It’s never preachy, just woven in smartly through Ben’s discoveries and internal struggles.
I finished The King's Gambit feeling satisfied but also wanting more from this world. There are still questions unanswered, and if Matthews decides to expand this into a series, I’ll be first in line.
November 20, 2021
The Vault Guardian is a captivating story about a young man finding out about his history and his development into who he wants to become.
Thom did a very good job in setting up the story and leaving you wanting to read more to figure out what happened. There are some nice developments in the story and a set up for what I think will be a fantastic character arc.
There’s also many “aha” and “but wait there’s more” moments in this book, and I assume in the rest of the series too.
There’s also a good balance of family/friendship & battle, gory moments. Think of Harry Potter friendship in a Game of Thrones type of environment.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Thom did a very good job in setting up the story and leaving you wanting to read more to figure out what happened. There are some nice developments in the story and a set up for what I think will be a fantastic character arc.
There’s also many “aha” and “but wait there’s more” moments in this book, and I assume in the rest of the series too.
There’s also a good balance of family/friendship & battle, gory moments. Think of Harry Potter friendship in a Game of Thrones type of environment.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
January 14, 2025
The start of a really great story! Some kinks that come with the first book but overall really good
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews