The Sundering

The Deer King #2

by Ben Spencer

Death is at the Deer King’s doorstep. Can his lifelong protector, the Raven Queen, save him?

Boselmia, the Raven Queen, struggled for years to bring the Deer King back into the world. Now that he’s here, she is beset by enemies on all sides. Desperate to keep the Deer King alive, she flees north, where past and present dangers threaten to catch up to her.

Fighting personal demons, the Raven Queen reflects on her youth, when her mother—the previous Raven Queen—waged a relentless war to strike a blow against the Harrish settlers spreading across Dreyland. Boselmia wishes to do the same. But as events conspire against her, she struggles to hold on to the faith that sustained her mother before her.

The Sundering is the second in a planned series of fantasy novellas set in Dreyland, a colonial world where the indigenous people rely on the power of a reincarnated god to help them offset the technological superiority of the settlers.

85 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2019

About the author

Ben Spencer is the author of The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree, Book One in the The Song of the Burning Heart universe. Ben writes character-driven fantasy full of style and heart.

Ben's fiction has appeared in Literary Orphans, Corner Bar Magazine, and Scholars & Rogues. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Please visit his newsletter at benspencer.substack.com and/or his website, benspencerwrites.com for more information.

Reviews

[Scott Waldyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second volume of 'The Deer King' series digs into the culture and people that were more in the background of the first novella - the Massaporans. It plunges deep into their innerworkings as a society, all while spinning a history of the Raven Queen, who in turn embodies the themes of sacrifice and identity very prevalent in this culture. That may sound like a mouthful, but it's a credit to the author's ability to craft a tight, well-layered narrative. In less than 100 pages, Ben Spencer manages to create a cohesive work that many authors struggle to create in several hundred pages.

That's one of the things I love about this series. Both novellas so far are wonderfully woven tales that are mindful of readers' times and aren't afraid to go for big picture ideas or high fantasy concepts. 'The Sundering' hits both targets with a surprisingly dark and personal story canvased by this cultural history of the Massaporans.

[Brie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally read the second book in the Deer King series. It was everything that I had hoped for and more - just as good as the first one, and perhaps the world-building was even a bit better. Really enjoyed the change of narrator (although hopeful that Emmaline Rain will make a reappearance in book 3), and found the switch between the past and present very well balanced, and gave great insight into the happenings of the past while setting up the story for future volumes well. Ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which just makes me desperate for the next book!