The Reluctant King

by K'wan

The King family is on the political rise in New York City, but must weather the violent storm wrought by their darkest secrets.

“K’wan is exceptionally gifted at ratcheting up suspense . . . There’s no denying the writer’s talent for dark, gritty fiction. It’s a page-turner.” —Kirkus Reviews

Meet the Kings, one of the most influential families in New York City. In the power circles of the movers and shakers, they are regarded as modern-day royalty. A politically connected father, a socialite mother, and three promising they look every bit the all-American family . . . but every family has secrets. Some darker than others.

Of all the children, Shadow is the least like the rest of the Kings. To call him soft wouldn’t be quite accurate, but he lacks the leadership qualities of his older brother, Ghost, or the ruthless tendencies of his sister Lolli. Shadow is just . . . Shadow. Instead of accepting his role in the “Monarchy” created by his father, Shadow would rather spend his days chasing women and hanging out in the hood with his best friends, Fresh and Pain. He is totally oblivious to the perils that come with his last name—until danger introduces itself.

On the night of their mother’s fiftieth birthday gala, their father, Chancellor, is set to announce his plans to turn his political focus beyond his current position as a member of the city council. He has tasted the benefits that come with holding office, and has the power and influence to make a serious run at climbing the political ladder.

The future is looking bright for the King family. That is, until the devil comes to claim his due, and threatens to destroy everything Chancellor has worked to build. To survive the coming storm, each member of the royal family will have to make a sacrifice, even those who are reluctant to wear the crown.

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Urban, Contemporary

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

In 2002 K'wan hit the scene with his debut novel Gangsta, under Triple Crown Publications. It was the first novel released by the budding house and would eventually become the building block for what is now a multimillion dollar company. What started as a therapeutic release went on to become a part of urban-lit history and an Essence bestseller, as well as drawing rave reviews overseas.
After penning his second novel, Road Dawgz (2003), K'wan drew the attention of St. Martins press. The literary powerhouse quickly signed K'wan to a multi-book deal, the first of which being Street Dreams (2004). In 2008 he received the Black Author of the year award from Black Press Radio for the novella Blow.
Since his insertion into the publishing world K'wan has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Felon, Big News, The Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Press, Clutch and most notably Time Magazine, to name a few. He was also interviewed by MTV News for a feature on Hip-Hop fiction, and a guest on Power 105s morning show as well as NPR (national public radio). In addition to being an accomplished author, K'wan is also a motivational speaker, mentor to at risk children and the C.E.O of Black Dawn, Inc.
K'wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kwan

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I thought it would be with an obvious end to be continued. 7 of 10 stars

[Qiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

K'wan introduces his readers to the King family in his latest release. A family tied to the street, but also trying to get grounded in the legitimate world. The King family is filled with gangsters, doing what needs to be done to protect their family. By the end of the story, you'll be left wondering if they did enough.

This was a great introduction to new characters. I love the illusion of The Monarchy. K'wan has an innate ability to pen the perfect crime family. This story is to be continued but I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This was a wild ride from beginning to the end. I have not read this author before so it felt like this is an installment in a well established series. However, it is still a story about a family from humble beginnings forging a successful financial empire with ties to both legal and illegal enterprises.

The King family were all fully invested in maintaining their power and wealth in their nuclear family's hands by managing associates and even enemies. By the end of this particular book, I was fully intrigued in King family's crime saga and I plan to follow this series. If you have watched New Jack City or Power, this story reads like one of those shows. In fact, I can see this book as a tv show.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5

While reading this book two things came to mind. The first being the Starz series POWER and a series I read and loves years ago by Reign (T. Styles) called Shyt List. This a quick read and it was entertaining, but nothing new/fresh.

I will say that I am most interested in the story of the Zaza family and seeing how Millie and Shadow will boss up together to rule. I see Millie doing her due diligence.

Ghost was accurate in telling his dad to not get back in bed with the head of the snake the kings cut off. I had to come back and add that uncle Chapman (the snake) is confused and sometimes family is FOE.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read the blurb of this book. Huge K'wan fan. So it wasn't necessary.
For one of the first times, I didn't like a few of the main characters.
K'wan seems to be going in a different direction with this one. Different, yet the same. I love that he sets most of his books in NY and NJ. I can envision everywhere he's taking about.
Shadow, Ghost, Lolli and Millie are siblings. They're well to do thanks to their father Chance.
Getting to the top of their dynasty wasn't an easy journey. There are a few players trying to sabotage them when Chance tries to go "straight".
Like any typical K'wan novel the characters are very fleshed out and the storylines intertwine.
There is a lot of action, twists, and cliff hangers.
Looking forward to the next one.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This would make a bomb ass tv show. Think along the lines of Power, something like that. I really enjoyed this and that damn ending has me screaming. I need book two right now. There was so much backstabbing and sabotaging going on here that it made my head spin. I loved it. It was messy.

The characters felt real and flawed and while I didn’t agree with a lot of what everyone decided to do I understood the reasoning. I really liked Shadow. Besides Maureen, the matriarch of the family, he was my favorite character. With the way this ended I cannot wait to see where his character goes from here because it’s about to get even crazier. I had a blast reading this and I’m now impatiently waiting for book two. Hopefully we get it soon.

[Dione Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn.. What a great book. I wqs drawn in from page 1.. This book was the ultimate steup for the rest of the books to follow. Monster is a Snake.. and PLEASEE don't even get me started on that Uncle.. but Shadow's phone.. What's the deal with folks just grabbing phones & keeping them? Why were Shadow's friends calling him?? What warning were they sending?? Hmmm..and those Cubans?? DIRTY.. DIRTY.. I need the next book.. Let's Go K'wan!

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Reluctant King by K'wan would make an excellent Black Ploitation film 🎥 from the '80s. It has all the standard vital elements that epitomize the genre at its apex.
The terms used to describe the King family members and their overtly descriptive ghettoized 'Super Fly/Fox Brownish.' Names and street monikers are classic.
I stood it ALL for one book. I understand the author wrote more episodic books concerning the King family.
I wouldn't be able to stand reading anything further about them.

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark Fiction - well written about a family with secrets - each looking for or ready to gain power - unexpected betrayal -set in the streets of NY - a page turner with many twist & turns - This is listed as a "kindle" edition but I read the Paperback book.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drugs, thugs, violence, murder, crimes, betrayal, vulgar language, explicit descriptions of sexual thoughts and encounters, and more. Needless to say, this just isn't my type of story. I certainly won't be listening to anymore by this author.

[Alexandria Perry-Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good!! I was not expecting such a great read. Eagerly waiting book 2!

[Drenna Gurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when one of my favorite authors introduces new characters. Its always a breath of fresh air.

The King family ain't your typical "we started in the hood, we came up off of dope money" type of family. They are a little ghetto, quite a few of em are hood and each member of this family plays an intricate part on the chessboard calleda storyline. This book left me breathless. I want more! I need more!

[Robbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely did NOT go the way I thought it would. The Kingdom has fallen 😭

Chance King has built his empire from the ground up. The more success he gets the more he wants. He has his sights set on becoming borough president. He no longer wants to be the King of the Monarchy, he wants to advance his political career. This one decision sets off a world of trouble for him and his family.

I have a love hate relationship with the King family. For them to have literally made it as far as they did, built their empire (legal and illegal) from the ground up. Why was it so easy to tear all of it down ? 😭

All of them were so caught up in their personal lives that they took their eyes off the prize. Their intuition literally screaming at them and they kept pushing it to the side. If these were normal people I would give them the benefit of the doubt. But if you’re going to live a life of crime you can’t ignore those bad feelings.

Everyone I had a bad feeling about while reading this story, my feelings were validated by the end 😩 Ghost was way too emotional to be the next king. I hate to admit Maureen was right, but it seems like Kelly was nothing but a series of bad decisions for him. That would eventually lead to his downfall. Also why was she not at the party?!?!? Seems like too much of a coincidence to me considering how shit hit the fan.

Excited to see how Shadow’s character advances in the next book. I feel like he may be the next “King,” but it’s not really clear yet.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

[Myestorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to The Reluctant King again as a refresher for False Idols and I think I forgot how good this story is. Chance King is trying to pass his seat as the head of the Monarchy to his son Ghost, so he can run for borough President. A lot of people aren’t supportive of either move and the deception begins stirring behind their backs. Ghost is willing to do anything to keep his family safe, but can he keep himself safe from the family. Millie is the wayward daughter who prefers to live in the streets away from the family. Shadow is trying to be more involved in the family business but of course, his family is trying to keep him far away. Lolli means well but doesn’t make the best decisions and Mrs. King is the invisible glue that keeps the family together.

This story is not talked about enough. I listened to the audible version and the story moved by so fast, I didn’t realize I was at the end. The narration was also good. I loved the characters and I’m looking forward to seeing Millie in book two. I just feel like she’s going to be the secret weapon. I’ve loved Christian Knight since The Fix and I’m hoping he comes back in the next book to show out. There is going to be a fight for power and I’m anxious to see how things will play out. I’m hoping the family can sustain during the chaos.

[La Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride with the Kings. This will be an eventful ride along & you won’t be disappointed. This will be a series because K’Wan left us with a cliffhanger!!!
Sheesh, now I have to wait for the second book.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Which is rare for me.

I glanced at a few of the reviews on the page before writing my own, and wanted to be very clear that my issues with this novel do not revolve around the following...

(1) It is acceptable to use colorful language in novels. I'm not afraid to read a curse word here and there. What is more important is that the dialog flows naturally, that is is believable, and that it helps to push the story forward. So, while there was a lot of cursing in the chunk of the novel I did read, it wasn't bothersome. What was bothersome was that the dialog itself sometimes seemed clunky.

(2) I do not mind 'gangsters' or 'thugs', as some reviews have noted of the characters, because some of the greatest books on the market are about (for the lack of a better word) criminals. Criminals can be very exciting characters, in fact. And while criminals do not have to be characters that the reader would fall in love with, you have to be able to connect with them on some level. Even if you hate the character, really hate them, there needs to be some sort of emotion. Unfortunately, over an hour into the audiobook, I could not find a single character that I enjoyed on any level and while I disliked many, I disliked them in a way that didn't want me to read on. I disliked them in a way that kept telling me, "Life is short, move on to a different story."

(3) I don't mind explicit sexual encounters. I actually love erotica. But again, there needs to be meaning behind scenes. The first few minutes of this novel, a man is sending women home from a romp in the sack. He's just a jerk about the entire situation. Again, not a jerk I wanted to keep reading about, just a jerk. The next really steamy scene, I didn't mind, but at the same time I kept thinking, "Do I like these characters? Do I care?" and the answer kept coming up, no, not really.

I really wanted to read a crime-themed novel and the description of the novel really pulled me in. However, I wasn't pulled in and decided to abandon the novel after a good hour or so of listening. I'll definitely try something else by K'wan (as a friend said this novel veers away from his 'normal' stories) and see how I feel. This one just wasn't for me.

[Rabid_xx_Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a wild rollercoaster ride!! It took me a while to get back into this book after the new years, The Reluctant King had me so worked up I couldn’t sleep without reading just one more chapter. Mafia families is a simple, familiar trope, but the writing style the author used made it feel fresh.

The King family, who came from meager beginnings, rose to become a powerful financial dynasty in New York City. Involved in some illegal operations, the family patriarch is ready to go legit for a run in politics. Not all the Kings agree with this route, though others vie for the opportunity to take over the empire. From chapter one there is family infighting and eventually secrets that come back to haunt them all.

The book is full of foul language and graphic violence, but I figure that’s the real life of American gangsters and if you’re gonna read a crime thriller, you better be prepared. This book is INTENSE! I have for sure found a new author in Kwan, and I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the series.

[Porsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kwan definitely keeps us in suspense with this book. I’m not ever going to knock him because he is one of my favorite authors hands down. I had high expectations for this book. I thought it would be similar to the other ones and it is in some ways and other ways not so much. I thought the book would be thicker. Even though it is thin, it has 24 chapters so don’t let the size fool you. Additionally, I’m use to Kwan’s books having some pace to it but this book was slow paced to me. I would have wanted more ground to have been covered. Example: what happened after Voodoo caught Shadow? Is Shadow going to do what needs to be done for the family? Who set Chance up? (All of these are more than likely going to be answered in a later book but it would have been nice to have gotten that in this book) Nevertheless, the plot and the character development is impeccable so I can’t give it less than 4 stars.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A black family with higher aspirations. Some people who aren’t happy with them. The adult children in revolt. All of these make an excellent novel. I truly enjoyed The Reluctant King by K’Wan.
Sean (Shadow) is the youngest. Just tryin’ to get along. Everyone in the family is involved in some way in the business (even is drug-addled sister) except him. He is shut out of the violence that is life in Five Points until his father decides to enter politics.
Suddenly, old enemies want to be friends and old friends are backing away. On the night of his mother’s birthday party all comes to the boiling point. Arrests are made, murders are done and Shadow begins to grow up.
There is a sequel to this book which I am waiting for because my one complaint it that it just.stops.
Fantastic characters, great back story and well worth reading!

[Deirdre · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great if you are just looking for a story about thugs and disgustingly descriptive cheap sex (standing next to a dumpster, for example). It does deliver an overwhelming number of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, but there is no real depth or sense to the story. I also REALLY disliked the fact that one of the central character's names (Ghost) seems stolen from one of my favorite and unparalleled shows (Power). It made the story seem like an unsuccessful attempt at emulating all the things people couldn't get enough of about that show. Regardless, this creation fell flat. I believe this is Book 1, meaning there are others about the King family. They may be enjoyable to someone who leans toward this kind of writing.

[Thomasena Merriweather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long live the Kings!!!!!!!!

Oh my God, hard to write the review without spoiling it for those who have nor read it! I will say that Kwan definitely took his time with this one, the twist, turns and betrayal kept my face glued to this book! I may read it again just to make sure I didn't miss anything. So curious to know what will happen to Shadow, I see him as being a main character in part 2, just hoping he can do his family proud! This book also shows you how easy it is to get complacent and be blind to the dangers lurking right in your circle. I'm so hype after reading this book, it is definitely worthy of being on the big screen!!!! Kwan well done!!!!!

[Mr Ogologo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a major fan of all Kwan's books and reread quite a few so my review may not be the most impartial. As soon as I obtained this book I was going to binge! The way the characters were developed in this novel were predictable (the bad guys were clearly the bad guys) and when it was time for some of them to get their fair dues, there wasn't any disappointment felt over them as I did with some of the protagonists in some of his other novels. However this awareness is only there from someone as big a fan as I am of his writing. He also continues to bring New York to life as a breathting entity with his attention to detail!

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sadly disturbed by many “new” books that insist on using foul language. I realize that this language is the vernacular of certain areas, but this vocabulary creates ill feelings for me. The Reluctant King by K’wan provides foul language and explicit sexually. The story centralizes on family loyalty and following a specific family agenda, but vocabulary and actions destroy the novel. The characters have no dimension and fall flat. The settings bring no picture to your mind, except of distaste. The book wasted my time.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced book about a family of drug dealers and murderers who are trying to go straight....well at least the dad is. I will say that there was not one character that I liked or felt sympathetic towards. Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Yes it has foul language (it's just words) and explicit sex scenes (just gloss over if you don't like it) but overall a good story. The way it ends you know there will be a book two which I would very much like to read. Give it a try.

I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an honest review.

[Anissa Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

For once I didn't like the very beginning. Guess I couldn't see where they were going & didn't really think they were going to be interesting. But I was wrong.
We knew about the King family but didn't really know them well. This story clears that up. Ghost is snake-ish... doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Lolli is kinda Idgaf-ish. And then Shadow is mostly laid back but I wouldn't sleep on him. I think his beast just hasn't been poked yet.
But somebody will have to step up because Daddy's in a jam & I think uncle messy has awakened Shadows beast unknowingly.

[Rise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reluctant King is a fast-paced family drama full of secrets, ambition, and betrayal—all unfolding in a single day. Shadow, the youngest son, struggles with whether to accept or reject his family’s criminal-political legacy. K’wan’s gritty, cinematic writing and sharp dialogue kept me hooked.

Some characters, like Ghost and Lolli, felt less developed, but Shadow and Maureen stood out as the emotional core. If you enjoy urban fiction with family drama and complex power struggles, this is a great pick.

[Lois Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

book on fire

OMG this King family is the most intriguing and corrupt conniving generation of wealth i’ve had the pleasure to read. K’ean as usual is at his best. The parents are truly ambitious and Chance ego insatiable is bound to deliver then to a tragic future. I could stop reading this book until I finished oh my goodness you have to pick it up and read it because there’s not another book that will hold you like this one will I’m ready for the next right now

[Phoenix Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reluctant King: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Long live the king.”

This is like reading the hood version of lion king because i know….👀👀 clocked all the tea. Because if you didnt piece things together and have a few theories…are you even reading a k’wan novel?

The term if a man shows you who they are…believe them is true with the characters in the this story. All the adults in the book is set in their ways, including Ghost and Lolli. The only character i believe will receive development is Shadow. Only because he has been in the background for so long that now he sees that he just might have to sit on the throne after all.

Im excited for the next installment. Im ready to read more about Christian and Voodoo. 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[Chaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get past the first 2 chapters (I nearly gave up after the first, but persisted in order to give it a second chance). The problem for me was in the completely unredeemable, unsympathetic and totally reprehensible main characters and his family and other characters here. They are mobsters, thieves, and murderers, and I just could not spend more time with them than I did.

[David W. Cofer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I fail to understand all the hype and praise for this book. It was difficult to get into it and once in, I had to force myself to keep reading.

The characters were stereotypical street thugs, nothing original there. The plot predictable and boring. The writing was decent, but not exceptional.

Don’t waste your time or money on this book.