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For Queen and Country #3
The Idiot King
An alternative cover for this ASIN can be found here.
Johanna, Roald, Nellie and Loesie have come to Florisheim finding many of their kinsmen there. The survivors from the burning of Saardam who have come here are the nobles who were never great supporters the old king, and it is likely that they won’t support his son either, even if he was normal. They support his marriage to Johanna even less and Johanna’s position as the new king’s wife would be improved immensely if she produced an heir, but so far that’s not happening.
Florisheim is alive with evil magic, and that magic is starting to affect the Saarlanders who are unused to it. They suffer apparitions of ghosts, people driven to injure themselves, or taken prisoner to work in a mysterious hole in the ground. Johanna knows that they have to get out of that evil place, but where can they go when the violence covers the entire known world?
Johanna, Roald, Nellie and Loesie have come to Florisheim finding many of their kinsmen there. The survivors from the burning of Saardam who have come here are the nobles who were never great supporters the old king, and it is likely that they won’t support his son either, even if he was normal. They support his marriage to Johanna even less and Johanna’s position as the new king’s wife would be improved immensely if she produced an heir, but so far that’s not happening.
Florisheim is alive with evil magic, and that magic is starting to affect the Saarlanders who are unused to it. They suffer apparitions of ghosts, people driven to injure themselves, or taken prisoner to work in a mysterious hole in the ground. Johanna knows that they have to get out of that evil place, but where can they go when the violence covers the entire known world?
- GenresFantasy
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2014
23 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Patty Jansen
143 books294 followersAuthor of Science Fiction and fantasy and non-fiction.
Author of the Ambassador series, the Icefire Trilogy, For Queen And Country series and the Return of the Aghyrians series.
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Author of the Ambassador series, the Icefire Trilogy, For Queen And Country series and the Return of the Aghyrians series.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 25, 2022
Their temporary home in the camp since Saardam was burned, saw King Roald, whom many called the Idiot King, and his wife Johanna, Nellie and Loesie on board the Lady Sara and in view of the tents of their kinsmen. But Florisheim was surrounded by magic - nothing good would come from it - and Johanna's sense of unease was magnified when the ghost of Celine came before her in the woods. The evil was deep and safety was unsure. And why couldn't Johanna become pregnant? She needed to keep her king safe...
The Idiot King is the 3rd in the For Queen & Country series by Aussie author Patty Jansen and I think I should have read books #1 & #2 to make complete sense of this one. There are a number of editing errors in The Idiot King, which would have been easily fixed by an editor's red pen, but I liked Roald's character, and Johanna's sense of keeping him safe for their people.
The Idiot King is the 3rd in the For Queen & Country series by Aussie author Patty Jansen and I think I should have read books #1 & #2 to make complete sense of this one. There are a number of editing errors in The Idiot King, which would have been easily fixed by an editor's red pen, but I liked Roald's character, and Johanna's sense of keeping him safe for their people.
August 4, 2021
What a weird ending! If this was supposed to be the first trilogy, I'm not sure how Patty Jansen pulled that off.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for Innocence Lost and Willow Witch but not The Idiot King itself. Read at your own risk.
This picks up a few weeks (?) after Willow Witch left off. I haven't read many series that I actually like that pick up moments one after another, but the For Queen and Country series actually does this well. It makes the growth and challenges of the main characters more apparent. Not to mention, the cliffhanger endings are impressive hooks and lead-ins to the next book. Screw Amazon for actually publishing something good that I can't find otherwise and have to pay them for (more on that later).
I really did appreciate the views of the four main characters in this one. Johanna has become more sure of herself, and more willing to investigate the things that she previously saw as taboo. She makes the right decisions often, and the wrong ones occasionally.
We saw a bit less of Nellie in this one, and Loesie was not without her own issues. I'm not sure what Jansen is attempting to do with her. The same problem plagues her in different ways, and I'm curious to see what will happen with her in the coming books, and what the ultimate plan for her is through all of this.
The character whose growth and change was the most interesting was definitely Roald. As Johanna and their constituents grow in their acceptance of him, he becomes a much more defined character in and of himself. While we are told in the previous two books that he is skilled in memorizing facts and interested in nature, these traits come out in him when he is around others, especially the children who he enjoys taking on frog-catching expeditions. I really like seeing a disabled character in historically based fantasy, especially as a royal character forced into a leadership role.
I truly think this series is an underrepresented gem that I wish was published in more places than just Amazon. At first, I found Audible narrator Genevieve Lerner to be kind of annoying, but the way she does the various voices has grown on me. I think I just might force myself to continue my Audible subscription just a little longer, even though I really hate paying Amazon for this.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for Innocence Lost and Willow Witch but not The Idiot King itself. Read at your own risk.
This picks up a few weeks (?) after Willow Witch left off. I haven't read many series that I actually like that pick up moments one after another, but the For Queen and Country series actually does this well. It makes the growth and challenges of the main characters more apparent. Not to mention, the cliffhanger endings are impressive hooks and lead-ins to the next book. Screw Amazon for actually publishing something good that I can't find otherwise and have to pay them for (more on that later).
I really did appreciate the views of the four main characters in this one. Johanna has become more sure of herself, and more willing to investigate the things that she previously saw as taboo. She makes the right decisions often, and the wrong ones occasionally.
We saw a bit less of Nellie in this one, and Loesie was not without her own issues. I'm not sure what Jansen is attempting to do with her. The same problem plagues her in different ways, and I'm curious to see what will happen with her in the coming books, and what the ultimate plan for her is through all of this.
The character whose growth and change was the most interesting was definitely Roald. As Johanna and their constituents grow in their acceptance of him, he becomes a much more defined character in and of himself. While we are told in the previous two books that he is skilled in memorizing facts and interested in nature, these traits come out in him when he is around others, especially the children who he enjoys taking on frog-catching expeditions. I really like seeing a disabled character in historically based fantasy, especially as a royal character forced into a leadership role.
I truly think this series is an underrepresented gem that I wish was published in more places than just Amazon. At first, I found Audible narrator Genevieve Lerner to be kind of annoying, but the way she does the various voices has grown on me. I think I just might force myself to continue my Audible subscription just a little longer, even though I really hate paying Amazon for this.
September 15, 2022
Very Interesting series
I kind of like this series so far. The characters are different. I like Roald even better in this series.( He kind of reminds me of my cousin Oscar.) I even like Johanna.
I'm interested to see what happens in the next book. Especially after what happened in the second to last chapter. Its seems like something sinister and evil happened to Johanna.
Just a warning for people wanting to read this book. You definitely have to read the other previous books in this series to know what's going on. Also it ends in a cliffhanger.
I kind of like this series so far. The characters are different. I like Roald even better in this series.( He kind of reminds me of my cousin Oscar.) I even like Johanna.
I'm interested to see what happens in the next book. Especially after what happened in the second to last chapter. Its seems like something sinister and evil happened to Johanna.
Just a warning for people wanting to read this book. You definitely have to read the other previous books in this series to know what's going on. Also it ends in a cliffhanger.
May 8, 2020
Mysteries are exposed but create more intrigue
Johanna, Roald, Nellie, and Loesie are great characters. They are each changing and each unique from everyone else. They have growth and development. Roald is deemed the idiot king because he is shy and probably autistic. He is different from most people. Johanna is learning that he is very smart. She encourages his reading habit. He is also child like. He seems very sweet. Johanna protects him and he protects her. She is learning to rule and Roald doesn't want to. He just wants to do his own thing.
The plot flows along well. There is action and drama. Johanna doesn't know who to trust and often she is right about her judgements. I'd recommend this book to those looking for an urban fantasy book about royalty and war with magic. There magic is interesting. It is not the type I read about often. We meet some people in this book. I was scared and I cried. I feel like I am a part of the story. I look forward to the next book in the series. This is a great book that you want to read in one setting. I just had to know what was going to happen next.
The narrator does a great job. She is energetic and easy to listen to.
Johanna, Roald, Nellie, and Loesie are great characters. They are each changing and each unique from everyone else. They have growth and development. Roald is deemed the idiot king because he is shy and probably autistic. He is different from most people. Johanna is learning that he is very smart. She encourages his reading habit. He is also child like. He seems very sweet. Johanna protects him and he protects her. She is learning to rule and Roald doesn't want to. He just wants to do his own thing.
The plot flows along well. There is action and drama. Johanna doesn't know who to trust and often she is right about her judgements. I'd recommend this book to those looking for an urban fantasy book about royalty and war with magic. There magic is interesting. It is not the type I read about often. We meet some people in this book. I was scared and I cried. I feel like I am a part of the story. I look forward to the next book in the series. This is a great book that you want to read in one setting. I just had to know what was going to happen next.
The narrator does a great job. She is energetic and easy to listen to.
September 30, 2019
Magic water and cliff hangers
As long as I can keep reading a series to the finish, I don't mind a cliff hanger. The draw and action in this book kept me awake when I should have slept. It kept my distracted as I worked. It kept me intrigued to the point of imaging what might be coming next.
The main character in the story is, of course, Johanna, the queen and often the tale seems to come from her perspective. She's the pivotal draw for most of the other characters and proving why she deserved to be queen. Roald is proving why he is king and that he is not the idiot everyone takes him for. The person who has me most hoping for a positive turning point is Joesie.
It is likely to take many changes in our characters lives and magical forces fighting for good. The magic seeping from the land and the spirits in the river they must travel are overwhelming.
Again, I don't like cliff hangers but like this series enough to tolerate them. There are some grammatical errors in the form of extra or misplaced words that were mildly irritating without slowing me down much. With all that said, I would recommend this series to any serious fantasy reader.
As long as I can keep reading a series to the finish, I don't mind a cliff hanger. The draw and action in this book kept me awake when I should have slept. It kept my distracted as I worked. It kept me intrigued to the point of imaging what might be coming next.
The main character in the story is, of course, Johanna, the queen and often the tale seems to come from her perspective. She's the pivotal draw for most of the other characters and proving why she deserved to be queen. Roald is proving why he is king and that he is not the idiot everyone takes him for. The person who has me most hoping for a positive turning point is Joesie.
It is likely to take many changes in our characters lives and magical forces fighting for good. The magic seeping from the land and the spirits in the river they must travel are overwhelming.
Again, I don't like cliff hangers but like this series enough to tolerate them. There are some grammatical errors in the form of extra or misplaced words that were mildly irritating without slowing me down much. With all that said, I would recommend this series to any serious fantasy reader.
April 16, 2015
I am completely absorbed in this series. Johanna and company have finally made it to Florisheim, where she must set out restoring her husband's standing. I love how she is proactive in her new role as (future) queen, even if there is passive opposition from the Old School.
I wanted more open confrontation to happen and a few of the plotlines to move along. It felt like Johanna had set up the beginning of some really interesting plot threads (like coming into contact with the Magicians' Guild, but not pursuing that any further). I'm hoping many of the plot threads that started here will continue in the next book.
Am glad Loesie's showing a bit more life here. I see great potential in her as a character and would like to see more from her.
Eagerly awaiting the next book.
I wanted more open confrontation to happen and a few of the plotlines to move along. It felt like Johanna had set up the beginning of some really interesting plot threads (like coming into contact with the Magicians' Guild, but not pursuing that any further). I'm hoping many of the plot threads that started here will continue in the next book.
Am glad Loesie's showing a bit more life here. I see great potential in her as a character and would like to see more from her.
Eagerly awaiting the next book.
January 31, 2017
The series continues at a quick pace. Roald is not really the idiot that everyone thinks, he just has difficultly in certain situations. In other situations, he's quite brilliant. Just not in the way a king needs to be. But he has Johanna, probably the only person to really understand him. She has little respect, however, and he has even less. Will they be able to save the kingdom? These are really awesome characters. One thing I should warn about is that so far they are all cliffhangers, so if you're going through them quickly, get all of them!
October 13, 2025
Definitely not an idiot, just socially inept, especially to be a king. However, she makes up for his shortcomings, with her forthright and staid manner.
Together, they make an excellent team.
Worth revisiting, for the intricacies that I missed.
Together, they make an excellent team.
Worth revisiting, for the intricacies that I missed.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews