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Knights of Breton Court #2
King's Justice
FROM THE DRUG GANGS OF DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS, THE ONE TRUE KING WILL ARISE.
Guided by the crazed visions of his advisor Merle, King knows that he must unite the opposing factions, before the streets erupt in all-out war. But how can he preach peace when even his own warriors are plotting against him? A heart-stopping mix of ancient myth and powerful gang action, from the author of King Maker .
File Urban Fantasy [ Street gangs | Drug wars | Wild magic | Gather darkness ]
Guided by the crazed visions of his advisor Merle, King knows that he must unite the opposing factions, before the streets erupt in all-out war. But how can he preach peace when even his own warriors are plotting against him? A heart-stopping mix of ancient myth and powerful gang action, from the author of King Maker .
File Urban Fantasy [ Street gangs | Drug wars | Wild magic | Gather darkness ]
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 5, 2010
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261 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 18, 2023
This author has excellent prose and descriptive abilities. It's just a shame he chose to shackle his plot decisions to the King Arthur myth, because in this case it really drags down the pacing and it causes a lot of things to not make sense in this updated setting. Another issue is that the main character really doesn't have much character at all. All the characters' loyalties seem to change from the 1st book to the 2nd without much explanation (Dred and Rellik, particularly), which is confusing and remains unexplained for the 3rd book in the trilogy to address.
Finally, the story is so dark there really should be some kind of redeeming aspect to it. Lots of awful things happen to everybody in the book (except King). This is OK for a book that's supposed to be dark and gritty (this one is), however it's clear that the ending is supposed to be a happy-ish one. I'm not feeling any sense of victory at the end, just more needless killing of some admittedly bad dudes. But there's an equal amount of killing of good dudes, so how is that a victory at all? If the purpose is to make us ask this question, it really needs to be fleshed out more and not feel like the conclusion was just a bunch of random petty grievances being avenged simply for the sake of it. The conclusion does not feel impactful or meaningful, partly because it's never clear why the bad guy needs to be taken out (more than any of the other folks who get murdered) and partly because the supporting villains have been recycled about 5 times by this point with no variation at all. For an urban fantasy novel, magic is also disappointingly rare and never explained. Broaddus has a lot of potential, I'd like to try some of his books that take place in a setting that is more in his wheelhouse and maybe that feel a little less proselytizing to the reader. Everybody who prayed in this book was instantly a white knight, regardless of their actions. Some lip service is paid to addressing their morally questionable actions, but this felt tacked-on and not very impactful.
Finally, the story is so dark there really should be some kind of redeeming aspect to it. Lots of awful things happen to everybody in the book (except King). This is OK for a book that's supposed to be dark and gritty (this one is), however it's clear that the ending is supposed to be a happy-ish one. I'm not feeling any sense of victory at the end, just more needless killing of some admittedly bad dudes. But there's an equal amount of killing of good dudes, so how is that a victory at all? If the purpose is to make us ask this question, it really needs to be fleshed out more and not feel like the conclusion was just a bunch of random petty grievances being avenged simply for the sake of it. The conclusion does not feel impactful or meaningful, partly because it's never clear why the bad guy needs to be taken out (more than any of the other folks who get murdered) and partly because the supporting villains have been recycled about 5 times by this point with no variation at all. For an urban fantasy novel, magic is also disappointingly rare and never explained. Broaddus has a lot of potential, I'd like to try some of his books that take place in a setting that is more in his wheelhouse and maybe that feel a little less proselytizing to the reader. Everybody who prayed in this book was instantly a white knight, regardless of their actions. Some lip service is paid to addressing their morally questionable actions, but this felt tacked-on and not very impactful.
September 6, 2018
I’m liking this world that Maurice Broaddus has created here. I like how he’s weaving the myth into this world, it’s very finely done which works well and is nice to see.
The characters have some good depth to them, you get the feeling that each one really does have an agenda they’re trying to push.
I’ll definitely be checking out the final book in the trilogy in the near future.
The characters have some good depth to them, you get the feeling that each one really does have an agenda they’re trying to push.
I’ll definitely be checking out the final book in the trilogy in the near future.
June 22, 2012
I'm putting King's Justice down 160 pages in, or roughly at halfway point in the book, and I can't recall when I've felt more cheated by a sequel. I loved the first book in this series, King Maker, but even then, I'd noted that the book spent more time with the villains than it did with the heroes. This felt fitting to me in the first book, because Arthurian legends aren't so much about King Arthur as they are about his kingdom. Nevertheless, I assumed that with the street gangs in King's Indianapolis hood having fallen apart, the second book would be more about King and his crew of "knights."
No, instead, we're introduced to a group of gang bangers so similar that even if one is fae and the other is a human haunted by his childhood encounter with the lady of the lake, there's virtually no difference in their methods of running gangs. Both men strive to look hard in everything they do, and as a result, neither man has any personality, nor do they give readers any reason to ride shotgun with them.
I think that if this were an gangland urban fantasy without trying to cling to Arthurian legend, it might have worked. If I were rating this as a standalone novel with no connection to King Arthur, my expectations would be vastly different. But this second book in an Arthurian series is a bait and switch, and the heroes have not had a role in this story at all. They're an afterthought. Everyone is an afterthought, and I've struggled to make it this far due to a wandering, head hopping narration and a lack of direction for any character, good or bad. More and more new characters are piled on, and I just don't care about any of them.
Another problem is the depiction of all women in this book. I realize that the author is trying to show how these gangstas and hustlers think, but given the amount of head hopping already going on, I would have liked to see something more substantial in the way of character development for the ladies returning from the first book. But even when they are given time to develop, it's in repetitive ways that seem to reinforce that all women are just sneaky hos looking for a way up the food chain.
My breaking point finally came when a gang lieutenant is given The Ring, allowing him to turn invisible and beat a larger man with impunity. Cribbing The Hobbit in the middle of what was supposed to be a retelling of King Arthur's legend was one plot device too far, and I only made it another five pages before I decided to drop the story. Even the return of Dred (Mordred) couldn't keep me locked in this dull pattern of self-destructive posturing.
Given how much I gushed over the first book, I really wanted this to go somewhere, and it never did. This story loses focus so badly that even though I bought the third book, King's War, I'm not going to bother reading it either. With apologies to the author, whom I have great respect for due to his much better writing in The Devil's Marionette and King Maker, I give King's Justice 1 star. Again, I feel like the victim of a bait and switch. I was told to expect a story of the Knights of Indianapolis, and instead I am forced to ride with a gang of unmemorable and unlikable knaves instead.
No, instead, we're introduced to a group of gang bangers so similar that even if one is fae and the other is a human haunted by his childhood encounter with the lady of the lake, there's virtually no difference in their methods of running gangs. Both men strive to look hard in everything they do, and as a result, neither man has any personality, nor do they give readers any reason to ride shotgun with them.
I think that if this were an gangland urban fantasy without trying to cling to Arthurian legend, it might have worked. If I were rating this as a standalone novel with no connection to King Arthur, my expectations would be vastly different. But this second book in an Arthurian series is a bait and switch, and the heroes have not had a role in this story at all. They're an afterthought. Everyone is an afterthought, and I've struggled to make it this far due to a wandering, head hopping narration and a lack of direction for any character, good or bad. More and more new characters are piled on, and I just don't care about any of them.
Another problem is the depiction of all women in this book. I realize that the author is trying to show how these gangstas and hustlers think, but given the amount of head hopping already going on, I would have liked to see something more substantial in the way of character development for the ladies returning from the first book. But even when they are given time to develop, it's in repetitive ways that seem to reinforce that all women are just sneaky hos looking for a way up the food chain.
My breaking point finally came when a gang lieutenant is given The Ring, allowing him to turn invisible and beat a larger man with impunity. Cribbing The Hobbit in the middle of what was supposed to be a retelling of King Arthur's legend was one plot device too far, and I only made it another five pages before I decided to drop the story. Even the return of Dred (Mordred) couldn't keep me locked in this dull pattern of self-destructive posturing.
Given how much I gushed over the first book, I really wanted this to go somewhere, and it never did. This story loses focus so badly that even though I bought the third book, King's War, I'm not going to bother reading it either. With apologies to the author, whom I have great respect for due to his much better writing in The Devil's Marionette and King Maker, I give King's Justice 1 star. Again, I feel like the victim of a bait and switch. I was told to expect a story of the Knights of Indianapolis, and instead I am forced to ride with a gang of unmemorable and unlikable knaves instead.
March 16, 2011
I missed out on reading the first book in Broaddus' Knights of Breton Court series, King Maker, so when I won this ARC copy of the sequel via Goodreads, I wondered if I was going to be stepping into a book with no idea of the backstory. Thankfully, Broaddus sets the stage early on in the book by re-introducing the major players and the stakes leading from the first book into this one.
It also helps that the series is a non-too-subtle Arthurian legend with a modern day backdrop, so a little familiarity with who some of the characters represent and their relationships was a nice break.
Instead of King Arthur, we have King James White (I wonder if he is inspired from author Wrath James White, a collaborator with Broaddus on a novel called Orgy of Souls), along with his girlfriend, Lady G, and mentor of sorts and resident crazy man, Merle. The kingdom, as it stands, is a drug-infested section of Indianapolis called Breton Court. Gang violence has escalated to a degree that White has stepped in as a would-be peacemaker, but forces are at play to sabotage his efforts.
The cast of characters is a bit lengthy, but Broaddus kindly offers a list of the players at the beginning of the book, reminiscent to the start of stage plays. Definitely comes in handy when scenes switch and a new character enters, and I'm left wondering, "Wait, who is that again and in which gang or alliance are they connected?"
The fantasy element is a more understated than I had anticipated, but it is there and used to great effect. I mean, you can't have a real world setting and then have mystical battles waged in the middle a major American city. People might notice. Those with the magical abilities are relatively few, seemingly extensions from a bygone era with faeries and dwarves also making appearances.
Colvin, as the lead villain was an intriguing nemesis for King, as well as the contentious relationship he had with his sister, Omarosa (I still can't read that name without thinking of the crazy lady from The Apprentice). And some of the supporting characters are real treats, like Lee and Cantrell, a pair of mismatched police officers, and Naptown Red, a villain on the rise leading into the next book.
I liked the book, but I still think I would have had a better appreciation for it had I read King Maker first. So, I'll likely give this book a second chance when the third--and presumably final--book in the series, King's War, comes out. Then, I can read all three in a go and see the sweeping epic unfold in one fell swoop. I'm also even more inclined to look for Maurice Broaddus' other works, including the previously mentioned Orgy of Souls, his Dark Faith anthology, and another book with an enticing title, Devil's Marionette.
It also helps that the series is a non-too-subtle Arthurian legend with a modern day backdrop, so a little familiarity with who some of the characters represent and their relationships was a nice break.
Instead of King Arthur, we have King James White (I wonder if he is inspired from author Wrath James White, a collaborator with Broaddus on a novel called Orgy of Souls), along with his girlfriend, Lady G, and mentor of sorts and resident crazy man, Merle. The kingdom, as it stands, is a drug-infested section of Indianapolis called Breton Court. Gang violence has escalated to a degree that White has stepped in as a would-be peacemaker, but forces are at play to sabotage his efforts.
The cast of characters is a bit lengthy, but Broaddus kindly offers a list of the players at the beginning of the book, reminiscent to the start of stage plays. Definitely comes in handy when scenes switch and a new character enters, and I'm left wondering, "Wait, who is that again and in which gang or alliance are they connected?"
The fantasy element is a more understated than I had anticipated, but it is there and used to great effect. I mean, you can't have a real world setting and then have mystical battles waged in the middle a major American city. People might notice. Those with the magical abilities are relatively few, seemingly extensions from a bygone era with faeries and dwarves also making appearances.
Colvin, as the lead villain was an intriguing nemesis for King, as well as the contentious relationship he had with his sister, Omarosa (I still can't read that name without thinking of the crazy lady from The Apprentice). And some of the supporting characters are real treats, like Lee and Cantrell, a pair of mismatched police officers, and Naptown Red, a villain on the rise leading into the next book.
I liked the book, but I still think I would have had a better appreciation for it had I read King Maker first. So, I'll likely give this book a second chance when the third--and presumably final--book in the series, King's War, comes out. Then, I can read all three in a go and see the sweeping epic unfold in one fell swoop. I'm also even more inclined to look for Maurice Broaddus' other works, including the previously mentioned Orgy of Souls, his Dark Faith anthology, and another book with an enticing title, Devil's Marionette.
February 26, 2011
I was one of the lucky winners of this book. Thanks Goodreads. This book was ok not great not bad. When I started it I found it quite annoying perhaps I’m too pale and pasty a white girl but the language was way to ghetto for me. I forced myself to keep reading as I did win I felt the least I could do was review it. Once I got going it was fine. Mr. Broaddus has talent and I’m sure will go a long way as his flow was the reason I kept reading. The issues I had with the book aside from the way the characters spoke was the fact that there were too many of them. I think it spread things too thin. Not to mention that everything had to be explained how everyone was feeling how bad their childhood was ( boohoo le sigh ) and how it brought them there. Really trust the reader we are not stupid no need to explain it all.
In addition while the fantasy part was a good idea it really did nothing for the story and seamed more an afterthought. I hope in the future Mr. Broadus would focus on more story as this was too threadbare. More focus on the main characters no need to flesh every last person out. Focus either urban or fantasy not both.
Again the flow was good once started. My favorite character was Merle who didn’t have much part and not much mention oddly. The best line which was hilarious was when he says – You’re certainly the biggest fairy I’d have ever seen. I will scoff at you with a slight French accent.
I loved it. More of this Mr. Broaddus please.
In addition while the fantasy part was a good idea it really did nothing for the story and seamed more an afterthought. I hope in the future Mr. Broadus would focus on more story as this was too threadbare. More focus on the main characters no need to flesh every last person out. Focus either urban or fantasy not both.
Again the flow was good once started. My favorite character was Merle who didn’t have much part and not much mention oddly. The best line which was hilarious was when he says – You’re certainly the biggest fairy I’d have ever seen. I will scoff at you with a slight French accent.
I loved it. More of this Mr. Broaddus please.
August 15, 2012
Okay I will start off by saying the only reason I am writing this review is because I won this book through Goodreads First Reads quite some time ago (over a year I think). I feel like I have to write some sort of review; or at least provide some sort of explanation for why I got (and never ended up reading) this book.
I actually bought the first book in the Knights of Breton Court series so that I could read that book before I read this one. That's where my trouble started. I was not able to finish the first book in the series and hence never got around to reading this one.
The urban fantasy world is basically one steeped in gangbangers, crack dealers, and other monsters. It is supposed to be a retelling of King Arthur but with a gangster mentality.
It sounded like a neat concept but I just didn't get it and I didn't enjoy reading about it. I've never been big on the whole gangbanger scene and wasn't sold on the translation of the King Arthur myth to this setting.
The writing is a bit awkward as well so the story didn't flow all that well and was a struggle to read.
Based on that I set the book aside and then decided not to even try with the second book of the series.
I know it will upset some people that I am writing a review without reading the book; but since I got this through First Reads I feel like I need to give some sort of feedback...so there it is. I gave the book the average review to be fair.
I actually bought the first book in the Knights of Breton Court series so that I could read that book before I read this one. That's where my trouble started. I was not able to finish the first book in the series and hence never got around to reading this one.
The urban fantasy world is basically one steeped in gangbangers, crack dealers, and other monsters. It is supposed to be a retelling of King Arthur but with a gangster mentality.
It sounded like a neat concept but I just didn't get it and I didn't enjoy reading about it. I've never been big on the whole gangbanger scene and wasn't sold on the translation of the King Arthur myth to this setting.
The writing is a bit awkward as well so the story didn't flow all that well and was a struggle to read.
Based on that I set the book aside and then decided not to even try with the second book of the series.
I know it will upset some people that I am writing a review without reading the book; but since I got this through First Reads I feel like I need to give some sort of feedback...so there it is. I gave the book the average review to be fair.
February 27, 2011
I think the premises of this book was a good one. I usually really enjoy urban fantasy, but this one did not sit well with me. I'm not sure if it was the over abundance of "language" or maybe I just do not get the whole gang lifestyle. I liked how there was backgrounds for the characters introduced to me in this book, however, I found that not too far into the book, I was starting to drown in the amount of characters I was reading about.
This was the first book in this series that I had read, and maybe I would have gotten more out of the story if I had started with the first one, but this one, although the writing was great, did not leave me any desire to go look for the first one. The author has talent, but this is just not my type of story line.
Thank you to GoodReads Early Reads and to Maurice Broaddus for this free ARC of the book. Although it was not a good pairing, I appreciated the chance to read this book. Thanks again!!
This was the first book in this series that I had read, and maybe I would have gotten more out of the story if I had started with the first one, but this one, although the writing was great, did not leave me any desire to go look for the first one. The author has talent, but this is just not my type of story line.
Thank you to GoodReads Early Reads and to Maurice Broaddus for this free ARC of the book. Although it was not a good pairing, I appreciated the chance to read this book. Thanks again!!
August 21, 2015
King Maker was about King stepping into his Arthurian role in shaping a community, bringing hope to a neighborhood torn apart by poverty and violence.
This book is not about that, it's the second act in any good Arthurian tale. It is where the King's flaws start to show, where the violence he sought be rid of is shown to be truly systematic and beyond the scope of one man and his crew. This book does not contain the same hope that it's predecessor did but it still recognizes that there is still good in the world, it's just beyond to abilities of one man. It is showing us that taking the weight of the world onto your shoulders won't solve anything.
Quite the worthy follow up to King Maker this book expands more into the nature of magic and how it's all tied up in the inner city drug trade. While darker in places than it's predecessor I'll still strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book.
This book is not about that, it's the second act in any good Arthurian tale. It is where the King's flaws start to show, where the violence he sought be rid of is shown to be truly systematic and beyond the scope of one man and his crew. This book does not contain the same hope that it's predecessor did but it still recognizes that there is still good in the world, it's just beyond to abilities of one man. It is showing us that taking the weight of the world onto your shoulders won't solve anything.
Quite the worthy follow up to King Maker this book expands more into the nature of magic and how it's all tied up in the inner city drug trade. While darker in places than it's predecessor I'll still strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book.
February 19, 2011
This is a free book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaways!
I really tried to like this book which was categorized as "urban fantasy." I'm not sure if I was at a disadvantage since I did not read volume 1 in the series. The writing had moments that reflected the ghetto type living with shades of Legend of King Arthur which caught my interest. Unfortunately it seemed like the author was juggling too many characters and missed out on plot development. Plus the parts involving magic seemed like an afterthought and did not really add much to the story.
I really tried to like this book which was categorized as "urban fantasy." I'm not sure if I was at a disadvantage since I did not read volume 1 in the series. The writing had moments that reflected the ghetto type living with shades of Legend of King Arthur which caught my interest. Unfortunately it seemed like the author was juggling too many characters and missed out on plot development. Plus the parts involving magic seemed like an afterthought and did not really add much to the story.
July 15, 2011
This is the second volume of the story of Camelot as played out in the world of contemporary street gangs, drugs, violence, and poverty. The portrayal is both relentlessly and excellently executed, and, while it is neither an easy nor a fun book to read, it is gripping and moving. The Arthurian and supernatural elements don't feel as prevalent as they did in the first volume, but the major players seem to be more sympathetic. It's definitely a very worth-while gritty and thought-provoking work.
March 12, 2016
Frustrating. Maurice Broaddus CAN write but this book is plotless and lacks character depth. Somehow, King becomes a messiah, the Godfather of the ghetto without reason, there is little written about the rise in respect and cred of King, only that people follow and heed his order.
As does KING MAKER, this book suffers from too many characters playing too little roles. The fantastical elements also seemed an afterthought, had this been a pure crime maybe I would've bumped it up a star - it just didn't read well for me.
As does KING MAKER, this book suffers from too many characters playing too little roles. The fantastical elements also seemed an afterthought, had this been a pure crime maybe I would've bumped it up a star - it just didn't read well for me.
April 2, 2012
While I'm still interested in the ongoing story, this instalment just didn't quite do it for me. I felt like there was excessive physical description of every character that arrived on the scene, and the story itself needed to be a bit tighter so it didn't feel like it was meandering all over the place without a resolution. The epilogue rocked my world, though, and I'm looking forward to reading book three.
January 30, 2011
Thank you for the win, goodreads! This book looks very promising, maybe not something I would choose to read if given my pick, but that's the beauty of the giveaways: they push me out of my comfort zone and expose me to new things when I've become stuck in my ways! I'll have to get my hands on the first one of the series before this one arrives. I'm excited! I can't wait to try them out :)
February 28, 2011
This was my first book won on this site and I can't help it but I have to say that it wasn't a good book. Matter of fact I did not finish it, even though i tried. I did not read the first one, and maybe that is part of it but at the same time i made it to page sixty and had to stop.
Want to read
February 28, 2011I won this from Goodreads First Reads. Looking forward to receiving it. Thanks.
July 19, 2011
I still need to read the vol 1. It was a pretty good book, I am gonna guess that it will be a bit better if I followed the order :)
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