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The Drowned Kingdom #3
Lord and King
Finally Lord and King of Eastrealm, Othrun aims to restore the glory of his drowned homeland, Atalantyx. But dangerous warlords are determined to stop Othrun from rising to further power.
Furthermore, Eastrealm’s ruler must confront internal forces that could tear his new kingdom apart. Embattled Othrun is also devastated by personal tragedy. His belief in his Single God, and his ambiguous guiding spirit, has never been more tenuous.
To fight his enemies, Othrun needs more than faith, or his formidable knights. He needs a mage on his side. Is the conniving Queen Lysi, with her divided loyalties, and her own designs for Othrun, the ally he needs? Or, are there other mages who can help the beleaguered young king, who he can trust?
And, Lysi is not the only formidable queen Othrun must contend with. An inexorable power, tied to ancient founders of Eltnish civilization, is coming. A legendary ruler, the likes of whom has not been seen for centuries, plans to reclaim what's owed to her.
She is named, Undala.
Fear for Othrun, and anyone else who dares stand in her way.
Othrun is clever, bold, resourceful. Yet, kingship comes with many challenges, including facing the cunning, powerful, vengeful enemies surrounding him, marking him for death. Will Othrun’s reign end on the battlefield, in blood, before it's barely begun?
Furthermore, Eastrealm’s ruler must confront internal forces that could tear his new kingdom apart. Embattled Othrun is also devastated by personal tragedy. His belief in his Single God, and his ambiguous guiding spirit, has never been more tenuous.
To fight his enemies, Othrun needs more than faith, or his formidable knights. He needs a mage on his side. Is the conniving Queen Lysi, with her divided loyalties, and her own designs for Othrun, the ally he needs? Or, are there other mages who can help the beleaguered young king, who he can trust?
And, Lysi is not the only formidable queen Othrun must contend with. An inexorable power, tied to ancient founders of Eltnish civilization, is coming. A legendary ruler, the likes of whom has not been seen for centuries, plans to reclaim what's owed to her.
She is named, Undala.
Fear for Othrun, and anyone else who dares stand in her way.
Othrun is clever, bold, resourceful. Yet, kingship comes with many challenges, including facing the cunning, powerful, vengeful enemies surrounding him, marking him for death. Will Othrun’s reign end on the battlefield, in blood, before it's barely begun?
552 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2023
3 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
P.L. Stuart
6 books563 followersP.L. Stuart was born in Toronto. He holds a university degree in English, specializing in Medieval Literature. P.L. is an assistant editor with Before We Go Blog https://beforewegoblog.com/ . The Drowned Kingdom Saga chronicles flawed and bigoted Lord Othrun's journey towards change, and his rise to power in a new world after the downfall of his homeland, which is based on Plato's lost realm of Atlantis. The Bestselling 'A Drowned Kingdom' is mentioned in the prestigious Kirkus Magazine’s 2021 Indie Issue among “Four Great Examples of the Genre” of fantasy, and won the 2022 Picky Bookworm Award for Best Indie Book Based on Mythology. Book 4 'A Lion's Pride' won Bronze for the Fantasy genre in the esteemed Reader Views 2024 Literary Awards.
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June 1, 2024
My complete review of Lord and King is published at Grimdark Magazine.
P.L. Stuart soars to magnificent new heights with Lord and King, the third volume of his Drowned Kingdom Saga inspired by the legend of Atlantis. The first book of the series, A Drowned Kingdom, introduces us to Prince Othrun and the events leading up to the dramatic submersion of his island kingdom. The second book, The Last of the Atalanteans, follows Othrun as he builds a new kingdom in a foreign land, together with the remaining 1,800 Atalantean survivors who escaped the Drowned Kingdom.
Lord and King finds Othrun as the newly crowned King of Eastrealm, trying to strike a balance between strict Atalantean values and the divergent views of the local populace. For Othrun the mission is divine, sent by his angelic father to spread the religion of his Single God throughout a land of pagans.
As king, Othrun seems well poised to live up to the Atalantean reputation as ruthless conquerors and colonizers. Othrun is obsessed with crafting his legacy, both through present-day political manipulation and by rewriting history to conform to his bigoted views. Othrun is intent on erasing inconvenient truths from his people’s history.
I remain in awe of P.L. Stuart as a writer, especially the way he captures immense emotional and psychological depth with prose that is eminently readable. Stuart also manages to keep up an exhilarating pace throughout Lord and King from the opening prologue through the final page. With each book in the series, Stuart further refines his craft.
My favorite character in Lord and King is Aliaz, Othrun’s wife who is now expecting their first child and heir to the throne. Aliaz is the perfect foil to Othrun: kind, honest, tolerant, and considerate of those coming from different backgrounds. She is also a pragmatist, understanding when compromises need to be made for the benefit of the kingdom.
Despite his significant flaws, Othrun is surprisingly self-reflective. Othrun’s introspective nature is evident early in the novel when he asks Aliaz, “Am I a good king?” and then, “Am I a good man?” Othrun seems genuine in asking these questions, and Aliaz offers her honest answers.
Lord and King is brimming with scenes that provide new perspectives on events from the first two books of the series. Stuart’s use of foreshadowing is brilliant, truly astounding me at around the halfway point of the novel.
I’ve described the Drowned Kingdom Saga as a dark fantasy series in each of my reviews. But could it also be described as grimdark? Here at Grimdark Magazine we use the working definition of grimdark as “a grim story told in a dark world by a morally ambiguous protagonist or anti-hero.” In that sense, the Drowned Kingdom Saga truly is grimdark. Although P.L. Stuart eschews the ultraviolence found in many grimdark novels, there is still plenty of excellent action in this series. But with its primary focus on the evolution of Othrun’s mental state, I’d argue that the Drowned Kingdom Saga can most appropriately be classified as psychological grimdark. It’s the type of story that Fyodor Dostoevsky would write if he were into fantasy.
Othrun also experiences an unexpected amount of character growth in Lord and King, suggesting that the Drowned Kingdom Saga might ultimately be a tale of redemption comparable to Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy. At this point, I could see Othrun going either way.
P.L. Stuart truly knocked this one out of the park, as Lord and King is outstanding in every respect. The Drowned Kingdom Saga is highly recommended for grimdark fans and anyone who enjoys a deeply thought-provoking, character-driven fantasy. The story will continue with A Lion’s Pride, the fourth book which also marks the midpoint of the planned seven-book series.
P.L. Stuart soars to magnificent new heights with Lord and King, the third volume of his Drowned Kingdom Saga inspired by the legend of Atlantis. The first book of the series, A Drowned Kingdom, introduces us to Prince Othrun and the events leading up to the dramatic submersion of his island kingdom. The second book, The Last of the Atalanteans, follows Othrun as he builds a new kingdom in a foreign land, together with the remaining 1,800 Atalantean survivors who escaped the Drowned Kingdom.
Lord and King finds Othrun as the newly crowned King of Eastrealm, trying to strike a balance between strict Atalantean values and the divergent views of the local populace. For Othrun the mission is divine, sent by his angelic father to spread the religion of his Single God throughout a land of pagans.
As king, Othrun seems well poised to live up to the Atalantean reputation as ruthless conquerors and colonizers. Othrun is obsessed with crafting his legacy, both through present-day political manipulation and by rewriting history to conform to his bigoted views. Othrun is intent on erasing inconvenient truths from his people’s history.
I remain in awe of P.L. Stuart as a writer, especially the way he captures immense emotional and psychological depth with prose that is eminently readable. Stuart also manages to keep up an exhilarating pace throughout Lord and King from the opening prologue through the final page. With each book in the series, Stuart further refines his craft.
My favorite character in Lord and King is Aliaz, Othrun’s wife who is now expecting their first child and heir to the throne. Aliaz is the perfect foil to Othrun: kind, honest, tolerant, and considerate of those coming from different backgrounds. She is also a pragmatist, understanding when compromises need to be made for the benefit of the kingdom.
Despite his significant flaws, Othrun is surprisingly self-reflective. Othrun’s introspective nature is evident early in the novel when he asks Aliaz, “Am I a good king?” and then, “Am I a good man?” Othrun seems genuine in asking these questions, and Aliaz offers her honest answers.
Lord and King is brimming with scenes that provide new perspectives on events from the first two books of the series. Stuart’s use of foreshadowing is brilliant, truly astounding me at around the halfway point of the novel.
I’ve described the Drowned Kingdom Saga as a dark fantasy series in each of my reviews. But could it also be described as grimdark? Here at Grimdark Magazine we use the working definition of grimdark as “a grim story told in a dark world by a morally ambiguous protagonist or anti-hero.” In that sense, the Drowned Kingdom Saga truly is grimdark. Although P.L. Stuart eschews the ultraviolence found in many grimdark novels, there is still plenty of excellent action in this series. But with its primary focus on the evolution of Othrun’s mental state, I’d argue that the Drowned Kingdom Saga can most appropriately be classified as psychological grimdark. It’s the type of story that Fyodor Dostoevsky would write if he were into fantasy.
Othrun also experiences an unexpected amount of character growth in Lord and King, suggesting that the Drowned Kingdom Saga might ultimately be a tale of redemption comparable to Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy. At this point, I could see Othrun going either way.
P.L. Stuart truly knocked this one out of the park, as Lord and King is outstanding in every respect. The Drowned Kingdom Saga is highly recommended for grimdark fans and anyone who enjoys a deeply thought-provoking, character-driven fantasy. The story will continue with A Lion’s Pride, the fourth book which also marks the midpoint of the planned seven-book series.
Read
March 28, 2023I was fortunate to be asked to read an ARC of this title.
If you have not yet read The Drowned Kingdom saga, this is the third book, and with each new release PL Stuart takes it to another level.
Volume I, The Drowned Kingdom sees Othrun and the last survivors of his people to the shores of a strange land, with different customs, a different religion, and power and magical power in the hands of women. The man who would be king, who views all he encounters through the lens of his rigid upbringing must find a way to establish himself and survive, and cross the hurdle of adaptation to make a place for his surviving people to survive. Volume II severely tests the rigidity of his beliefs, and exposes him to the conflict of viewpoints in direct opposition to all he believes and holds dear.
All this is set against a rich and deep backdrop - where we face conflicts of honor and conflicts of religion and the walls of prejudice that make the character's struggle something deeper than the usual presentation of battle, heroics, war, and wily tactics. Othrun is a hero to admire, and revile, as his hidebound beliefs come under strain. Each book builds on the last, and each volume takes the story to new height and depth - better and better.
Volume III, Lord and King - tops the last, just as Last of the Atalanteans topped A Drowned Kingdom. The fractures in character, and endeavor, and mistakes made and honorable choices followed through reach a tipping point in this book as the survivors of Atalantix must begin to mix with the local cultures and beliefs to survive and thrive. Betrayals, bloody battles, difficult decisions, alliances forged and broken - with threads introduced that begin to crack the foundations beneath Othrun's assurances - that not everything he experienced was the full picture - I enjoyed the introduction of wider cultural views, and the struggle as Othrun learns his lost Atalantyx was not 'the greatest' kingdom on earth. Mistakes are made, new alliances are formed, and the ongoing thread of what will break and what will hold make a fascinating picture, moving forward.
PL Stuart is a master at writing characters with flaws, and handling prejudices and blind beliefs against a moving mosaic of change and cultural differences. His ability to balance unlikable traits in a narrow mindset with enough honorable intent and genuine heroic courage tread a storyline that often surprises with unexpected twists. There are hints, going forward, that promise more expansion in directions that will make this series a must read - it is planned for 7 volumes, and I greatly look forward to seeing the full picture.
If you have not yet read The Drowned Kingdom saga, this is the third book, and with each new release PL Stuart takes it to another level.
Volume I, The Drowned Kingdom sees Othrun and the last survivors of his people to the shores of a strange land, with different customs, a different religion, and power and magical power in the hands of women. The man who would be king, who views all he encounters through the lens of his rigid upbringing must find a way to establish himself and survive, and cross the hurdle of adaptation to make a place for his surviving people to survive. Volume II severely tests the rigidity of his beliefs, and exposes him to the conflict of viewpoints in direct opposition to all he believes and holds dear.
All this is set against a rich and deep backdrop - where we face conflicts of honor and conflicts of religion and the walls of prejudice that make the character's struggle something deeper than the usual presentation of battle, heroics, war, and wily tactics. Othrun is a hero to admire, and revile, as his hidebound beliefs come under strain. Each book builds on the last, and each volume takes the story to new height and depth - better and better.
Volume III, Lord and King - tops the last, just as Last of the Atalanteans topped A Drowned Kingdom. The fractures in character, and endeavor, and mistakes made and honorable choices followed through reach a tipping point in this book as the survivors of Atalantix must begin to mix with the local cultures and beliefs to survive and thrive. Betrayals, bloody battles, difficult decisions, alliances forged and broken - with threads introduced that begin to crack the foundations beneath Othrun's assurances - that not everything he experienced was the full picture - I enjoyed the introduction of wider cultural views, and the struggle as Othrun learns his lost Atalantyx was not 'the greatest' kingdom on earth. Mistakes are made, new alliances are formed, and the ongoing thread of what will break and what will hold make a fascinating picture, moving forward.
PL Stuart is a master at writing characters with flaws, and handling prejudices and blind beliefs against a moving mosaic of change and cultural differences. His ability to balance unlikable traits in a narrow mindset with enough honorable intent and genuine heroic courage tread a storyline that often surprises with unexpected twists. There are hints, going forward, that promise more expansion in directions that will make this series a must read - it is planned for 7 volumes, and I greatly look forward to seeing the full picture.
March 6, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The third installment in this epic saga is one that will not be easily forgotten. It adds to everything that has been placed as a foundation and then takes it further than what could be imagined. I reread the second book in preparation for this novel, but the author has an amazing talent of rehashing events from the previous novels in a unique and clever way throughout the story. I have to compliment the gorgeous way that the author writes, inviting the reader into a world that seems real from the first pages and what could easily be a history that has realistically happened.
The strength of the novel is easily the beautiful world that has been crafted for the Atalanteans. Rich with political intrigue, each kingdom with their own views and beliefs, as well as battles that feel like they could be turned with a single swing of the sword. The emotions that can be felt in these pages are strong, making a reader contemplate their own beliefs in a positive light. There were times that I was so upset with King Othrun and other times when my heart bled for him as well.
This is a series that holds the promise of even more amazing things to come. The battles are everything that is dreamed of with heart pounding action as well as causing the reader to hold their breath with what the consequences of the battles could be. I find it refreshing that the character is not perfect, though it is perfection that is strived for. He is not the greatest, strongest, or the smartest but is great in all of the above. I eagerly look forward to the future of Othrun and his kingdom. I urge everyone to join in to see where it could go.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2023/...
The third installment in this epic saga is one that will not be easily forgotten. It adds to everything that has been placed as a foundation and then takes it further than what could be imagined. I reread the second book in preparation for this novel, but the author has an amazing talent of rehashing events from the previous novels in a unique and clever way throughout the story. I have to compliment the gorgeous way that the author writes, inviting the reader into a world that seems real from the first pages and what could easily be a history that has realistically happened.
The strength of the novel is easily the beautiful world that has been crafted for the Atalanteans. Rich with political intrigue, each kingdom with their own views and beliefs, as well as battles that feel like they could be turned with a single swing of the sword. The emotions that can be felt in these pages are strong, making a reader contemplate their own beliefs in a positive light. There were times that I was so upset with King Othrun and other times when my heart bled for him as well.
This is a series that holds the promise of even more amazing things to come. The battles are everything that is dreamed of with heart pounding action as well as causing the reader to hold their breath with what the consequences of the battles could be. I find it refreshing that the character is not perfect, though it is perfection that is strived for. He is not the greatest, strongest, or the smartest but is great in all of the above. I eagerly look forward to the future of Othrun and his kingdom. I urge everyone to join in to see where it could go.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2023/...
Read
April 6, 2023In Marian L Thorpe’s Empress & Soldier it isn’t incorrect to describe Druisius as “a thug and a rent boy.” Similarly, the protagonist of The Drowned Kingdom series can be accurately described as an unlikeable bigot, whose personality threatens to ruin the reader’s enjoyment. Fortunately, in Lord and King Othrun becomes somewhat less of an ass. Now it’s all good, finally. Bring on the bloodbaths! *smack of the lips*
Many readers and reviewers find A Drowned Kingdom to be an uncomfortable read – racism, homophobia, bigotry presented from the bigot’s point of view. Othrun is not a protagonist we’d like to identify with. He demands for history to be rewritten – facts be damned, Othrun knows better. While he’s obviously always morally superior, those morals swiftly adjust when his personal interests are at stake. So, he’s not the true heir for the throne and has no blood rights to be the King, as laws demand? Well, is the “real” heir the Chosen One, fathered by the Anchali? I DON’T THINK SO. Laws do not apply to Chosen Ones, who, just in case, choose not to share that unrelated information. Othrun is horrified by the story of a massacre his uncle tells him in The Last of the Atalanteans, until the uncle gets to the word “gold.” All of a sudden, the massacre is no longer important. The Single God, who is love and light, wouldn’t want to see gold in the hands of someone who is not Othrun.
In Lord and King, Othrun’s views begin to…shift. He still doesn’t see himself as prejudiced, because that would mean he was wrong about something, and Othrun simply isn’t wrong about things. Can other religions or deities exist? Well, okay, perhaps they can. Can they be superior, though? Absolutely not. The Single God is the only real one, no matter how much evidence to the contrary piles up. Queen Undala, whom Othrun swears to see and treat as his equal, must nevertheless renounce her faith and take his. Equality only goes this far. Promises can be broken, political alliances – risked, but the Queen must understand that Othrun is right and she is wrong in order for them to be equals.
Lord and King, like Stuart’s previous books, places a mirror in front of the reader. Why do we feel that a good king should slay hundreds or thousands of Others, and that makes him a hero – but the discovery that the realm he claimed as his is actually poor doesn’t reflect badly on his shining armour? When (if) we notice the blood stains on a golden collar Othrun is presented with in the very beginning of the first book in the series, what do we want that to mean? Who do we want the Anib to be and what do we want Othrun to do to them?
There is a scene in the book that felt like a punch to the face to me. It’s based on real events: Othrun discovers that priests and bishops have been torturing and starving “heathen” children in the name of the Single God. Infuriated, Lord King does something that can be politically dangerous, as the church wields lots of power. Once he calms down, his personal feelings fully expressed, he and his advisors begin to work on a palatable version of events, one that would allow both Othrun and the church to look good. The bit that hurt – because of how true it was – was the shipment of the children away, quickly, before anybody else finds out. I was born in Poland and I know all too well how this works. The Single God is all love and light, the clergy know best, but this, here, doesn’t look all that good, therefore the evidence – the children, nameless, uncounted, one mass – must be disposed with. Nicely, of course, and with lots of compassion, off they go. Love and light may continue. We apologise for this inconvenient interruption. Let us return to the scheduled performative programming. And the battles. Why would the author even write about this stuff at all? We’re not reading to be confronted with reality, we’re reading for escapism. But why does escapism equal a bloodbath? Why do we want those epic battles and gruesome deaths?
Amongst the lengthy speeches and negotiations, which will hopefully lead to some more slaying, Stuart smuggles beautiful jabs. “We have assumed your consent, Lord King,” made me cheer and whoop loudly. “I couldn’t believe that I, King of Eastrealm, had been cut out of the proceedings as if I didn’t exist. Or rather, I had allowed myself to be cut out, by Undala,” Othrun huffs. Undala, whom he swore to think of as his equal. That’s a bit too equal. How can she not know her space in the equality committee? “Do you know the tale of Ungala, the Peaceful, Lord King?” asks Undala. Othrun doesn’t. The tale comprises of four sentences. She was the greatest. Then she died. The end. There is no story in peace. “You are a wonderful lover. But not an observant one, I fear,” Undala says to Othrun.
There is a lot to be observed in Lord and King, and a lot to be enjoyed, and every reader will define this overlap differently. Twice in my life, I reviewed a book, then went back to adjust the score higher, because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. A Drowned Kingdom was one of those books. Lord and King is Stuart’s finest achievement to date and book four will be, I have no doubt, better. It left me with a lot of thoughts and questions, only one of which involved the number of the slain in this or that battle. Namely – why does one become a bigger hero every time the death counter goes up?
Many readers and reviewers find A Drowned Kingdom to be an uncomfortable read – racism, homophobia, bigotry presented from the bigot’s point of view. Othrun is not a protagonist we’d like to identify with. He demands for history to be rewritten – facts be damned, Othrun knows better. While he’s obviously always morally superior, those morals swiftly adjust when his personal interests are at stake. So, he’s not the true heir for the throne and has no blood rights to be the King, as laws demand? Well, is the “real” heir the Chosen One, fathered by the Anchali? I DON’T THINK SO. Laws do not apply to Chosen Ones, who, just in case, choose not to share that unrelated information. Othrun is horrified by the story of a massacre his uncle tells him in The Last of the Atalanteans, until the uncle gets to the word “gold.” All of a sudden, the massacre is no longer important. The Single God, who is love and light, wouldn’t want to see gold in the hands of someone who is not Othrun.
In Lord and King, Othrun’s views begin to…shift. He still doesn’t see himself as prejudiced, because that would mean he was wrong about something, and Othrun simply isn’t wrong about things. Can other religions or deities exist? Well, okay, perhaps they can. Can they be superior, though? Absolutely not. The Single God is the only real one, no matter how much evidence to the contrary piles up. Queen Undala, whom Othrun swears to see and treat as his equal, must nevertheless renounce her faith and take his. Equality only goes this far. Promises can be broken, political alliances – risked, but the Queen must understand that Othrun is right and she is wrong in order for them to be equals.
Lord and King, like Stuart’s previous books, places a mirror in front of the reader. Why do we feel that a good king should slay hundreds or thousands of Others, and that makes him a hero – but the discovery that the realm he claimed as his is actually poor doesn’t reflect badly on his shining armour? When (if) we notice the blood stains on a golden collar Othrun is presented with in the very beginning of the first book in the series, what do we want that to mean? Who do we want the Anib to be and what do we want Othrun to do to them?
There is a scene in the book that felt like a punch to the face to me. It’s based on real events: Othrun discovers that priests and bishops have been torturing and starving “heathen” children in the name of the Single God. Infuriated, Lord King does something that can be politically dangerous, as the church wields lots of power. Once he calms down, his personal feelings fully expressed, he and his advisors begin to work on a palatable version of events, one that would allow both Othrun and the church to look good. The bit that hurt – because of how true it was – was the shipment of the children away, quickly, before anybody else finds out. I was born in Poland and I know all too well how this works. The Single God is all love and light, the clergy know best, but this, here, doesn’t look all that good, therefore the evidence – the children, nameless, uncounted, one mass – must be disposed with. Nicely, of course, and with lots of compassion, off they go. Love and light may continue. We apologise for this inconvenient interruption. Let us return to the scheduled performative programming. And the battles. Why would the author even write about this stuff at all? We’re not reading to be confronted with reality, we’re reading for escapism. But why does escapism equal a bloodbath? Why do we want those epic battles and gruesome deaths?
Amongst the lengthy speeches and negotiations, which will hopefully lead to some more slaying, Stuart smuggles beautiful jabs. “We have assumed your consent, Lord King,” made me cheer and whoop loudly. “I couldn’t believe that I, King of Eastrealm, had been cut out of the proceedings as if I didn’t exist. Or rather, I had allowed myself to be cut out, by Undala,” Othrun huffs. Undala, whom he swore to think of as his equal. That’s a bit too equal. How can she not know her space in the equality committee? “Do you know the tale of Ungala, the Peaceful, Lord King?” asks Undala. Othrun doesn’t. The tale comprises of four sentences. She was the greatest. Then she died. The end. There is no story in peace. “You are a wonderful lover. But not an observant one, I fear,” Undala says to Othrun.
There is a lot to be observed in Lord and King, and a lot to be enjoyed, and every reader will define this overlap differently. Twice in my life, I reviewed a book, then went back to adjust the score higher, because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. A Drowned Kingdom was one of those books. Lord and King is Stuart’s finest achievement to date and book four will be, I have no doubt, better. It left me with a lot of thoughts and questions, only one of which involved the number of the slain in this or that battle. Namely – why does one become a bigger hero every time the death counter goes up?
February 1, 2023
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Its one thing to be blown away by a great book but it is quite another to see the progression and growth from a debut author becoming the master of his craft, Lord and King takes the very best from the first two books in the series and builds on them with every chapter. There was not a word out of place no a slag in the tone, pacing, or action along the way. The best word I can use to describe this novel is CHAOS, for the characters, the plot, and everything else in between. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and the ending will leave you wanting more. Hands down P.L. Stuarts best work and a Top 5 read of 2023 for me. Hope you are ready for the pain! This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching on scenes from the previous novels.
At long last Othrun has been named Lord and King of his new land Eastrealm. With his trusted allies and wife carrying his first child, Othrun must work diligently to establish his new kingdom. The community, temple, homes, and people assigned to leadership must be done in swift order as Othrun’s enemies are always looking for weaknesses. Othrun realizes that he will need a mage of the Six at his side to combat the list of ever growing enemies but is Queen Lysi really the one to be trusted? Another powerful ruler of incredible power both in wealth and military is looking to make a power move in the Eltnish civilization. Undala has come to reclaim what is rightfully hers and lets hope Othrun is ready for the challenge.
Let me just say this from the start, you will be enthralled from the time the prologue is finished until the very last page. P.L. starts you off with a huge revelation and the surprises just keep on coming. Othrun is still very much a character you seem to hate most of the time but can’t seem to turn away from. Othrun believes his religion, people, and practices are the superior ways that people should and need to follow. However, as this novel runs its course Othrun may start to move away from the practices he holds dear for reasons I am not at liberty to say. Betrayals are poping up around every corner and some people are not who they claim to be!
The writing and plot progression in Lord & King is the best of the three books so far in this series. Of course this is just my humble opinion, but with essentially most of the worldbuilding stored into the first two books, P.L. really gets to drive home the conflicts to come. Several chapters in this book will get so rough and bloody that you may need to take a breather but it never crosses over into a grimdark story. It walks a fine line to a tee and I can already tell the best is still to come. An epic fantasy series written in the style of a classic tale of old. I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
The Drowned Kingdom is quickly shooting up the list of my all time favorte series and we aren’t even at the half way point. I hope you are not looking for happy endings as some of these scenes are anything but. Keep the good and the bad time coming each and every year! Oh, and stay tuned for a special suprise on my podcast coming up very soon with P.L!
Cheers!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Its one thing to be blown away by a great book but it is quite another to see the progression and growth from a debut author becoming the master of his craft, Lord and King takes the very best from the first two books in the series and builds on them with every chapter. There was not a word out of place no a slag in the tone, pacing, or action along the way. The best word I can use to describe this novel is CHAOS, for the characters, the plot, and everything else in between. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and the ending will leave you wanting more. Hands down P.L. Stuarts best work and a Top 5 read of 2023 for me. Hope you are ready for the pain! This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching on scenes from the previous novels.
At long last Othrun has been named Lord and King of his new land Eastrealm. With his trusted allies and wife carrying his first child, Othrun must work diligently to establish his new kingdom. The community, temple, homes, and people assigned to leadership must be done in swift order as Othrun’s enemies are always looking for weaknesses. Othrun realizes that he will need a mage of the Six at his side to combat the list of ever growing enemies but is Queen Lysi really the one to be trusted? Another powerful ruler of incredible power both in wealth and military is looking to make a power move in the Eltnish civilization. Undala has come to reclaim what is rightfully hers and lets hope Othrun is ready for the challenge.
Let me just say this from the start, you will be enthralled from the time the prologue is finished until the very last page. P.L. starts you off with a huge revelation and the surprises just keep on coming. Othrun is still very much a character you seem to hate most of the time but can’t seem to turn away from. Othrun believes his religion, people, and practices are the superior ways that people should and need to follow. However, as this novel runs its course Othrun may start to move away from the practices he holds dear for reasons I am not at liberty to say. Betrayals are poping up around every corner and some people are not who they claim to be!
The writing and plot progression in Lord & King is the best of the three books so far in this series. Of course this is just my humble opinion, but with essentially most of the worldbuilding stored into the first two books, P.L. really gets to drive home the conflicts to come. Several chapters in this book will get so rough and bloody that you may need to take a breather but it never crosses over into a grimdark story. It walks a fine line to a tee and I can already tell the best is still to come. An epic fantasy series written in the style of a classic tale of old. I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
The Drowned Kingdom is quickly shooting up the list of my all time favorte series and we aren’t even at the half way point. I hope you are not looking for happy endings as some of these scenes are anything but. Keep the good and the bad time coming each and every year! Oh, and stay tuned for a special suprise on my podcast coming up very soon with P.L!
Cheers!
January 15, 2024
Power in a new land. Maintaining it allies are needed. Rigid Atlantean ways challenged with new religion, thought & custom. Soon his enemies will be upon them.
Pain & struggle as Othrun masterfully evolves. Feel like I’m reading his harrowing diary!
Excellent third instalment!
Pain & struggle as Othrun masterfully evolves. Feel like I’m reading his harrowing diary!
Excellent third instalment!
May 10, 2023
Thank you so much for taking the time, effort, and money to purchase, read, and leave a Goodreads review for my book. I feel this is my best book yet, and of course I am striving for continuous improvement, and getting better with each novel. I do feel the best however, is yet to come.
November 29, 2023
4 stars.
As this is the third book in a series I'm a bit constrained in what I can talk about in this review, but Stuart continues to deliver one of the most twisty political plots I've ever read. Every character has their own agenda, but as we still view things through a first person perspective, we can only speculate as to what those agendas may be. Hoping to get some reveals in the next installment!
Speaking of the one person perspective, Stuart is masterful in his development of a multi-dimensional ,fully realized first person POV. I was so angry with decisions made one minute, and then sympathetic and understanding the next. The contradictory feelings I have are a testament to how well developed this character is. The battle scenes also continue to be devastatingly visceral and gripping. I couldn't look away from the page once they began.
The main thing making this 4 stars is the same thing that has been consistent through all my reviews for this series: I wish we got more one-on-one scenes showing us relationships between characters rather than telling us about them after the fact. These books span large swaths of time and cover relations between many countries on a macro scale so it makes sense to have that distance at times, but I personally enjoy closer perspectives in my reading experience.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed more players being added to the chess board that is he political landscape in this series, and can't wait to see where it goes in the future!
As this is the third book in a series I'm a bit constrained in what I can talk about in this review, but Stuart continues to deliver one of the most twisty political plots I've ever read. Every character has their own agenda, but as we still view things through a first person perspective, we can only speculate as to what those agendas may be. Hoping to get some reveals in the next installment!
Speaking of the one person perspective, Stuart is masterful in his development of a multi-dimensional ,fully realized first person POV. I was so angry with decisions made one minute, and then sympathetic and understanding the next. The contradictory feelings I have are a testament to how well developed this character is. The battle scenes also continue to be devastatingly visceral and gripping. I couldn't look away from the page once they began.
The main thing making this 4 stars is the same thing that has been consistent through all my reviews for this series: I wish we got more one-on-one scenes showing us relationships between characters rather than telling us about them after the fact. These books span large swaths of time and cover relations between many countries on a macro scale so it makes sense to have that distance at times, but I personally enjoy closer perspectives in my reading experience.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed more players being added to the chess board that is he political landscape in this series, and can't wait to see where it goes in the future!
February 1, 2023
My review is not a traditional reader’s review because I am proud to say I was the editor of this book, the third in The Drowned Kingdom Saga by the insanely talented bestselling author, P.L. Stuart. As a fan of the first two books in the series, I couldn’t wait to read the third, Lord and King, and when Stuart asked me to be his editor, I almost cried for joy and gratitude for the opportunity. I have never had so much fun as an editor, and Stuart made my job easy because he’s a brilliant writer.
I may be biased, but I am a fan of this man’s phenomenal storytelling, first and foremost. He is a master and has created one of the most compelling, multifaceted fictional characters ever in the vainglorious Othrun, King of Eastrealm. If you love medieval literature, a fully realized unique world, a complex protagonist, challenging, exciting antagonists, realistic battle scenes, mystery, magic, and fabulous love scenes, Stuart’s books are for you! And I was waiting for that fabulous love scene! Lord and King does not disappoint.
Lord and King is a thrilling page-turner that will keep your pulse pounding and your heart in your throat. The unexpected tragedies Othrun must face, as well as the addition of Queen Undala, who could potentially be the most formidable adversary Othrun has faced to date, make for what I think is the most exciting book in the series so far. And this fan cannot wait to find out what happens next!
I may be biased, but I am a fan of this man’s phenomenal storytelling, first and foremost. He is a master and has created one of the most compelling, multifaceted fictional characters ever in the vainglorious Othrun, King of Eastrealm. If you love medieval literature, a fully realized unique world, a complex protagonist, challenging, exciting antagonists, realistic battle scenes, mystery, magic, and fabulous love scenes, Stuart’s books are for you! And I was waiting for that fabulous love scene! Lord and King does not disappoint.
Lord and King is a thrilling page-turner that will keep your pulse pounding and your heart in your throat. The unexpected tragedies Othrun must face, as well as the addition of Queen Undala, who could potentially be the most formidable adversary Othrun has faced to date, make for what I think is the most exciting book in the series so far. And this fan cannot wait to find out what happens next!
July 17, 2023
4.5/5
So far, this is my favorite entry in the epic, large scale Drowned Kingdom Saga. I ended up rereading the final pages of book two, but quickly came to realize (and appreciate) that Stuart weaves in some subtle yet important rehashing.
Similar to the first two books, the writing is absolutely masterful. Now having read three of his books, Stuart's prose has grown to be a favorite of mine. Rich and detailed but it flows so smoothly. The dialogue is fantastic and battle scenes are written very cinematically. There would be plenty of times where I would stop to reread a line to just savour the beauty of it. I can gush about the prose of this series for ages, but the world building is also a main highlight.
What Stuart has built and continues to build is nothing short of inspiring. He manages to create a world full of various peoples, cultures, religions, and a ton of geographic variance that still feels entirely realistic. The way the world expands coincides perfectly with the thematic messaging of the series, and the way they are interwoven together has me very impressed. With 7 books planned, I know there is still a ton more to learn about the world, and that has me excited as a reader.
Similar to how the themes are connected to the world building, they tie in strongly with the characterization. What Stuart is doing with this series and Othrun specifically is bold, and I absolutely love it. For lack of more sophisticated terms, Othrun is a POS, and that may make things difficult for some readers. There are many times where I absolutely loathe our main character, and others where my heart shatters for him. His growth as a ruler and as a man may be slow, but again, it feels so realistic and will be so satisfying when it all plays out. I feel side characters got a lot more love in this one than the previous two which was a nice surprise.
Thematically, Stuart is crafting something masterful, and is a large reason I hope this series blows up. He is able to cover so many important and relevant topics and he manages to do it with such touch and nuance. As mentioned before, it's all interwoven into the story masterfully. The societal aspect of the world building is unique yet holds many realistic flaws, perfectly mirorring some of the issues we see in our world today. This culmination of a large scale epic fantasy paired with thoughtful social commentary is something I wish we saw more of in fantasy, and Stuart executes it perfectly.
Moving into the plot, it was a bit slow to unfold, but that is to be expected with a story that was largely driven by politicking and the "coming into power" aspect of Othrun's life. I was surprised at how emotional this book was. Without getting into too manyspoilers, Stuart does not shy away from taking important characters out of the story, and I was surprised at how much they impacted me emotionally. While not filled with a ton of action, my eyes were glued to the page for most of the story, and the final act was my favorite aspect of the series so far. We see the Anibian people come for a political visit and it just blows up the scope of an already expansive series. My only complaint is that I wish this book was longer, as I found the last third of the book accelerated a little to quickly. Political relationships, personal ones, and tensions between different nations all seemed to progress and culminate a bit too quickly, and I feel a few extra pages could have helped round out the end of the book.
Overall, I was extremely impressed by this book. I took it with me camping and found it was a beautiful companion, making my trip even more special. If you are a fan of epic fantasies loaded with characters, cultures, and political tension, give this series a go.
So far, this is my favorite entry in the epic, large scale Drowned Kingdom Saga. I ended up rereading the final pages of book two, but quickly came to realize (and appreciate) that Stuart weaves in some subtle yet important rehashing.
Similar to the first two books, the writing is absolutely masterful. Now having read three of his books, Stuart's prose has grown to be a favorite of mine. Rich and detailed but it flows so smoothly. The dialogue is fantastic and battle scenes are written very cinematically. There would be plenty of times where I would stop to reread a line to just savour the beauty of it. I can gush about the prose of this series for ages, but the world building is also a main highlight.
What Stuart has built and continues to build is nothing short of inspiring. He manages to create a world full of various peoples, cultures, religions, and a ton of geographic variance that still feels entirely realistic. The way the world expands coincides perfectly with the thematic messaging of the series, and the way they are interwoven together has me very impressed. With 7 books planned, I know there is still a ton more to learn about the world, and that has me excited as a reader.
Similar to how the themes are connected to the world building, they tie in strongly with the characterization. What Stuart is doing with this series and Othrun specifically is bold, and I absolutely love it. For lack of more sophisticated terms, Othrun is a POS, and that may make things difficult for some readers. There are many times where I absolutely loathe our main character, and others where my heart shatters for him. His growth as a ruler and as a man may be slow, but again, it feels so realistic and will be so satisfying when it all plays out. I feel side characters got a lot more love in this one than the previous two which was a nice surprise.
Thematically, Stuart is crafting something masterful, and is a large reason I hope this series blows up. He is able to cover so many important and relevant topics and he manages to do it with such touch and nuance. As mentioned before, it's all interwoven into the story masterfully. The societal aspect of the world building is unique yet holds many realistic flaws, perfectly mirorring some of the issues we see in our world today. This culmination of a large scale epic fantasy paired with thoughtful social commentary is something I wish we saw more of in fantasy, and Stuart executes it perfectly.
Moving into the plot, it was a bit slow to unfold, but that is to be expected with a story that was largely driven by politicking and the "coming into power" aspect of Othrun's life. I was surprised at how emotional this book was. Without getting into too manyspoilers, Stuart does not shy away from taking important characters out of the story, and I was surprised at how much they impacted me emotionally. While not filled with a ton of action, my eyes were glued to the page for most of the story, and the final act was my favorite aspect of the series so far. We see the Anibian people come for a political visit and it just blows up the scope of an already expansive series. My only complaint is that I wish this book was longer, as I found the last third of the book accelerated a little to quickly. Political relationships, personal ones, and tensions between different nations all seemed to progress and culminate a bit too quickly, and I feel a few extra pages could have helped round out the end of the book.
Overall, I was extremely impressed by this book. I took it with me camping and found it was a beautiful companion, making my trip even more special. If you are a fan of epic fantasies loaded with characters, cultures, and political tension, give this series a go.
November 10, 2023
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For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: Ebook
It never ceases to amaze me what Mr. Stuart can put into words. This story keeps getting deeper and more amazing as it goes. I used to consider this just straight historical fiction because of how little fantasy elements are involved, but upon further examination, this is actually more dark low fantasy based in historical realism. The fantastical elements are there, but they are in the background of the story but still play a pivotal role within the world.
The story is split into different parts and each part shows Othrun dealing with different aspects of being a new king in a new kingdom. Part 1 deals more with the building of the new kingdom and the politics that surround that with minimal action. Part 2, Othrun has to deal with new life, death, political subterfuge, and finally some nice action. In the final part, Othrun deals with incredible character development, new friends, new enemies and an incredible battle that left me stunned.
“We fought, until our swords were soaked red, our armour filthy with gore, our horses’ flanks sprayed with guts and blood. We trampled over bodies, crushed skulls, disemboweled..side by side, doing great slaughter, worthy of song, as Sure-Steel and Deliverence sang that day, signing a song of death and blood”
This world is massive and the new characters that are introduced make it even more memorable. One of the best additions to this world is Queen Undala and the Anibians, who remind me a lot of the Dora Milaje from Marvel’s Black Panther, who are based off of the Agojie, also known as the Dahomey Amazons from Western Africa. Like the Agojie and the Milaje, the Anibians have an elite all female warrior group called the Bamanthe, and they prove their worth! Once you meet these fearless warriors, all you can think of is just how incredible they are and how much you want to continue seeing what they have. Truly remarkable. P.L. has confirmed that the Bamanthe are in fact, based off of the incredible Agojie women warriors!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I just love the way Stuart writes, he has an incredible way of making you invested from the first sentence. Stuart uses his wealth of knowledge with a major in English/medieval lit and a minor in history to tell a story that continues to feel like it is real historical events. The way he paints the world and his characters is so beautiful and brings the world to gloomy life. Something else I’ve stated before is that I wish there was audio for book 2 and this one, because Adam Kurton & Sean Polite did a phenomenal job with book 1. Even without, it’s still an amazing read that deserves more attention than it gets.
For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: Ebook
It never ceases to amaze me what Mr. Stuart can put into words. This story keeps getting deeper and more amazing as it goes. I used to consider this just straight historical fiction because of how little fantasy elements are involved, but upon further examination, this is actually more dark low fantasy based in historical realism. The fantastical elements are there, but they are in the background of the story but still play a pivotal role within the world.
The story is split into different parts and each part shows Othrun dealing with different aspects of being a new king in a new kingdom. Part 1 deals more with the building of the new kingdom and the politics that surround that with minimal action. Part 2, Othrun has to deal with new life, death, political subterfuge, and finally some nice action. In the final part, Othrun deals with incredible character development, new friends, new enemies and an incredible battle that left me stunned.
“We fought, until our swords were soaked red, our armour filthy with gore, our horses’ flanks sprayed with guts and blood. We trampled over bodies, crushed skulls, disemboweled..side by side, doing great slaughter, worthy of song, as Sure-Steel and Deliverence sang that day, signing a song of death and blood”
This world is massive and the new characters that are introduced make it even more memorable. One of the best additions to this world is Queen Undala and the Anibians, who remind me a lot of the Dora Milaje from Marvel’s Black Panther, who are based off of the Agojie, also known as the Dahomey Amazons from Western Africa. Like the Agojie and the Milaje, the Anibians have an elite all female warrior group called the Bamanthe, and they prove their worth! Once you meet these fearless warriors, all you can think of is just how incredible they are and how much you want to continue seeing what they have. Truly remarkable. P.L. has confirmed that the Bamanthe are in fact, based off of the incredible Agojie women warriors!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I just love the way Stuart writes, he has an incredible way of making you invested from the first sentence. Stuart uses his wealth of knowledge with a major in English/medieval lit and a minor in history to tell a story that continues to feel like it is real historical events. The way he paints the world and his characters is so beautiful and brings the world to gloomy life. Something else I’ve stated before is that I wish there was audio for book 2 and this one, because Adam Kurton & Sean Polite did a phenomenal job with book 1. Even without, it’s still an amazing read that deserves more attention than it gets.
June 5, 2025
The world building and depth continues, and the Nightsoul approaches. Stuart continues to write a vivid world and this part of the story features some dark moments and betrayals. This is great grimdark and a must read for fans of the genre.
December 23, 2023
Once again P.L. Stuart has written an epic story bursting with adventures and layers of intrigue, love, and conflict.
When we left Lord Othrun in The Atalanteans, he was finally crowned King. In Lord and King Lord, Othrun sets about to build his kingdom of Eastrealm. But his new lands are surrounded by enemies who place the people of Eastrealm in perilous danger. Forging new alliances is the only way to protect this fragile, fledgling kingdom.
But, unlike the previous two books in The Drowned Kingdom Saga, Lord and King is also a story of family, allies, and looking deeper into the social sphere of the new kingdom and its peoples. We soon realize this is a society with diversity and with conflicting standpoints on the status of each group and how or if they should relate.
The story also explores the character and integrity not only of King Othrun but of his relatives and followers. Many people he already knows and new ones he meets in this book turn out to be very different from whom he thought them to be. His new understanding and the insights they bring start to raise questions about the very core of his beliefs and assumptions he holds. But he is determined to hold on to his old rigid beliefs. He shows promise of becoming a more endearing character as he matures from his experiences but he remains far from perfect.
In Lord and King, Stuart introduces new women into the central threads of the Saga. Each of the women brings complexities and some challenges — at times life changing —as well as new abilities to assist the king. Stuart’s writing of these women is very well crafted with subtle nuances that give the readers glimpses of deeper qualities that go beyond King Orthun’s first assumptions about each one he meets.
Will King Orthun’s arrogance and hubris be changed by new understandings brought by these strong women? What seems evident is how central they are to the outcome of the various conflicts that occur and the status of the new kingdom. Does King Orthun figure this out?
What emerges in this tale is that, should he continue to centre his understanding about the world and his place in it through his hubris, the newly crowned king will place at risk not only his kingdom but also the very lives of all those he holds dear to his heart and soul. The book traces the arc of this struggle perfectly.
Stuart has written another stellar story, one filled with twists, epic quests, and chess-like political manipulations that will keep the reader hanging on each word and turning each page to the end.
The writing is impeccably done and evoked intense emotions in this reader: laughter, frustration, joy, sadness, horror, and empathy. Stuart combines a rare mastery of the writing craft with an incredible imagination. He paints a beautiful story by choosing each word, merging the tiniest of detail to a rich and lively tapestry of King Orthun’s world— a world that in some ways may seem familiar yet is so very different from any we have ever imagined.
I highly recommend this Saga. Lord and King is a crucial part of the story. It is where we start to have deeper understandings of the main character’s strengths and flaws. So much depends on his ability to change his core beliefs— to see the world he lives in as it truly is. Only by so doing will he understand what is needed to transform it into the glorious and renowned kingdom he desires.
I can hardly wait for the fourth book in this enthralling adventure.
When we left Lord Othrun in The Atalanteans, he was finally crowned King. In Lord and King Lord, Othrun sets about to build his kingdom of Eastrealm. But his new lands are surrounded by enemies who place the people of Eastrealm in perilous danger. Forging new alliances is the only way to protect this fragile, fledgling kingdom.
But, unlike the previous two books in The Drowned Kingdom Saga, Lord and King is also a story of family, allies, and looking deeper into the social sphere of the new kingdom and its peoples. We soon realize this is a society with diversity and with conflicting standpoints on the status of each group and how or if they should relate.
The story also explores the character and integrity not only of King Othrun but of his relatives and followers. Many people he already knows and new ones he meets in this book turn out to be very different from whom he thought them to be. His new understanding and the insights they bring start to raise questions about the very core of his beliefs and assumptions he holds. But he is determined to hold on to his old rigid beliefs. He shows promise of becoming a more endearing character as he matures from his experiences but he remains far from perfect.
In Lord and King, Stuart introduces new women into the central threads of the Saga. Each of the women brings complexities and some challenges — at times life changing —as well as new abilities to assist the king. Stuart’s writing of these women is very well crafted with subtle nuances that give the readers glimpses of deeper qualities that go beyond King Orthun’s first assumptions about each one he meets.
Will King Orthun’s arrogance and hubris be changed by new understandings brought by these strong women? What seems evident is how central they are to the outcome of the various conflicts that occur and the status of the new kingdom. Does King Orthun figure this out?
What emerges in this tale is that, should he continue to centre his understanding about the world and his place in it through his hubris, the newly crowned king will place at risk not only his kingdom but also the very lives of all those he holds dear to his heart and soul. The book traces the arc of this struggle perfectly.
Stuart has written another stellar story, one filled with twists, epic quests, and chess-like political manipulations that will keep the reader hanging on each word and turning each page to the end.
The writing is impeccably done and evoked intense emotions in this reader: laughter, frustration, joy, sadness, horror, and empathy. Stuart combines a rare mastery of the writing craft with an incredible imagination. He paints a beautiful story by choosing each word, merging the tiniest of detail to a rich and lively tapestry of King Orthun’s world— a world that in some ways may seem familiar yet is so very different from any we have ever imagined.
I highly recommend this Saga. Lord and King is a crucial part of the story. It is where we start to have deeper understandings of the main character’s strengths and flaws. So much depends on his ability to change his core beliefs— to see the world he lives in as it truly is. Only by so doing will he understand what is needed to transform it into the glorious and renowned kingdom he desires.
I can hardly wait for the fourth book in this enthralling adventure.
August 6, 2023
“Am I a good man?” I repeated urgently, a bit louder. My wife finally replied. “It’s...difficult being a good man, and great king, simultaneously."
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.
I was worried about taking a break in-between books 2 & 3, but P.L. does a great job reintroducing us to everyone in the beginning. The prologue in particular is really wonderful, it lets us see the collapse of their kingdom through the eyes of Othrun's brother, a character since we have only seen through Othrun's pov, has been shown to be a foolish, shallow villain. The new depth of his character and some foreshadowing for major events that occur later are excellent. We get a quick recap of everything through Othrun and Alise discussing prior events. Its honestly not the most natural discussion, but as someone who needed the catch up, I appreciate it.
This book is all about character development and world building. Othrun's ideal of a "pureblood" singular race is not only challenged, but shown to be impossible for any ruler preceding over a mixed society. A lot of the story is watching Othrun make compromises with himself. As anyone this far in the series knows, he is openly racist, homophobic and not open to other's religious beliefs. Despite this, Othrun is not all bad. He hates slavery and violence against children, and as we see in some shockingly dark scenes, hes willing to take justice into his own hands despite his people's customs. Othrun's development and inner struggles with his own beliefs leads to some really beautiful lines:
"I watched their tranquil majesty, their causal grace, and I realized I had forgotten, just for a moment, about the colour of their skin. And it was then I knew, nothing would ever quite be the same for me again"
"Agis came to me, and to my surprise, we spontaneously embraced like old war comrades. Before that embrace, I’d never touched a person of another colour, except in battle, when I killed them. But nothing felt unnatural about it."
While there is a lot less action than Book 2, the scenes we get are really well done. I'm disappointed we don't see more Nightsoul, but the beast, demon...or whatever he is does have a major role, and gives us a nice horror scene. Othrun's angel also takes a backrole in this book, which is disappointing after we get a major reveal about him.
All in all, I can confidently say anyone who enjoyed the first two books will enjoy this one and I'm very excited to see what happens next. I cannot exaggerate how incredibly detailed the world is. The size of the appendixes at the end of the book really puts it into perspective.
“Fools fall for tricks,” I told him, one of my favourite old Atalantyx maxims. “Then fools fall.”
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.
I was worried about taking a break in-between books 2 & 3, but P.L. does a great job reintroducing us to everyone in the beginning. The prologue in particular is really wonderful, it lets us see the collapse of their kingdom through the eyes of Othrun's brother, a character since we have only seen through Othrun's pov, has been shown to be a foolish, shallow villain. The new depth of his character and some foreshadowing for major events that occur later are excellent. We get a quick recap of everything through Othrun and Alise discussing prior events. Its honestly not the most natural discussion, but as someone who needed the catch up, I appreciate it.
This book is all about character development and world building. Othrun's ideal of a "pureblood" singular race is not only challenged, but shown to be impossible for any ruler preceding over a mixed society. A lot of the story is watching Othrun make compromises with himself. As anyone this far in the series knows, he is openly racist, homophobic and not open to other's religious beliefs. Despite this, Othrun is not all bad. He hates slavery and violence against children, and as we see in some shockingly dark scenes, hes willing to take justice into his own hands despite his people's customs. Othrun's development and inner struggles with his own beliefs leads to some really beautiful lines:
"I watched their tranquil majesty, their causal grace, and I realized I had forgotten, just for a moment, about the colour of their skin. And it was then I knew, nothing would ever quite be the same for me again"
"Agis came to me, and to my surprise, we spontaneously embraced like old war comrades. Before that embrace, I’d never touched a person of another colour, except in battle, when I killed them. But nothing felt unnatural about it."
While there is a lot less action than Book 2, the scenes we get are really well done. I'm disappointed we don't see more Nightsoul, but the beast, demon...or whatever he is does have a major role, and gives us a nice horror scene. Othrun's angel also takes a backrole in this book, which is disappointing after we get a major reveal about him.
All in all, I can confidently say anyone who enjoyed the first two books will enjoy this one and I'm very excited to see what happens next. I cannot exaggerate how incredibly detailed the world is. The size of the appendixes at the end of the book really puts it into perspective.
“Fools fall for tricks,” I told him, one of my favourite old Atalantyx maxims. “Then fools fall.”
June 19, 2025
It feels like this was written for me. The combination of politics, religious and cultural conflict, world-building, amazing characters, and gut-punch emotional moments was pure perfection! I love this book and this series! I told myself I would leave some time between each book to let it breathe and so I wouldn’t have to wait too long for book 6, but this is getting really hard.
February 2, 2023
I was fortunate to have an ARC of this book prior to publication. Lord and King is full of relationships, challenges Othrun 's belief systems yet again, and the story takes on new directions that I didn't see coming at all! As usual P.L. Stuart knows how to bring the blood and thunder, and I feel like I'm right in the middle of the battles. I am not one to like battle scenes, but P.L. Stuart's are breathtaking! But he doesn't sacrifice the lore and history of world. And finally I'm getting more of the romance that I enjoy! There were some great love scenes and tender moments that surprised me. I saw a side of Othrun in this book that I hadn't seen before. I didn't think he had it in him, to be romantic. But it's not just the romance - it's also his relationships with especially his 3 cousins (some which turn really bad) that truly sucked me into this book. And once more, one of my favourite characters didn't make it. Although, I saw this one coming from book one. But it didn't make it any less painful. I am hooked on this series, and can't believe it's 7 books long. But after this book it seems like it will be 7 books too short! I can't get enough of P.L.Stuart's books!
October 26, 2023
Lord and King is the third entry in the Drowned Kingdom Saga from Canadian author P.L. Stuart. I read the first two entries back to back last year and was blown away by the second installment, The Last of the Atalanteans.
As this is the third book in a series, I would recommend you go read the other two reviews I wrote first:
Book One: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book Two: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am mesmerized P.L. can release these massive epic fantasy novels every single year and he is getting better with each one. They don’t feel rushed at all. That is a huge compliment as completing an annual release in an epic fantasy series that doesn’t at all even remotely resemble a first draft is a feat that many of the all-time greats can’t even sustain.
Coming out of The Last of the Atalanteans, Othrun has been named king. This wasn’t a big surprise, but the question was when Othrun might get his chance to take the reins, would it be book two, book three, book four. It happened a little earlier than I expected, but that isn’t a bad thing as unexpected is what keeps me reading!
In this book, I did find the pace a little slow. Book two (The Last of the Atalanteans) was action-heavy. One of the biggest strengths in P.L.’s writing is how well P.L. changed from textbook-like recaps in book one to this quickly plotted action-driven story in book two. Book three's pace fall in the middle. It is faster than book one, but also slower than book two. I would have liked to see a bit more of the action driving the story this time and instead, we got lots of political dealings. I just prefer more action as I work in business administration and I read to escape. I want a kingdom built on blood and guts instead of sharp political dealings.
That being said, P.L. is a master of prose and even his slow scenes are still engaging and fun to read. You might think after reading that first little bit of the review, I didn’t like this book. It’s actually the opposite. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the nitpicks early are forgiven because P.L. introduces us to the Anib and they are such a great addition that they elevate and propel this story to places and conflicts I can’t wait to see.
Also, this cover is gorgeous! The white makes the crown pop and the yellow font P.L. has been using all along has never looked better!
5 stars and looking forward to more from this epic tale as Othrun is a vividly complex protagonist that is easy to both love and hate.
As this is the third book in a series, I would recommend you go read the other two reviews I wrote first:
Book One: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book Two: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am mesmerized P.L. can release these massive epic fantasy novels every single year and he is getting better with each one. They don’t feel rushed at all. That is a huge compliment as completing an annual release in an epic fantasy series that doesn’t at all even remotely resemble a first draft is a feat that many of the all-time greats can’t even sustain.
Coming out of The Last of the Atalanteans, Othrun has been named king. This wasn’t a big surprise, but the question was when Othrun might get his chance to take the reins, would it be book two, book three, book four. It happened a little earlier than I expected, but that isn’t a bad thing as unexpected is what keeps me reading!
In this book, I did find the pace a little slow. Book two (The Last of the Atalanteans) was action-heavy. One of the biggest strengths in P.L.’s writing is how well P.L. changed from textbook-like recaps in book one to this quickly plotted action-driven story in book two. Book three's pace fall in the middle. It is faster than book one, but also slower than book two. I would have liked to see a bit more of the action driving the story this time and instead, we got lots of political dealings. I just prefer more action as I work in business administration and I read to escape. I want a kingdom built on blood and guts instead of sharp political dealings.
That being said, P.L. is a master of prose and even his slow scenes are still engaging and fun to read. You might think after reading that first little bit of the review, I didn’t like this book. It’s actually the opposite. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the nitpicks early are forgiven because P.L. introduces us to the Anib and they are such a great addition that they elevate and propel this story to places and conflicts I can’t wait to see.
Also, this cover is gorgeous! The white makes the crown pop and the yellow font P.L. has been using all along has never looked better!
5 stars and looking forward to more from this epic tale as Othrun is a vividly complex protagonist that is easy to both love and hate.
June 26, 2024
“Lord and King” is the phenomenal third book in The Drowned Kingdom Saga by P.L. Stuart. Epic in scope and heart-pounding in adventure, intrigue, battle, and romance, Stuart entrenches his readers even deeper into the amazing fantasy world of Acremia.
To quickly catch you up on the series, in the first book, “A Drowned Kingdom,” readers follow Othrun, the Second Prince of the lost realm of Atalantyx, a land buried by volcanic destruction. Othrun leads what remains of his people across the sea to forge a new kingdom on a continent embroiled in war – and magic. Belief in his Single God swears Othrun to end pagan worship, but he faces betrayal, dangerous alliances, and a seductive mage out to quash his quest for power.
In the second installment, “The Last of the Atalanteans” Othrun aids an overthrown ally, King Wely in a perilous plan to reinstall him to power. All the while entrusting his people to a potentially unreliable Lord and contending with the powerful mage Lysi, who continues to test his convictions and thwart his plans. But Othrun will risk everything in his determination to ascend as a king and restore the glory of the Atalanteans’ rule in history.
Which brings us back to the current book. As Othrun ascends to the throne of Eastrealm in “Lord and King,” he faces the intricate dance of politics with Queen Undala of Southronland, whose demands for tribute challenge his reign. Within Eastrealm, he encounters internal deceit, a personal loss that shakes his foundation, and a faith in crisis. His journey as a king is one of internal and external battles, forcing him to reconcile the king he must become with the man he once was.
Reconnecting with Othrun was such a pleasure—a homecoming of sorts, yet with a tinge of rediscovery. He’s the kind of character you didn’t realize you missed until you get wrapped up in his world once again. He’s obstinate, entitled, pompous, and condescending, wearing his arrogance as snugly as the crown that fits atop his head. And I absolutely love him. Not that I agree with anything he typically thinks or says, he’s just a character so well-drawn you can’t help but admire him.
Seeing King Othrun grow was a fascinating experience. Witnessing his typically unfaltering arrogance soften, even just for a second, he makes you sit up and take notice as it appears he’s finally starting to listen to others! Watching him slowly peel away layers of ego to really learn what it means to be a king; he starts to understand the real demands of leadership and opens himself up to new challenges. He manages to win over those around him, despite his imperfections, and it’s his journey to humility and genuine reflection that makes his story truly convincing and enthralling.
As fans of The Drowned Kingdom Saga have come to expect, P.L. Stuart writes with flair, intensity, and vitality that pulls you into the pages. It’s obvious this series is a labor of love as he captures the pulse of medieval politics, the fierceness on the battlefield, the oh-so-aching vulnerabilities of the characters through their tragedies and triumphs.
Stuart also adds plenty of real-world themes to his ancient fantasy kingdom. The introduction of Queen Undala and her culturally rich Anibians, and their fearsome warrior group, the Bamanthe, brings ethnic diversity. This adds another enriching layer to the story with cultural exchange and the intricacies of leadership across different societies. The complex relationship between rulers, Queen Undala and King Othrun, stands as my favorite part of the book. There is soooo much I want to say about this, but you simply must experience their dynamic firsthand.
Through the characters, readers will also experience sophisticated human emotions, moral ambiguity, and the harrowing realities of war, along with religious and ideological conflicts and the necessity of adaptation for survival. Each element complements the other for a truly amazing reading experience about the struggles and triumphs of a kingdom and its leader.
I highly recommend “Lord and King” and The Drowned Kingdom Saga for outstanding fantasy and so much more. The only thing missing for me was the availability of the book in audio format. I was able to experience the first book, “A Drowned Kingdom” in the written and audio versions and found the actor narrating Othrun’s part was absolutely impeccable, emitting the perfect tone and inflection of a narcissistic, patriarchal, bigoted misogynist! Now that I hear that tone in each of the books, I have to wonder how the narrator would deal with an evolving Othrun! I only mention this in hopes the author might consider releasing his series in audiobook format, it has no bearing on how I feel about the series. In fact, I’d say if you only start one fantasy series this year, it simply must be The Drowned Kingdom Saga by P.L. Stuart.
CONTENT CAUTION:
“Lord and King” contains violence, racism, racial slurs and bullying, bigotry, misogyny, religious intolerance and persecution, violence from said intolerance and persecution, including against children. Please consider your personal experiences and potential emotional response to such content and prioritize your mental well-being when deciding whether to engage with this book.
To quickly catch you up on the series, in the first book, “A Drowned Kingdom,” readers follow Othrun, the Second Prince of the lost realm of Atalantyx, a land buried by volcanic destruction. Othrun leads what remains of his people across the sea to forge a new kingdom on a continent embroiled in war – and magic. Belief in his Single God swears Othrun to end pagan worship, but he faces betrayal, dangerous alliances, and a seductive mage out to quash his quest for power.
In the second installment, “The Last of the Atalanteans” Othrun aids an overthrown ally, King Wely in a perilous plan to reinstall him to power. All the while entrusting his people to a potentially unreliable Lord and contending with the powerful mage Lysi, who continues to test his convictions and thwart his plans. But Othrun will risk everything in his determination to ascend as a king and restore the glory of the Atalanteans’ rule in history.
Which brings us back to the current book. As Othrun ascends to the throne of Eastrealm in “Lord and King,” he faces the intricate dance of politics with Queen Undala of Southronland, whose demands for tribute challenge his reign. Within Eastrealm, he encounters internal deceit, a personal loss that shakes his foundation, and a faith in crisis. His journey as a king is one of internal and external battles, forcing him to reconcile the king he must become with the man he once was.
Reconnecting with Othrun was such a pleasure—a homecoming of sorts, yet with a tinge of rediscovery. He’s the kind of character you didn’t realize you missed until you get wrapped up in his world once again. He’s obstinate, entitled, pompous, and condescending, wearing his arrogance as snugly as the crown that fits atop his head. And I absolutely love him. Not that I agree with anything he typically thinks or says, he’s just a character so well-drawn you can’t help but admire him.
Seeing King Othrun grow was a fascinating experience. Witnessing his typically unfaltering arrogance soften, even just for a second, he makes you sit up and take notice as it appears he’s finally starting to listen to others! Watching him slowly peel away layers of ego to really learn what it means to be a king; he starts to understand the real demands of leadership and opens himself up to new challenges. He manages to win over those around him, despite his imperfections, and it’s his journey to humility and genuine reflection that makes his story truly convincing and enthralling.
As fans of The Drowned Kingdom Saga have come to expect, P.L. Stuart writes with flair, intensity, and vitality that pulls you into the pages. It’s obvious this series is a labor of love as he captures the pulse of medieval politics, the fierceness on the battlefield, the oh-so-aching vulnerabilities of the characters through their tragedies and triumphs.
Stuart also adds plenty of real-world themes to his ancient fantasy kingdom. The introduction of Queen Undala and her culturally rich Anibians, and their fearsome warrior group, the Bamanthe, brings ethnic diversity. This adds another enriching layer to the story with cultural exchange and the intricacies of leadership across different societies. The complex relationship between rulers, Queen Undala and King Othrun, stands as my favorite part of the book. There is soooo much I want to say about this, but you simply must experience their dynamic firsthand.
Through the characters, readers will also experience sophisticated human emotions, moral ambiguity, and the harrowing realities of war, along with religious and ideological conflicts and the necessity of adaptation for survival. Each element complements the other for a truly amazing reading experience about the struggles and triumphs of a kingdom and its leader.
I highly recommend “Lord and King” and The Drowned Kingdom Saga for outstanding fantasy and so much more. The only thing missing for me was the availability of the book in audio format. I was able to experience the first book, “A Drowned Kingdom” in the written and audio versions and found the actor narrating Othrun’s part was absolutely impeccable, emitting the perfect tone and inflection of a narcissistic, patriarchal, bigoted misogynist! Now that I hear that tone in each of the books, I have to wonder how the narrator would deal with an evolving Othrun! I only mention this in hopes the author might consider releasing his series in audiobook format, it has no bearing on how I feel about the series. In fact, I’d say if you only start one fantasy series this year, it simply must be The Drowned Kingdom Saga by P.L. Stuart.
CONTENT CAUTION:
“Lord and King” contains violence, racism, racial slurs and bullying, bigotry, misogyny, religious intolerance and persecution, violence from said intolerance and persecution, including against children. Please consider your personal experiences and potential emotional response to such content and prioritize your mental well-being when deciding whether to engage with this book.
February 1, 2023
It was an exquisite delight to return to the multi-dimensional world P.L. Stuart has created in his epic fantasy saga. After head-spinning adventures that kept me turning the pages of book two “The Last of the Atalanteans” I couldn’t wait to see how Othrun would settle into the role he’s always dreamt about. Or maybe I’d better put it differently – the role he has always believed he deserved.
Othrun, once the Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom, now King of Eastrealm of Acremia, is the most fascinating character. Probably the most extraordinary main character a reader will encounter in modern literature. He is a knot of controversies. And that’s what makes it extremely interesting to follow him on his journey.
Othrun believes he is the noblest of knights, still, he is ready to step down from this pedestal to achieve his goals. Like any high-born, he is prejudiced, taught to despise and worship certain things. Still, when the faultiness of his views is thrown right into his face, he doesn’t fight against it. He doesn’t succumb at once to different views, but he tries to understand the new ones.
Finally, after the devastation of his home kingdom in book one and the risky quest to get a new one in book two, Othrun is Lord and King. He has what he considers to be rightfully his. A kingdom to rule over, people whose fates are in his hands, a beautiful wife Aliaz who impersonates everything he wants to see in a woman, and a future full of glorious victories. Minor issues that mar his triumph preventing him from feeling completely satisfied, are insignificant to shake his confidence. “I have deserved this,” I can almost hear Othrun saying these words in my head. It doesn’t matter that he has other overlords above him. At least he respects and trusts them. Besides, his plans for the increase of his grandeur are still in place, if a little transformed. Thoughts about one powerful and so tempting mage bother him, but not enough to make him feel guilty.
Lord and King of Eastrealm, who has earned his reputation of being a formidable foe should one choose to view him as such, is ready to build a bright, prosperous future for everyone, Atalanteans and Eltnish. After he has succeeded in the most audacious venture to get to where he is now, only success, luck, and glory should spread like a red carpet in front of him. Right?
Of course, wrong. Totally wrong!
“Lord and King” is a story about the burdens of power. Having achieved everything he’d craved to have for so long, Othrun is faced with a new dilemma. Can a good king be a good man? Once planted in his prejudiced, self-absorbed brain, this thought doesn’t go away.
In book three of the Drowned Kingdom Saga, Othrun is forced to find solutions to unsolvable problems. He learns the hard way that even being the king, he isn’t immune to life’s hardships. His status, his wealth, his loyal subjects – all of these privileges of a king can save him neither from losing some battles nor from grief. Othrun learns that being the king makes him even more vulnerable and helpless when his personal life choices are at stake.
In book three of the saga, we get to see Othrun in love. The fire and passion we saw him exhibit mostly on the battlefield and clawing his way back to the top on the way to establish his role as King in new lands, at last, are directed at a human being. A woman, a queen, the most extraordinary woman and queen Othrun has ever met. And even here, his prejudices and his focus on being first and foremost the king rather than a man, intervene to add to the emotional volcano.
“Lord and King”, book three of the Drowned Kingdom Saga stays true to the high standard the author set in books one and two. The story continues with a well-thought-out mix of the epic and the personal, with a subtle portion of magic that teases readers’ imagination. The book makes the reader marvel at the complexity of the world created on its pages. And at the same time, some plot twists tug at readers’ heartstrings touching upon sensitive subjects like grief, loss, and cruelty toward the innocent.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Othrun, once the Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom, now King of Eastrealm of Acremia, is the most fascinating character. Probably the most extraordinary main character a reader will encounter in modern literature. He is a knot of controversies. And that’s what makes it extremely interesting to follow him on his journey.
Othrun believes he is the noblest of knights, still, he is ready to step down from this pedestal to achieve his goals. Like any high-born, he is prejudiced, taught to despise and worship certain things. Still, when the faultiness of his views is thrown right into his face, he doesn’t fight against it. He doesn’t succumb at once to different views, but he tries to understand the new ones.
Finally, after the devastation of his home kingdom in book one and the risky quest to get a new one in book two, Othrun is Lord and King. He has what he considers to be rightfully his. A kingdom to rule over, people whose fates are in his hands, a beautiful wife Aliaz who impersonates everything he wants to see in a woman, and a future full of glorious victories. Minor issues that mar his triumph preventing him from feeling completely satisfied, are insignificant to shake his confidence. “I have deserved this,” I can almost hear Othrun saying these words in my head. It doesn’t matter that he has other overlords above him. At least he respects and trusts them. Besides, his plans for the increase of his grandeur are still in place, if a little transformed. Thoughts about one powerful and so tempting mage bother him, but not enough to make him feel guilty.
Lord and King of Eastrealm, who has earned his reputation of being a formidable foe should one choose to view him as such, is ready to build a bright, prosperous future for everyone, Atalanteans and Eltnish. After he has succeeded in the most audacious venture to get to where he is now, only success, luck, and glory should spread like a red carpet in front of him. Right?
Of course, wrong. Totally wrong!
“Lord and King” is a story about the burdens of power. Having achieved everything he’d craved to have for so long, Othrun is faced with a new dilemma. Can a good king be a good man? Once planted in his prejudiced, self-absorbed brain, this thought doesn’t go away.
In book three of the Drowned Kingdom Saga, Othrun is forced to find solutions to unsolvable problems. He learns the hard way that even being the king, he isn’t immune to life’s hardships. His status, his wealth, his loyal subjects – all of these privileges of a king can save him neither from losing some battles nor from grief. Othrun learns that being the king makes him even more vulnerable and helpless when his personal life choices are at stake.
In book three of the saga, we get to see Othrun in love. The fire and passion we saw him exhibit mostly on the battlefield and clawing his way back to the top on the way to establish his role as King in new lands, at last, are directed at a human being. A woman, a queen, the most extraordinary woman and queen Othrun has ever met. And even here, his prejudices and his focus on being first and foremost the king rather than a man, intervene to add to the emotional volcano.
“Lord and King”, book three of the Drowned Kingdom Saga stays true to the high standard the author set in books one and two. The story continues with a well-thought-out mix of the epic and the personal, with a subtle portion of magic that teases readers’ imagination. The book makes the reader marvel at the complexity of the world created on its pages. And at the same time, some plot twists tug at readers’ heartstrings touching upon sensitive subjects like grief, loss, and cruelty toward the innocent.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 2, 2024
[There are no explicit plot spoilers in this review.]
Lord and King is the third book in The Drowned Kingdom saga, by prolific new author, P.L. Stuart. There are many high points to appreciate in this excellent story although the pacing sometimes drags in its mostly episodic structure.
Prince Othrun of Atalantyx is now King Othrun of Eastrealm, vassal to Lynchun and Carthlughe. Having achieved his interim goal of finding safety for his exiled people, he sets his eye on growing strong enough to conquer the continent of Acremia -- building an impregnable fortress, protecting the purity of his peoples’ religion in a land of allied heathens, and quelling the threats across his immediate borders. The sheer weight of administration required to manage his scant resources and grow his empire is shared in an engaging manner by the author, like a fun live-action retelling of a convoluted German board game.
Against this external background, Othrun continues to get lost in his own headspace as he tries to be both a good king and a good man. He gains more self-awareness of his bigoted views and the Atalantean reputation of being cruel, seafaring conquerors. This dichotomy is driven home later in the book when we’re finally introduced to the dark-skinned people of Anibia, a continent that has been united under Queen Undala through collaboration rather than cruelty. The population of Anibia is so vast that all of Atalantyx barely registers. I enjoyed watching Othrun grow as a character and start to work on his flaws. The chaos of his love affairs (both requited and unrequited) was a little frustrating, but served to remind me of how young he actually is.
After the cohesive unity of the first two books, I struggled a bit with the episodic feel of Book Three. The individual plot lines, from the catastrophe in Meridnia to the siege in Celtnia, are excellent, but I felt like there was no overarching thread giving shape and momentum to this single book as a whole. Still, P.L. Stuart continues to grow as an author and is very effective at conveying the complexity of alliances, conflicts, and underlying emotions without boring the reader. In Book Three, he begins to unfold different perspectives on earlier events, making the world deeper and richer. If the tale told in the first two books gripped you, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
Lord and King is the third book in The Drowned Kingdom saga, by prolific new author, P.L. Stuart. There are many high points to appreciate in this excellent story although the pacing sometimes drags in its mostly episodic structure.
Prince Othrun of Atalantyx is now King Othrun of Eastrealm, vassal to Lynchun and Carthlughe. Having achieved his interim goal of finding safety for his exiled people, he sets his eye on growing strong enough to conquer the continent of Acremia -- building an impregnable fortress, protecting the purity of his peoples’ religion in a land of allied heathens, and quelling the threats across his immediate borders. The sheer weight of administration required to manage his scant resources and grow his empire is shared in an engaging manner by the author, like a fun live-action retelling of a convoluted German board game.
Against this external background, Othrun continues to get lost in his own headspace as he tries to be both a good king and a good man. He gains more self-awareness of his bigoted views and the Atalantean reputation of being cruel, seafaring conquerors. This dichotomy is driven home later in the book when we’re finally introduced to the dark-skinned people of Anibia, a continent that has been united under Queen Undala through collaboration rather than cruelty. The population of Anibia is so vast that all of Atalantyx barely registers. I enjoyed watching Othrun grow as a character and start to work on his flaws. The chaos of his love affairs (both requited and unrequited) was a little frustrating, but served to remind me of how young he actually is.
After the cohesive unity of the first two books, I struggled a bit with the episodic feel of Book Three. The individual plot lines, from the catastrophe in Meridnia to the siege in Celtnia, are excellent, but I felt like there was no overarching thread giving shape and momentum to this single book as a whole. Still, P.L. Stuart continues to grow as an author and is very effective at conveying the complexity of alliances, conflicts, and underlying emotions without boring the reader. In Book Three, he begins to unfold different perspectives on earlier events, making the world deeper and richer. If the tale told in the first two books gripped you, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
July 2, 2023
When you become so invested in a book (and series) that you care about what happens to all of the characters, then you know that the author has you genuinely along for the whole ride. P.L. has woven yet another story of vast scope and intricate detail that brings you into a fantasy world while challenging modern thoughts and practices.
At times Othrun, ruling king of Eastrealm is very, very, difficult to like. In an appeal from his cousin Uthlen and his same sex lover Apolt to give up all of their mantles of governance and power to simply live together in happiness, he responds in a series of statements:
---"Happiness?" I mocked him. "Happiness?" My voice continued to rise.
---"Do you know what I'd do to traitors, what I have a right to do?"
---"I'd execute you for both for high treason! I'd cut off your fucking heads!
---"Get out of my sight!" I screamed, barely restraining myself from hitting him.
---In a fit of temper, I flung my empty goblet after them.
Misogynist, rascist, homophobic, and snobbish; and definitely a product of an elite and strict upbringing; and yet... there is an element of hope in him. He can be prodded, shamed, and moved to grow into a better person... the demonstration of the possibility of personal growth and maturity allows the reader to hang in with him; hope is eternal (NOTE possible spoiler below):
---I mourned for my soured relationship with Uthlen. I needed to be the bigger man, the king, and speak to him about our discord.
---For we, too, had our fallen. Apolt. What would I tell Uthlen? How could I face him? All their hopes of one day leaving Eastrealm, living out their lives in Lynchun together...
Twists and turns at every page turn. Intrigue. Action. Compelling characters. Cannot wait for the next installment!
At times Othrun, ruling king of Eastrealm is very, very, difficult to like. In an appeal from his cousin Uthlen and his same sex lover Apolt to give up all of their mantles of governance and power to simply live together in happiness, he responds in a series of statements:
---"Happiness?" I mocked him. "Happiness?" My voice continued to rise.
---"Do you know what I'd do to traitors, what I have a right to do?"
---"I'd execute you for both for high treason! I'd cut off your fucking heads!
---"Get out of my sight!" I screamed, barely restraining myself from hitting him.
---In a fit of temper, I flung my empty goblet after them.
Misogynist, rascist, homophobic, and snobbish; and definitely a product of an elite and strict upbringing; and yet... there is an element of hope in him. He can be prodded, shamed, and moved to grow into a better person... the demonstration of the possibility of personal growth and maturity allows the reader to hang in with him; hope is eternal (NOTE possible spoiler below):
---I mourned for my soured relationship with Uthlen. I needed to be the bigger man, the king, and speak to him about our discord.
---For we, too, had our fallen. Apolt. What would I tell Uthlen? How could I face him? All their hopes of one day leaving Eastrealm, living out their lives in Lynchun together...
Twists and turns at every page turn. Intrigue. Action. Compelling characters. Cannot wait for the next installment!
June 7, 2023
First off, the prose, as with the previous books, is exceptional, building the blocks of Othrun's character and the world that he strives to build his kingdom in, with enemies both without and within.
As with the previous two, Othrun remains a severely flawed character and this time, confronts many of his issues and prejudices headlong. Does he conquer all of them? Spoilers! But I was very pleased with his progress here, however and eagerly look forward to the next volume!
Plot wise, I admit to being surprised several times. A few things I predicted their outcome as soon as mentioned(well, one thing in particular) but I did see the climax coming at all, having assumed the threads that lead to it to be groundwork for something later, given Othrun's relatively young age still.
Eagerly looking forward to more, P.L!
As with the previous two, Othrun remains a severely flawed character and this time, confronts many of his issues and prejudices headlong. Does he conquer all of them? Spoilers! But I was very pleased with his progress here, however and eagerly look forward to the next volume!
Plot wise, I admit to being surprised several times. A few things I predicted their outcome as soon as mentioned(well, one thing in particular) but I did see the climax coming at all, having assumed the threads that lead to it to be groundwork for something later, given Othrun's relatively young age still.
Eagerly looking forward to more, P.L!
July 20, 2023
This review will be a summary of my impressions from the 3 books in the series.
Looking through Janny Wurts book reviews on Goodreads I found a detailed and glowing review for The Drowned Kingdom. As a reader I prefer flawed characters with an up close and personal perspective, so naturally The Drowned Kingdom saga perfectly matched my preferences.
Its a well thought out and fun series. The politics are detailed and work as good build up for the exhilarating fight scenes. Taking Lionfort in book 2 is one of my favorite battles in fiction! The characters are lovable for their heroism and capabilities. The plot is hard to predict due to the many moving pieces causing plenty of fun surprises. Hints are sprinkled in for only readers to discern and worry as to what's to come. Ya I love this series!
Othrun himself and his people are downright despicable at times, besides being badasses. Othrun has likable qualities but harbors extremely bigoted and harmful beliefs. Sometimes I hate him and am frustrated at how slow he is to change, but I think its appropriate. As the series continues he is slowly forming his own opinions through life experience, becoming a better person.
Looking through Janny Wurts book reviews on Goodreads I found a detailed and glowing review for The Drowned Kingdom. As a reader I prefer flawed characters with an up close and personal perspective, so naturally The Drowned Kingdom saga perfectly matched my preferences.
Its a well thought out and fun series. The politics are detailed and work as good build up for the exhilarating fight scenes. Taking Lionfort in book 2 is one of my favorite battles in fiction! The characters are lovable for their heroism and capabilities. The plot is hard to predict due to the many moving pieces causing plenty of fun surprises. Hints are sprinkled in for only readers to discern and worry as to what's to come. Ya I love this series!
Othrun himself and his people are downright despicable at times, besides being badasses. Othrun has likable qualities but harbors extremely bigoted and harmful beliefs. Sometimes I hate him and am frustrated at how slow he is to change, but I think its appropriate. As the series continues he is slowly forming his own opinions through life experience, becoming a better person.
May 4, 2024
Oh! This is definitely my favorite book of the series so far! Loving all the bad ass women 🤓 I feel a little bad for Othrun, will that guy ever find love and actually get to keep it?!
For a full review of my thoughts, watch Birdie and the Books’ discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/live/u6Jxbd1x...
For a full review of my thoughts, watch Birdie and the Books’ discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/live/u6Jxbd1x...
July 7, 2023
Absolutely loved this book and found it to be the best of the three ! Perhaps that’s because I have come to know the characters so well in this story and seeing the development and hardships they encounter is only growing my love of this tale. So many twists and unexpected turns in this book, it kept me up late into the night reading! I am looking forward to book 4 and seeing where Mr. Stuart takes us !
September 22, 2023
There are more things in heaven and Earth, Othrun, than are dreamt of in your philosophy
February 2, 2023
Being in power is very different to seizing power.
I was provided with an ARC of Lord and King (LAK). This has not influenced my opinion or views and this is my honest review of the novel. LAK is the third book in PL Stuart’s Atlantis inspired A Drowned Kingdom Saga. As such, this review contains spoilers for A Drowned Kingdom (ADK) and its sequel, The Last of the Atalanteans (TLOTA). Having covered the disclaimers it’s time to tell you what I thought.
The overriding theme running through Lord and King is that being in power is very different to seizing power. The challenges Othrun faces were memorably foreshadowed by the wise words of Glathan in the concluding chapters of TLOTA:
“Remember this day, Lord Othrun, the first day of your kingship. For this will be the best day. To be a king is glorious, yet to be a king is humbling.”
There were lots of things to set up in those first two books, and obviously Stuart took the unusual step of destroying a huge amount of what he established in the first third of ADK! Both those books were about survival and Othrun’s attempts to gain a foothold in Acremia and establish his new kingdom. LAK finds Othrun in a much more stable position, and this allows more space for the plot and action to progress, and for the expansive cast of characters to develop.
There’s no doubt that the Drowned Kingdom Saga has a complex overarching plot, and at the beginning I found this book was a little bit recap heavy at times. However, I know a lot of readers will appreciate those reminders and it wasn’t long before the plot of LAK started to unfold and I was soon drawn into a compelling drama.
In LAK Othrun sets about acquiring more land and kingdoms and client kings, through negotiation rather than war. The business of running a kingdom and maintaining the balance of power in his court taxes Othrun’s patience at times. The diplomacy, alliances and potential political marriages are all superbly done.
The practicalities of building a kingdom whilst intermingling the Eltnish and Atalantean peoples, with their very different customs and faiths, enables Stuart to explore issues of religion and sexuality. In this regard, Othrun is actually quite progressive but he also has to appease those Atalanteans who take a harder line, full of prejudice and superiority.
Stuart doesn’t shy away from drawing inspiration from some truly horrible moments in our own history. I don’t want to provide any spoilers but the misuse of religious authority and the cruel impact of cultural suppression is laid bare in this novel. Othrun’s new kingdom is far from perfect.
There’s some personal development for Othrun as the issue of race and racial prejudice is again addressed, a key theme running throughout this whole series. Stuart spells out how despicable racist attitudes are very clearly in this novel, once again using the clever device of having the people who hold such views, including the narrator, condemn themselves with their own words. With the ongoing challenges we see in our world, it’s an important message that still needs to be told.
Linked to this point, the arrival of the Anib, whose culture resembles the people of a united and powerful Africa, has been building up throughout the first two books. However, their purpose when they finally make an appearance was very different to what I was imagining, Stuart completely confounding my expectations on that score. Their leader, Queen Undala, is a fantastic new character as is her sister, Briduku.
Stuart’s world is enormous in scale but also believable, drawing you in. There's a scholarly feel to his writing and in some ways his novels read like historical documents. The style is comparable to a biography in many ways, set in an epic fantasy world. With its first-person perspective, it feels like a fireside tale, told by Othrun as an old man, reflecting on his glorious and not so glorious past deeds.
If all this sounds like heavy going I want to make clear this was a quick, exciting read. I ripped through the 600 plus pages of this book in a fortnight. Whilst he doesn't skimp on the facts and details, Stuart tells a fantastic story and once that got its hooks into me this novel was unputdownable.
Whilst there’s plenty to think about LAK is definitely not short of action. The prologue has the most dramatic start of the series so far and the book is full of betrayals, intense battles and Othrun’s appetite for daring deeds is never far away.
No review would be complete without some mention of Othrun’s character. There are some hopeful signs of personal growth but (and I can think of no other way to describe this) Othrun is still a monumental prick at times! His guardian angel, the Anchali, is certainly not to be trusted. However, Othrun is too vain to see he's being guided down a perilous path, as the Anchali plays on his longing for power and glory, despite the illegitimacy of his claim to the throne. Othrun's irrational desire for Berefet gold, which he could never spend in his lifetime, leads to some terrible consequences. The sins of pride, greed and stubbornness are all on full display.
There were times when Othrun’s ability to captivate the heart of any woman he meets stretched my credulity. However, I think this is my issue rather than anything to do with the writing, and it probably comes from knowing his flaws so intimately as the reader. In reality, we’re all flawed individuals and we still fall in love with each other. Othrun is good looking, powerful, ambitious and wealthy. In other words, he's hot, and that's why women go for him. I don’t want to get into spoiler territory but ultimately his different relationships with the women in this novel are very well done. They’re satisfyingly complicated but also realistic, especially concerning the inevitable restrictions that come with power and the fraught issues around religion.
I have to commend Stuart that, whilst Othrun’s voice is dominant, it doesn’t drown out the other characters. This takes considerable skill as an author, to make you like a character who is perceived through the eyes of an unlikeable narrator. In this novel, despite the size of the cast, I thought the supporting characters grew and evolved. In addition to the Anib, I thought Glathan, Aliaz, Yedwol The Ready, Uthlen and Apolt all stood out in this instalment.
This is a brilliant book and, much as I enjoyed the first two novels in this series, I think LAK marks a step change. Stuart’s craft and storytelling skill is developing with each novel and Lord and King really delivers on every level. With its epic, sweeping storyline, vast world, varied characters and dynamic politics, The Drowned Kingdom Saga is like a tightly plotted Game of Thrones. After the unexpected, dramatic ending to Lord and King, it's clear this story is far from done. I can’t wait for the next instalment.
I was provided with an ARC of Lord and King (LAK). This has not influenced my opinion or views and this is my honest review of the novel. LAK is the third book in PL Stuart’s Atlantis inspired A Drowned Kingdom Saga. As such, this review contains spoilers for A Drowned Kingdom (ADK) and its sequel, The Last of the Atalanteans (TLOTA). Having covered the disclaimers it’s time to tell you what I thought.
The overriding theme running through Lord and King is that being in power is very different to seizing power. The challenges Othrun faces were memorably foreshadowed by the wise words of Glathan in the concluding chapters of TLOTA:
“Remember this day, Lord Othrun, the first day of your kingship. For this will be the best day. To be a king is glorious, yet to be a king is humbling.”
There were lots of things to set up in those first two books, and obviously Stuart took the unusual step of destroying a huge amount of what he established in the first third of ADK! Both those books were about survival and Othrun’s attempts to gain a foothold in Acremia and establish his new kingdom. LAK finds Othrun in a much more stable position, and this allows more space for the plot and action to progress, and for the expansive cast of characters to develop.
There’s no doubt that the Drowned Kingdom Saga has a complex overarching plot, and at the beginning I found this book was a little bit recap heavy at times. However, I know a lot of readers will appreciate those reminders and it wasn’t long before the plot of LAK started to unfold and I was soon drawn into a compelling drama.
In LAK Othrun sets about acquiring more land and kingdoms and client kings, through negotiation rather than war. The business of running a kingdom and maintaining the balance of power in his court taxes Othrun’s patience at times. The diplomacy, alliances and potential political marriages are all superbly done.
The practicalities of building a kingdom whilst intermingling the Eltnish and Atalantean peoples, with their very different customs and faiths, enables Stuart to explore issues of religion and sexuality. In this regard, Othrun is actually quite progressive but he also has to appease those Atalanteans who take a harder line, full of prejudice and superiority.
Stuart doesn’t shy away from drawing inspiration from some truly horrible moments in our own history. I don’t want to provide any spoilers but the misuse of religious authority and the cruel impact of cultural suppression is laid bare in this novel. Othrun’s new kingdom is far from perfect.
There’s some personal development for Othrun as the issue of race and racial prejudice is again addressed, a key theme running throughout this whole series. Stuart spells out how despicable racist attitudes are very clearly in this novel, once again using the clever device of having the people who hold such views, including the narrator, condemn themselves with their own words. With the ongoing challenges we see in our world, it’s an important message that still needs to be told.
Linked to this point, the arrival of the Anib, whose culture resembles the people of a united and powerful Africa, has been building up throughout the first two books. However, their purpose when they finally make an appearance was very different to what I was imagining, Stuart completely confounding my expectations on that score. Their leader, Queen Undala, is a fantastic new character as is her sister, Briduku.
Stuart’s world is enormous in scale but also believable, drawing you in. There's a scholarly feel to his writing and in some ways his novels read like historical documents. The style is comparable to a biography in many ways, set in an epic fantasy world. With its first-person perspective, it feels like a fireside tale, told by Othrun as an old man, reflecting on his glorious and not so glorious past deeds.
If all this sounds like heavy going I want to make clear this was a quick, exciting read. I ripped through the 600 plus pages of this book in a fortnight. Whilst he doesn't skimp on the facts and details, Stuart tells a fantastic story and once that got its hooks into me this novel was unputdownable.
Whilst there’s plenty to think about LAK is definitely not short of action. The prologue has the most dramatic start of the series so far and the book is full of betrayals, intense battles and Othrun’s appetite for daring deeds is never far away.
No review would be complete without some mention of Othrun’s character. There are some hopeful signs of personal growth but (and I can think of no other way to describe this) Othrun is still a monumental prick at times! His guardian angel, the Anchali, is certainly not to be trusted. However, Othrun is too vain to see he's being guided down a perilous path, as the Anchali plays on his longing for power and glory, despite the illegitimacy of his claim to the throne. Othrun's irrational desire for Berefet gold, which he could never spend in his lifetime, leads to some terrible consequences. The sins of pride, greed and stubbornness are all on full display.
There were times when Othrun’s ability to captivate the heart of any woman he meets stretched my credulity. However, I think this is my issue rather than anything to do with the writing, and it probably comes from knowing his flaws so intimately as the reader. In reality, we’re all flawed individuals and we still fall in love with each other. Othrun is good looking, powerful, ambitious and wealthy. In other words, he's hot, and that's why women go for him. I don’t want to get into spoiler territory but ultimately his different relationships with the women in this novel are very well done. They’re satisfyingly complicated but also realistic, especially concerning the inevitable restrictions that come with power and the fraught issues around religion.
I have to commend Stuart that, whilst Othrun’s voice is dominant, it doesn’t drown out the other characters. This takes considerable skill as an author, to make you like a character who is perceived through the eyes of an unlikeable narrator. In this novel, despite the size of the cast, I thought the supporting characters grew and evolved. In addition to the Anib, I thought Glathan, Aliaz, Yedwol The Ready, Uthlen and Apolt all stood out in this instalment.
This is a brilliant book and, much as I enjoyed the first two novels in this series, I think LAK marks a step change. Stuart’s craft and storytelling skill is developing with each novel and Lord and King really delivers on every level. With its epic, sweeping storyline, vast world, varied characters and dynamic politics, The Drowned Kingdom Saga is like a tightly plotted Game of Thrones. After the unexpected, dramatic ending to Lord and King, it's clear this story is far from done. I can’t wait for the next instalment.
April 19, 2023
Title: Lord and King (The Drowned Kingdom #3)
Author: P.L. Stuart
Publisher: FriesenPress
Release date: April 30, 2023
Rating: 5/5
"Lord and King" is excellent. Read the first two books, then this one.
If only I could leave my review at that and have you all grabbing copies and loving this series as much as I do! What makes me love it so much? The writing, the story, the characters, the setting. Each book (so far - apparently there are 4 more to come!) grabs you in a big hug of reading bliss and sends the real world away for a while. You don't know what you're missing if you haven't ventured into "The Drowned Kingdom" yet!
My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
Author: P.L. Stuart
Publisher: FriesenPress
Release date: April 30, 2023
Rating: 5/5
"Lord and King" is excellent. Read the first two books, then this one.
If only I could leave my review at that and have you all grabbing copies and loving this series as much as I do! What makes me love it so much? The writing, the story, the characters, the setting. Each book (so far - apparently there are 4 more to come!) grabs you in a big hug of reading bliss and sends the real world away for a while. You don't know what you're missing if you haven't ventured into "The Drowned Kingdom" yet!
My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
February 21, 2023
I received an ARC of 'Lord and King', the upcoming third book in P. L. Stuart’s fantasy series, 'The Drowned Kingdom', in return for an honest review. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the task.
For those new to the series, or who, like me, need reminders of past events and characters, P. L. Stuart provides enough references to establish the action, without slowing the plot down. Achieving this balance takes considerable story-telling skill. In addition, there are detailed character, lineage, and place appendices that support the reader.
In 'Lord and King', the recently crowned Othrun sets about consolidating his new kingdom. Othrun is a great king, a fearless warlord, and a man of vision. The author reveals him in his inconsistencies: A man of noble spirit and righteousness, Othrun will cleanse the lands and bring about rightful worship of the true single God, but he will need a pagan mage to help him in this regard. He loves his wife with tenderness and sensitivity, even while calculating how many male heirs she will bear for him. He is a knight of chivalry, firm in the ideals of courtly love, but his practice does not conform to the ideal.
He is a man of contradictions, a king capable of the harsh decisions of rule, but as his wife suggests, it is not easy for a good king to be a good man.
In this instalment, we witness growth in the character of Othrun, in terms of his world view. He remains essentially a warlord, but he is capable of deep grief and a sense of guilt, and we witness his vulnerability. He begins to challenge the belief system that has guided him, and we experience this awakening through his eyes.
Lysi reappears in this instalment, in a poignant scene that reveals the richness of her love and compassion. We are reminded, however, that even those rich in love and compassion can be formidable when crossed.
Undala, the Anib queen, is a powerful character! A magnificent and courageous warrior, a woman of passion, a leader of wisdom, a healer, a uniter of worlds – As the reader can imagine, there will be interesting encounters with Othrun.
There is a great sense of medieval pageantry; the early days of Othrun’s rule resemble a young and innocent Camelot, but soon, this darkens as the political realities, the challenges of alliances, the conspiracies, and the resentments begin to surface.
It takes great skill to maintain a sense of medieval grandeur and brutality. It takes a special skill to draw into this setting reminders of contemporary social horrors. In a haunting scene, Othrun and his men inspect the school buildings and the little graves, leading us to grieve anew for all the children of the residential schools, and for the families that waited for them.
Battle scenes are vivid and intense, brutal yet poetic: “Glathan and me… fought side by side, doing great slaughter, worthy of song as Sure-Steel and Deliverance sang that day, singing a song of death and blood.”
For characters that are sometimes gallant, sometimes ignoble, always real, strong images and description, a story that flows and never bores, an ending that satisfies but leaves us eager for the next book, I definitely recommend 'Lord and King'.
For those new to the series, or who, like me, need reminders of past events and characters, P. L. Stuart provides enough references to establish the action, without slowing the plot down. Achieving this balance takes considerable story-telling skill. In addition, there are detailed character, lineage, and place appendices that support the reader.
In 'Lord and King', the recently crowned Othrun sets about consolidating his new kingdom. Othrun is a great king, a fearless warlord, and a man of vision. The author reveals him in his inconsistencies: A man of noble spirit and righteousness, Othrun will cleanse the lands and bring about rightful worship of the true single God, but he will need a pagan mage to help him in this regard. He loves his wife with tenderness and sensitivity, even while calculating how many male heirs she will bear for him. He is a knight of chivalry, firm in the ideals of courtly love, but his practice does not conform to the ideal.
He is a man of contradictions, a king capable of the harsh decisions of rule, but as his wife suggests, it is not easy for a good king to be a good man.
In this instalment, we witness growth in the character of Othrun, in terms of his world view. He remains essentially a warlord, but he is capable of deep grief and a sense of guilt, and we witness his vulnerability. He begins to challenge the belief system that has guided him, and we experience this awakening through his eyes.
Lysi reappears in this instalment, in a poignant scene that reveals the richness of her love and compassion. We are reminded, however, that even those rich in love and compassion can be formidable when crossed.
Undala, the Anib queen, is a powerful character! A magnificent and courageous warrior, a woman of passion, a leader of wisdom, a healer, a uniter of worlds – As the reader can imagine, there will be interesting encounters with Othrun.
There is a great sense of medieval pageantry; the early days of Othrun’s rule resemble a young and innocent Camelot, but soon, this darkens as the political realities, the challenges of alliances, the conspiracies, and the resentments begin to surface.
It takes great skill to maintain a sense of medieval grandeur and brutality. It takes a special skill to draw into this setting reminders of contemporary social horrors. In a haunting scene, Othrun and his men inspect the school buildings and the little graves, leading us to grieve anew for all the children of the residential schools, and for the families that waited for them.
Battle scenes are vivid and intense, brutal yet poetic: “Glathan and me… fought side by side, doing great slaughter, worthy of song as Sure-Steel and Deliverance sang that day, singing a song of death and blood.”
For characters that are sometimes gallant, sometimes ignoble, always real, strong images and description, a story that flows and never bores, an ending that satisfies but leaves us eager for the next book, I definitely recommend 'Lord and King'.
February 2, 2023
I was kindly provided with an ARC copy of this book by the author in return for a fair and honest review. Please note additional edits may have taken place to the final copy. Lord and King is the third book in PL Stuart’s epic series, following the exploits of the now King Othrun. While the first two books explore Othrun’s own culture, beliefs, and the aftermath of his exile, this installment leans heavily into the exploration of his new kingdom, the people, and the cultures surrounding him. It also tackles the challenges Othrun faces in balancing political, religious, and familial affairs.
As with the first two, Stuart approaches some heavy subject matter in this book. Themes of racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, and religious persecution are all threads running through the narrative, particularly in the latter third of the story, where the intensity increases. One of the compelling things about this read was seeing how the author masterfully presents the complexity and hypocrisy of Othrun’s often self-righteous and pious attitudes and beliefs.
Othrun is a wonderful example of a deeply unlikeable yet layered character. PL Stuart has done an exceptional job here, giving us glimpses of possible reform and redemption for Othrun as he comes to reconsider some of his abhorrent world views, yet never letting the reader forget who he is. Othrun is a character not to be trusted, whose pragmatism and political machinations are far more likely motivators for reconsidering his views than any sense of true goodness.
The first two-thirds of the story moves quickly, and Stuart’s world is so well-structured and believable that this could easily be historical biography rather than a fantasy. The supporting characters surrounding Othrun are well-fleshed out and compelling. The last third, as mentioned above, takes a sharp turn to heavier material, and the impact feels like a punch to the gut. But this is precisely what the author intends, and he does it well.
Though I enjoyed this book enormously, I must point out the one minor issue that did not quite work for me. While most of Othrun’s story is from his POV, there is a small section where the POV switches to another character. I wasn’t entirely sure of the reason for this, and it did feel somewhat unnecessary. This was a minor negative for me and overall PL Stuart does a wonderful job with all his characters, plot and incredible prose.
This book won’t be for every reader. Some will certainly feel uncomfortable with the sometimes-sensitive subject matter, but for me, it worked on every level. Intelligent, poignant, and thought-provoking, Lord and King is a brutally honest look at how prejudices and belief in one’s superiority can shape, change, and devastate both ourselves and the world we build around us.
Well written, richly layered, and leaving me determined to find out whether Othrun can ever be truly capable of redemption, Lord and King is my favourite read of the last year and earns a solid and well-deserved 5 stars.
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