The King

Rodrigo of Caledon #2

by David Feintuch

David Feintuch branched out into the world of magic and adventure with his critically acclaimed novel, The Still . It introduced Rodrigo, the brash young prince of Caledon. Now, his story continues...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, M M Romance, LGBT

592 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

David Feintuch (1944–2006) was the author of the award-winning military science fiction Seafort Saga series, which spans Midshipman’s Hope, Challenger’s Hope, Prisoner’s Hope, Fisherman’s Hope, Voices of Hope, Patriarch’s Hope, and Children of Hope. Feintuch came to writing late, previously having worked as a lawyer and antiques dealer. In 1996, at the age of fifty, he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer from the World Science Fiction Society. He later expanded into the fantasy genre with his Rodrigo of Caledon series, including The Still and The King.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definetly not a light fantasy read -- it is heartbreak from beginning to end. Picking up from where the first book ended, Feintuch takes Rodrigo on a cruel journey to become a man and a king. There were constant twists and surprises along the way that constantly dismayed me. I've read some dark fantasies before, but not one such as this. There was so much pain, both for Rodrigo and myself.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neither as button-pushing nor as good as The Still but still very strong dark fantasy.

[Nick Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as with The Still, The King does one thing really well, and this time it is grief. Our protagonist is more mature than in the first novel, and Feintuch succeeds in building on the character development laid down previously. Roddy has learned a hell of a lot, but now he must be the mediator, the clear-thinking man who unites this squabbling, divided kingdom (again, a linear plotline). He must undergo a personal, emotionally-charged journey to do this, again, and this character arc is again brilliantly written.

Just as Roddy is more mature than previously, this book also feels more mature, and the politicking he has to do had the potential to be uninteresting because of that. However, this was another aspect of the book which surprised me - each political situation he must resolve feels unique, and barely devolves into a samey series of events. Feintuch managed this by making each character Roddy must mediate with fully-fleshed out. Rather than an obscure series of laws which Roddy must invoke, each of these situations is a battle of wills between very obstinate people.

Where the overarching plot is just fine, the individual growth of Roddy - this time, in response to grief - is as superb, and written realistically and convincingly. The book didn't have as much of a visceral impact on me as the first, but still contains excellent characterisation and realistic reactions to painful stumbling-blocks on the way to maturity.

[Lea · Rating 1 out of 5]

yuck

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

wow that wrapped up quickly! overall i really enjoyed this book but im not sure how i feel about that ending, it was a lot sadder than i was expecting but not in ways i would have predicted, and just wasnt super satisfying to me.
the first book was a pretty traditional coming of age story, but this one becomes almost a military fantasy. the majority of the book is focused on battles and war strategy. for some readers this might be less interesting than the first but i really enjoyed it.
feintuch does a fantastic job showing roddy's growth from a brat prince into a true and honorable king. its difficult to pull that off especially with how easy roddy was to hate in the beginning. its not just one sad event that makes roddy decide to change, he really earns it slowly and struggles.
one complaint i do have is that i think this book could have been improved with a map and maybe a list of principle characters. theres just enough names that if you put the book down for a couple days its hard to reorient yourself. just one of the struggles of having a large cast.
i was really surprised by the later parts of the book being so dark. from roddy being sealed in the cave onward, it feels like nothing good happens. and then in the finale, feintuch quickly kills off two major characters before ending it. we dont even see roddy reunite with tresa or rust! very strange to me. if it hadnt had such a rushed ending i might have rated it higher.

[Jack Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't understand the reviews expressing disappointment about any part of The King.

I don't want to give the slightest hint of spoiler so I'll just say that you'll read and experience a wide range of emotions and experiences in Roddy's journey and the actions of various characters.

I would not call this book a dark read though. There is pain, sorrow, grief and violence but none of it is gratuitous. There is also glory, bravery, sacrifice, honor and joy...all, at times, tinged by bittersweet loss.

I definitely won't tell you how The King ends but, as I mentioned in my review of Book 1 The Still, The King is a book I return to often to re-read certain parts of because of all of the emotions that Feintuch was able to forge in Roddy's tale.

I do wish that David was still alive because I would love to email him a question about the power of The Still that isn't quite explicitly revealed but is hinted at when the story is read a number of times...

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you know me, then you know I can't stand the "rolling of the eyes." Just over 30 times in this one. Admittedly a small point, but indicative of how this book was a lesser work than the prequel.

The magic available to the protagonist Rodrigo, suddenly evolves, seeming to have few boundaries. Rodrigo is able to tackle challenges and wield his ability in ways that would have been insurmountable in the first book. The magic system was originally soft, but it completely feel apart in this book.

There is also a go back in time do over baked into this one. Another pet peeve. Don't get me wrong, this book has plenty of adversity, heartbreak, and death of key characters, but this particular "do over" was too much for me.

Ultimately, this was a decent book and an okay ending to the tale - it just wasn't as well crafted as the first book.

[Raile Bay · Rating 5 out of 5]

roddy’s slow character development to this point is so worth it for the way that he flourished in the novel. it makes me so sad that the author died because i feel almost certain that there were things he planned on delivering in later instalments that he never got to (for instance, too many hints of roddy’s feelings being stronger for rust than tresa for there not to have been an intended resolution, IMO)… but unfortunately that’s life, and there is enough resolution for me to consider it a finished story.

all that said, i don’t regret diving into this series and giving it a chance, and would happily recommend it for people interested in older fantasy!

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had read this novel before the Seafort Saga, I wouldn't have wanted to give Feintuch's novels the time of day. There were times when I was so aggravated at the main character and those around him that I just wanted to wring their necks.

At least I got it over with.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it really slow so I didn't have to finish it. I'm a bit sad Rustin isn't in it as much, but that's ok.

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

i both loved and hated this book. i loved it because it's a sequel to The Still, and i'll always take more of roddy and rustin whenever i can get them. however, the plot isn't as coherent as it could be, and ultimately i was left a little disappointed by it. though the flip side is that it was, throughout, original and unexpected. this pair of books is not fluffy and not happy; it's shockingly reminiscent of george r. r. martin in the unflinching way it portrays medieval society and culture, and for me that's something that just makes me like it more. but ultimately i can't help wishing there had been a third book, where the fate of the country wasn't sidelined to the fate of roddy's personal growth, and he and rustin could have a bit more in the way of resolution to their story.

[Harper Kingsley · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I finished reading "The Still" I was left wanting more, so when "The King" came out I rushed off to get a copy. It just felt like such a step backward, with nearly all of Rodrigo's personal growth reversed for no apparent reason but selfishness and spite. His relationships with Rustin, his brother, and practically every other person in his life are sidelined by his selfishness.

As if that's not enough, I continued to slog my way onward, but I think I really would have appreciated a bit of warning for what was coming next. I left this book shocked and appalled and with this sense of being coated with a layer of grime.

I was very disappointed because I've always been a big David Feintuch fan.

[Steven Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being an avid fan of Feintuck's sci-fi adventure novel series (Seafort saga) I was curious about his two book series set somewhere back in time. Great reads, both books. And some interesting twists dealing with sexual orientation, totally unexpected. I recommend both books.

[Fatbaldguy60 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this better than the first one. Good stuff.

[Poe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have I read this? Hmmm..