4.5

Book source ~ Tour

Jyuth is an ancient wizard who founded the Kingdom of Edland and put the butt of the first king on the throne in Kingshold. Over the great span of years he’s had to return to kill a corrupt king and put a new one in place, so this time is no different. Except this king and queen are exceptionally corrupt and perverse and have left no heirs to inherit the throne. So, a weary Jyuth declares that there will be no more kings. There will instead be a Lord Protector and anyone can run for the position. However, only those with 1000 gold crowns can vote. This is an obvious advantage to the nobility of Edland and the mass of poor citizens don’t like it. When Mareth, a middle-aged drunken bard who happens to be a third son of a nobel, is put forth as a candidate the people rally behind him. But is it enough?

What an epic fantasy! Mareth isn’t the only one who can tell a good tale. The author really drops the reader right into this story and then takes off running. There are several points of view that bring it all together and it is enthralling. I like the world and the characters are awesome. The whole election thing is interesting, too. But there are also sinister forces at work and things aren’t always as they seem. Intriguing! While this story has a conclusion there is obviously more about this world that needs told. Things are brewing, people! I’m looking forward to more stories about Edland, Kingshold, and the characters I’ve come to care about. May they all survive what’s coming. ( )

-- I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review --

I love stories about cities. A good city story will make you feel like you’ve not only visited its neighbourhoods but maybe also filled out a couple of rental applications. You feel like you’ve gotten to know the city, like you could walk down the street and know which corners to avoid or which hole in the wall has the best fish and chips. A good city story is going to have the setting as a central character, as a protagonist. So I was excited when I saw that D.P. Woolliscroft’s Kingshold was not only going to take place primarily within a city but that it would also feature the political machinations of an election held within its walls. Nothing gives a more complete picture of a city than the inner workings of its politics.

Kingshold begins with the figurative and literal death of the monarchy. It seems the King and Queen were up to no good and required an ousting. And to hear the court Wizard tell it, it’s not exactly an uncommon occurrence, so maybe it’s time for a change. Maybe it’s time for a little democracy. A plan is put into place so that anybody with a little bit of land and a pocket full of coin can voice their opinion on the next ruler. They do this by whispering their choice to a Pyxie which they are given upon payment of the fee.

This is a multi-POV book so we follow a plethora of characters in various aspects of city life in the weeks before the big election. Jyuth, the aforementioned wizard and man behind the throne. Mareth, a drunken layabout of a bard. Hoskins, the man in charge in the meantime. Neenahwi, a shape shifting sorceress. Oh, and the requisite thieves, rogues, servants, and narcissistic lords that fill out any and every fantasy cast.

At the centre of it all is Mareth. He’s a bit of a drunk, a bit of a cad, and, unfortunately, a bit of a bore. It’s his story at the focus of the narrative and most other characters come into his orbit at some point or another. He feels so much like the protagonist that I can’t help but think if at some point with this was a first person narrative or that it would have been better served as one. We follow Mareth as he does his bard thing in taverns, drinks to excess, becoming a propagandist for a election candidate, and eventually becoming a candidate himself. But it’s not quite enough to give him a personality. There are hints of a more interesting and inspiring man underneath but whenever Woolliscroft has an opportunity to show us he decides to tell us instead.

But we can’t blame Mareth’s for being a bit of a dullard when he lives in a city equally devoid of character. I was disappointed that Kingshold felt so much like other fantasy cities with its rich neighbourhoods, poor ghettos, and its neglected slums. It lacks the eccentricities and quirks that make cities memorable. I had been hoping for something closer to The Wire’s Baltimore or even Uncle Scrooge’s Duckburg but Kingshold feels like a prop instead of a real pace. There was no charm or menace or grit. The only standout feature is a The Lance, a large road which bisects the city and a road can only be so interesting.

The denizens of Kingshold fare a little better, mostly after a large number of the cast get together and become friends. It is by in large the most interesting part of the book. Once together there is an organic likability that appears as little differences start to emerge and characters begin to play off each other. They begin to feel like real people as the sense of friendship and camaraderie begins to shine through. Ironically, it is outside of these group meetings that the characters feel least like individuals. Consider the adventuring party of Motega, Trypp, and Florian (the aforementioned thieves and rogues) who have just returned to the city by sea. Other than their physical descriptions (respectively, piebald complexion, dark skinned, and...white, I guess? It’s never stated) they are essentially the same person. They sound so much alike that you could switch them around in any given scene without notice. It makes it all the more difficult to care about the fate of a city when I can’t even muster much enthusiasm for a member of the cast.

Normally, I can abide by one note characters (as a frequent mystery reader it’s not exactly uncommon) but there needs to something else to take up the slack. Initially I really liked the idea of the post-monarchy election plot. It’s a neat idea that I haven’t seen before and an interesting way to engage in political intrigue. Or it would have been. But the most compelling thing Woolliscroft does with the idea is to throw some murder at it. And while a killer loose in Kingshold should perk up the plot a bit it fails to rise above plot device. Since we never actually get to know any of the candidates it’s difficult to care when they die. There’s no tension or suspense to the events; they just happen. It’s a plot that in more experienced hands could have been really affecting but here it just lies flat.

There are several other plot points throughout the book. A fight for a demon’s gem, a D&D style side quest to help some Dwarves, an exceedingly lean romantic subplot, and a final act action set piece that feels so out of place and pointless that it boggles the mind. I’m still trying to figure out if it actually had an effect on the plot. Or how serious I’m supposed to take something called a Draco-Turtle. But nothing feels quite as squandered as the Pyxies. I read this book almost completely on of the promise of using pocket demons to vote in an election. Visions of Gremlins and Darklings pestering and manipulating danced in my head. Obviously it isn’t fair to complain that something didn’t live up to my own baseless expectations but I just felt so let down that the Pyxies are almost non-existent in this story. They don’t really do anything that a slip of paper and a wooden box couldn’t do equally as well. They don’t even really talk until one pipes up at the very end and proceeds to call everything into question making you wonder what any of this was for in the first place.

Woolliscroft writes Kingshold in a simple and straightforward style but unfortunately stays just below a workmanlike level. He mostly gets the point across and there are no real grammar or spelling errors that stood out but there are mistakes that I think should have been weeded out by a more substantial editing process. Weird vocabulary choices like “partied”, “boyfriend”, “stogy”, and “weekend” which are jarring and call into question both setting and tone. Characters call each other “turds” and at one point the wise, possibly immortal wizard kingmaker uses the phrase “...a bonk from my trusty staff”. Bonk?! I’m really not sure what I am supposed to do with that. The story doesn’t feel like a comedy and while other reviewers have called it lighthearted I really don’t see it. There are moments of attempted levity and the characters are quick with a quip but there is a definite note of self seriousness that would prevent me from calling the book light or funny. But I don’t know if I would say it’s all that serious either. I mean, Draco-Turtle.

I do think there is potential here. The idea of a city struggling with a new form of government, the lengths some people will go to secure their own futures, and the ever present possibility that things won’t go your way are all fuel for a good story. But extraneous characters, lacklustre writing, and a go nowhere plot all come together to muddy what could have otherwise been a fine book. The election ends up exactly like you think, the characters don’t learn anything organically, and there is (maybe) a twist at the end but it’s not very clear and wouldn’t really matter anyway. I didn’t find much to like about this book and the few things that I thought would stand out didn’t manage to live up to my expectations. It’s not a book I would recommend to anybody but I highly suggest you look into some other reviews. This is but one opinion and it is by no means definitive.
( )

I received a copy of Kingshold from the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars.

The King and Queen are hated, then murdered and now election is upon Kingshold.

Kingshold follows a group of characters who are all linked. There's Mareth the bard, who doesn't really know what to do with life. He sleeps and drinks a lot. To me, that sounds like an amazing life, but he's not happy. Alana is the personal servant of the wizard, Jyuth. She's incredibly clever and her chapters were a joy to read. Then there's Hoskin, temporarily in charge until the election is over. He's a bit grumpy because, well, things are a mess. Motega and his group of friends are doing odd jobs. They're a treat to read about, and definitely a charming bunch of blokes. Neenahwi is a kick-ass character with a sordid past. She's not happy either, mostly because her adopted father, Jyuth, after something like 800 years, wants to simply retire and leave Kingshold for good.

All characters are very well developed and bring something to the table. It took me a few chapters to get used to the prose and the author's voice, but before long I found myself chuckling a lot. It's a light read with a lot of wit and the occasional sarcastic quip.

The world building is mostly focused on the city of Kingshold, but it feels like a real place including affluent neighbourhoods, slums and, of course, the palace. The magic is interesting, and I can't wait to find out more about the different creatures that live in this world.

Kingshold starts out slowly. I believe it moves at a slower pace than your average fantasy book. That isn't a bad thing. In fact, I quite enjoyed discovering more about Kingshold and the characters before I got to that point about halfway through, where I simply had to keep reading until I reached the last page.

I recommend Kingshold to any fantasy fan who ever wondered what would happen if one day a monarchy decided to have democratic (sort of) elections instead of replacing the dead king. ( )