The Orphan King, Book One
The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan.
The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or fulfilling his imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who oppose them. Determined to bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids, Thomas leaves the monastery on an important quest.
He quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions – a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful silent woman who may not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both camaraderie and suspicion.
Can he trust those who would join him battle . . . or will his fears force him to go on alone?
My feelings about this book are somewhat muddled. I’ve been looking forward to reading The Orphan King ever since I first found out about it. An orphan with an imminent destiny, set in medieval England, a mysterious order with dark intentions . . . what’s not intriguing about that? Sound like just the sort of book I would love.
And from the first page, Brouwer drew me into his world of intrigue and mysteries, and kept me second guessing, questioning, and wondering all along the way.
I found Thomas a fascinating character. With his instinct to protect anyone in trouble, regardless of the consequences, you can’t help but like him, even when he makes less-than-smart choices. As a hero, Thomas prefers to fight with his intellect by means of stratagem, though he is not afraid of a physical contest if it cannot be avoided. I also enjoyed Brouwer’s scientific presentation of “magic,” as a mastery of knowledge, trickery, and skilled sleight of hand.
The story is told from a distant POV, often leaving the reader in the position of a casual observer witnessing the unfolding events, but not understanding the motives or actions behind them. This prevented me from truly bonding with the characters, and though I could sympathize with them, I didn’t feel as close to them as I would have liked.
Overall, the book felt too short. Generally, I find that this is a good thing, because it means I’ve bonded so well with the characters or storyline that I can’t bear to finish it. The Orphan King, however, felt rushed. Events were often summarized or explained after the fact, rather than shown. Certain things were alluded to as if I should understand, but never wholly explained.
I found myself wishing that the author would stop conserving words by summarizing, and show me the story instead, because I truly did want to experience what was going on along with the characters.
So although the premise, characters, and storyline hooked me, the presentation left me more frustrated than satisfied. That said, I intend to continue reading this series. There are still too many unanswered questions for me to stop now! I enjoyed the opportunity to read the second book, Fortress of Mist, as a part of this blog tour (come back tomorrow for the review!) and look forward to reading the rest of the series as the books become available.
If you’re looking for a quick-to-read medieval adventure, with plenty of surprises and mysteries along the way, then The Orphan King may be for you.
Thomas Fletcher Booher
Beckie Burnham
Janey DeMeo
Theresa Dunlap
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Jeremy Harder
Ryan Heart
Janeen Ippolito
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Rebekah Loper
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Megan @ Hardcover Feedback
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Anna Mittower
Eve Nielsen
Nathan Reimer
James Somers
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
The Writer of Dream Things says
Thanks for writing this review! I saw this book somewhere and wasn't sure whether or not I should pick it up because of its shortness. From your review, it sounds like it has some promise and I'll still consider it, but I don't think it's something I'll read until all the books are out and I can read them in succession.
Julie Bihn says
Great explanation–I hadn't been able to put my finger on the distance being one of my issues with this book, but you were right on!
thequietpen says
I definitely agree with you about the abundance of summarizing. I felt this particularly hurt Thomas's supposed attraction with Isabelle and his friendship with Katherine. I just couldn't buy it, because the author never let us see it. Good analysis!
rbclibrary says
Great thoughts. I had some of the same problems you articulated so well.
Gillian Adams says
Writer of Dream Things – Yes, I'd at least advice picking up both The Orphan King and Fortress of Mist at the same time. Together, the two books were much stronger.
Julie – It took me a while to sort out my thoughts as well. I took notes while reading, and then tried to analyze why certain things bothered me!
Gillian Adams says
The quiet pen – Yes, that's true! I really did like Thomas and wanted things to work out for him! But I wish we had been able to actually see more, rather than just hear about it. :)