Friday, July 14, 2017

Sequel Review: "The Sword in the Stars"

The Short:

The Errant King
The Dark Sea Annals, Book 2

By: Wayne Thomas Batson

5/5 Stars

What: A young king must protect his kingdom from attacks from without—and within.

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Darker stories, Teen and up, Christian

The Long:

While this book takes place 20 years after the events of The Sword in the Stars, I would highly recommend reading this book second so as to not miss the intricate details of the backstory.

Loch has recently come to the throne, but, in spite of being king of the known world, he feels dissatisfied. His mother is wasting away in her grief, he has few true friends, distant relatives make plays for his throne, and attacks upon his kingdom have been numerous. And those are just the threats he knows about within his own borders. Will he be able to shoulder the responsibility that his position requires?

Once again, Mr. Batson has spun a captivating and rich tale, full of vibrant characters, rich action, and deep conflict. Like with the first book in this series, there is a significant amount of darkness, so I would recommend it for only teens and up.

The Christian message is a little stronger in this book (it’s an allegory after all), but it doesn’t overwhelm the story. Rather, it weaves nicely through the background. I look forward to seeing how the threads and hints we’ve had up to this point will play out in the rest of the series.

Unfortunately for us, it could be a while before book 3 comes out. Mr. Batson has decided to self-publish the rest of the series. It’s going to be hard to wait much longer for the rest of the series!


The Bottom Line: A high fantasy tale suited for teens and up, this Christian allegory builds upon a rich backstory and well-rounded characters for a gripping read.

Remember, beginning next week, posts will only be put up on Fridays for the next several weeks.

                                                             

4 comments:

  1. Awesome blog! :)

    I would sincerely appreciate it if you checked out my book reviews blog at https://elsbookreviews.blogspot.ca/ and possibly give it a follow as well! Excited to read more of your posts!

    - El

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    1. Glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by and for the comment! It looks like you read quite a wide variety of books. What's your favorite genre?

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  2. I've never gotten around to reading the next book in the series, beyond The Sword in the Stars. I don't know why, probably because I've never seen the next book in the bookstores. I'm glad it was good, but that's super sad that the next book hasn't come out.

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    1. It is certainly hard to find. I hope the next book comes out soon--the suspense is killing me. Thanks for the comment!

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