King Maker (Knights of Breton Court #1)

Dec 21, 2011 Miss rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well that was a disappointment. =( I had such high hopes for this book, I was looking forward to it months before it released. I mean a King Arthur retelling set in downtown Indianapolis? Starring a mostly POC cast with the side benefit of a cover model who is not whitewashed and is also pretty smoking hot? SOLD, anticipation levels through the ROOF. But this whole thing was full of what was imo unnecessarily graphic violence and misogyny with no real pay off for making it through. I mean when I...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Nick Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a SUCKER for gang-related tales, be it WEST SIDE STORY, THE WARRIORS (both Sol Yurick's grim 1965 novel as well as the campy 1979 film version) or 'hood-classics such as MENACE TO SOCIETY and COLORS. By taking something like MENACE TO SOCIETY and mixing it with the legend of King Arthur, Maurice Broaddus has delivered an addictive read that's all its own.

About 20 years after his father (Luther) is gunned down by neighborhood rivals, King James White comes on the scene in an ever-decaying, ga...more I'm a SUCKER for gang-related tales, be it WEST SIDE STORY, THE WARRIORS (both Sol Yurick's grim 1965 novel as well as the campy 1979 film version) or 'hood-classics such as MENACE TO SOCIETY and COLORS. By taking something like MENACE TO SOCIETY and mixing it with the legend of King Arthur, Maurice Broaddus has delivered an addictive read that's all its own.

About 20 years after his father (Luther) is gunned down by neighborhood rivals, King James White comes on the scene in an ever-decaying, gang-ravaged Indianapolis. What makes King stand out from other street people is his desire to see his neighborhood come together, as well as his unusually mature demeanor. Guided by the mysterious, riddle-talking homeless man Merle (the same man who had been at Luther's ear during his reign), King's first story follows his struggle to see who can be trusted and who should be avoided. Broaddus has a large cast here, but as someone who grew up fascinated with Mario Puzo's over-stuffed GODFATHER novels, I became aquainted with the different crews and characters here quite quickly. And we get some real interesting hood-dwellers, especially as the supernatural elements of the story unfold (one duo, Michaela and Marshall, often consume those who stand in their way, "DAWN OF THE DEAD" style).

As the inner-city turmoil mounts, a nasty form of heroin hits the streets and leads to a climax that's as action packed as it is violently horrific. And while this is a gang-themed novel, the focus is on its individuals and how they react to what they see in their own groups as well as their enemies' (although I'm betting we'll see more from full gang-standpoints as the series continues).

As with any novel hosting a large cast, there's some characters introduced that I'd like to see more of: Detective Octavia Burke was raised in the 'hood, yet she's a street-smart, strong role model not only for the local women but to all who think there's no future. Hopefully we'll see a lot more of her (the manner in which she relates to her hard-headed, caucasian male partner provides some of the best and more thought provoking dialogue in the book).

KING MAKER's strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play; the reader has enough time to get invested in the urban drama yet won't find anything goofy when dragons, cannibals, and mystics are hinted at and eventually encountered.

Needless to say, I'm looking quite forward to where Broaddus goes from here (this Angry Robot edition also features the first three chapters of the next novel, and promises the next 2 novels will be released in 2011). Highly recommended.(less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Gef rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy

I had the chance to read the second book in Maurice's Knights of Breton Court trilogy last year, which wound up being one of my ten favorite novels of 2011. In the latter half of 2011, I won this copy of the first book in the series from Bryan Thomas Schmidt with an optimism that I'd enjoyed it as much, if not more. But did my expectations and preconceptions hold up?

King Maker kicks things off by depicting the tragic death of the title character's father, Luther White. Jump ahead and King James...more I had the chance to read the second book in Maurice's Knights of Breton Court trilogy last year, which wound up being one of my ten favorite novels of 2011. In the latter half of 2011, I won this copy of the first book in the series from Bryan Thomas Schmidt with an optimism that I'd enjoyed it as much, if not more. But did my expectations and preconceptions hold up?

King Maker kicks things off by depicting the tragic death of the title character's father, Luther White. Jump ahead and King James White is a young man coming into his own, but a bit listless and without a destiny, though he feels he has one. He lacks purpose, pure and simple, while living on the streets of Indianapolis. But, oddly enough, King Maker focuses more on the supporting players and those on the outer fringes than on King himself.

The book, for me, acted as a prelude to all the action I read in King's Justice, as Maurice sets the stage--and the stakes--inside the section of Indianapolis known as Breton Court. Drugs, gangs, poverty, and an apparent neglect from the rest of the city (even some within Breton Court) have left the place in a quagmire. And all the while, two gangs makes plans against each other in hopes of superiority, while King and his motley crew of "knights" weight their chances of offering a better way and maintaining some measure of peace.

For a while, the book seemed to be left wanting for heroes, but they are there and this novel acts as much to show their emergence as it does for the various villains and outcasts. Very few of these characters are painted strictly virtuous and downright evil--though there is a brother and sister who come off as downright monstrous, labeled "Rogues" in Maurice's cast of players. The surprising lack of King at the forefront of the story took some getting used to, but I came to appreciate the way he developed so many characters, including ones with only modest parts to play in the overall story. While reading the book, I was also working my way through the third season of Deadwood on DVD, and I noticed one striking similarity between the two: David Milch and Maurice Broaddus both apparently strove for their universes to exist as character studies, and for the towns themselves to be characters.

Where the similarities between those two tales ends is where the fantastical elements enter Breton Court. It starts off a subtle at first, with no scenes really bludgeoning the reader with magic or supernatural creatures, but when it happens it's done to great effect. And much like King's Justice, the character of Merle is a real treat to behold as the insane wise man.

I didn't really love this book as much as I did its sequel, and I wonder if I'd have hurried to read King's Justice if I'd read King Maker first. It doesn't hone in on King and his Knights like I'd hoped, and it really takes a while for the big picture to come into focus. That said, I think the two books work well if read back-to-back, and with the third book in the trilogy, King's War, nearly here I am eager to see what the climax of this epic and modern Arthurian tale has in store.(less)

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Feb 10, 2011 Jodi Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Always a sucker for Arthur Mythos - can't believe it's taken this long to get to the top of my read pile.

This book is gorgeous, in a dark and horrible way. It reads like a nightmare that is lush and decadent, while being set in squats and under bridges. Even those characters at the *top* of the hierarchy, live in conditions that most people wouldn't consider a basic standard of living.

I highly recommend this as a read that will shake you up a little and maybe pull you out of any comfort soon you...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy, arthurian, urban-fantasy

I'll admit I was skeptical. I don't mind folks taking risks with the classic "once and future king" aspect of the King Arthur mythos (one of my favorite books of all time is the graphic novel Camelot 3000), but I wasn't sure about melding it with inner city gang warfare. I'm glad I decided to read the book anyway.

What really works for me with this book is the narrative style. Even though it is set concretely in modern inner-city Indianapolis, Broaddus gives the proceedings an incredibly dreamlik...more I'll admit I was skeptical. I don't mind folks taking risks with the classic "once and future king" aspect of the King Arthur mythos (one of my favorite books of all time is the graphic novel Camelot 3000), but I wasn't sure about melding it with inner city gang warfare. I'm glad I decided to read the book anyway.

What really works for me with this book is the narrative style. Even though it is set concretely in modern inner-city Indianapolis, Broaddus gives the proceedings an incredibly dreamlike, ethereal quality. Intentionally or not, there were times when I felt like time was either speeding up or slowing down for the characters -- at times there's a very real sense that no time has passed and yet large quantities of time have passed. This is truly urban fantasy in which the urban setting is a key character and yet the fantastic elements still feel fantastic. It helps that the book also feels just a bit claustrophobic -- almost like Breton Court and its surroundings have been plucked out of the normal world and exist in a kind of self-referential limbo/fantasy realm.

It also helps that after the Prelude (The Fall of Luther), the fantastic takes a back-seat for a little while so that Broaddus can immerse you in the characters, especially since there's a large cast to keep track of. While supernatural elements are mentioned (Green's seeming immortality, for example), they really are less important than getting to know the characters -- until about 2/3rds into the book, when the supernatural suddenly jumps up and grabs the characters and the reader by the ankles and there's no turning back.

Broaddus also does an excellent job of taking the familiar Arthurian names and tropes and twisting them to fit the setting. Some of the older names, like Rhiannon, fit. Guinevere wouldn't, so we get Lady G instead. Lott instead of Lancelot. And even though Merle appears to actually be Merlin himself, he changes his name to fit in better with the times. The relationships are also slightly skewed, and of course swords don't really cut it in the gangbanger world, so we get mystical guns instead. And it's all handled in a way that works and doesn't feel hokey.

I've got the second and third books in the Knights of Breton Court series on my TBR pile, and I hope to get to them ASAP. I'm definitely intrigued by the world Broaddus has created.(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Ben Babcock marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: fantasy, ebook, urban-fantasy

There’s something about the King Arthur legends that fascinate me and tug at my imagination. It’s probably the tragedy of the tale mixed with that message of hope—Arthur’s body spirited away to Avalon to await his return. Merlin is literally the wizard who helps Arthur answer the Call, and I’ve always identified with that archetype on account of my intellectual and autodidactic leanings. So I’m always happy to try a book that attempts to put a new spin on the legend of King Arthur—why not?

Mauric...more There’s something about the King Arthur legends that fascinate me and tug at my imagination. It’s probably the tragedy of the tale mixed with that message of hope—Arthur’s body spirited away to Avalon to await his return. Merlin is literally the wizard who helps Arthur answer the Call, and I’ve always identified with that archetype on account of my intellectual and autodidactic leanings. So I’m always happy to try a book that attempts to put a new spin on the legend of King Arthur—why not?

Maurice Broaddus deserves commendation for his Knights of Breton Court series. The idea is intriguing: retell (or rather, reimagine) the story of King Arthur as a story of Indianapolis gang warfare. And Broaddus is good at crafting a setting, atmosphere, and characters that all seem authentic. The characters in King Maker run the spectrum: some are not nice at all and have no qualms about using a gun to close a deal; others are more decent and more conflicted about the life they are leading. And because of the way he focuses on Breton Court, Broaddus creates this sense of community within the story that sets the groundwork for connections that would no doubt be important, if I had ever finished the book.

I didn’t even get halfway done. I just couldn’t get into King Maker, try as I might. There’s something to be said for reimagining the Arthur legend or keeping the allusions to it light and subtle—the last thing one needs is a story that hits the reader over the head with allusions to the classic Arthur mythos. Yet Broaddus is almost two subtle. Some things are obvious: Luther is Uther, and his son King is the Arthur analog; Merle is a Merlin figure. But the magic is tentative, almost non-present for what I managed to read of this novel. We get no sense of King’s larger plan, or indeed of anyone else’s plan.

I stopped reading when I realized I had been reading an entire chapter and didn’t know who it was about. There are plenty of characters … but which ones really matter? Which ones are the protagonists? Who should I be cheering for? These are not questions a reader should have to be asking! Obviously King is a protagonist, but he is absent for vicious swathes of the first half of the book, leaving a second string line of characters to take up the slack … and they don’t do it well. King Maker is a soup of scenes and characters that didn’t manage to hold my interest.

It’s conceivable I could return to this after I’m finished my practicum, which has placed constraints on my time that make me less charitable to what I’m reading. But I’ll have to think about it. King Maker isn’t necessarily a bad book; it has some glowing reviews here on Goodreads, so it obviously works for other people. Unfortunately, in my case, it was a clever idea with a payoff that just seemed too far away.

(less)

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May 11, 2011 David Agranoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent and original first novel of urban fantasy, with dark horrific over tones. King maker is most easily described as King Arthur's court in reset in the ganglands of Indianapolis. Having grown up an hour south of Indianapolis, I grew up going to Indy to go to sporting events, metal and hardcore shows. So I was interested in this novel that took place in a city but familiar and unknown to me.

I think many of my friends who has lived in or around Indianapolis might still feel they...more

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May 31, 2010 Zoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy, horror, print-books

Imagine the legend of King Arthur told in a modern era, and set against a complex gangland turf war as a backdrop. King Maker is the first book in the series The Knights of Breton Court, though in this first installment it spends a great deal of time detailing the decay of the neighborhood created by the warring gang factions.

There are early hints of magic from the start, with the appearance of a nature elemental as well as a homeless guy named Merle prognosticating for Luther White. The story q...more Imagine the legend of King Arthur told in a modern era, and set against a complex gangland turf war as a backdrop. King Maker is the first book in the series The Knights of Breton Court, though in this first installment it spends a great deal of time detailing the decay of the neighborhood created by the warring gang factions.

There are early hints of magic from the start, with the appearance of a nature elemental as well as a homeless guy named Merle prognosticating for Luther White. The story quickly shifts to the present day. Very little of the story follows King James White, son of Luther and heir apparent to the “kingdom,” though he doesn’t yet know it.

Instead, the reader is guided through the various street crews run by rival gang leaders Night and Dred. Neither care much for King, but instead of provoking him directly, the leaders choose to vie for the prime dealing locations in the various neighborhoods.

With Dred’s crew lacking the strength to take on Night, Dred hires a pair of trolls to work as extra muscle. This makes his crew feel inferior, and it inspires them into some reckless and stupid behavior to “look hard,” resulting in an escalating war.

Add to this a fey, a few magi, a dragon, the cops, drive-bys, tainted drugs, and you get a complex tale that moves at a breakneck pace.

The aforementioned knights are slow to react to the war in their hood, so their lives are like various subplots to the core plot of the war itself. This is not the story of how the heroes save the day so much as how the villains destroyed themselves. Which is not to say the Knights don’t get their chance to develop. They do, but these are brief glimpses of their lives in the midst of a war.

This is a solid introduction with a blazing pace, whetting the appetite for future installments. Though it’s a serious book, there are moments of humor that help lighten the mood at just the right times. (“I love her like a big-tittied play cousin at a family reunion.”) The conclusion is satisfying, and it opens up new threads to be pursued in the second book, King’s Justice. I know I’ll be standing in line to pick up that second book, and I give King Maker a full 5 stars.(less)

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Jul 14, 2010 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, urban-fantasy, review-copy

From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise. The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing. Broaddus' debut is a stunning, edgy work, genuinely unlike anything you've ever read.

The premise of King Maker is simply awesome, and I wanted to love the book based on that alone. I’m a big fan of the King Arthur mythology,...more From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise. The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing. Broaddus' debut is a stunning, edgy work, genuinely unlike anything you've ever read.

The premise of King Maker is simply awesome, and I wanted to love the book based on that alone. I’m a big fan of the King Arthur mythology, and the idea of such a unique slant on the story had me extremely excited. I found myself bewildered, however, as I worked my way through the book.

I want to deal with the strengths of the novel first. Maurice Broaddus’ writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets. When the supernatural elements are introduced, they drift through the novel like smoke, leaving the reader gradually horrified as the end game is reached. Broaddus’ horror background is evident; some of the events in King Maker sent chills down my spine.

With all that said, I didn’t enjoy King Maker, for a number of reasons.

It is a relatively slight novel (the first in a trilogy being published by Angry Robot books), and yet I found it took me almost a week to plough through. Part of this was thanks to the stop-start nature of the plot, and the bouncing around of timelines. I found it extremely easy to put the book down, rarely wanting to read on at the end of a chapter. I became confused at times by the fact that one of the characters was alive when I had read a couple of chapters ago that they had died.

Although the dialogue is very effectively written, it is also hard to understand at times. As a white gal who lives in comfort a million miles away from the types of events being described, I felt like I needed a dictionary. Although I list this as a fault, I do greatly admire Broaddus for delving so well into the psyche of inner city America and not making compromises for the ease of his readers.

The characters are difficult to like, and, due to the nature of the gang warfare, all of them are written in shades of grey. I do like ambiguous characters, but sometimes you just want to root for a hero. Here even King (Broaddus’ version of King Arthur) acts reprehensibly at times.

Lastly, there are some extremely gruesome scenes that I found distasteful to read. They fit the nature of the book, but it should be mentioned that if books received ratings, King Maker would have been stamped an “18.”

Yet I have the sneaking suspicion that other readers will love this book. Sometimes you just don’t “fit” with a book, and find yourself confused by the overwhelming praise other reviewers shower upon it. I have a feeling that, when King Maker is released, many will adore it for the bravery and uniqueness of the writing. I am left comparing the book to a worthy film generating Oscar buzz: something you feel you should watch, but know you won’t enjoy as much as an explosion-ridden summer blockbuster.

In conclusion, although I did not like this book, I firmly believe that readers will have to make up their own minds. For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010. (less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Michele Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy, signed-arc, reviewed

I bought this book.

King Arthur in modern day, gang-ridden Indianapolis, this book promises, and the Arthurian legend is evident in King Maker by Maurice Broaddus. The book opens with the short, dark tale of Luther, gang leader and father to an infant, King James White. Not long after betraying King's mother with another woman Luther is shot, betrayed by his right hand man.
With that, we're told in the tone of a Shakespearean tragedy, the story moves on to King, who is in fact the One True King...more I bought this book.

King Arthur in modern day, gang-ridden Indianapolis, this book promises, and the Arthurian legend is evident in King Maker by Maurice Broaddus. The book opens with the short, dark tale of Luther, gang leader and father to an infant, King James White. Not long after betraying King's mother with another woman Luther is shot, betrayed by his right hand man.
With that, we're told in the tone of a Shakespearean tragedy, the story moves on to King, who is in fact the One True King (albeit rather far from England). Except that despite King's role as the lead he's actually in the book very little.
In fact that's where this whole book stalled for me. Broaddus can clearly write circles around other people, but in this book he writes in circles that have hollow middles. Almost all the focus is on character building, tension building and weaving in the minute details of the re-written mythos. But for a large part of the book nothing happens.
Also, Broaddus spends an exorbitant amount of time building up characters who are ultimately side characters. This leads to next to no connection with King himself and a sense of confusion when major events to happen, or major players are killed. Because the emphasis is on everyone being gray (all the bad guys have a reason for their bad, either playing a role or being crushed by a poor life) is so overwhelming that no one comes out as a compelling or valiant hero.
Fate and legend are powerful aspects of the tale, as is the desolation and hopelessness of life way below the poverty line. Not to mention the clever metamorphosis of fiends into zombies and the very interesting use of fae and otherworldly creatures in the most unusual of modern settings. Once Broaddus does get things moving King Maker gets very good, richly thematic and enticingly original.
But in the end this book on its own is too slow for most urban fantasy fans. Luckily readers won't have to see it end here, and can hope things pick up in book two (King's Justice due March 2011).(less)

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Dec 20, 2012 Ithlilian marked it as did-not-finish

I tried.
I enjoyed the prelude part of this and the Arthur connection, as well as the non mainstream characters.
Then the novel begins and although I just read through character introductions, I now have to read through more character introductions. I also have to read about the city and the quirks of people that don't seem important in any way so I start skipping a bit. Then there is our prophet character so I read that, oh back to other uninteresting characters. Skipping. So I am sure that this...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Rrain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthurian, urban-fantasy

This is urban fantasy with a heavy emphasis on "urban"-the official description is "The Wire meets Excalibur" which is true in all of the best ways. King Arthur played out between rival drug dealers on the streets of Indianapolis, magic and mythic elements included. It's kind of glorious, with some wonderfully vivid language.

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Mar 04, 2011 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

KING MAKER is a re-imagining of the Arthur legend set in a gang-run, drug-ridden, very poverty-driven contemporary Indianapolis. It's much more William Burroughs than Mallory. It's a very dark and sometimes depressing book, but then much of the original was, too; it's somehow faithful both to the bleak modern setting and to the Arthurian origins. I'll admit that I suspect there's more to it than I really got; I had trouble with some of the dialog being so far removed from what I'm used to that I...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Bryan Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well written but a challenging read. Broaddus not presenting a feel good story here. He is writing a gritty, urban drama about some tough characters in tough circumstances. Gritty violence and language permeate the tale. So despite the fact he's a Christian writer, don't go into this expecting a CBA friendly book. Powerful and important but not easy to wrap one's self around. Still recommended.

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Mar 07, 2013 A'Llyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting modern take on the Arthurian legend. The writing is vivid, gritty, passionate, and creative, although desperately in need of an editor.

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Apr 15, 2013 scarlettraces rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldnt-finish, fiction, yay-for-libraries

lasted a paragraph - i think that's a record. i really should have done the page 69 test in the library, but the premise sounded so intriguing i didn't think to. i can't even tell if it was bad writing, but i do know that the pargraph i read kind of made me want to throw up a little bit.

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Apr 05, 2010 Ken rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2010/04...

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Apr 05, 2011 Derek Tatum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, arthurian

One of the best urban fantasy novels I have ever read.

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Mar 01, 2011 Ramen is currently reading it

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy, mc-of-color, arthurian, series

I just finished the prologue.

This is going to be awesome.

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May 14, 2013 Jared Shurin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kitschies-finalist

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King Maker (Knights of Breton Court #1)

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