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King Mai
(The Lost and Founds #2)
by
Adopted from Thailand and never one to fit in with the local bubbas, life has been rough around the edges for Mai Kearns, even before he came out of the closet. Now, almost ten years past the torture of high school, Mai still can't catch a break: he and his parents stand to lose their beloved farm.
How will a “King Weekend” help change Mai’s fate? What has narrator Vin Van ...more
How will a “King Weekend” help change Mai’s fate? What has narrator Vin Van ...more
ebook, 350 pages
Published
July 15th 2013
by Pickwick Ink Publishing
(first published July 13th 2013)
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Start your review of King Mai (The Lost and Founds, #2)
MANNING 1, GENAO 0, OT FINAL.
I held it together all the way through.
i got this.
All. The way. Through.
i got this—
Until the pictures on the pump.
—shit.
Pain and pleasure at once—grief and joy—and isn't that always how it is, anyway?
not this again.
I put the book down.
just breathe, dude—it'll pass.
Not too bad, this time. With the blubbering.
thaaaaat's it—just like that—keep breathing.
It was like lightning: there... and then not.
i bet chris pine doesn't cry over heartwarming crap like this.
I recovered ...more
I held it together all the way through.
i got this.
All. The way. Through.
i got this—
Until the pictures on the pump.
—shit.
Pain and pleasure at once—grief and joy—and isn't that always how it is, anyway?
not this again.
I put the book down.
just breathe, dude—it'll pass.
Not too bad, this time. With the blubbering.
thaaaaat's it—just like that—keep breathing.
It was like lightning: there... and then not.
i bet chris pine doesn't cry over heartwarming crap like this.
I recovered ...more
I think Edmond Manning is a genius.
Honestly, there is no other explanation. How does he come up with these fantastical, hilarious, heartbreaking, complicated stories that come together so perfectly in the end? HOW!? That or magic. He possibly sold his soul to make this story work out so beautifully. And it really did. It was an amazing story.
This book reminds me a lot of Melina Marchetta's writing in that little details that don't seem important, weave together to become this huge, cosmic mast ...more
Honestly, there is no other explanation. How does he come up with these fantastical, hilarious, heartbreaking, complicated stories that come together so perfectly in the end? HOW!? That or magic. He possibly sold his soul to make this story work out so beautifully. And it really did. It was an amazing story.
This book reminds me a lot of Melina Marchetta's writing in that little details that don't seem important, weave together to become this huge, cosmic mast ...more
King Mai is a wonderful book, in quite a different way from King Perry, the book that comes before it. It took me about two chapters to realize what a good thing that is.
King Perry is not a story that could be told over and over. For all the title, King Perry is really not about Perry, but about Vin Vanbly, the narrator. Even though it's told from Vin's POV, it's cagey, slowly revealing Vin in increments. King Perry is a magic show, sucker-punching the laughs out of the reader in bursts of incre ...more
King Perry is not a story that could be told over and over. For all the title, King Perry is really not about Perry, but about Vin Vanbly, the narrator. Even though it's told from Vin's POV, it's cagey, slowly revealing Vin in increments. King Perry is a magic show, sucker-punching the laughs out of the reader in bursts of incre ...more
Screw percolating, gonna lance it.
My second king weekend, and if I thought the first was difficult then I underestimated how much pain knowing what is coming causes. Ended this one numb. Not because it was anything I didn't expect, but more because it was painful in its bare honesty. It isn't that anyone likes to lie, but the truth hurts.
Vin comes to DeKalb, a university/farming tow ...more
A Found King understands that asking for help isn’t a weakness—it’s an opportunity. We all want to be invited.
My second king weekend, and if I thought the first was difficult then I underestimated how much pain knowing what is coming causes. Ended this one numb. Not because it was anything I didn't expect, but more because it was painful in its bare honesty. It isn't that anyone likes to lie, but the truth hurts.
Vin comes to DeKalb, a university/farming tow ...more
Reading a book by Edmond Manning is an experience like no other. When I read King Perry just under three weeks ago I was totally blown away by just how different and unique it was, and by the sheer brilliance of Edmonds ability to take what could have been just another m/m romance and turn it into one of the most innovative love stories I think I've ever read, and in my opinion even though they could never be classed as classic romances I still see them as love stories in all senses of the wor
...more
It's hard to know what to say to do this series justice. These books are like none other I've ever read. I was a teeny bit worried I wouldn't love King Mai as much as King Perry, but it was every bit as enchanting, surprising, humorous and moving as the first. Mai is a fabulous character, and Vin is still as fascinating mystery.
I still don't know how Edmond manages to write books that are so profound, funny, sexy and surreal all at once, but which remain utterly grounded in reality. You can real ...more
I still don't know how Edmond manages to write books that are so profound, funny, sexy and surreal all at once, but which remain utterly grounded in reality. You can real ...more
Manning's voice welcomed me and enveloped me like a warm blanket. With King Mai, we continue with our story about finding our way back to love, through love. I know this is fiction but most of the time it does not feel like that, it feels like a metaphor of our lives and if I let go of the anger and surrender and cry, then I too will be on my way back.
Like Perry, I love Mai but my heart bleeds for Vin, he breaks my heart and I cry for him. He is less polished here than in King Perry and gives us ...more
I absolutely loved book one in this series, King Perry, so I have been dying to read this. King Mai takes place three years before. Why that seems odd, it makes perfect sense for Vin's character to not tell his story in order. Where is the fun in that? I have a feeling that at the end of this six book series the pieces of this mysterious kaleidoscope that is Vin's story will finally click together to create a final, beautiful image.
But getting there is not going to be easy.
Mai is so completely ...more
But getting there is not going to be easy.
Mai is so completely ...more
Things happen in a cornfield. Life begins again. Farmers know this. But you have to love the corn for the magic to work. All your love, no holding back.
Edmond Manning is an amazing storyteller. To witness a playful ease, with that he flirts, juggles with words, phrases and expressions is H-Y-P-N-O-T-I-C. He blew me away with King Perry. It was an unforgettable read, nothing compare with, different from everything I've read before. I enjoyed every single line in it. I LOVED King Perry ...more
Reviewed on Hearts On Fire.. http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
I think that this may be the best book that I've read this year and I would give it six stars if I could. For those who read Mr. Manning's first book, King Perry, this book far surpasses its predecessor. King Perry spent a lot of time introducing Vin Vably, the Found King maker. In King Mai we get to see Vin weave his magical and often mind numbing manipulating of people. Vin Vably is a manipulating bastard using everything at his dis ...more
I think that this may be the best book that I've read this year and I would give it six stars if I could. For those who read Mr. Manning's first book, King Perry, this book far surpasses its predecessor. King Perry spent a lot of time introducing Vin Vably, the Found King maker. In King Mai we get to see Vin weave his magical and often mind numbing manipulating of people. Vin Vably is a manipulating bastard using everything at his dis ...more
I can't stress enough how much I loved King Perry so I was a little worried about this second book. Maybe it wouldn't have the same magic, the same awe, the same complete and utter confusion for me because I know Vin now and I know about King Weekends. Wrong! I realised when I started reading that what I know amounts to the tiniest, teeniest tip of the Vin Vanbly iceberg. He continues to perplex and bamboozle the reader at every turn while offering tantalising glimpses of himself in the process.
...more
This is going to be a very short review because I’m still reliving Cookie Night.
I loved King Perry but this book … I loved it even more.
Because Mai is feisty and tough and sharp and challenges Vin relentlessly.
Because Vin is not as experienced and confident as in King Perry and watching him struggle to keep in the moment made me care for him more.
Because, even though the reasons why Mai had become a Lost King are no less heartbreaking than Perry’s, this book is so much fun – I laughed so hard ...more
I loved Edmond Manning's first book, King Perry. I loved it so much that although I was really excited about the release of this book, I was a little nervous, too. I think a good first book, especially when it's also the first in a series, puts a huge burden on the author. They set the bar so high it almost seems inevitable that they will fail to follow it up. As a reader, I have come to know that I have to manage my expectations, especially as there is always a selfish part of me that wants mor
...more
As someone who competes in scavenger hunts for adults, the quest to find the painted corn appeals to me. This series is centered around an interesting concept that focuses on personal development through time pressured challenges, adversity, and sleep deprivation. It's kind of like Project Runway, but with sex.
I have lots of questions about this whole king weekend thing, and no doubt some will be answered when I carry on with the series. Still, if anyone has answers to my questions (speculative ...more
I have lots of questions about this whole king weekend thing, and no doubt some will be answered when I carry on with the series. Still, if anyone has answers to my questions (speculative ...more
Aug 28, 2013
♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Everyone.
Shelves:
reviewed,
faves-read-in-2014,
part-of-series,
real-live-tree-books,
own,
sequel,
lgbtq,
e-m,
absolute-best
Fiction at its exhilarating, revealing and heart-pounding finest.
Thank you, Edmond, for sharing your dreams…
This story felt restrained, contained, and in all good ways. Mai is the personification of that need for restraint, containment. At least in his mind. This is in beautiful contrast to his true need but current inability to be completely free with his heart. Enter: Vin Vanbly.
Mai has a pretty healthy and active BS detector when it comes to Vin, though. This makes for naturally recurring sta ...more
Thank you, Edmond, for sharing your dreams…
This story felt restrained, contained, and in all good ways. Mai is the personification of that need for restraint, containment. At least in his mind. This is in beautiful contrast to his true need but current inability to be completely free with his heart. Enter: Vin Vanbly.
Mai has a pretty healthy and active BS detector when it comes to Vin, though. This makes for naturally recurring sta ...more
Well there was never any doubt that I would give 5 stars to the wonderful King Mai, however to be appropriate they should be 5 ears of corn. Or maybe 5 butterflies. :) Once you read the book you'll understand.
I was given an advance copy of King Mai and I was so excited -- excited to step once again into the magical, fairytale world of the Lost and Founds and Vin Vanbly.
I loved King Perry but I really really loved the character of Mai in this second book. Mai is a no-nonsense midwestern farmer. ...more
I was given an advance copy of King Mai and I was so excited -- excited to step once again into the magical, fairytale world of the Lost and Founds and Vin Vanbly.
I loved King Perry but I really really loved the character of Mai in this second book. Mai is a no-nonsense midwestern farmer. ...more
He is the manipulator and the instigator; he is the King of Evasion; he is the King of Subterfuge, the King of Truth and the King of Fabrication. He is pain and he is pleasure. He is the King of Destiny, the Director King. He is the algorithm and the fulcrum. He is the enigma. He is the Destroyer King and the Restorer King. He is the Weaver King who knits the threads of the Lost Kings into the intricate tapestry of the Found. He is the King of the Lost waiting to be discovered. He is the outside
...more
I absolutely loved Edmond Manning’s King Perry (review: http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=3191). I expected to love King Mai as much or more, and I almost did.
There is a big difference in the sequel compared to the original, and therein lies a problem for readers such as myself who may have expected more discovery of the enigmatic Vin Vanbly. Instead, the assumption appears to be that we already know the mystery and mystique of Vin and are ready to move on, so the book’s main POV is th ...more
There is a big difference in the sequel compared to the original, and therein lies a problem for readers such as myself who may have expected more discovery of the enigmatic Vin Vanbly. Instead, the assumption appears to be that we already know the mystery and mystique of Vin and are ready to move on, so the book’s main POV is th ...more
On re-read (aka the reason i was book-drunk yesterday): everything i said in my original review remains true. But i am going to with-hold further judgment irt vin's backstory. Mr Manning, i trust you. I am going to be more open when reading your future books, and trust that you know what you're doing. All my love.
If you've read King Perry, you might have an expectation out of this book. I read them back to back, so I was comparing them pretty closely.
The prose in King Mai is a little more mund ...more
If you've read King Perry, you might have an expectation out of this book. I read them back to back, so I was comparing them pretty closely.
The prose in King Mai is a little more mund ...more
Review can also be found at Under the Covers Book Blog
Excedrin….someone please pass me the Excedrin! That is exactly what I need after finished KING MAI. When I smile, laugh and/or cry too much, I get headaches. Well, I did all three of those things, especially the former and the latter, and now I need some relief. Of course, reading KING MAI was worth every ounce of that pain, so I’m not complaining.
To sum it up, KING MAI was A-FRICKING-MAZING!! I absolutely loved KING PERRY, the first book in ...more
Excedrin….someone please pass me the Excedrin! That is exactly what I need after finished KING MAI. When I smile, laugh and/or cry too much, I get headaches. Well, I did all three of those things, especially the former and the latter, and now I need some relief. Of course, reading KING MAI was worth every ounce of that pain, so I’m not complaining.
To sum it up, KING MAI was A-FRICKING-MAZING!! I absolutely loved KING PERRY, the first book in ...more
Edmond Manning has suggested to me that there are several more Vin Vanbly stories in the lost-and-founds series. If I could buy all of them right now, I would.
Even as I read this book, inexpressibly moved by the laughable, heartbreaking shenanigans that Vin and Mai Kearns get up to, I was also aware that not everyone is going to “get” this series. Vin’s shaggy-dog narratives about the history of the Found Kings is something of a distraction; only when you realize that this is intentional can yo ...more
Even as I read this book, inexpressibly moved by the laughable, heartbreaking shenanigans that Vin and Mai Kearns get up to, I was also aware that not everyone is going to “get” this series. Vin’s shaggy-dog narratives about the history of the Found Kings is something of a distraction; only when you realize that this is intentional can yo ...more
When I read King Perry, I wrote that I liked it, but I didn't love it. My problem was with Vin. But, King Mai I loved. And Vin has won me over.
Although this is the second book in the serries, it takes place three years before the evernts in King Perry. Vin is less experienced in this kinging affair, less self-assured, more doubtful. He feels like the Vin he is yet to become - still manipulative, audacious and wicked - but more human and easier to identify with. His loneliness broke my heart in p ...more
Although this is the second book in the serries, it takes place three years before the evernts in King Perry. Vin is less experienced in this kinging affair, less self-assured, more doubtful. He feels like the Vin he is yet to become - still manipulative, audacious and wicked - but more human and easier to identify with. His loneliness broke my heart in p ...more
Even though this wasn't my first time at the Edmond Manning rodeo, I don't really feel any better equipped to review King Mai than I did to review King Perry. LOL And, at the risk of feeling like I'm just reiterating my review of King Perry, I do have to use many of the same words. AMAZING. BEAUTIFUL. BREATH-TAKING. UNIQUE. BRILLIANT.
This is another completely gorgeous work of art. I fell even further in love with Vin, and fell head over heels for Mai as well. He is such a strong, compassionate, ...more
This is another completely gorgeous work of art. I fell even further in love with Vin, and fell head over heels for Mai as well. He is such a strong, compassionate, ...more
“You are always welcome in my kingdom, Vin. Always. I hope this cap serves you some day on a King Weekend, maybe for a man who wants to quit. You might invite him to find a little more curiosity.”
One of the beautiful series of books I am sure to ever read. My copy is filled with highlights and none of them do this journey justice.
5+ stars
I often like to quote an author’s work in my reviews, after all, they have taken the time and care to put their thoughts down for me to read so, in turn, it seems fitting to highlight a passage or phrase I liked best. I cannot do that with King Mai by Edmond Manning. I would be quoting three-fourths of the novel and then some. The choice to pick just one or two little gems to share was, well, staggering, much like the novel itself.
First, let me remind you that this is the second installm ...more
I often like to quote an author’s work in my reviews, after all, they have taken the time and care to put their thoughts down for me to read so, in turn, it seems fitting to highlight a passage or phrase I liked best. I cannot do that with King Mai by Edmond Manning. I would be quoting three-fourths of the novel and then some. The choice to pick just one or two little gems to share was, well, staggering, much like the novel itself.
First, let me remind you that this is the second installm ...more
Vin is back in time, having a King Weekend with Mai, a farmer living near De Kalb, IL, during the '90s when many small farms were in trouble. Mai was mentioned in King Perry. Those who want to know more about Vin and Mai and Lost and Found Kings will wish to look here.
It is not a traditional romance, which those who read King Perry will know. There is sex and a brief but very deep relationship between these characters, with a non-traditional Happy Ending. This may seem less appealing to some, bu ...more
It is not a traditional romance, which those who read King Perry will know. There is sex and a brief but very deep relationship between these characters, with a non-traditional Happy Ending. This may seem less appealing to some, bu ...more
More beautiful writing. Suffers only in comparison to my enjoyment of King Perry. In part because the concept was no longer new so it didn't pack quite the same wallop and partly because I didn't enjoy the farmland setting as much as the locations in the first book. I don't think there was as much of the goofy, joyful Vin that I loved in Perry here either. I think I liked him because of what I knew of him from that book, and not so much from what's on page in this one.
I am intrigued about why w ...more
I am intrigued about why w ...more
The best the best thebestthebestthebest...
i adore Edmond, and cannot wait for the next in the series. After only two, my heart...ah, it beats for what this talented, lovely man writes.
i adore Edmond, and cannot wait for the next in the series. After only two, my heart...ah, it beats for what this talented, lovely man writes.
What to say about Mai?
*sigh*
NGL. He was competing with Vin for biggest asshole there at first. And seeing as how I kinda love Vin, he wasn't my favorite person in the world for a while. But Vin worked his magic and pushed and pulled, and before long, I fell in love with Mai, too. His journey is so different from Perry's and going through two king weekends gives you a better understanding of them. Tho I still can't explain exactly what they are!
Mai's treasure hunt forces him to deal with issues o ...more
*sigh*
NGL. He was competing with Vin for biggest asshole there at first. And seeing as how I kinda love Vin, he wasn't my favorite person in the world for a while. But Vin worked his magic and pushed and pulled, and before long, I fell in love with Mai, too. His journey is so different from Perry's and going through two king weekends gives you a better understanding of them. Tho I still can't explain exactly what they are!
Mai's treasure hunt forces him to deal with issues o ...more
I'm wavering between 4 & 5 stars. As much as I enjoyed King Perry, King Mai actually held my attention more & I sailed through it. On one hand I liked Perry's background better, but on the other was glad to get a glimpse into Vin's history & Mai's future. I just didn't connect as well with Mai's Lost King story & thought the his path to Kingdom was kind of heavy handed & less believable than Perry's adventure. That said, I adored experiencing Mai's eventual exuberance & thought the Bubba portion
...more
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Edmond Manning has always been fascinated by fiction: how ordinary words could be sculpted into heartfelt emotions, how heartfelt emotions could leave an imprint inside you stronger than the real world. Mr. Manning never felt worthy to seek publication until recently, when he accidentally stumbled into his own writer’s voice that fit perfectly, like his favorite skull-print, fuzzy jammies. He fina
...more
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The Lost and Founds
(6 books)
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“Some men want to believe their kingship will make them stronger, more invulnerable to life's sorrows so that hurts do not hurt, pain is laughable. They are surprised to discover the paradox of strength - only the truly vulnerable possess the ability to love powerfully.”
—
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“Some men shy from the morning kiss, worried their breath isn't fresh enough. Fuck that. We can kiss minty-cleat later. I'd rather have the morning kiss, the one that smells of heat and last night's blurry sleep, yesterday's dirt and drama.”
—
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