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The Broken Crown #1
To Raise a King
Thousands of years ago an asteroid destroyed all life on Mars.
Now, an unsuspecting earth is similarly threatened, and the solution doesn't rest with NASA, but in 6th-century Scotland. When Matt escapes a Scottish boys' home to search for his parents, he instead finds himself fleeing for his life. Cast back in time to the brutality of 6th-century Scotland, he is sent on a dangerous quest - a race to recover the missing fragments of a broken crown and save two worlds from certain destruction. Love, betrayal and murder follow Matt as he struggles against a backdrop of powerful magic and political tension that soon erupts into open war. Matt's faith in himself, and his trust in his newfound friends will be put to the ultimate test as he fights to Raise a King.
Now, an unsuspecting earth is similarly threatened, and the solution doesn't rest with NASA, but in 6th-century Scotland. When Matt escapes a Scottish boys' home to search for his parents, he instead finds himself fleeing for his life. Cast back in time to the brutality of 6th-century Scotland, he is sent on a dangerous quest - a race to recover the missing fragments of a broken crown and save two worlds from certain destruction. Love, betrayal and murder follow Matt as he struggles against a backdrop of powerful magic and political tension that soon erupts into open war. Matt's faith in himself, and his trust in his newfound friends will be put to the ultimate test as he fights to Raise a King.
- GenresFantasy
459 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2017
29 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Justin Orton
1 book14 followersI spend most days delving into the world of computer code and unraveling programming mysteries for many major corporations, but my true passion is fictional writing.
My work is always supervised by Oliver (my cat), who’s four-legged contributions can often be found in both my coding and writing (all spelnig errors r stritcly his!).
I was born and raised in England, but now live with my beautiful wife Lisa in Florida (famous for its theme parks, beaches, the occasional hurricane, and a certain mouse).
My hobbies include: reading, movies, history, travel (I want to see mountains again Gandalf – mountains!), and exploring the latest gadgets and gizmos.
I’m rather fond of single malt scotch and it’s not uncommon to find me of an evening, sipping on a particular fine dram, while pondering how to get a character out of the very awkward situation I put them in!
My work is always supervised by Oliver (my cat), who’s four-legged contributions can often be found in both my coding and writing (all spelnig errors r stritcly his!).
I was born and raised in England, but now live with my beautiful wife Lisa in Florida (famous for its theme parks, beaches, the occasional hurricane, and a certain mouse).
My hobbies include: reading, movies, history, travel (I want to see mountains again Gandalf – mountains!), and exploring the latest gadgets and gizmos.
I’m rather fond of single malt scotch and it’s not uncommon to find me of an evening, sipping on a particular fine dram, while pondering how to get a character out of the very awkward situation I put them in!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 2, 2018
This tale begins with Matt, a seventeen-year-old with mysterious origins. He escapes from the Scottish boys’ home he has grown up in to travel through the wild, desperate to find his parents. Instead he is hunted by shadows and, after being rescued by what seems to be some kind of wizard, ends up in 6th-century Scotland. The old wizard quickly implores upon him that he is in danger, and suddenly Matt sets off on an adventure that touches the long-lost truth behind the Arthurian legends, a truth that soon becomes much more contemporary than Matt ever imagined.
This was a well written and lyrical read, with detailed descriptions of landscapes, history, magic and emotion, including the inner workings of our relatable MC, Matt. Hints to his past are tantalisingly revealed like breadcrumbs, and we learn something new about his Arthurian past at every twist and turn. There are several engaging characters in this book, and though Brick was one of my favourites, Matt’s husky Mia really stole the show and was an integral part to the story. This book combines two of my favourite things: the legends of King Arthur and space. The author imaginatively rewrites Earth’s history to include the existence of humanity on the continent of Pangaea, attributing all great societies to the supreme race, the Marsonians. The flexibility with the past is counterbalanced by the extensive research that has clearly gone into reconstructing the Scottish branch of the Arthurian legends—an interesting and fresh twist to the tale.
Even though this was a great read, there were a few small issues with this book. Though MC Matt was Scottish, many of the colloquialisms he used seemed very American (cops, crap, frickin’, sure as hell, oh crap, for real? etc.). The prose was engaging but seemed to be missing a few commas that would have clarified the language in places. I felt the plot became a little confused towards the middle/end when the author played with the twists of who was good or bad, and it wasn’t immediately clear that the Marsonians had built Atlantis (and an early version of Egypt) on Pangaea. The POV sometimes hopped between characters within each scene, and though this didn’t disrupt the narrative overall, the main action scenes were hampered by it. In one scene in particular, the author adopted the ‘movie’ approach, writing the action predominately from one character, but then swapping several times mid-scene to another for short paragraphs, much like fleeting camera angle changes. Overall the action would have been more effective with these POV snippets cut.
I took issue to the book describing rape as a ‘fate worse than death’ (Matt let the tapestry fall closed. He could watch no more. This evil had to be stopped. He thought of the bodies in the wagons, of Donald’s mutilated son, and the bound and
helpless women in the hall who waited for a fate worse than death.), and struggled with the character of Valina, finding her flat. I was left wondering why Matt and Valina liked each other, despite the author dipping into both their heads. There was an ‘off-screen’ death that felt inadequate for the character involved, and I was disappointed that the end of the book did not see Matt reunited with his stepfather, despite him being a short distance away. Planting potatoes in the 6th century would have also been some feat, as potatoes weren’t introduced to Europe until the second half of the 16th century (yes, I’m pointing this out even though some of the characters are from Mars).
Despite the above, I did really enjoy this read and found it an engaging and fresh adaptation of the Arthurian legends. Merlin was well developed and interesting, while Matt was sympathetic, despite his youthful mishaps and his inability to learn from his own mistakes. The characters from the boys’ home were all well sketched, and I wonder if they will make another appearance in book two. For me, I felt there weren’t many interesting female characters. This, along with the random POV hopping, lost the book a star. However, I think it is an exciting start to what looks to be a very promising series, and would be very interested to see where it goes next.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the author for sharing a copy of the book with me.
This was a well written and lyrical read, with detailed descriptions of landscapes, history, magic and emotion, including the inner workings of our relatable MC, Matt. Hints to his past are tantalisingly revealed like breadcrumbs, and we learn something new about his Arthurian past at every twist and turn. There are several engaging characters in this book, and though Brick was one of my favourites, Matt’s husky Mia really stole the show and was an integral part to the story. This book combines two of my favourite things: the legends of King Arthur and space. The author imaginatively rewrites Earth’s history to include the existence of humanity on the continent of Pangaea, attributing all great societies to the supreme race, the Marsonians. The flexibility with the past is counterbalanced by the extensive research that has clearly gone into reconstructing the Scottish branch of the Arthurian legends—an interesting and fresh twist to the tale.
Even though this was a great read, there were a few small issues with this book. Though MC Matt was Scottish, many of the colloquialisms he used seemed very American (cops, crap, frickin’, sure as hell, oh crap, for real? etc.). The prose was engaging but seemed to be missing a few commas that would have clarified the language in places. I felt the plot became a little confused towards the middle/end when the author played with the twists of who was good or bad, and it wasn’t immediately clear that the Marsonians had built Atlantis (and an early version of Egypt) on Pangaea. The POV sometimes hopped between characters within each scene, and though this didn’t disrupt the narrative overall, the main action scenes were hampered by it. In one scene in particular, the author adopted the ‘movie’ approach, writing the action predominately from one character, but then swapping several times mid-scene to another for short paragraphs, much like fleeting camera angle changes. Overall the action would have been more effective with these POV snippets cut.
I took issue to the book describing rape as a ‘fate worse than death’ (Matt let the tapestry fall closed. He could watch no more. This evil had to be stopped. He thought of the bodies in the wagons, of Donald’s mutilated son, and the bound and
helpless women in the hall who waited for a fate worse than death.), and struggled with the character of Valina, finding her flat. I was left wondering why Matt and Valina liked each other, despite the author dipping into both their heads. There was an ‘off-screen’ death that felt inadequate for the character involved, and I was disappointed that the end of the book did not see Matt reunited with his stepfather, despite him being a short distance away. Planting potatoes in the 6th century would have also been some feat, as potatoes weren’t introduced to Europe until the second half of the 16th century (yes, I’m pointing this out even though some of the characters are from Mars).
Despite the above, I did really enjoy this read and found it an engaging and fresh adaptation of the Arthurian legends. Merlin was well developed and interesting, while Matt was sympathetic, despite his youthful mishaps and his inability to learn from his own mistakes. The characters from the boys’ home were all well sketched, and I wonder if they will make another appearance in book two. For me, I felt there weren’t many interesting female characters. This, along with the random POV hopping, lost the book a star. However, I think it is an exciting start to what looks to be a very promising series, and would be very interested to see where it goes next.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the author for sharing a copy of the book with me.
October 29, 2019
Super slow.
I had to force myself through the first 90% of it. Only kind of got good at the end but then there were just too many plot twists???? It was like this weird comedic drama????
Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had to force myself through the first 90% of it. Only kind of got good at the end but then there were just too many plot twists???? It was like this weird comedic drama????
Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2017
One of the best King Arthur legend books I've ever read....
..and I've read a lot of them! Awesome book.... My only hope is that there's more in future books about Arthur and Lancelot.... Since we all know they're the true heroes!
..and I've read a lot of them! Awesome book.... My only hope is that there's more in future books about Arthur and Lancelot.... Since we all know they're the true heroes!
June 18, 2018
This book owes me damages for the wasted time I spent reading it.
It just -- cannot decide what the heck it wants to be. Alien story? Portal fantasy? King Arthur legend? Coming of age adventure? Epic scale war drama? Third person limited? Third person omniscient? It tries to be all of these things in fits and starts and fails at really being any of them.
Every character is flat. They are all supposed to be motivated by family relationships (Matt and his longing for a family, Merlin and his love for Arthur and his daughter, Morgause and her lost loved ones, etc.) but none of this can really be felt. Everything is baldly told, about how they care and why, but no attempt is ever made to really convince the reader that any of this is true. The most narrative time dedicated to any relationship is spent on the Matt/Naveena romance, and that is just as void of any real feeling as everything else. They have like two real conversations, Matt sees Naveena's "rose tipped breasts," and then they both just decide that they're in love without ever really speaking again. Reading what I just wrote about them, are you emotionally invested in their relationship? Because my one-sentence summary didn't hook you, the book itself won't either.
This flatness gives the book a kind of shallow, childish quality, but at the same time the story pushes the boundaries of what is typical as far as sexual content in YA fantasy. There's a lot of nakedness, a lot of rape and allusions to rape, and Morgause is sleeping with every man and teenage boy in the British Isles. Throwing rape and people's breasts at you over and over is just weird and uncomfortable when the rest of the book lacks any depth, and when a similar approach is not taken to violence until nearly the very end. Darkness and other circumstances "hide the gore" from our main hero like two or three times, but apparently we all have to constantly look at naked, abused ladies in the harsh daylight?
Strange chaos is the whole vibe of this book. Narratively, we start out in the real world with good old solid Matt, seeing everything from his typical 21st century perspective. This was interspersed periodically with expositional excerpts from Merlin's journal. Halfway through the book the excerpts just... stop? Did we run out of behind-the-scenes details to explain? At nearly this point, the perspective also does a huge zoom-out and we are treated to a kaleidoscope of perspectives from people as random as Aldivon, Lancelot, Brick, Aldivon's disloyal soldier, Guinevere, Lancelot's captain, an "unnamed rider", and an innkeeper and his wife.
Most of these were unnecessary. We could have found out what happened to the innkeeper and his wife when Matt meets them again later. We could have discovered the mission of the "unnamed rider" when Brick and Naveena run into Matt on the road. Why do we follow Guinevere up to a Christian monastery and then ignore her for the rest of the book and literally never see her again? There is just so much filler, so many things we didn't need to see directly or have explained in such useless detail. Lancelot literally did not even need to be in the book. He could have been cut out completely, and everything could have still happened the same.
The pacing is wack too. The beginning is glacially slow: we have to watch Matt be dragged in and out of the portals five times and say "no WAY!" to himself constantly for days and days, before the real plot even starts. Then Merlin somehow teaches him fluent Gaelic, swordplay, and the riding skills and physical endurance of a hardened 6th century traveler in six weeks? Aside from the blatantly unrealistic nature of that achievement, this is an entire coming of age sequence; it happens in like ONE CHAPTER, and we only really see the first day -- the rest is a handwavey "the rest of the six weeks passed in a blur" summary. Afterward, Matt is thrown headlong into the 6th century and, apparently, knows everything about the geography and culture, finds nothing strange at all about it, and is often referred to as "having left childhood behind" or "become a man."
You can't 👏 just 👏 say that 👏 my dude. 👏
That's not how books work. I'm not going to believe Matt is anything but the hapless, whiny, 21st century orphan he was last chapter, because I didn't see him change.
The language also undergoes confusing shifts. Matt starts out swearing a lot and talking like a normal teenager. When he's in the 6th century, he adopts a lot of very formal parlance very quickly. His exclamations vacillate from "gosh gee" type phrases to the F-word and B-word. Are we to assume that Merlin taught him to say "bitch" in Gaelic? Some of the 6th century peasants' dialogue is written in a sort of brogue, like you would write a Scottish accent in English, but they're speaking Gaelic like Matt and Aldivon, right? Are we to assume that they have a different accent in Gaelic than everyone else?
There's a lot of attempted intrigue. Is Aldivon good or evil? Is Merlin really Merlin? Is Brick a traitor or Naveena? The story succeeds in making you doubt everything you think you know, mostly because everyone is just acting completely inconsistently. Naveena provokes Matt in the beginning by arguing that Morgause isn't evil, even though she of all people KNOWS very well Morgause's true character; she is even now under Morgause's threat of death! There is no reason for her to say something so out of character, except that the narrative really wanted to convince us that she's not in fact Naveena, and not in fact the spy. Morgause's chapters try to convince us the spy is Brick, and then once it turns out that he's innocent, he's immediately killed. He existed for only one purpose in the first place: to be suspicious and distract the reader from Naveena. What a waste of the only person with any character development over time.
All in all, it just seems like To Raise a King needs some more editing. It needs to find some consistency in pace, consistency in theme, and consistency in style. And it needs to cut out the ton of extra fluff and spend that time on bringing the characters and their relationships to life instead.
It just -- cannot decide what the heck it wants to be. Alien story? Portal fantasy? King Arthur legend? Coming of age adventure? Epic scale war drama? Third person limited? Third person omniscient? It tries to be all of these things in fits and starts and fails at really being any of them.
Every character is flat. They are all supposed to be motivated by family relationships (Matt and his longing for a family, Merlin and his love for Arthur and his daughter, Morgause and her lost loved ones, etc.) but none of this can really be felt. Everything is baldly told, about how they care and why, but no attempt is ever made to really convince the reader that any of this is true. The most narrative time dedicated to any relationship is spent on the Matt/Naveena romance, and that is just as void of any real feeling as everything else. They have like two real conversations, Matt sees Naveena's "rose tipped breasts," and then they both just decide that they're in love without ever really speaking again. Reading what I just wrote about them, are you emotionally invested in their relationship? Because my one-sentence summary didn't hook you, the book itself won't either.
This flatness gives the book a kind of shallow, childish quality, but at the same time the story pushes the boundaries of what is typical as far as sexual content in YA fantasy. There's a lot of nakedness, a lot of rape and allusions to rape, and Morgause is sleeping with every man and teenage boy in the British Isles. Throwing rape and people's breasts at you over and over is just weird and uncomfortable when the rest of the book lacks any depth, and when a similar approach is not taken to violence until nearly the very end. Darkness and other circumstances "hide the gore" from our main hero like two or three times, but apparently we all have to constantly look at naked, abused ladies in the harsh daylight?
Strange chaos is the whole vibe of this book. Narratively, we start out in the real world with good old solid Matt, seeing everything from his typical 21st century perspective. This was interspersed periodically with expositional excerpts from Merlin's journal. Halfway through the book the excerpts just... stop? Did we run out of behind-the-scenes details to explain? At nearly this point, the perspective also does a huge zoom-out and we are treated to a kaleidoscope of perspectives from people as random as Aldivon, Lancelot, Brick, Aldivon's disloyal soldier, Guinevere, Lancelot's captain, an "unnamed rider", and an innkeeper and his wife.
Most of these were unnecessary. We could have found out what happened to the innkeeper and his wife when Matt meets them again later. We could have discovered the mission of the "unnamed rider" when Brick and Naveena run into Matt on the road. Why do we follow Guinevere up to a Christian monastery and then ignore her for the rest of the book and literally never see her again? There is just so much filler, so many things we didn't need to see directly or have explained in such useless detail. Lancelot literally did not even need to be in the book. He could have been cut out completely, and everything could have still happened the same.
The pacing is wack too. The beginning is glacially slow: we have to watch Matt be dragged in and out of the portals five times and say "no WAY!" to himself constantly for days and days, before the real plot even starts. Then Merlin somehow teaches him fluent Gaelic, swordplay, and the riding skills and physical endurance of a hardened 6th century traveler in six weeks? Aside from the blatantly unrealistic nature of that achievement, this is an entire coming of age sequence; it happens in like ONE CHAPTER, and we only really see the first day -- the rest is a handwavey "the rest of the six weeks passed in a blur" summary. Afterward, Matt is thrown headlong into the 6th century and, apparently, knows everything about the geography and culture, finds nothing strange at all about it, and is often referred to as "having left childhood behind" or "become a man."
You can't 👏 just 👏 say that 👏 my dude. 👏
That's not how books work. I'm not going to believe Matt is anything but the hapless, whiny, 21st century orphan he was last chapter, because I didn't see him change.
The language also undergoes confusing shifts. Matt starts out swearing a lot and talking like a normal teenager. When he's in the 6th century, he adopts a lot of very formal parlance very quickly. His exclamations vacillate from "gosh gee" type phrases to the F-word and B-word. Are we to assume that Merlin taught him to say "bitch" in Gaelic? Some of the 6th century peasants' dialogue is written in a sort of brogue, like you would write a Scottish accent in English, but they're speaking Gaelic like Matt and Aldivon, right? Are we to assume that they have a different accent in Gaelic than everyone else?
There's a lot of attempted intrigue. Is Aldivon good or evil? Is Merlin really Merlin? Is Brick a traitor or Naveena? The story succeeds in making you doubt everything you think you know, mostly because everyone is just acting completely inconsistently. Naveena provokes Matt in the beginning by arguing that Morgause isn't evil, even though she of all people KNOWS very well Morgause's true character; she is even now under Morgause's threat of death! There is no reason for her to say something so out of character, except that the narrative really wanted to convince us that she's not in fact Naveena, and not in fact the spy. Morgause's chapters try to convince us the spy is Brick, and then once it turns out that he's innocent, he's immediately killed. He existed for only one purpose in the first place: to be suspicious and distract the reader from Naveena. What a waste of the only person with any character development over time.
All in all, it just seems like To Raise a King needs some more editing. It needs to find some consistency in pace, consistency in theme, and consistency in style. And it needs to cut out the ton of extra fluff and spend that time on bringing the characters and their relationships to life instead.
June 4, 2018
I entered into this novel with quiet anticipation, uncertain how the story had grown from its fledgling chapter so many years ago. Through the beginning chapters I worried that Matt suffers from the same 'problem' so many protagonists now do: he's so naturally blessed and adept at all that comes his way, of course.
However, as the story grew and we came to know more characters and exciting fact/myth additions, I found myself enjoying the narrative and marvelled at the work it must have taken to bring so many ideas together in a manner that worked so well.
I now eagerly await its sequel and highly recommend reading 'To Raise a King' if you're looking to support an indie author.
Congratulations on your debut novel, Justin!
However, as the story grew and we came to know more characters and exciting fact/myth additions, I found myself enjoying the narrative and marvelled at the work it must have taken to bring so many ideas together in a manner that worked so well.
I now eagerly await its sequel and highly recommend reading 'To Raise a King' if you're looking to support an indie author.
Congratulations on your debut novel, Justin!
May 15, 2018
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review*
Arthurian legends but with aliens? Tell me more!
I liked this book, but I feel it could have been better with more careful editing and more drawn out characterization. During some parts is quite boring, but it makes up for it with great action and compelling, but a bit underdeveloped, characters. The MC is interesting, while being a little flat, and the secondary characters are colourful.
Arthurian legends but with aliens? Tell me more!
I liked this book, but I feel it could have been better with more careful editing and more drawn out characterization. During some parts is quite boring, but it makes up for it with great action and compelling, but a bit underdeveloped, characters. The MC is interesting, while being a little flat, and the secondary characters are colourful.
April 2, 2017
GO TO THE END FIRST
How I wish I had read the footnote before I began reading this book, as there are so many possibilities that although a fictional tale might have roots in the truth during Arthurian times in England. This was a long read, seven hours according to my reading speed. It was easy to identify with Matt the main character and grow to care about what happens to him. Although I’m a historical fiction fan, I don’t often read historical fantasy, but I’m glad I picked this one up.
How I wish I had read the footnote before I began reading this book, as there are so many possibilities that although a fictional tale might have roots in the truth during Arthurian times in England. This was a long read, seven hours according to my reading speed. It was easy to identify with Matt the main character and grow to care about what happens to him. Although I’m a historical fiction fan, I don’t often read historical fantasy, but I’m glad I picked this one up.
May 8, 2018
To Raise a King is an enjoyable take on the Arthurian legend. The story is constructed with descriptive and beautiful prose, likeable characters, and magical balance between history, myth, and entirely new fiction. These elements blend together to send the reader on a unique adventure into a past one wants to believe happened.
Orton's command for the Arthurian legend and sixth century Scotland landscape provides an incredible backdrop to his story. The brutality of the time, the beauty of the wild Scottish countryside juxtaposed the unreal and science-fiction aspects of the story in a manner that makes the story seem less foreign.
The American slang stood out like a missed note in a solo, a grating on the reader throughout the story. This inconsistency mixed with some odd but noticeable anachronisms made the story less than ideal.
I feel mixed about this story. I am not sure if I would say I enjoyed it, but it was not a bad story. This book felt like sipping black coffee when you were expecting Earl Grey tea. It just was not what I wanted or expected. I think there are plenty of readers who would love this story, but it wasn't right for me.
I want to thank Justin Orton and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Orton's command for the Arthurian legend and sixth century Scotland landscape provides an incredible backdrop to his story. The brutality of the time, the beauty of the wild Scottish countryside juxtaposed the unreal and science-fiction aspects of the story in a manner that makes the story seem less foreign.
The American slang stood out like a missed note in a solo, a grating on the reader throughout the story. This inconsistency mixed with some odd but noticeable anachronisms made the story less than ideal.
I feel mixed about this story. I am not sure if I would say I enjoyed it, but it was not a bad story. This book felt like sipping black coffee when you were expecting Earl Grey tea. It just was not what I wanted or expected. I think there are plenty of readers who would love this story, but it wasn't right for me.
I want to thank Justin Orton and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2020
This book seemed interesting. The legends of Arthur and his knights always fascinated me but mixing in a dose of Sci-fi, magic as well as a little time travel seemed like a "bridge too far" but I had to find out how the author pulled it all together.
The good news is that he did and did it in spades. The bad news is that he had better write the next volume really fast
All the usual characters are there plus a few new ones. Their names and the names of well known places within the legends are spelled in many instances quite differently. This lead me to sounding them out vocally [which made my dog a little crazy].
In any case, after the first few chapters all began to fall in line.
The story does not deal with Arthur specifically, it deals with the time after his "death" as seen through the eyes of a boy named Matt. A boy secreted away by Merlin in the 21st century to protect him. From what, you'll have to read the book.
Surprisingly the amalgam of Sci-fi, magic and time travel actually works. Added to that, all is not what it seems. The result is fascinating story that works on many levels.
The good news is that he did and did it in spades. The bad news is that he had better write the next volume really fast
All the usual characters are there plus a few new ones. Their names and the names of well known places within the legends are spelled in many instances quite differently. This lead me to sounding them out vocally [which made my dog a little crazy].
In any case, after the first few chapters all began to fall in line.
The story does not deal with Arthur specifically, it deals with the time after his "death" as seen through the eyes of a boy named Matt. A boy secreted away by Merlin in the 21st century to protect him. From what, you'll have to read the book.
Surprisingly the amalgam of Sci-fi, magic and time travel actually works. Added to that, all is not what it seems. The result is fascinating story that works on many levels.
January 2, 2018
I know very little of the legend of King Arthur and that era of history, however the mix of Fantasy, historical fiction, and potential fact, really helped bring this exciting tale to life. The author carefully orchestrated you through the three aspects of this story slowly weaving them together towards the gripping intense finale. Elements kept you guessing and the reader was often lead down a misleading path and made you question your own conclusions. What also impressed me about this read is that even as part of a series the ending was satisfactory to answer most questions but left a trail of crumbs to the next instalment.
July 26, 2017
To Raise a King is a unique take on Arthurian lore, combining elements of fantasy and sci-fi. I wasn't expecting the smattering of sci-fi, and when first introduced, I was not convinced it was a good fit and was nearly put off. But, the pace of the story, the wonderful characters, and the deception spun throughout won my mind over. The protagonist, Matt, is a genuinely likable character and he experiences a grand developmental arc. And Mia, his loyal dog, well, what's not to love about a dog side-kick. Overall, this was a fun read and I look forward to continuing Matt's journey.
May 23, 2018
I am a fan of Arthurian legends and retellings, although I did feel that this book wasn't for me, not because of the time travelling but some of the writing was hard to take in.. I also found that some of the characters lacked the depth they needed but the descriptions of the world and battles brilliant.
November 13, 2017
To Raise A King by Justin Orton has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award.
www.chillwithabook.com
Pauline Barclay
Founder of Chill with a Book Awards
www.chillwithabook.com
Pauline Barclay
Founder of Chill with a Book Awards
May 5, 2020
????
Great read and fast paced, but it can't end there. Where is Book 2?? To many loose ends to leave me hanging.
Great read and fast paced, but it can't end there. Where is Book 2?? To many loose ends to leave me hanging.
May 1, 2017
What happens when History and Legend collides…?
Matt longs for what he does not have. A family. A mother who loves him. A father to guide him. Instead, he lives in a home for boys. Abandoned. Forgotten. Alone. His only comfort is his dog, Mia.
Matt is so determined to find his parents that he takes matters into his own hands and runs away. What he didn't expect was to end up in 6th Century Scotland! What happens next will challenge everything he thought he knew about himself, the world, and as it turns out, the not so legendary King Arthur.
Rich in history, overflowing with Arthurian myths and legends, Justin Orton takes his readers on quite a journey. With an elegant wit and descriptive prose, Orton brings to life the beauty and the brutality of 6th Century Scotland. To Raise a King (The Broken Crown Book 1) is so rich in detail that I could smell the rain in the air, see the vastness of the lochs, and the majestic heights of the mountains.
The protagonist, Matt, is an incredibly courageous young man who's life is turned completely upside down. Everything he thought he knew turns out to be a lie. Suddenly, King Arthur isn't a fairy story and Merlin is real. Matt finds himself part of this very complicated world to which he had no prior knowledge of. Matt has courage beyond his years, and I could not help but like him. He is the hero of this story. Matt was very real in the telling, and his character drove the story forward and kept me turning those pages.
Orton has obviously spent a lot of time researching this fascinating era, and it comes across in the writing. I like what he did with the Arthurian Legend, and he gave this ancient story a slight Science-Fiction twist which worked remarkably well.
A great deal happens in this book, and there is this sense that no one is as they seem and at one point I was questioning, just like Matt, who were the bad guys! I like a book that makes me think!!
To Raise a King (The Broken Crown Book 1) is an action-packed adventure, that kept me turning those pages. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Justin Orton, you have got yourself a new fan!!
I Highly Recommend!!
Matt longs for what he does not have. A family. A mother who loves him. A father to guide him. Instead, he lives in a home for boys. Abandoned. Forgotten. Alone. His only comfort is his dog, Mia.
Matt is so determined to find his parents that he takes matters into his own hands and runs away. What he didn't expect was to end up in 6th Century Scotland! What happens next will challenge everything he thought he knew about himself, the world, and as it turns out, the not so legendary King Arthur.
Rich in history, overflowing with Arthurian myths and legends, Justin Orton takes his readers on quite a journey. With an elegant wit and descriptive prose, Orton brings to life the beauty and the brutality of 6th Century Scotland. To Raise a King (The Broken Crown Book 1) is so rich in detail that I could smell the rain in the air, see the vastness of the lochs, and the majestic heights of the mountains.
The protagonist, Matt, is an incredibly courageous young man who's life is turned completely upside down. Everything he thought he knew turns out to be a lie. Suddenly, King Arthur isn't a fairy story and Merlin is real. Matt finds himself part of this very complicated world to which he had no prior knowledge of. Matt has courage beyond his years, and I could not help but like him. He is the hero of this story. Matt was very real in the telling, and his character drove the story forward and kept me turning those pages.
Orton has obviously spent a lot of time researching this fascinating era, and it comes across in the writing. I like what he did with the Arthurian Legend, and he gave this ancient story a slight Science-Fiction twist which worked remarkably well.
A great deal happens in this book, and there is this sense that no one is as they seem and at one point I was questioning, just like Matt, who were the bad guys! I like a book that makes me think!!
To Raise a King (The Broken Crown Book 1) is an action-packed adventure, that kept me turning those pages. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Justin Orton, you have got yourself a new fan!!
I Highly Recommend!!
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