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The King's Questioner
From the author of 'The Midnight Dance' comes an epic YA fantasy featuring royal drama, dark magic, and a secret that could topple a kingdom.
Kalen has been cursed with a gift: he’s a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown.
But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life—and uncovers a terrifying secret. The prince has a sister, banished long ago, and she is the key to the destruction or survival of the kingdom.
With the help of Cirrus and a silver-haired thief named Luna, Kalen must find the princess and bring her home. Or risk death at the hands of his king.
Kalen has been cursed with a gift: he’s a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown.
But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life—and uncovers a terrifying secret. The prince has a sister, banished long ago, and she is the key to the destruction or survival of the kingdom.
With the help of Cirrus and a silver-haired thief named Luna, Kalen must find the princess and bring her home. Or risk death at the hands of his king.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2020
7 people are currently reading
2495 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Katz
14 books209 followersAuthor | Editor | Consultant | Freelance Writer | Rocket Scientist | Reality TV Addict | Avid Book Reader | Social Media Nut ... Not necessarily in that order :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
not-interested
March 14, 2021why lie ugliest cover ive ever seen
January 15, 2020
Thank you so much Swoon Reads for providing me a free copy through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
Great premise but the book needed more polish.
CHARACTERS:
The characters felt very two dimensional and overall underdeveloped and I just couldn’t get into them and care about their struggles and adventures.....which is a shame because at times I could glimpse something that would make me think “oh, I want to learn more about you”; characters are the pillars of every story and if they are not solid it doesn’t matter how good the story is, it will always lack something.
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The world building felt underdeveloped: we have no idea how the magical world is organized and how it impacts the day to day life, the sociopolitical and economic situation is barely brushed upon and we are supposed to use the tidbits to build the picture ourselves.
The plot was very fast paced and while it had its peaks where it would pique the interest, most of the time it was very underwhelming.
WRITING:
The writing felt very rough and clunky, with random in depth descriptions of inconsequential situations and an over abundance of telling instead of showing.
FINAL NOTE:
I think this can be enjoyed by those that don’t give too much importance to the characters and are only in for the journey and adventure.
Sadly, I’m not one of those.
Great premise but the book needed more polish.
CHARACTERS:
The characters felt very two dimensional and overall underdeveloped and I just couldn’t get into them and care about their struggles and adventures.....which is a shame because at times I could glimpse something that would make me think “oh, I want to learn more about you”; characters are the pillars of every story and if they are not solid it doesn’t matter how good the story is, it will always lack something.
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The world building felt underdeveloped: we have no idea how the magical world is organized and how it impacts the day to day life, the sociopolitical and economic situation is barely brushed upon and we are supposed to use the tidbits to build the picture ourselves.
The plot was very fast paced and while it had its peaks where it would pique the interest, most of the time it was very underwhelming.
WRITING:
The writing felt very rough and clunky, with random in depth descriptions of inconsequential situations and an over abundance of telling instead of showing.
FINAL NOTE:
I think this can be enjoyed by those that don’t give too much importance to the characters and are only in for the journey and adventure.
Sadly, I’m not one of those.
December 22, 2019
3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When Kalen; a mental picklock who is able to discover a person's secrets by touch, uncovers a terrifying secret that could potentially destroy the kingdom, he must band together with the prince of said kingdom- and a silver-haired thief named Luna to stop that destruction from occurring. (If you'd like more info- I'd suggest checking out the synopsis, but sometimes less is honestly more! There are a couple of things that I would have preferred to find out for myself upon reading TKQ).
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one! While I gave it a 3 and a half star rating- The King's Questioner was unique in it's own way and would have gotten a higher rating had it been fleshed out more than it was. As an author- I think Nikki has so much potential, and I will definitely be checking out anything she releases in the future!
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When Kalen; a mental picklock who is able to discover a person's secrets by touch, uncovers a terrifying secret that could potentially destroy the kingdom, he must band together with the prince of said kingdom- and a silver-haired thief named Luna to stop that destruction from occurring. (If you'd like more info- I'd suggest checking out the synopsis, but sometimes less is honestly more! There are a couple of things that I would have preferred to find out for myself upon reading TKQ).
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one! While I gave it a 3 and a half star rating- The King's Questioner was unique in it's own way and would have gotten a higher rating had it been fleshed out more than it was. As an author- I think Nikki has so much potential, and I will definitely be checking out anything she releases in the future!
Read
October 24, 2019Just... nope.
*review to come*
Thank you Macmillan and Swoon Reads for the ARC.
*review to come*
Thank you Macmillan and Swoon Reads for the ARC.
January 13, 2020
Theoretically a fascinating fantasy using the idea of magic mind control abilities.
We have a banished child left to a tortured lonely life because of a prophecy. Prophecies are chancy things at best and the King's actions prove to have been indeed foolish. Personally I felt the king was a despairing, frightened despot. The promise of excitement with Kalen who has the mental ability to unlock the deepest, darkest, hidden secrets, Prince Cirrus whose memories have been tampered with, and the mysterious thief Luna lured me in. Sadly I found the storyline struggled at times resulting in a somewhat predictable read that was not as engaging as I'd hoped for. I'm hoping the next in the series will up the ante.
A Macmillan Children's Group ARC via NetGalley
We have a banished child left to a tortured lonely life because of a prophecy. Prophecies are chancy things at best and the King's actions prove to have been indeed foolish. Personally I felt the king was a despairing, frightened despot. The promise of excitement with Kalen who has the mental ability to unlock the deepest, darkest, hidden secrets, Prince Cirrus whose memories have been tampered with, and the mysterious thief Luna lured me in. Sadly I found the storyline struggled at times resulting in a somewhat predictable read that was not as engaging as I'd hoped for. I'm hoping the next in the series will up the ante.
A Macmillan Children's Group ARC via NetGalley
December 18, 2019
3.5 stars
RTC | Blog Tour - Jan 16th
RTC | Blog Tour - Jan 16th
February 20, 2020
You can read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Review: 3 Stars
As soon as I heard about this book I was excited for it. It had everything that I look for in a fantasy; secrets, deception, royalty and magic. I had really high hopes and while I did really enjoy reading this book it was no where near my expectations. While it wasn’t the great book that I had expected, it was still a good read and I found Kalen’s story to be interesting. I finished this book pretty quickly and thought that it was pretty good, but it just was lacking a little something.
From the very first chapter I was intrigued. I found the idea of being able to fetter out secrets through mind reading to be a fascinating concept and I really loved the way that it was used in this book. The way that memories were depicted was fascinating and I loved the physical depiction of how secrets were locked away. I loved how memories were described as well. Memories were seen more vivid than reality and I thought that was really interesting. But despite these fascinating ideas and uses of magic I think that this novel turned out to be just okay.
The characters fell a little flat for me. Kalen was interesting and sweet and I really liked him as a protagonist but I didn’t love him. Cirrus on the other hand I didn’t love. I found him to be kind of rude a lot of the time and I never really warmed up to him. Sometimes his remarks were funny, but for the most part I never really liked him. Luna on the other hand was a really fun and spunky character to read about, but she didn’t get much time in the book to really make her stand out. But Reign was a terrible character in my opinion. Her character development was non existent, yet she went from having no control over her power at all to being able to control it completely without any effort. It just seemed like a huge plot hole to me and it was hard to get past.
Overall I think that this novel was full of great ideas, but I think it needed more work. The characters needed more development and I even felt like the plot could have used more work. The climax didn’t have much of an impact and two days after reading the book it’s already fading from my mind. I’m pretty disappointed because I had anticipated this book to be a 5 star read and it’s already forgettable. I think a large part of my problem was that I went in with really high expectations and this just wasn’t the book that I wanted it to be.
Review: 3 Stars
As soon as I heard about this book I was excited for it. It had everything that I look for in a fantasy; secrets, deception, royalty and magic. I had really high hopes and while I did really enjoy reading this book it was no where near my expectations. While it wasn’t the great book that I had expected, it was still a good read and I found Kalen’s story to be interesting. I finished this book pretty quickly and thought that it was pretty good, but it just was lacking a little something.
From the very first chapter I was intrigued. I found the idea of being able to fetter out secrets through mind reading to be a fascinating concept and I really loved the way that it was used in this book. The way that memories were depicted was fascinating and I loved the physical depiction of how secrets were locked away. I loved how memories were described as well. Memories were seen more vivid than reality and I thought that was really interesting. But despite these fascinating ideas and uses of magic I think that this novel turned out to be just okay.
The characters fell a little flat for me. Kalen was interesting and sweet and I really liked him as a protagonist but I didn’t love him. Cirrus on the other hand I didn’t love. I found him to be kind of rude a lot of the time and I never really warmed up to him. Sometimes his remarks were funny, but for the most part I never really liked him. Luna on the other hand was a really fun and spunky character to read about, but she didn’t get much time in the book to really make her stand out. But Reign was a terrible character in my opinion. Her character development was non existent, yet she went from having no control over her power at all to being able to control it completely without any effort. It just seemed like a huge plot hole to me and it was hard to get past.
Overall I think that this novel was full of great ideas, but I think it needed more work. The characters needed more development and I even felt like the plot could have used more work. The climax didn’t have much of an impact and two days after reading the book it’s already fading from my mind. I’m pretty disappointed because I had anticipated this book to be a 5 star read and it’s already forgettable. I think a large part of my problem was that I went in with really high expectations and this just wasn’t the book that I wanted it to be.
January 29, 2020
Instalove x 2, a poorly developed plot, and equally undeveloped characters made this one miss the mark for me.
November 27, 2020
It feels like it's been a while since I updated my GoodReads with one of these. Busy, busy, busy. I hope to get a lot more read by the end of the year then what I have these past few months! Here's hoping.
Publication: January 14th 2020
Synopsis: Unlocking secrets is a dangerous skill.
Kalen is a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown.
But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life—and uncovers a terrifying secret. The prince has a sister, banished long ago, and she is the key to the destruction or survival of the kingdom.
With the help of Cirrus and a silver-haired thief named Luna, Kalen must find the princess and bring her home. Or risk death at the hands of his king.
Review/Thoughts: I don't really know what I was expecting when I went into this story. I don't think I really had a set of idea of how I wanted it to play out either. That's okay, I'm sure whatever idea I might have had or had come up with, wouldn't have been as good compared to what story that's actually held within the book.
I really loved Kalen. I liked how the author wrote about him using his ability, how it effected him and such. It was beautifully done and easy to follow the process. When he used his ability it truly felt like I had left the main story and, along with Kalen, looked into the past. I liked that there was consequences and side effects after each time he used it. I liked how that was a present thought throughout every more and choice that was made. They kept that knowledge in mind and worked around it. I loved when Kalen opened up about his family and past a bit. It was such a tender and touching moment that I had to read it twice! Definitely my favorite part out of the book.
Prince Cirrus was an interesting character, and I liked how he treated people like Kalen compared to how his father treated them. His friendship with Kalen was an interesting one to 'unlock'. In the beginning of the book you could tell they had a past and something happened, and I like how they rebuild their friendship and at the end end up having one again. Maybe not a perfect, or your typical, friendship but what one rarely is like the rest? Each is special in its own way.
One thing I liked about Luna was her appearance, mostly her silver colored hair, and her ability to resist any magic used against her. She made a nice addition to the team. I loved how she had her own little flaws and problems though. Like her sea sickness, a nice little touch. The relationship between her and Cirrus was nicely done. Slow and not instant. Bam! Up in your face! Just like that! They're cute together. (And I'd love to see them actually stay together. I wonder how she would do as Queen someday?)
I wasn't overly struck on Reign. And her romance felt to rushed. It felt like there was nothing there to back it up on. One of those 'love at first sight' moments, and I saw it coming but I kept trying to convince myself that it wouldn't happen, but it did. I'm a little disappointed in that. Her whole love life was rushed and, in my opinion, not built upon anything. There was a few moments that could have contributed to it, and could have built a nice relationship given more time but it was pushed. I would have been fine if she didn't end up with someone.
I liked the story, I truly did. It was nice and it had it's own different feel to it that I can't quite put into words. I'd give this 3.5 in stars. I would give it 4 but with Reign's love life--relationship thing I won't give it a full 4 and it's not terrible enough to give it 3 so 3.5 is accurate. Other than that big gripe with Reign, I loved the rest. The cover is different and unique, and that sky on it is gorgeous!
~Till the next Chapter~
You can also find me on:
WordPress: https://wordpress.com/view/areaderswo...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shylas_sher...
Publication: January 14th 2020
Synopsis: Unlocking secrets is a dangerous skill.
Kalen is a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown.
But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life—and uncovers a terrifying secret. The prince has a sister, banished long ago, and she is the key to the destruction or survival of the kingdom.
With the help of Cirrus and a silver-haired thief named Luna, Kalen must find the princess and bring her home. Or risk death at the hands of his king.
Review/Thoughts: I don't really know what I was expecting when I went into this story. I don't think I really had a set of idea of how I wanted it to play out either. That's okay, I'm sure whatever idea I might have had or had come up with, wouldn't have been as good compared to what story that's actually held within the book.
I really loved Kalen. I liked how the author wrote about him using his ability, how it effected him and such. It was beautifully done and easy to follow the process. When he used his ability it truly felt like I had left the main story and, along with Kalen, looked into the past. I liked that there was consequences and side effects after each time he used it. I liked how that was a present thought throughout every more and choice that was made. They kept that knowledge in mind and worked around it. I loved when Kalen opened up about his family and past a bit. It was such a tender and touching moment that I had to read it twice! Definitely my favorite part out of the book.
Prince Cirrus was an interesting character, and I liked how he treated people like Kalen compared to how his father treated them. His friendship with Kalen was an interesting one to 'unlock'. In the beginning of the book you could tell they had a past and something happened, and I like how they rebuild their friendship and at the end end up having one again. Maybe not a perfect, or your typical, friendship but what one rarely is like the rest? Each is special in its own way.
One thing I liked about Luna was her appearance, mostly her silver colored hair, and her ability to resist any magic used against her. She made a nice addition to the team. I loved how she had her own little flaws and problems though. Like her sea sickness, a nice little touch. The relationship between her and Cirrus was nicely done. Slow and not instant. Bam! Up in your face! Just like that! They're cute together. (And I'd love to see them actually stay together. I wonder how she would do as Queen someday?)
I wasn't overly struck on Reign. And her romance felt to rushed. It felt like there was nothing there to back it up on. One of those 'love at first sight' moments, and I saw it coming but I kept trying to convince myself that it wouldn't happen, but it did. I'm a little disappointed in that. Her whole love life was rushed and, in my opinion, not built upon anything. There was a few moments that could have contributed to it, and could have built a nice relationship given more time but it was pushed. I would have been fine if she didn't end up with someone.
I liked the story, I truly did. It was nice and it had it's own different feel to it that I can't quite put into words. I'd give this 3.5 in stars. I would give it 4 but with Reign's love life--relationship thing I won't give it a full 4 and it's not terrible enough to give it 3 so 3.5 is accurate. Other than that big gripe with Reign, I loved the rest. The cover is different and unique, and that sky on it is gorgeous!
~Till the next Chapter~
You can also find me on:
WordPress: https://wordpress.com/view/areaderswo...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shylas_sher...
December 22, 2019
Magic threatens to tear a kingdom apart in this new fantasy.
Kalen has the magical ability to see other people's memories, hidden or not. The king uses him as an interrogator, ignoring the pain and suffering it inflicts on Kalen. When secrets from the price's past come to light, Kalen sets off with some allies to find the truth.
First of all, it's nice to see a male main character in this kind of novel. It's almost always girls. However, as a novel, this isn't great.
It's a very clever idea. I haven't seen one quite like before. The descriptions of Kalen's power are great.
Sadly, the execution is just sort of ok. The language is strange - for example, "He was the adoration of the subjects of Mureau." (I'm reading an ARC, the language may be quite different by the time it publishes.) The reveal of Cirrus' postition is treated like a huge thing, but we only met him three pages before, so it was slightly muted! The group eventually consists of two girls and two boys, and one boy and girl are siblings and the others are like siblings, so naturally the unattached ones pair off.
It's not awful. It's a very clever idea, I enjoyed it and I'll watch out for more in the series. It's just not that great, either.
Kalen has the magical ability to see other people's memories, hidden or not. The king uses him as an interrogator, ignoring the pain and suffering it inflicts on Kalen. When secrets from the price's past come to light, Kalen sets off with some allies to find the truth.
First of all, it's nice to see a male main character in this kind of novel. It's almost always girls. However, as a novel, this isn't great.
It's a very clever idea. I haven't seen one quite like before. The descriptions of Kalen's power are great.
Sadly, the execution is just sort of ok. The language is strange - for example, "He was the adoration of the subjects of Mureau." (I'm reading an ARC, the language may be quite different by the time it publishes.) The reveal of Cirrus' postition is treated like a huge thing, but we only met him three pages before, so it was slightly muted! The group eventually consists of two girls and two boys, and one boy and girl are siblings and the others are like siblings, so naturally the unattached ones pair off.
It's not awful. It's a very clever idea, I enjoyed it and I'll watch out for more in the series. It's just not that great, either.
January 6, 2020
Even if it's an entertaining read the world building and the characters would need some more developments.
I found the plot enjoyable but the characters are flat and I think some more world building would be necessary.
I think it can be appreciated it you want an easy read.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I found the plot enjoyable but the characters are flat and I think some more world building would be necessary.
I think it can be appreciated it you want an easy read.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
April 4, 2022
ok book. Could have been written better. Everything happened too fast and the book wasn't clear on the whole plot. The ending was also overrated. don't know why i wanted to read this.
January 14, 2020
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The King's Questioner, by Nikki Katz, is the authors follow-up to The Midnight Dance. From all indications, this is a standalone but has avenues where the author can continue the story if she so chooses. Protagonist Kalen is a mental picklock - he can access a person's memories and secrets with a touch. He has the curious ability to unlock hidden doors and uncover secrets hidden away. The king uses him as an interrogator, ignoring the pain and suffering it inflicts on Kalen. But when Prince Cirrus falls into a coma one day, Kalen is asked to go into his mind and wake him.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The King's Questioner, by Nikki Katz, is the authors follow-up to The Midnight Dance. From all indications, this is a standalone but has avenues where the author can continue the story if she so chooses. Protagonist Kalen is a mental picklock - he can access a person's memories and secrets with a touch. He has the curious ability to unlock hidden doors and uncover secrets hidden away. The king uses him as an interrogator, ignoring the pain and suffering it inflicts on Kalen. But when Prince Cirrus falls into a coma one day, Kalen is asked to go into his mind and wake him.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
January 1, 2020
I was provided an ARC by the publisher in return for a fair review. All opinions are my own.
2* read, DNF 50%
This book has an amazing premise with all the right ingredients: a prince with a mysterious secret, a commoner with magic powers, and a dangerous quest. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The book begins by setting the main character, Kalen, and the prince up as rivals, but the animosity falls away so quickly and without comment that it might as well have not been there in the first place. There is very little characterization and this book very much tells the story rather than showing the reader and immersing them in the world. I was disappointed in this read, but it might be an enjoyable one for a reader who prefers a straightforward, uncomplicated adventure.
2* read, DNF 50%
This book has an amazing premise with all the right ingredients: a prince with a mysterious secret, a commoner with magic powers, and a dangerous quest. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The book begins by setting the main character, Kalen, and the prince up as rivals, but the animosity falls away so quickly and without comment that it might as well have not been there in the first place. There is very little characterization and this book very much tells the story rather than showing the reader and immersing them in the world. I was disappointed in this read, but it might be an enjoyable one for a reader who prefers a straightforward, uncomplicated adventure.
July 3, 2020
The King's Questioner wasn't bad exactly, but it wasn't very good either. Basically it was an interesting story, or should have been, but I didn't have an emotional connection to it--it didn't make me feel anything. 😐 Because of this, I got bored and had a difficult time finishing the book. However, this might be just me or my mood while I was reading; I'd hope that other people are able to enjoy it to an extent, even if it isn't the best book ever.
PROS: I found some of the mind-reading descriptions interesting, namely the way people's minds were described as physical places with locked doors and chests containing secret memories. I also enjoyed one memory scene in which the princess's singing was described "like water on sand" with other poetic language. 🎶
CONS: The story took place in a plain, unextraordinary medieval fantasy world. The characters were trying to "save the kingdom," but I couldn't tell why I should care about said kingdom. It also wasn't always clear what was motivating the characters. I disliked the overall feel of the book and I found the character names somewhat unoriginal. As mentioned above, the book lacked emotion for me. Lastly, I felt like when the characters were trying to solve a mystery, they seemed to rely on luck to stumble across clues, and conveniently, it worked out perfectly.
Overall, The King's Questioner wasn't for me. If you are considering reading this book and were intrigued by the premise, I wouldn't discourage you from reading it, but don't expect it to be amazing. I hope you're able to enjoy it more than I did.
PROS: I found some of the mind-reading descriptions interesting, namely the way people's minds were described as physical places with locked doors and chests containing secret memories. I also enjoyed one memory scene in which the princess's singing was described "like water on sand" with other poetic language. 🎶
CONS: The story took place in a plain, unextraordinary medieval fantasy world. The characters were trying to "save the kingdom," but I couldn't tell why I should care about said kingdom. It also wasn't always clear what was motivating the characters. I disliked the overall feel of the book and I found the character names somewhat unoriginal. As mentioned above, the book lacked emotion for me. Lastly, I felt like when the characters were trying to solve a mystery, they seemed to rely on luck to stumble across clues, and conveniently, it worked out perfectly.
Overall, The King's Questioner wasn't for me. If you are considering reading this book and were intrigued by the premise, I wouldn't discourage you from reading it, but don't expect it to be amazing. I hope you're able to enjoy it more than I did.
January 16, 2020
If you're a huge fan of fantasy but you're tired of dedicating yourself to huge series or 1000+ books, read this short, fun standalone book.
How do I sum up my feelings for this book? (Plot twist if I don't) Well, basically this book will make you fall in love with an amazing cast of characters. You ship them, you want to murder some of them, you want some of them to just... shut up for a minute. It gives you all the feels.
Then, on top of the characters, you have entered into a gorgeous high fantasy world. It's complete with several visits to some GORGEOUS cities with such good descriptions you feel like you could be standing there. A lot of the book is, like... a fantasy aesthetic. It's just descriptions and beautifulness that make you want to go visit the place in real life.
Then, of course, there's the plot. I don't think that the plot in this book was especially strong but somehow I loved it just as much anyways? Like, that doesn't make much sense but the rest of it was SO GOOD that it almost didn't rely on a super strong plot. I will definitely be reading Nikki Katz future books.
How do I sum up my feelings for this book? (Plot twist if I don't) Well, basically this book will make you fall in love with an amazing cast of characters. You ship them, you want to murder some of them, you want some of them to just... shut up for a minute. It gives you all the feels.
Then, on top of the characters, you have entered into a gorgeous high fantasy world. It's complete with several visits to some GORGEOUS cities with such good descriptions you feel like you could be standing there. A lot of the book is, like... a fantasy aesthetic. It's just descriptions and beautifulness that make you want to go visit the place in real life.
Then, of course, there's the plot. I don't think that the plot in this book was especially strong but somehow I loved it just as much anyways? Like, that doesn't make much sense but the rest of it was SO GOOD that it almost didn't rely on a super strong plot. I will definitely be reading Nikki Katz future books.
February 4, 2020
Not necessarily good, but not the worst book I've read.
The Good
– Very straightforward plot
– Not the worst book I've read
– Not trope-y
The Bad
– Not trope-y
– Characters are either boring or annoying
– Characters lack depth: What the hell is Kalen's motivation?
– What the hell is up with Luna's silver hair?
– Graceless, inexperienced writing
– Bloated by unnecessary descriptions and awkward sentences
– Ending every chapter with a dramatic line
– That goddamn ugly cover
– Cliche dialogue
The King's Questioner is a book lacking in many departments. The characters lack depth—Kalen is particularly dull. The writing lacks refinement. The entire thing lacks nuance. But the characters say they're going to do something and then they do it—no walls of internal monologues, no romantic waffling, no unnecessary drama—and that in itself is a rarity.
Story
Kalen's job as the King's Questioner is to use his ability to glance into the mind of suspects and prisoners to determine their guilt. When the prince falls into a coma, Kalen enters his mind to revive him and discovers a dark secret in the process: there's a second royal child, a princess, whom the king exiled shortly after her birth.
The King's Questioner is miraculously straightforward: the characters discover a princess—who may or may not be related to the strange, emotion-altering jewels circulating in the city—and set out to find her. And that's exactly what they do. No muss, no fuss. Just a very, very straightforward action/adventure fantasy with a side of romance. Noted, Katz is rather hamfisted about how Kalen and the gang go about it. They go to one location, find an easy-to-interpret clue about where to head next and then they go to the next location. Rinse and repeat. There's a bit of tacky banter and a lot of bad peasant slang—slang here—on the way, but they get there, and there's not much more to say about the plot beyond that. Katz never really plays with tropes, so if you like them, there's nothing here. But this lack of tropes seems more like a lack of awareness or understanding of them rather than a real attempt to subvert any expectations.
I'm at odds with the setting. How much worldbuilding is expected from a short, standalone fantasy? Katz has worked out enough for the story to function and attempts to differentiate between the different regions without culturally coding them—for better or for worse. Her descriptions of individual settings were one of the greatest downfalls of The King's Questioner. Every place is described in excess, with Katz dumping a massive list upon the reader when introducing each new location. This overwhelms the reader more than aids them in conjuring the setting in their head. It's unnecessary 90% of the time and weighs an already short book down. We do not need a laundry list description for a building the characters stay in for a heartbeat and which has absolutely no bearing on the story. I did appreciate the use of correct terms for certain articles: the castle bailey and tender boat, for example.
Characters
Honestly, these guys were pretty flat. Kalen was a decent guy who gets headaches. Prince Cirrus was something of a scoundrel. Reign was angsty. Luna was spunky, but more importantly, Luna was a sort of walking multi-tool. She has a passive magic ability no one's ever discovered, she's a flawless thief, and she's got a herb on hand for every occasion. Between the four of them, they sort most trouble out fast. There are no real barriers or tension. They also had a knack for finding something to complain about.
No, I do not know what's up with Luna. With her universal abilities and inexplicable silver hair, she sounds like a young writer's first indulgent self-insert character. Except Luna doesn't actually behave like one and the author is a grown-ass woman.
(And, as you can tell, the naming scheme is chaos.)
I like how Kalen accomplished moving the plot forward, but he's got the depth of a piece of cardstock and no real motivation as a protagonist. No real reason to like him either, besides managing the low, low bar of not being a dick. His eventual romance makes sense and is sort of sweet, but happens in such a short span of time it's hard to care.
Writing Style
The King's Questioner is told in the third person, past tense from Kalen's point of view.
The writing here is graceless and haphazard, crying out for lack of experience or even an understanding of what needs to happen in the prose to convey a story properly . The King's Questioner is full of weak word choices, cliche dialogue and unnecessary descriptions. There isn't much book here to begin with and the whole thing could lose another third of its weight by cutting out the useless descriptions. Katz also has a terrible, terrible habit of ending each chapter with a tacky, overdramatic line, typically eliciting an eye roll rather than increased intrigue from the reader. The whole thing is cringeworthy from top to bottom.
Themes and Representation
The King's Questioner touches on elements of loneliness, along with the powers of patience and love, but those are more of an accidental byproduct stumbled upon, rather than an intentional and ingrained part of the book.
As is most of the representation: there's parental abandonment, emotional abuse, childhood neglect and isolation. But The King's Questioner is never actually about these things.
Recommended For...
Those who want to turn their brain off and autopilot through a straightforward adventure.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
The Good
– Very straightforward plot
– Not the worst book I've read
– Not trope-y
The Bad
– Not trope-y
– Characters are either boring or annoying
– Characters lack depth: What the hell is Kalen's motivation?
– What the hell is up with Luna's silver hair?
– Graceless, inexperienced writing
– Bloated by unnecessary descriptions and awkward sentences
– Ending every chapter with a dramatic line
– That goddamn ugly cover
– Cliche dialogue
The King's Questioner is a book lacking in many departments. The characters lack depth—Kalen is particularly dull. The writing lacks refinement. The entire thing lacks nuance. But the characters say they're going to do something and then they do it—no walls of internal monologues, no romantic waffling, no unnecessary drama—and that in itself is a rarity.
Story
Kalen's job as the King's Questioner is to use his ability to glance into the mind of suspects and prisoners to determine their guilt. When the prince falls into a coma, Kalen enters his mind to revive him and discovers a dark secret in the process: there's a second royal child, a princess, whom the king exiled shortly after her birth.
The King's Questioner is miraculously straightforward: the characters discover a princess—who may or may not be related to the strange, emotion-altering jewels circulating in the city—and set out to find her. And that's exactly what they do. No muss, no fuss. Just a very, very straightforward action/adventure fantasy with a side of romance. Noted, Katz is rather hamfisted about how Kalen and the gang go about it. They go to one location, find an easy-to-interpret clue about where to head next and then they go to the next location. Rinse and repeat. There's a bit of tacky banter and a lot of bad peasant slang—slang here—on the way, but they get there, and there's not much more to say about the plot beyond that. Katz never really plays with tropes, so if you like them, there's nothing here. But this lack of tropes seems more like a lack of awareness or understanding of them rather than a real attempt to subvert any expectations.
I'm at odds with the setting. How much worldbuilding is expected from a short, standalone fantasy? Katz has worked out enough for the story to function and attempts to differentiate between the different regions without culturally coding them—for better or for worse. Her descriptions of individual settings were one of the greatest downfalls of The King's Questioner. Every place is described in excess, with Katz dumping a massive list upon the reader when introducing each new location. This overwhelms the reader more than aids them in conjuring the setting in their head. It's unnecessary 90% of the time and weighs an already short book down. We do not need a laundry list description for a building the characters stay in for a heartbeat and which has absolutely no bearing on the story. I did appreciate the use of correct terms for certain articles: the castle bailey and tender boat, for example.
Characters
Honestly, these guys were pretty flat. Kalen was a decent guy who gets headaches. Prince Cirrus was something of a scoundrel. Reign was angsty. Luna was spunky, but more importantly, Luna was a sort of walking multi-tool. She has a passive magic ability no one's ever discovered, she's a flawless thief, and she's got a herb on hand for every occasion. Between the four of them, they sort most trouble out fast. There are no real barriers or tension. They also had a knack for finding something to complain about.
No, I do not know what's up with Luna. With her universal abilities and inexplicable silver hair, she sounds like a young writer's first indulgent self-insert character. Except Luna doesn't actually behave like one and the author is a grown-ass woman.
(And, as you can tell, the naming scheme is chaos.)
I like how Kalen accomplished moving the plot forward, but he's got the depth of a piece of cardstock and no real motivation as a protagonist. No real reason to like him either, besides managing the low, low bar of not being a dick. His eventual romance makes sense and is sort of sweet, but happens in such a short span of time it's hard to care.
Writing Style
The King's Questioner is told in the third person, past tense from Kalen's point of view.
The writing here is graceless and haphazard, crying out for lack of experience or even an understanding of what needs to happen in the prose to convey a story properly . The King's Questioner is full of weak word choices, cliche dialogue and unnecessary descriptions. There isn't much book here to begin with and the whole thing could lose another third of its weight by cutting out the useless descriptions. Katz also has a terrible, terrible habit of ending each chapter with a tacky, overdramatic line, typically eliciting an eye roll rather than increased intrigue from the reader. The whole thing is cringeworthy from top to bottom.
Themes and Representation
The King's Questioner touches on elements of loneliness, along with the powers of patience and love, but those are more of an accidental byproduct stumbled upon, rather than an intentional and ingrained part of the book.
As is most of the representation: there's parental abandonment, emotional abuse, childhood neglect and isolation. But The King's Questioner is never actually about these things.
Recommended For...
Those who want to turn their brain off and autopilot through a straightforward adventure.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
October 3, 2020
Alright.... so this book had all the making for a really amazing read..... but it needed more.... off everything. I liked so much about it but it was like some one let the air out of the balloon mid way in its creation. The characters had solid bases and really could have come alive with a little more development. As well as the relationships that formed during the course of the bo0k as well. It was like someone pressed fast forward and while the plot was strong in what it wanted to present.... The overall outcome wasn't what it could have been. I think this book really needed to be a little longer in all honesty with all those missing small details would have made this book a really great read. But it was nothing to turn your nose up at. Characters and plot were both created with a lot of potential and the book itself was decent because of it.
August 12, 2020
This book had a lot of things going for it in the beginning. A clever premise and likable characters got me invested, but unfortunately it just didn’t feel properly developed. The pacing and plot felt clunky (lots of description of odd unimportant things, rushed descriptions of actually relevant information,) and overall it seemed to suffer from a lot of telling instead of showing.
The author clearly has a great idea here, I just wished it had been developed more fully before publishing. That being said, I read an ARC so there could be more polishing that happens before it is published, but I think it would be well served by at least another 100 pages.
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 ⭐️
The author clearly has a great idea here, I just wished it had been developed more fully before publishing. That being said, I read an ARC so there could be more polishing that happens before it is published, but I think it would be well served by at least another 100 pages.
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 ⭐️
December 19, 2019
Sadly this story suffered from being underdeveloped in my mind. The characters were on the edge of greatness and the story felt the same way. The premise sounded so amazing but the story itself lacked the spark to get off the ground. I wanted to really love this one but it felt like the author was afraid to go that extra step and break out of their shell. I wished that they wouldn't have held anything back.
Go Into This One Knowing: Underdeveloped
Go Into This One Knowing: Underdeveloped
October 27, 2020
This was one of the most boring books I've read this year. I was so excited because I liked the cover, but holy shit. The plot is super rushed, there's so many things that trail off and don't really become anything, and there's so many times where the dialogue and the story are just... bland. Maybe if this book was longer and more fleshed out it would have been better, but as it stood, this was hard to get through. The characters didn't feel fully formed. Their relationships were rushed and stilted. There was very little to keep you actually wanting to read this. Since it was so short, I pushed on to finish it. I feel like I wasted my time. I could have read something actually good.
December 14, 2019
I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
The plot of this book sounded so good that I jumped ahead of some other books to read it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The idea of being able to access someone's memories for interrogation was good but the process was a little hokey with the memories being behind locked doors that Kalen has to pick lock. The story was slow and pretty boring and of course there was insta-love thrown in. None of the characters stood out except for maybe Luna. This just could have been way better all around.
The plot of this book sounded so good that I jumped ahead of some other books to read it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The idea of being able to access someone's memories for interrogation was good but the process was a little hokey with the memories being behind locked doors that Kalen has to pick lock. The story was slow and pretty boring and of course there was insta-love thrown in. None of the characters stood out except for maybe Luna. This just could have been way better all around.
January 15, 2020
4.5 Stars
The King’s Questioner by Nikki Katz is a thrilling YA fantasy story filled with adventure, magic, drama, and plenty of thrills that will keep readers enthralled until the very last page.
Kalen has a rare ability that allows him to access someone’s personal memories with a touch. His gift (or curse as he likes to call it) makes him a valuable asset to the king and the perfect questioner to prisoners of the crown. When Kalen discovers a secret that could either destroy or save the kingdom, he sets out on a mission to find the prince’s younger sister who was banished a long time ago. Will Kalen succeed in figuring out the truth about the princess and safely bring her home?
The premise for this book intrigued me from the very beginning and I’m happy to say that overall, this is an enjoyable and entertaining YA fantasy tale. Even though the beginning chapters are a bit slow for me, there are elements of the story that I found interesting enough to keep me reading and I’m so happy I did. The story picks up quite nicely, the characters are absolutely adorable, and the storyline is thrilling, twisty, and just so much fun! I enjoyed the world-building, the magic, the drama, the suspense, the action, and the twists and surprises. I love the dynamic between Kalen, Luna and Cirrus and seeing them all grow to become better friends is so heartwarming. There’s even a little romance, but I won’t get into details and ruin the fun for you. It’s definitely cute and swoony and just enough to keep you wanting more. I have to say, there are a few minor flaws, some awkward scenes towards the end, and the conclusion just seemed a bit too rushed. However, those didn’t really take away much from the story and all in all, I truly had a great time reading this book and going on an epic adventure with Kalen, Luna, and Cirrus. Definitely going to miss those three and of course, Reign too.
With an engaging storyline, interesting and loveable characters you’ll root for with all your heart, and an exciting adventure you won’t want to end, The King’s Questioner is a must-read fantasy book that will surely thrill plenty of readers. Nikki Katz has created such a fun and fascinating tale filled with danger, action, secrets, magic, friendship, loyalty, and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend you add this on your TBR!
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours for participating in a Book Blog Tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
See review on my blog - Sincerely Karen Jo
The King’s Questioner by Nikki Katz is a thrilling YA fantasy story filled with adventure, magic, drama, and plenty of thrills that will keep readers enthralled until the very last page.
Kalen has a rare ability that allows him to access someone’s personal memories with a touch. His gift (or curse as he likes to call it) makes him a valuable asset to the king and the perfect questioner to prisoners of the crown. When Kalen discovers a secret that could either destroy or save the kingdom, he sets out on a mission to find the prince’s younger sister who was banished a long time ago. Will Kalen succeed in figuring out the truth about the princess and safely bring her home?
The premise for this book intrigued me from the very beginning and I’m happy to say that overall, this is an enjoyable and entertaining YA fantasy tale. Even though the beginning chapters are a bit slow for me, there are elements of the story that I found interesting enough to keep me reading and I’m so happy I did. The story picks up quite nicely, the characters are absolutely adorable, and the storyline is thrilling, twisty, and just so much fun! I enjoyed the world-building, the magic, the drama, the suspense, the action, and the twists and surprises. I love the dynamic between Kalen, Luna and Cirrus and seeing them all grow to become better friends is so heartwarming. There’s even a little romance, but I won’t get into details and ruin the fun for you. It’s definitely cute and swoony and just enough to keep you wanting more. I have to say, there are a few minor flaws, some awkward scenes towards the end, and the conclusion just seemed a bit too rushed. However, those didn’t really take away much from the story and all in all, I truly had a great time reading this book and going on an epic adventure with Kalen, Luna, and Cirrus. Definitely going to miss those three and of course, Reign too.
With an engaging storyline, interesting and loveable characters you’ll root for with all your heart, and an exciting adventure you won’t want to end, The King’s Questioner is a must-read fantasy book that will surely thrill plenty of readers. Nikki Katz has created such a fun and fascinating tale filled with danger, action, secrets, magic, friendship, loyalty, and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend you add this on your TBR!
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours for participating in a Book Blog Tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
See review on my blog - Sincerely Karen Jo
January 14, 2020
More book stuff can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/
Kalen has a gift (or a curse if you ask him) where he can touch a person and discover their secrets, no matter how well they believe they are locked up. This skill makes him very useful to the king when it comes to interrogating prisoners. When Kalen discovers a secret he was never suppose to know, he sets out on a dangerous mission to save his kingdom and find the truth.
I am a super cover snob and I will admit that I was not really a fan of this cover. That being said, the premise sounds interesting and I had previously read a book by this author that I really enjoyed, so I was willing to give this story a chance. And I am so glad that I did! I ended up spending my whole weekend with this story and the adorable character of Kalen and his random group of comrades, reading the book and thinking about the world and the plot even while I was not reading. I feel like this was enough of a different kind of questing adventure, with touches of real life mixed in with fantasy elements, blending so seamlessly and at the same time keeping me guessing what would happen next.
There was so much going on in the story, be it secrets, conspiracies, missing sisters, all kinds of magical gifts, a terrible journey with assassins dogging their steps, scary encounters, flirting, romance, court intrigue and of course gambling! The cast of characters that were featured in the story were just as complicated as the plot. Kalen was a straight shooter, honest to his core and with a true morality that guided his every action. He was our narrator and I loved seeing everything from his unbiased view. We also have his best friend Luna who is immune to all things magic and can And then their is the playboy prince Cirrus, who use to be Kalen's best friend until that all fell apart, and who is cocky and sure of himself but can't stand the dark. Together the three made the adventuring dream team with cunning, skills and lots of great banter.
I kinda feel like The King's Questioner snuck up on me in the best of ways. I really enjoyed this standalone fantasy read and how the story ended and I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a new YA fantasy adventure with great characters, dangerous challenges and a sweet romance.
Kalen has a gift (or a curse if you ask him) where he can touch a person and discover their secrets, no matter how well they believe they are locked up. This skill makes him very useful to the king when it comes to interrogating prisoners. When Kalen discovers a secret he was never suppose to know, he sets out on a dangerous mission to save his kingdom and find the truth.
I am a super cover snob and I will admit that I was not really a fan of this cover. That being said, the premise sounds interesting and I had previously read a book by this author that I really enjoyed, so I was willing to give this story a chance. And I am so glad that I did! I ended up spending my whole weekend with this story and the adorable character of Kalen and his random group of comrades, reading the book and thinking about the world and the plot even while I was not reading. I feel like this was enough of a different kind of questing adventure, with touches of real life mixed in with fantasy elements, blending so seamlessly and at the same time keeping me guessing what would happen next.
There was so much going on in the story, be it secrets, conspiracies, missing sisters, all kinds of magical gifts, a terrible journey with assassins dogging their steps, scary encounters, flirting, romance, court intrigue and of course gambling! The cast of characters that were featured in the story were just as complicated as the plot. Kalen was a straight shooter, honest to his core and with a true morality that guided his every action. He was our narrator and I loved seeing everything from his unbiased view. We also have his best friend Luna who is immune to all things magic and can And then their is the playboy prince Cirrus, who use to be Kalen's best friend until that all fell apart, and who is cocky and sure of himself but can't stand the dark. Together the three made the adventuring dream team with cunning, skills and lots of great banter.
I kinda feel like The King's Questioner snuck up on me in the best of ways. I really enjoyed this standalone fantasy read and how the story ended and I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a new YA fantasy adventure with great characters, dangerous challenges and a sweet romance.
January 10, 2020
Find this review and more on my blog at
Worlds Unlike Our Own
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Thank you to the publisher, Swoon Reads, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kalen, who has the gift of seeing people’s memory with a single touch, is the King’s Questioner, and assists in interrogating prisoners for the King. But when Prince Cirrus falls into a coma one day and Kalen goes into his mind to wake him, he comes across a long buried memory that hides a terrible secret – the prince has a sister, who was sent away due to her terrifying gift. A sister, who was prophesied to be either the survival or destruction of the kingdom. And with unrest against the crown rising in the city, Kalen must now set off on a quest with his once-friend, Prince Cirrus, to bring home the princess.
This plot had so much potential, and yet, the execution was almost too simplistic and didn’t take the chance to expand the plot in any way. There was nothing particularly wrong with any of it – the characters were solid enough, and the world-building was off to a pretty good start too. This book just needed more – a little more suspense, complexity, and definitely a good bit longer too. I would have liked to know more about the sorciers and the nature of their abilities, and why only some people are born with these powers. The characters would have benefitted from a little more development and depth as there was barely enough time to properly figure any of them out. Plotwise, things seem to happen very easily for our characters, and it all goes mostly according to plan, which seems a little unrealistic. The ending is rather rushed, but does leave room for future sequels.
Overall, this is not a bad read, just one with a very simple plot and not too many layers to the story. And with the kind of books I usually read, especially in fantasy, I like trying to figure out complex plots and cliffhangers which were all missing here. Still, The King’s Questioner has a good concept and writing style and is a pretty light and easy read too!
Thank you to the publisher, Swoon Reads, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kalen, who has the gift of seeing people’s memory with a single touch, is the King’s Questioner, and assists in interrogating prisoners for the King. But when Prince Cirrus falls into a coma one day and Kalen goes into his mind to wake him, he comes across a long buried memory that hides a terrible secret – the prince has a sister, who was sent away due to her terrifying gift. A sister, who was prophesied to be either the survival or destruction of the kingdom. And with unrest against the crown rising in the city, Kalen must now set off on a quest with his once-friend, Prince Cirrus, to bring home the princess.
This plot had so much potential, and yet, the execution was almost too simplistic and didn’t take the chance to expand the plot in any way. There was nothing particularly wrong with any of it – the characters were solid enough, and the world-building was off to a pretty good start too. This book just needed more – a little more suspense, complexity, and definitely a good bit longer too. I would have liked to know more about the sorciers and the nature of their abilities, and why only some people are born with these powers. The characters would have benefitted from a little more development and depth as there was barely enough time to properly figure any of them out. Plotwise, things seem to happen very easily for our characters, and it all goes mostly according to plan, which seems a little unrealistic. The ending is rather rushed, but does leave room for future sequels.
Overall, this is not a bad read, just one with a very simple plot and not too many layers to the story. And with the kind of books I usually read, especially in fantasy, I like trying to figure out complex plots and cliffhangers which were all missing here. Still, The King’s Questioner has a good concept and writing style and is a pretty light and easy read too!
January 16, 2020
I've always wanted to read The Midnight Dance but you know... too many books, too little time... so I'm aware of Nikki Katz and when the opportunity came to participate in this blog tour, I had little hesitation. The blurb feels like it could be right in my alley even if the cover is somewhat unappealing but I'm one of those who thinks less is more and there was just too many things happening there. Still, I could have enjoyed the story... historical fantasy YA has always been a weakness of mine.
The King's Questioner has quite interesting premise with a protagonist who can access your mind by a touch - who wants anyone to rummage to your mind?! And a banished princess who can either destroy or save the kingdom. Friends and frenemies formed a circle to unlock this secret in a bid to save the kingdom. Will they survive? And dare I hope for romance along the way? (I can't help it! I'm a romantic)
This world and its magic were actually exactly what I was looking for. And I truly enjoy the interaction between Kalen, Luna, and Cirrus. I really like their friendship and how they work together. The King's Questioner was very very easy to read but I felt a little two dimensional. I think it was trying to fit too many things into it that there just wasn't enough left to develop the world. There wasn't a twist to jolt me and I'm also left with a number of questions. Overall, interesting world + great friendship + average romance(s) = I like it.
My thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on this tour and copy of ebook in exchange of honest review
The King's Questioner has quite interesting premise with a protagonist who can access your mind by a touch - who wants anyone to rummage to your mind?! And a banished princess who can either destroy or save the kingdom. Friends and frenemies formed a circle to unlock this secret in a bid to save the kingdom. Will they survive? And dare I hope for romance along the way? (I can't help it! I'm a romantic)
This world and its magic were actually exactly what I was looking for. And I truly enjoy the interaction between Kalen, Luna, and Cirrus. I really like their friendship and how they work together. The King's Questioner was very very easy to read but I felt a little two dimensional. I think it was trying to fit too many things into it that there just wasn't enough left to develop the world. There wasn't a twist to jolt me and I'm also left with a number of questions. Overall, interesting world + great friendship + average romance(s) = I like it.
My thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on this tour and copy of ebook in exchange of honest review
January 19, 2020
5 CRANKY STARS
When one writes reviews for every book they read, they tend to remember details from other books as well. This book brought nothing specific to mind. It was a refreshing story about a people wary of magic but who exploited the ones capable of using it when needed. The settings and people were well expressed, and I soon found myself in the middle of their adventures. I didn’t like the voyage on a ship in such rough seas on my first cruise either so I could sympathize with Luna.
This story revolves around Kalen. A young man, a friend of Prince Cirrus, who has the remarkable ability to see into other people’s minds and unlock their most hidden secrets. His touch on bare skin is all it takes to get pulled in so, he always wears gloves. Everyone knows who he is when they see the gloves, so he is greatly feared. There is something very wrong in the kingdom. It appears that a revolt is near. When Cirrus turns up unconscious, the King has Kalen look for a cause. What he sees will change everything. Off with Cirrus and Luna to solve this dilemma is a life-threatening task. A must read if you want adventure and mystery. I can’t reveal more without spoiling the suspense.
When one writes reviews for every book they read, they tend to remember details from other books as well. This book brought nothing specific to mind. It was a refreshing story about a people wary of magic but who exploited the ones capable of using it when needed. The settings and people were well expressed, and I soon found myself in the middle of their adventures. I didn’t like the voyage on a ship in such rough seas on my first cruise either so I could sympathize with Luna.
This story revolves around Kalen. A young man, a friend of Prince Cirrus, who has the remarkable ability to see into other people’s minds and unlock their most hidden secrets. His touch on bare skin is all it takes to get pulled in so, he always wears gloves. Everyone knows who he is when they see the gloves, so he is greatly feared. There is something very wrong in the kingdom. It appears that a revolt is near. When Cirrus turns up unconscious, the King has Kalen look for a cause. What he sees will change everything. Off with Cirrus and Luna to solve this dilemma is a life-threatening task. A must read if you want adventure and mystery. I can’t reveal more without spoiling the suspense.
January 30, 2020
Actual star rating is 3 1/2 stars
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
An entertaining and unique mystical story. I was fascinated with its premise/plot. I liked the somewhat imaginative description of Kalen's use of his gift. The characters were likeable and unlikeable alike... Ha! However, it does take a lot of imagination to get immersed into this story. I found that, although an intriguing story, it lacks development in both characterization and world-building. When I read I tend to imagine it form in my mind, but this was not the case with The King's Questioner . It felt more like a blur to me as I read on... As if I couldn't get a clear "picture" of everything.
The King's Questioner is a captivating read needing more development. This has a lot of promise in being an enthralling epic fantasy. Overall, I did enjoy this read. I just didn't get immersed into this world as much as I would have liked when reading a fantasy filled with mystery and magic.
Reviewer: Jasmine
Disclaimer: We received a free copy for an honest review. All is my own opinion.
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
An entertaining and unique mystical story. I was fascinated with its premise/plot. I liked the somewhat imaginative description of Kalen's use of his gift. The characters were likeable and unlikeable alike... Ha! However, it does take a lot of imagination to get immersed into this story. I found that, although an intriguing story, it lacks development in both characterization and world-building. When I read I tend to imagine it form in my mind, but this was not the case with The King's Questioner . It felt more like a blur to me as I read on... As if I couldn't get a clear "picture" of everything.
The King's Questioner is a captivating read needing more development. This has a lot of promise in being an enthralling epic fantasy. Overall, I did enjoy this read. I just didn't get immersed into this world as much as I would have liked when reading a fantasy filled with mystery and magic.
Reviewer: Jasmine
Disclaimer: We received a free copy for an honest review. All is my own opinion.
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