The King's Henchmen

The Henchmen Chronicles #1

by Craig Halloran

A washed-up pro athlete is transformed into the deadliest warrior in the world. 

Still reeling from the tragic events that threw his life into turmoil, Abraham Jenkins now rides the lonely roads as a delivery man. Until one day fate intervenes…

Abraham is suddenly catapulted into a bizarre fantasy world unlike anything he's ever imagined. A world of assassins, monsters, and brutal lords. To survive, he must lead a notorious group known as the King's Henchmen on a do or die mission. 

Surrounded by henchmen who don't trust him, and a ruthless king’s death sentence hanging over his head, Abraham must do whatever it takes to live long enough to save a kingdom in chaos and figure out how to return home. Because even a humdrum life on the road beats braving a bloody kingdom in chaos.

This one-of-a-kind gritty fantasy adventure series offers everything from the classic Chronicles of Thomas Covenant to the savage world of Robert E. Howard’s Conan. 

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More about Craig and his  

Craig Halloran is a #1 Bestselling Amazon Author in the following genres and

Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Dragons, Coming of Age, Werewolves & Shifters, Dark Fantasy and Collections & Anthologies. He is a KDP All-Star and Top 100 Amazon author as well. 

The Darkslayer, Series 1 (6 books)

The Darkslayer, Series 2: Bish and Bone (10 books)

The Odyssey of Nath Dragon, The Chronicles of Dragon Prequel Series (5 Books)

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 1 (10 Books)

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Tail of the Dragon (10 Books)

The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files (10 Books)

The Clash of Heroes (3 Books)

Zombie Impact (3 Books)

The Gamma Earth Cycle (3 Books)

The Red Citadel and the Sorcerer’s Power (5 books in 1)

Learn more about Craig and his works  WWW.CRAIGHALLORAN.COM

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Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Classics, Fiction, Epic Fantasy

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2019

About the author

Craig Halloran grew up a role playing fiend and dungeon master's nightmare. Since, he's turned his boundless creativity into more than 80 acclaimed novels that span a wide variety of fantasy fiction sub-genres, from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery to future world apocalypse. Creator of the bestselling Darkslayer and the Chronicles of the Dragon series, he imagines unique worlds and wonders that are breathtaking in concept, and then brings them to life in stories brimming with excitement, suspense, and surprise. A former military policeman who now labors in the realm of the remarkable, Halloran has a large and loyal following of devoted fans who eagerly devour his page-turning, action-packed tales of fantastic adventure.

For more news and anecdotes you can follow him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran
www.craighalloran.com (Website and Blog)
www.thedarkslayer.com
www.dragonwarsbooks.com

Or drop him a line anytime as he loves to hear from readers: craig@thedarkslayer.com

***

#1 Bestseller of Epic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery & KDP All-Star!

Dragon Wars (20 Books) releasing 2020-21

The Darkslayer Series #1 (6 Books)

The Darkslayer Series #2 (10 books)

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #1 (10 Books)

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #2 (10 Books)

The Odyssey of Nath Dragon, Prequel series, (5 Books)

The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files (10 books)

The Henchmen Chronicles (5 Books)

The Red Citadel and the Sorcerer's Power (1 Stand Alone Book)

The Gamma Earth Cycle (2 Books, Work in Progress)

Zombie Impact (3 Books)

Top Spot: Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Coming of Age Anthologies, Werewolves & Shifters
Top 5: Thrillers & Suspense/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters/Vampires
Top 10: Dark Fantasy
Top 10: Coming of Age
Top 100: Genre Fiction

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: (Free in Kindle Store)
#1 Epic Fantasy
#1 Sword & Sorcery
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#1 Genetic Engineering
#1 Thrillers/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters and Vampires

Over 4000 reviews
4-Star+ Average Rating

Reviews

[Kevin Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to rate this one, as there are a few aspects that I really loved but others that just didn't work for me.

First, let' talk about the audiobook narrator.
Alexander Cendese once again gives us an all-star performance! His voices are wonderfully crafted and even his female voices are believable. He has excellent control of vocal inflections and his tempo shifts throughout the text are nothing short of masterful.

Now, for the story.
First, I actually quite like the main character. In strong counterpoint to some of this author's previous work, Abraham Jenkins is a good person with a strong moral compass who is trapped in the torment of having lost his wife and child. Although I don't quite believe some of his actions and motivations, he's a great character.

My only real issues are A, I really dislike main characters that are instantly and automatically expert warriors that are virtually undefeatable. I can accept it when the character is a war veteran and it's explained. And yes, a certain amount of combat ability is muscle memory, so he would inherit a certain amount of his host's skill. But not all of it. He certainly would not still be the best swordsman in the world.

And B, I'm left having flashbacks of the torture that was Thomas Covenant, in that we have a character who goes from the real world to a fantasy realm but doesn't believe the world he's in is real. Except that this breaks down in his reactions and internal motivations.

**small rant here. Feel free to skip it***
See, the big issue is that writing a character who truly doesn't believe what he's experiencing is real is an extremely difficult thing to do believably. If he truly didn't believe in the world around him, he would not agonize over any decision. He wouldn't put any thought whatsoever into how his actions are going to affect anyone. And he certainly wouldn't put any thought into the thoughts, feelings, or general well-being of those around him. Nor would he go out of his way to protect any of them. And for that matter, he probably wouldn't do much to safeguard even his own life, since he would be expecting to just "wake up" if he "died" there.
***okay, rant over***

The majority of the side characters are sadly little more than set dressing until the very end, but there are a couple of gems.

While I understand why the author chose to open with a prologue that takes place around the middle of the story, I can't help thinking the story would have been better as a chronological narrative. If he wanted to make it clear from the get-go what kind of story we were reading, I think he would have been better served using the epilogue (or a shortened version of it) to open the story.

Speaking of the epilogue, I still can't wrap my head around why it's there. At first I thought maybe it was there to explain a few things that are left as wide, gaping question marks during the main story, but it doesn't really answer those questions. It gives some good background and does a good job of adding substance to several characters (while adding a giant inconsistency), but overall it felt completely unnecessary.

My best guess is that the author wrote it as a prequel novella to be a freebie for email subscribers. But again, I can't fathom why it's present in the audiobook. Especially at the end.

Now, the plot of the story is rapidly paced, with a new battle or other conflict around every corner. The downside to this is there isn't a lot of depth to it. Much of it just seems a little too convenient, particularly the way the main character "shares" memories with the body he inhabits.

However, for all that, if you accept this book for what it is (just good action-packed fun sans explanations or any real message) and don't mind its flaws too much, it is a lot of fun to read.

If you like your fantasy deep and epic, this probably isn't the book for you.
But if you're looking for a more conan-esk heroic fantasy featuring a main character from the "real" world, then this might be just what you were looking for.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/17/2020)! 🎁

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of Craig Halloran's writing ever since I discovered his Darkslayer series. When I heard he was writing a completely new series I was excited to see what he was coming up with. When I found out it was portal fantasy, I had flashbacks to books like Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame and really got psyched about where he would take the book. I can happily report it keeps the best traditions of those others, while blazing its own path.

Abraham Jenkins, ace pitcher for the Pittsburg Pirates, had it all. A hugely successful career, a beautiful loving wife and a son he loves to death. That is until they are killed in a car crash, and he's left alone in his misery. Walking away from baseball and his former life, he is now driving a beer truck, just trying to forget his past. Passing through a tunnel in West Virginia, Abraham's truck ends up in a cave. As he exists the truck, a man runs past him, and Abraham is stunned. When he recovers, he discovers himself in a new body, that of Ruger Slade, leader of the King's Henchmen.

The King's Henchmen are the King's troubleshooters, expendable hunters of the kingdom's enemies, but they have been on a bad luck streak lately. Their missions have been failures, and they are facing increasing pressure for success, or its back to prison for most of the Henchmen. Joining the Henchmen in the middle of a mission to return a group of evil witches alive to the king, Abraham finds himself in a world where people live and die by the sword, quite literally. Having to establish himself in his identity with the Henchmen requires him to assume a brutal aspect. He desperately needs to get the witches back, or the Henchmen are done for good.

When things go terribly wrong, Abraham and the Henchmen must face the wrath of the king, as well as the king's son, a prince who will do anything to bring the Henchmen down. Luckily for the Henchmen, the dying queen intervenes, and they are given an impossible task to redeem themselves: Get a supposedly mythological item that can save the life of the queen. Well, if anyone has a chance of pulling it off, it's the Henchmen, if they can only recapture the magic that made them so successful in the past. Adding a new ally, they make their way towards their goal, and what they discover will change their lives forever.

Like his other series, the author relishes creating complex characters, and The King's Henchmen is no exception. Abraham is a great character, trying to move on after an awful tragedy, all while adjusting to a world not his own, and suddenly being responsible for more lives than he's comfortable with, some of which would rather see him dead than follow him. The secondary characters are fleshed out well, and you get a good feel for motivations. The plotting is taut, and you never feel as though scenes are just filler. The world building is some of the best the author has attempted so far, and you really feel right there on the ground in the various scenes in the book.

The overarching storyline has plenty of room for expansion, and I am very excited to see where the author takes it. I highly recommend this book, and will be following up on the subsequent volumes. Definitely a good addition to Craig's writing portfolio.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

Currently on Audible Plus (Books 1-3)

Good narration + fun story. It's a bit simple, but solid popcorn adventure story.

[Isca Silurum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook, the spirit of Dick Van Dyke lives on.

Mindless piffle not a bad idea once in a while.

Alas, stuck with a corrupt piffler for five years in government!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo, I just got through the first book and started reading the second. This is the first time I read the "transported into another world" theme/trope/whatever-it-is-called and I only got it because it was on sale for $.99 on Amazon and sounded interesting, but I didn't know if this was actually going to be something that I want to read (turns out I do!).

First up, I like the writing style, the world building, characters and it was generally a good read - BUT, what people should know going into this book: this is just the beginning of something. Throughout the whole book I was in a state of "when are we going to get into it" and spoiler alert: at the very end and beginning of book 2. I think it was at around 86%, when I first questioned if this book even has an ending.

I know it is a series, but usually there is some story-line wrapping up at the end of each book - that is _not_ the case here. I keep reading, because I liked what I was reading, but I do not know where this goes and I feel like I am unable to give a proper rating because it feels like just the beginning of a book, not a whole book.

So for future readers: be prepared that you will not feel satisfied if you only intend to read book 1, because it just sets up the whole series.

Also: the flashbacks are killing me. What is all this feels? I came for action T.T

(I may come back later to adjust my rating [currently 3] based on the whole story, because I really feel like I cannot give this book a separate rating as there is no ending [also not a real cliffhanger or anything])

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it seems that I've been missing out on some great fantasy series. I haven't read fantasy this fun and engaging since Salvatore's Dark Elf books. It's a different tale, although you can hear echoes of the author's D&D days in the narrative, possibly as it comes out of the protagonist's thoughts. Because our hero, Abraham, is a man out of time and place, a former baseball player turned washed out trucker who is transported into another land and into the body of Ruger Slade, the ruthless leader of the King's Henchmen. The Henchmen being the king's expendable muscle who are sent on savage, dangerous, and thankless missions.

Kudos to the author. Now I really need to read Zombie Day Care!

[Robert Ruppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read and what I have come to expect from Craig Halloran books. I was reading a biography of Sir Francis Drake (John Sugden), an adventurer if there ever was one. So I said I would read The King's Henchmen next but made the mistake of starting his novel. Craig's books all seem to have the ability to create adventure, mystery, plot and excitement that causes you to chain read the novels. This one is no exception. Looking forward to the next.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise with very weak writing. The book felt like an early draft of a first novel. It showed some promise, but I wouldn't be reading anything more in the series if I hadn't bought the entire series as a bundle.

Based only on this book, I can't recommend the series.

ETA: After reading book 2 of this series, I've decided that the flaws here are not random. This series is terrible.

[Maurice Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was waiting to see what CRAIG HALLORAN had up his sleeve,and he didn't disappoint! An ex-ballplayer finds himself in a brutal,medival world in trouble up to his neck..with his fellow soldiers,and his king?? Racous,gritty,monster-fighting entertainment ensues..LOVED,LOVED,LOVED it!!

[April Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I love the idea of a modern person being thrown into the body of someone so different. I can't wait to see where the story takes us.

[Martin Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fun.

I haven't read a lot of portal fantasy books, as it reminds me of the generic Isekai anime that populate every season. I read R. A. Salvatore's Spear Wielder trilogy, and enjoyed it simply on the ground that Salvatore is one of my OG fantasy authors from back in the day. However, I got this series as a bundle for a deep discount on my kindle [99 cents], so I decided to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. Whether it was through Halloran's simple, and unconvoluted prose, or the actions of the MC Abraham I don't know, but I devoured this book in 2 days.

Like other portal fantasys, or isekai anime; the MC is whisked away from reality to a fantasy realm. What I enjoyed was that Abraham, once he gets spirited away, is genuinely in denial that anything is real, and is all a dream, or hallucination. However, as things go on he begins to really lean into his role as The Captain of a band of ne'er do well ruffians known as The King's Henchman. Realizing that the former Captain was a bit of a tyrant, and could have cared less for anyone, but himself. Abraham soon felt that his band of homies needed to have a voice in matters if for no other reason that they would keep Abe from getting them into hot water they couldn't get themselves out of.

As the story progressed we soon found out that Abraham is NOT the first person to be sent here. A pistol is found, and he finds someone who knows where Pittsburgh is. Like I said I haven't read too many portal fantasy books, but this was a nice twist. It reminded me of the anime Familiar of Zero [Zero no Tsukaima], and how the isekai'd protagonist Saito [normal japanese dude] found a bazooka, a WW2 fighter plane, and other people with normal [black] hair instead of the cavalcade of pink, blue, green, purple hair in the fantasy world he had been sent to.

I'm definitely going to continue the series as it was an enjoyable read. The books themselves are fairly short ~300+ pages [on kindle], so they are nice palette cleansers.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit slow about adding this to my "Epic Fantasy" shelf. It is setting up a longer story and it is concerning the fate of a world. Still...it's not got what I would call an "epic feel". I guess we'll see.

We are treading ground that has become a bit familiar recently as we have a story here of a 21st century "Earther" who finds himself in a fantasy world. If I go much into any of the "happenings" here it will entail spoilers so I'll simply give a few, remarks.

I only go 3 stars here as while the book has some good points there are also a few negatives. Thus while I have started the 2nd book these will most likely never hit my favorites shelf.

The story here is okay, pretty good brain candy even if you have met some of the characters elsewhere under different names... AND even if there are times our protagonist (Abraham Jenkins termed a "washed up pro pitcher) seems too thick to live. I don't get that. There is a difference in being ignorant of the world and simply....well stupid. Happily isn't that way a;; the time.

The book has some pretty well written action scenes (okay A LOT of action scenes). The story as (as I said before) okay. I enjoyed it, mostly. Try it for yourself if you like action fantasy. It gets a solid, not bad.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise. I usually stay away from parallel universe fantasy, but is this case I'm glad I stepped through the Wardrobe. Beginning in today's world and then suddenly being transported to another reality can often seem cheap or fake. That is not the case with The King's Henchmen. Halloran creates a harsh and gritty fantasy world that feels as if you can breathe in the air. The character have dynamic back stories and together make one of the most real and immersive experiences that I have had with a fantasy book. If you enjoy a story that is action-packed and well paced, characters that feel real, and a world that is gritty and full of mystery, then I highly recommend The King's Henchmen. I personally, cannot wait to read the next installment.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stuart Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fine middle of the road light fantasy book, nothing hard and that's fine. There are a couple of things that should be flagged as "buyer beware" though.
There are a lot of pop-culture references throughout. Which is fine, but it's a lot of very specific ones that could easily alienate a wider audience as not being part of the in joke.
It's also very much the start of a series. The 'main quest' of the tale isn't close to finished at the end let alone the wider story, but the author chooses to spend a significant amount of time in the epilogue devoted to an almost entirely separate story - time that could have been spent at least partially resolving the first.
A ok fun fantasy romp? - sure
Enough to hook you into the next 4 books? Probably not. Sorry!

[Alan Behan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Henchmen Chronicles is a fantastic roller coaster adventure, so fast paced and action packed with sword and sorcery themes that will have hooked from the very start. Excellent worldbuilding, plot and setting. In the The Kings Henchmen series Abraham Jenkins is an ex pro baseball player and truck driver after an accident caused a career ending injury and killed his wife and child in the process. While driving down a motorway is suddenly catapulted into a medieval fantasy world unlike anything he's ever imagined. A world of knights, brutal lords and witches. Transported into some captain's body, to survive, he must convince his men that everything is ok and figure a way to get back to his own world, a fun and wild read....😁

[Gay Deputee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craig Halloran does know how to spin a tale! From the first book of The Henchmen Chronicles to the last In the series, there was unstoppable action and adventure. I enjoyed every bit of the series, reading all of them exclusively until the tale was done. The characters were great, the storyline was fascinating and it just made you crave more. Thanks for a great set of books!

[Robert East · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best way to describe the story is D&D fan fiction. If you like freewheeling, don't-get-too-caught-up-in-the-details swords and sorcery, then this will appeal to you. Readers interested in serious plot lines, intense battles, highly developed villains, or harrying escapes probably won't enjoy this as much.

[billy bucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a LitRPG but enjoyable none the less

To me this was a cross between RA Salvatores spearwielder's tale and a Connecticut yankee in king authors court. Not a litrpg in any sense of the word but still an enjoyable read. Will read the second book.

[C Hargitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series! I'm never disappointed in Mr.Hallorans' work.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

36 two bad ones in a row. *sigh*. Unable to recommend to the normal crew.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book, with plenty mistakes and I still enjoyed it. Might continue the series.

[John McDonnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure if I can be nudged into reading the rest. Will see when I start to run out of options.

[David Traver Adolphus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely abysmal.

[Randy Harmelink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one hard to put down. Although I haven't a clue why anyone would WANT go be one of the Henchmen. But I enjoyed the story and the characters anyway. A little slow on the pacing when there are flashbacks, which creates kind of a roller coaster for the reader.

I'll definitely continue on in the series.

[Gay Deputee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craig Halloran does know how to spin a tale! From the first book of The Henchmen Chronicles to the last In the series, there was unstoppable action and adventure. I enjoyed every bit of the series, reading all of them exclusively until the tale was done. The characters were great, the storyline was fascinating and it just made you crave more. Thanks for a great set of books!

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one

Mistakes: Didn't find any.
Plot: This is a portal book. Ex pitcher goes to another world.
Characters: Other than the MC's constant need to think it's all a dream, he is a likable character.
7/10 I don't really enjoy characters that can't face reality.

[Rose Haskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Wow. Really enjoyed reading this adventure. So glad that the second book was ready to jump into. If you like the supernatural, pirates, knights time travel you're in for a great time.

[Michael Bonkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different take on transport to an alternate universe

The story is well told and the magic means of integration into the alternate universe interesting and unique. I'm going to continue the series.

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kong's Henchmen

A most adventurous fantasy novel! You slowly get pulled into this world and it doesn't wanna let you go. I loved it!!!!