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King of the Rising
(Islands of Blood and Storm #2)
by
The second novel in the Islands of Blood and Storm series set in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world embattled by colonial oppression—perfect for fans of R.F. Kuang and Tasha Suri.
A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever. But the rebels are running out o ...more
A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever. But the rebels are running out o ...more
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ebook, 480 pages
Published
December 1st 2020
by Orbit
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Start your review of King of the Rising (Islands of Blood and Storm, #2)

i don't know if i am going to actually review this book so much as talk around my experience with this book/series. there's a big fat (figurative) elephant at the end of this one, and it influenced the way i felt about the whole book, but it cannot be mentioned, so imma try to dance around it best i can. bear with me.
in short, i wanted to like this book/series more than i did. the covers are gorgeous, and—less superficially—the premise is appealing; a magic-infused take on slave rebellions duri ...more
in short, i wanted to like this book/series more than i did. the covers are gorgeous, and—less superficially—the premise is appealing; a magic-infused take on slave rebellions duri ...more

Feb 14, 2020
Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell
marked it as fantasy-wishlist
Shelves:
poc-interracial,
fantasy
Just checking in to see if it's December 2020 yet.
No? Cool, cool. I'll go back to my "screaming in agony of this wait" corner.
---
DECEMBER???????????
OMG. The wait may kill me. ...more
No? Cool, cool. I'll go back to my "screaming in agony of this wait" corner.
---
DECEMBER???????????
OMG. The wait may kill me. ...more

16 Dec. '20
Read my review for Queen of the Conquered
Oh, wow. I am just utterly speechless. Not the ending I wanted, but maybe the ending we needed? Certainly it's the ending we deserve. Admittedly I went into this sequel with a faux optimism: for our characters, for their islands, for their revolt. But I should have known--and you should know, too--what to expect, if not from the general tone and conclusion to Queen of the Conquered then at least through the author's very own interviews, whe ...more
Read my review for Queen of the Conquered
Oh, wow. I am just utterly speechless. Not the ending I wanted, but maybe the ending we needed? Certainly it's the ending we deserve. Admittedly I went into this sequel with a faux optimism: for our characters, for their islands, for their revolt. But I should have known--and you should know, too--what to expect, if not from the general tone and conclusion to Queen of the Conquered then at least through the author's very own interviews, whe ...more

I have written, re-wrote, and hung onto writing this review.
First of all, this book has not yet been released.
Second of all, it's a very, very, very tough call on what I can rate this book. I am torn on the various view points that I felt as a reader and how I felt once the book ended and the duology was complete. In the end, I settled on a 5 star rating because I was being selfish and not thinking what was best for the book but which was best for me.
This series is NOT like your other fantasy ...more
First of all, this book has not yet been released.
Second of all, it's a very, very, very tough call on what I can rate this book. I am torn on the various view points that I felt as a reader and how I felt once the book ended and the duology was complete. In the end, I settled on a 5 star rating because I was being selfish and not thinking what was best for the book but which was best for me.
This series is NOT like your other fantasy ...more

3.5
Thank you Orbit books and Caffeine Tours for providing me with an ARC.
This was much easier to read once I got over the visceral shock I had from the first book. It is once again a brutal read with characters that are perhaps too cruel (or naturally cruel, given the nightmares they endured) or too merciful and idealistic to lead a revolution, both of which make several fatal mistakes on the path to find freedom. Or perhaps the take away is the futility of matyrs for revolutions.
This should be ...more
Thank you Orbit books and Caffeine Tours for providing me with an ARC.
This was much easier to read once I got over the visceral shock I had from the first book. It is once again a brutal read with characters that are perhaps too cruel (or naturally cruel, given the nightmares they endured) or too merciful and idealistic to lead a revolution, both of which make several fatal mistakes on the path to find freedom. Or perhaps the take away is the futility of matyrs for revolutions.
This should be ...more

*4.5
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Islands of Blood and Storm duology has been an incredibly intense and unpredictable journey, and I am so glad I got to read it. I have had a hard time figuring out just how to rate this book, because on some levels it's an easy five stars, but then there are parts that weren't necessarily amazing. In the end, though, the plot, arc, and ending of the entire duology was just too effective and perfectly executed to not go for a high rating.
The ...more
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Islands of Blood and Storm duology has been an incredibly intense and unpredictable journey, and I am so glad I got to read it. I have had a hard time figuring out just how to rate this book, because on some levels it's an easy five stars, but then there are parts that weren't necessarily amazing. In the end, though, the plot, arc, and ending of the entire duology was just too effective and perfectly executed to not go for a high rating.
The ...more

Couldn't put down this book and now I can't get it out of my head. One of the strongest duologies I've read. Fans of deeply-thoughtful social examinations and suspense will hold onto this one like a lifeline, and that ending will plunge into you.
There’s just so much to love about this book and the entire duology; the magic in both it’s fantasy elements and the way it discusses tackles the present, the well-written narrative, the humanly flawed characters, the glorious way the political machinat ...more
There’s just so much to love about this book and the entire duology; the magic in both it’s fantasy elements and the way it discusses tackles the present, the well-written narrative, the humanly flawed characters, the glorious way the political machinat ...more

🌊Reflections 🌊
Let me start by saying that there are things to love and enjoy about this book. The fact that Callender was able to centre islanders and their struggle for freedom and begin with a narrative that has not been done before (correct me if I'm wrong) with Sigourney's storyline is an achievement.
🌺
With this second instalment I loved the incorporation of keeping ancestral practices alive, of looking to both the young and old for strength in facing adversities, and of course never giving u ...more
Let me start by saying that there are things to love and enjoy about this book. The fact that Callender was able to centre islanders and their struggle for freedom and begin with a narrative that has not been done before (correct me if I'm wrong) with Sigourney's storyline is an achievement.
🌺
With this second instalment I loved the incorporation of keeping ancestral practices alive, of looking to both the young and old for strength in facing adversities, and of course never giving u ...more

More of the first book but in some ways, the ending feels lazy. I had similar issues with the writing as with book 1, in that there's a lot of telling-without-showing. The pacing improved and Loren is a much more active participant as a POV character than Sigourney had been, but weirdly, characters grow even less. This is primarily a thought experiment in a fantasy/alternate world with the right conditions to allow for discussions of colonialism and systems that are inequitable by design. But be
...more

A heavy read. Like the first one, CW for lots of violence, slavery, racism, and similar. Callender is walking a tightrope of hope and realism in this that is just heartbreaking and reminiscent of so much historical colonial violence, and the uprisings that sought to throw it off. I’m glad I read it, but oof. Don’t read if you’re looking for a happy diversion, by any means.

4 stars
Disclaimer: I read an advanced copy of this book as part of the #KingOfTheRising blog tour with Caffeine Book Tours. This in no way impacts my review, or my opinions on the book.
Content Warnings: racisim, slavery, death, torture, violence, rape/sexual assault
King of the Rising begins shortly after Queen of the Conquered ends; however we are seeing the events through a new set of eyes: those of Løren. The story follows the rebel efforts of liberation from the oppressive Fjern presence of H ...more
Disclaimer: I read an advanced copy of this book as part of the #KingOfTheRising blog tour with Caffeine Book Tours. This in no way impacts my review, or my opinions on the book.
Content Warnings: racisim, slavery, death, torture, violence, rape/sexual assault
King of the Rising begins shortly after Queen of the Conquered ends; however we are seeing the events through a new set of eyes: those of Løren. The story follows the rebel efforts of liberation from the oppressive Fjern presence of H ...more

Maybe the bleak ending would've been fine pre-coup but post coup it's just a big ole dislike
...more

While Queen of the Conquered was Sigourney’s story, King of the Rising is all Loren’s. There is a total shift in voice and perspective between the two, not fully making it books able to stand on their own, but making them distinct stories. And while Sigourney is still present for large parts of the book, she is not the one telling the story, which I think makes the book all the much stronger for it. I find her an incredibly interesting character, but I noticed that I prefer her particular brand
...more

I really wanted to like this series. I read the second book with the hope that it would get better. The first book ended with a great twist! This story is told from the viewpoint of Loren, and much like the first novel we are told what’s happening instead of shown. Barely any dialogue. Every side character is given a background that has no impact on the story much like the first book. But the ending?! It makes me look over everything and say what was the reason I read this? There was no point. T
...more

Freedom from slavery has a cost, not just in human lives but in the internal torture of mind and morality brought on by lifetimes spent in forced repudiation of one’s language, culture, religion and self-esteem. For an ex-slave to have a position of privilege in the midst of this history of oppression is all the more problematic. This is the reality permeating the powerful, riveting and brave novel King of the Rising, the second part of Kacen Callender’s brilliant Islands of Blood and Storm duol
...more

King of the Rising is the sequel to Kacen Callender’s Queen of the Conquered, a vivid, brutal high fantasy set in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world. In this sequel, the slave revolution for their freedom has risen, and led by Løren Jannik, the strong, honest man who has the ability to take the Krafts of others and use them for himself.
Like the first in the series, King of the Rising is a slow, political build set in a complex world of colonialism and violence. I felt that the ending to one of t ...more
Like the first in the series, King of the Rising is a slow, political build set in a complex world of colonialism and violence. I felt that the ending to one of t ...more

The ISLANDS OF BLOOD AND STORM duology is just fucking brilliant. A brutal & gorgeous Caribbean-inspired fantasy, with fascinating characters and terrifying magic. These books aren’t easy reads…there were moments I felt almost nauseous from the stress and tension in this story. And just from the sheer brutality of this world. But this duology is an absolutely stunning achievement in fantasy, full stop. I am truly awed by Kacen Callender’s writing, and I’m anxious to read more of their work!
Full ...more
Full ...more

Once again got turned around and confused quite a bit because of the different names and islands and trying to figure out who belonged where. I also feel like this book progressed really fast, and if you missed a part, you were kind of thrown off (this is how I felt about Sigourney, I had no idea how she escaped because I was probably reading too fast or not paying enough attention). Overall though, I liked the story and I liked the various twists it provided.
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Islands of Blood and Storm
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