Reviews

The King's Peace by Kevin Hammond

aly36's review

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5.0

This book reminds me a little of a PC game I used to play called "King's Quest". It had swords and sorcery and more. There is, of course, good and evil in the book, what story is not complete with some form of this? This story is much different from the game but I enjoyed it just as much if not more. I was on this good thief's side through out the book. This story grabbed a hold of me from the beginning and kept me reading more. * I received this book from author---this is my honest review*

endlessmidnight's review

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2.0

This could have been executed a lot better. 

The beginning enthralled me and even captivated me, it just seems so empty by the end of it. I think the largest problem was that I didn’t care about Nathaniel at all. 

Or even what was happening. Nathaniel was forced into the entire quest which usually means that when he doesn’t do it, he dies. As simple as that, and as easy as that. It didn’t make me feel anything as Nathaniel had zero conviction and even interest to this, he was forced into it. 

He simply was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and stole some things. And got himself forced into this, and the author really didn’t make me root for him. It feels as though there is so little I know of him. Which makes it hard to say. 

It just doesn’t make for an interesting story at all. And none of the characters really interested me in that sort of way. 

Overall, I really found nothing enjoyable about the story at all. It just wasn’t to my taste at all, and well maybe I need a break from the epic fantasy genre. Nothing of it has been to my taste lately. And I gave it more than one day to wait.

quirkycatsfatstacks's review

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4.0

I received a copy of A King’s Peace in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The King’s Peace is an action filled fantasy adventure of epic proportions. This isn’t the first of Kevin Hammond’s novels, and it shows. There’s a complexity to the plot that can only come with time and practice. This is one of those stories that when you pick it up and start reading you think it’s one thing, but when you actually sink your teeth into it you realize it’s a completely different beast (and I mean that in a good way).

Spoiler

I’ll admit it took me a little while to get into this story and become invested in Nathaniel (the main character). The whole first chunk of the book is about him and his past; taking it’s time in setting up his character and traits. While I greatly appreciate the effort put into it, I was pretty happy to see things start moving more swiftly. So if you’re reading this and you’re debating about continuing, please give another chapter or two. Trust me.
I really loved how dark this series was willing to go – Hammond explored the consequences of inequality by showing us how a magical disaster would differently affect all tiers of class. It became pretty clear very quickly on who he thought would be the worst affected, and to be frank, I agree with his assessment. I appreciate that he didn’t shy away from this fact, or have it be a small background element (a trait that many other epic fantasies are guilty of, unfortunately). But rather it was a driving force for Nathaniel, which made me like the character that much more.
It took me a while to sort out the different gods and religions for this world, but I actually liked that. There was no clear or defined belief that the kingdom had, but rather a variety of gods whom people could chose to believe in. Naturally each god had their own domain, or benefit for worshipping them; this isn’t an uncommon way of handling it (which is fine by me).
I can safely say that I wasn’t sure what to expect by the time I came to the end of this novel. After the introduction it was made quickly apparent that I couldn’t base my expectations on assumptions, since Hammond’s pretty good at throwing twists and turns at me. I loved this, and thus I’m not going to ruin the ending by talking about it (you’ll thank me later, trust me).
This was the first work I’ve read by Kevin Hammond, but I have to say I’m impressed. I loved the details strewn throughout this novel, as well as his focus and development of the main character. I’ll be curious to see what Hammond’s other novels are like.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

lostlenore_'s review

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4.0

To read more of my ARC reviews, author interviews and book updates check out my blog: https://inkandpapercuts.wordpress.com/

I received this ARC by its author in an exchange for an honest review. 

Kevin Hammond’s work is filled with exquisite and elaborate descriptions. From the beginning of the novel, the reader finds himself trapped in fast-paced narration and well-trimmed action scenes. It has been a while since I last read a decent fantasy novel and I was glad to get my hands on something whose author clearly demonstrates a long and thorough understanding of what it means to write about a quest within a fictional realm after so many of his predecessors have done the same.

The edition I received was linguistically impeccable. The author knows how to handle the tropes of this genre; he seems confident enough in structuring a world from scratch and in placing a hero whose status as a thief could easily deem him as an anti-hero, but not a villain. Hammond’s exploitation of dragon lore and light fantasy blend successfully in a novel which refuses to stumble upon well-worn fantasy motifs and patterns.

On the downside, while the novel is of high caliber both structurally and linguistically, I often felt a little bit at loss by the number of descriptions provided in each paragraph. They are not at all tiring—on the contrary, they shed the appropriate amount of light in need of someone to get a better grasp of Nathaniel’s surroundings—but I am more of a reader who gets easily bored by dense and wordy text. Also, I faced some issues with the received format as I could read the novel only online thus, missing the opportunity to bookmark the page I was reading each time.

Hammond’s work is another reminder of the self-published gems I am lucky to encounter as a book blogger. I was particularly fond of the amazing introduction which, not only fully immersed me in Hammond’s world but also led me to believe that this book deserves worldwide recognition.

VERDICT:
The King’s Peace comprises one of the best self-published fantasy novels that I have ever read. Hammond’s writing ability is outstanding and the main character is interesting and enjoyable. If I were to draw an analogy, The King’s Peace resembles a Dungeons and Dragons version of Skyrim yet, uniquely and originally crafted to appeal to any reader of fantasy.

briarsreviews's review

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3.0

The King's Peace is an epic fantasy read to add to your collection!

Fantasy is one of those genres where it can go anywhere - medieval, dragons, superheroes, magic, gods, monsters, creatures, etc - so reading a fantasy book is always a pleasant surprise! This novel focuses on Kings, Dragons, Magic, Gods and action adventure. We follow Nathaniel on his journey, where the King has been murdered and drama and hectic adventures ensue. The book is fast paced and will keep you interested at every turn. For me, I felt this book teetered close to an R rating - so maybe don't read this to your children. There were dark parts of this book, but it's not unbearable R (no endless swearing, excessive gore, etc).

The descriptions of the action in this novel are phenomenal. I really felt like I was transported into this story through Kevin's writing. Mixing that in with the fantastical quest Nathaniel embarks on makes this book soar to a whole new level! I really enjoyed the action and found myself finding this book fun! Throw in a few funny comments and enticing characters, and this book is all around good fiction!

When analyzing the characters, I liked how Nathaniel developed throughout his quest - the thief is sometimes portrayed as a silly or dumb character, but Kevin makes Nathaniel likable and have an actual personality.

Additionally, the further I got into the novel, the more interested I was in the book. Since the writing style doesn't coincide perfectly with my reading style, it took me a little longer for me to attach to the story. At about page 85 I found myself gripping my device and yearning for more, unable to put it down!

My con for this book is the con I have with all fantasy book - I never know how to properly pronounce the names! All of these cool names are introduced with Kevin's characters, and I'm lost and probably pronouncing every name wrong! It doesn't ruin this book at all, but it always makes me chuckle when I look up the pronunciation of the names after I've read the book and I've created some really weird sounding names in my head. For example - Kelda. Kee-lda? Kel-da? Is the l silent? Is the d silent? Is the k silent? Such a beautiful name, but I probably pronounced it wrong the whole book!

Personally, the writing style didn't mesh well with my reading style. Just because that little fact is true, doesn't mean that this book isn't good. Honestly, it was fantastic! It was kind of nice to have a change from my normal reads to dive into this beautifully written tale.

Overall, this book was awesome! I think it's a fun fantasy book that should be on my local bookstore's shelves! Considering this is more of an indie fantasy novel, it will really blow you out of the water! I never expect this much talent and creativity in a novel, let alone from an indie author! This book could be converted to the big screen with how beautifully it was written.

I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 based on my rating system - 3 means I like it! If you look at the Amazon rating, it'd be a 4.

I received a free copy of this novel from the author Kevin Hammond in exchange for an honest review.

linzbassett's review

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4.0

* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with the King's Peace, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the concept of a thieve's guild and the sort of irony of a common thief being stuck with a small group of King's soldiers on a quest. There were some creepy parts that were enjoyable to read, and I didn't think I ever predicted what was going to happen within the story. I love how the story was worded.

For my complete review check out :http://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2017/06/ReviewofKingsPeace.html

myra_'s review

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3.0

This review first published on Oh Just Books.

Erenon is about to turn into a dark country, filled with disappearances of children, mythical creators and endless terror for the villagers. With the King's murder and the chaos that runs wild in the country, who is brave enough to save them?

Hammond writes about a kingdom named Erenon and the adventures of a thief named Nathaniel who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Nathaniel is forced to join the soldiers to find the King's nephew - the heir to the throne. Not welcomed by many and being called as a lowly 'thief', Nathaniel didn't make many friends. There were no friends to be made, of course, with such a devastating future before them. On the journey, many were sacrificed, perceptions were altered and conflicts occured.

Read the rest of the review here.

booksteacupnreviews's review

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4.0

*** Note: I received book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. I am glad I got a chance to read this book. ***

This book was full of adventure, action, dark magic, conflicts, battle and war, hatred and darkness of human heart. It was story of thief and soldiers of kingdom started their journey with small group through king’s road towards Southern garrison to find king’s nephew so that he could save the Erenon from the dark power rising on the coast of kingdom and rule it after mysterious murder of the King.

Characters-
Nathaniel, protagonist, was a thief who lived his life in slum and around thieves in the city. He was sensitive and kind person who lived by set of his own principles. When he joined the soldiers on the travel he learned lot of new things and as the story progressed his character was developed. At the end of the book I liked everything about this character.

Few soldier in the journey played important role. Events in the book changed my point towards them frequently. And at the end I was surprised by author, my whole guessing about them was changed in climax.

Other characters that had little role in book were very interesting and it was amazing how they played their part and made the story more thrilling like, Tommy Hill in war.

What I liked-
First 18% of the book was about the background of main character, Nathaniel, his life as thief and the world within the city wall where he lived, which was not very good picture.

The story actually picked my interest when Jorge, Duke of kingdom appointed Natheniel to go on deadly mission of finding King’s nephew and getting the information about what is happening at the southern garrison. At this point on, I understood more about Kingdom and the King of Erenon, what was the King’s peace actually.

I loved the whole middle portion of the book. The journey through the King’s road till they reach to garrison. This introduced the real world outside city walls. There were lot of adventure and horror on the journey. The trolls, missing children, vampires and fair folks, rat people and many more. All the stories about people living outside the city wall was horrible and their condition was miserable.

Overall, Erenon was totally screwed up kingdom and I loved how author created this dark world. I was so interested in knowing everything about this kingdom and things related to it.

Another thing I loved in the book was dark humor by characters in the toughest and dangerous situation. They were breather in the story. And NO LOVE STORY. I really thank author for writing this book without any silly romance and still making it such thrilling adventurous tale.

New Gods were mysterious and very different than any mythical Gods I have read. Their ways were also different and sometimes things related to them in the book was confusing which was whole astral travel portion in the book, but everything was crystal clear after climax. New Gods, their acts, King’s Peace, unknown enemy and choices made by characters were the key points that created amazing turning points in the book.

Climax, last 30% of the book was so damn gripping. There were all the answers I was looking for. Who was the enemy, who started this war and unleashed dark forces on kingdom, also I was taken back to the first chapter of the book and what was link behind it. It set all the puzzled pieces into a clear picture. Perfect climax and perfect end.

End was uncertain. I was not expecting what thief decided to choose. But it was creative and open ended. I hope author decide to write more and I wish to see Richard and Nathaniel again. And I also want to complete that book and would like to know more from it.

Why I didn't give full stars-
The reason I cut the stars was, I could get into the book in the beginning. I was not feeling the charm and grip until 18% of the book I didn’t have much hope for the book, if I was not in the mood to continue the book, I might have gave up. And then there was constant feeling of no proper explanation and details specially for the events happened in first chapter. (I’m glad I didn’t give up and after that first 18%, the book was brilliantly awesome.)

The e-copy I read, there was no map!! This books so damn need a map. I hope it is added in final physical copy.

Overall, this was creative dark fantasy novel, that will give horrors and thrill in every every chapter with great twist and turns. I strongly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.

chymerra's review

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4.0

I enjoyed reading The King’s Peace. Sword and sorcery fantasies have always been a favorite of mine. I have read and reviewed a lot historical/contemporary romances. I was getting burnt out from reading them. I don’t care how much you like a genre if you read too much of it after a while, all the stories start to look the same. The King’s Peace was a welcome change of pace.

The characters in The King’s Peace were 3D. I loved that once you thought you were getting to know a character another layer would appear. It is that type of character building that makes me want to continue reading a book. I also liked that all the characters weren’t truly good or evil. They, like in real life, fell into a gray area. Take, for instance, Nathaniel. He was a thief by trade but he ends up being the hero of the story. He wasn’t a hero by choice. He was a hero by circumstance and events. Or Richard. He was not a good guy. In fact, he was a douche about 90% of the book. Then he does something at the end of the book that twisted my perspective of him. It made me look at him and his actions differently.

Now, this book is not heavy on obvious magic. What do I mean by obvious? Well, there are no mages casting fireballs or warlocks summoning demons every chapter. The only “magic” per say in the first half of the book was the wizard who sold Nathaniel a not so invisible cloak and the zombies. Other than that, the magic lurked on the edges of the book. There were hints of evil magic woven into the story. That made it deliciously wonderful to me. There was no magic overload. For example, after the battalion went over the mountain, they were in a forest. One of the soldiers disappeared. Nathaniel and two other soldiers found him melded into a tree. Or the situation with the elves, the missing children, and Mother. Or the ratpeople. I could go on.

I thought that the plot of The King’s Peace was original. A young thief is forced to go with a battalion of soldiers to find out what happened to the southern garrison. Also, they need to find the King’s nephew because the King was killed and the nephew is the heir. There is danger on the quest to get there. Will they get to the southern garrison or will they die trying?

The end of The King’s Peace was spectacular. There was a spectacular fight scene. I was on pins and needles the entire scene because I couldn’t call who would win. While most of the storylines were ended, there were a couple that was not. That left enough for me to look forward to book 2!!

I would give The King’s Peace an Adult rating. I actually was going back and forth with myself about this rating. I was going to rate it an Older Teen rating but hesitated at it. The only thing that kept me from giving it that rating was the violence.

I would recommend The King’s Peace. If you like sword and sorcery fantasy or dark fantasy, then read this book. I would also recommend to family and friends but warn them about the violence.

I would like to thank Kevin Hammond for allowing me to read and review The King’s Peace.

All opinions stated in this review of The King’s Peace are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
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