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backshelfbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Heron Kings is a fantasy story set in a world ravaged by the violence of war, and it’s told from an unlikely protagonist – a former nun who was previously devoted to caring for the battle-wounded soldiers from both sides of the war. If you like war-time fiction and epic fantasies, then I think you’ll love this book.
While The Heron Kings tells a story that feels familiar– with bloodshed and battle camps in a fantasy world– it approaches these themes in a wholly unique way. It has themes I love and really compelling characters. Fantasy is not my go-to genre (hence my blog’s focus on Science Fiction) but when an author gives me a strong female lead and a quietly progressive take on the fantasy genre, I am in for the long haul.
The Heron Kings is at once a commentary on war and its repercussions, but at other times considers the premise of necessary violence. This book is a lot more than just a wartime story, though. The main character, the nurse and former nun Alessia, is strong-willed and determined, and starts the story completely devoted to healing, helping, and standing up for others. The choices she is faced with are choices of conscience, and I love the changing tides and solid strength of her character throughout the story. She’s a refreshing take on the strong female lead of a fantasy novel, and I’ve really enjoyed her perspective.
On top of everything else, the writing in The Heron Kings is superb, and I found it really approachable for a fantasy novel. Eric Lewis’s writing reminds me of the writing of Brandon Sanderson — with vernacular that’s uncomplicated yet full of emotion and depth — and that’s some of the highest praise I can give a fantasy novel. I think The Heron Kings would be an enjoyable read for long-time fantasy buffs and also those new to the genre. While I haven’t fully finished the book yet, I do recommend it based on my time with it so far; it’s proving to easily be a 4 star read for me. I’m super excited to not only finish this book, but also to dig into Eric Lewis’s backlist short fiction!
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me a copy of the book for review!
While The Heron Kings tells a story that feels familiar– with bloodshed and battle camps in a fantasy world– it approaches these themes in a wholly unique way. It has themes I love and really compelling characters. Fantasy is not my go-to genre (hence my blog’s focus on Science Fiction) but when an author gives me a strong female lead and a quietly progressive take on the fantasy genre, I am in for the long haul.
The Heron Kings is at once a commentary on war and its repercussions, but at other times considers the premise of necessary violence. This book is a lot more than just a wartime story, though. The main character, the nurse and former nun Alessia, is strong-willed and determined, and starts the story completely devoted to healing, helping, and standing up for others. The choices she is faced with are choices of conscience, and I love the changing tides and solid strength of her character throughout the story. She’s a refreshing take on the strong female lead of a fantasy novel, and I’ve really enjoyed her perspective.
On top of everything else, the writing in The Heron Kings is superb, and I found it really approachable for a fantasy novel. Eric Lewis’s writing reminds me of the writing of Brandon Sanderson — with vernacular that’s uncomplicated yet full of emotion and depth — and that’s some of the highest praise I can give a fantasy novel. I think The Heron Kings would be an enjoyable read for long-time fantasy buffs and also those new to the genre. While I haven’t fully finished the book yet, I do recommend it based on my time with it so far; it’s proving to easily be a 4 star read for me. I’m super excited to not only finish this book, but also to dig into Eric Lewis’s backlist short fiction!
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me a copy of the book for review!
cozyreadings's review against another edition
4.0
28/04/2020
received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review
TW: attempted rape, descriptions of violence and gore, death of a child
This book was brutal. Be aware of that when you start this!
This is a book about a brutal war, seen from the point of view from the ones stuck in the middle: the peasants and normal working class. It shows how brutal war can be, and it does not hold back.
Most of the characters aren't like-able, they are mean, they are selfish, they're just awful. However, it fits the circumstances that they're in. The world was built well and the choices of the characters made sense (for the situation that they were in). The ending felt a little rushed, but that was what I had expected when I started it.
One point that bothered me was the following:
If you can handle gore, blood, death and descriptions of (sexual) violence in general: i recommend this book. Otherwise I would not!
received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review
TW: attempted rape, descriptions of violence and gore, death of a child
This book was brutal. Be aware of that when you start this!
This is a book about a brutal war, seen from the point of view from the ones stuck in the middle: the peasants and normal working class. It shows how brutal war can be, and it does not hold back.
Most of the characters aren't like-able, they are mean, they are selfish, they're just awful. However, it fits the circumstances that they're in. The world was built well and the choices of the characters made sense (for the situation that they were in). The ending felt a little rushed, but that was what I had expected when I started it.
One point that bothered me was the following:
Spoiler
so, this other king in the east is benefiting from this whole war by working together with the bank right? but the bank or is this king wasn't in the position to make these two kingdoms start their war. When the war started, both of the kingdoms already worked with the bank. How did the bank know this whole war was going to happen, and that they could benefit from this?If you can handle gore, blood, death and descriptions of (sexual) violence in general: i recommend this book. Otherwise I would not!
rrkreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Heron Kings is a story of a bunch of underdogs who refuse to bend to the circumstances forced upon them by the greedy and tyrannical nobility. Alessia, a surprisingly foul-mouthed nun is caught up in the war between two wannabe rulers.
Caught between her need to heal people and to not get involved with either side, she unwittingly gives hope to a bunch of peasants and common people to fight against the nobles that oppress them. She becomes the leader of a covert insurgent group named The Heron Kings (Ironical isn't it? Heron Kings and not Heron Queen
Caught between her need to heal people and to not get involved with either side, she unwittingly gives hope to a bunch of peasants and common people to fight against the nobles that oppress them. She becomes the leader of a covert insurgent group named The Heron Kings (Ironical isn't it? Heron Kings and not Heron Queen
rowena_m_andrews's review against another edition
4.0
*I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*
The Heron Kings is a brutal book. It does not shy away from the horrors of war, especially for those caught in the middle. That said, it will not be for everyone. There is a lot of violence and gore, with attempted rape, death of a child and one particularly horrific scene involving a Pregnant woman that may discourage some readers. At times, it feels a little too extreme, even when considering that within the context of a war that has been raging for years, that has pushed all sides to extremes. Yet for the most part, you can see the reasoning behind each act, no matter how horrific and how much you disagree with it, and it fits in with the savage world of the story.
What ‘The Heron Kings’ does, that many books don’t is that it is written from either side of the war, but rather about those who are caught in the middle. Not soldiers, nobles or bankers – although they all play their role throughout – but the peasants, who have suffered because of the war because of raids, conscription, lack of supplies, and the need of both sides to send a message. This is not a story about choosing sides. It is about remaining neutral, surviving in a world where everyone apart from those trapped in the middle with you would kill you in an instant, revenge and trying to bring the war to an end. Not so that one side can triumph over the other, but so that the characters – and the people they represent – can survive and reclaim the world that had been taken from them by the war. I enjoyed this approach, and for me, this is where the biggest impact of this book lay.
In terms of characterisation, I felt that the strength lay in the main characters rather than the secondary characters. Alessia caught my attention from the start, not least because she wasn’t a warrior but a physic who wanted to help people and was ultimately prevented by the war trying to cast her on one side of the conflict which set her on her path into that middle ground. She is an interesting character, because while she has the ideals of being ‘lawful good’, she isn’t a saint, and she develops and changes because of what she witnesses and endures. Ulnoth lost everything and turned to revenge, but even that wasn’t that simple, because it wasn’t targeted only at the side that had destroyed his life, but at both sides of the war, understanding even in his grief and occasional ‘madness’ that both sides were responsible for the conflict. They made for an unusual pair, initially brought together by circumstance, but through wit, banter and negotiation, their relationship and approaches dovetailed nicely and brought together the rest of the cast.
Another character who played a large role in the story was Vivian, a common-born Spymistress, and she was written exceptionally well, showing a great deal of intelligence of personality. We were given hints, and intriguing plot points via her character, and I would love to have learned more about her, both in terms of her backstory but her role in the larger war. Still, the intrigue around her character was done beautifully and added another facet to the story.
The secondary cast certainly added to the story, showing different parts of this middle ground – some were there for survival, some by chance – but all affected by the war in one way or another, and wanting to stay out of the conflict. There were points where they seemed to blend into one another, and with a few exceptions, it was sometimes difficult to feel invested in enough in certain individuals to appreciate them fully. In some ways, The Heron Kings feels that it should have been a longer book, and maybe with more room for the development of the cast, this would not have been the case.
I enjoyed Lewis’ writing, and for the most part, I found it incredibly well-paced, if a little too dialogue-heavy at parts, but there was enough action and key events to stop that from slowing the plot down. The description is very bare-bones, whether about characters or setting, and much of what we learn about the context and world-building is through conversates and inside thoughts, something that worked very well in this book, allowing the characters to carry the story. The ending did feel a little rushed, again giving the impression that the book should have been longer to do it full justice, but for all that, I enjoyed the ending, and in particular, I liked the fact that it didn’t just automatically reset things. The characters didn’t just slip back into their old lives, the losses and suffering left scars that would endure.
For me, the good points certainly outweighed the bad, and I was gripped from start to finish reading this book in the space of an afternoon. If you like darker, grimdark fantasy and aren’t squeamish then this is a book I would highly recommend, especially if you want a unique view of war and its impact on those caught in the middle.
The Heron Kings is a brutal book. It does not shy away from the horrors of war, especially for those caught in the middle. That said, it will not be for everyone. There is a lot of violence and gore, with attempted rape, death of a child and one particularly horrific scene involving a Pregnant woman that may discourage some readers. At times, it feels a little too extreme, even when considering that within the context of a war that has been raging for years, that has pushed all sides to extremes. Yet for the most part, you can see the reasoning behind each act, no matter how horrific and how much you disagree with it, and it fits in with the savage world of the story.
What ‘The Heron Kings’ does, that many books don’t is that it is written from either side of the war, but rather about those who are caught in the middle. Not soldiers, nobles or bankers – although they all play their role throughout – but the peasants, who have suffered because of the war because of raids, conscription, lack of supplies, and the need of both sides to send a message. This is not a story about choosing sides. It is about remaining neutral, surviving in a world where everyone apart from those trapped in the middle with you would kill you in an instant, revenge and trying to bring the war to an end. Not so that one side can triumph over the other, but so that the characters – and the people they represent – can survive and reclaim the world that had been taken from them by the war. I enjoyed this approach, and for me, this is where the biggest impact of this book lay.
In terms of characterisation, I felt that the strength lay in the main characters rather than the secondary characters. Alessia caught my attention from the start, not least because she wasn’t a warrior but a physic who wanted to help people and was ultimately prevented by the war trying to cast her on one side of the conflict which set her on her path into that middle ground. She is an interesting character, because while she has the ideals of being ‘lawful good’, she isn’t a saint, and she develops and changes because of what she witnesses and endures. Ulnoth lost everything and turned to revenge, but even that wasn’t that simple, because it wasn’t targeted only at the side that had destroyed his life, but at both sides of the war, understanding even in his grief and occasional ‘madness’ that both sides were responsible for the conflict. They made for an unusual pair, initially brought together by circumstance, but through wit, banter and negotiation, their relationship and approaches dovetailed nicely and brought together the rest of the cast.
Another character who played a large role in the story was Vivian, a common-born Spymistress, and she was written exceptionally well, showing a great deal of intelligence of personality. We were given hints, and intriguing plot points via her character, and I would love to have learned more about her, both in terms of her backstory but her role in the larger war. Still, the intrigue around her character was done beautifully and added another facet to the story.
The secondary cast certainly added to the story, showing different parts of this middle ground – some were there for survival, some by chance – but all affected by the war in one way or another, and wanting to stay out of the conflict. There were points where they seemed to blend into one another, and with a few exceptions, it was sometimes difficult to feel invested in enough in certain individuals to appreciate them fully. In some ways, The Heron Kings feels that it should have been a longer book, and maybe with more room for the development of the cast, this would not have been the case.
I enjoyed Lewis’ writing, and for the most part, I found it incredibly well-paced, if a little too dialogue-heavy at parts, but there was enough action and key events to stop that from slowing the plot down. The description is very bare-bones, whether about characters or setting, and much of what we learn about the context and world-building is through conversates and inside thoughts, something that worked very well in this book, allowing the characters to carry the story. The ending did feel a little rushed, again giving the impression that the book should have been longer to do it full justice, but for all that, I enjoyed the ending, and in particular, I liked the fact that it didn’t just automatically reset things. The characters didn’t just slip back into their old lives, the losses and suffering left scars that would endure.
For me, the good points certainly outweighed the bad, and I was gripped from start to finish reading this book in the space of an afternoon. If you like darker, grimdark fantasy and aren’t squeamish then this is a book I would highly recommend, especially if you want a unique view of war and its impact on those caught in the middle.
theelderbooks's review
4.0
If you liked The Lord of the Rings, I feel like there is a chance you might like The Heron Kings.
I really enjoyed reading this adventure book. It all starts with Alessia, a temple priestess tired of the ongoing war, who decides to take her life into her own hands and go out in the world to do more. After she meets Ulnoth, who's lost everything to the war, she starts healing people and assembling people around her. When they stumble upon a proof of conspiracy, they start getting involved in the war.
The mood of the book reminded me of LOTR because we have a whole party travelling the realm while hiding in the forest most of the time. It really had that vibe ! The story also was pretty slow, with some minor interaction here and there, just like LOTR. I must admit that's the reason I'm not rating it 5 stars. The main plot didn't start until 40/50% of the book, and I had grown a little bored by then. Some of the actions were also quite repetitive, and I would have wanted more diversity action-wise in this !
What I loved here were the characters. Alessia snatched my heart from page 1, and kept it all book long. Then, new characters show up around her, one by one, and that's written seamlessly, which didn't make me feel overwhelmed by the number of characters for once ! I didn't feel a connection to them all, but they were all pretty decent, with a real backstory for most, and with an definite personnality to distinguish them all from each other.
Overall, The Heron Kings is a good book, with great characters and a specific vibe to it. I only wish there would have been more diversified action, but it still had a lot going on, with a lot of descriptions.
I really enjoyed reading this adventure book. It all starts with Alessia, a temple priestess tired of the ongoing war, who decides to take her life into her own hands and go out in the world to do more. After she meets Ulnoth, who's lost everything to the war, she starts healing people and assembling people around her. When they stumble upon a proof of conspiracy, they start getting involved in the war.
The mood of the book reminded me of LOTR because we have a whole party travelling the realm while hiding in the forest most of the time. It really had that vibe ! The story also was pretty slow, with some minor interaction here and there, just like LOTR. I must admit that's the reason I'm not rating it 5 stars. The main plot didn't start until 40/50% of the book, and I had grown a little bored by then. Some of the actions were also quite repetitive, and I would have wanted more diversity action-wise in this !
What I loved here were the characters. Alessia snatched my heart from page 1, and kept it all book long. Then, new characters show up around her, one by one, and that's written seamlessly, which didn't make me feel overwhelmed by the number of characters for once ! I didn't feel a connection to them all, but they were all pretty decent, with a real backstory for most, and with an definite personnality to distinguish them all from each other.
Overall, The Heron Kings is a good book, with great characters and a specific vibe to it. I only wish there would have been more diversified action, but it still had a lot going on, with a lot of descriptions.
cashollinger's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you Flame Tree Press for giving me an electronic copy via Netgalley of this book in exchange for an honest review. (Read on Jan, 15, 2020.)
I wanted to enjoy this book, the premise was good and the book description caught my eye. I was frustrated with the stuttering and the characters uming and uhing a lot of times. I felt that the first part of the book was more of a backstory and the actual storyline started with part two. What kept me going through the book was Vinian's character and the action of the war.
I wanted to enjoy this book, the premise was good and the book description caught my eye. I was frustrated with the stuttering and the characters uming and uhing a lot of times. I felt that the first part of the book was more of a backstory and the actual storyline started with part two. What kept me going through the book was Vinian's character and the action of the war.
snaomiscott's review
4.0
DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest and unbiased review. My thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity.
An excellent read. Full review to follow shortly.
An excellent read. Full review to follow shortly.
libridraconis's review
3.0
If you are looking for a fun romp through gritty fantasyland, The Heron Kings might just be what you need. Featuring a ragtag team bumbling through a land at war, trying to survive between enemy factions while healing, plundering and tricking their way to survival and accidentally landing themselves in deeper waters than they expected, this really does remind me of the dynamic of a D&D campaign where the DM has lost control and the players have taken over. While entertaining, it does make it a bit hard to follow at times – but then, I read an advance copy and the signposting could easily have been fixed in final edits.
I thoroughly enjoyed Alessia’s character holding up the story – it is not often that a healer is put front and centre, and especially one that starts out with lofty morals but soon grows a pair and becomes adept at weathering the challenges of uncertain times. She is a refeshing main character for the genre, and I hope to read more women like her in the future! Her companion, Ulnoth, is less pleasant – I hated the bastard, even though I thought he was intended to be more of a hero-type. To me, he often acted incongruously, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. The secondary characters often only pop up once or twice, or stay otherwise non-descript. I feel fleshing them out more could have given the book more substance and elevated it.
In general, there were some stellar scenes – I remember one featuring a whore very fondly – while the book as a whole seemed to never quite find the true heart of its story. There was a lot of violence, much of it not strictly necessary for the plot or character development (think random bodies found with mutilated genitalia and it being made clear that mutilations had happened as a means of execution), which made me personally roll my eyes, as I feel that the genre has moved past that in recent years. I do think a lot of what I didn’t like as much about The Heron Kings is down to its nature as a debut novel and a bunch of smaller issues that are due to reading a digital ARC that I am confident will have been fixed in the final version.
All in all, I do recommend The Heron Kings as a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening in lockdown, and read a tropey, epic, grimdark fantasy that will take you away from everything that is shitty in our world!
I thoroughly enjoyed Alessia’s character holding up the story – it is not often that a healer is put front and centre, and especially one that starts out with lofty morals but soon grows a pair and becomes adept at weathering the challenges of uncertain times. She is a refeshing main character for the genre, and I hope to read more women like her in the future! Her companion, Ulnoth, is less pleasant – I hated the bastard, even though I thought he was intended to be more of a hero-type. To me, he often acted incongruously, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. The secondary characters often only pop up once or twice, or stay otherwise non-descript. I feel fleshing them out more could have given the book more substance and elevated it.
In general, there were some stellar scenes – I remember one featuring a whore very fondly – while the book as a whole seemed to never quite find the true heart of its story. There was a lot of violence, much of it not strictly necessary for the plot or character development (think random bodies found with mutilated genitalia and it being made clear that mutilations had happened as a means of execution), which made me personally roll my eyes, as I feel that the genre has moved past that in recent years. I do think a lot of what I didn’t like as much about The Heron Kings is down to its nature as a debut novel and a bunch of smaller issues that are due to reading a digital ARC that I am confident will have been fixed in the final version.
All in all, I do recommend The Heron Kings as a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening in lockdown, and read a tropey, epic, grimdark fantasy that will take you away from everything that is shitty in our world!
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