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Review-Adam Chmelka

 

The fantasy genre has its share of tropes, and a lot of authors are content to grab a handful of them, staple them together, and call it a book. Fortunately, Zbasnik is not one of those authors. "The King's Blood" consistently sidesteps, inverts, or outright mocks fantasy cliches, sometimes all at the same time. This not only makes the book quite funny in places, but also makes the twists and turns of the plot harder to anticipate-- whenever you think the story is heading down a predictable path, it more often than not is about to pull the rug out from under you.

 

The nice thing is, Zbasnik's dedication to skewering tropes doesn't come at the expense of the story. "The King's Blood" isn't just a collection of jokes; it's an honest-to-goodness epic fantasy that also happens to satirize its own genre. Sometimes it's laugh-out-loud funny, and at other times it's nerve-wrackingly dramatic. And it all *works*. The humor and the pathos play off each other, rather than fighting for attention. The end result is a story you actually care about.

 

A big part of this is due to the characters, all of whom are excellently realized. They aren't pawns being moved around at the whims of the plot-- they feel like actual people, and the plot is a consequence of their actions, not the cause of them. Whether sympathetic or horrifying, likable or repulsive, they come across as genuine people. Zbasnik's aversion to cliche shows up here as well-- a couple characters look like stock archetypes when they first show up, but are eventually revealed to have unexpected depths.

 

Upshot is this-- I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book, and was very pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was. If you're looking for something original in the fantasy genre, give "The King's Blood" a shot.

 

A great read! - mistee dawn

 

I love this book! I love the writing style of S.E. Zbasnik. Her writing really made me feel like I was living in a time where there was magic and soothsayers. As I read the book, I imagined that I was Ciara and what it would be like to be a teenager at a time like this. I absolutely love the character of Ciara.

 

The flow of the book was great. I never got bored. I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting for whatever came next. As well as being quite dramatic, the book was also fun to read. Who doesn't love a good adventure?!?

 

The book was well-written, intriguing and interesting. Trust me, with this book, you will never be bored while reading. I don't want to give any spoilers, here... but how could it be anything other that exciting reading the trials and tribulations of a 15 year old trying to save an entire Empire?

As heart-wrenching as it is side-splitting - Andrew Click

 

A delightfully modern take on classic fantasy! The King’s Blood dances nimbly between gritty intensity and plucky humor with surprising grace. Zbasnik's characters are immediately familiar and real, making everything they experience feel that much more rich to the reader. A wonderful, easy read with delightful twists and turns, and laughter all the way.

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