I have read upwards of 2000 books in Sword & Sorcery (S&S) genre and I like to believe I have read them all (if you know what I am saying), from horrible ones to the great ones and then some in between. I have come to appreciate good writing like I appreciate roasted cashews and chilli chicken with my beer.
I like to believe that I have come to recognise the gems of the genre like I have come to forgive the errors (grammar and spelling mistakes). Though I realise that it is subjective and you may hate the books that I love.
The first two books of this series by Kel Kade are the ones I am glad to have read. One of criteria for rating the books I have read is the number of pages I end up skipping while I am reading a book. This 'skipping of pages' could be because of meaningless dialogues / conversations / characters that I do not believe add to the story or have been added simply to increase the length of the novel or the author deemed them necessary and the reader i.e. me thought otherwise. I am glad to say that every single page of these first two books held my attention; even made me laugh a number of times while Rezkin made himself aware of the world and people around him and forged relationships.
It is now my second favourite to my most loved current and ongoing series, the first being Terry Mancour's Spellmonger series.
So Kel Kade I am glad that you decided to write these books and that I came across them. I wish you take some inspiration from Spellmonger series and produce a number of books in this series and not just a typical Trilogy.
I hugely recommend this series to anyone who is in to S&S. Kindle Edition After reading the first book in a couple days and absolutely loving every word of it, I quickly grabbed this book and could not put it down, I plowed through the book in a day. The characters are so well done, I find myself rooting and for them, getting mad at them, and at one point Kai had me literally laughing out loud. I hope that part three is here soon I just don't know if I can wait long to see Rezkin, Frisha, Tam, Reaylin, Kai, Wesson, Jimson, and can't wait to see how a lot of the minor characters grow and have a bigger impact on the story... Really interested how we see Reaylin grow as the story continues.
Mr. Kade.... Well done again!!! Kindle Edition Things that happened in this book:
- Rezkin continued to be overpowered to the point where there was no suspense. He will always be the best, no one can ever beat him, he'll rule the whole world.
- He started smiling, smirking, grinning and sly grinning, did it wayyyyyy too much, especially in the beginning.
- The women proved to be copy pastes of each other, just with different names. They all still fawn over Rezkin as if he's the only man ever, get jealous of each other for no reason and blush/flush as if that's their main purpose in life.
The only exception to this is Yserria. She's a much better match for Rezkin than Frisha and I'm hoping it goes in that direction, but I'm not so sure it will. Because for that to be the case, Frisha would have to be one of the fawners, not the girlfriend.
- Reaylin kept shouting how she's not a healer over and over again. I'd say that was the most annoying thing about this book. It's as if the author is trying to make her unlikeable so Frisha would shine, except she ended up making both of them awful characters. Again, we're team Yserria in this house. Or hell, even team Nanessy.
- Journeying, journeying and even more journeying. And not the fun kind.
Remember that tournament mentioned in the first book? The ending of it will have you believe that the tournament is right around the corner and will surely start as soon as you get a couple of chapters into book two.
What actually happened is that the tournament related things didn't even start until the halfway point had passed, and the duels themselves took even longer to get going.
But did we actually get some kind of resolution/closure? Yeah, kinda. I was afraid that the outcome would be left for book three, luckily it wasn't.
And my suspicions about Rezkin's origins proved to be correct so that was nice.
Despite all of this, I did enjoy Reign of Madness more than Free the Darkness so I'll likely continue the series. I know it's not finished yet so I'll probably be left on a cliffhanger, but I don't feel like quitting now. Kindle Edition I would have given the Gary Stu goodness (which I don't often think of as a negative unless it's very poorly done), the action, and the court intrigue a 4 star. The story really is entertaining in the way that sword and sorcery stories are entertaining. But the obliviousness required in most of the characters to move the story forward has been excessive, and the fact that we don't get a strong woman, or even a woman who isn't too stupid to live, until 2/3 of the way through the second book and even she is a tertiary character with little page time, add up to a reduced score. There is just no way to continue to ignore these things.
So, if you can shrug off stupid females who come off like they are all middle and high school idiots, and you don't mind contrived obliviousness to prop the story up, then it's a fun story. I will probably read the third book in the hopes that these gaping plot holes will be filled and the females have been presented as insipid so the author could give them room to grow. Kindle Edition 4.5⭐️
Everything is perfect and wonderful and violent.
I love that he still is learning about well, communicating with others and the way of higher born live and act. It makes the story relatable and humorous through all the madness and Chaos. Kindle Edition
The mysterious, indomitable warrior? Ruthless criminal overlord? The Riel’gesh – mythical demigod? Dedicated friend and protector?
Equipped with skills far beyond those of the outworlders, Rezkin has been suddenly thrust into a foreign world. The young warrior clings his only known purpose as he continues his search for any information about his identity and the reason for his existence. While the hardened warrior scorns both dueling and tournaments, he believes some of the answers he seeks may be found at the King’s Tournament, the greatest dueling championship in all of the kingdoms. As he searches for the elusive Striker Farson, who may be the only person alive who holds the clues, the young warrior and his friends embark on a journey fraught with danger, mystery and intrigue.
Amidst fears of the kingdom’s economic collapse, rumors of an eminent military draft, and the machinations of a mad, tyrannical king, a new revelation threatens to upend all the warrior’s plans.
This is the second book in the ongoing series “King’s Dark Tidings.”
This book is intended for adult readers. It contains graphic violence, creative language, and sexual innuendo. This book does not contain explicit sexual content. Reign of Madness (King's Dark Tidings, #2)
This book felt like transition book. The vibe of the series is changing from light and fun to a darker and more complex fantasy setting. Kindle Edition This sequel to the fantastic Free the Darkness did not disappoint at all. It had all the same elements that made the first book such a fast paced and exciting read. These books are just super fun fantasy/adventure!
The last book saw Rezkin adapt to the Outworld and meet a host of new people as he sought to learn his purpose in life. This second book had less of the hilarious misunderstanding that I loved in the first instalment but was every bit as good as we got more of Rezkin being Rezkin. Which means being awesome! I loved his growth as a character. He got sucked into a lot of political intrigue but also developed a lot along the way both on a personal level and with regards to the responsibilities that might go with his true purpose.
My favourite bits are almost always Rez's interactions with his friends. Both how he reacts to them and how they react to him! He is one of the easiest characters to root for that I've come across in ages. That said, there is plenty of action and Rez gets to display the mindblowing skills we all love.
Rating: 5 stars. An easy rating to give considering I was totally addicted to this book from start to finish.
Audio Note: Nick Podehl is a fantastic narrator who is a perfect fit for this series.
Reread Update: Just as much fun the second time around. This series is so great! Kindle Edition SO... this is really 2.5 stars in my book. Here is the rundown...
1. Basically Invincible Protagonist that can do anything
2. all the other characters flip flop between disbelief and pandering to his awesomeness
3. Meandering story line, that makes me think the author just wrote the book sans outline or with any plot goals.
4. Didnt hate it
5. Will probably read the 3rd book when it comes out, to see how the plot resolves... but I think I know how it will end. Kindle Edition It's better than the first one
He isn't as overpowered in the sequel
Don't believe those lies. This sequel is far worse than the first book in the series. If you didn't enjoy the first one and are contemplating doing this book: Don't.
I somewhat enjoyed some bits of the first one, such as the humour and over-the-top antics the protagonist got up to. This book, however, has none of that. The plot, world, characters and events are all absurdly stupid and frustrating. I don't even feel like wasting my time explaining just how bad it all is since it would mean wasting even more time on this unnecessarily long book.
What I'll do instead is share my theory for what the major twist will be at the end of the series:
This whole story takes place in a former home-schooled guy's head, with him being the protagonist in the book. He writes this story during his first few weeks of starting at a public high school. Most of the interactions will make a lot more sense since it would explain why everyone has the maturity level of 13-year-olds. It would also explain why all the female characters feel fake: the author has never actually spoken to a person of the other sex and writes their interactions like how he thinks they would act if they only knew how awesome he actually is. Finally, this theory would also explain how everything seems to work out perfectly for the protagonist and why everyone is in constant awe at everything he does.
There you go. I just saved you twenty odd hours that you might have spent on reading the last book in this awful series. Kindle Edition 2022
LOL
Tried to read this book again but nah.. Just can't. Officially in the DNF pile now.
1st Review
DNF!!
I can't do this. If i have to read anymore inconsequential talk, or about anymore of this absolutely clueless, hormonal, can think only with their vagina women, i might scratch my eyes out. In case you're not getting how much i loathe this book, i'll close with this:
I find every single character, every single word in this book repugnant.Kindle Edition
