The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Reviewed by Sam!

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Synopsis

There are the old stories. And then there’s what actually happens.

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn’t what the storybooks promised.

Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it . . .

Uniting the worldbuilding of a Brandon Sanderson with the storytelling verve of a Patrick Rothfuss, debut author Jenn Lyons delivers an entirely new and captivating fantasy epic. Prepare to meet the genre’s next star.

Synopsis from Goodreads

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What I drank prior: I think it’s 2 shots and 3 double vodkas? I think? I pass the test to be able to write a review.

Spoiler-free Overview: k so. Wow this is complicated. Same dude different timeline. Closest tkmeline is 1st person. Younger timeline is 3rd person. Story starts with Kihrin in a prison cell with his jailer, Talon, asking to tell his story. So the story is told by both of them. He starts with the later story and she starts earlier. So basically, K starts when he was being sold off as a slave. He’s bought by some… priests? of the goddess of death, but there was a mega bidding war and this guy wants him real bad but we don’t know why. Talon’s story starts with K as a kid, being raised by a musician and a madame, and he runs into a demon on the street who also wants him real bad and we don’t know why.

Spoiler-free Thoughts: I loved this guys. What a fabulously unique way of telling a story. There are footnotes like Nevernight but not in the same way. And it was just so damn good. And I don’t like demon stories most of the time.

Characters: they are super well rounded and thought out. Obviously K more than others but we have a fab secondary cast.

• Kihrin: Heart hands for my sweet boy who turns into a badass man.
• Tahren: I love him so much. He’s our broody character. But, beautifully, for a reason. I’d marry him in a heartbeat and I don’t believe in marriage.
• Talon: this bitch. This. Fuckibg. Bitch. I have no idea what she’s about but I’m so curious I can’t.
• Ehrybody else: I just realized my sober notes are not very helpful so *yikes* but. There are several (not two but several) parental figures and I actually love them all for very different reasons. The villains are my fave kind. The “heroes” are… heroes I guess? But the supporting cast is FAB.

Plot: I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2. The story was weaved so well and with enough closure but also cliffhanger that I am one happy goddamn reader. There was a slow bit in the middle… would have benefitted from montage… and also I struggled with figuring out how much time had passed but I think that was intentional.

Writing Style: love me some footnotes. They made me smile. Plus the two timelines with the different POV styles I thought would have thrown me but it didn’t. It made sense and was built well super early on.

What to pair it with: a smoked whisky drink. It’s tough to swallow but tastes so nice…

Rating: 5/5 shots

COMMENT DOWN BELOW: What’s your favorite type of unique writing style?

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,
Sam