Review - The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem
By Carmen, 9 November 2019
Book Cover
Year Published: 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Blurb:
The Drasque Empire is more than a millennium past the death of its namesake, the god-king Rigolous Drasque, but his presence still looms heavy. In a time when whale oil and muskets have replaced torches and swords, Drasque’s ancient way of thinking still prevails, forcing men to kill other men for a mere chance to be king. The blackbirds have delivered the letters: the contest horns will bellow in two days’ time. Succession will not be broken.
Losik’s carriage raced up the narrow mountain road in the early morning just before the sun broke. Theo unlatched the trunk he had stowed away in and watched the sun rise from the back of Losik’s carriage as his whole world faded away into the distance. He had done it, finally he was outside the walls. Once the carriage arrived in Ironhead for the contest, he would beg King Rev for entry into the Royal Guard academy and be free from Losik’s control.
He was naive to think his journey to freedom would be anything but treacherous. Theo was barely alive when the Sigandar found him. He survived the fall, but his body was broken. The Sigandar hated the Empire, yet the clan’s Sha found mercy for the young, dying boy. When Theo regained consciousness he found himself in the middle of a civil war. As the Sha races Theo to their god, a powerful faction of blood magic warriors will do anything to stop her from saving Theo.
About the Author:
An emerging figure in contemporary prose, Troy Clem was born in Orange County, California, in the late 1980s. He was raised on a steady diet of science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and pop culture, which has calcified his unique writing aesthetic. He relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area after graduating with a Film degree from San Francisco State University, and lives there today with his wife and two children. Having written throughout his lifetime for various journalism, film, and online ventures, The Kingmaker Contest is Troy's first commercial novel.
Connect with the Author:
Facebook: Troy Clem Facebook
Twitter: Troy Clem Twitter
Author Website: Troy Clem Author Website
Buy the Book:
Amazon: Amazon Purchase Link
My Take on the Book:
The writing was done pretty well in this book – the only thing I wasn’t such a fan of is that there wasn’t a huge amount explained about the world, or how the Royal System or family lines worked or what the family lines were.
If you’re someone who’s into light fantasy with some good minor characters and prefer a plot-based rather than a character based book, try picking this one up. I ended up giving this book a three star rating and got a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Last Word:
Out of the whole book, the writing style and the minor characters intrigued me – so there is a chance that I’ll be reading more books in the future.
Enjoy,
Carmen