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Islands of Blood and Storm #2
King of the Rising
King of the Rising is the searing conclusion to an unflinching and powerful Caribbean-inspired fantasy series about colonialism, resilience, and defiance. A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever.But the rebels are running out of food, weapons, and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor -- or doom it to failure.Praise for Islands of Blood and "A powerful look at colonialism, oppression, and rebellion, and all that it can cost the individuals involved." —Library Journal (starred review)"The book's absorbing setting, captivating lead, and relevant themes of race and class complement each other with alternating delicacy and savagery."—NPR Books"King of the Rising puts readers firmly into the minds of Callender’s unforgettable characters as it answers a spine-tingling set of At the end of the war, who will survive and who will rule?” —BookPageIslands of Blood and StormQueen of the ConqueredKing of the Rising
480 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2020
About the author
Kacen Callender
15 books2,466 followersKacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
January 22, 2021
i don't know if i am going to actually review this book so much as talk around my experience with this book/series. there's a big fat (figurative) elephant at the end of this one, and it influenced the way i felt about the whole book, but it cannot be mentioned, so imma try to dance around it best i can. bear with me.
in short, i wanted to like this book/series more than i did. the covers are gorgeous, and—less superficially—the premise is appealing; a magic-infused take on slave rebellions during danish colonization of the virgin islands. but while i liked parts of it very much—the characters, the tension, and especially the way they wrote the memory-erasure sequences—i had the same fundamental problems with this one as i did with Queen of the Conquered: it was confusing and there was too much exposition—we are told too many things instead of experiencing events alongside the characters.
this tendency to info-dump is made more exasperating by the constant barrage of proper nouns, which slowed me down considerably.
i'm notoriously bad at reading fantasy because it's hard for me to keep the strings of fantasy people, places, and things from tangling in my head.
i also experienced some geographical confusion, which is entirely my fault. i'm very maps-schmaps, so even when they have been courteously provided by the author to enhance my reading experience, i never look at 'em. so, although i could have turned to the helpful map at any point when things were getting jumbled up in my mind, i did not. mea culpa. still, there are too damn many similarly-named islands, and characters are forever traveling to one or another, and then returning from one or another, or temporarily relocating to one or another, and i had to keep pausing to remember which fresh helle is this?
so, yes—i found it difficult to sink into the story, i was often confused, there were times when i felt like i was missing pages; trying to track down where certain characters were or what had actually happened, and when, because—again—so much of this book's events transpire through exposition rather than action.
mind you, there was plenty i did understand, and even enjoyed, in between my page-flipping confusion. this takes place directly after the events of Queen of the Conquered, and the idealistic løren jannik has been chosen to lead the revolution of what remains of his people against what remains of the fjern. they are still vastly outnumbered.
their situation isn't completely hopeless: the islanders have weapons and warriors, and their abilities are underestimated by the fjern, giving them the element of surprise. additionally, people fighting for a cause; for their freedom, fight hard, and those accustomed to deprivations and performing hard labor in unforgiving conditions can endure more physical discomfort than soft people unaccustomed to conflict. also, some of the islanders, unbeknownst to the fjern, have kraft—magical powers the fjern have attempted to eradicate over the years by exterminating any islander displaying these powers, believing it to be their right alone.
the islanders also have a secret weapon in sigourney, the master manipulator/aspiring queen of the conquered who is currently wolfing in the fjern's flock, able to communicate with løren across great distances, using their kraft.
and all løren has to do is unite his people and guide them to victory.
the big philosophical question re: leadership has always been: is it better to be loved or feared?
here, the question is closer to: is it better, as a leader, to be empathetic or realistic?
løren is all empathy—he doesn't want to see any more of his people die, he believes life is precious and that people can change, even when allowing certain people to live, like sigourney, leaves himself—and the revolution—open to betrayals. and he is betrayed, proven wrong, by many people, time and time again.
we've seen what happens when the wrong person is in charge of things, but løren acts like an ideal leader: taking counsel from his advisors, weighing decisions, trying to minimize casualties, but uniting people who are scattered across a number of islands in a fight to free themselves from the yoke of slavery against an unbeatable enemy is a big task, and the situation may be too complicated to handle with optimism and mercy. under different circumstances, he might be an excellent leader, but against the infighting, the power struggles, the snitches willing to sell out their own people to curry favor with their oppressors, the bloodbaths, and the growing frustration of his advisors who have more strategic military agendas, løren struggles, and no matter how he tries, his people keep dying while those still alive question his suitability for the role.
the biggest controversy is his continued trust in sigourney. her relationship with her people—and løren in particular—has been fraught, and his advisors berate him for keeping her alive, for colluding with her, but løren believes people can change their nature despite all evidence to the contrary. insert frog/scorpion story here.
then again, sometimes the frog eats the scorpion, so who knows?
so, løren's learning that power is hard. and powers are even harder.
which leads to another question: what is worse, a leader who abuses their power, or a leader who wastes their power? the former has a much better chance of achieving one's goals, but then you're into the whole question of whether the ends justify the means and you're back to the first book, with sigourney and her admirable ends, questionable means. still, waste your power and you get...this.
and now i'm going to shift into broader and seemingly unconnected stuff in order to dance around the thing i can't talk about with yet another question: is it better to respect an author's attempt or love an author's work?
callender has said of this duology:
in that light, these books are a great success—they accomplish exactly what they set out to do, but—i would argue—this success is at the expense of the reader, who is left struggling to understand what their investment of time was all for. i can appreciate the mission statement, but it doesn't help me enjoy the ride.
as a reader you have certain basic expectations: a mystery will be solved, a prophecy foretold will come to pass, the titular character will make an appearance in the book, there will be some physical contact in a romance novel, there will be a satisfying conclusion or an equally-satisfying ambiguity at the story's end.
and sure, there are outliers—books that subvert expectations and reader-hopes, and those that do it well stand out:
tana french's debut mystery In the Woods
in veronica roth's Allegiant,
christopher pike's Final Friends Trilogy
to me, those are ballsy and laudable divergences from the expected.
but unmet expectations can also be deeply unsatisfying. to avoid talking about this book in particular, i will rehash a personal anecdote i used in a very old review:
i am really into lateral thinking puzzles—those brain teasers where you're given an endpoint and then you have to come up with yes or no questions to figure out what happened: there's a body hanging from the rafters of a room whose ceiling in twelve feet high. the room is locked from the inside and is completely empty, except for a puddle of water on the ground. what happened? and once you've asked the right questions, it becomes clear that . so, one time i was on a long drive with my college beau, and we were doing these back and forth to pass the time. when i ran out of ones i knew, i decided to make one up, but i did not tell him i was making it up:
a man is found in a haystack with a turkey baster wearing a roman centurion helmet. what is the situation?
he tried to figure this one out for nearly an hour before giving up and begging me for the answer. i just shrugged and said "i don't know. guess he was just crazy."
this is not why we broke up, but i would have understood if he had dumped me on the spot.
in the real world, outside the construct of a novel, all four of these outcomes are perfectly reasonable, even likely scenarios—crimes go unsolved, people die, crazy people end up in haystacks and there's no flipping reason, nor do we expect one, but in a novel, you want there to have been a point, a reason you invested your time.
i'm fine with reader-imbalance, but some rug-yanks are more jarring than others, and while they very well may reflect a realistic end to a situation, you can be left wondering, "why did i read all of this to get here?" or "why am i dating this horrible, lateral-thinking-puzzle-ruining person?"
because as much as the possibility of THE ELEPHANT was brought up not even 100 pages into the book, foreshadowy AF:
pretty bleak lesson after a shitty year.
***********************************
well, shit. i am not at all sure how i feel about this. i respect the balls of it, but did i enjoy it?
i need to marinate in these post-read thoughts-n-feels for a bit.
*************************************
oooOOOoooo a halloween miracle!!!
got a little smooshed in the mail, but it's still a beautiful book. i'm excited to conquer my bookstack to get to it!
come to my blog!
in short, i wanted to like this book/series more than i did. the covers are gorgeous, and—less superficially—the premise is appealing; a magic-infused take on slave rebellions during danish colonization of the virgin islands. but while i liked parts of it very much—the characters, the tension, and especially the way they wrote the memory-erasure sequences—i had the same fundamental problems with this one as i did with Queen of the Conquered: it was confusing and there was too much exposition—we are told too many things instead of experiencing events alongside the characters.
this tendency to info-dump is made more exasperating by the constant barrage of proper nouns, which slowed me down considerably.
Each island had a lead contact in the network of whispers, who, following the night of the first revolt, should have beome the leaders of each island as well. The leader of Skov Helle is a man named Lambert; the leader of Nørup Helle, a man named Martijn. The leader of Årud Helle is a woman named Voshell.
i'm notoriously bad at reading fantasy because it's hard for me to keep the strings of fantasy people, places, and things from tangling in my head.
Kjerstin asks to speak with any scouts who might be on the island, but Zeger says that all messengers had left Nørup Helle to contact Hans Lollik Helle and never returned. "We assumed they were killed by the Fjern at sea."
i also experienced some geographical confusion, which is entirely my fault. i'm very maps-schmaps, so even when they have been courteously provided by the author to enhance my reading experience, i never look at 'em. so, although i could have turned to the helpful map at any point when things were getting jumbled up in my mind, i did not. mea culpa. still, there are too damn many similarly-named islands, and characters are forever traveling to one or another, and then returning from one or another, or temporarily relocating to one or another, and i had to keep pausing to remember which fresh helle is this?
so, yes—i found it difficult to sink into the story, i was often confused, there were times when i felt like i was missing pages; trying to track down where certain characters were or what had actually happened, and when, because—again—so much of this book's events transpire through exposition rather than action.
mind you, there was plenty i did understand, and even enjoyed, in between my page-flipping confusion. this takes place directly after the events of Queen of the Conquered, and the idealistic løren jannik has been chosen to lead the revolution of what remains of his people against what remains of the fjern. they are still vastly outnumbered.
their situation isn't completely hopeless: the islanders have weapons and warriors, and their abilities are underestimated by the fjern, giving them the element of surprise. additionally, people fighting for a cause; for their freedom, fight hard, and those accustomed to deprivations and performing hard labor in unforgiving conditions can endure more physical discomfort than soft people unaccustomed to conflict. also, some of the islanders, unbeknownst to the fjern, have kraft—magical powers the fjern have attempted to eradicate over the years by exterminating any islander displaying these powers, believing it to be their right alone.
the islanders also have a secret weapon in sigourney, the master manipulator/aspiring queen of the conquered who is currently wolfing in the fjern's flock, able to communicate with løren across great distances, using their kraft.
and all løren has to do is unite his people and guide them to victory.
the big philosophical question re: leadership has always been: is it better to be loved or feared?
here, the question is closer to: is it better, as a leader, to be empathetic or realistic?
løren is all empathy—he doesn't want to see any more of his people die, he believes life is precious and that people can change, even when allowing certain people to live, like sigourney, leaves himself—and the revolution—open to betrayals. and he is betrayed, proven wrong, by many people, time and time again.
we've seen what happens when the wrong person is in charge of things, but løren acts like an ideal leader: taking counsel from his advisors, weighing decisions, trying to minimize casualties, but uniting people who are scattered across a number of islands in a fight to free themselves from the yoke of slavery against an unbeatable enemy is a big task, and the situation may be too complicated to handle with optimism and mercy. under different circumstances, he might be an excellent leader, but against the infighting, the power struggles, the snitches willing to sell out their own people to curry favor with their oppressors, the bloodbaths, and the growing frustration of his advisors who have more strategic military agendas, løren struggles, and no matter how he tries, his people keep dying while those still alive question his suitability for the role.
the biggest controversy is his continued trust in sigourney. her relationship with her people—and løren in particular—has been fraught, and his advisors berate him for keeping her alive, for colluding with her, but løren believes people can change their nature despite all evidence to the contrary. insert frog/scorpion story here.
then again, sometimes the frog eats the scorpion, so who knows?
so, løren's learning that power is hard. and powers are even harder.
which leads to another question: what is worse, a leader who abuses their power, or a leader who wastes their power? the former has a much better chance of achieving one's goals, but then you're into the whole question of whether the ends justify the means and you're back to the first book, with sigourney and her admirable ends, questionable means. still, waste your power and you get...this.
and now i'm going to shift into broader and seemingly unconnected stuff in order to dance around the thing i can't talk about with yet another question: is it better to respect an author's attempt or love an author's work?
callender has said of this duology:
Queen of the Conquered and King of the Rising are about the consequences of refusing to learn from mistakes, refusing to grow and change.
in that light, these books are a great success—they accomplish exactly what they set out to do, but—i would argue—this success is at the expense of the reader, who is left struggling to understand what their investment of time was all for. i can appreciate the mission statement, but it doesn't help me enjoy the ride.
as a reader you have certain basic expectations: a mystery will be solved, a prophecy foretold will come to pass, the titular character will make an appearance in the book, there will be some physical contact in a romance novel, there will be a satisfying conclusion or an equally-satisfying ambiguity at the story's end.
and sure, there are outliers—books that subvert expectations and reader-hopes, and those that do it well stand out:
tana french's debut mystery In the Woods
in veronica roth's Allegiant,
christopher pike's Final Friends Trilogy
to me, those are ballsy and laudable divergences from the expected.
but unmet expectations can also be deeply unsatisfying. to avoid talking about this book in particular, i will rehash a personal anecdote i used in a very old review:
i am really into lateral thinking puzzles—those brain teasers where you're given an endpoint and then you have to come up with yes or no questions to figure out what happened: there's a body hanging from the rafters of a room whose ceiling in twelve feet high. the room is locked from the inside and is completely empty, except for a puddle of water on the ground. what happened? and once you've asked the right questions, it becomes clear that . so, one time i was on a long drive with my college beau, and we were doing these back and forth to pass the time. when i ran out of ones i knew, i decided to make one up, but i did not tell him i was making it up:
a man is found in a haystack with a turkey baster wearing a roman centurion helmet. what is the situation?
he tried to figure this one out for nearly an hour before giving up and begging me for the answer. i just shrugged and said "i don't know. guess he was just crazy."
this is not why we broke up, but i would have understood if he had dumped me on the spot.
in the real world, outside the construct of a novel, all four of these outcomes are perfectly reasonable, even likely scenarios—crimes go unsolved, people die, crazy people end up in haystacks and there's no flipping reason, nor do we expect one, but in a novel, you want there to have been a point, a reason you invested your time.
i'm fine with reader-imbalance, but some rug-yanks are more jarring than others, and while they very well may reflect a realistic end to a situation, you can be left wondering, "why did i read all of this to get here?" or "why am i dating this horrible, lateral-thinking-puzzle-ruining person?"
because as much as the possibility of THE ELEPHANT was brought up not even 100 pages into the book, foreshadowy AF:
pretty bleak lesson after a shitty year.
***********************************
well, shit. i am not at all sure how i feel about this. i respect the balls of it, but did i enjoy it?
i need to marinate in these post-read thoughts-n-feels for a bit.
*************************************
oooOOOoooo a halloween miracle!!!
got a little smooshed in the mail, but it's still a beautiful book. i'm excited to conquer my bookstack to get to it!
come to my blog!
June 19, 2022
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DNF @ 23%
I have been looking forward to KING OF THE RISING since I first finished and loved QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED back in 2019. I really enjoyed QotC because it does so many things I enjoy-- non-Western fantasy setting, morally ambiguous main character, and challenging, real-world concepts that are basically reworked as moral thought experiments with no cheap or easy answers.
KING OF THE RISING takes off exactly where QotC ends, post-coup, with Sigourney imprisoned post-rebellion. The new narrator is now Loren, who was Sigourney's slave until the uprising, and now he's one of the lead architects in furthering the revolution and getting himself and the other native islanders outside assistance from off the island. But it's not easy. His proximity to the white colonists, as well as to Sigourney, make him suspect, and his idealism is tainted by his own anger, and there is no room for such neat and clean outcomes in a world that has been sharpened by blood and oppression.
I wanted to like this book but right off the bat, I had difficulty getting into KING OF THE RISING. Loren just isn't as compelling a character as Signourney, and everything felt so slow-paced compared to the first, which had the brilliant set-up, the cutthroat tension, and the surprising twists. Also, love her or hate her, Sigourney is a one-woman powerhouse with incredibly conflicting motivations and that made her really interesting to read about. I'm not saying Loren doesn't have conflicts, but his don't stand out the way Signourney's did, and it's not all that interesting to watch people stage a rebellion only to have it flounder and fail (even if maybe that's realistic). I read spoilers for the book because I was curious to see if I wanted to move forward, and I don't think I do. I know authors don't owe us a happy ending in fiction, but as a reader, I can choose how deeply I want to venture out into misery.
2 stars
February 15, 2021
tw: slavery; rape; mass suicide; lots of violent death
I have never read something so bleak. I honestly don't know how I could recommend this series to someone, now having read the whole thing, as I truly think the reader should be somewhat prepared before going into something like this.
I'm going to add this snippet from another review that I saw after I finished this book and ran here to see what others thought:
That is the best summary of the themes of this story, and exactly why I would struggle to recommend this. Is this book realistic for a story set around a slave revolution? Sure. But it being realistic and setting out to do what it aimed to do doesn't mean I will enjoy it. Especially seeing as the writing and the plot craft-wise didn't make up for that fact. At many times, it was clunky.
I've tried to be as vague as possible but if you are curious about spoilers and what could have possibly led me to say this, here you go:
I have never read something so bleak. I honestly don't know how I could recommend this series to someone, now having read the whole thing, as I truly think the reader should be somewhat prepared before going into something like this.
I'm going to add this snippet from another review that I saw after I finished this book and ran here to see what others thought:
Callender has said of this duology:- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Queen of the Conquered and King of the Rising are about the consequences of refusing to learn from mistakes, refusing to grow and change."
in that light, these books are a great success—they accomplish exactly what they set out to do, but—i would argue—this success is at the expense of the reader, who is left struggling to understand what their investment of time was all for. i can appreciate the mission statement, but it doesn't help me enjoy the ride.
That is the best summary of the themes of this story, and exactly why I would struggle to recommend this. Is this book realistic for a story set around a slave revolution? Sure. But it being realistic and setting out to do what it aimed to do doesn't mean I will enjoy it. Especially seeing as the writing and the plot craft-wise didn't make up for that fact. At many times, it was clunky.
I've tried to be as vague as possible but if you are curious about spoilers and what could have possibly led me to say this, here you go:
April 11, 2021
16 Dec. '20
Read my review for Queen of the Conquered
Oh, wow. I am just utterly speechless. Not the ending I wanted, but maybe the ending we needed? Certainly it's the ending we deserve. Admittedly I went into this sequel with a faux optimism: for our characters, for their islands, for their revolt. But I should have known--and you should know, too--what to expect, if not from the general tone and conclusion to Queen of the Conquered then at least through the author's very own interviews, where they made clear what the point of this duology was; what the author's intentions were when writing these books.
(also, do you know how difficult it is to find tasteful fantasy portraits of black men? now take a moment to fawn over this guy's art...)
source: El'Cesart
King of the Rising unfolded true to the author's intentions, true to the nature of colonisation, rebellions, and people in general. It is realistic, fatalistic, hopeful, all at the same time.
It wasn't the Caribbeans, but my country, too, is an archipelago of literally tens of thousands of islands; around 6000 of which are inhabited. It was even bigger before; part of an empire that encompassed a larger part of the region. And then the fire nation attacked. Ha.
But in all seriousness. The colonisers came and we, too, saw slavery and occupation that lasted three and a half! centuries. We saw a history of rebellions, uprisings, most small and uncoordinated. Others larger, more organised, and yet still failing.
It took a series of timely revolts, victories and losses all throughout the continent. It took political pressure, insertion of key historical figures into the coloniser's social structures--much the same way Sigourney and Kalle did. It took World War II! to hit the coloniser and force them to focus their attentions to home . . . so no, there is no one defining moment of victory. Independence is gained through an amalgamation of forces, external and internal, timing, luck.
So having it won through one large, unified battle would have been fantastical, idealistic, but improbable . . . and ultimately, this book served a cold dose of reality to shatter our pipe dreams.
It is sad, painful, brutal. But I appreciated it for reflecting the hard journey to independence. King of the Rising does not make a fairytale of revolutions, and by doing that does not diminish the sacrifices and struggles of our ancestors.
It does not cater to the oppressor. Losing occupation in a grand battle makes it a lot more palatable, retroactively. Makes it seem as though justice was served. They came, they conquered, they lost, they left. No. Occupation was a lot deeper than that. It is not so simple as to take up arms and fight back. Even when they're gone, their effects linger for eternity. This book reflects exactly that; from the islands of Hans Lollik to the Northern Empires, we see oppression in its many shapes and colours.
source: Yuuza
I can't say I liked or even agreed with all the characters. I can't say my respect for Sigourney improved in this sequel. I can't say there weren't times I was frustrated with Loren . . . but none of that matters, since the message extends beyond individual characters. Indeed, it spoke to the nature of people, and at the end of the day, they weren't without consequences.
Much like Queen of the Conquered, this book, too, concluded with a twist-and-reveal. This time around it was foreshadowed much more adequately. If you liked the first book, you'd probably enjoy this one, too. Just be prepared for your heart to hurt.
Read my review for Queen of the Conquered
Oh, wow. I am just utterly speechless. Not the ending I wanted, but maybe the ending we needed? Certainly it's the ending we deserve. Admittedly I went into this sequel with a faux optimism: for our characters, for their islands, for their revolt. But I should have known--and you should know, too--what to expect, if not from the general tone and conclusion to Queen of the Conquered then at least through the author's very own interviews, where they made clear what the point of this duology was; what the author's intentions were when writing these books.
(also, do you know how difficult it is to find tasteful fantasy portraits of black men? now take a moment to fawn over this guy's art...)
source: El'Cesart
King of the Rising unfolded true to the author's intentions, true to the nature of colonisation, rebellions, and people in general. It is realistic, fatalistic, hopeful, all at the same time.
It wasn't the Caribbeans, but my country, too, is an archipelago of literally tens of thousands of islands; around 6000 of which are inhabited. It was even bigger before; part of an empire that encompassed a larger part of the region. And then the fire nation attacked. Ha.
But in all seriousness. The colonisers came and we, too, saw slavery and occupation that lasted three and a half! centuries. We saw a history of rebellions, uprisings, most small and uncoordinated. Others larger, more organised, and yet still failing.
It took a series of timely revolts, victories and losses all throughout the continent. It took political pressure, insertion of key historical figures into the coloniser's social structures--much the same way Sigourney and Kalle did. It took World War II! to hit the coloniser and force them to focus their attentions to home . . . so no, there is no one defining moment of victory. Independence is gained through an amalgamation of forces, external and internal, timing, luck.
So having it won through one large, unified battle would have been fantastical, idealistic, but improbable . . . and ultimately, this book served a cold dose of reality to shatter our pipe dreams.
It is sad, painful, brutal. But I appreciated it for reflecting the hard journey to independence. King of the Rising does not make a fairytale of revolutions, and by doing that does not diminish the sacrifices and struggles of our ancestors.
It does not cater to the oppressor. Losing occupation in a grand battle makes it a lot more palatable, retroactively. Makes it seem as though justice was served. They came, they conquered, they lost, they left. No. Occupation was a lot deeper than that. It is not so simple as to take up arms and fight back. Even when they're gone, their effects linger for eternity. This book reflects exactly that; from the islands of Hans Lollik to the Northern Empires, we see oppression in its many shapes and colours.
source: Yuuza
I can't say I liked or even agreed with all the characters. I can't say my respect for Sigourney improved in this sequel. I can't say there weren't times I was frustrated with Loren . . . but none of that matters, since the message extends beyond individual characters. Indeed, it spoke to the nature of people, and at the end of the day, they weren't without consequences.
Much like Queen of the Conquered, this book, too, concluded with a twist-and-reveal. This time around it was foreshadowed much more adequately. If you liked the first book, you'd probably enjoy this one, too. Just be prepared for your heart to hurt.
Want to read
February 9, 2020The next volume in line is out to wait for! Hopefully, it will be just as readworthy and untrivial as the 1st one.
Love the cover, btw.
Love the cover, btw.
July 12, 2023
3 5 Stars
This was a powerful if not grim second half to this duology. I liked that this half of the story had more action and autonomy than the first half. Don't let the Caribbean setting fool you, this series is incredibly dark.
This was a powerful if not grim second half to this duology. I liked that this half of the story had more action and autonomy than the first half. Don't let the Caribbean setting fool you, this series is incredibly dark.
August 3, 2020
I have written, re-wrote, and hung onto writing this review.
First of all, this book has not yet been released.
Second of all, it's a very, very, very tough call on what I can rate this book. I am torn on the various view points that I felt as a reader and how I felt once the book ended and the duology was complete. In the end, I settled on a 5 star rating because I was being selfish and not thinking what was best for the book but which was best for me.
This series is NOT like your other fantasy series. This series is graphic, brutal, sweeping, pointed, emotional, and a reflection of racism. In book one, we followed Sigourney Rose/Jannik and her quest to become queen/ruler of the various isles. We saw what became of her - imprisoned. We now see the continuation of the story through her captor and her once - enslaved bodyguard, Loren.
We are focusing on a time frame that begins two months after the fall of the island. How has the uprising gone? What is to happen? Will they find support?
Sigourney and Loren are not your normal protagonists, nor are they lovers. Both are flawed individuals, and in Kacen's world, they both make faults that hurt them. Sigourney is too prideful, too dependent on gaining appreciation and respect for her people but go about it in the wrong ways. Loren is too empathetic, and he looses a lot of his support based on that fact that he lets his heart outweigh his choices. Both are not wrong, nor are both of them right.
I honestly say that when finished with the book the outcome was not one that I would have seen for these characters. I saw outcomes, but not ness. the outcome that happened to be. It is going to be one that is going to be discussed for quite some time and one that will have some strong opinions - both negative and positive.
I think the author chose the ending that they did because their characters had their own agendas, their own personalities and their own fates. The fact that they did not fall into the normal trappings of fantasy tales that feature a male and female protagonist is unique and for that it stands out quite vividly in my mind.
What is this ending? You will not find out from me in this review. I feel the ending has to be read and mediated on since again, it's going to be opinionated. (Maybe if you're lucky I'll tell you in a private message if asked nicely.)
I think Kacen is an amazing writer and that they have written a book that is perhaps one of the strongest fantasy books to debut in a while. It has been a LONG, LONG time since I have read a fantasy tale that has subverted my mind and left me speechless. How long it has been since I have read a story that has not been what I wanted or thought would happen but is right for the book? A while. A while. I really hope they keep giving us more of them.
First of all, this book has not yet been released.
Second of all, it's a very, very, very tough call on what I can rate this book. I am torn on the various view points that I felt as a reader and how I felt once the book ended and the duology was complete. In the end, I settled on a 5 star rating because I was being selfish and not thinking what was best for the book but which was best for me.
This series is NOT like your other fantasy series. This series is graphic, brutal, sweeping, pointed, emotional, and a reflection of racism. In book one, we followed Sigourney Rose/Jannik and her quest to become queen/ruler of the various isles. We saw what became of her - imprisoned. We now see the continuation of the story through her captor and her once - enslaved bodyguard, Loren.
We are focusing on a time frame that begins two months after the fall of the island. How has the uprising gone? What is to happen? Will they find support?
Sigourney and Loren are not your normal protagonists, nor are they lovers. Both are flawed individuals, and in Kacen's world, they both make faults that hurt them. Sigourney is too prideful, too dependent on gaining appreciation and respect for her people but go about it in the wrong ways. Loren is too empathetic, and he looses a lot of his support based on that fact that he lets his heart outweigh his choices. Both are not wrong, nor are both of them right.
I honestly say that when finished with the book the outcome was not one that I would have seen for these characters. I saw outcomes, but not ness. the outcome that happened to be. It is going to be one that is going to be discussed for quite some time and one that will have some strong opinions - both negative and positive.
I think the author chose the ending that they did because their characters had their own agendas, their own personalities and their own fates. The fact that they did not fall into the normal trappings of fantasy tales that feature a male and female protagonist is unique and for that it stands out quite vividly in my mind.
What is this ending? You will not find out from me in this review. I feel the ending has to be read and mediated on since again, it's going to be opinionated. (Maybe if you're lucky I'll tell you in a private message if asked nicely.)
I think Kacen is an amazing writer and that they have written a book that is perhaps one of the strongest fantasy books to debut in a while. It has been a LONG, LONG time since I have read a fantasy tale that has subverted my mind and left me speechless. How long it has been since I have read a story that has not been what I wanted or thought would happen but is right for the book? A while. A while. I really hope they keep giving us more of them.
Read
April 17, 2022So What’s It About?
A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever. But the rebels are running out of food, weapons and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor-or doom it to failure.
What I Thought
It looks like this book is just as polarizing as the first one, and I can understand why. It is by no means an easy read, and many of the elements that people seem to have disliked in the first one are present here. The biggest difference, though, is that Sigourney Rose is no longer the narrator - Loren Jannik, key member of the rebellion, is instead. I think many people will find him a much more tolerable narrator than Sigourney - I personally found Sigourney’s head a fascinating place to be but Loren is certainly a much more palatable protagonist.
The first book’s main strength to me was its willingness to look at the deeply uncomfortable matter of an oppressed person becoming complicit in the oppressive system to increase their own status and privilege. This is still very much a theme in King of the Rising - we see enslaved people who are still loyal to and love their masters because, as the book states, they have never known anything else and can’t face the risk of trying to imagine something else. There are people like Kalle who do hate the kongelig but think that you have to work within the system that exists and rise through the ranks, And, of course, there is still Sigourney, the poster child for complicitness who makes incessant justifications for her treachery before finally succeeding in her goals by destroying her people’s revolution. Beyond that, there are plenty of enslaved people who aren’t willing to risk their deaths for the sake of a freedom they think is impossible, and we see many people completely uninvolved in the revolution suffer and die as blanket punishments are meted out. Overall, I think Callendar’s ability to show all of these uncomfortable and ugly aspects of slavery and rebellion is this series’ greatest strength.
The book also focuses on the question of the “right” way to do a revolution. Loren is perpetually agonized by the question of how to proceed, not only because of his people’s limited resources and tiny numbers, but because he can’t decide between his own idealism and the army leader Malthe’s brutal practicality. He wonders if a bloody, brutal rebellion is necessary or if it only perpetuates the oppression his people were originally fighting against; if mercy is a way of forging into a new future or if it is simply naivety. Based on the disastrous outcome of his choices to spare and trust Sigourney and ignore all of Malthe’s advice, my sense is that the book’s overall message is essentially what Malthe tells Loren before he dies - you need a man like Malthe to get to freedom and a man like Loren to take over once it’s been established. Another huge theme is the way that division and distrust within revolutions are ultimately their downfall.
I think the book’s greatest strength is the exploration of these themes and questions. As for its weaknesses, you will find many infodump/summary paragraphs when characters use the kraft to read minds. Many people disliked this aspect of the first book, and it is present again here. In addition, there are some times where characters’ motivations don’t quite make sense - at one point Jytte threatens to kill Sigourney and then in the next chapter she offers her an alliance. In addition, I was confused that the inner circle of the rebellion does not try to root out their spy as soon as they know there is one. Finally, if you need a happy ending you should absolutely stay away from this one. It’s a slow spiral downwards on borrowed time to an unimaginably bleak conclusion with characters dying one after another. Loren reflects that as long as there are islanders, there will be rebels and they will keep fighting until they finally succeed - this is the only glimmer of hope in a story that is otherwise utterly hopeless.
A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever. But the rebels are running out of food, weapons and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor-or doom it to failure.
What I Thought
It looks like this book is just as polarizing as the first one, and I can understand why. It is by no means an easy read, and many of the elements that people seem to have disliked in the first one are present here. The biggest difference, though, is that Sigourney Rose is no longer the narrator - Loren Jannik, key member of the rebellion, is instead. I think many people will find him a much more tolerable narrator than Sigourney - I personally found Sigourney’s head a fascinating place to be but Loren is certainly a much more palatable protagonist.
The first book’s main strength to me was its willingness to look at the deeply uncomfortable matter of an oppressed person becoming complicit in the oppressive system to increase their own status and privilege. This is still very much a theme in King of the Rising - we see enslaved people who are still loyal to and love their masters because, as the book states, they have never known anything else and can’t face the risk of trying to imagine something else. There are people like Kalle who do hate the kongelig but think that you have to work within the system that exists and rise through the ranks, And, of course, there is still Sigourney, the poster child for complicitness who makes incessant justifications for her treachery before finally succeeding in her goals by destroying her people’s revolution. Beyond that, there are plenty of enslaved people who aren’t willing to risk their deaths for the sake of a freedom they think is impossible, and we see many people completely uninvolved in the revolution suffer and die as blanket punishments are meted out. Overall, I think Callendar’s ability to show all of these uncomfortable and ugly aspects of slavery and rebellion is this series’ greatest strength.
The book also focuses on the question of the “right” way to do a revolution. Loren is perpetually agonized by the question of how to proceed, not only because of his people’s limited resources and tiny numbers, but because he can’t decide between his own idealism and the army leader Malthe’s brutal practicality. He wonders if a bloody, brutal rebellion is necessary or if it only perpetuates the oppression his people were originally fighting against; if mercy is a way of forging into a new future or if it is simply naivety. Based on the disastrous outcome of his choices to spare and trust Sigourney and ignore all of Malthe’s advice, my sense is that the book’s overall message is essentially what Malthe tells Loren before he dies - you need a man like Malthe to get to freedom and a man like Loren to take over once it’s been established. Another huge theme is the way that division and distrust within revolutions are ultimately their downfall.
I think the book’s greatest strength is the exploration of these themes and questions. As for its weaknesses, you will find many infodump/summary paragraphs when characters use the kraft to read minds. Many people disliked this aspect of the first book, and it is present again here. In addition, there are some times where characters’ motivations don’t quite make sense - at one point Jytte threatens to kill Sigourney and then in the next chapter she offers her an alliance. In addition, I was confused that the inner circle of the rebellion does not try to root out their spy as soon as they know there is one. Finally, if you need a happy ending you should absolutely stay away from this one. It’s a slow spiral downwards on borrowed time to an unimaginably bleak conclusion with characters dying one after another. Loren reflects that as long as there are islanders, there will be rebels and they will keep fighting until they finally succeed - this is the only glimmer of hope in a story that is otherwise utterly hopeless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2020
3.5
Thank you Orbit books and Caffeine Tours for providing me with an ARC.
This was much easier to read once I got over the visceral shock I had from the first book. It is once again a brutal read with characters that are perhaps too cruel (or naturally cruel, given the nightmares they endured) or too merciful and idealistic to lead a revolution, both of which make several fatal mistakes on the path to find freedom. Or perhaps the take away is the futility of matyrs for revolutions.
This should be read in companion with The Wretched of The Earth (which I haven't read yet but now will after seeing twitter posts which puts this book in context):
“in colonial countries only the peasantry is revolutionary. It has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The underprivileged and starving peasant is the exploited who very soon discovers that only violence pays. For him there is no compromise, no possibility of concession.”
“In its raw state this nonviolence conveys to the colonized intellectual and business elite that their interests are identical to those of the colonialist bourgeoisie and it is therefore indispensable, a matter of urgency, to reach an agreement for the common good.”
In this tale Callendar posits these two groups against each other and we see how their actions unfold in a revolution, the latter group becoming "surrogate oppressors" as established by the main oppressors, to paraphrase what Fanon said. The former group not being romanticised as is usually the case with fictional stories involving revolutions, being ready to die for a revolution, only accepting freedom when everybody is free. This is also not to say that the revolutionaries are pure. Curtains are pulled back on many characters and we see how war changes them, or rather how their true character is finally revealed, the deep effects of slavery and colonization on the mental psyche.
The writing style and world building is more of the same from the first and as a mystery I would have preferred a multiple POV that showed a cleverly woven plan rather than a rushed soliloquy at the end where all is revealed. However, this is a good book to be entered in a critical race theory reading list.
Thank you Orbit books and Caffeine Tours for providing me with an ARC.
This was much easier to read once I got over the visceral shock I had from the first book. It is once again a brutal read with characters that are perhaps too cruel (or naturally cruel, given the nightmares they endured) or too merciful and idealistic to lead a revolution, both of which make several fatal mistakes on the path to find freedom. Or perhaps the take away is the futility of matyrs for revolutions.
This should be read in companion with The Wretched of The Earth (which I haven't read yet but now will after seeing twitter posts which puts this book in context):
“in colonial countries only the peasantry is revolutionary. It has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The underprivileged and starving peasant is the exploited who very soon discovers that only violence pays. For him there is no compromise, no possibility of concession.”
“In its raw state this nonviolence conveys to the colonized intellectual and business elite that their interests are identical to those of the colonialist bourgeoisie and it is therefore indispensable, a matter of urgency, to reach an agreement for the common good.”
In this tale Callendar posits these two groups against each other and we see how their actions unfold in a revolution, the latter group becoming "surrogate oppressors" as established by the main oppressors, to paraphrase what Fanon said. The former group not being romanticised as is usually the case with fictional stories involving revolutions, being ready to die for a revolution, only accepting freedom when everybody is free. This is also not to say that the revolutionaries are pure. Curtains are pulled back on many characters and we see how war changes them, or rather how their true character is finally revealed, the deep effects of slavery and colonization on the mental psyche.
The writing style and world building is more of the same from the first and as a mystery I would have preferred a multiple POV that showed a cleverly woven plan rather than a rushed soliloquy at the end where all is revealed. However, this is a good book to be entered in a critical race theory reading list.
December 7, 2020
*4.5
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Islands of Blood and Storm duology has been an incredibly intense and unpredictable journey, and I am so glad I got to read it. I have had a hard time figuring out just how to rate this book, because on some levels it's an easy five stars, but then there are parts that weren't necessarily amazing. In the end, though, the plot, arc, and ending of the entire duology was just too effective and perfectly executed to not go for a high rating.
The Islands of Blood and Storm has been a really stand out fantasy series for a myriad of reasons. The magic itself takes the form of 'kraft' that some characters are gifted (or cursed, in some regards) with when they are born. The Jannik, or the white colonizer, are allowed to live with the kraft, but the islanders who are the slaves are often immediately killed upon discovery of their kraft. The slaves are, as might be expected, treated in a subhuman fashion, and revolution has been brewing slowly for years. There's not a lot of hope in this book, but in the moments where that hope is present, it really hits hard.
The first book followed the POV of Sigourney Rose, and this time we follow the POV of Loren, her previous bodyguard/slave who is now becoming leader of the rebellion/revolution. Loren is really a fascinating POV to follow, partially because of his need to constantly tell the truth and inability to lie to anyone. There's no coercion in this, it is simply that because of everything he has experienced, he refuses to lie to anyone, which in turn leads to some particularly interesting scenarios. He is very flawed and often lets his heart get in the way of making decisions that would help his cause and instead leads to fairly negative consequences more often than not. He gains support early on, but struggles to keep that support and encouragement from those who have chosen him, which acts as a major conflict and issue in the plot. This duology is a strong mix of slow burn and high action, with long build ups to major plot points with a lot of focus on themes and characters.
I was, admittedly, rather surprised by the ending. I expected something similar to it to maybe happen, but I was surprised by the direction Callender chose for the overall ending. It's a hard ending, but it fits for an equally hard book that is frequently brutal and unrelenting in the dark and cruel topics that it handles. There is a lot of cruelty throughout this story, and the depictions of racism are raw and demand attention. I think one of the my favorite things about the ending--and really, this duology in general--is the way that it demands discussions, focuses on reflections of racism, and really makes you evaluation what constitutes power, privilege, and what it means to both wield those and what it means when there are varying layers to power.
Overall, I've given King of the Rising 4.5 stars! For all intents and purposes, this is a five star read. The small knock in the rating is simply because I felt that a lot of the plot and general activity of this book was a bit stagnant in times and I felt like there was simply a lot of rowing back and forth between islands. I didn't really mind this, but at the same time it just felt a bit repetitive at times. If you're interested in reading a fantasy that looks at some real, relevant, and difficult topics while also telling a truly phenomenal story that is unpredictable and unmerciful, then I very much encourage you to pick up Queen of the Conquered and King of the Rising!
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Islands of Blood and Storm duology has been an incredibly intense and unpredictable journey, and I am so glad I got to read it. I have had a hard time figuring out just how to rate this book, because on some levels it's an easy five stars, but then there are parts that weren't necessarily amazing. In the end, though, the plot, arc, and ending of the entire duology was just too effective and perfectly executed to not go for a high rating.
The Islands of Blood and Storm has been a really stand out fantasy series for a myriad of reasons. The magic itself takes the form of 'kraft' that some characters are gifted (or cursed, in some regards) with when they are born. The Jannik, or the white colonizer, are allowed to live with the kraft, but the islanders who are the slaves are often immediately killed upon discovery of their kraft. The slaves are, as might be expected, treated in a subhuman fashion, and revolution has been brewing slowly for years. There's not a lot of hope in this book, but in the moments where that hope is present, it really hits hard.
The first book followed the POV of Sigourney Rose, and this time we follow the POV of Loren, her previous bodyguard/slave who is now becoming leader of the rebellion/revolution. Loren is really a fascinating POV to follow, partially because of his need to constantly tell the truth and inability to lie to anyone. There's no coercion in this, it is simply that because of everything he has experienced, he refuses to lie to anyone, which in turn leads to some particularly interesting scenarios. He is very flawed and often lets his heart get in the way of making decisions that would help his cause and instead leads to fairly negative consequences more often than not. He gains support early on, but struggles to keep that support and encouragement from those who have chosen him, which acts as a major conflict and issue in the plot. This duology is a strong mix of slow burn and high action, with long build ups to major plot points with a lot of focus on themes and characters.
I was, admittedly, rather surprised by the ending. I expected something similar to it to maybe happen, but I was surprised by the direction Callender chose for the overall ending. It's a hard ending, but it fits for an equally hard book that is frequently brutal and unrelenting in the dark and cruel topics that it handles. There is a lot of cruelty throughout this story, and the depictions of racism are raw and demand attention. I think one of the my favorite things about the ending--and really, this duology in general--is the way that it demands discussions, focuses on reflections of racism, and really makes you evaluation what constitutes power, privilege, and what it means to both wield those and what it means when there are varying layers to power.
Overall, I've given King of the Rising 4.5 stars! For all intents and purposes, this is a five star read. The small knock in the rating is simply because I felt that a lot of the plot and general activity of this book was a bit stagnant in times and I felt like there was simply a lot of rowing back and forth between islands. I didn't really mind this, but at the same time it just felt a bit repetitive at times. If you're interested in reading a fantasy that looks at some real, relevant, and difficult topics while also telling a truly phenomenal story that is unpredictable and unmerciful, then I very much encourage you to pick up Queen of the Conquered and King of the Rising!
Read
April 29, 2021Couldn't get engaged with the narrative style (first person present, lots of short declarative sentences, other people largely presented through the telepathic narrator telling us their feelings rather than dialogue/action). Sad about this as the first book made a big impact, with a fascinating, deeply screwed up narrator (who may well have carried me over any stylistic issues), but I am just not clicking with this one. Very much a YMMV I think. DNF at 12%
March 5, 2021
Honestly, there is very little I can say about this book that struck me as positive. It wasn't hard to read, I guess? That counts as a positive, right?
Anyway, I liked Queen of the Conquered because it was an intimate character study of an amoral, self-deceptive woman who pretended she fought for the good of her people, while in reality she cared only about improving her lot in life. It was basically a budget Traitor Baru Cormorant (although I'd yet to read it back then).
In this book, we follow Loren, a more sympathetic, do-gooder kind of character. I was hoping to explore the nature of a revolution, and how skirting the line between violence and non-violence in the search of a higher ideal was a complicated, tangled path. But this book didn't really do that. In truth, King of the Rising was basically 400-ish pages of misery porn with an ending that just makes you go 'well, what was the point of it all then'? There wasn't much nuance or thoughtfulness to be explored, just a series of brutal scenes and imagery until bam, you hit the end.
Beyond that, the way Kacen Callender provides exposition is the same as from the first book; Loren now has the ability to 'steal' a weaker version of anyone else's magical abilities, and thus he can now read minds, like Sigourney did in the first book. For Sigourney, this worked because she was an isolated individual; everyone hated her, she was working alone, and she was the sort of person that would find no issue in violating someone else's mind.
This isn't true for Loren, and I find it odd that he would be so happy to use the ability of someone he disliked so much, without any issues despite being new to the entire thing. More importantly, Loren cannot be similarly isolated. He is the leader of a revolution, and not communicating won't help his authority. Again, this is quite unbelievable of someone, even if they're a reluctant leader. Plus, it just makes the entire narrative dull. There's paragraphs upon paragraphs of characters having their backstories and thoughts explained, and it feels like scribblings on paper — visible for all to see, but lacking the context of character and moments that give it meaning.
TL;DR - My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.
Anyway, I liked Queen of the Conquered because it was an intimate character study of an amoral, self-deceptive woman who pretended she fought for the good of her people, while in reality she cared only about improving her lot in life. It was basically a budget Traitor Baru Cormorant (although I'd yet to read it back then).
In this book, we follow Loren, a more sympathetic, do-gooder kind of character. I was hoping to explore the nature of a revolution, and how skirting the line between violence and non-violence in the search of a higher ideal was a complicated, tangled path. But this book didn't really do that. In truth, King of the Rising was basically 400-ish pages of misery porn with an ending that just makes you go 'well, what was the point of it all then'? There wasn't much nuance or thoughtfulness to be explored, just a series of brutal scenes and imagery until bam, you hit the end.
Beyond that, the way Kacen Callender provides exposition is the same as from the first book; Loren now has the ability to 'steal' a weaker version of anyone else's magical abilities, and thus he can now read minds, like Sigourney did in the first book. For Sigourney, this worked because she was an isolated individual; everyone hated her, she was working alone, and she was the sort of person that would find no issue in violating someone else's mind.
This isn't true for Loren, and I find it odd that he would be so happy to use the ability of someone he disliked so much, without any issues despite being new to the entire thing. More importantly, Loren cannot be similarly isolated. He is the leader of a revolution, and not communicating won't help his authority. Again, this is quite unbelievable of someone, even if they're a reluctant leader. Plus, it just makes the entire narrative dull. There's paragraphs upon paragraphs of characters having their backstories and thoughts explained, and it feels like scribblings on paper — visible for all to see, but lacking the context of character and moments that give it meaning.
TL;DR - My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.
February 10, 2021
What a ride !
To read this book in this day and age is unsettling.
Just as the cover implies, the voice in this second book is different: Sigourney isn't the narrator anymore, she has been replaced with Loren, her mysterious guard.
The revolution is in every mouth and every heart. We get to read, feel and explore what it means to challenge power and the status quo, for both oppressed and oppressors.
To read this book in this day and age is unsettling.
Just as the cover implies, the voice in this second book is different: Sigourney isn't the narrator anymore, she has been replaced with Loren, her mysterious guard.
The revolution is in every mouth and every heart. We get to read, feel and explore what it means to challenge power and the status quo, for both oppressed and oppressors.
January 3, 2021
More of the first book but in some ways, the ending feels lazy. I had similar issues with the writing as with book 1, in that there's a lot of telling-without-showing. The pacing improved and Loren is a much more active participant as a POV character than Sigourney had been, but weirdly, characters grow even less. This is primarily a thought experiment in a fantasy/alternate world with the right conditions to allow for discussions of colonialism and systems that are inequitable by design. But because there are so many thoughts and threads to pull out of this discussion, they end up taking center stage, with different characters becoming mouthpieces (or thought pieces) for different perspectives. It would be a tough challenge to balance a compelling narrative with fleshed-out characters and an acknowledgement of all these threads. That doesn't really happen here, which is a shame, but I loved that the author tried to do it and did articulate so many ways those perspectives would play out.
I'd add that while the world of these books is quite cynical about human character, it also makes humans far more consistent in personality and choice than they are. We can be both surprisingly horrible and surprisingly better than our worst natures at times. Beliefs are not personalities. Few people are so ideologically pure that their core values, thoughts, and actions can be traced in an unbroken line. It was frustrating that Sigourney and Loren, for all their mind-reading and empathetic ability, are the only ones permitted internal moral conflict (and only when they're the viewpoint characters in their respective books). There's some notion of Marieke caring for Sigourney (y/n) and yes, the resentment and desire for power/approval from the oppressor in conflict, but I think there's much more inner conflict than even that single dimension that fails to come across. As a reader, I felt like I received an abstract of each character's background but never got to watch the actual series.
Maybe just too much stuff was being juggled in only two books. I could have done with less explaining of people's thoughts all the time, and more doing. Unfortunately, the gimmick that lets the author keep the reader updated on everything that's happening also destroys a potential source of narrative suspense. And in making everyone's thoughts visible, the story itself becomes predestination. Little wonder that the characterization feels thin - characters are never allowed to have agency, even for a chapter. Still appreciated this duology and would look forward to the next one this author writes.
I'd add that while the world of these books is quite cynical about human character, it also makes humans far more consistent in personality and choice than they are. We can be both surprisingly horrible and surprisingly better than our worst natures at times. Beliefs are not personalities. Few people are so ideologically pure that their core values, thoughts, and actions can be traced in an unbroken line. It was frustrating that Sigourney and Loren, for all their mind-reading and empathetic ability, are the only ones permitted internal moral conflict (and only when they're the viewpoint characters in their respective books). There's some notion of Marieke caring for Sigourney (y/n) and yes, the resentment and desire for power/approval from the oppressor in conflict, but I think there's much more inner conflict than even that single dimension that fails to come across. As a reader, I felt like I received an abstract of each character's background but never got to watch the actual series.
Maybe just too much stuff was being juggled in only two books. I could have done with less explaining of people's thoughts all the time, and more doing. Unfortunately, the gimmick that lets the author keep the reader updated on everything that's happening also destroys a potential source of narrative suspense. And in making everyone's thoughts visible, the story itself becomes predestination. Little wonder that the characterization feels thin - characters are never allowed to have agency, even for a chapter. Still appreciated this duology and would look forward to the next one this author writes.
February 7, 2021
Okay, I finally finished this book. I wanted to like this series so much more than I actually did. I feel pretty much the same about this book as I do about Queen of the Conquered, but this book’s storyline was less compelling. Or, I guess, the flaws of the book were more apparent and detracted from the reading experience to the point where I couldn’t overlook them and enjoy the story.
First off: this plot is GOOD. It’s brutal, and the ending is bleak, but I appreciate the message that Callender is sending with such an “unpopular” conclusion. I have never read a fantasy novel like this. Sigourney is such an interesting character, and I may have enjoyed the first book more because it was from her POV.
However, the writing is what got me. There is so much tell-not-show text, and SO much of it is repetitive to the point where I was skimming some paragraphs. Some characters died, but they weren’t even an integral part of the narrative. They were just mentioned as being integral, not mentioned again, and then brought back only to die. I feel like a lot could have been edited out, and the descriptions could have been better. I was not able to sink into this story in the way I thought I would. Overall, this duology has an interesting premise and a lot of potential, but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you to Orbit Books and Caffeine Book Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off: this plot is GOOD. It’s brutal, and the ending is bleak, but I appreciate the message that Callender is sending with such an “unpopular” conclusion. I have never read a fantasy novel like this. Sigourney is such an interesting character, and I may have enjoyed the first book more because it was from her POV.
However, the writing is what got me. There is so much tell-not-show text, and SO much of it is repetitive to the point where I was skimming some paragraphs. Some characters died, but they weren’t even an integral part of the narrative. They were just mentioned as being integral, not mentioned again, and then brought back only to die. I feel like a lot could have been edited out, and the descriptions could have been better. I was not able to sink into this story in the way I thought I would. Overall, this duology has an interesting premise and a lot of potential, but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you to Orbit Books and Caffeine Book Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2021
🌊Reflections 🌊
Let me start by saying that there are things to love and enjoy about this book. The fact that Callender was able to centre islanders and their struggle for freedom and begin with a narrative that has not been done before (correct me if I'm wrong) with Sigourney's storyline is an achievement.
🌺
With this second instalment I loved the incorporation of keeping ancestral practices alive, of looking to both the young and old for strength in facing adversities, and of course never giving up. We see the indoctrination that serves as a block to achieving true freedom; the shifting waves upon which power bobs and weaves affecting allegiances; the sly obfuscation of a shadowy figure that looms over the main storyline were all instances that had the reader asking questions and relating to a shared history.
🌷
However what was supposed to have been the linchpin in this arc was severely underutilized and was at the heart of my frustrations with this novel and hampered what could have been a marvelously executed follow-up. The incessant overthinking of extending mercy to those who may or not deserve it and the missed opportunity to delve further into the use and development of kraft also impacted the story for me. This book seemed to suffer from a host of editing mishaps and that I believe is the true tragedy here.
🌼
But do read this book so we can get a conversation started.
🏵
Let me start by saying that there are things to love and enjoy about this book. The fact that Callender was able to centre islanders and their struggle for freedom and begin with a narrative that has not been done before (correct me if I'm wrong) with Sigourney's storyline is an achievement.
🌺
With this second instalment I loved the incorporation of keeping ancestral practices alive, of looking to both the young and old for strength in facing adversities, and of course never giving up. We see the indoctrination that serves as a block to achieving true freedom; the shifting waves upon which power bobs and weaves affecting allegiances; the sly obfuscation of a shadowy figure that looms over the main storyline were all instances that had the reader asking questions and relating to a shared history.
🌷
However what was supposed to have been the linchpin in this arc was severely underutilized and was at the heart of my frustrations with this novel and hampered what could have been a marvelously executed follow-up. The incessant overthinking of extending mercy to those who may or not deserve it and the missed opportunity to delve further into the use and development of kraft also impacted the story for me. This book seemed to suffer from a host of editing mishaps and that I believe is the true tragedy here.
🌼
But do read this book so we can get a conversation started.
🏵
January 25, 2021
A heavy read. Like the first one, CW for lots of violence, slavery, racism, and similar. Callender is walking a tightrope of hope and realism in this that is just heartbreaking and reminiscent of so much historical colonial violence, and the uprisings that sought to throw it off. I’m glad I read it, but oof. Don’t read if you’re looking for a happy diversion, by any means.
March 2, 2021
I don't know what I expected, but like.... Man... all Løren did was care for his people 😭and see the best in them 😭
I really liked how we switched POVs, and the highs and lows the Callender takes us through showing the rebellion... it's painful honestly... You get a look into every character thanks to Løren's craft, and it just really builds on how much you want them to succeed
I really liked how we switched POVs, and the highs and lows the Callender takes us through showing the rebellion... it's painful honestly... You get a look into every character thanks to Løren's craft, and it just really builds on how much you want them to succeed
December 14, 2020
4 stars
Disclaimer: I read an advanced copy of this book as part of the #KingOfTheRising blog tour with Caffeine Book Tours. This in no way impacts my review, or my opinions on the book.
Content Warnings: racisim, slavery, death, torture, violence, rape/sexual assault
King of the Rising begins shortly after Queen of the Conquered ends; however we are seeing the events through a new set of eyes: those of Løren. The story follows the rebel efforts of liberation from the oppressive Fjern presence of Hans Lollik after the islanders’ successful overthrowing of Hans Lollik Helle. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace as we follow attempts to grow forces and gain the upper hand, all while struggling with limited resources, and finding trustworthy proponents.
This series is a stellar commentary on slavery, its effects, and the fight for liberation. While the first book in the series dealt with Sigourney trying to rise up in the hierarchal ranks of the Kongelig while being viewed as lesser by the Fjern she held all the same rights as, and as a traitor by the other islanders, this book deals more with the plight of the islanders. Løren is an islander, though he too has Fjern blood and has suffered with being cast out by both the other islanders and his Fjern family, he has the lived experience of being an islander and slave unlike Sigourney. We see him struggle to make decisions that will allow his people their freedom without falling prey to the same tactics the Fjern employ – a similar issue Sigourney faced in Queen of the Conquered. Both stories focus on the different ways in which two people have fought for their freedom and rights, one through power, and the other through empathy and community.
I think my favourite aspect of King of the Rising is the characterisation. We get to meet and know more characters, spending more time with them and learning more about their history, and as a result being allowed a peek into the history of the different islands of Hans Lollik. This is mostly due to Løren being a more engaged and empathetic character than Sigourney. These two characters are foils of each other, and we are granted a comparison between the actions Sigourney took and the ones Løren takes with regards to leadership, power, and beliefs.
Along with excellent characterisation, the worldbuilding is expanded upon in this book. While we had a glimpse of some worldbuilding through Sigourney’s callbacks in book 1, there are some exciting and daunting travel scenes in book 2 that allow us a deeper insight into how the rest of this world allows the slavery and mistreatment of the islanders of Hans Lollik to thrive.
Callender masterfully weaves suspense and mystery into both instalments of this series - with Sigourney’s nightmares in Queen of the Conquered, and in a different yet just as unnerving way in King of the Rising. There are moments where you can feel the unease, but you aren’t sure if it’s a true fear to be held or the workings of Kraft and illusions. I really enjoyed these small moments in the story, they kept me on my toes while the story dives deeper into the bigger plot. Queen of the Conquered felt like a closed door (closed island?) mystery, but in King of the Rising the threats and mysteries are far-reaching.
I truly enjoyed this instalment – it held a lot of the most enjoyable aspects of the first book, while also upping the ante and being a more intense and engaging read. The Islands of Blood and Storm series by Kacen Callender tells a story of survival, fear, war, and oppression. It is a stunning tale of the lengths one will go to for power, and freedom, the ways in which oppression can forever alter the makeup of a society, complicit behaviour, and deftly handles the idea that there is no easy and gentle way to hold a revolution.
Disclaimer: I read an advanced copy of this book as part of the #KingOfTheRising blog tour with Caffeine Book Tours. This in no way impacts my review, or my opinions on the book.
Content Warnings: racisim, slavery, death, torture, violence, rape/sexual assault
King of the Rising begins shortly after Queen of the Conquered ends; however we are seeing the events through a new set of eyes: those of Løren. The story follows the rebel efforts of liberation from the oppressive Fjern presence of Hans Lollik after the islanders’ successful overthrowing of Hans Lollik Helle. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace as we follow attempts to grow forces and gain the upper hand, all while struggling with limited resources, and finding trustworthy proponents.
This series is a stellar commentary on slavery, its effects, and the fight for liberation. While the first book in the series dealt with Sigourney trying to rise up in the hierarchal ranks of the Kongelig while being viewed as lesser by the Fjern she held all the same rights as, and as a traitor by the other islanders, this book deals more with the plight of the islanders. Løren is an islander, though he too has Fjern blood and has suffered with being cast out by both the other islanders and his Fjern family, he has the lived experience of being an islander and slave unlike Sigourney. We see him struggle to make decisions that will allow his people their freedom without falling prey to the same tactics the Fjern employ – a similar issue Sigourney faced in Queen of the Conquered. Both stories focus on the different ways in which two people have fought for their freedom and rights, one through power, and the other through empathy and community.
I think my favourite aspect of King of the Rising is the characterisation. We get to meet and know more characters, spending more time with them and learning more about their history, and as a result being allowed a peek into the history of the different islands of Hans Lollik. This is mostly due to Løren being a more engaged and empathetic character than Sigourney. These two characters are foils of each other, and we are granted a comparison between the actions Sigourney took and the ones Løren takes with regards to leadership, power, and beliefs.
Along with excellent characterisation, the worldbuilding is expanded upon in this book. While we had a glimpse of some worldbuilding through Sigourney’s callbacks in book 1, there are some exciting and daunting travel scenes in book 2 that allow us a deeper insight into how the rest of this world allows the slavery and mistreatment of the islanders of Hans Lollik to thrive.
Callender masterfully weaves suspense and mystery into both instalments of this series - with Sigourney’s nightmares in Queen of the Conquered, and in a different yet just as unnerving way in King of the Rising. There are moments where you can feel the unease, but you aren’t sure if it’s a true fear to be held or the workings of Kraft and illusions. I really enjoyed these small moments in the story, they kept me on my toes while the story dives deeper into the bigger plot. Queen of the Conquered felt like a closed door (closed island?) mystery, but in King of the Rising the threats and mysteries are far-reaching.
I truly enjoyed this instalment – it held a lot of the most enjoyable aspects of the first book, while also upping the ante and being a more intense and engaging read. The Islands of Blood and Storm series by Kacen Callender tells a story of survival, fear, war, and oppression. It is a stunning tale of the lengths one will go to for power, and freedom, the ways in which oppression can forever alter the makeup of a society, complicit behaviour, and deftly handles the idea that there is no easy and gentle way to hold a revolution.
February 8, 2021
Wow, this took a hell of an unexpected turn. It fits really well with what Kacen Callender aimed to do with this duology I think but it will NOT be to everyone taste.
January 8, 2021
Maybe the bleak ending would've been fine pre-coup but post coup it's just a big ole dislike
December 5, 2020
While Queen of the Conquered was Sigourney’s story, King of the Rising is all Loren’s. There is a total shift in voice and perspective between the two, not fully making it books able to stand on their own, but making them distinct stories. And while Sigourney is still present for large parts of the book, she is not the one telling the story, which I think makes the book all the much stronger for it. I find her an incredibly interesting character, but I noticed that I prefer her particular brand of protagonist to be relegated to a side character as she starts grating on me over time. She is incredibly self-righteous and lacks a moral struggle aspect that is very present with Loren, and I think that is a large part of why I preferred having him at the centre of the narrative. I liked Queen of the Conquered, but I felt like I enjoyed King of the Rising more.
The tension is constantly kept high and there are no boring passages in the book. There is always something interesting happening, some kind of intrigue, some mystery among the islanders or the Fjern. These books are so well-written and unique, and I feel like they truly do the morally grey protagonist trope justice. I am constantly in awe of how good of an author Kacen Callender is – and I was very close to giving King of the Rising a rare five-star rating. Ultimately, I personally disliked the ending, but I also found it satisfying in some ways, and I’m not sure how it could have gone in different ways.
This duology – the ending of King of the Rising seems final and as far as I’m aware no further books have been announced – is not an easy read, as it deals with a lot of heavy subjects such as slavery, abuse and violence, but ultimately, despite addressing many bleak topics is a gripping and thought-inducing book, rather than one that makes readers shy away. However, do have a look at the content warnings above to see whether this is a book that is suitable for you.
The tension is constantly kept high and there are no boring passages in the book. There is always something interesting happening, some kind of intrigue, some mystery among the islanders or the Fjern. These books are so well-written and unique, and I feel like they truly do the morally grey protagonist trope justice. I am constantly in awe of how good of an author Kacen Callender is – and I was very close to giving King of the Rising a rare five-star rating. Ultimately, I personally disliked the ending, but I also found it satisfying in some ways, and I’m not sure how it could have gone in different ways.
This duology – the ending of King of the Rising seems final and as far as I’m aware no further books have been announced – is not an easy read, as it deals with a lot of heavy subjects such as slavery, abuse and violence, but ultimately, despite addressing many bleak topics is a gripping and thought-inducing book, rather than one that makes readers shy away. However, do have a look at the content warnings above to see whether this is a book that is suitable for you.
December 8, 2020
I really wanted to like this series. I read the second book with the hope that it would get better. The first book ended with a great twist! This story is told from the viewpoint of Loren, and much like the first novel we are told what’s happening instead of shown. Barely any dialogue. Every side character is given a background that has no impact on the story much like the first book. But the ending?! It makes me look over everything and say what was the reason I read this? There was no point. This doesn’t seem like fantasy because the magic ends up not really being essential and could have easily been left out.
February 2, 2022
Originally I was going to rate this a 3 for the pure reason of but I have raised it simply because .
Now most of this will be spoiler tagged.
However first off a few complaints.
Løren read way too much like Sigourney and I feel as though his kraft power was almost retconned just to account for this. Originally his power was pretty much like a shield or a dampener for other people's powers. Now he can also apparently steal or 'borrow' other people's powers but to a lesser extent. He's taken on Sigourney's and they also have some sort of psychic link. He also outright takes on Patrika (to cause pain) and Anke's (to heal) but it seems like it implied that he'd taken on Aksel's (To see the kraft power of another) as well.
While this was pretty interesting it seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Some characters were introduced to die very quickly or be shipped off and put in the fridge.
The subplot about the spy didn't really go anywhere and just sort of resolved itself.
Now onto spoiler territory.
So yea, not a lot happened for a lot of the way other than arguing and talking. Then when things actually got going, it was already too late.
Now most of this will be spoiler tagged.
However first off a few complaints.
Løren read way too much like Sigourney and I feel as though his kraft power was almost retconned just to account for this. Originally his power was pretty much like a shield or a dampener for other people's powers. Now he can also apparently steal or 'borrow' other people's powers but to a lesser extent. He's taken on Sigourney's and they also have some sort of psychic link. He also outright takes on Patrika (to cause pain) and Anke's (to heal) but it seems like it implied that he'd taken on Aksel's (To see the kraft power of another) as well.
While this was pretty interesting it seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Some characters were introduced to die very quickly or be shipped off and put in the fridge.
The subplot about the spy didn't really go anywhere and just sort of resolved itself.
Now onto spoiler territory.
So yea, not a lot happened for a lot of the way other than arguing and talking. Then when things actually got going, it was already too late.
November 7, 2021
King of the Rising is a worthy sequel to Queen of the Conquered. As a reader it was, at times, difficult to remind myself that this series was not meant to render any fairytale delusions. Although classified as fiction, Callender has constructed raw accounts with touches of magical realism tied in. And they are meant to reflect the true-to-life fates of countless Black bodies the world over that have relentlessly fought their way out of bondage, only to have their names too often lost to the annals of history. Making my way through this series, I wonder if Callender spent time in the Dutch Antilles in particular before or during the writing process.
I liked the approach of having the story continue from an alternate perspective (Løren's), especially because the events of Queen of the Conquered and Sigourney were still featured prominently. Callender weaves a good yarn, and she has a true knack for keeping readers guessing. Much like in Queen of the Conquered with the , there is a traitor amongst Løren's lot that is sabotaging the revolution. Though not as explosive (in my opinion) as the revelation in Queen of the Conquered, the suspense was well-maintained throughout.
One ingenious element Callender incorporated that I truly loved, was how it was illustrated that the traitor had the power to make Løren (and others I presume, if need be) forget (109, 134, 149, 179, 203): instead of just simply stating so, Callender chose to illustrate it by having Løren repeat himself mid-thought and afflicted by the fact that he knows there is something imperative he is unable to remember:
"I walk down the hill toward the bay. The rocks offer me calmness. Their solid form was here before I was born and will be here after I die. This is a place I can untangle my thoughts and return to a state where I'm not ruled by my rage or hatred or fear. I walk across the sand, and I see that someone is there. A shadow, an outline. They work with a boat. Their kraft is powerful. This is what I immediately feel. Their kraft allows them to hide their ability, as they have hidden it for some time. Because they think they're alone, there's no reason to put in such an effort. It's only when they see me that their kraft spikes.
I walk down the hill toward the bay. The rocks offer me calmness. Their solid form was here before I was born and will be here after I die. It's only as I walk closer that something tugs on my mind. There's something I've forgotten. I can feel the edges of the memory slipping away like the depths of a dream I try to grasp after waking, until the realization that there's something I must remember begins to fade." (49)
*
This level of showing as opposed to telling, was brilliant and expertly implemented.
In terms of weaknesses King of the Rising suffers from unnecessary repetition, much like in Queen of the Conquered when Callender has Sigourney incessantly bemoan her earned status as a pariah amongst her people. Callender's iteration of this with Løren is his fixation on mercy (170, 312), which eventually . This employed device gets stale and frustrating just as it did in the preceding novel, largely because it feels like you're being beaten over the head with the sentiment. Although Callender's intent in using this mechanism in her writing might be for emphasis, it only ends up serving as a hindrance to the otherwise fluid strength of the writing itself.
Also, this plagued me throughout the book since it was a pivotal event that was never mentioned again:
I'm not sure why (maybe the above feature/characteristic is a contributing factor?), but it wasn't until I finished King of the Rising that I discovered that the series was not considered YA (and that also, for some reason, it's categorized as Sci-fi?? Which is pretty perplexing to me). The fact that I got YA vibes from the series is no disparaging mark on YA as a genre, since not much of what once differentiated a YA novel (watered down themes and writing) from an adult one still holds. Over the past almost two decades the genre has become robust and on par with adult fiction, in terms of both thematics and writing prowess. A profound win for this generation's teens and the adult me, but deeply sad for the teen me of years ago that was insatiably searching for such content largely in vain.
All in all, King of the Rising continued Callender's sobering course through the brutality of slavery and bondage in the story's historical fiction-based islands. The narrative also serves as a stark reminder that . I like that the book ended in a way that allows for a potential continuation of the Islands of Blood and Storm series. Speaking of, I haven't been able to find any information on whether that will be happening or if the series ends here - does anything know if that will be the case?
Noteworthy lines:
"I scoop my hands into the anger. It's wet like white clay, molding in my hands and draining between my fingers until I'm only left with the sharp glass of his pain." (11)
"They disguise danger and death with ribbons and lace. I prefer to see the sharpness of the dagger and the blunt truth of hatred and disgust than have it hidden away." (126)
"Her meaning is clear. I understand what she wants and what she expects. She thinks it will be an easy exchange: my body for only a night, for help to win our freedom from the Fjern. It might be an easy choice for others. I can feel the pressure to sacrifice myself, no matter the discomfort and disgust, no matter the rage of having my body used in the way it has been used, again and again. Sacrifice myself, for all my people and all our islands.
Dame Aris believes the choice is so easy she doesn't wait for my response. She puts a hand in my leg. It feels like my skin begins to rot beneath her fingertips. She's surprised when I take her hand and remove it. She's more surprised when I tell her no...Her anger is abrupt. She's embarrassed. Enraged, that she's been rejected, and by someone of such a lower class as me. The Rescela Empire might not have slaves, but their society has found its ways to oppress others." (278-9)
"Sigourney believed that she could someday be loved and accepted by her people as she sat on a throne of our bones." (315)
I liked the approach of having the story continue from an alternate perspective (Løren's), especially because the events of Queen of the Conquered and Sigourney were still featured prominently. Callender weaves a good yarn, and she has a true knack for keeping readers guessing. Much like in Queen of the Conquered with the , there is a traitor amongst Løren's lot that is sabotaging the revolution. Though not as explosive (in my opinion) as the revelation in Queen of the Conquered, the suspense was well-maintained throughout.
One ingenious element Callender incorporated that I truly loved, was how it was illustrated that the traitor had the power to make Løren (and others I presume, if need be) forget (109, 134, 149, 179, 203): instead of just simply stating so, Callender chose to illustrate it by having Løren repeat himself mid-thought and afflicted by the fact that he knows there is something imperative he is unable to remember:
"I walk down the hill toward the bay. The rocks offer me calmness. Their solid form was here before I was born and will be here after I die. This is a place I can untangle my thoughts and return to a state where I'm not ruled by my rage or hatred or fear. I walk across the sand, and I see that someone is there. A shadow, an outline. They work with a boat. Their kraft is powerful. This is what I immediately feel. Their kraft allows them to hide their ability, as they have hidden it for some time. Because they think they're alone, there's no reason to put in such an effort. It's only when they see me that their kraft spikes.
I walk down the hill toward the bay. The rocks offer me calmness. Their solid form was here before I was born and will be here after I die. It's only as I walk closer that something tugs on my mind. There's something I've forgotten. I can feel the edges of the memory slipping away like the depths of a dream I try to grasp after waking, until the realization that there's something I must remember begins to fade." (49)
*
This level of showing as opposed to telling, was brilliant and expertly implemented.
In terms of weaknesses King of the Rising suffers from unnecessary repetition, much like in Queen of the Conquered when Callender has Sigourney incessantly bemoan her earned status as a pariah amongst her people. Callender's iteration of this with Løren is his fixation on mercy (170, 312), which eventually . This employed device gets stale and frustrating just as it did in the preceding novel, largely because it feels like you're being beaten over the head with the sentiment. Although Callender's intent in using this mechanism in her writing might be for emphasis, it only ends up serving as a hindrance to the otherwise fluid strength of the writing itself.
Also, this plagued me throughout the book since it was a pivotal event that was never mentioned again:
I'm not sure why (maybe the above feature/characteristic is a contributing factor?), but it wasn't until I finished King of the Rising that I discovered that the series was not considered YA (and that also, for some reason, it's categorized as Sci-fi?? Which is pretty perplexing to me). The fact that I got YA vibes from the series is no disparaging mark on YA as a genre, since not much of what once differentiated a YA novel (watered down themes and writing) from an adult one still holds. Over the past almost two decades the genre has become robust and on par with adult fiction, in terms of both thematics and writing prowess. A profound win for this generation's teens and the adult me, but deeply sad for the teen me of years ago that was insatiably searching for such content largely in vain.
All in all, King of the Rising continued Callender's sobering course through the brutality of slavery and bondage in the story's historical fiction-based islands. The narrative also serves as a stark reminder that . I like that the book ended in a way that allows for a potential continuation of the Islands of Blood and Storm series. Speaking of, I haven't been able to find any information on whether that will be happening or if the series ends here - does anything know if that will be the case?
Noteworthy lines:
"I scoop my hands into the anger. It's wet like white clay, molding in my hands and draining between my fingers until I'm only left with the sharp glass of his pain." (11)
"They disguise danger and death with ribbons and lace. I prefer to see the sharpness of the dagger and the blunt truth of hatred and disgust than have it hidden away." (126)
"Her meaning is clear. I understand what she wants and what she expects. She thinks it will be an easy exchange: my body for only a night, for help to win our freedom from the Fjern. It might be an easy choice for others. I can feel the pressure to sacrifice myself, no matter the discomfort and disgust, no matter the rage of having my body used in the way it has been used, again and again. Sacrifice myself, for all my people and all our islands.
Dame Aris believes the choice is so easy she doesn't wait for my response. She puts a hand in my leg. It feels like my skin begins to rot beneath her fingertips. She's surprised when I take her hand and remove it. She's more surprised when I tell her no...Her anger is abrupt. She's embarrassed. Enraged, that she's been rejected, and by someone of such a lower class as me. The Rescela Empire might not have slaves, but their society has found its ways to oppress others." (278-9)
"Sigourney believed that she could someday be loved and accepted by her people as she sat on a throne of our bones." (315)
September 10, 2021
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i am honestly floored by this book. i finished it last night and woke up thinking about it again this morning, and i think i'll still be thinking about it a long time from now. i really liked queen of the conquered. somehow king of the rising managed to be even better.
the good:
✧ kacen callender really does have a knack for beautiful writing. i saw this in the first book, and this one is no exception. there were so many stunning, gut-wrenching scenes throughout what ended up being a very moving story. if you read the first book you'll already know, but this series is not your typical young/new adult fantasy with a gutsy hero(ine) discovering their powers, falling in love and taking down the big bad. this series gets very deep - moreso in kotr - and luckily callender has the talent to do the heavy themes it tackles justice.
✧ i found kotr much better paced than qotc. qotc started a little slow in the first half of the book, but kotr had me in a chokehold. seriously, it was so gripping, if i hadn't been forced to put it down i would've torn through it in a day. it kept me on my toes and i was just constantly wondering what would happen next, or when we would learn the truth about xyz. and yes, this book also comes through with some pretty big shockers towards the end, just as qotc did. and yes, i was once again duped into thinking i had it all figured out.
✧ the cast is pretty special in this book. in qotc, sigourney is extremely isolated. aside from marieke, she has nobody on her side. on the flip side, it is extremely interesting to see the differences in løren's experiences, as he works with the many islanders to gain freedom. as a result, we get to meet so many more characters from across the islands, who have a wealth of different experiences, and therefore many different motivations for their support (or lack thereof) for the revolution. løren's kraft allows us to understand each of the characters pretty deeply. there are many characters introduced, but each of them is razor-sharp.
i adore løren as the narrator. he was already intriguing in qotc, but getting to see what really makes him tick was amazing. he is almost the polar opposite of sigourney - honest to a fault, empathetic, extraordinarily self-aware - and yet the two remain inextricably linked. sigourney is also insanely good in this book. she's a constant wildcard and impossible to predict. she was double-, triple-, quadruple-crossing everyone at every opportunity! i kind of liked her more as a non-narrator, but we definitely needed the first book from her perspective to understand her.
Thebad thing to watch out for:
✦ this story is absolutely brutal. the first book has a degree of this, but it's ramped up here. to be clear, this didn't put me off from reading, but i do think it's something that you might want to be aware of. it has the potential to be very emotionally taxing. as i said, this isn't a typical fantasy - it deals with some very grim themes in a very grim way.
anyway, i thought this duology was really quite something. the 3.53 rating for this book is criminal! i feel very glad to have invested in this series, and if you're willing to get a little heavier, i would highly recommend both books. very excited to see what callender does next.
i am honestly floored by this book. i finished it last night and woke up thinking about it again this morning, and i think i'll still be thinking about it a long time from now. i really liked queen of the conquered. somehow king of the rising managed to be even better.
the good:
✧ kacen callender really does have a knack for beautiful writing. i saw this in the first book, and this one is no exception. there were so many stunning, gut-wrenching scenes throughout what ended up being a very moving story. if you read the first book you'll already know, but this series is not your typical young/new adult fantasy with a gutsy hero(ine) discovering their powers, falling in love and taking down the big bad. this series gets very deep - moreso in kotr - and luckily callender has the talent to do the heavy themes it tackles justice.
✧ i found kotr much better paced than qotc. qotc started a little slow in the first half of the book, but kotr had me in a chokehold. seriously, it was so gripping, if i hadn't been forced to put it down i would've torn through it in a day. it kept me on my toes and i was just constantly wondering what would happen next, or when we would learn the truth about xyz. and yes, this book also comes through with some pretty big shockers towards the end, just as qotc did. and yes, i was once again duped into thinking i had it all figured out.
✧ the cast is pretty special in this book. in qotc, sigourney is extremely isolated. aside from marieke, she has nobody on her side. on the flip side, it is extremely interesting to see the differences in løren's experiences, as he works with the many islanders to gain freedom. as a result, we get to meet so many more characters from across the islands, who have a wealth of different experiences, and therefore many different motivations for their support (or lack thereof) for the revolution. løren's kraft allows us to understand each of the characters pretty deeply. there are many characters introduced, but each of them is razor-sharp.
i adore løren as the narrator. he was already intriguing in qotc, but getting to see what really makes him tick was amazing. he is almost the polar opposite of sigourney - honest to a fault, empathetic, extraordinarily self-aware - and yet the two remain inextricably linked. sigourney is also insanely good in this book. she's a constant wildcard and impossible to predict. she was double-, triple-, quadruple-crossing everyone at every opportunity! i kind of liked her more as a non-narrator, but we definitely needed the first book from her perspective to understand her.
The
✦ this story is absolutely brutal. the first book has a degree of this, but it's ramped up here. to be clear, this didn't put me off from reading, but i do think it's something that you might want to be aware of. it has the potential to be very emotionally taxing. as i said, this isn't a typical fantasy - it deals with some very grim themes in a very grim way.
anyway, i thought this duology was really quite something. the 3.53 rating for this book is criminal! i feel very glad to have invested in this series, and if you're willing to get a little heavier, i would highly recommend both books. very excited to see what callender does next.
November 22, 2021
Now this is how you do a sequel.
While I ended up liking Queen of the Conquered, it took quite a bit to warm up to me. The start is slow, the protagonist is not very likable, and the plot promises one thing while giving you something wholly different. Luckily as it goes along the political intrigue sinks its teeth in, and the final twist is an excellent showstopper that knocked me off my feet.
With that in mind, King of the Rising was always going to have an advantage going in, not just due to the usual sequel situation of already having my investment from the previous entry but also because it was following up on such a great twist and intriguing setup. What this book does with this setup turns out pretty great, and I think this will be a book that sticks with me for quite awhile.
Like its predecessor, nothing comes easy to our characters here. They’re embroiled in the middle of a revolution after nabbing quite the upper hand, but things turn sour quickly. Infighting begins as selfish desires clash with lofty goals of freeing all the slaves, and the masters who have played these political games for far longer start to use their experience to turn the tides.
It’s a complicated and nuanced take of what could’ve been a very tropey story, and I appreciate Callender’s deft hand here. It ends up coming across as a critique of how we’ve built our civilization, how it values some over others, and how difficult it can be to make meaningful change. Some people oppressed by the system can be so easily manipulated to believe the same system is what’s actually best for them, and it’s heartbreaking every time we see that bare its teeth in this story. Framing it in a historically influenced fantasy world based on the former slave system in the Virgin Islands, it ties these themes into the struggle black people had to endure during these colonial times, and parallels can be easily drawn to modern day struggles and many other points in history.
Even if you don’t quite pull out all of that from this story, what you still get is an intricate web of scheming. These characters are so complex, each with their own motivations that collide with each other despite being on the “same side.” It’s devastating but satisfying too how the novel never lets people escape the consequences of their choices, no matter how altruistic the choice may seem at the time.
This is not going to be a book for everyone. Some will find it too brutal but for those who can appreciate the shades of grey and stark realism spread throughout, you’ll find a great, thought provoking fantasy read.
While I ended up liking Queen of the Conquered, it took quite a bit to warm up to me. The start is slow, the protagonist is not very likable, and the plot promises one thing while giving you something wholly different. Luckily as it goes along the political intrigue sinks its teeth in, and the final twist is an excellent showstopper that knocked me off my feet.
With that in mind, King of the Rising was always going to have an advantage going in, not just due to the usual sequel situation of already having my investment from the previous entry but also because it was following up on such a great twist and intriguing setup. What this book does with this setup turns out pretty great, and I think this will be a book that sticks with me for quite awhile.
Like its predecessor, nothing comes easy to our characters here. They’re embroiled in the middle of a revolution after nabbing quite the upper hand, but things turn sour quickly. Infighting begins as selfish desires clash with lofty goals of freeing all the slaves, and the masters who have played these political games for far longer start to use their experience to turn the tides.
It’s a complicated and nuanced take of what could’ve been a very tropey story, and I appreciate Callender’s deft hand here. It ends up coming across as a critique of how we’ve built our civilization, how it values some over others, and how difficult it can be to make meaningful change. Some people oppressed by the system can be so easily manipulated to believe the same system is what’s actually best for them, and it’s heartbreaking every time we see that bare its teeth in this story. Framing it in a historically influenced fantasy world based on the former slave system in the Virgin Islands, it ties these themes into the struggle black people had to endure during these colonial times, and parallels can be easily drawn to modern day struggles and many other points in history.
Even if you don’t quite pull out all of that from this story, what you still get is an intricate web of scheming. These characters are so complex, each with their own motivations that collide with each other despite being on the “same side.” It’s devastating but satisfying too how the novel never lets people escape the consequences of their choices, no matter how altruistic the choice may seem at the time.
This is not going to be a book for everyone. Some will find it too brutal but for those who can appreciate the shades of grey and stark realism spread throughout, you’ll find a great, thought provoking fantasy read.
July 2, 2021
This series is such an intense and hard read. This one in particular because Callender makes it fairly clear early on that this revolution is doomed to fail, that all of the enslaved people who rose up (and a fair number who did not) are going to die, and that the entrenched power structure is going to continue and only be slightly less stable. I think that can make it seem like, well what was the point of this book? What was the point of the death and the revolution and the fighting? I liked that Loren, Malthe, Sigourney, and even Marieke are all fundamentally unsuited for the revolution's success because they are, at their heart, unable to let go of their own ego and subsume themselves for the greater good of the islands. They are too selfish, too caught up in their own desires of superiority and desire to mark themselves as different and better to lead successfully. I think that the emphasis on fighting for your freedom and the freedom of those who don't even exist yet is valuable and good, no matter the results. That a failed revolution today is the seeds of a successful one tomorrow. That even if it wasn't perfect yet, it still can be. And that maybe the next group of people who fight are going to be the ones who get it right.
At the end of the day, these are books that are more about the deep effects of slavery on the enslaved than the revolution itself. How it twists people's minds into accepting themselves as lesser, pits those who should be allies against one another, and how the worst of the physical scars carve themselves into people's minds. We spend so much time in people's heads and getting exposition because that's where the marks of slavery and trauma are invisible, but they profoundly shape a person. A remarkable book.
At the end of the day, these are books that are more about the deep effects of slavery on the enslaved than the revolution itself. How it twists people's minds into accepting themselves as lesser, pits those who should be allies against one another, and how the worst of the physical scars carve themselves into people's minds. We spend so much time in people's heads and getting exposition because that's where the marks of slavery and trauma are invisible, but they profoundly shape a person. A remarkable book.
December 7, 2020
Freedom from slavery has a cost, not just in human lives but in the internal torture of mind and morality brought on by lifetimes spent in forced repudiation of one’s language, culture, religion and self-esteem. For an ex-slave to have a position of privilege in the midst of this history of oppression is all the more problematic. This is the reality permeating the powerful, riveting and brave novel King of the Rising, the second part of Kacen Callender’s brilliant Islands of Blood and Storm duology.
Like its predecessor, Queen of the Conquered, this Caribbean-inspired fantasy is told from a single point of view. In the first book it was that of Sigourney Rose, a mixed blood daughter of a well to do islander family who had managed to make herself a candidate to lead the Fjern dominated islands. The Fjern are a white skinned people who enslaved the native dark skinned inhabitants, taking from them everything, language, culture, even their name, referring to them only as slaves or islanders.
In King of the Rising we are inside the mind of Løren, the bastard son of a Fjern lord and an islander mother. This world becomes real to us primarily through his thoughts rather than through external description. That is because the two most important elements of his island world relate to internal struggles.
Read more at SciFi Mind
Like its predecessor, Queen of the Conquered, this Caribbean-inspired fantasy is told from a single point of view. In the first book it was that of Sigourney Rose, a mixed blood daughter of a well to do islander family who had managed to make herself a candidate to lead the Fjern dominated islands. The Fjern are a white skinned people who enslaved the native dark skinned inhabitants, taking from them everything, language, culture, even their name, referring to them only as slaves or islanders.
In King of the Rising we are inside the mind of Løren, the bastard son of a Fjern lord and an islander mother. This world becomes real to us primarily through his thoughts rather than through external description. That is because the two most important elements of his island world relate to internal struggles.
Read more at SciFi Mind
January 22, 2024
‘Disappointment, pity, rage. It’s necessary to feel emotion so that I have the will to fight.’
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kacen Callender had a lot of nerve to end the series like this, and I respect it. I have to say, this will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought it was brilliant.
Things I liked
- Løren was a layered, well-developed character and I loved reading from his perspective. He is so different from Sigourney, but that’s what makes this second book so necessary and interesting.
- Like the first book, the scenery in this book was so good! Everything was described so realistically and beautifully: the world around the characters was alive and breathing.
Things I didn’t like
- The book raises some very interesting discussions, but doing so, the social commentary is not as strong as it could be. Of course, it explores sensitive and interesting themes like colonialism and privilege, but the characters are talked about so objectively and matter-of-factly, that the message it tries to bring across is a little blurred out. A book like this could rely heavier on the author’s perspective.
Overall thoughts
This duology was really interesting. I was almost gonna DNF it at some point, but I’m glad I didn’t. I would recommend it to everyone whose interest was piqued by the first book, and who wants to learn more about colonialism, slavery, privilege, but also newly introduced topics like leadership and identity.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kacen Callender had a lot of nerve to end the series like this, and I respect it. I have to say, this will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought it was brilliant.
Things I liked
- Løren was a layered, well-developed character and I loved reading from his perspective. He is so different from Sigourney, but that’s what makes this second book so necessary and interesting.
- Like the first book, the scenery in this book was so good! Everything was described so realistically and beautifully: the world around the characters was alive and breathing.
Things I didn’t like
- The book raises some very interesting discussions, but doing so, the social commentary is not as strong as it could be. Of course, it explores sensitive and interesting themes like colonialism and privilege, but the characters are talked about so objectively and matter-of-factly, that the message it tries to bring across is a little blurred out. A book like this could rely heavier on the author’s perspective.
Overall thoughts
This duology was really interesting. I was almost gonna DNF it at some point, but I’m glad I didn’t. I would recommend it to everyone whose interest was piqued by the first book, and who wants to learn more about colonialism, slavery, privilege, but also newly introduced topics like leadership and identity.
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