cpark2005 reviewed Kingshold by David Woolliscroft
Review of 'Kingshold' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Kingshold by DP Woolliscroft came highly recommended. I picked this book up awhile ago, read the first several chapters, didn’t connect with it, and set it aside. Recently several folks told me I really needed to read this book and so I went back and gave it another shot. I’m glad I did. Kingshold is a unique fantasy adventure, one part epic fantasy and one part political thriller wrapped up with some fun humor.
Woolliscroft has crafted quite the cast of colorful characters. From a wizard who wants to retire—and is perhaps slightly mad and slightly tyrannical—to a drunken bard looking for something to sing about, to a chancellor who would really like to not be in charge, thank you very much, there is a colorful cast of characters to keep you engaged throughout. The plot itself is unique in the extreme, a tale of what it looks like for …
Kingshold by DP Woolliscroft came highly recommended. I picked this book up awhile ago, read the first several chapters, didn’t connect with it, and set it aside. Recently several folks told me I really needed to read this book and so I went back and gave it another shot. I’m glad I did. Kingshold is a unique fantasy adventure, one part epic fantasy and one part political thriller wrapped up with some fun humor.
Woolliscroft has crafted quite the cast of colorful characters. From a wizard who wants to retire—and is perhaps slightly mad and slightly tyrannical—to a drunken bard looking for something to sing about, to a chancellor who would really like to not be in charge, thank you very much, there is a colorful cast of characters to keep you engaged throughout. The plot itself is unique in the extreme, a tale of what it looks like for a monarchy to transition to a system of voting to choose its leader. Of course, being a fantasy, that transition is complicated by magic and other shenanigans. It’s definitely not your run-of-the-mill fantasy, and it’s enjoyable largely because of this. It also doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is plenty of humor and tongue in cheek moments throughout the story that elicit plenty of chuckles.
As I mentioned before, I didn’t immediately connect with the novel. For me, it took until almost 40% of the way in before I was engaged and connected with the story. While I love epic fantasy with multiple viewpoints, I think the storylines were so disparate early on that it felt too disjointed for me. Once individual storylines started to join up, I was highly engaged for the rest of the novel. On a separate note, I’ve already said that Kingshold has plenty of humor, not taking itself too seriously. In that way it’s a little like Stargate SG-1 or the BBC Merlin series. Unfortunately, there were times when I felt like the dialog or narration crossed the line into anachronism. Phrases like, “neat freak” or “you can do it, man!” or “he had to be stopped from going all ceremonial with his mace,” took me out of the story. They are so much a part of the tone of the book—and that’s mostly positive—but they just didn’t work for me.
While it took me awhile to get into, I can’t help but find the story of Kingshold too fun to pass up. I’ll definitely be reading more of Woolliscroft’s work set in this world. If you’re looking for something that is not your standard fantasy, you should give it a try. 3.7/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
