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Interesting Premise, But Could Have Been Better

by Bethany Baldwin

August 17, 2012

@bethyhope96

Today I am reviewing The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Back cover: The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan

My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil.

The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on an important quest.

Thomas quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both comradery and suspicion.

Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?

~~~ When I saw this book was eligible for review, I was instantly interested. The storyline sounded very cool, and it intrigued me. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. After having a tough time getting the ebook to work, I finally settled in to read some of it. It WAS interesting. The characters were (mainly) lovable in their own ways, and I cheered for Thomas on his quest.

That being said, the book didn't quite reach the expectations I set up for it. Maybe that isn't fair, because it really is a well written book. Here are the things that made the story less satisfying for me. The pace: It was too fast, in my opinion. I never got the chance to get to know the characters well because the story was going by so quick. It also left me in confusion about some points of the story. Which leads to... the length: There's nothing wrong with a book being only a bit over 200 pages, but instead of Mr. Brouwer taking artistic liberties, it seemed as if he was trying to cram all his ideas into a little box. Confusion: I was confused about what was happening, and constantly trying to figure out just what on earth was going on- though I believe some of them will be explained in book 2. Finally, all of these things made it hard for me to connect with the story and characters.

Now that the negative part is over, I will say this: I enjoyed the book! Besides the things that dissatisfied me, it was exciting. The action almost never stops, and as I said before, as far as I got to know them, the characters WERE likable. I recommend this book for a quick read, when you don't have the time to invest in a 400 page epic. Don't go into the story expecting too highly, but don't let this review sway you to not give it a try. In all likelihood, you will enjoy it. I did. I give this story three-and-a-half stars. Almost four.

So check out Chapter 1 here: [http://www.scribd.com/doc/89986193/The-Orphan-King-by-Sigmund-Brouwer-Chapter-1-Excerpt][1]

and think about purchasing it here: [http://www.amazon.com/The-Orphan-King-Merlins-Immortals/dp/1400071542/ref=sr11?ie=UTF8&qid=1345247895&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Orphan+King][2] Hope this review was helpful!

~A young author