The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1) by Jennifer Lyons (2019)
-eARC Review-

Fiction | Fantasy
Blurb:

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

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

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

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

He’s destined to destroy it . . .”
–Goodreads

Expected Publication Date: February 05, 2019 

---

pooled ink Review:

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!

Yay! A dragon book!!! Basically I saw the dragon on the cover and looked straight for the book’s description which sealed the deal. I had to read this.

This actually turned out to be a pretty entertaining read and I’m really glad I had the chance to read an advanced copy. My favorite part…actually, I’m not sure what my favorite part was. The world-building was excellent, it was complex, intriguing, detailed, and creative. It absolutely drew me in. But I’m usually more of a character reader and on the front I still wasn’t disappointed. The protagonist’s story is told from two different POVs which was a really interesting choice but I think it paid off and brought a fresh light to the story. The writing kept the story alive with its fast pace/high energy, its intricacy, and its snark. Sometimes these big fantasy books can be dull and dense but this one made me laugh or would catch me by surprise and my attention would be revived.

I will say though that while I liked the fact that the author put so much work into creating this world full of magic, politics, wars, demons, dragons, and more, at times it did suffer from being simply “too much.” There would be too many details, too much over-explaining, too much to remember and keep track of. Not always, a lot of this book moved swiftly and was fun to read but sometimes I wanted to skim because it was getting a bit dense for my taste. And you’ve got to be sure to pay attention to keep up with the pace, the plot, and the characters’ many schemes, secrets, histories, backstories, and even body-swapping.

Overall I think this is a solid read and a great start to the series but it’s a book for more serious fantasy readers, I’d hesitate to recommend it to someone new or less familiar with the genre of Adult Fantasy. Keep an eye out though! This just might be what your shelf has been missing!

The Ruin of Kings is an exciting start to a dream gone quite wrong. An orphan, a thief, a long-lost prince…what will become of Kihrin when all is said and done? Fast-paced, entrancing, and not above making its readers laugh amidst the darkness, this story promises only one thing: one complicated thrill of a ride.

Cheers.

 Purchase Here: The Ruin of Kings

Similar Recommended Reads: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

---

Meet Jenn Lyons!

Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three cats, and a lot of opinions on anything from the Sumerian creation myths to the correct way to make a martini. At various points in her life, she has wanted to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, architect, diamond cutter, fashion illustrator, graphic designer, or Batman. Turning from such obvious trades, she is now a video game producer by day, and spends her evenings writing science fiction and fantasy. When not writing, she can be founding debating the Oxford comma and Joss Whedon’s oeuvre at various local coffee shops.
-Goodreads

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

---