King's War
The Kinsman Chronicles #3
By Jill Williamson

War is coming to Er'Rets - the remnants of the Five Realms have not settled into a peace in this new land. Those clinging to the old ways with its gods and magic are determined to keep it in this new world. While others seek out new magic with which to enhance their old beliefs. And others specifically the kingdoms of Armania and Sarikar are determined to follow Arman and his teachings. But even among those who seek out the will of Arman temptations to fall into the old ways abound.

Trevn-Rosar Hadar is now king of Armania following the death of his elder brother Wilek. This is a duty Trevn never wanted nor expected to inherit. But no matter how reluctant he might be he's determined to try to do his best to defend his people against the war that was coming.

Armania and Sarikar have allied themselves in the deaths of their respective kings and in their worship of Arman. But there are some who resent the leaving behind of the old gods and the old traditions and they are more than ready to stand against the new king and queen. With those he most trusts aiding him, Trevn hopes to gain the respect and support of his people while offering Princess Saria Pitney whatever support he can in ruling Sarikar.

But the thrones of Armania and Sarikar have captured the eye of King Barthel Rogedoth who desires to defeat and rule both. Chieftess Charlon of Magosia believes the throne of Armania should go to her own son Shanek (who is Barthel's ). Rogedoth holds to the old ways and the old magic while Charlon delves into the new magic that this world offers. Both are against the teachings Arman as they call upon the magic that is at their disposal.

Now there is a considerable amount of fighting throughout this book which with the title King's War should not be surprising. There are several deaths that may surprise reader's in how they come about - I know there was one I didn't at all see coming (not saying which as that would be a total spoiler). Readers who love classics like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or newer works like Patrick Carr's The Staff and The Sword will enjoy delving into this world.

The Kinsman Chronicles concludes with this book but it is not a quick conclusion to this series. This book is over 600 pages which may sound daunting but there are three parts so if the thought of large books scares think of this rather as 3-books-in-1. And this is not a series that can be read out of order - you must read them from first to last or you will be completely lost. And if it has been awhile since you've read the first two do yourself a huge favor and reread them and give yourselves a refresher you'll be glad you did.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House with no expectation of a review positive or otherwise - All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This is the conclusion of the Kinsman Chronicles and what an amazing conclusion it is.

The whole series is masterfully written and keeps you guessing the whole way through. Through political intrigue, family dynamics, and lots of characters this is a truly engaging story that makes it hard to put down.

This is an amazing story and everyone needs to read it.

5 Stars!

I read the prequel to the series and was disappointed with the content. Too much talk of gods, concubines, and sex. Won't be continuing the series.

The conclusion to Jill Williamson's amazing trilogy did not disappoint. It was passionate, riveting, and packed full of adventure. I was definitely on the edge of my seat as I neared the end, wondering how Trevr would win the battle. The book finished realistically and satisfactorily. Definitely recommend the entire trilogy.

This series is so good! I can't believe it's over, but the finale was well deserved. Be sure to start at the beginning is you pick up this series, you won't regret it!

To put it simply – this is a darn good book.

I received this book for review, but it turned into a read of pure enjoyment. Getting to finish the adventure we started with Trevn, Hinck, Grayson and everyone else two books ago was a high point of my reading list this summer.

This book is hefty, I had to read it several times to catch everything. But this is one of those works you WANT to re-read and re-read, and will get satisfaction from every time. Great stories are like that. And Ms. Williamson does an excellent job of keeping the reader engaged moment by moment. She does not overly telegraph what will come next, and even when you have an inkling, she delivers in ways you don’t see coming.

I love books with an allegorical bent to them, and the allegories Ms. Williamson weaves were rich, layered, and well-written. In all, this book is an excellent read and I can’t wait to experience more from this author!

I received a review copy of this work from the publisher through NetGalley

This series is amazing! A bit darker than I was expecting, but once I got into, it made sense that it mirrored the Old Testament a bit. Jill is a fabulous writer who has incredible stories. I highly recommend this one!

The final book in Jill Williamson’s Christian fantasy series did not disappoint. This is a thick book and there were so many interesting parts I couldn’t summarize them all. I will say the final battle was awesome! Still, it’s the characters that I loved best as they make their choices on whether to follow Arman/God and the power/magic He provides or seek power from other sources/shadir. I found myself liking a whole new set of the characters than when I started this series. Way to step up King Trevn and Onika was cool. Swoon - Hinck and Saria. Grayson was fun to follow but Charlon and Shanek – frustrating. Overall I highly recommend.
Thank you Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book for my honest review.

I love Jill Williamson’s novels. Just love them. I was very excited about this last book in the series, but I’m not going to lie. It took me a minute to get really into it because of all the characters and side stories going on. Unless the character was an absolute favorite, I had kind of forgotten what certain people were doing, their relationships, and what they were involved in. However, once I got pulled in, the book didn’t let go.

I am in awe of the vision that Williamson had as she pulls together all the pieces of the Kinsman Chronicles and the Blood of Kings trilogy. We’ve got King Trevn, who I will be honest and say I knew he would be king (because of the Blood of Kings trilogy) who is learning how to rule a really messed up kingdom. I always liked him in the previous books, but he really shines in this one. You can see how he’s matured from the boy who ran from responsibilities into someone who faces them head on. Then there’s Hinck who grew from Trevn’s shadow to a man in his own right; Oli, Onika, Grayson, Kalanek…the list goes on. There were so many great characters who were allowed to grow and change and make mistakes and still be interesting while doing it. And the great part about all of them was that they felt human. Just because this is characterized as christian fiction, doesn’t mean that Williamson shied away from the realities of life.

Spiritually, I thought the book was on point as an allegory. You really see the difference between magic (i.e. witchcraft) and the power of God. I’m not sure if that was Williamson’s point, but that definitely stood out to me.

What I didn’t like

There was one character, a female, who I did like in the previous books but who completely became a TSTL character. I was guaranteed that if there was going to be trouble, she was going to be right there in the midst of it. At one point, we, the reader, are supposed to fear for her life and I was thinking if she died there would be no real loss. She just got on my nerves and I’m not sure I loved who she became.

Williamson is building towards a great battle starting with the second book in this series. She absolutely delivers. But it got so long and detailed, I did start skimming.

Romantic scale: 6

Overall, a great series! It made me immediately pick up the Blood of Kings series and do a reread. I do think the Blood of Kings was a better series, but mostly because it was focused on two povs throughout the series so you really connected with the characters. I’m not a huge fan of the multiple povs. That said, kudos to the author for doing it and doing it well. I hope Williamson isn’t done writing about this world. I’m not ready to let these people go.

This series has been quite the ride. I have always loved Jill’s books and her amazing writing, but every book is somehow better than the last, yet the first is so good.
This book is huge. Like so long. But it’s seriously addicting. I honestly couldn’t put it down, and it’s a heavy book(like super heavy)
I have adored watching the characters in this series stretch and grow, and it seems almost unbelievable that the ones who finish this series are the very same ones that opened it.
The growth we see is something you could expect over a seven book series, or even a lifetime. Yet Jill delivers them within three books, and it doesn’t feel forced at all, but very, very right. I loved the growth we got to see in even just the secondary characters, namely Oli and Hinck.
This of course, leads into the next thing I want to say about this book. Theres soooo many POVs used in the course of the story, but this is multiple POVs done RIGHT! It’s not confusing, it isn’t just thrown in there for fun. The POVs help along the story, and rather than feeling like a cop-out(like some POV switches can be), it strengthens the story.
While this story works great as a stand-alone series, it’s so much more fun if you’ve read the Blood of Kings trilogy. Even though it’s been a couple years since my last reread, I loved the connections I could find, and how everything’s connects! I cannot wait to reread the Blood of Kings books now that I’ve read all of these! I may just abandon my TBR and start a reread... (just kidding) (maybe)
Everything in this books is just masterfully well done. Even characters who were even weren’t beyond sympathy and even when I hated them I couldn’t hate the completely. Unlike some evil character who just become a catch-all for everyone’s hate, and are so very evil and just like never... it’s hard to put into words what I’m trying to say. They weren’t black though and through? Like they were human in the end. They had fear and love and they weren’t just evil in a human body, if that makes sense.
So much happens in this book, it kind of feels like two books. Like so. much. goes. down. (Maybe that’s why they split it up into serialized releases!)
I just really really loved this book y’all. I literally have nothing negative to say. NOTHING. that never happens!
I loved everything and I can barely say it all because I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone! It’s dark and yet so full of hope. It’s enthralling and masterfully written. The world is stunning and comfortable. I am so sad that this series is over, I may just go ahead and reread Blood of Kings. I just fell in love with these characters and this series and while I am so in love with this book I can’t help but feel so sad that it’s over. It’s been such an adventure ❤️

King’s War is the third in Jill Williamson’s Kinsman Chronicles trilogy. I love the continued development of characters in this book! The story continues as Trevn and his supporters pursue securing Armania from their enemies, along with promoting worship of Arman as the One God who is worthy of their trust and who is also their protector. I enjoyed reading about those who decide to follow Arman. Throughout the book, Trevn’s goal is to bring the kingdoms back into relationship, which nicely sets up Kinsman Chronicles as a prequel to Williamson’s Blood of Kings series, which takes place 500 years later. I would definitely recommend this series to fantasy readers who enjoy good storytelling.

Picking up in the aftermath of the previous book, the Remanant are settling into Er'Rets, and Trevyn is king of Armania, and he must set up his government, make alliances, and know his enemies. He struggles to make peace with the nobles and prove himself as a warrior and king, as well as learn to use the new magic that Arman has given them, in preparation for the coming war against Barthel Rogedoth.



I was thrilled to read the conclusion of The Kinsman Chronicles. It had been a year since I read the previous book so it did take some time to orient myself again with the characters and what was at stake. I really liked how this book makes the connection to The Blood of Kings Series more clear as they settle into Er'Rets and learn more of the mysterious blood voicing, and establishing the House of Hadar.



One of my favorite characters in this book was Olli Argos, which really surprised me, but his character arc was so well done, when I met him in King's Folly, when he was a mantic,I had no idea what his future would hold. Olli struggles to feel worthy of Arman's love, he is faithful and self-sacrificing, discerning, and is genuinely grieved by his past. I especially admired his choice to continue to stand with Trevyn against even his own family.



Grayson, though he has the body and responsibilities of a man, is still a boy. I liked how he continued to mature into his destiny, and gaining wisdom, with a pure, child-like faith, he bravely meets every challenge head on.



Trevyn also is faced with many new responsibilities as king, he has many enemies, and many of the nobles doubt his qualifications to sit on the throne. He works to show himself a leader, I admired his ability to take charge, unafraid to change tradition, forging a new way into light. It's amazing how he has grown throughout this series from the adventurous rooftop jumping boy to a king.



The books also follows Kal, Onika, Charlon, and a few more. I liked even though I there was a lot to not like about Charlon, I still cared for her as a character, she is strong and loves fiercely. And I really liked how the whole Shanek storyline came together throughout the book, intriguing, yet heartbreaking and bittersweet.



This is a challenging book to review, because so much happened within 672 pages, and there's so much I want to say. Jill Williamson has outdone herself in taking us back to Er'Rets and the origins of the House of Hadar, with fantastic world-building, character development, and faith. Multiple storylines entwine and diverge with complexity all leading up the the culmination with the battle between Armania and the dark powers from the Lowerworld. Old Testament themes set in a new fantasy world, full of adventure, daring, betrayal, magic, faith, friendship, and love. A fantastic conclusion to a worthy saga.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

This is the third and final book in the Kinsman Chronicles. This series has an amazing storyworld, realistic and relatable characters, and tons of action with some plot twists. I held myself back from devouring this final book as I wanted to savor every word and keep it from ending for as long as possible. It was everything I was expecting. I bought a copy for myself, another for my older daughter, and yet another for my church library. I must have been overly anxious to make sure I pre-ordered it because I somehow ended up with a fourth copy! Yeah, it's that good.

If you've read the rest of the series, definitely don't miss this one. And if you haven't read the series and you love fantasy, then do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in this world!

What a fantastic end to an utterly epic series! I wondered if she could top the drama and intensity of the first two books in the series (King’s Folly and King’s Blood), but I should never have doubted Jill Williamson. King’s War was everything special about the first two parts of the trilogy and even more.
As with all three books in the trilogy, King’s War is comprised of three parts (which you can purchase individually or as one entire novel): “The Reluctant King;” “A Deliverer Comes;” and “Warriors of the Veil.”
Each part brings new obstacles for the characters to learn from and grow through. I continue to be fascinated by Williamson’s deft and beautiful world building, her intricate magic systems, and her ability to keep all of the many characters constantly developing throughout the books. Oli became one of my favorite characters as I read his perspective in this book, and there were moments I even kind of liked Charlon, which says a lot to me about how skilled Williamson is a creating multi-faceted characters.
I’m so sad that this is the final book! I have been thoroughly entranced by Jill Williamson’s Kinsman Chronicles for the past few years and feel a bit like my friends have all left me now that the series is over. Guess I will have to re-read them! 🙂
Or maybe I should finally dive into her Blood of Kings trilogy (which, though it was written years before the Kinsman Chronicles, actually takes place in Er’Rets 500 years after the events in the Kinsman series.) Sounds like a plan!
Many thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

In King’s War, the growing battle between the Kinsman remnant governed by King Trevn of Armania and their enemies led by Barthel Rogedoth leads to a final conflict between good and evil, in Er’Rets and in the Veil (a shadow realm). The final battle is more dangerous than any can imagine, and allies change sides frequently. As new gifts and powers are discovered, new alliances are made and broken. Will the gifts of Arman be able to defeat the armies of enemies? How will the final prophecy be fulfilled?

Williamson produces another well-written volume with complex characters and plot twists. Although it is a lengthy tome (even longer than the previous two volumes!), the multiple points of view are identified by the character’s name at the beginning of each chapter. Originally published as three shorter ebooks: The Reluctant King, A Deliverer Comes, and Warriors of the Veil, King’s War concludes this epic fantasy satisfactorily.

Inspired by the corrupt kings of Israel, Williamson’s series is more appropriate for adults and young adults. Each volume includes a list of the key players, a map, and an author’s note; discussion questions and other supplemental material is available on her website. The Kinsman Chronicles serves as a prequel to Williamson’s The Blood of Kings trilogy, set 500 years later.

King's War
by Jill Williamson
Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 19 Jun 2018


I am reviewing a copy of King’s War through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:


The battle is over but the war just started. The Battle of Sarikar should have been a time to mourn all the loss all the slaughter. They escaped the five realms and found a home, but finding a home and finding peace are two very different things. Unfortunately the enemies of Armania are many but when one steps back to regroup another group surges forward ready to attack.


The Remnant must take responsibility for the evil they brought to Er Rets but it seems that something just as dark had already existed in that new world. The battle between Armania and Barthel Rogedoth is just a small reflection of a much darker and harrowing battle for The Souls of Humanity.


I give King’s War five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A great tragedy has happened. But Armenia must survive, and everyone is looking to Trevn for aid. As he embarks on his newest, if unwanted, adventure, Trevn and his wife Mielle must quickly learn how to protect the nation. Their many enemies will do anything to get rid of them.

King's War picks up the dreadful cliffhanger at the end of King's Blood. This book can never be read as a stand-alone! I never expected that event to happen, and it was certainly painful. But now, my favorite character, Trevn, gets to take over much of the focus of this book.

But enough about that. This book is as complicated and long as first two in this series were. It follows over twenty characters throughout five nations, plus a couple of the tribesmen from this new land. There are complicated politics, magic, battles, and plots from all of the nations to take over the other four.

MOST of the prophecies are fulfilled, but not quite all of them. Those loose ends kind of annoyed me. I understand that, in the history of the storyworld, some of the prophecies Must be fulfilled later. But it felt wrong that these things that I had looked forward to happening for so long didn't happen.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed this book. The character arcs were well-done, the politics were absorbing, and the end was satisfactorily happy. It was a great ending to the Kinsman Saga.

I recommend this book as a NA Christian allegorical fantasy.

I received a complementary copy of this book through the author and NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and I received no compensation for sharing them.

King's War is a fantastic epic book. It is all about - in one word - relationships - relationship with mand and man. Relationships with man and woman. Relationships with woman and woman. Most importantly with human kind and their Heavenly FATHER. JEHOVAH. The author was so masterful in her ability in how to show each one and how they interact with each other. She pegged things to a T. The adventure comes to a n eventful close and it is sad to see it go - it was a wonderful ride and journey - you see in your mind the whole thing like a movie - that is how clear the author made it for the readers - now the one thing I will say is that it would be extremely hard for someone - I think - to pick up this book as an alone book - I think you would need to have read the other two - but that is my opinion - so you could understand where they are - why they are where they are - who ALL of them are.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To get a little background, please see my reviews of the first two books in the series: King’s Folly and King’s Blood.



THE RELUCTANT KING: PART 7

I had a hard time getting through this section. I’m starting to dislike some of the characters and not enjoy those chapters. Give me some action!

The new king is having a hard time getting the support of his subjects. Not being able to relate due to his priest upbringing, he is having trouble honing his fighting skills. Subject to the perception of his people, he experiences much disdain. Not only that, but he cannot seem to make the correct moves in order to appease the large masses. His wife, Mielle, does not seem to help with her discerning heart; she has accused the incorrect people of being in the wrong.

Meanwhile, will an alliance between Jazlyn, Charlon, and King Barthel be made? Who is the “Deliverer” and who is the “Deceiver”? Are the prophecies wrong?



A DELIVERER COMES: PART 8

The war is looming and Trevn is preparing himself to ride into battle with his men, hoping to gain some respect at the same time.

Low and behold, more traitors are among us. Barthel is luring young Shanek to be in his alliance by hosting events where he can bring his crush and troublemaker, Amala. Captain Agoros and his wife are plotting to dethrone Trevn so their son, Oli, sworn to protect Trevn, can become the “rightful” king. Is Oli in on the plan or will he stay true to his word tot Trevn?

Islah, Rogedoth’s (aka Barthel) “dead” queen is not so dead. She is also known as Grayson’s grandmother. And she happens to have many secrets, secrets that may help the Armanians to take down Barthel.

Who can I not stand? Mielle. Honestly, she reminds me of Daenerys Targaryen, who most of you know I cannot stand from the books. If she would just do what is best for the Armanians and not try to rush into saving everyone else, half of these wars wouldn’t happen!

But, I can’t decide who I like more: Grayson or Oli. They are both so selfless and sweet, yet entirely misunderstood. I just want to hug them!

The two Rurekan kings who were poisoned are now healed. An assassination attack on the king. Someone almost committing suicide in order to better the Armanians. Two new people accepting Dominion of great shadirs. What’s next?

The readers are left with Mielle and Grayson being captured by Lady Mattenelle.



WARRIORS OF THE VEIL: PART 9

The “Deliverer” and the “Deceiver” bring us an all-out battle. But who will win?

A new realization has occurred: Shadir can be sentenced back to the Lowerworld.

Will Arman come to the rescue and save the Armanians from the wrath of Rogedoth and the shadirs?

Where does the end of the war lead us to?

Oh my GOSH, you guys. There aren't enough adjectives on the planet to describe to you how much I love this book and this series. I started this series on a whim, last year, and have literally been obsessed with it ever since. The way the author writes is simply amazing. She manages to create a world that is magical, complex and vivid. Her characters are each their own person; unique in their own quirks, passions, drives, flaws and mistakes. I have been excitedly awaiting this book, and it did not disappoint. It moved quickly and was just as wonderful as the previous books in the series. I highly, highly recommend KING'S WAR.