I didn't realize this was only a preview until it abruptly stopped and the story clearly wasn't over yet. I found what I read very interesting though, especially the characters and the worldbuilding, and would definitely like to know where the story goes. I did have some issues with the formatting and the footnotes. I'm not a big fan of footnotes anyway and I found the ones in the preview to be mostly distracting. Without those so frequently drawing me away from what I was reading, this preview would have easily been 4 stars for me.

The next big blockbuster fantasy series, at least according to the massive publicity push.

There are three narrative threads switching back and forth, sometimes with lightning speed: there is the present-day, in which our handsome hero, Kihrin, is in prison, telling his story to Talon in first person.

Then we get Talon’s narrative intrusions explaining Kihrin’s past, interpolated with a mysterious narrator who also adds footnotes.

It’s clear that the author is having prime fun with narrative devices; the footnotes veer between mordant-toned commentary and casual worldbuilding nuggets. The result is a snarl of time and place and POV that the reader must constantly adjust to, but there is enough cleverness in the prose, and vivid imagery (sometimes too vivid for my wimpy self) to make it worthwhile-- if one likes this type of fantasy.

And a lot of people will. It’s intelligently written, with wildly inventive worldbuilding stitching together the usual fantasy tropes of kings, demons, wars, and priests doing blood magic, etc.

The book should do super well as there is enough torture, blood, guts, brothel-forced sex, incest, rape, and agony (while still preserving Kihrin’s fabulous looks and nascent powers) to satisfy the Game of Thrones fans who go into fantasy expecting astronomical body counts.

Since this was a preview, ending on a thousand mile drop of a cliffhanger, there is no predicting how this first book of a projected five book series hangs together, but judging by the exhilaratingly wild ride of this glimpse, I expect it will do what its fans want most: entertain.

This book is absolutely engrossing. I was fortunate to receive an extended preview of the first 23 chapters through NetGalley and I loved it from the very first chapter. It is about a week before the book is published and I am so bummed that I cannot go and buy the book yet to keep reading. I have no idea how much of the book is left to read but I cannot wait to get back to it.

Kihrin is a great protagonist. We know right away that he is flawed but with a good sense of humor and heart. He was born in less than desirable circumstances and found himself taken in by a female brothel owner and his adopted father is a blind musician who plays the brothel. Kihrin is a thief in a dangerous world.

This is an epic world with vast areas and politics. The author chose an interesting path by not really explaining much of this world. We are dropped into it and it’s made very clear how much is going on that as a reader we cannot possibly understand. It’s done very matter of factly. The story moves rapidly without pausing to orient us. There are gods, goddesses, magic creatures, demons and so on that we see as we move through this world. This works surprisingly well as you follow Kihrin through his misadventures.

This is a hard story to explain without making it clear how fun it is to read. I hate flashbacks and I am not a big fan of this book choosing to tell its story in alternating timelines with every other chapter but it works. At the beginning of the story we meet Kihrin in jail, and as far as my preview went I still have no idea how he got there. His origin is alluded to but still not clear in my preview. Kihrin has blue eyes which has a significant meaning and could mean he is related to a powerful family. His origins only go back in the story to him as a young man of sixteen and a misadventure that must have changed everything when he stole something but it’s not clear yet how that will end. In another timeline after that one we are following him as a slave where he is being auctioned off to a different owner but where he has been a slave for some time already. It sounds quite convoluted but it is told quite well. Part of this story is being told by another person and has footnotes which are informative and funny. I think Amazon has updated their formatting because these footnotes now scroll within the page and are much better than previously found in other books.

I would have preferred a straight forward timeline but the author does a great job in holding the reader’s attention. I did find myself so engrossed in one timeline that it was jarring to go back to the other one and remember where I was but as I started reading it became quite clear. Again as a review I think that would sound very muddled but it’s worth it. I was shocked to find out when I went to write this review that this is the author’s debut novel. She has such a great way with her story that I was fully engrossed in it. I was also surprised to find out she was a woman given how fully male Kihrin is. I thought this had to have been a male writer.

I cannot find a table of contents for this book anywhere so I have no idea how much of this book I have read but I can wholeheartedly recommend it. If I found out that I only had a couple of chapters left I would still pay full price to find out what happens next. I am very invested in this character and his story and I can’t wait to see it to the end.

2.75☆

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

*sigh* I was really looking forward to this book and it was... something. I am pretty upset because I thought that a book about a boy in prison telling his life story about being a thief would be awesome and instead I got a convoluted mess. The book is told in an extremely convoluted way. It's like picking up a book and starting from page 1 and also from half way through the book. But the two points never really link up right. I can totally get behind framework telling stories or multiple timelines if it makes sense (How To Get Away With Murder, the TV show, is a good example of this story telling technique that works perfectly) but this just wasnt it. I found the characters names to be very confusing and a lot of them had very similar sounding names which added to my confusion.
I wish j had a better experience because I was really looking forward to it but maybe it was just oversold.

This excerpt was absolutely terrific. I heard a lot of hype for this book and am glad to say that so far what I've read has more than lived up to expectations. The world building is, not to exaggerate, absoluteness phenomenal, the characters are all incredibly compelling and the writing is at its worst good in a professional manner and at its best almost cinematic in its ability to convey the scope of whatever is action is occurring. Underlying all of this is a terrific streak of humor in the book that makes the narrative voice somewhat unique in epic fantasy but never undermines the stakes of the adventure.
Some people have been put off by the literary devices employed by the writer, notably the use of footnotes which have a different more ironic narrative voice than the rest of the text. I found them on their own charming and in the context of the rest of the story a useful way of introducing exposition without gumming up the main narrative but others may disagree.
The book has been described as literary epic fantasy, a description I completely agree with. The writer is clearly an incredible talent and I look forward to not just buying this book as soon as it comes out but keeping up with the rest of this new series which I'm sure will become a modern classic in the genre.

It wasn’t until I began typing this review that I realized what I had read was not actually the full galley, but a preview excerpt. I had typed up a whole rant about how nothing from the synopsis of the book happens in the book and I had to delete it all because it turns out I just was not aware I didn’t have the whole book. That all being said, I really loved the preview, I am really curious as to what the rest of the book will be like, and I recommend people pick it up!

The Ruin of Kings gives us Kihrin, a young orphan who was raised by Surdyeh, a musician, and Ola, the owner of the Shattered Veil Club, a high-end brothel. Before we get into the plot of things, it’s helpful to talk about how the novel is structured. When we first meet Kihrin he’s in prison. We don’t know why, we don’t know who put him there, but there he is. Talon, his jailer who can read minds, demands him tell her a story to keep her entertained. She provides him with a magic rock, and Kihrin begins to tell the story of how he got here. When the second chapter begins, Talon takes the magic rock from Kihrin, accusing him of not starting at the actual beginning of the story. From this point, chapters alternate between Kihrin’s story, told in first person, and Talon’s story of Kihrin, told in third person. On top of all this, a man named Thurvishar D’Lorus, is the one currently in possession of the magic rock that recorded the conversation from Kihrin and Talon. So Thurvishar is giving the account of events, which is Kihrin and Talon exchanging two stories that are really the same story, but different starting points. Also throughout the story, we get footnotes from Thurvishar explaining various things about the world.

Still following?

Once you get past the narration style, which is a little clunky, you’re left with a lush and intricate world created by Jenn Lyons that I am really excited to see be developed throughout the series. You’re left with great characters, although some of their names do get confusing when they’re really similar. You’re left of the story of a boy, forced into slavery, getting caught up in a weird cult, as well as a story of the same boy growing up doted on and loved by his adopted parents. There are dragons, there’s magic, there are demons, there are really rude royals, there are gods that interact with the mortals who worship them, there’s so much I was excited about and I cannot wait to read the full novel when it’s finished. The preview ended on a terrible cliff-hanger and I cannot handle it.

Although I didn’t get to read the whole book, I’m still giving the book 4 out of 5 controllers. I really enjoyed this preview, the world building is top notch, very intricate, very well done, the characters are rich and I was excited to read about them, it just takes a bit to get used to the narration style, but I was definitely left wanting more.

This teaser is such a great preview for what looks like to be the next it fantasy read. I think I'll pick this up in paper format because of the footnotes (they're difficult to utilize in Kindle sometimes), but I'm eagerly anticipating this fantasy that is sure to speak to fans of Naomi Novik, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R.R. Martin.

NOTE: The following review is for an excerpt of The Ruin of Kings, not the full novel.

First off, I thought the world building was truly spectacular. Lyon wove the world in very well...for the most part. There are times when the story takes a backseat to the information the reader needs to know. That, combined with a very large cast (not necessarily of characters you meet but names you need to keep track of) and a non-sequential 2 POV storyline makes for pretty complicated reading from the get-go. In my opinion, it was too complicated too early in a book which is just the first in a series. There is time to acquaint the reader with this information but the rush of it all is overwhelming.

I think this is an instance though where comparing Lyon's debut to Sanderson and Rothfuss is to her detriment. Both of those more experienced authors show more finesse in adjusting the reader to the world and their characters, even the young ones, are much more complex and nuanced. I found both of the main POV characters (Kihrin and Talon) to be much too undeveloped to carry the story so I hope they grow deeper over time.

I will say one thing that irked me from the beginning though were the footnotes. Fiction and footnotes is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I don't want to be flipping pages, or worse trying to navigate Kindle's odd forward/backward tapping, when I'm trying to be immersed a story. It's very state-breaking for me but I could be in the minority on that.

All this to say: will I buy the full book? Right now, it's a no. I'll wait to see what reviewers of the full novel say but the excerpt I read wasn't enough for me to take the leap on it. However, since I am a huge epic fantasy fan, I might give it another shot in the future when I can read the whole story.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this excerpt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Macmillian/Tor-Forge, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you for the sample!

I read the except of this upcoming fantasy novel and will be checking it out!

Fascinating preview sample, a great premise and leaves me wanting to know more. I wish had the full book now. Great characters and great pace so far. If a book throws me in the plot straight away and I want more, I know it’ll be good.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free sample for an honest opinion

I didn't know this was only a preview excerpt when I downloaded it so when I found out I decided to only read a few chapters (because I always chose to not read the excerpt when there was one and The Ruin of Kings is one of my most anticipated release of 2019 so I didn't want to ruin to pleasure by reading too much and then having to wait for the whole book to be out).

This said, I really, really enjoyed these few chapters, the concept of it, Kihrin's story recorded by himself and his jailer, with annotations from someone else, this is captivating, I always loved stories that begin at one point and then the rest is what led the story to be at the precise point at the beginning of the book, a great way to be immediately inside the story.

I found the magic system/fantasy universe quite fascinating and I can't wait to learn more about it when the book will be released. You can be sure I will be even more impatiently than before waiting for this day.

What a fascinating preview! I wish I had the whole book to be honest!

The Ruin of Kings is the tale of Kihrin, the long lost son of a treasonous prince who's family have finally claimed him ... but not because they love him. He is essentially at the mercy of his new family and is caught up in their power plays.

At times, this book was a little confusing due to the interesting narrative structure. However, it didn't impede too much on my reading experience. In fact, it made me more curious about the novel. The book starts with Kihrin imprisoned with a frightening demon-like creature called Talon ... currently in the body of a very pretty girl. Talon encourages Kihrin to tell her the tale of how he found himself in a dungeon, about to be executed. And that begins the book. Next time we see Kihrin, he's at a slaver's block and he's being bought by someone ...

The chapters of this extended preview alternate between Kihrin and his jailor, Talon. The chapters also have different timelines, so you do need to pay attention to what's going on in the story. But basically the gist of the story is that Kihrin is a thief who witnessed something he should not have, which leads him on his journey.

Also, I don't know if this is the author's intention or not, but Kihrin reads as bisexual to me and it made me love him ever more.

Even though at times the story was a little confusing, Jenn Lyon's writing was amazing. I was absorbed into this intriguing world and her writing kept me glued to the page. What I found fun and different was the inclusion of footnotes! I don't know if these footnotes will be included in the final version of the book as I read an extended preview which is also based off an ARC, but I hope they keep them, because they were cool!

And also ... that cliffhanger! I need more!

Excerpt is incredible! This book looks very exciting, and getting to know some of the characters is a lot of fun. I love when ruction uses footnotes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Tor Books for providing this Preview Excerpt ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have two major opinions.... First, I loved the premise of this story. I loved the presentation and writing of this story. It is fresh and different than just the traditional dialogue of a book narrated in either the first or third person.... My second opinion is the complete opposite... I struggled with who the characters were and I felt that a better introduction or a forward should have been written prior to jumping into the story line. For example, the novel starts with, what looks like a letter, from Thurvishar D'Lorus to an emperor or so royal; then, it jumps directly into a conversation between Kihrin and Talon. I was confused for a minute until I realized that we are hearing the story from each of their perspectives and/or memories. Then the footnotes... I'm assuming those are from D'Lorus - while they give me some insight and anecdotal comments, I find them distracting because I had to jump back and forth between the story and the end of the chapter to read them. Finally, the perspective of the person switches back and for periodically - sometimes the story is written in the first person and sometimes it is third which requires adjustment.

Overall, however, the above issues, I feel, are minor. The story is entertaining and fun to read. The writing is good and the character development moves along really well. The details are rich and full and I definitely felt, identified with, and interacted with the characters. They were likable and enjoyable to "live" with for a while.

I truly cannot wait for the book to be released so I can read the rest of the story - I'm glad it will be really soon.

I highly recommend this book to all.
Happy Reading and Enjoy!

This review is published on Amazon and Goodreads.

I REALLY want to know how this story continues!! The only downside to this is that the switch from first person to third person was very confusing for me in the beginning.

I will definitly buy the book when it comes out, no doubt about it!

"The Ruin of Kings" opens Jenn Lyons' fantasy epic, "A Chorus of Dragons". Readers first encounter its lead, Kihrin, in dire circumstances, auctioned as a slave at age sixteen. After many trials and tribulations, the Goddess of Luck takes a hand and gives Kihrin a choice - his decision will save or doom the world. This all sets the scene nicely for what's to come in future episodes, in which we expect young Kihrin to get in - and out - of even more trouble.

This is the first book by Jenn Lyons that I have read, and I'm still not sure if it will be my last. The scope of the book is, in my opinion, overly ambitious. While it is clear that this book is part one of what will surely be a large series, it attempts to do too much with too many characters, and, ultimately, ends up going almost nowhere and revealing very little. I very much like the main character, and I am curious as to where the story is headed, but, at the same time, I really don't want to read thousands of pages just to get there.
While I applaud the author's world building, I feel that she should spend a little more time breaking the grand saga into smaller, more digestible pieces. This would allow the reader to get to know the characters better (there are so many throw away characters that may or may not come back in future books). In addition, the author doesn't need to drop HUGE hints about the origin of the character and then act as if (whenever it is revealed) it should be a surprise to the reader. Either tell us or don't -- your choice -- but don't play coy because it doesn't work.
And lastly, I realize that this is only the first book in the series, but if you plan to end with a cliffhanger, make sure that it really is a cliffhanger. Just because the hero is in physical danger doesn't mean that I'm going to care enough to come back and see what happens to him in book two. Give me a reason to care. Give me a burning desire to know more about him and the other characters. Give me anything that will pull me back in and keep me reading.
I sincerely hope that the author does these things for book 2 because I really think that this series could be something great if given more time and effort.
Disclosure: I was given an ARC by NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.

So as this is only an excerpt this will not be a proper review.

As of right now its a solid three star read for me. This is being compared to some serious heavy hitters and I am not sure if that is in its favour. Because I am not sure if that is what is also swaying my opinion. Hopefully when I can read the whole story it won't. This definitely doesn't start off slow and has our MC recalling his actions that lead him to jail. So that definitely has me intrigued.


Overall the hype is making me a hesitant but Kihrins voice is intriguing and I am quite interested to follow more of his machinations ..

I started this book because let’s be honest with each other we as readers do not have enough YA male main characters and when I read the first chapter I was instantly hooked into Kihrins story.
This book is centered around the memories of Kihrins past told by Kihrin himself and Talon who is his jailer and also a terrifying monster keeping him hostage.. probably to eat as a late night stack?? Who knows!
Each story they tell pieces together Kihrins past that leads you up to his present imprisonment and let me tell you my fellow readers his 16 years of life is not all princely and full of riches and amazingly cool powers that help him at the last minute to defeat the villain which, in my opinion, is a breath of fresh air to the YA genre! The author gave me a book that was challenging and hard to predict and I love her so much for that!
But back to the book...
Kihrin starts his story in the time where he was sold into slavery after being kidnapped from the only home he has ever known with a future that looks as bleak as the fading sun: And while I was engrossed this part of his past Talons story also was very intriguing. She dig deeper and went even father back into Kirhins life before slavery when he was just a boy called Rook.
I kept hoping to the Gods that poor Kihrin caught some type of break.. But alas hero’s never have the easiest routes to take in the end.. or should i say the beginning?
Truly, The Ruin of Kings is an amazing story! The writing style is unique just like the set of characters the author created. Superb and b rilliantly written! With an ending that leaves you craving for MORE!

I forbid myself reading this because it was a preview of the book and I don't want to messed up my experience reading it but I will just pick the on its release day. I juts clicked it with seeing that it is a preview only. How sad. But everyone was raving this up and I am so excited to read this addition to fantasy novels out there. Anyways, thank you publisher!