Review for King's Folly by Jill Williamson

Greetings, Friends!

King's Folly, by Jill Williamson is finally complete and available to the masses on Amazon, BN.com, and ChristianBook.com! Read my full review below and mark your calendars for April 22nd and April 30th.

On April 22nd, the author will be hosting a read-along on her Readers of Jill Williamson Facebook Page. Make sure to join so you can participate in some great discussion!

On April 30th, Jill will be hosting a launch party with guest authors, virtual snacks, and prizes, including a pizza delivered right to one lucky winner's door! These parties are SO much fun, I really hope you'll be able to come. The party is from 5-9 Central Standard Time.

And now, for my full review of King's Folly.

King's Folly by Jill Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The kingdom of Armania experiences disaster after disaster. Earthquakes and sinkholes destroy entire villages. King Echad, believes that the gods are angry and require human sacrifices. But the offerings do not seem to appease the deities. Prince Wilek hopes to be named Heir to the throne soon so he can put an end to the ruthless executions and protect his people from the evil that is tearing his country apart. To appease his father and keep him from sacrificing more innocent victims, he plays the political games, but it is becoming more and more difficult to be diplomatic and follow his own conscience. When a concubine is murdered and found next to a forbidden ruin, he goes off in search of the meaning behind the ruin.

Prince Trevyn is an explorer and a scholar by nature and hates the political games of court. Like his brother, he cares nothing for the gods or his father’s superstitions. He seeks to distance himself from his father and brother Janek’s corrupt lifestyle, calling himself a renegade and freely speaking his opinions to whoever will listen. When he finds an old prophecy that speaks of a One True God, and prophecies about the end of the world, he finds himself in danger by people in the palace who would rather keep that prophecy hidden.
There are few books that captivate me like Jill Williamson’s. The way she crafts her complex plots, especially with so many characters, without losing her reader is nothing less than amazing. As with her other books, the characters in the King’s Folly go through a lot of development. Even as they move towards the truth, they remain very flawed individuals who make stupid mistakes. It was interesting to read about a heathen people in a world where the reader knows there is a True God, but the characters have not found Him yet.
Trevn is most definitely my favorite character. I loved watching him grow from renegade without a clear purpose, to someone who is growing into a leader. Though he is still far from comfortable with the idea, he stands up for what he believes in, even when it puts him in danger. He protects those he loves and goes to great lengths to find out the truth.
Wilek is well intentioned but is governed, to some extent, by his fears. This causes him to make decisions that will ultimately work against him and his goals. Still, he is good hearted and I look forward to seeing what the author will do with his character throughout the series.
The end of King’s Folly will leave you excited and frustrated and wanting more! You cannot help but feel for each of the characters and their individual storylines, which is remarkable because there are so many! I readily await the next installment of The Kinsman Chronicles, King’s Blood, and hope you will enjoy King’s Folly as much as I did!


View all my reviews

New Cover Reveal -- Mardan's Mark

Christmas of 2014 I was blessed to be among the first to read Mardan's Mark, the first book in Kathrese McKee's epic fantasy adventure series about a princess, her siblings, and a band of runaway pirates. I was captivated by the characters and the storytelling and thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.  The story is written for young adults (which is a very relative term, but that's another blog post) but there is something everyone can relate to. If you are protective of your younger siblings, if you've ever felt the weight of responsibility press heavily on your shoulders, if you've ever wanted desperately to feel valued or show someone how valuable they are, or if you just love adventure with a side of romance, you will love this book. You can read my full review here.

In anticipation of the release of book two, Mardan's Anointed, the author has chosen to revamp the design of the cover to generate new interest and hopefully appeal to a teen audience.  I must admit, I am a little sad to see the deep, royal blue cover with the bright ivory moon go. *moment of silence for the passing of the blue cover* However, I find much to appreciate about this new cover, as well. And so, without further ado, I present to you the new cover for Mardan's Mark by Kathrese McKee.

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TA-DA!!!!!

Okay, things to love about this new cover:

Overall, I feel like this is a very fair representation of the book. I have always loved the original design with the castle and the water and the moon! It gave a sense of mystery. However, while there IS a bit of a mystery woven through this beautiful adventure, overall it is more of an adventure story than anything else. I love that the new cover features both the main characters AND shows us a little bit about who they are. For instance, Aldan is a pirate, and Srilani is skilled in archery. The scarf she is wearing is also important and hints at part of the story. If you haven't read the book yet, you will look forward to figuring out the significance to the elements of the cover as you read.

In conclusion, sad as I am to see the beautiful blue cover (I really do miss it!), I am excited for this new cover's potential to read new readers and hope that as a result even more people falling in love with this story!

Mardan's Mark is available on Kindle and in Paperback on Amazon.com.