- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Angry Robot (4 Mar 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007343310
- ISBN-13: 978-0007343317
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 934,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
"There are fewer greater pleasures in a reader's life than witnessing a writer whose work they have enjoyed reached a new plateau in their storytelling skills, and such is the case here... Broaddus delivers in a voice that both whispers and roars and cannot be ignored." - Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck
"Maurice Broaddus' writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets... For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010." - "FantasyLiterature.com"
"King Maker is a fascinating novel... [and] should be on every SF fan's shelf." - Adam Christopher
"Deft characterization, authentic dialogue, exciting plot... Maurice Broaddus has definitely brought his A-game to this urban joust." - Gene O'Neill
""King Maker's" strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play..." - Nick Cato, "Stem Shots
"Maurice Broaddus' writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets... For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010." - "FantasyLiterature.com"
"King Maker is a fascinating novel... [and] should be on every SF fan's shelf." - Adam Christopher
"Deft characterization, authentic dialogue, exciting plot... Maurice Broaddus has definitely brought his A-game to this urban joust." - Gene O'Neill
""King Maker's" strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play..." - Nick Cato, "Stem Shots
Product Description
From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise.
The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing.
From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise.
The King Arthur myth gets dramatically retold through the eyes of street hustler King, as he tries to unite the crack dealers, gangbangers and the monsters lurking within them to do the right thing.
Broaddus’ debut is a stunning, edgy work, genuinely unlike anything you’ve ever read.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Every good writer could tell you an exciting story. But to tell you a story you think you already know, and tell it in a way that you are surprised by every new page? It takes an even better writer.
Maurice Broaddus is such a writer, and King Maker, the first book of the Knight of the Breton Court is such a story. It's a retelling of the Arthurian myth - and the writer don't want to hide the similarities. We know who King, (L)uther White's son should be in this tale, and know about his friends and acquaintances too. It is not hard to recognize names like Merle, Lott Carey or Lady G. Broaddus teasing us, waiving and emphasising a medieval vocabulary into modern slang. And yet, when the classic story materializes in modern day Indianapolis, it still can surprise us.
Mixing the magical elements with the reality of the suburbs results in a harsh, violent setting with illegal handguns and trolls - but no matter how magical the story turns, this violence is not here to entertain you - it has serious consequences, and doesn't look like something any of the characters enjoys - maybe except of the trolls.
My only problem with the book was that - especially at the beginning - the fast cuts between characters, cuts between past and presents could be confusing. But as the story develops, this wouldn't be much trouble.
And another thing - this is only a part of a trilogy. Being the first part, it could be entertaining by itself, but you will finish the book with the question: and what happens next?
If you want to read a serious urban fantasy novel, this is your book. Urban fantasy at it's best.
Maurice Broaddus is such a writer, and King Maker, the first book of the Knight of the Breton Court is such a story. It's a retelling of the Arthurian myth - and the writer don't want to hide the similarities. We know who King, (L)uther White's son should be in this tale, and know about his friends and acquaintances too. It is not hard to recognize names like Merle, Lott Carey or Lady G. Broaddus teasing us, waiving and emphasising a medieval vocabulary into modern slang. And yet, when the classic story materializes in modern day Indianapolis, it still can surprise us.
Mixing the magical elements with the reality of the suburbs results in a harsh, violent setting with illegal handguns and trolls - but no matter how magical the story turns, this violence is not here to entertain you - it has serious consequences, and doesn't look like something any of the characters enjoys - maybe except of the trolls.
My only problem with the book was that - especially at the beginning - the fast cuts between characters, cuts between past and presents could be confusing. But as the story develops, this wouldn't be much trouble.
And another thing - this is only a part of a trilogy. Being the first part, it could be entertaining by itself, but you will finish the book with the question: and what happens next?
If you want to read a serious urban fantasy novel, this is your book. Urban fantasy at it's best.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The premise of King Maker is simply awesome, and I wanted to love the book based on that alone. I'm a big fan of the King Arthur mythology, and the idea of such a unique slant on the story had me extremely excited. I found myself bewildered, however, as I worked my way through the book.
I want to deal with the strengths of the novel first. Maurice Broaddus' writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets. When the supernatural elements are introduced, they drift through the novel like smoke, leaving the reader gradually horrified as the end game is reached. Broaddus' horror background is evident; some of the events in King Maker sent chills down my spine.
With all that said, I didn't enjoy King Maker, for a number of reasons.
It is a relatively slight novel (the first in a trilogy being published by Angry Robot books), and yet I found it took me almost a week to plough through. Part of this was thanks to the stop-start nature of the plot, and the bouncing around of timelines. I found it extremely easy to put the book down, rarely wanting to read on at the end of a chapter. I became confused at times by the fact that one of the characters was alive when I had read a couple of chapters ago that they had died.
Although the dialogue is very effectively written, it is also hard to understand at times. As a white gal who lives in comfort a million miles away from the types of events being described, I felt like I needed a dictionary. Although I list this as a fault, I do greatly admire Broaddus for delving so well into the psyche of inner city America and not making compromises for the ease of his readers.
The characters are difficult to like, and, due to the nature of the gang warfare, all of them are written in shades of grey. I do like ambiguous characters, but sometimes you just want to root for a hero. Here even King (Broaddus' version of King Arthur) acts reprehensibly at times.
Lastly, there are some extremely gruesome scenes that I found distasteful to read. They fit the nature of the book, but it should be mentioned that if books received ratings, King Maker would have been stamped an "18."
Yet I have the sneaking suspicion that other readers will love this book. Sometimes you just don't "fit" with a book, and find yourself confused by the overwhelming praise other reviewers shower upon it. I have a feeling that, when King Maker is released, many will adore it for the bravery and uniqueness of the writing. I am left comparing the book to a worthy film generating Oscar buzz: something you feel you should watch, but know you won't enjoy as much as an explosion-ridden summer blockbuster.
In conclusion, although I did not like this book, I firmly believe that readers will have to make up their own minds. For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010.
I want to deal with the strengths of the novel first. Maurice Broaddus' writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets. When the supernatural elements are introduced, they drift through the novel like smoke, leaving the reader gradually horrified as the end game is reached. Broaddus' horror background is evident; some of the events in King Maker sent chills down my spine.
With all that said, I didn't enjoy King Maker, for a number of reasons.
It is a relatively slight novel (the first in a trilogy being published by Angry Robot books), and yet I found it took me almost a week to plough through. Part of this was thanks to the stop-start nature of the plot, and the bouncing around of timelines. I found it extremely easy to put the book down, rarely wanting to read on at the end of a chapter. I became confused at times by the fact that one of the characters was alive when I had read a couple of chapters ago that they had died.
Although the dialogue is very effectively written, it is also hard to understand at times. As a white gal who lives in comfort a million miles away from the types of events being described, I felt like I needed a dictionary. Although I list this as a fault, I do greatly admire Broaddus for delving so well into the psyche of inner city America and not making compromises for the ease of his readers.
The characters are difficult to like, and, due to the nature of the gang warfare, all of them are written in shades of grey. I do like ambiguous characters, but sometimes you just want to root for a hero. Here even King (Broaddus' version of King Arthur) acts reprehensibly at times.
Lastly, there are some extremely gruesome scenes that I found distasteful to read. They fit the nature of the book, but it should be mentioned that if books received ratings, King Maker would have been stamped an "18."
Yet I have the sneaking suspicion that other readers will love this book. Sometimes you just don't "fit" with a book, and find yourself confused by the overwhelming praise other reviewers shower upon it. I have a feeling that, when King Maker is released, many will adore it for the bravery and uniqueness of the writing. I am left comparing the book to a worthy film generating Oscar buzz: something you feel you should watch, but know you won't enjoy as much as an explosion-ridden summer blockbuster.
In conclusion, although I did not like this book, I firmly believe that readers will have to make up their own minds. For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Imagine the legend of King Arthur told in a modern era, and set against a complex gangland turf war as a backdrop. King Maker is the first book in the series The Knights of Breton Court, though in this first installment it spends a great deal of time detailing the decay of the neighborhood created by the warring gang factions.
There are early hints of magic from the start, with the appearance of a nature elemental as well as a homeless guy named Merle prognosticating for Luther White. The story quickly shifts to the present day. Very little of the story follows King James White, son of Luther and heir apparent to the "kingdom," though he doesn't yet know it.
Instead, the reader is guided through the various street crews run by rival gang leaders Night and Dred. Neither care much for King, but instead of provoking him directly, the leaders choose to vie for the prime dealing locations in the various neighborhoods.
With Dred's crew lacking the strength to take on Night, Dred hires a pair of trolls to work as extra muscle. This makes his crew feel inferior, and it inspires them into some reckless and stupid behavior to "look hard," resulting in an escalating war.
Add to this a fey, a few magi, a dragon, the cops, drive-bys, tainted drugs, and you get a complex tale that moves at a breakneck pace.
The aforementioned knights are slow to react to the war in their hood, so their lives are like various subplots to the core plot of the war itself. This is not the story of how the heroes save the day so much as how the villains destroyed themselves. Which is not to say the Knights don't get their chance to develop. They do, but these are brief glimpses of their lives in the midst of a war.
This is a solid introduction with a blazing pace, whetting the appetite for future installments. Though it's a serious book, there are moments of humor that help lighten the mood at just the right times. ("I love her like a big-tittied play cousin at a family reunion.") The conclusion is satisfying, and it opens up new threads to be pursued in the second book, King's Justice. I know I'll be standing in line to pick up that second book, and I give King Make a full 5 stars.
There are early hints of magic from the start, with the appearance of a nature elemental as well as a homeless guy named Merle prognosticating for Luther White. The story quickly shifts to the present day. Very little of the story follows King James White, son of Luther and heir apparent to the "kingdom," though he doesn't yet know it.
Instead, the reader is guided through the various street crews run by rival gang leaders Night and Dred. Neither care much for King, but instead of provoking him directly, the leaders choose to vie for the prime dealing locations in the various neighborhoods.
With Dred's crew lacking the strength to take on Night, Dred hires a pair of trolls to work as extra muscle. This makes his crew feel inferior, and it inspires them into some reckless and stupid behavior to "look hard," resulting in an escalating war.
Add to this a fey, a few magi, a dragon, the cops, drive-bys, tainted drugs, and you get a complex tale that moves at a breakneck pace.
The aforementioned knights are slow to react to the war in their hood, so their lives are like various subplots to the core plot of the war itself. This is not the story of how the heroes save the day so much as how the villains destroyed themselves. Which is not to say the Knights don't get their chance to develop. They do, but these are brief glimpses of their lives in the midst of a war.
This is a solid introduction with a blazing pace, whetting the appetite for future installments. Though it's a serious book, there are moments of humor that help lighten the mood at just the right times. ("I love her like a big-tittied play cousin at a family reunion.") The conclusion is satisfying, and it opens up new threads to be pursued in the second book, King's Justice. I know I'll be standing in line to pick up that second book, and I give King Make a full 5 stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not to my personal taste
To be blunt this really isn't my type of book. I did enjoy the concept, I thought the modernisation was pretty nifty but my major problem was characters that I just couldn't get a... Read more
Published on 9 May 2010 by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
Making a King
This book was hard work to get my head around. There are a lot of characters, all with specific parts to play in the story and the story itself is massively steeped in American... Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2010 by Lizsara
The very definition of "urban fantasy"
There are not many things I like more than a good genre mash-up - taking elements and tropes from completely different types (the more contradictory or removed the better) and... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2010 by Adam Christopher
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