Review: I Am King #2 by Damien Shillingford

I Am King #2 by Damien Shillingford

Jen reviews I Am King #2, the second book in the King epic fantasy series by Damien Shillingford.

A copy was supplied by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Damien Shillingford for the e-copy.

About the Book
Series:King #2
Genre:Fantasy/adventure/epic
Publisher:Self-Published
Date of Publishing:May 11, 2024
Trigger Warnings:death, injury, children in peril
Page count:819
Book Blurb
King2

In a world engulfed in flames, where can one find refuge?

Embark on an exhilarating journey in the much-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed “I Am King.” As the kingdom of Hattan teeters on the brink of chaos, the struggle for dominance intensifies for control over the land and its people.

Caught in the maelstrom of political intrigue and external threats, Prince Beaumont and his cousin Julius must navigate treacherous waters to secure their freedom. With danger lurking at every turn, they must forge unlikely alliances and confront both visible and hidden adversaries.

But their quest for escape is not a solitary one. Joined by the steadfast Gavin, their unexpected protector and ally, they continue their journey to the Middle Islands, determined to evade the clutches of Eric, the ruthless leader of the New Brotherhood. Having double-crossed the enigmatic Nagev, a Warlock whose curse holds dire consequences, Eric sets a bounty on the Prince and his friends.

As tensions escalate and loyalties are tested, Prince Beaumont and his companions take an unforeseen detour into the uncharted territories of the Nordin, where they fall into the hands of the formidable warlord, Skadia Giantsblood.

“I Am Book Two” is a mesmerizing tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the indomitable resilience of the human spirit. With its gripping narrative and richly imagined world, this sequel will enthrall fans of epic fantasy and leave them eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this epic saga.

Quote of the Book
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Song of the Book

Hope by James Bay

This one felt appropriate to Beau’s journey.

Review

I read I Am King #1 a couple of years ago and was pretty excited to hear this follow-up was releasing this year.

I Am King #2 jumps back into the story immediately following the events of the first. I have lots of notes from the first book but for some reason I never include end notes, which is annoying in cases like this but other than trying to place a few names and events, the story catches you up on each character pretty quickly. So, all that’s to say that, all of you lucky folks just finding this series now, can just keep on reading straight through because it’ll be like Beau’s journey wasn’t interrupted by a wait between books.

*

Despite this being darn near 850 pages, I Am King #2 is a pretty quick read and I managed to plow through it in over a week (I admit a snow day helped a lot). It’s a pretty fun story that keeps you turning pages. Like the first book, there is a bit of a coming-of-age feel to the story, as the boys learn what it takes to become men, and that sometimes the people you have to rely on aren’t the most upstanding.

I’m no spring chicken, and I found there were enough adult situations – political leanings, war, fighting, deaths, etc to make this a fun read for the older ages too.

*

The boys – Beau, and his cousin Julius, are still age appropriate in their actions and emotions. You can tell these experiences are toughening them up though. Beau, in particular, is having a rough time as he is a bit more sensitive and thoughtful and cares a lot about people, and I can see he will grow into a worthy King. I love both the boys, but Beau reminds me a lot of my own son at that age, so he feels a bit more special to me.

Most of our time in this book has our group captive by one of the Nordin’s tribes led by Skadia Giantsblood. She is a capable leader and expects the boys to take the Test of the Shadow and join her people as she strengthens her wardam for a war she knows is coming. Despite the fact that they are captives, Skadia and her people are great role models for Beau and Julius and their time in the wardam is beneficial to the molding of their character.

*

Gavin who was tasked with delivering the boys to the Middle Islands by Nisisla in the last book, is as short-tempered and miserable as ever, and we get to see more of why he is such a sour-humoured man.
Honestly he is probably the last person who should be leading children but maybe someone as gruff as him is what they need to be tough and not break in these situations they find themselves in.

As much as this was a coming of age story for the boys, it has given Gavin plenty of opportunities for growing as well – by forcing him to face past choices he’s made, and step up to current promises to protect and see the boys to the Middle Islands.
I grew to like Gavin a lot in this book, especially some of his interactions with Royce (a favourite from the last book) and the two Ravkins, Skadia and Fiorsken.

Royce, in particular, is partly responsible for making Gavin face the nastiness of his soul, and see his true self and to choose to be the honourable Gavin, that he was a lifetime ago. I quite enjoyed their interactions because some of the situations and arguments between Royce and Gavin, are pretty darn funny.

*

And finally, there is Eric, our villain of the piece- so to speak. Eric has his own reasons for searching so diligently for the boys. Through him, we gain a well-rounded view of the world whose goal of conquering the area allows us to see a lot of the politics and infighting between the tribes/countries involved from both sides.


In I am King #1, we spent a lot of time getting to really know the ‘bad guy’ and sympathize with him and even kind of like him, and we do that here again with Eric, as we delve into his life, love, family etc. gaining us understanding into his goals, and his choices to achieve them.

Damien Shillingford has a knack for making pig-headed characters relatable, and even loveable. Eric, like Royce, was someone I really grew to like, even as he slid down the slope into unredeemable…I always understood him, even if I didn’t quite agree with him. In the end, I kept hoping for him to find a way out of the mess he got himself into, because he was just the kind of guy that could have easily been the hero of the piece and I liked how Shillingford shows that our choices are what shapes us into the men/women we become.

I Am King #2 is a hugely fun follow-up to the first book. There is obviously lots more story to tell as they make their way to the Middle Islands and I’m looking forward to continuing Beau’s journey.

Our Judgement
Let Their Deeds Be Noted - 4 Crowns

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