King Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

About the book:

King by R.J. Larson

Books of the Infinite: Book 3

Bethany House 

Akabe of Siphra is certain his people are insane.

Why have they made him a king?
What, in the name of peacetime boredom do kings do?

Frustrated by a lengthy silence from his Creator, the Infinite, Akabe decides to prove himself as king by undertaking a monumental task, his own lifelong dream: Rebuild the Infinite’s temple in Siphra.

But Akabe’s impulsive decision sweeps him into a storm of controversy. The Infinite’s enemies join forces in Siphra, and beyond, conspiring to destroy the emerging temple—and to kill their king and his mysterious new queen.

My review: 

Akabe Garric is now the unwilling king of Siphra, looking to rebuild the Infinite’s temple. However, on the first day of construction, the deal with the landowner of the temple site goes south and Akabe is forced to negotiate new terms. Lord Thaenfall, a known Atean and enemy to the Infinite, insists that the only way he will sell the land is if the King marries his daughter. Akabe makes a brash decision and soon finds himself and his new wife Caitria the targets of many assassination attempts by Atean rebels. Along the way the King and Queen receive some help from their friends Ela, prophet of the Infinite and Kien, now exiled from his home in the Tracelands. Can Akabe and Caitria weather the onslaught of Atean rebels and find true love despite their differences?

King was a fantastic ending to a well loved series! I enjoyed delving deeper into Akabe’s character as well and discovering a wonderful new addition to the series in Queen Caitria. Afterall the harsh treatment and abandonment from her family, Caitria cannot help but be suspicious of other and a little cold. It was wonderful to watch her come out of her shell and warm to Akabe and their friends. Fans of Ela and Kien (like myself) will be extremely pleased with the direction their relationship goes in this book! The biblical references were fun to pick out while the author still managed to make the story its own.

Last, but certainly not least, is Scythe (a.k.a. Pet) the destroyer with a big attitude and an even bigger appetite. Scythe dolls out his regular amount of grumblings, all while fiercely protecting Kien and Ela, and his usual amount of destruction. Is their nothing this horse won’t eat! Unfortunately for Ela, an old friend decides to run for political office and his only hope of election is to return to her his own destroyer Flame, Scythe’s beloved, who is in a delicate condition (as if the word delicate and destroyer would ever go together in the same sentence). What will she and Kien do with a whole family of destroyers?

This book has it all, romance, humor and action! I would definitely recommend it to others and am looking forward to more from this wonderful author!

*I received a copy of this from the publisher, by way of NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Here's an exciting excerpt from the beginning of the book:

A hired servant brought cups, then filled the with juice from a metal pitcher beaded with moisture. They all waited until the king lifted his cup. Following his lead, they drank.

Ela couldn't help draining her juice, despite its tartness. Let Tamri and Prill frown at her appalling manners-she was thirsty. Finished, she looked for the servant, but he'd vanished.

Beside her, little Garth grumbled, "Mine tastes sour."

Akabe grimaced at the pitcher left in their midst. "True. The aftertaste is bitter."

Aware of an unpleasant icy burning around her lips and down her throat, Ela flung aside her cup. "Majesty!"

She wrenched Barth's half-empty cup from his small hands. He already looked sick.

Matron Prill threw down her own cup and said the word Ela feared to voice.

"Poison!"

     
Giveaway:

The giveaway is for a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash and ends 7/23/13.

a Rafflecopter giveaway