King of the Rising, Kacen Callender
King of the Rising, Kacen Callender
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

King of the Rising

Author: Kacen Callender

Narrator: Sterling Sulieman

Unabridged: 11 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 07/13/2021

Synopsis

King of the Rising is the searing conclusion to an unflinching and powerful Caribbean-inspired fantasy series about colonialism, resilience and defiance.
A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever.
But the rebels are running out of food, weapons and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor -- or doom it to failure.
Islands of Blood and StormQueen of the ConqueredKing of the Rising

About Kacen Callender

KACEN CALLENDER is the bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels for children, teens, and adults, including the Stonewall Honor Book Felix Ever After and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature winner King and the Dragonflies. Their adult fantasy, Queen of the Conquered, was a World Fantasy Award 2020 winner for Best Novel, named one of the 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time by Time Magazine and one of the 50 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time by Esquire.

Reviews

Goodreads review by karen on January 22, 2021

i don't know if i am going to actually review this book so much as talk around my experience with this book/series. there's a big fat (figurative) elephant at the end of this one, and it influenced the way i felt about the whole book, but it cannot be mentioned, so imma try to dance around it best i......more

Goodreads review by Samantha on February 15, 2021

tw: slavery; rape; mass suicide; lots of violent death I have never read something so bleak. I honestly don't know how I could recommend this series to someone, now having read the whole thing, as I truly think the reader should be somewhat prepared before going into something like this. I'm going to......more

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) on July 11, 2023

3 5 Stars This was a powerful if not grim second half to this duology. I liked that this half of the story had more action and autonomy than the first half. Don't let the Caribbean setting fool you, this series is incredibly dark.......more

Goodreads review by maritareads on December 14, 2020

3.5 Thank you Orbit books and Caffeine Tours for providing me with an ARC. This was much easier to read once I got over the visceral shock I had from the first book. It is once again a brutal read with characters that are perhaps too cruel (or naturally cruel, given the nightmares they endured) or too......more

Goodreads review by Jordan (Forever Lost in Literature) on December 07, 2020

*4.5 Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature! The Islands of Blood and Storm duology has been an incredibly intense and unpredictable journey, and I am so glad I got to read it. I have had a hard time figuring out just how to rate this book, because on some levels it's an easy five stars, but t......more

Quotes

"Graphic action and violence; flawed protagonists; and a stark, storm-filled setting all combine into a riveting read. The second half of this duology is a powerful look at colonialism, oppression, and rebellion, and all that it can cost the individuals involved."—Library Journal

"Callender's heart-wrenching work is a story that refuses easy answers, trope saviors, or all-is-well endings. Lofty as it seems, if you imagine Hamlet and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Soldiers fused in a narrative that finds its soul from the pain of our cruelest histories, you'll have captured a piece of the powerful fantasy Callender has wrought in Queen of the Conquered."—Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons on Queen of the Conquered

"A brilliant analysis of power and privilege set against an alternately beautiful and brutal background, you will root for Sigourney even as you question both her actions and motives. Searing and painful, Kacen Callender has managed to create a book that will stick with you long after the last page."—Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation on Queen of the Conquered

"Kacen Callender depicts colonialism, rage and the terrible price of power with haunting, unflinching eloquence. Queen of the Conquered is a heart-stopping masterpiece."—Tasha Suri, author of Empire of Sand on Queen of the Conquered

"A fascinating exploration of how power corrupts and drives a person toward self-betrayal."—Kirkus (starred review) on Queen of the Conquered

"An ambitious, courageous, and unflinching novel that uncovers the rotten core of our colonial heritage and yet also celebrates the fierce resistance and heroic endurance of the most abused and exploited."—Kate Elliott, author of Black Wolves on Queen of the Conquered

"Callender's first adult novel draws race relations, conquest, magic, and politics into an imaginative, layered story that will keep readers twisting until the end. The author's personal experience growing up in St. Thomas lends to the rich setting and postcolonial themes."—Library Journal (starred review) on Queen of the Conquered

"An utterly compelling look at slavery, power, and complicity. Uncomfortable, heart rending, and utterly necessary."—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author on Queen of the Conquered

"From the very first paragraph, Callender's adult debut stuns. A complex and furious examination of colonialism, Queen of the Conquered is a storm of a novel as epic as Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo. I've been looking for this book half my life."—Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made Wild on Queen of the Conquered

"Gripping and emotionally compelling; a stunning novel about power, privilege, and survival in a world where you must fight even after everything has been taken from you. If you can only read one book this year, make it Queen of the Conquered."—K. S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro on Queen of the Conquered

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