Thank you for allowing me to review this book!

This book was pretty interesting in that the concept of it was fairly original to me, which pulled me in when I initially heard about it. However, I couldn't really get into the book as there seemed to be a lot of excessive descriptive wording that just made me confused.

Unable to read as the "Send to Kindle" feature malfunctioned.

Interested enough that I plan to buy the book

2 treacherous STARS ★★✬✩✩

This book is for you if… you'd like to be very confused about the prevailing opinion concerning it.

⤐ Overall.
Lately, my books seem to be either excellent or excruciating, almost no in between. What about this book, you're wondering? Let me put it this way: The last sentence was the only truly exciting thing about it ...

If you liked this book, fine. Maybe it's just not my cuppa. Could very well be.


Apart from the mildly interesting characters, All the King's Traitors reads like any other average YA fantasy book you've come across recently, except that it may be less uneventful depending on your individual experiences. There might be more creatures involved and some shiny stones that give superpowers, but that's about all the good I can say about this.

I was not invested in this story at all. There's no real suspense building throughout the book and it was hard to get in touch with the characters sometimes. Twists came about suddenly and made this story seem uncoordinated and chaotic.

⤐ What’s happening.
‘What Lord Ceridia really meant by 'volunteer' was that anyone who could move, had completed their mandatory lessons, and who didn#t already serve a purpose in the town was guaranteed to be recruited into the army.’

Just to give you an idea just what kind of king will be betrayed in this multi-POV fantasy book that's kicking of a series I've got little interest in following.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 3*

pace = 3*

plot/story in general = 2*

plot development = 2*

characters = 4*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 1*

Life happened and kept me from getting to this for a lot longer than I planned. Once I started reading it, admittedly on a day I was traveling through airports for a wedding, I completed the entire thing in a single day.

It was not a perfect book, and there are some aspects I wouldn't mind seeing done better (i.e. there didn't really seem to be a whole lot of character growth/development and the version I got as an ARC needed some additional copy editing) but it was a fun enjoyable read anyways.

Probably not a book that will make my short list of recommendations for everyone, but I will certainly keep my eyes open for the sequel.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All the King's Traitors was interesting and a fun read to dive into. Yet, I didn't like all the characters within it. Definitely had my favorites and I'm so happy that I met them. This book gives you a vast cast of characters - no, really it does. So you are bound to fall in love with a few of them - if not all.

Speaking of those wonderful characters, you will meet Aurelia, Kuba, Ion, and Vallich. Just to name a few because this book has so much. At first, Vallich was interesting but then at one point you end up hating them. Then at another point, it's like he's redeeming himself and is likable all over again. I'm sure he has something up his sleeve and I can't wait to see it.

Then there's Aurelia, and I absolutely love her. She is my northern rebel and my spirit animal. So when she meets up with Kuba and Ion - guys, I love her even more. Kuba was an annoying little shit for most of the time and I was kind of upset that he had the power over his cousin Ion. Now he was more likable and I want more Ion and Aurelia together.

The ending was so good. I was wondering how someone could disappear so quickly and I'm honestly upset/shocked about who it was. Oh lord, I need the next book ASAP.

2.5 out of 5 stars

This book has an interesting premise, the description of it sounded really fun yet it just didn't fully deliver for me.

This book started out on a really strong prologue introducing us to a Vallich heir to the god-king's throne. Its a tight chapter that opens the story with a battle that I thought was going to be set up the rest of the story. Unfortunately it really didn't.

I really liked the concept of the godstones, how they come to have the power that they do and how the people come to have them. There felt like it was nothing special, you just got lucky to have one fall near you. It was interesting to see a magic system that was almost set up as luck as opposed to something that you were born with. The powers that we see in this book were pretty standard elements but there are mentions of other powers that mean the stones could have a wide range of powers. I wish one of the characters had those powers in that we could have seen them at work. We only briefly get to follow Kuba as he learns to use his godstone. I wish more of the book had been dedicated to that since it felt like almost an after thought, especially with out easily he seems to be proficient at it.

There are quite a few characters in this book, some more interesting than others. . I liked them all to varying degrees, although I found Vallich and Kari to be the more interesting. Their story lines had the greatest potential with breaking away from the control the god-king has over them, unfortunately they both ended up being a little too rushed. While Kari struggled Vallich just seemed to switch like it was no big deal, especially when we get to learn more about the god-kings abilities. I just wish he hadn't been so rushed into his decisions, especially because it feels like he is in this for the long game and that needed to be explored a little more. There is a lot of really good representation though that felt like just another part of the world

Rohan's betrayal and mixed loyalties was good the book just didn't spend enough time with him for me to feel invested in him. My least favorite of the characters was Kuba, it just felt like he was yelling at me the whole book and it was hard for me to want to cheer for him or get concerned

Which may have more to do with the writing style. Its not horrible, there were times it flowed really well but it just felt too by the numbers, more telling than showing. There were sections where everything was described, the boat pulled up, they exited the boat, they pulled the boat up onto the beach, they left the boat. It left the writing with a stilted feeling that didn't allow the book to flow. I won't deny the author is talented but its hard to get invested into a story where everything feels like a surface struggle with nothing deeper.

A great concept that struggled in execution.

I would like to thank Keylin Rivers & Astre Encre for my copy of the ARC. Due to this kind gesture, I have decided to leave an honest review.

I am so torn with this book, I don't know how I actually feel about it. While the story was original and fresh it sometimes fell really flat and it would feel like it was just loads of mumbo jumbo on the page without any actual dialogue. I would then feel myself getting pulled back into it as some parts are written extremely well with an unusual style of writing.

The story I would say is pretty original, but I didn't think much of the world building, with a brand new planet I would have loved to delve deeper into its folklore and culture as its a new shiny ball! I really liked the magic side of it as it isn't something that I have not yet come across in a book. Having magical stones that people can wield was pretty neat.

I could not connect to any of the characters and I found myself putting the book down a lot then going back to it. Kari just got on my nerves the whole time. Aurelia, Ion & Kuba I could take or leave, they were not bad characters, I just wasn't blown away. Rohan confused me a bit, I don't get him but we can't get everyone's reasoning. I think the only person I was interested in was Vallich and I hope he turns out to be the worst of the bunch, can't beat a good villain! There was a bunch of other people, really I mean like a lot as the book was pretty diverse.

I got pulled back in at the end of the story so I think I might give the second book a chance as it was getting interesting. We will need to wait and see!

"Why is that everyone's reaction when they see me? Never, 'it's good to see you, Vallich! How's it going, Vallich? Thanks for saving our lives, Vallich.' Always just a stern 'you.'"

**I was provided an electronic copy through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Keylin Rivers brings forward All the King's Traitors, a YA fantasy centered around a rocky political climate and magical stones which grant the holders powers. The journey is told through following multiple perspectives of characters that are key in determining the future of Azanthea.

Reading the synopsis, this book really sounded like my thing. And, objectively speaking, it is. I found the magic system to be interesting and a cool twist on elemental magic. I thought the general plot was good, and easy to follow, with the occasional thoughtful twist. I usually really enjoy stories from multiple perspectives, and I really don't see how Rivers could have created the story that was made without using them. I think, this time, I really was just reaching to feel a connection to a character.

By the end of the novel, I was just beginning to be invested in Vallich and want to know what would happen next for him. The literal end made me interested in Ion. Other than that, I simply wasn't invested in the characters, and I'm not sure I can even isolate why that is. I did feel that the shifting perspectives was throwing me off a bit for this book in their timing, but typically I'm able to adapt to that sort of thing.

Thanks to the doozy of an ending, I'm interested in reading more of this story in the future.

I thought this book was a real underrated book. The world-building felt very expansive and the characters were exciting and enrapturing. I think the plot kept me mostly entertained, and I enjoyed the politics of the world, even if at times they got a little hard to follow.

I enjoyed this book definitely be getting this one and seeing where it leads. I found it mostly fast-paced and great plot throughout the book. I enjoy books with multiple POVs throughout. The world-building was done wonderfully and the characters grew throughout the book

This book is a fast-paced story with multiple characters points of view. The world-building is done really well and the plot is exciting. Despite having a ton of characters I felt like every character was well thought out.

* I did get a free copy in exchange for a review from netgalley*

This book has everything you could want from a epic fantasy. Love able characters, lots of LGBT characters, and MAGIC. If you love game of thrones you’ll love this, hands down.

* I also posted much more detail on my Instagram feed. @aaron_austin_author*

Loved this book! It was very fast paced and full of great world building. It leaned closer to adult fantasy than YA. The book has multiple POVs, which would make you think that you know everything that’s going on but you really don’t. Tons of magic and mayhem. This is the authors first book and i am so excited for book two. The cliff hanger had me screaming at the end!

All the King’s Traitors by Keylin Rivers
Highwings Series, Book 1
4 stars
I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome to Azanthea, a kingdom where Godstones fall from the sky, giving its wielder the power of a god. Under the rule of the very powerful God-King Apollyon, Azanthea is healing from a terrible war that pitted people against people, wielder against wielder, and was based on lies. Ion and Kuba live in a small village, tightly controlled by the army of the God-King, but when a celebration takes an unexpected turn, they find themselves fleeing for their lives with the help of Aurelia, a tough fire wielder. Kari and Vallich live in the God-King’s court, one a promising student and only blood relative to the God-King, the other his heir, but tensions are rising and Vallich abandons his title to seek an army of his own, while Kari finds herself fighting for her life in a competition to take his place. Rohan is caught in the middle of two worlds working as a spy for a rebel group known as the Free Wielders.
The Kingdom of Azanthea is a dark and troubled place I would never like to visit. We get the idea that this is some sort of apocalyptic future, thousands of years after mankind has destroyed the planet and its resources and was saved by the appearance of the first Godstones. The God-King rules with an iron fist, with an army of wielders and highly trained soldiers, only a small group of Free Wielders stands against him. I did get confused at the beginning with all the information that was being thrown at me. The importance of the military and the different rankings within, the geography and different places the characters visited and talked about and some of the political elements bogged me down in the beginning.
There are a lot of different characters, and this book is told from multiple points of view. Usually, multiple points of view are very confusing for me, especially if there are more than two. I believe this one has 6 different voices. But enough different things were happening with each character that it was pretty easy to follow which characters were narrating. The characters were a good mix of personalities. I loved the connection between Ion and Kuba, their brotherly connection was well written, having a sibling myself, I thought there was a realistic mix of love and jealousy shared. Kari was my favorite character, I felt like her character showed the most growth. I got very caught up in the danger and really enjoyed two side characters she knew, Amelie and Dane, I wish we had seen more of them. Two characters I didn’t end up liking were Vallich and Aurelia. They felt very one-dimensional at times, making for some odd or anticlimactic resolutions. I didn’t feel like they had any growth by the end of the book.
Once I had an understanding of the groundwork of this world and became acquainted with the main characters things really took off! I was absorbed into the elements of danger, captivated by the deceit and deception, loathed those of villainous actions or intentions and held my breath in moments of decision. The drama, the mystery, the intrigue all had me worked up and worried about where things were going. As I got closer and closer to the end, I became more and more worried about who was where, who would actually make it, and what would happen next. I read the last paragraph in disbelief, I couldn’t fathom that this is where things would end! I will eagerly be waiting for the next book!

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I was expecting more and I was somehow disappointed by it. On the other hand, is a good debut with a ton of potential. I think that the sequels could be really good books.
To be honest, I can’t say that this was a bad book, because it has quite some good points but I was expecting more. I think that, for me, the main problem was that is an… Acerbic book, with good potential but not as good realization. I mean, I can’t point a finger and tell you “that, that is the mistake” but I wasn’t as captivated by it as I was hoping to be.

We have an interesting magical system, that leaves you with the right amount of questions. And it’s original, I think is one of the things that I liked best because it’s really well written into the story, it has a ton of social and political reverberations and this makes things more interesting. But I was a bit dissatisfied with the worldbuilding. Again, it’s not bad, but it’s not enough. We have a new world, with its own societies, folklores, and cultures, and it has different settings, too. Our story is not set in a single city or a single area. We see a lot of this world while our characters move through it, but we don’t see enough. We have some explanations and some descriptions, yes but I needed more for it to feel real.

And then we have a very controversial point for me: the characters. We have a group of three, who are sort of the main characters (we have quite a lot of characters and POV in this one, but those three are in some ways the main ones, if this make sense at all), Kuba, Ion, and Aurelia, but I found myself not caring so much about them. I wasn’t bored, but I was not invested in them.
I think the best character, and my favorite, is Vallich. He is playing the long game and he is a complex character who leaves you wondering on which side he is. Or better, you know which side it is, it’s own. But where would this take him? And that’s a thing that I appreciated and that is also the main reason for me to go on with this series. I can’t truly say that I would go on with it, I haven’t decided yet because it’s a hard choice. On one hand, I am trying to cut loose all the series that I am not so fond of, because I have so many of them around that I have to be a tad more selective with them, and I wasn’t hooked up or invested in this reading. On the other hand, I want to see where Vallich would take us, and there are some other questions that I want to be answered! So… If I would continue with this one or not is anyone guess, but I have some more things to say about this book, so let’s proceed!
We have other characters too, and in particular, we have two of them that I didn’t like. They are well developed characters, complex and coherent, so it’s not a fault of the author, so to speak, but it’s a matter of personal taste. Kari and Rohan. They are not alike in any way, and each one of them has his/her own voice and personality, but I didn’t like them. I think Kari would grow a lot in the sequels and she could reserve us some surprises, and even if I can understand her I am not a fan of her. With Rohan is a different matter altogether, I think he is one of the most divided characters ever, his loyalties are so fractured and conflictual that, on one hand, I pity him, because he really leads a hard life, but on the other hand I don’t like him. At all.

And last but not least we have the plot. There are a couple of twists here and there that keep things going and that keep you guessing and wondering, but all in all, is quite a standard plot. I am not saying this in a bad way, it’s not that is unoriginal or boring. It’s just pretty standard.

So… I let some time pass before writing this review because I was hoping to have some clearer ideas about it, but I have not reached a decision so far. I don’t know if I would continue the series but it wasn’t a bad reading and it has some interesting point in it!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

All the Kings Traitors is a fantasy novel set on earth in the far future. After humans overpopulated the earth and polluted the air until it was too dangerous to breathe, meteors, or something similar, fell to the earth, destroying the humans and leaving behind Godstones.

Those who picked up the Godstones were given great powers. Powers to control elements. Now, hundreds of years after the First Fall, Apollyon rules as God-King. He is all-powerful, or so he seems.

His heir and second in command, Vallich, is informed that the God-King is not all he's cracked up to be, and decided that he wants to rule himself. He devises a plan to kill the God-King and take over for him.

Kuba and Ion are step-brothers, but you couldn't tell by getting to know them. When Kuba is selected as someone to go train for the Army, Ion sneaks him away to try and keep him from going. On the way out, Kuba stumbles upon a Godstone and becomes a Wielder. They are then met by Aurelia, a Free-Wielder who opposes the nation and Apollyon.

Back in the capital, Vallich tells his best friend and confidante Kira about his plan to kill the God-King. She is appalled, but thinks Vallich is just drunk. But when it is found out that Vallich is a traitor, Kira panics. She is selected to compete in the next search for Apollyon's heir.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The story is very fun and the characters are interesting, but it took a while to get them there in my opinion. Early in the book, I wasn't huge on Ion and Kuba. They seemed naive, but almost were too whiny for me. Later in the story, they definitely got better. I loved the magic system and the whole fight against the God-King. The romance did seem a bit forced, but nothing too glaring imo.

I am excited to see where the story continues, and will definitely be picking up the next when it comes out!

Prior to reading this book, I had no knowledge of Keylin Rivers or this book. I was really happy with my reading experience. I read quite a few fantasy books, so I've read a lot of different novels that attempt world-building. I found the word Rivers has built in All the King's Traitors to be very interesting and novel. She's created a world where some have power and some don't, and acquiring that power has so much to do with random luck than anything else.

Overall, I enjoyed the different characters that were created in the book. Everyone has a clear vantage point and backstory that keeps the story moving along with a pretty good pace. I would definitely recommend for anyone who is looking for a new fantasy series.

I want to start by saying this wasn't exactly a bad book, but it just wasn't something I could enjoy. The author is clearly talented and I know she will have her audience, but that audience is, unfortunately, not me. In the moments where I wasn't extremely bored, I was confused. Confused by the magic system, the world, and the amount of characters. I kept hoping that something would shift and I would care about even one character, but I'm afraid the only emotion I would have felt had everyone suddenly dropped dead would have been relief. The book switched POVs so often that I found it hard to get attached to any of the characters, or their personal conflicts.

It was an interesting concept with an interesting world, the execution just fell flat for me.

2.5 stars.
Some of the book was interesting and some of the characters too, but i won't be reading the next book.
It was a bit too much and some characters were so annoying and just in general, meh.

Intrigued. That is the word for it. This is a substantial first book in what is shaping up to be a large epic fantasy. The world-building is excellent, very vivid - there are several scenes I still have in my head, which is just amazing, and to be honest, it hasn't happened in a while. The concept of the Godstones is very interesting, both being bonded to one yet able to use others, magic becomes another tool that can be stripped away is one of the users ends up in a bad situation (you know they will!) Many of the characters are delightful and pull you into their story. Others are not (yet?) so likable, but this could be very deliberate. Very much looking forward to the next one!