The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem

Posted November 22, 2019 by karenbaron in Fantasy, Novella, Review, Series, Short Stories / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem

The Kingmaker Contest

by Troy Clem
four-stars
Series: Source of Magic #1
Series Rating: four-stars
on July 26, 2019
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 192
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

A brutal contest determines the King. Does a god control the outcome?

A thrilling epic fantasy world of magic and war.

Theo's empathic power lies untapped, but she knows of his abilities. Is she god or something worse? The only thing that’s certain: the rage and terror warring inside Theo can obliterate the Drasque Empire—if war doesn’t first.

Part one of an EPIC series

Theo couldn’t imagine the consequences when he stowed away. His freedom from Losik wasn’t worth war, but he didn’t know magical forces were waiting for him. In a time when whale oil and muskets replaced torches and swords, an ancient way of thinking still prevails, forcing men to kill other men for a chance to be king, and allowing a god and her blood magic warriors to bend the world to her will.

The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem is a novella-length epic fantasy series that I can’t wait to read more.

To be next in line, someone must win the contest.

Theo

Theo is the main character and the first one we meet. He is an orphan that has been raised in a palace far away from the capital of the empire. Theo has not seen a lot of people. Theo is a pretty interesting character, mainly after he survived a fall that should have killed him and has found some new things about himself that he never knew. It makes me think that Losik’s did know.

What I liked about Theo is that he is just like any child that was born, raised, and never left the place he has been in at all. The thing about Theo is that he a likable character that had me wanting to know more about him.

Tess

Tess is the second main character. The chapters go from surrounding Theo to surrounding Tess with her cousin Pasqual. Tess and Pasqual are trying to get back to the capital for the Contest. Tess is hoping that Pasqual can become King. She wants this so that he can show everyone that he can do it. They have a bit more adventure than Theo, but then again, they also didn’t fall off the side of a mountain either. Tess is a strong female character that doesn’t stand down from much.

What I liked about Tess is loves her cousin with all of her heart and wants him to succeed. Tess is very into protecting her cousin and trying to get him to stand up to the bullies. What I don’t like about her is that the way she talks is annoying. It’s hard to say without giving spoilers, but it is there.

Four Stars

The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem is very much different than I thought it was going to be. I believe some worldbuilding and character-building could have been beneficial, but I think that Mr. Clem did an excellent job of doing this in the short book format. Some parts were a bit harder to follow, but once I got into the groove of reading, I guess my brain adjusted it as I was reading. Other than that, I think the author did a great job of taking a book that could have been a lot longer into novella length.

I am giving this story four stars and recommending it to anyone that likes short stories and epic fantasies.

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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem.

Until the next time,

Karen Signature

Happy Reading!

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four-stars

About Troy Clem

Troy Clem

An emerging figure in contemporary prose, Troy Clem was born in Orange County, California, in the late 1980s. He was raised on a steady diet of science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and pop culture, which has calcified his unique writing aesthetic. He relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area after graduating with a Film degree from San Francisco State University and lives there today with his wife and two children. Having written throughout his lifetime for various journalism, film, and online ventures, The Kingmaker Contest is Troy’s first commercial novel.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
  • 2019 New Release Challenge
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The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem

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