A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House, 2014)
This review contains spoilers for the previous novels in the series. If you haven’t read them but enjoy clean, epic fantasy and Christian allegory where it’s all story and no preaching, grab an ebook copy of book 1, A Cast of Stones, from your favourite online bookstore (it’s a free download) and check it out. If you’re interested, my review is here: A Cast of Stones.
A Draw of Kings is a satisfying conclusion to a series I fully enjoyed. The world-building is rich and detailed, the characters are people I care about, and despite an honest, realistic feel, nothing was upsetting to me as a reader. From the first book, A Cast of Stones, these stories pulled me in, and I wanted to spend more time with the characters.
In this story, the kingdom of Illustra faces attack on multiple fronts. King Rodran has died without an heir, and the protective barrier will fall. The main characters from the previous books split up on various desperate missions, still not knowing whether it’s Errol or Liam who will die to save them all.
None of these characters are perfect or heroic (except, perhaps, Liam) but they fight for their kingdom the best they can. Those who survive come out stronger. And face more challenges.
We need more Christian fantasy fiction of this calibre. For more about the author and his books, including new material releasing this fall, visit his website: patrickwcarr.com.
[Review copy from my personal library.]