The King

It's been a while since I read The King; I purposely waited until the expected furor died down before settling in to write a review. I've read reviews that praise the book and some that flog it within an inch of its life, and now it's time for me to decide which side I'm truly on.

I liked it.

Before you cast that negative vote, please read what I have to say, and recognize that this is my opinion, and mine only. I have some very close friends who loathed this book, mostly for what it could've (and should've) been, and in some respects, I agree with them. Ward really really needs an editor or someone to keep up with her details for her. This is a big, big issue that must be addressed because she rewrites history with surprising nonchalance. In that regard, my friends are correct: there is no excuse for some of the inconsistencies she continues to make. Her readers have been loyal and many reread with a fine tooth comb. If she can't keep her facts straight (or at least give plausible reasons for changes), she needs to employ someone who will do that for her. When someone's skin color keeps changing (Selena), we have a problem.

But those things aside, The King is actually pretty well done. I was pleased that everyone seemed to get a shout out, though Ward's Caldwell universe has grown so large it's hard to keep them all involved. I adore Trez and iAm and am glad to see them featured. And say what you will about Assail and Sola, (and I'm NOT a fan...Assail could have been so much more than just another male on his way to getting mated), that shower scene was hot. I also liked the general flow of the book, and the glimpse back into Wrath's lineage through his parents' storyline. I didn't like the interaction between Wrath and Beth throughout most of this book; Wrath was a jerk who only knew his side of the story and refused to entertain his shellan's. And that ending tied things up a little too easily and a little too well for my taste. But Lassiter? That angel made the entire book in my opinion. He stole my heart and the show every time he appeared on the page.

When I think of my overall rating of this book, however, I think of the fact that I continue to enjoy visiting the world of Ward's, and I continue to enjoy my interactions with the Brothers. Sure, I'd change a few things, including all the product placement, and I'd beg Ward to never again allow the name Miley Cyrus to even jokingly be used in these stories, but overall, I did enjoy the book.

By the way, if Ms. Ward is reading this review, I'm available for said position mentioned earlier: I'd be one heckuva fact checker. I'm very certain that could apply to many of her readers, some of whom are way more irritated than I am about this series.

~taminator40