Photo Credits: Ranjith Siji, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, art-deco,
Edited by Vaishali
Title: The Kingmaker Contest
Author: Troy Clem Genre/Themes: Young Adult Fantasy Publisher: Self Published Year of Publication: 2019 Version: Copy kindly provided by the author Troy Clem Review
“You’re an orphan…Taken in by the Empire. That doesn’t give you any special rights, it just keeps you out of the gutters.”
“I will be the exception,” Theo said. “That’s what It means to be exceptional."
After an abundance of contemporary novels made their way onto my tablet, i’ve been nothing but overjoyed and delighted to read pages and pages of diverse romance, some of which have thrilled and some which have misfired, and I’ve been enjoying every second of it. But Troy Clem author of ‘The Kingmaker Contest’ gave me a reason to momentarily ditch the addiction of starry and struggling romances to take a deep dive into some promised YA fantasy!
“...I’ll challenge anyone in a battle of wits or blades."
‘The Kingmaker Contest’ takes place within the span of a two day period, and it escorts the story of young, curious Theo. Theo was born an orphan but has long since been the charge of King Rev who is the current ruler of the Empire. Theo has grown up not in Ironhead, the Capitol city - where the King resides - but in Rigol, a neighbouring district which is in Theo’s eyes more of an institution of penitentiary than luxury. Theo wants his freedom from what he considers to be his negating prison house as it seems that living in privilege has it’s own parameters, even the more subduing for a 12-year-old boy with a willful spirit.
Theo doesn’t just want to advance through history’s literature, he wants to travel on his own two feet to grace Ironhead’s famed floors. Learning through sheets of script and the tale’s of history are simple ways of vicarious living that spell distance from living…and it’s out there, in the midst of risk and battle. Theo wants to confront the exploits of life in the only way a person can feel personal gratification; by doing. He’s curious for the tangibility of trial that simple reading doesn’t favour.
‘Hardy yellow flowers were blossoming at the edge of the road and down the steep slopes - thriving in the rocky soil, creeping put of the cracks, finding enough light and nourishment to prosper.'
Theo’s wish is to work amid the Royal Guard, exercising his already agile body while utilising his perceptive mind without the shadow of unmediated restriction placing him in a constructed box. Theo may not have been born from the riches of royalty but his dreams are no less inferior. And so Theo hides away on a departing conveyance from Rigol, hoping it will be his last pass within Rigol’s protective walls and hopefully his first encounter of the only-ever-read-about city of Ironhead. Jumping at his chance for freedom however launches him into an endeavour he’d never readied for.
‘He’d been naive to think his journey to freedom would be anything but treacherous.'
At the skin of his teeth Theo survives a fall that would have guaranteed his instantaneous death. Upon waking however, Theo finds himself in the forests of the Sigandar - a tribe that is opposed to the empire’s rule, devotees to the visions of a higher being: Her. As such they are now invested in Theo’s safety as they quest to fix his broken body with the help of their respected deity. Theo wanted an escapade, and a treacherous accident causes him to face the abrupt adventure of feuding Sigandar, possible ties of unexplored friendship, a tremendous power within him with the the potential for ample demolition, friendship and the almighty Her who governs the deciding of possibility.
“Not stronger death magic is than life magic…Most powerful is the combination of the two."
On the one hand, we follow Theo and his exotic companions on their way to remedy, and on the other we follow indocile Tess and her cousin Pasqual living in Ironhead territory, and awaiting their chance to win the King’s competition to inherit the crown. Tess is straight talking, no nonsense, vibrant, not afraid to tread unruly steps and always ready to fend. As the descendant of the Domm line, Pasqual is the first male of his patriarch to enter the King’s contest in a long while. He’s the follower to Tess’s leadership; Tess is the resistance to Pasqual’s compliance.
“I’m ready ta be free again, Squally. Don’t ya remember what it was like to be free?"
What Theo’s place is in Her vision is unknown but what is certain is Theo’s unpredictably misty gift of decimation and emotional perspicacity. We don’t know what her motivations are, malevolence or security, but we do know that Theo is involved in her will, for better or worse, and so the escapade calls for strong faith, not something all members of the Sigandar have. An unintentional incident spells chaos, splintering frail ties and testing loyalty to Her and the leading Sigandar.
“You may not think of me as your friend,” said Theo. “But I think of you as mine. I don’t have the direct experience to be certain how friends are supposed to act, but I believe one primary function is to help each other."
Going into ‘The Kingmaker Contest’ I was apprehensive about reconnecting with YA fantasy again after a period of fantastical abstinence. Would I like this? Has my passion for fantasy lost it’s potency? Will I remember what is so great about YA fantasy that made me love it in the first place? But of course thoughts will always spin in a coil of flurried unease, but once I began this novel, my thoughts soon dispersed as I traversed this subtle story of fear and war.
‘He decided to stop fighting the experience and accept the journey.'
‘The Kingmaker Contest’ is a novella sized, novella styled story with balanced prose that tells this story of dubious faith and gathering war in a simple yet purposeful way that measures well with the elusive groundwork that pins the story. Setting it’s own pace, the story isn’t a speedy collection of events; its slow with moments of conflict that elicit the story with some rise and shine. There is minimal contact with world building in this book which works I think in the reader’s favour because we don’t have to absorb masses of information, but also reflects perhaps the ignorance of firsthand experience for Theo. I get a strong sense that we have a narrator who cares little for the past; who has an unmitigated desire to focus on current action as opposed to past dwellings, which again works for the pacing. We are given bits and pieces of story here and there which leaves a lot of room for speculation for what is going to be, I assume, a continuing series.
“You sound like you’re traveled.”
“I have a large vocabulary if that’s what you mean,” said Theo. “But everything I know is from books."
At first glance (without any reading) i did think that this book would favour world building as much as it would characters, but what I did like was the subtlety of the manner of storytelling as the content is fairly easy to swallow without me trying too hard to grapple with complex concepts. If I had to point out a niggle it would be to perhaps provide more details to clarify certain parts of the story for the reader, I.e. What history do Nickson and Tess have? I understand that some points are being kept out of the reader’s sight with intention, but some more background would have been nice for stability because so far we are in a world that is telling us very little...but maybe wanting more. Perhaps we need a bit more whys for clarification, but I suppose that may come forthcoming later books.
As a personal preference I enjoy the first person narrative as opposed to an omniscient, all seeing narrator because I love experiencing the firsthand observations of a character’s internal ramblings. Saying that, I find that second and third person narrative works with fantasy very well, another case being this story. Because just as the narrator doesn’t intend to provide the reader with the thorough nuances of the world, there is a similar distance from the characters which imitates that facet of storytelling. A distant narrator also makes a story feel much bigger than the characters themselves, and there is an imminent sense that this story is perhaps hiding itself from what is soon to come, especially for Theo...
“...The world seems to only have those who take."
‘The Kingmaker Contest’ - as a story - isn’t trying to be or become anything it isn’t, it has a natural unfolding where the story is concerned with an authentic outline that feels real. ‘The Kingmaker Contest’ is short, easy to get through with worrisome little moments that pull you in momentarily before letting you go. This tale is the beginning of something that addresses conflicted choices, matters of faith and war, with a suggestive grain of fear and venture.
Troy Clem has done a commendable job with his first commercial novel.
“I’m terrified that I can’t control it. What will I do next?”
“Kill us all you will,” said Dak…' I gave this book 3.5 stars -
Trigger Warning: Very minimal swearing, if any.
Thank you so much Troy for getting in touch and offering me a copy of your work!
My Rating System:
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★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read
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