THE RUIN OF KINGS by Jenn Lyons Official Blog Tour, Tens List, Review and Giveaway

THE TOUR SCHEDULE

SYNOPSIS

There are the old stories. And then there’s what actually happens.

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn't what the storybooks promised.

Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it . . .

Uniting the worldbuilding of a Brandon Sanderson with the storytelling verve of a Patrick Rothfuss, debut author Jenn Lyons delivers an entirely new and captivating fantasy epic. Prepare to meet the genre’s next star.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Ten facts about THE RUIN OF KINGS

1.       I began the worldbuilding for the book over twenty years ago.

2.      I drew all the interior artwork and the world map.

3.      I created six languages for the world.

4.      The Ruin of Kings was the 17th proposed title for the book.

5.      The bunk & below deck measurements of The Misery are based on 17^th century sailing ships.

6.      Tyentso originally had an extremely minor role in the story.

7.      All the narration is unreliable. That includes the prophecies.

8.      The audio book version has three narrators.

9.       The book is 212,000 words long.

10.      So many people die.

Praise for THE RUIN OF KINGS

"[A] jaw-dropping, action-packed story of betrayal, greed, and grand-scale conspiracy . . . Lyons ties it all together seamlessly to create literary magic. Epic fantasy fans looking for a virtually un-put-down-able read should look no further." ―Kirkus, starred review

"Rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I loved it." ―Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians

“It was one hell of a ride. I gobbled it up and was hungry for more.” ―Glen Cook, author of The Black Company

“The Ruin of Kings is a fascinating story about a compellingly conflicted young hero in an intriguingly complex world.” ―L. E. Modesitt, Jr., author of the Recluse series

"A thriller plot of revenge and loyalty with a get-under-your-skin and keep-you-reading-all-night mysetery at its heart. I loved it."―John Gwynne, author of Malice

"The Ruin of Kings revs up with the glitz of a high-speed, multi-level video game, with extreme magic and a teen hero with angst." ―Janny Wurts, author of The Curse of the Mistwraith  

My Review

The Ruin of Kings is an intense fantasy read. Intense!

It starts off with Kihrin, the main character in the story in a cell, having a conversation with his jailer, Talon. Talon wants him to tell his story so she gives him a stone to hold, which has the power to keep his story inside.  When Kihrin decides to start telling the his story in the middle, Talon decides she will start from the beginning.

Kihrin is an orphan, taken in by a musician who he considers his father.  They live in a brothel, run by a woman who worked her way up from slavery. Kihrin, being a master thief, one day witnesses a horrendous murder while he is trying to rob a place he thought would be empty at the time. When he is discovered, he is hunted down by a demon and barely escapes. This is part of the story told by Talon.

Now, skip quite a few years, and Kihrin starts to tell his story when he was sold as a slave.

Hopefully I didn't give away too much...well, no, I didn't...because this story has SO much going on in it.  It is being told in two points of views, and in different timelines. It was a little confusing at times, however when I finally got the rhythm down, it got a little better.  The characters are COMPLEX...I mean, pay attention to the characters...that is key to this story.

Like I said, this story is intense...full of suspense, fighting, heartache, and ancient lore coming to life. Magic, demons, creatures, and dragons, this story really does have all the ingredients for a full epic fantasy. Because of how complex the characters are, I really do wish the story was told from Kihrin's point of view in the same timeline from the beginning. It would have made the reading a little more enjoyable for the brain of this easy going reader.

For the story in general, I really did enjoy it and thought it took a lot of imagination and skill to create this complex world.

Going back and forth for a rating, it's more of a 3 1/2 star for me, so I rounded up to a 4.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three cats, and a lot of opinions on anything from the Sumerian creation myths to the correct way to make a martini. At various points in her life, she has wanted to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, architect, diamond cutter, fashion illustrator, graphic designer, or Batman. Turning from such obvious trades, she is now a video game producer by day, and spends her evenings writing science fiction and fantasy. When not writing, she can be founding debating the Oxford comma and Joss Whedon’s oeuvre at various local coffee shops.  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM JENN LYONS

WEBSITE: https://jennlyons.com/

TWITTER: @jennlyonsauthor
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7336269.Jenn_Lyons
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JennLyonsAuthor
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jennlyonsandtigers/

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 2 Winners will receive an Exclusive THE RUIN OF KINGS by Jenn Lyons Gift Box (ARC, A Dragon Pint Glass and a Dragon Bookmark).

- 2 Winners will receive a Copy of  THE RUIN OF KINGS by Jenn Lyons . 

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