Uneasy lays the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.
When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he feels his way along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.
Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers-abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.
***
King Gervase set the goblet down but didn't release the stem. PROLOGUE
***
(47North, 26 January 2021, ebook, 433 pages, borrowed from @AmazonKindle, #PrimeReading)
***
***
I'm a huge fan of the author but I haven't read the Kingfountain books. I really enjoyed this and look forward to the rest of the series and the Kingfountain books. I loved the world building in the book. It's really well done. I liked the characters as well. They are so well written. I got completely lost in this. I thought it was a terrific read.
