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Table Of Contents:
Intro:
The mark of a good book is the consistent joy and the thought, "Oh my goodness! This author is amazing!" that lingers in the back of the reader's mind and grows steadily stronger the more they read. But, the mark of a truly great book is the conflicting emotions it evokes from the readers. While many authors aim to create that typical "roller-coaster of emotion" feel throughout their story, I think that a "river of emotion" best describes what I experienced while reading Jeff Wheeler's Kingfountain series.
So... let's dive in, shall we?
Reading Order:
There are 6 books in the Kingfountain Series, as well as three prequels. If you want to read just the Kingfountain series, the recommended reading order is:
The Queen's Poisoner
The Thief's Daughter
The King's Traitor
The Maid's War (A Prequel.)
The Hollow Crown
The Silent Shield
The Forsaken Throne
The Poisoner's Enemy (A Prequel)
The Poisoner's Revenge (A Prequel)
I didn't know about the reading order when I was reading, so I went through all of the books then read the prequels last. It was still a fantastic read. Soon, I'll go by the more elaborate reading order I've described below:
If you can manage it, Wheeler recommends reading the first three books, then reading his Legends of Muirwood and Whispers from Mirrowen before continuing with the rest of the Kingfountain series. Like I said, I didn't know about the reading order while I had Kingfountain, otherwise I would have done this, but I know for a fact that Jeff Wheeler does a fantastic job at connecting his worlds together.
I was familiar with some of the aspects of Kingfountain and the poisoner school of Pisan from reading the Harbinger series (that was a fantastic series, too!)
Summary:
"The Kingfountain Series..."
He was the price paid for his father's treachery.
She was the poisoner from the Queen's lost reign -
And she would do anything she could to save him.
Eight-year-old Owen Kiskaddon is taken hostage after his father, the Duke of Westmarch, refused to aid the king at the Battle of Ambion Hill. If his father is tried and found guilty, Owen will be sent over the falls, like his brother before him. The fate of his family is in the hands of the sharp-tongued king living in the shadow of dark rumors and struggling to make people believe otherwise - that he is not a murderer, an usurper of the throne, or anything but the true sovereign of Ceredigion. As more information is found about the duke's betrayal, Owen and his family's fate seems to be sealed...
Unless the mysterious Queen's Poisoner can find a way to fool the king and his Espion guard, and manage save Owen's life. Because the Fountain has much more in store for him than he could possibly know.
Here Are My Thoughts:
(Do not be alarmed - There are no spoilers below...)
The Story:
Like I said in the intro, reading the Kingfountain series was like being submerged in a river of emotions. It was not an up and down journey filled with twist and turns. Instead, as I dove into Wheeler's world, I was instantly swept into the current of the ever-progressing plot, pulled in by my sudden love and sympathy for little eight-year-old Owen Kiskaddon who was thrust into an unfamiliar place, surrounded by people who were harsh and hateful. While there wasn't much "action" in the first book, (at least compared to those after) I personally found the steady mind of Ankarette, the Queen's poisoner that guided little Owen into the good graces of King Severn, was intriguing in and of itself. She was by far one of my favorite characters (if not my favorite)!
But, as I journeyed downstream into the other books, I found myself breaking the surface of the water and being able to breathe for a moment - to find the hope that I thought dangled in front of me. The "water" was calm, the characters were happy, and while the world wasn't actually perfect, it felt like it could be. Then, something else would happen and I'd be sucked into the depths of suspense, fear and, intrigue.
Then...(I'm cringing just thinking about it)... then, came the waterfall - that moment when I felt everything I was familiar with dropped away. It was seriously that twisting feeling in my stomach as if I were truly falling. How could this happen? I thought, why would Jeff Wheeler do such a thing to such a wonderful character? What did this character do to deserve that??? I'm not telling you where this waterfall is, nor will I tell you what it might consist of. This is something you must figure out on your own. You'll never see it coming, but when it does, you'll know.
Because of this, here were times, yes, when Mr. Jeff Wheeler was not one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world of Kingfountain, or earth! And, that right there, is what makes him a fantastic author, and what makes the entire Kingfountain series one of the greatest book series that I've ever read. Because, the harder the journey, the sweeter the end. And, might I add that the ending was absolutely perfect! I cried.
But I can't talk much about the storyline because I would inevitably give something away, and I firmly believe that everyone who read these books should experience them without any idea of what's to come.
The People:
What I will tell you, though, is something that I've never seen happen in a book before. If you've seen it in a novel before, let me know! But I love how the story didn't end with Owen... it continued on to follow his daughter - who will remain, here, unnamed for the sake of... well, because it's fun. That's all I'm saying. All out of love, friends. All out of love! ;)
Part of the reason that I think I get so connected with the characters is because the story starts when they're children and follows them as they grow older. It's like I'm living their life with them, following them as they grow and mature. I am the eldest in my family, so I take a lot of joy in watching my younger siblings grow and mature and learn new things, so being able to do that with Owen and other characters kind of makes me feel like I'm their sister or something. I don't know, but I found that aspect of writing was very well done. The children were still children, but when they grew up, those remnants of their childhood personalities I'd known were still there, merged with who they were as teenagers, as adults, as parents. It was very wonderfully done! And, as a writer, I learned a lot about character development from reading Kingfountain.
The World:
And then, there was the world. We just finished our world-building series, right??? Yep. You guys want to know where to see wonderful examples of great worldbuilding? Yep. Look at the Kingfountain series. I mean, I saw the landscapes. I saw the cities, the castles, the clothes people wore. Each society had their own tradition - each duchy had their own landscape, and it all worked perfectly. The descriptions were very vivid, but not overdone. The details were miniscule and just added that much more visuality to the world.
There were multiple times where I was sitting at my kitchen table, reading, and my family would ask me a question or say something to me, and I didn't hear them. I wasn't ignoring them, okay. I seriously didn't hear them because I was so drawn into the story and the world that I felt I was there... literally standing there. I've only read a few books that managed to do that!
The Magic:
The MAGIC. I seriously want to believe that fountain-blessed people are real. The fountain-blessed characters in Kingfountain are those who have special, supernatural abilities. Some can turn invisible, some can persuade with words, others can find people's weaknesses. It's really cool and it's done in a way that sounds completely logical! Not everyone has these magical abilities. In fact, only a select few do, and only some of those know how to use their abilities well.
I love the magic because it's not unlimited. You have to be careful with it. Otherwise, it will exhaust you. You have to replenish it, otherwise it won't work. And... fountain-blessed people can sense other fountain-blessed using their magic. So, say you're probing a bad guy for any weapons. Yep... they can tell who you are and what you're doing. There are realistic disadvantages to being fountain-blessed. It's really intriguing!
So, after you guys read the Kingfountain series, tell me which fountain-blessed ability you would have and what you need to do to replenish it!
For me personally, I'd probably choose discernment and replenish it by none other than writing. Obsessively. Like I already do. (Bring on the discernment, please...)
My Rating:
Five out of five! There are a thousand aspects of this series that I would love to list, but I also want you guys to figure them out for yourself. Isn't that the joy of reading???
(A Tip: Make sure to read the Author's notes at the end of each book. There are some interesting facts in those that just add another level of realism to this world, especially if you're like me and love history!)
There wasn't a single thing I regret about reading this series (even when certain characters went through certain hardships that made me cry. Perhaps if I were just a reader, I wouldn't feel so intrigued by it, but because I am a writer, I understand the necessity of such pain. Even though... this is one of the few books that made me cry - and I don't do that a lot.)
Would I recommend it?
I mean, do I reeeeally need to answer that question? OF COURSE I would recommend it! Oh my goodness, it is one of the best series I have er read, and I am not just saying that! You guys, I am a writer - I am critical when reading a book, and I'm also a reader. That means I'm extremely critical when reading a book. This is one of the few book series that there was nothing I didn't like!!! I promise, you will not close the last book without feeling completely satisfied... and drying your eyes.
Where Do You Find It?
*The entire series is available in e-book, paper/hardback, and audio formats.
In addition, though there are no release dates yet, I do know that the Kingfountain series will be coming to T.V. (I am so excited for this!!!) Want to learn more about it? Click here.
More About The Author:
Jeff Wheeler is the author of 8 book series, a five-time Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, and has sold over 4 million books. His novels have been and will be translated into various languages and he is the founder of Deep Magic: the E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction. The Kingfountain series has been called his best work yet. To find out more about him, visit his website at jeff-wheeler.com, which is quite neat, I might add!
Anyways, I hope you find as much joy and intrigue as I did while reading Jeff Wheeler's Kingfountain series! It's something you won't regret!
Until Next Time,
-Elizabeth Mae Wolfram
*Note: This was an unsolicited review. I make do not make a profit through any link or purchase. The expressed opinions above are solely my own.
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