REVIEW:

I’m always hesitant to pick up books that haven’t been recommended to me by a person. I’m not someone who likes to risk trying something new and picking the wrong thing.

On a trip to our library, I picked up the Blood of Kings Trilogy by Jill Williamson. It was on a list of books recommended by our homeschool curriculum. I expected action, allegory, and an amazing book.

I didn’t expect the romance. Maybe I didn’t read the back cover correctly. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised. The book was everything I expected and more!

What I loved: When I finished the trilogy, I immediately thought, Lord of the Rings! And I was right! Even Jill Williamson, the author, compares her story to LotR.

Williamson upheld goodness and righteousness. I yearned with Achan to be good and do what was right and when he didn’t choose the right thing, I could relate to his sin.

She handled themes with demonic powers and romance in a way that showed evil as evil and good as good. It reminds me of the quote by Tolkien, “There is some good in this world, and it is worth fighting for.”

I’ve read books that feel “preachy,” stories that spend a bit too long on themes. I think there’s a place for theme-heavy stories, but Williamson pulled off an allegory that wasn’t preachy and wove it into the plot.

The first two pages were a little slow. I remember thinking, When will the story start? But then there was some action and after that, the story didn’t stop. Jill wrapped up each novel in the trilogy with an ending that felt complete, but still left us in suspense for what would happen in the next novel.

WARNINGS:

Kissing // Demonic Powers // Killing // War // Sexual tension

TAKEAWAYS:

Jill Williamson had a lot of heavy themes in her book, and she handled them really well. I would definitely recommend this book to teens and young adults. THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!!!

 Reviewed by: Jubilee Anderson

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