Book Review: King's X Episode 4: Thieves by Stephen Harper

I was expecting a long wait at the dental surgery yesterday so I thought getting into the last book of the present installment of King's X would be a good idea. Typically just as I was about to settle down they called me through. However I managed to finish it off in bed this morning recovering from the remains of the sedation instead. It took me no time at all, being pacey and exciting.

This last book in the present series once again picks up the stories of Book and Molly in L.A and Broussard and Khali back in the 13th Century. This installment is quite dark, with a lot of action and more than a couple of the main characters facing death. Shahin plays a greater role and I felt he developed a lot as a character in this book.

Once again we find out more and more about the power of King's X, and more links between the two time frames are exposed. They gave me a feeling of a circle being completed and were very satisfying but I felt a bit daft for not seeing some of them coming. Book, who has really suffered throughout the books is finally starting to come to terms with what happened to his father before his death, and realising his life has changed beyond recognition but his greatest concern is still for Molly. This installment was pacey and action packed, but I was still emotionally invested enough in what was happening to the characters to feel my stomach sink, or to feel enormous relief at parts in the story.

The end is very dramatic and while lots of threads have been tied up, due to the nature of King's X, I was left wondering if all was as it seemed. I'm slightly sad to have finished the final book in this part of the series but mollified as Stephen has talked on this blog about a new installment later this year, moving from the Crusades to the Elizabethan era. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for that! I would heartily recommend the series, and suggest you try and read them close together to save any hopping back to previous installations to refresh your memory.

Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 5*

Book Review: King's X Episode 3: Shepherds by Stephen Harper

I have to confess I feel a bit guilty to have read and reviewed Episode 3 so soon after Episode 2 when I have so many other books in The Stack. I'll point out here that I've never met the author and don't know him any better than any of the other authors I've traded posts with on various forums, or who have done a Q&A with me. However I have realised that a) I really want to know how the series is going to end and b) that these short stories (or novellas, not entirely sure of the word count to know which they are technically) are ideal for reading when the Monkey is having a nap.

This episode picks up the two threads from the last book - in LA Book is still in the company of Jacob, his wife Trudie and Molly, hiding out. Back in the 13th Century Broussard continues the journey started in Episode 2 and with Khali, Shahin and his fellow Templars is racing away from a mysterious Mongol and his unlikely allies to try and protect a secret.

Molly has started to discover a much greater clarity about the position she finds herself in and is able to enlighten Book and the reader as to the nature of the King's X to a greater degree than before. Book remains uncertain about whether she and the others are enjoying some sort of group delusion or whether there is a massive secret hidden from the world at large. A revelation about his father comes as a shock but seems to fit with what he remembers from his childhood and makes their story more credible.

It seems that all the main characters are destined to live their lives on the run and this book is again a mix of action and reflection. We learn a lot more about the shadowy Shepherd previously encountered by Molly and Book and although I am still not entirely clear about exactly what the King's X does I certainly feel like I am closer to understanding. This book also reveals certain links between the two time periods which brought a new dimension to the story for me.

This book is pretty plot driven with the characters now pretty well established, although it was interesting to see Molly veering between scared teen and newly enlightened woman who feels responsible for what she has brought upon Book. There really isn't much let up in this series, with new revelations and more information to further illuminate the bigger picture round every corner. I don't think it'll be long before I find an excuse to read Episode 4.

Format: Kindle, review copy
My rating: 4*

Book Review: King's X Episode 2: Revelations by Stephen Harper

I reviewed the first short story in the series - Visions - last month, and was determined not to leave it too long to continue the story. Again the tale moves around in time, set in part during the Crusades and partly in  late 20th century LA. The threads of Visions are picked up and as well as rediscovering characters like Book and Sebastian we meet new ones.

It seemed to move between the two periods less and spend more time on each part of the story in turn. The pace of this book wasn't quite as relentless as the first, possibly in part because of this. There isn't a lot of action at all in LA, especially when compared with Episode 1. Instead Book encounters Jacob and John, who are in a position to provide the revelations of the title. Whether Book will listen to what they have to say is another thing entirely though. I had no problem with this change of pace as I found out so much more of the background to Kings X and why the various events are happening.

Again this was well proof-read and edited. Although the hook that was drawing me in last time - finding out what the great mystery was - has largely gone with some of the big questions answered, I'm finding myself wanting to move onto Episode 3 as Harper has set up a new set of questions as a result of the revelations made. This series in particular has made me very pleased that I opened my mind to short stories when I got my kindle, having never really been a fan before. I'll have to fit the next episode in soon!

Format: Kindle, review copy
My rating: 4*

Author Q&A with Stephen Harper

I'm so pleased to be joined by another author this week. I recently read and reviewed the first of his King's X series and it's been very interesting to find out more about the man behind the book, Stephen Harper, who lives in California with his wife of three years.

When did you first think of becoming a writer and who or what got you interested in writing?

I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer.  Even as little kid, when my older sister was taking typing classes, I used to dictate stories to her so she could practice.  They were really bad, of course.  I also had a string of good English teachers from grade school to high school who noticed and encouraged me.

 

How would you describe your books and style? 

I like to get into the heads of all the characters.  I like to explore why heroes do why what they do. And how a person actually becomes a villain (it's never because they are simply "evil").   Beyond that, I really enjoy writing in two distinct styles.  The first is really big, mythical,epic, emotionally stirring stories about enormous subjects - things like Arthurian legend, Star Wars, The Three Musketeers, anything by John Steinbeck.  And second, I love writing comedy.King's X hopes to be like the former. There's maybe two laughs in the whole story. It has an uncompromisingly serious tone throughout.  Which, I feel, is ultimately what makes it fun and impactful. It's not fooling around, you know?  You want to go for ride?  Let's really go for a ride!  It touches on a lot of emotions, I hope, but none of them are the ones that make you laugh.

On the other hand, my next project is a detective series that (so far at least) is very funny.  For me it is the opposite of King's X, and my hope is to continue both series for a long time, writing one then the other, and thus, keep my canoe headed in a straight line.

When you write do you have a particular routine you follow, and what do you find the most difficult part of writing a book?
Most of the heavy lifting is done in the morning.  The most difficult part is outlining the story all the way through before you really start writing. Well, you're supposed to.  I try to.  The problem with outlining is that the characters come alive and start arguing with their fate.  Many times I come to a part in my outline where it becomes... "nope, only an idiot would have arrived at this spot and not realized that it was a trap."  Or something like that.  So you constantly adjust your stories in favor of your character's free will.  The good part is, when your charcaters are that real, your stories are usually that much better for it...  I've had heroes actually become really interesting villains that way, love affairs begin and end that way...

 Are you self-published or traditionally published, and what has been the best and worst thing about the route you have taken?
Self-published.  And very pleased about it.  Couldn't be happier with the control over my own work and the speed at which I can move.   I've arrived with King's X at a great time to be a writer.  The publishing industry is in great flux right now, and writers suddenly have options they did not have even 2-3 years ago.  For one thing, the pace of the publishing industry is too glacially slow for today's environment. And they seem even slower for all the uncertainty.  In the arms of uncertain business folk is not a good place to be for a debuting author.  So, by the luck of timing,  I did not suffer through any of the horror stories associated with "breaking in" to publishing.  A few queries, a decent amount of interest, and a few form-letter rejections.  Once I realized that a "yes" for any of those queries meant at least 18 months to publication, a massive loss of intellectual property,  and that I would need to market the books myself anyway, I went straight to Independent publishing.  In the mean time, I am looking at the papers on my desk, right now, for an agreement to develop a feature film based on King's X.  No doubt in my mind what the right thing to do was.  Life is short.  Take fate in your own hands and have fun.

If this isn't too much like asking a parent which of their children they like best, which of your characters is your favourite?
In King's X?  I'd love to say that this isn't an easy question because I really am fond of all of them, but It's Captain Shahin.  The Moorish pirate with no thirst for blood and an addiction to the company of women.  I've always loved Han Solo, and he's the Han Solo of  this story.  Cynicism hiding a good heart.  He's a terrific foil for the heroic ass-kicking Broussard, and a strong temptation in the romantic triangle.  Plus, he's coming back really strong in the next unstallment of King's X due out later in 2011.  The historical setting moves from the Crusades to the Elizabethan era, when skills as a pirate on the high seas will come in rather handy.  It will be mostly his story this time around.

What do you like to read and do you have any other passions? Do you start a book knowing what the beginning, middle and end will be or does it take on a life of its own as you write?
I do a lot of research for everything I write, so I read a ton of non-fiction.  My favorite writers are John Steinbeck, Jame Joyce (although I'm not smart enough to read "Finnegan's Wake"), Joseph Heller and probably John Kennedy Toole.  Other passions... I'm a pretty decent amateur guitar player. 

Finally, what are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?

Very excited about the detective series I mentioned above.  The other thing right now is that feature screenplay based King's X.  It's been a very interesting process.  Unfortunately I can't really talk very specifically about either of them right now.  But I'd love to talk a lot more about either or both with you in the near-future if you'd like.

Thanks very much for doing this, TC.  It's been a lot of fun.  Cheers,  Steve

Sounds like a very busy time for Steve, so thanks for taking the time to join me and take part in the Q&A. You can find Steve blogging here and the website for the King's X series here.

Book Review: King's X Episode 1: Visions by Stephen Harper

I bought this novella having seen it promoted on Amazon's kindle forum and finding the synopsis really interesting. It is the first in a series of four, and skips between the modern day and the late 13th and early 14th century. It is listed as a crime and mystery thiller, and I'd say it certainly lives up to the mystery tag!

In the present Detective Wendell Book has lost those he loved and had to watch his father's decline into madness. He works vice and his partner thinks he is too soft on the runaways they encounter. When Molly appears in his life her story is too familiar to Book, making him re-examine memories he's been avoiding. In the past we find out a little about the start of a love story between Khali and soldier Sebastien, and she is used to try and extract information from him that he won't reveal under torture. Clearly there is a link between the stories, and a great mystery to be revealed about the King's X, but this first book is the hook that draws the reader in.

This book has grabbed me and I'm going to have to work the subsequent novellas into my reading schedule some time very soon. At the start the story skips around quite a lot, both in time and in which characters are being followed, but I didn't find it hard to keep the threads straight at all. I found Book a particularly interesting character and really want to know more about Khali and Sebastien, as well as finding out what the mystery is. I suppose that all points to a very sucessful first installment.

I thought this was really well written and I liked the author's style. There was a certain economy with descriptions that allowed the narrative to move quickly, yet still giving enough of a sense of the surroundings and events. A final plus point, it has clearly been well proof-read and edited and so I had none of the little niggles that often crop up, particularly in e-books. I'm so glad I downloaded this and if I didn't have another couple of books on the go and others in my TBR list that ought to have been read by now I would probably go straight through the rest of the series. Big thumbs up from me!