Scott's Take: The Two-Faced Queen: A Novel by Nick Martell

The Two-Faced Queen: A Novel by Nick Martell is the sequel to The Kingdom of Liars and begins several months after the first book and continues a lot of the story arcs from the first book. In addition to the detailed character list, there is a three-page summary of the first book in The Legacy of the Mercenary King series to remind readers of what has happened so far.

 

As this novel begins, newly minted mercenary Michael Kingsman is caught between the rival factions supporting the Corrupt Prince, the Rebel Emperor, and Princess Serena. Each leader wants the throne to themselves and is pretty much willing to do anything to get the power. Any one of his enemies would happily kill Michael so he has to constantly battle to stay alive with so many hunting for him.

 

Much of what goes on in this book is never mentioned in the book blurb. This is without question one of the most complicated reads I have read in a long time. There are so many factions and people with agendas that are constantly changing that it can easily get very confusing.

 

This excellent book suffers from so many side plots that one does start to wonder why so many of them matter in regards to the main plot. What seems to be filler content to pad the book to nearly six hundred pages in hardback becomes very crucial on the last 100 pages of the novel. The reader has to trust that the author had a point with everything and was not just racking up the page count. That became very clear the last 100 pages and I then understood why everything had been set up the way it had in the read.

 

This ultimately very good novel sets up the next book in the series and has created a rich world full of complex characters. Michael Kingsman continues to evolve as a character with a wonderful cast of characters around him that have their own character development and arcs. What worked in the first book, continues to work here as Michael Kingsman remains outmatched and tries to survive by using his wits, sarcasm, and his friends. Many of the twenty plus characters that he knows could have been the main character in a different novel if the author chose to write it that way.

 

While one should read this series in order to truly appreciate it, it is not absolutely necessary thanks to the reader summary of the first book included in this novel. If you enjoyed the first book, you would enjoy this one. It should be noted that The Two-Faced Queen is a darker and more violent read in several ways than the first one.

 

I eagerly await the next book in the series. 

 

The Two-Faced Queen: A Novel

Nick Martell

https://www.nickmartell.com/

Saga Press (Simon & Schuster, Inc.)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Two-Faced-Queen/Nick-Martell/The-Legacy-of-the-Mercenary-King/9781534437814

March 2021

ISBN#: 978-1-5344-3781-4

Hardback

592 Pages 

 

My reading copy came from the White Rock Hills Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021

Scott's Take: The Kingdom of Liars: A Novel by Nick Martell

The Kingdom of Liars: A Novel by Nick Martell is the author's debut book and stars Michael Kingsman. That matters because he is the son of David Kingsman, the murderer of the King's nine-year-old son. Dad is dead and considered by nearly everyone to be a murderer and a traitor to the Hollows (a city state in this fictional world). The nobility that rules the Hollows are at war with each other as well as the Rebels who seek to overthrow the nobility and usurp the King. Not only has the King done a terrible job of leading his country, the death has set off a battle with the remaining children who want the throne as well as other members of royal families who believe they now have an opportunity to claim it. The King’s most likely heir is commonly called the Corrupt Prince for his hedonistic and sadistic behavior. The common folk, as they are everywhere, are stuck between all these warring factions who do not care about who they hurt, maim, and kill.

 

In this world, magic is a rare gift that is tightly controlled by the nobility. To use it, you will lose something of your memory. It might be a little memory or it might be your own name. The nobility uses magic as a weapon as the people do not have access to magic. Magic is great until somebody puts a bullet in your head and the people have plenty of guns.

 

Michael Kingsman is determined to protect his family and uncover the truth about his father's crimes. Did he really kill the king's son or was he framed? To find out, he needs to work his way into the ranks of the nobility to have any chance of finding out anything. He has to try, despite the fact they all hate him for apparently good reason, as well as the fact that he has gaps in his memory going back to events in his childhood. Those gaps could hold clues to what really happened. If his mind was altered, how can he trust himself or figure out what the truth is?

 

The supporting cast in The Kingdom of Liars: A Novel by Nick Martell is very diverse and different. Everyone has realistic motivations and evolves throughout the novel. Michael Kingsman is complicated and makes clever decisions at times and at other times makes decisions based on emotion that may or may not be the right one.

 

One of the more entertaining characters is an all and friend, Kia. A blind noble who offers a lot of funny commentary. One of which is, “I can't tell where we are going, but I never can tell where we are going.”

 

While the author does tend to lean into cliches at points, overall, this debut novel is very good. This very good read is followed by The Two-Faced Queen. That came out earlier this year and remains on order by the Dallas Public Library System. I have a hold for a copy when it finally arrives. 

 

The Kingdom of Liars: A Novel

Nick Martell

https://www.nickmartell.com/

Saga Press (Simon & Schuster, Inc.)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Kingdom-of-Liars/Nick-Martell/The-Legacy-of-the-Mercenary-King/9781534437791

June 2020

ISBN#: 978-1-5344-3778-4

Hardback

608 Pages 

 

 

My reading copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021