By: Cinda Williams Chima
Published by: Disney-Hyperion/Recorded Books
Narrator: Carol Monda
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Series: Seven Realms
Source: Purchased
Ages: 10-11
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (this is a series that I want to keep reading!)
Purchase from: Barnes and Noble | amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository
Audiobook: iTunes | audible
Synopsis: One day Han Alister catches three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won’t use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has her own battle to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father’s family. Raisa aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her—plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.
The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.
For years now my close, bookwormish friends have recommended this series to me and advised me that I would fall in love with Cinda's writing. But somehow, I never did pick it up because all those shiny, new releases got in the way. And then one day, I tweeted a request for an outstanding audiobook recommendation, and sure enough The Demon King popped up again. I figured it was time to listen to this much recommended story.
And you know what? Those friends of mine were right. Cinda writes of a magical, fantasy world, but one whose characters you immediately recognize. Han, the former street lord of the Raggers, rough and right in his approach to just about everything. Yes I admit, I loved him right away.
But there's also Princess Raisa and oh, how I loved her. She is surrounded by all those expectations of what is proper for her, and with her character came the thing I love the most in these types of plots -- political intrigue.
Cinda's a master of surprise and while you may anticipate that a plot twist is coming, you won't be sure of it until it, BAM, hits you. The Demon King sits on my shelf alongside my favorite fantasy stories (think of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief). Like a lot of first books with a large cast of characters, the plot is a bit slower, but I promise you that thanks to the wonderful narration of Carol Monda, you will keep all the characters straight and you will fall in love with both Han and Raisa. I finished the audiobook and immediately bought the second one. I need to know what happened next, and yes, yes, to all my bookish friends, you were so right, I did fall in love with Cinda's story.
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This series keeps getting recommended to me. I'm going to definetly have to check it out :-)) have a lovely weekend
ReplyDeleteBrittersweet - The audiobook is excellent! If you like listening to abooks, this is an excellent one!
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