Have you read any of Jeff Wheeler’s novels? If not you’re missing out. I have reviewed some of his novels before and today we’ll look at The Hollow Crown which is book 4 in The Kingfountain Series.
This series has been very enjoyable thus far. I reviewed The Queen’s Poisoner, the first book in the series, last month. You can find a link to the blog post here. The first three books of the series follow Owen Kiskaddon and his journey from the king’s hostage to Duke of one of the largest duchies in the realm.
The Hollow Crown
In this book we get a fresh take on the series. Owen is an adult now and has children of his own. Tryneowy Kiskaddon, Owen’s eldest child, takes on the role of protagonist in this book. She is very close to her father and it is quickly obvious that they are similar in many ways, including being Fountain-Blessed.
There is a new king on the throne, a new ruler to wear the hollow crown. Owen has been his Champion for years and has grown his borders, but now there is a new threat. A emperor from a far away land wants to take the hollow crown from King Drew’s head. It falls to Tryn to protect the king. She is more like her father than many realize. Although her mother had planned to train her as a Wizr, the fountain requires she become a warrior like her father.
Impressions
Wheeler has an interesting magic system in this series. There is a benevolent, omnipotent being known as The Fountain. Those who are Fountain-Blessed are given special powers and abilities but they are only able to use them until their stores of fountain magic are depleted. This is different for each person and the way they replenish that magic is different.
The author provides a good mix of fantasy trope, mystery and intrigue, and suspense. Subterfuge is dispersed throughout the story and, at times, you are not sure who to trust and who not to. Even those who Tryn sees as her closest friends may not always be what they appear.
The events of the book cover several years and you get to watch Tryn and her compatriots grow and change. Wheeler does a great job of moving the story along through those years and keeping the reader engaged and grounded in the time period they are currently in. Those who were enemies may become friends and those who are friends may become enemies. Will Tryn’s training be enough to protect her kingdom from being conquered?
The Hollow Crown Recommended?
Absolutely. Jeff Wheeler has switched things things up in this novel and passed the torch to a new generation of warriors. The magic system is still the same, but he introduces new features of it in this book. I recommend you start at the beginning and work you way forward. There are a total of six books in this series and another two prequels that have been released. This series is well worth your time and I highly recommend anything that Jeff Wheeler has written. And, there are little secrets in each book that you can find that will hint at a greater world within the worlds that links them all together.
I have placed links below where you can find these novels to read. Also, if you have not tried out Kindle Unlimited yet, you can click here to get a free 30 day trial. With Kindle Unlimited you can download the Kindle version of the book and also the audio version, if available, for up to 10 books at a time. Once you’ve finished them, you just electronically return them and download others, all for a low monthly subscription fee. But if you click the above link, you can get 30 days for free.
Have you read this series? Let me know what you thought about it in the comments below. Check out the links below to find the first and fourth book along with a series bundle.
The above links to Amazon are affiliate marketing links. I may receive compensation from Amazon for purchases made through these links. This does not affect your cost of the product.
