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Rating: 
Summary: Great Successor to "Hawkwood's Voyage"
Review: "The Heretic Kings" is the second book in the series called "The Monarchies of God." This series is an epic fantasy with multiple plot threads and many realistic characters. In book one, the Merduks are trying to take over Western Normannia and the whole Eastern continent is under war. Richard Hawkwood has lead an expedition to the Western continent to help start a new civilization that would be secluded from the war. At the end of book one, you are set up for book two. Many questions will be answered in this book including these: What will happen to the people that Ricard Hawkwood has lead across the Great Western Ocean? What is going on in Charibon? In Abrusio? What is happening to all of your favorite characters? In addition to the answers that will help resolve your anxiousness to know what is happening you will be riveted due to new plots. Paul Kearney gives you great characters. The characters in "The Heretic Kings" are not cheesy, one-sided people that you could just tear apart and make fun of. Every character is interesting and can be cared for. From King Abelyn to Corfe, all of the characters are people that you wish that you could know. There are multiple plot lines and many characters to this great story, but don't let that interfere with your enjoyment of this. Once you are into this you will be hooked and you'll have this novel done very quickly. Before you read this second novel in this series make sure that you have read book one of "The Monarchies of God," titled "Hawkwood's Voyage." "The Heretic Kings" will definitely thrill people that have read book one and you will enjoy this novel even more than the first one. This is an epic fantasy must read. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: Great Successor to "Hawkwood's Voyage"
Review: "The Heretic Kings" is the second book in the series called "The Monarchies of God." This series is an epic fantasy with multiple plot threads and many realistic characters. In book one, the Merduks are trying to take over Western Normannia and the whole Eastern continent is under war. Richard Hawkwood has lead an expedition to the Western continent to help start a new civilization that would be secluded from the war. At the end of book one, you are set up for book two. Many questions will be answered in this book including these: What will happen to the people that Ricard Hawkwood has lead across the Great Western Ocean? What is going on in Charibon? In Abrusio? What is happening to all of your favorite characters? In addition to the answers that will help resolve your anxiousness to know what is happening you will be riveted due to new plots. Paul Kearney gives you great characters. The characters in "The Heretic Kings" are not cheesy, one-sided people that you could just tear apart and make fun of. Every character is interesting and can be cared for. From King Abelyn to Corfe, all of the characters are people that you wish that you could know. There are multiple plot lines and many characters to this great story, but don't let that interfere with your enjoyment of this. Once you are into this you will be hooked and you'll have this novel done very quickly. Before you read this second novel in this series make sure that you have read book one of "The Monarchies of God," titled "Hawkwood's Voyage." "The Heretic Kings" will definitely thrill people that have read book one and you will enjoy this novel even more than the first one. This is an epic fantasy must read. Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: A tough call...
Review: After reading Heretic Kings, I noticed several things that had slipped pat me when I read the first book in the series(Hawkwood's Voyage). This has reduced my opinion of the author, and I'm now not sure whether I intend to finish the series.
My first problem is that many of the characters are black and white, and behave in an incredibly predictable manner. Abeleyn, for example, was faiarly interesting during the first book but falls into the cliched "young prince grows into kingship" mould. What makes this worse is that the author repeatedly has both Abeleyn and other characters make this observation. Rather than allow his character's actiosn to speak for themselves, Mr Kearney takes a much less subtle rout.
Secondly, I have problems with the plot, because it too is slipping into a predictable groove. Very little happens during this book that an average reader would not anticipate. There are no complete surprises such as those in George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. I never felt truly worried about the protagonists, because they were never in any real danger.
All that being said, Heretic Kings has a unique and imaginative environment that sets it apart from most other fantasy books. The Renaissance-era technology is well-implemented and believable, as is the nature of magic in Mr. Kearney's world.
Although the aura of suspense is somewhatlacking (Kearney gives away secrets much too freely), I would still reccomend this book to anyone who is intrigued by the setting and doesn't mind the intermittantly bad writing.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first book
Review: My full review is with Hawkwood's Voyage. If what you loved in the first book is the sometimes overdetailed descriptions of sea-travel, Church politics, and Dwoemer apprenticeship, you will be disappointed. Kearney instead puts the narrative in a higher gear: the ideas are narrative and character driven. Paragraphs in "Hawkwood's Voyage" which sometimes seemed to come from an encyclopedia are now streamlined to relate directly to characters and action. The Western Continent holds secrets which.... we are actually told about. I expected to be bored, but Kearney ratchets up the action. The 3rd book is even more pure -- though still realistic and maturely written-- action. An amazing series. Keep going.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first book
Review: My full review is with Hawkwood's Voyage. If what you loved in the first book is the sometimes overdetailed descriptions of sea-travel, Church politics, and Dwoemer apprenticeship, you will be disappointed. Kearney instead puts the narrative in a higher gear: the ideas are narrative and character driven. Paragraphs in "Hawkwood's Voyage" which sometimes seemed to come from an encyclopedia are now streamlined to relate directly to characters and action. The Western Continent holds secrets which.... we are actually told about. I expected to be bored, but Kearney ratchets up the action. The 3rd book is even more pure -- though still realistic and maturely written-- action. An amazing series. Keep going.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent !
Review: This is a very readable book. I am sure after I have read the other two, the series will be one of my favorites. The only thing I can compare it to is Asimov's Foundation. While not as deep, and the conclusion of the series more certain, there is more than enough suspense and much more action. The writing style is visually and aurally descriptive and stimulates the imagination. I`ll definitely be getting all the others in this series.
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