3 out of 4 stars
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The King of May by Matthew Tysz is the second book in a planned five-part series about the survivors of the "Turn," a mysterious and cataclysmic event that destroyed civilization as we know it. Dystopian future novels seem to be innumerable these days, but the author manages to put enough of a unique spin on the genre to make the book entertaining. There is an adherence to certain apocalyptic literature tropes that probably can't be avoided when writing a story like this, but the author's concept of "gods" - ordinary people endowed with extraordinary powers by the architect of the "Turn" - is an original one and helps the book stand out from an exceedingly large crowd. Some flat characterizations, a jarring shift from first to third-person perspective throughout, and the lack of an actual ending (it is an intermediate piece of a large saga, after all) keep it from being truly excellent.
In the first book of the series, a man (possibly an alien) named Oak engineered the "Turn," which effectively ended the world - governments fell, millions of people died - and Oak planned to rebuild society the way he saw fit. To that end, he created "gods" - people who were given powers to control certain natural phenomena, and they would be charged with remodeling civilization. In the end, Oak was confronted and killed by two mercenary friends, Ashley and Scholar, leaving the gods without a leader.
This book follows Ashley and Scholar as they navigate America after their defeat of Oak. Their reputation as Oak's killers brings them to the attention of the leaders of two communities: The King of May, one of Oak's gods who is a terrifyingly cruel sadist, and Cattleprod, who, despite being a former slaver, appears to be the lesser of two evils. Each leader wants to eliminate the other, and Ashley and Scholar get caught in the middle of the conflict. The pair of friends do what they can to survive, while the mystery of what the "Turn" really was deepens and Oak's vision of a bright future for humanity remains in doubt.
Though Ashley, Scholar, and Cattleprod are the ostensible heroes of the story, they never come fully alive because the reader gets too little sense of what drives them. Their motivations, other than survival, aren't entirely clear, despite each having chapters written from their own perspective. Fortunately, the King of May is a fascinating antagonist for them to face off against. His outward appearance is frighteningly repulsive, as is the unmitigated joy he takes in causing the suffering of others. He does possess an odd charm however; he dances often, smiles often, and seems friendly at the outset of every encounter with someone new. He's the most original and provocative character in the novel.
Chapters alternate between first and third-person perspectives throughout the book. This makes some sense, as it gives the reader insight into what certain characters are thinking, but its implementation is somewhat random and distracting. There are also some metaphors and phrases that don't make any sense (an example: a character says that something is a "wedding cake of ways to make the truth fit." Try as I might, I can't figure out what that is supposed to mean) and take the reader right out of the moment.
This book will appeal to anyone who wants to read a post-apocalyptic story with a unique idea (the gods) and a great villain. Reading the first book in the series, The Turn, before this one is recommended - several plot points could be puzzling otherwise.
Overall I give The King of May 3 out of 4 stars. It's not perfect, but it presents an entertaining dystopian future.
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The King of May
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