Review by inmod -- The King of May by Matthew Tysz

[inmod]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The King of May" by Matthew Tysz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The King of May, the second book in “The Turn” series is written by Matthew Tysz, which talked about the life after The Turn, an event that changed the world. This time, the story revolved around wicked rulers and their continuous battles to expand their territories. Ordinary humans, on the other hands, had to find their own survival paths in the post-apocalyptic world.

Cattleprod, Ashley and Scholar made their own ways after The Turn. These days, many self-proclaimed gods were ruling their own territories and states. The King of May was one of them. On the other hand, Cattleprod managed to expand his kingdom in that chaotic world, making the King irritated. Ashley and Scholar were now the heroes of the gods, as they managed to eliminate Oak successfully. Ironically, other gods turned against each other, as they got full power after the Oak’s defeat. A determined god, however, wanted the King gone and ordered Ashley and Scholar to do the job. Additionally, the King also wanted Cattleprod to be dead.

In this novel, we can see their personalities more than described in the series' first book. To make this new world a better place, Cattleprod, Ashley and Scholar planned to wipe out the gods. The author highlighted the strengths of many characters, as well as their feelings in this book. Ashley, Scholar and Cattleprod’s characters were highlighted in this story, as progressive as their respective responsibilities in the new world.

Interestingly, this novel revolved around the King of May and Cattleprod. Both are very powerful in their own terms. The King of May is manipulative, loves human suffering and master of his puppets, whom he wished anything against their will. In this book, the King went head to head with Cattleprod to expand his territories. The author portrayed vivid illustrations about the war, the wickedness of the rulers and the exploitations of the slaves.

I believe the novel has been professionally edited. As expected, the author had realistically mixed science fiction, fantasy, horror, action, and adventure. The plot itself is okay, and the characters have been thoroughly crafted. It's narrated by various characters from their point of view, how they see the turn that led to their new world. Although the general theme stays dark and aggressive, the atmosphere is lightened by some humorous bits. From the last half, the tempo quickens, making the tale more exciting and straightforward than the first novel. It is a book worth reading.

However the only thing I didn't like about the book was the fact that some characters had several brief appearances, which made it a little confusing and challenging to keep up. Unfortunately, the presence of some unnecessary characters may dilute the plot. I rate this book with 4 out of 4 stars. To those who like sci-fi, dark fantasy, or post-apocalyptic books, I would recommend this. But I don't think it is suitable for young readers or sensitive readers as adultery, profane words, and murder scenes are mentioned in the book.

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The King of May
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