Book Review- The King's Scrolls (Jaye L. Knight)

Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor's persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance--not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia's last surviving copies of the King's Scrolls--the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican's men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.

When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy's triumph?


Book 2 in The Ilyon Chronicles, read my review for book 1, Resistance here.


I bought this book preorder on Kindle around 2 weeks ago. It came out this week and I have already finished it and am fiercely craving the next. This series is just my cup of tea when it comes to the fantasy genre; there is a perfect blend of normal reality and of the fantastical, the races are easily identifiable, and the storyline is exciting without being unnecessarily weird. Knight is a fantastic author and has really has inspired me more than any other homeschool-graduate-turned-author to pursue my own dream of writing.


What I Didn't Like


I have read all of Knight's books, starting with her Pirates of Faith series when she wrote under the pseudonym "Molly Evangeline" and The Makilien Trilogy, another lovely work of fantasy. In all 3 series there has been at least one whipping scene. The worst was by far in The Makilien Trilogy, that one was just painful, but in truth, I am kind of over whipping scenes.


Perhaps I am jumping the gun a bit since The King's Scrolls is only the 2nd book of the series, but I would like to see some villains suffer, if only a little bit, maybe even have a few die off, there are plenty to choose from. But again, this is just me, and I don't know what the grand plan for this series is, for all I know, Knight is currently rubbing her hands together in some dark liar and purring in delight as she plots her villains' painful and untimely demise. I have faith in her.


What I Did Like


Ugh, where to begin.


I adore the characters, Kyrin, Jace, Kaden, and all of the others.
Jace just sets my heart positively thumping, his deep emotions, tender heart, and fierce protectiveness of Kyrin is so fascinating, oh yes, and his eyes, I love to imagine his eyes.
I identify with Kyrin so much, she and I are very similar. The way she absorbs everything so deeply, her protective instincts, and, yes, her memory. I have one of the best memories of anyone I know, and it is definitely an interesting characteristic. She is a lovely mix of strong, and weak.  I love the relationship between Jace and Kyrin, it is built on trust, mutual affection, and a deep need for each other. Their story is absolute gold, I can't wait to see where Knight takes them!
Kaden is adorable, he's the buddy and friend that we all would love to have around. He is a steadfast member of the story that helps to keep you grounded.
As for the other characters, I really enjoy the fine group the Knight has created. They are a solid set of characters that keep the story alive.


Dragons! I never used to be into dragons, when I was little and thought of dragons I would either think of those very grim looking Chinese dragons, or of the TV show "Dragon Tales", which I was not allowed to watch. But ever since I first saw How to Train Your Dragon I have been completely in love with them. Knight does a lovely job with these creatures, both in this series and in The Makilien Trilogy. The dragons of this series are simply beautiful.


The different races. Sometimes I feel that fantasy writers get a little too excited at the idea of "no boundaries" and just go a little nuts. They create so many bizarre names/race/places/weapons that I feel overwhelmed and worn out. Not so with Knight, she created only a few races, but they are easily identifiable and incredibly interesting


A lovely ending. She did the same with Resistance, and I deeply appreciate her sticking to the unwritten rule of leaving the reader with a satisfying ending. And by a satisfying ending I don't mean that you feel finished with the series, oh no, you just get a chance to draw a breath before begging for more.


What I Want More Of


Kyrin and Jace, obviously, these two are so compelling.


I want to know more about the other races, especially the ryriks. I am desperately curious about Jace's origins, and I have come up with more than one scenario in my own mind where we get to discover more about him. I want to get to travel to some of the more exotic parts of this world and learn about this world.


I'll say it again, I cannot wait for some of these villains to get what is coming to them. Especially a certain, well, I guess all of them.


Check out The King's Scrolls, Resistance, and Knight's other series!


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