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I love maps, and we have a few in A Seat For The Rabble by Ryan Shuette. Look at this beauty and enter his world of political fantasy. We also have illustrations throughout. I love the intriguing cover, which was taken from an original piece of art work created for the cover by Ted Nasmith, one of the world’s top three Lord of the Rings artists. it’s Sara Sothron, one of my favorite characters.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A Seat For The Rabble by Ryan Shuette is fantasy that deals with political upheaval, civil liberty, despotism and climate change. We have ordinary men and women, kings and lords, merpeople, griffons, and dragons. We have slaughter and betrayal around every corner. There are the haves and have nots and greed will strip them of everything, even their children. The cities are filled with filth, death and degradation.

The crux of the story is the death of the king, leaving the kingdom with no heir. Jason Warchild, had been cast out of the royal family and now he is back, doing his best to prevent war and claim the crown.

I love the wonderful maps in the beginning of the book and illustrations scattered throughout the book. They always add that something extra for me.

Zur became one of my favorites as soon as I met him. Sara Sothron is another character I have my eye on. She is a child, one of the have nots, with a feisty attitude. Children are outspoken, honest and mimic others. Will it be her downfall? Or carry her through to something more? Of course, the star of the show, to me, is Princess Lorana. She runs the kingdom, under her father, even though there has not been a queen in many years. She is in love with her servant and friend, Anyasha, a woman. I love a character that doesn’t follow the norms. What would happen if it was known? She does not back down when put to the test. The Mad Lady is a badass.

Not all the characters I have come to care about will survive and I do like an author who isn’t afraid to kill off a character if it contributes to the story.

The religious despots are savage and corrupted, hypocrites.

So much death for the sake of death. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason, just brutality, torture and death, cruelty for cruelty’s sake, I believe, for their own enjoyment. I think there are a lot of psychopaths among those with power.

The Prophecy: The faithful believe the last true heir would rise, ascend the Silver Throne, and unite the thirteen realms.

I had so many Oh My God, WTF moments. The writing for A Seat For The Rabble by Ryan Shuette is off the rails. I couldn’t stop reading and the book was quite lengthy, 5810 pages. And that’s only the first book. Thank goodness I have An End To Kings in hand.

At the end Ryan Shuette supplies an Appendix, a guide to historical events, the government, the religions, the different royal houses, the outlaws, the peasants, and the religious leaders.

The epic fantasy of Ryan’s Shuette’s made me think of Game Of Throne by George R R Martin. I never made it past the second book, never watched the movies, but I find Ryan Shuette’s writing makes it easier to follow his story. The Appendix helps tremendously, and thought it is at the end of the book, I recommend taking a glance at it before beginning. (This may bchange by the time the book is published.)

Are you looking for an unpudownable story that gets all your emotions riled up, making you want to reach into your ereader as if it is a mirror, letting you enter their world and maybe make a difference. Would you have the courage to stand against the haves?

The only reason I didn’t give it five stars, is because I spent the beginning of the book trying to figure out who was who and what was what, but that happens with an epic fantasy world like Ryan Schuette has created. Now that I have things straight, and I think one of my favorite characters, a young girl named Sara will play a bigger part, I feel An End To Kings will be a much easier read and will knock my socks off. Bring it on, Ryan.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Seat For The Rabble by Ryan Shuette.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

SYNOPSIS (from Ryan Shuette’s website)

Set in a world of high fantasy, A Seat for the Rabble tells the story of a kingdom on the edge of unraveling. A king dies without an heir, and in Loran, that triggers the Kingstrials, the ancient bloodsport that determines who will sit the symbolically important Silver Walls, castle of the First King. Only the king’s bastard son, Jason Warchild, can enter the Kingstrials to save his family and kingdom from a circle of rivals that includes his father’s treacherous brother, a zealot who would crush the already-beleaguered Common peasants. Helped by his uncle, the infamous traitor Evan Sinclair, Jason and his politically astute sister seek the aid of mighty lords, enlightened reformers, and anyone brave enough to back a bastard for king.

As political intrigue and bloodsport consume a venal ruling elite’s attention, the threat of rebellion grows, with a class of enlightened merchants ready to take matters into their own hands for a fairer, more just realm ruled by reason—even if it means destroying the crown the victor of the Kingstrials would wear.

Yet something else lurks on the edges, an ancient evil that would purge the world of men. It feeds on the chaos of a kingdom torn asunder by ambition, suffering, and betrayal. Only the semi-mythical Ascendant King, last heir of the First King, may contest this power, but that bloodline is lost. A boy hostage may be the key to finding the heir, the One True King of all the world, but time is short, and the nobles of Loran will have their king . . . if any survive the Trials.

ABOUT RYAN SHUETTE (from his website)

Schuette: Pronounced SHOO-tee

Hi there. I’m a writer, editor, illustrator, and resume consultant with past lives in politics, foreign aid, nonprofit management, and the lingerie industry. I’m also a reporter who’s written for National Public Radio, Al Jazeera America, and numerous other media outlets. In 2015, PBS’s NOVA recognized a feature of mine for NPR as one of its top 10 stories in science education that year.

Fun facts about me: I’ve met three presidents (including the one in the photo), written a novel, and lived and worked for a year in Uganda as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. While in Uganda, I freelanced as a reporter, bounced around several countries, and got malaria a few times (wouldn’t recommend it). I also took a short course in international law at the University of Oxford.

I’ve started and run both a nonprofit and company, and just recently decided to make good on a few life goals by writing an original fantasy fiction novel and drawing cartoons professionally. I’ve lived and worked in Washington, D.C., and hold a master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University.

Life is short, so make sure you spend it doing something you love. Bonus points if it improves our species.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads: schuette.ryan