Well of the Damned (The Kinshield Saga)

Having read the two previous books in this series several years ago, I thought it would be hard to pick up the story again, but it was not at all. The characters were consistent, and the story-line moved forward in good fashion. Unexpected twists kept the story interesting, particularly toward the end of the book, and I'm now into the fourth book, "Kinshield's Redemption." Thanks, K. C. for an enjoyable reading adventure. Wish I had known the final two books were available when I finished the first two--but now I have them and I'm enjoying them.

I am really enjoying the Kinshield Saga thus far. I enjoy many of the characters and elements of fantasy that are in the mix. I do have a few squabbles, but as they will mostly be spoilers I will put them farther down. If you haven't read the first two books I highly recommend reading them first or you might not enjoy this one as much as you could. Gavin is a good strong character and I saw the other review that said they didn't think he was one to rule a country. I would ask what is the type of person you want running a country? Sure, he may not be educated(nor seem to be very motivated to become so), but he has a good heart, and a strong back to carry the weight that needs to be carried(literally and figuratively). He was chosen for those characteristics because that is what would be needed to carry out the job he has to do(I believe). Maybe his son will be a better ruler than he was. *Potential Spoilers* Ok, now that the praise is out of the way, there are a few issues I have with the way the story unfolded. There were several instances where I felt things happened just to be able to move the plot forward in the direction the author wanted it to go, and no other reason. It felt like his wife was made to be angry and pig headed just so that we wouldn't be as upset at what happened in the end of the book, and her prior character had little evidence of these traits that I can recall(maybe i'm wrong). *definite spoilers* The escape of Cirang/Tyr(from now on I will refer to them as Tyrang) was handled fairly well, however the subsequent chase was not. There were several mentions of them following tracks, and since they knew where the bad guy was there was no reason what so ever to slow themselves down doing so. Then, when they split up at the well... because one of the characters needed to die after sleeping with the other(of which there is no reference to or pain from that event shown after the fact). They say... I hope he didn't notice this leak and then just seem to go on the assumption that Tyrang didn't and because of this doesn't think about using his vision to check the water in the area around him to make sure people aren't going to flip out. They finally begin to catch up with Tyrang and his wife is excited to see him and then goes all angry grizzly on him again, and he just accepts the fact and says oh well even though there's the potential of the well being polluted and the population of the city going nuts(oh wait... they shrugged off the fact that Tyrang might have gotten some well water). Then, when he finally is close enough to go get the bad guy they decide to split up because Gavin would draw too much attention and the crowds would scare Tyrang away. So... Gavin goes off to find a book and learns of a spell he can use to disguise himself(moment of levity sorely needed included), and Tyrang slips off before the other half of the party can get to her/him, and hides in the only place Gavin's sight won't penetrate. Now, all of this other stuff that happened before this, while not fun to read through was not terribly distracting from the goodness that was the rest of the story. However, when he notices he can't see anyone inside the church, and Daia(sp?) goes in to check if Tyrang is in there he's just like... oh ok so you didn't notice her with a cursory examination she must not be in the only place I can't see into, oh well lets go back to the keep. Once back there they have a meeting and someone says what about the caves under the city? and he's like... hey that might be it!... lets wait until morning to check and see if anyone has gotten into them because it will give the bad guy time to get their plan into motion. Now, it might seem like I hated this book from the diatribe I just typed, but that is not the case. I simply want to point out how weak that section of the story was compared to the rest of it. There are so many other ways that you could have slowed down their pursuit and killed off a character or two, or distracted them from their goal. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here, and hope I haven't given offense.

This is a great set of books. I'm about 80% through this one and it doesn't disappoint. Keeps the story going from the first two. Now there's a 4th one that I just got called Kinshield's Redemption. Can't wait to read that one too! Great character descriptions and a well thought out story line. Only wish I had some magic to help me through the day haha!

"Well of the Damned" is the latest book in 'The Kinshield Saga' by author K.C. May. This Kindle e-book was a 593 Kb download and sold for $2.99 at the time of writing this review. Spoilers (general theme) Gavin has taken over the Kingship of the Realm of Thendylath. Things have been going along fairly smoothly until... 1.) it started raining and hasn't stopped 2.) a thief and murderer by the name of Sithral Tyr has recently been slain, but his soul had been previously captured and placed in a porcelain figurine. However, he's lucky enough to find himself near the severely injured, (but still barely alive) Cirang Deathsblade when the figurine accidentally breaks. The timing is perfect, as this releases his soul from captivity allowing him, spiritually speaking, to reside in another life form... but the problem is that he is now a man, trapped in a woman's body. Both factors mentioned above, have a significant bearing on Gavin's quest in this book... to find the Well of Enlightenment. End Spoilers Some thoughts on "Well of the Damned"... Pros: 1.) a good carry over from the previous books. Enough details are mentioned to reacquaint readers with some important events from the past books. 2.) an interesting premise for the main plot. The 'Well Water' concept was a particularly novel idea. 3.) some outstanding sections with lots of action and intrigue situations. 4.) in general, there was a nice sense of pace and timing with an action vs drama ratio that was spot on. 5..) important people can be grievously injured or die... a realistic happening in a fantasy adventure of this nature. 6.) map... a well detailed map with town, roads etc... showing all the important landmarks mentioned in the book. 7.) cover art... beautifully rendered and complimenting the other books in the series. Some Concerns: 1.) Gavin... the following contains <SPOILERS> and obviously reflects my own personal and subjective biases... other readers may feel differently. a.) unfortunately our hero has taken on the persona of having almost God-like abilities... from healing people at the brink of death, to scrying enemies from afar, with a host of other magical abilities in-between. Then add to this his magical sword that warns him of danger... does anyone really have a chance against him? b.) he makes some poor choices that put the rest of his party of travelers at risk. one example of several... his decision to needlessly split up his party in the mountain near the 'well'. c.) some reactions e.g. the silly hilarity surrounding the 'disguise' scene that occurred at a point when so much was at risk. d.) for a king, he's embarrassed several times by his wife in public and he allows her to get away with it. For Gavin, as a man's man, this had me shaking my head while cringing... lol. e.) and finally... Gavin, although he was basically a good man and competent military leader, somehow never impressed me as the ideal choice to run a country. 2.) the use of the word... 'menses'. This struck me (under the circumstances that prevailed at the time) as just so unlikely a choice of a word to use to describe a woman's period... this from a murderous thug who's spirit just recently inherited a female body. There were some other terms, i.e. vulgarisms, that might have been more realistically uttered by such a low life as this, once he discovered this unexpected bodily function. Impressions: This was a good story and I'm sure that there will be a lot of readers (especially those who've read the previous Kinshield Saga novels) will really enjoy this latest work. But somehow this story, with as much potential as it had, just never worked for me. Yes there were some great moments, but from the middle section onward and approaching the end, I became increasingly aware of some plot holes... a few things that just didn't ring quite true to me. These were incidents that I felt with a little more attention and care could have been avoided or corrected giving the tale a more polished and seamless end sequence. As it is... 3 Stars Ray Nicholson [email protected]

"Well of the Damned (The Kinshield Saga Series: Book III)" by K.C. May is masterfully written, with a brilliant storyline that will have you cheering for the protagonists. Magic, wizards, spell casting, mellifluous pacing, intense action and battles, atmospheric backdrops, and malevolent evil, makes for an entertaining and enjoyable read. This author is self published and the wonderful storyline is premised around a commoner to king narrative and takes place in medieval times. A must read for all fans of the fantasy/adventure genre...4 stars!

I loved this book, when I finished reading "The Wayfarer King" I wanted more, K.C May did such an excellent job with the first two books I just didn't want the story to end. Well it seems as though I have my wish and well done, I love Gavin as a King he is an honorable man that does not want power he just wants to do what's best for his people. I hope you all enjoy this series as much as I did and I hope to read the next book in the near future. Enjoy.

A great book, though it does take a bit of a leap to believe that a King would be irresponsible enough to chase after what amounts to a serial killer the way Kinshield does in this one. The story was well told and on par with the previous books (If you liked them, you'll like this one just as much). I understand what the author is trying to explore, but it seems like different character should have taken the central role or the book should have focused more on political intrigue (the later, admittedly, would have made it an entirely different story) now that Kinshield's on the throne. Hopefully the irresponsibility of a king running around like he did in this book will be addressed in future books in the series.

I read the first two books KC May put out in this series and was disappointed to see that it was over, so when I was told that she'd written a third book in the series I couldn't wait to read it. Truth be told this book more than lived up to my expectations. A couple of plot points felt like they might have been rushed near the end but overall if you love fantasy or have ever read any of May's work you owe it to yourself to buy this book too. One thing's for sure: the cliffhanger at the end definitely means I'm waiting for book 4 with anticipation.