After defeating the Vile One as the prophecy foretold, Arek has somehow ended up as king – and now he must find someone to wed if he is to survive his eighteenth birthday. And his first choice, his best friend and mage Matt, obviously doesn’t like him back.
I was very excited by the idea of this book – the Chosen One having to settle down after fulfilling his prophecy and now actually getting on with the business of governing his newfound kingdom. However, though this has a fantasy setting, the vibe is definitely that of a rom-com, as Arek and Matt hopelessly pine for each other while remaining totally oblivious to the other’s feelings.
And oh my goodness – that pining! It is the highlight of the book, how utterly head-over-heels the two are, and I really enjoyed being frustrated about how everything could be solved with just a little communication. I also enjoyed the found family aspect of the story, and how well the characters mesh together.
However, I did feel that the other members of the quest were not super well-developed, which was disappointing because they are quite important people to Arek and to the story. I also wished that the author would have pared back the fantasy or let it show more fully in the story, because as things stood it felt a little like window dressing.
