Blood Ties

January 15, 2022
In a medieval-inspired world, a young boy discovers his mysterious abilities. Nine-year-old Lucas lives with his blacksmith father at their forge, leading an isolated life away from King Itan's village. When Lucas is tasked with delivering a sword to an enigmatic sect of warrior monks, he is immediately intrigued by their lifestyle. After his father dies at the hands of black-clad villains, Lucas is sent to live and train at the monastery. There it is discovered that he is a gifted fighter, has a preternatural ability with horses, and possesses a seeing mind, a power that allows him to see things outside his vicinity through mental images. Eventually, he is asked to join Itan's chosen ones, a group of trained child soldiers who serve alongside the king's elite borns (an all-boy group deemed superior due to bloodline purity). The chosen ones include a single girl, accepted because her twin brother was also chosen. Lucas' journey is fraught; other boys are envious of his abilities and encouraged through displays of toxic masculinity to undercut or fight him. Waithman's debut plods along with slow pacing, bloodless characterization, and a disjointed cliffhanger ending. Problematic ableism rears its head when a character breaks both his legs and others say that it would be better for him to die "rather than allowing him to suffer the hardship that comes with not being able to walk for the rest of his life." Characters default to White. Disappointing. (map) (Fantasy. 9-13)

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January 23, 2023
Waithman (King’s Chosen) kicks off the King’s Chosen series with dependable medieval fantasy beats enlivened by a rousing spirit of adventure. Ten-year-old Lucas mourns the death of his blacksmith father, killed in a confrontation with a mysterious man dressed in black. Father Ansan at the local monastery takes Lucas under his wing to teach him the ways of the sword-wielding warrior monks. But Lucas is different; he has unusually quick reflexes and heightened senses. When Lucas reveals that he heard voices from the monks’ sacred black stone, Father Ansan explains, “The stone speaks to those it chooses to be worthy.” Now Lucas hopes to one day serve in King Itan’s army. Discovery of the sacred stone has given Lucas the power of knowing with his mind without seeing with his eyes, and Father Ansan believes “He is the one we have been waiting for.”
The comfort-food plot moves quickly as Waithman follows Lucas’s adventures and the boy gradually discovers his lineage and destiny. It’s all told with vigor and engaging characterization, especially once Lucas joins a royal circus in the hopes it will bring him closer to King Itan. When word of Lucas’s skills reaches Itan, the king wonders if he could be either an elite born—a boy of noble blood trained to serve in the king’s guard—or a chosen one, a commoner with exceptional skills to fight in the king’s army. But before Itan can test Lucas, the boy is swept away, continually chased and threatened by the men in black.
Waithman crafts a solemn, engaging tale of a naïve and inquisitive boy who grows into a strong and capable young man. Despite the familiar setting and plot, lovers of classic high fantasy YA storytelling will eagerly follow the precocious and likable Lucas as he staunchly pushes through the many plot twists, betrayals, to face his mysterious past and claim his destiny with King Itan.
Takeaway: Likable characters and a spirit of adventure enliven this traditional fantasy
Great for fans of: Taran Matharu’s The Inquisition, Sara Holland’s Everless.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A