A Drowned Kingdom: Divisive Fantasy?

It's book review time! So this month I am reviewing A Drowned Kingdom by P.L. Stuart--a somewhat divisive beginning to an epic fantasy series that blends elements of medieval chivalric adventure tales and modern political fantasy to make a tale about Othrun, second Prince of Atalantyx. Othrun is a consummate knight, honorable, noble, and skilled...but also bigoted, sexist, and racist. Hence the divisiveness! In other words, Second Prince Othrun is kind of a jerk, but also willing to sacrifice everything for those he loves. So, prepare yourself for a complex main character--and don't worry, Othrun is not "morally grey". I've grown especially weary of that trope, because usually it's done very poorly, where "morally grey" just winds up being a nihilistic creep with no moral complexity other than cynicism and emptiness, rather than true inner complexity. No, Othrun is not "grey". He is a moral kaleidoscope in ultra HD full color. And for me, this makes him an absolutely fascinating main POV character. He does heroic and noble things, then utters some totally cringe internal dialogue. And I just love it.

All of this is fully intentional, and this is obvious from page one. Stuart is very skilled in subtext--there is a method to this, clear and artful, that I really admired. He, and we, know exactly what he is doing here. And as you follow Othrun through his many trials and tribulations, it's evident that a big part of what is in store for him is a series of events which will make him question everything he thought he knew.

And speaking of his journey, the setting for the series is very detailed and feels real--none of that "video-game" style worldbuilding where it only seems like things are happening in a bubble around the POV character. No, there's a lot going on in the background, coming to light later when it's most inconvenient. The style is epic fantasy, but there is a Shakespearean way in which Stuart plots--characters are put into moral quandaries, and you really get to dive into their inner struggles. But it isn't done in a way that is preachy, either, the quandaries are not resolved easily or cleanly--many times the characters make mistakes and pay the consequences.

Keep in mind, however, that this is not a self-contained standalone story. It is first in a much larger series. Stuart takes his time to develop and build the setup, but (unlike some epic fantasies), I did not find myself getting restless because of it. And the key is that Othrun and the other main characters are fascinating. Thus, it reads much like Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice--slow in terms of plot, but still gripping because there is so much going on in the characters and between them to keep each scene bubbling and crackling with energy.

Another thing I appreciated was that the story in no way feels anachronistic in terms of dialogue or character. This is a pitfall some fantasy authors fall into, where the characters feel like 21st century people dropped into a medieval or otherwise wildly different world. Stuart crafts a very believable not-modern setting, but at the same time, he does not make it incomprehensible.

Fans of highly character-driven fantasy, again like Hobb, Abercrombie (but without the grimdark tone) will highly enjoy this series. In fact, you might describe this as Assassin's Apprentice meets Le Morte d'Arthur. For me, Stuart's opener knocks it out of the park.

And keep on the lookout for some collaborative podcasts between myself and PL Stuart--later this year we have planned for some in depth discussions of both A Drowned Kingdom and King of the Forgotten Darkness!

EG