I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young man must fight to gain his father’s crown and give the kingdom back to the peasants who helped make it while an ancient evil seeks to take advantage of the infighting causing chaos amongst the realm in author Ryan Schuette’s “An End to Kings”, the second book in the A King Without a Crown series.

The Synopsis

In the highly anticipated conclusion to A Seat for the Rabble, former NPR reporter Ryan Schuette returns to Odma, a richly detailed world not unlike our own. Riven by social injustice, wealth inequality, and ancient magic, the Kingdom of Loran stands on the brink of war . . . and the bastard prince, Jason Warchild, means to save it.

With an army of Cloudlanders at his back, Jason marches to the Kingstrials, where he must kill his rivals—including his zealot uncle, Shaddon—to claim his father’s crown and return peasants to power. But winning this deadly game will take more than martial skill and an army. If he fails to win all three Trials, he’ll need the fractious Worthy Assembly to crown him directly—or he’ll lose the kingdom, along with his head.

As class anger festers, Jason’s allies find themselves embattled. At the capital, Princess Lorana Eddenhold navigates her realm’s troubled politics to stamp out plots against her half-brother, even as she dreads Prieslenne Edenia’s return. In the west, Rathos Robswell risks his life to persuade the Loyal Company’s firebrands to cease their infighting and see the bastard prince—along with the dream of a just realm—through a crucible of swords, dragons, and griffons.

Only supernatural forces seem to see all ends. Accompanied by a sorcerer, Zuran races against time to confront the real evil . . . the one exploiting chaos in a kingless land.

The Review

Instantly, readers can see the chaos and conflict that stems from a monarchy without a clear line of succession, along with political moves and corruption at work, that made fantasy series like George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones so beloved in author Ryan Schuette’s incredible sequel. The world-building continues to expand and grow as the action infuses a sense of adrenaline and wonder into this realm. The author’s intense and heavy atmosphere makes the reader feel connected and engaged with the characters throughout this story.

As with the first book of this series, I loved the rich themes of politics, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the impact chaos has on a society being infused into the narrative in such a natural way. The way this supernatural evil infuses itself into the fighting and uses it to fuel its own needs speaks to the power behind many political movements today that similarly use chaos. The breathtaking character development kept the reader engaged with the narrative, overwhelming the reader with incredible emotional connections and creating complex and thought-provoking characters.

The Verdict

Memorable, heartfelt, and compelling author Ryan Schuette’s “An End to Kings” is a must-read epic fantasy novel that will set this summer ablaze. The story’s shocking twists, the harrowing dangers the cast of characters face, and the open ending that leaves readers satisfied yet wanting more from this growing series will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The wealth of world-building the author crafts, including historical events of the realm and the decisive moments showcasing the need for inclusion and representation amongst those in power, make this a fantastic novel to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today.

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Ryan Schuette is the author of A Seat for the Rabbleand its forthcoming sequel, An End to Kings. He’s also authored and illustrated The Art of the Big Lie: Political Cartoons About the Fight for America’s Souland penned a romance novel under his pseudonym. 

         Before returning to fantasy fiction and art, Ryan wore a few hats. He’s both illustrated and reported for National Public Radio and various trade publications, including DS News and MReport. He’s also freelanced for Al Jazeera America. He lived and worked in Uganda as a 2008-2009 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and holds a master’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

Somewhere along the way, he also started a nonprofit and fair-trade lingerie company that operated in West and Central Africa, respectively. Many of his friends still wear safari-print boxers.

Ryan lives in Texas, where he looks after his cat, Rusty.

To learn more about Ryan or his epic fantasy series, A King Without a Crown, visit RyanSchuette.com. 

Interview with Ryan Schuette

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing? 

I fell in love with fantasy and sci-fi fiction when I began reading the Dragonlance series and, soon after, the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now Star Wars Legacy) series. The vastness and immersiveness of these fictional worlds staggered me and made me want to replicate them in a world of my own. I authored a few books before A Seat for the Rabble, but this one is the culmination of a lifelong quest. in A Seat for the Rabble, I hope readers will find many of the same things that we saw in Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: honor, betrayal, lore, forbidden love, moral grayness, and lessons we should all heed about those who pursue power.

2) What inspired you to write your book? 

I’ve always wanted to write and publish a work of epic fantasy, but it wasn’t until the Game of Thrones television series that I awakened to something that, to me, was novel: political fantasy. I’ve always had an interest in politics — in how people worked together for society, or didn’t — and had worked in Washington, D.C. I enrolled in a master’s program at American University at the same time my ideas for this novel began to solidify. Reporting from outside the White House, inside the halls of Congress, and on the sidelines of protests, I began to realize that the United States stood on the precipice of a full-fledged constitutional crisis. Wealth inequality, racism, perceptions of corruption in our government, and rancorous partisanship were leading this country down the path to hell. A Seat for the Rabble sprang from a desire to write about a society on the edge of falling apart, one populated by merpeople, elves, gryphons, and dragons.  

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book? 

That society is a fragile thing, and it shatters if we push people to the margins and overlook inequality. Worse, tyrants often climb to power on the backs of angry, miserable people, especially those misled by conspiracy theories. It’s far better for a society’s leaders to do everything in their power to provide a debt-free, wealthy, and healthy existence for everyone. In A Seat for the Rabble, peasants lack representation in the Worthy Assembly, a congress of classes comparable to pre-revolutionary France’s Estates-General. The protagonists want to restore their seats in this parliament, not only to deliver justice but also to prevent a violent reckoning. Ultimately, the series asks a bigger question: Is man capable of ruling himself without destroying everyone else — and his own planet?

4) What drew you into this particular genre? 

I’ve always loved the transportive nature of fantasy. I credit Dragonlance, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Tigana, and the Kingkiller Chronicle with feeding my ambition to create a world of my own.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why? 

Great question, Anthony! One of the characters I relished writing, Evan Sinclair, is a noble lord who’s bent on reform for the sake of a united, peaceful realm. A man of peace for the longest time, Evan takes a Machiavellian turn when he realizes that a corrupt system of government won’t make concessions, even for its own self-preservation. While other characters, like his nephew, consider themselves men of honor, Evan isn’t above deceit, bribery, or even murder in the name of justice. He’s an ends-justifies-the-means kinda guy. If I sat down with him, I’d probably argue with him! I’d want to know why he thinks empowering peasants will lead to peace, when his kingdom’s complicated history suggests otherwise. 

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership? 

I’d say Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Facebook helped me update fans and friends about the progress on A Seat for the Rabble for years, while Instagram provided me with a platform to share Ted Nasmith’s exquisite cover art and the chapter illustrations I created. More recently, I partnered with Storygram Tours’ micro-influencers to create videos and posts across Instagram and TikTok. I’m also planning to advertise A Seat for the Rabble and its sequel, An End to Kings, through Facebook’s paid advertising program.

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there? 

Know your genre, read widely in that genre, and familiarize yourself with the publishing industry and what agents want. I benefited enormously from online workshops through Writer’s Digest University, which gave me the chance to ask questions of agents and submit my work to them for review. I’d also encourage aspiring writers to practice their craft and read The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell. Last but certainly not least, anyone trying to write a book should start with the idea, then develop a chapter-by-chapter plot synopsis. I rewrote A Seat for the Rabble three times over six years, and I owed a large part of that to the plot I revisited endlessly. 

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon? 

I’m a fantasy illustrator as well as an author, and I was thrilled to learn that A Seat for the Rabble’s chapter illustrations recently placed in the Honorable Mention category of the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest, a global competition open to aspiring fantasy and sci-fi artists. I plan to continue creating fantasy art as I embark on another fantasy novel — one that, like A Seat for the Rabble, will touch on pressing contemporary issues with a heavy sprinkling of magic and mythical creatures. And, of course, I plan to release A Seat for the Rabble’s sequel, An End to Kings, this coming year, with more chapter illustrations and another glorious cover by Ted Nasmith. I invite anyone interested in following me to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.