The Last King's Amulet (The Price Of Freedom) [Kindle Edition]

Chris Northern (Author)

Book Description

My name is Sumto, and everyone thinks I am a gambling, lazy, good-for-nothing drunk. Frankly, I think they have a point. Right now I may have to join the army and fight in a war I am frankly too corpulent to cope with.

Still, it looks like being a small, short war. So that's got to be as bad as things get. Am I right?

Trained in his youth for war and politics, Sumto is interested in neither. As the son of a Patron, he should gather clients, acquire wealth, learn magic, husband a political power base and take his place amongst the Assembly of Patrons, the rulers of the city. Sumto would rather gather friends, acquire books, learn history, husband a hangover and take his place at the gambling tables. That is not going to be an option for much longer.

Unknown to Sumto, everything is about to change. There is a war in the north and Sumto is about to become a very unwilling participant.

The first of four novels that follow the development of Sumto, a man unknowingly manipulated by someone determined to shape him for his own ends:

Book One: The Last King's Amulet
Book Two: The Key To The Grave
Book Three: The Invisible Hand
Book Four: All The King's Bastards

The four novels may be considered as one long novel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This first book hooked me and I've now read all that are currently available and hope for more. - Goodreads reviewer

The main character, Sumto, is more of an anti-hero than the bold figures usually depicted in fantasy novels, and his development throughout the book is both hilarious and tragic. - Goodreads reviewer

It's a great story too, with strong secondary characters and well developed setting. - Goodreads Reviewer

About the Author

Chris Northern is European, a traveler by inclination, and an electrical engineer by education. He has worked at jobs, been some places and done some things. He also once owned some stuff but he doesn´t much do that any more. He is often to be found eying the horizon; shortly thereafter, he is often found to be gone.

Product Details

• File Size: 640 KB
• Print Length: 276 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0059Y3D2E
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,293 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! July 28, 2011

By Archie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Really good book. One of the chief requirements is the style of writing. few people are able to write in a way that catches attention and engages. Chris has this knack.

+ves:
- Awesome character development
- nice pacing
- great thoughts about freedom, society etc. it adds depth & character to book.

- ve:
- Lead character was caught to many times, it became a little repetitive
- The love angle can use some help. A good love story can really spice up things, but I have rarely seen "fantasy" authors write credible love interest.
- I would like to see more magic, and see the person grow in its proficiency. Few fantasy authors can manage (eg: magic teacher Negima)

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Skip it. May 20, 2012

By names are fun to have

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I finally made it through this book. I would recommend skipping it. The price is right, but your time is worth more.

The author creates a somewhat interesting secondary world focused on a city-state with complex social hierarchies based exactly on early Roman Republic systems. The story doesn't do much in particular to make itself interesting, though the magic system and suggestions about the state of consciousness after death and how that interacts with the physical world were promising. The main character is intelligent enough, but watching him slowly evolve as a military commander is a bland experience. Nothing about the world, the conflict, the main character, or his supporting cast are engrossing. Female characters are severely lacking in depth, even compared to the rest of the cast. The main antagonist is a cardboard cutout used for the purpose of holding up a metaphorical sign instructing readers to think of him as a tyrannical, unadaptable, inefficient and non-dynamic societal figure for Northern's characters to crush with the weight of what he seems to take to be his far-superior philosophies.

The book is heavily laced with repetitive and lengthy political mini-essays. The virtues of a libertarian government and a free-market economy are extolled while other ways of living are virtually unacceptable. You are either a "person of the city" or a barbarian, though Sumto (the main character and narrator) does wonder (once, maybe twice) if "our way is better" is justification enough to supplant the local cultures in surrounding lands with the city's own on the whims of the rich and powerful. The one-dimensional enemies are all mindless slaves to a hypocritical system of government presided over by evildoers whose qualities I mentioned above.... The story isn't good enough to support the politics, and the politics couldn't possibly hope to carry readers through the story, regardless of how agreeable you are to the presented values. Northern doesn't have the chops to deliver his ideas properly, and it gets agonizing.

Terry Goodkind (The Sword of Truth, etc.) is a relatively terrible author who abuses the fantasy genre to ape Ayn Rand in the worst possible ways. (His books are a nearly-pure exercise in "everything you'll hate about Atlas Shrugged, and none of what you may have enjoyed.") I wouldn't hesitate to put Northern in the same school of writing, especially because of his obsession with rational selfishness. Unrealistic characters, unrealistic settings, and a story forced to carry the weight of overwrought political waxing that doesn't mesh at all - the points of comparison are numerous. If you aren't down with the ideas mentioned above then skip this entirely, and if you are then I'm not going to insult your intelligence by suggesting that you add this to your library of like-minded literature. The book is a disservice to the philosophies of capitalism and limited government. The sequels are supposedly worse. Proceed with caution. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars class act May 3, 2012

By Dennis I. McCracken

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

it is so nice to read an author that doesn't either live in a fairy tale world where everything is lala perfect, and combat unnecesary, or create a world so dark that after a quarter of the book i want all the characters to be dead. he has run the guantlet well. he creates sympathetic characters with failings and selfish motivations, occasionally sidelined by the characters ideals. few other than saints and moms live everymoment for others needs, but i think real peple will give a hand alomg the way when possible. his characters do this well the world is cool. the magic neat. and combat fun.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Has potential, but is ruined by mini-essays July 3, 2012

By Wondering Reader

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am not sure how or why I finished the book... but I did and I regret it.

It starts very slowly. Only half-way through something interesting starts happening. Before that it's just an army marching to a battle and the main character making most implausible rise from a drunkard to a co-commander. For what deeds, exactly? Maybe military history buffs will find something interesting there, but I found it unnecessary convoluted and rather irrelevant. The actual battle description is skipped entirely.

The book has more than plenty of mini-essays on politics, military, and magic, which are bland and not particularly insightful. Yay for free market and small government, down with tyranny. The main character likes to philosophize, but to what end? What does any of that babbling have to do with the plot or decisions? Never once his thought process is fully disclosed even though he makes some surprising decisions. A couple of times he withholds critical information. These mini-essays become the central focus of the book, and the actual story gets neglected. The second half is better (the character is too drunk to think clearly) and there is more action.

I think the choice of "I" point of view is rather unfortunate. There are bunch of interesting characters that get neglected because it's all about "I, me, and myself". What about all those poor characters that met a terrible end?

Overall, it definitely has a potential, but it drowns in irrelevant philosophical babbling.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining August 11, 2011

By Carebare

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was an overall good book. Entertaining, and well worth the $0.99. I like the cover art. I will be looking to get a copy of Book II of this series "Key To The Grave"--I don't understand why it's not yet on Amazon (maybe working on better cover art?).

In synopsis, Sumto transforms from the aristocratic family's black sheep to a natural born leader. Only to have things fall apart.

Cons:
-There were a few characters missing her and there such as the comma, period, apostrophe. Unsure why the book never got a proof-reading prior to publication.
-It was abrupt how the tone shifted from military to like prison/out/back again. And many characters had sad fates, which were brought on pretty quickly.

More About the Author

Chris Northern is European, a traveler by inclination, and an electrical engineer by education.

He is often to be found eying the horizon; shortly thereafter, he is often found to be gone.

Chris Northern writes Fantasy and Science Fiction.

The Price of Freedom (quartet of fantasy novels)

The Last King's Amulet
The Key To The Grave
The Invisible Hand
All The King's Bastards

Dancing with Darwin (A collection of related Science Fiction stories)

Rapture Ready
Headed Home
Evolving Environment
Dangerous Delusions