The King's Own: A Borderlands Novel [Paperback]

Lorna Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Borderlands | Publication Date: February 7, 2006

When Rabbit joined the Royal Army of Iversterre, he was just trying to get off the family farm. Instead, he got mixed up with a magical from the Border, learned he couldn't escape his noble lineage, and developed some surprising talents that he can't always control. But with Iversterre sliding toward the abyss, Rabbit needs to master his powers quickly-before someone else does it for him.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the strongly Scottish-flavored kingdom of Inversterre, the young nobleman Rabbit joins the army to get away from his family. Unfortunately, his combination of social rank and magical talent make him indispensable in some situations and uncontrollable in others. He eventually becomes the most potent mage in the threatened Borderlands, with a host of problems in his lap. Then King Janno, his cousin, solves a shortage of heirs by choosing Rabbit for that dubious honor without relieving him of any of his responsibilities on the border. One of those is a murder investigation that turns out to mean peril for heir, king, kingdom, and everybody else a reader may have come to care about. A gifted if not dazzling storyteller, Freeman has created an absorbing fantasy world as the setting for a classic story of intrigue both material and magical. Consider directing fans of Kurtz's Deryni saga toward Freeman and her work. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Roc (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451460715
• ISBN-13: 978-0451460714
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #894,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Though born back east, I was raised in Southern California. Sometimes I have fantasies of living where there are actually four seasons, but then I remember that snow is frozen water and therefore incredibly cold. While I've been writing most of my life, COVENANTS is my first published work. In addition to THE KING'S OWN, there are at least two more books planned for this universe, SHADOWS PAST and THE RECKONING FLAMES.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spell-binding tale.....and definitely worth reading many times!, February 8, 2006

By 

Julie Griffith (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Own: A Borderlands Novel (Paperback)

I picked up the first book in the series, Covenants, about a month ago. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not since I tend not to be as interested in strong male characters and normally prefer female heroines. It turned out that Covenants was not one of the average fantasy books. I was entranced by it and read it as fast as possible. Then, hoping that Freeman had written other books, I started looking around and found out that she hadn't. Then I saw that a sequel would be coming out very soon. I picked up The King's Own from the bookstore as soon as it came out and stayed up reading it the entire night. It took about six hours.
The King's Own picks up literally the day after Covenants ended. Whereas Covenants covered a couple of months or so, The King's Own happens in just a few days. This book is focused more specifically on the relationship between Rabbit and King Jusson and what that relationship means to each of them as well as the entire country. It spends a great deal of time (as does Covenants) examining human tolerance for events and things beyond their control. It also works to reconcile the humans to the magical world that they live in. As for those that wish Captain Suiden had been more involved in the story, I missed his character too, but I don't think that he really fit into this book. As Lord Commander Thadro said, "Your ties with the garrison have been severed." I am hoping (& expecting) to see more of Suiden in the next one (since we seem to be heading to some sort of confrontation in or with Tural). I also felt that the author did a superb job of accurately describing the world and lives of the characters as well as depicting their personalities through interaction with their friends and enemies. I particularly enjoyed the frequent humor interspersed with the action and the sheer stubborness of Rabbit. I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy reader.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy second book!, March 12, 2006

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The King's Own: A Borderlands Novel (Paperback)

The King's Own does not disappoint. It is a worthy second book in what seems to be developing into a long series (I hope so),which I support wholeheartedly. I love all the characters this talented writer has developed, from the trooper all the way to the dark elf king. And of course Rabbit, who is simply endearing. I don't know how Freeman does it but she manages to weave all her characters, and there are a lot of them, effortlessly into a plot that leaves you begging for more. The King's Own may be darker but written in her enlightening way and sprinkled with humour, like in Covenants, Freeman manages to keep the tone lively and light. My only complaint is more attention should have been paid to the editing. This is a great story, and to be spoiled by simple "English language" mistakes here and there is annoying. For those who complained about the lack of female role in Covenants, Freeman seems to have answer them in "The King's Own". I who love books concentrating on the brotherhood of men, am still satisfy. And I am glad Freeman still keeps her story free from any romance which to me is often a waste of plot in great fantasies. I hope the 3rd book is not too far away. Meanwhile I have started to read "Covenants" again...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent second novel, March 31, 2006

By 

Gerri Lynn Baxter "reader and writer" (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Own: A Borderlands Novel (Paperback)

The King's Own follows up, and exceeds Covenants in skill and story. Although I missed the characters so prominantly displayed in Covenants, specifically Captain Dragon Prince Suiden, Ryson, and Captain Javes, I thought Freeman made an excellent turn in the story by moving Rabbit out of the comfortable and into the more rarified setting of being in the King's Court. She's also managed to do what the Eddings also did with (Bel)Garion--make a powerful person with more problems and less ego about that power than most authors manage.

The depths of the characters, and the conflicts, though, are realistic, complex, and quirky. The antagonism between Jeff and Arlis over brown nosing is a priceless little layer of tension between secondary characters that just adds to the entire story. Freeman doesn't miss a beat on any level, so The King's Own bristles with both resolved and unresolved tension. I'm very much looking forward to the next novel. I can't wait!