Book Review: The Lost King by T.M. Kohl

Genre(s): Epic fantasy

Content warning: There are a few combat scenes (but nothing terribly gory/bloody).

Lauren was on track to become a nurse, her life seemingly ordinary. On the date of her college graduation ceremony, her life took an unexpected turn when an attack on her city occurred. Her mother, whose past she never fully understood, leaves a strange amulet with Lauren, then leaves her to tend her injured boyfriend in order to confront the attackers. Despite her mother’s warning to stay behind, Lauren follows her and witnesses her mother using water as both a weapon and a defensive shield.

When one of the attackers grabs Lauren, the amulet does the impossible—it transports her to another world. Once there, she must learn the customs and language of the people there, while she is forced to grapple with her own burgeoning power. If she doesn’t learn to control her ability, it will drive her to insanity.

I loved the worldbuilding in this book. While the very early part of the book was set in our world and modern times, the world of Bhrea was a stark contrast to that. The author not only took the time to develop the world, its politics, and its people, but also a significant portion of an entirely different language. I’m always impressed when authors add an element of brand-new linguistics into their worlds.

And although this book was long (in terms of page count), it was written in a way that kept moving the story forward. It felt fast-paced and I went through it quickly. It was a nice change of pace for me to have an easier read. I enjoyed the story – in particular the climax – and I will be reading book 2 in the near future.

The Lost King is book 1 in The Warriors of Bhrea series.

Author website: tmkohl.com

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