To be next in line, someone must win the contest.
Theo
Theo is the main character and the first one we meet. He is an orphan that has been raised in a palace far away from the capital of the empire. Theo has not seen a lot of people. Theo is a pretty interesting character, mainly after he survived a fall that should have killed him and has found some new things about himself that he never knew. It makes me think that Losik's did know.
What I liked about Theo is that he is just like any child that was born, raised, and never left the place he has been in at all. The thing about Theo is that he a likable character that had me wanting to know more about him.
Tess
Tess is the second main character. The chapters go from surrounding Theo to surrounding Tess with her cousin Pasqual. Tess and Pasqual are trying to get back to the capital for the Contest. Tess is hoping that Pasqual can become King. She wants this so that he can show everyone that he can do it. They have a bit more adventure than Theo, but then again, they also didn't fall off the side of a mountain either. Tess is a strong female character that doesn't stand down from much.
What I liked about Tess is loves her cousin with all of her heart and wants him to succeed. Tess is very into protecting her cousin and trying to get him to stand up to the bullies. What I don't like about her is that the way she talks is annoying. It's hard to say without giving spoilers, but it is there.
Four Stars
The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem is very much different than I thought it was going to be. I believe some worldbuilding and character-building could have been beneficial, but I think that Mr. Clem did an excellent job of doing this in the short book format. Some parts were a bit harder to follow, but once I got into the groove of reading, I guess my brain adjusted it as I was reading. Other than that, I think the author did a great job of taking a book that could have been a lot longer into novella length.
I am giving this story four stars and recommending it to anyone that likes short stories and epic fantasies.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Kingmaker Contest by Troy Clem.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove