Crystal King by John M. Olsen, Book Review

Gavin worked his entire life. But, he worked at not doing what his father thought was appropriate. Gavin was the second son of the Baron, and as such, felt everything would be passed to his brother, so what was all the concern about. His brother did everything their father wanted and they acted and thought alike, so the barony was, and would be in good hands.

At this point readers are not surprised Gavin ends up needing to run the barony. One of the ways Crystal King is different is the development of the reason why Gavin has to step up. This twist allows John M. Olsen to present the differences of father and son to shine through in his work. The author also provides a difference in magic; one that puts power of magic into the tools created, crystals, instead into a limited class of wizards.

The magic in Crystal King also helps to present the differences between Gavin and has with his father, and the previous generation. This, in turn, build on a stronger theme of how each generation builds and grows beyond the past and the expectations placed upon them.

Style

Crystal King is a good book for young adults, and some middle grade readers. The language is family friendly and the themes are good lessons for everyone to take with them.

There is an element of fun with the use of animals, which is appealing for younger readers. This is presented mostly through the secondary characters and how they work with a herd of cattle, cats, dogs, badgers, and a raven. Each of them working with their animals to improve on where they started. The animals and crystals are the main part of the magic in the book, which creates a little magic for the reader. I think just about everyone at some point has wondered what it would be like to be their favorite pet.

The setting is the Kingdom of Riland, a fantastical place of castles, swordsmanship, and crystals. There are historical references, but this is a land of the author’s creation. It provides a backdrop for the story where the character are able to take you on the journey with them.

John Olsen builds depth to the characters easily, without burdening the reader with heavy passages of backstory. They are built throughout the novel to where you understand their motivations, but are not privy to everything about them. I liked the way the secondary rank of characters are presented. They are not two-dimensional. Once a character’s name is given, they have become a part of the tale being woven.

Crystal King is Olsen’s first novel. He also writes short stories, which have been published in magazines and anthologies. The strength of his short stories comes through in this longer work.

The last chapter of Crystal King opens the story up to greater events taking place in the kingdom, and the world.

Overall

Crystal King is an easy read with a fun story. The concepts are understandable and the book could easily be read alone or shared by reading aloud. I didn’t read anything I thought would be inappropriate for any age. There is death and betrayals, but nothing is presented in a graphic manner.

Crystal King is published by Immortal Works.

I was given a copy of Crystal King by the author for review purposes.

Crystal King is available on Amazon (link).

About the Author

John M. Olsen reads and writes fantasy, science-fiction, steampunk, and horror as the mood strikes, and his short fiction is part of several anthologies. He devoured his father’s library in his teen years and has since inherited that formidable collection and merged it with his own growing library hoping to pass a love of learning on to the next generation.

He loves to create things, whether writing novels or short stories or working in his secret lair equipped with dangerous power tools. In either case, he applies engineering principles and processes to the task at hand, often in unpredictable ways.

He lives near the Oquirrh Mountains in Utah with his lovely wife and a variable number of mostly grown children and a constantly changing subset of extended family.

Strap on some goggles and see his ramblings on his blog: johnmolsen.blogspot.com.

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