A short while ago, I started exploring the reasonably priced books on Amazon. If they got good reviews, I purchased them. One such series was the Kinshield saga. I had vaguely heard of this title and so, looking for something new, I delved in.
I was pleasantly surprised. Book 1 the Kinshield Legacy focuses mainly on Gavin, a Warrant knight who lives in disgrace of his past and the actions of his ancestor Ronor Kinshield (Ronor basically failed in his duty to protect his King).
Gavin is a conflicted character. On one hand he has a deep rooted sense of honour and on the other he likes to waste his time in taverns and on wenches. However, Gavin has a secret. For some reason he knows the answers to solving the Rune stones (five gems that are placed in a tablet). Whoever solves the Runes, will become King. No one has got close to solving them in over 200 hundred years, but Gavin has already solved three of them.
The Kinshield Legacy is firmly in the “good book” category. The story is straightforward but very satisfying. K.C. May builds a believable world with a nice history. Gavin is complex enough to be interesting and the supporting cast are very much the same, providing a mixture of depth and humour that elevates the story above your run of the mill fantasy fare. The power that Gavin finds himself imbued with is well handled. Even if Gavin is a little slow to realise what is happening.
Daia arguably shares the spotlight as the main protagonist and it is her relationship with Gavin which makes up the best and weakest parts of the book.
The bond Gavin and Daia inevitably form is believable but sometimes clumsy. The only real negative I have when it comes to this book is in the dialogue these two characters share at the start of their relationship. K.C.May sets her story in a pseudo medieval world, however occasionally modern terms litter the dialogue.
For example, at one point Daia is trying to impress Gavin and says something stupid. Her inner dialogue says “dolt!”. For me this seems too modern, almost Homer Simpson-esque. Another example is when the dialogue is in full flow and Gavin says something sarcastic. Daia responds with something like, “You are such a comedian.” Again this doesn’t seem to fit with the setting and threw me out of story.
I must stress that these instances are rare. I found the book most enjoyable. Although the world seems a little restricted the history is rich and provided a nice layer of depth. In fact it was one of the only books where I have been tempted to progress straight on to the next in the series immediately. My rating: 8.6
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