Jul 30, 2023
Book Review: The Rebel King (Deviant Kings #2) by Gina L. Maxwell
Book Review: The Rebel King (Deviant Kings #2) by Gina L. Maxwell My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Book Review: The Rebel King (Deviant Kings #2) by Gina L. Maxwell
Book Review: The Rebel King (Deviant Kings #2) by Gina L. Maxwell My rating: 5 of 5 stars
WIP (Re) Introduction
Formerly known as “The Rebel King”
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Summary: “Freaky Friday" meets "The Fugitive." Prince Liam has always wanted to be able to do magic, but when he wakes up in a wizard's body surrounded by notes on an obscure ritual it is far from anything he dreamed of. Before he has a chance to fix things he has to run for his life! He will have to find a way to reverse the spell and regain his kingdom, and learn something about the grass always seeming greener on the other side of the hill along the way.
Features: Magic, bodyswap
Content Warnings: Parental death
POV: Third-person
Type: Standalone
Status: In Progress
Start Date: Originally July 2018. This new version 1 July 2020.
This post will be updated with working links as I add things!
Links and Tag List below! If you want to be added to the tag list either message me or comment on this post!
Camp Nanowrimo, my Original WIP, and Brandon Sanderson
This post has two announcements. One is that I’m doing Camp Nanowrimo this year! Even though you’re only supposed to work on one project I’m going to be working on both my fanfic Hinata Monogatari and my original fiction “The Rebel King!”
And that is the second announcement! I’m working on “The Rebel King” again! I set aside this WIP in January and have recently identified a couple ways to get excited about the plot and have it and the characters work better. I’ve revamped the plot quite a bit although the basic premise is mostly the same. I’ll have to come up with a new title though...as the Prince is no longer switching places with a peasant rebel. Instead he’s switching places with a wizard, and for Reasons I can’t just change the name to “The Wizard King.”
I have to credit this renewed enthusiasm to Brandon Sanderson’s Youtube lectures where he has posted his 2020 class on Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy online. I watched them all recently and it is what sparked some of the changes I’m making. Beyond that they’ve taught me a lot. I’d really recommend any and all writers giving them a watch. I’ll make another post sharing the link to the first one.
Character Question Tag
Given that this was something I did on my awilliamswrites blog I don’t feel comfortable tagging people again to pass it on, but I will say thank you again to @pens-swords-stuff for tagging me!
Rules: Answer the following questions for one of your characters and then tag others to answer the same questions for their OCs.
I’ll do my latest OC, who is Llewellyn from my WIP The Rebel King.
1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)?
Intelligence and manipulation. I knew I wanted him to be able to talk himself out of any situation and maneuver himself into the most advantageous positions and look awesome doing it.
2. Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?
Not from their universe, no. However, I’d re-read The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner recently at the time I created him and I was definitely inspired by Eugenides. I wish I could write someone as cool as him, but I knew I wanted to do something a bit different too. (Because plagiarism is bad and if Llewelyn weren’t original in some way then why write him?)
3. How did you choose their name?
I like to do genealogy and I have Irish and Welsh ancestry. I’ve always wanted to use an ancestor’s name in a book and I liked the sound of that name so that’s what I chose.
4. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world that they live in played the most influential parts?
Hmm, the history of his family and the gods and goddesses. (Genealogy y’all, it’s my thing. Well, plus writing.) Llewelyn is a prince because about 10 or so generations back his ancestors invaded the country he’s now a part of and became their ruling class. However, they also got rid of the local religion (minor spoilers, some of this is revealed in chapter 2) which angered one of the goddesses pretty badly and she cursed his family. His family’s rule has never been peaceful and prosperous (it might be one or the other, but never both) and by the time Llewelyn is alive the country relies pretty heavily on a neighboring empire for food, protection, etc. So he is a prince of a poor country that never seems to have good luck and knows it, which has made him grow up both ambitious and wary.
5. Is there any significance behind their hair color?
No.
6. Is there any significance behind their eye color?
Again, no.
7. Is there any significance behind their height?
Sort of. In the first chapter he’s shorter than he used to be. (read and find out).
8. What, if anything, do you relate to within their character/story?
He’s quite analytical, and I am too.
9. Are they based off of you in some way?
A little bit, yeah. This is my first time writing a male character. Usually I write female characters who are based off of me, but with Llewelyn he isn’t nearly as much. The only thing that I’ve consciously decided was that since I have no idea how a guy thinks, I’d just have him analyze situations similar to how I do and hope that that makes him a believable character. So, like I said in what I relate to, his analytical skills are based off of my own. He’s much better at staying cool under pressure though. My brain tends to stop working so well when I’m stressed, so he can assess and deal with situations at times where my mind would be blanking.
Oh, and he’s bad at keeping his emotions off of his face. I just remembered that I put that in there too, and that’s how I am as well.
10. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?
Yeah, he’s straight. Romance isn’t going to be a big part of the plot though. I’m not yet comfortable with writing a guy, much less a guy in love!
11. What have you found to be the most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art; writing, drawing, edits, ect.)?
Y’know, I haven’t even thought about doing this? My visual imagination isn’t super clear though, so I don’t actually have a good picture in my head of what he looks like. (It’s hard to describe. I get kind of impressions of a face, or pieces, but if I try to draw up a clear mental image there isn’t one there.) I guess that’s your answer! Just visualizing what I want!
12. How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?
Oh dear. Considering I don’t even know how I want the story to end yet…
13. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?
1) Llewelyn has pride issues, but he’s good at hiding it.
2) Beyond some moral lines he won’t cross, he will do whatever it takes to become King.
14. What is something about your OC that can make you laugh?
He can be quite sarcastic.
15. What is something about you OC that can make you cry?
The fact that he’s been forced into a really difficult, almost hopeless situation that’s made worse by the fact that a goddess dispassionately hates his guts (she’s indifferent to him personally, his family as a whole on the other hand…) When the universe is out to get you, that’s pretty crushing.
16. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?
Not regret so much as don’t actually know how to write. I want him to be quite charismatic, persuasive, and manipulative, and I do not excel in any of those areas. It’s like the conundrum of trying to write someone more intelligent than you are. I can picture these situations in which he might use those skills, but I’m afraid that what I write will end up making him sound awkward, which is how I would feel in those scenarios. That’s probably a sign of my own insecurity, and he might not sound awkward, but I’m not sure. This is an aspect of him that I’m going to need outside feedback on to get right, so that I’m not blinded by my own insecurities/biases.
17. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?
Believe it or not until I answered question 4 I hadn’t thought about how the fact that his country was poor would affect him! I had taken the fact that he was royalty into account, but not that. So, I just discovered about ten minutes ago that his ambition (he was always going to be ambitious) is largely fueled by his desire to enrich his kingdom.
18. What is your favorite fact about your OC?
Oh, that’s a tough one! If I were being flippant I’d say it’s his name. Llewelyn. It’s so fun to say. A more serious answer would be that he is not going to give up, that he’ll grow as a person on his journey, he’ll never lose hope, and he’ll succeed.
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
I’m using this photo as the header for my WIP page for The Rebel King. I’m not certain how to credit the photographer there, so I’m posting it here.
“This is the future of romance.” -- Adriana Herrera, author of the Dreamers series
The Rebel King, the powerful conclusion to the All The King’s Men Duet, from USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan,
is available now!
Ambition. Revenge. Love.
RITA® Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the gripping conclusion to the All the King’s Men Duet.
Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.
Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we’re the pawns and players.
Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?
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Excerpt
Her words break on a sob, and the elegant line of her shoulders trembles. “No one like you.”
I palm her breasts, squeezing the tight nipples between my fingers. Her indrawn breath tells me she likes it.
“Anything you want,” she pants, circling her ass on me. “Take it.”
“I want today with you,” I say, changing the angle of my thrust slightly, but hitting a new spot that makes her moan.
“I can’t.”
I force myself to stop abruptly and start easing out.
“No!” She reaches back and grabs my ass. “Don’t you dare.”
I stop pulling out, but don’t move. She squirms, tries to grind on my cock, but I grip her hips, holding her still.
“Son of a bitch,” she growls. “Finish me, Doc.”
“No.”
“Do you think I don’t feel how hard that cock is? You want this, too.”
“Obviously,” I force my voice to casual, like it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. “But I want a day with you more. What’s it going to be?”
I push in and give her a quick, shallow thrust.
“Oh, yes.” She starts circling her hips, and I stop again. “Bastard!” “I’ve told you my terms.”
My cock hates me, silently cursing me in four different languages for not finishing this right now.
“One day,” she concedes breathlessly. “I can give you one day.”
I take off the reins and fuck her until we’re both shaking. We almost fall when our orgasms hit. I ease out, sit on the shower bench and set her on my lap. Greedy, thirsty, we kiss until my lips are numb, her fingers burrowing into my wet hair, my fingers tunneled into hers. I break the kiss, taking her face between my slick hands and searching her eyes.
“One day,” I remind her, panting.
She nods, sucking my bottom lip smiling. “One day.”
About Kennedy
USA Today bestseller, RITA® Award Winner and Top 25 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes about women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.
She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine and Frolic, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta Autism families, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.
Connect with Kennedy
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The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan: “Every time I think Kennedy Ryan can’t possibly raise the bar any further, she proves me wrong in the most delightful way possible. Lennix left me breathless. Maxim stole my heart.” — Katee Robert, New York Times Bestselling Author The Rebel King, the stunning and beautiful conclusion in the All The King’s Men Duet, from USA Today bestselling author @kennedyryan1 is available now! Binge the duet today→ http://bit.ly/2pkmt0Z #TheRebelKing #TheKingmaker #KennedyRyan #KindleUnlimited #amreading #bookstagram #nowavailable @socialbutterfly_pr https://www.instagram.com/p/B5DIEEGAIa8/?igshid=j4yxicg9mj8r
The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan: “Every time I think Kennedy Ryan can’t possibly raise the bar any further, she proves me wrong in the most delightful way possible. Lennix left me breathless. Maxim stole my heart.” — Katee Robert, New York Times Bestselling Author The Rebel King, the stunning and beautiful conclusion in the All The King’s Men Duet, from USA Today bestselling author @kennedyryan1 is available now! Binge the duet today→ http://bit.ly/2pkmt0Z #TheRebelKing #TheKingmaker #KennedyRyan #KindleUnlimited #amreading #bookstagram #nowavailable @socialbutterfly_pr #KennedysKrew https://www.instagram.com/p/B5BXdyAgcPK/?igshid=rh253i70srxb