The Blood of Kings

By: Kyle Alexander Romines

Narrated by: Matt Addis

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

Being a warden is tough work at the best of times. Keeping the tenuous peace between the five kingdoms of Fál is a difficult business, especially in a land of monsters and magic.

Esben Berengar, the realm’s most feared warden, relies on his wits and his axe to deal with unscrupulous rulers, bloodthirsty outlaws, and the occasional witch.

When the king of Munster is murdered, Berengar is called upon to investigate. Many had cause to want the king dead, and treachery lurks behind every corner.

As tensions between humans and all others threaten to boil over, the warden finds himself reluctantly partnered with Morwen, Munster’s court magician, to solve the murder before the killer strikes at the royal family again.

©2019 Kyle Alexander Romines (P)2019 Kyle Alexander Romines

Just as good as the first

The quality of this book is just as good as the first and the story developed nicely with some fun twists.

Magic, suspense, fantasy

So I read book one of this series and was super excited to continue with the adventures of Warden B in book two. It did not disappoint. My favorite part about these books is the vivid world building, the time period and the the relationships between all of the characters. Of course, the action, magic and suspense is all a plus. We learn more about Warden as an individual in Blood of Kings and get to see him really deal with calamity.... I thought I couldn’t adore Warden more than I already do, but this book proved me wrong. He is one of my favorite characters in the fantasy genre. Matt Addis, once again, did a terrific narration job. Seriously his voice is magical and together, him and Kyle really bring this book to life. I was given this book for free to review and truly enjoyed it.

Murder, Magic, and Intrigue

First, to get it out of the way.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
That being said, The Blood of Kings is an excellent second book in this series by Kyle Alexander Romines. This book picks up where The Wrath of Lords left off, The big difference is its not as dark as the last book, It has many dark elements,but the overall feeling is not as grim.
This land and the people who inhabit it, have a deep history that we only glimpse at, and help give the reader the feeling of depth and reality that make the characters real,
Matt Addis really needs to be mentioned. His narration is superb, His voice and skill only enrich an already great story.

It's like Sherlock Holmes with an axe

The tales of the Bear warden do not disappoint, from the recap of his last exploits to the current crisis. magic, suspense, a few feelings and lots of Justice! Oh and Vikings too. I did request a copy from the publisher and left this review voluntarily.

The Blood of Kings

The adventures of Warden Berengar continue in this second book. This time he must come to the aid of an old friend. When that old friend is murdered Berengar must find the culprit and see that justice is done. As he fits the puzzle pieces together Berengar finds that his emotions are coming into play. The wall he has built around his heart is slowly starting to crumble. Can he save the kingdom before he loses his heart?

I enjoyed seeing the softer side of the warden. We see more of his emotions and what makes him tic. Berengar works to answer his own questions as he works to save the kingdom. I enjoyed seeing the different interactions between the characters and how the Warden deals with his emotions. Narrator Mat Addis does a great job of bringing the characters to life and I was quickly lost in the story as soon as I began to listen.

Another awesome adventure!

It was pleasure to return to the incredibly complex world crafted by Kyle Alexander Romines and accompany Warden Berengar on another brutal adventure. I absolutely love the world and characters in this series, they are so rich, so well fleshed out that it is easy to lose yourself, to believe it's all real. Mr. Romines delivers another awesome action-packed adventure and Matt Addis nails the narration. His voice is perfectly suited for the genre. This may sound strange, but I swear Romines's words and Addis's delivery almost feels lyrical. They make a spectacular team. Can't wait for the next book to be recorded! I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

An Excellent Fantasy Adventure

This story opens with great professionalism in the laying of groundwork for the plot. It’s full of political intrigue and plotting. Much rough and tumble fighting. The Narrator has preformed a Very good story with excellent vocal pressure.
I recommend this audiobook for ages 15 and older due to some violence and blood.
I was given this audiobook for free and I freely give it my rating and opinion

Adventure, Intrigues, and a Great Character

Fresh from defeating a nasty witch and an ogre in some very cursed swamps, Berengar is now drawn into what might be his toughest foe yet: the trappings and intrigues of a king's court. Berengar is a fantastic character for me, because he is competent, intelligent, not unfairly overpowered, and maybe more than a little emotionally broken. The true test for a man like Berengar is how he handles a situation where he can't just slash through with his axe and sort out the rest later. This book is likely not a good place to start, however, so perhaps consider starting with book 1 if you are interested. Would certainly recommend both books so far in this series. The only hardship is waiting for the next release. :)

Excellent narration again with this volume. Matt Addis does such a spot on Berengar voice, that I think I would find it a challenging adjustment to hear it done another way. There's plenty of excitement and emotion in the narration, making the characters feel more real.


I received this audiobook for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I adore Warden Berengar!

I had forgotten how much I adore Warden Berengar... He's a man with no roots, and his only allegiance is to the High Queen, a Paladin for her,  holding no law higher than the Queen's... meting out her justice, ending disputes when necessary, never staying anywhere for very long. Berengar is accompanied by two trusted companions... his Battle Axe, and a wolfhound named Faolán. See, what's not to love?!!?? The Blood of Kings has Berengar hard pressed to solve a kings murder, and Berengar has to use his wits to not be ensnared by all the political machinations in play while investigating the crime... and yes, there's plenty of axe welding action too. (Seriously, it just wouldn't be right if there wasn't a witch or two in need of being shortened.) LOL ...
Berengar was completely caught off guard to discover that two women, one the court's magician, and the other the dead kings daughter, were able to break through his personal armored exterior, and indelibly mark the man inside. I really can't say more, you're just gonna hafta get the book to find out what happens!
Matt Addis does a fantastic job narrating, and he really does a perfect grumpy, crusty, Berengar!

Absolutely Marvelous!

This was a great book 2 in a series! A whodunit with flare! I was so afraid it was Morwen but then I couldnt imagine her as a dark force and I was glad it was not her. My heart reached out to Berengar when he could not slay that which he loved. Its a difficult road being a warden. Matt does such a great job of narration that I felt like I could sit and have a chit chat with the characters! The ending was a perfect way to leave it, open for more adventures! I was given this book free for my thoughts and as with the first one, it was my pleasure to read. I would have used a credit on it and I will read the series for as long as Kyle and Matt carry on with it. Thank you both for an awesome read, well done!

good fantasy

well read book with enough difference in impersonation by the teller to easily distinguish persons.

good fantasy with a old dark fairy tale feel to it.

Does not disappoint

I recieved a review copy of the book, and I'm glad I did because it surpasses the last. Again we follow the main character as he picks apart a mystery, and when magic is involved nothing is quite as it seems.

The story is excellent and keeps you guessing until the end, with plenty of action worthy of a fantasy novel. The narrator is also a perfect choice for the book.

An Epic Tale

I loved the first book in this series, and I am glad to say this one does not disappoint.

You don't have to read book one to understand what is going on in The Blood of kings, since both books occur in different places with different people and plot. Only the main character Esben Berengar is in both books. It follows his journey as a Warden as he investigates murders and lays down the law.

However, I would still recommend reading/listening to the first book because you get a better understanding of Berengar and how his past shaped him. He is different in book one compared to this story. You'll understand the change in his personality better.

This novel is full of twist and turns, complex characters and great world building. It is about power, greed, family, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, justice, persecution and love. It is told from Berengar's pov and follows his journey as he tries to solve the murder of king of Munster.

One of the reasons I loved this story is the complexity of the characters. Everyone has a little darkness as well as light and we sometimes take a little from the darkness to help us achieve our goal. However, there are those that take more of this side, yet they also show love and compassion to others. This makes them human and the author shows this in this book. Some of the characters have similar pasts yet they all turn out differently.

The murder mystery reminds me of Agatha Christie's books. Now it is not as good as hers since I figured out ‘who done it’ early on and why, but he did have me doubting who I thought it was. Like the Queen of crime, the author has a creative plot structure, with various suspects with their own intent and potential clues.

The blood of Kings also reminds me a little bit of beauty and the beast. Now before you get your pitch forks out or throw the audiobook in the computer abyss where it would never be found, I did say a little. There is a scene in the story that made me think of beauty and the beast. I don't know if this was intentional on the authors part or it just happened. Either way it does not matter, since, in my opinion, it is a better version of the story (I am a fan of the tale and there are not that many good retellings of it either) because it felt more realistic. Ironically, I liked the twist.

Merlin also came to mind whilst I was listening to the audiobook. Instead of a male wizard we get a young female who is naive, and life has not turned her into a cynic like the warden. She reminds me of Merlin, and I could imagine her turning into the mythical man. I usually hate stories that portray Merlin as being a female unlike the original story but if the female had a background like this character then I would accept it and go on to read her story.

If you like Game of Thrones (just without the sex and profanity) or Legends of the Gods by Aaron Hodges then you will love this one.

As for the narrator I thought he was perfect for this book. He had me glued from the first sentence. He voiced all the characters (there were many) and gave them their own personality, so I knew who was saying what without being told.

Would highly recommend this book!