Every year, book blogger Jodie at Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub hosts a week-long event promoting self-published authors, known as SPAAW (Self-Published Author Appreciation Week). Other bloggers and readers have joined the fun, and you can too, by following the hashtag #SPAAW on social media. As part of this year’s SPAAW, here is my review of medieval fantasy Fool by K. R. Lockhaven.

Before I get into what this book is all about, I want to take a moment to appreciate its cover. What a thing of beauty it is! It was designed by the super-talented Felix Ortiz, and captures the very essence of the main character, Kyrien Meras, the King’s Fool, wearing his motley and looking out over the city.

Fool is a mystery that takes place in an immersive medieval-style fantasy setting. The mystery revolves around the question of where King Verain’s supposed gods-given magic powers actually come from. The King’s Fool, Kyrien Meras, must discover the secret for a group of conspirators, or his family will be killed. An action-packed adventure ensues as both Kyrien and his wife, Acali, try to find out anything they can about the magic which is rumored to come from child sacrifice.

Kyrien and Acali are well-written with plenty of personality flaws and the usual cracks in their relationship after many years of marriage, driving them to breaking point by the pressure Kyrien finds himself under. As one of the King’s most trusted advisors, he has plenty of access to the innermost areas of the castle, but is also drawn into the dangerous underbelly of castle politics, with treachery afoot and a rebellion spreading throughout the commoners. 

Acali is feisty and brave, and when their son, Pavi, is kidnapped, she finds reserves of courage she was unaware she had. I thoroughly enjoyed her scenes in the poorer areas of town, searching among drug dens and merchants for information and her determination to hold together their family and save Pavi no matter the life-threatening consequences to herself. I found myself liking her character more and more and disliking Kyrien as his character flaws became more apparent. 

The surprising source behind the King’s magical power is brutal, gruesome and eye-opening when it is revealed, and I found the ending completely satisfying. 

Fool is a great escape from reality into a society where ego can be overwhelmed by the power of love, and kindness wins in the end.

Read more about author K. R. Lockhaven’s other books here.