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Benaghar: The Rat, The Wolf and The King's Fool
The Aebran Empire is in celebration; the Five Hundred Year War is over and the decampment of soldiers from Raanian Seas is well underway, but there are those who are dissatisfied with peace …
Phæ’enor Doven, daughter to the most revered captain in the Aebran Army, has known a life of uneventful happiness, but that is all about to change. Along with other military families she must now journey to her new home, the capital of the empire, Benaghar.
But on arrival, an incident in the harbour embroils Phæ’enor in the darker side of the city. In her quest to uncover the truth behind the events, Phæ’enor becomes unwittingly involved with the city gangs, the undesirables, the affairs of the royals and a piece of lost treasure that will change her world forever!
Phæ’enor Doven, daughter to the most revered captain in the Aebran Army, has known a life of uneventful happiness, but that is all about to change. Along with other military families she must now journey to her new home, the capital of the empire, Benaghar.
But on arrival, an incident in the harbour embroils Phæ’enor in the darker side of the city. In her quest to uncover the truth behind the events, Phæ’enor becomes unwittingly involved with the city gangs, the undesirables, the affairs of the royals and a piece of lost treasure that will change her world forever!
- GenresFantasy
531 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2019
About the author
F.K. Maddison
3 books13 followersF. K. Maddison was born 9th June 1984 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland and her work is influenced by her British, Kiribati and Chinese heritage.
She studied English at Wiltshire College and graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from the Open University in 2016, and is a writer of the Fantasy Fiction series, Benaghar.
Currently, she juggles her writing around her day job as a PA, doing interval training on her bike so she can get up an Italian mountain, reading as much as she can, and trying not to eat all the Jammy Dodgers ... and doughnuts!
She studied English at Wiltshire College and graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from the Open University in 2016, and is a writer of the Fantasy Fiction series, Benaghar.
Currently, she juggles her writing around her day job as a PA, doing interval training on her bike so she can get up an Italian mountain, reading as much as she can, and trying not to eat all the Jammy Dodgers ... and doughnuts!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 19, 2022
I loved this book 🥰 it was an arc sent to me by the author. I’ve read many fantasy books in my lifetime but this one is my favourite 😍 I look forward to the next one!
September 15, 2022
A promising novel that in the end was quite underwhelming.
I didn't like Phænor, nor any other characters in the book. Her cousins, her mother and grandmother were annoying and there's no real relationship between any of them. Things just happen to our main character and it doesn't make any sense that she's even involved in the plot in the first time. She doesn't have any powers or important information that others don't have.
She's conveniently overhearing the exact information she needed for the next plot step.
There's lots of talking, explaining and dialogue that isn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the story. She reads really young, but then she gives speeches to others on how they should behave (wolf canis situation).
The motivations are not clear enough for my liking. I can see that the author had some great ideas, but the execution wasn't one that I enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I didn't like Phænor, nor any other characters in the book. Her cousins, her mother and grandmother were annoying and there's no real relationship between any of them. Things just happen to our main character and it doesn't make any sense that she's even involved in the plot in the first time. She doesn't have any powers or important information that others don't have.
She's conveniently overhearing the exact information she needed for the next plot step.
There's lots of talking, explaining and dialogue that isn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the story. She reads really young, but then she gives speeches to others on how they should behave (wolf canis situation).
The motivations are not clear enough for my liking. I can see that the author had some great ideas, but the execution wasn't one that I enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 12, 2021
Ratings - 4.7/5🌟
It's been a long time since I talked about fantasy. Fantasy has always been one pf favorites of the time when I need to escape the reality for sometime and live in an alternate world the author takes me to. I recently completed a book which became the source of my escape. I really loved the concept of the book, talking about the name its called "Benaghar: The Rat, The Wolf and The King's Fool". Here's my experience.
I usually start with the title and the cover of the book because I feel that's the most exposed part of the book to the viewer's eyes. When it comes to "Benaghar: The Rat, The Wolf and The King's Fool" it gives a different vibe with its appearance and title. The description therefore intrigued me to read the book.
Talking about the content of the book, being a medium sized read of about 380 pages the book has a very interesting storyline to offer. Starting with the characterization and the plot, in order to make a memorable read it is really important for an author to well define its characters and then make these characters run the plot logically and in a way reader forgets the reality. The book had some amazing characters which sticked to me till the end. The plot however was designed so nicely that being a reader I never lost the interest. Now as usual the book took a little time to establish the plot. The best part about the book which definitely makes the book worth reading is that despite of being a fantasy the social causes raised are relatable and very well described. The flow however made it really easy for me to complete this book in a very less time. There's a lot you'll get to know about the book when you read it. Also this is definitely a thumbs up from my side and you should definitely read this. Don't forget to comment about your experience when you read this. So what are you guys waiting for go grab your copy fast.
It's been a long time since I talked about fantasy. Fantasy has always been one pf favorites of the time when I need to escape the reality for sometime and live in an alternate world the author takes me to. I recently completed a book which became the source of my escape. I really loved the concept of the book, talking about the name its called "Benaghar: The Rat, The Wolf and The King's Fool". Here's my experience.
I usually start with the title and the cover of the book because I feel that's the most exposed part of the book to the viewer's eyes. When it comes to "Benaghar: The Rat, The Wolf and The King's Fool" it gives a different vibe with its appearance and title. The description therefore intrigued me to read the book.
Talking about the content of the book, being a medium sized read of about 380 pages the book has a very interesting storyline to offer. Starting with the characterization and the plot, in order to make a memorable read it is really important for an author to well define its characters and then make these characters run the plot logically and in a way reader forgets the reality. The book had some amazing characters which sticked to me till the end. The plot however was designed so nicely that being a reader I never lost the interest. Now as usual the book took a little time to establish the plot. The best part about the book which definitely makes the book worth reading is that despite of being a fantasy the social causes raised are relatable and very well described. The flow however made it really easy for me to complete this book in a very less time. There's a lot you'll get to know about the book when you read it. Also this is definitely a thumbs up from my side and you should definitely read this. Don't forget to comment about your experience when you read this. So what are you guys waiting for go grab your copy fast.
January 17, 2022
What a fantastic world F.K Maddison has created in this first book of Benaghar. Very well fleshed out, and the layers to both the plot and characters kept me well entertained.
To begin with it was a slower read for me as I am a visual reader and see words form a picture in my mind and there was much to create. But once I had it in my mind it was like a wonderful movie that I would definitely watch again. I also had to keep tabbing my book as I felt there were so many precursors for what was about to come, and there was.
The characters had great depth and individuality which I LOVED!! Few characters are who they appear to be at face value and you are definitely in for a ride.
As Phae'enor is a bored 16 year old when we meet her, a few things she did or said did slightly annoy me at the beginning but hey she's 16. A proper 16 year old and does and acts like a 16 year old would act. However, I really enjoyed her arc, though she wasn't my favourite character.
My favourite character was someone I didn't like when I first met. I love when authors do that!!! And I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
I enjoyed discovering who the titled characters were and that's all I'm gonna say about that for fear of spoiling the surprise.
With such a massive ensemble I feel like there could be so many novellas as there are already a couple of characters I need to know more about, their backstories etc.. please haha
I know a reread of this is already in the cards. As mentioned before, there are many layers in this tale and I don't feel like they can be fully appreciated in only one read.
I can't wait to read The Last Sydula and see what's next for Phae'enor.
To begin with it was a slower read for me as I am a visual reader and see words form a picture in my mind and there was much to create. But once I had it in my mind it was like a wonderful movie that I would definitely watch again. I also had to keep tabbing my book as I felt there were so many precursors for what was about to come, and there was.
The characters had great depth and individuality which I LOVED!! Few characters are who they appear to be at face value and you are definitely in for a ride.
As Phae'enor is a bored 16 year old when we meet her, a few things she did or said did slightly annoy me at the beginning but hey she's 16. A proper 16 year old and does and acts like a 16 year old would act. However, I really enjoyed her arc, though she wasn't my favourite character.
My favourite character was someone I didn't like when I first met. I love when authors do that!!! And I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
I enjoyed discovering who the titled characters were and that's all I'm gonna say about that for fear of spoiling the surprise.
With such a massive ensemble I feel like there could be so many novellas as there are already a couple of characters I need to know more about, their backstories etc.. please haha
I know a reread of this is already in the cards. As mentioned before, there are many layers in this tale and I don't feel like they can be fully appreciated in only one read.
I can't wait to read The Last Sydula and see what's next for Phae'enor.
May 26, 2022
I got to page 81 (chapter 4) and I gave up. I am not interested in underdeveloped, narcissistic protagonists. There was something sort of experimental trying to happen with the first chapter but it didn't work for me, it seemed out of place and unnecessarily confusing. The introductions to most characters is so weird and abrupt. The protagonist doesn't seem to do anything except fall and not in a quirky, clumsy way but more in a "I don't know what else to make this character do because she has no personality" way. I see where the plot is supposed to be going but I'm not getting anything at all from the story itself. I don't know what age the target audience for this is supposed to be, but if it's anything older than middle-grade, it doesn't make sense to me and I don't see it being much enjoyed.
I really wanted to like this story. Perfect for fans of "Dark fairy tales and strong female characters"? I like those! A lot! I would love to read a book with them, but unfortunately that means I have to put this one down and continue my search elsewhere. Maybe the book gets better later, but with the writing style it has, I still wouldn't want to read it. It's dispassionate and disconnected. I thought I would be the perfect audience for this because, again, the description is right up my alley. I'm disappointed. Hopefully this book will find some sort of audience, but it won't be me.
I really wanted to like this story. Perfect for fans of "Dark fairy tales and strong female characters"? I like those! A lot! I would love to read a book with them, but unfortunately that means I have to put this one down and continue my search elsewhere. Maybe the book gets better later, but with the writing style it has, I still wouldn't want to read it. It's dispassionate and disconnected. I thought I would be the perfect audience for this because, again, the description is right up my alley. I'm disappointed. Hopefully this book will find some sort of audience, but it won't be me.
June 5, 2022
This is a story set in an obviously large world with a number of politics, ongoings, empires and cultures. There is an air of mystery to the world and certainly some of the characters as you progress through the story.
That said, I think I hate the main character. Phae'nor is meant to be seventeen and has all the behaviour and demeanour of a twelve year old. Rasia is far more interesting and we get only glimpses of his world, through Phae'nor's eyes. I'd put Prince Taigor in the same category as Rasia as someone more interesting and want to more about over the main character. By the end I'd also put her cousins into this list. They got very interesting towards the middle/end of the book.
The writing is a little...unnecessary in some places, for lack of a better term. The crash, bang, 'Argh' in the dialogues didn't add to the scenes. Also did Mrs Kuang's dialogue need to include her accent when no others from outside the main city included theirs?
As a whole, the story, world, characters and other elements tied together in a way that I finished the book. I might not necessarily go out of my way to follow up with the second one though. If you're looking for a new fantasy world with some mysterious conflicts and street gangs, you might well enjoy this more than I did. Give it a go!
That said, I think I hate the main character. Phae'nor is meant to be seventeen and has all the behaviour and demeanour of a twelve year old. Rasia is far more interesting and we get only glimpses of his world, through Phae'nor's eyes. I'd put Prince Taigor in the same category as Rasia as someone more interesting and want to more about over the main character. By the end I'd also put her cousins into this list. They got very interesting towards the middle/end of the book.
The writing is a little...unnecessary in some places, for lack of a better term. The crash, bang, 'Argh' in the dialogues didn't add to the scenes. Also did Mrs Kuang's dialogue need to include her accent when no others from outside the main city included theirs?
As a whole, the story, world, characters and other elements tied together in a way that I finished the book. I might not necessarily go out of my way to follow up with the second one though. If you're looking for a new fantasy world with some mysterious conflicts and street gangs, you might well enjoy this more than I did. Give it a go!
May 20, 2022
This book is well-written and entertaining.
F.K. Maddison does an excellent job at building a world that is understandable and a fantasy that is believable.
At times the main character felt as if she was behaving much younger than her age, but as a young daughter of a well-respected and high-ranking officer, that can be understandable. It did make it hard at times for me to get behind her and feel empathy.
The pacing is good, the descriptions are imaginative and detailed.
I would recommend for anyone that is a fan of young adult books, and interested in fantasy works read this. It's not truly a young adult novel but it shares enough elements that I believe young adult fans would love it and it would be a great introduction to fantasy for them.
F.K. Maddison does an excellent job at building a world that is understandable and a fantasy that is believable.
At times the main character felt as if she was behaving much younger than her age, but as a young daughter of a well-respected and high-ranking officer, that can be understandable. It did make it hard at times for me to get behind her and feel empathy.
The pacing is good, the descriptions are imaginative and detailed.
I would recommend for anyone that is a fan of young adult books, and interested in fantasy works read this. It's not truly a young adult novel but it shares enough elements that I believe young adult fans would love it and it would be a great introduction to fantasy for them.
May 29, 2022
Everything is not as it seems in Benaghar. The story is full of intrigue and twists. Phae’enor is a strong female protagonists with a sharp mind. She is thrust into a world full of lies and hidden identities. She is racing against others to get to the answer of an ages long curse.
I am excited to read the next book! This was a mostly clean read with the only exception being a few curse words. The characters are numerous and interesting. The Kingdom of Benaghar is multi-layered and complex.
If you love intrigue, coming of age, strong female characters, and fantasy, you should give this book a try.
I am excited to read the next book! This was a mostly clean read with the only exception being a few curse words. The characters are numerous and interesting. The Kingdom of Benaghar is multi-layered and complex.
If you love intrigue, coming of age, strong female characters, and fantasy, you should give this book a try.
August 20, 2020
An interesting read. The world created by F K Maddison is fully formed and rich in detail. The story moved along at a good pace and kept me engaged and wondering where our heroine would end up. The characters were believable and had their own distinct voices. I confess to finding Phae'enor, the central character, irritating to start with but she is a teenager with all the attributes. I did warm to her and she developed as a personality as the story progressed. It will be interesting to see where the story goes next as I'm sure there are further tales to tell!
July 6, 2022
20% through and I just couldn't do it anymore. The writing needs work and proper grammar, the protagonist is narcissistic but supposed to be likeable, Andi just did not care in the slightest.
June 8, 2023
I hate to say it, but I DNF’d this book at 25%. The story was interesting enough, but the writing was hard to follow a lot of the time and I couldn’t keep myself interested.
Not a bad story, below average writing, but definitely shows a lot of promise!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews