Rating: 4 Stars! Genre: LGBT+/Contemporary YA/Mystery Thriller Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: eARC via NetGalley from Simon & Schuster Children's UK Gossip Girl but make it royal – a Black LGBTQ+ royal reimagining full of scandalous secrets, rollercoaster romances and one hell of a mystery. James has been a prince all of his life, and since he was born, he's been thrust into the spotlight as the first Black heir to the throne. But when his father unexpectedly dies, James is crowned king at seventeen. Now, the secrets he could keep as a prince with no real responsibility - namely, his sexuality and hidden relationship - are rocked as his life irrevocably changes. When his boyfriend suddenly goes missing, the royal secrets and scandals that only he knows start to leak online. And when it becomes clear that whoever is behind the messages isn't going to stop anytime soon, James begins to question everyone around him. TW: Death of a parent, forced coming out, racism, homophobia, terrorism. I honestly don't know where to even begin with this review. I just have so much I want to say and talk about but at the same time, know that I can't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it. So, I think the first thing I should say is, please go and read this book so that I can talk about it some more!!
The story starts with James, our protagonist. He's the teenage son of the King of England, and we meet him at the moment he finds out his father is dead and as the realisation hits that he is now the King. James is seventeen years old and very much not feeling up to the task of being King, or of facing the grief of losing his dad. His only solace comes from his very secret relationship with his boyfriend, but when he mysteriously disappears, James is left floundering and not knowing who he can put his trust in. James is an interesting character, and Benjamin Dean has done a fantastic job of making him utterly captivating from the very first page. Instantly James is a character I empathise with, who I connect with, and I want to see him succeed. One thing I had no idea of, from the blurb of The King is Dead, was how much of a mystery-thriller it would turn out to be. I was on the edge of my seat, trying my hardest to figure out who the 'big bad' was behind all the drama, but I just did not see those twists coming, and if there's one thing I love more than anything, it's a book that surprises me, and then keeps on doing it, and Benjamin Dean delivered this in spades. As more secrets and scandals come into the light, and as James has little time to deal with his own grief and his sudden plunge into the firing line, the author does a great job of conveying that feeling of barely keeping your head above water and sheer overwhelm, which only serves to make James more compelling. The thing that I was most conflicted about in this book, which ultimately led to my 4-star rating, was the ending...WHICH I CAN'T TALK ABOUT!!! 😬😬😬😬😬 Without giving anything away, it was an ending that shocked me because it was the first moment in the book where I really lost faith in James, our protagonist, and in some of the characters surrounding him. I also didn't particularly like how the romance element played out. BUT saying all of that, I can understand why the author chose that ending, and I did enjoy the fact that this book is a standalone with a clear ending that leaves just enough to your imagination. For me, this book felt like One of Us is Lying meets Red, White & Royal Blue, but British. It has the pacing and mystery of a really gripping thriller, with enough teen shenanigans and royal politics to inject just the right amount of humour and help juxtapose the darker themes of racism and homophobia. The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean comes out in the UK on 7th July 2022. Comments are closed.
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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