King Takes Rook
A kingdom built on love, and a king who knew every subject by name. King Erik, the Sixth of Haulder, spent years making his realm flourish.
But peace has a price, and not everyone is willing to pay it honestly.
When the long-awaited union of two rival kingdoms finally arrives, what begins as a moment of triumph quickly unravels into something far darker. Alliances are not always what they appear, and the men closest to a king are sometimes the ones he should fear most.
King Takes Rook is a sweeping, richly imagined tale of power and betrayal, where the greatest threats don't come from armies at the gate, but from the people seated beside you at the altar.
Content Warnings: Graphic Violence • Death • Murder • War/Combat • Self-Harm • Grief/Loss
Reader Reviews
6 ratings
Mandy S.
Trust no one. A compelling story of power, betrayal, and the devastating cost of ambition.
Crystal O.
King Erik is betrayed by his son Samual because his bride to be wants the kingdom. King Erik is brought back to life by a necromancer in order to take back his throne but King Erik sees things differently now. This novella had all the emotions and in true fashion of John Alaia, has you deeply thinking....what would you do? Wonderfully written!
Gail C.
King Erik's son Samael betrays his father, in the name of love for his bride to be, Lucia. A necromancer raises the King from the dead, intent on taking back his throne. I enjoyed King Takes Rook. A mix of horror, anger, sadness, guilt and grief.
Kristan R.
I've always known John as a psychological thriller writer, not so much as a fantasy writer - so I went into this book expecting a more traditional fantasy story and was uncertain if i would enjoy it. I was wrong. I also definitely judged this book by its cover too quickly because what looked like a simple fantasy novella turned into a story I absolutely devoured.
While the fantasy world, political intrigue, and kingdom drama were fantastic, what really stood out was how strongly the psychological elements still shined through. I'm still impressed by how many emotions were packed into such a short page count. This novella made me smile and broke my heart. This is proof that you don't need hundreds of pages to tell a powerful story. If you enjoy fantasy with psychological depth, and betrayal - I definitely recommend reading this!
Catisha S.
Expect the unexpected. This book went in directions that completely caught me off guard. The chapter titles are brilliant. By the end, I was pondering, if given a second chance to go back and do things differently, would better decisions be made, or would obsession lead to a repeat of events?
Gina S.
I found this book easy to read. It held my interest with the engagement of characters ranging from good hearted to backstabbing. Betrayal, heartbreak and forgiveness rang out through the pages. Great read!