THE PRICE OF HOPE

After the king dies, the prince gives up, and the Empire attacks, people in the Kingdom of Tumani need to find the hope to fight on.

When the Historian, immortal witness to all great stories, arrives in Tumani, he finds the beloved king has died. Prince Matan’s grief is so deep he refuses to take the throne, leaving the learned, justice-minded citizens vulnerable. The evil Empire­—zealots of the God-Horde—send feather-caped priest Kitok to offer them terms: If they surrender, the warmongering Empire will only enslave them; if they refuse, they’ll be annihilated. Matan and Cmdr. Ison decide to evacuate the Kingdom and save as many Tumani as possible. But then the ridiculously clad Lord Magnificus the Grand appears and urges them to fight. At first Ison thinks him an incompetent con man, but Magnificus’ actions inspire Ison in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Together, they face the Empire, undermine the enemy’s faith in their false gods, and tell a story of hope beyond the Historian’s expectations. This latest addition to the Historian Tales is accessible to new readers. However, only existing fans may find this thinly veiled, exposition-laden allegory compelling. The language used to describe those from the Empire evokes negative stereotypes of Indigenous people. There are no well-developed teen characters, and the narrative feels too simplistic for teen readers. Most characters are racially ambiguous.

Weak storytelling that relies on outdated tropes undermines this work.