The Summoned King: Book One of The Kalymbrian Chronicles (Volume 1)

The Summoned King: Book One of The Kalymbrian Chronicles (Volume 1)  by Dave Neuendorf

A young man finds himself in the middle of a fantasy realm that holds every fear, joy, and desire that one can possibly imagine. James Madison Young, the protagonist of this story, is summoned into an uncertain place, where he must learn to adapt quickly and force an entire kingdom to rebuild itself against the powerful cabal of treachery and deceit that works to undo everything that James attempts to restore.

As James is married off to the naive princess and crowned king, the reader gets a glimpse of an innately sharp, well-read young man. 

" 'Our government should not be in the business of subsidizing religions. Every religious group should be responsible for raising its own funds. I understand that the network of temples is being funded with tax money. I’m going to proclaim a new law prohibiting use of government funds for religious purposes, and further prohibiting any government interference with religious observances or anyone’s application of religious principles in his personal or business life.' "

Dave Neuendorf clearly interweaves the politics within this fantasy realm with American history. The more the story continues to develop, we see James become a stronger leader with principled ideas that are not popular with the Council of Advisers. 

But what regime change was ever quiet?

" 'Regulating sin isn’t a function of government as I see it. Drunkenness, prostitution, drug use, and the like are unwholesome and harmful to society, but attempting to stamp them out by law only stimulates rebellion. Once a spirit of rebellion is accepted by the culture in one case, it paves the way for more serious rebellion. That’s what happened back in my home country when the government outlawed alcohol. Laws need to be enforceable.' " 

I was glad to see magic incorporated into this fantasy story. Neuendorf has captured the mythic and disruptive nature of a true teenager, intentionally setting a scene for an archetypal sense of righting a great wrong that can only be done by the untainted, idealistic view of a young adult. I look forward to the next installment that will give readers a further glance into this extraordinary realm that the author has created.

Dave Neuendorf is a Java software development consultant who published "The Summoned King: Book One of The Kalymbrian Chronicles (Volume 1)" in February 2016. He and his family live with their two dogs, a Samoyed and a Siberian Husky, in Aurora, Indiana.

The Summoned King: Book One of The Kalymbrian Chronicles (Volume 1) by Dave Neuendorf, 2016 ISBN 978-1523973569