“The Last of the Atalanteans” by P.L. Stuart

What does it take to be a leader of the nation? Is it enough with just royal origins or does one have to prove to the people one’s worth as a king?

Othrun, once Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom in the world, doesn’t have a choice in the matter. The kingdom he had been exiled from had been swallowed by the merciless ocean with the assistance of a fierce volcano. And with Atalantyx’s drowning, his already slim chances to become more than a second prince, vanished too. Othrun has to prove to those who are willing to give him a chance to restore – and maybe increase – his power and glory that he possesses what it takes to be a ruler.

In the second instalment of The Drowned Kingdom Saga “The Last of the Atalanteans”, begins Othrun’s journey through his personal purgatory. And the outcome of that journey will determine the fate of the remnants of the Atalanteans.

Othurn, with the help of those faithful to him, makes a plan how to return the kingdom of King Wely to its rightful owner. It is absolutely crucial that he succeeds since only King Wely can give Othrun what he wants. A new kingdom. New hope to become a great king.

The plan is audacious. It seems it could never work. I loved the feeling of incredulity that kept jangling my nerves throughout the first part of the book. “They aren’t going to make it” ran through my mind, and I kept turning the pages unwilling to stop reading before I find out if it was true.

Yet again, just like in the first book of the saga “A Drowned Kingdom”, P.L. Stuart has created a set of complex characters, none of which can be placed into some stiff category. Can a guy who’s betrayed once, be trusted again? Even if he seems a changed man. But maybe there were deeper reasons for his betrayal than those that seem obvious? Do cruel warlords have conscience? Characters in “The Last of the Atalanteans” surprise the reader, and that is what makes the book so compelling. Our protagonist Othrun has changed too. His belief in being a chosen one by higher powers is still strong, but he starts seeing other people as worthy. Some – only as assets, while others like true friends who support him not only out of the feeling of duty.

It is always fascinating to follow book characters’ development – be it growth or degradation. It makes them real, and as a result, they evoke real emotions in readers. The story weaves its way through the intertwining and contending interests of mortal enemies, those connected with ties of kinship, and strangers who have just arrived into the new lands but are already plotting their own agenda.

“The Last of the Atalanteans” by P.L. Stuart is a truly epic fantasy book with excellent world-building, a set of diverse characters, packed with action and political intrigues.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.