I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, its characters, its plot, and even the middle part that almost got bogged down in "what strange beings are going to show up now?" managed to resolve itself well. It is a book that has been on my shelf for decades, staring at me, saying variously, "Bring me for your lunchtime reading." "Think of me for coffee shops." "Hey there, you bought me, read me!" So I did.

The main character is Jordan, a traveling actor who retells the days of glory and heroes, wars well fought by noble leaders, and good special effects courtesy of fire pellets and other things hidden in pockets in his sleeves. Things are so-so for him, and then he is "invited' to personify a long-banished prince who has returned to the castle of his birth upon the death of the king.

So far, standard fantasy plot material. Until we get to the meat of the story, which is the magick shared by the noble bloodlines, a castle full of the Unreal (not just ghosts here), and three brothers who are noble only in their descending from the king and not through altruism. Jordan learns that they are each horrible men who use their power and standing to do whatever they want; how long does he want to continue his new act?

Add in a kick-a** steward named Catriona who has the power to keep the Unreal at bay, machinations and geas and the whodunit of who killed the King, and you've got a really good storyline that needs to be re-read a time or two. ( )

2nd part of the forest kingdom saga. You don't have to read the first part for this, though it probably wouldn't hurt to read it. I would give the first one 4 stars.

The plot on its own of blood and honor is great! Very refreshing and different from the others in the series. Enjoyed it the most in the forest kingdom saga. Can be read as a standalone novel. ( )

Though less funny and still riddled with cliche, I enjoyed this book more than the first entry in the series. Not a sequel, this story has only a couple of references to the events of the previous book.

The violence and medieval court politics of Blue Moon Rising return, but this time they're accompanied by a more interesting plot and more varied fight scenes. The villains of this story are also more creatively presented, and the conflicts are resolved in more novel ways. ( )

I enjoyed this read thoroughly. I was baffled that this book didn't pick up where the first in the series left off. I liked and disliked that all at the same time. It didn't take me that long to figure out the plot, and was entertained throughout the read.
The characters were fresh, funny, and the settings were well written. This would be an excellent summer vacation type of read. ( )

The second Forest Kingdom book, although only really carrying over minor characters, this can be read as a standalone if need be.

A slow start, the action eventually picks up after 120+ pages. After that it's a pretty solid example of good paced Simon Green writing. If you can get through the rather draggy beginning it's okay. ( )