The Hidden King (The Coming of Áed)

I LOVE THIS BOOK. THIS IS ME SHOUTING ABOUT IT FROM THE VIRTUAL ROOFTOPS.E.G. Radcliff has a new superfan in me. I heard about THE COMING OF ÁED on the Writing Community Chat Show (@writing_show), and the concept immediately enchanted me. It’s a Celtic-inspired dark fantasy with fae mythos and Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab vibes. I’ve visited Ireland and lived in Scotland, and Radcliff perfectly captures the Celtic charm in both its wistfulness and mystique—think the song “Celtic Legend” by Mike Stobbie.Book 1 is a rags-to-riches, coming-of-age (Coming of Áed) story. THE HIDDEN KING rises above a competitive crowd of YA fantasy and firmly establishes itself at the zenith of its category. This book just has “it,” a magnetic formula that hooks you from the start and draws you in till you’re cheering for the heroes and yelling at the villains (and scaring your neighbors by doing both out loud). There’s a magic to the writing, a captivating allure, and a cross-genre appeal for all ages.The characters are precious and endearing, so real and raw and beautiful, a found family of lost souls. I love them all, especially Áed’s relationship with his ward, Ronan, in a role both protective and nurturing. The world they live in is brutal at times, yet filled with hope, and crafted with exemplary skill and precision. Radcliff builds mountains with lyrical prose, a kinetic pace, and heartbreaking then heartwarming drama.It’s one of those books that leaves you buzzing, that makes you rush through the day to return and escape to this fantasy world. I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” in the wee hours of the night till I ran out of chapters and instantly ordered Book 2, THE LAST PRINCE, because I need more of this series in my life. Suffice to say, I love the characters, the world, the story—everything. It’s addictive and outstanding—rich with heart and vibrant with talent. Truly radiant and obviously five stars ★★★★★

The Hidden King is about, yes, you've guessed it, the hidden king. Shocking, I know.Áed, a poor and illiterate boy from the Maze, lives with his partner and their adopted (sort of) son. An unexpected tragedy forces him to leave the place and seek refuge in the legendary White City, where he makes friends and enemies and discovers his secret origin. And powers. Although it sounds incredibly cliche, Radcliff's writing impressed me. I found the book polished, immersive, and engaging.Radcliff's beautiful, evocative writing coupled with a clear structure and a solid characterization mark The Hidden King apart from most books in this overcrowded subgenre. A strong scene-setting makes even the book’s darker moments (torture, mentions of sexual abuse, violence, and hate speech towards weaker and poorer) hold attention. Of course, the narrative takes shortcuts and some of the plot progression depends on main or secondary characters making incomprehensible choices (like King's detail allowing a captive alone with him in a room). Some things happen too conveniently and closer scrutiny reveals unconvincing (or maybe just too convenient) twists and turns. And yet it never distracts from the story.I applaud Radcliff for masking minor issues with features (characters, prose, nuances) that make the narrative immersive and addicting. An impressive, if slightly formulaic, debut.

Giving it one star as I prefer fantasy books where the characters are straight. I wish I knew before purchase and gets so annoyed when this not made clear in the write up that the MC is gay or lesbian. Not that I have a problem with the lifestyle But I can’t identify with the characters . Stopped reading on the first page

Even though I usually don't read YA fantasy, I gave the Hidden King a try and I didn't regret it. This book kept me in suspense from the beginning to the very end. E. G. Radcliff did a splendid job of creating tension. The story unfolds in a way that kept me wanting more. I still can't stop wondering what's going to happen next.I also appreciated the wonderful descriptions throughout the book. It was easy for me to become a part of the world that the author had created. Plus the characters felt authentic and likable.When I was reading this book, I knew that I was in the hands of an experienced writer who had the novel's plot well in hand and was adroit at presenting her characters and moving them forward.

This book grabs the reader's attention and keeps it all the way to the end. From it's heart-breaking beginning, through the tension and action of the journey, and its unprecedented ending, there is never a dull moment. The characters, plot, and atmosphere are well developed and it's grammatically proper. The author's take on almost dystopian world with realistic peoples and culture, as well as elements of fantasy is enthralling and sure to please.

Most excellent story of love, loss, friendship,and finding help in the most unexpected places. Aed is a wonderful character who goes through a couple of very horrible experiences but is still a good person at heart. This book is appropriate for teens; the only 'bad' thing in it is the F word a few times.

Nice dark fantasy. Plenty left open for more books,but MC has clear internal and external arcs. Writing is good and world building is subtle--tells me what I need when I need it. Would definitely want to read more.

Such a well thought out plot and the characters are fantastic. This book draws you into a world of unbelievable poverty, luxury, and adventure. A wonderful read.

Disabled teenager Aed survives in the filthy, crime ridden slums of The Maze with his love Ninian and Ronan, a boy they saved from the streets. When tragedy sends Aed in search of a better life in the clifftop White City, he has no idea that a secret will be revealed, one that will lead to an extraordinary gift and torture.I read this fantasy in two days, not willing to put it down. The heartbreaking opening yanked, more than drew me in, bonding me to the wonderful characters and sending this reader through the wringer of emotions.Encompassing sensitive diversity, surrogate parenthood and harrowing torture, this is an unusually touching and, in some places, brutal story, peopled by characters that leap off the page.

So, I finished the book the same way I started it, in tears, thanks to an excerpt from the next book.The stories about Aed and Ninian always made me cry.I cried a lot during this book. The way Radcliff writes made me feel so vividly what Aed experienced: the loss of his love, the torture, the pain of not knowing what happened to Ronan, his interior turmoil, etc.There were also funny moments with Ronan and Boudicca :) And Ronan is a sweet little boy who melts your heart with his constant worry for Aed. I also liked that Aed always consulted with Ronan and listening to him.Also, a thing that I really liked is that everybody has different eye color. Red is Aed's eye color and Ninin had violet eyes. Boudicca has pink eyes :)And we also have green, yellow, different types of blue, periwinkle,..The future looks hard for Aed and I'm looking forward to read about how he will deal with his new responsibilities.

The Hidden King is the story of Aed. Struggling to make a good life for himself, his love Ninian and their adopted ward, Ronan, his life is thrown into chaos when tragedy strikes and forces them to leave their home in The Maze and head to the White City in the hopes of finding something better. There they meet Boudicca and Aed’s life changes completely.Now, I freely admit that I’m more of a SciFi or UrbanFantasy fan really, so it takes an extraordinary book to drag me along for a ride in a more ‘traditional’ fantasy setting.The Hidden King is that extraordinary book.I’ll try not to give any serious spoilers!Let me first say that this book is an exceptionally easy book to read. The prose flows beautifully, and your eyes just slide easily across the words as they become sentences, and then paragraphs. Before you know it, the chapters are flying past.It helps too that the story is enthralling. It’s a relatively simple tale told from a single perspective, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it lacks depth or complexity. The world building is effortless. As the story unfolds you learn what you need to about this fascinating backdrop, each piece of information being revealed without the need for exposition. It’s beautifully done.Each character is wonderfully realized too. Aed is easy to root for as the protagonist, making some of the things that happen to him as the tale progresses quite hard to take. You genuinely feel for him and Roman and find yourself wishing they could just catch a break. Which is when they do…right on time! EG Radcliff’s sense of timing in this respect is perfect.Also, there’s something beautifully elegant and refreshing about the fact that there’s no ‘world shattering crisis’ that requires a ‘chosen one’ to solve. The Hidden King is a much more intimate story about love, struggle, survival, friendship and perseverance. It has you rooting for the little guy right from square one, and the ending almost makes you want to punch the air in celebration!!Each character is wonderfully diverse and distinct, and each brings a sense of shift to the story. For example the narrative takes on a more positive vibe when Boudicca is introduced, which is perfect as her character (and she fast became a favourite of mine) is a beacon of light and positivity. Other characters, when they are introduced, shift the tone in different directions.I’ll stop there before I really do spoil something. Suffice to say, I love this book and can’t wait to get stuck into The Lost Prince (a prequel!) and The Wild Court (the sequel!)This is a wonderful example of what an Indie book can be at its best! Highly recommended!!!

What a truly sumptuous read in a tangible fantasy world. The author brings a terrible and beautiful world into being, exploring love and loss with deft strokes of the pen. Combining folklore and magic, with the human quandry of royal succession, E.G.Radcliff really keeps you wanting more. Highly recommended.

This is my second reading of this book and I loved it just as much this time as the first. The story is one of love and resilience, becoming someone you never even knew existed, finding the hidden truths within and overcoming it all to shine. It took the second time for me to fully understand the undertow of this book. The story behind the story. It is very cleverly written, with characters that stay with you. You need to keep reading to find out whether they can survive the things life throws at them. They are a collection of strong wills and ferocious loyalty. I cannot wait to find out what happens next. I would recommend this book to everyone. Even with a fantasy theme the true story is that of strength, in which anyone can find inspiration.