Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Amazon Deborah Jay Author Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Deborah Jay ISBN-10:  1075051703 Type: Fiction Pages: 384 Copyright: Mar 29, 2019 Price: $5.99 (eBook) A king with a dark secret; a spy hiding an illegal ability. Together, can they conquer the rise of a dangerous cult? He’s inherited a throne, but is he fit to rule? In the turmoil following an attempted coup, all young King Marten wants, is to establish himself as a wise and fair ruler. Having a dark secret to hide isn’t helping, nor are the assassins trying to kill him. And now a new threat is rising—the reborn cult of a god with terrifying powers… Can Marten survive long enough to save his kingdom? Excerpt Marten squinted, plagued by the brightness slanting through the windows. His shoulders hunched, sending stabbing pains into his skull. He kept his face lowered, turning away from the cheery summer sunlight encroaching on his inescapably dreary day. He and Davi rounded the corner leading to the top of the king’s private staircase. Marten blinked hard. A shaft of sunlight glistened strangely along one border of the brown speckled rug at the edge of the landing. “Stop!” Marten’s hand shot out to grab Davi by the shoulder. His bodyguard spun around, seeking the threat. Marten pointed. “It might be nothing but…” “Stay here,” Davi instructed, and bent to inspect the oddity. He drew his sword and, using the point, lifted the nearest corner. He stiffened. “What is it?” Marten demanded. Davi slid his weapon back into its sheath before grasping the rug with both hands. He slid it to one side, revealing the slick surface beneath. Marten ventured forward and wiped one finger across the shiny, treacherous boards. His heart thumped against his ribs. “If I’d stepped on that…”

Excellent Part 3
At last the third part of The Five Kingdoms.
I read the first two and each one almost in one sitting. I was swept along with the characters and the clever construction of the story.
Part 3, The Prince's Protege carries on from Part 2 and is just as good if not better. Now I want Part 4!!!

In his own baptism by fire, young King Marten becomes an enviable ruler
In Deborah Jay's third in the Five Kingdoms series, The Prince's Protege (2019), the kingdom has barely recovered from a failed coup two years ago. Much has been fixed but attitudes and a sense of security are not among them. When the young King Martin's trusted advisor, his Uncle Hal, must take time away from royal duties to tend to a new son, Martin is left alone to make decisions. He feels ready, assured, and of course, that is when much goes wrong. His spiritual advisor is poisoned. Then his Uncle Hal is killed and his new son kidnapped. Marten himself is almost killed--twice--and he begins to feel the pressure of so many challenges on his one set of shoulders. When he struggles to set up his own intelligence network, he finds there are devious undercurrents that threaten to bring down his monarchy and destroy his kingdom. With the help of a beautiful spy, Betha, a woman Marten wants to love--except for her closet-full of difficult issues such as her dabbling in the outlawed magic--he begins to unearth the roots of the problems and how to solve them.

Marten is an interesting character, one I found myself wanting more time with no matter how intriguing the other parts of the plot. We are privy to his internal whines and complaints--about responsibilities, demands on his time, lack of confidantes, and so much more--but he performs his duties admirably, as though born to the position. At the heart of this story is his growth as both a man and a ruler. Jay does an enviable job of paying vigilant attention to all details in this fantasy world, allowing us to feel comfortable drawing our own conclusions in what is a complicated political mystery. As with the previous books in the series, the characters are deftly drawn, the world building exceptional, and the plot intricate.

Read all 3 in 3 days.
Great series. When’s the next book coming out? I hated for it to end. The epilogue is such a tease.