When the King Comes Home: A Book Review

Caroline Stevermer has created a most wondrous land in her 2000 novel When the King Comes Home. It wasn't what I expected at all after reading the jacket, but I was not disappointed in the least.

The children of Aravis have always been told 'when the king comes home' in answer to their usual children's requests... can I have this, can we go there, etc. The king in question is Good King Julius. He died over 200 years ago, you see, but there was always some question as to whether or not the bones recovered were really his. The saying refers to the retrieval of his body to be laid to rest.

Hail Rosmer is an aspiring artist. When she gets the chance to go study in Aravis she jumps at it... never thinking in her wildest dreams that Good King Julius is indeed about to come home, and in the flesh. Hail has very much to do with this event occurring at all.

Stevermer unfolds the story through Hail's eyes and does a very good job of it. At first I was a little put off by the writing style. But just at first. I was expecting a tale of old, which it was, but told by a modern writer. Stevermer writes as if she was from an era past... this is hard to explain, so let me give you a small taste of what I mean:

By the time I was a gawky girl of fifteen I had used up the schoolmaster's patience. Master Nichols presented my parents with an ultimatum. I must either pretend to pay attention to his lessons or find some other use for my time.In any case, I was to stop drawing caricatures on my slate. It distracted the other girls and boys. He suggested I be put to some honest labor.

Not difficult to read, but it puts me in mind of old gothic writings. Once you get into the pace and wordings, the story grabs hold and you are totally immersed.

It's difficult to nail down a time period for this. It is set in a land of fantasy with bodices and street vendors... it feels late medieval/early Renaissance if you had to make a comparison to our own world. There is magic afoot, although not overly much.

I think the difference between the usual fantasy novel and this one is this... Where you know you are in a fantasy in the majority of them, this one feels almost normal in spite of knowing that there are no sorcerers and folks can't be called back from the dead to walk again as if nothing ever happened. Stevermer makes it so that you believe all these things, rather than you having to suspend disbelief. Does that make sense? I know what I wish to say; I'm just having a hard time conveying it.

At any rate, the characters are well fleshed-out and their emotions are put forth in a most excellent fashion. I found this book a delight to read once I got into it's own odd rhythm.

You won't be finding dragons or elves here, but you will find an engrossing tale involving magic and kings. This is Hail's life, and a most remarkable life it is!

Give this one a chance.