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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Phillip Mauldin’s A Dangerous Game sends seventeen-year-old bard Kevin Dobbs from Mauldonion Province to the desert kingdom of Selvarash beside Princess Bree, whose father, King Tharion, must approve their marriage. Bree was betrothed to Prince Maelor before meeting Dobbs, so the couple arrives knowing their future together depends on royal permission. His newly granted noble status becomes central when questions surrounding his signet ring place its standing under suspicion inside Tharion’s court. Selvarash answers disputed claims through an old custom that places competitors into public trials before spectators. Maelor remains determined to secure the union already arranged for him, leaving the young traveler to defend his name as he seeks the right to ask for Bree’s hand as each contest draws him further into local tradition.
Phillip Mauldin’s A Dangerous Game is a hugely entertaining sequel that takes Kevin into a broader world that feels complete. Mauldin understands that a fantasy setting should tell you something the moment you enter it, which he achieves through architecture suited to the people living there. You see that when Dobbs meets Leo Ratcliff, the pirate captain who leads him into a hidden jungle refuge where wooden houses rise among towering trees above swaying rope bridges. Mauldin brings inventive thinking into combat, with every encounter governed by a rule that changes how fighters can use the surrounding space. During a Selvarash arena match, spear-bearing soldiers gradually close the fighting circle around Kevin beside Prince Maelor, shrinking the room available for each exchange. Mauldin thrashes the myth of the soggy second novel by serving up an exceptional continued storyline, and I encourage fantasy readers who appreciate imaginative, immersive historic settings to hop on board. Very highly recommended.
