Dark King Swallows the World, The

The Dark King Swallows the World
by Robert G. Penner
Published by Radiant Press
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$25.00 ISBN 9781998926152

This book drew me in immediately with the title – The Dark King Swallows the World. How could a royal leader swallow the entire world? What a claim! I couldn’t wait to crack the book open and dive in.

The Dark King Swallows the World is the story of Nora, a preteen girl whose brother dies in a car crash. Consumed with grief, Nora’s mother jumps into a relationship with a man into sorcery and the occult; he is a cohort of the Dark King. To save her family, Nora sets off on a journey into the Dark King’s world. Along the way she battles various creatures and otherworldly challenges.

I greatly value a book that features a main character that I will remember long after the book is collecting dust on my bookshelf. (Sadly that doesn’t happen often enough, in my experience.) Nora is that type of character. She is a brassy twelve-year-old who comes across as much more mature than her years. Her adventure is a pleasure to read. I would go as far as to say that The Dark King Swallows the World is a character-led story with Nora leading the charge. 

The Dark King Swallows the World takes place in England during World War II but don’t expect the time period to take a predominant role as you go through the chapters. It’s more like your great uncle at family reunions who just lingers in the background. Penner took advantage of literary license – as all writers are allowed to do – so his version on WWII doesn’t always closely resemble what life was genuinely like during that period in history. But that’s why this is categorized as a work of fiction! 

The Dark King Swallows the World is a slow burn. While the start is on the leisurely side, the plot pace picks up by the time Nora embarks on her odyssey into the land of the dead. Stick with it as the reward of the book’s conclusion is tremendously satisfying. 

I was not surprised to learn that Penner is an award-winning author. His writing style flows seamlessly. The imaginary world he has crafted in The Dark King Swallows the World is deeply creative. I appreciate that he doesn’t waste time – or pages – filling in an abundance of details. It’s not necessary to draw entire scenes in the reader’s minds; we are capable of filling in some of the blanks. Penner walked that fine line expertly. 

If you are looking for a historical fiction book that touches on fairies, loss, and tinges of the occult, The Dark King Swallows the World checks off all those boxes and more. 

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM