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The Reluctant King

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The King family is on the political rise in New York City, but must weather the violent storm wrought by their darkest secrets.

*While supplies last, books ordered through the Akashic Books website will include a bookplate SIGNED by K’wan!

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$15.95 $11.96

What people are saying…

“K’wan is exceptionally gifted at ratcheting up suspense . . . There’s no denying the writer’s talent for dark, gritty fiction. It’s a page-turner.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Just when you think you know how this story is going to end, K’wan hits you with one his infamous curveballs that will stop you in your tracks. The Reluctant King by K’wan is an enjoyable start to this new series and will make you anticipate the second installment.”
Urban Reviews Online

“New York City Council member Chancellor King and his socialite wife are regarded as modern-day royalty, but King’s ambition to rise in the political world is threatened by an unambitious son and some dark family secrets.”
Publishers Weekly, included in Mysteries and Thrillers Adult Announcements for Fall 2021

K’wan has been nominated for the 2021 Street Lit Writer of the Year Award, presented by the AAMBC Awards!

Critical praise for Black Lotus:

Selected for the Library Services for Youth in Custody 2015 In the Margins Book Award List

One of Library Journal’s Best African American Fiction Books of 2014

“A heart-thumping thriller . . . K’wan does a masterful job of keeping readers on their toes right up to the very last page.”
Publishers Weekly

“Fans expecting another thug-in-the-street story will be pleasantly surprised at this rough police procedural.”
Library Journal

“Yet another heart-thumping thriller by this hip-hop author who delivers.”
—Library Services for Youth in Custody

“This book features the sublime story and character development that K’wan is known for.”
Urban Reviews

“The legacies of Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines are forever preserved.”
Upscale

Critical praise for Black Lotus 2: The Vow

Black Lotus 2: The Vow is full of cinematic action and drama. Readers will be anxiously waiting for the next installment.”
Urban Reviews

“K’wan delivers a lean, tightly plotted tale that balances noir aesthetics with comic book flair. Fans of pulp and urban lit will be well satisfied.”
Publishers Weekly

“[A] riveting read from start to finish . . . Excellent.”
Exclusive Magazine

“From page one to the last, Black Lotus 2: The Vow is a high-wire act with no net. A smart refiguring of hard-boiled with a nitro injection of new-age sensibilities.”
—Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times best-selling author of Walking the Perfect Square

“Like a cool, hip, and fun evening at a vintage drive-in, Black Lotus 2: The Vow takes me back to a time when Jim Kelly, Pam Grier, and Fred Williamson graced the big screen. Throw in some Bruce Lee and a little The Last Dragon and you have a hell of a butt-kicking, action-filled ride.”
—Ace Atkins, New York Times best-selling author of The Shameless

Black Lotus 2: The Vow is a thrilling roller-coaster ride of a mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat!”
Bernice L. McFadden, author of The Book of Harlan


Description

*While supplies last, books ordered through the Akashic Books website will include a bookplate SIGNED by K’wan!

Meet the Kings, one of the most influential families in New York City. In the power circles of the movers and shakers, they are regarded as modern-day royalty. A politically connected father, a socialite mother, and three promising children: they look every bit the all-American family . . . but every family has secrets. Some darker than others.

Of all the children, Shadow is the least like the rest of the Kings. To call him soft wouldn’t be quite accurate, but he lacks the leadership qualities of his older brother, Ghost, or the ruthless tendencies of his sister Lolli. Shadow is just . . . Shadow. Instead of accepting his role in the “Monarchy” created by his father, Shadow would rather spend his days chasing women and hanging out in the hood with his best friends, Fresh and Pain. He is totally oblivious to the perils that come with his last name—until danger introduces itself.

On the night of their mother’s fiftieth birthday gala, their father, Chancellor, is set to announce his plans to turn his political focus beyond his current position as a member of the city council. He has tasted the benefits that come with holding office, and has the power and influence to make a serious run at climbing the political ladder.

The future is looking bright for the King family. That is, until the devil comes to claim his due, and threatens to destroy everything Chancellor has worked to build. To survive the coming storm, each member of the royal family will have to make a sacrifice, even those who are reluctant to wear the crown.

Watch an interview with K’wan on SOUL presented by MIA Magazine.


Book Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Published: 9/14/21
  • IBSN: 9781636140148
  • e-IBSN: 9781636140186
  • Hardcover
  • IBSN: 9781636140155

Author

K’WAN has become one of the most beloved, iconic Black writers of the last two decades with his artful, suspenseful storytelling and over a million books in print. He has penned more than two dozen best-selling novels, including the widely popular Animal series, as well as The Reluctant King, Black Lotus, and Black Lotus 2: The Vow. K’wan’s writing has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and Time, to name a few. He was the recipient of the Street Lit Book Award Medal in adult fiction in 2012 and 2013 for Eviction Notice and Animal, and has been a recurring guest on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files. His latest work is False Idols, a stand-alone sequel to The Reluctant King.

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