Reading The Gypsy King is like jumping wholeheartedly into an unknown world replete with characters and conflicts that refuse to relinquish their hold on your heart even long after you’ve turned the last page. (And I’m sure I’m not the only one who flipped through the four blank pages at the end of the book, desperately trying to find an epilogue or notes from the author or just something to make the journey last a little longer.) Fergus’ story revolves around a 16-year-old slave named Persephone who, despite her many attempts to achieve freedom, finds herself entangled with Azriel, a thief who is as witty as he is handsome. Together they embark on a noble but ambitious rescue adventure that will find them dancing with danger and running for their lives. Persephone must choose between her freedom and her feelings for Azriel, but is she prepared for the repercussions of either choice? Fergus takes you on an edge-of-your-seat adventure that will have you re-reading some delicious parts and hastily gulping down others to find out what happens next.

Quotable Quips
“Walk if you wish—for now, Persephone—and when you begin to falter, I’ll show myself to be a true and noble gentleman by giving you the choice between riding up here with me—or being dragged behind my horse.” (72)

“To be a true ruling king, His Majesty will need to settle upon a fertile wife and get down to the business of getting down to business.” (145)

“There is no humiliation in being fairly beaten … How are you ever to prove yourself a great ruler if you never have to fight for any victory you achieve?” (360)

Story & Pacing: 10
The plot of this book is unique and fantastic. Each conflict adds layer upon layer to the story as a whole, so rather than having to deal with situations in a linear fashion, Fergus’ characters encounter problems that pile up before each can be solved. There wasn’t a part in the book where I was bored or where felt that a certain character’s troubles could be skipped over. The chapters alternate between the (omniscient) point of view of Persephone and Mordecai who, at first, have absolutely no connection to one another. This format choice lends a very thick air of foreshadowing, which enhances the pace of the novel, especially once the two characters meet. The ending of this story is so wonderful—a great payoff! The crisis and climax are intense and occur so late in the final chapters that I had to make sure I knew exactly how many pages were left so as not to leave myself unwittingly gasping in disbelief at the sudden conclusion. Nevertheless, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when I discovered that there will be not just one, but two more books to complete this story. Phew!

Characters: 10
Fergus’ characters are endearing, complex, and memorable. Persephone is smart, diligent, and very kind. I could feel her sadness when she tries to recall her upbringing, and I understood the decisions she makes throughout the novel. She is a good role model for any young person as she is unwilling to be dominated, especially by men, but she is loyal to those who are loyal to her. She has the great flaw of being too spontaneous to the point that she becomes foolhardy at times. Azriel exudes charm: I can imagine the smirk on his face as he delivers one-liners to match Persephone’s wit. And I can just as easily imagine the way he looks at Persephone when she doesn’t realize he is gazing at her. Their interactions throughout the novel are so tender and romantic—despite Azriel’s bravado and Persephone’s punches and temper tantrums. (But, really, isn’t that just the way girls demonstrate their affections for someone?) There is so much more to explore in their relationship. And Mordecai is so deliciously complex that I waddled back and forth between writing him off as completely evil and feeling sorry for him: He is equal parts ruthless and piteous. Fergus has me completely enamoured with her characters (except maybe Mordecai)!

Setting: 7
There is a lot of description of the various physical settings of this novel, which seems to take place in the late Middle Ages. The different places were very visible in my mind, but I would have liked to have had a map of Parthania and its surroundings to know exactly where each region is located in relation to the others. This would have been helpful considering the various characters in the story hail from a variety of identified places. I especially would have liked the map to help me envision Persephone and Azriel’s journey.

Style & Writing: 9
Fergus’ writing is crisp and each of her characters has a very distinct voice. I particularly liked her knack for writing banter between characters, especially the kind laced with sarcasm (which, of course, is my cup of tea). She makes use of varied syntax, and she doesn’t shy away from descriptions via adverbs, which I really enjoy. The book, as a whole, is free of errors.

Learnability & Teachability: 9
The biggest lesson to be gained from this novel is how to write well. Students who aspire to be novelists can learn from Fergus’ writing style, including her choice of words, her sentence structures, and her chapter and book endings. Anyone who wants an example of how to write well will find Fergus a great model to follow.

Potential Teachables
The Middle Ages; origins and history of gypsies; etymology and use of the word “gypsy”; character development; plot structure; conflict creation; monarchies and associated terms; patriarchal societies; slavery; making difficult choices. ( )