When Colin and his little sister, Effie, stumble through a portal to a fantasy realm, Colin’s first priority is making sure his sister survives the adventure. Unluckily enough, they left Effie’s asthma inhaler at home– a fact that worries Colin even if Effie thinks her older brother is a tad too protective. Colin is a young man burdened by a vow he made to his dying father to watch over his baby sister. It’s pretty clear to everyone but him that this vow is equal parts honorable and dysfunctional. 

The Withered King is not a shiny fantasy world: poverty, hunger and disease clearly exist as they may have in the middle ages. In order to avoid these dangers, Colin tries to pass himself and his sister off as nobles from another country, hoping that if he can get an audience with the king he might get help finding the portal back home. That plan goes out the window when the siblings arrive at the castle and Colin is immediately mistaken for a mythic hero destined to wed the princess. Worse still, these superstitious people mistake his sister as the foretold Spotless Maiden, who will vanquish someone they call the Withered King and save the land from ruin. Colin is not about to let his baby sister get carried off to battle when he isn’t even convinced they could do anything to help these people anyway. Yet as their stay lengthens, both Colin and Effie can’t help but feel sympathy for the kind and generous king and the princess, who are clearly facing the impending genocide of their kingdom. Worst of all– Colin might actually be falling for the princess! How can he keep his vow to his father and quiet his conscience about leaving such good people in plain need of help?

This book would be great for fans of fantasy, especially classic fairy tales and mythology. Although the main characters are teenagers, I can see this novel appealing to a wide range of ages, from teens up to adults, because the moral conflicts the characters face are relatable and, unlike a lot of YA these days, the story is not overburdened with overly angsty navel-gazing or dramatic love triangles. Refreshingly, Colin and Effie act mostly logically and maturely, but not in a way that seems unnatural for their ages. 

The Withered King is a portal fantasy that has not lost the wisdom of Arthurian legends. While much of modern fantasy involves characters learning to master magic or powers, Colin and Effie remain regular kids with no natural talent for sword fighting or demon slaying. Instead, they have to somehow use their adolescent, modern day skills to solve their problems. For example, even though Colin hasn’t the faintest idea of what to do with a sword, he finds the techniques he learned from his high school wrestling team can get him out of a pinch. It also turns out that besides the kingdom’s sole librarian, only Colin and Effie can read the ancient scrolls that might hold a clue to saving the kingdom or finding the portal back home. In these details, the story reminded me of A Yankee in King Author’s Court, but without the satire. Above all, it is their moral code that becomes their real defense against the trials they face. This makes for a novel that is Christian without mentioning anything religious, and so it would make a great gift or suggested read for non-religious or non-Christian friends and family. Bottom line is: it’s a great bingeable read for most anyone of any faith, but Christians in particular will be grateful for a non-preachy story full of Christian values and clean content.