The innkeeper's son

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good first book in a new fantasy series. Billy runs The Valley’s Finest Inn with his father, but dreams of knights and adventure in the royal courts. When strangers attack the Inn, Billy must flee to save his life. He is placed under the protection of a lady and the King’s champion. As they venture across the land, Billy encounters monsters, brigands and spirits. As Billy adjusts to his new environment, he discovers talents he never knew existed and is eager learn more. Just as Billy starts to fit in, a menacing figure from his past threatens to disrupt his life.

This is a fun first book. There is some amount of world building, but not everything is explained. The main characters are well written and likeable. The potentially big bad evil is barely discussed at the end of the book, and his motives and purpose are unclear. Presumably this will be explored more in the next book. This first book is basically a road-trip novel that sets the characters up for the next installments. Overall, it is an entertaining read and I will read the next book in the series.