After a successful revolt in 1846 that reversed the roles of slaves and masters, modern-day America is now dominated by a wealthy black ruling class, and whites are dealing with decades of oppression and prejudice. When his father, a civil rights attorney, is killed after defending a white man, seventeen-year-old Willie Gibbons is forced to move to Michigan with his uncle and thrust into the … his uncle and thrust into the heart of the racial divide.
The search for his father’s killer lands Willie on the wrong side of a powerful and shadowy black supremacist group known as The Crown, a dangerous place for any man–black or white.
The Crown Lord is a stark and jarring look at race, class, and the American Dream that will keep readers on edge.
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A great story with the perspective of what it would be like if the racial roles between whites and African Americans had been reversed. The derogatory term for a white person is called a Pinkie; and instead of the KKK, they have what’s called The Crown- a supremacy group that is run by African Americans.
“You think people learn to not like people?”
“They see how the people they love treat certain people and then they think it’s what they should do.”
The plot of this was fantastic! The dialogue was easy, some times so easy it was a little unbelievable, but nonetheless, it was still a great story. The descriptions of the scenery were a little lacking during some major plot points, mostly towards the end, I thought, but the plot was so good, I didn’t want to put it down. I did end up reading this pretty fast because the plot unveiled at a perfect pace. I really did love this. The author’s note in the back was a really cool added piece- I love when authors give insight into how the book came to be.
I was surprised to see this labeled as a political thriller/political fiction because it was NOT too focused on government. If it weren’t for the giveaway, the cover nor genre would have caught my attention; luckily, I didn’t miss out on a great story!!
I’m so happy and thankful to have received a signed print copy of The Crown Lord because it is fantastic when an author can open your eyes and give you the experience of seeing a new perspective, even if it is just a story. Thank you to the Goodreads giveaway program, publisher Rare Bird Books and author William Sirls for the ARC. I will definitely be checking out the author’s previous two books.
There may be some trigger warnings in The Crown Lord, for some: violence, graphic images, sexual references, racism, death, drugs, etc.
This book is incredible! A friend (who had helped the author by providing feedback) arranged for me to receive an autographed copy of this book. I am so happy she did! I have to admit that this is a book that I probably would have overlooked. It’s not one that sounds like something I would enjoy and the cover doesn’t pull me in. I would have missed a terrific story. Author William Sirls has spent some time in prison. William is white and was roomed with a black man. The two had nothing in common. Or so they thought. During their time they became good friends and learned a lot about the other’s life. Before they left prison, William promised “Eric” that if he ever had success as a writer, he would “try to do a story that puts the racial shoe on the other foot”. This is that story. At first it’s a little strange reading about a black supremacist group. Just because it’s not what we usually hear about. But soon the characters personalities take over and you don’t really think about their color (until the author reminds us), just about the things being done to them. After release from prison, while on probation, former prisoners are not allowed to contact each other so William and “Eric” lost touch. After having success with his books The Reason and The Sinners’ Garden, Mr Sirls wrote The Crown Lord. It’s so far from his other books that it’s hard to believe it’s from the same author. There is a bit of rough language in the book, but it’s necessary to the plot. I don’t like a lot of bad language and it didn’t bother me. The last 100 or so pages had me unable to put the book down. The last 30 or so pages had me on the edge of my seat. Read this! Even if you think you won’t like it, give it a try.