The King is Dead is a book you need to pick up this year. This was an incredibly addictive and enjoyable read, full to the brim with gossip, secrets and searing social commentary.

This is a book in disguise. It shields itself behind a frothy exterior of gossip, rumours, lies and the careful maintenance of exterior appearances. Really, this is a cerebral exploration of power, corruption and the experience of being Black in Britain. Dean depicts the suffocating experience of standing within an institution that would rather see you destroyed, that is built on a legacy of suffering and continues to perpetuate colonial ideology. This is a tough read, unafraid to delve into the experiences of being Black and queer in a world that wants to disregard or hide these things. It is in the coded language of the media and the way Black people are framed against their white counterparts. Dean highlights the thousand cuts of racial microaggressions and blatantly hateful attitudes. This is a stunning book that leaves you with plenty to think about. One such aspect that I adored was the openness of that ending, leaving the reader to question what they believe happens next.

On top of this, I also thought this was one hell of a mystery. There are so many intriguing plot threads to explore, all tying into this destructive demand to pretend to be something you are not in order to appease others. It is an insidious and corruptive influence, shown through many characters and incidents. At its core, we have James himself. He is battling his own grief, both for his father and for the sacrifices the crown demands of himself. I loved his narrative voice and how emotional it was, puncturing the suspenseful narrative with gorgeous moments of introspection and this exploration of identity.

The King is Dead is a book bogged down in this surreptitious world of secrets, scandal and structural inequalities. It is a book that faces up to the system that would love to see its ruin.

What a brilliant book 'The King is Dead' is. Imagine the scenario that the much loved white King has died, leaving his Black teenage son as the next King. Bring on the racist reporters that try to whip up the populace to turn against their new ruler as he prepares himself for the coronation. Add in family tension; the younger twin, who by mere minutes could have been the heir and always second place, the cousin loved by the media who courts the appearance of royal perfection. Add in a secret romance, friendships and betrayals and you have an excellent story starting with a humongous what if...

Genuinely had a fantastic time reading this, already want to reread. For some reason I went into it expecting it to be more centred about the romance. It's there but it's not really the point.

Instead we follow this young man who's dealing with becoming king and all the complications that come with it, especially when there are threats against you. And in this case, our young king has not made it known that he's gay which is sure to rock the boat more considering he's also the first black king.

It's part coming-of-age, part thriller and a great time all round. I really fell in love with James and found myself rooting for him. I'd love to keep reading more of his story. Hugely recommend this one.

. For some reason, I didn't expect this book to take place in the palace. I think the summary gave massive Scholl vibes. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The pros of this book are the inclusion of the media. It's horribly realistic. I also appreciate the attempts to keep us guessing whose behind this. I will say, it took me a little while to get all the pieces however, by the end, there was only one I totally wasn't expecting.

The cons are that this book felt like it actually could have been longer. At least the ending. I don't feel like we got enough resolution and as I said, quite a lot was fairly guessable.

Saying that, the last half of this book captured my interest and I read it all in one sitting.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Tapping into the current taste for murder mysteries, this book...is one of those.

No, that's really unfair of me. It's a good read. It's just...fluffy. Which is strange, for a book highlighting how badly people of colour can be treated when they are considered to be stepping into 'white only' spaces. James is, to be fair, only seventeen, but there's a lot of focus on his love life and none on any actual kinging - the only remotely royal things he does are the Grief Parade, the funeral and order people around (in moderation, and always at very satisfying times.) Perhaps that's par for the course in a royal's first few weeks on the throne, I don't know.

Spoilers below:
















Why is everything in James' life being run by his mother's private secretary? Where's his equerry or manservant? There are maids, but the only other servant we see is his bodyguard. This does seem to be a fictional version of the current royal family, so surely they should have manservants/ladies in waiting as the current royals do? Surely the king should have a head of household who doesn't work for another member of the family?
























There is a span in the middle when things drag a bit, but it picks up again near the end (plus or minus a few ridiculous exposes.) Although it reads like a one-and-done, I'd love to revisit it, perhaps a few years down the line? It felt like all the trouble was very easily calmed down and I'd really enjoy seeing how it went on over time.

A great, if slightly fluffy, read.

Ooh what a book! 👏🏼 I try not to click on every amazing book that NetGalley emails me about, because let’s be honest, there are so many out there and I’d be drowning in NetGalleys, but when I saw this one on one of their email drops, I couldn’t resist!

James has always been a prince, but when his dad unexpectedly dies, he’s thrown into the role of the first Black king of England at the young age of 17. Not long after he takes the throne, his secret boyfriend goes missing and envelopes start appearing around the palace threatening to expose his deep and darkest secrets, and James starts to question who he can trust…

This book is incredible! 👏🏼 it had me hooked and not wanting to put it down and had me guessing right till the end. I loved James, I tried to imagine the pressure like that as a 17 year old, and the writing was so well done for that. I loved the side characters, even the ones we’re not supposed to, they were so good! Especially loved Peter, I loved how protective he was.

I found this one emotional in places, but I honestly just loved all the drama! I’d seen this compared to Gossip Girl, and that was one of my fav shows, so I was all for that side of it! It had romance, mystery, drama, but also looked at race, homophobia and the monarchy. I loved the fictional idea of the royals, there were parts I liked to imagine were true for the real royals 😂

It’s definitely a fab YA book for me! So glad I picked this as one of my #PagesOfPride picks this month.

Modern, heartfelt, and unexpectedly a light-hearted read. The author takes you into a world in modern day in which due to the sad and untimely death of the King, his son are gay Prince is being thrust into the responsibility of taking the throne, but in his heart not feeling ready for all that comes with it.

At the very beginning I felt fully for this young character, not only does he have to come to terms with grieving for his father, but also the fact that for some bizarre reason the public hate him or perceive to hate him due to his skin colour. How the author explores this and the mystery itself, which is what the book is 99% about, is very lighthearted and adventurous. I would however say that this book is more of a middle grade book than the young adult that it has been advertised as. The writing style the characters and the way in which the author has developed and set about the story all are the vibes in which we would get in the middle grade book. There are some aspects in the book itself that are more YA than middle grade. If I wanted to rate this book as a YA book it would be a three star, but if I were to rate it as a middle grade book it would be a four-star so hence I am ignoring what it says on the cover and taking it more as the middle grade age group with YA aspects.

The story itself was good but it didn’t grip me and there was so much more I felt could have been developed and detailed within the story itself to bump it up to that young adult level and had the reader gripping both pages needing to know what happened next. The mystery was the full focus of this book as mentioned above, and there were some aspects that I didn’t guess until the end which is always a great thing with Mysteries; but they could’ve been so much more done with it. I felt like the whole point of this book from the blurb was that it is a gay black Prince trying to solve this mystery while discovering himself a bit, and yet it’s 99% about the mystery which was a little disappointing.

What I will say is that this book is very relatable even if just at the beginning to the queer and to be honest all sexualities due to the fact that even though it is socially acceptable nowadays to have a different sexuality, a lot of people still feel the pressure to be the ‘norm’ and not be themselves.
Not be able to love who they want to love because society says different. And this is really sad, but this is what the character has to deal with and that was the most relatable thing in the entire story the fact that this boy feels like he can’t be who he is internally and externally because the public just see one thing and go “no” without actually finding out who he really is as a person and would be as a king. They see one thing and judge, which is wrong on so many levels and upsetting.

Altogether it is a lovely, quirky book, lighthearted, and a good little mystery to read if you are intrigued. A massive thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me an early copy of this scandal.

When his father unexpectedly dies, James is suddenly thrown into the spotlight, days away from being the first Black heir to the throne. And the world is suddenly very keen on the eldest son as the papers begin to lash out at his ascension. As a prince, he has had his fair share of terrible tabloids, but when his secret boyfriend disappears, and suddenly everything he thought was private is splashed out on the front pages, can James find out who is betraying him, or will the weight of the crown be too heavy for him to bear?

The King is Dead is meant to be a mystery thriller, and I can’t help but feel disappointed at the lack of energy throughout the book. Although the opening scenes gripped my attention, beginning with the king’s death as James and his family come to terms with what it means for them. The instant action grips you immediately, but after that, it feels lacklustre.

There are plenty of plot twists and turning points; although only one shocked me, the rest feels uneventful and almost predictable. I never see an issue with guessing the ending; the thrill of reading it is how the story gets there, and The King is Dead just takes you on an underwhelming ride of telling the reader everything that happens instead of showing it. A lot is going on in this as James is trying to find out who is leaking information; he is also dealing with the press, his boyfriend who has disappeared, and his rocky relationship with his twin brother. There is so much going on, but it felt like reading separate stories that haven’t fully been incorporated well into one account. The stakes were undoubtedly high, but the tension was not there, and all the plot points lacked development.

Although I have to say, I mainly did enjoy how Dean used his experience as a celebrity reporter as his portrayal of the British media was quite spot on. You can see the influence of the current Royal family on James and his own family as they face the brunt of the tabloid’s anti-Blackness while his (white) family members remain unscathed. The strength of this book came through in these moments as James came to terms with the relationship between public figures and the media. They claw at any information, even going as far as outing a seventeen-year-old child and attacking his mother, their queen, by the racist comparisons between her and the King’s former wife. It echoes the experience that Meghan Markle faced during her time in the Royal Family. Dean’s writing shines through in these moments, which is why I felt so disappointed at finding the rest of the story somewhat lacking in comparison.

Overall, The King is Dead wasn’t necessarily a bad book. There is mystery and drama that will satisfy most readers. Dean had some great ideas for this story; with some expansion and rework, I could have seen myself enjoying this a lot more. Nonetheless, it’s still a quick, fun novel, but it wasn’t for me.

The King is Dead is a book I have been anticipating since hearing about it. And it’s a book I liked on the whole, to be sure. But if I’m honest, it’s a book I didn’t love and I thought I would.

The book opens with the death of the King and the subsequent coronation of his son, James (the eldest of twins by eight minutes). Following the coronation, James finds himself the subject of a series of anonymous leaks to the press, not to mention the disappearance of his (secret) boyfriend.

This was not a bad book, let me start with that. It’s a solid read and one that I did, on the whole, like reading. There were sympathetic characters and a good mystery. I found myself often questioning just where it was going and I was actually surprised by the twist at the end. It was a decent book.

However.

I think my main issue was with the writing style, which is funny because you would have thought I’d know the author’s style based on his previous books. But in this case, I think what it was, was the difference between MG and YA. This is going to sound harsh, but the writing here felt forced. As though Dean knew that YA needed to have more complex writing, but it ended up being a little purple-prosey. As I said, it sounds harsh, and I don’t mean it to be! But if I’m looking to explain why I didn’t love this book, this is one reason.

The other is the lack of subtlety. Of course, this book is not required to be subtle in its approach, but I do think it was so unsubtle as to be a detriment to the plot at times. Perhaps it’s not so much the lack of subtlety as the apparent need to explain everything instead of letting the reader work some things out. And not just explain, but explain every time. There were times when I thought that events could have happened without that explanation, leaving the reader to infer what the author intends them to mean. Again, I think this is about the transition from MG to YA.

There was plenty good about this book though, and plenty that promises that Dean’s future efforts have a strong foundation to build on. Really, the only issue here was me as a reader, so please don’t let this review put you off this one!

The King is Dead is a fun, mysterious, twisty YA novel featuring POC and LGBTQIA+ representation and to say I loved it would be an understatement!

When the King dies, Prince James has to step up to the crown but the Royal Family are harbouring some secrets and Quinn Buckley won't stop until they are spilled. Can you really trust anyone in Buckingham Palace?

The way Benjamin Dean packs in racism, homophobia and grief is absolutely fantastic. He packs a punch and I found the whole book compelling and so well written. It was scandalous and the characters were a mixture of loveable rogues and villains.

I didn't realise to begin with that this was going to be a mystery thriller but as I found my heart racing, audible gasps escaping and the pages being flipped hurriedly to find out the truth I knew this was the perfect YA thriller that I needed.

This was my first Benjamin Dean novel and I already can't wait to read more of his work!

Teenager James becomes King of England when his father suddenly dies and soon realises he can't trust anyone in the palace. Journalist Quinn Buckley is intent on revealing the Royal Family's secrets - including that James is gay - but who is his source?
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This book was well-written & intriguing but I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters so I didn't feel 100% invested in the reveal at the end. I would read more by the same author.

What an interesting take on some of the issues of Modern Royalty!

This novel follows James, who is thrust into the role of King at a remarkably young age and looks at some of the backlash he receives, given that he is black. I definitely did not go into this book thinking it would be hard-hitting and tackle issues such as being in the public eye and the racism and homophobia that can come from this. Yet, I do think this book covers them really well, especially for a YA.

The mystery element, dealing with the issue of James' boyfriend going missing, did add a fair bit of intrigue to this book. Although the mystery element felt a tad too predictable at times, it was still exciting and a good plot-building element.

This book was pretty bang on when looking at the treatment of these royals, one only has to look at Meghan Markle and the troubles she faced with the British media and public. Not only this, but one can also see the 'rivalry' between Kate and Meghan, played out in some of these relationships.

There were a few things that made me a little uncomfortable in this book, especially James' outing experience and I do think that the book was one of two halves, that could probably be two separate stories, one focusing on the treatment of the Royals in Modern society and the other focusing in the mystery aspects.

Overall, an enjoyable read and I am grateful to Netgalley for this ARC copy.

A rollercoaster ride through fictional royal scandal, The King is Dead is a fun book, tense at times and offering something both modern and with hints of Shakespeare.

A book about a gay modern prince, pitched with all the dark, shady vibes of Gossip Girl? You don’t need much more to gain my interest. I am a royalty fanatic at this point.

The King is Dead follows James, a young seventeen year old prince, thrust into the role of king far too soon when his father passes. The book explores the relationship between the royal family and the public, racism, and homophobia in British society. James’ main issue is figuring out how to rule the country and keep his relationship a secret. That all changes when his boyfriend Johnathon suddenly goes missing.

At times the mystery was a little too on the nose. If you enjoy books that wear their heart on their sleeve, this is one for you. The plot was not shocking, it was obvious where the book was going. The mystery was not as exciting as I was expecting from a book compared to Gossip Girl, nor do I think it really needed to be. The heart and strength of the prose came from the discussion around the relationship between celebrities and the media. We’ve all seen how the British press have treated Meghan Markle, and people of colour are held to a higher standard than their white counterparts. The way Dean explored how the tabloids clawed at James’ secrets, outed him to the public at seventeen, and attacked his character and queerness, felt accurate to how they would likely treat a real queer prince. The racism experienced by Alexandra as the first black British queen, the way the press compared her to their perfect, white princess Catherine, echoes the fabricated rivalry of Meghan and Kate. The clean, untainted Catherine that the public loved did not exist. It was interesting to see that Catherine had her own secrets, and I liked how Dean demonstrated how black women are held to such an impossible standard in the press.

I wish the book had focused more on those elements instead of the mystery. There were a few themes and passages that felt repetitive, and I wanted the author to explore the wider royal family and palace intrigue. This would have benefited from multiple POVs, following several members of the family, each receiving their own mysterious notes and desperately trying to conceal their secrets. The romance plot, with multiple love interests, was a little confusing, and the resolution at the end didn’t feel warranted. The bones are there, and if expanded slightly, this could be a brilliant, powerful novel. Nonetheless, if you look beyond those things, this is a light-hearted, fun mystery.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel follows Prince James, who since he was born has been preparing for the role of King, when his father unexpectedly dies and he is thrust into the role within a matter of minutes, not even given a moment to mourn this monumental loss, he finds just how difficult this job will be, especially as the United Kingdom’s first Black (and gay – but that’s a secret James doesn’t want to get out) King. However, being King brings the responsibility of keeping secrets hidden, especially his own, and when royal secrets and scandals start being leaked by the press, James knows that there is someone in his circle who is trying to take the crown.

“They will never see us. Really see us. They will only ever see our skin first – anything else comes second”

This book was absolute perfection to me, I cannot commend this book enough, the representation is fantastic, and I love that the author did not hold back on just how unjust and cruel the media can be, especially to those in the media’s eye, and in all honesty there felt more of a realistic notion from this book, that a number of the experiences and comments that James was subject too, I have no doubt that our own Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) was subject to, and I find it great that this is being represented in a book for just how toxic this media behaviour is.

There are a number of scenes in this book that are completely heart-breaking such as James’s letter from his dad, and the scene with is mother, that elicited my highlighted quote included in this review. The characters in the book were fully developed and well written, there were characters that you completely fell in love with (James) those you despised (Quinn) and those that completely shocked you – that leads me onto the plot twists, they were everywhere, when you thought you had figured the mystery out there was another spanner thrown in the works, it was definitely well thought out and executed.

I will say that there are some trigger warnings that I need to mention, there is some homophobia and racism in this book, and unfortunately James is also outed against his will, so I would bare those in mind before reading, but if you can handle those then I would definitely recommend this book, it is such a fantastic read, and I know for a fact I will be reading more by this author!

On the death of his father, 18 year old James has just become King. And the backlash from the public is aggressive, because James happens to be black (and queer, though that is still a secret).

This was a really interesting read, and a fresh take on the was royalty is treated today. I loved the mystery element of it, which kept me guessing right up until the end. A masterful contemporary royal mystery!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"you are cordially invited to the scandal of the summer"
This is a wonderfully fun royal reimagining packed with mystery, romance and scandal.
We follow James, a young, black, gay man who's dad has just died..meaning he's now the king. Just a few issues, the British people seem to hate him, someone is plotting against him and he doesn't know what to do.

This is a wonderful romp of a read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

The King is Dead is an enjoyable YA book from Benjamin Dean and is it heartwarming to see, the increase in both books from both POC and also LGBTQ+ available.
Our protoganist is James, the heir to the British crown. James is just 17, when his father dies suddenly and he is faced with the reality of becoming King. However, there are two other, 'issues' facing James. First of all, he is black and his countrymen are proving to be horribly racism and unwilling to accept him as King for his reason. It's a unpleasant of the reality faced by so many people everyday, when they are treated with disdain, rudeness etc because of the racism prevalent in modern society. It seems bizarre to me, but that is a privilege of being white.
There is also a secret that James is trying to hide - he is gay. While I would imagine that everyone should be free to love without scrutiny, this does not apply to the Royal family and James has been pretending to be in a relationship with another teenager in order to silence his critics.
And then we have the impact of media (and social media) on the life of the Royal family and how James and his family are forced to adapt and live their lives in the constant glare and scrutiny of their enemies in the media. And there is an enemy within the palace who is passing their secrets to the media. James does not know who he can trust, but he needs to find a way to determine what is really going on and who is betraying him before he looses the throne and the Kind truly is dead.
A fun and thought provoking YA mystery.

This book was not quite what I expected. Having read ‘Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow’, I had thought it would be a lighter book. Having looked at the cover again, I do now see all the signs of mystery/thriller. It is a great premise- a different royal line on the throne of England with a king who married a black woman and had children together. This raises some really interesting questions about how the British public might react to a black monarch (who is also gay) and the role the press can play in this. Ultimately though, it is a mystery as someone in the Palace is spilling secrets and trying to bring down the new king. The plot has its twists and turns that leave you suspecting different people throughout, which is always a plus with a mystery. Somehow the reveal at the end didn’t quite work for me. I felt a bit cheated.

I received this book from the publishers via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow, I loved this - the "you can't trust anyone" (and I mean ANYONE) vibes in this are so strong and left me dying to find out what was next and hoping we could trust certain favoured characters!

Honestly, there is so much I want to say about this but it would be pretty spoilery, so I'm mostly going to say that you should definitely read this book. It is SO well done. We go through the lows of James' grief (and see how hard it is to have this when there is so much going on), the trials and tribulations of being in the public eye, the threat of secrets being revealed, the way people deal with a Black Royal Family, and the implications of being queer and royal. That is a lot to unpack before you even delve into the thriller and mystery aspects which are brilliantly well written.

In mildly spoilery and definitely nitpicking thoughts - I think I possibly did want a little more from the racism part of the storyline - but it sadly felt true to life, and true to palace policies of largely not responding, but I really felt for James in having to see that without being able to challenge it. I definitely wanted more about him being gay. Not about his life, because that's done so well, but in terms of discussions about eventually coming out. So much of it is left that they will continue to hide that, but it's not what James wants and that's not really dealt with. So covering more depth on that would have been perfect.

All that said that I still bloody loved this book and definitely couldn't put it down towards the end!

4.5 stars