Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: The Butterfly King
SERIES: The Lost and Founds #3
AUTHOR: Edmond Manning
PUBLISHER: Pickwick Ink Publishing
LENGTH: 290 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 7, 2014
BLURB:
Terrance Altham doesn’t know why he’s been arrested. He’s committed no crime and the cops aren’t talking. Sadly, the man sharing his holding cell talks too much. Known only as Ghost, he is a young grifter, apparently familiar enough with this police station to convince Terrance a break out is possible, and pushy enough to leave Terrance no choice but to follow Ghost into the underbelly of New York City. Terrified by the unjust imprisonment and the possibility of a life behind bars, Terrance searches for proof of his innocence while Ghost seeks the elusive Butterfly King. But neither man seems in control of the weekend’s direction and the consequences of mistakes are life-changing. As Ghost’s manipulations come to an explosive head, each man must decide amid danger and street violence what kind of man will triumph, lost or found?
Narrator Vin Vanbly (a.k.a Ghost) returns in the most revealing King Weekend yet, where he faces the dark side of his dangerous manipulations, and learns missteps can be deadly. Vin must confront sinister dealings from his past—and a future promising disaster—as he waltzes Terrance across Manhattan in spring, searching for the elusive and charismatic, Butterfly King.
REVIEW:
If you guys are not reading this series, you need to be. Every book, every pages is an emotional journey. But it’s also a time of reflection. I can’t really put myself in any of the characters shoes, because I’m not a guy, I’m not gay, and in this book, I’m not black. HOWEVER, I can take time to reflect on how my actions may affect these people in our lives. In other words, be a voice of love, not hate. We have seen black crimes, crimes of anyone of color, to be honest. And that’s not to detract from the ‘white’ crimes. Crimes are everywhere. And especially in the mindset of people like our *cough* Prez *cough* where it’s a white minded majority, it makes it worse. Nobody stops to think about how it would feel to be in the other person’s shoes. We turn away from hate and violence. And we have to stop hiding. And that’s what I love in this book. It’s about taking power back and turning it into good.
Terrance is on his way to the Waldorf Astoria for his King weekend when he is intercepted and arrested. And no one will tell him why. But guess who he meets in his cell. Mr. Vin himself. Only he’s calling himself the ‘Ghost’. (References are in book 1). Vin plays it off as they haven’t processed him and they don’t like him and he’s had enough and escaping. He steals Terrence’s wallet as a way to make him follow. They run through the lower levels of the station and end up in the sewer…..in New York. Ewww. Terrance is freaking out. Vin is trying not to because of his past, but he stays strong for this weekend. He takes them to a place where they can shower and change, an set out to a bar. Where they see their name on the ‘news’ as the police are looking for them. It’s turns into one bad event after another in which Vin is horribly messing up. He almost loses getting Terrance to his King status when he thinks of a plan. He gets himself almost seriously killed in this plan, but the effect gets Terrance to his kingship. But Terrence is NOT happy. When Vin wakes up after a week of the hospital, Terrance lays into him and makes him face a deathly fear of his own. Vin doesn’t like not being in control. But the Founds were not happy with the violence and things have to change. But for the better or worse is what Vin wonders.
I have borderline hated Vin mostly in these books. At least til I understand. Then I still kinda do because of how he manipulates. It’s risky and dangerous. But the thing about Vin that is tearing down walls, is each book I’m learning a little more about him. And I’m losing my want of throat punching him. Instead I want to hug him. Love him. I know my parts wouldn’t work lol. But still. Be a comfort. Each piece of Vin’s life is coming to the front and you are really starting to see how bad it really was and is for him. And in this book, things just would not go right for him. But Terrance was different from all he’s had so far. Terrance has suffered hate, discrimination, and so much because of his skin color and his sexuality. So his weekend was learning to still be powerful in adversity. How to fight against it all without violence. And that folks is where WE must make a change.
It shouldn’t matter the color, race, sexuality, religion, etc. We are ALL human. Made to be individuals. Made to be different. Love should be the norm, not hate. Tolerance, not intolerance. Acceptance. Peace. Comfort.
You really need to be reading these books. This series. If you let it, it can change your life. Your way of thinking.
RATING: 
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