The King’s Messenger

Smuggins is a messenger for the King.

He stands every day ready and waiting in the King's courtroom in the castle. It's the center of all the kingdom, perched high in its city, rising from the plains around it. The King's people love him, but there are rumors of unrest at the edges of kingdom—North, East, West, and South. Some do not trust the King's goodness. As a messenger for the King, Smuggins has one of the most prestigious positions in all the land.

Through Smuggins' service to the King he learns every day more about the King's character and his own. In his adventures, Smuggins will learn of battles and politics, friendships, and loyalty. He will fight in battles and carry invitations to the King's courtroom. But even in all of this, Smuggins knows one thing: as a King's Messenger, his most important task is to make the King's goodness known throughout the land.

Carolyn Clare Givens

Carolyn Clare Givens is a displaced Northerner exploring the foreign ways of the South. She works in communications at New City Church in North Carolina, handling much of the stuff that goes on screens or paper (or signs, or t-shirts, or pens, or mugs….). Carrie lives in Charlotte with her literary cat, Lord Peter Wimsey. She has previously bumped around the world, both as a missionary kid and adult. Carrie was part of the publishing process on more than 30 books before launching Bandersnatch. She’s the author of Rosefire, published by Bandersnatch Books in 2021, and The King’s Messenger, released as a new edition by Bandersnatch in 2022.