After the arrest of Chancellor King and the murder of his eldest son and heir, Ghost, the King family and the streets of New York City are thrown into chaos. The throne of Five Points is without a sitting king for the first time since its inception. The vacancy doesn't last long, however, as Chancellor's older brother, Chapman, takes the opportunity to usurp the crown, breaking the line of succession and stepping over his nephew Shadow. Chapman's first act as the new king is to banish what remains of his broken family, branding them enemies of the crown.
The coronation of a new king promises to bring back balance to the Monarchy, but there are some who question Chapman's claim to the throne and refuse to kneel to before a "false king." What follows is a war between different factions of the Monarchy, each with its own agenda, and the crown of Five Points as the prize.

Stripped of all wealth and power, Maureen King and her son Shadow are forced to vacate their family estate and end up back where it all began for them: the slums of Brooklyn. Maureen refuses to sit idle while her brother-in-law reaps the spoils of what she and her husband built. In the raging conflict that ensues, Maureen places a seemingly impossible task on the shoulders of Shadow—to reclaim what was stolen from their family and take back the crown.

K'wan will be joined in conversation by Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez.

About the Author: 

K’wan has become one of the most beloved, iconic Black writers of the last two decades with his artful, suspenseful storytelling and over a million books in print. He has penned more than two dozen best-selling novels, including the widely popular Animal series, as well as The Reluctant King, Black Lotus, and Black Lotus 2: The Vow. K’wan’s writing has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and Time, to name a few. He was the recipient of the Street Lit Book Award Medal in adult fiction in 2012 and 2013 for Eviction Notice and Animal, and has been a recurring guest on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files. 

About the Moderator: 

Tekesha Martinez is the mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland. 

About the Program: 

• To attend in person please register here. 
• Doors will open to registered attendees at 2 pm. 
• Urban Reads will be on-site and have books available for purchase.
• Free parking vouchers are available to program attendees who park at the Franklin Street Garage (15 W. Franklin Street).  Ask Pratt event staff for your parking voucher prior to or after the program. 
• This free event will be presented in-person and virtually.