Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews

Title: Seven Deaths of an Empire

Author: G.R. Matthews

Published: June 22, 2021 by Solaris/Rebellion Publishing

Genre: Grimdark Fantasy

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy for review.

What's It About: Seven Deaths of an Empire is a grimdark fantasy story that chronicles the power struggle after the death of an emperor. Inspired by the real life Roman Empire this story is told in duel perspectives. General Bordan is trying to ensure that the succession of the empire goes smoothly to prevent civil unrest and political upheaval. While Apprentice Magician Kyron is assigned to return the emperor's body safely to the palace. These are not easy tasks with the forests full of rebels, and there are people hungry for power, plotting to take control.

My Thoughts: This book has one of my favorite fantasy elements where a young inexperienced person is sent on a very important mission and learns a lot along the way in the main character Kyron. This is not your typical fantasy story though. It is most definitely grimdark. It is full of death, ulterior motives, war, and betrayal. The plot is really great. It has a great mix of heart, mystery, nail-biting anticipation, and dread.

The writing is good with great character development. The story would have benefited from more descriptions especially in the first half. There are some really well described action scenes. Other parts depended too heavily on dialogue to give the information of the world. More description of the setting and actions would have shown a clear picture of the world instead of only through dialogue.

The world is well fleshed out. There are interesting social divides between the people of the empire and of those living in the forest tribes, as well as between priests and magicians. These conflicts are fascinating to read about.

The characters are wonderful. Full of people to love and love to hate. I was left dreading that some of my favorites would be one of the seven deaths mentioned in the title.These are characters to become attached to as you follow them on such a long journey.

Overall, this is a great story with high stakes for really great characters that is definitely worth a read. I would recommend it to fans of grimdark fantasy with plenty of mystery, political intrigue, and dastardly plots.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

An Unbreakable World by Ren Hutchings Book Review

Title: An Unbreakable World Author: Ren Hutchings Genre: Science Fiction Published: 09/09/25 by Solaris I received a copy for review through Netgalley. Page Found is a petty thief who has lost her memory who is kidnapped to take part in a heist with Maelle. Dalya is being trained to be her uncle's successor in his government leadership role on Teyr. This space opera is told from multiple perspectives. It is full of political intrigue, unlikely friendships, and revenge. There is also a alien threat to the human race and an epic heist. There is a lot going on in this book, and it is all a lot of fun to read about. I wish there was more of distinctive connection between Page Found's story and Dalya's, but I also like being able to make my own conclusions. I would recommend this book to fans of space operas who think they would enjoy the elements I mentioned above. My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden Book Review

Title: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs Author: Rebecca Gransden Genre: Weird Fiction/ Horror Published: 10/30/24 by the author I received a copy for review from the author. This collection of 14 short stories that are full of imaginative scenarios. The ideas are truly unique which helps to draw you in. Imagine taking a friend's pigeon to the vet leads to an underground cult. Imagine a sentient turducken escaping its packaging to explore the world. These are just of a couple of the outrageously weird concepts explored in this collection. A couple of the stories are written a very fever dream kind of way that makes following the plot difficult. I don't fault the experimental writing, but I personally do not enjoy the confusion they left me feeling. The rest of the stories I enjoyed. The standout stories for me were SparrowEyes, with its creepy setting and creature, and Happy Bunny, with a person in a bunny costume getting teleported to various television and movie s...

One Grimm Night by Chad Nicholas Book Review

Title: One Grimm Night Author: Chad Nicholas Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy Published: 10/21/25 by the author Thank you to the author for the copy for review. Six strangers seek refuge in a cabin in the woods during a storm. All have their own stories and secrets to be revealed in this world of fairy tales. This is a great fairy tale retelling that mashes up several Grimm fairy tales and makes them even darker and more sinister. It is very cleverly plotted to give the reader many thrilling twists and reveals. This is a real strength in all of Chad Nicholas' books. It is wickedly entertaining watching all these dark tales collide on one night. I recommend this book to fans of horror and dark fantasy. I also recommend Chad Nicholas' other books Nightmare, Shade, and The Animal. They are all must reads in my opinion. My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mindy's Book Journey

Search This Blog