Skip to main content

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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen

Book Title: The Light of the Fireflies Author: Paul Pen Translator: Simon Bruni Genre: Fiction, Thriller Rating: 4.5/5 stars Goodreads A haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places. For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns. He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away. A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know t...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the Night Falls by Glenn Rolfe Book Review

  Title: When the Night Falls Author: Glenn Rolfe Series: Until Summer Comes Around Book 2 Genre: Horror Published: 6/11/24 by Flame Tree Press I received a copy for review through NetGalley.   A group of vampires descend upon a beach town after a documentary airs about the killings that took place there years ago. These vampires seem set on getting to Rocky, and leave a large body count in their wake. When the Night Falls is the sequel to the beach town vampire story Until Summer Comes Around. This time the story is a little bit darker and a little bit bloodier. It takes place in the 1990s with plenty of fun nods to the decade to set time and place. I would highly recommend this series to fans of vampire stories. These are fast fun reads for summer. My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Post a Comment
Read more

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

  Title: Don't Fear the Reaper Author: Stephen Graham Jones Series: The Indian Lake Trilogy Book 2 Genre: Horror Published: Feb. 7, 2023 I received a copy for review through Negalley. Jade Daniels is back in Don't Fear the Reaper after 4 years away. This time around there is an escaped serial killer on the loose in the aftermath of a terrible blizzard.  Jade and Dark Mill South are both super unforgettable indigenous characters. Dark Mill South is on a rampage of revenge. He is such an imposing antagonist. Jade has grown a lot in the last 4 years through trauma. She no longer wants to live a slasher, because she has already been through one. She will have to utilize her boundless knowledge of the genre against such a formidable opponent.  Small town Idaho in a freezing cold blizzard creates a fantastic backdrop for a whole bucket load of carnage. There was a frozen lake, mountains of snow, depending on snowmobiles to get around. I could feel the cold on every page. It...
Post a Comment
Read more