A complex fantasy full of multifaceted characters and intriguing landscapes.
All's not fair in love and war in this fantasy sequel.
Camich Major, a royal son of Conica, is home for his brother’s entitlement ceremony when events take a tragic turn. His stepmother and lover, Lili, is murdered and Cam is forced to flee the kingdom with his younger siblings to protect them from the political machinations of their older sister, Balia, queen of Conica. Thus begins Cam’s epic journey across the lands of Conica as he struggles to ensure the safety of his loved ones and seek vengeance for Lili’s killing. In his quest for revenge, he learns that there may be a connection between the deaths of his parents and the murder of Lili. And as he searches for the poison that killed his lover, he encounters a diverse group of men and women who reside throughout Conica. There are Plainsmen, Everforesters, and Rainforesters. They are marked by distinct color shadings, dress, and cultural norms. Cam must navigate the expectations and customs of each group of Conicans, which results in side trips, distractions, and delays in hunting down the killer. All the while, the ruthless Balia arranges marriages and executions to secure her power at great cost to both her enemies and allies. Sponsel creates a detailed and colorful world in this sequel to Legacy of a King (2017). The tale is full of complicated political and cultural interactions, which bring the story alive but also can cause some confusion. It’s a world full of unfamiliar names and places, and some terms, such as “ingene,” would have benefited from more explanation. But the author’s characters are nuanced and fully fleshed out. Balia remains a formidable adversary. Unbeknown to Cam, she has kept a pawn to use later in an ultimate act of retribution. In addition, Cam’s tragic and abiding love for Lili is a constant and powerful plot thread.
A complex fantasy full of multifaceted characters and intriguing landscapes.Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5320-8124-8
Page Count: 362
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
A delightful, genre-defying debut.
Historical horror? Dark fantasy? Queer romance? All of the above!
“I was hundreds of years old before I ever met him, but that day we were both young.” While visiting his Florence offices in 2013, attorney Sebastian Grave unearths a bloodstained lambskin glove that belonged to a past lover—a man he’d met in the 18th century. Nestled within this frame narrative is a tale of desire, werewolves, and the French Revolution. In telling his story, Sebastian introduces Sarmodel, the demon with whom he shares a body, and a succubus named Livia contributes chapters in which Joan of Arc, her notorious ally Gilles de Rais, and the archangel Michael all make appearances. First-time novelist Sullivan wields the tools of multiple genres deftly, but what really makes this book special is its central character. Sebastian has powerful magic at his disposal, but he’s also human enough to fall hard for a hot young nobleman. When Sebastian goes hunting for the Beast of Gévaudan, he’s not looking for adventure. The first time, it’s because he can’t resist Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne. The second time, it’s because he dreams of a reunion with his love—even though he knows this is a hopeless wish against the advice of Sarmodel. Using Sebastian as a narrator keeps things light, in part because he has a droll, contemporary voice and in part because it makes the worldbuilding feel natural. There are footnotes, but there are no infodumps. The fact that Sebastian doesn’t know exactly what he is sets the tone for storytelling that leaves a great deal unexplained while providing enough detail to keep the reader engaged. Deploying Sarmodel as a sort of alter ego and allowing Livia to offer her own perspective on Sebastian also adds both depth and charm.
A delightful, genre-defying debut.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781250362766
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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