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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

G.R. Matthews has read 7 of 12 books.

58%

G.R. Matthews

Goodreads Author

Born

in Swindon, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.grmatthews.com/

Twitter

g_r_matthews

Genre

Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction

Member Since

August 2013

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G. R. Matthews is a British fantasy and science fiction author best known for Seven Deaths of an Empire (Solaris, 2021), a grimdark epic praised for its visceral combat, dual perspectives, and rich world-building inspired by Roman and Celtic history.

Born in Wiltshire, surrounded by chalk hills, white horses, and ancient stone circles, he grew up immersed in landscapes steeped in ancient myth. Matthews began his publishing journey with self-published works including The Stone Road—the first of The Forbidden List trilogy drawing on ancient China—and the Corin Hayes underwater sci-fi thrillers, before breaking into traditional publishing with Seven Deaths of an Empire.

A passionate gamer as well as a self-taught guitarist, Matthews brings disc ...more

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Combine Editions
G.R. Matthews’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 1,042 ratings · 387 reviews · 20 distinct works • Similar authors

	Seven Deaths of an Empire 3.71 avg rating — 589 ratings — published 2021 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 106 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Silent City (Corin Hayes, #1) 3.84 avg rating — 96 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Blue Mountain (The Forbidden List, #2) 4.24 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes, #2) 4.34 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Red Plains (The Forbidden List, #3) 4.37 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three Times The Trouble (Corin Hayes, #3) 4.42 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Outlaw Mountain 3.96 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Last Winter Sun 4.27 avg rating — 22 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Corin Hayes Omnibus Books 1 to 3 4.20 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2019 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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G.R. Matthews's Blog

Netgalley copies

Hi,

This book, Learning the Rules, is on NetGalley now, and I know I enjoyed it as did others.

So, if you like RomComs, told from the male point of view with gentle humour and in need of some reviews to get it off the ground and started.

Learning the Rules

NETGALLEY LINK

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Series by G.R. Matthews

The Forbidden List (3 books)
by

G.R. Matthews (Goodreads Author)

4.06 avg rating — 181 ratings

Corin Hayes (3 books)
by

G.R. Matthews (Goodreads Author)

4.04 avg rating — 152 ratings

G.R. is Currently Reading

G.R. Matthews is currently reading

A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #8)

by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 14, 2026 01:59AM

G.R. Matthews is currently reading

Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)

by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 02, 2025 04:00PM

G.R. Matthews is currently reading

Brother Red

by Adrian Selby (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jun 16, 2021 12:47AM

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G.R.’s Recent Updates

G.R. Matthews liked Miriam Michalak's review of Of Song and Shadow (The Six Kingdoms): "This character driven low fantasy was right up my street. 3 very different POV characters gave us a a different perspective of life in the Six Kingdoms, with their stories masterfully intertwined, no-one is quite who they seem. Great world building, " Read more of this review »
May 22, 2026 01:14AM · see review
G.R. Matthews is 20% done with A Parade of Horribles A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #8) by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author) progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 19, 2026 10:43AM · like · see status
G.R. Matthews finished reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2026 02:00AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
G.R. Matthews is currently reading A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #8) by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2026 01:59AM · like
G.R. Matthews and 44 other people liked Library of a Viking's review of Seven Deaths of an Empire: "“The desire for revenge can destroy a person or fuel them for a time, but when revenge fulfilled is an empty thing. In the end, it is how we deal with our losses that defines and guides our future.” Seven Deaths of an Empire is a Roman-inspired fantas" Read more of this review »
May 07, 2026 04:22AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
G.R. Matthews made a comment on T.O. Munro’s review of Lady of the Helm (Bloodline Trilogy, #1) " Me too! "
May 06, 2026 06:24AM · see review
G.R. Matthews and 1 other person liked T.O. Munro's review of Lady of the Helm (Bloodline Trilogy, #1): "Well I liked it!"
May 06, 2026 06:24AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lady of the Helm by T.O. Munro. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lady of the Helm by T.O. Munro <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
G.R. Matthews and 1 other person liked Jennie Ivins's review of Control Point (Shadow Ops, #1): "Oscar Britton took his job seriously. As an officer in the US Army, he helped defend both the country and its citizens. That in and of itself was difficult, but when people all over the world are randomly manifesting powerful magical abilities on a r" Read more of this review »
May 04, 2026 01:04PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Control Point by Myke Cole. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Control Point by Myke Cole <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
G.R. Matthews rated a book it was amazing Learning the Rules by Tom Matheson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 03, 2026 02:14AM · like
G.R. Matthews rated a book really liked it Mirage (Oregon Files, #9) by Clive Cussler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this action adventure. The writing keeps the story moving, but will never set the world alight with its lightning prose, but sometimes for escapism, it is just what you want. Read it for what it is, and enjoy it!
May 01, 2026 12:19PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mirage by Clive Cussler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mirage by Clive Cussler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by G.R. Matthews (?)

“Stubborness isn't a choice, it's a way of life.”
― G.R. Matthews, Nothing Is Ever Simple

11 likes

“I think the measure of advancement depends on where you are stood and from what distance you look. A thousand years ago, we farmed the fields, built towns and defended our land with swords and spears. It is little different now, save for the number of people we have to protect. We still kill with a sharp edge or point of metal, blood runs red still, sons ride off to war and parents grieve. If you look at the Empire in its whole, then it is peaceful. If you look closely, you will see the small wars, the bandits and rebellions. Look more closely still and you’ll see the petty crimes, the struggle to survive, the rich bleeding the poor. Even the soil can turn against its farmers, yielding few crops. Or the weather, a late frost killing the early crops. There is strife and conflict everywhere in the Empire. Everywhere you find men, you find conflict.”
― G R Matthews

tags: advancement, blue-mountain, evolution, fantasy, knowledge-wisdom, magic, power

8 likes

“The fear receded. It didn't disappear. It lurked in the shadows, its claws hooking into passing thoughts and twisting them, turning them from their purpose to its own. He held it back. It was the hardest fight of his life.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

7 likes

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G.R.’s Quotes

“We're living in momentous times, Garion. The events of a thousand years and more have all focused on these very days. The world, I'm told, is like that. Centuries pass when nothing happens, and then in a few short years events of such tremendous importance take place that the world is never the same again."
I think that if I had my choice, I'd prefer one of those quiet centuries," Garion said glumly.
Oh, no," Silk said, his lips drawing back in a ferretlike grin. "Now's the time to be alive - to see it all happen, to be a part of it. That makes the blood race, and each breath is an adventure.”
― David Eddings, Pawn of Prophecy

124 likes

“Could you penetrate this palace, Prince Kheldar?" King Anheg challenged.
"I already have, your Majesty," Silk said modestly, "a dozen times or more."
Anheg looked at Rhodar with one raised eyebrow.
Rhodar coughed slightly. "It was some time ago, Anheg. Nothing serious. I was just curious about something, that's all."
"All you had to do was ask," Anheg said in a slightly injured tone.
"I didn't want to bother you," Rhodar said with a shrug. "Besides, it's more fun to do it the other way.”
― David Eddings, Pawn of Prophecy

70 likes

“But there's a world beyond what we can see and touch, and that world lives by its own laws. What may be impossible in this very ordinary world is very possible there, and sometimes the boundaries between the two worlds disappear, and then who can say what is possible and impossible?”
― David Eddings, Pawn of Prophecy

64 likes

“Misty Sendaria," Silk said ironically. "Sometimes I'm amazed that the entire kingdom doesn't rust shut.”
― David Eddings, Pawn of Prophecy

23 likes

“The first thing the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor's farm. For all the rest of his life he had a special warm feeling for kitchens and those peculiar sounds and smells that seemed somehow to combine into a bustling seriousness that had to do with love and food and comfort and security and, above all, home. No matter how high Garion rose in life, he never forgot that all his memories began in that kitchen.”
― David Eddings, Pawn of Prophecy

29 likes

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