A Corruption of Souls

by Taylor Hubbard

"A knight’s oath isn’t something that should be given lightly."

Deklyn Delonir , Captain of the Order of the Redemptor and Knight of the Hawkeron Kingdom, has spent his entire life serving his goddess and realm to earn redemption for his past sins. Everything he does is in service to his King and the people under his protection and leadership. For his entire life, Deklyn pushed away the deepest desires of his heart, burying them and praying that they never come to the surface.

When his King calls on him for the most important job of his career, one that would put an end to a war against an unknown enemy simply called The Corrupted, Deklyn doesn’t think twice before readily accepting it. Once the job is completed, the war will end and the people Deklyn swore an oath to serve will be safe and the bloodshed will end.

Crown Prince Kai of Hawkeron has never known what freedom feels like. Everything has been lain before him before he was born. Swayed by the whims of a fate outside of his control and duty that is inescapable, Kai doesn’t know who he is. Kai is a political entity, used for his father’s gain.

When his father calls on him to fulfill his duty as the Crown Prince, Kai knows he is defeated. He will be sent to a neighboring kingdom to marry its princess to create an alliance that will provide his father’s military with the resources needed to put an end to the war they waged against The Corrupted. Knowing that his failure to complete his duty would lead to the deaths of many people and the annihilation of the Hawkeron Empire, Kai resigns himself to his fate.

As Deklyn and Kai travel together, they quickly learn that through the struggles they face and the desires that come to the surface, they are more than their duty. As secrets about The Corrupted come to light, they must come to terms with their fate while grappling with the very real fact that they are falling for each other. With the fate of their homeland in the balance, Deklyn and Kai must choose between duty and desire.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Queer, LGBT, High Fantasy, Fiction, Adult

470 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had two distinct, but simultaneous experiences reading this book. One half of me, the cynical half, was rolling my eyes and thought it was a bit cheesy. The other half though, the half that reads enormous amounts of romance unironically, was swooning.

This was a beautiful début fantasy romance about a sheltered prince being escorted to a neighbouring kingdom for his political marriage. One of his escorts is a paladin-type knight who is married to his duty and takes the prince's safety extremely seriously. They spend weeks together in each other's company, and this gives rise to really inconvenient feelings. The prince, Kai, is young and sweet and terrified of his upcoming wedding. The knight, Deklyn, is honour-bound but conflicted - he's never felt anything like this before. All of this takes place on the backdrop of a devastating war against zombie-like creatures which threatens to destroy the nation, with the prince's marriage an attempt to get more military support.

The first 60% or so of this book is just them travelling to get to the neighbouring state, and it is a sweet, sweet slow burn. With both of them drawn to each other but not able to articulate their feelings. When things finally do come to a head, it is the most acutely romantic thing I've read in a minute. Their relationship is doomed, they know this, we know this, and time is running out. There are only 2 sex scenes in this book, but they are sublime, being both extremely tender and crazy hot. These two have wild chemistry, and Deklyn's devotion and protectiveness towards Kai really pushed my buttons.

There's definitely a plot in there somewhere, with some gory action mixed in. But I did find the world-building a bit superficial and incomplete. It was also not copy-edited very well, with a few missing words and typos (which is a pet peeve for me). Ultimately though, it was deeply romantic and well-written fantasy from a new author that I will definitely keep an eye on.

[arin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3,5 stars)

i got an arc directly from taylor in exchange for a review, so here we are !!

light on the world-building, heavy on the romance, this book was a fast and enjoyable read! i was a bit contlicted about the dynamic between the mcs but mostly bcos i have sort of a hang up about age differences, so that took some time to get used to. by the final chapters i just wanted those two to be okay, and the rest didn't matter (also the final chapters were fire, ngl)

the thing i liked most was probably a sort-of unique take on a prince who has to fulfill his duty to the realm. while at first kai seemed sort of too sheltered and a little irresponsible, i grew to admire his will to stand up for himself and protect his own freedom. it's not something you usually get in a royal so it was fun to see someone act differently!

im also quite intrigued by declyn's faith, i would've like to know more about the religion(s?) of this universe, as well as the universe itself. overall, i think that was quite a debut, and i hope it only gets better from here on !! will definitely try to be there when the sequel drops

[Kalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my thanks to the author Taylor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Set in a world slowly being corrupted by mysterious, possessed beings, A Corruption of Souls follows the story of crown prince Kai as he leaves his home to marry a princess of a neighbouring country in order to secure their militaries help in fighting the corrupted. Guarded by two high ranking knights, Deklyn and Sabien, the three spend weeks traversing the sometimes treacherous kingdom on the way to Kai’s new home. As they face both danger and adventure, Kai and Deklyn soon realise they might just encounter love along the way, as well.

I’m a big fan of fantasy with a strong romantic plot line and I loved the chance to read such a well written story by an indie author and adored the romance between Kai and Deklyn. This story is slow burn and far heavier on the romance than the world building, but I definitely found myself drawn in by the mystery surrounding the corrupted. I really appreciated the anxiety rep in Kai and thought his panic attacks and how gentle and caring Deklyn was during them to be both realistic and heartwarming. Personally, I wouldn’t loved a bit more introspection on the ‘falling in love’ side of things, as both characters were far more action than thought based, but I did find their journey to love believable and slow enough to suit my tastes. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Deklyn’s religion and would definitely like to see that fleshed out a bit more in future books.

Overall, I was taken in right from the beginning and was never bored, and found A Corruption of Souls to be an excellent queer fantasy romance, perfect for fans of the prince/ bodyguard trope like in A Taste of Gold and Iron or Reforged by Seth Haddon. Taylor’s writing style was easy to get into and had a great balance between atmospheric description and action. I’d definitely recommend this book and am looking forward to seeing why else the author might write!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. This is very upsetting because the gay fantasy romance subgenre has recently been my absolute favorite.

The plot of the book is solid. A kingdom fighting waves of monsters of unknown origin is in need of military support so the crown prince is sent to a neighbouring country to marry the princess. The king sends two of his best knights to accompany him and on the way one of the knights and the prince fall in love. It's a perfect premise for such a story and it works in what it sets out to do. The pacing is good and there is no place where the story slows down unnecessarily. It's a good and quick read.

Now onto the characters. I really enjoyed Deklyn. I have a soft spot for those loyal paladin types and he was a perfect picture of it. I loved that he could channel the powers of a goddess and how deeply he cared about the people in his life. He was portrayed as strong, capable, and dependable. His POV was the most enjoyable part of the book.

On the other hand, I really disliked Kai. At first, he started off alright, but as the book progressed he got on my nerves more and more. He pursued Deklyn restlessly despite knowing that a) he is engaged and their relationship won't progresses anywhere, b) if they were found out, Deklyn would be punished and he would most likely be okay, c) if he jeopardized the arranged marriage, the whole country would be unable to deal with The Corrupted. There are multiple times when Deklyn tells him no, he purposefully goes to him at night insisting to spend the night together. He knows Deklyn is in love with him and that it's already hard for him to have the man he loves wed to another and yet he doesn't stop. Every time it left a very bad taste in my mouth, especially since Kai holds power over Deklyn based on his status as a prince.
Moreover, despite being the crown prince, Kai has very little knowledge about not only the neighboring country but even his own. I understand he may now know the threat the Corrupted pose due to his father sheltering him but there are some basic things a prince should be taught. He lacks not only theoretical knowledge of basic history, geography, and other things but also any sort of self-preservation instincts. He is supposed to be this cheerful, sweet young man but his selfishness makes him quite unlikable for me.

When it comes to side characters, there aren't many of them besides Sabien. I didn't care much for him, although I appreciate that he was the only voice of reason on the whole journey, always reminding Deklyn about the duty he has to uphold. Unfortunately, that was mostly how far his personality went. Other than that he was shown to be too laid back with his work and not dependable enough. I felt like it was supposed to balance Deklyn out but as a reader, I didn't feel like he had enough positive traits to make him likable. All the other side characters are just there and there isn't much to say about them.

Now the romance. The first thing you have to know going into the book is that there is at least ten years big age gap between Deklyn and Kai. I didn't know that going in and I'm not sure if I have missed something or if there just wasn't such information but I feel it's something that should be mentioned. Both characters are adults and neither is in their teens so it wouldn't scare me off but it's not a trope I actively seek out. I feel it can be very hit or miss and in this case, it was a miss. The romance between Kai and Deklyn is in the well-beloved trope of a knight and the noble he is supposed to serve and it does deliver on this. It also makes sense for Kai to be younger as he is still unwed. unfortunately, the way it was handled wasn't my favorite. Kai is not only younger, he is also sheltered and inexperienced. He is portrayed as a sweet sunshine of a character with a lot of anxiety about his mission. It's often described how small he is compared to Deklyn and he is called "little prince" or "innocent" by Deklyn himself. Because of this, it feels like he is not only younger but also almost infantilized. He often behaves childishly and does things like stomping his foot to make a point. Because of that some parts of the romance gave me a major ick. It felt like Kai isn't just a character who happens to be younger but that his youth and inexperience are what is supposed to sell the relationship. It was very uncomfortable to read in some parts. This with the addition of Kai constantly pushing Deklyn's boundaries despite being told no multiple times made the romance far less enjoyable for me. I know this may not be an issue for someone but the age gap trope is a big hit or miss for me and I don't like when the younger character feels somehow defined by their age.

This is a fantasy novel so obviously we are getting some worldbuilding. Only some, because by the end the things we know about both countries involved and the way magic works are really barebones. We only get as much as it requires to move the plot forward, which sucks because the author has some interesting ideas with the Corrupted and the Redemptor. The characters themselves don't seem to know much about anything world related besides geography. Deklyn uses his goddess' powers but it's somehow different from the magic that's used to enchant amulets or other types of magic. Kai, being the prince, has no idea how magic works, he'd just heard it does. I assume it's just a low magic setting but it doesn't explain the amount of details about both of the countries. And while I don't usually need it in romance, it did at times make the characters feel ignorant and unaware. Still, this is something an avid fantasy reader and people more focused on romance probably won't mind.

The writing style is a little repetitive at times but it reads fast and easily keeps attention. I didn't feel there were any moments where I felt like stopping the book or DNFing it. There are some really good lines Deklyn says to Kai and I highlighted the hell out of these. My one grip was that in dialogue Deklyn uses Kai's name far too often for it to feel natural.

I also had a formatting issue in which the title of the book I assume was on top of the bottom of the page would end up in the middle of a sentence, which really irked me. I can't tell if it's the fault of the ebook or my own Kindle, which admittedly is pretty old but I hope if it's an everybody thing it gets corrected by the time the book's out.

Overall, I'd still recommend this book to people who enjoy queer fantasy romances with knights and princes and perilous journeys. It wasn't for me but I know other reviewers liked it and I think a lot of people will, especially those who don't mind age-gap romances as much as I do. I'm glad I could read it before release and I'll be sure to check out the author's other stuff.

[wis · Rating 1 out of 5]

i have so much to say about how much i fucking hated this book. the worst book i’ve read this year, i think. the writing style was very clearly not for me, which would be fine except i don’t think it ever saw an editor. i’ve never seen so many typos in a single book in my life. nearly every character was so annoying and the pacing was so bad. the plot left so much to be desired considering what it was set up to be at the start (fighting corruption and political drama turned into this weird soap opera that wasn’t even engaging or made sense only to be rushed through the end with confusing action/heroics and a lukewarm resolution that didn’t actually wrap up much of anything at all). i spent the whole time rolling my eyes any time they did or said anything. i hate when authors put characters set up for a slow burn in a whirlwind romance plot. stop doing it.

also begging people to label book genres correctly. this should not be labeled new adult as one of the characters appears to be pushing 40. 15+ year age gaps where the younger person in the couple is canonically under 25 should not be marketed to young adults, sorry.

[✨Meli the bookworm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐ rounded up to 4

A good debut novel!

A Corruption of Souls is a fantasy romance story between a lonely, panic attacks proned, afraid of the dark, immature prince, Kai, who in the middle of a war with unknown forces (The Corrupted) that are little by little decimating the kingdom's troops sees himself betrothed to the princess of a neighboring kingdom in an effort that the alliance would give them the upper hand in the war, and the self-sacrificing, oath before anything else, knight, Deklyn, who is tasked to escort him to what will be his new home (and make sure nothing happens to him before reaching his destination, due to the great importance the upcoming alliance bears on everyone's survival).

Somewhat light in the worldbuilding, the writing is very engaging. I particularly enjoyed the sparring (I mean is there something not to like about the inherent homoeroticism of two men sparring?) and the fight/battle descriptions; they felt incredibly detailed and almost like watching a movie in my head with each turn of the page. I could not get enough of them. I also found myself greatly enjoying the romance development, despite my initial apprehensions due to the fact that there is a 10 year difference between Kai and Deklyn, and that is something that for me can be a hit or miss, depending on how the power dynamics unfolds; both adults, it felt very consensual, and done with care. The pining was lovely and full of tenderness (I am very easy to win over, if a book has one of the mcs slowly and lightly tracing the scars, with their fingertips, and asking the other one how did that happen? You got me in your pocket. Periodt). The smut was also scorching HOTTTTT.

I personally would've loved to know more about the different Orders, if there are any other Orders that can channel any other god or divine creature's power, the use of magic, talismans, that were briefly mentioned along with how exactly did the corrupted came to be. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed the book, feel this is a good debut novel, and I am very excited to read more about this author, hopefully a sequel where [redacted] is somehow still in the picture.


[I receiced an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review]

[Shelba · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 7%.

Something about the writing just isn’t working for me. It took me the better part of the day to read the first chapter. I told myself, “just give it another chapter”, and made it through chapter 2. But then the POV switched, so I told myself, “just give it another chapter”. But I think I could read the whole book by telling myself that I just need to give it another chapter, and the end result would be the same. This is just a book that doesn’t hold any interest for me.

It doesn’t help that I find Deklyn annoying. Is he going to spend the entire book begging for forgiveness? No thanks.

And really, I knew it was better to DNF when not even 10% in, I’m already picking away at the book.

Like, how jarring it was that the first chapter ended with Deklyn lighting the pyre for all the warriors lost and falling on his needs, begging for forgiveness… to the second chapter opening with them all celebrating their victory at a tavern. Um, sure you won, but you lost so many people that you couldn’t bury them, you had to burn them. Doesn’t seem like much to celebrate about.

And then Deklyn goes to bed thinking about the battle from the night before. In the morning, he thinks about the battle from the day before. Which is it, Deklyn? Was the battle one day ago, or two?

And when Deklyn is summoned to see the King, he is certain he is worried he will be let go because of “his performance that led to so many deaths” and in *the same paragraph* worries he will be replaced, “but would they know what Deklyn knew? Would they be able to create a strategy that would prevent needless deaths?” Dek… didn’t you just have a bunch of needless deaths?

And having been on a bit of a queer fantasy reading streak, with royalty having poly marriages, same sex marriages, and a spectrum of genders, with the issue of heirs being solved with adoption or magic… to see “Custom and decorum stated that the male party of royal weddings would pay […]” just was a slightly disappointing line to read. So do two males split the cost? Do two women get a free wedding? Or are same sex royal weddings just a no go? Disappointment cherry on my disappointment cake.

But, hey, the cover is pretty.

[Rita Rubin]

A Corruption of Souls introduces us to a brand-new fantasy world of epic proportions. As well as a romance that will have you swooning and fanning yourself. This is one book you don't want to miss.

[avis03]

OV Autistic MMC

[Fionn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so very normal about this book.
A Corruption of Souls is surely up there as a place as one of my favourites; the world building is light but enough to feel real and alive, small mentions of the cultures and business of the different regions make the world feel lived in, and while I would have loved to learn more about the world and the Corrupted, it was enough to keep me engaged with the story.
The plot is easy to understand, makes sense and has enough twists to keep that uneasy feeling of not everything being okay, without it getting so complex a reader could get lost or distracted from the development of the characters.

Deklyn is the perfect honourable knight fighting with his feelings and his duty, and I adore his character. We're given a glimpse of his past and how he came to be and it really solidifies his character. The concept of the different Orders and the abilities his Goddess grants him are inquiring and I would have loved to have seen more from other Orders but given the focus on the book was on the characters and their romance, it is understandable.

Kai, oh sweet Kai. I really enjoyed his development of becoming a sheltered prince into being someone more willing to stand up and fight for himself, yet still suffering from anxiety and the nerves of such a big mission and change of life before him. The way his anxiety and panic attacks are handled are truly well written, and the comfort found within the reassurance given to him is lovely.
The romance between these two is truly lovely and aching, the power dynamic goes both ways at times with Deklyn being the more experienced in terms of the world and age, as well as physically being the stronger of the pair, but Kai is still the prince, and I rather enjoyed that.

There are not too many side characters, with Sabien being the main and he was truly a wonderful addiction both keeping the lads in check as best as he could, as well as offering the more stern Deklyn a sense of humour and banter. We saw glimpses of other characters, but as the bulk of the book is the three traveling, they are understandably given the most time.

The action scenes are almost as exciting as the spice, and that is truly saying something. The spice within this book is both extremely hot but also soft and you can feel the affection the characters hold for one another.

Overall, Taylor Hubbard's debut novel is truly wonderful, and I will certainly be eager to look out for more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a standalone buuut... if there is more, well you certainly won't hear any complains from me.

[M. L. Valard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I desperately wanted to love this more than I did. The premise is so many things that I enjoy, but in a few ways this fell a bit short for me, personally. Still, that is not to say that I disliked it there was still plenty in it to like. I did enjoy Deklyn's character. I am a sucker for the good knight complete with all his struggles and temptations. I liked Sabien a lot too for all that he didn't play quite as much part. Kai truly did feel like someone struggling to grow into his duties. I appreciate the way that growth showed by the end of the story.

The Kai of the beginning could not have done what the Kai of the book's climax did and that was all character growth that was well illustrated on page rather than any hand waving on the author's part to suit the narrative. That growth felt authentic and I appreciated that. As part of that the romance did work for me fairly well. I could see two lonely people reaching out to each other. It was not at all hard to understand why Kai gravitated to Deklyn especially. There was also some lovely steam and it was quite nicely written. A definite positive

The climax of the story was also quite interesting and very action packed as mysteries were revealed and then everything went down in a few epic sequences. I read through all of it in a sitting, very ready to see how it would all turn out.

I have only a few quibbles that kept this from being a book I loved rather than just liked and I put most of them down to it being a debut book. Part of the beginning felt somewhat overwritten to me, and it took me a few chapters to find may way past it into the flow of the story. Until near the end this also felt far more romance than fantasy to me (which is mostly a me problem) but I will definitely give credit where it's due for the way the little clues throughout all cropped up in the end reveal and gave an exciting ending. Overall, despite mainly some editing things, this was a solid 3.5 stars and I -am- glad I read it. I hope the author writes more.

[Mylee J. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Corruption of Souls" by Taylor Hubbard was an emotion-filled novel packed to the brim with hyper realistic characters, drama, politics, and deception. The characters throughout the novel were easy to bond with and simple to understand, and their problems were true and gripping. Everything about this story screamed "compelling" and "depth". You can tell as a reader that Hubbard has experience with the writing, and displayed it through the manuscript. In terms of modern fiction, this was one of the most relatable fantasy books I have read in a long time. The only thing I found hard to read, thinking in terms of "regular" high fantasy, was the slowness of the pacing at the start of the novel. It could also have used more vivid descriptions - I would loved to have seen more of this world described in depth - but otherwise the novel was well-written and well worth reading. It welded in the emotions of the setting, scene, conflict, and the characters perfectly.

[Aafke · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing style is just so annoying. How often is a name used in a single paragraph? Like every sentence? Ugh, why can’t it just be written as for example:

Deklyn wanted to eat, so he went to the kitchen to grab some food. He sat down next to Kai and he began to eat.

Instead of:

Deklyn wanted to eat, so Deklyn went to the kitchen to grab some food. Deklyn sat down next to Kai and Deklyn began to eat.

Like, the names are used every single sentence! It drove me mad!

Sure, it might be working for some people, but for me it was the mean reason to DNF at like three chapters in.

Sure, maybe the story wouldn’t be so bad? Although I found both main characters rather annoying, especially Deklyn.

I did have hopes for this book, and the main reason to buy it was simply to support a queer writer’s debut, but I was rather disappointed really.

[Luna Fiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author

I went into this expecting gay knights and not only did I get that, but I got a fantasy that gave me major Dragon Age vibes which immediately sucked me in. The characters are well fleshed out, I wasn't left questioning the choices they were making as everything aligned well for their characters. Hubbard did a great job leaving breadcrumbs and clues as to what was really going on that led to a very satisfying plot twist at the end. The depiction of anxiety was very well done and it was nice to see a main character struggle with panic attacks, but also learn ways to manage. The sex scenes were hot but also very romantic, and I loved seeing how vulnerable and loving they were with each other.

[Morgan Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.

I absolutely loved this book. Everything from the setting to the story to the characters had me hooked in from the start. It was a fast and enjoyable read that sucked me right in. I have such a soft spot for the loyal knight x prince trope and this book did not disappoint!

The characters were fantastic; I am so in love with Deklyn, Kai, and Sabien.

While this book was not short on plot, it made, in my opinion, for a really good introduction to this world. The characters, world, and storyline were all laid out really clearly for me and I am really excited to see all of this expanded on later in the series.

Definitely an enjoyable read if you are looking for an exciting gay romantasy.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read much M/M generally, due to my huge bias for female characters, but the premise of this one was just too delicious and I need to branch out anyway.

Taylor did not disappoint with this book! Both characters make strong, vivid entrances that give us a clear sense of their character, and the chemistry is immediately obvious -- along with the obstacles that stand tall and obtrusive in the way of the romance. The main secondary character, Sabian, is a personal fave in the book and a much needed third voice through the journey.

If you love a good forbidden romance, well written anxiety and panic attacks handled beautifully, and strong friendships between men, this is the book for you.

[Janvi Rakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This book was an ARC provided by the author, all words are mine.**

4.5 stars!! Definitely liked the romance, but the plot could have been built more and explored. The book was a smooth read, and I did like the main characters. I think about 20 more pages properly expanding the ending would have been perfect.

[K.L. Ziggler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful romantasy read, especially if you like tropes like Royal x A guard, forbidden lovers, hurt/comfort, and more! Deklyn and Kai and their love completely stole my heart! Very well-written spicy scenes, with plenty of tender moments between the MC's too. I will definitely be picking up this author's future books!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really delightful read!! I wish the ending was expanded on more a bit. But overall a true joy <3

[boundbyfiction · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lowkey tired of the “small powerless prince that needs protection falls in love with the honorable strong older knight” trope. The ending?? I have so many questions.

[Ana-Luisa Anaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Mary Lorraine Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow burn

It takes a while, but eventually the book takes you straight to the romance. There definitely needs to be a second book to explore their relationship.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

my therapy bill is in the mail

[Dorian Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received an ARC copy in exchange for a review**

I absolutely loved this story! It was a fairly quick read and delicious. The villain was expected but it was done in a unique way which I loved.
The MCs were wonderful and I'm going to miss them!

Overall a pretty straightforward story with focus on the romance aspect.