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A Kingdom of Fire And Stone
Twenty-year-old Althea is a slave in Coralis with nothing but a cloak to her name.
Her exceptional skill at fighting is the only thing keeping her and her found family from death by starvation. One night her world is turned upside down when tragedy strikes. Now she must undertake a journey to Laranthiel, a land of immortals, who trace their ancestry to four flowers created by their lost god, Solis.
Althea must navigate courtly intrigue and mysterious magical factions to save her family from the clutches of an evil overlord.
Everyone she meets in Laranthiel has a hidden agenda and nothing is as it seems. So when Althea encounters Zevriel, a shadowy warrior who challenges everything she's been told, can she trust him, or will he betray her for his own gain?
This first book in a new thrilling high fantasy series transports readers to a world of magical beasts, powerful kings, and a terrifying darkness that threatens to tear worlds apart.
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Her exceptional skill at fighting is the only thing keeping her and her found family from death by starvation. One night her world is turned upside down when tragedy strikes. Now she must undertake a journey to Laranthiel, a land of immortals, who trace their ancestry to four flowers created by their lost god, Solis.
Althea must navigate courtly intrigue and mysterious magical factions to save her family from the clutches of an evil overlord.
Everyone she meets in Laranthiel has a hidden agenda and nothing is as it seems. So when Althea encounters Zevriel, a shadowy warrior who challenges everything she's been told, can she trust him, or will he betray her for his own gain?
This first book in a new thrilling high fantasy series transports readers to a world of magical beasts, powerful kings, and a terrifying darkness that threatens to tear worlds apart.
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
- GenresFantasy
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2023
2 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
A.N. Dawes
2 books10 followersLawyer by day and magic wielder by night. Currently residing in Laranthiel and taking notes.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 8, 2024
Want Need more shadow daddy Zevriel pls and thanks.
Also idk why I keep imagining the Valk as cute chocobos from Final Fantasy when they're clearly a hybrid of a phoenix and one of those giant eagles from LOTR. But the heart wants what it wants, I guess.
On a serious note though, I had fun with this book!
I loved how Althea stayed true to herself throughout the entire novel. Typically with these kinds of fantasy novels (sort of a rags to riches trope), the MC completely forgets about their previous life and that really bothers me. But while Althea was navigating the politics of her new world, she still remembered the old world she left behind.
This book felt like it was setting the tone for a sequel and I think it did a pretty good job with balancing worldbuilding while creating a good story. I'm excited to read more! (And I might be hoping for a corruption arc... 👀👀)
Also idk why I keep imagining the Valk as cute chocobos from Final Fantasy when they're clearly a hybrid of a phoenix and one of those giant eagles from LOTR. But the heart wants what it wants, I guess.
On a serious note though, I had fun with this book!
I loved how Althea stayed true to herself throughout the entire novel. Typically with these kinds of fantasy novels (sort of a rags to riches trope), the MC completely forgets about their previous life and that really bothers me. But while Althea was navigating the politics of her new world, she still remembered the old world she left behind.
This book felt like it was setting the tone for a sequel and I think it did a pretty good job with balancing worldbuilding while creating a good story. I'm excited to read more! (And I might be hoping for a corruption arc... 👀👀)
June 20, 2023
This was so good!! Absolutely loved it- took a bit to get into but couldn’t put it down when I did. Loved the world and the characters- a great fantasy for sure. Low on romance but a bit of tension- hoping things will develop further between the characters as the series continues. Really excellent, well written read!
September 9, 2023
One of the best Singaporean High Fantasy EVER
Rating 4.5, rounded up to 5
Read this if you enjoy:
- High Fantasy
- Slow-burn romance
- Dark romance
- Complex world-building and magic system
- Chosen hero
- Flawed but strong female MC
📚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔: How do I begin reviewing this book? How am I supposed to pass a judgement on someone’s labour of love and passion? AKOFAS is the first installment of an upcoming high fantasy series by Abigail - an indie, self-published author from Singapore. While I’m not too familiar with the publishing landscape in Singapore, I know how difficult it is for authors - especially those writing “non-serious” works like fantasy or romance - to have their works published, seen, and read. So when Abigail first approached me after knowing about WordWanderlust through our 24 Singaporean Books to read post, I was beyond excited! I was so interested to find out what AKOFAS entailed, what Laranthiel looked like, and eager to meet Althea and Zeveriel.
And I wasn’t disappointed.
AKOFAS is constructed with much precision as Abigail’s attention to detail surprised me the most. The way she described Coralis and Laranthiel, the way she carefully painted each scene with masterful prose, and the way she allowed her main characters’ personalities shine, simply took my breath away. As expected of High Fantasies, this book is ladened with detail requiring readers to pay close attention and immerse themselves in the beautiful scenescapes and magic system Abigail has painstakingly created. Main characters, though not entirely loveable characters, are well-portrayed and well-constructed. Their flaws make them human (yes, even though they’re alleged immortals) and I could sympathise with their actions, thoughts, and motives. Zeveriel, however, was a secretive and myseterious yet smoking HOT male protagonist that made my heart flutter one too many times - may new favourite male fantasy character! I love how Abigail allowed the dynamic between the female and male MC to develop gradually, contributing to a “slow-burn” effect. The epilogue that explored Zeveriel’s POV - a breakaway from Althea’s 3rd person POV that dominated the entire book -was a really nice touch that made me crave for the sequel just so I could get more of Dadd— I MEAN, Zeveriel.
Nonetheless, there are so minor qualms that I have with AKOFAS that made it lose 1/2 a star. Firstly, I felt that the sudden disappearance of the side-characters such as Bas and Ven, though unimportant to the main plot, was a pity as I would liked to have seen them contribute more to the plot. Perhaps, the subsequent novels could pick up on these characters and develop them even more? Secondly, I wanted to know more of what happened in/to Coralis although I think this may be explored in the sequel as well.
Overall, I adored this book. I think it is a fantastic display of what a (high) fantasy written by a Singaporean author can look like - a true fantasy novel that is purely set in another world borne out of one’s imagination, rid of needless and superficial sociopolitical references/commentary on Singapore just to qualify it as “Single” or to make it more “marketable”. Currently, based on my humblest opinion, I regard Abigail as THE STANDARD of Singaporean high fantasy that any subsequent local authors should reference and emulate. It is a pity that no publisher, especially a local one, has picked this up as there is so much potential behind AKOFAS. I am delighted to know that Abigail is currently working on the sequel and I cannot wait to join Althea, Zeveriel, and their friends in Laranthiel again. Thorn King, its on sight!
Burn the Darkness!
Rating 4.5, rounded up to 5
Read this if you enjoy:
- High Fantasy
- Slow-burn romance
- Dark romance
- Complex world-building and magic system
- Chosen hero
- Flawed but strong female MC
📚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔: How do I begin reviewing this book? How am I supposed to pass a judgement on someone’s labour of love and passion? AKOFAS is the first installment of an upcoming high fantasy series by Abigail - an indie, self-published author from Singapore. While I’m not too familiar with the publishing landscape in Singapore, I know how difficult it is for authors - especially those writing “non-serious” works like fantasy or romance - to have their works published, seen, and read. So when Abigail first approached me after knowing about WordWanderlust through our 24 Singaporean Books to read post, I was beyond excited! I was so interested to find out what AKOFAS entailed, what Laranthiel looked like, and eager to meet Althea and Zeveriel.
And I wasn’t disappointed.
AKOFAS is constructed with much precision as Abigail’s attention to detail surprised me the most. The way she described Coralis and Laranthiel, the way she carefully painted each scene with masterful prose, and the way she allowed her main characters’ personalities shine, simply took my breath away. As expected of High Fantasies, this book is ladened with detail requiring readers to pay close attention and immerse themselves in the beautiful scenescapes and magic system Abigail has painstakingly created. Main characters, though not entirely loveable characters, are well-portrayed and well-constructed. Their flaws make them human (yes, even though they’re alleged immortals) and I could sympathise with their actions, thoughts, and motives. Zeveriel, however, was a secretive and myseterious yet smoking HOT male protagonist that made my heart flutter one too many times - may new favourite male fantasy character! I love how Abigail allowed the dynamic between the female and male MC to develop gradually, contributing to a “slow-burn” effect. The epilogue that explored Zeveriel’s POV - a breakaway from Althea’s 3rd person POV that dominated the entire book -was a really nice touch that made me crave for the sequel just so I could get more of Dadd— I MEAN, Zeveriel.
Nonetheless, there are so minor qualms that I have with AKOFAS that made it lose 1/2 a star. Firstly, I felt that the sudden disappearance of the side-characters such as Bas and Ven, though unimportant to the main plot, was a pity as I would liked to have seen them contribute more to the plot. Perhaps, the subsequent novels could pick up on these characters and develop them even more? Secondly, I wanted to know more of what happened in/to Coralis although I think this may be explored in the sequel as well.
Overall, I adored this book. I think it is a fantastic display of what a (high) fantasy written by a Singaporean author can look like - a true fantasy novel that is purely set in another world borne out of one’s imagination, rid of needless and superficial sociopolitical references/commentary on Singapore just to qualify it as “Single” or to make it more “marketable”. Currently, based on my humblest opinion, I regard Abigail as THE STANDARD of Singaporean high fantasy that any subsequent local authors should reference and emulate. It is a pity that no publisher, especially a local one, has picked this up as there is so much potential behind AKOFAS. I am delighted to know that Abigail is currently working on the sequel and I cannot wait to join Althea, Zeveriel, and their friends in Laranthiel again. Thorn King, its on sight!
Burn the Darkness!
February 27, 2024
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of the book. I am choosing to leave a review , and all my thoughts are my own honest ones.
This was such an amazing debut! I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. I was invested in the overarching plot, the characters, the magic, the larger themes, and I adored the glimpses of romance that we got. Although it took me a little while to understand the world and the magic, once I got the hang of it, everything was so interesting. The twists at the end were wild and had me so excited to see if any of my previous theories were close (they were :) ). That ending was especially so good and I am excited for what the next book in the series will bring us.
Althea is shown to be a literal fighter. The conditions under which she is forced to live when we first meet her, has the reader's heart absolutely breaking. Everything that happens in those first couple of pages has you feeling deeply for Althea, but makes you all the more excited for her journey. Althea's character may carry immense trauma and weight on her shoulders, but she remains so kind. She is willing to give every bit of herself to make sure that her loved ones are safe. The choices she makes and her willingness to persevere amidst all of the doubt are fueled by one thing, love. Seeing her navigate a new world that she was thrown into really had me sympathizing and rooting for her. I am highly anticipating to see her growth in the books to come.
The Zevriel crumbs were giving !!!!! The minute he was introduced as dark haired, snarky and mysterious, I sat upright. What can I say other than the fact that I have a type? There aren't too many Zevriel appearances, but everything that we were given was so good. The banter he partook in and remarks that he would make were pure gold. I cannot wait to continue to learn more about his character and motivations.
Like I said, there wasn't much romance, but there was tension and I have full faith that the author will reward us in the next book. The tension was delicious and the way that Zevriel would address her had me weak in the knees. Althea and Zevriel have this magnetic pull towards one another, but they must first address all of the secrets, unknowns, and danger that surrounds them. I am beyond ready to see how they grow individually as well as together.
In short, I had a fun time reading this! I recommend this to people looking for an entertaining, easy to read fantasy book with a fascinating world and characters.
This was such an amazing debut! I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. I was invested in the overarching plot, the characters, the magic, the larger themes, and I adored the glimpses of romance that we got. Although it took me a little while to understand the world and the magic, once I got the hang of it, everything was so interesting. The twists at the end were wild and had me so excited to see if any of my previous theories were close (they were :) ). That ending was especially so good and I am excited for what the next book in the series will bring us.
Althea is shown to be a literal fighter. The conditions under which she is forced to live when we first meet her, has the reader's heart absolutely breaking. Everything that happens in those first couple of pages has you feeling deeply for Althea, but makes you all the more excited for her journey. Althea's character may carry immense trauma and weight on her shoulders, but she remains so kind. She is willing to give every bit of herself to make sure that her loved ones are safe. The choices she makes and her willingness to persevere amidst all of the doubt are fueled by one thing, love. Seeing her navigate a new world that she was thrown into really had me sympathizing and rooting for her. I am highly anticipating to see her growth in the books to come.
The Zevriel crumbs were giving !!!!! The minute he was introduced as dark haired, snarky and mysterious, I sat upright. What can I say other than the fact that I have a type? There aren't too many Zevriel appearances, but everything that we were given was so good. The banter he partook in and remarks that he would make were pure gold. I cannot wait to continue to learn more about his character and motivations.
Like I said, there wasn't much romance, but there was tension and I have full faith that the author will reward us in the next book. The tension was delicious and the way that Zevriel would address her had me weak in the knees. Althea and Zevriel have this magnetic pull towards one another, but they must first address all of the secrets, unknowns, and danger that surrounds them. I am beyond ready to see how they grow individually as well as together.
In short, I had a fun time reading this! I recommend this to people looking for an entertaining, easy to read fantasy book with a fascinating world and characters.
August 6, 2023
Rating: 4✨
Spice: No 🌶
I would first like to thank the author for gifting me a copy of this book to provide a voluntary & honest review.
Okay listen, this book was one of those where my rating for it wasn't set until the very end of the book. But after that ending?? This was an amazing 4 star read! This is the author's debut book & I do believe she did an amazing job with it. I enjoyed the plot, really liked the characters & after that ending, I am looking forward to seeing what is to come in this story! I also didn't see some of the plot twists in the last few chapters coming. Now, some of the things that made me feel a bit iffy with this one were the dialogue between characters felt a bit awkward in the beginning, but it improved as the story went on. The pacing at times felt like it was fast at times & then slowed down, but I have a feeling these things will improve in the author's future works!
Althea was such a likable character & one you rooted for from the very beginning. Her story was one of self discovery, as she did not know anything about her past or where she came from. From an early age, she was thrown into a life of pain & suffering, of doing anything she needed to survive & protect those she cared for. You can also see that although she does not see it within herself yet, Althea has all the traits of an incredible leader in the making. And the heart she has & her selflessness guides her to making decisions to protect others before herself. I cannot wait to see more of her in the future.
Zevriel, I'm hooked. His personality & wit was so entertaining to see throughout the book. I love seeing MMCs that are fearsome & intimidating at first glance, but have a caring & selfless nature deep down, one they keep hidden from others outside their trusted circle. He is also mischievous & the banter he had with Althea was so fun to follow. ALSO, his sassy side is top tier. He is a character who just can't help but be intrigued to see what goes on in their head & what drives certain decisions or actions they make.
So to summarize, I do believe this was an entertaining read! The writing & world building was easy to follow & there were side characters you were intrigued by & wanted to know more about while there were others you wanted to do the biggest side eye to & also eye rolls... If this sounds like a book you're intrigued by, definitely give it a read!
Spice: No 🌶
I would first like to thank the author for gifting me a copy of this book to provide a voluntary & honest review.
Okay listen, this book was one of those where my rating for it wasn't set until the very end of the book. But after that ending?? This was an amazing 4 star read! This is the author's debut book & I do believe she did an amazing job with it. I enjoyed the plot, really liked the characters & after that ending, I am looking forward to seeing what is to come in this story! I also didn't see some of the plot twists in the last few chapters coming. Now, some of the things that made me feel a bit iffy with this one were the dialogue between characters felt a bit awkward in the beginning, but it improved as the story went on. The pacing at times felt like it was fast at times & then slowed down, but I have a feeling these things will improve in the author's future works!
Althea was such a likable character & one you rooted for from the very beginning. Her story was one of self discovery, as she did not know anything about her past or where she came from. From an early age, she was thrown into a life of pain & suffering, of doing anything she needed to survive & protect those she cared for. You can also see that although she does not see it within herself yet, Althea has all the traits of an incredible leader in the making. And the heart she has & her selflessness guides her to making decisions to protect others before herself. I cannot wait to see more of her in the future.
Zevriel, I'm hooked. His personality & wit was so entertaining to see throughout the book. I love seeing MMCs that are fearsome & intimidating at first glance, but have a caring & selfless nature deep down, one they keep hidden from others outside their trusted circle. He is also mischievous & the banter he had with Althea was so fun to follow. ALSO, his sassy side is top tier. He is a character who just can't help but be intrigued to see what goes on in their head & what drives certain decisions or actions they make.
So to summarize, I do believe this was an entertaining read! The writing & world building was easy to follow & there were side characters you were intrigued by & wanted to know more about while there were others you wanted to do the biggest side eye to & also eye rolls... If this sounds like a book you're intrigued by, definitely give it a read!
June 6, 2023
If you like magic and strong female leads, this is a great book! I really enjoyed the world-building, how the suspense was created, how the plot unfolded, and how the relationships between characters developed.
The book was a real page-turner for me and I ended up staying up late to finish it because I simply couldn't put it down! Can't wait for the next instalment
The book was a real page-turner for me and I ended up staying up late to finish it because I simply couldn't put it down! Can't wait for the next instalment
July 8, 2023
Would earnestly recommend this book to readers who are fans of fantasy drama and thriller. Althea's journey is deeply captivating!
August 4, 2023
Althea has been a slave fighter for a man, an Elite, in Coralis since she was five. She’s been getting bad headaches every autumn since she turned 18 and one day, a friend of hers, Kylian tells her who and what she really is that changes her whole life and when tragedy strikes, that causes her to act.
The world building and character building is well done in this book! We learn about two worlds, the human world and then Laranthiel the immortal world. Laranthiel is where the immortal Elvrin live and they have four different flower courts. Althea is thrust from one world to another where she now has to learn about the courts and the politics of this new world, as well as who to trust and trust.
There are a few different characters to take note of aside from Althea. First, Althea to me should have been street smart and not very trustworthy based on the world and life she had before. But she comes off rather naive and trusts way too easily. She trusts the first person she meets and what he tells her instead of taking in what she learns and figuring out things herself. I think she learns a lot, but it seems to take a long time for her to learn and when she should be trusting, she doesn’t which is disappointing. I have such mixed feelings about her. I want to like her, but she tends to disappoint me a lot and I liked her more in the human world.
A lot of the side characters are sus and you don’t know who to trust. Kylian is one. He is so sus from the beginning, but you can’t help but like him until he does some things and says some things that shocks me and I’m like, yah I don’t know who you are…
Then there’s Zevriel who honestly, I didn’t like until the end of the book when he seemed to be more himself and less of an annoying version of Rhysand. I look forward to seeing what he’s really like in the next book!
There’s a few other characters we meet that I know will be a found family and I love these other characters already even just based on the small interactions we had with them and I look forward to seeing how this plays out!
Now the story and plot itself felt fast paced and yet not. The best way I can explain is the it felt like two different stores and books because one moment we are in the human world where Althea seemed like a different person and then we’re in the immortal world suddenly where it’s completely different and I feel like Althea is different too. I just think the pacing of the storyline could have gone a bit better or differently.
There’s some twists I saw coming and then there’s one I didn’t and wow did I love it! Let’s just say I love how the villain made an appearance and I look forward to seeing how it plays out with the villain’s identity revealed and how Althea will take it! I look forward to the next book!
I highly recommend this book especially if you love fantasies with Fae or Fae-like beings! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The world building and character building is well done in this book! We learn about two worlds, the human world and then Laranthiel the immortal world. Laranthiel is where the immortal Elvrin live and they have four different flower courts. Althea is thrust from one world to another where she now has to learn about the courts and the politics of this new world, as well as who to trust and trust.
There are a few different characters to take note of aside from Althea. First, Althea to me should have been street smart and not very trustworthy based on the world and life she had before. But she comes off rather naive and trusts way too easily. She trusts the first person she meets and what he tells her instead of taking in what she learns and figuring out things herself. I think she learns a lot, but it seems to take a long time for her to learn and when she should be trusting, she doesn’t which is disappointing. I have such mixed feelings about her. I want to like her, but she tends to disappoint me a lot and I liked her more in the human world.
A lot of the side characters are sus and you don’t know who to trust. Kylian is one. He is so sus from the beginning, but you can’t help but like him until he does some things and says some things that shocks me and I’m like, yah I don’t know who you are…
Then there’s Zevriel who honestly, I didn’t like until the end of the book when he seemed to be more himself and less of an annoying version of Rhysand. I look forward to seeing what he’s really like in the next book!
There’s a few other characters we meet that I know will be a found family and I love these other characters already even just based on the small interactions we had with them and I look forward to seeing how this plays out!
Now the story and plot itself felt fast paced and yet not. The best way I can explain is the it felt like two different stores and books because one moment we are in the human world where Althea seemed like a different person and then we’re in the immortal world suddenly where it’s completely different and I feel like Althea is different too. I just think the pacing of the storyline could have gone a bit better or differently.
There’s some twists I saw coming and then there’s one I didn’t and wow did I love it! Let’s just say I love how the villain made an appearance and I look forward to seeing how it plays out with the villain’s identity revealed and how Althea will take it! I look forward to the next book!
I highly recommend this book especially if you love fantasies with Fae or Fae-like beings! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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January 21, 2024High fantasy reminiscent of LOTR, and with Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes.
June 7, 2023
A gripping and thrilling page-turner! The dynamics of this well-crafted adventure fills you with a longing to jump straight to the finale, and yet forces you to want to immerse in the slow burn – beautifully balanced! Kudos to the author! Now I’m dying to know what happens next! On the edge of my seat for the rest of the Laranthiel Chronicles!
June 12, 2023
The worldbuilding for this book is so good. I love the flower-based courts and how everything ties into each court. Female lead is badass and her journey is well thought out. Male lead is so mysterious and just draws you in. I already can't wait to read more about them in the books to come. The tension is amazing. This ticks off everything I love about fantasy series books. Must read.
June 11, 2023
The plot , twist , intrigue at every turn .. it’s a cliffhanger at every page .. literally . Rich descriptions throughout the book ; I thoroughly loved reading the book.
Am looking forward to the next part of this series ! Bring it on !!
Am looking forward to the next part of this series ! Bring it on !!
June 6, 2023
This book is thoroughly engaging! The characters are well written and the wondrous world that the author has created is rich in detail. The plot twists definitely keeps you coming back for more!
November 1, 2025
This is a great high fantasy read, a solid 4 stars read. It’s the first installment of an going series and a debut novel, which is impressive. Additionally, it’s an indie book. The characters are pretty good and the plot was interesting. And I didn’t think the writing style was confusing at all. That plot twist at the end tho! I wasn’t expecting that. And the tension between the characters is great.
~ January, 2024
~ January, 2024
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews