Liberation

The Keepers of Midgate #1

by R.M. Krogman

Freedom to live. Freedom to kill.

A prisoner scarred by his past, suffocating in his desert hell.

A crown prince bound by his family’s tragedy.

A myrprincess stripped of command and promised to a human.

All must shed the shackles that bind them, but the darkness of the world is spreading quickly—madness in the streets, a ravaging sickness of the body and mind, and enemies at every border. Those gifted with magic, those bonded to dragons, those with a heart for righting the wrongs in the world must decide how to use their abilities.

For with freedom to live comes the freedom to resist, to fight . . . and to kill.

Their battles stretch across continents but are more intertwined than they can possibly imagine. Liberation is the first book in The Keepers of Midgate series, an epic fantasy set in a world of powerful elemental magic, sentient but reclusive dragons, and fearsome magical races.

Content warnings: Physical and sexual violence, trauma, abuse, coarse language, war, racism, sexism, classism

Genres: Fantasy

762 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

Rebecca M. Krogman is an epic and dark fantasy author from Iowa, USA.

She writes most of her stories in Midgate, a medieval-inspired world of magic, mermaids, and wyverns, with settings spanning two continents and the sea between. Her work is best known for its deep characterization, emotional and sometimes tragic scenes that leave a mark, and elaborate world-building. When she's not writing about Midgate, she dabbles in dark fairy tale retellings and cookbooks. She will never apologize for describing a tree, as she finds trees to be fascinating and far more alive than they get credit for.

Reviews

[Colleen Villasenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is intense! There are multiple trigger warnings including for rape, racism, slavery, and violence. I will say, I appreciated the way the aftermath of the rape was handled. It was not just something she got over quickly or used to draw strength. She was devastated and felt like her entire worth and world had been torn from her. I appreciated a woman's view of this and the careful handling of the effects on the life and psyche of the victim. The world-building in this book is phenomenal. I loved the details and became totally engrossed in the various characters' story arcs. The characters and their settings show great variety. My biggest difficulty with this book was the way it jumped around. There were 3 separate stories going on and it was often difficult if not impossible to see how they might connect. I sometimes felt that I was pulled out of one story and into another just as I became absorbed in it. One story in particular seemed disconnected and I struggled to see how it might connect with the others. It wasn't until the very end that the threads started to come together but the book ends there on a cliff-hanger. At the end of the book, all but one of the characters is accounted for and I'm wondering if she is considered important enough to follow. I would find it extremely disappointing if she doesn't show up again. I will say, that I found the book captivating and I am looking forward to the next one.

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜]

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[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS THIS THIS. I know the length may deter some but it is WORTH IT. Literally.. world building and character development as well as their back stories! I feel like I really got to know each of them. Dragons AND mermaids?? HECK YES. Also, sucker for dual POV and lover of the guy falling first trope. I don’t want to give anything away just definitely check it out!!

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily all thoughts/opinions above are my own(:

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, wow. For a debut novel, this doesn’t read like one. The author is sure of her work, plot and pacing.

We follow three characters caught up in a prison mine, two of whom have POV chapters of their own and whom, I assume, will become romantically entangled in future books. Both have elemental powers; hers over air, his water. The reasoning for the girl to be there is the only weak part of the book. She isn’t a hero type; her protection in the by-far-male-majority mine is a big guy who cannot speak. As it turns out, she knows sign language and is the only one who can speak with him. They quickly become attached.

We also follow two people eager to assert dominance over their own lives.
* The first, a myrwoman, has had power and is comfortable being a war leader - until her mother informs her one day that she is no longer war leader, that she will be a bride for a landwalker prince as part of a peace agreement. She knows the prince from prior meetings and despises him.
* The second is a young man whose ascension to the throne is being blocked by a high council; his regency. He already has two wives, one with a babe on the way. The regent council keeps ignoring all his suggestions and resisting any effort to acknowledge his kingship.
* Both will do whatever it takes to realize their own destiny.

The book is chonky at 780 pages, and I was a bit disappointed to realize that the characters weren’t going to cross paths in this book, thinking that the author might have told this story in less words. But when I laid the book down, I was happy with where she’d taken us and excited for the next book in the series.

Well done, Rebecca. ::hearty clapping::

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, this book was huge, but it was sooo good. The writing is so rich but very easy to read, the pages just fly by. Don’t let the length deter you, the amount of world building and character development in this book really shines because of the length.

This dark, high fantasy book was amazing. There are three separate storylines with characters that are all seeking their own liberation. Their stories start to converge towards the end, and now I’m dying to know what happens next.

If you like lengthy, detailed, high fantasy books that you are going to spend some time with, Liberation is the book for you. I’m really looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

[K.E. Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC for this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is a book for those who like high fantasy with a lot of cool elements like dragons, myrpeople, magic, political intrigue, and shape-shifting beings. I wasn't sure what to expect when I dove into this book, and there was a lot to go through. All the characters felt fleshed out and interesting. Krogman introduces us to a large world with so many different layers. The twist with Konan was definitely something I didn't see coming and really enjoyed. There are several different POVS, and while all were interesting, I did think the pacing of the different ones was a bit hard for me at times because of the gaps between the different characters' storylines. It was cool to see a minor character from the novella appear in this book. I also though the lore and designs of the dragons was also unique and interesting.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has 3 separate and distinct stories which at first I found a bit frustrating but in fact, it worked perfectly. Each storyline is powerful and beautifully written. I had so much empathy for the character Lyra and fell in love with her. The start of an excellent series. Highly recommended.

[Starfallow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many high fantasy novels in my time and this one is incredibly unique. I love the mix of cultures from the desert mine to the oceans of the mers. Each character’s story was compelling and kept me interested throughout all the changes of perspective. I couldn’t wait to see how all the parts tied in. As Konan, Lyra, and Thordrin try to escape the Tahayi Mines, Reylin struggles to prove he is the true ruler of his kingdom, Syrana battles her fears over being barren, and Taiyuki searches to find who she is outside of her rank. I especially loved the connection between Lyra and Konan. I was so invested in their relationship and the way that they convinced each other to keep living. Although each story seems separate, Krogman ties them together seamlessly at the end. Every plot twist was unexpected and the ending left me wanting more.
I cannot wait until book two comes out!

[Marena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story it's my favorite so far this year. This world is so vast with so many different cultures to enjoy getting immersed in. It follows three different storylines which will start to merge at the end.

Konan, Lyra, and Thordrin try to escape from the Tahayi prison mine. Konan is mute and Lyra knows sign language so he can finally communicate his thoughts.

Crown Prince Reylin is fighting the Council for his right to rule his kingdom.

The Myr Princess Taiyuki loses her rank and is told she is to marry human Prince Godric whom she despises.

In the background, we start to learn of a sickness causing madness leading to great violence and cannibalism.

This world has powerful elemental magic, dragons, and magical races. My favorite characters are Konan and Lyra and how they help each other cope. Konan is my hero I love his heart. Great debut.

[Denise Rolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

If like me you love epic fantasy on a grand scale then this is one I would thoroughly recommend. The multiple character points of view were all interesting and all very different . The world building and detailed descriptions of each part of the world were incredible. You could almost feel the heat of the dessert taste the salt water of the seas. The flora and fauna of each area were given the same treatment, so much so you could picture your self there . I was intrigued to see how the characters were going to come together and just as they did there it was a real cliff hanger of an ending. What else can I say about this fantastic book, oh yes there's Dragons too ,this is one of the best books I've read this year .

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC book to read and leave an honest review. These are my honest personal opinions of the book, I strongly encourage anyone looking for a long sit down with a great book, to feel immersed in a fantasy world, and fall in love with the characters this is the book for you. One word, Amazing! Trigger warnings for this book include violence, rape, racism, and slavery. It's a pretty lengthy book but do not worry it is 100% worth it. The amount of work that went into character and world development was phenomenal. This book is a must-read, especially if you're a fan of multiple POVs and mystical creatures!

[B M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liberation by: @r.m.krogman
5⭐️’s

This epic fantasy is incredible!!!
The world building is vast and very well constructed. It grips you tight, pulling you into the world of Midgate. The characters are all strong on their own and they keep you wanting more as you read through all the different POV’s. I found myself caring for all of the characters, but Konan and Lyra story spoke to me the most.

This book has everything. Morally grey characters, magic, mermaids and Dragons (because who doesn’t LOVE dragons!!) If you are looking for a book with rich character and cultural history and amazing story telling, you’ll want to read Liberation!

[Deborah Svensson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to believe this epic tale is by a debut author due to the massive scope of the world and it’s inhabitants. The main characters have depth with stories of their own which pulls you in deeper and deeper. I love Konan’s brokenness and how the author slowly parses out small bits of information and how he ended up in Tahayi Mine. I am drawn to Lyra and despise the rape and abuse she experienced that will forever shape her life. However, I love how the two broken people find a sense of calmness together. This story has so many interesting characters and it expands across such a wide area, it just becomes immense. I do enjoy how the story jumps around the viewpoint of the main characters, it really draws you in to each one’s life. I eagerly look forward to reading the next book and seeing how more of the story pulls together and mysteries will be answered.

[Devon Gambrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers.

This high fantasy was hard to put down as the characters were relatable and their quests demanded all the attention. Couple new-found magic, with politics and dragons, and you have a recipe for a great epic. I'm looking forward to the next book!

I received an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

[N. Paranietharan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing plot

Different story telling, and amazing weaving of the characters into the story. Really liked the approach and the pace of the book

[Lara R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything I'm looking for in a good read.

The world building is excellent, the characters have depth, there are a lot of magical beings/different races and intrigues.

It's a multi POV story where the different storylines start overlapping the further you read. This is done slowly and more and more secrets are revealed without taking away the mystery.
Politics play a role as well as intrigues, but there's also friendship, the wish to survive, love, jealousy and some badass female characters.

I don't want to give away too much and will only advice you to give this book a go. I definitely want to see more of this world and the characters in it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mamabookowl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a must-read. Liberation by R.M. Krogman has it all. Strong characters, great world building, and a bonus point from me for featuring sign language.


Liberation is told from different perspectives across the chapters. Some chapters follow a prisoner in a notorious prison camp and the nightmares he endures there. Others follow a crown prince who constantly lives with the reminders of his family's tragedy. And last, but definitely not least, we also follow a crown merprincess who wants nothing more than to fight and protect her people. We also encounter side characters, some the reader will come to love and others to loathe. 


Not only do these characters have such unique names, their backgrounds and stories are also very distinctive. Though they are all so diverse, everyone is searching for the same thing: liberation.


 

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third debut novel of the year that has blown me away. If I hadn't known it was a debut work, I would have assumed it was an experienced author who had been publishing for years as it's an absolute work of art. It's a multi-threaded narrative that is tightly plotted despite the page length and conveys a depth and power that is frankly a wonder to behold. It's powerful and emotive, dealing with some really dark themes without getting bogged down in them. There are some wonderful characterisations and a fully realised world that is imaginative and deep, with magic intrinsically built into the world alongside the politics and day to day grit.

The narrative follows three different threads, utilising five different perspectives. You have Reylin, a crown prince shackled by the council who hold his regency and his second wife, desperate to bear him an heir. Konan, scarred by his past and bound in a desperate mining prison. Lyra a maunderer, or traveller, thrown into the same mining prison and adrift from her family. And then Taiuki, a warleading myrwoman, Second until her mother decides she is better off being married off to a landwalker.

All three narrative threads are fascinating and all bring the characters completely to life. Despite being of very different stations and positions, all of the characters are overcoming their own struggles and so the narrative manages to be incredibly personal as well as threading together into what are clearly epic stakes. They all grow and change as the novel progresses, both for good and ill, which is fantastic writing as you can't help but root for them even when the path they are taking seems doomed to fail. All of them have traumas and flaws, none of them are perfect and all of them make mistakes, yet there is a growth and development that speaks to how very human (or myr, I guess) they are.

And the world building is nothing short of spectacular. It could have felt thin, particularly given how much the author was trying to depict; the royal court and power squabbles as Reylin tries to make his own mark on the throne, the town scape Lyra is introduced in and the life of a travelling group, the despair of the Tahayi Mines and the internal leadership dynamics and a whole underwater court of shifting myrpeople and their underwater mounts. It's a wide expanse to cover, yet it's done masterfully and brought to life in such a way that it feels real. There's also a wealth of magic here and it is built into the very foundation of the world, with things taken for granted and entire civilisations built around them.

This is a phenomenal debut, in short. It's dark and gritty at points and doesn't shy away from trauma and violence. Nor does it magic wand the longer lasting ramifications of the trauma away, instead the characters have to come to terms with their fears, pain and trauma in their own way. By the end of the novel, some of the separate threads are starting to come together and I'm fascinated to see what the author does with them, both in terms of the personal stories of the characters and the larger picture which is still being built up. It's exceptionally well done and one I'd whole heartedly recommend. I'm also pleased to see that the sequel is already out, and have immediately gone to pick that up!

I've said it for another book this year and I'll repeat it now; this is a frankly astounding debut novel. In fact, we can scratch the debut. This is just an astounding novel.

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, we meet many different characters and get to know the story from their viewpoints.
It starts off with Konan in the prison mines of the desert, Lyra is a traveling "maunderer" who has been captured and sent to the prison mine and Thordrin is another prisoner who has morals and helps Konan save Lyra. Their journey is one to try to escape the mines. In another part of this world is Prince Reylin, a young man trying to prove his worth and ascend to King. We also get the perspective of second and Chosen wife Syrana while trying to become pregnant. And finally in a water kingdom, we follow Taiuki, a third born royal who wants to lead the armies and not deal in political maneuvering.
This is a longer book, definitely can be daunting to someone not used to reading larger books. But there is so much world building and learning about all the different characters. And there are many characters to learn about. It did start a little slow to me personally, but definitely makes up for it. Once you get into it, you just have to know what will happen!
While none of the character sets are in the same area of this world, there are things happening that will slowly affect them all. The main thing being a disease of "madness" spreading throughout the world. It is interesting to see all the different attitudes taken towards it depending on which part of this world the characters are from.
I usually make notes in my phone as I go to help me remember what to write for a review, but all my notes are questions I either got the answer to or are still waiting on! Other things I did note to remember to mention were water dragons! The are myr people and one of them discovers the amazing water dragons.
There is a lot of death and trauma packed into this book as well. There were several very emotional parts of this book and I really felt for the character(s) affected. I definitely am still curious to find out what will happen after the story lines converge and will put the next book in my TBR.

[Jonathan Van Crumpet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic-ness on a truly massive scale. This book is based around three separate groups of characters, all in different countries, and all suffering from loss, desperate for freedom and a sense of belonging. Along the way, they discover secrets about themselves and those around them, until eventually fate will bring them and their new-found magic together with a common purpose.

It took me a good few chapters to get into this one, largely because of the various points of view it switches between, but, once I had engaged with the protagonists (and worked out which ones I wanted to like), I was gripped - so much so, that the ending (cliffhanger) came as a complete shock.

The world-building is excellent, describing the different cultures through landscape, food (always my favourite method), dress and daily activities.

The plot builds slowly but always has a sense of forward motion. The feel is bleak at times and definitely on the darker side (a fair amount of death and violence) but is relieved by moments of beauty.

I recommend this book for epic / high fantasy fans who are wanting something big to get their teeth into, and don't mind being immersed into the rawness of life.

[Andrew Platten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-deserved semi-finalist of the prestigious SPFBO awards

If you love getting fully immersed in a rich, character-driven story, Liberation is an absolute gem! I couldn't put it down. Don't let the fewer ratings here fool you—Rebecca (R.M.) Krogman primarily sells her books directly on her website, rmkrogman.com, where she also has a fantastic blog and newsletter.

This debut is a slow-burn, multi-point-of-view epic with over 700 pages of pure enjoyment. Halfway through, I was amazed to realize it was her first novel—it reads like the work of a seasoned author. Krogman has crafted a dark, mesmerizing fantasy, and she thoughtfully includes trigger warnings for topics like physical and sexual violence, trauma, and abuse, which she handles with care and respect. The magic system and the unique undersea world where one of the main characters story begins were real standouts for me. I’ve never encountered a world that integrates Myr and their animals so brilliantly. Can’t wait to read the second book in the series.

[Stacey Markle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a BIG story and not just because of the page count. This is truly an epic fantasy story, full of magic, dragons, a myr princess!, and some other amazing characters.
I'm stunned this is a debut and I will be reading book #2 very soon.
There are 3 distinct stories here, we see their tales unfold from different points of view. I have my favourites but I won't disclose that so I don't spoil anything. It was an interesting take to have the stories stay separate to the end (and what an end it was!!) I do think it works here though. I'm invested in all three storylines!
Definitely dark and challenging, this was really up my alley!
My rating is 4.5 rounded up for GR

[Nevaeh Ruegger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book....My full review can be found at Nevy's Bookshelf

[Geetha Krishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations of this, but I found it sadly lacking. There's a lot of details that could have been cut with no change to the overall plot. As it is, the pacing was too slow and the plot got bogged down with a lot of extraneous details that prevented this reader from enjoying it.

That said, it's a well written book with fleshed out characters and an enjoyable storyline.

To me, this is a book that didn't live up to its potential. It wasn't my cup of tea.