Throne of Anguish

by Bex Gil

The path to power is paved in blood...

Everyone said Valine’s mother was vain and a terrible queen. She was neglectful of her kingdom, which held the door open for her tributary king, Vukan Wulfric, to overthrow her.

Valine escaped with her life and a desire to regain all that was taken from her. But the burden of being the inept queen’s daughter, and the will to not repeat her mother’s mistakes, weigh heavy on her. As she fights for her throne and seeks revenge, she will be faced with the stark reality of what being ruler actually means.

Bonds will be made and broken. Ancient secrets and hidden magic revealed. Will she be able to not only save her kingdom but also her heart? It takes great strength to start a rebellion and even more strength to resist the dark path of vengeance.

Filled with hope and despair, faith and doubt, Throne of Anguish is perfect for fans of The Girl of Fire and Thorns and Crown of Chains where faith meets fantasy in this young adult debut.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[vyn targaryen ‎♡‧₊˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

~2.5 stars~

Thanks so so much to Bex for an ARC! I'm so happy and honored to have received an early copy <3

Alright, now while this book was far from perfect, I seriously enjoyed it! It was incredibly entertaining and lovable.

I'll start this review with the bad, then turn to the good!

1. The writing. While the writing was super impressive, at times, it was stilted. Sometimes, there was rather purple prose, and at others, the language was very casual. Bex's voice was there, but I think if she'd been more consistent it could've been even more pronounced.

2. The emotions. A lot of the emotion was told to me instead of shown, leaving me wishing I could feel what the character felt, but lacking that connection. For example: at one point, Valine lost control of her magic, and this is the aftermath: "I glanced over my shoulder to see that the ice had vanished. As we walked towards the king's quarters, my relief that the ice had disappeared was replaced with annoyance..."

3. The language and jargon of the characters. For a fantasy setting, a lot of what the characters said simply didn't really fit with the timeline or their own lore. For example, a lot of the characters said modern or casual phrases such as "ok" "yeah" "workout" or even describing a character's heel tendon as an "achilles", which is specific to greek mythology. However, this is a common thing in a lot of fantasy novels that kind of bugs me (and it could just be a personal, nerdy preference) so I don't blame Bex for my annoyance.

4. A few scenes didn't really fit or settle with the storyline, such as when Lux kissed Valine on page 68. I get that it was a set up to their later romance, but it felt a bit out of place.


Now, on to the good- there's a lot more of that ;)

1. The quotes. Ok, damn Bex, pop off honestly. Half of the quotes that are in answer to Valine's questions are absolutley amazing and striking. The way Bex words the dialogue at times is incredibly powerful- here are a few examples:
"Authority doesn't equal capability."
"No matter how dark the night, the morning is sure to come, child."
"Boredome is a dangerous thing, Legate. Especially in the hands of those who have power."

2. Valine. I FUCKING LOVE HER. Honestly, at first, I was a bit bothered by her temper, but her sass and wit is so. fucking. fun. I adore her so much.
Here are a few reasons:
"'Remind me to never get on your bad side.'
I rolled my shoulders. I needed to stretch more. 'I dont have a bad side. They're all equally amazing.'"
"'If you say one more word, I will kill you now- consequences be damned.'"
"'Don't be dumb.'
I walked around her and out the door. 'I thrive on my own stupidity.'"

3. LUX AND VALINE'S ROMANCE. DAMN IT I LOVE THOSE TWO. (I may or not be a major simp for Lux Wulfric. I won't say anything without a lawyer.) The slow step from enemies to friends to lovers was amazing and super well done- and that's a lot coming from me, because I adore that trope. They're so cute- the forehead and cheek kisses had me m e l t i n g.
"I'd give you the very heart in my chest if I could." -Lux Wulfric 🥵😭❤️
(Also, protective Lux?? Protective Valine? cars crashed. people died. the world changed.)

4. Dryden- I love. love. love that leopard. He's so loyal and amazing, and his and Valine's relationship is so realistic and gives me such sibling vibes ahhhh I love them

All in all, a very lovely debut novel and I'm so grateful for the ARC!

[AshleyReadsThings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to start this off by saying this book has christian themes in it, so if that's not something you read or something you avoid then this book is not for you. I personally don't mind whatever themes are in the books I read, I care about how the story is told and how it makes me FEEL while reading it. It's a dark Christian fantasy book.

TW: This book contains depictions of violence, rape, human trafficking, depression and suicide.

Now that that is out of the way let's carry on to my thoughts on the story itself.

“No matter how dark the night, the morning is sure to come, child.”

Valine is presented to us at first as this strong, fighting for the little guy type of person before she is captured and we see more into how broken she has been and is. She puts up such a strong front, but when faced with certain situations she essentially becomes that scared little girl no matter how much she tries to will herself to be brave. Not to say she isn't a total bada** for a lot of the book, but we get to read into a lot of what she hides from everyone and see into her past.

We follow along with her as she accepts "The Creator" back into her heart and and becomes the woman she needs to, to gain the support of enough people to push back against King Vukan. She starts off with nothing but revenge in her heart, but the narrative does change for her has she learns new information and realizes essentially what true healing is. Revenge vs justice.

There is a small romance subplot in this book and I cannot say how broken I felt for Valine at a certain point. Not to say any spoilies, but I was ready to throw hands.

“I know you are tired. I know you want to quit. I know it would be easier if you settle for less, less than what you can do, less than what you should do. So don’t settle. You are strong, and when you are weak, I shall be there to help carry you until you have regained your strength. But do not give up. For if you do, the world will be deprived of what could have been, who you could have been. A girl, who held stars in her eyes, fire in her heart, and kindness in her fingertips.“ Zasper kissed my brow.

Zasper, I might be in love with you. Zasper is one of the friends Valine makes in the book and she is like her anchor in a really rough sea. When Valine was to the point of giving up or breaking Zasper provided strong words and doting friendship.

The way the people that became so important in Valine's life were connected before she even knew about them. I really enjoyed the whole "when the time comes" bits. A lot of people were essentially placed onto her path to guide her to where she needed to get to.

We meet a character named Egann pretty early on in the book and he teaches her to accept the creator and helps her learn her powers. BTW she has ice powers. How cool.

Speaking of ice and things in cold climates, Valine also has a companion. An ice leopard. His name is Dryden and he's pretty great if I do say so myself.

Some tropes you can find in this book:
Enemies to friends to lovers to Enemies
Enemies to friends to lovers
Found Family
Elemental Magic
The Mentor
The Rebel vs The Tyrant King

I cannot wait to see what happens in book two!

This one quote is a spoiler but I love it:
“I’m here, Lux. I’m waiting on the shore.”

I was given an arc of this book and these are my thoughts!

[Manda Simas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 I think this is a great debut novel from Bex and I can't wait to read more!

A fallen princess who's mother lost their throne, thrust into a violent political landscape with a maniacal king. I really enjoyed this journey.

Plot: I think it was great. This book oscillated between character and plot driven. The story captivated me and I really loved the slow burn. I was never bored, but I was left wanting more sometimes. A slower dance, some details in her powers training... Etc.

Characters: this was really relatable for me. Sometimes the FMC was a bit polar but it always made sense to me and was even addressed at times it felt quick. I was there for her spunk and her failures felt real. The side characters were all compelling. I don't think we needed to be outright told if someone was evil, and at times we trusted good a little too quickly, but I was there for the ride. Animal side kicks were an absolute treat.

World: I thought the world was really cool. I wish there were stronger East Asian vibes, because what was there was delightful. The magic system was really interesting and the belief system that surrounded it was cool and didn't walk off an edge I wasn't comfortable with. I think this is a generalized "time with the craft" observation but I have felt that a lot of debut novels lack the time in details and it was sometimes the case here. I needed more castle, more attire (other than Val's), more ice magic descriptions. That said it was there enough to follow well and many times it's lack of importance was needed, showing a good sense for it that I know will grow well.

Prose: Bex has so much potential! She was really readable and relatable in her style. First past was done well and I enjoyed it. I am excited to read whatever is next and this is an author I will be following for more.

Content Warning: though never TOO graphic, there are extremely dark scenes, themes, and triggers in this story. I would definitely agree with Gil that this is upper YA/Adult in content, even though the characters are very YA in nature. There is an offhand swear but placed appropriately for the moment.

All in all I can't wait to see more. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC and for your amazing grace in our communications. :*
@fulltimebookish

[꧁Brutally Honest꧂ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected it to be from reading the description. I assumed it was more for mature audiences seeing how there are trigger warnings in some reviews talking about what I assumed is more mature subject matter. But maybe that word has changed. I think I’ll start making a list of “trigger phrases mentioned in reviews” to stay away from since they seem to point towards a more YA audience/book.

I’m going to rant a bit here so if you enjoyed the book, great. The deceptiveness worked on you and got the intended audience. Leave now and don’t read on. I don’t want to see comments telling me I’m not being fair. Fuck that shit. I’m tired of reviewers trying not to hurt an authors feeling when they’ve done nothing but deceive and lie to get a wider audience to sell their books. Is that necessarily bad? Eh debatable. To you? Probably not because “people gotta sell their book to make money”. But to me, it’s wrong. The issue is everyone is doing it. I cant find a well written book anywhere anymore because places where we should be reviewing these things are bombarded with generic reviews skirting around the issue of bad writing.

Anyways.

I am always astounded by book tropes and the intended audiences. They are never ever correct and there seems to be a very noticeable switch when this started happening (cough TikTok cough). If your book SOUNDS darker and more mature in the description then surely you’ll reach a wider audience. Capitalism 101. I personally hate it but then you have your ARC readers praising a book even when the rating is low and giving generic and overly broad reviews (such as “the characters were relatable although the FC has more room to grow, I still loved the writing!”), without giving exact reason why they disliked the book. Their reviews are always flowery so most of the time you can’t tell - is this book adult? Young adult? Then you go to a review with triggers that SOUND very much like an adult rated book. So, like me, I purchased it only to become once again scammed. Also why is it so hard to write an FC? The MC is always more well written, even the bad ones. But the FC is written so emotional and outrageous and always a martyrs to the detriment of herself. Do women really not know how to write…. Women? Did we really go backwards THAT MUCH as a society? Or are all those family TikTok moms now authors in their guilty pleasure genre?

Back to TWs…

I’m so very over what now I’ll be calling “catchphrase trigger warnings” that are only there to age-up the book. Things like rape, abuse, trauma, gore etc. and isn’t that just awful? Like ok, so those awful things are ok to have in your book but god forbid there is any smut or steam? Ohhhhh no! A FC that is experienced? Hell no! Must be virgins! An MC that’s very loudly a player and likes to use women as warm pillows? Heck yes! Mention that over and over again to make sure we get it! But actual smut? Hell no again! Authors can write all the gory and disturbing things within human nature….. except intercourse. You can talk about unbroken hymens (virginity) and how men get to score but the girls he hooked up with are “whores” and “easy”. Add in swearing and blood and death and you got yourself a YA masterpiece! But no sex!

I’ll leave here but I’m just profoundly tired and disappointed that authors feel the need to embellish their work to sell more. Especially with self published books coming out of the woodwork left and right, you just can’t rely on anything anymore. It makes trying to find books with good writers who deserve more recognition very hard to find. It also makes being a reader who doesn’t get ARC books, who spend their own money working 10 hour days, wanting to pick up something/anything that brings a small amount of peace in their chaotic hectic lives to get lost in an amazing story, be deflated and wary. Pretty soon we are all going to stop buying books so sites like GR and Amazon will be filled with nothing but paid representatives blowing smoke up each others asses gushing about a book they probably didn’t read and a review they probably got off of ChaGHP.

And I don’t know about you, but that makes me hella sad.

[S.M. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political intrigue, unlikely romance, and spiritual struggles; Throne of Anguish has it all and more. This debut novel by Bex Gill will have you laughing from the sassy comebacks of the heroine to crying with her at…well you’ll just have to read it :) The author pours her own trials, journeys, and emotions into this book with a fervor and it shows on every page. The ending leaves you dangling in the best possible way and longing for the sequel. Fans of the YA and romantasy genre won’t want to miss this passionate and moving piece when it comes out December 5th!

[Colleen Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was an ARC reader for this book, but didn't finish before the release date of December 5th, 2023.

This book had SO much potential. I had high hopes going into the read because I've been looking for more Christian fantasy books, but ended up disappointed on multiple fronts. It wasn't all bad, though; there were some good things about this story and I'll include those first.

Most of this review contains spoilers, so read at your own discretion. 


WHAT I LIKED

I loved the premise of matriarchal queens always bonding with the ice leopards.

I liked that Valine's mother was inept, and that Valine had to prove herself as a worthy queen in order to gain the support of the forces that would help her take back her birthright.

I liked the twist in the love interests, that it was originally Sebastian (the Legate) but flip-flopped to Lux (the crown prince) even though the execution of both could have been done a lot better.

I liked her quest for justice and protecting those who can't protect themselves (AKA the women Vukan used and abused, standing up for the boys forced to fight to the death, etc.).

I liked the magic system, though its introduction and development has a lot of room for growth.

I liked the Christian themes, though if the author's intent was to show a struggle of faith, it did not come across well.


OVERALL THOUGHTS

In general, I avoid first-person narratives for exactly the reasons I encountered in this book. The MC is supposed to be strong, sassy, and confident, but she comes across as whiny, childish, petulant, and as mercurial as the usurper who took her throne.

It took 20% of the book for the plot to pick up, which is part of why it took me so long to read (33 days when I technically had less than a month as an ARC). By the end of the book, you find out that Valine has been "imprisoned" in the capital's fortress for almost a year (with a few periods where she "escapes" but then decides to return), but there was zero reason for it to take that long. 

There was nothing looming over her head like an execution date for her to fight against. That was my main issue with this book—there was no real driver for her to retake her throne. At the start of the book she's captured by the usurper's forces, but then she just sits around in the castle for weeks and months on end vacillating between "I'mma stomp the usurper to my throne!" and "I must lay in bed for weeks because someone died believing in my cause." She's not in the dungeon, she's not really restricted from moving around, and apparently she also gets money because she buys people gifts. 

While yes, she does make friends and some of those friends die because Vukan is a dick, there's just no driving force to push her toward a meaningful confrontation with King Vukan, nothing pushing her to escape the castle except the inconsistent threats against her life or freedom... She leaves the castle multiple times but uses exactly zero of those excursions to actually escape and regather her rebellion troops until the end, when her life is ACTUALLY in danger because of a really poor decision made under romantic circumstances. 

I read the whole book because I was hopeful that there would be another turning point like at the 20% mark where things progressed and the pace picked up, but the author had multiple chapters and scenes of relatively pointless emotional reflection and conversations that really did nothing to move the plot forward. On top of that, the amount of worldbuilding infodumps that happened made it hard to actually understand how the world worked, where each of the kings / kingdoms were, and the overall politics. We get some pretty random introductions of pirates (who get sidelined for a good bit) and a previously unmentioned people group apparently legendary for their fighting skills who come out of left field to help her win in the final battle. 

But ultimately, and this is the most spoilery of the spoiler bits, Valine was robbed of the climax of her own story. It should have been Valine and Vukan facing off against each other and fighting, but instead, Lux (the crown prince) uses his fire magic (surprise!) to slowly roast his father in a bid of vengeance for having been wronged his whole life. Valine stops him from finishing the job, but as a reader I felt absolutely jilted because the entire setup of this book is that Valine is going to regain her throne from Vukan, and instead, her forced-upon-her-husband-of-usurper-descent is the one who "bests" the villain instead of Valine, the protagonist. Lux doesn't even come onto the radar as a good guy until the last quarter or so of the book, and while it's a nice twist, it doesn't happen organically and felt forced.

The last couple chapters of the book did nothing except set up the next book. She should have ended this book when Valine was crowned Queen. And, unfortunately, because those last chapters were only book 2 setup, I was confused about what could possibly remain, and was left feeling strung along. 


OTHER NOTES FROM WHEN I WAS READING:

CHARACTERS

I wasn't sure how old she was supposed to be. Maybe 19? Most of the time, though, she acted like a petulant, pretentious child. She's flighty and impulsive and doesn't seem to overcome either flaw in the whole story. I was confused by a few places where it was supposed to show how long it's been between the coup and her capture, as it seemed inconsistent. 

We don't find out until HALFWAY through the book what Lux or Sebastian look like, specifically with hair length. While they may have been described earlier in the book, the descriptions didn't stick, and she didn't remind the reader of their looks throughout the book except for some mentions of how their eyes looked when they smile. The hair length detail seems important to me because it's "raven black", straight, and waist-length. The only reason I know that this story was supposed to be based kind of on people of Asian descent was the author's Instagram reels. I couldn't picture ANY of the characters in my head otherwise. I'm still not sure what Valine herself is supposed to look like. 

60% of the way in, Valine conveniently mentions that she knows literally the richest and most legendary pirate in all the world, and that he just so happens to be a friend she met when she first escaped the coup that killed her mother and dethroned her. 

There's a lot of unnecessary information about side characters given (occupations, what they got up to while Valine was sort of imprisoned but sort of not, things that do not do anything for the plot).

The flashbacks were executed poorly and did more to interrupt the flow of the current narrative than they did to provide relevant information for the chapter at hand. 

Valine cries WAY TOO MUCH. There is just way too much mention of snot for a competent 19-year-old rebel princess trying to take back her throne. Why is she so emotional and volatile? At the end, she shows herself to be just as mercurial as Vukan when she decides to execute Gabrys (Vukan's brother), who showed up on her doorstep AFTER the climax, with an entire army... AND HE SURRENDERED. There's no real reason given why he's executed, unless it's for his crimes before this book starts, but in my reader mind, Valine should have handled that way differently.


WORLD

We find out about the ice leopards being bonded to Polaris Queens relatively early on, but Valine doesn't go seek out hers until maybe a quarter into the book, and then we don't see the leopards again until over halfway. If they are such an essential part of the story, then the leopards needed to be present way more, and be way more integral, and not be mentioned and then just dropped.

Additionally, when she DOES go get her leopard to actually take him with her for the rest of the story, the author completely skips over showing that happening (which would have been a great opportunity to show more about the leopard culture) and instead jumps forward to Valine waking from a nightmare and then cuddling into her leopard. Who she's only officially met once "on screen."

There is a lot of worldbuilding infodumping not just in the beginning, but also all the way through all the way to the end, when it was unnecessary.


OTHER THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME

Way. Too. Much. TELLING.

A lot of "I was", "I decided", PASSIVE telling language that honestly was hard to read, and made it hard to visualize things. Valine named her emotions far more than describing the sensations those emotions caused, which would have done a much better job of getting the reader to connect with her as a main character.

The author was inconsistent with timing and flow of events. Toward the end when Valine is told she's marrying Lux, it's supposed to be "tomorrow night" but when the next day happens she talks about the previous day as if it was "a few days ago". This happens in multiple places.

The author had a tendency to have characters wait for "minutes" or have "minutes of silence". IDK if the author has actually sat around for literal minutes in silence with other people watching, but it's awkward AF. She really should have changed all those instances to "moments" instead. 

The author used a lot of modern slang like "gonna", and vacillated between highbrow prose and casual modern language. In a true high fantasy world with royal kingdoms, I don't think that kind of flip-flopping would happen. Valine didn't really have a consistent voice, even though she did have some great zingers of dialogue. 

Lux (the crown prince) was a lot more emotionally stable and royally minded than Valine (comes out toward the end when they're planning the final battle and Valine is trying to refuse to let anyone else die for her… after gathering her army to fight (and die) for her).

The dark-skinned ethnic people in this book (from Eboc) have a language with legit Swahili words I immediately recognized and associate with The Lion King, so it pulled me right out of the narrative: "asante sana rafiki". 


WHAT THIS BOOK COULD HAVE BEEN

It was clear by the first 15% into the book that the author did not use any professional editors.

A developmental editor would have helped fix all the above mentioned issues with the story, a copyeditor would have tightened the language and resolved consistency and timing issues, and a proofreader would have picked up misspelled words, misused words ["shuttering" instead of "shuddering"], missing commas, etc. 

As an author myself, I understand that it's expensive, but it is also has the most return on investment. What sells the second book in a series is the first book being good, and I can't honestly say that this first book was good. To me, professional editing is the most important thing a book can go through (besides cover design) because it's what makes the story become what it's meant to be. 

Throne of Anguish had the potential to be a really strong book about a rebel princess taking back her throne, but it was muddied by her unnecessarily wild emotional swings, a huge detour into a romance subplot, not having a strong driver for her to actually take action, and way fewer ice leopards than were promised. I think villains / antagonists need to have at least some redeemable qualities, and Vukan literally had none. Zero. He was only depicted as a vile, evil, cruel, manipulative, addict of a king, so much so that his own son turned against him in the end... but for some reason his nephew stayed loyal. Vukan had nothing except the power of fear over his family and his subjects, so I was honestly surprised that anyone remained loyal to him after he showed his true colors. 

I wish I could have given this book a higher rating. I wanted it to be an amazing, grippy story that sucked me in and effortlessly kept me turning pages, but it didn't. I hope the author can find the funds in the future to give her books the professional editing they deserve, because we need more Christian fantasy in the world and this has the high potential to be phenomenal... just not how it was written upon its release.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Valine’s mother was High Queen, atleast, until one of her tributary kings, Vukan Wulfric, killed her and took her place. Having fled shortly after her mother’s death, Valine has returned to reclaim her rightful place on the throne.

Though the writing is a little more simplistic and dry, I really do love Valine as a character. Her spunk really drove the story, even if she broke her princess facade on occasion and let her young emotions overcome her. I especially loved her relationship with Zasper and Dryden (&& Dryden’s relationship with the bb dragons!).

I honestly feel like the book would’ve benefited from being a bit longer in order to flesh out some of the relationships as well as giving adequate time to training & battle scenes.

All in all, this book is a great introductory fantasy for a YA audience (though there are some darker elements that should be looked into before jumping in as a younger reader).

⚔️ magical discovery
⚔️ animal familiar
⚔️ enemies to lovers
⚔️ religious themes
⚔️ rightful heir to the throne

I am excited to see where this story goes and to read more of Bex’s work!

[Katelyn Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO GOOD. I laughed, cried, and had full body reactions to the events that happened to these characters. If you are a Christian and like fantasy I highly recommend this book! It brings in teachings of Christ in some of the hardest things people can go through like betrayal, anger, vengeance, and regret while following the normal tropes and actions in a fantasy book.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main character Valine gives Celaena Sardothien energy and I 👏🏻am 👏🏻here 👏🏻for👏🏻 it.👏🏻

Action, adventure, training for battle, war, alliances, broken trust, and then two creepy beings showing up to give a terrifying prophecy?
This book was such a good fantasy read, I was vibing the whole time, and I CANNOT WAIT for book 2!!!

[Ember Holt]

I'm not sure if this book is not for me, or just not for me right now, but I'm going to take a break and come back to it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Valine was such an admirable main character, and I loved how she kept persevering through all of her challenges.

The world-building was well executed and it was easy to follow throughout the story. I was able to remember all of the regions, and there is even a map at the beginning of the book! Maps are hard work, so that is super nice.

The plot was well-thought out, and it was easy to follow like the setting. I really liked the writing style, too. This book has the same vibes as Red Queen, This Woven Kingdom, and even a few Kiera Cass books.

I also appreciate the Christian themes. This book’s mentioning of God (The Creator as referred in the book) is a breath of fresh air!

I only docked a star because I felt that I’ve read a similar story to this before, and I feel that Valine’s relationships could have gone a bit deeper.

Thank you so much to Bex Gil for sending me this as an ARC! I look forward to reading the next books in the series!

[Riona Fryer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Just promise me, that even if one of us reaches the beach, that the other won’t be left behind. ”


Okay! I’d like to start off by properly apologizing! Received a copy of this book ages ago, in exchange for a review! Unfortunately, I was then thrown into a spontaneous biology class with something like 17 hours of homework each week! This is the first time I’ve managed to read a book all year!

Reading this story brought back a lot of familiar feelings to reading K. Arnold’s Damsel! That book absolutely gripped me, and dos did this one!

Starting off with some of the things I really enjoyed:

Characters! I liked the way the characters were handled in this story in almost every case! Especially the Wulfric and associated children (Yes, even Sebastian)- they aren’t immidiatley villainozed, and you get a really strong sense of their individual histories and personalities! They are all a product of their environment, and that comes across well!

I also liked how bold Valine, our protagonist, was! It meant she was always taking some form of interesting action- usually with unfortunate consequences. She was easy to root for because her goals were incredibly strong!


I also liked how the narrative wasn’t afraid to timeskip instances of several days or weeks. It feels like many stories nowadays fight to cram the entire narrative in a relatively short amount of time, but this depiction proved a lot more realistic.

Also, there were some amazing quotes! Zasper’s speech in chapter 6 stood out to me especially!



If I had to offer any critique, it would be that sometimes the language used feels a little bit too modern for the setting this book is emulating.
I’d really love to see the prose fleshed out a bit more. This could be a personal thing, but I had a little bit of trouble envisioning the setting sometimes. It was quick-which is not inherently bad by any means- but some descriptions should have used a little more time!

Without spoiling too much, I will say it would have been cool to see some of the concepts introduced later in the story hinted at earlier.

And finally- THAT ENDING! I’m intrigued! Can say that for sure!!!

So yeah! Over all, huge congratulations to Bex for getting this book out!! Keep up the great work! :)))

[Stephanie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I may not have a throne to sit on, but make no mistake, I will always be queen. I will not be tamed, I will not be timid. Make no mistake, I will get my kingdom back.”

This book is a Christian fantasy book, but it doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the world. Valine lost everything as a child. Her throne, her family, and her will to live. She finds a new family along the way that makes her believe that she can and will be able to fight for her birthright. But there is a cost to this fight which sometimes threatens to tear her apart. Valine has to learn how to wield her powers, build an army, and forgive those that took her family from her so that she can become a fair and just queen.

The Christian themes throughout the story were executed well, in my opinion! I don't always gravitate towards Christian labeled books because I've tried several that were too preachy or just not well done. I didn't have that problem with this book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I wish more time had been spent developing the romance and other aspects of the story. At times it felt rushed or a scene change felt awkward. Still, I liked most of the writing, and I did find many quotes that were beautifully written.

"If ruin was all I could bring, then I would bring it to this castle and the monsters within its walls. I would bring ruin to them all."

“I’d give you the very heart in my chest if I could, I’d burn down your enemies with a single word, and I’d throw myself in front of any danger to protect you.”

Did I mention there is an ice leopard companion??

Thank you to Bex Gil for the ARC copy, so that I could give an honest review on her debut novel! Recommended for 16+.

[Jacquie Stubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor to receive an ARC ebook and I am happy to give my honest review.

This is a debut novel by Bex Gill that I think is going to be a duology, it is rated as a YA dark Christian fantasy, and while it has some Christian themes it is not over the top and fits in well with the overall story. From chapter one you realize that this book will deal with some tough topics and its very heavy at times, but they are dealt with, very skillfully and not too graphically.

We meet Valine the FMC, who is a strong, sassy, brave young woman, who just makes you want to root for her. Her mother lost their throne and although she’s a princess she has nothing and no-one anymore. She puts on a brave face until she is captured and brought before King Vukan (he’s a maniac!!! With the nastiness of Lord Bolton from Game of Thrones!!!)

Although all Valine wants is revenge against the king, through certain incidents during the book she looses her bravery, but with the help of other characters Zasper, Egann and her new found faith in “the Creator” her fight becomes, a fight for justice and she regains her strength! She also finds her magic and has a snow leopard as her companion, love Dryden!!

“No matter how dark the night, the morning is sure to come child”

There is an enemies to friends to lovers romance in the book which hopefully will be carried over into book two! The story keeps you engaged and I just had to keep reading because (I finished it in one day!!!) I couldn’t wait to find out if Valine won the day. However be warned there is a CLIFFHANGER!! Great book can’t wait to se all these characters again in Book two.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars!!

I enjoyed this book a lot! I read it over the course of two days! I literally fell asleep thinking about it and then woke up and ran to pick it up again so I could finish it!

Tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- badass FMC
- "chosen one"
- magical powers


I thought that this was a great debut fantasy story! Bex did a really good job building up Valine's character development! There were times where I felt like I could relate to her! (SPOILERS FROM HERE). I really liked the kind of love triangle that was written into this story. I will be totally, honest, I was totally expecting Valine to end up with Sebastien, so when she ended up with Lux I was totally shocked (in a good way!). I think that Valine's fight for her throne was awesome, and loved meeting characters like Sokah and Zasper!

This book does have Christian themes in it, which I found refreshing!! If that is something you are looking for in a book, definitely check out this one!

I took off a star because I felt like some of the writing was a bit choppy and there were some aspects of the story that I was confused on (like Valine suddenly had magic just by unlocking it, and the relatively short battle scene at the end).

Spice Level: 0 (suitable for under 18!)

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for a review! Thank you Bex! I truly enjoyed reading your story!!

[Alexus · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Vukan Wulfric usurps the Polaris throne, Valine Polaris escapes with her life to later lead a rebellion...only to be captured by the king and forced to live under the thumb of the man who killed her mother. In her former home, Valine captures the hearts of unlikely allies. Friendships are made and broken. Love is found despite the horrors of Vukan's rule.

If you like a strong, sassy FMC who takes back her throne, then you will enjoy Valine's adventure. In this upper YA romantasy, you will find darker themes, swears (not excessive and appropriately timed), and a romantic subplot with no spice (a true YA!). This is considered a dark Christian fantasy, and while God is referred to as "the Creator," it is apparent that this is a faith-driven story. This is not the typical story I would be drawn to (hello, religious trauma), but the themes that Gil presents in her work are heartfelt, sorrowful, and conducive to the woes of the human race. This is a story about a young woman who finds faith as her driving light in the darkest of hours.

I received this as an ARC copy and give my review willingly (thanks for the read, Bex!)

[Ruby G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throne of Anguish by Bex Gil is well worth the read. From early on in the story I was invested, and it was clear from chapter one that this story would not be for the faint of heart. Bex Gil does not shy away from tough topics and weaves them into the story in a natural and realistic way, while still showing that the Lord's presence is there even in the midst of pain.
It took me some time to warm up to the romantic subplot, as I was not particularly enthralled or invested in either of the Main Character's love interests at first. However, as the story continued to unfold I was able to better appreciate the characters in question as well as their stories with the overall novel.
There are characters you grow to love, and characters you grow to hate, and each one of them plays a significant purpose and is written well for their designated role.
There were a few places in the narrative where the pacing felt a little off - either too fast or too slow - but none of which hindered the enjoyment I felt throughout while embarking on the journey found in the pages of this novel.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the author presented this book as "dark Christian fantasy" I didn't know what to expect as I'd never read anything like it before but she delivered! The dark elements are gruesome and difficult at times so be sure you're aware of the content warnings before reading. The Christian themes are overt and fit well within the story arc as Valine grows as a character struggling with deep pain and suffering and the wish for revenge. The world building is easy to follow though I wish some elements had been more clearly established earlier on.

The story is engaging and keeps you reading wanting to know what happens to our spirited heroine as she strives to regain her throne and bring justice for her people. I'm eager to see what happens in book 2!

I was given an ARC of this book (thank you to the author) and I leave my review willingly.

[Elizabeth Greenop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I loved this book! Thank you to Bex Gil for giving me an arc! I found her on TikTok and from the first video about Throne of Anguish I was hooked. This book has a lot of Christian themes, and I feel like those themes are on par with Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia (though the themes are much more obvious in Throne of Anguish). Bex does a great job at discussing really tough questions many Christians struggle with: the problem of evil/why do good people suffer, is there a God and is that God good and loving, and many more! There is a great balance within the world Bex has created with the Christian themes and living in a fantasy world. The world is full of magic and I loved it! Valine is a stellar main character, her strength and growth throughout the novel is inspiring to see because she is so real in her struggles.

[Ruthless The Bookdragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throne of Anguish was a book that I enjoyed reading and blasted through. The main characters are compelling, and the world is interestingly different from some other fantasies. I liked the FMC and the way her brain was constantly working, and the villains also felt like high stakes villains, where winning against them is not an easy task. I did find the writing a little bit clunky in parts and that pulled me out of the story a bit... however I think the story hooks were done well enough that I enjoyed the story regardless. I felt that the romance didn't sell me immediately, but by the end I was convinced. For a debut novel, this was definitely a win.

I received a copy of this book in preparation for the second book as an arc.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you want a fantasy with easy-to-understand world building that will keep you wondering what will happen next the entire time? Then you need to read this.

Fast paced, less than 400 pages, and packed with SO many surprises (and many I didn’t even predict!). I loved the characters and how they progressed in the story.

Such a fun read, especially because I was able to talk about where I was in the book with the author as I went along (and I was definitely wrong with some predictions too so I’m sure that was entertaining).

I laughed. I giggled and kicked my feet. I cried. Is there really anything else you want from a book?

[Marthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good debut novel from the author. It was easy to read, fast-paced and I enjoyed the overall story.

I would have liked more world building and backgrounds. Sometimes I felt that something was missing in the story and it jumped from one plot to another, but it did not bother me that much since I overall understood where the story would lead. The FMC is well written and I could get behind her, she had an internal battle with herself and kindness towards others.

Not the best fantasy book I have read, but it was good for a debut novel. I definitely want to read the next book and see how the story develops.

[Brandon Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read quite a few debut novels this year, but Throne of Anguish stands out as one of the best. Bex has crafted this world with passion and it shows. Even as someone who doesn't typically read Romantasy or Christian themes, I found myself lost in the world and in love with the characters. Most of all I have to praise the prose, which rises far above standard indie fare. Overall, this was an excellent read that I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of romance or fantasy. I can't wait to see what else Bex has in store for us both in this series and (hopefully) many more.

[Kate Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced Dark YA Christian Fantasy with a Main Female Character you both root for and want to shake some sense into. I really enjoyed this book, the magic and the characters, the villian is definitely one you can hate. I do wish there was 50 more pages where we could get to know some of the characters better and I can't mention who my favorite character was without spoilers. Over all very enjoyable and I can't wait for the sequel

[Leora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the book. It had its issues and it took the writer some time to find her voice, but once she did, it was amazing. I can see the heart behind the story and I know Bex Gil wants to reach a hand to all those who hurt. Is the book perfect? No, but it's good. Tragedy hits whether you like it or not and trauma is real. The second book in the series ties some lose ends and gives a beautiful ending to the story without pretending the pain can just disappear.

[Veronica Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wanna say that I loved our snarky badass FMC who did not take sh** from no one, not even the king. I just loved her! Also wow on the turn of events, I did not see the change of the love interest coming. I did feel there were some parts that where cut off short and I wanted more in those moments.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! Ugh from page one I was hooked, this writer has a way of drawing you in.

The pacing is great, and the FMC is someone that I could get behind. Valine just can't catch a freaking break. Which makes her so much more relatable!

I cannot wait for book two, and I know that Valine will prove triumphant with the help of The Creator.

[Kika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really liking this book in the beginning, but them started out of nowhere Christianity propaganda, and I pushed true but it became to forced. It feels like the author is trying to make you Christian and I didn’t like it. Also it had sooo much grape, I really don’t think that was necessary. I’m sad to dnf cause I was liking the plot but the god talk was just more and more

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a fast paced Dark Christian fantasy, it reminded me very much of Throne of Glass if it had been fast paced, it had the tyrant and lost Princess who has magic and wants her throne back. The scarred prince who has suffered by his father's hands and a young commander who betrays her, the foreign royal who boyfriends her and guides her. I was really hoping for more.

[A.B. Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the story of a woman named Valine who is basically a banished princess. She’s trying to save her kingdom from the womanizing king Vuken who killed her mother and stole the kingdom. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys strong female characters in a fantasy setting.