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The Sermon of Loss
In The Sermon of Loss, we journey to the Mother’s Valley, a barren land studded with abundant basins. In the kingdom of Pen’dil Zenn, power is gifted by food, its use tightly controlled by the Masked Ones, state sorcerers who never show their faces – and pay an enormous price as they slowly starve to death, unable to eat the foods they once burned for magic.
The story follows Teros, a gifted young magician attempting to keep himself free of the palace. Unfortunately, the High Priest is determined to capture him and sends 732, his most lethal magician, in pursuit. 732 has spent her life in service of the crown, taken from her family at five years old. But as she catches up to Teros, she’ll be forced to reckon with the basin’s secrets as well as her own.
Growing from the universe of The Shapewalker’s Song, this well-constructed magic system will captivate new readers and fans of JH Tomen alike. Step into the adventure and discover the secrets of this sacred city.
The story follows Teros, a gifted young magician attempting to keep himself free of the palace. Unfortunately, the High Priest is determined to capture him and sends 732, his most lethal magician, in pursuit. 732 has spent her life in service of the crown, taken from her family at five years old. But as she catches up to Teros, she’ll be forced to reckon with the basin’s secrets as well as her own.
Growing from the universe of The Shapewalker’s Song, this well-constructed magic system will captivate new readers and fans of JH Tomen alike. Step into the adventure and discover the secrets of this sacred city.
- GenresFantasy
185 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2024
7 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
J.H. Tomen
13 books44 followersJ.H. Tomen is a fantasy writer based in Chicago. He loves all things cats, cookies, and cookie cats! He also loves his readers! Feel free to look him up or write to him anytime!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 8, 2025
I literally got this book for free on Amazon and yet the world building in this book is spectacular. Also Borash is SUCH a good character. AND I LOVE THE MAGIC. The whole system of how magic is drawn upon with foods and spirits is awesome
October 24, 2024
“The Sermon of Loss” by JH Tomen is one of those satisfying slow-build narratives whose puzzle pieces fit in seamlessly as the book blossoms. Teros, an eight-year-old and a low-level noble in the Zi’yun line, is an incredibly gifted boy with magic powers living in a state ruled by authoritarian principles. In a bid to be in the King’s good books, the High Priest, Keroes, sends his most obedient and destructive sorcerer, 732, to go after Teros, intending to sacrifice his soul to the gods and impart in him the spirit of the King’s dead son, Bitan nir Föhr.
Determined to save his own life, Teros meets Borash, a destitute man with broken dreams, but with magic powers as well. The child is a reminder to Borash of what he had been denied in the past, and he is determined to safeguard the young boy’s future. Elsewhere, in her pursuit of the child, the sorcerer 732, who had been so young when the priests divined her, uncovers hidden truths about the palace and the priests she served that she begins to question her mission. Her loyalty to the course is further blurred by emerging blood ties that compel her to do the unthinkable: betray her oaths and save the boy, an act punishable by death.
The ebb and swirl of this novel is accentuated by great characterization and vivid world-building. The author further adds an old-world feeling to it through the characters’ names and places. We follow Teros and Borash for most of the plot, but the story occasionally focuses on other characters to explain to readers what is happening in other contexts. A few parts are gory, and purposefully so, as Tomen endeavors to draw the lethality of his character, 732, who often inflicts pain on her enemies by undertaking punitive measures. The story moves forth inescapably, lending voice to the characters’ emotions and inner thoughts through expository dialogue and rich action scenes.
“The Sermon of Loss” by JH Tomen has a satisfying conclusion and the epic battle in the final pages adds to the reading experience. Lately, I have developed an interest in the fantasy genre and am glad I picked this book up. It is a blend of loss, disconnection, and survival. Beautifully realized and dense with imaginative elements, this literary work is a genuine treat for fans of the dark fantasy genre.
Determined to save his own life, Teros meets Borash, a destitute man with broken dreams, but with magic powers as well. The child is a reminder to Borash of what he had been denied in the past, and he is determined to safeguard the young boy’s future. Elsewhere, in her pursuit of the child, the sorcerer 732, who had been so young when the priests divined her, uncovers hidden truths about the palace and the priests she served that she begins to question her mission. Her loyalty to the course is further blurred by emerging blood ties that compel her to do the unthinkable: betray her oaths and save the boy, an act punishable by death.
The ebb and swirl of this novel is accentuated by great characterization and vivid world-building. The author further adds an old-world feeling to it through the characters’ names and places. We follow Teros and Borash for most of the plot, but the story occasionally focuses on other characters to explain to readers what is happening in other contexts. A few parts are gory, and purposefully so, as Tomen endeavors to draw the lethality of his character, 732, who often inflicts pain on her enemies by undertaking punitive measures. The story moves forth inescapably, lending voice to the characters’ emotions and inner thoughts through expository dialogue and rich action scenes.
“The Sermon of Loss” by JH Tomen has a satisfying conclusion and the epic battle in the final pages adds to the reading experience. Lately, I have developed an interest in the fantasy genre and am glad I picked this book up. It is a blend of loss, disconnection, and survival. Beautifully realized and dense with imaginative elements, this literary work is a genuine treat for fans of the dark fantasy genre.
March 14, 2024
"For once, it felt like he knew who he was, what he was meant to do."
A very different tone from the author of The Shapewalker's Song. Where that series inspires hope by looking up to characters that might verge on literary idealization, characters that inhabit the Sermon of Loss feel extremely real. Their world is harsher, their stories are darker, but Tomen doesn't allow them (or us readers) to slide into despair, but unearths for each of them a more hardy and lasting form of hope that can only be found on the other side of suffering.
Not to say that everything ends cheery - reading the sequel will be a must if I can say that without being labeled a spoiler.
A very different tone from the author of The Shapewalker's Song. Where that series inspires hope by looking up to characters that might verge on literary idealization, characters that inhabit the Sermon of Loss feel extremely real. Their world is harsher, their stories are darker, but Tomen doesn't allow them (or us readers) to slide into despair, but unearths for each of them a more hardy and lasting form of hope that can only be found on the other side of suffering.
Not to say that everything ends cheery - reading the sequel will be a must if I can say that without being labeled a spoiler.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews