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Astral Kingdoms #1
The Radiant King
The first installment of USA Today bestseller David Dalglish's latest epic fantasy trilogy about immortal demigods, civil wars, and ancient evil will be irresistible to classic fantasy fans and will appeal to readers of James Islington and Anthony Ryan.
Six immortal siblings. Five sworn to peace. One demands a throne.
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
Six immortal siblings. Five sworn to peace. One demands a throne.
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
525 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
July 7, 2025
Review copy provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The Radiant King by David Dalglish is a Berserk inspired epic fantasy book that will become one of Dalglish’s most underrated titles.
I’ve read the first few chapters of The Radiant King long before it was officially published. Since then, I knew this hugely Berserk inspired novel would be something I enjoyed. What can I say? I’m a big fan of Berserk by Kentaro Miura, and despite its massive impact on people and speculative fiction—whether you realized it or not—around the world, I still haven’t succeeded in finding many epic fantasy novels that resembled the legendary manga series. I’m grateful for The Radiant King. And that cover art by Magali Villeneuve? Absolutely beautiful. However, despite how much I enjoyed reading The Radiant King, it seems like the book is fated to have a mixed reception just like the other Berserk inspired epic fantasy novel I truly enjoyed, The Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan. But I can’t deny my experience. Out of every first book of a series I’ve read from Dalglish, this is my favorite one. For those who are curious, they are Soulkeeper, The Bladed Faith, and The Radiant King.
The Radiant King is the first book in the Astral Kingdoms trilogy, and it mostly revolves around six immortal siblings. Five sworn to peace. One demands a throne.
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swears that they will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
I strongly believe The Radiant King starts off the novel strongly. Right from the beginning, Faron and Sariel have explicitly said the world is not in the right state due to Eder's betrayal. But behind that, we can tell there is more to everything wrong in the world. There is a secret behind Eder’s betrayal, and readers will not find out about that until the latter part of the novel. It is worth getting there. I will, however, admit that getting to the revelations section can take a bit of patience. Straight after the strong beginning, the narrative in The Radiant King plunged us into repetitive small and inconsequential skirmishes to display the newly introduced—and important—character in the story, Isabelle. For a while, this inflicted a relatively negative reading experience on me. It was easily the weakest section of The Radiant King for me. I did wonder whether the second half of the story would lead to anything pivotal and impactful. And thankfully, it totally did in spades.
Before I discussed the hate-or-love flashback section, let me make it clear that the main strength of The Radiant King lies still in the characters, especially the six siblings. Yes, most of the storyline in The Radiant King is centered on Sariel, Faron, and Eder in this book. But that’s not a big deal for me. Sariel, in particular, is where almost all the Guts from Berserk is being channeled into. His stoic behavior. His giant dragon bone sword. And many more I cannot discuss in detail. To put it simply, if you’ve read Berserk, many parts of The Radiant King will remind you of the events that happened in the Golden Age story arc. Yes, including the tortures, heartbreak, and destruction.
This is subjective, but every reader’s attachment to the characters will decide whether they find the flashback chapters integral or not. I’ve seen some reviews stating the flashback chapters were boring or too long for their own good. I cannot disagree highly enough. The flashback chapters and what comes after were the best parts of the novel for me. It is what elevated The Radiant King from good to great. It is rare to find a narrative that can twist the entire context and actions of what happened before in just a few chapters. The Radiant King did that. It was brilliant, and I cannot help but wish the flashback chapters had happened sooner. Despite Dalglish saying he started this novel by building the world first, the world in this book still felt too small for its scope. Beyond the Tower Majestic and Radiance, the world and cities felt devoid of details and lore. Fortunately, the characters and flashback chapters made up for its shortcomings, and more for me.
As for the climax sequence after the flashback chapters? I read them all in one sitting. It was one riveting pandemonium that I cannot put down. Stakes were intensely raised, and the casualties were devastating. It made me so curious to find out how the sequel will be written because right now I have no idea where the story will go from here.
The Radiant King is an epic fantasy novel that dives deep into the themes of humanity, immortality, responsibilities, and leadership. Although it is true this might not be the most popular and highly praised novel by the masses out there, I have faith the Radiance in The Radiant King will find its own audience. I can say I am one of the target audience for it, and I eagerly look forward to the sequel. I highly recommend this book to the fans of Berserk by Kentaro Miura.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Biskit, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Crystal, Cullen, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Jenn, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Michael. S, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, Rando, RCT, Sally, Samiadji, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
4.5/5 stars
The Radiant King by David Dalglish is a Berserk inspired epic fantasy book that will become one of Dalglish’s most underrated titles.
I’ve read the first few chapters of The Radiant King long before it was officially published. Since then, I knew this hugely Berserk inspired novel would be something I enjoyed. What can I say? I’m a big fan of Berserk by Kentaro Miura, and despite its massive impact on people and speculative fiction—whether you realized it or not—around the world, I still haven’t succeeded in finding many epic fantasy novels that resembled the legendary manga series. I’m grateful for The Radiant King. And that cover art by Magali Villeneuve? Absolutely beautiful. However, despite how much I enjoyed reading The Radiant King, it seems like the book is fated to have a mixed reception just like the other Berserk inspired epic fantasy novel I truly enjoyed, The Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan. But I can’t deny my experience. Out of every first book of a series I’ve read from Dalglish, this is my favorite one. For those who are curious, they are Soulkeeper, The Bladed Faith, and The Radiant King.
The Radiant King is the first book in the Astral Kingdoms trilogy, and it mostly revolves around six immortal siblings. Five sworn to peace. One demands a throne.
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swears that they will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
"Time is my friend only so long as you, and the rest of my family, are there with me to watch these days and nights spiral forever on."
I strongly believe The Radiant King starts off the novel strongly. Right from the beginning, Faron and Sariel have explicitly said the world is not in the right state due to Eder's betrayal. But behind that, we can tell there is more to everything wrong in the world. There is a secret behind Eder’s betrayal, and readers will not find out about that until the latter part of the novel. It is worth getting there. I will, however, admit that getting to the revelations section can take a bit of patience. Straight after the strong beginning, the narrative in The Radiant King plunged us into repetitive small and inconsequential skirmishes to display the newly introduced—and important—character in the story, Isabelle. For a while, this inflicted a relatively negative reading experience on me. It was easily the weakest section of The Radiant King for me. I did wonder whether the second half of the story would lead to anything pivotal and impactful. And thankfully, it totally did in spades.
Before I discussed the hate-or-love flashback section, let me make it clear that the main strength of The Radiant King lies still in the characters, especially the six siblings. Yes, most of the storyline in The Radiant King is centered on Sariel, Faron, and Eder in this book. But that’s not a big deal for me. Sariel, in particular, is where almost all the Guts from Berserk is being channeled into. His stoic behavior. His giant dragon bone sword. And many more I cannot discuss in detail. To put it simply, if you’ve read Berserk, many parts of The Radiant King will remind you of the events that happened in the Golden Age story arc. Yes, including the tortures, heartbreak, and destruction.
"All these humans, clinging to ideals meant to be so much grander than their own meager lives. Fighting, killing, and dying in hopes of a future kinder than the present. Individually so small, and yet together, powerful enough to topple empires."
This is subjective, but every reader’s attachment to the characters will decide whether they find the flashback chapters integral or not. I’ve seen some reviews stating the flashback chapters were boring or too long for their own good. I cannot disagree highly enough. The flashback chapters and what comes after were the best parts of the novel for me. It is what elevated The Radiant King from good to great. It is rare to find a narrative that can twist the entire context and actions of what happened before in just a few chapters. The Radiant King did that. It was brilliant, and I cannot help but wish the flashback chapters had happened sooner. Despite Dalglish saying he started this novel by building the world first, the world in this book still felt too small for its scope. Beyond the Tower Majestic and Radiance, the world and cities felt devoid of details and lore. Fortunately, the characters and flashback chapters made up for its shortcomings, and more for me.
As for the climax sequence after the flashback chapters? I read them all in one sitting. It was one riveting pandemonium that I cannot put down. Stakes were intensely raised, and the casualties were devastating. It made me so curious to find out how the sequel will be written because right now I have no idea where the story will go from here.
The Radiant King is an epic fantasy novel that dives deep into the themes of humanity, immortality, responsibilities, and leadership. Although it is true this might not be the most popular and highly praised novel by the masses out there, I have faith the Radiance in The Radiant King will find its own audience. I can say I am one of the target audience for it, and I eagerly look forward to the sequel. I highly recommend this book to the fans of Berserk by Kentaro Miura.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Biskit, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Crystal, Cullen, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Jenn, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Michael. S, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, Rando, RCT, Sally, Samiadji, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
March 4, 2025
“no crowns. no thrones. i will hold no crowns, no thrones. not with her, not with anyone.”
i found a new obsession with this book. the story follows 6 immortal siblings, granted immeasurable power in the form of Radiance— which basically allows them to control and manipulate all life around them. five have sworn an oath of peace.. while the remaining one demands the throne. this book has everything that’s great about classic fantasy, while also having elements that make it unique and set it apart. this has become an instant favorite of all time for me, can’t wait to buy my own copy and reread it again. i don’t think i’ve been this enamored by a story since i read The Will of the Many.
“come to my tower, and condemn me for breaking vows i never swore. tear down the walls of my city. fill it’s streets with blood. i will not surrender to you, never to you.”
i loved the way the author incorporated reincarnation into this story. the six main characters have lived over many centuries and lifetimes.. but every time they return, the memories of their past lives stay as a vivid reminder, causing inner turmoil. Faron, Eder, Calluna, Sariel, Aylah and Eist were all very distinct characters and the familial drama was a driving force behind all their actions. Sariel and Faron were my favorites.. Faron is a skilled warrior who is still blinded by love and a bleeding heart, while Sariel is a brutal man who isn’t afraid to kill whenever he deems it necessary. i honestly was suspicious of Aylah, Calluna preferred the shadows, Eist is kind of MIA and Eder is unpredictable. at no point while i was reading did I know what to expect: there’s betrayal, bloodshed, love, sorrow, sacrifice.. i have no complaints. the authors writing style is so digestible and compelling, don’t even get me started on that ending?!
➢ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i found a new obsession with this book. the story follows 6 immortal siblings, granted immeasurable power in the form of Radiance— which basically allows them to control and manipulate all life around them. five have sworn an oath of peace.. while the remaining one demands the throne. this book has everything that’s great about classic fantasy, while also having elements that make it unique and set it apart. this has become an instant favorite of all time for me, can’t wait to buy my own copy and reread it again. i don’t think i’ve been this enamored by a story since i read The Will of the Many.
“come to my tower, and condemn me for breaking vows i never swore. tear down the walls of my city. fill it’s streets with blood. i will not surrender to you, never to you.”
i loved the way the author incorporated reincarnation into this story. the six main characters have lived over many centuries and lifetimes.. but every time they return, the memories of their past lives stay as a vivid reminder, causing inner turmoil. Faron, Eder, Calluna, Sariel, Aylah and Eist were all very distinct characters and the familial drama was a driving force behind all their actions. Sariel and Faron were my favorites.. Faron is a skilled warrior who is still blinded by love and a bleeding heart, while Sariel is a brutal man who isn’t afraid to kill whenever he deems it necessary. i honestly was suspicious of Aylah, Calluna preferred the shadows, Eist is kind of MIA and Eder is unpredictable. at no point while i was reading did I know what to expect: there’s betrayal, bloodshed, love, sorrow, sacrifice.. i have no complaints. the authors writing style is so digestible and compelling, don’t even get me started on that ending?!
➢ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
January 22, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I find the story interesting and original, and the writing is good.
The character work is especially good, with main characters that are complex, layered and have interesting motivations. The action is also great and plentiful, with both battles and one to one combats.
I was really captivated for more than the first part of the book, but then I felt like it went downhill.
Several consecutive chapters in the middle of the book are written as a flashback and it suspended my involvement in the actual story. I felt like it would have been more serviceable to the story if it was more subtly integrated.
I also felt like it it would have been more impactful if it had been shorter. Again, the writing is good but it sometimes felt diluted.
I think it's a 3.5 stars for me.
Thank you so much Orbit Books for this ARC.
I find the story interesting and original, and the writing is good.
The character work is especially good, with main characters that are complex, layered and have interesting motivations. The action is also great and plentiful, with both battles and one to one combats.
I was really captivated for more than the first part of the book, but then I felt like it went downhill.
Several consecutive chapters in the middle of the book are written as a flashback and it suspended my involvement in the actual story. I felt like it would have been more serviceable to the story if it was more subtly integrated.
I also felt like it it would have been more impactful if it had been shorter. Again, the writing is good but it sometimes felt diluted.
I think it's a 3.5 stars for me.
Thank you so much Orbit Books for this ARC.
March 17, 2025
DNF 50%(I really wanted to finish this but I realized that every time I put it down I dreaded having to pick it up again)
I was genuinely excited about this book after reading the blurb, but I couldn’t have predicted that a story about six immortal siblings in conflict would turn out to be so monotonous. Despite the numerous events that transpired, it felt like nothing was genuinely advancing.
Right from the beginning, we were thrown into a war that failed to resonate with me. To become invested in a story, I need to care about the characters, but the siblings’ flat personalities made it impossible for me to engage.
There's not much to critique since the overall experience was simply average; all it evoked in me was boredom. It’s disappointing that I couldn’t appreciate this book because it had such an intriguing premise, yet the execution was a significant letdown.
I may come back to this later, but for now, it is just not for me.
I was genuinely excited about this book after reading the blurb, but I couldn’t have predicted that a story about six immortal siblings in conflict would turn out to be so monotonous. Despite the numerous events that transpired, it felt like nothing was genuinely advancing.
Right from the beginning, we were thrown into a war that failed to resonate with me. To become invested in a story, I need to care about the characters, but the siblings’ flat personalities made it impossible for me to engage.
There's not much to critique since the overall experience was simply average; all it evoked in me was boredom. It’s disappointing that I couldn’t appreciate this book because it had such an intriguing premise, yet the execution was a significant letdown.
I may come back to this later, but for now, it is just not for me.
February 5, 2025
The David Dalglish fantasy formula just works for me. It’s like a chocolate chip cookie. It’s classic, delicious, almost impossible to mess up. And Dalglish has perfected that recipe. We have a dark medieval setting that I assume will become even more epic in scope as we go into book 2, following siblings who are more sided than a pair of dice. Overall, I loved this but I may be biased. I am a self proclaimed medieval fantasy queen.
P.S I have to give an extra 5 stars for the cover. It’s my favorite amongst all his novels.
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P.S I have to give an extra 5 stars for the cover. It’s my favorite amongst all his novels.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel :) https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
January 7, 2025
3.5 Stars
At this point, I have read a number of books by this author and I am always interested to see his progression as a writer. In terms of prose, this is the best I've seen from him. The first sentence is so memorable. As for the rest of the story, I found this one fairly predictable and safe.
I would reconsider this one to readers looking for a new fantasy series but not necessarily needing something unique or entirely fresh. While not Innovative, I had a good time with it.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
At this point, I have read a number of books by this author and I am always interested to see his progression as a writer. In terms of prose, this is the best I've seen from him. The first sentence is so memorable. As for the rest of the story, I found this one fairly predictable and safe.
I would reconsider this one to readers looking for a new fantasy series but not necessarily needing something unique or entirely fresh. While not Innovative, I had a good time with it.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 27, 2025
Back Cover Blurb:
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
Review:
There are so many reasons why David Dalglish is one of my favorite authors. First of all, the guy is prolific as they come as he seems to always have at least one book publish every year (sometimes two). He also seems to get better and better with each successive series, which for anyone who has been in the writing game for any length of time knows, it's really hard to keep topping yourself. But I believe what I like best about him as an author is how no matter what type of fantasy he writes, his characters immediately suck me in and make me care about them. I want to reach through the book and strangle his villains and I want to reach in to embrace his protagonists. It's a tough thing to do to establish that instant connection, but for some reason I always am super invested in how everything plays out for these people.
THE RADIANT KING begins yet another new series for Dalglish and yes I'm here to say that once again I am totally immersed in this new world and story. Here we have six immortal siblings, I guess you might call them gods, who have meddled in the history of humans over the centuries, now engaged in a holy war that sees some pitted against each other. We've seen this before where one member of the family sees themselves as the true heir to whatever power they believe they deserve, and that is kind of the case in this one. But it's handled in a way that I haven't quite seen before. As events play out we begin to see what motivations are behind the actions of those wishing to claim what they see as their due and pardon the expression but, all holy hell breaks loose.
The fact that this is only book one in Dalglish's Astral Kingdoms series leaves me a bit dumbfounded quite frankly, as the action and intensity of this opening book reads like the final exciting climax of a great and thrilling epic. This is the way you start a series, with compelling characters, double-dealing, scheming, death-defying scenes of battle and dark magic... i mean, why doesn't every author drop their readers in a maelstrom of insanity like this right from the get-go? It's a wonderful formula that I'd like to see more of.
And as always, Dalglish creates a cool and unique magic system that works on so many levels. I'm in awe sometimes of how he continually comes up with such original concepts that upend the conventional magic that we usually see in your garden variety fantasy offering. I've learned that I will never be bored when reading one of his books as there is always something around the corner that I wasn't expecting and it always leaves me stupefied.
David Dalglish has delivered another phenomenal fantasy book that sets up one of the more intriguing storylines he's ever conceived in my opinion. This promises to be a thrilling series with lots of magical beasts, political strategy, adventure aplenty, and a highly dysfunctional family of immortals battling forces both from within and without. If you are looking for a fantasy that doesn't feel like the same old same old that you've read a hundred times before, you definitely want to pick up THE RADIANT KING by David Dalglish and let this story capture you in its web of intrigue and dark majestic glory. I simply loved this!
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
Review:
There are so many reasons why David Dalglish is one of my favorite authors. First of all, the guy is prolific as they come as he seems to always have at least one book publish every year (sometimes two). He also seems to get better and better with each successive series, which for anyone who has been in the writing game for any length of time knows, it's really hard to keep topping yourself. But I believe what I like best about him as an author is how no matter what type of fantasy he writes, his characters immediately suck me in and make me care about them. I want to reach through the book and strangle his villains and I want to reach in to embrace his protagonists. It's a tough thing to do to establish that instant connection, but for some reason I always am super invested in how everything plays out for these people.
THE RADIANT KING begins yet another new series for Dalglish and yes I'm here to say that once again I am totally immersed in this new world and story. Here we have six immortal siblings, I guess you might call them gods, who have meddled in the history of humans over the centuries, now engaged in a holy war that sees some pitted against each other. We've seen this before where one member of the family sees themselves as the true heir to whatever power they believe they deserve, and that is kind of the case in this one. But it's handled in a way that I haven't quite seen before. As events play out we begin to see what motivations are behind the actions of those wishing to claim what they see as their due and pardon the expression but, all holy hell breaks loose.
The fact that this is only book one in Dalglish's Astral Kingdoms series leaves me a bit dumbfounded quite frankly, as the action and intensity of this opening book reads like the final exciting climax of a great and thrilling epic. This is the way you start a series, with compelling characters, double-dealing, scheming, death-defying scenes of battle and dark magic... i mean, why doesn't every author drop their readers in a maelstrom of insanity like this right from the get-go? It's a wonderful formula that I'd like to see more of.
And as always, Dalglish creates a cool and unique magic system that works on so many levels. I'm in awe sometimes of how he continually comes up with such original concepts that upend the conventional magic that we usually see in your garden variety fantasy offering. I've learned that I will never be bored when reading one of his books as there is always something around the corner that I wasn't expecting and it always leaves me stupefied.
David Dalglish has delivered another phenomenal fantasy book that sets up one of the more intriguing storylines he's ever conceived in my opinion. This promises to be a thrilling series with lots of magical beasts, political strategy, adventure aplenty, and a highly dysfunctional family of immortals battling forces both from within and without. If you are looking for a fantasy that doesn't feel like the same old same old that you've read a hundred times before, you definitely want to pick up THE RADIANT KING by David Dalglish and let this story capture you in its web of intrigue and dark majestic glory. I simply loved this!
May 15, 2025
The Radiant King
The Radiant King is the first book in the Astral Kingdoms series by author David Dalglish and I must confess that this book surprised me very positively for a debut epic fantasy story with an author who I imagine is not very well known and managed to sell me the story and the author's writing and I will definitely look for other series by him now, but about The Radiant King in this story we follow the story of the family of the immortals or rather six brothers who are immortals Faron, Sariel, Eder, Eist, Calluna and Aylah but in this first book we have a greater focus on the duo Faron and Sariel who come together with a common goal to save the world from an imminent catastrophe and for that they will join forces with the bastard queen Isabelle who is gathering an army to overthrow the same threat as the protagonist brothers and man the pace of this book was very good I didn't feel like it was dragging at any point and I thought the author's writing helped a lot in this and the action battle scenes were very good with some good highlights and there was good character development for a debut book and in the end when it reaches the climax it takes your breath away the entire final sequence is very well done with incredible action sequences and an unexpected plot twist that catches the reader off guard anyway if you are looking for an epic fantasy with few books I recommend this 2025 debut that will certainly enter many people's TBR this year it has everything to be an epic series and I am already waiting for the second book for yesterday.
The Radiant King is the first book in the Astral Kingdoms series by author David Dalglish and I must confess that this book surprised me very positively for a debut epic fantasy story with an author who I imagine is not very well known and managed to sell me the story and the author's writing and I will definitely look for other series by him now, but about The Radiant King in this story we follow the story of the family of the immortals or rather six brothers who are immortals Faron, Sariel, Eder, Eist, Calluna and Aylah but in this first book we have a greater focus on the duo Faron and Sariel who come together with a common goal to save the world from an imminent catastrophe and for that they will join forces with the bastard queen Isabelle who is gathering an army to overthrow the same threat as the protagonist brothers and man the pace of this book was very good I didn't feel like it was dragging at any point and I thought the author's writing helped a lot in this and the action battle scenes were very good with some good highlights and there was good character development for a debut book and in the end when it reaches the climax it takes your breath away the entire final sequence is very well done with incredible action sequences and an unexpected plot twist that catches the reader off guard anyway if you are looking for an epic fantasy with few books I recommend this 2025 debut that will certainly enter many people's TBR this year it has everything to be an epic series and I am already waiting for the second book for yesterday.
March 30, 2025
This book is incredible and is absolutely worth your time!
This is about a cast of several siblings that are basically Demigods and have the ability to resurrect if killed. They hold the power of Radiance which can do many things including healing wounds, resurrection, and things that are very dark in deed.
Speaking of dark, this book had some serious cosmic horror scenes and that is becoming a new favorite of mine, blending horror with fantasy.
Anyways the siblings agree to no longer offer Radiance to humans and they will no longer rule over them…except one sibling never agreed. His plans to create the perfect world ends badly for everyone but in ways I never expected.
It reminds me a lot of a blend of a Zelazney book and The Originals show. The sibling rivalries and constantly killing each because they know they’ll resurrect so it’s okay.
P.S. Iris was such a good girl 🐕
2025 5 Star Reads in Preferential Order
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu
The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
Heart of the Mountain by Larry Correia
Once There Were Heroes by Philip C Quaintrell
Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
The Radiant King by David Dalglish
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
The September House by Carissa Orlando
Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville
In The Shadow of Kings by Philip C Quaintrell
Cello’s Gate by Maurice Africh
This is about a cast of several siblings that are basically Demigods and have the ability to resurrect if killed. They hold the power of Radiance which can do many things including healing wounds, resurrection, and things that are very dark in deed.
Speaking of dark, this book had some serious cosmic horror scenes and that is becoming a new favorite of mine, blending horror with fantasy.
Anyways the siblings agree to no longer offer Radiance to humans and they will no longer rule over them…except one sibling never agreed. His plans to create the perfect world ends badly for everyone but in ways I never expected.
It reminds me a lot of a blend of a Zelazney book and The Originals show. The sibling rivalries and constantly killing each because they know they’ll resurrect so it’s okay.
P.S. Iris was such a good girl 🐕
2025 5 Star Reads in Preferential Order
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu
The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
Heart of the Mountain by Larry Correia
Once There Were Heroes by Philip C Quaintrell
Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
The Radiant King by David Dalglish
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
The September House by Carissa Orlando
Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville
In The Shadow of Kings by Philip C Quaintrell
Cello’s Gate by Maurice Africh
February 11, 2025
☆ Fun Factor 5/5 (In all the best ways this reminded me of peak GOT)
☆ Writing Style 5/5
☆ Characters 5/5
☆ Plot 4/5
☆ Setting 3/5
☆ Feels 4/5 (OWWW YOU GOT ME)
☆ Spiciness 3/5
☆FOR FANS OF: George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones, Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns, Kentaro Miura's Berserk series, John Gwynne's The Shadow of the GodsDark Souls, or other dark fantasy
Ultimate verdict ☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Sariel and his amazing dragonbone sword stole the show for me
Review: A Radiantly dark fantasy saga
Oh David Dalgish, I wish I had read your work before you're AMAZING. I've been chasing the high of reading ASOIAF for the first time for years, and this is one of two books so far this year that's given me that feeling back again. Years ago all my friends and family did a read-a-long of the ASOIAF books. When this one hits the shelves, I really want to encourage everybody to do that again with The Radiant King. It just hits right.
The different POV characters have distinct and well defined voices: Sariel's chapters were my favorites because he's not afraid to chop people in half. This is a gory, gruesome book. People die in nasty ways, and it's just so much fun! The magic system called Radiance is very interesting and comes with a wide variety of different uses, from flushing groundhogs out of holes to doing like a Jedi mind trick on people. This book kept me on my toes all the way to the very end and I EAGERLY await a sequel because AAAAAH the ending! THE ENDING!
You got a new fan, Mr. Dalgish.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
☆ Writing Style 5/5
☆ Characters 5/5
☆ Plot 4/5
☆ Setting 3/5
☆ Feels 4/5 (OWWW YOU GOT ME)
☆ Spiciness 3/5
☆FOR FANS OF: George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones, Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns, Kentaro Miura's Berserk series, John Gwynne's The Shadow of the GodsDark Souls, or other dark fantasy
Ultimate verdict ☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Sariel and his amazing dragonbone sword stole the show for me
Review: A Radiantly dark fantasy saga
Oh David Dalgish, I wish I had read your work before you're AMAZING. I've been chasing the high of reading ASOIAF for the first time for years, and this is one of two books so far this year that's given me that feeling back again. Years ago all my friends and family did a read-a-long of the ASOIAF books. When this one hits the shelves, I really want to encourage everybody to do that again with The Radiant King. It just hits right.
The different POV characters have distinct and well defined voices: Sariel's chapters were my favorites because he's not afraid to chop people in half. This is a gory, gruesome book. People die in nasty ways, and it's just so much fun! The magic system called Radiance is very interesting and comes with a wide variety of different uses, from flushing groundhogs out of holes to doing like a Jedi mind trick on people. This book kept me on my toes all the way to the very end and I EAGERLY await a sequel because AAAAAH the ending! THE ENDING!
You got a new fan, Mr. Dalgish.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
Want to read
October 30, 2024the synopsis has me sat. i can't wait to read this!
March 10, 2025
Video review on YouTube: BERSERK Inspired The Radiant King by David Dalglish - No Spoiler Review
https://youtu.be/FDZpG81c9XI
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an EARC.
I first heard about The Radiant King from Petrik Leo. I knew nothing about the book, but the cover looked absolutely captivating. As Mike likes to say, "Never judge a book by it's cover, unless the cover is awesome." This one is, and let me tell you, the book is too!
This book tells the story of six immortal siblings who can seemingly never die. Many years ago, after tremendous abuses of their powering and the suffering that ensued, they took a vow to never rule over the nations of the land, claim crowns or usurp royal authority. Decades, if not centuries later one of the brothers awakes from his rebirth and discovers that one of the siblings has broken their oath, begun a blood cult and claimed a crown. He is seeking power and wants to awaken a deep and possibly evil magic from an eldritch mystical tower. Now two estranged immortal brothers seek to hold the rebel to the oath. They set out to gather the other siblings and find themselves swept up in an uprising that the bastard princess Isabelle is leading. Perhaps this can be used towards their goals. Oh, and did I mention that these siblings wield a powerful and dangerous magic called Radiance? This helps fuel their mission as the rogue sibling seems to be accessing a deeper magic that could cause destruction unlike any of them have ever seen.
The first thing to be said about this book is that in one book, Dalglish crams in more story than most trilogies contain! Holy crap does this book move! Now, this will not work for all readers. At times it reminded me of an older style of fantasy, reminiscent of Vance, Le Guin or Poul Anderson. When it's needed he will devote hundreds of pages to significant parts of the plot, then later on he'll brush over a major passing of time in a simple sentence. I appreciate the efficiency, and though it took some getting used to, I believe it works well. (For example we are told about a two people who meet up romantically, and then the next paragraph says they're married three months later. Very terse and to the point when needed.)
While you might not be able to tell just from the description, this book is HEAVILY inspired by the manga series Berserk, by Kentaro Miura. And while Radiant King is nowhere near as dark as Berserk, it's fingerprints are all over this book in the best way possible. (Every fifty pages, I found myself wondering if I had just been reading it into the book, and then something else would pop up that would reafirm my conviction on this matter.) Some of the inspiration is in the aesthetics, such as a lone swordsman wandering the land with massive fricken sword and a dark cloak. Also the element of the unknown in the land and not knowing what odd town or magical (dangerous) creature they may meet in the local woods. A lot of the mercenary elements from The Golden Age portion of Berserk have their hand on parts of this novel, but also a lot of the horror. The body horror, the demon horror, the eldritch horror. There's a good bit of Berserk inspired horror in this book. (Once again this is not as horrifying or dark as Berserk but it still has it's influence there) I loved it.
One of the fascinating things about this novel is how Dalglish writes the immortal siblings. We know very little about them at the beginning of the novel and have to piece together their relationships very gradually as the book goes on. Dalglish really keeps his cards close to his chest. There is crucial information about these siblings pasts that is revealed in the last 80% of the book that RADICALLY changes how we view them.
Even from the beginning though, there are little things that will happen with the siblings, such as Faron, Sariel and Calluna that tip us off to the fact that not all is as it should be. Something is a little off. Sure they're people with powerful magic, but is that all? We never learn if their angels of some kind, deities, elven or just humans with super powers. Honestly, I lean a little bit towards angels. But Dalglish does a good job showing how flawed beings with that level of detachedness from mortality will have a different moral structure. Some of the siblings have a great regard and care for human life while others see it as little as squishing a bug. Some see the wars of men as though it's a mere game of chess. Though the siblings are immortal, we get the impression that many, or most souls are reincarnated in some way, and Dalglish does a good job exploring what that would mean if you were like the siblings and could tell. Sariel and Faron encounter souls of people that they knew centuries ago. The souls are the same but they are in completely different bodies and often have no memories of their past life. (One of the sibling has been in love with the same soul for centuries and has pursued and loved them through dozens upon dozens of lives and deaths, though of course they have never died themselves.)
Dalglish doesn't write with flowery prose, or with a style that's anything to write home about, but it works very well for what this is. The action is excellent. Very well described and violent. It's often with VERY creative uses of the Radiant powers. Also the fantasy elements are great. There's some unique bits with dragons as well as some really creepy ways that Radiance can screw up humans.
One of the interesting things to point out with the writing is the tone. For most of the novel it reads like a book by Robert Jordan or Sanderson in terms of tone. Then it turns and has moments of sobering darkness and it feels like Kentara Miura or Cormac McCarthy picked up the pen. Because of that it's hard to classify the tone. The book opens and for much of it can feel like standard heroic fantasy, and yet there are moments of darkness that eclipse Abercrombie by a lot.
There's a lot of EXCELLENT issues and questions that Dalglish addresses in this book. It's not a book about men looking for God. Really Dalglish presents the main villain with the belief that God is the one who is lost. He has lost us and the villain is going to help God find men again.
He asks a lot of questions about how you deal with suffering, and what your reaction is to it. How do you deal with many lifetimes of unbelievable suffering. (I'll keep it vague for spoiler reasons, but when Sariel seeks to recover his siblings to him, some of them are...in great eternal visceral pain) When you encounter suffering do you bear your cross, or do you become resentful and cause others to suffer as well? Do you play the victim and hurt everyone else back?
Oh, and as far as the ending goes, I'll just say that Dalglish really GOES FOR IT. It's shocking, and I need a sequel please.
As far as negatives go, there's a few. The first is that for me personally, the book ran a little bit long, but this may be due to the fact that I had to read the EARC on my phone, which I personally find insufferable. Other people might not have an issue with this.
I don't know how other people will feel, but I was never emotionally attached to these characters. I found them interesting and enjoyed following their story, but never felt an emotional attachment to them.
Also, we talked about Dalglish's terse style, and there were a few times where I wasn't sure what the passage of time actually was.
This book takes a little bit to get going. Dalglish gives you everything, and the kitchen sink besides. I was really impressed with this book, even though it took the second half to really kick things up a notch. I recommend people give this one a try. It's a unique take on some great ideas and I hope this does really REALLY well.
https://youtu.be/FDZpG81c9XI
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an EARC.
I first heard about The Radiant King from Petrik Leo. I knew nothing about the book, but the cover looked absolutely captivating. As Mike likes to say, "Never judge a book by it's cover, unless the cover is awesome." This one is, and let me tell you, the book is too!
This book tells the story of six immortal siblings who can seemingly never die. Many years ago, after tremendous abuses of their powering and the suffering that ensued, they took a vow to never rule over the nations of the land, claim crowns or usurp royal authority. Decades, if not centuries later one of the brothers awakes from his rebirth and discovers that one of the siblings has broken their oath, begun a blood cult and claimed a crown. He is seeking power and wants to awaken a deep and possibly evil magic from an eldritch mystical tower. Now two estranged immortal brothers seek to hold the rebel to the oath. They set out to gather the other siblings and find themselves swept up in an uprising that the bastard princess Isabelle is leading. Perhaps this can be used towards their goals. Oh, and did I mention that these siblings wield a powerful and dangerous magic called Radiance? This helps fuel their mission as the rogue sibling seems to be accessing a deeper magic that could cause destruction unlike any of them have ever seen.
The first thing to be said about this book is that in one book, Dalglish crams in more story than most trilogies contain! Holy crap does this book move! Now, this will not work for all readers. At times it reminded me of an older style of fantasy, reminiscent of Vance, Le Guin or Poul Anderson. When it's needed he will devote hundreds of pages to significant parts of the plot, then later on he'll brush over a major passing of time in a simple sentence. I appreciate the efficiency, and though it took some getting used to, I believe it works well. (For example we are told about a two people who meet up romantically, and then the next paragraph says they're married three months later. Very terse and to the point when needed.)
While you might not be able to tell just from the description, this book is HEAVILY inspired by the manga series Berserk, by Kentaro Miura. And while Radiant King is nowhere near as dark as Berserk, it's fingerprints are all over this book in the best way possible. (Every fifty pages, I found myself wondering if I had just been reading it into the book, and then something else would pop up that would reafirm my conviction on this matter.) Some of the inspiration is in the aesthetics, such as a lone swordsman wandering the land with massive fricken sword and a dark cloak. Also the element of the unknown in the land and not knowing what odd town or magical (dangerous) creature they may meet in the local woods. A lot of the mercenary elements from The Golden Age portion of Berserk have their hand on parts of this novel, but also a lot of the horror. The body horror, the demon horror, the eldritch horror. There's a good bit of Berserk inspired horror in this book. (Once again this is not as horrifying or dark as Berserk but it still has it's influence there) I loved it.
One of the fascinating things about this novel is how Dalglish writes the immortal siblings. We know very little about them at the beginning of the novel and have to piece together their relationships very gradually as the book goes on. Dalglish really keeps his cards close to his chest. There is crucial information about these siblings pasts that is revealed in the last 80% of the book that RADICALLY changes how we view them.
Even from the beginning though, there are little things that will happen with the siblings, such as Faron, Sariel and Calluna that tip us off to the fact that not all is as it should be. Something is a little off. Sure they're people with powerful magic, but is that all? We never learn if their angels of some kind, deities, elven or just humans with super powers. Honestly, I lean a little bit towards angels. But Dalglish does a good job showing how flawed beings with that level of detachedness from mortality will have a different moral structure. Some of the siblings have a great regard and care for human life while others see it as little as squishing a bug. Some see the wars of men as though it's a mere game of chess. Though the siblings are immortal, we get the impression that many, or most souls are reincarnated in some way, and Dalglish does a good job exploring what that would mean if you were like the siblings and could tell. Sariel and Faron encounter souls of people that they knew centuries ago. The souls are the same but they are in completely different bodies and often have no memories of their past life. (One of the sibling has been in love with the same soul for centuries and has pursued and loved them through dozens upon dozens of lives and deaths, though of course they have never died themselves.)
Dalglish doesn't write with flowery prose, or with a style that's anything to write home about, but it works very well for what this is. The action is excellent. Very well described and violent. It's often with VERY creative uses of the Radiant powers. Also the fantasy elements are great. There's some unique bits with dragons as well as some really creepy ways that Radiance can screw up humans.
One of the interesting things to point out with the writing is the tone. For most of the novel it reads like a book by Robert Jordan or Sanderson in terms of tone. Then it turns and has moments of sobering darkness and it feels like Kentara Miura or Cormac McCarthy picked up the pen. Because of that it's hard to classify the tone. The book opens and for much of it can feel like standard heroic fantasy, and yet there are moments of darkness that eclipse Abercrombie by a lot.
There's a lot of EXCELLENT issues and questions that Dalglish addresses in this book. It's not a book about men looking for God. Really Dalglish presents the main villain with the belief that God is the one who is lost. He has lost us and the villain is going to help God find men again.
He asks a lot of questions about how you deal with suffering, and what your reaction is to it. How do you deal with many lifetimes of unbelievable suffering. (I'll keep it vague for spoiler reasons, but when Sariel seeks to recover his siblings to him, some of them are...in great eternal visceral pain) When you encounter suffering do you bear your cross, or do you become resentful and cause others to suffer as well? Do you play the victim and hurt everyone else back?
Oh, and as far as the ending goes, I'll just say that Dalglish really GOES FOR IT. It's shocking, and I need a sequel please.
As far as negatives go, there's a few. The first is that for me personally, the book ran a little bit long, but this may be due to the fact that I had to read the EARC on my phone, which I personally find insufferable. Other people might not have an issue with this.
I don't know how other people will feel, but I was never emotionally attached to these characters. I found them interesting and enjoyed following their story, but never felt an emotional attachment to them.
Also, we talked about Dalglish's terse style, and there were a few times where I wasn't sure what the passage of time actually was.
This book takes a little bit to get going. Dalglish gives you everything, and the kitchen sink besides. I was really impressed with this book, even though it took the second half to really kick things up a notch. I recommend people give this one a try. It's a unique take on some great ideas and I hope this does really REALLY well.
December 6, 2024
The start of David Dalglish’s latest epic fantasy series is effortlessly engaging, following six immortal siblings who are swept up into a holy war. Faron, too softhearted to endure the endless cycle of lives, burns to erase the passage of years. When he reawakens, he’s recruited by his embittered brother Sariel to overthrow their brother Eder, who has broken their sacred vow. Eder now leads the overreaching Astral Kingdom, and he has delivered the power of radiance—the power of gods—into human hands. Their best chance to stop him is to ally with the bastard princess Isabelle as she stokes the fires of rebellion.
The dynamics of a broken family are the standout feature of this dark and ruthless saga. Their relationships are fraught with tension, reflecting the uncertain world they inhabit. They carry the scars of lifetimes, and such personal strife influences the larger political conflicts. Alongside them, readers are plunged right into the thick of battle, unfolding in a world that is both ethereal and fey. The action is balanced by an introspective tone that explores the nature of souls and the fallacies of humanity. Perfect for fans of Richard Swan and Anthony Ryan.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
The dynamics of a broken family are the standout feature of this dark and ruthless saga. Their relationships are fraught with tension, reflecting the uncertain world they inhabit. They carry the scars of lifetimes, and such personal strife influences the larger political conflicts. Alongside them, readers are plunged right into the thick of battle, unfolding in a world that is both ethereal and fey. The action is balanced by an introspective tone that explores the nature of souls and the fallacies of humanity. Perfect for fans of Richard Swan and Anthony Ryan.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
dnf
February 23, 2025DNF at 32%
After putting this on pause for three weeks, I realized that the idea of finishing The Radiant King was starting to feel too much like a chore. I am vaguely curious about the plot and the story's direction but I just wasn't enjoying the reading experience enough to feel motivated to continue.
I may try again if I see glowing reviews from my friends. But for now, it's not for me.
After putting this on pause for three weeks, I realized that the idea of finishing The Radiant King was starting to feel too much like a chore. I am vaguely curious about the plot and the story's direction but I just wasn't enjoying the reading experience enough to feel motivated to continue.
I may try again if I see glowing reviews from my friends. But for now, it's not for me.
March 17, 2025
Go gurl, give us nothing!
Honestly, the best thing about this book is the cover... This could have been so epic, I was imagining an adventurous plot where siblings come together to overtake the bad immortal brother, and what did I get? A story that lacked everything. It was just there and basically accomplished nothing. I should have just DNF'ed this after the 100-page mark, but my drive to just keep on going so this would count towards my reading goal got the better of me.
Lacking is a great word to describe this book. It mainly lacked passion. I didn't feel connected to the characters and their motivations (which were subpar anyway). This book is 500 pages, and most of it is war battles, which makes it a very repetitive read. The last 50 pages were batshit crazy, and absolutely not in a good way. If you enjoy individual installments of a series that have a complete story while still introducing the next book in an intriguing way, this one might not sit well with you. The book ends in a very unsatisfactory way, basically making me feel like the 500 pages that I've committed to reading didn't amount to anything! You are basically forced to read the next book to get any sense of a semi-rounded story. But I won't do that.
Yes, this review is quite negative, mainly because I was frustrated because the premise is so great, but it ended up being so mid.
Honestly, the best thing about this book is the cover... This could have been so epic, I was imagining an adventurous plot where siblings come together to overtake the bad immortal brother, and what did I get? A story that lacked everything. It was just there and basically accomplished nothing. I should have just DNF'ed this after the 100-page mark, but my drive to just keep on going so this would count towards my reading goal got the better of me.
Lacking is a great word to describe this book. It mainly lacked passion. I didn't feel connected to the characters and their motivations (which were subpar anyway). This book is 500 pages, and most of it is war battles, which makes it a very repetitive read. The last 50 pages were batshit crazy, and absolutely not in a good way. If you enjoy individual installments of a series that have a complete story while still introducing the next book in an intriguing way, this one might not sit well with you. The book ends in a very unsatisfactory way, basically making me feel like the 500 pages that I've committed to reading didn't amount to anything! You are basically forced to read the next book to get any sense of a semi-rounded story. But I won't do that.
Yes, this review is quite negative, mainly because I was frustrated because the premise is so great, but it ended up being so mid.
Read
April 23, 2025DNF 50%. I wonder how a book with such a strong promise could fall this flat for me 🥲
March 29, 2025
3,5-4 stars
Definitely a fun ride, and Dalglish's writing just sweeps you in. But I expected slightly more from it and also bit different. While fast paced I wasn't fully invested in the plot. It mostly felt like walking from one battle into another. I thought it would be more plotting and intrigue stuff between these immortal siblings with one of them being "fuck your old vows of no rule or crowns". I enjoyed the beginning and the end the most, and ended up skimming the flashback chapters because they didn't contribute that much, and could easily have been hinted at throughout the book.
After reading Dalglish's afterwords I think he should have kept Faron and Sariel as the same character. It would make his character feel deeper and complex. Having a softhearted mush of a character that saves a coyote for companionship and mutual benefit but who's also could also coldheartedly murder humans for possessing stolen magic steals readers' hearts. As if is, none of the characters were dislikable but I felt they lacked a certain depth.
(Dalglish also broke the unwritten rule: )
Also waiting for Dalglish to embrace the grimdark. It's there, he's nibbling on it but never takes the full step. Though it is fun to have more adventurous fantasy that only have sprinkles of grimdark, because those moments are more impactful.
The Keepers will still remain my favourite series by the author and one of my favourite fantasy series overall because goddamn that series is soooooo gooooood
Definitely a fun ride, and Dalglish's writing just sweeps you in. But I expected slightly more from it and also bit different. While fast paced I wasn't fully invested in the plot. It mostly felt like walking from one battle into another. I thought it would be more plotting and intrigue stuff between these immortal siblings with one of them being "fuck your old vows of no rule or crowns". I enjoyed the beginning and the end the most, and ended up skimming the flashback chapters because they didn't contribute that much, and could easily have been hinted at throughout the book.
After reading Dalglish's afterwords I think he should have kept Faron and Sariel as the same character. It would make his character feel deeper and complex. Having a softhearted mush of a character that saves a coyote for companionship and mutual benefit but who's also could also coldheartedly murder humans for possessing stolen magic steals readers' hearts. As if is, none of the characters were dislikable but I felt they lacked a certain depth.
(Dalglish also broke the unwritten rule: )
Also waiting for Dalglish to embrace the grimdark. It's there, he's nibbling on it but never takes the full step. Though it is fun to have more adventurous fantasy that only have sprinkles of grimdark, because those moments are more impactful.
The Keepers will still remain my favourite series by the author and one of my favourite fantasy series overall because goddamn that series is soooooo gooooood
May 28, 2025
I enjoy a Dalglish novel as much as the next fantasy reader, but this one was not a favorite. I did enjoy the ideas behind the narrative and the world and history - plus the author always has great fight scenes. The storyline felt rushed, though, and a bit underdeveloped for my tastes.
I liked it, overall, but there is not enough intrigue for me to continue with the series.
I liked it, overall, but there is not enough intrigue for me to continue with the series.
February 14, 2025
In Kaus, humanity is endlessly reincarnated. True death simply does not exist. People grow old and die or pass from injury or sickness, but their souls return to a new body every time. Wandering amongst the humans are six siblings who have the unique ability to never die, they do not age, and they wield radiance creation magic that allows them to be nigh on invincible. In the millenia that they have walked Kaus they have seen the very worst of humanity has to offer and now one of them has been driven to madness; his entire goal to cleanse humanity of its violence, of it sins, but the cost may be far to great.
Is this ultimately about one very dysfunctional family? Yes, yes, it is. Was it an amazing ride? Absolutely. This may truly be my favorite series of Dalglish's yet. And while I'm 100% sure I say that with every new series, I really mean it this time.
The world building in this is phenomenonal, of course, and as always, there are some next level fighting scenes, but honestly, it's just how well these characters were done that really solidifies it. And it's not just on individual levels, because holy shit are each of them individually just nuts (well except Faron and even he's definitely straddling the fence and we havent met Eist yet but if the other four are any measure he's either completely nuts or on the fence with Faron), which makes sense because if you knew you could just set yourself on fire and sleep for seventy years you'd be nuts too, but as a group they are just arrogant jerks. They basically appoint themselves humanity's judge, jury, and executioner over and over again but then they'll justify it by saying "Well I didn't do anything but influence a human king and/or queen with my magic so it's not *me* doing it." They simply make themselves gods for all intents and purposes, and they don't even have the self-awareness to recognize this. What makes this even more twisted is they don't even know why they are the only six Immortals walking around. Not a single clue, but they consistently decide what's best for the world. The lack of self-awareness is just mind-blowing. The fact that most of this boils down to the fact that none of this would have happened if they went and got some freaking counseling just adds to it, because so much of this is sibling rivalry between pseudo gods.
The other portion of this that put it over the top is this cycle of reincarnation. It's like a weird spin on Spira from FFX, which you know had me hooked immediately. People are just walking around with the memories of every person they've been before rattling around in their brains. And even the siblings have this issue, they always stay themselves but they can opt to forget certain portions of their lives by "dying" which as far as I can tell they go into some weird state which regenerates their body over time and they just pop back out fresh as a daisy with their ex not even a distant memory. On top of that, they can restore people's memories of their past lives or lock them away. Which again seems to push this idea that they know best.
Can't leave a review for this without discussing each individual character, though, because as I said, they are breathtakingly *broken*. Calunna, who appears normal at the beginning, is a sociopath of the highest order. She's spoiled and broken and extremely twisted, and yup, I wholeheartedly believe that if she wasn't such a brat, none of this would have happened. Faron is wonderful, a hero through and through, but also a tad bit to obsessed with blood shed. Sariel was actually my favorite character. Honestly, he is probably the sanest of the bunch, plus some of the best fight scenes involve him. Like at no point did I feel Sariel's actions were out of line and they always were *normal* while Faron's were driven by almost obsessed to stop Eder. Alyah went through some very messed up shit, so she has a tiny bit of an excuse for being just an idiot. Eder is nuts and genuinely the perfect "bad guy" (although his other siblings aren't really in the running for a good guy award either) and I honestly was hoping throughout the ending he would finally come to his senses but nope, actually just drills down harder. But his obsession with righting the reincarnation cycle because it "taints" human souls is what really throws him over the top. There's one scene that forces someone to watch his past self murder someone over and over again. And the thing he is, he really didn't even need to know it ever happened. He purposefully seeks out the worst in a human and then punishes them for something they did four reincarnations ago. It's truly twisted.
Overall, this was genuinely explosive from beginning to end. This world is so unlike anything else he's wrote that it was a ton of fun to read because it is just really weird. The characters, though, are the real reason you should read this both as individuals, but their dynamic as a group was stunningly well done from an author who I already love for writing amazing characters.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books.
Is this ultimately about one very dysfunctional family? Yes, yes, it is. Was it an amazing ride? Absolutely. This may truly be my favorite series of Dalglish's yet. And while I'm 100% sure I say that with every new series, I really mean it this time.
The world building in this is phenomenonal, of course, and as always, there are some next level fighting scenes, but honestly, it's just how well these characters were done that really solidifies it. And it's not just on individual levels, because holy shit are each of them individually just nuts (well except Faron and even he's definitely straddling the fence and we havent met Eist yet but if the other four are any measure he's either completely nuts or on the fence with Faron), which makes sense because if you knew you could just set yourself on fire and sleep for seventy years you'd be nuts too, but as a group they are just arrogant jerks. They basically appoint themselves humanity's judge, jury, and executioner over and over again but then they'll justify it by saying "Well I didn't do anything but influence a human king and/or queen with my magic so it's not *me* doing it." They simply make themselves gods for all intents and purposes, and they don't even have the self-awareness to recognize this. What makes this even more twisted is they don't even know why they are the only six Immortals walking around. Not a single clue, but they consistently decide what's best for the world. The lack of self-awareness is just mind-blowing. The fact that most of this boils down to the fact that none of this would have happened if they went and got some freaking counseling just adds to it, because so much of this is sibling rivalry between pseudo gods.
The other portion of this that put it over the top is this cycle of reincarnation. It's like a weird spin on Spira from FFX, which you know had me hooked immediately. People are just walking around with the memories of every person they've been before rattling around in their brains. And even the siblings have this issue, they always stay themselves but they can opt to forget certain portions of their lives by "dying" which as far as I can tell they go into some weird state which regenerates their body over time and they just pop back out fresh as a daisy with their ex not even a distant memory. On top of that, they can restore people's memories of their past lives or lock them away. Which again seems to push this idea that they know best.
Can't leave a review for this without discussing each individual character, though, because as I said, they are breathtakingly *broken*. Calunna, who appears normal at the beginning, is a sociopath of the highest order. She's spoiled and broken and extremely twisted, and yup, I wholeheartedly believe that if she wasn't such a brat, none of this would have happened. Faron is wonderful, a hero through and through, but also a tad bit to obsessed with blood shed. Sariel was actually my favorite character. Honestly, he is probably the sanest of the bunch, plus some of the best fight scenes involve him. Like at no point did I feel Sariel's actions were out of line and they always were *normal* while Faron's were driven by almost obsessed to stop Eder. Alyah went through some very messed up shit, so she has a tiny bit of an excuse for being just an idiot. Eder is nuts and genuinely the perfect "bad guy" (although his other siblings aren't really in the running for a good guy award either) and I honestly was hoping throughout the ending he would finally come to his senses but nope, actually just drills down harder. But his obsession with righting the reincarnation cycle because it "taints" human souls is what really throws him over the top. There's one scene that forces someone to watch his past self murder someone over and over again. And the thing he is, he really didn't even need to know it ever happened. He purposefully seeks out the worst in a human and then punishes them for something they did four reincarnations ago. It's truly twisted.
Overall, this was genuinely explosive from beginning to end. This world is so unlike anything else he's wrote that it was a ton of fun to read because it is just really weird. The characters, though, are the real reason you should read this both as individuals, but their dynamic as a group was stunningly well done from an author who I already love for writing amazing characters.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books.
February 22, 2025
Firstly, thank you to Dalglish for yet another wonderful book! I got an eARC from Orbit and Netgalley, so thank you to both!!
"No crowns. No Thrones."
The TLDR, This is Dalglishs best book yet. I've now read a total of 8 books from him, and originally I would have said Level:Unknown or the Sapphire Altar, but Radiant King is his best work yet.
What started out feeling a little bit by the numbers of a fantasy story, especially with tropes feeling like Dalglish has tread these waters before, turned into something greatly more.
This I would consider a grimdark novel. Dalglish has always had gruesome action, but I found the tone and characters don't always match that action. This time it does.
The world of Kaus is dark, dreadful, and depressing. But there is still some hope in a better tomorrow.
This is very much a military fantasy, literally following in the events of armies travelling and fighting. With that we get lots of soldiers smashing into soldiers, which I love, but we also get plenty of down time.
And here is where his characterization has peaked. Sariel is a standout, and from other reviews he seems to be the favourite. The character work and motivations really helped drive the overall plot, decisions, and mystery added in.
The story, to me, is balanced well between action, character work, and the mystery.
And in typical Dalglish fashion, a hell of an ending.
Good f**king work, man. I'm super eager for book 2!!
"No crowns. No Thrones."
The TLDR, This is Dalglishs best book yet. I've now read a total of 8 books from him, and originally I would have said Level:Unknown or the Sapphire Altar, but Radiant King is his best work yet.
What started out feeling a little bit by the numbers of a fantasy story, especially with tropes feeling like Dalglish has tread these waters before, turned into something greatly more.
This I would consider a grimdark novel. Dalglish has always had gruesome action, but I found the tone and characters don't always match that action. This time it does.
The world of Kaus is dark, dreadful, and depressing. But there is still some hope in a better tomorrow.
This is very much a military fantasy, literally following in the events of armies travelling and fighting. With that we get lots of soldiers smashing into soldiers, which I love, but we also get plenty of down time.
And here is where his characterization has peaked. Sariel is a standout, and from other reviews he seems to be the favourite. The character work and motivations really helped drive the overall plot, decisions, and mystery added in.
The story, to me, is balanced well between action, character work, and the mystery.
And in typical Dalglish fashion, a hell of an ending.
Good f**king work, man. I'm super eager for book 2!!
January 18, 2025
Publishing March 4th, 2025
back a few months ago when Orbit had posted the beautiful cover reveal for THE RADIANT KING, coupled with its synopsis, I knew I needed to read this book. I rushed to preorder it, and not ashamed to admit I checked netgalley almost daily for the arc.
and now after reading the arc, I am glad I pre ordered it as I have a new trilogy to be invested in!
with six immortal siblings, and nearly all of them having their own POV, Dalglish was able to juggle the different plot lines seamlessly throughout the story. sometimes with multiple POVs, it can feel overwhelming and there’s a lack of balance to the substance of each, but with THE RADIANT KING I never felt that way. I definitely had a favourite POV (Sariel) but was never bored or skimming through the other POVs as each aided the story in its own exciting way. Each voice felt distinct and fleshed out, and I read this book in two days.
It was vicious and exciting, magical and realistic, and tender and romantic (at times) all in one devour-able story. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel and this first book hasn’t even come out yet!
I am quite certain this will be many people’s favourite fantasy novel of 2025.
a massive thank you to orbit books and netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
back a few months ago when Orbit had posted the beautiful cover reveal for THE RADIANT KING, coupled with its synopsis, I knew I needed to read this book. I rushed to preorder it, and not ashamed to admit I checked netgalley almost daily for the arc.
and now after reading the arc, I am glad I pre ordered it as I have a new trilogy to be invested in!
with six immortal siblings, and nearly all of them having their own POV, Dalglish was able to juggle the different plot lines seamlessly throughout the story. sometimes with multiple POVs, it can feel overwhelming and there’s a lack of balance to the substance of each, but with THE RADIANT KING I never felt that way. I definitely had a favourite POV (Sariel) but was never bored or skimming through the other POVs as each aided the story in its own exciting way. Each voice felt distinct and fleshed out, and I read this book in two days.
It was vicious and exciting, magical and realistic, and tender and romantic (at times) all in one devour-able story. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel and this first book hasn’t even come out yet!
I am quite certain this will be many people’s favourite fantasy novel of 2025.
a massive thank you to orbit books and netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2025
As always, I was pulled in by the amazing synopsis of this book. It was pretty much everything I hoped for in dark atmosphere, cool magic and characters I'd enjoy reading about. I did have some issues with the pacing, hence the four star and not a five. However, if you are a fan of dark fantasy, I'd say give this one a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
November 15, 2025
Blown away by how good this is. Outstanding epic fantasy. Cannot wait for the next one.
April 15, 2025
I'm officially sick of Fantasy books about newbies who struggle through everything and take multiple volumes before finally growing competent. I need more fantasy where every POV is thousands of years old and already has their powers, no need for boring training arcs.
May 15, 2025
I started The Radiant King a few months ago and I was really intrigued by the premise. The blurb grabbed my attention and I was looking forward to seeing what Dalglish would do. Sadly, this is the second Dalglish book that I have not finished this year and I think he's just an author that does not work for me.
The character introduction started fast with a lot of different names dropped. Relationships are explained and the basic plot starts in the first few chapters. And then I felt like I was being dragged along kicking and screaming. Chapters meander from one area to another. But they feel the same and I had to check who's POV I was in or if I had accidently set my page count back. I'm at 46% of the way through the arc and I just have no interest in where this story is going. Everything feels the same and there is no progression forward. It's move to a different land, take over, kill the king, rinse and repeat, ad nauseum. There's not a lot of scenes of characters actually doing anything with each other and I feel like I'm stuck at filler to get an epic fantasy page count.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.
The character introduction started fast with a lot of different names dropped. Relationships are explained and the basic plot starts in the first few chapters. And then I felt like I was being dragged along kicking and screaming. Chapters meander from one area to another. But they feel the same and I had to check who's POV I was in or if I had accidently set my page count back. I'm at 46% of the way through the arc and I just have no interest in where this story is going. Everything feels the same and there is no progression forward. It's move to a different land, take over, kill the king, rinse and repeat, ad nauseum. There's not a lot of scenes of characters actually doing anything with each other and I feel like I'm stuck at filler to get an epic fantasy page count.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.
March 25, 2025
It took me a while to finish this book—not because I wasn’t into the plot, but because the arc line up I have this time around is intense. Still, this story kept pulling me back.
David Dalglish is the first male author I’ve picked up in a long time, and I’m glad I did. The Radiant King is a dark and violent fantasy with thrilling action, messy characters, and a unique magic system.
Sariel and Farron were the highlights for me, but their siblings and Isabella also had me hooked. I loved how flawed and complex everyone was.
My only complaint is the flashbacks in the middle, which slowed the pacing. The ending is great, but getting there took some patience.
If you love grimdark fantasy full of blood, betrayal, and morally gray characters, this is worth a read. I’m looking forward to book two!
Thank you, Hachette BG Canada, for my gifted copy.
David Dalglish is the first male author I’ve picked up in a long time, and I’m glad I did. The Radiant King is a dark and violent fantasy with thrilling action, messy characters, and a unique magic system.
Sariel and Farron were the highlights for me, but their siblings and Isabella also had me hooked. I loved how flawed and complex everyone was.
My only complaint is the flashbacks in the middle, which slowed the pacing. The ending is great, but getting there took some patience.
If you love grimdark fantasy full of blood, betrayal, and morally gray characters, this is worth a read. I’m looking forward to book two!
Thank you, Hachette BG Canada, for my gifted copy.
June 2, 2025
Nope. Flat one dimensional. Battle radiance battle next. No explanations really of what’s up. Everyone just accepts these supernatural things? Nobody addressees it?
I gave up 50% after the dragon slaughter. I hated every single character except the silent coyote. Sorry book club, I just could not.
I gave up 50% after the dragon slaughter. I hated every single character except the silent coyote. Sorry book club, I just could not.
January 20, 2025
I’m going between 3.5 and 4 stars here but I received an ARC not having read anything by this author before. I thought the plot was interesting and the idea behind the siblings as well, even though joining a war right away in a book isnt typically my preference lol. I was uncomfortable in the places I needed to be uncomfortable, there were spots that I had no clue what was going to happen and honestly I enjoyed it. I think I plan to read the next book because that ending did surprise me! Overall, a unique plot with some things that I didnt personally like, but good if youre looking for a different kind of fantasy feel! (If any of this made sense lol)
May 15, 2025
I need the second book, NOW
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