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Eterean Empire #2
Fool's Promise
Will love be enough to bind these two broken souls?
Reunited after years of separation, Kyrra and Arsenault long for a peaceful life together. But the magic keeping Kyrra alive is also tearing her apart. When a mysterious piece of ancient metal falls into Arsenault’s hands, he gambles that it will prove to be Kyrra’s salvation despite the secrets from his past it threatens to reveal.
Kyrra is willing to sacrifice everything to free Arsenault from the vengeful god who haunts him, even if it means embracing the magic killing her. But Liera is on the brink of war again, and an unlikely alliance with her greatest enemy may be the only way to save it from destruction.
With their love tested by powerful forces, Kyrra and Arsenault face a heart-breaking decision between their own happiness and the greater good. As the dark truth begins to unravel, can their promise hold—or will they find it was a fool’s promise after all?
Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster in Fool's Promise, the exciting second book in the award-winning Eterean Empire epic fantasy series by Angela Boord. If you like rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and epic love stories, then you won't want to miss this thrilling tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption.
Reunited after years of separation, Kyrra and Arsenault long for a peaceful life together. But the magic keeping Kyrra alive is also tearing her apart. When a mysterious piece of ancient metal falls into Arsenault’s hands, he gambles that it will prove to be Kyrra’s salvation despite the secrets from his past it threatens to reveal.
Kyrra is willing to sacrifice everything to free Arsenault from the vengeful god who haunts him, even if it means embracing the magic killing her. But Liera is on the brink of war again, and an unlikely alliance with her greatest enemy may be the only way to save it from destruction.
With their love tested by powerful forces, Kyrra and Arsenault face a heart-breaking decision between their own happiness and the greater good. As the dark truth begins to unravel, can their promise hold—or will they find it was a fool’s promise after all?
Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster in Fool's Promise, the exciting second book in the award-winning Eterean Empire epic fantasy series by Angela Boord. If you like rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and epic love stories, then you won't want to miss this thrilling tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption.
- GenresFantasy
856 pages, Hardcover
Published August 13, 2024
9 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Angela Boord
11 books119 followersAngela Boord is a hopeless romantic, a nerdy introvert, and the author of SPFBO5 Finalist FORTUNE’S FOOL. She can usually be found with her nose in a book when she’s not writing her own dark fantasy epics of hope, redemption, and relationships in all their messy glory. Angela and her husband live in northern Mississippi in a house full of children, books, and innumerable quantities of Legos.
Sign up for my newsletter at https://angelaboord.com and get "Roses in Winter", a free Eterean Empire story!
Find me everywhere! https://linktr.ee/angelaboord
Sign up for my newsletter at https://angelaboord.com and get "Roses in Winter", a free Eterean Empire story!
Find me everywhere! https://linktr.ee/angelaboord
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 3, 2024
Fool’s Promise is a brilliant sequel that not only lives up to the high expectations set by the Fortune’s Fool but surpasses them in many ways. The story picks up some time after where the previous installment left off, and gets more complex, more twisted, and more thrilling.
Now, if you’ve been reading my reviews, you probably know I tend to avoid longer books (over 450 pages). I make an exception for a few authors, and Angela Boord is one of them—and for good reason. I love how she writes complex characters, how tightly she plots her stories, and how deeply she explores politics and relationships.
Fool’s Promise deepens the already complex plot and expands the world by following current events through multiple points of view. It also shows its history through Arsenault’s chapters, which are set in the past and in various locations. Arsenault has lived long enough to experience the world and its brutal ways, and this perspective adds nuance to the story and kept me at the edge of the seat.
This sequel is probably more Arsenault’s story than Kyrra’s, and I’m happy with it - his history is as fascinating as it is bleak. Of course, Kyrra still gets (and steals) some of the spotlight, since their relationship is central to the plot. However, a significant portion of the story takes place in the past, and allows readers to understand what led Arsenault to these lands and just how much the gods hate him.
Angela Boord writes some of the best characters in modern fantasy. Here, these characters—already well-developed—continue to grow and evolve, and face challenges that test their limits. Lobardin, Mikelo, and even Cassis have excellent chapters, and secondary (or non-POV) characters feel perfectly three-dimensional. You’ll also get to know intriguing characters like Job Barra better and witness how wild the magic can be in the Eterean Empire.
What makes Fool’s Promise truly great is its ability to balance deeply personal stakes with dark and epic political fantasy. In my experience, very few books achieve this balance—some focus too much on relationships, others on politics, while still others obsess excessively on world-building. Angela Boord has nailed the balance (for me), and I loved it.
The book has everything I’m looking for: a gripping plot, complex characters, personal stakes, and rich world-building that is not only essential to the plot but also never boring. It introduces new storylines and twists that keep the narrative fresh and exciting. The pacing is tight, though it may feel a bit slow to readers who prefer more action-oriented stories.
In short, Fool’s Promise is a sequel that not only meets the high bar set by the Fortune’s Fool but raises it. If you loved the first book, this sequel is a must-read.
Now, if you’ve been reading my reviews, you probably know I tend to avoid longer books (over 450 pages). I make an exception for a few authors, and Angela Boord is one of them—and for good reason. I love how she writes complex characters, how tightly she plots her stories, and how deeply she explores politics and relationships.
Fool’s Promise deepens the already complex plot and expands the world by following current events through multiple points of view. It also shows its history through Arsenault’s chapters, which are set in the past and in various locations. Arsenault has lived long enough to experience the world and its brutal ways, and this perspective adds nuance to the story and kept me at the edge of the seat.
This sequel is probably more Arsenault’s story than Kyrra’s, and I’m happy with it - his history is as fascinating as it is bleak. Of course, Kyrra still gets (and steals) some of the spotlight, since their relationship is central to the plot. However, a significant portion of the story takes place in the past, and allows readers to understand what led Arsenault to these lands and just how much the gods hate him.
Angela Boord writes some of the best characters in modern fantasy. Here, these characters—already well-developed—continue to grow and evolve, and face challenges that test their limits. Lobardin, Mikelo, and even Cassis have excellent chapters, and secondary (or non-POV) characters feel perfectly three-dimensional. You’ll also get to know intriguing characters like Job Barra better and witness how wild the magic can be in the Eterean Empire.
What makes Fool’s Promise truly great is its ability to balance deeply personal stakes with dark and epic political fantasy. In my experience, very few books achieve this balance—some focus too much on relationships, others on politics, while still others obsess excessively on world-building. Angela Boord has nailed the balance (for me), and I loved it.
The book has everything I’m looking for: a gripping plot, complex characters, personal stakes, and rich world-building that is not only essential to the plot but also never boring. It introduces new storylines and twists that keep the narrative fresh and exciting. The pacing is tight, though it may feel a bit slow to readers who prefer more action-oriented stories.
In short, Fool’s Promise is a sequel that not only meets the high bar set by the Fortune’s Fool but raises it. If you loved the first book, this sequel is a must-read.
Read
May 1, 20254/30/25: And now the audio is finally here, too! Gabrielle Baker returns to narrate Kyrra's chapters, while Liam Price reads the male POVs--Arsenault, Cassis, Lobardin, and Mikelo. The audiobook is NOT Audible exclusive, so look for it wherever you like to listen to audiobooks!
It's finally here!!
I don't think I've ever worked harder on a book or worried as much that release day would never come. I wanted to write a sequel that was different, that didn't skip over the struggles posed by mental and physical recovery the way many fantasy novels do, and that also didn't leave Our Heroes at the beginning of their romantic relationship. What happens after the happily-ever-after? I wanted to write a book that didn't treat happily-ever-after as a single moment. I wanted to write about a relationship that developed and grew in the context of the big, political epic fantasy plots that I personally love.
All of that turned out to be a wee bit harder than I expected. But I like how the book turned out--and I hope you'll like it, too :-)
It's finally here!!
I don't think I've ever worked harder on a book or worried as much that release day would never come. I wanted to write a sequel that was different, that didn't skip over the struggles posed by mental and physical recovery the way many fantasy novels do, and that also didn't leave Our Heroes at the beginning of their romantic relationship. What happens after the happily-ever-after? I wanted to write a book that didn't treat happily-ever-after as a single moment. I wanted to write about a relationship that developed and grew in the context of the big, political epic fantasy plots that I personally love.
All of that turned out to be a wee bit harder than I expected. But I like how the book turned out--and I hope you'll like it, too :-)
July 16, 2024
Just finished, and wow, I so enjoyed this book.
I read Fool's Promise almost straight off a re-read of Fortune's Fool, and I'm glad I did. There is a lot going on in these books - a vast scope, deep worldbuilding, lots of characters - and it was great to have it fresh in my memory, because you do have to pay attention as they are all important and they all connect. And that was one of my favourite things about this, seeing so many threads come together and in unexpected ways.
Kyrra takes more of a backseat in this book to Arsenault, and we get to see his backstory and answer questions about intriguing side characters like Jon Barra. It took me a couple of chapters to settle into Arsenault's POV because my brain kept expecting his 'present' storyline scenes to be in first person like Kyrra's, but the third person perspective actually worked perfectly once I got used to it. And his story is fascinating and moving.
The 'present' storyline moves at a slower pace than the past for much of the book, as Arsenault's backstory fills in so many crucial details that tie the two together, but once the revelations start coming, the present takes over and then, well, you'll want a quiet place to read for a few hours!
I read Fool's Promise almost straight off a re-read of Fortune's Fool, and I'm glad I did. There is a lot going on in these books - a vast scope, deep worldbuilding, lots of characters - and it was great to have it fresh in my memory, because you do have to pay attention as they are all important and they all connect. And that was one of my favourite things about this, seeing so many threads come together and in unexpected ways.
Kyrra takes more of a backseat in this book to Arsenault, and we get to see his backstory and answer questions about intriguing side characters like Jon Barra. It took me a couple of chapters to settle into Arsenault's POV because my brain kept expecting his 'present' storyline scenes to be in first person like Kyrra's, but the third person perspective actually worked perfectly once I got used to it. And his story is fascinating and moving.
The 'present' storyline moves at a slower pace than the past for much of the book, as Arsenault's backstory fills in so many crucial details that tie the two together, but once the revelations start coming, the present takes over and then, well, you'll want a quiet place to read for a few hours!
August 4, 2024
It’s a shift, and the story is better for it. Seeing more of Arsenault’s life in a the past is interesting. We get a glimpse of it in the last book but really seeing what his life is like under the curse is rough.
That’s not to say Kyrra’s not present in the book. She very much involved as she tries to heal in spite of wild magic and the politics of the houses won’t leave her alone.
The slower pace doesn’t last though and once the dominos start toppling it’s a heart pounding ride to the end that is going to take me a bit to forgive Angela for, in a good way!
I’m eager for book three and can’t wait to see where things go from here.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
That’s not to say Kyrra’s not present in the book. She very much involved as she tries to heal in spite of wild magic and the politics of the houses won’t leave her alone.
The slower pace doesn’t last though and once the dominos start toppling it’s a heart pounding ride to the end that is going to take me a bit to forgive Angela for, in a good way!
I’m eager for book three and can’t wait to see where things go from here.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2025
I loved this sequel even more than the first book. Incredibly rich world-building, complex plot, exciting reveals, and characters with humanity and depth at the heart of the story. I'm glad this book was so long. I enjoyed every page.
July 14, 2024
What a phenomenal sequel to one of my favourite reads this year. At a hefty 1100 pages, this is no quick read but a massive epic that spans multiple POV's and time periods, managing to exceed my expectations on all counts. Brilliant characters, sumptuous prose and a wonderful setting. This series needs more attention and reviews, can't wait for the next one.
August 1, 2024
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I was so excited when it was released, I started rereading the first book and enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it some years ago.
However Fool's Promise was disappointing. It felt chaotic and a lot of the plot twists felt contrived. I still love the characters and will definitely read the next book when it comes out. I just don't feel this one measures up to the first one.
However Fool's Promise was disappointing. It felt chaotic and a lot of the plot twists felt contrived. I still love the characters and will definitely read the next book when it comes out. I just don't feel this one measures up to the first one.
July 4, 2024
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily (and with great pleasure).
I loved the first book, Fortune's Fool, because the writing is spectacular, the romance is nuanced and properly steamy, and the story is compellingly told.
Fool's Promise continues in this vein, but it's a very different book. It's longer and, dare I say, more epic. It's darker, especially in the beginning, with fewer cozy moments. And it's less romantic, or perhaps differently romantic would be a better way to put it.
What I loved:
The writing remains an extremely strong point. Boord knows how to craft a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter. She knows how to tug at your heartstrings and make you think. I highlighted many beautiful sentences while reading.
The characterization is, as always, excellent. All the characters are fully fleshed out; even the villains are sympathetic to an extent--and sometimes it can be hard to tell who's a villain and who's a hero and who's something in between.
The worldbuilding is outstanding, though I must confess that the more we delved into actual gods intervening in people's lives, the less invested I was (that's a personal preference, as I like my fantasy low). But the world is beautifully drawn, even if it's ugly and cruel at times. My favorite worldbuilding bits involve scholarship, including the infamous writer, explorer, and scholar from the book's olden days, Oji la Kaif. There's a sense of a dense and fully fleshed-out history to this world, and I can easily imagine Boord writing books set in the world's antiquity, which leads me to some things I was ambivalent about.
The book spans a large frame of time and space, in part due to one character's unusual relationship to time, life, and death. This is a 1,200 page epic with three main POV characters and 2 more who get occasional POV chapters. We see the characters at various times and places, each with their own complex politics and personal dynamics. This is what epic fantasy should be, and for many people this will be a bonus, but I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed at times with the sheer scope and breadth of the world and the story.
The romance is different in this book compared to the first, which makes sense, given what's happened before and what happens in this book. I'd say it's less romantic in focus than Fortune's Fool--there are multiple romances described, some given more weight than others (Kyrra and Arsenault remain the book's romantic power couple). The romance was the reason I was so eager to continue the series, and there were times when the epic storyline and the machinations of power became the main thing while the romance took a back seat. Again, this is an epic fantasy novel, not a romance, so the issue is mine, but I thought it worth mentioning.
You'll love this book if you love gorgeously written, generation-spanning epic storylines with incredible worldbuilding and romance woven throughout. Just be prepared for a lot of darkness and struggle, and perhaps not as much resolution as you might expect (a main plot point remains open into the sequel).
I loved the first book, Fortune's Fool, because the writing is spectacular, the romance is nuanced and properly steamy, and the story is compellingly told.
Fool's Promise continues in this vein, but it's a very different book. It's longer and, dare I say, more epic. It's darker, especially in the beginning, with fewer cozy moments. And it's less romantic, or perhaps differently romantic would be a better way to put it.
What I loved:
The writing remains an extremely strong point. Boord knows how to craft a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter. She knows how to tug at your heartstrings and make you think. I highlighted many beautiful sentences while reading.
The characterization is, as always, excellent. All the characters are fully fleshed out; even the villains are sympathetic to an extent--and sometimes it can be hard to tell who's a villain and who's a hero and who's something in between.
The worldbuilding is outstanding, though I must confess that the more we delved into actual gods intervening in people's lives, the less invested I was (that's a personal preference, as I like my fantasy low). But the world is beautifully drawn, even if it's ugly and cruel at times. My favorite worldbuilding bits involve scholarship, including the infamous writer, explorer, and scholar from the book's olden days, Oji la Kaif. There's a sense of a dense and fully fleshed-out history to this world, and I can easily imagine Boord writing books set in the world's antiquity, which leads me to some things I was ambivalent about.
The book spans a large frame of time and space, in part due to one character's unusual relationship to time, life, and death. This is a 1,200 page epic with three main POV characters and 2 more who get occasional POV chapters. We see the characters at various times and places, each with their own complex politics and personal dynamics. This is what epic fantasy should be, and for many people this will be a bonus, but I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed at times with the sheer scope and breadth of the world and the story.
The romance is different in this book compared to the first, which makes sense, given what's happened before and what happens in this book. I'd say it's less romantic in focus than Fortune's Fool--there are multiple romances described, some given more weight than others (Kyrra and Arsenault remain the book's romantic power couple). The romance was the reason I was so eager to continue the series, and there were times when the epic storyline and the machinations of power became the main thing while the romance took a back seat. Again, this is an epic fantasy novel, not a romance, so the issue is mine, but I thought it worth mentioning.
You'll love this book if you love gorgeously written, generation-spanning epic storylines with incredible worldbuilding and romance woven throughout. Just be prepared for a lot of darkness and struggle, and perhaps not as much resolution as you might expect (a main plot point remains open into the sequel).
August 16, 2024
Fool’s Promise throws us right into the aftermath of Kyrra’s stand-off against the power-hungry head of the house responsible for her downfall, mercenary life, and basically everything that’s gone wrong with the Eterean Empire.
This novel has everything: power vacuums, brother versus brother, ill-advised marriage proposals, and the magic that spared Kyrra in the past now tearing her apart at the seams.
Arsenault, still bound to the Gods and now sworn to Kyrra, takes us through the paces as the central POV. Boord’s high fantasy epic dives us into his past, telling the story of how the man cursed to immortality became the Arsenault we adore while showing how those traumatic echoes chase him into the present.
I was swept away, especially by Arsenault's story. It was a struggle to not skim the other POVs (DON’T SKIM!!!!! THERE’S SO MUCH HAPPENING) to get back to his journey and, through him, learning more about Jon Barra. But even as Arsenault stole the show, I gleefully hunkered down every time Kyrra got in her own way.
Boord weaves an impressive amount of threads together into this tapestry of a novel. Lush prose, rich world-building, all the details all the time, and all of it pays off. I wish I had re-read Fortune’s Fool before diving in, but Boord includes a “so here’s what happened” at the start, which is helpful for gaining your bearings.
This novel has everything: power vacuums, brother versus brother, ill-advised marriage proposals, and the magic that spared Kyrra in the past now tearing her apart at the seams.
Arsenault, still bound to the Gods and now sworn to Kyrra, takes us through the paces as the central POV. Boord’s high fantasy epic dives us into his past, telling the story of how the man cursed to immortality became the Arsenault we adore while showing how those traumatic echoes chase him into the present.
I was swept away, especially by Arsenault's story. It was a struggle to not skim the other POVs (DON’T SKIM!!!!! THERE’S SO MUCH HAPPENING) to get back to his journey and, through him, learning more about Jon Barra. But even as Arsenault stole the show, I gleefully hunkered down every time Kyrra got in her own way.
Boord weaves an impressive amount of threads together into this tapestry of a novel. Lush prose, rich world-building, all the details all the time, and all of it pays off. I wish I had re-read Fortune’s Fool before diving in, but Boord includes a “so here’s what happened” at the start, which is helpful for gaining your bearings.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews