What do you think?
Rate this book
A Reign of Emerald Fire: A Yarn Spun from the Lore of Uprynenos
A REIGN OF EMERALD FIRE IS THE DEBUT NOVEL OF A NEW FANTASY SERIES BY AUTHOR MATTHEW J TURNER.
Disgraced Commander of the King's 1st, Stánwilte Yoakilor pins his hopes upon a hastily cobbled together band of misfits, gallivanting around the kingdom of Uprynenos on a mishap-strewn path to redemption.
Brolo, the half-elf/half-dwarf tags along, deluded by a desire to experience the skull-cracking, knuckle-dusting escapades allegedly undertaken by his absent father, if his drunkenness and sharp tongue doesn't get him killed first.
Far away in the desolate Ánad, a desert far beyond the reaches of the King's Law, Yilonia flees the wrath of her father, the Earl of Stunheath, unaware that his fiery temper should be the least of her concerns.
Set within a double-edged world where stark and brutal events are cut with a wry-humoured absurdity, this opening tale focuses on the painful fusing together of outcasts into a dysfunctional family, bonded by their shared magnetism for misfortune and grief.
"A glorious mesh of characters and events that propels the pages forward with endless excitement and humour... Wonderful..." Tyler, Indie Book reviewer
Disgraced Commander of the King's 1st, Stánwilte Yoakilor pins his hopes upon a hastily cobbled together band of misfits, gallivanting around the kingdom of Uprynenos on a mishap-strewn path to redemption.
Brolo, the half-elf/half-dwarf tags along, deluded by a desire to experience the skull-cracking, knuckle-dusting escapades allegedly undertaken by his absent father, if his drunkenness and sharp tongue doesn't get him killed first.
Far away in the desolate Ánad, a desert far beyond the reaches of the King's Law, Yilonia flees the wrath of her father, the Earl of Stunheath, unaware that his fiery temper should be the least of her concerns.
Set within a double-edged world where stark and brutal events are cut with a wry-humoured absurdity, this opening tale focuses on the painful fusing together of outcasts into a dysfunctional family, bonded by their shared magnetism for misfortune and grief.
"A glorious mesh of characters and events that propels the pages forward with endless excitement and humour... Wonderful..." Tyler, Indie Book reviewer
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
August 27, 2023
”Forget all that glory crap, you'll find none here. The pages of the great tomes of history are brimming with the fables of forgotten men. Some were otherwise unremarkable and humble, some were mighty figures of their age. All, I can assure you, died in some shit way or another…”
Thank you to the author for sending me a physical copy in exchange for a review!
Yilona is a young girl escaping her family in a caravan train before it gets ravaged by a dragon (a creature worshiped by a fanatical bloodthirsty cult thought to be extinct) and she is left alone and dying.
Stánwilte is the once-honourable and great, now disgraced, captain of the Watch of a backwater town.
Brolo is a half-elf, half-dwarf bastard, wrapping himself in humour, sharp wit, and drinks to shield himself against the world.
Along with a young simpleton and a haughty, unwanted fourth-born nobleman, they set out on a quest to vanquish the dragon.
Expect banter, a grumpy commander, dragons, politics, religious cults, mass stake burnings, bars, and the start of a reluctant found family!
This has funny and sharp writing, dialogue, and a fun-packed storyline! Just a snippet to give you a flavour within the first few pages:
Owing to a disastrous combination of scalding heat, bright ginger hair and pasty white skin, hed been left looking not so much sun-kissed but sun-per mouth-snogged-wich-tongue.
Turner’s talent definitely lies in his character work. The first few chapters of Yilona spunky pov was so fun, and the pessimistic, snide dwelf Brolo was extremely entertaining to follow.
A high 3 stars! I think it would have easily been 4 stars if there was slightly more world-building and the book was longer to develop more!
Warning - this ends on a cliffhanger!!
Bookstagram
Thank you to the author for sending me a physical copy in exchange for a review!
Yilona is a young girl escaping her family in a caravan train before it gets ravaged by a dragon (a creature worshiped by a fanatical bloodthirsty cult thought to be extinct) and she is left alone and dying.
Stánwilte is the once-honourable and great, now disgraced, captain of the Watch of a backwater town.
Brolo is a half-elf, half-dwarf bastard, wrapping himself in humour, sharp wit, and drinks to shield himself against the world.
Along with a young simpleton and a haughty, unwanted fourth-born nobleman, they set out on a quest to vanquish the dragon.
Expect banter, a grumpy commander, dragons, politics, religious cults, mass stake burnings, bars, and the start of a reluctant found family!
This has funny and sharp writing, dialogue, and a fun-packed storyline! Just a snippet to give you a flavour within the first few pages:
Owing to a disastrous combination of scalding heat, bright ginger hair and pasty white skin, hed been left looking not so much sun-kissed but sun-per mouth-snogged-wich-tongue.
Turner’s talent definitely lies in his character work. The first few chapters of Yilona spunky pov was so fun, and the pessimistic, snide dwelf Brolo was extremely entertaining to follow.
A high 3 stars! I think it would have easily been 4 stars if there was slightly more world-building and the book was longer to develop more!
Warning - this ends on a cliffhanger!!
Bookstagram
December 26, 2024
4.75
“I know you all as proud men, good men, dutiful and brave. I know deep down, in your heart of hearts, none of you would stand idly by while you had blood and steel within you to fight. Not one of you could bear to see your kingdom fall, crumbling feebly before the unspeakable horrors that assail it. The time to make your mark is now!”
A huge thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC for his debut novel. Between choosing the world building, the dragon, the magic or the hilarious and sarcastic characters I wouldn’t be able to choose my favorite. I will so though, I hope to see more dragons in the future.
The story was so fun to read, especially the chapters with the band of misfits going on their adventure. They were hilarious and witty, with a foul mouth. It reminded me so much of the tv show Merlin, when the Knights of the Round Table and Merlin would go out on adventures.
This was such an excellent debut novel and you can tell Matthew J. Turner really made sure it was in great condition before allowing ARC readers to take a crack at it.
“I know you all as proud men, good men, dutiful and brave. I know deep down, in your heart of hearts, none of you would stand idly by while you had blood and steel within you to fight. Not one of you could bear to see your kingdom fall, crumbling feebly before the unspeakable horrors that assail it. The time to make your mark is now!”
A huge thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC for his debut novel. Between choosing the world building, the dragon, the magic or the hilarious and sarcastic characters I wouldn’t be able to choose my favorite. I will so though, I hope to see more dragons in the future.
The story was so fun to read, especially the chapters with the band of misfits going on their adventure. They were hilarious and witty, with a foul mouth. It reminded me so much of the tv show Merlin, when the Knights of the Round Table and Merlin would go out on adventures.
This was such an excellent debut novel and you can tell Matthew J. Turner really made sure it was in great condition before allowing ARC readers to take a crack at it.
December 9, 2023
I'd give it a 3.75, rounded up to a 4. The story is entertaining, the characters are well developped and the world building interesting. I have to admit, I would have liked some sort of glossary for 2 reasons: I was confused with the religions and the inquisitions and all those things for a while. And how do you pronounce those strange names ? I was reading only the first letter, but I feel like it was also on purpose, as the whole book had a very specific tone. The chapters where the narrator was on the men's side sounded very funny and also a bit stupid and grotesque, to match the characters' rustic behavior. Yilonia's chapters sounded more neutral in terms of vocabulary. SPOILER WARNING I was a bit disappointed we never got to the dragon in this book so the journey felt a little long, but the epilogue piqued my interest !
I'd recommend it if you're looking for an adventurous journey !
I'd recommend it if you're looking for an adventurous journey !
December 14, 2023
Review to come!
February 16, 2024
I want to thank the author for the E-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
I found this book to be thrilling, entertaining and full of fantasy! I mean come on it has everything! Elves 🧝♀️, dwarves, dragons 🐉 and adventure! A great book for anyone who is into their fantasy. I love how the characters are sarcastic and witty, makes them more relatable (I tend to be sarcastic a lot lol)
I feel a very promising debut!
I found this book to be thrilling, entertaining and full of fantasy! I mean come on it has everything! Elves 🧝♀️, dwarves, dragons 🐉 and adventure! A great book for anyone who is into their fantasy. I love how the characters are sarcastic and witty, makes them more relatable (I tend to be sarcastic a lot lol)
I feel a very promising debut!
July 4, 2026
3.75 rounded up.
Disclaimer - I was gifted a digital copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
In a world where magic has been banned, and the dragons that once ruled the skies and lands of men are now but myth and the forgotton reliquries of an abandoned religion, we meet three unlikely individuals grappling to control their destiny.
Yilonia - a young woman hoping to escape the wrath of her father by fleeing to the edge of the world across a scorched desert. The horrors unleashed on her amid the dunes will see her fall into the clutches of a court spider, weaving webs of deceit and lies as he seeks to steal power from a dying king.
Brolo - a young dwelf of the city watch, drinking himself into an early grave in a backwater town, desperate to see some of his father's stories of adventure and magic come to fruition. Left with only his father's illegal magical hammer, a father who abandoned him before birth, his sharp mind and tongue sees him at odds with everyone in his hometown.
Stánwilte - a disgraced soldier who once guarded the King's only son, banished to a far flung corner of the kingdom after allowing the boy to die in battle against rebellious wizards. When this grizzled warrior hears rumours of a winged beast in the north arising, and the king's wish for it to be hunted down and killed, he takes the chance to redeem himself and claw back the life he lost.
This is a classic fantasy set-up with a unique take on the role of dragons in such a world.
Once the giant lizards ruled over men until the kingdoms were unified, and the dragons ceeded power to the human leaders, dying out for good in the aftermath. The church of the flame sprung up decreeeing that, should the dragons ever return, the throne must immediately be abandoned by the human king and handed back to the benevolent fire breathing thunder lizards. I did want a bit more of an explanation of this history as I don't yet know why dragons would do such a thing.
We meet our three unlikely protagonists hundreds of years later, after the church of the flame has fallen out favour and been replaced by the much more capitalist circle religion. A religion that benefits the upper echelons of society, and stands upon the backs of the poor.
When rumours of a dragon spread across the land, unease ripples through all. Some celebrate the return of the mythical beasts. Others want it dead. The church of the flame rises once more and all will fall mercy to their purifying fires.
I found this to be so much fun. I thought it was a great initial first volume in what is clearly a much longer series. Some might find the lack of action fustrating, but I think its set things up really nicely for the next book and built a strong, vibrant world.
Our villian is a bit of a standard archetype but I don't mind that at all. Theres a great sense of humour in the story telling, and the author has a strong voice.
Sometimes I found the metaphors too long winded and too numerous, but over all I really enjoyed the colourful world that was built and am excited to continue the adventure with our motley band of misfits.
Disclaimer - I was gifted a digital copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
In a world where magic has been banned, and the dragons that once ruled the skies and lands of men are now but myth and the forgotton reliquries of an abandoned religion, we meet three unlikely individuals grappling to control their destiny.
Yilonia - a young woman hoping to escape the wrath of her father by fleeing to the edge of the world across a scorched desert. The horrors unleashed on her amid the dunes will see her fall into the clutches of a court spider, weaving webs of deceit and lies as he seeks to steal power from a dying king.
Brolo - a young dwelf of the city watch, drinking himself into an early grave in a backwater town, desperate to see some of his father's stories of adventure and magic come to fruition. Left with only his father's illegal magical hammer, a father who abandoned him before birth, his sharp mind and tongue sees him at odds with everyone in his hometown.
Stánwilte - a disgraced soldier who once guarded the King's only son, banished to a far flung corner of the kingdom after allowing the boy to die in battle against rebellious wizards. When this grizzled warrior hears rumours of a winged beast in the north arising, and the king's wish for it to be hunted down and killed, he takes the chance to redeem himself and claw back the life he lost.
This is a classic fantasy set-up with a unique take on the role of dragons in such a world.
Once the giant lizards ruled over men until the kingdoms were unified, and the dragons ceeded power to the human leaders, dying out for good in the aftermath. The church of the flame sprung up decreeeing that, should the dragons ever return, the throne must immediately be abandoned by the human king and handed back to the benevolent fire breathing thunder lizards. I did want a bit more of an explanation of this history as I don't yet know why dragons would do such a thing.
We meet our three unlikely protagonists hundreds of years later, after the church of the flame has fallen out favour and been replaced by the much more capitalist circle religion. A religion that benefits the upper echelons of society, and stands upon the backs of the poor.
When rumours of a dragon spread across the land, unease ripples through all. Some celebrate the return of the mythical beasts. Others want it dead. The church of the flame rises once more and all will fall mercy to their purifying fires.
I found this to be so much fun. I thought it was a great initial first volume in what is clearly a much longer series. Some might find the lack of action fustrating, but I think its set things up really nicely for the next book and built a strong, vibrant world.
Our villian is a bit of a standard archetype but I don't mind that at all. Theres a great sense of humour in the story telling, and the author has a strong voice.
Sometimes I found the metaphors too long winded and too numerous, but over all I really enjoyed the colourful world that was built and am excited to continue the adventure with our motley band of misfits.
June 13, 2024
‘Alright if this is how you’re going to be, then I’ll bite. Forget about all that glory crap, you’ll find none here. The pages of the great tomes of history are brimming with the fables of forgotten men. Some were otherwise unremarkable and humble, some were mighty figures of their age. All, I can assure you, died in some shit way or another.’
I feel like the quote above really sets the tone for this book. A debut comedic fantasy novel by the author and this quote reflects that. I found the book interesting and the tone light, however, I personally felt it was too jovial all of the time, considering the events of the book.
The story seemed to end quite abruptly and a lot of set up occurred for the next instalment which did leave me wanting to know more. However, I felt most of the whole story was the set up and it lacked action. The last 50 pages really picked up and I wanted more of that throughout.
Overall, a light hearted, interesting read and I am curious where the author will take us as the story continues.
*thanks to the author for a digital copy in exchange for a review*
I feel like the quote above really sets the tone for this book. A debut comedic fantasy novel by the author and this quote reflects that. I found the book interesting and the tone light, however, I personally felt it was too jovial all of the time, considering the events of the book.
The story seemed to end quite abruptly and a lot of set up occurred for the next instalment which did leave me wanting to know more. However, I felt most of the whole story was the set up and it lacked action. The last 50 pages really picked up and I wanted more of that throughout.
Overall, a light hearted, interesting read and I am curious where the author will take us as the story continues.
*thanks to the author for a digital copy in exchange for a review*
May 11, 2024
The author sent me a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
This was pure fantasy at its best. If you’re a fan of classic fantasy, great world building and a cast of characters you will love, (and hate), then dive into this asap.
It’s got dragons, evil inquisitors and a ragtag bunch of unlikely heroes. These guys really shouldn’t be teamed up, let alone on a perilous quest together. However that’s what works best about this book, the humour is well….humourous. In actual fact it’s bloody hilarious at times, which really cuts through the bleak and somewhat grim scenario the main cast find themselves in.
Brolo is fast becoming one of my favourite characters in a fantasy series. The petulant bickering and fighting has some of the funniest scenes I have read.
This is the first in what I hope is along series, I just hope the next instalments come quicker than Rothfuss/Martin releases.
This was pure fantasy at its best. If you’re a fan of classic fantasy, great world building and a cast of characters you will love, (and hate), then dive into this asap.
It’s got dragons, evil inquisitors and a ragtag bunch of unlikely heroes. These guys really shouldn’t be teamed up, let alone on a perilous quest together. However that’s what works best about this book, the humour is well….humourous. In actual fact it’s bloody hilarious at times, which really cuts through the bleak and somewhat grim scenario the main cast find themselves in.
Brolo is fast becoming one of my favourite characters in a fantasy series. The petulant bickering and fighting has some of the funniest scenes I have read.
This is the first in what I hope is along series, I just hope the next instalments come quicker than Rothfuss/Martin releases.
June 22, 2025
More like 3.75, but a great first book. It had all the fantasy vibes: a quest, found family, nice world building. Can’t wait for book 2!
March 25, 2024
This was such a fun and entertaining read. It did take some time for me to get into this fantasy book because the writing style is a bit different from what I m used to, but it sure was enjoyable. This story has an interesting world building, the characters are great , and the descriptions are very well written. I was a bit confused with the various religions, but I did get an overall idea towards the end of the story. Yilonia, Stánwilte, Brolo - they sure look like a band of misfits, but I love the witty banters and the puns that will make you laugh. Also, I m hoping to see more of the dragons in the next book, and I m sure the adventure is going to be fun and thrilling.
February 4, 2025
The prose quality is good, but unfortunately there is not enough gluing this together into a coherent story. It reads almost like an extended prologue, with not much to get invested in plot-wise.
(I received a review copy from the author.)
(I received a review copy from the author.)
June 15, 2024
Reading A Reign of Emerald Fire was a ton of fun. The humor was abundant, the unending hijinks and squabbles all kept me chuckling. It was vivid and gritty; an immersive introduction to a new fantasy world.
Some of the lines really had me such as:
“ His hazy gaze gave the impression of a man deep in contemplation of life’s great mysteries, such as if I buttered both sides of my toast and dropped it, would anyone mind if I still ate it? “
Turner’s way with words is impressive! His prose are descriptive, with an abundance of similes and metaphors. I never once had a hard time forming the picture Turner was trying to convey, and I loved the creativity behind the wording. Some of the passages I enjoyed:
“ ‘Fuck,’ Brolo said.
‘Fuck,’ echoed Wilkhelm.
The word rippled around the hall, as if someone had dropped a pebble into a calm lake of obscenities. “
and
“ Like a carousel, we go around and around, twirling to the same tune as we have done for years. Thankfully, I learnt how the song goes my first time around, and I know whose eyes belong to whom in this little circus of deception. “
I loved journeying with all of the characters. They each were so vibrant in my mind within a few pages. The interactions between any combination of the men always held some enjoyable drama, and on occasion, events occurred that caused a change to the undercurrents of the relationships.
The lore and world-building felt clear. I also enjoyed the commentary on religious zeal and the political influences fueling those flames.
Having the FMC Yilonia and her experiences, along with the King’s brother Relfread in this story really rooted the plot into more serious soil. There is a lot at play behind the scenes that stand to change the trajectory of this kingdom. And I feel we’ve barely glimpsed behind the curtain with this debut.
There were only a few instances that I felt didn’t work for me, and this is entirely personal preference. In a few lines the descriptive language didn’t fit the flow of a scene and could’ve worked better with concise language. There is also a good amount of p*ss and sh*t talk from the male characters POVs which didn’t bother me, but a few comments were a little over the top in the sense that it didn’t feel natural to the commentary.
Turner did an awesome job with A Reign of Emerald Fire and I hope to see more of Uprynenos in the future.
Thank you to the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Some of the lines really had me such as:
“ His hazy gaze gave the impression of a man deep in contemplation of life’s great mysteries, such as if I buttered both sides of my toast and dropped it, would anyone mind if I still ate it? “
Turner’s way with words is impressive! His prose are descriptive, with an abundance of similes and metaphors. I never once had a hard time forming the picture Turner was trying to convey, and I loved the creativity behind the wording. Some of the passages I enjoyed:
“ ‘Fuck,’ Brolo said.
‘Fuck,’ echoed Wilkhelm.
The word rippled around the hall, as if someone had dropped a pebble into a calm lake of obscenities. “
and
“ Like a carousel, we go around and around, twirling to the same tune as we have done for years. Thankfully, I learnt how the song goes my first time around, and I know whose eyes belong to whom in this little circus of deception. “
I loved journeying with all of the characters. They each were so vibrant in my mind within a few pages. The interactions between any combination of the men always held some enjoyable drama, and on occasion, events occurred that caused a change to the undercurrents of the relationships.
The lore and world-building felt clear. I also enjoyed the commentary on religious zeal and the political influences fueling those flames.
Having the FMC Yilonia and her experiences, along with the King’s brother Relfread in this story really rooted the plot into more serious soil. There is a lot at play behind the scenes that stand to change the trajectory of this kingdom. And I feel we’ve barely glimpsed behind the curtain with this debut.
There were only a few instances that I felt didn’t work for me, and this is entirely personal preference. In a few lines the descriptive language didn’t fit the flow of a scene and could’ve worked better with concise language. There is also a good amount of p*ss and sh*t talk from the male characters POVs which didn’t bother me, but a few comments were a little over the top in the sense that it didn’t feel natural to the commentary.
Turner did an awesome job with A Reign of Emerald Fire and I hope to see more of Uprynenos in the future.
Thank you to the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 10, 2023
4/5 ⭐️
This one was so good! Super easy to get through, fast paced, high fantasy and a thrilling adventure!
The characters are so lovable! I loved Yilonia so much. The chapters in her prospective were my favorite so I loved getting more of her near the end!! The story is pretty dark but I feel like the spunky characters like Brolo who’s always angry about something haha!
All the characters are so cool. I hope more fighting takes place in the next one so we can read more about Stanwhites fighting and how he can literally win every fight without getting injured. Like that’s insane this man is so powerful.
The author has an amazing ability to describe. I always hate books that have too much description or carry on for too long but he has a way of describing just enough that you know what the setting looks like or what’s going on without having to drag it out.
I cannot wait for the next book this one ends of quite the cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
If you like these this book is definitely worth the read
✨Horrible puns
✨Dragons
✨High Fantasy Adventures
✨An Author that will make you laugh until you cry
✨ Loveable characters
This one was so good! Super easy to get through, fast paced, high fantasy and a thrilling adventure!
The characters are so lovable! I loved Yilonia so much. The chapters in her prospective were my favorite so I loved getting more of her near the end!! The story is pretty dark but I feel like the spunky characters like Brolo who’s always angry about something haha!
All the characters are so cool. I hope more fighting takes place in the next one so we can read more about Stanwhites fighting and how he can literally win every fight without getting injured. Like that’s insane this man is so powerful.
The author has an amazing ability to describe. I always hate books that have too much description or carry on for too long but he has a way of describing just enough that you know what the setting looks like or what’s going on without having to drag it out.
I cannot wait for the next book this one ends of quite the cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
If you like these this book is definitely worth the read
✨Horrible puns
✨Dragons
✨High Fantasy Adventures
✨An Author that will make you laugh until you cry
✨ Loveable characters
July 4, 2025
Thank you to the author for the gifted review copy.
If the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones had a collision what would emerge from the ashes would be A reign of Emerald Fire. Although the story is written from a third point of view, it mainly follows three people, Brolo, half dwarf half elf, Stanwilte, a commander in exile and Yilonia, the only person who witnessed a gut wrenching tragedy and lived to tell the tale.
It’s the first book in the series and so it lays down the foundation for the series, there is a lot of world building which means long descriptions and lesser interactions between the characters. As far as the modern storytelling goes, A Reign of Emerald Fire, has a found family trope in a very non conventional way (they fight throughout), but i think it can build up to something good in the upcoming books.
There is political drama, a lot of betrayal and as people make their move to gain power, there are five people who are moving towards a quest that is nothing less than a suicide.
The bickering and the nonsense talk was fun but I hope there is more character development for each of them in the next book.
If the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones had a collision what would emerge from the ashes would be A reign of Emerald Fire. Although the story is written from a third point of view, it mainly follows three people, Brolo, half dwarf half elf, Stanwilte, a commander in exile and Yilonia, the only person who witnessed a gut wrenching tragedy and lived to tell the tale.
It’s the first book in the series and so it lays down the foundation for the series, there is a lot of world building which means long descriptions and lesser interactions between the characters. As far as the modern storytelling goes, A Reign of Emerald Fire, has a found family trope in a very non conventional way (they fight throughout), but i think it can build up to something good in the upcoming books.
There is political drama, a lot of betrayal and as people make their move to gain power, there are five people who are moving towards a quest that is nothing less than a suicide.
The bickering and the nonsense talk was fun but I hope there is more character development for each of them in the next book.
August 17, 2026
I received a copy of A reign of emerald fire so I could eventually read ARC of Rogues’ Galley.
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was great and I liked the different POVs. We meet Yilonia is who on the run, from what we don’t know until later in the book. Then we meet Stanwilte who is my favorite pov in the first book. He is a former disgraced knight who is trying to get one last shot of redemption. The final pov is that of Brolo, who is a dwelf and has a napoleon context. He was the comedic relief in some povs but also had some of my favorite quotes. In this world, magic has been outlawed and dragons are no more until a dragon destroys a town.
I like the aspect of magic being outlawed, but still may pop up from time to time. The last chapter and epilogue has me really excited for book 2!
Brolo: “He wielded his quick wit like a sword, his sarcasm like a bow and his jovial nature like a set of full plate armour, in case he needed extra cover from
Anyone who broke through his primary defences.”
Brolo: “Your contributions pad the pocket of the rich, and nothin trickles down unto the poor.”
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was great and I liked the different POVs. We meet Yilonia is who on the run, from what we don’t know until later in the book. Then we meet Stanwilte who is my favorite pov in the first book. He is a former disgraced knight who is trying to get one last shot of redemption. The final pov is that of Brolo, who is a dwelf and has a napoleon context. He was the comedic relief in some povs but also had some of my favorite quotes. In this world, magic has been outlawed and dragons are no more until a dragon destroys a town.
I like the aspect of magic being outlawed, but still may pop up from time to time. The last chapter and epilogue has me really excited for book 2!
Brolo: “He wielded his quick wit like a sword, his sarcasm like a bow and his jovial nature like a set of full plate armour, in case he needed extra cover from
Anyone who broke through his primary defences.”
Brolo: “Your contributions pad the pocket of the rich, and nothin trickles down unto the poor.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
A Reign of Emerald Fire is a wonderful high fantasy debut by Matthew J. Turner.
An entertaining journey about a formed band of misfits that, through suffering, they get even closer and can call themselves a family.
I loved the writing style because it was beautifully and descriptive and not an ounce too much.
Despite the dark nature of the story, the high pace, good number of puns, and humor making you laugh result in such an entertaining page turner.
The world building is developed perfectly, and the world of Uprynenos is so rich to explore.
Not to mention lovable characters, all of them! I enjoyed the chapters from Yilonia the most, although I must confess Brolo is my grumpster soulmate, always complaining 😂😂😂
Naturally, because I enjoyed the story and, of course, it ends on a cliffhanger, you want more answers, so I definitely will dive into book two when it goes out.
An entertaining journey about a formed band of misfits that, through suffering, they get even closer and can call themselves a family.
I loved the writing style because it was beautifully and descriptive and not an ounce too much.
Despite the dark nature of the story, the high pace, good number of puns, and humor making you laugh result in such an entertaining page turner.
The world building is developed perfectly, and the world of Uprynenos is so rich to explore.
Not to mention lovable characters, all of them! I enjoyed the chapters from Yilonia the most, although I must confess Brolo is my grumpster soulmate, always complaining 😂😂😂
Naturally, because I enjoyed the story and, of course, it ends on a cliffhanger, you want more answers, so I definitely will dive into book two when it goes out.
March 18, 2026
Thank you so much to the author for the free ebook review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
I kept going back and forth between a 3.75 and a 4 star rating with this one.
I don’t know if it’s because my kids were watching Shrek in the background while I was reading, but the whole time this felt like a mix of Lord of the Rings and Shrek to me.
You’ve got that classic fantasy setup with a group of misfits on a big journey, all with their own pasts and struggles. But then the humor is very in your face, a little crude at times, and it really leans into the characters’ rough personalities. It actually made me laugh, which isn’t something I get a lot from fantasy.
I really enjoyed that mix because I still got the adventure I love, just with a more playful and chaotic tone.
I definitely will be reading book 2!
I kept going back and forth between a 3.75 and a 4 star rating with this one.
I don’t know if it’s because my kids were watching Shrek in the background while I was reading, but the whole time this felt like a mix of Lord of the Rings and Shrek to me.
You’ve got that classic fantasy setup with a group of misfits on a big journey, all with their own pasts and struggles. But then the humor is very in your face, a little crude at times, and it really leans into the characters’ rough personalities. It actually made me laugh, which isn’t something I get a lot from fantasy.
I really enjoyed that mix because I still got the adventure I love, just with a more playful and chaotic tone.
I definitely will be reading book 2!
November 20, 2023
There is something about when you read a book and the characters are sarcastic and witty, it just makes what’s an already enjoyable book that much better!
This is the first book in a series and is our introduction to the world Uprynenos, and there is SO much to explore!
With:
✔️Terrible Puns that make you laugh
✔️An Old Man who is always Scheming
✔️Pompous Aristocrats (are there any other kind though?)
✔️Dragons!!! (I’m in a dragon era live with it 😉)
it’s a book that everyone can enjoy!
It’s such an interesting book that gives us so much to know and explore, and does in on a cliffhanger, so I cannot wait to read what happens next!
This is the first book in a series and is our introduction to the world Uprynenos, and there is SO much to explore!
With:
✔️Terrible Puns that make you laugh
✔️An Old Man who is always Scheming
✔️Pompous Aristocrats (are there any other kind though?)
✔️Dragons!!! (I’m in a dragon era live with it 😉)
it’s a book that everyone can enjoy!
It’s such an interesting book that gives us so much to know and explore, and does in on a cliffhanger, so I cannot wait to read what happens next!
August 10, 2024
Thank you to author for this arc 🌸
I think this book has a lot of potential. The author has a way with words and describing scenes, but I sometimes felt that there was to much description wich made the scenes not flow to well.
The world and characters are interesting and the ending had me wanting more. Some of the characters had good backstories and you felt like you got to know them, but others did not have any depth to them. I also felt like the main characters were a bit to similar.
The biggest reason for me to give it 3-3,5 stars was that I felt the story was to long with not much happening. The pace was a little better towards the end, but we never got to the action.
This series has potential and I want to read the next books and se where this story goes 😊
I think this book has a lot of potential. The author has a way with words and describing scenes, but I sometimes felt that there was to much description wich made the scenes not flow to well.
The world and characters are interesting and the ending had me wanting more. Some of the characters had good backstories and you felt like you got to know them, but others did not have any depth to them. I also felt like the main characters were a bit to similar.
The biggest reason for me to give it 3-3,5 stars was that I felt the story was to long with not much happening. The pace was a little better towards the end, but we never got to the action.
This series has potential and I want to read the next books and se where this story goes 😊
August 31, 2023
Dragons ✅
Dwelfs ✅
Pompous Aristocrats ✅
Scheming Old Man✅
Horrible Puns✅
Couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the world of Uprynenos. Loved the characters, except Brolo! (What a jerk), loved the world, loved the book. Can’t wait for the second one.
Dwelfs ✅
Pompous Aristocrats ✅
Scheming Old Man✅
Horrible Puns✅
Couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the world of Uprynenos. Loved the characters, except Brolo! (What a jerk), loved the world, loved the book. Can’t wait for the second one.
August 18, 2023
I love a book that enables me to truly picture the characters, the scenery and sights, the smells, the sounds. Matthew’s story drew me in immediately and it was a hilarious romp of a read. The main protagonists full of wit, and sarcasm and with underlying human frailties. Bravo Matthew Turner. Looking forward to your next instalment 🙌🏻
July 7, 2024
Thank you to the author for the ebook. I enjoyed reading A Reign of Emerald Fire. I laughed so much at the humor, the puns, and the banter with the characters. It was good. I definitely loved the hobbit reference. I would love to hear Graham McTavish as a narrator for the book. It would be so entertaining! The humor had a Monty Python feel, and I very much enjoyed it.
February 16, 2024
A Reign of Emerald Fire by Matthew J Turner.
.
First or all I would like to thank Matthew J Turner for sending me a E-ARC copy of this book for a honest review.
.
I truly enjoyed this book it was a fun and engaging fantasy read. The chapters were well paced and it was just a easy read.
.
The characters were so likeable my favourite being Yilonia.
.
One point that stood out for me was the writers expertise to describe the perfect amount to make you feel like you’re in the setting yourself.
.
If your a fan of Game of Thrones then you will really enjoy A Reign Of Emerald Fire. I cannot wait to see what the sequel has in store.
.
I rate this book 4/5 stars ⭐️
.
First or all I would like to thank Matthew J Turner for sending me a E-ARC copy of this book for a honest review.
.
I truly enjoyed this book it was a fun and engaging fantasy read. The chapters were well paced and it was just a easy read.
.
The characters were so likeable my favourite being Yilonia.
.
One point that stood out for me was the writers expertise to describe the perfect amount to make you feel like you’re in the setting yourself.
.
If your a fan of Game of Thrones then you will really enjoy A Reign Of Emerald Fire. I cannot wait to see what the sequel has in store.
.
I rate this book 4/5 stars ⭐️
February 2, 2025
First I’d like to thank Matthew J. Turner for allowing me to read an E-ARC of his book, in exchange for a review. Thank you!
So I really liked this book! It caught my attention right away, and wasn’t overly complicated with a good pace that made it very enjoyable and easy to read. The story line is very interesting. The characters were all very well written, with lots of personality and banter that make them very engaging and relatable. I also enjoyed the variety of characters, creatures, and magic. Introducing men/women, elves, dwarves, wizards, and of course dragons!
I personally would have liked to have seen a bit more fighting action. But it did seem like the story was building up to that, which makes the next book more appealing. And would have also liked to have had a bit more elaboration regarding the significance that religion plays regarding the dragons and theirs followers.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, and I’m really interested to see where it leads in the books to come.
So I really liked this book! It caught my attention right away, and wasn’t overly complicated with a good pace that made it very enjoyable and easy to read. The story line is very interesting. The characters were all very well written, with lots of personality and banter that make them very engaging and relatable. I also enjoyed the variety of characters, creatures, and magic. Introducing men/women, elves, dwarves, wizards, and of course dragons!
I personally would have liked to have seen a bit more fighting action. But it did seem like the story was building up to that, which makes the next book more appealing. And would have also liked to have had a bit more elaboration regarding the significance that religion plays regarding the dragons and theirs followers.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, and I’m really interested to see where it leads in the books to come.
Read
July 25, 2023Gripping read, thick with puns and characters with depth, stories and intrigue. Well woven tale. Easy to read, and enjoy while still being enriching
January 21, 2025
I love that it has dragons, evil inquisitors, schemers, love, hatred, religion heroes and much more, the great thing about this book is the humour. In actual fact it’s bloody hilarious at times, overall Great plot, cast storyline 😊.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 26, 2023
Thank you to the author for providing me with the E-ARC in exchange for my opinion! While this was gifted to me for a review, I will always give my honest thoughts.
A Reign of Emerald Fire is a debut fantasy novel with a focus on three separate misfits with their own unique stories. It is a story with humour, depth and a sprinkle of determination and redemption.
Overall I enjoyed the story and can definitely say that Turner has a way with words. One of the more notable things I noticed was the detail within the descriptions that the reader gets throughout the novel. Turner has an incredible way with words to describe scenes and you can imagine exactly what he is writing about perfectly. While I really appreciate these detailed descriptions, I also think it was a flaw in the novel & it's a big reason why I have rated it a 3 instead of a 4. I love it when authors can capture their visions through their words perfectly, but I do believe that it can also be overdone which I found multiple times throughout the novel. I did find myself at some points skimming forward due to the large amounts of information you are getting and it almost felt overwhelming.
The characters that Turner has created are all really unique with their own backstories with depth. I really enjoyed reading in the POV of Stánwilte as I found his character to be interesting and at times even felt as if he was a villain. Brolo was a character built on humour and I really enjoyed his POVs as they felt like a break between all the angst and hatred with the other two characters. Brolo really added to the story with his views and his determination. Finally, Yilonia was also a character IU felt was interesting although I felt as if we didn't get to see nearly as much of her compared to the others. If we did, I definitely think I would have loved reading her POV.
One last thing I can say about the book involves the plot, I found myself becoming slightly confused at times with the storyline and wondering why the pacing felt so off. I think the large amounts of descriptions messed with the storyline and made it kind of confusing to follow. At certain times I couldn't really tell what was happening which unfortunately also brought down my rating of the book. However, there were also many chapters where the plot was really strong, and I think Turner wrote his main plot points very well.
This is Turner's debut novel and I can honestly say he has a lot of potential for his future works, I hope that in his future novels, there will be a larger focus on plot rather than a focus on character and world-building!
A Reign of Emerald Fire is a debut fantasy novel with a focus on three separate misfits with their own unique stories. It is a story with humour, depth and a sprinkle of determination and redemption.
Overall I enjoyed the story and can definitely say that Turner has a way with words. One of the more notable things I noticed was the detail within the descriptions that the reader gets throughout the novel. Turner has an incredible way with words to describe scenes and you can imagine exactly what he is writing about perfectly. While I really appreciate these detailed descriptions, I also think it was a flaw in the novel & it's a big reason why I have rated it a 3 instead of a 4. I love it when authors can capture their visions through their words perfectly, but I do believe that it can also be overdone which I found multiple times throughout the novel. I did find myself at some points skimming forward due to the large amounts of information you are getting and it almost felt overwhelming.
The characters that Turner has created are all really unique with their own backstories with depth. I really enjoyed reading in the POV of Stánwilte as I found his character to be interesting and at times even felt as if he was a villain. Brolo was a character built on humour and I really enjoyed his POVs as they felt like a break between all the angst and hatred with the other two characters. Brolo really added to the story with his views and his determination. Finally, Yilonia was also a character IU felt was interesting although I felt as if we didn't get to see nearly as much of her compared to the others. If we did, I definitely think I would have loved reading her POV.
One last thing I can say about the book involves the plot, I found myself becoming slightly confused at times with the storyline and wondering why the pacing felt so off. I think the large amounts of descriptions messed with the storyline and made it kind of confusing to follow. At certain times I couldn't really tell what was happening which unfortunately also brought down my rating of the book. However, there were also many chapters where the plot was really strong, and I think Turner wrote his main plot points very well.
This is Turner's debut novel and I can honestly say he has a lot of potential for his future works, I hope that in his future novels, there will be a larger focus on plot rather than a focus on character and world-building!
January 21, 2024
Huge thanks to Matthew J. Turner for providing a copy of his debut novel, A Reign of Emerald Fire, in exchange for an honest review.
In a world where dragons are presumed extinct, a young girl escaping troubles at home journeys with a trading caravan on the outskirts of the settled kingdom when they come under attack. After word gets out, a disgraced commander living out his days with the bumpkins of a peaceful country village rallies a rag-tag group for an adventure they didn't see coming.
Let’s talk a little bit about the characters. We first meet Yilonia, our formidable female lead, who embodies strength, determination, and a nose for when she’s being fooled. Elsewhere, Stanwilte, our exiled commander with a knack for leadership is constantly having his patience tested. And in his company, we find a perpetually angry Dwelf, a disowned noble's son, and a sheltered, young mummy’s boy.
We get some familiar tropes, with found family - mostly fueled by hatred - promising to evolve further in future instalments. We see an element of religious fanaticism, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. And while we get a magical weapon scene, its full potential and history remain shrouded for now.
Turner's narrative is laced with humour and a Pratchett-esque touch, making the reading enjoyable despite the occasional awkwardly placed profanity — I’m a profanity-positive person, but it felt a little forced here and there. It’s also worth saying that while the story kicks off with an exciting start, it quickly settles into a slower pace to flesh out its characters (the character development is great), with the plot gaining momentum in the latter half.
Brolo the Dwelf, with his cantankerous attitude and disdain for pretty much everything, steals the show for me. His character is a brilliant addition, and I can’t wait to see more of his snide remarks.
A Reign of Emerald Fire doesn't reinvent the fantasy genre, and it doesn’t have anything that I would call out as unique. However, Turner does a great job of delivering familiar elements with finesse, creating an engaging read.
My final qualm is that the book could've used a few more pages. Just as the world starts to deepen and the intrigue thickens, it ends, leaving me eager for more.
Overall, this book is a solid pick for anyone craving a light fantasy adventure peppered with classic elements, witty banter, and good old-fashioned fun. It clocks in around 300 pages, and it feels like half that. It’s a promising debut that makes me excited to read the sequel.
Rating:
3.75 (Rounded to 4)
In a world where dragons are presumed extinct, a young girl escaping troubles at home journeys with a trading caravan on the outskirts of the settled kingdom when they come under attack. After word gets out, a disgraced commander living out his days with the bumpkins of a peaceful country village rallies a rag-tag group for an adventure they didn't see coming.
Let’s talk a little bit about the characters. We first meet Yilonia, our formidable female lead, who embodies strength, determination, and a nose for when she’s being fooled. Elsewhere, Stanwilte, our exiled commander with a knack for leadership is constantly having his patience tested. And in his company, we find a perpetually angry Dwelf, a disowned noble's son, and a sheltered, young mummy’s boy.
We get some familiar tropes, with found family - mostly fueled by hatred - promising to evolve further in future instalments. We see an element of religious fanaticism, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. And while we get a magical weapon scene, its full potential and history remain shrouded for now.
Turner's narrative is laced with humour and a Pratchett-esque touch, making the reading enjoyable despite the occasional awkwardly placed profanity — I’m a profanity-positive person, but it felt a little forced here and there. It’s also worth saying that while the story kicks off with an exciting start, it quickly settles into a slower pace to flesh out its characters (the character development is great), with the plot gaining momentum in the latter half.
Brolo the Dwelf, with his cantankerous attitude and disdain for pretty much everything, steals the show for me. His character is a brilliant addition, and I can’t wait to see more of his snide remarks.
A Reign of Emerald Fire doesn't reinvent the fantasy genre, and it doesn’t have anything that I would call out as unique. However, Turner does a great job of delivering familiar elements with finesse, creating an engaging read.
My final qualm is that the book could've used a few more pages. Just as the world starts to deepen and the intrigue thickens, it ends, leaving me eager for more.
Overall, this book is a solid pick for anyone craving a light fantasy adventure peppered with classic elements, witty banter, and good old-fashioned fun. It clocks in around 300 pages, and it feels like half that. It’s a promising debut that makes me excited to read the sequel.
Rating:
3.75 (Rounded to 4)
July 24, 2024
The author gifted me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Let’s start with the setting. This story centres a classic fantasy setting, with different races such as humans, elves, dwarves and other creatures like, a dragon. The magic isn’t really explored in this first book, which left me quite disappointed, I like when magic systems are explored, I want to understand them. However, in this world we do have religious groups that are very prominent in the story, something that I truly enjoy.
The story also has a very classic fantasy feeling to it. It’s a quest centred story where a very unlikely group of characters have to team up and go on a quest to fight off a dragon. One is going in the hopes of restoring his honour, another was present in the dragon attack in the north, and she’s the only clue that they have of the dragon’s whereabouts. Lastly, a young boy goes because he wanted to leave his small town. The premise seems interesting, but my main issue was how slow the pacing was. We spent the entirety of the book following them throughout their journey, but not only did they not get to the dragon; the story barely had any action that made the plot move forward. I know this is the first book in a trilogy, but I found myself bored throughout the book.
We follow three POVs. A disgraced soldier, a half elf and half dwarf young man that lives in a small town and a young women, daughter of an important noble that ran away from home. In my opinion, it was quite difficult to distinguish these three characters in their mannerisms for they were all quite similar. Their sense of humour was witty, sarcastic and rude, which made it difficult to distinguish them. Plus, the secondary characters also suffered from this, it felt like everyone was the same. Not only that, but the characters weren’t memorable or different from any others that I’ve encountered.
The antagonist is rather plain; his motives are to gain power through religion and the appearance of the dragon. Although the reason behind his actions is quite common in fantasy books, the antagonist could’ve had more presence and his plans could’ve been more detailed. In my opinion, it was too obvious why he was doing what he was doing and there wasn’t much scheming or planning that made his actions interesting or intriguing to me.
Overall, I think this book would’ve benefited if it was longer, more detailed and the story had more plans or reveals that made the companies travelling more interesting.
Let’s start with the setting. This story centres a classic fantasy setting, with different races such as humans, elves, dwarves and other creatures like, a dragon. The magic isn’t really explored in this first book, which left me quite disappointed, I like when magic systems are explored, I want to understand them. However, in this world we do have religious groups that are very prominent in the story, something that I truly enjoy.
The story also has a very classic fantasy feeling to it. It’s a quest centred story where a very unlikely group of characters have to team up and go on a quest to fight off a dragon. One is going in the hopes of restoring his honour, another was present in the dragon attack in the north, and she’s the only clue that they have of the dragon’s whereabouts. Lastly, a young boy goes because he wanted to leave his small town. The premise seems interesting, but my main issue was how slow the pacing was. We spent the entirety of the book following them throughout their journey, but not only did they not get to the dragon; the story barely had any action that made the plot move forward. I know this is the first book in a trilogy, but I found myself bored throughout the book.
We follow three POVs. A disgraced soldier, a half elf and half dwarf young man that lives in a small town and a young women, daughter of an important noble that ran away from home. In my opinion, it was quite difficult to distinguish these three characters in their mannerisms for they were all quite similar. Their sense of humour was witty, sarcastic and rude, which made it difficult to distinguish them. Plus, the secondary characters also suffered from this, it felt like everyone was the same. Not only that, but the characters weren’t memorable or different from any others that I’ve encountered.
The antagonist is rather plain; his motives are to gain power through religion and the appearance of the dragon. Although the reason behind his actions is quite common in fantasy books, the antagonist could’ve had more presence and his plans could’ve been more detailed. In my opinion, it was too obvious why he was doing what he was doing and there wasn’t much scheming or planning that made his actions interesting or intriguing to me.
Overall, I think this book would’ve benefited if it was longer, more detailed and the story had more plans or reveals that made the companies travelling more interesting.
December 31, 2024
CW: gore, violence, racism (species-ism?), some others
Thank you to the author for the ARC! “A Reign of Emerald Fire” is available now!
A comedically dark start to what promises to be an intriguing fantasy series.
To the north, a runaway witnesses destruction of long-forgotten proportions. To the south, a disgraced commander seeks to clear his name. A young dwelf unwittingly sets out to discover his place in the world. And in the heart of the kingdom, something wicked manipulates the workings of an entire nation.
I should probably alter my initial statement a bit. “Comedicially dark” makes it sounds like this book is a comedy playing dress up as a dark fantasy. What I should have said is that this book is a grimdark fantasy adventure with incredible amounts of very dry humor liberally applied throughout, resulting in a story that is equally likely to make you worry for the fate of the kingdom as it is to make you snort your beverage of choice out of your nose. Basically, I loved it.
We obviously have to start the discussion by talking about the writing style, because that is what truly makes this such a winner (in my humble opinion). Truthfully, it’s the snark that makes this story shine. Delivered in a blink-and-you-miss-it manner, even the heaviest of situations for our characters softens the blow with the most absurdly hilarious statements that defy any solid explanation. It’s giving “Douglas Adams and Dean Koontz had a bastard literary love child, and that child got plopped in the middle of a dark fantasy book.”
Outside of the aforementioned hilarity (if dark humor is your jam, anyway), the story promises to wind itself up into an absolute whirlwind of moving pieces playing into a larger result. It starts off a tad slow, but that back-building becomes strongly foundational for the characters and the machinations of the overall plot. By the end of things, we haven’t strictly gotten into any major action, but the story lurks right on the precipice of everything in our character’s lives going straight to shit (in the best way). I immediately wanted to start book 2, and was incredibly dismayed to realize that I could not.
If you like dark fantasy adventures with plenty of humor, this is the book for you. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next installment, because I think things are just about to get even more interesting than they already were.
—A brief note to mention that this is a reworking of a prior release, so if you read the book before December 2024, you may want to revisit to see what’s been touched up.
Thank you to the author for the ARC! “A Reign of Emerald Fire” is available now!
A comedically dark start to what promises to be an intriguing fantasy series.
To the north, a runaway witnesses destruction of long-forgotten proportions. To the south, a disgraced commander seeks to clear his name. A young dwelf unwittingly sets out to discover his place in the world. And in the heart of the kingdom, something wicked manipulates the workings of an entire nation.
I should probably alter my initial statement a bit. “Comedicially dark” makes it sounds like this book is a comedy playing dress up as a dark fantasy. What I should have said is that this book is a grimdark fantasy adventure with incredible amounts of very dry humor liberally applied throughout, resulting in a story that is equally likely to make you worry for the fate of the kingdom as it is to make you snort your beverage of choice out of your nose. Basically, I loved it.
We obviously have to start the discussion by talking about the writing style, because that is what truly makes this such a winner (in my humble opinion). Truthfully, it’s the snark that makes this story shine. Delivered in a blink-and-you-miss-it manner, even the heaviest of situations for our characters softens the blow with the most absurdly hilarious statements that defy any solid explanation. It’s giving “Douglas Adams and Dean Koontz had a bastard literary love child, and that child got plopped in the middle of a dark fantasy book.”
Outside of the aforementioned hilarity (if dark humor is your jam, anyway), the story promises to wind itself up into an absolute whirlwind of moving pieces playing into a larger result. It starts off a tad slow, but that back-building becomes strongly foundational for the characters and the machinations of the overall plot. By the end of things, we haven’t strictly gotten into any major action, but the story lurks right on the precipice of everything in our character’s lives going straight to shit (in the best way). I immediately wanted to start book 2, and was incredibly dismayed to realize that I could not.
If you like dark fantasy adventures with plenty of humor, this is the book for you. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next installment, because I think things are just about to get even more interesting than they already were.
—A brief note to mention that this is a reworking of a prior release, so if you read the book before December 2024, you may want to revisit to see what’s been touched up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews