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Tales of Athearia #1
A Vassal of Shadow: An Epic Fantasy
At the onset of an epic holy war, a young vassal will learn: If he wants to play games with gods, he must be prepared to lose everything.
Koven never thought he could catch the attention of a god. But after pulling off a daring theft from a noble house, he becomes too irresistible for Celdric—the god of mischief—to ignore.
Claimed as one of Celdric’s vassals and granted the power to control shadows, Koven is whisked away to the Cenobium, an academy for those marked with the divine blood of the various Athearian deities. There, his destiny becomes entwined with those of a gifted seer, a shapeshifting prince, and a warrior descended from a bloodline plagued with madness. But gods don’t share their power without a cost. Koven must first survive the academy’s deadly exams.
Meanwhile, as tensions between rival gods reach an all-time high, Celdric concocts a scheme to make matters worse. Faced with a war that threatens to consume the continent, Koven and his friends must race across enemy territory in search of the goddess of fate before everything they know and love is destroyed.
And soon Koven finds himself battling more than man-eating monsters and bloodthirsty gods. Because there’s a darkness festering inside him, and he isn’t sure he can save himself, much less the kingdom . . .
The Name of the Wind meets Godkiller in this epic fantasy series, in which the whims of gods weave a deadly fate that’s impossible to avoid.
Koven never thought he could catch the attention of a god. But after pulling off a daring theft from a noble house, he becomes too irresistible for Celdric—the god of mischief—to ignore.
Claimed as one of Celdric’s vassals and granted the power to control shadows, Koven is whisked away to the Cenobium, an academy for those marked with the divine blood of the various Athearian deities. There, his destiny becomes entwined with those of a gifted seer, a shapeshifting prince, and a warrior descended from a bloodline plagued with madness. But gods don’t share their power without a cost. Koven must first survive the academy’s deadly exams.
Meanwhile, as tensions between rival gods reach an all-time high, Celdric concocts a scheme to make matters worse. Faced with a war that threatens to consume the continent, Koven and his friends must race across enemy territory in search of the goddess of fate before everything they know and love is destroyed.
And soon Koven finds himself battling more than man-eating monsters and bloodthirsty gods. Because there’s a darkness festering inside him, and he isn’t sure he can save himself, much less the kingdom . . .
The Name of the Wind meets Godkiller in this epic fantasy series, in which the whims of gods weave a deadly fate that’s impossible to avoid.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 10, 2025
At its heart, A Vassal of Shadow is about power in its divine, political, and emotional forms. It is a story for those who ask, “What does it cost to be chosen?” and who refuse simple answers.
The gods, little g being important here, are neither benign nor evil but, ironically, distinctly human in their complexity. Some are intoxicating, brash, and manipulative, while others are ruthlessly ambitious or coldly enigmatic. Robins invites the reader to question the blurred lines between worship and fear, devotion and entrapment. This tension will appeal to those drawn to moral ambiguity.
Robins clearly thinks in visuals, like a director. The monster designs and the world building are striking, while the pacing of the fight scenes is captivating. The dialogue carries flashes of wit and authenticity; lines like “Do you think they have taverns in the afterlife?” are genuinely funny. Here, Robins shines, as her characters feel distinctly hers.
The only critique is that the writing occasionally oversaturates the extraordinary. The story is grand and beautifully larger than life, but that means that the extraordinary risks become the baseline. War, love, revenge, and loyalty are thrilling, but the quieter emotional beats that truly anchor the reader are rarer. Even love is a battlefield, dangerous and transformative, but not often mundane. Perhaps that intensity is what makes the story so captivating, but without calm, the storm loses some of its power.
More moments of stillness would give the narrative greater depth: quiet, quirks, awkward conversations, pauses, boredom, and unspoken gestures. The softness is there and lands when it is not proclaimed. Having said the glimpses of smallness, of being alive within something vast and mythical, are some of the most affecting parts of the book.
Robin’s has created a great book here; it’ll be exciting to see where she goes next.
The gods, little g being important here, are neither benign nor evil but, ironically, distinctly human in their complexity. Some are intoxicating, brash, and manipulative, while others are ruthlessly ambitious or coldly enigmatic. Robins invites the reader to question the blurred lines between worship and fear, devotion and entrapment. This tension will appeal to those drawn to moral ambiguity.
Robins clearly thinks in visuals, like a director. The monster designs and the world building are striking, while the pacing of the fight scenes is captivating. The dialogue carries flashes of wit and authenticity; lines like “Do you think they have taverns in the afterlife?” are genuinely funny. Here, Robins shines, as her characters feel distinctly hers.
The only critique is that the writing occasionally oversaturates the extraordinary. The story is grand and beautifully larger than life, but that means that the extraordinary risks become the baseline. War, love, revenge, and loyalty are thrilling, but the quieter emotional beats that truly anchor the reader are rarer. Even love is a battlefield, dangerous and transformative, but not often mundane. Perhaps that intensity is what makes the story so captivating, but without calm, the storm loses some of its power.
More moments of stillness would give the narrative greater depth: quiet, quirks, awkward conversations, pauses, boredom, and unspoken gestures. The softness is there and lands when it is not proclaimed. Having said the glimpses of smallness, of being alive within something vast and mythical, are some of the most affecting parts of the book.
Robin’s has created a great book here; it’ll be exciting to see where she goes next.
July 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it for fantasy readers.
This story has many of the elements that I love in fantasy books: prophecies, fate, vengeance, high stakes, and a quest to save the world. I found Koven to be a complex protagonist. He has a lot of depth and is deceptively clever. There were moments when he surprised me. His ‘darker side’ gave an interesting insight into the internal struggles that he grapples with throughout the story. While Koven has a skewed moral compass, the loyalty he has for his friends makes him an instantly likable character and I was rooting for him.
If I had any critique, it would be that the final chapter ended a bit abruptly, but I couldn’t put this book down. I was entertained from the beginning to the very end. This was an impressive debut from a new author, and I can’t wait to read the next book!
This story has many of the elements that I love in fantasy books: prophecies, fate, vengeance, high stakes, and a quest to save the world. I found Koven to be a complex protagonist. He has a lot of depth and is deceptively clever. There were moments when he surprised me. His ‘darker side’ gave an interesting insight into the internal struggles that he grapples with throughout the story. While Koven has a skewed moral compass, the loyalty he has for his friends makes him an instantly likable character and I was rooting for him.
If I had any critique, it would be that the final chapter ended a bit abruptly, but I couldn’t put this book down. I was entertained from the beginning to the very end. This was an impressive debut from a new author, and I can’t wait to read the next book!
August 2, 2025
This book absolutely scratched the itch I had for a new fantasy read! Absolutely loved the worldbuilding, the characters, and every twist and turn, and cannot wait for more!
July 31, 2025
An intriguing and entertaining start to this high stakes, fantasy series. The storyline was really fun and action packed including gods, prophecies, powers, and battling fate.
The beginning of the book was a bit rough for me, it felt like we were thrown into the story without enough history or awareness to really grasp anything. After the first few chapters however, the world building picked up a bit and we navigated into an academia fantasy. For me, that is when the story really took off and I felt connected. The book took another turn and we moved into a quest fantasy but the transition felt natural and appropriate. The characters were personable and easy to root for. I liked the "found family" feeling we got with their little group and hope to see more of the side character's in future installments.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing what book 2 brings us!
The beginning of the book was a bit rough for me, it felt like we were thrown into the story without enough history or awareness to really grasp anything. After the first few chapters however, the world building picked up a bit and we navigated into an academia fantasy. For me, that is when the story really took off and I felt connected. The book took another turn and we moved into a quest fantasy but the transition felt natural and appropriate. The characters were personable and easy to root for. I liked the "found family" feeling we got with their little group and hope to see more of the side character's in future installments.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing what book 2 brings us!
November 9, 2025
WOW! I loved this book. It is a fantastic debut novel and an incredible start to the Tales of Athearia series. I’d absolutely recommend this one to fans of epic fantasy - it’s got everything: gods, magic, and morally grey characters. Perfect for readers who enjoy the divine intrigue of The Poppy War or The Lies of Locke Lamora. I really enjoyed following Koven, the main character, whose life takes a wild turn after he steals from the wrong people and ends up bound to Celdric, the trickster god of shadows. From there, it’s a whirlwind of magical training, dangerous trials, and looming divine conflict as Koven finds himself caught up in something far bigger than he ever expected. As someone who usually reads romance, this was a bit of a step outside my usual genre, but the vivid worldbuilding, dynamic characters, and high stakes completely pulled me in. I loved how clever the story was, and how all the little details ended up mattering and weaving together by the end. The touch of romance was perfect too, adding depth to Koven’s journey. I also found the the author had a fascinating take on “Fate.” I’m really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.
August 20, 2025
I really enjoyed reading J.C. Robins debut book. It was gripping from the first chapter, and I absolutely loved the world-building. The characters were complex, which is a must for me. I found myself annoyed and exasperated at a few of their choices, Koven and Emrys in particular, which is how I know I've truly connected with the story. I am really looking forward to the next instalment of Tales of Athearia and hope there is a focus on some of the side characters that also found themselves on adventures we didn't get to see due to focus on the main cast. The book was a bit darker than I had anticipated, but I found that added greatly to my reading experience. The relationships, particularly the friendships, were rich and intriguing and definitely my favourite aspect of the book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews