A Forgotten Legend

The Secrets of Eterin #1

by T.M. Baylor

If one thing is true, it is that peace is a fragile thing in Eterin. The Lupegi province, Davegu kingdom, and the wilds of Andyse are anything but united, a tense alliance being the only thing stopping the world from plunging into chaos and death.

When a Lupegi mission goes missing under mysterious circumstances and the Southern Coalition of Andyse is attacked during a time of peace, people from all across Eterin end up thrown into the fray.

Ancient stories and long forgotten legends are their new truths as they must figure out how to navigate the now treacherous lands of Eterin and keep themselves alive against all odds.

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A Forgotten Legend is an epic dark fantasy that follows six POV characters from across the world of Eterin. It centers themes of truth, the nature of resistance, propaganda, and the importance of knowing history to understand the present. Features LGBTQIA+ and women characters. Intended for mature audiences, please check the content warnings.

First book in The Secrets of Eterin series.

Genres: Fantasy

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2025

About the author

T.M. Baylor (also known as Torren) is a dark fantasy author who writes books that feature darkness, epic worldbuilding, morally gray and diverse characters, and mysteries that will keep you turning the page. Her debut novel, A Forgotten Legend, is the first of a series called The Secrets of Eterin.

When not writing, Torren enjoys spending her time outdoors or curling up with a good book. A lover of everything dark, morbid, and macabre, Torren enjoys reading horror and dark fantasy in her free time. She currently lives in western Pennsylvania with her partner and their dog.

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot believe this is Ms. Baylor’s debut because this was a well written book! I have no words! This is a masterpiece but also a classic.

I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs especially if they start not to make sense but I think T.M. Did a great job with this off the start from the beginning because I was not lost one bit.

The story had multiple stuff going on with an ongoing war and battles that you learn this from each characters POVs and I thought it was unique and cool as we got to experience each of these characters backgrounds and what they are going through to survive in the world she created. Everything starts to make sense as you get closer to finishing the book.

Everything was so engaging and I was honestly so concentrated while reading cause you definitely do need to pay attention to little details but overall this was great and I can’t wait to read more from T.M. 🖤✨

[Alex Ockenden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book, that has no influence over my review of this book.

I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time.

Where to start, this book is a masterpiece in non-info dumping world building and writing multi-POV's well. Despite their being 8 POV's you feel for each and every character and you want them all to succeed.

This books feels like Game of Thrones but written for women. This book shows the dark sides of generational trauma, colonisation and oppression without the gratuitous sexual abuse and violence towards women.

This book is very easy to read as well as someone who is typically a slow reader I usually struggle to get through books with massive chapters but this book is so easy to read and the chapters so snappy I binged the last 15 chapters in one morning.

The ending twists had my jaw on the floor and I am gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for book two in this series.

[Kelly Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Forgotten Legend is a masterpiece dark fantasy book. I enjoyed that it did not shy away from gore as it made the brutality of the ongoing conflict hit so much harder. It filled a void for me that was left behind by Game of Thrones, that has not been filled for many years.

There are so many different perspectives that give unique and distinct view points on the brewing war, and really make you question who is in the right. I really enjoyed reading the perspective of morally grey characters, it resembles real world conflict, everyone has their own justifications and backgrounds driving their decisions. It’s never as simple as right or wrong. The differing perspectives were weaved together masterfully, and the pacing never left for a dull moment.

There is a lot of notable lines throughout the story, but one quote I highlighted early on in the book was “But when the rule of the law puts down her people, treason was the only answer she could live with.”

There is so much more I want to know and I can’t wait for the next book.

[T.M. Baylor]

T.M. Baylor here! As the author of this book, I wanted to provide the content warnings for A Forgotten Legend!

A Forgotten Legend is an epic dark fantasy and has quite a few content warnings! Warnings are listed in the book itself, right after the dedication. Broadly, the warnings can be shortened to the following:

-Death: including by violence, suicide, murder, and genocide
-Abuse: physical and/or emotional, including against children and intimate partners
-Mental health struggles: including PTSD, derealization, and self-harmful behaviors, actions, and mentalities

For more in depth warnings and/or questions about the content of A Forgotten Legend, feel free to reach out to me through the contact form on my website www.tmbaylor.com

Please always take care of your personal safety and mental well-being!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT DID I JUST READ?! I am shook! I don't read a lot of fantasy, and this is the first dark fantasy book I've ever read. I'm hooked - the next book in this series can't come soon enough!

I received an early copy and took my time reading it, to fully appreciate every detail. Here's just a little bit of what I loved about it:

Each of the six POV characters is well-developed, real, and fallible. Baylor introduces us to them in brief vignettes and alternating points of view. I immediately fell in love with one, despised another, and found myself cheering for each character in turn, as their backstories and motivations were expertly woven together from the beginning to end of the book. Each character is intricately connected with the others, and each person's actions trigger consequences for all.

The plot grabbed me and never let go. I'm talking ancient legends, prophesies, dreams and visions, alliances, double-crossing royalty, spies and assassins, magics, mysterious disappearances, secret motives, jailbreaks, battles, shifting loyalties, and WTF THE PLOT TWIST AT THE END! I never saw it coming, though it was there the whole time. More than once I screamed out loud while reading this book. There were several times that, if I had been reading a paper copy instead of an e-book, I'd have slammed the book shut, thrown it on the floor in exasperation, then immediately picked it back up to see what happens next. (Reason #4,279 that hardcopies are better than e-books, but I digress.)

The way this book is written, you can actually feel it in your body, what the characters are feeling and experiencing. One of the best descriptive authors I've ever read, Baylor brings acute awareness of each character's physical sensations during the extremes that they are in - whether it be the feel of warm blood pouring out of a wound, the smell of death on a battlefield, the crack of ribs as a sword digs and twists - my heart could barely stand it. It all evokes such a visceral reaction. Baylor totally nailed it.

The author doesn't shy away from any human emotion. Amidst pain, desperation, fear, and horror, there is also love, old and new. Bonds are forged, protected, and fought for. The love between father and daughter, between friends, between siblings, even between enemies-turned-allies - all are different, and all are beautifully demonstrated in this story.

This book is absolute perfection. I intend to devour every word of every book that Baylor gifts to us!

[Aalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an early copy, I read it in a week, consumed.

A few things to understand. This is a traditional fantasy for lovers of traditional fantasy. I had the absolute delight of being able to gush to the author about her world and characters because I liked it so much. This book needs to be read with your brain turned on. I was constantly looking for connections, references, foreshadowing. The descriptions and writing style is on par with already published Authors. You can tell a human soul handcrafted and stitched this book together one word at a time.

This is dark fantasy on the milder side, no unnecessary SA, lots of action, fun battles and political intrigue. It’s the first of four novels so strap in for the ride.

The plot: Six characters, some unrelated, are running around the wheel of fate. Chasing their goals, forming alliances, manipulating each other, worshipping their own gods. The main main character is a badass General who wants to bring her people out of hiding and so is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. Anavi is arguably my favourite character, she has the funniest dialogue with the dad of one of the other characters. What I will say that made me giggle was the Author writes the most vivid running scenes it’s kinda funny haha.

I enjoyed this, it’s not for everyone but if anything I wrote sounds like fun, please read it, it’s particularly relevant to the current political climate.

(Sorry for spelling mistakes)

[Caralee Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, where can I even start?

A Forgotten Legend was captivating, from start to finish, and really impressed me with how seamlessly Baylor was able to fold a multi-POV story together without missing a beat. With a wide cast of characters, this was an extremely difficult perspective to pull off - but I feel like I was able to connect with every character, and every scene added more to the last that might have been overlooked otherwise.

Technical praise aside, the storytelling was wholly original and well-crafted, truly capturing the raw and brutal experience of horror, gore and dark fantasy. It is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive stomach, focusing on humanity's darkest realities. The novel explores depravity, yearning, choices that have no moral high ground, recklessness, grief, love, and a churning of once-held beliefs coming to a devastating truth. While pure evil is clear, not every character can move forward knowing in certainty that they are not without blame. You may come out from these pages desperate for more, hoping to right wrongs but unable to know what the rights are. It asks the reader very cooly - would you be able to survive here?

Additionally, I think Baylor has done a great job at crafting very unique characters that stand alone in their personal goals and beliefs. It really adds to the story and atmosphere feeling real, that some of the characters change over time, for better or worse. You may find yourself commiserating with one at first and seething at them later. Character development is expected - but each one is going up against brutal odds. What will you learn as their true natures become exposed?

My only hiccups with this novel are mostly minor grammatical errors which happen and don't take away from the story, and the amount of information being hard to swallow at times. Though the scenic descriptions are easy to visualize and characters are clear, the timeline of events can get a little muddy. Perhaps though, this is partly due to this being a very action-heavy novel. The plot moves very quickly, so you'll need to keep up with each page turn.

But as the words come to an end, the allure of needing to know how this story plays out holds true. I am personally very excited to read future iterations of this series, and am confident that they will all hold up to this first book's debut. Praise to Baylor for such incredible work and such a grand display of creative story-weaving!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, when I started reading A Forgotten Legend, I was a little overwhelmed of the intricate world building and many multiple points of view. But then it all quickly came together, and I took all I had to put down the book and do my adult chores.
This epic tale is rich with an richly crafted realm that is traversed over and over by the characters, but they always seem to “just miss” each other up until the beginning of the beautifully crafted battle!
The many multiple points of view make this book very unique, and I enjoyed knowing each character’s point of view in real time. There isn’t really a clear “main character,” and that’s what makes it so intriguing.
The theme of deception runs strong throughout the novel. Whose kingdom is at fault? Honestly, it seems like everyone’s legends are a lie, twisting the truth, or holding something back. That kept me (and some of the characters) questioning motives of their royals.
And then—those pivotal chapters!
• Ch. 29 & 30: Finally, the “EEEKKK!” moments arrive. The tension simmers into something more—love is in the air, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in it. There is just enough looking longingly or secret touches that kept me reading for the next sweet interaction.
• Ch. 40: Some characters start to question their allegiance and suddenly I started questioning and suspecting everything I thought I knew.
• Ch. 49: Grab your tissue because there is heartbreak and absolute devastation. The kind of “NOOOOOO!!!!” moment that made me want to throw the book but also turn the page as fast as possible. 😭
• Ch. 53: The beginning of the battle is beautifully written. It was as if I was there, the buildup, the soldiers marching to battle, and the soldiers rushing to attack. I felt every clash and strike.
By the end, A Forgotten Legend left me both exhilarated and aching for more. With its interwoven world, tangled lies, unexpected shifts, and emotional highs and lows, it’s the kind of fantasy that lingers with you long after you close the book.

[Silas Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My true rating is 4.5

The writing is rich and detailed, reminiscent of the classics, and seamlessly woven with everything I wish to see more of in new books.

I think my favorite part of the writing is how it's altered to enhance character voice. There's a redundancy in the prose, heavier in some, scattered, and lesser in others, which truly helps give each character a tone, and I love that. My curiosities are piqued, so much so that I wish the second book was out already! The chapters are digestible, helping to move the story along swiftly, steadily, without being rushed.

Two reasons stop me from giving this a full five stars. The redundancy I mentioned above often bogged down the narrative for me. Yes, it's used well, strategically, and it shows how much thought and care went into the prose, but I was never quite allowed full immersion because of it. Like when you're on the cusp of falling into a deep sleep, yet you're still mildly aware of your person and your surroundings. As much as I was interested in every character, I never found myself cheering any of them on.

That interest, however, coupled with prose I seldom see and a world without deeply rooted misogyny everywhere (which is such a breath of fresh air. By golly, you don't realize how bad something is until you're away from it!), I sincerely look forward to the unveiling of truths, more magics, and a sharp, positive turn in a certain character's development (I'm looking at you, Molac).

[Marcey Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC and have been so very intrigued since I first spotted Baylor.

This is what dark fantasy is at its core. Eerie, unnerving, anxiety-inducing, and beautifully elaborate storytelling.
From the first page you are thrown into action and terror and never quite know what the characters next moves are.
The writing is phenomenal; it pulls you in and makes you FEEL like you are walking alongside the characters.
I cannot wait to 1- get my hands on a physical copy and 2- read the second book because I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!!

Spectacular debut from my newest auto buy author

[Scott S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Forgotten Legend is a very impressive debut, a story that follows multiple POV’s throughout their thrilling and exciting journeys.
Well written, moving, and full of twists and turns making it a story that is hard to put down. Definitely a strong series starter!

[ChaFay Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor to arc read. This is a dark fantasy that follows multiple characters and surely just throws you in that first page—in a good way of course. At first, I thought it would be hard for me to follow along with the multiple POVs only because my memory is not the best lol but as I continued reading and getting to know these characters, I was able to know who was who. I loved how some of the characters finally meet and that recognition to yourself of “hey it’s that character! Omg these two meet!”. And the way all characters interlink in some way or another is fascinating. The ending was shocking and makes you want to know more.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enthralling, the writing was so poetic and descriptive I felt like I was in the story. You can tell the author put her heart into this book❤️

[Cany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

It took me a little while to really get into the story because of the many POV switches at the beginning, but once the MCs started meeting up, I was quickly hooked.

I did sometimes still have those moments of “wait, who is this again?” when the POV changed, but it clicked pretty fast once I kept reading.

One thing you absolutely shouldn’t do when reading this book is skip the content warnings—they’re there for a good reason!

Now the wait for the next book is going to be tough!

[Chloe the Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an EXCELLENT debut novel!

If you enjoyed the multiple storylines and characters coming together in the Throne of Glass series, you will absolutely love this book. While the first 1/3 of the book was somewhat confusing and overwhelming due to all the characters being introduced and their various backgrounds and motivations, watching each storyline play out and interact with each other was fascinating, engaging, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

You definitely have to use your brain with this book - it’s not an “easy read,” per se. You will definitely want to stay vigilant while you read so that you don’t miss any important details!

“Today we stand together, ready to fight for our families, our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, our children, and their children after them!”

[Lizzy Oxendale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can not come up with the words for how much I enjoyed this book! Multi POV books aren’t something I read but I have fallen in love, each character is well developed and the storyline had me shouting and screaming. I am a relatively slow reader and I finished the book in around 2 weeks as I could barely put it down as I tried to figure out what would happen next. After following the author on social media for a while I knew I would enjoy the book but nothing could have prepared me for how much.

[dacia_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend reading this book!

I normally have mixed feelings about multiple POV books because I feel that it can get confusing and some characters don’t get as much of a chance to develop. However, the author did a great job developing the personality traits, backstories, and motivations of each POV in this story. I also did not find my self confused at any point transitioning from character to character. I can’t believe this is the authors debut book with how amazing the writing is! I can’t wait to get to read the rest of this series.

[titiboh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a debut novel?! Absolutely hooked and inside the world, it's characters and its secrets!
I gotta admit I wasnt really at first, this being my first book with more than 2 POV's and an absolutely awful short term memory had me a bit confused in the beginning with all the characters and who was who. But honestly once we had seen all of them once and we got another chapter with them, I was in it and I was connecting the dots, a good sign that each character felt unique!
So unique that I found mysel cheering less on some of them, or at least question their character, but as far as I could tell that was the whole point lol. And how their paths slowly intertwined was very exciting!
Looking forward to reading the next book!

[Bree Bibb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an E-ARC read, and in no way sways my opinion of this book.

Y’all for a debut novel? I ate this up! It’s gory in all the right ways. There are 8 POVS, and not a one of them felt like a stranger & I was pulling for each one. When I got to the last page, I was devastated that there wasn’t more. The world building wasn’t overwhelming, and there was no exhaustive info dump.

I enjoyed every second of this book, and will absolutely be rereading & getting the physical copy ASAP!

Thank you for allowing me early access to this book! I feel honored that I had this experience & I cannot wait to see the success of this author!

[Shelby Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This most definitely had a carefully crafted world alongside its many well fleshed out characters, but I personally could not get into the writing, and it made it hard for me to full dive in. I pushed through, but with the abundance of POVs, it made it even harder. Purely story-wise, it immediately dropped you into action, and kept that same energy throughout, but if you're not strapped in and connected from the beginning, it's easy to lose track. It's a shame I couldn't get into it, because the story was actually interesting, and it was cool to see paths intertwine and the ending definitely leaves you hanging!

[Ashley Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing battles, the most badass of women, relatable characters with growth throughout the story and I can’t wait for book two! This was a wild ride and I had two favorite characters Rauna and Tivea their love and story was touching! The love and willpower to go through anything to get to Gabbi was felt through the page. Would recommend what a great start to a series!