Black as Diamond

by U.M. Agoawike

A cursed warrior. A reckless healer. A chance to save the world - or condemn it.

Like the rest of the winged eresh keyel, warrior Asaru has spent his life fighting the remnants of a long-dead enemy. When his brother's squadron disappears from a border keep, Asaru travels into the human realm to investigate, only to become ensnared by a fatal - and unbreakable - curse that could wipe out his people.

When he inadvertently commits a terrible crime, Asaru is thrown into the path of Wren, an emotionally tortured former healer playing with dangerous magic. Bound to one another by a spell gone wrong, and on the run from freelance killers, they set out to find the Chronicler, keeper of the eresh keyel's history who could bring them answers, redemption, and the cure to Asaru's curse. But the truths they uncover about the past have the power to break the world into pieces, ending human civilization and settling its remnants into something entirely new.

From Nigerian Canadian author U. M. Agoawike, Black as Diamond is a fresh, dark, and thrilling debut that untangles questions of queer identity, history, and power, illuminating a society crushed by the lingering actions of a few.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy

496 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

U.M. Agoawike is a Nigerian-Canadian author of speculative fiction.

Reviews

[Billie's Not So Secret Diary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Black as Diamond
by U.M. Agoawike
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Mar 3, 2026
Bindery Books
Ages: 16+

Going to search for his missing brother and his squadron, Asaru, a winged eresh keyel, goes into the human realm to find him, but finds an unbreakable and fatal curse. But Asaru also commits a crime and becomes bound to Wren when the former healer plays with a dangerous magic.

Believing their only hope in breaking both the curse and the spell, they start their search for the Chronicler, a man who keeps the eresh keyel's history, but Asaru's first priority is to find his brother.

But the spell Wren used and Asaru's crime are all that is needed for them to become wanted men, and freelance killers are after them. As they run, two others join them, one to save herself and the other, an old friend of Wren's.


OK.... The blurb has more details about the characters than the story does. What the story provided was jumbled. There are four MCs, and they each have their own POVs, but their descriptions are vague. The only thing I believe is that one wasn't human, and another maybe mixed, but the other two I don't know, and suddenly there's fangs and wings, different eye colors, red and gold blood, and the characters kissing their teeth, so I am repeatedly tossed out of an interesting plot.

But the confusion gets worse as the story progresses. Suddenly, a character gets a halo, but I think it is different from the other character's halo because one has gems, and I think it was around their neck, but they are disappearing. And there's something special about black diamonds, but I'm not sure what it is other than... spoiler(?)...

The plot had potential, but I lost interest as the character inconsistencies continued, and then there were the constant internal ramblings from three of the characters who moped about their guilt, history, and struggles. Then suddenly there's Weavers and one of the characters is one and weavers are ?bad?.

There is violence, but not overly gory, and there's no adult content, so it's suitable for readers sixteen and older. Also, this ended on a cliffhanger, but I won't be reading the next in this series.

If only the author had worked with the characters, the world, and the magic before publishing this story, they could have made it into something more.

1 Star

[Zana]

DNF @ 30%

It reads very older YA and feels like an RPG or a DnD session. There's a party of four, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and backstories. They go on a quest together, they have their various likes and dislikes, and their relationships to each other vary from estranged friends (Rishé and Wren) to a magical bond (Wren and Asaru).

Honestly, it's nothing I haven't read before. It didn't feel distinct enough for me to stay seated throughout the entire novel, unfortunately.

I think this would be great for beginner fantasy readers looking to dip their toes into something more intermediate that includes more worldbuilding and political intrigue without the grand scale of an epic fantasy.

Thank you Bindery Books and NetGalley for this arc.

[alyssa✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

unsure how to feel …

[mtrics · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Had I known this book was the start of a series and ended on a cliffhanger , I wouldn't have requested it.

The last third dragged on, getting lost in scene after scene of abstract, "dream-like" imagery that didn't add much to the story, only to culminate in a frustrating cliffhanger.

The characters are lovely and different enough to feel well-defined. The few moments of humor can be a bit much, but they're still charming overall.

The book's biggest flaw, for me, was how overwritten it felt: it kept pulling me out of the story. There were plenty of familiar clichés ("[releasing] a breath [they were] holding," "If [something], well, no one had to know"), far too many adjectives, and thesaurus-heavy prose. As well as a few moments that seemed like genuine editing mistakes, such as a sword "clattering to the ground, echoing loudly through the forest" (huh, is the floor made of marble in this forest?) or the peculiar word "moribund" repeated twice in the span of two pages, then disappearing, never to be seen again.

All of this really bogged down the narrative for me. In the end, the book never quite grabbed me. I can see its strengths (detailed worldbuilding, polished lore, cute characters) but reading it was more of a chore than a pleasure. The plot just felt hard to follow all the way through.

It would've been a 4-star read if not for that cliffhanger. Please, just tell readers when your books are part of a series! Urg!

[Ashley]

DNF @ 7%

This is super early to DNF, but I cannot read 496 pages of this writing. This book was not ready to publish. This author is not ready to publish. They need to write a lot more and find their voice. The worldbuilding, characters, and story were inaccessible to me because the writing was so overblown, nonsensical, and try-hard. This author just does not have a handle on craft, something that is especially important in high/epic fantasy. I'm out.

[CJ Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for work, very wild epic dark fantasy!!

[Nina van der Kooij · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley & the Bindery for the ARC!

I was quite excited about this premise, and wanted to love it, but unfortunately I had some issues with it. I wasn't bored, and the story kept me engaged enough to keep reading to the end, and the characters had some interesting moments, but at the same time I constantly felt like I was missing information. I rarely had a good grasp of where characters were or what was happening, and that made it very difficult to follow along with the plot.

The book has 4 POV characters, with Asaru and Wren being the main characters, though the POVs are quite equally divided. The other two characters were Palenisa, a former nun of sorts, and Rishé, a childhood friend of Wren. Palenisa is a character who confused me for some time, it wasn't until the end I really figured out what her deal was, but overall all characters felt developed and had interesting moments.

The world building is vast, but at the same time underexplained. There's various species, religions, countries, but I never really got a good grasp of the world. There's perhaps a bit too much, and we don't linger much in the parts that are relevant and might need some further explaining.

The pacing was generally fast, and I think sometimes too fast to really get a graps of what's happening. Often characters are somewhere and I'm not sure how they got there, and that might be on me for missing things, but it was a constant for reading this book.

The plot and characters did keep me engaged, and I was curious about what was going to happen to keep reading, but overall I would have preferred less plot points with more development of what we had to make sure I could actually follow along with everything that was happening

The ending was interesting and made it clear this was first in a series, and I am curious what happens next, but not yet sure if I'll pick up the next installment.

[gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf at 45%

While I love the Nigerian influences (a major reason I requested the arc), I've also spent the entire time I've read the book in a state of confusion that I honestly do not think was supposed to pass the 10% mark. I really like Wren and I wish I could be invested enough to see how his story progresses but unfortunately this is the type of fantasy book that reminds me why I predominantly read literary fiction

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Bindery Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date March 3rd, 2026.

I saw this new release and I thought I'd give the high fantasy premise a shot. In Black as Diamond, failed healer Wren accidentally casts a spell that ties him to Asaru, who is suffering from a curse and desperately trying to find his brother. Joined by Wren's old friend and an exiled warrior, the four journey across the continent in search for the Archivist, who may hold the answers they seek.

I'll preface this review by saying that one of my favorite things is confusing books. I enjoy the art of puzzling out twisty plot and worldbuilding where many key details remain unspoken, like in Hexwood, Rakesfall, or Harrow the Ninth. Having said that. Black as Diamond is totally incomprehensible. It feels like jumping in at book 10 of a series, and not the kind that has helpful asides summarizing details from the last books, either. It doesn't feel the need to explain minor details, like why 65 years old is considered youthful or why Asaru has wings, which I actually prefer as a worldbuilding technique. But it also has great gaping chunks missing out of critical details explaining the characters' motivations and goals. It feels like a long fantasy novel was skeletonized by a swarm of bookworms down to half the size, leaving a book where it was difficult to engage with the story because the central stakes are barely explained.

On the character side, the book was split up into four POV characters, each of which get relatively equal narrative focus. The divided focus was perhaps a bit ambitious for a modest fantasy novel of only four hundred pages. Out of the four characters, Wren probably had the most character development, which was unfortunate because I didn't gel with his character. He's pathologically insecure and constantly takes the blame for everything, and the self-flagellation gets tiresome. All four of the main leads are paired off in the beginnings of two different romances, which felt a touch forced. But perhaps after the cliffhanger that ends the novel, the next novel will flesh the relationships out a bit more.

I think there were some interesting bones here, especially in Wren's magic tie to Asaru and complicated relationship with healing. But this book desperately cries out for the rest of the novel. What's on page just doesn't make sense.

[Chelsea]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Black as Diamond by U. M. Agoawike is a third person multi-POV fantasy. Asaru is one of the winged eresh keyel and is looking for his missing brother. Wren is a former healer who has been dabbling in magic far bigger than anything he can control. When the two are bound together by a spell, they end up finding secrets about their world they never could have foreseen.

This throws you at the deep end of high fantasy and it does expect you to keep up. Bits and pieces of worldbuilding are given over time and it doesn't really slow down to make sure you fully understand how something works. Some fantasy is not overly concerned with readers understanding everything about the world and is instead more interested in a journey in a world that feels lived-in and this is one of those fantasies.

Like a lot of the books from this imprint, this deals more with found family rather than romance. I'm actually really excited that Ezeekat press is focused less on romance and more on platonic relationships for its catalogue because, while romance is my favorite genre, there needs to be options for people who don't like romance or who want platonic relationships to be given space to shine.

I would recommend this to fans of high fantasy who want less explanation for the worldbuilding and readers who love a strong found family aspect

[Andrew Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black as Diamond
U.M. Agoawike

The first book (I assume based off the cliffhanger ending) of a new high fantasy series. Eresh keyel warrior Asaru is on the run after killing a king under possession while tracking down his brother and the Chronicler. His paths magically cross with Wren and a slew of other characters as they work together to find The Chronicler.

Each chapter is told through the POV of one of four main characters. Each character has their strengths and flaws in narration as well as overall arc. It’s possible focusing on four characters might be a bit much for the short length (compared to other high fantasy novels) of the book. While it is interesting seeing the events from other characters besides Wren and Asaru by the end the other two didn’t have much to add to the story.

The plot is dense and the world building is admirable, however there were some aspects of the world rules that never made sense, nor were they explained or seemed to have any effect on the story. At times you could see that the author knows the rules intimately but either forgot to include details or just wanted to leave readers in the dark, and it is possible that in future installments they will be explained.

The story takes its time setting up the world while also focusing on action with a pinch of queer romance. There are also some descriptions used multiple times that don’t read well or translate through writing but are ubiquitous to the genre.

As a first novel I was left intrigued where it will go but I do worry if it takes time for the next book I’ll either forget the details or not have interest to follow up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eARC in return for a review

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Received an arc from Netgalley, doesn't affect my opinions, etc*

Most of the prose is fine, but at least once a page there is a line that is either really unclear or outright nonsensical – there are a lot of oxymoron images, for example. The worldbuilding seems pretty respectable (although if you’re the kind of reader, like me, who twitches whenever someone says ‘dumbass’ or ‘dipshit’ in a fantasy setting, well, that’s a thing here) but I was incredibly frustrated by not knowing what anything looked like, especially the different species of people – one have wings, a tail, and a ‘halo’, but I don’t know how any of that looks; another species has tails, and I don’t know what kind of tails those are, either. Worse, I dislike all of our protagonists: Asaru has an interesting plotline but no personality, Wren is the sort of person who is constantly berating himself and putting himself down, Palensia is exhaustingly arrogant while also being woe-is-me, and Rishe is another one who has very little personality.

The ‘terrible crime’ of the blurb makes no sense: Wren casts a spell without checking what it is (which is enough to make me want to DNF, because I have no interest in protagonists that dumb). It turns out to be a summoning instead of the luck spell he thinks it is. But I have no idea why this is such a big, terrible thing that reality itself would punish him for it. The laws of khetry don’t have a ‘don’t cast summonings’ rule, or even a ‘don’t cast without knowing what you’re casting’, so what’s the issue?

But the writing is my main reason for DNFing, and I have a bunch of quotes to illustrate what I mean about the prose being wonky. These were all taken from my advanced reading copy, so it’s possible they’ll all be fixed before publication.

His pointed ears flickered

They what?

he noted the threads of khetry connecting him to every living thing on the earth and in the sky.

Even assuming ‘every living thing’ is only animals and birds and insects – surely if there’s a thread from you to every animal and bird and insect around, you’d be surrounded by threads? As in, they’d completely block you from seeing anything at all?

every inch of the structure spilled with the lush blooms of its namesake.

I think you meant ‘overflowed’ or something like it? In this context ‘overflowed’ and ‘spilled’ are really not interchangeable. ‘Spilled’ makes no sense. ‘Spilled over’ would be fine, I think?

He threw his arms forward, palms flat, to cast a simple but powerful air spell at the sentinels. Unable to react fact enough, the four were blown back by a barrage of sound,

…So is it an air spell, or sound?

A golden circlet rested above his brow

It’s floating above his head?

Not an accident, just an unfortunate consequence of his first year at the guild.

I’m confused, if an accident isn’t an unfortunate consequence, then what is it?

ideas expanded by the invisible hand of collaboration.

I kind of get what this means, I think, but the phrasing is terrible.

It chirped like a pair of shears

The ‘it’ is a bird. But how does ANYTHING chirp like a pair of shears??? Shears don’t chirp???

the red web that pulsated between blinks like breath.

Breath doesn’t pulsate?

Someone once told him to make good choices. He couldn’t remember when–or who. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. But he needed this luck spell to work. It had to work.

‘Someone once told him to make good choices. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t.’ That’s not a full – point? ‘Maybe this was one, maybe it wasn’t’ would say what you mean, I think.

tiny painful shocks that all together formed a chimera of hurt

This would make sense if we had multiple kinds of pain all at once, but we don’t, so?

A heat as cold as ice

…a what.

Tiny white stars popped like catching fire

I have no idea what this means or what I’m supposed to picture.

Overhead, the sun shone directly into her face with the personal vendetta of hired knives.

…but hired knives don’t have a personal vendetta against the person they’re hired to hurt? By definition? That’s why they’re HIRED? If they had a personal vendetta they would not need to be hired? What???

those wings feathered like a moth’s

…what? I’ll allow that if you look under a microscope, a butterfly’s wings (so probably a moth’s too?) have scales. But feathers???

Ruby and every other color that did not exist behind one’s closed eyes.

Terribly awkward phrasing.

her distorted voice melding into a toneless ooze.

What is it melding with, and what is a ‘toneless ooze’?

The chanting rose, climbing atop itself in frenetic crescendo.

How does something climb atop itself?

her headache, which throbbed like dancing bones.

What?

the edges of his form fading as he drew on the power of the night, making himself invisible. “Have to say,” he said mildly, “I look forward to seeing how fast a sister of the coterie can die.” The freelancer twirled his spear and drew into a defensive stance, open hand splayed out with a ball of starlight floating above his palm.

…So he turns invisible, but then gives away where he is with a ball of light? Also, how do we know what stance he’s in if he’s invisible???

The tongues roared, a lion rising to lick the canopy and the sky between him and their pursuers.

This is about a fire. If it was ‘tongues of flame/fire roared’, I might allow it – but tongues roaring? And then mixing in the licking imagery?

I don’t have the spoons to read a whole book of this. No thank you!

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A JoyfullyJay Review

3.5⭐️

Asaru is an eresh keyel warrior sent to the human realm to find his brother and an artifact. When he arrives at the embassy, his brother’s squadron and the artifact are gone, and everyone else is dead—encased in a curse of black diamond. Asaru seeks answers from the king; instead, he executes a horrible crime. Cursed, hunted, and time-limited, Asaru is furious to be bound to a careless lulaik. Their only hope is the Chronicler—caretaker of all eresh keyel history.

Wren’s greatest desire is to be a healer, but he leaves his guild in disgrace after a rash, costly experiment. Since then, he’s worked tirelessly to rectify his mistake and resume his training. Wren’s convinced the answers are in older spell books, but when he finally finds one, his intense curiosity and desperation compel him to try an unknown spell—binding him to Asaru. Once again, Wren is locked in an anguished search to correct a dire mistake.

Palenisa is a dedicated Aspect. Her coterie of magic-wielding warriors is her family and salvation, and her designation as the Sister of Faith is who she is. But after failing to follow a cold-blooded order, Palenisa is excommunicated. Being cast out is a fate worse than death, so when she senses a powerful spell, she determines that fulfilling a vow of protection to the caster will return her honor and title.

Rishé’s last link to her mother is the unusual stone she gave her. She knows it’s special, needs to believe there’s a deeper meaning in this last gift. Rishé has spent years searching for information, so when Wren comes to her for help, she jumps at the chance to access the Chronicler’s trove. However, secrets, unseen forces, and death follow in their wake, and as they fall into the weave of fate, their actions will shake the world’s foundations.

This is an entertaining, debut fantasy novel. Fair warning, if you don’t fancy being steeped in melancholia, pathos, and brutal fights, steer clear. It’s not listed as a series starter, so part of my enjoyment was the audacious ending. However, the minimal character growth, narrative progression, and gaps in information indicate that this is a “for now” standalone with a massive cliffhanger. The characters are the strongest component. They share complicated family dynamics, similar goals, and tunnel vision that leaves everyone in danger. Their differences explore their personalities, and their rocky progression into camaraderie feels organic.

Curiosity without control and patience is dangerous, and Wren’s failures fuel his self-hatred and trap him in perpetual darkness and recklessness. He’s unable to find much solace in the budding friendships because his presence is a testament to his foolishness. Asaru has always felt deficient—a tainted and misshapen piece in his family and a mindless tool that always chose following orders when it clashed with doing good. The drive to find his brother, the Chronicler, something gives him a mission to cling to. He doesn’t know what to do with Wren’s sentiment, nor the tentative connection with the group.

Palenisa is paying for choosing good over duty. Her mentor and coterie gave her a reason to exist, and she has no identity beyond loyalty and piety. She has to believe she’s guided by the spirits so doubts are sacrilege. However, the transformation from duty to affection and unforeseen knowledge may change her—despite her wishes. Rishé burns with the same curiosity as Wren, but controls it (mostly). She’s callous, disdainful of religion, and unwantedly opinionated to the “self-hating fools” she’s bound to. However, she slowly softens and despite her skepticism, has her own type of faith and belief in fate.

The story is told in split first-person POV, and the pace is fine, as there is redundancy in scene choices and action. The narrative starts with a bang, then mellows into a hard expedition that slowly melds the group into a unit. The prose generally flows well, but is also repetitive, especially emotional beats, as almost everyone is wallowing in failure and self-doubt. There are also enough incorrect and confusing word choices/figurative language to be notable. The reader is dropped into the world, and its history and magic systems are interesting. For the most part, context clues work, but sometimes there’s a distracting scarcity of details and some elements aren’t clarified much by the glossary. Additionally, what is and isn’t defined is haphazard. For instance, there are “drakes,” but unlike “wraiths,” what that term means in this world isn’t given. If you’re unfamiliar with dragon mythology, you won’t have a clue and might think they’re ducks or rappers.

I enjoyed the book, though some things did bother me, such as vague or contraindicated motivations. I’m not sure how Palenisa’s promise will appease her coterie given the order she refused. Wren thinks his choice will bring him back to the guild, which it definitely shouldn’t. Additionally, the setting is quintessential medieval-esque high fantasy, but there are holographic screens? Technically, producing holographic images doesn’t have to use lasers, but there’s no indication of any of the necessary technology nor magic to produce this effect. There are also inconsistencies like Wren and Asaru’s bond. Emotions and pain that are overwhelming in one scenario aren’t in ones of equal/worse intensity. The language is relatively unobtrusive contemporary, but occasionally it is jarringly modern, such as reading someone for filth. Everyone loves AAVE and queer slang, but it’s use is more appropriate for urban fantasy.

Black as Diamond is another entertaining book that hasn’t sold me on continuing a potential series. If you try it, I hope you have fun with it.

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where this book struggles is in the writing. While, for the most part it’s … serviceable, it’s also clunky with misused words, confusing sentences, and grammatically incorrectly ordered adjectives. Words mean things, and the book uses them in ways that make almost no sense. There’s an order to adjectives that flows naturally to a native English speaker’s ear, and this book doesn’t always match that order. Likewise in descriptions, or lines of action, the subject and the action aren’t always in a way that reads … easily. It comes across as stilted and stiff.

Personally, it made reading this book feel more like work than pleasure. The style isn’t bad … it’s just not one I find pleasant to read. My brain kept wanting to rephrase sentences to something that felt smoother.

There are also some repeated phrases, such as “kissed his/her teeth” — which stands out, especially in sentences like: “Asaru shoved [Wren] away and kissed his teeth.” where I don’t think Asaru is kissing Wren so much as … kissing his own teeth. Or using palfrey for a cart horse when that’s the wrong sort of horse. It’d be like saying someone used a ladle to stir their tea. Same shape, but not used correctly.

However, for all that — and there is quite a bit of that — there is something to this book. I honestly believe that the author had a vision and a passion for the world they created; the magic system feels fully realized and the characters are all very aware of their world and how it works. But … I think there’s a missing chunk, maybe as much as 20% of the book, that is still in the author’s head. As if they knew the world and characters so well they didn’t need to explain everything, which is an excellent way to drop a reader into the book but … too much was left out.

For example, there are three races: ordinary humans, the eresh keyel — who are winged, tailed, clawed and horned — and a hybrid of both called the lulaik who … also have tails? What kind of tails? Are they feathered tails like birds, furred and tufted like a lion’s? Are they barbed at the tip like a demon? And the book only remembers to mention the tails every now and then without describing them. They’re long enough someone can step on them, but what do they look like? Eresh keyel have feathered wings, but long sinuous tails. I think. And I’m sorry, but that lack of description was confusing, and the tails are only there when they serve a plot point.

If you’re looking for a new world and magic system, something not based on ye olde knights and firebreathing dragons, this book has that in spades. The world feels large and lush and the exposition dumps are almost invisible. Every bit of information comes to a character from another character, or through some in world action. The religion, the races, it’s all very interesting. But the writing. And the fact that I strongly feel like the author didn’t manage to put enough of their vision into the book, leaving me floundering when it comes to large sections of the world building.

Still. If this author ever puts out another book I’d still pick it up, so there’s that. Thank you very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[moka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black as Diamond is a gem! This is a debut standalone fantasy novel that explores questions around identity, politics, and how the past and power can impact different experiences for a long time.

Bullet points for those short on time:
- debut standalone fantasy
- queer identity & relationships
- quest and "found family" group
- epic world-building
- two magic systems
- indie publisher Bindery
- queer Nigerian-Canadian author
- check trigger warnings

The story begins when Asaru, winged warrior of the eresh keyel, discovers his brother’s squadron disappeared after a curse was unleashed. When investigating in the human world, a bit of the curse infects Asaru. On his path to find his brother, Asaru survives possession, becomes a wanted killer, and is inadvertently bonded through a spell gone wrong to healer-in-training, Wren. Now, they must set out on a quest to find a cure for the curse, find Asaru’s brother, and not get caught by the hunters sent after them…all while unravelling secrets and feelings.

I am loving the unique works of craft and art that Bindery is introducing to the world. This one is no different! It’s fresh, novel, and exciting.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters most in this book. Each character that comes along as part of the protagonist’s group is unique in terms of motivations, lived experiences, past trauma, and perspectives.

The way some scenes are written was a bit confusing at times, as the writing style made it a little hard to follow what was happening without re-reading back over it. I think Publisher’s Weekly said it well with “Readers will have to put in work to keep up, but those who do will be rewarded with tantalising bits of lore on every page and a dynamic and devoted central duo.”

I’m not a fan of romance, so I didn’t care too much for these parts, but that’s a personal preference, and I can’t fault the book for it. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for their next fantasy read!

Thank you to Bindery for the eARC via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings:

From the author’s website…explicit gore, murder/death, violence, mutilation, corpses, blood, atypical depression, suicidal ideation, depictions of religion and practices, implied sexual content, sex work (mentioned), non-consensual kiss, non-consensual drug use, ethnic discrimination, near drowning, indentured servitude (mentioned), body horror, emesis, excessive alcohol consumption, poison, physical scars, possession.

[ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for this ARC!

“Black as Diamond” is a high fantasy novel by U.M. Agoawike, full of intensive worldbuilding and interesting characters. Our journey starts as Asaru, a warrior of the race of eresh keyel, has to travel to the human realm to investigate the disappearance of his brother’s squadron. While there he inadvertently commits a terrible crime, but is saved from facing consequences when a spell gone wrong binds him to healer Wren. They set out to find Asaru’s brother, as well as the Chronicler, the keeper of the history of the eresh keyel. Along the way they fight, find friends, and make discoveries which may just change the world as they know it.


I would say that the strongest aspects of this book are its worldbuilding and its characters. Personally I don’t really love expansive worldbuilding, so I did struggle with that aspect, but I think it’s going to be very enjoyable for those readers who do like it. There is maybe a little bit too much information thrown at you at once at certain times, especially in the beginning, but it is relatively easy to find your way as you continue reading. However, this worldbuilding aspect is what makes the characters so interesting, as there are several different races in this world, and I really enjoyed seeing how they differed from one another, both visually and in their traditions and cultures. I wouldn’t say I necessarily liked all the characters, not even the main ones, but I did find them enjoyable to read about and I liked seeing this world through their eyes.

Another thing I liked about this book is just how queer it is. All the main characters are queer, with several different identities represented, and I especially liked that there was trans man rep, because I can’t think of a single fantasy book with that specific rep I have seen or even just heard of before.

Really my only issue is that I felt this book needed a lot tighter editing. There are several sentences that don’t fit right (I wish I could show all the examples I collected as I was reading, unfortunately the NetGalley Reader deleted all my annotations :,)) and a few sections felt too drawn out.

If you like heavy fantasy with lots of worldbuilding and interesting characters, as well as lots of queer rep, and are willing to overlook a few flaws for a promising debut author, I think you should give this book a shot! My rating is heavily subjective, and this book just wasn’t for me.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a multi-POV fantasy book. While it does have a really interesting premise this book was a little bit of a slog for me to get through. My biggest issue was I felt like this book could have really benefited from a prologue. So much of this book was building up what the different races and history of the world was. I felt like so much of that extra history and description could have been done in an introductory chapter. Having so much history and explanation really bogged down the book for me. At times it felt like I was reading a sequel instead of the first book.

The characters themselves were interesting if a little repetitive. Wren was a little to self-deprecating; I've struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life and even I can have a positive thought about myself. I also felt like Wren's backstory wasn't fully fleshed out. There was a story about how he got a distinctive scar, but I felt like we never really got the full story and what the motivation was for him experimenting. I did love the way Wren's sexuality was handled, I felt like we don't see enough characters on the asexual spectrum.

I had similar issues with the other characters, I felt like I learned a lot about the cultures the different characters come from, but not enough about the characters. Asaru is the one character who I feel like we got to know the most. I thought his storyline was the most heartbreaking. The plot its self is very much a group of misfits going on a quest. Again, there was a lot of characters being introspective and focusing on their individual quests. It almost felt like I was reading 4 books in one.

This book wasn't for me, but if you enjoy high fantasy books with epic quests, you might enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

[Tenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received as ARC from Netgalley.
DNF-ed at 40% or so.
3*.

This book is a difficult read. It jumps right into action, using extremely high number of made-up terms for various fantasy creatures/magics/things and doesn't really bother to explain them. I had hard time picturing some of the things mentioned, because there was barely any context or explanation.
The main story is fairly simple, though, featuring a "gargoyle" man (my own term, closest to describe what he is) Asaru, who is shunned by his people and trying to find his brother. We get 3 other POVs, shy and kind of useless healer Wren, warrior Palensia and curious Rishé. They end up all together on a dangerous road trip while being hunted.

I think Asaru's chapters were the strongest, followed by Palensia. Rishé felt bit like nothing burger and Wren was sadly very annoying to me - one of those "woe is me" characters, who keep fucking up and is sad about it. I would find the book much stronger if only one, at max two POVs were featured. The constant jumping felt mostly meanigless, especially since we soon had the whole 4 together doing the same things.

The book also often features peculiar phrases and metaphors, making me wonder if its meant to be intentional lore which is left unexplained or just the way author writes in English. Phrase that repeats often is that "Character kissed their (own) teeth", which i found very incomprehensible. I did some googling and its apparently a thing people do in some Carribean countries? I have never heard this term for it, however, and struggled to imagine what it may mean.

Despite my critique, I dont think the book is *bad*, per se. It was fine. Some concepts were interesting and I did enjoy a nonhuman MC of the winged kind. However, the story just didn't grab me and I wasn't interested in continuing.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars, rounded up.

This is a difficult book for me to rate and review. I think the story is a great fantasy story. The plot is compelling and rich and delivers a different take on fantasy quests and found family. I also really enjoyed U.M. Agoawike's prose. It absolutely fits the story and paints a vivid picture.

The challenge for me was that as fascinating as the world Agoawike created was, I often felt like an outsider who didn't quite speak the language and wasn't entirely familiar with the history. When the book begins, you're dropped right into the world with little background or introduction. There's a glossary/pronunciation guide at the back of the book, but I thought it could have given more information about the beings, the religions, and the historical events. As another reviewer mentioned, it's very clear that Agoawike is very knowledgeable and familiar with the world they've created, but it didn't always translate for me. So I did sometimes get lost about what was happening and it ended up being a slower read for me. I also likely missed some of the more intriguing parts of the story.

Let me make this clear: this is not a knock against Agoawike or their writing. This is very much my personal opinion and experience with the book as someone who doesn't read a lot of speculative fiction/speculative fantasy (but would like to explore more).

All that being said, I liked this book, which is another solid entry in Bindery's catalog, and I will likely pick up any future books from this author.

I received an eARC from Bindery through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Aliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the ARC.

Black as Diamond by U.M. Agoawike is a dark fantasy centred around four main characters attempting to break a curse and save their world. This novel starts with incredibly intriguing world-building; the concept of eresh keyel, luluaik and wraiths all have distinct characteristics. I also like the idea of remnants, it is interesting to see how the dead work in the plot of this novel. The main characters, especially Asaru and Palensia, have distinct goals and motivations, and are likeable and genuine. I also like the casual queer representation in this novel.

Though this novel has a lot of interesting concepts, I unfortunately had some issues with it as well. I would have liked for the worldbuilding to be more developed. While it is unique and made me want to read more, I struggled to understand the relevance of some of the lore. I also think the novel was very fast-paced. I was unsure how to process the last quarter of the book, especially since it felt very rushed. The pace of this novel did not leave much room for the characters to develop too much later on, and the protagonists' relationships did not feel very complex. I enjoyed reading the novel, but I would have liked more development overall.

Black as Diamond is a complex fantasy novel with unique worldbuilding and likeable characters, but the pacing was rushed and the worldbuilding overall felt underdeveloped.

[Mim_Who _Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This one is Bold but memorable... The narrative follows Asaru, a winged soldier bound by duty and curse, and Wren, a healer whose defiance blurs the line between salvation and destruction. Together, they navigate a world where history, identity, and power collide in unexpected ways. Agoawike builds a setting rich in tension and consequence, where every choice matters.

The author’s approach to fantasy is refreshingly grounded. There are themes of guilt, power, and belonging. These fore the characters to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world they’re trying to save. The result is a story that feels epic but deeply personal in tone.
The relationship between Asaru and Wren unfolds with complexity but also restrain. It felt more than just a simple romance or partnership. I think the relationship was more of a layered bond formed under pressure, filled with doubt, anger, and fragile hope.

Black as Diamond is dark, imaginative, and strikingly original. This fantasy also questions what are the costs that come with survival and what it means to be truly free.

For readers looking for something that challenges the familiar characteristics of the genre, but also something that offers power and emotion... this one might be for you.

Thank you NetGally, Bindery Books, and Ezeekat Press for the ARC. Can't wait to get my hard copy!

[ChristineReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Black as Diamond" is an epic fantasy that follows four characters as they try to find one's brother and a cure for a deadly curse. I am excited for this book to find its reader. It creates an interesting atmosphere. One of being on an epic journey and also eerie with the thoughts of what could happen in the search for a cure to the curse.

Asari, Wren, Palensia, and Rishé all come from different background and are all seeking something both internally and externally. They have complicated histories and I think part of the charm of the novel is that we learn some of those details over time. I really enjoyed the comadre and the slow burn of both friendships developing (as they learn to trust each other) and romance. While at times, I did get confused and have to re-read passages, I enjoyed their story and the ending cliffhanger sent me. Like I did not see that coming. Whats going to happen to all of them?

When a book takes me a bit longer to read I often reflect on why that is, I think here we get a lot of story and information and even though there were slower moments for me, I find myself wanted to pick up the next story to see what happens. I think if you are someone who enjoys different magic systems and worlds you will like this!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


3.75 stars rounded up to 4

[Katie May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of difficult to stay interested in. I requested because the plot sounded right up my alley, described as like old school 80s classic fantasy but from a Nigerian author. It fell a little short for me but I can appreciate what they were trying to do here.

Each of the 4 characters gets their own POV which makes it a little muddy and it takes a bit for their paths to converge so for a minute you’re reading each individual’s story without much context. The story did hit a lot of old school fantasy beats but I just found it a bit too difficult to follow. I think where I struggled with this was the use of the fantasy element words were not easy to identify in context because this was really overwritten.

No one likes a surprise cliff hanger. I doubt I will be continuing with this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review.

[Amy Sheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black as Diamond tells the story of four interconnecting characters:

Asaru, a winged humanoid with a tail, who gets infected with a curse that is slowly killing him. He gets possessed in the first chapter of the book and kills the king. He is on the run and at the same time trying to find his brother and cure his curse.

Wren is a outcast healer who dangerously dabbles in magic that goes awry.

Palenisa is an outcast who finds Wren and Asaru and decides to join them on their quest with her own hidden motivations.

Rishe is a childhood friend of Wren.

Each of these characters have their own goals and each go on this epic travel adventure.

I liked a lot of parts of this book; but overall it was too complicated for me and I had a hard time understanding what was going on since the story switched between all four characters.

Thank you for NetGalley for giving me an advanced e-book copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Maria Dar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

All the books from Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press that I have read so far have been amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed them.

Unfortunately, this one has been a bit of a miss. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on what the true issue is. Perhaps it is just me, the writing style, or the story itself. But I had to DNF this at 20%.

What really made me stop was the sheer confusion I had with the world. From the first chapter, we're tossed into it with no explanation of what any words truly mean. It was hard to follow, in my opinion.

However, the bright side is that there are some amazing characters in this story. I really loved how they were brought to life.

The story follows 4 different perspectives in third person.

This may be a great story for the YA crowd or for those wanting something different in fantasy. It just wasn't for me.

[Jennifer Ostenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black as Diamond is a fantasy book following four main characters: a human alchemist, a half human failed healer, an eresh keyel warrior (winged humanoid creature with tail) and a priestess, working together to break a curse and save the realm. While I enjoyed the story, at times I had to stop and re-read parts because they wording didn't make sense. The world building was vast and intriguing, but missing some details leaving me a little confused at times. I felt that the relationships were a little rushed since most of the time the characters were snapping at each other and in stressful situations. I would have liked a little more building of the relationships.

Overall, good fantasy book. Interesting characters, world, and magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I thought the premise of this story was going to be really great, however I was as excited after getting into the story. Thought the first 60% of this book I was really fighting with myself on whether I should DNF, but I kept telling myself it would get better. I felt this way because I don't think the world building was fully done. I did not understand the two magic systems, I did eventually grasp one of them. I also did not feel connected to any of the characters. At the 60% mark there was some explanation on the world building and the characters started to get some development.
I thought that the writing was good and I enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ representation, but I just was not connected to the story.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise, though a lot of the plot felt jumbled and spliced together. There were a lot of changing descriptions of the characters to the point where I had to go to the author's instagram to see what they looked like. This sort of felt like a DnD campaign or video game turned into a book, with the vibe that the characters and the plot make a lot more sense if you experienced it (played the game/campaign) rather than reading it afterwards. I feel like I needed supplementary material to explain the world and the people living in it as the book did not provide enough context for the characters and the story.

[Angela Bowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book club book and a brand new release. I think this may be a world that is too different for me to understand. The characters are not human and have animal characteristics that I didn’t realize until after I had created an image in my head, which made it difficult to change. The magic system and theology were hard to comprehend. I also found it hard to stay engaged at times.

However I was invested in the characters, especially Wren. The author created them so well I kept going even though I struggled in other areas. I might try to give this one another chance when I can focus better because I think the material is good, I just struggled with it personally.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my gosh where do I even begin??? I am OBSESSED with the prose. U.M. Agoawike has such a way with words and descriptions. Black as Diamond is a book that demands to be savored so you can fully experience the sensations, the smells, the pain, the emotion, the views, EVERYTHING along the way, good and bad. I adore the messy found family fantasy road trip vibes with sweeping world building, epic battles, and stakes that rose from personal to world-ending levels with heart pounding efficiency. Absolutely go get yourself a copy of this!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC