The Penitent: A brutal fantasy novel

by Robyn Abbott

From #1 bestselling dark fantasy author Robyn Abbott comes The Penitent, a gritty standalone in the unflinching Forgotten Fragments series. Perfect for fans of Richard Swan and John Gwynne, this gothic tale picks up where most epic fantasies the end of a long-fought war...

The Usurper is dead. As are all five of his children.
The war is over, and thousands of conscripted peasants are marching home...

Dreams of families reunited are quickly dashed. The returned soldiers are gruff and vulgar. They slip into the Usurper’s language without thinking, refuse water for fear of poison, and some, it is rumoured, have even taken the Usurper’s wild fire goddess into their hearts. Quickly, whispers of war wraiths—demonic spirits that haunt the battlefield and possess surviving soldiers—echo throughout the duchy.

Amid the chaos, a family pulled apart by war is meeting again for the first time in a weary conscript who gave the last decade of his life to his commanding officers, a determined mother caring for a highly-intuitive magical child, and a hopeful teen boy desperate to meet the father he barely remembers.

With a decade of secrets between them, hysteria broiling in the streets, and flickers that look like human shadows looming in the background, this family of strangers just might find themselves questioning whether the war is really over at all...

More about the series:
The Forgotten Fragments is a series of standalones connected by reincarnation.

Friends are born again as lovers.
Lovers are born again as enemies.
Everyone makes soul-stirring mistakes,
And happy endings must be earned.

Each book is a new lifetime in a new world.
Instalments can be read in any order.

548 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 16, 2025

About the author

Robyn Abbott is a bestselling Canadian science fiction and fantasy author who writes stories about good people doing bad things. Depending on her mood, she's also either a tarot reader or adamantly against tarot reading.

She was given Honourable Mention in the 2021 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for her short story Joseph and Neem Climb a Ladder. She was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 2018 Utah Film Awards.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

had to tap out after 30%. Just a thoroughly uninteresting and dull book. i've had more fun reading the the back of a shampoo bottle

[Tenaya MKD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robyn does it again with this incredible, unique fantasy. We often read about the epic war being waged, but rarely about what happens after to the soldiers who are forever changed by it. I loved this book.
As a parent myself I really appreciated getting to read a story with parents as main characters. Luthra holds a special place in my heart. ❤️

[Eli V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the theory behind this book - those affected by war, be it somebody who is returning or somebody who was left behind, are all suffering in their own ways. The fantasty twist on this is quite good.

I did struggle a little bit with the very quick change overs between the characters, but the descriptions and emotions were certainly well written.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[RobynReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbott delivers a quiet but tense family story set in a war-scarred, magic-touched world. Three POVs, a mother, a father, and their son, pull you right into a family trying to find their footing in the shift that comes after war. Told through small, everyday moments, there’s a constant edge to it… an undercurrent like something or someone is watching and waiting.

Abbott’s prose is poetic but never excessive. This intentional restraint mirrors the family at the heart of the story: stoic, composed and bound by loyalty. Every interaction carries weight, every silence says something. Because she is so attuned to the emotional lives of her characters, I felt deeply connected to them all.

Themes of war’s aftermath, the fragility and resilience of family bonds, both blood and found, longing for approval, and the haunting persistence of the past press quietly through the novel. There’s great atmospheric layering, with a mild, creeping eeriness that seeps in, all while tension builds toward something you can’t quite see but can absolutely feel.

Abbott keeps the personal stakes sharp and steady, even as danger escalates, always grounded in love, loyalty, brotherhood, armor, and sacrifice.

The Penitent is a slow-burn, character-driven dark fantasy with a steady emotional weight beneath the surface. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate human complexity and emotional depth first, with magic, politics, and quiet tension layered in the background.

[Alexszollo]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This grim, gritty, yet inspiring tale of souls facing trials beyond any imagination is a read that will remain with those who delve into long after the story ends. Battle-weary Jehan, single mother Luthra and young Taspar are returning from a harrowing war with the evil Usurper, a warlord who worships a heretical fire goddess. They return changed, having witnessed and perpetuated abominable things. They have to face wraiths, evil spirits that urge soldiers to abandon themselves to heresy. The whole dynamic between these characters and the world they inhabit is relentlessly dark, but the bond between them is so rewarding to read. Those who enjoy tales of misfits banding together in a harsh world and surviving all its perils will have the time of their lives with it. The whole reincarnation aspect of it is also cleverly done. I loved, loved, loved it! Definitely worth checking this one out.

[Dallis King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another excellent book from Robyn Abbott. I devoured this similar to how I devoured A Sin and A Half. I preferred how this one focused more on just a handful of characters, I found it easier to understand the intention of each of our MC's here, but the switching of perspectives still allowed for tragic irony that only you as a reader are privy to.

The world building is excellent again. I love how these are always set in small communities where you can really get a sense of the entire lives of these characters. The world feels so alive and so full of history.

The overall tone is gritty, real and dark. The fantasy elements feel genuine and are treated as just obvious parts of the world rather than something magic and unheard of which contributes to the overall authenticity I feel from these books.

I loved this one again and I'm so excited to continue to follow this series!

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war is over and the ones who survived have returned home. This gothic fantasy answers the questions of what goes on after the soldiers return to every day life after serving in a war for 7 to 8 years. It is an adjustment for everyone.

There are some supernatural elements thrown into the mix along with other symbolism that seems to fit to resemble the after effects of war. A poignant take of the effects of war on everyone with interesting characters and events that move the story along. Entertaining and enlightening at the same time.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Robert Foland · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Penitent" is a dark narrative exploring the impact of war on its survivors. Robyn Abbott vividly depicts a graphic and often chaotic post-war world. The suffering is immense, the anxiety overwhelming, and the ghosts of the conflict are palpably real. The diverse group of survivors is compelling and resilient, and their quest for normalcy is an epic journey. Captivating, intense, and thought provoking.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Zoe Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dark fantasy novel truly took me away into another world. I kept telling myself just one more chapter until I had completely finished the book. There were moments that felt so raw that my heart ached for the characters. Other moments where my heart was racing reading about the scary things that were happening in Odile. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Robyn's work.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robyn Abbott wrote a strong epic fantasy novel and was invested in what was happening to the characters. The characters and their world worked well in this universe and was engaged with what was happening to them. It had a strong start to the series and was excited for more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

De momento, y llevo solo tres capítulos, las primeras impresiones son muy buenas. El tratamiento de mano

[Robyn Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thrilled to be sharing this gritty, gothic fantasy about what happens when the epic wars that fantasy novels are brimming with come to an end. These characters make my heart explode and I can't wait for you to read this and feel just as morally-confused as I felt while writing it.

You can expect:

- A medieval-adjacent setting (think Frankish warriors in a Mediterranean environment)
- A character-driven, family saga with parents as main characters
- A band of war-weary foot soldiers looking to settle down
- An empathy-adjacent magic system
- With the found-est of found family
- And small town hysteria
- Morally-grey af*

*Don't say I didn't warn you

<3 Robyn