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The Barbaric Ledgers #1
Kill All Wizards
SWORDS, SORCERY, AND A SPOT OF TEA
We could think of nothing but the barbarian. He had come here, surely, to murder or marry someone, to exact revenge, or to say or do something very scandalous. We could hardly wait to see which it was. We hoped it would be all of them.
The barbarian traveled far to consult the wizards of the empire. Instead of lending their aid, they ensorcelled him, exploited his strength, and stole his sword. They should not have done that.
Now the barbarian plans to kill every wizard who wronged him, even if that means blending in with their vile dressing in finery, taking tea in exclusive clubs, and reserving the best box at the theater.
Oh, he hates it all with the fiery passion of his savage heart—but not as much as he hates these wizards.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
We could think of nothing but the barbarian. He had come here, surely, to murder or marry someone, to exact revenge, or to say or do something very scandalous. We could hardly wait to see which it was. We hoped it would be all of them.
The barbarian traveled far to consult the wizards of the empire. Instead of lending their aid, they ensorcelled him, exploited his strength, and stole his sword. They should not have done that.
Now the barbarian plans to kill every wizard who wronged him, even if that means blending in with their vile dressing in finery, taking tea in exclusive clubs, and reserving the best box at the theater.
Oh, he hates it all with the fiery passion of his savage heart—but not as much as he hates these wizards.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Jedediah Berry
22 books336 followersJedediah Berry is the author of two novels, The Naming Song (Tor Books, 2024) and The Manual of Detection (Penguin Press), and a story in cards, The Family Arcana. He lives in Western Massachusetts. Together with his partner, writer Emily Houk, he runs Ninepin Press, an independent publisher of fiction, poetry, and games in unusual shapes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
May 14, 2026
I’ve really liked this author’s work in the past, so I was curious to see him step into the cozy fantasy space that’s having such a moment right now. And for the most part, this was a fun time.
The setup alone does a lot of the heavy lifting: a furious barbarian forced to navigate high society, tea service, theater boxes, and wizard politics while plotting revenge against the people who wronged him. The contrast between the blood-soaked Conan-esque energy and the comedy-of-manners atmosphere makes for a lot of playfully entertaining moments.
That being said, much of the novella felt more like a series of side quests and chaotic shenanigans than a fully grounded story. It moves quickly, keeps the tone light, and is clearly aiming for charm over heft. And while I enjoyed that well enough, I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth and emotional weight earlier on rather than saving most of those threads for the latter portion of the story. There at the end, a huge anvil of emotional depth gets dropped suddenly and then is promptly — and largely — ignored.
Still, the voice is strong, the premise is fun, and the whole thing has an easy momentum that makes it fly by. A fun entry into cozy fantasy, even if it didn’t quite hit me emotionally as hard as I’d hoped it might.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
The setup alone does a lot of the heavy lifting: a furious barbarian forced to navigate high society, tea service, theater boxes, and wizard politics while plotting revenge against the people who wronged him. The contrast between the blood-soaked Conan-esque energy and the comedy-of-manners atmosphere makes for a lot of playfully entertaining moments.
That being said, much of the novella felt more like a series of side quests and chaotic shenanigans than a fully grounded story. It moves quickly, keeps the tone light, and is clearly aiming for charm over heft. And while I enjoyed that well enough, I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth and emotional weight earlier on rather than saving most of those threads for the latter portion of the story. There at the end, a huge anvil of emotional depth gets dropped suddenly and then is promptly — and largely — ignored.
Still, the voice is strong, the premise is fun, and the whole thing has an easy momentum that makes it fly by. A fun entry into cozy fantasy, even if it didn’t quite hit me emotionally as hard as I’d hoped it might.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
July 2, 2026
Gotchimus “Gotch” the Barbarian appeals to the council for help seeking justice and change after his brother is killed, but instead of helping they stall and then set him up. Now, he’s determined to mete out his own justice and kill all the wizards responsible. Gotch recounts his dangerous adventures conquering his crafty enemies in this strange magical world. The tales are different and engrossing, a bit sad in places but also clever and fun.
This original novella is amusing, witty, and sprinkled with a wee bit of romance. I can’t wait to see where Gotchimus wanders next.
I thought Raphael Corkhill did a wonderful job narrating a variety of characters, male and female and I enjoyed his English accent!
I voluntarily listened to an audio copy courtesy of the publisher. These are my thoughts and opinions.
This original novella is amusing, witty, and sprinkled with a wee bit of romance. I can’t wait to see where Gotchimus wanders next.
I thought Raphael Corkhill did a wonderful job narrating a variety of characters, male and female and I enjoyed his English accent!
I voluntarily listened to an audio copy courtesy of the publisher. These are my thoughts and opinions.
August 12, 2026
I had so much fun visiting this weird and wonderful place. Swords and strange lands and creatures. With some of the best prose I’ve read. I can honestly say I can’t believe how much was said in only 133 pages. Great characters and world building. Cyberpunk machination infused with sorcery, and wizards. I can’t wait to see where Gotchimus takes me next.
September 8, 2026
Slay fashion, kill wizards.
4.25
4.25
June 9, 2026
4.5/5
This was such an unexpected read! Funny, fantastic writing, great characters, and a story that keeps you firmly engaged the whole time. I absolutely love the world that Jedediah Berry has created and l can’t wait to read more! Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was such an unexpected read! Funny, fantastic writing, great characters, and a story that keeps you firmly engaged the whole time. I absolutely love the world that Jedediah Berry has created and l can’t wait to read more! Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 12, 2026
This book was an absolute delight.
From the moment Gotch marched onto the page, determined to get revenge on the wizards who had wronged him, I was hooked. What follows is a wonderfully entertaining adventure filled with wizard politics, high society chaos, unexpected friendships, and one barbarian who has very little patience for any of it.
The humor landed perfectly for me. Watching a larger-than-life warrior navigate paperwork, social events, and magical bureaucracy never stopped being amusing. At the same time, the story still delivers plenty of action, heart, and genuine character moments.
I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding. The mix of magic, strange inventions, and quirky fantasy elements gave the story a unique feel. It felt familiar enough to settle into quickly while still offering plenty of surprises along the way.
Most of all, this book was simply fun. It’s the kind of story that keeps you turning pages with a smile on your face, eager to see what trouble the characters will find themselves in next.
If you enjoy fantasy adventures with humor, memorable characters, and a barbarian causing absolute chaos wherever he goes, this one is well worth picking up. I had the audio and I loved the narrator he was perfect for this story.
My only complaint is that it’s over and I now I want more!
From the moment Gotch marched onto the page, determined to get revenge on the wizards who had wronged him, I was hooked. What follows is a wonderfully entertaining adventure filled with wizard politics, high society chaos, unexpected friendships, and one barbarian who has very little patience for any of it.
The humor landed perfectly for me. Watching a larger-than-life warrior navigate paperwork, social events, and magical bureaucracy never stopped being amusing. At the same time, the story still delivers plenty of action, heart, and genuine character moments.
I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding. The mix of magic, strange inventions, and quirky fantasy elements gave the story a unique feel. It felt familiar enough to settle into quickly while still offering plenty of surprises along the way.
Most of all, this book was simply fun. It’s the kind of story that keeps you turning pages with a smile on your face, eager to see what trouble the characters will find themselves in next.
If you enjoy fantasy adventures with humor, memorable characters, and a barbarian causing absolute chaos wherever he goes, this one is well worth picking up. I had the audio and I loved the narrator he was perfect for this story.
My only complaint is that it’s over and I now I want more!
July 26, 2026
The cover and the title intrigued me and seemed to be quite humorous, so I was interested in picking this up (though a little nervous since humor is so subjective).
Well, unfortunately it was not for me. I think that the sidekick did make me smirk a little against my will, but otherwise the text didn't read as humorous at all to me but just a super serious dude. Rather, it for sure lived up to the name and was almost like an anthology of short stories in which he targets individual wizards; super seriously intent on systematically doing some targeted, serial murders (presumably to be continued in sequel/s).
The ending got a bit more existential than I felt was truly setup or paid off or had time to breathe. I see that this will be a series so maybe that'll be explored more in future, but it left this book feeling somewhat unfinished.
Audiobook Notes:
I actually really appreciated Corkill's narration and almost certainly wouldn't have finished the book without it. Though I found his voice to be both charming and engaging, I did have to restart the book from the beginning at least twice. I don't know if it's because of his narration or because of the text, but I kept finding my mind wandering too much and I had to restart in order to dial in and absorb it. It could very much be a personal issue and just that the text isn't really my jam, but it's worth noting regardless.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me an ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Well, unfortunately it was not for me. I think that the sidekick did make me smirk a little against my will, but otherwise the text didn't read as humorous at all to me but just a super serious dude. Rather, it for sure lived up to the name and was almost like an anthology of short stories in which he targets individual wizards; super seriously intent on systematically doing some targeted, serial murders (presumably to be continued in sequel/s).
The ending got a bit more existential than I felt was truly setup or paid off or had time to breathe. I see that this will be a series so maybe that'll be explored more in future, but it left this book feeling somewhat unfinished.
Audiobook Notes:
I actually really appreciated Corkill's narration and almost certainly wouldn't have finished the book without it. Though I found his voice to be both charming and engaging, I did have to restart the book from the beginning at least twice. I don't know if it's because of his narration or because of the text, but I kept finding my mind wandering too much and I had to restart in order to dial in and absorb it. It could very much be a personal issue and just that the text isn't really my jam, but it's worth noting regardless.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me an ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 24, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.
This was a fun concept for a cozy fantasy. Gotch's adventures were fun to read about but unfortunately the story itself did not click for me. I found myself zoning out very frequently. I know it's supposed to be humorous but too many things were happening for me to feel the flow of the story unfortunately. I think this would be great for those who love cozy fantasies filled with humor and adventure.
The audiobook narration was done well but since I didn't enjoy the story itself as much, I'm not sure if it specifically improved my experience.
This was a fun concept for a cozy fantasy. Gotch's adventures were fun to read about but unfortunately the story itself did not click for me. I found myself zoning out very frequently. I know it's supposed to be humorous but too many things were happening for me to feel the flow of the story unfortunately. I think this would be great for those who love cozy fantasies filled with humor and adventure.
The audiobook narration was done well but since I didn't enjoy the story itself as much, I'm not sure if it specifically improved my experience.
July 28, 2026
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This novella has great story, just not told properly. Trying to read it gave me a headache. The story kept drifting away from the story a lot. Trying to be humorous and it failed. It took me far away from the story instead of pulling me in. Great concept, barbarians, wizards, world quests and mechanical bots. But it just did not work for me.
This novella has great story, just not told properly. Trying to read it gave me a headache. The story kept drifting away from the story a lot. Trying to be humorous and it failed. It took me far away from the story instead of pulling me in. Great concept, barbarians, wizards, world quests and mechanical bots. But it just did not work for me.
Currently Reading
June 19, 2026Listening to the ALC from Libro.FM, which sounds AMAZING, BUT, I also have the physical ARC & may inhale this tonight.
May 30, 2026
Thank you Mac audio for this ALC. I picked this one because me and my spouse really like listening to DND adjacent books together and thought this would be a good fit. Unfortunately it was a bit of a miss for both of us. I think the narration was really hard to adjust to and for some reason took me out of the story instead of bringing me in. It’s really short book though so if you still think it sounds good (dnd, wizards, barbarians, magic, dnd world, quests, etc) I def recommend giving it a try!
Read
June 26, 2026"Was I expecting an irreverently-titled short novel about the adventures of an eyepatch-wearing barbarian warrior in a city of tetchy wizards, delirious gods, and complicated social hierarchies? I was not. Still, that’s a reasonable thumbnail sketch of what to expect from Kill All Wizards, which is the first in a planned series of books (the followup is announced at the end of this volume) about a barbarian named Gotchimus."
Read Tobias Carroll's full review at Reactor
Read Tobias Carroll's full review at Reactor
July 25, 2026
KILL ALL WIZARDS – JEDEDIAH BERRY
🔮 Gotchimus “Gotch” el Barbaro ha llegado a la ciudad de los Magos, buscando venganza por la muerte de su hermano. Pero lo que se encuentra es un laberinto de burocracias y reglas sociales que oculta una violencia y crueldad terribles. Por suerte, violencia y crueldad son la especialidad de un bárbaro. Así que, acompañado de un mago que le acoge y le guía; y una maga que le protege de males mayores, Gotch se enfrenta a este mundo tecnológico, de papeleo y gente estirada con su hacha.
❤️🩹 Jedediah Berry tenía todos los ingredientes para hacer un grimdark estupendo, una fantasía épica o una obra clásica. Sin embargo, ha conseguido crear una cozy fantasy con humor e ingenio en menos de 200 páginas. Y ojo, que sólo es la primera parte.
🌳 Ojo, tampoco os llevéis a engaño. Kill All Wizards es una obra de fantasía, con su bárbaro, su hacha, dioses enfadados, magos con secretos y rivalidades y conspiraciones arcanas.
🪓 Pero también nos trae a un protagonista con humanidad, compasión, visión y buen corazón; a quien se juntan otros tantos. En su búsqueda por conseguir justicia en un mundo que no se la dará porque implicaría castigar a los poderosos o saltarse las reglas sociales, encontré varias críticas a nosotros mismos, y a cómo hemos perdido la humanidad y la compasión y cómo, a veces, un buen hachazo sería una respuesta magnífica y efectiva.
⭐ Lo tiene todo, papi: acción, humor, profundidad, crueldad y un gran worldbuilding. ⭐
Valoración: 📁📁📁📁 (4 modelos 347 – if you know, you know)
🔮 Gotchimus “Gotch” el Barbaro ha llegado a la ciudad de los Magos, buscando venganza por la muerte de su hermano. Pero lo que se encuentra es un laberinto de burocracias y reglas sociales que oculta una violencia y crueldad terribles. Por suerte, violencia y crueldad son la especialidad de un bárbaro. Así que, acompañado de un mago que le acoge y le guía; y una maga que le protege de males mayores, Gotch se enfrenta a este mundo tecnológico, de papeleo y gente estirada con su hacha.
❤️🩹 Jedediah Berry tenía todos los ingredientes para hacer un grimdark estupendo, una fantasía épica o una obra clásica. Sin embargo, ha conseguido crear una cozy fantasy con humor e ingenio en menos de 200 páginas. Y ojo, que sólo es la primera parte.
🌳 Ojo, tampoco os llevéis a engaño. Kill All Wizards es una obra de fantasía, con su bárbaro, su hacha, dioses enfadados, magos con secretos y rivalidades y conspiraciones arcanas.
🪓 Pero también nos trae a un protagonista con humanidad, compasión, visión y buen corazón; a quien se juntan otros tantos. En su búsqueda por conseguir justicia en un mundo que no se la dará porque implicaría castigar a los poderosos o saltarse las reglas sociales, encontré varias críticas a nosotros mismos, y a cómo hemos perdido la humanidad y la compasión y cómo, a veces, un buen hachazo sería una respuesta magnífica y efectiva.
⭐ Lo tiene todo, papi: acción, humor, profundidad, crueldad y un gran worldbuilding. ⭐
Valoración: 📁📁📁📁 (4 modelos 347 – if you know, you know)
September 3, 2026
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JayGTheAwkw...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.75/5 Stars
A barbarian seeks revenge on all the wizards who wronged him.
This novella sounded like it was going to be really fun, but I was a bit disappointed in this one unfortunately. I felt disconnected from the story and the characters, and didn't care much for what was happening to them. I was honestly a bit confused through out the whole thing. I think it just was not for me... but I'm sure others would enjoy it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.75/5 Stars
A barbarian seeks revenge on all the wizards who wronged him.
This novella sounded like it was going to be really fun, but I was a bit disappointed in this one unfortunately. I felt disconnected from the story and the characters, and didn't care much for what was happening to them. I was honestly a bit confused through out the whole thing. I think it just was not for me... but I'm sure others would enjoy it!
Want to Read
April 18, 2026New Tor novella, TBP June 16, 2o26. Recommended by John Joseph Adams, who wrote on his blog: "So fun, so clever, so well-written. Really just a joy from start to finish. A must read! Rating: 9/10"
$13 ebook. Hopefully a library copy will appear.....
$13 ebook. Hopefully a library copy will appear.....
June 28, 2026
This was fun, but I spent quite a bit of the book confused about who everyone was and what everyone was doing. This one might be better in an ebook format or physically read instead of on audio only. I liked the premise, just couldn't follow it as well as I wanted.
April 17, 2026
This book has no business being this good and entertaining!! I can not wait for the next installment!!
July 31, 2026
A short fantasy romp following Gotch, a barbarian looking for revenge against the wizards who wronged him. Reads more as a series of smaller quests than a larger story but it was a fun time.
September 6, 2026
I do not think I got this one.
Gotchimus is a barbarian hero who wants the damn wizards to clean up after themselves. His brother died horribly in one of their waste pits. He tries to go through proper channels. When that doesn't work he starts using violence. Meanwhile, the wizardly bureaucracy of the city is very interested in acquiring his services. Lots of furniture goes flying.
There are mirrors and gods and acorns I feel like I should have liked it, but I just didn't get it.
Gotchimus is a barbarian hero who wants the damn wizards to clean up after themselves. His brother died horribly in one of their waste pits. He tries to go through proper channels. When that doesn't work he starts using violence. Meanwhile, the wizardly bureaucracy of the city is very interested in acquiring his services. Lots of furniture goes flying.
There are mirrors and gods and acorns I feel like I should have liked it, but I just didn't get it.
September 14, 2026
Very short story, though I really enjoyed it. The writing style took a while to get used to, though it was fantastic. I think the second book will bring more light to that.
It was fairly intense while also being a not too serious read. Though it's not as relaxed or comical as I expected.
It does throw you in the deep in with place names and factions and other things, which you kind of just have to accept. Some are explained in parts, I'm hoping others are explained more in the second book.
It was fairly intense while also being a not too serious read. Though it's not as relaxed or comical as I expected.
It does throw you in the deep in with place names and factions and other things, which you kind of just have to accept. Some are explained in parts, I'm hoping others are explained more in the second book.
May 20, 2026
Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry is a high stakes fantasy with aspects of action.
Underdogs! I love them!!
We’re in a world where using magic is a death sentence. A disgraced decidedly non-magic soldier unites rebels & this rag-tag team of mercenaries goes on a QUEST! YESSS! A quest to hunt down the very powerful sorcerers who rule this place before they finish a spell that will enslave all of humanity.
How will they fight sorcerers without magic? TECH! It’s a rebellion with arrows, alchemy & tech warfare VS spells & fireballs. Who will win?
Humor. Likable characters.
It’s John Wick meets Kings of the Wild maybe?!
Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio. I need more of this!
Underdogs! I love them!!
We’re in a world where using magic is a death sentence. A disgraced decidedly non-magic soldier unites rebels & this rag-tag team of mercenaries goes on a QUEST! YESSS! A quest to hunt down the very powerful sorcerers who rule this place before they finish a spell that will enslave all of humanity.
How will they fight sorcerers without magic? TECH! It’s a rebellion with arrows, alchemy & tech warfare VS spells & fireballs. Who will win?
Humor. Likable characters.
It’s John Wick meets Kings of the Wild maybe?!
Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio. I need more of this!
May 27, 2026
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the preview. All opinions are my own.
I’m not 100% sure what I just listened to, but Raphael Corkhill utterly enchanted me with his narration. I would have listened to something twice as long just to keep hearing his voice.
This was a super quick and entertaining read. Like I said, I’m not sure I was 100% following what was happening, but I had a good time!
I’m not 100% sure what I just listened to, but Raphael Corkhill utterly enchanted me with his narration. I would have listened to something twice as long just to keep hearing his voice.
This was a super quick and entertaining read. Like I said, I’m not sure I was 100% following what was happening, but I had a good time!
August 16, 2026
I really wanted to like this, the story sounded super fun and it was actually a quick read. But the length was the reason it was quick for me, because I just really could not get into it unfortunately. It just felt a little disconnected for me, like it jumped from scene to scene despite being such a short novella. The ending was pretty good, but by that point I was unfortunately lost.
September 5, 2026
Fantastic! The prose is the best I’ve read in a long time. The setting is fantastical and reminiscent of the classic Conan the Barbarian, but stands in its own. Great read. Will read more by this author.
June 30, 2026
3.5 stars
Most of the story went over my head and I got confused in some parts about who was who. The narrator was soothing though and there were moments of humour.
Most of the story went over my head and I got confused in some parts about who was who. The narrator was soothing though and there were moments of humour.
July 4, 2026
There was like nothing about this book that felt special to me. I did not love the characters, and the story was disjointed and lacking. It was definitely not what I expected. It was not even a long story, but I struggled to finish this title.
Want to Read
July 7, 2026Reasons to read
~ Swords and sorcery
~ comedy
~ novella under 150 pages
~ Swords and sorcery
~ comedy
~ novella under 150 pages
August 3, 2026
3.5/5 it was fine to pass the time but it didnt do much for me
August 5, 2026
this was fine. not my favorite but not awful. i just really wasn’t into it.
September 14, 2026
Really interesting. I liked the way the story was told.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews