Ritual of Ruin: King's Dark Tidings, Book 7

by Kel Kade, Nick Podehl (Narrator)

Rezkin lives—a secret known only to a chosen few.

Now, Azeria is one of them. Joining forces, they avoid discovery while seeking the power to stand against Caydean's demons. A tale of ancient technology draws them to the land of a forgotten people. Can the secret treasure of the infamous Demon War help the rebels turn the tide?

Wesson is determined to find a way to free Caydean's mages of their oaths. He steps onto a dark path in his bid to free the enslaved, but will the results justify the means? His soul is at stake as he walks the line between savior and executioner.

More people fill the streets of Kaibain than anyone thought possible, but why? Caydean has drawn the entire kingdom to his doorstep, where the demonic king prepares a weapon of untold power. His plan will end with his ascension…and humanity's destruction. From the shadows, Rezkin has hunted the king's allies, he has plotted to unify the shattered alliance, and now is the hour of his return. The master assassin, the true king, Emperor of the Souelian, stands as the people's last hope.

Audible Audio

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Kel Kade lives in Texas and occasionally serves as an adjunct college faculty member, inspiring young minds and introducing them to the fascinating and very real world of geosciences. Thanks to Kade’s enthusiastic readers and the success of the King’s Dark Tidings series, Kade is now able to create universes spanning space and time, develop criminal empires, plot the downfall of tyrannous rulers, and dive into fantastical mysteries full time.

Growing up, Kade lived a military lifestyle of traveling to and living in new places. These experiences with distinctive cultures and geography instilled in Kade a sense of wanderlust and opened a young mind to the knowledge that the Earth is expansive and wild. A deep interest in science, ancient history, cultural anthropology, art, music, languages, and spirituality is evidenced by the diversity and richness of the places and cultures depicted in Kade’s writing.

Reviews

[Splke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low point for the series. The books starts and ends on abrupt failures, which I found very unsatisfying. The ending in particular was so contrived and illogical. They surely could have come up with a much better plan then what they did, which was seemingly "everyone go in, split up and wing it." and that plan failed miserably, shocker.
The meat of the disappointing sandwich, was mainly a mostly pointless fetch quest to get some armor that was only a little helpful, training, and weird spiritual soulmate romance that still hasn't been explained.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m ready for this series to wrap up.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good installment! It’s not earth shattering or anything but definitely adventurous and often funny.