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The Chaos Constellation #2
The Harpy Knight
In this thrilling sequel to The Gryphon King, old rivalries and new threats pull Bataar and Nohra into a swirling cauldron of gods, monsters and djinn.
The second book in the sweeping Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Godkiller and Shannon Chakraborty.
With Bataar's campaign to conquer Dumakra victorious, he turns his eyes to Aglea in the north, where pagan berserkers rule over inhospitable marshes and ritualistically butcher unicorns. Prince Nassar and his entourage have also fled to Aglea to rally his supporters—taking the ghoulish variant of vermilrot they unearthed from the abandoned depths of Anhabar with them
Nohra and Bataar are soon to be married. Nohra has not forgiven the rhah's sins against Kalafar or her family, but her thirst for vengeance wars with her feelings for Qaira. Bataar’s supernatural gifts are increasingly powerful, and his hold on Dumakra more secure by the day. Serving him is now the only path Nohra can see that ends with her younger brother one day restored to Kalafar's throne.
The power struggle between Bataar and Nassar fast becomes a swirling conflict of religions and the Agleans revere Darya for her demonic powers; Nohra and Qaira are heralded as the two manifestations of Dumakra's Goddess; and Bataar is the walking embodiment of his people's Preeminent spirit. In this febrile atmosphere, the ghoul sickness is spreading rapidly, and monsters continue to encroach on human towns, causing violence and dismay. The war—and the world—hangs in the balance. Just one wrong move could tip everything into chaos.
The second book in the sweeping Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Godkiller and Shannon Chakraborty.
With Bataar's campaign to conquer Dumakra victorious, he turns his eyes to Aglea in the north, where pagan berserkers rule over inhospitable marshes and ritualistically butcher unicorns. Prince Nassar and his entourage have also fled to Aglea to rally his supporters—taking the ghoulish variant of vermilrot they unearthed from the abandoned depths of Anhabar with them
Nohra and Bataar are soon to be married. Nohra has not forgiven the rhah's sins against Kalafar or her family, but her thirst for vengeance wars with her feelings for Qaira. Bataar’s supernatural gifts are increasingly powerful, and his hold on Dumakra more secure by the day. Serving him is now the only path Nohra can see that ends with her younger brother one day restored to Kalafar's throne.
The power struggle between Bataar and Nassar fast becomes a swirling conflict of religions and the Agleans revere Darya for her demonic powers; Nohra and Qaira are heralded as the two manifestations of Dumakra's Goddess; and Bataar is the walking embodiment of his people's Preeminent spirit. In this febrile atmosphere, the ghoul sickness is spreading rapidly, and monsters continue to encroach on human towns, causing violence and dismay. The war—and the world—hangs in the balance. Just one wrong move could tip everything into chaos.
432 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2026
About the author
Sara Omer
11 books92 followersSara Omer is a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer. She’s been a technical editor for medical and engineering publications and is now pursuing teaching. You can find her (sometimes unsettling) poetry and prose in places like The Dark, PodCastle, Small Wonders, Strange Horizons, and elsewhere. The Gryphon King is her debut adult dark fantasy novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 10, 2026
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
Okay, so it’s not like The Gryphon King was exactly sunshine and rainbows, but the brutal twists, gruesome depravities, and downright evil choices Sara Omer dragged me through in The Harpy Knight were beyond anything I could have expected, and I loved every single second of the pain. This sequel somehow has more action, more conflict, more terrifying yet awe inspiring mythical creatures, more messy queer yearning, more fiercely terrifying women, and more consequences that hurt like an absolute bitch, which happens to be exactly what I want from a good second book.
Even though I reread book one before diving into The Harpy Knight, I genuinely think I would have slipped right back into this world regardless because we start with a bang (literally!!), and then it just refuses to let up. We pick up a few months after the end of The Gryphon King with Bataar’s conquest of the north well underway as he hunts down the traitor Nassar, and armed with everyone’s favourite tragic demon babe Darya, there are very few people capable of standing in his way. Unfortunately for him, controlling Darya still depends on his murder knight fiancée Nohra, who very much has not forgiven him for his role in destroying her family, so cue allll the tension and emotional turmoil!!
“However this had started between them— at Bataar’s urging, to manipulate Nohra— it was hers to enjoy, for as long as she wanted, as long as she could stand, as long as she kept the upper hand and her heart shielded. They were each serving their own interests, but in this blissful moment, all of that fled Nohra’s mind.”
Now, I have historically not been a battle/war girlie, and I don’t think The Harpy Knight magically converted me, but the fact that I still adored this book as much as I did should say everything about Sara Omer’s storytelling. Yes, there are spectacular battles packed with supernatural horrors, murderous princesses riding man-eating pegasi, deeply unsettling unicorns, world- ending djinn, and enough bloodshed to drown in, but I loved that the most brutal battles are happening inside these characters. Literally everyone is fighting a (losing?) war against their own heart, faith, grief, or ambition, and that was infinitely more compelling to me than who happened to be winning on the battlefield.
To me, The Harpy Knight really felt like Nohra’s book, and I think that is exactly why I enjoyed it so much. Watching her get torn apart by her love for Qaira, her thirst for revenge against Bataar, and the increasingly inconvenient fact that she is starting to care about him anyway was deliciously messy. She’s so fierce, terrifying, stubborn, and honestly just a little bit unhinged in the hottest way possible, but I loved seeing the quieter, more vulnerable parts of her too, especially in her relationships with Qaira and Darya. And speaking of Darya… can somebody get this woman literally anything except more trauma, please?! Her struggle with her demon-side was so twisted and tragic that it hurt to read, and yet I still found myself wishing for more chapters from her POV because her journey was beyond fascinating to me.
“Darya was the most incredible creature he’d ever been terrified of. If she killed him, it would be an honor to die by her hand.”
I do have to say that some of the other characters faded into the background a little too much for my liking, including even Bataar. It’s not that he’s any less fascinating, because he’s an incredibly layered hot mess of a man, but so much of his story revolves around military campaigns and religious conflict that I found his chapters slightly less gripping. But then every scene he shared with Qaira and Nohra had me in a complete chokehold, and the way that the messy poly romance dynamic between them all developed had me on the edge of my seat. Also, the whole engagement and wedding storyline had me fully gagged, I swear the infamous Red Wedding has nothing on this mess.
“A wraith in the sky, Nohra’s vows ensured she was Bataar’s to command on the field. Like a golden eagle shooting out of the clouds. His huntress. His Harpy Knight. He’d promised Nohra a wedding night she wouldn’t forget, more blood than any maidenhead. Their bodies would throb tomorrow. Steel scratched an itch deeper than sex.”
And somehow the wedding sequence is only one of many moments that had me staring into the void wondering what fresh hell I had just read (in the most complimentary way possible, obviously). My only slight nitpick is that I found myself turning the pages more out of morbid curiosity over what diabolical thing these disaster humans would do next than because I was truly emotionally invested in anything or anyone, and some of the losses and devastating consequences didn’t hit me quite as hard as I wanted them to. Nassar did manage to get my blood pressure to medically concerning levels though, so I suppose that’s something.
Still, I absolutely devoured The Harpy Knight, and I am somehow both ridiculously excited and genuinely afraid to see how this trilogy is going to end because I know Sara Omer is not about to start showing mercy now. I do hope someone shows Nassar significantly less mercy, though, preferably with a sword. Anyway, If you’re looking for a beautifully diverse, viciously brutal grimdark fantasy in the vein of She Who Became the Sun, The Poppy War, and An Ember in the Ashes, except with a rich Turkic and Kurdish inspired setting, then I cannot recommend The Chaos Installation highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. The Harpy Knight is scheduled for release on July 28th, 2026.
Okay, so it’s not like The Gryphon King was exactly sunshine and rainbows, but the brutal twists, gruesome depravities, and downright evil choices Sara Omer dragged me through in The Harpy Knight were beyond anything I could have expected, and I loved every single second of the pain. This sequel somehow has more action, more conflict, more terrifying yet awe inspiring mythical creatures, more messy queer yearning, more fiercely terrifying women, and more consequences that hurt like an absolute bitch, which happens to be exactly what I want from a good second book.
Even though I reread book one before diving into The Harpy Knight, I genuinely think I would have slipped right back into this world regardless because we start with a bang (literally!!), and then it just refuses to let up. We pick up a few months after the end of The Gryphon King with Bataar’s conquest of the north well underway as he hunts down the traitor Nassar, and armed with everyone’s favourite tragic demon babe Darya, there are very few people capable of standing in his way. Unfortunately for him, controlling Darya still depends on his murder knight fiancée Nohra, who very much has not forgiven him for his role in destroying her family, so cue allll the tension and emotional turmoil!!
“However this had started between them— at Bataar’s urging, to manipulate Nohra— it was hers to enjoy, for as long as she wanted, as long as she could stand, as long as she kept the upper hand and her heart shielded. They were each serving their own interests, but in this blissful moment, all of that fled Nohra’s mind.”
Now, I have historically not been a battle/war girlie, and I don’t think The Harpy Knight magically converted me, but the fact that I still adored this book as much as I did should say everything about Sara Omer’s storytelling. Yes, there are spectacular battles packed with supernatural horrors, murderous princesses riding man-eating pegasi, deeply unsettling unicorns, world- ending djinn, and enough bloodshed to drown in, but I loved that the most brutal battles are happening inside these characters. Literally everyone is fighting a (losing?) war against their own heart, faith, grief, or ambition, and that was infinitely more compelling to me than who happened to be winning on the battlefield.
To me, The Harpy Knight really felt like Nohra’s book, and I think that is exactly why I enjoyed it so much. Watching her get torn apart by her love for Qaira, her thirst for revenge against Bataar, and the increasingly inconvenient fact that she is starting to care about him anyway was deliciously messy. She’s so fierce, terrifying, stubborn, and honestly just a little bit unhinged in the hottest way possible, but I loved seeing the quieter, more vulnerable parts of her too, especially in her relationships with Qaira and Darya. And speaking of Darya… can somebody get this woman literally anything except more trauma, please?! Her struggle with her demon-side was so twisted and tragic that it hurt to read, and yet I still found myself wishing for more chapters from her POV because her journey was beyond fascinating to me.
“Darya was the most incredible creature he’d ever been terrified of. If she killed him, it would be an honor to die by her hand.”
I do have to say that some of the other characters faded into the background a little too much for my liking, including even Bataar. It’s not that he’s any less fascinating, because he’s an incredibly layered hot mess of a man, but so much of his story revolves around military campaigns and religious conflict that I found his chapters slightly less gripping. But then every scene he shared with Qaira and Nohra had me in a complete chokehold, and the way that the messy poly romance dynamic between them all developed had me on the edge of my seat. Also, the whole engagement and wedding storyline had me fully gagged, I swear the infamous Red Wedding has nothing on this mess.
“A wraith in the sky, Nohra’s vows ensured she was Bataar’s to command on the field. Like a golden eagle shooting out of the clouds. His huntress. His Harpy Knight. He’d promised Nohra a wedding night she wouldn’t forget, more blood than any maidenhead. Their bodies would throb tomorrow. Steel scratched an itch deeper than sex.”
And somehow the wedding sequence is only one of many moments that had me staring into the void wondering what fresh hell I had just read (in the most complimentary way possible, obviously). My only slight nitpick is that I found myself turning the pages more out of morbid curiosity over what diabolical thing these disaster humans would do next than because I was truly emotionally invested in anything or anyone, and some of the losses and devastating consequences didn’t hit me quite as hard as I wanted them to. Nassar did manage to get my blood pressure to medically concerning levels though, so I suppose that’s something.
Still, I absolutely devoured The Harpy Knight, and I am somehow both ridiculously excited and genuinely afraid to see how this trilogy is going to end because I know Sara Omer is not about to start showing mercy now. I do hope someone shows Nassar significantly less mercy, though, preferably with a sword. Anyway, If you’re looking for a beautifully diverse, viciously brutal grimdark fantasy in the vein of She Who Became the Sun, The Poppy War, and An Ember in the Ashes, except with a rich Turkic and Kurdish inspired setting, then I cannot recommend The Chaos Installation highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. The Harpy Knight is scheduled for release on July 28th, 2026.
July 30, 2026
Review originally on JamReads
Last year, I was gladly impressed by The Gryphon King, Sara Omer's debut novel that featured a rich South Asian inspired world building and an impressive character work, especially around Bataar and his conquest campaign; with The Harpy Knight, a direct sequel picking months after the ending of The Gryphon King, Omer takes the opportunity to give us a closer look to Nohra, another of the main characters that already shined in the previous book, but almost creating a really dark study of a character while Bataar's campaign puts its focus on the northern lands.
After an organic recap of book 1 (seriously, this is something I think almost every author should try to do in series), we are immediately drawn months after the ending, with Bataar's campaign moving to the North, hunting down the traitor Nassar; but if this is a book about anything is, it's about his stormy relationship with Nohra, how he needs her if he wants to maintain the control over Darya. A Nohra that hasn't forgiven him for the role he played in destroying part of his family, but who would also do anything in her hands to protect the rest of them, all while the world is in turmoil.
While The Gryphon King was a more general book, a story still woven around Bataar but introducing us to the rest of the world, Omer puts most of the narrative weight on Nohra's shoulder, creating the opportunity to analyze a really complex character. Not only we see her love for Qaira, but also what was initially hate against Bataar is slowly evolving into something different, almost like she cares about him. She's a fierce warrior, a fighter, but Omer can't let a character have a happy, simple life: we will see her in pain, under duress, almost reaching her breaking point. It's difficult not loving our bisexual disaster flying girl after this novel.
The rest of the cast is a bit overshadowed by Nohra's in-depth portrait created by this novel, but still have space to play their necessary roles in this book; still, it is worth to notice how Bataar's arc can steal the spotlight by moments, revealing more layers on what was already a grey character.
The previous book already had certain dark moments, but I was really glad to see how Omer embraced them, always using them in ways that could be more emotionally impactful; I found myself strangely attracted to the page, flying through this novel.
The Harpy Knight is a worthy sequel to the Gryphon King, a novel that reaffirms Sara Omer as an author on my auto-read list, especially as I love dark fantasies that put the effort into creating multi-layered, complicated characters with many faces, and with a setting far from the classical European fantasy. I'm really curious to see how Omer will conclude this trilogy, but I will be there!
Last year, I was gladly impressed by The Gryphon King, Sara Omer's debut novel that featured a rich South Asian inspired world building and an impressive character work, especially around Bataar and his conquest campaign; with The Harpy Knight, a direct sequel picking months after the ending of The Gryphon King, Omer takes the opportunity to give us a closer look to Nohra, another of the main characters that already shined in the previous book, but almost creating a really dark study of a character while Bataar's campaign puts its focus on the northern lands.
After an organic recap of book 1 (seriously, this is something I think almost every author should try to do in series), we are immediately drawn months after the ending, with Bataar's campaign moving to the North, hunting down the traitor Nassar; but if this is a book about anything is, it's about his stormy relationship with Nohra, how he needs her if he wants to maintain the control over Darya. A Nohra that hasn't forgiven him for the role he played in destroying part of his family, but who would also do anything in her hands to protect the rest of them, all while the world is in turmoil.
While The Gryphon King was a more general book, a story still woven around Bataar but introducing us to the rest of the world, Omer puts most of the narrative weight on Nohra's shoulder, creating the opportunity to analyze a really complex character. Not only we see her love for Qaira, but also what was initially hate against Bataar is slowly evolving into something different, almost like she cares about him. She's a fierce warrior, a fighter, but Omer can't let a character have a happy, simple life: we will see her in pain, under duress, almost reaching her breaking point. It's difficult not loving our bisexual disaster flying girl after this novel.
The rest of the cast is a bit overshadowed by Nohra's in-depth portrait created by this novel, but still have space to play their necessary roles in this book; still, it is worth to notice how Bataar's arc can steal the spotlight by moments, revealing more layers on what was already a grey character.
The previous book already had certain dark moments, but I was really glad to see how Omer embraced them, always using them in ways that could be more emotionally impactful; I found myself strangely attracted to the page, flying through this novel.
The Harpy Knight is a worthy sequel to the Gryphon King, a novel that reaffirms Sara Omer as an author on my auto-read list, especially as I love dark fantasies that put the effort into creating multi-layered, complicated characters with many faces, and with a setting far from the classical European fantasy. I'm really curious to see how Omer will conclude this trilogy, but I will be there!
July 20, 2026
This was INCREDIBLE! Review to come! 🪽
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was an AWESOME freaking sequel!!! I had such a great time being back in this South West Asian inspired dark fantasy and man did it go even darker. It honestly reminds me of another incredible dark fantasy series, The Raag of Rta by Gourav Mohanty, with its expansion on the world and character building. Do know that this review might contain spoilers for the first book, The Gryphon King, so please proceed with caution if you want to dive into this wonderful series soon. 🗡️
The story picks up a few months after the ending of The Gryphon King. Nohra is still fuming and Bataar is still scheming. I loved the continued banter between these two and how they just can’t seem to stop wanting to kill each other. I also felt so bad Qaira in this book. She goes through the wringer with her two lovers and man she knows how to put them in their places. 😂
I loved the change of scenery from glittering cities and desert cliffs to frozen bog lands and creepy forests. I think it fits the mood of the book so well and honestly that of the primary villain in this part of the series. That villain is sadistic and definitely deserves a good thrashing. 👑
I don‘t want to talk about much else because then I’ll be REALLY spoiling it for others, but I cannot recommend this series enough! Please know that it’s a grimdark fantasy so if you are the kind that gets triggered by gore or don’t like non-happy ever after kind of endings, then please be aware of this. Also, this is NOT a romantasy one bit. It’s got elements of romance but it is definitely not romance heavy. ‼️
HUGE thank you goes to Titan Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this early in exchange for an honest review; and thank you goes to the author, Omer, for making such a fantastic grimdark fantasy! ❤️
Publication date: July 28, so get on the first book soon people!!
Overall: easily 5/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was an AWESOME freaking sequel!!! I had such a great time being back in this South West Asian inspired dark fantasy and man did it go even darker. It honestly reminds me of another incredible dark fantasy series, The Raag of Rta by Gourav Mohanty, with its expansion on the world and character building. Do know that this review might contain spoilers for the first book, The Gryphon King, so please proceed with caution if you want to dive into this wonderful series soon. 🗡️
The story picks up a few months after the ending of The Gryphon King. Nohra is still fuming and Bataar is still scheming. I loved the continued banter between these two and how they just can’t seem to stop wanting to kill each other. I also felt so bad Qaira in this book. She goes through the wringer with her two lovers and man she knows how to put them in their places. 😂
I loved the change of scenery from glittering cities and desert cliffs to frozen bog lands and creepy forests. I think it fits the mood of the book so well and honestly that of the primary villain in this part of the series. That villain is sadistic and definitely deserves a good thrashing. 👑
I don‘t want to talk about much else because then I’ll be REALLY spoiling it for others, but I cannot recommend this series enough! Please know that it’s a grimdark fantasy so if you are the kind that gets triggered by gore or don’t like non-happy ever after kind of endings, then please be aware of this. Also, this is NOT a romantasy one bit. It’s got elements of romance but it is definitely not romance heavy. ‼️
HUGE thank you goes to Titan Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this early in exchange for an honest review; and thank you goes to the author, Omer, for making such a fantastic grimdark fantasy! ❤️
Publication date: July 28, so get on the first book soon people!!
Overall: easily 5/5 ⭐️
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July 14, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Devoured Book 1 last year and then the sequel was SO GOOD! Felt a little daunted going straight back into the Chaos Constellation world without any kind of refresh but I quickly found the thread from Book 1 and the story unfolded from there. This universe is rich in mythology and politics and geography and I had the best time immersing myself in it. Bataar's wars continue to play out across the continent and when I tell you I am SCARED for Book 3 (announcement for that when btw??). Omer is clearly a master storyteller, even if I thought she was being cruel leaving us on a cliffhanger like that. Epic fantasy like this is such a treat <3
Devoured Book 1 last year and then the sequel was SO GOOD! Felt a little daunted going straight back into the Chaos Constellation world without any kind of refresh but I quickly found the thread from Book 1 and the story unfolded from there. This universe is rich in mythology and politics and geography and I had the best time immersing myself in it. Bataar's wars continue to play out across the continent and when I tell you I am SCARED for Book 3 (announcement for that when btw??). Omer is clearly a master storyteller, even if I thought she was being cruel leaving us on a cliffhanger like that. Epic fantasy like this is such a treat <3
September 9, 2026
Book two of an ongoing series. In The Harpy Knight, Nohra is uneasy in her decision to cast in her loyalties—and her hand in marriage—with the conqueror Bataar. As their army is mired in plague and death, Bataar begins to lose his grasp on his powers even as Nohra reconsiders her use of her djinn and former friend, Darya.
I liked the first book in this series, but it tended more towards climactic battles than I personally prefer. Unfortunately, The Harpy Knight leans farther into battles than its predecessor. I liked the central emotional conflict—Bataar's devotion to his first wife Qaira forced into conflict with Nohra's struggle between her desire for Qaira and her barely suppressed desire to assassinate Bataar is compelling. But the characters were a neglected side issue in a plot consumed by plague, oceans of gore, and an endless parade of barely described allies and enemies. I've never been a big fan of action scenes, since they bore me to death, and Omer's depiction of war is focused on the daily minutia without much care for clearly depicting the larger sweep of strategy. And beside the fact that the focus of the novel didn't interest me, I felt that Harpy Knight fell prey to the second book slog. For a four hundred page novel, we didn't progress very far from the opening page status quo.
I liked the Southwest Asia inspired setting and the concept of women knights mounted on pegasi, but the focus of this series has always been somewhat misaligned with my taste, and more so in the second book. I don't think I'll continue on to the conclusion of the trilogy.
I liked the first book in this series, but it tended more towards climactic battles than I personally prefer. Unfortunately, The Harpy Knight leans farther into battles than its predecessor. I liked the central emotional conflict—Bataar's devotion to his first wife Qaira forced into conflict with Nohra's struggle between her desire for Qaira and her barely suppressed desire to assassinate Bataar is compelling. But the characters were a neglected side issue in a plot consumed by plague, oceans of gore, and an endless parade of barely described allies and enemies. I've never been a big fan of action scenes, since they bore me to death, and Omer's depiction of war is focused on the daily minutia without much care for clearly depicting the larger sweep of strategy. And beside the fact that the focus of the novel didn't interest me, I felt that Harpy Knight fell prey to the second book slog. For a four hundred page novel, we didn't progress very far from the opening page status quo.
I liked the Southwest Asia inspired setting and the concept of women knights mounted on pegasi, but the focus of this series has always been somewhat misaligned with my taste, and more so in the second book. I don't think I'll continue on to the conclusion of the trilogy.
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March 21, 2026The Harpy Knight is dark fantasy for adult readers. Broadly, the content warnings can be summarized as bereavement, discrimination, health-related triggers, graphic violence, death (including animal death [on page], and death of a child and death of a parent [off page]), language, and consensual sexual content.
Please click through to view more specific details and be mindful of what's best for you when deciding to read!
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August 14, 2026
I tried so hard to pace myself but I just couldn't put it down...
July 29, 2026
Last year’s The Gryphon King by Sara Omer was a wild feast for dark epic fantasy fans, a buffet tray of wonders served on a five-course meal of revolving horrors and delights alike. It was a blindingly original Southwest-Asian inspired world that incorporated the myths and histories of the Ottoman Court, Turko-Mongol traditions and even the pre-Islamic lore and faith of Mesopotamia (Omer does her prep, put it that way). It was a complex, heady mix of power plays and court politics, as lethal female warriors who rode man-eating pegasuses faced off against a divinely-inspired leader from the Red Steppes. And it was full of monsters, from the aforementioned murder horses to terrifying gryphons, strange djinn demons and more. Oh and it had a central sapphic frisson, with promises of a poly threesome, serving us up the beginnings of romance before hitting us with Omer’s characteristically intense and bitingly well written descriptions of the battlefield. And now we have the sequel. And I have simply three words to contrast nicely with the billion I’ve just vomited out: darker, delightful and, uh, devastating. This series is called the Chaos Constellation, kids: don’t say you weren’t warned.
Plot wise, with the Gryphon-marked would-be emperor of the world Bataar having mostly staked his claim over the kingdom of Dumakra, he has turned north, to the pagan lands of Aglea, where the traitor prince Nassar has allied with some northern lords. Meanwhile, to seal his alliance with Dumakra for good, he is to marry Nohra, the harpy knight who when she’s not busy flying the skies on winged murder horses is trying to work out how to kill her new invader despite being increasingly besotted with his wife. Meanwhile, greater supernatural forces are at work: Darya is a flame-on djinn (like a pre-Islamic Human Torch), Baatar himself is connected to a demonic sky god and there’s a ghoulish plague on the march.
The first things to say is that this is a dark book, and I mean even darker than the first, which was not exactly a ride at the fair. Things seem to go from bad to worse in this unwise northern excursion, and Omer does not shy away from some of the sufferings our key protagonists must endure. When you throw in the genuine moral ambiguity of most of the characters—our MMC Bataar could equally be described as a horrifyingly immoral monstrously powered warlord just as much as a would-be emperor who wants peace and justice—then we have a recipe for some real grimdark goings-on. There are some gut-wrenching scenes for certain characters which are genuinely hard to read, as well as one of the most entertainingly unexpected wedding night scenes you’ll ever read.
Omer’s worldbuilding skills are once again on display here as we spend most of the time in the pagan north where they worship the redying goddess who dies with the winter and is reborn in the spring (partly inspired, one would assume, by the Cailleach of Gaelic myth). It’s fun seeing a culture entirely removed from the Southwest Asian-inspired ones examined so far. And, to continue the theme of this series being an outrageously fun monsters’ bestiary, we get a new selection of creatures which are described just as vividly and horrifyingly as the first book (including one very disturbingly poignant take on a particularly famous chivalric monster).
But ultimately this book hits hardest when we’re doing two things: the bedroom or the battlefield. In the first, the focus continues on our central poly trio: Bataar, Nohra, soon to be his wife, and Qaira, already his wife. The steamy, tender scenes between the latter two are electrically written in their sensuality—I couldn’t help but wish that there’d been more of this and less of the endlessly grim war scenes, but maybe I’ve been reading too much romantasy recently.
As for the battle scenes, these are brutal, and Omer has this gift of kinetic, gruesomely realised prose that makes a field of war just a terrifying place to be. There’s zombies, multiple demons, barely-trained gryphons, murder horses and some tragically tense standoffs—reader, your heart will be in your mouth. And finally I should spare a word for Darya, the servant girl turned djinn/demon, who just wants a normal life but can’t stop being used as a tool thanks to her devastatingly useful habit of turning into a giant smoke demon. Her journey forms a key part of the book, and takes you places at the end you won’t see coming which make me salivate for the finale.
Overall, The Harpy Knight is somehow an even darker, bloodier, and more intense sequel, where the stakes are even higher and the moral ambiguity is even vaguer, all wrapped up in an astonishingly realised world of myth and history entwined with some of the most badass women in modern fantasy. Omer twists the vice on our central characters and their pain is red hot agony, but you can’t look away. As sequels go, this one is searingly sensational.
Plot wise, with the Gryphon-marked would-be emperor of the world Bataar having mostly staked his claim over the kingdom of Dumakra, he has turned north, to the pagan lands of Aglea, where the traitor prince Nassar has allied with some northern lords. Meanwhile, to seal his alliance with Dumakra for good, he is to marry Nohra, the harpy knight who when she’s not busy flying the skies on winged murder horses is trying to work out how to kill her new invader despite being increasingly besotted with his wife. Meanwhile, greater supernatural forces are at work: Darya is a flame-on djinn (like a pre-Islamic Human Torch), Baatar himself is connected to a demonic sky god and there’s a ghoulish plague on the march.
The first things to say is that this is a dark book, and I mean even darker than the first, which was not exactly a ride at the fair. Things seem to go from bad to worse in this unwise northern excursion, and Omer does not shy away from some of the sufferings our key protagonists must endure. When you throw in the genuine moral ambiguity of most of the characters—our MMC Bataar could equally be described as a horrifyingly immoral monstrously powered warlord just as much as a would-be emperor who wants peace and justice—then we have a recipe for some real grimdark goings-on. There are some gut-wrenching scenes for certain characters which are genuinely hard to read, as well as one of the most entertainingly unexpected wedding night scenes you’ll ever read.
Omer’s worldbuilding skills are once again on display here as we spend most of the time in the pagan north where they worship the redying goddess who dies with the winter and is reborn in the spring (partly inspired, one would assume, by the Cailleach of Gaelic myth). It’s fun seeing a culture entirely removed from the Southwest Asian-inspired ones examined so far. And, to continue the theme of this series being an outrageously fun monsters’ bestiary, we get a new selection of creatures which are described just as vividly and horrifyingly as the first book (including one very disturbingly poignant take on a particularly famous chivalric monster).
But ultimately this book hits hardest when we’re doing two things: the bedroom or the battlefield. In the first, the focus continues on our central poly trio: Bataar, Nohra, soon to be his wife, and Qaira, already his wife. The steamy, tender scenes between the latter two are electrically written in their sensuality—I couldn’t help but wish that there’d been more of this and less of the endlessly grim war scenes, but maybe I’ve been reading too much romantasy recently.
As for the battle scenes, these are brutal, and Omer has this gift of kinetic, gruesomely realised prose that makes a field of war just a terrifying place to be. There’s zombies, multiple demons, barely-trained gryphons, murder horses and some tragically tense standoffs—reader, your heart will be in your mouth. And finally I should spare a word for Darya, the servant girl turned djinn/demon, who just wants a normal life but can’t stop being used as a tool thanks to her devastatingly useful habit of turning into a giant smoke demon. Her journey forms a key part of the book, and takes you places at the end you won’t see coming which make me salivate for the finale.
Overall, The Harpy Knight is somehow an even darker, bloodier, and more intense sequel, where the stakes are even higher and the moral ambiguity is even vaguer, all wrapped up in an astonishingly realised world of myth and history entwined with some of the most badass women in modern fantasy. Omer twists the vice on our central characters and their pain is red hot agony, but you can’t look away. As sequels go, this one is searingly sensational.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Your bride price is the Dumakran throne. Your demon is your dowry." !!!!!
I am obsessed with this Turkish/Kurdish-inspired dark fantasy series!!! The world this author brings to life is so beautiful and darkly gruesome. There are man-eating pegasus, the most disturbing unicorns you've ever seen, djinn who will devour the world, princesses who will slaughter their enemies on the battlefield in the name of vengence, and a bride whose idea of a good wedding gift is literal murder. The beauty and the blood are two sides of the same coin, like twin goddesses who will gift you a jewelled scythe and lead you to the man you will kill for them.
In this world, you will find legendary beasts equal parts awe-inspiring and gruesomely terrifying, princesses who are war-hardened Harpy Knights, lovers as devoted monsters, unicorns who will suck your blood from your flesh and djinn who will devour the world. Beneath every smile is a viper lying in wait. Within every beautiful woman is a rabid mad dog who you should have known better than to try to chain! Seriously, don't do it! She BITES! Deception and devotion blur until I can no longer tell where one ends and the other begins, and neither can Nohra because girl??? You have both of those skills maxed out and a god-damn kill count.
The second book doubles down on the first book in every respect, and my god, it did not disappoint! The TWISTS!!!
THE WEDDING
My favourite part (to no one's surprise) is the wedding. There is absolutely nothing normal about this wedding. I knew that going in of course. Have you seen the bride???
Nohra tossed the Aglean head at his feet. "Wedding presents."
Like a mongrel bringing you a dead dove for a gift! But seriously, I could not stop kicking my feet about this wedding. I knew something was going to go down, but I did not know what. And when it did happen, I GASPED. Let's just say someone is getting deflowered on this wedding night and, spoiler, In fact, calling this a wedding night is dubious at best. We are putting two monsters in the same bed and hoping to god they don't tear out each others throats. Whatever Qaria finds in there is none of my business. That's her husband and her wife, and I rather say, the most terrifying part of this polycule is Qaria. Girl???
Qaria is the only person who could look at her husband and her wife both covered in blood, understand that if anything they've gone and made each other WORSE, and still have them brought to heel by the sheer disappointment in her eyes. QUEEN.
And that ending!!! I can't say too much because it is something you must read for yourself, but someone needs to put Bataar in a cage immediately!! (Or in chains hehe) I absolutely cannot wait for book three. I need to know what insane thing Nohra does next, and by the sounds of her final line in this book, it is very much going to be insane.
As a final note, I would just like to point out two of my favourite lines, one near the start of the book and one near the end, and put them in contrast because this is exactly why I am insane about this book!! No way you could make me believe this was an accident:
(yeah i am totally fucking normal about this)
I am obsessed with this Turkish/Kurdish-inspired dark fantasy series!!! The world this author brings to life is so beautiful and darkly gruesome. There are man-eating pegasus, the most disturbing unicorns you've ever seen, djinn who will devour the world, princesses who will slaughter their enemies on the battlefield in the name of vengence, and a bride whose idea of a good wedding gift is literal murder. The beauty and the blood are two sides of the same coin, like twin goddesses who will gift you a jewelled scythe and lead you to the man you will kill for them.
In this world, you will find legendary beasts equal parts awe-inspiring and gruesomely terrifying, princesses who are war-hardened Harpy Knights, lovers as devoted monsters, unicorns who will suck your blood from your flesh and djinn who will devour the world. Beneath every smile is a viper lying in wait. Within every beautiful woman is a rabid mad dog who you should have known better than to try to chain! Seriously, don't do it! She BITES! Deception and devotion blur until I can no longer tell where one ends and the other begins, and neither can Nohra because girl??? You have both of those skills maxed out and a god-damn kill count.
The second book doubles down on the first book in every respect, and my god, it did not disappoint! The TWISTS!!!
THE WEDDING
My favourite part (to no one's surprise) is the wedding. There is absolutely nothing normal about this wedding. I knew that going in of course. Have you seen the bride???
Nohra tossed the Aglean head at his feet. "Wedding presents."
Like a mongrel bringing you a dead dove for a gift! But seriously, I could not stop kicking my feet about this wedding. I knew something was going to go down, but I did not know what. And when it did happen, I GASPED. Let's just say someone is getting deflowered on this wedding night and, spoiler, In fact, calling this a wedding night is dubious at best. We are putting two monsters in the same bed and hoping to god they don't tear out each others throats. Whatever Qaria finds in there is none of my business. That's her husband and her wife, and I rather say, the most terrifying part of this polycule is Qaria. Girl???
Qaria is the only person who could look at her husband and her wife both covered in blood, understand that if anything they've gone and made each other WORSE, and still have them brought to heel by the sheer disappointment in her eyes. QUEEN.
And that ending!!! I can't say too much because it is something you must read for yourself, but someone needs to put Bataar in a cage immediately!! (Or in chains hehe) I absolutely cannot wait for book three. I need to know what insane thing Nohra does next, and by the sounds of her final line in this book, it is very much going to be insane.
As a final note, I would just like to point out two of my favourite lines, one near the start of the book and one near the end, and put them in contrast because this is exactly why I am insane about this book!! No way you could make me believe this was an accident:
(yeah i am totally fucking normal about this)
July 4, 2026
The second book in the Chaos Constellation Trilogy, The Harpy Knight has all the same elements that made the Gryphon King enjoyable. It’s dark, brutal and unflinching in its depiction of violence and war. The world is expansive and crawling with all kinds of wonderfully creative takes on classic mythical creatures and the characters are wonderfully layered with internal conflict and morality in shades of grey.
We pick up a little later than the first book. Bataar’s conquest of the North and pursuit of the traitor Nassar is in full swing. With the use of Darya as a weapon, few can stand in his way. But, his control of her still relies on Nohra who still hasn’t entirely forgiven him for his role in the deaths of those she loved. And Nassar has his own supernatural weapons. Ghouls, bloodthirsty unicorns and demons are all in play
This was really Nohra’s book, and her chapters were definitely my favourite part. I absolutely adored her character - her ferocity, her compassion for Darya and also her conflict. Her internal struggle felt really authentic and I was really invested in her arc throughout. And let’s be honest, there’s a part of all of us that thinks the idea of riding a pegasus into battle would be really awesome. The majority of the other characters were also really wonderful. I just loved how morally grey the world was. The way Omer painted the character’s choices through the lens of the world they lived in and their individual beliefs and ideals was really effective.
But my love of Nohra meant that the other main POV, Bataar, really paled in comparison for me, I just could not get myself to become invested in his story. I really didn’t like his hypocrisy (which I’m sure is the point of the character, but his lack of any kind of development throughout just made it really frustrating to read) and I didn’t entirely understand some of his motivations.
I had very similar feelings reading this as I did with the first book. The action scenes were very well written - impactful and brutal but thrilling at the same time. The monsters were really wonderful and brilliant subversions on the typical tropes- there are no delicate, pretty unicorns and gentle pegasi here! However, despite the amount of action and plot elements, the story still managed to feel quite directionless and slow at points and I found myself pushing through it a bit, especially in the beginning. Once it got going towards the end, I did find myself enjoying it quite a lot. Darya’s plotline developed really nicely, I loved Nohra’s character development and the expansion of the worldbuilding has a lot of interesting prospects. I’m intrigued to see where Nohra goes next and I’ll likely finish the series.
The Chaos Constellation is one of the most original and interesting new fantasy series out there at the moment. It’s perfect for fans of epic, grimdark fantasy with a fresh feel, though you may need to sometimes put up with a slow pace to get to the good moments.
We pick up a little later than the first book. Bataar’s conquest of the North and pursuit of the traitor Nassar is in full swing. With the use of Darya as a weapon, few can stand in his way. But, his control of her still relies on Nohra who still hasn’t entirely forgiven him for his role in the deaths of those she loved. And Nassar has his own supernatural weapons. Ghouls, bloodthirsty unicorns and demons are all in play
This was really Nohra’s book, and her chapters were definitely my favourite part. I absolutely adored her character - her ferocity, her compassion for Darya and also her conflict. Her internal struggle felt really authentic and I was really invested in her arc throughout. And let’s be honest, there’s a part of all of us that thinks the idea of riding a pegasus into battle would be really awesome. The majority of the other characters were also really wonderful. I just loved how morally grey the world was. The way Omer painted the character’s choices through the lens of the world they lived in and their individual beliefs and ideals was really effective.
But my love of Nohra meant that the other main POV, Bataar, really paled in comparison for me, I just could not get myself to become invested in his story. I really didn’t like his hypocrisy (which I’m sure is the point of the character, but his lack of any kind of development throughout just made it really frustrating to read) and I didn’t entirely understand some of his motivations.
I had very similar feelings reading this as I did with the first book. The action scenes were very well written - impactful and brutal but thrilling at the same time. The monsters were really wonderful and brilliant subversions on the typical tropes- there are no delicate, pretty unicorns and gentle pegasi here! However, despite the amount of action and plot elements, the story still managed to feel quite directionless and slow at points and I found myself pushing through it a bit, especially in the beginning. Once it got going towards the end, I did find myself enjoying it quite a lot. Darya’s plotline developed really nicely, I loved Nohra’s character development and the expansion of the worldbuilding has a lot of interesting prospects. I’m intrigued to see where Nohra goes next and I’ll likely finish the series.
The Chaos Constellation is one of the most original and interesting new fantasy series out there at the moment. It’s perfect for fans of epic, grimdark fantasy with a fresh feel, though you may need to sometimes put up with a slow pace to get to the good moments.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Inspired by the history and culture of her family's Turkic and Kurdish roots, Sara Omer's second book in the Chaos Constellation series is a marvel of heartbreak, sorrow, violence, love, and loss.
I zoomed through The Gryphon King (book 1) and was eager to sink my teeth into The Harpy Knight. Akin to the darkness and violence of Tolkien's The Two Towers, Omer weaves a complex, horrifying tale demonstrating that there is no honor in war. Here, we see that the real monsters are men who take and take and take.
Unicorns, pegasuses, wyrms, ghouls, djinn, gryphon, and more gnash their sharp teeth, bloodthirsty and grotesque, and yet the true horror lies with the lengths that men will go to in the name of power and conquest.
Nohra, Bataar, Safiya, Shaza, Tarken, Darya, Rami, and Qaira all lose something precious, pieces of themselves scattered to the ravages of what unfolds. This is not a happy tale, but a necessary one that asks the reader to touch the darkness inside of themselves; how much of the monster inside of you stirs and how deeply will you allow your heart to break?
The queer love, chosen family, and FIERCE women of this world offer small moments of reprieve and wonder, stirring both the warrior and lover within. The Harpies and the healer may be our salvation.
SPOILER:
Book 2 ends on a cliffhanger that will shift us out of the world of humans and into a realm of spirits and gods. None of us, on the page or reading it, will make it out unscathed. I can't wait.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advanced reader copy of this marvelous story. It delivered, big time.
I zoomed through The Gryphon King (book 1) and was eager to sink my teeth into The Harpy Knight. Akin to the darkness and violence of Tolkien's The Two Towers, Omer weaves a complex, horrifying tale demonstrating that there is no honor in war. Here, we see that the real monsters are men who take and take and take.
Unicorns, pegasuses, wyrms, ghouls, djinn, gryphon, and more gnash their sharp teeth, bloodthirsty and grotesque, and yet the true horror lies with the lengths that men will go to in the name of power and conquest.
Nohra, Bataar, Safiya, Shaza, Tarken, Darya, Rami, and Qaira all lose something precious, pieces of themselves scattered to the ravages of what unfolds. This is not a happy tale, but a necessary one that asks the reader to touch the darkness inside of themselves; how much of the monster inside of you stirs and how deeply will you allow your heart to break?
The queer love, chosen family, and FIERCE women of this world offer small moments of reprieve and wonder, stirring both the warrior and lover within. The Harpies and the healer may be our salvation.
SPOILER:
Book 2 ends on a cliffhanger that will shift us out of the world of humans and into a realm of spirits and gods. None of us, on the page or reading it, will make it out unscathed. I can't wait.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advanced reader copy of this marvelous story. It delivered, big time.
August 3, 2026
Bataar Rhah is looking to conquer Aglea in the north, where monster- infested marshes and Prince Nassar and his entourage have also fled, spreading a ghoulish plague wherever they go. Princess Nohra is betrothed to Bataar, despite the horrors he inflicted on her country and family. While Nohra still wants vengeance as he forces her to conquer her mother's lands, she also has feelings for Bataar’s wife, Qaira. Her best friend Darya’s terrifying demonic powers are being used as a weapon, and Bataar’s own supernatural gifts are more difficult to control. One wrong move could tip everything into chaos.
The Harpy Knight is the second half of the Chaos Constellation trilogy, following The Gryphon King. It definitely helps to have read that book first, but we have a summary of the first book in a letter and Nassar's view of events in the prologue to catch up. Nohra hates Bataar even as she loves Qaira, and is still determined to kill him to avenge her father. There's nothing but war and blood, and she is a princess accustomed to war. Even so, there are monsters out there, creatures that can't be reasoned with. As much as there are complications with Bataar and Qaira, as well as the kingdoms Bataar is conquering, these creatures are worse, and war brings out the worst in Nassar.
There's a large cast of characters like the first novel, but it still is tightly focused on Bataar, Nohra, and Qaira. War is awful and doesn't discriminate; we see how it affects the people in the cities as well as the named characters. Battles are bloody and protracted in many cases, and we see how Bataar and Nohra are affected by the deaths around them. Nassar is almost a caricature at times, and at others he is chilling and cruel to read, making me thankful we're not in his POV for the book. The final quarter of the book is even more devastating than before, and no doubt sets up the final book of the trilogy. Hopefully, it gets to a positive conclusion.
The Harpy Knight is the second half of the Chaos Constellation trilogy, following The Gryphon King. It definitely helps to have read that book first, but we have a summary of the first book in a letter and Nassar's view of events in the prologue to catch up. Nohra hates Bataar even as she loves Qaira, and is still determined to kill him to avenge her father. There's nothing but war and blood, and she is a princess accustomed to war. Even so, there are monsters out there, creatures that can't be reasoned with. As much as there are complications with Bataar and Qaira, as well as the kingdoms Bataar is conquering, these creatures are worse, and war brings out the worst in Nassar.
There's a large cast of characters like the first novel, but it still is tightly focused on Bataar, Nohra, and Qaira. War is awful and doesn't discriminate; we see how it affects the people in the cities as well as the named characters. Battles are bloody and protracted in many cases, and we see how Bataar and Nohra are affected by the deaths around them. Nassar is almost a caricature at times, and at others he is chilling and cruel to read, making me thankful we're not in his POV for the book. The final quarter of the book is even more devastating than before, and no doubt sets up the final book of the trilogy. Hopefully, it gets to a positive conclusion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The sequel to The Gryphon King goes even darker and bloodier.
Inspired by the history and mythology of South-Western Asia, this is a grimdark fantasy full of pegasuses (pegasi?), ghouls and djinn.
This second book picks up a little after the end of book 1, the steppe warrior Bataar is now ruler of Dumakra with the Harpy Knights loyal to him. But their traitorous brother has fled to the north to rally his own forces. Bataar's army doggedly pursues Nassar but their advances come to a grinding halt when the enemy starts to deliberately infect civilians and soldiers with the rot - a disease that creates zombie-like ghouls. To make matters worse, Bataar is distracted by his own personal conflict with the god-like presence, Preeminence, that devours souls and that only Bataar can see.
And I haven't even mentioned the awkward throuple between Nohra, Qaira and Bataar. Let's just say that Nohra prefers her new husband's wife.
This book in particular has a lot of battle and fighting scenes. Personally, I struggled quite a bit to keep track of what was happening and sometimes I forgot where they were supposed to be. I also missed the friendship group of Nohra, Darya and Fahaad - in fact, quite a few of the secondary characters felt pushed into the background.
However, it's still a very interesting and gripping world with complex and complicated characters. The supernatural elements are building up and I'm looking forward to hopefully learning more about the djinn world in the next book.
Thanks to Titan Books for providing a netgalley arc for review
Inspired by the history and mythology of South-Western Asia, this is a grimdark fantasy full of pegasuses (pegasi?), ghouls and djinn.
This second book picks up a little after the end of book 1, the steppe warrior Bataar is now ruler of Dumakra with the Harpy Knights loyal to him. But their traitorous brother has fled to the north to rally his own forces. Bataar's army doggedly pursues Nassar but their advances come to a grinding halt when the enemy starts to deliberately infect civilians and soldiers with the rot - a disease that creates zombie-like ghouls. To make matters worse, Bataar is distracted by his own personal conflict with the god-like presence, Preeminence, that devours souls and that only Bataar can see.
And I haven't even mentioned the awkward throuple between Nohra, Qaira and Bataar. Let's just say that Nohra prefers her new husband's wife.
This book in particular has a lot of battle and fighting scenes. Personally, I struggled quite a bit to keep track of what was happening and sometimes I forgot where they were supposed to be. I also missed the friendship group of Nohra, Darya and Fahaad - in fact, quite a few of the secondary characters felt pushed into the background.
However, it's still a very interesting and gripping world with complex and complicated characters. The supernatural elements are building up and I'm looking forward to hopefully learning more about the djinn world in the next book.
Thanks to Titan Books for providing a netgalley arc for review
August 28, 2026
Sara really said oh you thought the first book hurt? You thought there was a lot of gore and horror? Ok bet.
The Harpy Knight takes us into a new lands with familiar faces, but everything feels bigger, darker, bloodier and far more deadly.
We meet more mythical (horrific) creatures and journey through vivid, brutal landscapes. The war continues to rage on but there are forces at play that our characters can’t begin to understand. Omer’s second installment in her South West Asian-inspired dark fantasy is immersive, beautiful, unsettling and deadly. Bleeding across the swampy frozen North there is very little innocence left in their wake. The Vermilrot is spreading and it’s levelling the playing field. Nohra is torn between her vows, her guilt, her duty and her heart.
The political and personal conflicts become increasingly tangled with multiple POVs, you viscerally feel the losses, blurred lines, desires, motivations. Our complex trio are both thawing and as contemptuous as ever. Messy, volatile and compelling. I love them! The writing whilst bloody and gory is also interspersed with beautiful, lyrical writing and tender, devastating moments.
Beneath the blood and horror is a story about loss, love, power and survival. What people are willing to sacrifice for the things they want, and what happens when the cost becomes too high. The cost of war is always too steep, but the only ones who may be left standing after this one are ghouls and djinn
Emotionally traumatised.
The Harpy Knight takes us into a new lands with familiar faces, but everything feels bigger, darker, bloodier and far more deadly.
We meet more mythical (horrific) creatures and journey through vivid, brutal landscapes. The war continues to rage on but there are forces at play that our characters can’t begin to understand. Omer’s second installment in her South West Asian-inspired dark fantasy is immersive, beautiful, unsettling and deadly. Bleeding across the swampy frozen North there is very little innocence left in their wake. The Vermilrot is spreading and it’s levelling the playing field. Nohra is torn between her vows, her guilt, her duty and her heart.
The political and personal conflicts become increasingly tangled with multiple POVs, you viscerally feel the losses, blurred lines, desires, motivations. Our complex trio are both thawing and as contemptuous as ever. Messy, volatile and compelling. I love them! The writing whilst bloody and gory is also interspersed with beautiful, lyrical writing and tender, devastating moments.
Beneath the blood and horror is a story about loss, love, power and survival. What people are willing to sacrifice for the things they want, and what happens when the cost becomes too high. The cost of war is always too steep, but the only ones who may be left standing after this one are ghouls and djinn
Emotionally traumatised.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was grimy and ugly and uncomfortable and exactly what I ordered.
None of the characters in this book are particularly likeable and yet I’m still on the edge of my seat reading about their fates, hoping they survive another chapter.
The first book introduced a lot of elements I liked and this sequel expands many of them beautifully. The relationship between Nohra and Qaira, for one, but also the magic that is slowly but surely seeping into the world and spreading chaos.
I do still wish the religions had been elaborated a bit more, because they play an incredibly important role, yet I really don’t understand them very well. I’m also still often quite disoriented during the battle/fight scenes, which I do understand might be a very understandable stylistic choice, but also did tempt me to just kind of skim through them sometimes.
If you didn’t like the first book, this one’s unlikely to change your mind. But if you liked the first one, you’ll probably be just as taken by the sequel. I’m already looking forward to finding out where this story is headed next.
Tropes and such:
- Western & Central Asian inspired fantasy
- sapphic Pegasus-riding warrior princess protagonist
- queernormative world
- war that’s ugly and gorey and uncomfortable
- torture, hostages, mind control
- a zombie pandemic, basically
----
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC!
None of the characters in this book are particularly likeable and yet I’m still on the edge of my seat reading about their fates, hoping they survive another chapter.
The first book introduced a lot of elements I liked and this sequel expands many of them beautifully. The relationship between Nohra and Qaira, for one, but also the magic that is slowly but surely seeping into the world and spreading chaos.
I do still wish the religions had been elaborated a bit more, because they play an incredibly important role, yet I really don’t understand them very well. I’m also still often quite disoriented during the battle/fight scenes, which I do understand might be a very understandable stylistic choice, but also did tempt me to just kind of skim through them sometimes.
If you didn’t like the first book, this one’s unlikely to change your mind. But if you liked the first one, you’ll probably be just as taken by the sequel. I’m already looking forward to finding out where this story is headed next.
Tropes and such:
- Western & Central Asian inspired fantasy
- sapphic Pegasus-riding warrior princess protagonist
- queernormative world
- war that’s ugly and gorey and uncomfortable
- torture, hostages, mind control
- a zombie pandemic, basically
----
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Deliciously vicious and emotionally devastating, the second installment of the Chaos Constellation follows Nohra, Bataar, Qaira and Darya as they travel North, where they battle monsters, old enemies, and a plague while clashing with one another and wrestling with their inner demons.
Sara Omer promised to ramp everything up 500%, and she delivered. Without spoiling anything, we get more worldbuilding, and the wedding was everything I expected and more. There were times when I just wanted to hug and protect these characters, and a few chapters later I wanted to slap some sense into them. Except Qaira. Who must be protected at all costs.
We also get glimpses of other characters' journeys, and I'm really worried about them, but I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. This is an epic fantasy trilogy that should be on everyone's bookshelf.
The Harpy Knight is a Southwest Asian-inspired dark fantasy with epic battles, flawed characters, complex politics, lady knights, djinn magic, man-eating pegasuses, painful slow burn (so good), political marriage and polyamorous queer love.
I suggest reading the TW before going in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sara Omer promised to ramp everything up 500%, and she delivered. Without spoiling anything, we get more worldbuilding, and the wedding was everything I expected and more. There were times when I just wanted to hug and protect these characters, and a few chapters later I wanted to slap some sense into them. Except Qaira. Who must be protected at all costs.
We also get glimpses of other characters' journeys, and I'm really worried about them, but I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. This is an epic fantasy trilogy that should be on everyone's bookshelf.
The Harpy Knight is a Southwest Asian-inspired dark fantasy with epic battles, flawed characters, complex politics, lady knights, djinn magic, man-eating pegasuses, painful slow burn (so good), political marriage and polyamorous queer love.
I suggest reading the TW before going in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
It’s no secret I’ve been obsessed with Sara Omer since I read The Gryphon King. The obsession has not let up upon reading an early copy of the Harpy Knight (thank you very much to the author for the copy). It has only intensified. Demi rep? Bisexual rep? Milf rep? On the eve of battle? In the face of a magical pestilence? Yeah, I eat that up.
This middle book loses no momentum, throwing blood and monsters at us almost immediately. We keep the unflappable POV of Bataar to balance the princess knight Nohra’s more stubborn one, even as the two are drawn closer and closer. Politics, attraction, and inevitable revenge fight to lay the true claim on their plot-quickening relationship.
Qaira and Darya give us intense, beautiful asides, building towards book three, and tempering the absolute suffering that Omer has wrought on all of our favorites.
This book gallops into the depths of despair, leaving us readers clinging to its back, hoping we will not be ripped off and lost in an endlessly rich and brutal fantasy realm. Rest assured I will be back on a Pegasus for the final book in the Chaos Constellation just as soon as its ready.
This middle book loses no momentum, throwing blood and monsters at us almost immediately. We keep the unflappable POV of Bataar to balance the princess knight Nohra’s more stubborn one, even as the two are drawn closer and closer. Politics, attraction, and inevitable revenge fight to lay the true claim on their plot-quickening relationship.
Qaira and Darya give us intense, beautiful asides, building towards book three, and tempering the absolute suffering that Omer has wrought on all of our favorites.
This book gallops into the depths of despair, leaving us readers clinging to its back, hoping we will not be ripped off and lost in an endlessly rich and brutal fantasy realm. Rest assured I will be back on a Pegasus for the final book in the Chaos Constellation just as soon as its ready.
August 16, 2026
I read The Gryphon King by Sara Omer back in January and really enjoyed it. The Harpy Knight became one of my anticipated 2026 releases. I just read it and loved it just as much as the first book. I love all of the female characters so much but my favourite has to be Safiya. Not only is her name one of my most favourite names, I love her fiercely protective older sister vibes! Also she is an awesome lady knight! One of the things I love most about this series is the close family relationships between most of the siblings (we will not talk about Nasser). I loved the relationship between Nohra and Qaira and hope it will be explored further in the final book. Love Qaira’s passion for healing everyone and Nohra’s headstrong impulsiveness.
Mild spoilers for book 1:
The Harpy Knight starts with Nohra’s marriage to Baataar—also known as the gryphon king, who has killed her father and conquered her kingdom. Of course she has an ulterior motive to the union. Baatar is using her as his harpy knight to fight her half brother and his forces. Her new husband also expects her to control her friend, Darya, who has startling new powers.
But Baatar himself is hiding a darker secret even he doesn’t know how to manage.
Mild spoilers for book 1:
The Harpy Knight starts with Nohra’s marriage to Baataar—also known as the gryphon king, who has killed her father and conquered her kingdom. Of course she has an ulterior motive to the union. Baatar is using her as his harpy knight to fight her half brother and his forces. Her new husband also expects her to control her friend, Darya, who has startling new powers.
But Baatar himself is hiding a darker secret even he doesn’t know how to manage.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such an amazing sequel, I don't even know how to describe it! I loved the first book so much, and it really only gets better. The stakes are higher, the tension just increases with every page, and we learn so much more not only about the main characters but the whole world in general.
The Harpy Knight is gripping, dark and exactly the Asian inspired fantasy I was craving lately. I loved spending more time with Bataar and Nohra, and honestly wish the book were even longer than it was! I also appreciated that while there was romance, it was truly a almost grimdark fantasy driven by the characters and the plot.
It is really hard not to give any spoilers for either one of the books here, so I'm just going to recommend Sara Omer's novels here to everyone who is intrigued by fast, gritty fantasy with blood-sucking unicorns (can you believe that?!), incredible twists, and Turkic and Kurdish influences.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Harpy Knight is gripping, dark and exactly the Asian inspired fantasy I was craving lately. I loved spending more time with Bataar and Nohra, and honestly wish the book were even longer than it was! I also appreciated that while there was romance, it was truly a almost grimdark fantasy driven by the characters and the plot.
It is really hard not to give any spoilers for either one of the books here, so I'm just going to recommend Sara Omer's novels here to everyone who is intrigued by fast, gritty fantasy with blood-sucking unicorns (can you believe that?!), incredible twists, and Turkic and Kurdish influences.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC from the author and I am very, very thankful for that.
"The Harpy Knight" was a fantastic follow-up to "The Gryphon King". There is a time skip following the events of the first book, but the emotional weight is just as heavy as the first book. Nohra and Bataar continue to play the role of tragic heroes, and even though I have a sinking suspicion this story is going to end in tragedy, I'm strapped in and ready to have my heart broken. I love how flawed and human these characters are. The author did such a fantastic job at tugging on all of my emotions and making me feel such a wide range of feelings in this book, even as the world got larger and more fantastical. Highly enjoyed this, and can't wait for the third novel.
"The Harpy Knight" was a fantastic follow-up to "The Gryphon King". There is a time skip following the events of the first book, but the emotional weight is just as heavy as the first book. Nohra and Bataar continue to play the role of tragic heroes, and even though I have a sinking suspicion this story is going to end in tragedy, I'm strapped in and ready to have my heart broken. I love how flawed and human these characters are. The author did such a fantastic job at tugging on all of my emotions and making me feel such a wide range of feelings in this book, even as the world got larger and more fantastical. Highly enjoyed this, and can't wait for the third novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THE HARPY KNIGHT —— ★ ★ ★
Returning to the land of Dumakra and the story of Nohra, Bataar, and Qaira, Sara Omer takes us on a sequel with conquest, Northern tribes, demonic gods, and plenty of blood, guts, and battle to entice the average grimdark epic fantasy fan.
Now, I really enjoyed the first novel. I felt that it was exceptionally paced, with wonderful worldbuilding and compelling characters. I was very eager to pick up the sequel and return to this magnificently crafted world. However, I felt like I did not connect fully with this book.
It hit every plot point well—almost formulaically well—which may have also contributed to my overall feelings of detachment.
The writing was well rendered. Everything was perfect. Just my thoughts!
Returning to the land of Dumakra and the story of Nohra, Bataar, and Qaira, Sara Omer takes us on a sequel with conquest, Northern tribes, demonic gods, and plenty of blood, guts, and battle to entice the average grimdark epic fantasy fan.
Now, I really enjoyed the first novel. I felt that it was exceptionally paced, with wonderful worldbuilding and compelling characters. I was very eager to pick up the sequel and return to this magnificently crafted world. However, I felt like I did not connect fully with this book.
It hit every plot point well—almost formulaically well—which may have also contributed to my overall feelings of detachment.
The writing was well rendered. Everything was perfect. Just my thoughts!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.0 Stars
I really enjoyed the first book in this fantasy series, The Gryphon King and so I was happy to continue on. I'm pleased to say that the sequel was very much on par with the first book. The story is straightforward and fairly simple, and yet the worldbuilding still feels robust enough to feel satisfying.
I look forward to continuing on with this series and would recommend it to other readers. While it's not an all time favourite, it's been an enjoyable fantasy series to explore that I don't often see talked about online.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I really enjoyed the first book in this fantasy series, The Gryphon King and so I was happy to continue on. I'm pleased to say that the sequel was very much on par with the first book. The story is straightforward and fairly simple, and yet the worldbuilding still feels robust enough to feel satisfying.
I look forward to continuing on with this series and would recommend it to other readers. While it's not an all time favourite, it's been an enjoyable fantasy series to explore that I don't often see talked about online.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 15, 2026
This Southwest Asian inspired adult dark epic fantasy series has become one of my favourites of all time. I've grown even more fond of the characters, the setting and dark scenery, the beautiful creatures (especially the pegasi) and Sara Omer's beautiful writing. This sequel was even darker and bloodier than the first book and I enjoyed it even more! The Chaos Constellation series deserves much more recognition and no one can change my mind. Unfortunately the ending left me with more questions than answers so I NEED more books thanks!!
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance copy!
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this even more than the first book! Sara Omer is incredible at illustrating the horrors of war, blending them with fantasy elements SO EFFECTIVELY (especially magical virulent pestilence) and I love
I also especially loved the chapters with Bataar’s POV in this book because his descent into possessed madness alternates between visceral intensity and innocent confusion
Rounded up from 4.5/5
Huge thank you to Titan and NetGalley for my ARC!
I also especially loved the chapters with Bataar’s POV in this book because his descent into possessed madness alternates between visceral intensity and innocent confusion
Rounded up from 4.5/5
Huge thank you to Titan and NetGalley for my ARC!
July 30, 2026
This is a slow starter but a strong finish and by no means done, definitely a third book needed. I love this book, I made no secret of pointing out how amazing the authors writing style was after reading the Gryphon King and this is no exception. If you love dark fantasy with violence, wars and death, then you will love this. This is in the same calibre as Samantha Shannon and Tasha Suri stories and deserves all the attention.
Thanks NetGalley and the author for the ARC for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley and the author for the ARC for my honest review.
August 4, 2026
The Harpy Knight continues to follow Bataar, Nohra, and Qaira (and friends) as they navigate war and the disease that seems to be following them. This book is brutal. I love the monsters (in all their bloody, gruesome glory) and how fierce and badass the women are. If you enjoyed The Gryphon King, you'll also love the sequel - I enjoyed it even more than book 1! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!
August 7, 2026
The story had a ton of action and adventure (including some misadventure) although I feel like there was a lot happening on the characters journey and not enough explanation or depth to the plot which in some ways got lost in translation.
This story made for a quick and easy read.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Titan Books for an arc.
This story made for a quick and easy read.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Titan Books for an arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got to read the earlier versions of this book and it's an intense follow up to The Gryphon King. There's more chaos, creatures, and killing in this sequel. Omer dives deeper into the characters of book 1 and adds in new twists that break the heart and will make readers gasp.
Review of advance copy received from Author
rtc
August 6, 2026
Don't walk, run to read this series.
I want to read it again for the first time.
I want to read it again for the first time.
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