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God Tokens | Book 1: Phelen the Cycle
A lost prince, a rising tyranny, and the return of ancient magic will test three heroes bound by fate.
With the king of Talacharn succumbing to sickness, the Three Patriarchs have seized both religious and profane power. They will stop at nothing to cement their rule—even if it means killing innocents.
Danial wants nothing to do with destiny. But when the young merchant Reydon arrives in the mountain hamlet of Elm, claiming Danial is the lost twin of Talacharn’s crown prince, everything changes. As Danial’s God Token erupts with an impossible power, refusing the call becomes far more dangerous than answering it.
Alongside Reydon, who is fleeing the massacre of his family, and Erin the Herbwise, whose own God Token has begun to stir, Danial is pulled into a world of rival Patriarchs, mass disappearances, and forbidden lore.
Every step towards the truth draws Danial and Reydon closer together… and deeper into a struggle that will demand impossible choices.
The Patriarchs blame the mysterious disappearances—now pushing the kingdom to the brink of collapse—on ‘heathen influence’. The Old Gods whisper cryptic warnings. And deep beneath it all, the truths engraved on Danial’s and Erin’s Tokens begin to awaken.
But in the shadows of power, a far more dangerous force is watching… And the strange magic growing inside Danial may be the key to toppling the kingdom’s most ruthless enemy.
This book is for fans of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Saga and Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, with echoes of Hailey Turner’s Infernal War Trilogy and the works of Alexandra Rowland.
With the king of Talacharn succumbing to sickness, the Three Patriarchs have seized both religious and profane power. They will stop at nothing to cement their rule—even if it means killing innocents.
Danial wants nothing to do with destiny. But when the young merchant Reydon arrives in the mountain hamlet of Elm, claiming Danial is the lost twin of Talacharn’s crown prince, everything changes. As Danial’s God Token erupts with an impossible power, refusing the call becomes far more dangerous than answering it.
Alongside Reydon, who is fleeing the massacre of his family, and Erin the Herbwise, whose own God Token has begun to stir, Danial is pulled into a world of rival Patriarchs, mass disappearances, and forbidden lore.
Every step towards the truth draws Danial and Reydon closer together… and deeper into a struggle that will demand impossible choices.
The Patriarchs blame the mysterious disappearances—now pushing the kingdom to the brink of collapse—on ‘heathen influence’. The Old Gods whisper cryptic warnings. And deep beneath it all, the truths engraved on Danial’s and Erin’s Tokens begin to awaken.
But in the shadows of power, a far more dangerous force is watching… And the strange magic growing inside Danial may be the key to toppling the kingdom’s most ruthless enemy.
This book is for fans of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Saga and Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, with echoes of Hailey Turner’s Infernal War Trilogy and the works of Alexandra Rowland.
- GenresFantasy
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2026
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Emily Bellman
4 books6 followersEmily Bellman is a historical fiction and fantasy writer. Her debut novel is The 11th Code, Parts 1 & 2. Although she ended up working in marketing, she has always found herself intrigued by stories that explore unconventional love, address criticism regarding those who use religion to oppress and harm people, and portray women who really don’t need saving (by men).
Emily currently lives in Germany (you can probably find her exploring various castle ruins, churches, and museums across Europe).
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Emily currently lives in Germany (you can probably find her exploring various castle ruins, churches, and museums across Europe).
--------
Sign up to my newsletter for free reads and the latest updates: https://subscribepage.io/nOqp3o
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was defiantly surprised how much I liked this book. They book started in the world of saving a world that is ruled by the religion of The One God and the old religion is evil and needs to be stamped out. Each individual who believes in the old religion has these God Tokens. Each token is special to one particular God or Goddess and have 3 attributes that relate to that person and they need to find out what they mean.
Danial and Erin lives in the mountain region and practice the old religion and are promised to each other. One day a stranger, Reydon, arrives claiming that Danial is the long lost twin of the crown prince and the rulers of their kingdom. Danial knows he was adopted and has always wanted to find his birth parents to ask why they gave him up. On the flip side the ruling family and country is deeply controlled by the religion of The One God. This concerns many people also many people have mysteriously disappeared due to a mysterious person.
Along the way Danial and Reydon start to feel attracted to each other even though they fight it.
I liked this book has very little spice and if there is its closed door and focuses more on the plot of the story. The book does end of a cliffhanger and I cannot wait for book 2.
Thank you Emily Bellman for the ARC Copy for my honest review.
Danial and Erin lives in the mountain region and practice the old religion and are promised to each other. One day a stranger, Reydon, arrives claiming that Danial is the long lost twin of the crown prince and the rulers of their kingdom. Danial knows he was adopted and has always wanted to find his birth parents to ask why they gave him up. On the flip side the ruling family and country is deeply controlled by the religion of The One God. This concerns many people also many people have mysteriously disappeared due to a mysterious person.
Along the way Danial and Reydon start to feel attracted to each other even though they fight it.
I liked this book has very little spice and if there is its closed door and focuses more on the plot of the story. The book does end of a cliffhanger and I cannot wait for book 2.
Thank you Emily Bellman for the ARC Copy for my honest review.
January 17, 2026
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will start by saying I really enjoyed the author’s narrative style. The story flows smoothly throughout, making it easier to digest the vast amount of world-building this book contains. Although I did find the fast pace in the end left me wanting the characters to have more time to unpack everything happening to them and what was going on in the world. That being said, I loved the characters, and I loved the world-building. Loved the manifestation of the gods and all the twists and turns discovered along the way. I feel like there were so many details laid out to breathe life into this world, and yet, so much left to discover going into book two, that it has me wanting to pick it up immediately to find out what happens. I’m just sad it isn’t out yet to do just that!
I recommend this book if you’re a fan of fantasy with a dash of romance and plenty of self-discovery.
I will start by saying I really enjoyed the author’s narrative style. The story flows smoothly throughout, making it easier to digest the vast amount of world-building this book contains. Although I did find the fast pace in the end left me wanting the characters to have more time to unpack everything happening to them and what was going on in the world. That being said, I loved the characters, and I loved the world-building. Loved the manifestation of the gods and all the twists and turns discovered along the way. I feel like there were so many details laid out to breathe life into this world, and yet, so much left to discover going into book two, that it has me wanting to pick it up immediately to find out what happens. I’m just sad it isn’t out yet to do just that!
I recommend this book if you’re a fan of fantasy with a dash of romance and plenty of self-discovery.
January 21, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
God Tokens is the first book in the epic YA fantasy series, Phelen the Cycle. This is not really a romance, or even a romantasy. It’s focus is more on the adventure as Reydon, Danial, and Erin enter the world and have encounters with guards, assassins, innkeepers, and queens. There are side plots related to the church Patriarchs dealing with the ongoing and incurable illness suffered by the king, the royal succession, their plots against one another, and their deals with a dark power that has led to a plague of mysterious and growing disappearances throughout the kingdom.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
God Tokens is the first book in the epic YA fantasy series, Phelen the Cycle. This is not really a romance, or even a romantasy. It’s focus is more on the adventure as Reydon, Danial, and Erin enter the world and have encounters with guards, assassins, innkeepers, and queens. There are side plots related to the church Patriarchs dealing with the ongoing and incurable illness suffered by the king, the royal succession, their plots against one another, and their deals with a dark power that has led to a plague of mysterious and growing disappearances throughout the kingdom.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc review
Amazing book, got into the story from the start.
Characters seem real and likeable. You can easily get attached to them.
World building seemed very interesting. I really enjoyed going through all of the lore about gods and history.
Amazing book, got into the story from the start.
Characters seem real and likeable. You can easily get attached to them.
World building seemed very interesting. I really enjoyed going through all of the lore about gods and history.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC-Review! (4,5 of 5 Stars)
I was on the edge of my chair at the halfway mark, wanting the second book already next to me, as a way to soothe myself that I can just go on reading and not wait. But alas. I will have to wait and keep my eyes open.
Given that I partly had to drag myself away from this book to actually do chores and get some food, says how gripping this was for me. My fingers itched to pick it back up and return to see what was coming next.
At the evening of his sister's wedding Danial is faced by a stranger, a merchant named Reydon, who came into the mountain village from the Lowlands. And he insists that Danial has to leave his home, that he is the Twin of the Crown-Prince of the Kingdom of Talacharn. Lost son of the sick King. With Erin the herbwise - healer,spiritual guide and priestess of their gods, as well as his best friend and fiancée - he very reluctantly goes. To find answers and to find a way to protect his village from being eradicated by the Patriachs of the Triseklesia. But it all becomes bigger, there is another, more dangerous force around that is a danger than the most powerful men in the kingdom and their agenda to convert all to their church and faith. People vanish never to be seen again. And Reydon's past is always nipping at their heels.
The quality of the writing is amazing. The sentences flow, the characters have their own clear voice and I could sink into the world. On occasion I got a bit turned around with who god was which one again but nothing that ripped me out of the immersion. I personally am not sure what to think of the middle where a new character is introduced with an extensive backstory. Personally I think I would have liked it if that had stayed more hidden until later in the series, maybe. But that hardly took away from my enjoyment or the great writing. The worldbuilding is neatly woven into the story and I am fascinated by the magic. The theology certainly peaked my interest - both of the Old God's and of the One God. I am incredibly curious to hear more about the Triseklesia, their dogmas and so on. As well as with the Old Gods. I do admit the theology discussion in one of the Chapters is one of my favorite structural moments.
The characters are amazingly fleshed out, flawed and carry themselves so greatly through it all.
Erin has a special spot in my heart for many reasons. A strong girl with a temper, and I can see parts of myself in her, which is why I sometimes wanted to kick her a bit. Danial is one amazing reluctant hero and I loved to read how he was growing more and more into who he is. And how Erin's and his relationship evolves. I am a big fan of this relationship development.
Reydon is my favorite of the trio, he is now my son of disaster and control, and I was hooked on him right away. One chapter certainly threw me around emotionally on that aspect and I love the book for this. A book that brings me to bargaining stage is a good book in my eyes.
When it comes to the adversaries I am hooked on their plotting and the careful maneuvering they make. While also being allowed to get a look at some of their emotions and thoughts. Their own struggles. I like an opponent that I can still empathize with.
The plot is a gripping one of tension and is carried by the characters, their relationships and how they evolve due to challenges they face and pressure they are put under. Not everything goes well and there is a friction that does not easily vanish by just one talk.
It goes into the difference of faith and religion - something I am very much interested in and fascinated by myself. And this is in my eyes where the story shines very strongly.
It also goes about How tolerance isn't as easy as we think it is. That change isn't a one time thing but a long process. How nothing is easy, that white and black aren't that often the way the world actually is, and that there is never just one answer or one way to do something or to exist. And that relationships can be very, very difficult but that it doesn't make them any less meaningful.
"They gave her a measure of courage, but she was not strong enough to investigate their truth, lest she might end up the destroyer of her own hope."
I was on the edge of my chair at the halfway mark, wanting the second book already next to me, as a way to soothe myself that I can just go on reading and not wait. But alas. I will have to wait and keep my eyes open.
Given that I partly had to drag myself away from this book to actually do chores and get some food, says how gripping this was for me. My fingers itched to pick it back up and return to see what was coming next.
At the evening of his sister's wedding Danial is faced by a stranger, a merchant named Reydon, who came into the mountain village from the Lowlands. And he insists that Danial has to leave his home, that he is the Twin of the Crown-Prince of the Kingdom of Talacharn. Lost son of the sick King. With Erin the herbwise - healer,spiritual guide and priestess of their gods, as well as his best friend and fiancée - he very reluctantly goes. To find answers and to find a way to protect his village from being eradicated by the Patriachs of the Triseklesia. But it all becomes bigger, there is another, more dangerous force around that is a danger than the most powerful men in the kingdom and their agenda to convert all to their church and faith. People vanish never to be seen again. And Reydon's past is always nipping at their heels.
The quality of the writing is amazing. The sentences flow, the characters have their own clear voice and I could sink into the world. On occasion I got a bit turned around with who god was which one again but nothing that ripped me out of the immersion. I personally am not sure what to think of the middle where a new character is introduced with an extensive backstory. Personally I think I would have liked it if that had stayed more hidden until later in the series, maybe. But that hardly took away from my enjoyment or the great writing. The worldbuilding is neatly woven into the story and I am fascinated by the magic. The theology certainly peaked my interest - both of the Old God's and of the One God. I am incredibly curious to hear more about the Triseklesia, their dogmas and so on. As well as with the Old Gods. I do admit the theology discussion in one of the Chapters is one of my favorite structural moments.
The characters are amazingly fleshed out, flawed and carry themselves so greatly through it all.
Erin has a special spot in my heart for many reasons. A strong girl with a temper, and I can see parts of myself in her, which is why I sometimes wanted to kick her a bit. Danial is one amazing reluctant hero and I loved to read how he was growing more and more into who he is. And how Erin's and his relationship evolves. I am a big fan of this relationship development.
Reydon is my favorite of the trio, he is now my son of disaster and control, and I was hooked on him right away. One chapter certainly threw me around emotionally on that aspect and I love the book for this. A book that brings me to bargaining stage is a good book in my eyes.
When it comes to the adversaries I am hooked on their plotting and the careful maneuvering they make. While also being allowed to get a look at some of their emotions and thoughts. Their own struggles. I like an opponent that I can still empathize with.
The plot is a gripping one of tension and is carried by the characters, their relationships and how they evolve due to challenges they face and pressure they are put under. Not everything goes well and there is a friction that does not easily vanish by just one talk.
It goes into the difference of faith and religion - something I am very much interested in and fascinated by myself. And this is in my eyes where the story shines very strongly.
It also goes about How tolerance isn't as easy as we think it is. That change isn't a one time thing but a long process. How nothing is easy, that white and black aren't that often the way the world actually is, and that there is never just one answer or one way to do something or to exist. And that relationships can be very, very difficult but that it doesn't make them any less meaningful.
"They gave her a measure of courage, but she was not strong enough to investigate their truth, lest she might end up the destroyer of her own hope."
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars
Thank you Netgalley and Emily Bellman for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
God Tokens Book 1: Phelen the Cycle by Emily Bellman took me straight into a world where the old gods still whisper through the trees, and a quiet young man is pulled from the comfort of his village into a tangle of ancient schemes, secrets, and the kind of politics that no one ever really talks about openly.
There is a crackle in the air right from the opening, a sense of waiting, as if something is always about to happen, but never quite does until the last possible moment. I could almost feel the tension between the characters, that hush before the storm, with their nerves stretched tight. Bellman knows how to let us settle into unease, always giving us enough time to feel the weight of it before letting us breathe again, only to tighten things once more.
This story is pure epic fantasy, not simply because of its gods and quests, but because myth clings to the very bones of the world. Still, it is not all about fate or prophecy. Bellman is interested in how belief itself shapes lives, how the gifts and burdens handed down by the gods twist people into forms they never expected. The familiar tropes are here—hidden bloodlines, long journeys—but she turns them over, pays more attention to the strain of faith and the mess that comes with power.
The characters, at first, seem to follow the paths I thought I knew, but they are changed slowly, as water wears away stone, until I realised they had become something else altogether. It never feels forced. What I found most striking was the way Bellman balances the pull of the gods with the messy, honest bonds between people. The story keeps circling back to the question of how much of our striving for freedom is just a shadow of the gods’ own stories, played out again and again.
I was taken with the treatment of faith here. It is not only a comfort, but a trap as well. The book returns often to the way shared stories hold communities together, yet those same tales can strangle anyone who does not quite fit. There are times when the politics twist themselves into knots, and I lost my way a little, but the relationships always seemed to draw the threads back together.
The pace begins gently, with time enough to sink into the world, and that patience is rewarded. When all the different parts finally come together, it feels wholly earned. There was a patch, somewhere in the middle, where the plot grew a bit tangled and I lost track, but soon enough Bellman brought the pieces back into place.
By the end, I found myself thinking about how loyalty and fate rarely move in step with each other, and how our choices grind against the weight of all that was decided before we were born. The story feels like a living myth, yet there is a warmth to it, a sense that these lives are real and not just figures in an old tale.
For those who enjoy sprawling casts, divine plots, and a world that feels built from the ground up, as in The Will of the Many, there is so much here to enjoy. If you are after a single hero travelling a lonely road, though, you will not find that here.
MY WEBSITE.
Read all my reviews.
Thank you Netgalley and Emily Bellman for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
God Tokens Book 1: Phelen the Cycle by Emily Bellman took me straight into a world where the old gods still whisper through the trees, and a quiet young man is pulled from the comfort of his village into a tangle of ancient schemes, secrets, and the kind of politics that no one ever really talks about openly.
There is a crackle in the air right from the opening, a sense of waiting, as if something is always about to happen, but never quite does until the last possible moment. I could almost feel the tension between the characters, that hush before the storm, with their nerves stretched tight. Bellman knows how to let us settle into unease, always giving us enough time to feel the weight of it before letting us breathe again, only to tighten things once more.
This story is pure epic fantasy, not simply because of its gods and quests, but because myth clings to the very bones of the world. Still, it is not all about fate or prophecy. Bellman is interested in how belief itself shapes lives, how the gifts and burdens handed down by the gods twist people into forms they never expected. The familiar tropes are here—hidden bloodlines, long journeys—but she turns them over, pays more attention to the strain of faith and the mess that comes with power.
The characters, at first, seem to follow the paths I thought I knew, but they are changed slowly, as water wears away stone, until I realised they had become something else altogether. It never feels forced. What I found most striking was the way Bellman balances the pull of the gods with the messy, honest bonds between people. The story keeps circling back to the question of how much of our striving for freedom is just a shadow of the gods’ own stories, played out again and again.
I was taken with the treatment of faith here. It is not only a comfort, but a trap as well. The book returns often to the way shared stories hold communities together, yet those same tales can strangle anyone who does not quite fit. There are times when the politics twist themselves into knots, and I lost my way a little, but the relationships always seemed to draw the threads back together.
The pace begins gently, with time enough to sink into the world, and that patience is rewarded. When all the different parts finally come together, it feels wholly earned. There was a patch, somewhere in the middle, where the plot grew a bit tangled and I lost track, but soon enough Bellman brought the pieces back into place.
By the end, I found myself thinking about how loyalty and fate rarely move in step with each other, and how our choices grind against the weight of all that was decided before we were born. The story feels like a living myth, yet there is a warmth to it, a sense that these lives are real and not just figures in an old tale.
For those who enjoy sprawling casts, divine plots, and a world that feels built from the ground up, as in The Will of the Many, there is so much here to enjoy. If you are after a single hero travelling a lonely road, though, you will not find that here.
MY WEBSITE.
Read all my reviews.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A well-crafted overarching plot and an intricate power game involving gods and religion in the middle of it!
The Kingdom of Talacharn is becoming closer and closer to a theocracy: since the One God's chosen 3 men (the first Patriarchs) stopped the Plague, its newly founded organized religion (the Eklesia - the Byzantine/Orthodox influence is obvious here) cemented itself in the land and started pushing the Old Gods to the sidelines, using proselytization and violence alike.
Now, hundreds of years later, the King is sick and the Patriarchs are about to complete their power grab - while desperate to keep their darkest secret hidden.
The first book of God Tokens focuses on the journey of the prince's lost brother, Danial, who grew up in a remote mountain village worshiping the Old Gods, his fiancee Erin the Herbwise, the future healer and spiritual leader of the village, who will discover that women face a different reality under the One God's Eklesia and Reydon, the last remnant of a merchant family murdered by the Patriarchs to conceal their secret. The point of view also alternates to the kingdom's capital.
The worldbuilding is immaculate, artfully binding the natural and the supernatural together. The messages on some philosophical and political topics is also spot on. It took me a while to get interested in our main trio, they are a bit rough at the beginning where Danial and Erin see the world through the "secluded village" lense.
The finale preapres the reader for what's next to come in the trilogy, with unlikely alliances forming and new pathways opening.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
The Kingdom of Talacharn is becoming closer and closer to a theocracy: since the One God's chosen 3 men (the first Patriarchs) stopped the Plague, its newly founded organized religion (the Eklesia - the Byzantine/Orthodox influence is obvious here) cemented itself in the land and started pushing the Old Gods to the sidelines, using proselytization and violence alike.
Now, hundreds of years later, the King is sick and the Patriarchs are about to complete their power grab - while desperate to keep their darkest secret hidden.
The first book of God Tokens focuses on the journey of the prince's lost brother, Danial, who grew up in a remote mountain village worshiping the Old Gods, his fiancee Erin the Herbwise, the future healer and spiritual leader of the village, who will discover that women face a different reality under the One God's Eklesia and Reydon, the last remnant of a merchant family murdered by the Patriarchs to conceal their secret. The point of view also alternates to the kingdom's capital.
The worldbuilding is immaculate, artfully binding the natural and the supernatural together. The messages on some philosophical and political topics is also spot on. It took me a while to get interested in our main trio, they are a bit rough at the beginning where Danial and Erin see the world through the "secluded village" lense.
The finale preapres the reader for what's next to come in the trilogy, with unlikely alliances forming and new pathways opening.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It's clear the author put a lot of thought into their world and how it works, but they tried to stuff -- I think -- too much into too few pages. (I mean, this is only 432 page book!) The characters never really grow beyond the tropes assigned to them, and the pace has them all but running from place to place to place with no time to sit and reflect on what's going on around them.
One of my biggest issues is that so many key scenes, such as Reydon learning a secret about his family, isn't told from his POV, but Danial's, instead. Erin having her hair cut off isn't told from her POV, and while it's clear that the loss of her hair is affecting her, the scene is from Danial's POV, and he doesn't really care.
The author really ought to do a little research into how horses work if they're going to use them in books; why would a man keep a horse in its bridle for days -- or weeks? A single horse pulling a tinker's wagon isn't likely to be cantering through narrow city streets. Small things, yes, but they speak to a lack of horse knowledge that has me going "Neigh!"
The plot and the world building were strong enough that I might grab book 2 when it comes out, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this book just yet as it's mostly setup.
One of my biggest issues is that so many key scenes, such as Reydon learning a secret about his family, isn't told from his POV, but Danial's, instead. Erin having her hair cut off isn't told from her POV, and while it's clear that the loss of her hair is affecting her, the scene is from Danial's POV, and he doesn't really care.
The author really ought to do a little research into how horses work if they're going to use them in books; why would a man keep a horse in its bridle for days -- or weeks? A single horse pulling a tinker's wagon isn't likely to be cantering through narrow city streets. Small things, yes, but they speak to a lack of horse knowledge that has me going "Neigh!"
The plot and the world building were strong enough that I might grab book 2 when it comes out, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this book just yet as it's mostly setup.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews