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The Tower of the Tyrant
A LAND DIVIDED. A HISTORY INKED IN BLOOD. ONE SORCERESS'S QUEST FOR ANSWERS.
The world beyond the City of the Wise is fraught with danger. But Fola, a talented sorceress who has left the safety of its walls, is unconcerned. She's on the hunt for magical remnants left behind by the First Folk - ancient beings who are but the whisper of a memory. Only by finding them might she uncover the secret to their power and a way to pull the riven lands out of the darkness.
Danger lies ahead for Fola, however she feels about it. And when events conspire to drag her into a cursed kingdom to investigate the death of its king, she's soon faced by threats from both the living and the dead.
Fola will need to rely on her wits, her magic and her unlikely friends if she's going to survive. But there is always hope, no matter how dark things get. And three things remain true, above all else.
Fellowship is stronger than isolation.
The past will come back to haunt you.
Nothing stays secret forever.
The world beyond the City of the Wise is fraught with danger. But Fola, a talented sorceress who has left the safety of its walls, is unconcerned. She's on the hunt for magical remnants left behind by the First Folk - ancient beings who are but the whisper of a memory. Only by finding them might she uncover the secret to their power and a way to pull the riven lands out of the darkness.
Danger lies ahead for Fola, however she feels about it. And when events conspire to drag her into a cursed kingdom to investigate the death of its king, she's soon faced by threats from both the living and the dead.
Fola will need to rely on her wits, her magic and her unlikely friends if she's going to survive. But there is always hope, no matter how dark things get. And three things remain true, above all else.
Fellowship is stronger than isolation.
The past will come back to haunt you.
Nothing stays secret forever.
588 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2025
51 people are currently reading
3067 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Greathouse
7 books202 followersJ.T. Greathouse is the BFA-nominated author of the Pact & Pattern trilogy. His short fiction has appeared, often as Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis, in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Writers of the Future 34, Deep Magic, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, he has worked as an ESL teacher in Taipei, as a bookseller, and as a high school teacher. He currently lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife Hannah, two cats, and several overflowing bookshelves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 13, 2025
Fantasy books that make you think and ponder and philosophise will always be something I’m drawn to.
Fola is a sorceress from the City of the Wise where no suffering or true death exists. She is travelling to further her research in the disappeared First Folk.
This leads her to investigate the death of a king in a cursed kingdom. To save the kingdom and Prince from a haunting and a looming invasion, Fola navigates political intrigue among the living and confront threats from both the living and the dead.
Without real suffering, could anyone know real comfort? Could mortalkind develop a real capacity to care for one another?
This isn’t centered on just Fola though, we also get her wonder and capacity for hope and compassion contrasted with Llewyn, a gwyddien, One Born of Trees, who carries the shadows with him, a power given in return for obedience to the Grey Lady.
When he rescues a young girl, he soon becomes a father figure to her and must reckon with danger, fear, and what makes a family.
I haven’t even mentioned the Mortal Church that is trying to rid the world of magic. Or the four-armed guard who escorts Fola, or Fola’s bird called Frog who carries her soul.
All demand justice, but when pressed, few can define it. Blood for blood, a life for a life? Pain returned in kind? But can we collect every drop of spilled blood in measuring cups, to ensure repayment in full, and no more? Have we some definite measure for pain, that we may return to the criminal only as much as he meted out? To say nothing of assigning guilt.
The intriguing cast of characters means that we can see varying outlooks on the world.
What happens when you have someone who has been sacrificed over and over for others collide with someone who comes from a place where obligation, power, money doesn’t exist?
The magic system is also interesting where belief fuels your power. Whilst the ramifications of this were only touched on, I am sure we will get more in future instalments.
There were so many quotes of wisdom, or ideas that will linger. That’s what I always enjoy about more challenging fantasy.
For the comfortable to be kind was simple. Far more challenging–far better–to find comfort among the wretched.
According to the author’s note, this series will consist of:
Standalone novels connected by setting and common themes, only loosely bound together by plot, and only occasionally (even accidentally) by character.
Whilst I did have a few questions left and felt cheated by a time jump to the epilogue, I did find it fairly satisfying.
Arc gifted by Orion.
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Fola is a sorceress from the City of the Wise where no suffering or true death exists. She is travelling to further her research in the disappeared First Folk.
This leads her to investigate the death of a king in a cursed kingdom. To save the kingdom and Prince from a haunting and a looming invasion, Fola navigates political intrigue among the living and confront threats from both the living and the dead.
Without real suffering, could anyone know real comfort? Could mortalkind develop a real capacity to care for one another?
This isn’t centered on just Fola though, we also get her wonder and capacity for hope and compassion contrasted with Llewyn, a gwyddien, One Born of Trees, who carries the shadows with him, a power given in return for obedience to the Grey Lady.
When he rescues a young girl, he soon becomes a father figure to her and must reckon with danger, fear, and what makes a family.
I haven’t even mentioned the Mortal Church that is trying to rid the world of magic. Or the four-armed guard who escorts Fola, or Fola’s bird called Frog who carries her soul.
All demand justice, but when pressed, few can define it. Blood for blood, a life for a life? Pain returned in kind? But can we collect every drop of spilled blood in measuring cups, to ensure repayment in full, and no more? Have we some definite measure for pain, that we may return to the criminal only as much as he meted out? To say nothing of assigning guilt.
The intriguing cast of characters means that we can see varying outlooks on the world.
What happens when you have someone who has been sacrificed over and over for others collide with someone who comes from a place where obligation, power, money doesn’t exist?
The magic system is also interesting where belief fuels your power. Whilst the ramifications of this were only touched on, I am sure we will get more in future instalments.
There were so many quotes of wisdom, or ideas that will linger. That’s what I always enjoy about more challenging fantasy.
For the comfortable to be kind was simple. Far more challenging–far better–to find comfort among the wretched.
According to the author’s note, this series will consist of:
Standalone novels connected by setting and common themes, only loosely bound together by plot, and only occasionally (even accidentally) by character.
Whilst I did have a few questions left and felt cheated by a time jump to the epilogue, I did find it fairly satisfying.
Arc gifted by Orion.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
September 28, 2025
“A haunting grows from a tangle of twisted roots. The deepest reach into layers of a forgotten past, long overwritten by more useful stories, believed myth by all but those whose histories drip with pain and rage as they pass from elder's mouth to child's ear.
The shallowest reach into fresher soil, drawing from injustices still in living, mortal memory. Two pains - old and new - that feed one into the other until the tree sprouts and horror reigns.”
When the King of Parwys falls to his death from his castle tower, fear of a haunting grips the lands. Fola is a sorceress scholar, her home is the fabled City of the Wise, a place where starvation, disease and even death no longer exist. Yet Fola has left the City to travel the Wider World in search of much needed knowledge of the First Folk, beings whose magic could bring the City’s utopia to all the lands. Her search leads her to Parwys where ghosts and wraiths have wreaked havoc, a soon-to-be crowned prince is at his wits end and the Mortal Church offers salvation but at the cost of eradicating magic and seizing control. What Fola actually finds at Parwys is a young girl with extraordinary powers that may hold the key to everything or the destruction of all.
The Tower of the Tyrant by JT Greathouse is a dark fantasy standalone which masterfully fuses together sword and sorcery with philosophy and myth to create quite a special tale.
I have seen The Tower of the Tyrant compared to The Witcher, The Tainted Cup and Wheel of Time and though it may take base elements from each of these, Greathouse brilliantly crafts a unique mystery in its own right. This is a standalone that is rich and complex with an abundance of history, myth and religion at play. Is this an easy read? No, the opening is quite challenging as we are thrown into the middle of this world and I feel it takes time to get to grips with the magic systems, its many uses and the various magical beings included. We also slowly discover a war emerging between different factions, most notably between the Mortal Church and those who are non-human or can wield magic, but also between Parwys and its neighbouring lands who are on the brink of civil war. Once you get past the hundred page mark the story comes together, the sheer depth impressed me and I was entirely gripped. I did notice an influence of Welsh mythology and a nod to names of places in Wales throughout, which I found fascinating but I will say as I am not Welsh, I cannot tell how well or accurately they were portrayed. In short; this is a novel that takes many epic fantasy staples such as a war between magic and mortal but within its exploration delivers a story full of hidden depths, mythology and wonderfully complex characters.
“Benevolence is often a glamour cast over cruelty. What better justification for a singular evil than the greater good? What comfort is it to the wretched that their suffering serves some higher purpose?”
During the first few chapters, the most prominent character we meet is Fola, our sorceress, on a mission to study the souls of the undead. Fola is a pacifist and through her journey of the Wider World she has shown us that commerce and commodity, violence and hardship is not experienced within her City and so much of what she sees horrifies her. Though she can wield magic through her staff, paperspells and pen, she doesn’t use that advantage to kill others… well she tries her hardest not to until she really needs to. Her character is mostly driven by her scholarly pursuits to uncover the secrets of the First Folk and with that knowledge being able to make the world beyond the City’s walls a better place. That’s not to say Fola is completely selfless either as her pride also drives her to proving her discoveries right so she may see those who have scorned her along the way proved wrong. Fola and her four armed mercenary, Colm, have an interesting relationship throughout which I enjoyed seeing develop, but it is when her morality and beliefs were called into question and tested that I found Fola even more captivating because I thoroughly appreciated understanding her views. Of course I loved learning more about her abilities too and her rather useful familiar, Frog! (He’s not a frog though!)
There are many other characters and POVs in this novel, yet my favourites by far were Llewyn and Siwan whose father/daughter relationship was portrayed with so much heart and raw emotion. Greathouse cleverly gives us their backstory in a chapter that takes readers back to 1181 when Siwan was a child let down by the one person who should have protected her, and Llewyn becomes the father that she deserved, one who would protect her at all costs. The pair do have a strenuous relationship because of Llewyn’s protectiveness but knowing that his intentions were founded from his own childhood trauma and his need to give Siwan a safer life than he ever had, made their relationship all the more special and heartfelt. However, there were other reasons why these characters captured me and here I’ll give an honourable mention to Afanan, another fantastic sorceress who wielded magic through gem stones and had formed a family of magical beings into a traveling troupe which Llewyn and Siwan belonged to. The troupe put on historical plays which actually became a very significant element to the story and their preparation for performances and their easy banter with one another was such a nice light relief from the much darker story. This of course reveals that both Siwan and Llewyn are not human, which is undoubtedly another reason why I was drawn to them.
“History defines us. Memories, unearthed and patched together.
A story we tell about ourselves, about others, about the world. A forgotten moment, a fact denied, can twist that story away from truth - away from who we are, and who we could be, in the light of honesty.
But a moment remembered, a truth unearthed - even one hard and sharp with pain - can create wondrous possibilities. To make
amends.To be better.”
The overriding theme throughout Tower of the Tyrant was that every being deserves to live, no matter how “monstrous” they may appear. Greathouse explores this in some fantastic ways and as I often do with philosophical themes I loved being able to see different sides of the argument. The Mortal Church with their doctrine and their beliefs of superiority were master manipulators, skilled at bringing cities under their rule by eradicating magic and causing the genocide of magical beings. Though I disliked Torin’s character, he showed well the mindset each of their order have endorsed to believe they are the greater good, that they are saving mortal lives from being enthralled or destroyed by evil or supernatural forces. Which is believable when living in a world of fae, fiends, ghosts and wraiths, as you can kind of see the threat there. Nevertheless those on the side of every being deserves to live believed it was in lack of understanding, knowledge and ignorance that was the real threat. Another good point. Then Greathouse explored the theme of history being rewritten in such a remarkable way, illustrating the generational effect that had on the kingdom which ultimately led to a very explosive ending.
The Tower of the Tyrant is for those looking for an epic fantasy with some added depth, emotion and thought-provoking themes. It is an absolutely riveting read from a storyteller who knows his craft.
ARC provided by Harry at Gollancz in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and our subject to change upon publication.
The Tower of the Tyrant is not released until 6th November 2025
The shallowest reach into fresher soil, drawing from injustices still in living, mortal memory. Two pains - old and new - that feed one into the other until the tree sprouts and horror reigns.”
When the King of Parwys falls to his death from his castle tower, fear of a haunting grips the lands. Fola is a sorceress scholar, her home is the fabled City of the Wise, a place where starvation, disease and even death no longer exist. Yet Fola has left the City to travel the Wider World in search of much needed knowledge of the First Folk, beings whose magic could bring the City’s utopia to all the lands. Her search leads her to Parwys where ghosts and wraiths have wreaked havoc, a soon-to-be crowned prince is at his wits end and the Mortal Church offers salvation but at the cost of eradicating magic and seizing control. What Fola actually finds at Parwys is a young girl with extraordinary powers that may hold the key to everything or the destruction of all.
The Tower of the Tyrant by JT Greathouse is a dark fantasy standalone which masterfully fuses together sword and sorcery with philosophy and myth to create quite a special tale.
I have seen The Tower of the Tyrant compared to The Witcher, The Tainted Cup and Wheel of Time and though it may take base elements from each of these, Greathouse brilliantly crafts a unique mystery in its own right. This is a standalone that is rich and complex with an abundance of history, myth and religion at play. Is this an easy read? No, the opening is quite challenging as we are thrown into the middle of this world and I feel it takes time to get to grips with the magic systems, its many uses and the various magical beings included. We also slowly discover a war emerging between different factions, most notably between the Mortal Church and those who are non-human or can wield magic, but also between Parwys and its neighbouring lands who are on the brink of civil war. Once you get past the hundred page mark the story comes together, the sheer depth impressed me and I was entirely gripped. I did notice an influence of Welsh mythology and a nod to names of places in Wales throughout, which I found fascinating but I will say as I am not Welsh, I cannot tell how well or accurately they were portrayed. In short; this is a novel that takes many epic fantasy staples such as a war between magic and mortal but within its exploration delivers a story full of hidden depths, mythology and wonderfully complex characters.
“Benevolence is often a glamour cast over cruelty. What better justification for a singular evil than the greater good? What comfort is it to the wretched that their suffering serves some higher purpose?”
During the first few chapters, the most prominent character we meet is Fola, our sorceress, on a mission to study the souls of the undead. Fola is a pacifist and through her journey of the Wider World she has shown us that commerce and commodity, violence and hardship is not experienced within her City and so much of what she sees horrifies her. Though she can wield magic through her staff, paperspells and pen, she doesn’t use that advantage to kill others… well she tries her hardest not to until she really needs to. Her character is mostly driven by her scholarly pursuits to uncover the secrets of the First Folk and with that knowledge being able to make the world beyond the City’s walls a better place. That’s not to say Fola is completely selfless either as her pride also drives her to proving her discoveries right so she may see those who have scorned her along the way proved wrong. Fola and her four armed mercenary, Colm, have an interesting relationship throughout which I enjoyed seeing develop, but it is when her morality and beliefs were called into question and tested that I found Fola even more captivating because I thoroughly appreciated understanding her views. Of course I loved learning more about her abilities too and her rather useful familiar, Frog! (He’s not a frog though!)
There are many other characters and POVs in this novel, yet my favourites by far were Llewyn and Siwan whose father/daughter relationship was portrayed with so much heart and raw emotion. Greathouse cleverly gives us their backstory in a chapter that takes readers back to 1181 when Siwan was a child let down by the one person who should have protected her, and Llewyn becomes the father that she deserved, one who would protect her at all costs. The pair do have a strenuous relationship because of Llewyn’s protectiveness but knowing that his intentions were founded from his own childhood trauma and his need to give Siwan a safer life than he ever had, made their relationship all the more special and heartfelt. However, there were other reasons why these characters captured me and here I’ll give an honourable mention to Afanan, another fantastic sorceress who wielded magic through gem stones and had formed a family of magical beings into a traveling troupe which Llewyn and Siwan belonged to. The troupe put on historical plays which actually became a very significant element to the story and their preparation for performances and their easy banter with one another was such a nice light relief from the much darker story. This of course reveals that both Siwan and Llewyn are not human, which is undoubtedly another reason why I was drawn to them.
“History defines us. Memories, unearthed and patched together.
A story we tell about ourselves, about others, about the world. A forgotten moment, a fact denied, can twist that story away from truth - away from who we are, and who we could be, in the light of honesty.
But a moment remembered, a truth unearthed - even one hard and sharp with pain - can create wondrous possibilities. To make
amends.To be better.”
The overriding theme throughout Tower of the Tyrant was that every being deserves to live, no matter how “monstrous” they may appear. Greathouse explores this in some fantastic ways and as I often do with philosophical themes I loved being able to see different sides of the argument. The Mortal Church with their doctrine and their beliefs of superiority were master manipulators, skilled at bringing cities under their rule by eradicating magic and causing the genocide of magical beings. Though I disliked Torin’s character, he showed well the mindset each of their order have endorsed to believe they are the greater good, that they are saving mortal lives from being enthralled or destroyed by evil or supernatural forces. Which is believable when living in a world of fae, fiends, ghosts and wraiths, as you can kind of see the threat there. Nevertheless those on the side of every being deserves to live believed it was in lack of understanding, knowledge and ignorance that was the real threat. Another good point. Then Greathouse explored the theme of history being rewritten in such a remarkable way, illustrating the generational effect that had on the kingdom which ultimately led to a very explosive ending.
The Tower of the Tyrant is for those looking for an epic fantasy with some added depth, emotion and thought-provoking themes. It is an absolutely riveting read from a storyteller who knows his craft.
ARC provided by Harry at Gollancz in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and our subject to change upon publication.
The Tower of the Tyrant is not released until 6th November 2025
November 6, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
The Tower of the Tyrant is a dark epic fantasy standalone novel, written by J.T. Greathouse published by Gollancz. A brilliant and ambitious proposal that masterfully puts together elements from the sword and sorcery genre with more profound philosophical and political implications, all inside a rich and well-fleshed world; a fusion between the classic and the modern that results in a really intelligent novel that challenges the reader, inviting them to also lose themselves inside its pages.
Fola is a sorceress from the City of the Wise, a utopia where no suffering exists; she's travelling further across the world trying to learn more about the First Folk, which she thinks is the key to expand the utopia to other places. A search that brings her to the Kingdom of Parwys, a land that fears a haunting after the death of its King; saving Parwys from the haunting and the possible invasion of the Mortal Church, a faction that opposes the City of the Wise and that tries to bring the countries under its religion, Fola will need to navigate the political intrigue among the living and confront threats from many places.
The complexity will only grow as she crosses paths with the mysterious Siwan and her protective father Llewyn; Siwan's own nature looks to be implicated in the haunting, but that's not the only secret that everybody is keeping.
Greathouse develops the story through mainly three POVs. Firstly, we have the aforementioned Fola, a sorceress from the City of the Wise; a pacifist that is learning much about the world by experiencing those terrifying sensations that are not present in the City. She's mostly driven by her genuine scholar interest, trying to understand the First Folk magic in order to bring that utopia upon other parts of the world. She's protected by a four armed mercenary, Colm; their relationship is quite interesting to see as the reader, especially as we see Fola's struggles with him, trying to balance between the patronage and her feelings. An extremely well-fleshed character that also grows as we advance in her story.
The second main point of view follows Siwan and her adoptive father Llewyn; we even get to see the really emotive moment when he promised to protect her. The communication between both is a bit difficult due to how protective Llewyn, but the intentions were pure; it's a pair of characters whose relationship fondly reminds me of Ciri and Geralt. They are accompanied by a troupe that acts as a sort of found family for them, taking care of Siwan and loving her; while those secondaries are not as relevant, Greathouse imbued all of them of deep enough to stay with you after closing the book.
Finally, the third POV follows Thorin, an inquisitor from the Mortal Church, leading their efforts to gain power over Parwys; a stubborn man who acts with his faith at the center, trying to bring what he thinks is the correct path for a nation. While he acts as the villain, or more or less, you can even get why he's acting like that, and honestly, I appreciated how well portrayed he was by the author.
In general, Greathouse puts great care into developing the characters in this book, multifaceted pieces on the chessboard that Parwys has become.
The worldbuilding is excellent, a rich and vast world (and full of in-novel history, helping to make this novel feel as a singular moment in the vast timeline of the world) that serves as the scenario for our play; a Kingdom where multiple factions are trying to advance its agenda. With the initial premise, Greathouse takes the opportunity to explore philosophical notions such as how everything deserves to exist, independently of its appearance/nature, and the nature of history as a mutable thing that is constantly rewritten, many times hiding the truth behind lies that are used to enthrone a group; there's much to think after reading this novel. We could also say that the Mortal Church's approach is a great alegorism of how religion has been used to opress people against their own interests.
The pacing is excellent, as we are organically introduced to many of the small details of the world without ever breaking the immersion; I found myself devouring it in a few days, because you are always wanting to know more.
The Tower of the Tyrant is an excellent novel, a proposal that brilliantly mixes the epic and philosophical elements together to deliver a kind of unique mystery that encloses a bigger plot, all with deeply nuanced characters. J.T. Greathouse goes straight onto my auto-read list, and honestly, can't wait to read the next standalone set in this world.
The Tower of the Tyrant is a dark epic fantasy standalone novel, written by J.T. Greathouse published by Gollancz. A brilliant and ambitious proposal that masterfully puts together elements from the sword and sorcery genre with more profound philosophical and political implications, all inside a rich and well-fleshed world; a fusion between the classic and the modern that results in a really intelligent novel that challenges the reader, inviting them to also lose themselves inside its pages.
Fola is a sorceress from the City of the Wise, a utopia where no suffering exists; she's travelling further across the world trying to learn more about the First Folk, which she thinks is the key to expand the utopia to other places. A search that brings her to the Kingdom of Parwys, a land that fears a haunting after the death of its King; saving Parwys from the haunting and the possible invasion of the Mortal Church, a faction that opposes the City of the Wise and that tries to bring the countries under its religion, Fola will need to navigate the political intrigue among the living and confront threats from many places.
The complexity will only grow as she crosses paths with the mysterious Siwan and her protective father Llewyn; Siwan's own nature looks to be implicated in the haunting, but that's not the only secret that everybody is keeping.
Greathouse develops the story through mainly three POVs. Firstly, we have the aforementioned Fola, a sorceress from the City of the Wise; a pacifist that is learning much about the world by experiencing those terrifying sensations that are not present in the City. She's mostly driven by her genuine scholar interest, trying to understand the First Folk magic in order to bring that utopia upon other parts of the world. She's protected by a four armed mercenary, Colm; their relationship is quite interesting to see as the reader, especially as we see Fola's struggles with him, trying to balance between the patronage and her feelings. An extremely well-fleshed character that also grows as we advance in her story.
The second main point of view follows Siwan and her adoptive father Llewyn; we even get to see the really emotive moment when he promised to protect her. The communication between both is a bit difficult due to how protective Llewyn, but the intentions were pure; it's a pair of characters whose relationship fondly reminds me of Ciri and Geralt. They are accompanied by a troupe that acts as a sort of found family for them, taking care of Siwan and loving her; while those secondaries are not as relevant, Greathouse imbued all of them of deep enough to stay with you after closing the book.
Finally, the third POV follows Thorin, an inquisitor from the Mortal Church, leading their efforts to gain power over Parwys; a stubborn man who acts with his faith at the center, trying to bring what he thinks is the correct path for a nation. While he acts as the villain, or more or less, you can even get why he's acting like that, and honestly, I appreciated how well portrayed he was by the author.
In general, Greathouse puts great care into developing the characters in this book, multifaceted pieces on the chessboard that Parwys has become.
The worldbuilding is excellent, a rich and vast world (and full of in-novel history, helping to make this novel feel as a singular moment in the vast timeline of the world) that serves as the scenario for our play; a Kingdom where multiple factions are trying to advance its agenda. With the initial premise, Greathouse takes the opportunity to explore philosophical notions such as how everything deserves to exist, independently of its appearance/nature, and the nature of history as a mutable thing that is constantly rewritten, many times hiding the truth behind lies that are used to enthrone a group; there's much to think after reading this novel. We could also say that the Mortal Church's approach is a great alegorism of how religion has been used to opress people against their own interests.
The pacing is excellent, as we are organically introduced to many of the small details of the world without ever breaking the immersion; I found myself devouring it in a few days, because you are always wanting to know more.
The Tower of the Tyrant is an excellent novel, a proposal that brilliantly mixes the epic and philosophical elements together to deliver a kind of unique mystery that encloses a bigger plot, all with deeply nuanced characters. J.T. Greathouse goes straight onto my auto-read list, and honestly, can't wait to read the next standalone set in this world.
November 1, 2025
I was lucky enough to beta read this book and have since seen the final product. As it says right there at the top, I think J.T. Greathouse is a modern master of the genre, blending intelligent prose with classic epicness in a new and exciting way. My full blurb:
You can tell Greathouse is a master by looking at the sheer scope of this book. Few authors could weave a haunted nation, a wandering mage, a hot dude with four arms, a fiend-invested girl, and a tortured priest into a coherent story, let alone one so compelling. You'll be itching for the next puzzle-piece in the epic worldbuilding mystery, and applauding as it all comes together.
You can tell Greathouse is a master by looking at the sheer scope of this book. Few authors could weave a haunted nation, a wandering mage, a hot dude with four arms, a fiend-invested girl, and a tortured priest into a coherent story, let alone one so compelling. You'll be itching for the next puzzle-piece in the epic worldbuilding mystery, and applauding as it all comes together.
December 15, 2025
I believe the author has achieved something marvellous here! To write a fantasy standalone of epic proportions, with multiple POV characters that are conflicted and complicated in their own right while still being relatable and inspiring to the reader, to build a grand world with complicated politics, a deep and long history, and different layers of magics, and to put it all into one coherent story that enthrals the reader from the beginning, is certainly no small feat.
Some flee from ghosts. Others, by curiosity, or ambition, or an alchemy of the two, are drawn to them.
Fola was both.
We mainly follow Fola, a sorceress from The City of the Wise, on her quest to find wraiths to understand the mysterious First Folk better. Her academic pursuit is expertly interwoven with other POVs that slowly reveal the bigger picture: there is evil at work in this world and while some try to combat that evil, some may want to take advantage of it. The author explores themes of guilt, corruption, the unending pursuit of knowledge, the meaning of life, generosity and greed, found family and friends you make along the way in this grand and magical story. I especially liked the exploration of different kinds of druidic magic – something I have rarely seen in fantasy books lately!
A haunting grows from a tangle of twisted roots. The deepest reach into layers of a forgotten past, long overwritten by more useful stories, believed myth by all but those whose histories drip with pain and rage as they pass from elder’s mouth to child’s ear. The shallowest reach into fresher soil, drawing from injustices still in living, mortal memory. Two pains – old and new – that feed one into the other until the tree sprouts and horror reigns.
The writing is sophisticated and appropriate for the ambitious worldbuilding. I quite enjoyed reading this book, and I am left wanting to read more of this author and in this world. I certainly see some opportunities to explore this world and some of these characters further! I hope this book quickly grows into a modern fantasy classic and we can see more works from J. T. Greathouse.
My gratitude goes out to the Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley UK for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. This book was on my most-wanted reading list for 2025- having already preordered the Broken Binding special edition - so I’m beyond thrilled to have gotten early access!
August 8, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. This was in short, fantastic. Whilst it is harder for standalones to immerse the reader in the world within the pages this book does so excellently, I absolutely loved the depth to the characters and the world building. The plot and the pacing were also very good, and I could not put the book down for the last third! Highly recommend this author to all fans of epic fantasy, this really has the feel of a classic in the making.
December 1, 2025
Thank you to the author and Orion Publishing Group - Gollancz for the opportunity to read this ARC
“The Tower of the Tyrant” beautifully incorporates Welsh references and language, adding a rich cultural layer to the narrative which you don’t often see. As a Welsh person, I greatly appreciated seeing my country represented and loved picking up on the subtle nods.
The magic system is particularly impressive, showcasing Greathouse’s creativity and attention to detail. However, the novel’s multiple points of view can be a bit overwhelming, and some readers might find the plot lacking a solid direction.
I would have liked to have seen the magic system explored a bit more, it had its moments but I don’t feel it was used to its full potential.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the book offers an engaging and immersive experience. The stand out star is the animal companion, and I would love further stories exploring these creatures and where they come from.
“The Tower of the Tyrant” beautifully incorporates Welsh references and language, adding a rich cultural layer to the narrative which you don’t often see. As a Welsh person, I greatly appreciated seeing my country represented and loved picking up on the subtle nods.
The magic system is particularly impressive, showcasing Greathouse’s creativity and attention to detail. However, the novel’s multiple points of view can be a bit overwhelming, and some readers might find the plot lacking a solid direction.
I would have liked to have seen the magic system explored a bit more, it had its moments but I don’t feel it was used to its full potential.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the book offers an engaging and immersive experience. The stand out star is the animal companion, and I would love further stories exploring these creatures and where they come from.
October 27, 2025
** Arc Book, with no spoilers**
First off, thank you Edelweiss and J.T.Greathouse for letting me read this novel prior to publication.
Overall, the book is a very well done entry into the world of Fantasy, however; the multiple POV's was just not my cup of tea and made me enjoy the novel less at parts. The lore and world building was fantastic and felt like a genuine fantasy novel I read.
My biggest issue would have to be the multiple POV's throughout the novel, while some I enjoyed ( Llewyn was by far the best POV in the whole story) while others ( the individual from the mortal church and at times Fola's POV) felt flat and could have easily been reduced in chapters or skipped altogether.
First off, thank you Edelweiss and J.T.Greathouse for letting me read this novel prior to publication.
Overall, the book is a very well done entry into the world of Fantasy, however; the multiple POV's was just not my cup of tea and made me enjoy the novel less at parts. The lore and world building was fantastic and felt like a genuine fantasy novel I read.
My biggest issue would have to be the multiple POV's throughout the novel, while some I enjoyed ( Llewyn was by far the best POV in the whole story) while others ( the individual from the mortal church and at times Fola's POV) felt flat and could have easily been reduced in chapters or skipped altogether.
Want to read
September 29, 2025"for those who loved the mystery of The Tainted Cup" i'm sat.
December 14, 2025
A haunting grows from a tangle of twisted roots. The deepest reach into layers of a forgotten past, long overwritten by more useful stories, believed myth by all but those whose histories drip with pain and rage as they pass from elder's mouth to child's ear.
I'm always in awe when an author manages to fit the scope of a multi-book saga into a single volume. The Tower of the Tyrant delivers everything I enjoy in epic fantasy: an adventurous quest, detailed world-building, and a diverse, intriguing magic system. I was excited to learn that the author plans to write more standalones in this universe, because I finished the book with countless questions and the desire to explore more of this world.
We follow several characters whose stories turn out to be connected in unexpected ways. The author does a brilliant job intertwining their arcs, and it was so fun to watch everything click into place by the end. It did take me a while to get into the story as we're dropped straight into it with very few explanations, and I needed time to find my footing. There are no large info-dumps, which I appreciated, but it does take some patience to get a handle on the various plot threads.
The main quest follows Fola, a sorceress from the utopian City of the Wise, whose journey leads her to the Kingdom of Parwys after hearing rumours of a haunting. It took me some time to warm up to Fola, and she's also the perfect example of what I struggled with most: while the characters are fascinating, I never quite connected with them on an emotional level. I enjoyed their storylines, but there were very few characters I truly cared about.
Fola's upbringing in Thaumedony, a city so utopian most believe it doesn't exist, gives her a worldview very different from the people she encounters. I did find her a bit naive at times, especially considering she had already been travelling outside the city for a while and should have adjusted more to life beyond the City of the Wise. There's a small romantic subplot with Colm, a four-armed mercenary. I would have loved to see more of Fola's familiar Frog, who mostly stays in the background.
"Benevolence is often a glamour cast over cruelty. What better justification for a singular evil than the greater good? What comfort is it to the wretched that their suffering serves some higher purpose?"
Thaumedony looms constantly over the story, mentioned so many times that I eventually found myself frustrated because I desperately wanted to see this legendary place for myself. I believe the next standalone book will be set there, but part of me thinks starting the series in Thaumedony might have worked better given how central it becomes. I'm really interested to learn more about the magic of the First Folk, the construction of the city, and the mysterious tree and birds that play such important roles.
J.T. Greathouse has created an impressively detailed world, and I can easily imagine many more novels set in its different corners. In The Tower of the Tyrant, we spent most of our time in the Kingdom of Parwys, a place with plenty to uncover! One of the POVs follows Owyn, who is about to be crowned king after his father commits suicide, apparently driven mad by vengeful ghosts.
The haunting itself is a thread that carries through the entire story. It's such an interesting element, connecting various character arcs and gradually revealing the darker parts of Parwys' history. The narrative also raises interesting historical and philosophical questions that added real depth to the story.
He wasted so much time in pointless arguments with the foolish and ill informed who nonetheless thought their perspective as valuable and needed as those of folk who bloody well knew their business.
Another perspective follows Llewyn and the Silver Lake Troupe. While I wasn't overly invested in Llewyn's story, I loved the found-family dynamic of the troupe and the care they show for Siwan, who becomes a key figure in the story. The "father/daughter" dynamic between Llewyn and Siwan is particularly well done, and I fully understood her frustration over his overprotectiveness. I would have loved even more time with the troupe, especially Afanan, who was such an intriguing character that I'd happily read an entire story about her.
Llewyn is a gwyddien, which seems to tie Welsh mythology into the book in a way I really enjoyed. The storyline involving the Grey Lady was interesting and demonstrates how many mythologies and beings come together in this world: the fae, fiends, the First Folk, and more. I constantly found myself wanting to learn more.
Torin, an anakriarch of the Mortal Church, brings yet another worldview into the story. His religion is on a crusade against anything considered pagan. His POV was the one I struggled with most as he is an incredibly unlikeable antagonist. But credit where it's due: the author portrays him and his beliefs exceptionally well. It's fascinating and unsettling to see how Torin justifies every action through his faith. His chapters add a complex layer of religious conflict to the book.
Choices ripple outwards - even made in ignorance, or with little thought beyond instinct in the whirling tumult of battle. They shape moments, lives, histories. All we can do is make an honest accounting of them after the fact, and try to learn from that honesty.
The chapter headers, drawn from letters, religious texts, and other documents, add even more depth to the world-building. I adore complex world-building, so this was right up my alley. The magic system is just as compelling, full of different traditions and abilities that make the world feel alive. There are many unanswered questions by the end, but that felt intentional.
It took me a while to fully get into the story, and the beginning felt a bit slow, which can happen with such a large cast. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending. The final scene was fantastic, but the lead-up felt rushed, and I would have liked a more detailed ending before saying goodbye to these characters.
In the end, Tower of the Tyrant impressed me on many fronts. I didn't expect the story to be quite this complex. The historical, political, and religious layers make it stand out, and the world-building and magic system are equally impressive. The pacing at the beginning could have been smoother and I struggled at times to connect with the characters, but I still had a wonderful time with the book. I love when a story makes you think and invites you to question things. A strong recommendation for anyone who enjoys rich, epic fantasy.
The wider world held its fair share of darkness, but that only made what lights there were shine all the brighter. Llewyn had sacrificed everything for a child whose own father would have traded her away. For the comfortable to be kind was simple. Far more challenging - far better - to find comfort among the wretched.
⇢ 4,5 stars
October 19, 2025
4.5 💫
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. The book will be released on Nov 6th 2025.
This was such a unique read, it had a very interesting magic system and complex charactes; both of which are missing from many new publications.
In the first portion, we are introduced to Fola who hails from the City of the Wise, and is conducting research on the undead. She believes her understanding of them could aid in understanding mythical beings called the First Folk and sky-rocket her into fame. While she has great ambitions, she is also compassionate and believes every living thing should be given a chance to live.
In contrast to her, we get Torin, who is the leader of the Mortal church, who believe they have the right to cleanse the world of magic's and different beings such as fae. I loved that Greathouse doesn't seek to make Torin an antagonist, but let's his inner monologue and crass actions speak for themselves. Torin believes himself to be righteous and compassionate, but his mission to "save" the heathen causes him to commit heinous and cruel acts.
Both of these characters could be found in our own world, and reading their thoughts give me a good idea as to why people may commit heinous acts for their beliefs.
I also loved the overall plot, which is an investigation of a haunting of the kingdom of Parways. The main elements of this haunting are tied to colonising brutality and betrayal, which is slowly uncovered by Fola. The detective elements tired to magic use were very fun to read.
There are magical beings like Fae who play a part in this story. I usually don't read Fae adjacent stories, but Greathouse had a fresh and unique take on them. Rather than make them all powerful beings, he shows their struggle in a power-hungry and often unaccepting world.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters of this book. Each one was morally grey, had to overcome their fears, and find courage to help others. The ending was absolutely perfect, I liked that Fola didn't need to save everyone from the haunting and the church. A lot of fantasy authors forget that things can resolve on their own, or some problems can be too omnipresent for characters to vanquish them on their own. So, the ambiguous ending was perfect for this story.
I did however feel that the book was too long, it could have been shorter, which would have made the mystery snappier. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. The book will be released on Nov 6th 2025.
This was such a unique read, it had a very interesting magic system and complex charactes; both of which are missing from many new publications.
In the first portion, we are introduced to Fola who hails from the City of the Wise, and is conducting research on the undead. She believes her understanding of them could aid in understanding mythical beings called the First Folk and sky-rocket her into fame. While she has great ambitions, she is also compassionate and believes every living thing should be given a chance to live.
In contrast to her, we get Torin, who is the leader of the Mortal church, who believe they have the right to cleanse the world of magic's and different beings such as fae. I loved that Greathouse doesn't seek to make Torin an antagonist, but let's his inner monologue and crass actions speak for themselves. Torin believes himself to be righteous and compassionate, but his mission to "save" the heathen causes him to commit heinous and cruel acts.
Both of these characters could be found in our own world, and reading their thoughts give me a good idea as to why people may commit heinous acts for their beliefs.
I also loved the overall plot, which is an investigation of a haunting of the kingdom of Parways. The main elements of this haunting are tied to colonising brutality and betrayal, which is slowly uncovered by Fola. The detective elements tired to magic use were very fun to read.
There are magical beings like Fae who play a part in this story. I usually don't read Fae adjacent stories, but Greathouse had a fresh and unique take on them. Rather than make them all powerful beings, he shows their struggle in a power-hungry and often unaccepting world.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters of this book. Each one was morally grey, had to overcome their fears, and find courage to help others. The ending was absolutely perfect, I liked that Fola didn't need to save everyone from the haunting and the church. A lot of fantasy authors forget that things can resolve on their own, or some problems can be too omnipresent for characters to vanquish them on their own. So, the ambiguous ending was perfect for this story.
I did however feel that the book was too long, it could have been shorter, which would have made the mystery snappier. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.
December 20, 2025
The Tower Of The Tyrant is a standalone novel that also serves as an introduction to the world of Thaumedony, which I believe will eventually expand into a series of interconnected stories.
We’re first introduced to Fola, her sidekick Frog (who is actually a bird?) and a four armed character named Colm. Fola immediately stood out to me as as her character was introduced in a refreshingly unconventional way, being flawed and quite messy. As the story progresses, we also follow the perspectives of Llewyn and Siwan, as well as Thorin. I was glad I picked up on the header patterns for the different POVs early on, as these shifts were not clearly stated.
I’m still fairly new to epic fantasy, and therefore still in the process of understanding my preferences within the genre. What I’ve learned so far is that I need a faster pace and higher stakes in order to stay engaged. While I was genuinely intrigued by the world building and magic system, the pacing never quite worked for me. The prose also felt heavy at times. This may partly come down to personal taste rather than a flaw in the writing itself.
Ultimately, I found myself reading out of obligation rather than interest and decided to step away. I have no doubt this book will resonate strongly with many readers, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
We’re first introduced to Fola, her sidekick Frog (who is actually a bird?) and a four armed character named Colm. Fola immediately stood out to me as as her character was introduced in a refreshingly unconventional way, being flawed and quite messy. As the story progresses, we also follow the perspectives of Llewyn and Siwan, as well as Thorin. I was glad I picked up on the header patterns for the different POVs early on, as these shifts were not clearly stated.
I’m still fairly new to epic fantasy, and therefore still in the process of understanding my preferences within the genre. What I’ve learned so far is that I need a faster pace and higher stakes in order to stay engaged. While I was genuinely intrigued by the world building and magic system, the pacing never quite worked for me. The prose also felt heavy at times. This may partly come down to personal taste rather than a flaw in the writing itself.
Ultimately, I found myself reading out of obligation rather than interest and decided to step away. I have no doubt this book will resonate strongly with many readers, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
November 30, 2025
*I received an arc via Netgalley*
This book took me far longer to read than I had intended, but in a way I am glad for it. I loved this from the first page, the opening chapter had me hooked! Honestly, one of the best opening chapters that I'd ever read.
In terms of pacing this story is long and somewhat slow, but it works. I genuinely didn't want to leave this world and it's been a while since I read a book that captivated me so much. During the slower parts of the story, something was always happening that kept me wanting more.
At first I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of characters and povs. That didn't last long as I quickly became invested in each characters story. The way that each plot line wove together was superb.
The world building is excellent. While there is a lot of information to take in, it made it such a wonderful experience. Being able to learn so much of the world the characters are in added to the story. The imagery is just amazing, I had such a clear picture of the characters and the setting.
If you're looking for a standalone epic fantasy that is captivating and adventurous I highly recommend you pick this up. I have no doubt that this story and the characters will stick with me.
This book took me far longer to read than I had intended, but in a way I am glad for it. I loved this from the first page, the opening chapter had me hooked! Honestly, one of the best opening chapters that I'd ever read.
In terms of pacing this story is long and somewhat slow, but it works. I genuinely didn't want to leave this world and it's been a while since I read a book that captivated me so much. During the slower parts of the story, something was always happening that kept me wanting more.
At first I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of characters and povs. That didn't last long as I quickly became invested in each characters story. The way that each plot line wove together was superb.
The world building is excellent. While there is a lot of information to take in, it made it such a wonderful experience. Being able to learn so much of the world the characters are in added to the story. The imagery is just amazing, I had such a clear picture of the characters and the setting.
If you're looking for a standalone epic fantasy that is captivating and adventurous I highly recommend you pick this up. I have no doubt that this story and the characters will stick with me.
October 21, 2025
Firstly, thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book.
The Tower of the Tyrant is a standalone (i believe in the future there will be connected but also independent companions) epic fantasy, set in a world of warring magic and gods. Told in third person from multiple perspectives, it is as much about character development as it is plot.
Overall, I enjoyed both the characters and the plot. However, it took me almost to 50% to feel engaged with the storyline, and truth be told I never fully connected with the characters-they always felt held at arms length. This may be to do with the long periods of inner monologue, as well as the pure number of perspectives being quite overwhelming. I would recommend it to people who are fans of longer epic fantasies, and who can cope with lots of colliding plot pathways provided by so many characters. I can see a lot of potential for future stories in this world.
The Tower of the Tyrant is a standalone (i believe in the future there will be connected but also independent companions) epic fantasy, set in a world of warring magic and gods. Told in third person from multiple perspectives, it is as much about character development as it is plot.
Overall, I enjoyed both the characters and the plot. However, it took me almost to 50% to feel engaged with the storyline, and truth be told I never fully connected with the characters-they always felt held at arms length. This may be to do with the long periods of inner monologue, as well as the pure number of perspectives being quite overwhelming. I would recommend it to people who are fans of longer epic fantasies, and who can cope with lots of colliding plot pathways provided by so many characters. I can see a lot of potential for future stories in this world.
October 11, 2025
There needs to be more epic high fantasy standalones like this.
This book was a really good time. It has a classic sword and sorcery feel but a unique premise mixing together politics, magic, and history. We follow from multiple points of view and I was equally interested in all of them, though it took until around 15-20% for me to get a good handle on the different people/places/relationships. Once it all starts to come together I was very invested and flew through the rest of the book.
My biggest issue was that the large cast of characters were hard to keep track of at first (though after finishing it I found there was a character list after the acknowledgments, which would have alleviated that confusion had I known it existed).
The book is long but doesn’t waste any time, and has a satisfying conclusion where I would be interested to know more but also don’t need to.
This book was a really good time. It has a classic sword and sorcery feel but a unique premise mixing together politics, magic, and history. We follow from multiple points of view and I was equally interested in all of them, though it took until around 15-20% for me to get a good handle on the different people/places/relationships. Once it all starts to come together I was very invested and flew through the rest of the book.
My biggest issue was that the large cast of characters were hard to keep track of at first (though after finishing it I found there was a character list after the acknowledgments, which would have alleviated that confusion had I known it existed).
The book is long but doesn’t waste any time, and has a satisfying conclusion where I would be interested to know more but also don’t need to.
July 23, 2025
4.5 Stars
2🌶️
I wanna start off by saying a huge thanks to @OrionPublishing for sending me this!!
The book was a
entertaining epic fantasy story! The plot was impeccable and the characters were super engaging. I loved the different POVs, and the journey the book takes you on!
Totally recommend, great read!!
2🌶️
I wanna start off by saying a huge thanks to @OrionPublishing for sending me this!!
The book was a
entertaining epic fantasy story! The plot was impeccable and the characters were super engaging. I loved the different POVs, and the journey the book takes you on!
Totally recommend, great read!!
October 23, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I needed a bit to get into it at first, but once it clicked, I was completely hooked. I usually read long fantasy series, so I was a bit worried a standalone wouldn’t pull me in the same way, but it totally did. The world-building felt rich and complete, and I never had the sense that something was missing.
I really loved the writing style. It’s detailed without being overwhelming, and the atmosphere is spot-on. The pacing starts slow, but once the story picks up, it’s genuinely hard to put down.
Overall, The Tower of the Tyrant surprised me in the best way. Great world, great tone, great storytelling. Definitely a clear recommendation.
I needed a bit to get into it at first, but once it clicked, I was completely hooked. I usually read long fantasy series, so I was a bit worried a standalone wouldn’t pull me in the same way, but it totally did. The world-building felt rich and complete, and I never had the sense that something was missing.
I really loved the writing style. It’s detailed without being overwhelming, and the atmosphere is spot-on. The pacing starts slow, but once the story picks up, it’s genuinely hard to put down.
Overall, The Tower of the Tyrant surprised me in the best way. Great world, great tone, great storytelling. Definitely a clear recommendation.
October 24, 2025
4,25 stars!
The Tower of the Tyrant is an epic high fantasy novel that combines classic sword and sorcery elements with philosophical questions, political intrigue and deep mythology. As a standalone volume, it offers an impressive blend of action, magic, reflection and emotional depth - and that is precisely what makes it such a special reading experience.
At the centre of the story is the sorceress Fola, a scholar from the City of the Wise, a utopian place without suffering, disease or death. Her journey into the Wider World takes her to the cursed Kingdom of Parwys, where a mysterious death, political tensions and a looming invasion await her. There she encounters not only ghosts and dark magic, but also an orphan girl with tremendous powers and a world that tests her and her moral convictions. Her companions: a four-armed mercenary and a bird named Frog, who not only carries her soul, but also provides moments of humour and profundity.
In parallel, we experience the story of Llewyn, a non-human being who acts as a foster father to the young Siwan. Their emotional relationship (marked by protection, pain and hope) forms the emotional heart of the novel. Other supporting characters, such as the magically gifted Afanan and the members of a travelling theatre troupe, also contribute to the depth and complexity of the story.
What makes The Tower of the Tyrant particularly special is its successful combination of an exciting plot and philosophical underpinnings. Questions of justice, morality, history and memory permeate the text, as does an intense examination of the relationship between magic and humanity. The Mortal Church, as the antagonist of the magical world, stands for religious fanaticism, repression and the deliberate rewriting of history - a reflection of both current and timeless themes.
The narrative style is complex and requires patience at first: numerous changes of perspective and a large number of characters can be overwhelming at first, but from about halfway through, everything comes together to form a coherent whole. A minor criticism is the distance from the characters due to internal monologues and an abrupt time jump in the epilogue. Nevertheless, my overall impression remains extremely positive.
Stylistically, the novel shines with poetic, often thought-provoking quotations and a dense atmosphere. The magic systems, some of which are based on faith or gemstones, seem original and are skilfully woven into the world and its mythology. Influences from Welsh culture and naming conventions are also recognisable and lend authenticity to the world.
TL;DR:
The Tower of the Tyrant is an intense, clever and emotional fantasy novel for anyone who wants more than just battles and magic duels. If you are looking for epic fantasy with depth, a well-thought-out world, moral complexity and literary merit, you will find it here. It is not an easily accessible book, but one that stays with you. A real highlight among modern fantasy standalones.
Thank you so much J.T. for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! I will defo buy a nice edition for the shelves.
The Tower of the Tyrant is an epic high fantasy novel that combines classic sword and sorcery elements with philosophical questions, political intrigue and deep mythology. As a standalone volume, it offers an impressive blend of action, magic, reflection and emotional depth - and that is precisely what makes it such a special reading experience.
At the centre of the story is the sorceress Fola, a scholar from the City of the Wise, a utopian place without suffering, disease or death. Her journey into the Wider World takes her to the cursed Kingdom of Parwys, where a mysterious death, political tensions and a looming invasion await her. There she encounters not only ghosts and dark magic, but also an orphan girl with tremendous powers and a world that tests her and her moral convictions. Her companions: a four-armed mercenary and a bird named Frog, who not only carries her soul, but also provides moments of humour and profundity.
In parallel, we experience the story of Llewyn, a non-human being who acts as a foster father to the young Siwan. Their emotional relationship (marked by protection, pain and hope) forms the emotional heart of the novel. Other supporting characters, such as the magically gifted Afanan and the members of a travelling theatre troupe, also contribute to the depth and complexity of the story.
What makes The Tower of the Tyrant particularly special is its successful combination of an exciting plot and philosophical underpinnings. Questions of justice, morality, history and memory permeate the text, as does an intense examination of the relationship between magic and humanity. The Mortal Church, as the antagonist of the magical world, stands for religious fanaticism, repression and the deliberate rewriting of history - a reflection of both current and timeless themes.
The narrative style is complex and requires patience at first: numerous changes of perspective and a large number of characters can be overwhelming at first, but from about halfway through, everything comes together to form a coherent whole. A minor criticism is the distance from the characters due to internal monologues and an abrupt time jump in the epilogue. Nevertheless, my overall impression remains extremely positive.
Stylistically, the novel shines with poetic, often thought-provoking quotations and a dense atmosphere. The magic systems, some of which are based on faith or gemstones, seem original and are skilfully woven into the world and its mythology. Influences from Welsh culture and naming conventions are also recognisable and lend authenticity to the world.
TL;DR:
The Tower of the Tyrant is an intense, clever and emotional fantasy novel for anyone who wants more than just battles and magic duels. If you are looking for epic fantasy with depth, a well-thought-out world, moral complexity and literary merit, you will find it here. It is not an easily accessible book, but one that stays with you. A real highlight among modern fantasy standalones.
Thank you so much J.T. for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! I will defo buy a nice edition for the shelves.
October 23, 2025
I had an enjoyable journey with this book and despite the length of 700 pages, it felt way shorter than that. This book left me in awe with how the fantasy world with semi complicated magical net is built. I was hooked at the beginning with the mention of haunting ghost and knew that would lead to a fun adventure, especially with the duo Colm and Fola. (I love how Fola kept mentioning how stupid her bird was). And I am absolutely heart-broken for Llewyn and his "daughter" Siwan for how much love they had for each other, and the difficult choose of between being protected or able to live the life Siwan wanted. I honestly had bit tear when Llewyn realized that he, also deserved to live his life and not be alone anymore, not a servant to any powerful magic that he didn't get to control anymore.
Maybe my love for Fola and Llewyn's POVs so intense, that I didn't really vibe much when it switched to Torin's. Or simpler could be I can't vibe with Torin at all. He is for sure a very interesting character, being from Mortal Church and went around talking all the "religious" mission, but somehow, he felt too one dimension for me, I couldn't care less or pay attention when this man was talking at all.
The politics were straight forward and easy enough to understand and follow. Though, maybe bit too simple? I understand it could be very hard to balance out all the magic, creatures, religious, tales... in one big giant pot, but the Afondir was an example: he was painted a cunning count who played the politic games very well, but I didn't see much evident in that. And there were many explanations throughout the whole book about how these characters were thinking over and over again, and then later they spoke it out to each other as well. Therefore, it felt like too much explanation that we already understood and went through in the last chapter. But in a way it helped reader to also easy follow what was going on.
Greathouse has a great writing style. I love how it was magical but also fueled with tight description. The reading experience was very smooth and easy to imagine, so much that I felt lost in this world and truly on this journey with all our characters. The quote at the beginning of each chapter was also very fun to read and enhanced the experience.
Overall, I finished the book with a satisfied feeling, and I did find the characters loveable though not really relatable. Instead of all other books being mentioned, this book actually made me felt like reading The Root of Chaos by Samantha Shannon (minus the dragons of course).
Maybe my love for Fola and Llewyn's POVs so intense, that I didn't really vibe much when it switched to Torin's. Or simpler could be I can't vibe with Torin at all. He is for sure a very interesting character, being from Mortal Church and went around talking all the "religious" mission, but somehow, he felt too one dimension for me, I couldn't care less or pay attention when this man was talking at all.
The politics were straight forward and easy enough to understand and follow. Though, maybe bit too simple? I understand it could be very hard to balance out all the magic, creatures, religious, tales... in one big giant pot, but the Afondir was an example: he was painted a cunning count who played the politic games very well, but I didn't see much evident in that. And there were many explanations throughout the whole book about how these characters were thinking over and over again, and then later they spoke it out to each other as well. Therefore, it felt like too much explanation that we already understood and went through in the last chapter. But in a way it helped reader to also easy follow what was going on.
Greathouse has a great writing style. I love how it was magical but also fueled with tight description. The reading experience was very smooth and easy to imagine, so much that I felt lost in this world and truly on this journey with all our characters. The quote at the beginning of each chapter was also very fun to read and enhanced the experience.
Overall, I finished the book with a satisfied feeling, and I did find the characters loveable though not really relatable. Instead of all other books being mentioned, this book actually made me felt like reading The Root of Chaos by Samantha Shannon (minus the dragons of course).
December 14, 2025
I feel like I’m saying this about nearly every book I review recently but I really did want to enjoy this one. The prologue was so promising. Strong atmosphere, gripping gothic dread, sign me right up. But, for me, the rest of the story was something of a let down. That isn’t to say it became an awful book, far from it, but I definitely struggled keeping engaged.
A big part of that was that I found Fola’s POV in particular rather frustrating. The elements were there, stubbornly focused on her research goal, interesting magic surrounding herself and the city, fun bird sidekick. All things I would usually have loved but the way she was written just didn’t work for me. There was a lot of overexplaining and repetition that bogged everything down. The city sounded fascinating but when the story stops dead in its tracks to fill you in you start to dread the info dumps. Especially when what we’re told directly contradicts Fola’s behavior. And those were the interesting parts. Much more frustrating was the constant horniness over Colm. I truly came to dread her chapters which, again, given the actually interesting parts, was such a shame.
The other POVs I enjoyed more, especially Llewyn’s, whose backstory and relationship with Siwan were a highlight of the book for me. Some of the same problems as in Fola’s chapters were present, a tendency to hammer in points that had already been conveyed well, but on the whole they felt more focused. The themes explored and the worldbuilding was at its best and there were parts that I absolutely adored.
Sadly, though, for me The Tower of the Tyrant is less than the sum of its parts. Moments of deeply effective storytelling and very creative world building mixing with clunky writing that makes it feel longer than it is and drowns out what really works.
A big part of that was that I found Fola’s POV in particular rather frustrating. The elements were there, stubbornly focused on her research goal, interesting magic surrounding herself and the city, fun bird sidekick. All things I would usually have loved but the way she was written just didn’t work for me. There was a lot of overexplaining and repetition that bogged everything down. The city sounded fascinating but when the story stops dead in its tracks to fill you in you start to dread the info dumps. Especially when what we’re told directly contradicts Fola’s behavior. And those were the interesting parts. Much more frustrating was the constant horniness over Colm. I truly came to dread her chapters which, again, given the actually interesting parts, was such a shame.
The other POVs I enjoyed more, especially Llewyn’s, whose backstory and relationship with Siwan were a highlight of the book for me. Some of the same problems as in Fola’s chapters were present, a tendency to hammer in points that had already been conveyed well, but on the whole they felt more focused. The themes explored and the worldbuilding was at its best and there were parts that I absolutely adored.
Sadly, though, for me The Tower of the Tyrant is less than the sum of its parts. Moments of deeply effective storytelling and very creative world building mixing with clunky writing that makes it feel longer than it is and drowns out what really works.
December 19, 2025
The Tower of the Tyrant follows Fola, a sorceress from a magical City where essentially all of the world's problems are fixed and they live in peace and harmony. She left the City before the story even begins to research the First Folk and discover their secrets.
This journey takes her to Parwys, where she needs to figure out what is haunting the kingdom.
There are other characters and other plot lines, but that's the main one, and the one I enjoyed the most.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the world and the magic system, both felt unique and interesting. I liked that there were many different kinds of magic that all did different things, though that did sometimes get a little confusing.
I really liked Fola as well and her journey. I loved how she grew over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed Llewyn, one of the other POV characters. He had a significant amount of growth and it was so satisfying to see how he changed from the beginning of the book to the end and how his choices ended up effecting the others in a positive way, when they were negative at the beginning.
I do think the beginning though was a little confusing. We jumped around between different POVs that didn't really seem to connect at all and it was just a little hard to learn the world and the story when everything was jumping around so much. I also really hated one of the POV characters but I do think that's intentional, but it still made his POV a big difficult to get through.
This journey takes her to Parwys, where she needs to figure out what is haunting the kingdom.
There are other characters and other plot lines, but that's the main one, and the one I enjoyed the most.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the world and the magic system, both felt unique and interesting. I liked that there were many different kinds of magic that all did different things, though that did sometimes get a little confusing.
I really liked Fola as well and her journey. I loved how she grew over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed Llewyn, one of the other POV characters. He had a significant amount of growth and it was so satisfying to see how he changed from the beginning of the book to the end and how his choices ended up effecting the others in a positive way, when they were negative at the beginning.
I do think the beginning though was a little confusing. We jumped around between different POVs that didn't really seem to connect at all and it was just a little hard to learn the world and the story when everything was jumping around so much. I also really hated one of the POV characters but I do think that's intentional, but it still made his POV a big difficult to get through.
October 30, 2025
5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The tower of the tyrant is an outstanding standalone fantasy with complex magic, great world building and characters that you can really care about.
I really loved Fola as a character from the outset, we first meet her nursing a massive hangover and trying to figure out if she hit on a four armed man or offered him a job the previous evening. From this I expected her to be a bit messy but instead she was compassionate, tough and brave, all while keeping the blunt POV style that drew me to her in the first place. Frog, who is not a frog but also not quite a bird, was a really loveable sidekick.
I was also really invested in Siwan and Llewyn’s story. His past was heartbreaking but his attempts to protect Siwan made him really likeable. I enjoyed Torin’s POV, it was interesting to read the villain’s perspective, even if he was so terrible to be the only person Fola has ever wanted dead.
I loved this book, I liked how a unique folklore was woven into a complex world but in particular I loved that the story kept surprising me, I didn’t expect a sweet romantic subplot but this was integrated perfectly, I didn’t expect this book to make me cry but the epilogue did just that.
This is a standalone but I would love to read another book in this world.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and preordered a physical copy and have left a review voluntarily.
The tower of the tyrant is an outstanding standalone fantasy with complex magic, great world building and characters that you can really care about.
I really loved Fola as a character from the outset, we first meet her nursing a massive hangover and trying to figure out if she hit on a four armed man or offered him a job the previous evening. From this I expected her to be a bit messy but instead she was compassionate, tough and brave, all while keeping the blunt POV style that drew me to her in the first place. Frog, who is not a frog but also not quite a bird, was a really loveable sidekick.
I was also really invested in Siwan and Llewyn’s story. His past was heartbreaking but his attempts to protect Siwan made him really likeable. I enjoyed Torin’s POV, it was interesting to read the villain’s perspective, even if he was so terrible to be the only person Fola has ever wanted dead.
I loved this book, I liked how a unique folklore was woven into a complex world but in particular I loved that the story kept surprising me, I didn’t expect a sweet romantic subplot but this was integrated perfectly, I didn’t expect this book to make me cry but the epilogue did just that.
This is a standalone but I would love to read another book in this world.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and preordered a physical copy and have left a review voluntarily.
December 12, 2025
I can see the goodness of this book, but it is just so slow. There are way too many details and I get bored of it easily. But there are parts that aren't so boring. I am grateful though for how quickly the characters converges with one another. That was probably the most exciting part out of the whole book lol. The characters were okay. I didn't particularly lean towards liking one character over another, but I did enjoy seeing the characters' growth for some of them, especially Llewyn, even though it was brief. I wish I could've seen the City. Fola talks about it all the time and I wish we could've actually see the beauty of it compared to the rest of the world. The main plot of this book consists of Fola trying to find more information about the First Folk, but then she gets dragged into the haunting and now, we're trying to find a way to stop the haunting. It isn't too bad of a book. It is very well written and I enjoy seeing the different types of power in this world, but it does dragged on for too long.
History defines us. Memories, unearthed and patched together. A story we tell about ourselves, about others, about the world. A forgotten moment, a fact denied, can twist that story away from truth - away from who we are, and who we could be, in the light of honesty.
But a moment remembered, a truth unearthed - even one hard and sharp with pain - can create wondrous possibilities. To make amends. To be better.
December 19, 2025
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
This has not been my year when it comes to epic fantasy, and sadly that trend continued with The Tower of the Tyrant.
Positives first, though - I liked this world. It's a hodgepodge of different sorts of people and beings, and I enjoyed how remnants of the old times were still there in present day while a lot of knowledge surrounding it was lost. I liked how our characters all had their own motives that brought them together, and the main event of the story was a very interesting concept.
... But goodness did I not enjoy the writing. There's a thing that some authors do, where instead of emphasizing a character's personality or motives by slowly deepening our understanding of them, the author just keeps repeating the one event or thing that drives them, and I hate it. There's no character depth to be found here, just an endless regurgitation of character information that really isn't that hard to comprehend. If these had been dead horses, they'd been beaten to absolute paste (sorry for that mental image), and my god did it make this book feel like it was a thousand pages long.
And since character work is the most important thing for me in order to really love a book, The Tower of the Tyrant let me down hard. Which is a shame, because in theory I should have loved everything about it. Alas, with it only expanding wider instead of digging deeper, it slowly dwindled to three stars, and I don't think I'll be picking up the author a second time.
This has not been my year when it comes to epic fantasy, and sadly that trend continued with The Tower of the Tyrant.
Positives first, though - I liked this world. It's a hodgepodge of different sorts of people and beings, and I enjoyed how remnants of the old times were still there in present day while a lot of knowledge surrounding it was lost. I liked how our characters all had their own motives that brought them together, and the main event of the story was a very interesting concept.
... But goodness did I not enjoy the writing. There's a thing that some authors do, where instead of emphasizing a character's personality or motives by slowly deepening our understanding of them, the author just keeps repeating the one event or thing that drives them, and I hate it. There's no character depth to be found here, just an endless regurgitation of character information that really isn't that hard to comprehend. If these had been dead horses, they'd been beaten to absolute paste (sorry for that mental image), and my god did it make this book feel like it was a thousand pages long.
And since character work is the most important thing for me in order to really love a book, The Tower of the Tyrant let me down hard. Which is a shame, because in theory I should have loved everything about it. Alas, with it only expanding wider instead of digging deeper, it slowly dwindled to three stars, and I don't think I'll be picking up the author a second time.
October 27, 2025
Honestly a treat to have a good standalone epic fantasy. And this has a lot to it!: mysteries and mythology and history and wraiths and religious zealots and horniness for four-armed men- wait.
The characters were the strongest part of this, and specifically their relationships with one another. Obviously the pseudo father-daughter relationship of Llewyn and Siwan is a standout, but I really liked seeing Fola build relationships and her drive to find a family for herself.
Fola herself was a fantastic lead character. She's stubborn and smart and a bit prickly on the surface, but clearly a huge softie. And she has a bird named Frog, so need I say more? (No.)
The plot had politics, religion, and history all at the forefront, but was quite easy to follow. Where the plot shone was when it talked about the magic, mythology, and folklore of the world, which made the story more immersive and engaging to me.
The epilogue of the book really brought things to a satisfying conclusion for me, and bumped up my feelings on the book as a whole a bit. I won't say more because epilogue and all, but I thought it was a wonderful note on which to end the book.
All in all, a strong story with a bit of something for every fantasy read.
Thank you to the publisher, Gollancz, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
The characters were the strongest part of this, and specifically their relationships with one another. Obviously the pseudo father-daughter relationship of Llewyn and Siwan is a standout, but I really liked seeing Fola build relationships and her drive to find a family for herself.
Fola herself was a fantastic lead character. She's stubborn and smart and a bit prickly on the surface, but clearly a huge softie. And she has a bird named Frog, so need I say more? (No.)
The plot had politics, religion, and history all at the forefront, but was quite easy to follow. Where the plot shone was when it talked about the magic, mythology, and folklore of the world, which made the story more immersive and engaging to me.
The epilogue of the book really brought things to a satisfying conclusion for me, and bumped up my feelings on the book as a whole a bit. I won't say more because epilogue and all, but I thought it was a wonderful note on which to end the book.
All in all, a strong story with a bit of something for every fantasy read.
Thank you to the publisher, Gollancz, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
October 12, 2025
Thank you to Gollancz and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I had a good time with this book! I really like fantasy books with an investigation type plot running through it, and this one certainly delivered on that. This is a standalone, filled with rich worldbuilding and complex layers of history, mythology, folklore, and religion. We follow multiple POV characters as the story goes on, and the author manages to bring them together quite neatly.
I did struggle with the number of POVs as I feel like we jumped around just a bit too much, but I found that by the halfway mark, I was comfortable with it. The author did a fantastic job at writing all the characters and their motivations. I didn't finish the book feeling like I had missed something with a character.
I loved the way the investigation in this story unfolds and how it comes to a conclusion. I didn't find it too rushed, and I was eager to keep reading. I also really enjoyed the way the author wove in the mythology and folklore of this world into the story unfolding at the present.
This is an epic fantasy, with swords and kingdoms and power struggles, with magic and folklore and mythology. It's immersive and clever and I would highly recommend it.
I had a good time with this book! I really like fantasy books with an investigation type plot running through it, and this one certainly delivered on that. This is a standalone, filled with rich worldbuilding and complex layers of history, mythology, folklore, and religion. We follow multiple POV characters as the story goes on, and the author manages to bring them together quite neatly.
I did struggle with the number of POVs as I feel like we jumped around just a bit too much, but I found that by the halfway mark, I was comfortable with it. The author did a fantastic job at writing all the characters and their motivations. I didn't finish the book feeling like I had missed something with a character.
I loved the way the investigation in this story unfolds and how it comes to a conclusion. I didn't find it too rushed, and I was eager to keep reading. I also really enjoyed the way the author wove in the mythology and folklore of this world into the story unfolding at the present.
This is an epic fantasy, with swords and kingdoms and power struggles, with magic and folklore and mythology. It's immersive and clever and I would highly recommend it.
December 14, 2025
The Tower of The Tyrant isn’t a terrible story, and Greathouse is an extremely well-versed author. For an epic fantasy debut on this scale, I’m intrigued to see where Greathouse will go with future stories and how they’ll improve. Nevertheless, this book had me counting the pages throughout my reading experience, struggling to escape.
Not only does this story drag, but the point of views feel unbalanced as the story progresses. Additionally, it was a struggle to be motivated as a. reader without any impactful attachments. Being a stand-a-lone with a unique and hard to explain magic system, by the end it feels that it’s all amounted to nothing of major gravity. I believe that the main problem of The Tower of The Tyrant is the fact that we are dropped in the middle of the world we know nothing about with history stretching far what is let on, with a conflict centered around people we don’t have time or emotional reason to care about either.
Even so, the fantasy creativity the writing is on another level of excellence. Not only did the world feel expensive for a stand-a-lone, every part of the story felt that it was given much time and care to write the scene exquisitely. If only the same could be said for structure and charters, maybe then I would have raised my rating.
Not only does this story drag, but the point of views feel unbalanced as the story progresses. Additionally, it was a struggle to be motivated as a. reader without any impactful attachments. Being a stand-a-lone with a unique and hard to explain magic system, by the end it feels that it’s all amounted to nothing of major gravity. I believe that the main problem of The Tower of The Tyrant is the fact that we are dropped in the middle of the world we know nothing about with history stretching far what is let on, with a conflict centered around people we don’t have time or emotional reason to care about either.
Even so, the fantasy creativity the writing is on another level of excellence. Not only did the world feel expensive for a stand-a-lone, every part of the story felt that it was given much time and care to write the scene exquisitely. If only the same could be said for structure and charters, maybe then I would have raised my rating.
December 18, 2025
I am guilty of getting folks onto series early and then a decade might pass with no word for the next book. This one is a standalone so that can't happen! "The Tower of the Tyrant" by J. T. Greathouse is something I want to talk about to see if folks got the same thing out of it as I did.
Being from a post scarcity society is kinda awesome. At least until you leave the city and have to deal with prejudice, zealots, and currency. Fola is trying to find a way to contact the memory of The First Folk, the ones who made the city and mountains of artifacts no one entirely knows how to use. When rumors of spirits acting oddly (murdering the king of the realm) lead her to possible findings an odd conflux of individuals is occurring. Nothing stays secret forever.
Reasons to read:
-While a standalone, I would read more books in the world. It is rich and the bits of info make me hungry for more
-The different povs all land in different ways
-Many kinds of magic colliding
-Bird that can vomit up whatever you need
-I want to talk about this
-Needing to convince a panel for funding for your magic thesis
-Four hands can do a lot...
Cons:
-Post scarcity magic city and folks are still being paranoid and living under "nobility," unfortunately probably accurate
Being from a post scarcity society is kinda awesome. At least until you leave the city and have to deal with prejudice, zealots, and currency. Fola is trying to find a way to contact the memory of The First Folk, the ones who made the city and mountains of artifacts no one entirely knows how to use. When rumors of spirits acting oddly (murdering the king of the realm) lead her to possible findings an odd conflux of individuals is occurring. Nothing stays secret forever.
Reasons to read:
-While a standalone, I would read more books in the world. It is rich and the bits of info make me hungry for more
-The different povs all land in different ways
-Many kinds of magic colliding
-Bird that can vomit up whatever you need
-I want to talk about this
-Needing to convince a panel for funding for your magic thesis
-Four hands can do a lot...
Cons:
-Post scarcity magic city and folks are still being paranoid and living under "nobility," unfortunately probably accurate
October 29, 2025
Magic vs Religion
History vs Myth
The Tower of the Tyrant is definitely epic — huge world, deep themes, and tons of complex characters that could very well fill a whole series instead of a standalone.
You can tell J.T. Greathouse put a lot of care into the world-building and the way magic, history, and belief all intertwine.
Fola was easily my favorite part of the book — she’s such a strong, layered character, and I loved her compassion and the way she interacts with the rest of the group. I especially loved the the found family elements. It gave the story an emotional blanket amidst all the dark themes.
That said, I never quite fell into the story. The pacing felt a bit slow in places, and with so many POVs, it took me a while to feel connected. I appreciated what the book was doing, but I didn’t feel as absorbed as I hoped.
Still, if you like big, thoughtful fantasy stories with complex characters and a touch of found family, it’s worth checking out.
4/5 stars
Thank you @netgalley and @orionbooks for the eARC!
#TowerOfTheTyrant #Netgalley #Bookstagram
History vs Myth
The Tower of the Tyrant is definitely epic — huge world, deep themes, and tons of complex characters that could very well fill a whole series instead of a standalone.
You can tell J.T. Greathouse put a lot of care into the world-building and the way magic, history, and belief all intertwine.
Fola was easily my favorite part of the book — she’s such a strong, layered character, and I loved her compassion and the way she interacts with the rest of the group. I especially loved the the found family elements. It gave the story an emotional blanket amidst all the dark themes.
That said, I never quite fell into the story. The pacing felt a bit slow in places, and with so many POVs, it took me a while to feel connected. I appreciated what the book was doing, but I didn’t feel as absorbed as I hoped.
Still, if you like big, thoughtful fantasy stories with complex characters and a touch of found family, it’s worth checking out.
4/5 stars
Thank you @netgalley and @orionbooks for the eARC!
#TowerOfTheTyrant #Netgalley #Bookstagram
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