Absolon Creed

by Richard S. Ford

A legendary soldier is the last line of defense between his city and complete eldritch chaos in this grimdark adventure from an unmissable voice in epic fantasy.

Bastion, the once shining capital of Morrengard, teeters on the brink. Its grand spires are crumbling and its nobility fight over scraps, all while eldritch creatures stalk the streets. The only thing standing in the way of its utter destruction is the Order of a knightly order more brutal than the threats the city faces. And its most brutal champion… Absolon Creed.
 
When two nobles are found murdered in a manner most grotesque, suspicions arise about a traitor within the Order itself. Creed is tasked with investigating, and for his sins he is saddled with a Guenivar Blackmere, a daughter of nobility and the Order's newest, and most untested, initiate. 
 
Together, they are plunged into Bastion's fetid underbelly, where warlocks rub elbows with corrupt nobles, and necromancers cavort with the dead. Guenivar must learn fast or perish under Creed’s cold tutelage. Her mentor is quick to anger, and about as friendly as a cornered wolf, though it soon seems that is the only way to survive these unforgiving streets.

But as the investigation deepens, Guenivar discovers a secret about him that could shatter everything she believed about the order and its heroes. While Creed himself must defeat ghosts he's spent years trying to bury… before they bury Bastion itself.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

352 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2026

About the author

R S Ford originally hails from Leeds in the heartland of Yorkshire. He is a writer of fantasy and historical fiction (check out Richard Cullen on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...)

You can find out more about what he's up to, and download free stuff, here:
http://wordhog.co.uk

And follow him on Twitter here: @rich4ord
And Instagram here: thewordhog

Reviews

[Maeghan 🦋]

Thanks to NetGalley & Orbit for a chance to review this arc!!
3.5✨

This epic Fantasy is set in a grim world where danger & betrayal lurks in every corner. The mmc, Absolon Creed, is a legendary soldier battling with multiple PTSD & addiction. His world view was shattered with all his missions & he is quite a complex character.
This novel starts as him and his initiate get separated as the order wants him to train a nobleman daughter who gave everything up to become a soldier. It was clear right away that she got on his nerves. I appreciated that their mentor-tutor situation never went into romance, to be quite honest. He treated her really badly, which is why I think it would’ve helped to have more intel on his tutorship of his previous initiate. It wouldn’t of ‘excused’ his behaviour per say, but it would’ve helped to get a clearer view of who he was. Just to be clear though, it was never because she was a woman - it’s just that the nobles in this world are quite horrible and he came from poverty & hardship, so it just rubbed him the wrong way.

What I wished for though was for the mystery to develop in a way that felt more natural with the story. The pacing was also quite slow in some parts & a few repetitive sentences here and there.

I appreciated having actual complex characters. They had layers & their thought process was quite developed. I did feel that the author succeeded in writing actual emotions. The villains were also very well written. I wasn’t surprised by the reveals but it made sense with the storyline & what had happened to those characters. This story has a lot of depth & philosophical reflections.

Overall, I recommend this one. It was entertaining & had different characters to what we regularly see in Fantasy!

[Michael MRBookReads]

Rating: 4 / 5
Format: eARC via NetGalley

Absolon Creed by R.S. Ford has all the vibes of classic grimdark fantasy. The opening scene of the knightly order infiltrating a group of warlocks performing forbidden magics to summon eldritch horrors was fantastic. I enjoyed diving deeper into this crumbling, ancient city and its crumbling nobility while it is constantly being threatened by warlocks, pyromancers, and necromancers. This is an enjoyable standalone that would be a good introduction to grimdark for those newer to the genre or those seeking a well-written, fast-paced standalone.

Thank you, Orbit Books, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[V]

3.5 ⭐

This is a dark fantasy mixed with mystery and investigation, set in a rotting city. Absolon Creed is a knight who has been through a lot to protect the city, while Guenivar Blackmere is a young girl from a noble family who becomes a knight despite her father's judgment. When a mystery arises, the two of them have to team up to uncover what's happening before the city falls into chaos.

Now, despite how Absolon acts, he is actually the type of character I love lol. He's grumpy but experienced. His dynamic with Guenivar is really good. But I do wish they had spent more time together and gotten closer as a found family. This book has some crisp action scenes mixed with investigations. It was fun enough to keep me hooked on the city's setting and the mystery. Guenivar can be reckless sometimes, and there are a few things that feel repetitive, like Absolon's knee hurting. Absolon and his knee problems! But other than that, this book was pretty good.

[Stacey Markle]

My rating is 4.5
My rating is 4.5

Just when you think you know...you don't know!!

That's how I felt every time I started to get comfortable with the plot and the direction things were going. I love a good twist and Absolon Creed definitely delivered that.

These are my favourite type of fantasy stories. Easy to get captivated by the easy prose, the sword and sorcery of it all and of course, the character of Absolon himself. This is far more than a simple story, however; its nuanced story arcs offer subtle hints at the deeper narrative beneath the surface.
Absolon is forced to take on a new and untried neophyte in Guenivar Blackmere and when they are given a mystery to solve, it leads them into a shocking discovery both about Bastion their city and the Order they serve, itself.
I was thrilled with the twists and turns this novel gives us, especially where Absolon is concerned. Guen has her own discoveries but Absolon provided such contrast to her personality it was good to see them moving toward the other as we went along. The magic and monsters all just worked for me. I'm anxious for a follow up book to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read and review this title. My thoughts are my own.

[LambchoP]

Sounds interesting, very excited to give this a try!

[Saif Shaikh | Distorted Visions]

It is a grim and dark day, when the only people standing against an Eldritch evil is a renowned soldier, now broken, and a young knight with optimistic zeal. Richard Ford’s newest standalone, Absolon Creed crushes the old and new against an ancient horror.

This is grimdark.

This ARC review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

Score: 2/5

Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions

Though Absolon Creed is my first Richard Ford (stylized as R. S. Ford in various editions) book, his Age of Uprising series has been a permanent feature on my TBR list. Alas, so many books, so little time. I picked up a review copy of this dark fantasy standalone as a tastemaker for the rest of his catalog.

Knight Commander Absolon Creed, famed hunter of warlocks, monsters, and other dark beasts, is brought into the crumbling city of Bastion to investigate the murders of nobles. When novitiate Guinevar Blackmere, fresh out of the Order academy is thrust upon Creed as his neophyte, every aspect of their being will be tested by the forces of evil.

For many veteran consumers and fanatics of grimdark and dark fantasy novels, Absolon Creed has all your telltale tropes. Plenty of dark rituals, blood sacrifices, secret cults, creatures from the dark, body horror, and other goodies abound in this standalone. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling citadel with corrupt nobles, betrayal, and an (un)healthy dose of Eldritch horror, Absolon Creed would be a great entry point for readers wanting something darker from their fantasy stories.

What Ford does quite well in Absolon Creed is put the reader front and center into Absolon Creed’s internal trauma. Ford does a great job of adapting PTSD symptoms into the dark fantasy setting. Plagued by the horrors of past battles, captures, and the loss of his loyal knights, Creed suffers the emotional and mental weight of his past, along with the very real physical toll of a lifetime of battling the worst of humanity and demonkind. A grizzled and broken Creed must contend with the bright upstart Guinevar Blackmere, fresh out of Order training, eager to prove herself as a competent knight. The emotional core of Absolon Creed is this duality of gritty trauma and fiery zeal.

Unfortunately, for those like me who have marinaded in the grime, blood, and gore of grimdark and dark fantasy for over a decade, Absolon Creed does very little to push the needle forward (or deeper in!). The plot is predictable, with standard dark fantasy tropes galore, and the twists and turns easy to spot even for those unbaptized in the filth us grimdark lovers have made our home. The standalone format holds Ford back from really digging into the dynamic between the broken knight and the optimistic novitiate.

Throughout my read through Absolon Creed, I was reminded of Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series, with The Justice of Kings doing a critically better job of highlighting the dynamic between veteran and newbie. When compared with Empire of the Wolf that follows many similar threads, dark aesthetics, and even plot points, Absolon Creed fares as a pale imitation. For fans of The Witcher books, videogames, and TV show, Absolon Creed will also be familiar (yet disappointingly mundane) territory.

Told through the perspectives of Creed and Blackmere, Ford uses Creed’s chapters to hammer down the PTSD breaking of the knight, and the plot moves forward through Blackmere’s chapters. While I appreciated Ford’s work with bringing Creed’s internal trauma to the page, the middle chunk of the book suffered from repeated drudgery that slowed the pacing to a halt during Creed’s chapters. Far from showing us competent protagonists, Creed and Blackmere stumble through the villain’s machinations (sometimes literally) through sheer plot happenstance rather than using their own intelligence.

Blackmere’s plot armor is laughably strong, and her illogical zeal is rewarded rather than punished, taking away many of the core grimdark tenets. The villains also come across as cartoonishly evil and never invoke the visceral dread that makes this genre truly shine. These aspects make Absolon Creed come across the work of a new author, not a well-crafted narrative from a veteran author with several trilogies under his belt.

From a debut author, Absolon Creed would have been a great start to a dark fantasy catalog. Sadly, from the mind of a veteran writer, for dark fantasy veteran readers, Absolon Creed suffers from amateurish characters, a bloated pacing, poorly executed tropes, and a lackluster product.

Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley.

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[Caitlin Barnett]

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an ARC of Absolon Creed by R.S. Ford. I have read Ford in the past and really enjoyed his books, so I was looking forward to getting to read this one.
We first meet Absolon Creed, a renowned knight in service of the Order of Draken, whose task is to protect the people of Bastion. When Absolon is forced to work with Guenivar Blackmere, a new member of their order, at the same time as a deadly threat faces their city, the two must find a way to work together. However, they must face forces and foes beyond any they could have imagined in order to save their city from destruction.

I wasn’t surprised to find the beginning of the story to feel a bit slow, despite the action right off the bat. I usually find myself feeling that way at the start of a Ford novel, so I definitely wasn’t deterred and knew the story would start clicking. The pace definitely picks up as the Order is thwarted at every turn, which speaks to a traitor amongst them. Once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down and knew I had to see what happened, because things never once took a break. Ford packs a lot into what is actually a rather short time span in the story.

Personal side note, part of my difficulty with the beginning is the astonishing amount of times the word “fetid” is used. I can now go the rest of my life without ever seeing or reading that particular word again.

While the action and the magic systems at work were really cool and not overly complicated, it became so much more about the characters for me. Absolon presents as the quintessential honorable knight, having survived brutality and suffering at war, yet retaining his deep loyalty to his Order and oaths. It is his driving purpose not matter the personal cost. Yet as the story progresses and we delve beneath the surface that is visible to the man underneath, the depth of that person is heartbreaking in both the best and worst ways. Absolon became such a sympathetic character and it was so well done by Ford.

Guenivar starts off as a very green, overly optimistic novice with grand ideas of what the real world is like outside the walls of her noble upbringing. She gets a very quick lesson in reality, her grit and determination show her to be made of tougher stuff than Absolon could have anticipated. The two characters teach and learn from each other as they question their own strengths and weaknesses. It happens so naturally and never felt forced. The bond that forms between the two of them is something both within the Order and within themselves at the same time.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, even more than I anticipated. For me, I think this may be my favorite novel of Ford’s that I have read. It is a fun story full of action and magic, but also the bonds between people that learn to care deeply about someone else in the face of madness. Maintaining a semblance of humanity in the face of unknown enemies and learning what true loyalty is are something that Creed and Blackmere pull off with aplomb.

[Emily Christian]

Thank you to R.S. Ford, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Absolon Creed in exchange for my honest review.

Absolon Creed is a grimdark fantasy with morally grey characters and a crumbling city. Absolon Creed is considered a champion of his people, an orderly knight. He is tasked with investigating a potential traitor and is assigned Guenivar Blackmere, the order's newest knight and a member of the nobility, as his partner. Absolon is very much a morally gray character. While he is considered a hero by many, he is battling his own demons. It quickly becomes apparent that Absolon is struggling with some form of addiction that even he is not aware of. This book is dual POV, and it gives readers a unique perspective into the nuances of these characters. For example, Absolon does not think that he is struggling with addiction; in fact, he thinks he is perfectly fine. However, Guenivar recognizes what Absolon is taking, and through her perspective, readers get to learn more about the dangers of that substance. Her perspective also helps readers realize that Absolon's methods may not be as noble as he thinks. On the flip side, Absolon's views of Guenivar allow readers to see that even though she wants to do what is best, her desire to prove herself might not be coming from just this sense of altruism. While this book focuses on this central mystery, in many ways this book is a character study. This book dives in depth into the idea that maybe not every hero is purely good, and how everyone is motivated by their own internal desires. It also highlights that just because something ends the way someone wants doesn't mean it was satisfying or a happily-ever-after ending, as seen through Absolon's character. It is important to note that the plot and the world-building are also great, but for me, it was the exploration of the characters and how their lived experiences drive them that I really enjoyed. We learn a lot about the world through learning about these characters' history and their internal desires, which I loved.

[Dee]

Thank you Orbit for the gifted eARC!

I thought this was fantastic. I didn’t realize this was a spinoff when I started it, but you don’t need to read that series before reading this, and I definitely plan to check it out because I enjoyed it that much!

Absolon is a battle-weary knight who unwillingly becomes a mentor to the neophyte Guenivar, a young noblewoman determined to carve her own path against her father’s wishes. When Guenivar stumbles across a major conspiracy, she must somehow convince Absolon to trust her over everything he knows about the oaths he’s sworn.

This was so great as a standalone and a lot of great character work is packed into it. Absolon seems like the typical grumpy mentor figure, and there were many moments where I was wondering if he was a bit over the top with how harsh he was, but as you learn more about his past you can see it makes sense (and there’s definitely more going on with him than anyone realizes). Guenivar is also so much more than I expected. Yes, she is out there trying to prove herself, but she isn’t the typical hotheaded mentee who thinks they know everything, and I would argue Creed learns much more from her than she learns from him.

This is a dark story from beginning to end, but I do think there’s a pocket of hope in the ending and plenty of potential for more stories to be told despite being a standalone. If you like grim fantasy tales with high stakes and complicated heroes without having to commit to a large series, I highly recommend giving Absolon Creed a try!

[Hamad Naif]

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC

★★★★★

Oh, I LOVED this. Absolon Creed is the kind of grimdark fantasy that completely sucked me in and made me want to stay in its horrible, violent, fascinating world for much longer than was probably healthy.

Bastion is such a fantastic setting. It’s dark, decaying, corrupt, and absolutely crawling with secrets. You have murder, political intrigue, necromancers, warlocks, monsters, and an Order that is supposed to protect everyone while being deeply questionable itself. Basically, give me all of it.

And Absolon Creed? What a character. He is brutal, complicated, morally grey, and very far from the traditional noble hero. I was completely fascinated by him. His investigation with Guenivar was one of my favorite parts of the book, especially as she starts realizing that the world she thought she understood is much darker than she imagined.

The mystery kept me hooked, but it was the atmosphere and characters that really made this work for me. There’s something so deliciously bleak about this world, and I loved never quite knowing who could be trusted or what horrifying thing was going to be uncovered next.

This is grimdark fantasy at its most fun: bloody, mysterious, atmospheric, full of monsters and morally questionable people, and with just enough twists to keep you turning the pages.

If you like dark fantasy with a murder mystery at its heart, PLEASE pick this one up. This was such a fantastic read and easily one of my favorite fantasy discoveries.

[Whimsy Dearest]

Absolon Creed by R.S. Ford is a grimdark fantasy that's steeped in cosmic horror—filled with mad science, people turning into fleshy abominations, and a mysterious codex. The pages drip with atmosphere, and the decay of the city of Bastion is practically palpable.

However, it’s not without flaws. The mystery component of the story was unfortunately the biggest letdown of the book for me. I felt like information was obtained way too easily. Instead of conveniently overhearing conversations, I wish the characters could have used more of their wits to discover clues.

Also, (and I’ll try not to get into spoilers here), but a certain big plot twist toward the end left me incredibly frustrated. It didn't make logical sense to me. I feel like the character withheld the information for the sole purpose of creating a shocking reveal.

Qualms aside though, the two compelling leads held the story together for me. Plus, plenty of sword-slashing action and snark still make this an engaging read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit, for providing me with an ARC.

[Lucas Clay]

NetGalley Review: 3.75/5⭐️

This was a pretty cool book that hit a lot of my favorite topics in this genre. It captured the dark grimy environment within the scenes great! When I thought the story was going to be too simple or I “figured it out” a new layer would be peeled back to draw me deeper in. Characters were well written for the most part.

I feel this book should have not been named Absolon Creed. This book spends a lot of time on things other than his character. Those things were not bad, but left me wanting a story more dedicated to him. Some of the scenes in the book fell a little flat for me and fail to carry the proper weight I was after but in reflection I think this is because the book is trying to lean into a more classic style than the modern dark fantasy I’m used to reading.

I’d highly recommend this to people who like classic dark fantasy or those who are newer to reading fantasy. For those who enjoy more modern dark fantasy or Grimdark this may miss the mark slightly. I think it is a solid book and I’ll likely read a follow up if there is one.

[Alex Riley]

The comparison to Richard Swan is very apt, as we have a mentor and student in a dark fantasy world with a tinge of cosmic horror. It's a mix of action-packed quest and noir detective investigation. It's fairly short and contained and the student-mentor relationship is just that without turning romantic, which is a breath of fresh air on the market where everything is either cozy, romantasy or a bloated trilogy epic. We need more well-executed dark action-adventure fantasy that gets to the point (I'm not interested in millions of words endless litrpg serials). I also love dark knight aesthetic when it's accompanied with the matching dark and gritty world, and not just played up to be edgy. Even though it's a spin off from the author's previous series, it was pretty easy to get into without knowing the previous worldbuilding. I would recommend it to fans of Richard Swan, Robert Jackson Bennett, Daniel Abraham and Peter McLean.

[Drew]

Absolon Creed is a decent read this year- I anticipate that it will come back to be in the middle of the pack of my 2026 reads. Enjoyable standalone with potential for more!

This story was a grimdark thriller with a touch of noir to it. It has the primary POV of legendary protector knight Absolon Creed, and his newest apprentice Guenivar. Their mentor-student relationship is a good part of the story (and thank goodness there was zilch romance between them, I was glad that they didn't go down that direction). There's a lovecraftian horror element to this as well, with monsters, curses, summonings, and rituals. Finally, there's exciting fight scenes, chase scenes, actions scenes- it has plenty to get hyped for!

I give this book a 4/5 rating.

(I received an ARC through Orbit and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

[BonniePB]

⭐⭐⭐.5 - Good

Absolon Creed is set in Bastion, a city in the kingdom of Morrengard that was once a glittering jewel, but is now a crumbling cesspool. The world is gritty, the magic mysterious and arcane. Absolon is what you might get if Elric of Melniboné and Geralt of Rivia (the Henry Cavill model) had a crabby old baby, complete with a drug problem and grumbling responses. Guenivar is his newly assigned apprentice, noble-born and highly motivated, but also quite green.

I thought the investigation elements could have been executed better. This is a familiar story with a few faults, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Orbit for the eARC via NetGalley.

[Cayla]

If the Witcher and Batman ever decided to grow old and started to question their convictions!

First and foremost, I truly love Ford's writing. Engines of Empire is one of my favorites. Secondly, a grumpy "hero" that is questioning his plight? SIGN ME UP!

Well, I did sign up and was afforded the amazing opportunity to read and meet Absolon Creed. Absolon Creed has magic, demons, crazy fight scenes and moral ambiguity. I find the thought of a purposeful life interesting, as the concept of what that might mean can and should change with time and age. Beyond the fact that Ford had me pondering the point of life and what my purpose may be... The fighting scenes were action packed and the right amount of descriptive. I was basically watching a movie and found myself forgetting to check my phone. That's how you know it's a good book!

Thank you to R. S. Ford for Absolon. Thank you to Orbit Books for letting me get my hands on this gem and for the life lessons found between the lines!