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Blessed the Devoured
Elden Ring X Berserk
Disgraced Knight Darl of Rugenmont searches for a new haven in a world where apostles with god-like powers sacrifice the young for immortality. Entangled in a snare of power plays between lords of a dying land, he will fight men and beasts to redeem himself.Sir Darl of Rougenmont sacrificed his humanity to save his kin and country. As a Deathless, he recovered from any mortal injury and served as a lynchpin on dire fronts. Generations later, Darl's country is gone, but he remains in a withering world sown with salt and blood. The servants of the Young Gods, who must consume flesh to maintain their immortality, have started hunting any godless mortal men and each other. Soon enough, they'll drive themselves to extinction.
At the end of the world, Darl stumbles into a final bastion of mortal humanity. The land is green and lush. The people pledge themselves to a mythical king. But something is rotting in their roots with the threat of usurpation and the Blight just around the corner. With nothing left to lose, not even his life, Darl throws himself into a world of violent betrayals and old magic that seeks to use him as a weapon for their own designs.
Disgraced Knight Darl of Rugenmont searches for a new haven in a world where apostles with god-like powers sacrifice the young for immortality. Entangled in a snare of power plays between lords of a dying land, he will fight men and beasts to redeem himself.Sir Darl of Rougenmont sacrificed his humanity to save his kin and country. As a Deathless, he recovered from any mortal injury and served as a lynchpin on dire fronts. Generations later, Darl's country is gone, but he remains in a withering world sown with salt and blood. The servants of the Young Gods, who must consume flesh to maintain their immortality, have started hunting any godless mortal men and each other. Soon enough, they'll drive themselves to extinction.
At the end of the world, Darl stumbles into a final bastion of mortal humanity. The land is green and lush. The people pledge themselves to a mythical king. But something is rotting in their roots with the threat of usurpation and the Blight just around the corner. With nothing left to lose, not even his life, Darl throws himself into a world of violent betrayals and old magic that seeks to use him as a weapon for their own designs.
372 pages, Hardcover
Published January 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 18, 2026
Blessed the Devoured by Frances. B. Corvo
I was given the opportunity to obtain an ARC of this grim-dark fantasy novel and read it early. This is the first time I’ve done this for an author and I could not be happier with the story I received. A huge thank you to our FashionableCrow for the chance at reading something special.
The hunt begins.
Sir Darl of Rugenmont, our immortal protagonist, suffers the blessing of an old, shadowy god. His journey through the Barrens takes place over hundreds of years, killing to satiate the hunger bestowed upon him by the King of Flies. This tired old man trudges through his
existence as a war dog, ready to tear at his opponents until his last breath. His charge reveals a grudge held for many decades while Darl hunts the infamous Lambskin to the ends of the land and time.
Through this quest, Darl faces despicable foes, terrible creatures, and inexplicable sorcery. His confrontations with grief, loss, longing, and the nihilistic urges of immortal existence were not only accomplished well by the author, but were enthralling from beginning
to end. It’s not often one stumbles upon a story that takes you into a chokehold and drags you through the beaten mind of a warrior who cannot die, but I’d like to do it again. I found myself flying through the pages of this novel unable to put it down with each reading
session. I had been following the author’s socials for quite some time due to their recommendations of books like videogames, specifically FromSoftware games, and they have created something that could be
slotted directly into the mix. With Bloodborne and Dark Souls 1 being my favorite games of all time, this novel sated the omnipresent force within me that longs for stories akin to these games. This is a story I will be recommending to everyone that I know, especially those who are fans of FromSoft or stories like Berserk. Blessed the Devoured is a (blood) gem that I hope many are able to spend the time appreciating and loving the way I did.
Thee or me, Morthia shall feast.
I was given the opportunity to obtain an ARC of this grim-dark fantasy novel and read it early. This is the first time I’ve done this for an author and I could not be happier with the story I received. A huge thank you to our FashionableCrow for the chance at reading something special.
The hunt begins.
Sir Darl of Rugenmont, our immortal protagonist, suffers the blessing of an old, shadowy god. His journey through the Barrens takes place over hundreds of years, killing to satiate the hunger bestowed upon him by the King of Flies. This tired old man trudges through his
existence as a war dog, ready to tear at his opponents until his last breath. His charge reveals a grudge held for many decades while Darl hunts the infamous Lambskin to the ends of the land and time.
Through this quest, Darl faces despicable foes, terrible creatures, and inexplicable sorcery. His confrontations with grief, loss, longing, and the nihilistic urges of immortal existence were not only accomplished well by the author, but were enthralling from beginning
to end. It’s not often one stumbles upon a story that takes you into a chokehold and drags you through the beaten mind of a warrior who cannot die, but I’d like to do it again. I found myself flying through the pages of this novel unable to put it down with each reading
session. I had been following the author’s socials for quite some time due to their recommendations of books like videogames, specifically FromSoftware games, and they have created something that could be
slotted directly into the mix. With Bloodborne and Dark Souls 1 being my favorite games of all time, this novel sated the omnipresent force within me that longs for stories akin to these games. This is a story I will be recommending to everyone that I know, especially those who are fans of FromSoft or stories like Berserk. Blessed the Devoured is a (blood) gem that I hope many are able to spend the time appreciating and loving the way I did.
Thee or me, Morthia shall feast.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Great in-depth fantasy read with lots of detail. I found it a bit difficult initially to get my head around some of the themes of gods etc which I will not mention so as not to spoil the story, but once I got into it, the book was a captivating read and I didn't want to put it down to go to work.
The book includes some themes of cannibalism and other violence but it is done in a way that fits and suits the story well, however may be triggering for some people so ensure to read the disclaimer prior to reading.
The book includes some themes of cannibalism and other violence but it is done in a way that fits and suits the story well, however may be triggering for some people so ensure to read the disclaimer prior to reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Frances B. Corvo describes this book as a not quite grimdark cross of Elden Ring and Berserk. I’m not sure about how it compares to Berserk, but the influence of Fromsoft is quite clear when you consider what this story is about.
“The hunt begins. Thee or me, Morthia shall feast. I was only a man, and the shadow of Morthia crept close. If he did not have them, he would have me. I would not let him have me.”
Blessed the Devoured follows a man named Darl who is hunting a man he refers to as Lambskin. Darl is a Deathless. He is pledged to an Old God named Morthia and due to his pledge, every time he dies he is brought back. The only caveat that he is brought back in a way so that he functions enough to kill and earn his return. Lambskin is pledged to one of the new Young Gods. The Young gods work different than the Old God’s of Darl’s youth. The Old Gods will keep those pledged to them immortal and even heal minor wounds like new. They only require one thing in return: a sacrifice of flesh. In Lambskin’s case, any heart he can find and devour will patch him up. People pledging to these Young Gods has caused a great scourge across the world. There are no more cities, no more fields. The earth has all been salted. No more normal people. They have all taken their own pledges or have been cut up to serve those who have.
Darl’s chase leads him across a bridge to a corner of the world he had never visited before. A place that’s green. A place that has people. Perhaps Darl’s chase will come to end, and he can finally settle down in comfort. Or perhaps his fight is only just beginning.
This is Corvo’s debut novel. I can’t express how much that shocks me. Sure, this book isn’t perfect and has its own issues. But this was so well written and such a great story. I don’t even know where to begin.
Okay I’m going to start with what I didn’t like, since that list is relatively small. The first few pages were cheesy. Theres a point to it, building the atmosphere and letting us know that this is a dark world, but I was a little concerned that this book would be all edge and no point. Fortunately, shortly into the chapter it transitions into combat and I feel like the book found its rhythm. The only other thing I had issue with was that sometimes the conversations could be extremely stilted. Exposition-y. Again, it’s her first novel so the fact that I only had two issues, and honestly very minor issues, amazes me.
Now to what I liked and loved.
You would think the themes would be about the cruelness of the world, betrayal, or even hunts. But the big theme that I took from it was that we’re all lonely. We’re all seeking to fill a void. This can be seen in how easily Darl is swayed into traveling with someone. He never trusts, and he always expects a knife to slit his throat while he is sleeping but when he comes across someone, he doesn’t attack first. He might not initiate the conversation, but he’ll hear out the people he comes across.
I didn’t quite expect the cast of characters to be as big as it was, but I found I didn’t mind. They were all very well done. Even what you could consider villains or antagonists were just people who were struggling to survive in this world. There were several characters that I hated and grew to love, and several that I loved and grew to hate. There were minor characters that I cried over despite how small they were in the scheme of things and characters that I thought I’d spit on their graves but ended up sniffling when it was clear it was their time to go.
The magic was excellently simple. I love a good hard magic system, but sometimes simplicity is nice. Especially when theres so much going on. In this case it was as simple as all magic comes with a price. You want to heal that stab wound? Better take your communion. You want to come back from the dead but still have your sanity? Hope you got you allotment of kills before you died then.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. As a matter of fact, if you are even thinking of giving this book a try, I would recommend you head over to Frances B Corvo’s tiktok, @fashionablecrow. Her book will be available on Amazon January 31st, but she has stated that she’d prefer it if you didn’t give your money to them. She is giving away free copies of her book; the only thing she asks is that you donate to a charity of your choice or that you do an act of volunteering. I’m not sure if this is a forever thing, but it is an incredible act of service to encourage kindness in the world so I urge you to check her out.
I want to say thank you, France B Corvo, for the ARC and I look forward to many more of your books to come.
“The hunt begins. Thee or me, Morthia shall feast. I was only a man, and the shadow of Morthia crept close. If he did not have them, he would have me. I would not let him have me.”
Blessed the Devoured follows a man named Darl who is hunting a man he refers to as Lambskin. Darl is a Deathless. He is pledged to an Old God named Morthia and due to his pledge, every time he dies he is brought back. The only caveat that he is brought back in a way so that he functions enough to kill and earn his return. Lambskin is pledged to one of the new Young Gods. The Young gods work different than the Old God’s of Darl’s youth. The Old Gods will keep those pledged to them immortal and even heal minor wounds like new. They only require one thing in return: a sacrifice of flesh. In Lambskin’s case, any heart he can find and devour will patch him up. People pledging to these Young Gods has caused a great scourge across the world. There are no more cities, no more fields. The earth has all been salted. No more normal people. They have all taken their own pledges or have been cut up to serve those who have.
Darl’s chase leads him across a bridge to a corner of the world he had never visited before. A place that’s green. A place that has people. Perhaps Darl’s chase will come to end, and he can finally settle down in comfort. Or perhaps his fight is only just beginning.
This is Corvo’s debut novel. I can’t express how much that shocks me. Sure, this book isn’t perfect and has its own issues. But this was so well written and such a great story. I don’t even know where to begin.
Okay I’m going to start with what I didn’t like, since that list is relatively small. The first few pages were cheesy. Theres a point to it, building the atmosphere and letting us know that this is a dark world, but I was a little concerned that this book would be all edge and no point. Fortunately, shortly into the chapter it transitions into combat and I feel like the book found its rhythm. The only other thing I had issue with was that sometimes the conversations could be extremely stilted. Exposition-y. Again, it’s her first novel so the fact that I only had two issues, and honestly very minor issues, amazes me.
Now to what I liked and loved.
You would think the themes would be about the cruelness of the world, betrayal, or even hunts. But the big theme that I took from it was that we’re all lonely. We’re all seeking to fill a void. This can be seen in how easily Darl is swayed into traveling with someone. He never trusts, and he always expects a knife to slit his throat while he is sleeping but when he comes across someone, he doesn’t attack first. He might not initiate the conversation, but he’ll hear out the people he comes across.
I didn’t quite expect the cast of characters to be as big as it was, but I found I didn’t mind. They were all very well done. Even what you could consider villains or antagonists were just people who were struggling to survive in this world. There were several characters that I hated and grew to love, and several that I loved and grew to hate. There were minor characters that I cried over despite how small they were in the scheme of things and characters that I thought I’d spit on their graves but ended up sniffling when it was clear it was their time to go.
The magic was excellently simple. I love a good hard magic system, but sometimes simplicity is nice. Especially when theres so much going on. In this case it was as simple as all magic comes with a price. You want to heal that stab wound? Better take your communion. You want to come back from the dead but still have your sanity? Hope you got you allotment of kills before you died then.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. As a matter of fact, if you are even thinking of giving this book a try, I would recommend you head over to Frances B Corvo’s tiktok, @fashionablecrow. Her book will be available on Amazon January 31st, but she has stated that she’d prefer it if you didn’t give your money to them. She is giving away free copies of her book; the only thing she asks is that you donate to a charity of your choice or that you do an act of volunteering. I’m not sure if this is a forever thing, but it is an incredible act of service to encourage kindness in the world so I urge you to check her out.
I want to say thank you, France B Corvo, for the ARC and I look forward to many more of your books to come.
April 21, 2026
I had fun with this book.This book sits deep in the grimdark space, but it leans harder than most into body horror and the physical cost of survival.
A character-driven story with deep magic systems left unexplored on purpose. Uncomfortable moments so gritty your mind questions what you are reading.
I didn’t feel like I was reading a story as much as enduring one in the best of ways. There’s a constant sense that the world itself is hostile, not just in violence, but in how it sustains life.
Old gods are disappearing as their Patrons die. New gods take over the vacuum in a catastrophic, horrifying, body-dismantling, cannibalistic way.
Nothing feels clean. Nothing feels earned without a price attached to flesh, dignity, or memory.
I found myself thinking less about plot and more about pressure. What happens to a person when the systems around them collapse, when even the idea of “being human” starts to erode? This book doesn’t argue that question.
It shows it, slowly, through decay, repetition, and the weight placed on its characters. The tone stays consistent, gritty, oppressive, and at times genuinely uncomfortable, not in a cheap way, but in a way that lingers longer than you expect.
The body horror is not occasional. It’s baked into the foundation of the world. If that’s not something you’re looking for, this won’t win you over halfway through. It asks you early if you’re willing to go there, and then it keeps going. For me, that commitment worked. It gave the story a distinct flavor that doesn’t soften itself for broader appeal.
What stood out most is how little relief you get. Even moments that should feel safe carry tension underneath them. There’s always a sense that something is off, or about to be. That makes the few interactions feel heavier, not lighter. You notice them because they’re rare.
This is not a book I’d hand to someone casually. It’s one you choose when you’re in the right headspace, when you want something bleak, immersive, and unflinching. But if that’s what you’re looking for, it delivers in a way that feels deliberate and fully realized.
I'm impressed, unsettled, and still turning parts of it over in my head. That’s a strong result for a book this uncompromising.
A character-driven story with deep magic systems left unexplored on purpose. Uncomfortable moments so gritty your mind questions what you are reading.
I didn’t feel like I was reading a story as much as enduring one in the best of ways. There’s a constant sense that the world itself is hostile, not just in violence, but in how it sustains life.
Old gods are disappearing as their Patrons die. New gods take over the vacuum in a catastrophic, horrifying, body-dismantling, cannibalistic way.
Nothing feels clean. Nothing feels earned without a price attached to flesh, dignity, or memory.
I found myself thinking less about plot and more about pressure. What happens to a person when the systems around them collapse, when even the idea of “being human” starts to erode? This book doesn’t argue that question.
It shows it, slowly, through decay, repetition, and the weight placed on its characters. The tone stays consistent, gritty, oppressive, and at times genuinely uncomfortable, not in a cheap way, but in a way that lingers longer than you expect.
The body horror is not occasional. It’s baked into the foundation of the world. If that’s not something you’re looking for, this won’t win you over halfway through. It asks you early if you’re willing to go there, and then it keeps going. For me, that commitment worked. It gave the story a distinct flavor that doesn’t soften itself for broader appeal.
What stood out most is how little relief you get. Even moments that should feel safe carry tension underneath them. There’s always a sense that something is off, or about to be. That makes the few interactions feel heavier, not lighter. You notice them because they’re rare.
This is not a book I’d hand to someone casually. It’s one you choose when you’re in the right headspace, when you want something bleak, immersive, and unflinching. But if that’s what you’re looking for, it delivers in a way that feels deliberate and fully realized.
I'm impressed, unsettled, and still turning parts of it over in my head. That’s a strong result for a book this uncompromising.
February 26, 2026
Really is no surprise that the author first came to my attention by making videos rating books that had similar vibes to Bloodborne.
I mean that as a compliment, where as I can imagine someone translating their love of Dark Souls into a book form would be shallow this is anything but.
In a dead world once fitting the description of medieval fantasy but now long after a slow burn apocalypse caused by endless cannibalistic shamanism sacrificing other people to young blood thirsty gods, our protagonist is deathless… except his faith in humanity or any hope for the future.
He is stumbling along without direction except a stirring need to revenge himself on someone we only know by his coat, and gets dragged into a series of political gambits by immortals and ancient terrors… along the way, we see some measure of humanity restored and a satisfying character arc for many of our cast (despite so many of them appearing as vile 2d caricatures of villains when they first show)
By the end, we learn so much more about our protagonist and his enemies than we expected, mysteries that at first aren’t clear as such are revealed in interesting ways.
Overall a wildly satisfying first book from a new author who I can’t wait to read more from.
I mean that as a compliment, where as I can imagine someone translating their love of Dark Souls into a book form would be shallow this is anything but.
In a dead world once fitting the description of medieval fantasy but now long after a slow burn apocalypse caused by endless cannibalistic shamanism sacrificing other people to young blood thirsty gods, our protagonist is deathless… except his faith in humanity or any hope for the future.
He is stumbling along without direction except a stirring need to revenge himself on someone we only know by his coat, and gets dragged into a series of political gambits by immortals and ancient terrors… along the way, we see some measure of humanity restored and a satisfying character arc for many of our cast (despite so many of them appearing as vile 2d caricatures of villains when they first show)
By the end, we learn so much more about our protagonist and his enemies than we expected, mysteries that at first aren’t clear as such are revealed in interesting ways.
Overall a wildly satisfying first book from a new author who I can’t wait to read more from.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advanced copy of Blessed the Devoured from the author in exchange for my review. It is due to be published Jan 31, 2026.
I STRUGGLED through this and need to be upfront that dark fantasy is not a genre that I usually enjoy but I’m always committed to finishing an ARC.
Darl is on a journey that takes place over hundreds of years and when they say he is trudging through it, we are all trudging through it with him. It does explore the concepts of grief, loss, longing, and self-loathing. I wish there was a better or less complicated god structure to follow because I found myself skimming a bit and then lost and had to go back. However, the magical realism was really straightforward.
I felt like the pacing was a bit inconsistent, but with a book that spans so long and covers so much, that isn’t very surprising.
I think the character development got quite a bit better in the second half of the book but you truly have to be willing to get there.
I really liked the authors writing style and would consider reading more if it was less…fantasy.
I STRUGGLED through this and need to be upfront that dark fantasy is not a genre that I usually enjoy but I’m always committed to finishing an ARC.
Darl is on a journey that takes place over hundreds of years and when they say he is trudging through it, we are all trudging through it with him. It does explore the concepts of grief, loss, longing, and self-loathing. I wish there was a better or less complicated god structure to follow because I found myself skimming a bit and then lost and had to go back. However, the magical realism was really straightforward.
I felt like the pacing was a bit inconsistent, but with a book that spans so long and covers so much, that isn’t very surprising.
I think the character development got quite a bit better in the second half of the book but you truly have to be willing to get there.
I really liked the authors writing style and would consider reading more if it was less…fantasy.
March 6, 2026
I’ll start by saying this is not a genre I’m too familiar with, so this was out of my comfort zone. It was a slow start for me, but once I understood what was going on, I was hooked. The slow start books oftentimes end up being my favorite. I found myself reaching for the book during work or when I was doing something else.
Sir Darl is a great character to follow, and from other books I’ve read, is a unique character and all felt very fresh and not recycled storylines or repetitive plots. This was a new genre for me, but once I got used to the cannibalism, I was thinking ‘right, he needs to eat teeth obviously’. Really really enjoyed this and would recommend even if you haven’t ventured into this type of book before. A very welcome surprise!
Sir Darl is a great character to follow, and from other books I’ve read, is a unique character and all felt very fresh and not recycled storylines or repetitive plots. This was a new genre for me, but once I got used to the cannibalism, I was thinking ‘right, he needs to eat teeth obviously’. Really really enjoyed this and would recommend even if you haven’t ventured into this type of book before. A very welcome surprise!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The first chapter felt cheesy, like something I'd read before, and I was not super excited about continuing. But boy am I glad I did. The characters are fantastic, the themes are well thought out, and the story evolves in really fascinating ways. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel! A little tropey at times, and I wish it was longer and had more time to sit, but overall I really enjoyed this.
The first chapter felt cheesy, like something I'd read before, and I was not super excited about continuing. But boy am I glad I did. The characters are fantastic, the themes are well thought out, and the story evolves in really fascinating ways. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel! A little tropey at times, and I wish it was longer and had more time to sit, but overall I really enjoyed this.
May 7, 2026
Fantastic read, everything you’d want in a dark fantasy.
Despite being self-published and a debut novel, the prose and structure are phenomenal, and the editing is exceptionally polished. Fans of Anthony Ryan, Joe Abercrombie, or Mark Lawrence will feel right at home with this book. Don’t miss out on this author and don’t miss out on this book!
Despite being self-published and a debut novel, the prose and structure are phenomenal, and the editing is exceptionally polished. Fans of Anthony Ryan, Joe Abercrombie, or Mark Lawrence will feel right at home with this book. Don’t miss out on this author and don’t miss out on this book!
April 30, 2026
3.5 Stars.
Did you enjoy the ‘Souls’ games and their lore? Were you obsessed with Elden Ring?
Pick up this novel and find your new obsession. This was much more enjoyable than the misery of dying 1,000 times in those games.
Did you enjoy the ‘Souls’ games and their lore? Were you obsessed with Elden Ring?
Pick up this novel and find your new obsession. This was much more enjoyable than the misery of dying 1,000 times in those games.
February 8, 2026
Delicious dark and dank old school violent fantasy. If you like to get down and dirty with your lore and politics this is it. I cannot wait to read this again.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews