What do you think?
Rate this book
Intent & Vigor: A Standalone Grimdark Epic Fantasy of Prophecy, Blood Magic, and Impossible Choices
A god who shows you the future is still no help when you’re the one He plans to sacrifice.
Racham has always been the disappointment—a charming drunk hiding from responsibility in the shadow of his devout, deadly older brother, Mordecai. While Mordecai is hailed as the Dusksong’s chosen vessel, destined to fulfill a world-shaping prophecy, Racham is left cleaning up the mess faith leaves behind.
When a fanatical holy order slaughters their people, the brothers flee to Sepultura—the last Vespran stronghold, a walled city where faith is law and magic is drawn from blood. Here, the faithful wield Vigor, inhaling sacred vapor to glimpse the next few seconds of the the path of an arrow, the swing of a blade, the moment someone dies.
Mordecai prepares for the coming Requiem that promises peace through conquest.
Racham is given a different duty—fill the prisons, silence dissent, and protect a city already rotting from the inside.
But survival has a body count.
As siege engines close in and the faithful turn on each other, Racham must choose who lives, who burns, and how much of his soul he’s willing to trade for a future his god insists is necessary.
Every time he draws Vigor, the world fractures into a dozen possible outcomes.
In none of them does he get to stay clean.
Intent & Vigor is a standalone adult epic fantasy perfect for readers who crave morally grey heroes, brutal siege warfare, and magic that demands sacrifice.
Racham has always been the disappointment—a charming drunk hiding from responsibility in the shadow of his devout, deadly older brother, Mordecai. While Mordecai is hailed as the Dusksong’s chosen vessel, destined to fulfill a world-shaping prophecy, Racham is left cleaning up the mess faith leaves behind.
When a fanatical holy order slaughters their people, the brothers flee to Sepultura—the last Vespran stronghold, a walled city where faith is law and magic is drawn from blood. Here, the faithful wield Vigor, inhaling sacred vapor to glimpse the next few seconds of the the path of an arrow, the swing of a blade, the moment someone dies.
Mordecai prepares for the coming Requiem that promises peace through conquest.
Racham is given a different duty—fill the prisons, silence dissent, and protect a city already rotting from the inside.
But survival has a body count.
As siege engines close in and the faithful turn on each other, Racham must choose who lives, who burns, and how much of his soul he’s willing to trade for a future his god insists is necessary.
Every time he draws Vigor, the world fractures into a dozen possible outcomes.
In none of them does he get to stay clean.
Intent & Vigor is a standalone adult epic fantasy perfect for readers who crave morally grey heroes, brutal siege warfare, and magic that demands sacrifice.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 7, 2026
A really good debut novel from an author who is going to make waves.
The book is interesting and plays well with it's tropes. It hits every note that it needs to to make this a book worth reading.
There are a few parts where the pacing is a little off, but not something that takes the reader too far out of the book.
The book is interesting and plays well with it's tropes. It hits every note that it needs to to make this a book worth reading.
There are a few parts where the pacing is a little off, but not something that takes the reader too far out of the book.
June 15, 2026
Very solid debut novel! It was refreshing to have a more flawed and morally grey protagonist and the direction the story takes after the timeskip really sets it apart from other more generic fantasy plots.
In general, I found Racham's characterization to be the strongest part of the book and I really enjoyed his relationship and dynamic with Mordecai. The way the story is filtered through his viewpoint made it amusing to read despite the darker events in the book. Stolos was a unique antagonist and his chapters really added to the complexity of the themes in the story.
The pacing was excellent and the fantasy aspects were easy to grasp, making this novel feel like a quick and easy read and it was fun to go back and see how the visions at the start of each chapter hint at the ending. I would recommend Intent & Vigor to anyone looking for a more unique take on the typical fantasy hero's journey.
In general, I found Racham's characterization to be the strongest part of the book and I really enjoyed his relationship and dynamic with Mordecai. The way the story is filtered through his viewpoint made it amusing to read despite the darker events in the book. Stolos was a unique antagonist and his chapters really added to the complexity of the themes in the story.
The pacing was excellent and the fantasy aspects were easy to grasp, making this novel feel like a quick and easy read and it was fun to go back and see how the visions at the start of each chapter hint at the ending. I would recommend Intent & Vigor to anyone looking for a more unique take on the typical fantasy hero's journey.
June 20, 2026
This is the first dark fantasy I've ever read, and it pulled me right in.
What hooked me was the characters. Ryan establishes them early and with real ease — you know who these people are almost immediately, and you're quickly invested in them and whatever they're tangled up in. I kept reading because I had to know what happened, and the story kept me guessing the whole way.
It's a storyteller's book in the best sense: immersive and character-driven, the kind you sink into rather than race through. It keeps a wonderful sense of humour, and the world-building is vivid and rich without ever dragging.
A debut that made a non-fantasy reader want to keep going. If you love character-driven storytelling, pick this up — and if you're curious about crossing into fantasy, it's a perfect doorway in.
What hooked me was the characters. Ryan establishes them early and with real ease — you know who these people are almost immediately, and you're quickly invested in them and whatever they're tangled up in. I kept reading because I had to know what happened, and the story kept me guessing the whole way.
It's a storyteller's book in the best sense: immersive and character-driven, the kind you sink into rather than race through. It keeps a wonderful sense of humour, and the world-building is vivid and rich without ever dragging.
A debut that made a non-fantasy reader want to keep going. If you love character-driven storytelling, pick this up — and if you're curious about crossing into fantasy, it's a perfect doorway in.
May 13, 2026
Intent & Vigor was a great book with an ending that stayed with me long after I'd put it down. The characters were flawed in unique and realistic ways. The main protagonist, Racham, is funny and self-deceiving. The story is written in a way that the entire world is coloured through Racham's biased point of view as he tries to justify his own actions to himself. Racham's relationship with his brother Mordecai carries the story, showing the point of view of someone who has spent their entire time measuring up to their brother and coming up short. The pacing is great and whether it was an action scene or a description of the surroundings, I never felt like the book was dragging. Five stars!
June 19, 2026
BOOK REVIEW: Ryan Brown's Intent & Vigor.
A young man makes good. A delightful guy, self effacing, hell bent on having a good time. Half way through, I thought "oh no,..... and I wondered about the ending????" But the author surprised me. A perfect ending. A well thought out and well written fantasy novel. I thought it was a bit repetitive in the beginning but it didn't stop me from reading. An amazing first book. Congratulations. PLUS I know enough about the upcoming book that I can't wait to read it.
June 21, 2026
Amazing first novel!
The main character Racham - I found him funny, witty, and human right from page 1. Far from perfect, flawed, yet totally likeable. It made the story of his journey one that kept me turning pages and wanting more.
The twists and turns I didn't see coming, and for me (raised Catholic) the themes of a faith and higher powers and what you were taught to believe, were thought provoking and hit home. (Without tearing down faith as a whole)
I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this novel. Read it in less than 24 hours!
The main character Racham - I found him funny, witty, and human right from page 1. Far from perfect, flawed, yet totally likeable. It made the story of his journey one that kept me turning pages and wanting more.
The twists and turns I didn't see coming, and for me (raised Catholic) the themes of a faith and higher powers and what you were taught to believe, were thought provoking and hit home. (Without tearing down faith as a whole)
I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this novel. Read it in less than 24 hours!
June 21, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. The main character was realistic and funny. It took until the third chapter to really get going, but once it did it took off like a rocket. The main character is funny, oddly charming and deeply flawed. I feel like the gods and their powers were creatively turned on their heads. I don't know if I would call this grimdark, I would say more gritty. That may be saying more about me than the book however. Fun read, fascinating world building, believable characters.
May 18, 2026
Terrific book! Racham's humorous tone made it an easy read from start to finish. It was full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming until they happened and it had an ending that floored me! The characters all feel unique and morally gray. I don’t normally read fantasy books but I LOVED this one! I highly recommend reading this book! I’ve been telling all my friends about it!
July 5, 2026
Excellent well-written story full of surprises
The humour, description, and character depth was fantastic. The pacing and unexpected changes were delightful and kept me reading. Although I figured out the main outcome, how it unfolded was still tense and made me question my notions. Highly recommend.
The humour, description, and character depth was fantastic. The pacing and unexpected changes were delightful and kept me reading. Although I figured out the main outcome, how it unfolded was still tense and made me question my notions. Highly recommend.
May 8, 2026
I am not a fan of fantasy but a student asked me to read this and I was gripped. The characters are flawed and compelling, and the plot is full of surprises that are still somehow believable. A great read!!
May 13, 2026
Fantasy isn’t usually my genre, but this one pulled me in by the second or third chapter and kept me hooked. The story was so well written that I found myself genuinely caring about Mordecai and Racham. Impressive storytelling!
July 27, 2026
I loved this book! Well written and entertaining the whole way!
September 4, 2026
I read a lot of fantasy and found this novel original and thought provoking, with its underlying darkness offset by its humor. The writing was excellent and it flowed well. Great debut!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews