Suldric's King

by Brom Geistman

At seventeen, Calen has spent his whole life at his father's forge in Edge Hollow, a village so small the river drying up counts as news. Then he pulls a dark stone from the riverbed, and the life he thought he understood begins to unravel.

His grandmother is the village healer, but it soon becomes clear she knows about magic—real magic, the kind Calen never knew existed.

Before he can make sense of it, the stone's magic misfires and throws him fifteen hundred miles from home, into the heart of a city where the wrong kind of attention gets people killed. Then the power wakes in the ability to make people trust him, obey him, want him. What keeps him standing are the people who refuse to leave his side—a sharp-tongued fairy with her own agenda, and a grieving young man who feels alive again because of him.

Calen only wants to find his way home. But the power he carries is the kind that draws dangerous attention—and the world he's stumbled into has plans for a boy who can make anyone obey.

Suldric's King is the first book in The Chronicles of Aethara, an adult epic fantasy of loyalty, dark power, and the cost of devotion—the first step into a series that grows more dangerous with every book.

Genres: Fantasy

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2026

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3 stars

Suldric’s King is the first book in Brom Geistman’s Aethara series, a young adult series focused on Calen as he discovers his magical powers and has a series of adventures along the way. The primary characters are Calen, of course, his new friend Reeve, the fairy Liri, a mysterious voice trapped in a magic rock, and Suldric, a dark mage. From blacksmiths to mayor’s daughters, dangerous sorceresses, and war on the horizon, Calen goes from event to event to event to event. And that’s part of the problem.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[The Reading Frog (Less online ATM) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Brom Geistman, Geistman Press, NetGalley & BookSprout for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit | Objectification
Moderate | Sexual harassment, digit severance/amputation, some sexual content (not detailed), assassinations/murders
Mild | Death, blood, injury description, feces, urine, description of clothed genitals, mention of past child-death, past parental death, scar description, mention of sexwork
My chosen soundtrack: Calibre - Anne Nikitin | Portals - Lindsay Chai

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” he said. “I didn’t want it. But—I’m still me. I’m still the same person—the same Calen—I always was.”Liri studied him like she was seeing him for the first time. Something shifted behind her eyes. Then she said quietly: “That’s the most dangerous lie of all."

Representation
╰┈➤ Nothing specific in this one, though ARC sites include the LGBTQIA+ tag.
╰┈➤ Some B-text seems to imply a queernormative society, but this isn't explicitly stated.
╰┈➤ Some characters seem to be attracted to a multitude of genders, but once again, this isn't very explicitly stated.


Themes
Magic, mages/wizards, secrets, fairies, imperialism, adventure, autonomy or the lack of it, irresistibility, morality, ethics, enchantment/mind control, the concept of 'home', brotherhood, political intrigue, magic in the hands of the ruling and enforcer class, law regulated black/illegal magic, illusions, free will or the lack of it, ethics of magic that influences connections.


Tropes
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Found-family
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Adventure quest
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Reluctant chosen one


What I liked/loved
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Plotheavy stories aren't always my vibe, but I've enjoyed it in this specific book.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ It seems to suggest that this universe is queer-normative, with no homophobia so far, but this is not explicitly confirmed.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ A sentient magical stone, a fairy, a reluctant chosen one, and a blacksmith apprentice walk into a bar.... oh, and an additional group member is lurking in the shadows. I love me a little ragtag group of unlikely allies and eventual found-family.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Morally-grey/evil POV, my beloved!!! I love spending time in those types of headspaces.

No tremble. No guilt. Not even a flicker of hesitation. Just…clarity.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ There is a setup to explore some interesting ethical dilemmas around magic that influences emotions or magic that enforces care/like/love/lust.

You could probably get free buns every morning. Discounts. Better rooms. Skip every line in the market. I bet you could ask someone for their boots, and they'd hand them over with a smile."

Lyra frowned. "Yeah, but...what if you couldn't stop? What if it's too easy to use it? You wouldn't even notice you're doing it anymore. Just-turn it on whenever you wanted something."

She glanced at Calen and then Reeve. "That's how good people go bad."

This is touched upon in this book, but the subtext leads me to believe it will play a heavier part in future books. Which I hope is the case!
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Calen develops a very intriguing dynamic with another character in the third part of the book, and I NEED to know more.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Regardless of my dislikes, I am invested now, which is why I'll definitely pick up the sequel.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on how to move through a world that has already formed an opinion on you, especially when these aren't always positive.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Intriguing world-building, power structures, magic system, and the regulation of this magic.

Black magic was a close-quarters art—intimate, invasive. It didn’t reach. It took.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ There is a lot of potential here!!!



What I didn't like/felt lackluster about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Disclaimer: I acknowledge that some of my complaints are about presumed plot-holes, missing information, or the lack of exploration of certain themes, which could still be highlighted in future books.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Unless I missed it, it was never explained why the stone needed to be returned ASAP. This could be revealed in the future, but it did leave me a little confused in the first few chapters.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I really disliked how everyone touched and felt entitled to Calen, which is a concept that I don't mind exploring, but I wish this were more explicitly discussed and/or deemed as problematic. There is definitely some sexual harassment aspect to it, but in this context of Calen's magic, it becomes more nuanced and complex, which was really interesting to me, if not a little brushed over. I'm manifesting further exploration of this concept in the rest of this series.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Some of the things happening in the first half feel like they have no purpose, for example, the bond with Lyra and many other characters we only spend a brief moment with.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ There is a character of great importance to the plot who is introduced in the last third of the book that I really wish had been introduced earlier.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ The LGBTQIA+ tag on most ARC sites enticed me, but there isn't much here yet to state that these characters are confirmed queer. Though implied, some editing might help make it clearer that this world is queernormative if the author indeed intended it to be as such.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ There are some pacing issues in my opinion, sometimes it felt slow to me, while at other times I felt confused why we were rushing over stuff.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ A different blurb/marketing might help with a lot of these issues since it reflects a lot of the story that happens only in the last third of the book, which might have contributed to me feeling like there was a slow pace at the beginning because I kept wondering when what is mentioned in the blurb would come to fruition.



Conclusion/Notes
Regardless of some of my irks with this book, it definitely shines with potential.

There is a lot of setup that makes me extremely curious about where this adventure will take us, as well as intriguing world-building.

The group we follow isn't stereotypically sure or heroic, which makes me excited for possible grey area exploration in the future. Especially after the last addition to the group, which introduced a more morally ambiguous POV.

Throughout this book, I've felt myself becoming more and more immersed and emotionally attached to the characters. And I'm excited to find out where this will all lead to!


Suldric's King has now officially been released. Make sure to pick it up if you love fantasy and adventure stories!


⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆



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[Jade☕️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was offered in return for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Gesitman Press for providing me with this ARC.

Calen is an ordinary boy, living on the outskirts of a village with his parents and his brother. An apprentice's blacksmith, he lives a peaceful life in the countryside. When he finds a magical stone in the bed of the river, his whole life takes a turn and he is thrown in a complex game of magic, survival and false appearances. With newfound powers and a fairy ally, Calen embarks on an adventure to find his true purpose, new friendships and betrayals, and who - and what - he really is.

Upon reading the book summary, I knew I would be in for a wild ride with Suldric's King: An epic fantasy, dangerous powers, a mysterious romance? Count me in. Unfortunately for me, it did not live up to the hype... Though the cover is absolutely stunning, I feel like it also played a role in deceiving me: It does look like the type of cover one would expect for an epic fantasy novel, but maybe it actually is the most epic fantasy trait of this novel.

I do believe this novel has some very solid foundations to turn out great in the next book, I really do. However, this first instalment felt rushed, incomplete, and very YA.
We enter a new fantasy world, from which we know next to nothing, just like Calen. And just like Calen, we get a lot of information - like, a lotthrough dialogues. Calen does not know anything about this new magical world whose doors just opened to him, and in fact, he does not know anything about the real world either. Up to this day, I still do not know how old he is supposed to be. Is he 12? 16? Is he a young adult? He just sounded so ignorant for the majority of the book that I really failed to understand his age. He did not even know he had powers!

The pacing of the novel was rather... off? It started out so slow: Calen is a normal boy, he finds a stone, he is introduced to new powers he did not know he had until then, a fairy shows up, his grandmother lied to him his entire life, he has to leave his family to know who he is meant to be, his quest leads him to new friends, he is betrayed, a new character is introduced mid-story and then, the pacing shifts and rushes towards the end. Why?
The introduction of Suldric could have been promising, but why is the character whose name literally makes up the title introduced at the 66% mark? Who is the main character? Calen? Suldric? Is Calen Suldric's king?

The characters in themselves are interesting. I would love for Calen to grow some backbone in the next book, maybe grow in character the more he learns about his power.
Suldric is extremely intriguing: He is powerful, a rogue assassin, and magically forced into subservience to Calen, after he accidentally performed an occult ritual to bind Suldric to him...
Liri is a fairy, she is supposed to accompany Calen on his quest to discover his true self and his magic, but she disappeared all of a sudden before coming back after Calen was betrayed by a friend.
Talking about friends: Calen is dropped off in a city he never heard of, away from his family for the first time EVER, with a quest to complete and he just stays there? Making no move to return to both his family and his quest? He just... stayed there, awaiting something without even knowing what.
Both the stone and Liri, magical beings, should have acted as guides to him, but it felt like they just waited for the whole story to unfold before them.
Reeve was a correct supporting character. A good friend, clearly in love with Calen but that's another story. (Is the love interest Reeve? Suldric? Only time will tell...)
As the chapters went by, it became clear that despite the found family the novel wanted to be, it could not fully become one for neither of the characters were fully developed.

Suldric's King was very promising on paper but I think I was not its right audience. Calen's journey is only starting, and the very ending was actually alluring and managed to intrigue me. I really hope the next instalment in the series will introduce more world building and stakes. I would love to learn more about the magic system and the magical council Calen had to hide his powers from.

[Endless Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ARC was offered free of charge in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Geistman Press for this opportunity.

When I stumbled on this book I was hooked by the synopsis and excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, what I thought the book would be about wasn't quite what I got. "Calen can make people trust him. Obey him. Want him. He doesn’t know how—and if anyone finds out, it will get him killed." left me with the impression that Calen was already aware he was magical and understood what that meant.. Because of that, I incorrectly assumed the reader would be following him on a getaway in progress. In reality, the story starts at the very beginning before Calen knows anything himself or magic and slowly unfolds from there. This change of starting point seems like a small thing but it had me going back to the synopsis repeatedly trying to figure out what exactly intrigued me about the book in the first place and what go lost in communication.

As I was reading I initially thought the pacing was all right. Things were happening at a decent rate even if it was different than I expected. Then we get to chapter 18 and that changes. The story unfold very quickly over the next several chapters and was a big disorienting. The introduction of a new character, the "big reveal', and the new character's eventual acceptance into the group all happens too fast considering how long it took to get to that point in the book. I also found it odd that when the big reveal finally happens it's to someone else and not the person it's actually about.. The last 20% or so in general felt very rushed. Which, in turn, made the pacing of the book as a whole feel off.

That said, I do think the series has potential. I liked the world building, the magic system was fairly interesting, and the characters were enjoyable enough. However, for me personally, there were (potentially unfair) expectations created by the synopsis and LGBTQIA+ label (which is not a factor in this particular book) that the execution didn't live up to. While I have no doubt this book will find it's audience, I am not it.

[Keturah Sergeant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like Suldric should have been introduced to the narrative way sooner than he was, the sudden switch in narrative, the introduction of this powerful, rogue, dark-magic wielding assassin, could have added more to the story. There could have been more awareness of magic and world-building through this character, instead of solely following an oblivious new to the world, new to magic, incredibly important and powerful but technically illegal and definitely not trained enough MC. The side characters we instead see a lot of are the girl that befriends and betrays him easily, a boy oblivious to magic but definitely in love with him and an extremely secretive fairy who knows his whole family history but doesn't tell him anything, even when the initial plan falls apart. There are a lot of intriguing elements but very little is elaborated on until the last few chapters, when the drama picks up, Suldric is accidentally magicked into subservience and the whole ruling magic council has finally chosen to pursue this powerful stranger to their world.

This book was fairly slow-paced, with the exception of a few bursts of action and drama, it was essentially a long journey. The discovery of a magic stone leads to the MC being sent to return it to another world, the castle from whence it came, a ten minute job. When that goes wrong he instead spends months working in this other world, as a blacksmith, accidentally enchanting everybody, giving people erections, making friends and laying down roots... He makes no attempt to return to his family, or get to the castle, or find the fairy that sent him to this world... Then after an altercation and major betrayal, the fairy rediscovers him, and they set off on a journey, crushing friend in tow, the untrustworthy magic stone as a guide. It's not not engaging... But not much actually happens, and in the end the MC has gained a magic servant, a bad reputation and has got no closer to helping the stone...

The premise is intriguing but more needed to happen in this book... And the titular character needed to feature way sooner than he did.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did enjoy this despite my 2-star rating.

Calen is a normal boy living on the outskirts of a village with his family. On a hot day, he runs to the river with his younger brother and finds a glowing/shiny/whatever stone and takes it, without realizing it's a bit of magic, and because of the stone, he has to take it all the way back to where it belongs, only the plan goes awry and he ends up miles and miles away from home and alone. Before long, he finds out he possesses a magic of some sort that enchants people to obey his command, and the stone can talk. This is where Calen's journey really starts.

I think the novel has the foundation of something that can be much better. It just needs some work and editing. The plot and world itself are interesting enough for me to want to know more, but the execution is done poorly with exposition and explaining. We're info dumped via dialogue/conversation and it's my least favourite way when there's a ton of it. You may as well orate to me at that point. While I do understand Calen is our main character and narration is largely through him, and he's unknowing to a lot, it is less becoming when the other characters that should know things do not react in a way that I find to be appropriate? Liri is a fairy that knows more about magic than Calen or Reeve, and while she is not all knowing, there are moments when she should be the guiding force for Calen, or I guess also the stone, but the stone doesn't particularly make itself known all the time.

I love a good found family trope, but these characters aren't developed individually or with one another well enough in this first book to even begin the found family trope.

The first half of this book was really fun, but then the second half fell really flat because the author attempted to do more than they could, and the plot sort of spun faster than it needed to?

Calen's journey is only starting, so I'd still be open to reading the sequel and seeing where this goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Geistman Press for the eARC!

[East of Reality · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book in a YA series and as such is more about establishing … well, not the world, which doesn’t seem to exist, but the magic. The differences between mages and sorceresses, between sorceresses and wizards, and how dangerous all of them are to Calen. The biggest problem I have with this book is that no one seems to care how dangerous anything is. Calen handles people dying in front of him with the same aplomb with which he handles his younger brother running around naked or chores in the forge, which is to say with the same dead fish regard he does everything else.

Events occur one after the other, setting up the plot, but this book is killed by the pacing. A walk to get milk and to talk about milk is given an entire chapter; Calen being a wizard and kicked out of the city he’s come to view as a a safe place, half a page. The book is listed under the LGBTQIA+ tag, but it’s Reeve, Calen’s friend, who shows the only sign of being physically interested in someone of the same gender. Calen was interested in the Mayor’s daughter; Suldric goes to club but his interest in the people there is all for show so it’s impossible to guess his sexuality.

Now, true, he’s bespelled to love Calen, but that’s artificial.

This book is in such a hurry to get to the end that it didn’t have time to focus on the story let alone the characters, all of whom are mere sketches of where a personality might be. Hopefully future books take the time to develop them.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[JemeryInPrint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Suldric's King by Brom Geistman has a strong foundation, with engaging world-building, an interesting magic system, and a likable cast. While the pacing felt steady for much of the novel, it shifts dramatically around the middle. Several major developments, including the introduction of a key character, a significant reveal, and that character's acceptance into the group, happen in rapid succession. After such a measured buildup, the final 20% felt rushed, making the overall pacing feel uneven. I also found it an odd narrative choice that the central reveal is made to someone other than the person it most directly concerns.

The synopsis and LGBTQIA+ labeling also created expectations that this first installment didn't fully meet, though that may be addressed in future books. Likewise, Suldric's late introduction as the titular character left me wishing for a stronger emotional response from the rest of the party. The protagonist's subdued reaction felt believable given the circumstances, but the group's response seemed underplayed.

Despite these issues, I'm interested in continuing the series. There's plenty of potential here, and I'm hopeful the next installment delivers a more balanced pace and builds on the strengths established in this debut.

Thank you Brom Geistman, ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Geistman Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shymsal · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOVE the cover!

2.5 stars. The book's pace seemed measured at first, but then a dramatic shift mid-story sent the MC and friends travelling at speed across the world on a quest. Yet, abruptly, even jarringly, they are in a fanciful forest city and decide they have the time to be leisurely tourists... Naturally things fall apart again and our heroes have to run... And the book ends.

While I enjoyed my reading experience, I feel like there should have been more pay-off and, perhaps, a few more editorial passes paying more attention to structure.

There is also the pivotal entrance of the named titular character in the last act, and several things about his addition to the party that felt like there should have been an even more emotional response of the other party members. I can accept the MC's response as he was likely in shock and go figure - it seems perfectly likely that someone would shut down when confronted not only with that kind of information, but beyond that the actions - both Suldric's and his - committed.

I am interested to see where this goes. Hopefully, the follow up will have better flow, though.

Thanks to Mr. Geistman and Netgalley for the review arc in return for my unbiased opinion.

[Stephanie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - Calen our main male character, has been lied to all of his life - so has his whole family - they didn't know what grandma and grandpa was - and not until we get to the end of the book do we find out, although we suspect something is not kosher.

Calen finds a magic stone, and goes on, what he thinks will be a relatively quick journey, to return it to whence it came. It should have been a day trip - but plans change.

Calen gets a long well with others, which works in his favor, and it also helps that his magical ability allows him to make others like him, and they test it. Reeve, is an apprentice at the blacksmith they work at - and they test his abilities.

Suldric they meet towards the end of the book - is the final "human" non fairy to join their party - he is a character onto himself.

I guess should have Calen's grandmother told him the truth - he truly loves his family, but now he can't go back - not until he is powerful enough to stop the people who will them if he does.

I cannot wait for book two to see how it works out.
There is no sex, but there is some "sexual references" like taking showers - and "i looked at him" and then the scene at the "lady of the night" house with Suldric.

[Jeff Schmidt]

A boy picks up a rock and this leads to far reaching complications and a continent spanning adventure? With an intro like that it sounded intriguing enough to pick up... ...And two days later I finished it and am now waiting impatiently for the next book.
The author's writing style is fresh and very easy to read. He does not use stilted language or abstruse words to attempt to impress the reader but puts everything in common language that flows smoothly. We follow Calen from working in his father's smithy to a mystical city after meeting a cast of characters and in one evening traveling over a thousand miles with the aid of the rock.
It gives glimpses of a world where magic is everywhere but there is always someone or something that wants to hoard it all for themselves. In this case an ever growing empire that encroaches on what remains of independent realms. There is a wizard council in the shadowy background as well as a few other groups which, at this point, I am not sure how they all fit together (or just won't spoil the book).
We see the main character meet people surprisingly easy, find a love interest though he is too callow to realize it, and meet mystical creatures out of legend.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[ANdrea Hdz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suldric’s King was an enjoyable fantasy read that left me eager to continue the series. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the way magic is woven into both the world and the characters. It never feels like an add-on to the story; instead, it is an integral part of the characters’ lives and growth.

I also enjoyed following the development of the main characters as they began to discover their strengths and their place in a much larger world. Watching them grow throughout the story made me even more invested in their journey.

What stood out to me the most was the ending. Rather than feeling like a conclusion, it felt like the true beginning of a much greater adventure for the three main characters. The book does an excellent job of building anticipation and leaving just enough mystery and intrigue to make me want to pick up the next installment right away.

While the pacing felt slower at times, the strong worldbuilding, character development, and seamless integration of magic made the journey worthwhile.

Overall, Suldric’s King is a solid start to a fantasy series with plenty of promise. If you enjoy character-driven fantasy and stories that gradually build toward something bigger, this is definitely worth checking out.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow read to me. I struggled to get into it and the first half felt like a struggle to get into. Calen is a fine protagonist, but I never managed to actually get a sense for how he feels at any given moment. Sadly, this almost made me drop the book. However! About two thirds through Suldric is introduced, we get a new level of dark in this book, we actually get to see some of the worlds magic used with intent and then the Oath happens. There is so much potential with Suldrics character and his dynamic with Calen, that i will definetly be reading the next book. It is very odd that we only meet the title giving character that late in the book, especially considering how entertaining he is.

I feel the descibtion of this book is too focused on the latter parts of the book, as most of what is described there doesnt happen until way into the book. In general, the blurb is just a little misguiding.

Enjoyable, with some issues in the first half, but Suldric makes it worth it. 3,5 rounded down.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suldric’s King is an adult epic fantasy about loyalty, power, and the price of brotherhood.
Calen is a blacksmith’s apprentice with an ordinary life—until a magic stone rips him out of it.
This book is a coming of age story, Calen the MC is 17 who meets and makes friends with Reeve and others on his journey.
This book was a great read, there is vivid world building with an interesting magic system.
Unusually you don't meet Suldric from the start so I was intrigued to who he was and who the king would be and their role.
I loved Reeve, he saw Calen for himself and is what Calen needs. They were both so sweet and supportive of each other.
The story development was really well done, it was well paced where you learn as Calen does.
So much has happened, and it leaves you excited for the next book.
Recommend this book.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will definitely have you waiting for the next one! You get drawn in almost from the start by Calen's adventure. The plot seems to, at times, flow as swiftly as a river. What exactly are Calen's powers? What secrets does his grandmother, Mira, hold? Who is the dark, mysterious mage/assassin that becomes attached to Calen against his will? The diverse cast of characters are simultaneously relatable and extremely intoxicating. Reeve, the trusty and trusting sidekick who is just along for the ride. Liri, the sassy fae who got them all in this mess. And Suldric, who the reader is instantly drawn to, but knows almost nothing about. Just when it's getting good and you learn juicy details and well kept secrets...BAM! The ending sneaks up on you. I didn't want it to end!

[Chaos · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

The cover is very unassuming and didn't really give me any hint on the story. Even the synopsis was pretty vague. Calen as a character isn't great. I wasnt sure of his age because the way he acted was so young but the way he's described is a bit older. Since this is the first book, im hoping he grows more in book 2. The pacing is slow. I know the book isnt that long but with the pacing it felt like a thousand pages. There are moments I enjoyed with the characters. Particularly Sudric! He's the best part of the story honestly. Probably would have been best if he had come in from the beginning.

[Luna Gerrits · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually quite invested in this story. I like the characters, the group that they have built up, i like the suggestive queer situations and am curious to see how that turns out later in the series as our main characters grow up. I also liked the magic system. However, it felt like this was only half of a fantasy book? Its ending does not really feel like a book ending, and i just feel kind of bummed out that i cannot read on right now?

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the world building and the potential epic storyline. Calen discovers his magical nature gradually which I found to be a good approach. The travelling companions he picked up on the way are complex and have great potential to become a strong found family. I am very interested in what will happen next.
Thanks for the advance copy via Booksprout, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.

[Janel Crowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Suldric's King" by Brom Geistman starts with a promising premise but ultimately disappoints due to significant plot holes and an abrupt ending.

Calen, a blacksmith's apprentice, is taken from his ordinary life by a magic stone, thrust into a dangerous world filled with complex characters.

While the book has a captivating setup, it falls short in execution. It may leave readers wanting more

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is having a normal life as a blacksmith apprentice until he is whisked away due to a stone. Now he is in a very different place with powers he does not understand. Follow him as he tries to make sense of it and the the men who saved him. He needs to decide who he can trust and what follows is a wonderful tale of magic and trust
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a magical read

[Amber Humphries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked aspects of this book, but felt the story fell apart when trying to make me care about the characters' emotional connections. Not sure if I will read the next in the series. I'm at a maybe right now. I give Suldric's King 3/5 stars.

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comes off feeling like it would be very epic fantasy and high stakes. While it is high stakes for sure, this still comes off as just okay at the end of the day. I think there's a bit of a disconnect of the events being flowy, but it reads as.. fine.

[Brittany Britton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suldric’s King by Brom Geistman is a great adventure fantasy. The story is entertaining, interesting, action packed, exciting, and more. Suldric’s King is the first book in Chronicles of Aethara series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mik Wasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good easy to understand world but also a good Mystery fantasy of the mc finding stuff about himself

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few chapters were kind of confusing, and it took me a while to get into the plot. I'm interested in reading future sequels, but I wasn't immediately drawn in.

[Kardelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book had me excited, unfortunately it didn't grip me.

The story follows Calen, a blacksmith's son who after finding a strange stone near the river has to embark on a journey full of magic and perils.

I liked the story and the characters. Calen is not an ordinary strong and skillful hero. He is an ordinary boy who suddenly becomes powerful but doesn't know what is happening to him or how to use his powers. The descriptions of places and magic were immersive and atmospheric. I wish we could get more world building. The characters were well fleshed out and realistic. I loved the relationship between Calen and Reeve. The plot is fast paced and exciting but sometimes the pacing was a bit off. The various kinds of magic and spells were interesting. I am looking forward to learn more about Calen and his group of friends.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and will read the next one when it comes out. If you like exciting stories about magical journey, found family and strong relationships, you will like this story.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable and interesting read. It didn't quite match my expectations based on the description, I was expecting older characters and more mature content based on it being described as adult, so a 17 year old main character surprised me, but I still really enjoyed it and it feels like the content will be more mature as the series continues. I'm also a bit unsure about the LGBTQ+ label, there are definitely hints at queerness, but nothing definite in this first book and their was an almost kiss for the male main character with a woman, so don't expect clear queer relationships right off.

I loved watching Calen get thrown into a quest with no information, very limited life experience, and have to figure out what comes next and who he wants to be. I enjoyed the flow of the story and how the characters are willing to throw themselves into the journey and see what comes next. I never knew what to expect from the book, and it kept me guessing (in a good way) till the end. I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next book and how the characters develop.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a brief introduction to Calen’s family and his quiet forest village life, this fun story quickly shifts into overdrive. We’re swept up alongside Calen on an unexpected journey. One he neither chose nor fully understands. We then quickly find ourselves on epic road trip through a world of magic, deepening friendships, forest fae, and a mysterious stone searching for a body.

What makes this story truly compelling is its grounding in something that is simply human: family. Calen’s touchstones are the families he forms across very different worlds. There’s his original family in Edge Hollow, especially his mysterious grandmother, Mira. Then there’s the home he finds in Hearthmere, where Reeve emerges as both brother and unwavering supporter. And finally, there’s the deep, complex, accidental bond he shares with Suldric, created via a spell gone wrong.

Just as the story starts to reveal its secrets, it leaves us more than a little impatient for book two.