A Fading Crown of Glory

by Andrzej Gieralt

Genres: Fantasy

250 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2026

Reviews

[K]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was honored to be chosen as an ARC reader for A Fading Crown of Glory by Andrzej Gieralt, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience this story before its release.

This novel delivers an engaging journey filled with ambition, conflict, and the enduring weight of legacy. The author creates a rich atmosphere that draws readers into a world where glory is never guaranteed and every choice carries consequences. I particularly enjoyed the way the story explores themes of power, sacrifice, and the human desire to leave a lasting mark on the world.

The characters felt genuine in their struggles and motivations, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. The world-building is thoughtfully developed, providing depth without overwhelming the narrative, while the plot keeps readers curious about what lies ahead.

Overall, A Fading Crown of Glory is a compelling read that will appeal to fans of epic and character-driven fantasy. Thank you to Andrzej Gieralt for the ARC and for trusting me with an early look at this captivating story. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

[Lysara]

4⭐
This was one of those books that I can appreciate much more than I actually enjoyed.
The worldbuilding was genuinely impressive. The different races, the lore, and the political conflicts all felt well developed, and the characters were distinct and memorable. You can tell a lot of thought went into building this world.
That said, it wasn't quite my kind of fantasy. The pacing is incredibly fast, and there's always another battle, conflict, or major event waiting around the corner. Personally, I found myself wishing for more quiet moments where the characters (and the reader) could simply breathe.
If you love action-packed epic fantasy with constant momentum, high stakes, and large-scale conflicts, I think you'll have a fantastic time with this book. If you're anything like me and tend to gravitate toward slower, character-driven stories filled with longing, quiet tension, and emotional build-up... this one might not scratch that particular itch. 🤍

[Alisha Rowe]

This review was originally posted at https://tinyurl.com/puj3uzbp.











After the fall of the Assigner and the battle with the Tratkeans where his father falls in battle Prince Adacos is crowned King of Eracians. It was a title always thought would go to his sister, Szerfalia, but with her disobeying his father to circumvent the official heir naming he changed the laws shortly before his untimely death. Adacos never wanted to become King, but with this new power he wants only to convert the Tratkean pagans to the Eracian religion and help them achieve peace in their afterlives free from the Void. Szerfalia and her new fiancée, Taralos, have other plans. Believing the crown should have been theirs, for various reasons, they will stop at nothing to see the usurper dethroned.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the author.

This is an exciting and fast paced fantasy book filled with magic, betrayal, political ambition, and a lot of religion mixed in. We know I’m not a fan of religion, but while the characters in this book were much like Christians trying to force their religion down another providence’s throats, I am happy to report that it failed as spectacularly as it always does. There is a reason “live and let live” is the best way to be when it comes to religion. So, with that in mind, I don’t count this as a detractor. Also, while it was a large part of the book, it was usually happening in the background with minor instances of it coming to the fore.

The writing is great and easy to understand in every aspect except for the occasional time transitions. It isn’t a big thing and does not detract from the story. Something is going on in one time and when that scene ends the author wants to jump into the future, past the slow bits in the story of relative peace, and to the next plot point. Efficient, but the segway was sometimes confusing. Sometimes it would take until halfway through the first 10 paragraphs to know how much time had passed and that we were no longer at the previous event.

There is a lot to love in this story. I loved how Adacos’s actions slowly snuck up on him till he realized everywhere that he had gone wrong. The author does an amazing job of keeping just enough things going on that the story feels action-packed without being busy. The ending was bitter-sweet but left open where that the story could continue on and it seems like it will. I do wish we found out a bit more about Taralos’ family at the end since I genuinely don’t know what happened there. I am trying to keep that point vague, because I don’t want to give away the ending to a very good fantasy read.

I was a bit surprised that although there are Beast-men and magic in this world it is still largely similar to our own. Sure, the characters rode Elk into battle and for traveling instead of horses, but it surprised me that we weren’t riding some fantastical beast. This made the book have a more real-world aspect while still remaining firmly in the fantasy sect. I would absolutely read more by this author in the future and hope for the best for the future of Eracia.

[Alysha Garner]

I just finished A Fading Crown of Glory, and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the experience.

Overall, I’d give it an 8.8/10.

What stood out to me most was the depth of the characters. Adacos immediately grabbed my attention because he’s not simply a warrior prince trying to win a war, he’s constantly wrestling with questions of mercy, duty, faith, and what it truly means to lead. His internal conflict made him feel very human and easy to invest in.

I also found Taralos incredibly compelling. He’s ambitious, intelligent, and often frustrating in the best possible way. Even when I disagreed with his choices or motivations, I could understand where he was coming from. That made every scene involving him engaging because I was always curious about what he would do next.

Szerfalia was another highlight. Her interactions with Taralos created some of my favorite moments in the book. There was always something happening beneath the surface of their conversations, which made those scenes feel layered and intriguing.

The worldbuilding is rich without feeling generic. The mythology, history, politics, and spiritual elements all feel connected to one another, creating the sense that this world existed long before the story began and will continue long after it ends. I especially enjoyed learning about the Void, the Silver Fields, the Assigner, and the larger religious and cultural beliefs that shape the characters’ decisions.

One thing I really appreciated was that the story isn’t just about battles and conquest. There are strong themes of justice, sacrifice, leadership, faith, and responsibility woven throughout the narrative. The characters’ beliefs genuinely matter and influence the choices they make, which gave the story additional weight.

If I had one critique, it would be that the opening chapters ask a lot from the reader. There are many names, locations, factions, and concepts introduced fairly quickly. Fantasy readers who enjoy deep worldbuilding will likely settle in comfortably, but some readers may need a little time to fully find their footing.

There were also a few sections where the pacing slowed due to political or philosophical discussions. Personally, I enjoyed many of those conversations because they revealed character and theme, but some readers who prefer a faster pace might find themselves wanting the story to move forward a bit more quickly.

That said, the payoff is worth it. The later portions of the novel, especially as the character arcs and larger conflicts develop, felt very rewarding. By the end, I was invested not only in what happened, but in what the story was trying to say about leadership, legacy, and the burdens carried by those in power.

Overall, I think readers who enjoy epic fantasy, political intrigue, morally complex characters, and thoughtful worldbuilding will find a lot to love here.

Thank you for allowing me to read the ARC. I had a great time with it and look forward to seeing where readers’ discussions go once it’s released. Congratulations on creating a fantasy world that feels both expansive and deeply personal. 😁😁😁😁

[Brittany Iker]

I received a digital ARC copy of this book, which I want to say that I am deeply humbled by. I wanted to give an honest and thoughtful review and to start with honesty, I had to DNF this book.

This book is a high-fantasy esc novel that follows a fight over the throne of Eracost. The rivals in this fight are Duke Taralos and Prince Adacos. The usual succession seems to go through a matriarchal line of whomever marries the oldest daughter of the king gets to be the next king. Which is an awesome touch. That eldest princess is Szerfalia, who is Adacos' sister. Taralos marries her behind the King's back which puts him out of favor and sets this fight into motion.

I think this has the makings to be a great novel, but for me it's missing some things, mainly brick laying for the world building. You are thrust into the story from the first paragraph-which isn't inherently a bad thing-with little to no explanation of what the hell is going on. There is a war with another nation (multiple nations/territories get rattled off like you should know them) and that nation is eluded to having some demon mastermind that is enslaving the people. Which is a pretty good concept for a villain, honestly. But there is no brick laying for why this is occuring, why it's Eracost's problem to deal with etc. It just is. And Duke Taralos is there for some reason helping give orders even though he isn't trusted and it's again eluded to that his relative was a rebel, but no other background besides that. Also, apparently he has been exchanging letters with Szerfalia for an unknown amount of time and they want to get married, but it's really hard to tell if they like each other or are just playing each other because Szerfalia is written to have a new mood swing every two sentences. Which, to be fair a lot of the characters seem like they are having really quick swings of their moods so it's not the easiest to keep up with the conversations and the entire point of them.

All in all it was hard to keep certain things straight in the first few chapters, and I was hoping it would get better, and maybe it does but the first couple chapters are supposed to be the ground work. I feel like a great opportunity to lay that ground work was missed to push you right into the middle of what looks to be a political battle. If you aren't looking for big world-building elements like that I think it would do better for you, but personally it was hard to immerse myself into and to keep going.

[Samantha]

I received an electronic ARC copy of this book and would like to thank the author for reaching out and allowing me to read his book.

My star rating of 4 out of 5 for this book was based over a few elements of the book. As this is not my usual genre I read but I am always open to read new ideas and stories.

Overall the story was executed very well. It was cleverly written and didn't push any hidden agendas onto a reader. It was heavy with political intrigue, scheming, manipulation and religious elements that came through. The story is gripping, one moment you are rooting for one party, the next you are rooting for the other. By the end of it, you realize that both had their faults and failures, led astray with their own sense of what is right and forgetting the importance of the people they are meant to be leading.

The story's focus is on Adecos and Taralos, one born a prince, the other a prince whose crown and kingdom had been stolen before he was born. Both men believe they are right, and both make terrible decisions due to being blinded by their own beliefs, clever words and manipulation. I disliked the princess that marries Taralos, she annoyed me. Taralos was ambitious, though at some point honest, but manipulative and gifted with a silver tongue. Adecos is a warrior by nature, he did not want to rule but his father named him King.

I enjoyed that the women are valued, not only in the politics of running the kingdom but they fight side by side in battle. There are wolf-men, dragon-men, evil forces and corrupt men. The battles that raged through out were very well thought out, it shows the chaos of fighting (or what I would believe happens in war at this level).

If heavy fantasy is your thing, you will really enjoy this. It has the same level of intensity as perhaps Tolkien. The battles make the book for me fast paced and the immersive writing style is carried through the book

[impulsivebookworm]

I have just finished ‘A fading crown of glory’ in 1 day, which doesn’t happen very often for me! This book focuses heavily on themes of religion, politics, war and a little mythology. There is ambition, but there is also sacrifice and guilt as both men realise that they ignored the needs of the people because they were striving for power and success instead.

My favourite aspect of this book was the character and world building that the author managed to portray. The start of the book was quite full on with lots of characters, places and stories being told at once. However once you got past the initial introductions, it was easy to follow along. The characters were also, for the most part, likeable which is so important! I also really enjoyed the pace of this book. It was approx 250pages which I feel was the perfect length. It didn’t drag on neither did it constantly repeat and regurgitate the plot. In fact it did the complete opposite. It was very fast paced, kept me engaged and actually contained a lot of great plots for a book this size. Another aspect I loved was that woman are highly valued in this world. They fight alongside the men in battle. It involves dragonmen and wolfmen for all the readers that enjoy mythology and monsters. But it’s good to keep in mind that this is NOT a romantasy. Don’t be fooled by the dragons and wolves, ladies. No spice 🌶️

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it for your reading list.
Lastly, I want to thank Andrzej Gieralt for the privilege of an ARC copy of ‘A fading crown of glory’ and I wish you all the best for any future projects you might have in store for us.

[Francisco A. Caetano]

I was genuinely impressed by the ambition and seriousness of this story.

This is not a light or simple fantasy novel. It is a dense, political, and morally driven story about kingship, faith, ambition, war, justice, and penance. The world feels old and lived-in, with its own history, religion, customs, and wounds. What stood out to me most was the central conflict between Adacos and Taralos. Both men are proud, both believe they are right, and both are shaped by duty, grief, and ambition in very different ways. That moral tension gives the book its strength.

The prose has a formal, almost classical fantasy style, which suits the tone of the story. There are strong battle scenes, courtly tension, political maneuvering, and moments of real emotional weight. The book also does a good job of showing how noble intentions can become destructive when mixed with pride, obsession, or the hunger for legitimacy.

My only caution is that the story is quite dense, especially early on. There are many names, factions, religious concepts, and political details introduced, so readers who prefer fast, simple fantasy may need a little patience. But for readers who enjoy serious epic fantasy with moral complexity, dynastic conflict, and a strong spiritual undercurrent, like myself, this is a rewarding read.

A strong and promising fantasy novel, especially for fans of political, faith-infused epic fantasy.

[Victoria Viper]

The story focus in the conflicts between Adecos and Taralos. Adecos is the prince, at the start of the book he actually wanted to retire and have a quiet life.
Taralos, the young Duke of Taralin, all he wants is power, that wants to marry the king daughter Szerfalia, princess of Eracost, because in this kindom the power passes through the daughters instead, like her mother and grandmother before her. They end up marrying when both her brother, Adacos, and the King were busy in battle against the Tratkeans, wolf-like creatures.
When the king comes back to the married couple, he names Adecos the heir instead of Szerfalia, so Taralos starts a war to win back his wife throne.

In no point of this read I could guess what was happening next, and that's what kept me reading and reading, I finished in a day.

There is obviously inspiration from Tolkien, from the politics to the animals that contribute to the story, and also the different races that contribute to the conflict, I liked that they rode elks instead of horses.

I liked that women also take part of not only politics but also go to war, like Rantalia, Adecos wife, as a Keeper of natural power. She and Adecos were my favorite characters.

Only things I didn't like were the ending and I was also missing out a map, but other than that it was an amazing debut.

[Amy Castle]

I received an ARC copy of this book, which I am always ridiculously humbled by.

I want to preface this review by stating that this is not the usual genre I read, so my star rating of 3/5 is based off plot, characters, ease of reading, pace and overall enjoyment. For me, personally two of those points weren't as strong as the others, hence the rating given.

The book concentrates on an ongoing rivalry between Prince Adacos and Duke Taralos to become the successor to the King and fulfilling their own ambitions.

It is a very cleverly written book, with a great deal of detail which fully immerses you into the world in which it is set. I found myself constantly torn between who I was siding with, as it is written in such a compelling way that you can see both sides and find yourself agreeing with both too.

The latter half of the book becomes increasingly gripping and fast paced, but doesn't lose any of the immersive writing style demonstrated in the first half.

If fantasy is your thing, you will find this is a really good read, and I would highly recommend

[Elena Claudia]

"The greatest battle in this story isn't for the crown—it's for the soul of the person who wears it."👑📚✨

Sometimes the characters who deserve power the least are the ones who should have it the most.
That was my biggest takeaway from A Fading Crown of Glory.
Adacos doesn't want the throne. He doesn't seek glory. He doesn't crave power. After years of war, all he wants is peace. But when ambition and corruption threaten the kingdom he loves, he is forced to step into a role he never wanted.
Watching him struggle between duty and his own conscience was one of my favorite parts of the book.
This story isn't just about politics or succession.
It's about what power asks from people.
It's about sacrifice.
It's about loyalty.
And it's about whether someone can fight corruption without becoming part of it.
I found myself constantly questioning what I would do in Adacos's position, and for me that's the sign of a memorable story.
A wonderful fantasy filled with political intrigue, moral dilemmas, and characters whose choices matter.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Derrick College]

First Off I wanted to thank the author for asking me to be an arc reader for his debut novel.
I don’t want to give to much away but this was written very well. It almost felt like an animated story that immerses you with everything going on.
You have strong characters, male and female.
A kingdom of power that is passed down through the daughters, which I found fascinating. A prince who wants that power. A bitter rivalry to a throne. A plan that backfires.
A raging war. Animals that help. Races that work against the conflict. Elk riding. Other creatures. Women who help fight in the war. There is so much more to this book but I don’t want to spoil it. This was such a great fantasy read. Every page I read had me hooked. ( I’m not a fantasy reader unless I am asked by an author and let me tell you, I’m glad I was asked ) I think any fantasy reader will enjoy this when it comes out. Even the cover art is eye catching!

[Rachael]

I would like to thank the author for providing me with an advance reader copy of A Fading Crown of Glory, I am grateful for being given this opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a gripping and action-packed read. It follows the bitter rivalry for the Eracian crown; two men motivated by power and jealousy drive the story and the brutal realities of war are explored in the book.

The writing is superb, the war scenes are graphic, and they show the bruality of the fighting in an impactful way. The characters are raw in my opinion, their ambitions clear, and these two power-driven men lose sight of so much and make sacrifices that weren't theirs to make, with their alleged justification for their brutality written in a way that both horrified and gave me some insight into their psyche.

Overall, it was a real page-turner and I got totally sucked into this fantasy world, would recommend!

[Robert Nobles]

I just finished this book, and I actually really liked it. The premise is what pulled me in first — two men both believing they should be king is such a strong setup, and it immediately gave the story this tense, ambitious energy. What stood out to me most was how morally complex it was. It’s not just a simple good versus evil thing, and I liked that a lot because it made the conflict feel more layered and interesting. And honestly, the ending was the part that stuck with me the most. That’s where the book really paid off for me, because it brought everything together in a way that made the whole story feel worth it. So overall, I thought it had a really compelling premise, strong conflict, and a great ending.

[LM. Bolton]

Firstly I'd like to say how honoured I was to have been asked to ARC read this novel.

I will honestly say that this novel has potential to be awesome, but personally it was hard for me to keep track of what was happening.
There's conflict, tension and action but sometimes I didn't know what was going on. Perhaps a little more debt could be given to the construct of the story. As well as the characters, it was hard for me to connect with the characters as well.
The general idea of the story and where it was going was interesting enough for me to keep reading, but not enough for it to stay with me. This is just my honest opinion by my own preference.

Once again, I thank the author for trusting me with this ARC.

[Coffee & Chapters]

4.5 Stars

A Fading Crown of Glory feels like an epic fantasy distilled into a much smaller package, and it works surprisingly well. In just 247 pages, it delivers decades of war, politics, ambition, regret, and sacrifice without losing sight of its core conflict: two men who both believe the crown belongs to them.

The strongest part of this book is its character work. Both Adacos and Taralos feel layered and distinct, each wrestling with their own burdens, beliefs, and ambitions. One fights with sword and faith, the other with strategy and political maneuvering, and that contrast keeps the story compelling.

The world itself is filled with mythology, religion, history, and fantasy elements like lightning-wielding mages, dragonmen, and wolfmen, giving it a much larger scale than its page count suggests. The battle scenes are especially well written and easy to follow.

My biggest issue was that the world sometimes felt too large for the amount of pages it had. There are a lot of names, places, and moving parts, and I wish some of them had more room to breathe. Still, this was an impressive fantasy read.

[Lupita_333]

I haven’t read many fantasy books but this one was so good! It had vivid and immersive writing that makes the reader feel like they are apart of the story fighting along side the characters. It was a fast pasted story with many action packed moments. The world building was incredible. Intriguing political conflict and rivalry between prince’s.

The story alternates between different characters so you get to see both sides of the story which I loved. Each character was different from each other. They were all realistic. The ending weaved everything together nicely.

I received a E-ARC from the author. This doesn’t affect my review in any way.

[H.M. Calkins]

I love stories that talk about deep truths, and a fading crown of glory is certainly such a story. It is a tale of two men fighting over a crown, and the blinding deception of pride, greed, and love of power. The world felt fresh and fleshed out, yet also made me want to know more of world’s mythology. I also enjoyed the way the books metaphors feel anchored in the world Gieralt created.
I generally prefer stories with more heroic characters, but genuinely value the discussion of stories with characters whose story is far from something you would root for. I especially recommend this book if you enjoy tragedy, consequences, and warnings of the love of power.

[Jessica Ballew]

This story drops you into a richly built fantasy world starting with political tension and intrigue right off the bat. With shifting alliances, political turmoil that drives character development and world-building the author balances this with high stakes action. Readers who enjoy fantasy rooted in strategy, rebellion, and complex power struggles will find a lot to love here. Andrzej Gieralt did an amazing job writing this to keep you interested all the way through to the end.

[K.R.K]

This story is beautiful and so heartbreaking. There's tons of action, which I absolutely love. The ending is definitely tragic, but beautifully written. The characters were also incredibly written. You'll feel so many emotions during this read, it'll make you want to smile, want to cry for the characters, and will make you angry.

Andrzej did an amazing job writing this story.

[Aleksandra Gieralt]

This political fantasy was a pleasure to read. The world building was on point, especially the religions, the contrast between the two rivals for the crown was great, each had a clear motive and distinct, memorable personality, love the word choice and descriptions. I'm very excited for the sequel!

[ben burgos]

I was very honored to be able to read this arc and this was my very first fantasy novel. I really enjoyed it very much.