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The Worth of Scars
A bookworm, a brothel madam, a gangster, an aristocrat, a widow and a war hero walk into an inn – though it turns out there’s nothing funny about what happens next.
For humanity’s ancient enemy the Serafin are rumoured to have returned, and the old man who assembled such an unlikely band believes these misfits might hold the key to defeating them. United only by guilt, trauma, and the machinations of their mysterious patron, together they must journey to the centre of the continent to do battle with gods.
But only by using the Serafin’s own powers do they hold any chance of victory: a magic that has a cost. Corrupted long ago, it condemns those who wield it to become the shunned, self-mutilating sorcerers known as the Scarred.
Each must decide – is that cost worth paying to save the world?
Perfect for fans of authors like Joe Abercrombie, Brian McClellan and George R.R. Martin, The Worth of Scars is an epic flintlock adventure with a twist, fusing thought-provoking, dark and intriguing themes with the classic fantasy quest.
***CONTENT WARNING***
This is a dark book featuring themes, topics and scenes that will not be suitable for everyone. It is very much ‘grimdark’ fantasy, and features many of the staples of that sub-genre.
In particular, the magic at the heart of the novel requires self-mutilation for a user to wield it. This is not a spoiler – it’s very much a core part of the book from the beginning.
As such, depictions of graphic self-harm in the novel are frequent and unflinching.
If you suffer from or have ever suffered from self-harm or suicidal ideation, then it is the author’s urgent wish that you consider extremely carefully whether or not to read the novel.
For humanity’s ancient enemy the Serafin are rumoured to have returned, and the old man who assembled such an unlikely band believes these misfits might hold the key to defeating them. United only by guilt, trauma, and the machinations of their mysterious patron, together they must journey to the centre of the continent to do battle with gods.
But only by using the Serafin’s own powers do they hold any chance of victory: a magic that has a cost. Corrupted long ago, it condemns those who wield it to become the shunned, self-mutilating sorcerers known as the Scarred.
Each must decide – is that cost worth paying to save the world?
Perfect for fans of authors like Joe Abercrombie, Brian McClellan and George R.R. Martin, The Worth of Scars is an epic flintlock adventure with a twist, fusing thought-provoking, dark and intriguing themes with the classic fantasy quest.
***CONTENT WARNING***
This is a dark book featuring themes, topics and scenes that will not be suitable for everyone. It is very much ‘grimdark’ fantasy, and features many of the staples of that sub-genre.
In particular, the magic at the heart of the novel requires self-mutilation for a user to wield it. This is not a spoiler – it’s very much a core part of the book from the beginning.
As such, depictions of graphic self-harm in the novel are frequent and unflinching.
If you suffer from or have ever suffered from self-harm or suicidal ideation, then it is the author’s urgent wish that you consider extremely carefully whether or not to read the novel.
- GenresFantasy
650 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2026
About the author
Gabriel Farrell
1 book7 followersGabriel is based in Oxford, where he walks the streets of the city of dreaming spires in the footsteps of fantasy legends he one day hopes to emulate. An avid reader and writer since his childhood growing up in rural Wiltshire, for a while his dreams lay not on the page or in fantasy epics, but in seeing his words translated to screen. He studied Film and Writing at university, then worked as a freelance copywriter, script-reader and screenplay consultant for the likes of BAFTA, Netflix and the BBC. Then came COVID. During lockdown, he found solace and escape in the fantasy classics from his youth – Tolkien, Martin, Pullman and more – whilst also endeavouring to broaden his horizons through Jordan, Abercrombie, Hobb and Sanderson, to name but a few new favourites. Slowly, he became more and more consumed by the genre, and soon after began work in earnest on his first novel, hoping to combine the humanity and relatability of the kitchen-sink drama with the scope, scale and imagination of the fantasy epic. In addition to his freelance work, over the last few years Gabriel has worked part-time as a cook to supplement his fantasy-writing obsession. A particular passion of his, he enjoys cooking up a good roast or stew almost as much as he does a colourful character or a magical realm. Much of his debut novel 'The Worth of Scars' was dreamt up while simmering sauces, peeling vegetables or searing meats (a detail that might go some way towards explaining the grimness of the story's magic system).
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
For fans of A Game of Thrones and Jay Kristoff, this is an epic grimdark flintlock fantasy novel.
Six misfits with tragic or shameful pasts - a bookworm, a brothel madam, a gangster, an aristocrat, a widow, and a war hero - are assembled by an old man at an inn.
That’s all I am going to say because this is a slow burn book where the plot doesn’t truly start until 30% in.
The start of the book does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setting up certain characters.
The characters are well-realised and intriguing, reminding me of Joe Abercrombie’s character work. However, it can be frustrating to jump from different character stories as you don’t feel like you’ve got a grip on the plot or direction.
The plot gets exciting and epic, gory and dark. The magic system is revealed with horrific costs - a tie in to the title: scarring and disfiguring oneself for power.
‘What is the point of trying to save the world, if we do it by ignoring and upholding the evil that exists within it?’ asked Zlata. ‘If you let a child die in order to advance a worthy cause, how can it then be worthy?’
Whilst the world building seemed immense and vast, I struggled coming to grips with it as it was fed in drips and relied on occasional info dumping. Likewise, the plot plodded along, and the climax escalated everything FAST. It was a bit too much all at once for me.
The character work was the best part. Intricate, varied, and emotional. The dynamics reminded me of the push and pull of the Six of Crows cast.
I do think there were too many characters in the main cast. Some were clearly favoured and others neglected and lacking any big role in the story, yet had their own POVs.
This is a start to a series, but book one wraps up extremely satisfyingly. If you don’t read the epilogue, you could almost believe this a standalone.
Overall, a very ambitious effort that is a long read and doesn’t hold your hand, but is worth it for characters that jump off the page and a gritty atmosphere.
Arc read via NetGalley.
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Six misfits with tragic or shameful pasts - a bookworm, a brothel madam, a gangster, an aristocrat, a widow, and a war hero - are assembled by an old man at an inn.
That’s all I am going to say because this is a slow burn book where the plot doesn’t truly start until 30% in.
The start of the book does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setting up certain characters.
The characters are well-realised and intriguing, reminding me of Joe Abercrombie’s character work. However, it can be frustrating to jump from different character stories as you don’t feel like you’ve got a grip on the plot or direction.
The plot gets exciting and epic, gory and dark. The magic system is revealed with horrific costs - a tie in to the title: scarring and disfiguring oneself for power.
‘What is the point of trying to save the world, if we do it by ignoring and upholding the evil that exists within it?’ asked Zlata. ‘If you let a child die in order to advance a worthy cause, how can it then be worthy?’
Whilst the world building seemed immense and vast, I struggled coming to grips with it as it was fed in drips and relied on occasional info dumping. Likewise, the plot plodded along, and the climax escalated everything FAST. It was a bit too much all at once for me.
The character work was the best part. Intricate, varied, and emotional. The dynamics reminded me of the push and pull of the Six of Crows cast.
I do think there were too many characters in the main cast. Some were clearly favoured and others neglected and lacking any big role in the story, yet had their own POVs.
This is a start to a series, but book one wraps up extremely satisfyingly. If you don’t read the epilogue, you could almost believe this a standalone.
Overall, a very ambitious effort that is a long read and doesn’t hold your hand, but is worth it for characters that jump off the page and a gritty atmosphere.
Arc read via NetGalley.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m utterly blown away by The Worth of Scars.
On average, it probably takes me between 6 months and a year to read a book, but I flew through this in a couple of weeks. The unique world and magic system are incredibly detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, as Gabriel drip feeds details in way that lets you discover the regions, magic and history of the Serafin alongside the characters - slowly revealing layer after layer of the plot.
I experienced a full spectrum of emotions reading this book (a testament to the writing of course!), but what stood out for me was the quick-witted humour. Reading this on the plane, I quickly became that annoying person who keeps laughing out loud while everyone else is trying to sleep. Without the fleshed out characters and slow-burning development, the humour and dark, emotional sections could have fallen flat, but I was fully invested in each member of the company.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, but will have to grab a hard-copy to revisit this world in future - and of course for that awesome cover…
On average, it probably takes me between 6 months and a year to read a book, but I flew through this in a couple of weeks. The unique world and magic system are incredibly detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, as Gabriel drip feeds details in way that lets you discover the regions, magic and history of the Serafin alongside the characters - slowly revealing layer after layer of the plot.
I experienced a full spectrum of emotions reading this book (a testament to the writing of course!), but what stood out for me was the quick-witted humour. Reading this on the plane, I quickly became that annoying person who keeps laughing out loud while everyone else is trying to sleep. Without the fleshed out characters and slow-burning development, the humour and dark, emotional sections could have fallen flat, but I was fully invested in each member of the company.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, but will have to grab a hard-copy to revisit this world in future - and of course for that awesome cover…
October 8, 2026
The niche genre of grimdark epic fantasy is propped on the shoulders of indie authors. To support and showcase new voices in our pet genre of grit and gloom, I picked up The Worth of Scars, the first entry in The Scarred Saga. The debut offering of author Gabriel Farrell, The Worth of Scars channels pain and suffering into magic, and that tagline was enough to get me hooked!
Read this review and more on GrimDark Magazine.
This ARC review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
The Worth of Scars takes the beloved trope of the assembled clan of misfits to defeat the “big bad” and drags it through the muck of the grimdark machine. Farrell’s tale is set in a world where the benevolent god Andarra, goes against her divine siblings and grants magical abilities to her most devout supplicants. To punish Andarra, and the descendants of mortals unworthy of a such a great boon, the other gods curse humanity to undergo pain and suffering as a trigger to wield their gifts, making them permanently scarred.
When the threat of the awakening of the malicious gods plagues humanity, Kornelius, one of Andarra’s primary acolytes must gather a ragtag group of stout folk from various walks of life, to battle the looming doom, and prove the Worth of their Scars.
The Worth of Scars follows a non-linear structure told across various timelines, the primary thread following the present-day, while several chapters showcase the backstories of various members of the “heroic” (there are no heroes in grimdark, duh!) group. These “set in the past” chapters lay special emphasis on the traumatic ordeals each endured to make them prime candidates to become future Scarred.
Primarily a character-driven book, The Worth of Scars benefits from a wide cast of characters, and author Farrell does a good job to give them individual voices, motivations, and more critically to the theme, points of abject suffering! Whether it is the defamed fop noble, Zigmar, typecast to be a hedonist and unbefitting of his nobility, or the portly bookworm, Petar who stumbles upon his parents’ fraudulent schemes, inadvertently leading them to the gallows, Farrell provides enough wood for the characters to crucify themselves with self-loathing. Adding to this “happy” list is Vera, a boudoir madam drawn into a devious plot in the city’s underworld leading to a tragic end, Zlata, the architect of a failed peasant rebellion which did more harm than good, Nil, a rogueish gangster, and Oskar, a theatric coward resting on the laurels of stolen valor.
The bulk of The Worth of Scars revolves around Kornelius’ journey to wrangle this band of misfits and navigate their interpersonal squabbles, while imposing upon them the import of his world-saving mission, as they journey through various locales in Farrell’s world. The band travels by land and sea from one rat-laden city to another, with classic bleak grimdark aesthetics. Most importantly, Kornelius cryptically harnesses each member’s self-hate into an opportunity for them to “scar” themselves to unlock their magical gifts and wield them against forces bent to thwart them through their adventure.
While The Worth of Scars excels on its character work, it is sadly the majority of where praise can be levied. The other aspects of this first offering feels underdeveloped. The overarching plot of the threat of an awakening antagonist has been done to death in the dark fantasy space, and The Worth of Scars does very little to shake up the tired mechanisms of this plot structure. The worldbuilding also feels underbaked, even with many, many… many names of one-dimensional side characters, locations, and peoples lobbed at the reader with very little to anchor or invest in them at all! While the action scenes are well written, the pacing of The Worth of Scars is uneven at best, with heavy chunks of exposition grinding the cadence to a near halt, while readers are fed backstory, forced to sit through lengthy “tell don’t show” sins, which lessens the overall enjoyment of the novel.
What drew me to pick up The Worth of Scars was the unique premise of suffering as a trigger for magic, allowing my imagination to run wild with gritty and gruesome displays of magic and pain. Sadly, this first entry inadequately follows through with that promise. While Farrell describes various types of healing and destructive magical abilities, he does very little to showcase them in The Worth of Scars. Perhaps this first novel is intended to be more a character setup, and future entries will flesh out the magical abilities with direct displays to get the blood pumping (figuratively from the reader, and literally from our heroes).
Two aspects of The Worth of Scars will unfortunately be the “pain points” for many readers, especially those unfamiliar with the stamina required for epic dark fantasy. The first, and more egregious is Farrell’s heavy-handedness with his prose. The Worth of Scars is an extremely “overwritten” book, with needlessly long text-blocks, paragraphs, scenes, and chapters, which sap much of the momentum from the book. This novel is a prime example of the worth of an editor, who would wield their red pen like a scalpel to pare away all the fat, to give readers a lean, meaty book. In the effort of telling an “epic doorstopper” tale, Farrell falls in the “quantity over quality” trap. The second aspect follows from the first, making both worse for wear. Farrell overuses the trope of “wait and see”. Kornelius, the primary plot driver is infuriatingly cryptic with his messaging, frustrating both the characters (good storytelling) and reader (bad storytelling) in equal measure. The final act of The Worth of Scars is a direct consequence of both aspects, yielding a conclusion that felt rushed, underbaked, and overwrought at the same time, leaving me scratching my head!
I think there is some worth to the scars that Farrell cuts with his first entry in The Scarred Saga. The Worth of Scars sits on the foundation of a unique premise, with a good set of characters. However, the roughness of the indie world is on full display with this debut work, with various aspects of the craft holding the art back from its true potential.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to author Gabriel Farrell, GrimDark Magazine, and NetGalley
Read this review and more on GrimDark Magazine.
This ARC review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
The Worth of Scars takes the beloved trope of the assembled clan of misfits to defeat the “big bad” and drags it through the muck of the grimdark machine. Farrell’s tale is set in a world where the benevolent god Andarra, goes against her divine siblings and grants magical abilities to her most devout supplicants. To punish Andarra, and the descendants of mortals unworthy of a such a great boon, the other gods curse humanity to undergo pain and suffering as a trigger to wield their gifts, making them permanently scarred.
When the threat of the awakening of the malicious gods plagues humanity, Kornelius, one of Andarra’s primary acolytes must gather a ragtag group of stout folk from various walks of life, to battle the looming doom, and prove the Worth of their Scars.
The Worth of Scars follows a non-linear structure told across various timelines, the primary thread following the present-day, while several chapters showcase the backstories of various members of the “heroic” (there are no heroes in grimdark, duh!) group. These “set in the past” chapters lay special emphasis on the traumatic ordeals each endured to make them prime candidates to become future Scarred.
Primarily a character-driven book, The Worth of Scars benefits from a wide cast of characters, and author Farrell does a good job to give them individual voices, motivations, and more critically to the theme, points of abject suffering! Whether it is the defamed fop noble, Zigmar, typecast to be a hedonist and unbefitting of his nobility, or the portly bookworm, Petar who stumbles upon his parents’ fraudulent schemes, inadvertently leading them to the gallows, Farrell provides enough wood for the characters to crucify themselves with self-loathing. Adding to this “happy” list is Vera, a boudoir madam drawn into a devious plot in the city’s underworld leading to a tragic end, Zlata, the architect of a failed peasant rebellion which did more harm than good, Nil, a rogueish gangster, and Oskar, a theatric coward resting on the laurels of stolen valor.
The bulk of The Worth of Scars revolves around Kornelius’ journey to wrangle this band of misfits and navigate their interpersonal squabbles, while imposing upon them the import of his world-saving mission, as they journey through various locales in Farrell’s world. The band travels by land and sea from one rat-laden city to another, with classic bleak grimdark aesthetics. Most importantly, Kornelius cryptically harnesses each member’s self-hate into an opportunity for them to “scar” themselves to unlock their magical gifts and wield them against forces bent to thwart them through their adventure.
While The Worth of Scars excels on its character work, it is sadly the majority of where praise can be levied. The other aspects of this first offering feels underdeveloped. The overarching plot of the threat of an awakening antagonist has been done to death in the dark fantasy space, and The Worth of Scars does very little to shake up the tired mechanisms of this plot structure. The worldbuilding also feels underbaked, even with many, many… many names of one-dimensional side characters, locations, and peoples lobbed at the reader with very little to anchor or invest in them at all! While the action scenes are well written, the pacing of The Worth of Scars is uneven at best, with heavy chunks of exposition grinding the cadence to a near halt, while readers are fed backstory, forced to sit through lengthy “tell don’t show” sins, which lessens the overall enjoyment of the novel.
What drew me to pick up The Worth of Scars was the unique premise of suffering as a trigger for magic, allowing my imagination to run wild with gritty and gruesome displays of magic and pain. Sadly, this first entry inadequately follows through with that promise. While Farrell describes various types of healing and destructive magical abilities, he does very little to showcase them in The Worth of Scars. Perhaps this first novel is intended to be more a character setup, and future entries will flesh out the magical abilities with direct displays to get the blood pumping (figuratively from the reader, and literally from our heroes).
Two aspects of The Worth of Scars will unfortunately be the “pain points” for many readers, especially those unfamiliar with the stamina required for epic dark fantasy. The first, and more egregious is Farrell’s heavy-handedness with his prose. The Worth of Scars is an extremely “overwritten” book, with needlessly long text-blocks, paragraphs, scenes, and chapters, which sap much of the momentum from the book. This novel is a prime example of the worth of an editor, who would wield their red pen like a scalpel to pare away all the fat, to give readers a lean, meaty book. In the effort of telling an “epic doorstopper” tale, Farrell falls in the “quantity over quality” trap. The second aspect follows from the first, making both worse for wear. Farrell overuses the trope of “wait and see”. Kornelius, the primary plot driver is infuriatingly cryptic with his messaging, frustrating both the characters (good storytelling) and reader (bad storytelling) in equal measure. The final act of The Worth of Scars is a direct consequence of both aspects, yielding a conclusion that felt rushed, underbaked, and overwrought at the same time, leaving me scratching my head!
I think there is some worth to the scars that Farrell cuts with his first entry in The Scarred Saga. The Worth of Scars sits on the foundation of a unique premise, with a good set of characters. However, the roughness of the indie world is on full display with this debut work, with various aspects of the craft holding the art back from its true potential.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to author Gabriel Farrell, GrimDark Magazine, and NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I can't believe I get to be the first to review this amazing book.
I got an ARC from Netgalley, all thoughts are 10000% my own.
I was a bit sceptical at the beginning, unsure why we start with Ziggy's, Nils, and Petars back stories. I was impatient to get to the "start" of the story, the point where all main characters meet up and go on their quest. But oh how wrong I was to be impatient. Looking back, and likely when I will inevitably reread this masterpiece, every single introduction is so important. We need to see these three at their lowest. We need to understand where they come from. And it's so masterfully interwoven with their respective arc, or in Petars case, the arc I expect to come. Especially Ziggy, arguably the main character, has a fantastic transformation over the course of the book, while never feeling like a different character. Everything he does fits perfectly with what we have already seen of him, the heroic deeds, as well as the cowardly ones. Of course he's the last to use his powers. Of course he's the one to give the speech at the funeral. It all fits so perfectly.
So yes. This story takes its time. And it's all the better for it. We need every single problem these characters face, so that they can grow on it. We need them to dance back and forth between utter trust in Kornelius and doubting him heavily. Because we the reader can never be sure to trust him.
This book is very dark, and I definitely would have wept had I not read the last few chapters in public. It's so tragic and unapologetically grim. At the start, it may be a bit too much, and you might wanna put it down, but as the characters have to face this, so do we.
My only issue throughout the book, was that we knew too little about two of our leads, namely Zlata and Oscar. But both of them received focus in the later half, that other MCs got during the first half, so I cannot even complain about that.
Thank you so much for letting me read this book for free and be assured that I'm grabbing a physical copy as soon as I'm at work next. I'll recommend this to every dark fantasy reader I know. A fantastic debut that simply leaves you yearning for more
I got an ARC from Netgalley, all thoughts are 10000% my own.
I was a bit sceptical at the beginning, unsure why we start with Ziggy's, Nils, and Petars back stories. I was impatient to get to the "start" of the story, the point where all main characters meet up and go on their quest. But oh how wrong I was to be impatient. Looking back, and likely when I will inevitably reread this masterpiece, every single introduction is so important. We need to see these three at their lowest. We need to understand where they come from. And it's so masterfully interwoven with their respective arc, or in Petars case, the arc I expect to come. Especially Ziggy, arguably the main character, has a fantastic transformation over the course of the book, while never feeling like a different character. Everything he does fits perfectly with what we have already seen of him, the heroic deeds, as well as the cowardly ones. Of course he's the last to use his powers. Of course he's the one to give the speech at the funeral. It all fits so perfectly.
So yes. This story takes its time. And it's all the better for it. We need every single problem these characters face, so that they can grow on it. We need them to dance back and forth between utter trust in Kornelius and doubting him heavily. Because we the reader can never be sure to trust him.
This book is very dark, and I definitely would have wept had I not read the last few chapters in public. It's so tragic and unapologetically grim. At the start, it may be a bit too much, and you might wanna put it down, but as the characters have to face this, so do we.
My only issue throughout the book, was that we knew too little about two of our leads, namely Zlata and Oscar. But both of them received focus in the later half, that other MCs got during the first half, so I cannot even complain about that.
Thank you so much for letting me read this book for free and be assured that I'm grabbing a physical copy as soon as I'm at work next. I'll recommend this to every dark fantasy reader I know. A fantastic debut that simply leaves you yearning for more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4★’s. I am genuinely blown away by the author’s sheer imagination, the world-building in this book completely left me speechless. The magic system is entirely unique. I won't lie, the intriguing premise of how characters draw power from self-pain is what drew me to the book in the first place, and it did not disappoint! I’m SO curious to discover more of how it works. I loved learning about the scarred, how they operate in society or how it affects their personality. Really fun stuff.
Also, the character dynamics gave me major Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo vibes, and i mean that in the absolute best way possible because i LOVE that book! While this feels like a much darker, more adult version, the crew shares that same undeniable chemistry and emotional pull. I loved reading their individual povs every chapter, every single one of them was so well done. I particularly enjoyed the female characters, as a woman it’s rare to find women who are this well-written while also being allowed to be delightfully flawed. Vera, Nil, and especially Zlata were fantastic to read. Okay and Ziggy’s chapters were fun as hell too, i chuckled more than i’d like to admit. Despite the heavy themes and complex magic, the narrative is perfectly balanced with such a great dry humor, which I believe makes a long complex fantasy book like this one feel less intimidating.
The only reason this isn’t a full 5-star read for me comes down to the final stretch. Part 4 to me felt somewhat like a jarring shift that left me more confused than i would have liked. I’m not sure if it was the pacing or the amount of sudden info-dumping, but it overwhelmed me a little. Other than that, the emotional payoff was definitely there. That last chapter...yeah. Overall, i was completely pulled in. Even after a minor cornea injury forced me to stop reading for a week, i couldn’t wait to pick it back up! I’m really excited to see where this series goes. Gabriel, we need to talk about that epilogue IMMEDIATELY.
Thank you to Gabriel Farrell, Lillie Arthur Press, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Also, the character dynamics gave me major Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo vibes, and i mean that in the absolute best way possible because i LOVE that book! While this feels like a much darker, more adult version, the crew shares that same undeniable chemistry and emotional pull. I loved reading their individual povs every chapter, every single one of them was so well done. I particularly enjoyed the female characters, as a woman it’s rare to find women who are this well-written while also being allowed to be delightfully flawed. Vera, Nil, and especially Zlata were fantastic to read. Okay and Ziggy’s chapters were fun as hell too, i chuckled more than i’d like to admit. Despite the heavy themes and complex magic, the narrative is perfectly balanced with such a great dry humor, which I believe makes a long complex fantasy book like this one feel less intimidating.
The only reason this isn’t a full 5-star read for me comes down to the final stretch. Part 4 to me felt somewhat like a jarring shift that left me more confused than i would have liked. I’m not sure if it was the pacing or the amount of sudden info-dumping, but it overwhelmed me a little. Other than that, the emotional payoff was definitely there. That last chapter...yeah. Overall, i was completely pulled in. Even after a minor cornea injury forced me to stop reading for a week, i couldn’t wait to pick it back up! I’m really excited to see where this series goes. Gabriel, we need to talk about that epilogue IMMEDIATELY.
Thank you to Gabriel Farrell, Lillie Arthur Press, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 30, 2026
**Thank-you to @netgalley and @gfarrellauthor for this early read ARC in exchange for my honest review**
Holy hell, guys! This book is INTENSE and one hell of a debut!
This book treats you like you’ve stumbled into a fight, gotten the ever-loving shit kicked out of you, and then, on the way home, gotten hit by a car and dragged behind it for a mile or so. It is NOT kind.
There is nothing nice here. Zero redemption. The characters are so deeply flawed that you genuinely have to wonder if there is anything good about them at all. The world is rough, jagged, and sharp enough to cut you without remorse.
And the journey? Relentless. It doesn’t give you time to catch your breath, process the trauma, or even begin to get your bearings before throwing you straight into another pit of wolves and telling you to figure out how to survive.
No one is coming to save you here.
But honestly, even if they were… would you really want to escape?
Because I sure didn’t.
This story is a FULL experience. It’s more than words on a page. It’s more than a story to pass the time. This book gets under your skin. It affects you. It changes something in you and leaves you sitting there afterward wondering if you really needed that little bit of sanity you had left in the first place.
And the fact that this is a debut?! Absolutely wild.
The world is brutal, the characters are a disaster in the best possible way, and the story just keeps pushing further into the darkness. There is no safety net, no easy way out, and definitely no guarantee that anyone is making it through this whole thing in one piece.
This was such a ridiculously strong debut that I will be making any and every book @gfarrellauthor writes an immediate buy.
And I literally cannot WAIT for the next installment. I have questions that NEED answers, and there are clearly more evils lurking in this world.
We are absolutely not done here.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -5/5 stars!!!
951 pages of suffering, chaos, and somehow… I wanted MORE.
Holy hell, guys! This book is INTENSE and one hell of a debut!
This book treats you like you’ve stumbled into a fight, gotten the ever-loving shit kicked out of you, and then, on the way home, gotten hit by a car and dragged behind it for a mile or so. It is NOT kind.
There is nothing nice here. Zero redemption. The characters are so deeply flawed that you genuinely have to wonder if there is anything good about them at all. The world is rough, jagged, and sharp enough to cut you without remorse.
And the journey? Relentless. It doesn’t give you time to catch your breath, process the trauma, or even begin to get your bearings before throwing you straight into another pit of wolves and telling you to figure out how to survive.
No one is coming to save you here.
But honestly, even if they were… would you really want to escape?
Because I sure didn’t.
This story is a FULL experience. It’s more than words on a page. It’s more than a story to pass the time. This book gets under your skin. It affects you. It changes something in you and leaves you sitting there afterward wondering if you really needed that little bit of sanity you had left in the first place.
And the fact that this is a debut?! Absolutely wild.
The world is brutal, the characters are a disaster in the best possible way, and the story just keeps pushing further into the darkness. There is no safety net, no easy way out, and definitely no guarantee that anyone is making it through this whole thing in one piece.
This was such a ridiculously strong debut that I will be making any and every book @gfarrellauthor writes an immediate buy.
And I literally cannot WAIT for the next installment. I have questions that NEED answers, and there are clearly more evils lurking in this world.
We are absolutely not done here.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -5/5 stars!!!
951 pages of suffering, chaos, and somehow… I wanted MORE.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I can safely say that this book is (as I like to say) the hidden gem of this year!
Let me start with the cover: for some reason, my brain immediately went to Les Misérables because of the similar vibe and brushstrokes, and I love it!
The world-building is brilliant and so spacious, while at the same time not overwhelming, and it easily draws you into this world.
The story is told from multiple POVs, starting from the very beginning of their respective journeys.
Little by little, brick by brick, we witness them changing and growing, with everything they go through shaping their identities until their paths intertwine in the most natural and perfect way.
I have to confess that I'm an impatient reader, and it was a challenge for me at the beginning, but the reward afterwards was absolutely worth it. Looking back, I can see the perfect, solid foundation for these characters.
Another strong and intriguing part was the magic system, and I loved learning about the Scarred, how the use of their magic affects them, and how it shapes their personalities. There’s still much to learn about them, and I’m definitely hooked.
Gritty and dark, but the subtle humour added the perfect amount of levity, balancing out the heavy and darker parts of this book.
So happy that I got to read this gem of a book!
Let me start with the cover: for some reason, my brain immediately went to Les Misérables because of the similar vibe and brushstrokes, and I love it!
The world-building is brilliant and so spacious, while at the same time not overwhelming, and it easily draws you into this world.
The story is told from multiple POVs, starting from the very beginning of their respective journeys.
Little by little, brick by brick, we witness them changing and growing, with everything they go through shaping their identities until their paths intertwine in the most natural and perfect way.
I have to confess that I'm an impatient reader, and it was a challenge for me at the beginning, but the reward afterwards was absolutely worth it. Looking back, I can see the perfect, solid foundation for these characters.
Another strong and intriguing part was the magic system, and I loved learning about the Scarred, how the use of their magic affects them, and how it shapes their personalities. There’s still much to learn about them, and I’m definitely hooked.
Gritty and dark, but the subtle humour added the perfect amount of levity, balancing out the heavy and darker parts of this book.
So happy that I got to read this gem of a book!
October 5, 2026
I really loved this book. One of the things that stood out to me most was just how different the characters were from one another. They each had such distinct personalities and perspectives, and I really enjoyed seeing how those differences shaped the way they interacted. Their relationships felt natural, especially when they disagreed or challenged each other, and I found myself just as interested in their interactions as I was in the larger story.
I also really enjoyed how dark the book was. There’s a real brutality to the world and the story that I appreciated, and it never felt like the darkness was simply there for shock value. It gave the story a sense of weight and made the consequences of what the characters were facing feel much more real.
At the same time, there’s enough humor and personality throughout to keep it from becoming overwhelmingly bleak. I thought that balance worked particularly well.
The characters and the darker tone are definitely what made this a five-star read for me. I became genuinely invested in this group and in seeing how they would continue to navigate everything being thrown at them. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
I also really enjoyed how dark the book was. There’s a real brutality to the world and the story that I appreciated, and it never felt like the darkness was simply there for shock value. It gave the story a sense of weight and made the consequences of what the characters were facing feel much more real.
At the same time, there’s enough humor and personality throughout to keep it from becoming overwhelmingly bleak. I thought that balance worked particularly well.
The characters and the darker tone are definitely what made this a five-star read for me. I became genuinely invested in this group and in seeing how they would continue to navigate everything being thrown at them. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Worth of Scars is an impressive debut fantasy novel with an immersive world and very interesting magic system. The magic system is what got my attention first and foremost, with self-mutilation required for its use. I really enjoy a hard magic system with a direct cost to the user, limiting capabilities and also requiring strategy and sacrifice in its use.
While I enjoyed the world and the magic system, I personally think the book would have benefited from having less POVs throughout. If we had followed 2-3 of the main cast in the first book and expanded on this in subsequent novels it would have allowed for a stronger connection to the characters. Additionally, I think this would also help refine the pacing, with frequent jumping of POVs slightly disrupting the immersion and flow of the story.
With that said, it was a great cast of characters with some having really strong character development arcs over the course of the book which felt true to who they were, considering their life experiences to date.
Thank you to Lillie Arthur Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While I enjoyed the world and the magic system, I personally think the book would have benefited from having less POVs throughout. If we had followed 2-3 of the main cast in the first book and expanded on this in subsequent novels it would have allowed for a stronger connection to the characters. Additionally, I think this would also help refine the pacing, with frequent jumping of POVs slightly disrupting the immersion and flow of the story.
With that said, it was a great cast of characters with some having really strong character development arcs over the course of the book which felt true to who they were, considering their life experiences to date.
Thank you to Lillie Arthur Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 23, 2026
Thanks to author Gabriel Farrell for this hugely satisfying epic, which I tucked into with relish and which has stuck with far more than many other heavyweights of the genre. It displays immense skill to craft such an original backstory and world, complete with its own completely immersive theology and magic system, but also to inject such life and humour into the characters, which must have been so much fun to write!
I was most impressed by the range here, though. There were numerous lines which had me laughing out loud despite the otherwise hard-hitting content, others which were raw and unapologetically challenging, and still others which evoked vivid landscapes or scenes of human struggle. It has the makings of a modern classic series, and I am really hoping that the next instalment will appear sooner rather than later after this brilliant debut.
I am grateful to have received an ARC of this novel. However, I have based my review solely on the quality of the writing.
I was most impressed by the range here, though. There were numerous lines which had me laughing out loud despite the otherwise hard-hitting content, others which were raw and unapologetically challenging, and still others which evoked vivid landscapes or scenes of human struggle. It has the makings of a modern classic series, and I am really hoping that the next instalment will appear sooner rather than later after this brilliant debut.
I am grateful to have received an ARC of this novel. However, I have based my review solely on the quality of the writing.
September 30, 2026
Very dark!
If you have read A Game of Thrones, then this is a must-read for you. This book brings together a disparate group of six individuals to battle one of mankind's greatest enemies. This is an epic flintlock fantasy with a quest that will test the resolve of the characters over and over again. This book is multiple POVs and each character is well narrated and has a distinct personality, and not all of them are particularly likeable. I will say this again; this is a very long, and very dark book filled with action, violence, bloody battles, a somewhat disturbing system of magic, and enough twists and turns in the plot that I was occasionally left reeling. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Hidden Gems.
If you have read A Game of Thrones, then this is a must-read for you. This book brings together a disparate group of six individuals to battle one of mankind's greatest enemies. This is an epic flintlock fantasy with a quest that will test the resolve of the characters over and over again. This book is multiple POVs and each character is well narrated and has a distinct personality, and not all of them are particularly likeable. I will say this again; this is a very long, and very dark book filled with action, violence, bloody battles, a somewhat disturbing system of magic, and enough twists and turns in the plot that I was occasionally left reeling. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Hidden Gems.
September 30, 2026
Get pulled into a brilliant tale which will take you on an exciting journey. Follow them as they try to fight the danger they are about to face. See just what is going and where they will take you
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a thrilling adventure tale
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a thrilling adventure tale
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