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A Crown for the Promised
The promised crown must be restored. Life must once again light the right.
500 years ago, three Angels bestowed a crown on Lucien Verdant. A crown bound with the promise of preserving life throughout Morbidia.
But the lineage of Verdant turned against humanity and waged a crusade against the entire world, twisting the meaning of their faith. The promise of the Angels is tainted in the service of those who yearns for power.
Five are caught in the turmoil. An acolyte of the Angels questioning the depth of his faith; a crusader seeking a better life; a princess terrorised by love; a bastard fighting for survival; and a mercenary who’s in it for the fun.
500 years ago, three Angels bestowed a crown on Lucien Verdant. A crown bound with the promise of preserving life throughout Morbidia.
But the lineage of Verdant turned against humanity and waged a crusade against the entire world, twisting the meaning of their faith. The promise of the Angels is tainted in the service of those who yearns for power.
Five are caught in the turmoil. An acolyte of the Angels questioning the depth of his faith; a crusader seeking a better life; a princess terrorised by love; a bastard fighting for survival; and a mercenary who’s in it for the fun.
570 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5⭐ for this ambitious debut. I wanted to give this a go seeing as it's a Singapore-based author writing fantasy. Thank you to author Joshua Dharmawan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
TW: rape [not depicted; aftermath only], (non-explicit) gang rape, sexual exploitation, graphic torture, genital mutilation, child sexual abuse/implied grooming
I have mixed feelings about ACFTP due to certain creative choices that bugged me too much to enjoy this like other 4-starred reads, but the strength of the plot & character conflicts of the two central protagonists warranted an overall decent rating. This is a hefty 500+ page novel, so yeah I've got a fair bit to say about it.
There's quite a good amount that impressed me as a first book in a planned epic fantasy series. Dharmawan has definitely put in the work. The worldbuilding of Verdania, the kingdom that's the main setting of this novel, is very interesting! Enough to get me to want to know more, but doesn't feel like an overload. As comes with the genre, there are terminology and names created for this world, but the novel thankfully includes a glossary at the back which you can refer to should you forget. (LOVE when fantasy books include glossaries.)
The general plot is compelling; delving into religious fascism, the fallacies & hypocrisy of the military (the knights), and the political struggle between the ruling monarchy, the noble families (AKA the Dawnborn) and the lower classes. This is a multi-POV novel following FIVE characters' perspectives, set against the backdrop of Verdania carrying out invasion attempts on its southern neighbours to forcibly impose its state religion, in which they worship three angels, with Samael taking precedence over the rest.
Within Verdania's borders, its societal issues stem mostly from classism, whereby the poor are deeply despised, regularly exploited by the elite, and denied of life-saving healthcare. That last point is "justified" via their state religion, which preaches only those who possess the Mark of Verdant are permitted to utilise malasence—magical potions produced by vitars (essentially this world's version of priests) using Samael's granted knowledge—to heal wounds and combat maladies. Unsurprisingly, only royalty, vitars, the Dawnborn and those under their servitude have this Mark, which means the poorest of the poor are systemically disenfranchised backed up by their own faith.
Interestingly, Verdania doesn't appear to be patriarchal, with women's presence in the ranks of knights being accepted as regular occurrence and inheritance of the monarchy isn't dictated by gender as far as we know. Dame Seraphina is a female knight who leads her own squadron, but she is undermined by Sir Gareth not necessarily because of her womanhood but because he's a classist Dawnborn asshole that thinks his noble lineage should afford him privilege in the knighthood. The world is also queernormative; same-gender attraction isn't demonised (but interclass relationships are). When it comes to bigotry in a fictional world, I don't think it's inherently a bad decision to focus on one or two social ills.
Moving on to the characters — while there are five POVs, two are the MAIN ones: longtime friends Kadmon, an acolyte training to be a vitar, and Cain, a newly-minted knight. It's clear why they are our main protags, because the combination of both their internal & external conflicts easily make them the most compelling characters. They struggle with the apparent lack of morality in the institutions they believed in (Kadmon with his religion; Cain with his knighthood), while bombarded with devastation all around (Kadmon doing all he can with the dying impoverished; Cain being roped into a literal invasion).
These conflicts lead to the heart of the story: Kadmon & Cain growing beyond their rose-tinted worldview that stemmed from being sheltered within Verdania, and ultimately developing differing ideologies that put their friendship to the test. (Also you don't need to have your queer goggles on tight to sniff out the homoeroticism in same-gender bestfriendship; we do have confirmation!)
Kadmon's character development by book's end was definitely the most interesting to me, and one where I didn't see coming. I've seen another reviewer mention how if you've played the board game that's based on this universe, Kadmon's ending isn't unexpected. (I'm not much a board game/ tabletop/ card game person, so I had the pleasure of being surprised.) Kadmon also had a nice slowburn of a romance that I liked.
Cain, on the other hand, started out very promising, especially with how quickly his romanticized view of knighthood was shattered and the subsequent PTSD that soldiers commonly developas a result of committing atrocities. I've no issue with the morally questionable choices he made leading up to the end; it makes sense for a character who grew up in poverty and wants to distance himself from it that he's had a taste of power. I was more unimpressed with HOW he got there (more on that later when I rant about Ianira's character).
The other three POVs are Michael, one of the many "bastard" children roaming the streets in a neighboring city Garrenborough; Kilgore, a mercenary-for-hire who clashes with the Verdanii army, and Ianira, the vicious & elitist crown princess of Verdania. While five POVs may seem like too many, I can see why these three were selected to enhance the overall plot:
- Michael is the perspective of the victims of Verdania's imperialism
- Kilgore rallies the people of another city to fight back from being invaded (less so for altruistic reasons since he was literally hired to do so). More significantly, Kilgore is also an instrument of Verdania's internal politics at play, as revealed in the climax.
- Ianira is one of the main villains ... or at least, this Book 1 is the set up for her becoming a bigger villainous player as the series goes on. Her presence also drives the wedge larger between Kadmon & Cain.
Now for what didn't work for me:
1) The male gazey parts
This wasn't the worst case of a novel having unnecessary instances of the male gaze, given there's thankfully not that many. The ones that are included *really* wants you the reader to know that breasts are of vital importance here (spoiler: they really aren't).
"Like all Kythular women, she wore a strapless silk dress held up only by her breasts and the tightness of its bodice" -- yeeeaaah breasts don't do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping strapless dresses up, unless these women are wearing tape. Then it's the tape that's doing the work. (Source: me, I have breasts and have worn strapless dresses.) The structure of the bodice is indeed critical, so mentioning that sans the breasts would suffice.
"Lady Elia's nightgown exposed her old and wrinkled skin, along with her saggy breasts and the loose dangling skin below her arms" -- This sounded so absurd that I laughed out loud. Was mentioning her wrinkliness not enough description that she was old af? Saggy breasts, the horror!
Then there's the very first time we're introduced to Ianira, the most prominent female character of the novel. One of the first things we learn about her? She sleeps *naked*. Why? Just because. It's one thing if she woke up post-sex in her own bedroom so there's actually a reason she wasn't clothed, but that's not the case here. (No, she had sex elsewhere, snuck back into her room, was really tired but not too tired to strip bare instead of just falling into bed.) Yes I know IRL there are people that sleep in the nude, but Ianira is a fictional woman who's naked in her introductory scene because someone chose to have her naked.
With these moments in the text, I almost expected to have someone breasting boobily down the stairs.
On that note, Ianira gets her own bullet point just because of how much of her portrayal & character arc was disappointing to me.
2) The hypersexual girlboss
Outside of one brief chapter at the very end that is about the lady knight Branwen, Ianira is the only female character who gets her own POV chapters. Rightfully so since she is one of the key players as a villain on the rise. Now, I enjoy unhinged and unlikeable women! I support women's rights AND their wrongs! So on paper, she should've been fascinating to read.
Instead, I'm jarred by how weird it is that her arc involves this much sex, as compared to the other POV characters who are men (and 1 young boy). All of the explicit, detailed sexual scenes belong to Ianira. The only other time one of the male POV characters gets a sex scene? (Un)shockingly, it's with Ianira. Do we learn of the other male characters' masturbatory habits, oral sex preferences, or even how they had their sexual awakening? Nope, just Ianira. You cannot expect me to believe Kilgore doesn't fuck around much.
(TW: CSA; sexual activity between children)
Possibly the most disturbing moment of the novel is a flashback of 7-year-old (yes, SEVEN) Ianira being ""seduced"" by her 9-year-old childhood friend, on his father's orders. You'd think at MOST, we'd get a harmless chaste kiss, because you know, these are literal children. But no, we straight up got , which is implied to have led to adult Ianira's hypersexuality given . Truly, I don't understand why this HAD to be sexual at all, seeing as the intent was to show Ianira eventually having her heart broken and forming trust issues. Again, she was SEVEN. Not even sevenTEEN. Instead, we get child sexual abuse material (yes, it's abuse because ), when a mere kiss could still achieve the same goal, if physical intimacy HAD to be incorporated.
I get that this is grimdark fantasy. But at least the discomforting, heavy moments from other chapters served a point. E.g. There's a (non-explicit) gang rape scene within the first third of the novel, but that was to show how easily the "Service of the Flesh" that vitars are expected to perform can be abused, especially by knights who are supposed to be honorable. It's a critique on how the military is a huge perpetrator of sexual violence.
The thing that especially grates me is that sure, feel free make your sole female POV character a hypersexual villain. It's eyeroll-worthy, but I can look past it... if at the very LEAST, she was allowed to be portrayed as intelligent or cunning enough to come up with her own schemes that are part of a bigger strategy at play. We're told that Ianira is ambitious and wants to speed up the process of attaining the throne from the father she looks down on. But as a whole, she's not really proving herself to be a masterful player in the game of politics. She can get people to like her with a strategic batting of her lashes, but it takes more than that to actually be competent.
There were two moments that could've showcased Ianira as a proper contender you'd think twice to match wits with, but OTHER people had to tell her how she could be strategic:
- Instead of her alchemist Andres planting the idea, why couldn't Ianira realise on her own that she could *use* Cain to pull strings with ? Her initial intent was just to kill him, which I get was because she wanted revenge, but it's a waste of a potentially useful resource.
- During a later scene where Cain was being dissuaded from remaining associated with Kadmon, Ianira's go-to ploy was to position herself as the better option and downplay Kadmon's influence ("Will you still yearn for his presence when you have the life you desire? When you have me?"). Her manipulation of Cain doesn't go beyond her Irresistible Pussy superpower*; she isn't perceptive enough to see how she can actually use Cain's weakness for Kadmon to her fullest advantage. Instead, it's another noblewoman Lady Elia, who's meeting Cain for the first time, that realises how to exploit Cain's love for Kadmon to take out the bigger threat (and potentially two birds with one stone).
*Earlier in this review, I mentioned how unimpressed I was with Cain's descent into making questionable choices. The catalyst of this was that he fell for Ianira at first sight (yawn), finds her so hot that she could wrap him around her finger with two nights spent together (double yawn), and now he thinks they're in love and is content to be her lapdog. Easily the least interesting route of manipulation this could've taken.
**On Ianira's side, I also roll my eyes at the number of times she was soooo afraid of falling in love with Cain, a guy she barely knows. Why would Cain have that much influence over her? Sure, it's not an uncommon trope for the Seducer to Fall for Their Seductee(?), but she's crossed paths with him like, two times tops at that point. It makes more sense if her concern that she was falling for Cain came after a timeskip, months after they've been together. And even if Ianira thinks he was someone she used to know as a child, that was a whole decade ago? Gurl, get a grip. A man that's a blip on your radar and whom you're planning to use shouldn't unravel you this easily and this early. I feel like the intent was to show how even someone as sadistic as her can have a weakness, but that's where her complicated emotions towards her deceased mother comes into play, not Some Guy.
Other minor quibblings:
- A woman was raped, and a fellow woman was the only other person who tried to protect and support her. Both were eventually killed and the rape victim never received her due justice. Fine, it's within the conventions of this sub-genre. But her rapist is still alive?? Why isn't HE dead too. Don't tell me I have to wait till Book 2 or 3 for him to die (painfully) ??
- We get a glimpse of Kilgore's origin story wherein he was enslaved in an empire where the women oppress the men. Oh joy, matriarchies that function like the patriarchy. Especially when our main setting isn't violently patriarchal so this empire doesn't even act as an interesting foil?
- Am tired of seeing the derogatory slur "wh*re" as a term for sex workers as a whole. How uninspired. And no, this fantasy setting/ Belle Époque-esque time period doesn't excuse it. If modern lingo like "cool" and "messed up" can be used in here, there's no reason "sex workers" or the euphemisms "escort", "courtesan" can't be either. Or you know, create a job term like vitar. Verdania may not condone sex work but why not Garrenborough have its own non-denigrating industry term for sex workers, given how thriving that business is.
- If not for Dharmawan's fancast, I wouldn't have guessed some of these characters were envisioned as BIPOC. Just hair and eye colour aren't sufficient descriptors. It was well past 400+ pages when Cain was described as having a "dark complexion", but better late than never. Kilgore's skin is said to be "sun-kisssed", but you can be white and tanned. Given that you can't necessarily say someone is Indian or African or Indonesian in a fantasy setting since those places don't exist, I've seen other authors mention that their character is brown-skinned in some way, or describe their hair as locs or braids etc, if they are meant to be Black for example.
So, after all this rambling, would I pick up Book 2?
Yep. Again, I do feel that the direction of the overall plot has hooked me enough, especially with Kadmon's development that would be REALLY intriguing in Book 2. I just hope Ianira is handled more interestingly as a villain, and Branwen desperately needs her own POV chapters! Michael, less so in my opinion. I think the perspective his role provides is fulfilled here and he can take a back seat as a side character to let Branwen take the spotlight.
TW: rape [not depicted; aftermath only], (non-explicit) gang rape, sexual exploitation, graphic torture, genital mutilation, child sexual abuse/implied grooming
I have mixed feelings about ACFTP due to certain creative choices that bugged me too much to enjoy this like other 4-starred reads, but the strength of the plot & character conflicts of the two central protagonists warranted an overall decent rating. This is a hefty 500+ page novel, so yeah I've got a fair bit to say about it.
There's quite a good amount that impressed me as a first book in a planned epic fantasy series. Dharmawan has definitely put in the work. The worldbuilding of Verdania, the kingdom that's the main setting of this novel, is very interesting! Enough to get me to want to know more, but doesn't feel like an overload. As comes with the genre, there are terminology and names created for this world, but the novel thankfully includes a glossary at the back which you can refer to should you forget. (LOVE when fantasy books include glossaries.)
The general plot is compelling; delving into religious fascism, the fallacies & hypocrisy of the military (the knights), and the political struggle between the ruling monarchy, the noble families (AKA the Dawnborn) and the lower classes. This is a multi-POV novel following FIVE characters' perspectives, set against the backdrop of Verdania carrying out invasion attempts on its southern neighbours to forcibly impose its state religion, in which they worship three angels, with Samael taking precedence over the rest.
Within Verdania's borders, its societal issues stem mostly from classism, whereby the poor are deeply despised, regularly exploited by the elite, and denied of life-saving healthcare. That last point is "justified" via their state religion, which preaches only those who possess the Mark of Verdant are permitted to utilise malasence—magical potions produced by vitars (essentially this world's version of priests) using Samael's granted knowledge—to heal wounds and combat maladies. Unsurprisingly, only royalty, vitars, the Dawnborn and those under their servitude have this Mark, which means the poorest of the poor are systemically disenfranchised backed up by their own faith.
Interestingly, Verdania doesn't appear to be patriarchal, with women's presence in the ranks of knights being accepted as regular occurrence and inheritance of the monarchy isn't dictated by gender as far as we know. Dame Seraphina is a female knight who leads her own squadron, but she is undermined by Sir Gareth not necessarily because of her womanhood but because he's a classist Dawnborn asshole that thinks his noble lineage should afford him privilege in the knighthood. The world is also queernormative; same-gender attraction isn't demonised (but interclass relationships are). When it comes to bigotry in a fictional world, I don't think it's inherently a bad decision to focus on one or two social ills.
Moving on to the characters — while there are five POVs, two are the MAIN ones: longtime friends Kadmon, an acolyte training to be a vitar, and Cain, a newly-minted knight. It's clear why they are our main protags, because the combination of both their internal & external conflicts easily make them the most compelling characters. They struggle with the apparent lack of morality in the institutions they believed in (Kadmon with his religion; Cain with his knighthood), while bombarded with devastation all around (Kadmon doing all he can with the dying impoverished; Cain being roped into a literal invasion).
These conflicts lead to the heart of the story: Kadmon & Cain growing beyond their rose-tinted worldview that stemmed from being sheltered within Verdania, and ultimately developing differing ideologies that put their friendship to the test. (Also you don't need to have your queer goggles on tight to sniff out the homoeroticism in same-gender bestfriendship; we do have confirmation!)
Kadmon's character development by book's end was definitely the most interesting to me, and one where I didn't see coming. I've seen another reviewer mention how if you've played the board game that's based on this universe, Kadmon's ending isn't unexpected. (I'm not much a board game/ tabletop/ card game person, so I had the pleasure of being surprised.) Kadmon also had a nice slowburn of a romance that I liked.
Cain, on the other hand, started out very promising, especially with how quickly his romanticized view of knighthood was shattered and the subsequent PTSD that soldiers commonly develop
The other three POVs are Michael, one of the many "bastard" children roaming the streets in a neighboring city Garrenborough; Kilgore, a mercenary-for-hire who clashes with the Verdanii army, and Ianira, the vicious & elitist crown princess of Verdania. While five POVs may seem like too many, I can see why these three were selected to enhance the overall plot:
- Michael is the perspective of the victims of Verdania's imperialism
- Kilgore rallies the people of another city to fight back from being invaded (less so for altruistic reasons since he was literally hired to do so). More significantly, Kilgore is also an instrument of Verdania's internal politics at play, as revealed in the climax.
- Ianira is one of the main villains ... or at least, this Book 1 is the set up for her becoming a bigger villainous player as the series goes on. Her presence also drives the wedge larger between Kadmon & Cain.
Now for what didn't work for me:
1) The male gazey parts
This wasn't the worst case of a novel having unnecessary instances of the male gaze, given there's thankfully not that many. The ones that are included *really* wants you the reader to know that breasts are of vital importance here (spoiler: they really aren't).
"Like all Kythular women, she wore a strapless silk dress held up only by her breasts and the tightness of its bodice" -- yeeeaaah breasts don't do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping strapless dresses up, unless these women are wearing tape. Then it's the tape that's doing the work. (Source: me, I have breasts and have worn strapless dresses.) The structure of the bodice is indeed critical, so mentioning that sans the breasts would suffice.
"Lady Elia's nightgown exposed her old and wrinkled skin, along with her saggy breasts and the loose dangling skin below her arms" -- This sounded so absurd that I laughed out loud. Was mentioning her wrinkliness not enough description that she was old af? Saggy breasts, the horror!
Then there's the very first time we're introduced to Ianira, the most prominent female character of the novel. One of the first things we learn about her? She sleeps *naked*. Why? Just because. It's one thing if she woke up post-sex in her own bedroom so there's actually a reason she wasn't clothed, but that's not the case here. (No, she had sex elsewhere, snuck back into her room, was really tired but not too tired to strip bare instead of just falling into bed.) Yes I know IRL there are people that sleep in the nude, but Ianira is a fictional woman who's naked in her introductory scene because someone chose to have her naked.
With these moments in the text, I almost expected to have someone breasting boobily down the stairs.
On that note, Ianira gets her own bullet point just because of how much of her portrayal & character arc was disappointing to me.
2) The hypersexual girlboss
Outside of one brief chapter at the very end that is about the lady knight Branwen, Ianira is the only female character who gets her own POV chapters. Rightfully so since she is one of the key players as a villain on the rise. Now, I enjoy unhinged and unlikeable women! I support women's rights AND their wrongs! So on paper, she should've been fascinating to read.
Instead, I'm jarred by how weird it is that her arc involves this much sex, as compared to the other POV characters who are men (and 1 young boy). All of the explicit, detailed sexual scenes belong to Ianira. The only other time one of the male POV characters gets a sex scene? (Un)shockingly, it's with Ianira. Do we learn of the other male characters' masturbatory habits, oral sex preferences, or even how they had their sexual awakening? Nope, just Ianira. You cannot expect me to believe Kilgore doesn't fuck around much.
(TW: CSA; sexual activity between children)
Possibly the most disturbing moment of the novel is a flashback of 7-year-old (yes, SEVEN) Ianira being ""seduced"" by her 9-year-old childhood friend, on his father's orders. You'd think at MOST, we'd get a harmless chaste kiss, because you know, these are literal children. But no, we straight up got , which is implied to have led to adult Ianira's hypersexuality given . Truly, I don't understand why this HAD to be sexual at all, seeing as the intent was to show Ianira eventually having her heart broken and forming trust issues. Again, she was SEVEN. Not even sevenTEEN. Instead, we get child sexual abuse material (yes, it's abuse because ), when a mere kiss could still achieve the same goal, if physical intimacy HAD to be incorporated.
I get that this is grimdark fantasy. But at least the discomforting, heavy moments from other chapters served a point. E.g. There's a (non-explicit) gang rape scene within the first third of the novel, but that was to show how easily the "Service of the Flesh" that vitars are expected to perform can be abused, especially by knights who are supposed to be honorable. It's a critique on how the military is a huge perpetrator of sexual violence.
The thing that especially grates me is that sure, feel free make your sole female POV character a hypersexual villain. It's eyeroll-worthy, but I can look past it... if at the very LEAST, she was allowed to be portrayed as intelligent or cunning enough to come up with her own schemes that are part of a bigger strategy at play. We're told that Ianira is ambitious and wants to speed up the process of attaining the throne from the father she looks down on. But as a whole, she's not really proving herself to be a masterful player in the game of politics. She can get people to like her with a strategic batting of her lashes, but it takes more than that to actually be competent.
There were two moments that could've showcased Ianira as a proper contender you'd think twice to match wits with, but OTHER people had to tell her how she could be strategic:
- Instead of her alchemist Andres planting the idea, why couldn't Ianira realise on her own that she could *use* Cain to pull strings with ? Her initial intent was just to kill him, which I get was because she wanted revenge, but it's a waste of a potentially useful resource.
- During a later scene where Cain was being dissuaded from remaining associated with Kadmon, Ianira's go-to ploy was to position herself as the better option and downplay Kadmon's influence ("Will you still yearn for his presence when you have the life you desire? When you have me?"). Her manipulation of Cain doesn't go beyond her Irresistible Pussy superpower*; she isn't perceptive enough to see how she can actually use Cain's weakness for Kadmon to her fullest advantage. Instead, it's another noblewoman Lady Elia, who's meeting Cain for the first time, that realises how to exploit Cain's love for Kadmon to take out the bigger threat (and potentially two birds with one stone).
*Earlier in this review, I mentioned how unimpressed I was with Cain's descent into making questionable choices. The catalyst of this was that he fell for Ianira at first sight (yawn), finds her so hot that she could wrap him around her finger with two nights spent together (double yawn), and now he thinks they're in love and is content to be her lapdog. Easily the least interesting route of manipulation this could've taken.
**On Ianira's side, I also roll my eyes at the number of times she was soooo afraid of falling in love with Cain, a guy she barely knows. Why would Cain have that much influence over her? Sure, it's not an uncommon trope for the Seducer to Fall for Their Seductee(?), but she's crossed paths with him like, two times tops at that point. It makes more sense if her concern that she was falling for Cain came after a timeskip, months after they've been together. And even if Ianira thinks he was someone she used to know as a child, that was a whole decade ago? Gurl, get a grip. A man that's a blip on your radar and whom you're planning to use shouldn't unravel you this easily and this early. I feel like the intent was to show how even someone as sadistic as her can have a weakness, but that's where her complicated emotions towards her deceased mother comes into play, not Some Guy.
Other minor quibblings:
- A woman was raped, and a fellow woman was the only other person who tried to protect and support her. Both were eventually killed and the rape victim never received her due justice. Fine, it's within the conventions of this sub-genre. But her rapist is still alive?? Why isn't HE dead too. Don't tell me I have to wait till Book 2 or 3 for him to die (painfully) ??
- We get a glimpse of Kilgore's origin story wherein he was enslaved in an empire where the women oppress the men. Oh joy, matriarchies that function like the patriarchy. Especially when our main setting isn't violently patriarchal so this empire doesn't even act as an interesting foil?
- Am tired of seeing the derogatory slur "wh*re" as a term for sex workers as a whole. How uninspired. And no, this fantasy setting/ Belle Époque-esque time period doesn't excuse it. If modern lingo like "cool" and "messed up" can be used in here, there's no reason "sex workers" or the euphemisms "escort", "courtesan" can't be either. Or you know, create a job term like vitar. Verdania may not condone sex work but why not Garrenborough have its own non-denigrating industry term for sex workers, given how thriving that business is.
- If not for Dharmawan's fancast, I wouldn't have guessed some of these characters were envisioned as BIPOC. Just hair and eye colour aren't sufficient descriptors. It was well past 400+ pages when Cain was described as having a "dark complexion", but better late than never. Kilgore's skin is said to be "sun-kisssed", but you can be white and tanned. Given that you can't necessarily say someone is Indian or African or Indonesian in a fantasy setting since those places don't exist, I've seen other authors mention that their character is brown-skinned in some way, or describe their hair as locs or braids etc, if they are meant to be Black for example.
So, after all this rambling, would I pick up Book 2?
Yep. Again, I do feel that the direction of the overall plot has hooked me enough, especially with Kadmon's development that would be REALLY intriguing in Book 2. I just hope Ianira is handled more interestingly as a villain, and Branwen desperately needs her own POV chapters! Michael, less so in my opinion. I think the perspective his role provides is fulfilled here and he can take a back seat as a side character to let Branwen take the spotlight.
September 2, 2026
This is my honest review, Thank you to the author for the ARC.
A Crown for the Promised is one of the darkest fantasy books I've read this year, so it is definitely not a read for the faint of heart.
There are 5 povs, very different from one another. Each character is fascinating to read because of the contrast they present, as each one have their own morals, defects and a clear path that will change them...or make them what they always were destined to be. Kadmon is my absolute favorite, and Ianira is one of the most fascinating and scary characters I've read. She is alluring because of her atitude and the way she goes for her goals, which makes her a very complex dark character.
Cain is complicated because he is young, but you can already see the kind of person he is at the start, almost passive and a coward, but we can't also deny the fact that he reflects a lot of people. Michael and Kilgore had a little less time on-page, but they were just as good and enjoyable to read. Which makes everything that happens hard to read.
The world is fantastic, I loved reading about the lore of the Angels, how the faith was wrapped and corrupted, especially between the nobles. Again, this is the kind of worldbuilding that makes me weak.
I would say the story has a good balance between character drive and plot drive, because they shape each other. There is a lot of harsh and brutal scenes that reminded me of Euron Greyjoy, but in general it was a fantastic read, no matter how much I suffered.
A Crown for the Promised is one of the darkest fantasy books I've read this year, so it is definitely not a read for the faint of heart.
There are 5 povs, very different from one another. Each character is fascinating to read because of the contrast they present, as each one have their own morals, defects and a clear path that will change them...or make them what they always were destined to be. Kadmon is my absolute favorite, and Ianira is one of the most fascinating and scary characters I've read. She is alluring because of her atitude and the way she goes for her goals, which makes her a very complex dark character.
Cain is complicated because he is young, but you can already see the kind of person he is at the start, almost passive and a coward, but we can't also deny the fact that he reflects a lot of people. Michael and Kilgore had a little less time on-page, but they were just as good and enjoyable to read. Which makes everything that happens hard to read.
The world is fantastic, I loved reading about the lore of the Angels, how the faith was wrapped and corrupted, especially between the nobles. Again, this is the kind of worldbuilding that makes me weak.
I would say the story has a good balance between character drive and plot drive, because they shape each other. There is a lot of harsh and brutal scenes that reminded me of Euron Greyjoy, but in general it was a fantastic read, no matter how much I suffered.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received a copy (both physical and ebook) of A Crown for the Promised as an ARC from Joshua Dharmawan and I leaving this review voluntarily.
I am going to try to leave this review without too many spoilers.
First off, this book is what peak dark, gothic fantasy looks like in the modern age. The prose is somehow succinct and beautiful all at once. From page one, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. Kadmon and Cain's story is so intricate and their relationship with one another is one of the greatest I have ever read! I would say it rivals Elend Venture and Vin from Mistborn. Some may think that's a stretch, but even in their interaction before Cain leaves, you can see the love, adoration, and respect each one has for the other.
The worldbuilding is especially thought out! Verdania feels like a lived-in world, rather than just something thrown together to create a story (which I can appreciate). Instead of expo dumping, ACftP sprinkles the lore throughout.
I couldn't finish this book fast enough. The political tensions, the "whose right, whose wrong" premise, and the overall vibes of this book are astounding. If you loved Bloodborne, Life of P, and any gothic Victorian vibes, this book is for you! It was also reminiscent, in my opinion, to GRRM and Joe Abercrombie.
I am very grateful to Joshua for allowing me to ARC read his magnum opus (I have high expectations for book 2). I do also plan on doing a reread of the book at some point to catch anything I may have missed. This book is chunky (which can sometimes work to the detriment of a debut author) but it works on multiple levels.
There is definitely something to be said of a certain scene regarding a 7yo and her 9yo friend, as I'm sure has been mentioned before in other reviews. I won't go into detail here, but it is definitely heavy, even for a grimdark fantasy. I understand that the tones of dark fantasy leave no stone unturned, but going in I wish I knew about that. I would have still read it, but the knowledge of something like that happening is something that would've been nice to know up-front.
With that said, it was a very interesting read, one that I would recommend lovers of Grimdark fantasy to pick up (granted they have the time for a 400 page beast).
I am going to try to leave this review without too many spoilers.
First off, this book is what peak dark, gothic fantasy looks like in the modern age. The prose is somehow succinct and beautiful all at once. From page one, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. Kadmon and Cain's story is so intricate and their relationship with one another is one of the greatest I have ever read! I would say it rivals Elend Venture and Vin from Mistborn. Some may think that's a stretch, but even in their interaction before Cain leaves, you can see the love, adoration, and respect each one has for the other.
The worldbuilding is especially thought out! Verdania feels like a lived-in world, rather than just something thrown together to create a story (which I can appreciate). Instead of expo dumping, ACftP sprinkles the lore throughout.
I couldn't finish this book fast enough. The political tensions, the "whose right, whose wrong" premise, and the overall vibes of this book are astounding. If you loved Bloodborne, Life of P, and any gothic Victorian vibes, this book is for you! It was also reminiscent, in my opinion, to GRRM and Joe Abercrombie.
I am very grateful to Joshua for allowing me to ARC read his magnum opus (I have high expectations for book 2). I do also plan on doing a reread of the book at some point to catch anything I may have missed. This book is chunky (which can sometimes work to the detriment of a debut author) but it works on multiple levels.
There is definitely something to be said of a certain scene regarding a 7yo and her 9yo friend, as I'm sure has been mentioned before in other reviews. I won't go into detail here, but it is definitely heavy, even for a grimdark fantasy. I understand that the tones of dark fantasy leave no stone unturned, but going in I wish I knew about that. I would have still read it, but the knowledge of something like that happening is something that would've been nice to know up-front.
With that said, it was a very interesting read, one that I would recommend lovers of Grimdark fantasy to pick up (granted they have the time for a 400 page beast).
Review of advance copy received from Author
The book was throughly enjoyable! I enjoyed a change of pace from the standard Teen - YA “the good guys win in the end”. In the book, there are no definitive “good guys” or “bad guys”. Do take me words with a sizable handful of salt given that I’m just a child and most likely have a far different read of things than adults.
First, the points I enjoyed. One of my favourite pieces of world building found in the book is just how well the first few chapters set the scene. They accomplish an air of mystery around Verdania and very clearly demonstrate the corruption in high verdania. The words impress upon me just how corrupt and wicked the government is but you get the feeling that there is no better option. The words maintain the air of greatness and humility while retaining an undercurrent of corruption. The first Iainira Chapter illustrated this very well.
Another thing I enjoyed is just how meaningless some deaths were. Don’t get me wrong, the deaths of Seraphina, Darius, Phaedra all mattered but my favourite scene showing the futility of death is Sakarafort. The fishermen, the children, the women. They all died for nothing. It didn’t fail to impress upon me just how deep the corruption goes. The knights, despite being portrayed as “defenders of the living” slaughtered innocent civilians and fishermen for nothing. The king ordered their deaths, their massacre for nothing. In a way, I think it gives these meaningless deaths meaning.
Lastly, I loved how the atmosphere of each character changes the speech. For example: Kilgore’s chapters are noticeably more jovial. While Kadmon’s chapters still remain hopeful despite all the suffering happening in them. Right up until the end that is. It really made me feel the depth and personality of the characters without any explicit Tell-not-show.
My main qualm with the book is the fact that there is a board game sharing the universe _after the events of the book_. Don’t get me wrong, I love the board game and am very happy about it but the board game is very liberal with the lore. Just reading the flavour text or looking at the character art speaks of future events. For example, in the card “Children of Thanes” the flavour text mentions Kadmon marching against Verdania. This naturally eliminates any other option than absolute conquest on Kadmon’s part given that you fight him in the game. You know Kilgore dies eventually due to his character art showing him as a skeleton. Although this is foretelling his death, it also effectively gives him plot armour. In his sovereign spotlight, you learn that he is saved by Kadmon. You do not worry about him even when he is dying of Maladi since Kadmon has yet to save him and Kilgore is yet to serve Kadmon. You don’t puzzle over who the traitor of the book is as you’ve learnt all about him. You never question Phaedra as you know Andres carried the cane, would have access to the revolvers and can make use of the corpses. You don’t question what he needs corpses for as in his sovereign spotlight, you learn that he uses the corpses as his body parts. In summary, the board game gives away too much. I didn’t have to puzzle over the mysteries of the book as the board game gave me answers to them.
That concludes the review. Thank you for the chance to try out an ARC, thank you for being fine with my hogging of one spot that entire day during BAGFest 2026. Might I add, I feel that the extra thinking time knowing the answers gave me allowed me to try and decipher the greater mystery. Although it is most likely wrong, I’m fairly confident that Samuel is the great evil. You don’t have to answer me, I’m just thinking aloud here.
Sincerely, that one 12 year old boy.
First, the points I enjoyed. One of my favourite pieces of world building found in the book is just how well the first few chapters set the scene. They accomplish an air of mystery around Verdania and very clearly demonstrate the corruption in high verdania. The words impress upon me just how corrupt and wicked the government is but you get the feeling that there is no better option. The words maintain the air of greatness and humility while retaining an undercurrent of corruption. The first Iainira Chapter illustrated this very well.
Another thing I enjoyed is just how meaningless some deaths were. Don’t get me wrong, the deaths of Seraphina, Darius, Phaedra all mattered but my favourite scene showing the futility of death is Sakarafort. The fishermen, the children, the women. They all died for nothing. It didn’t fail to impress upon me just how deep the corruption goes. The knights, despite being portrayed as “defenders of the living” slaughtered innocent civilians and fishermen for nothing. The king ordered their deaths, their massacre for nothing. In a way, I think it gives these meaningless deaths meaning.
Lastly, I loved how the atmosphere of each character changes the speech. For example: Kilgore’s chapters are noticeably more jovial. While Kadmon’s chapters still remain hopeful despite all the suffering happening in them. Right up until the end that is. It really made me feel the depth and personality of the characters without any explicit Tell-not-show.
My main qualm with the book is the fact that there is a board game sharing the universe _after the events of the book_. Don’t get me wrong, I love the board game and am very happy about it but the board game is very liberal with the lore. Just reading the flavour text or looking at the character art speaks of future events. For example, in the card “Children of Thanes” the flavour text mentions Kadmon marching against Verdania. This naturally eliminates any other option than absolute conquest on Kadmon’s part given that you fight him in the game. You know Kilgore dies eventually due to his character art showing him as a skeleton. Although this is foretelling his death, it also effectively gives him plot armour. In his sovereign spotlight, you learn that he is saved by Kadmon. You do not worry about him even when he is dying of Maladi since Kadmon has yet to save him and Kilgore is yet to serve Kadmon. You don’t puzzle over who the traitor of the book is as you’ve learnt all about him. You never question Phaedra as you know Andres carried the cane, would have access to the revolvers and can make use of the corpses. You don’t question what he needs corpses for as in his sovereign spotlight, you learn that he uses the corpses as his body parts. In summary, the board game gives away too much. I didn’t have to puzzle over the mysteries of the book as the board game gave me answers to them.
That concludes the review. Thank you for the chance to try out an ARC, thank you for being fine with my hogging of one spot that entire day during BAGFest 2026. Might I add, I feel that the extra thinking time knowing the answers gave me allowed me to try and decipher the greater mystery. Although it is most likely wrong, I’m fairly confident that Samuel is the great evil. You don’t have to answer me, I’m just thinking aloud here.
Sincerely, that one 12 year old boy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A Crown for the Promised – Joshua Dharmawan
Unhallowed Crown #1
**Obtuve este libro como una copia de lectura anticipada (ARC) de parte de Joshua Dharmawan. El libro sale al mundo el 2 de septiembre de este año.**
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Hace 500 años los ángeles le dieron una corona a Lucien Verdant, ligada con la promesa de preservar la vida en Morbidia. Sin embargo, el linaje de los Verdant se volvió contra la humanidad y libró una cruzada contra el mundo entero, retorciendo el significado de su fe. La promesa de los ángeles está corrompida al servicio de aquellos que anhelan el poder.
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Primero que todo agradezco a @joshua.dharmawan por incluirme entre los primeros lectores de su novela debut. Disfruté cada capítulo intensamente.
¡¡¡Wowowowow!!! Este libro se suma a los mejores libros que he leído este año.
Escrito a través de varios narradores, aunque dos los principales: Cain, un muchacho sencillo que se convierte en Caballero con el afán de escalar en la sociedad; y Kadmon, también de origen humilde que se convierte en acólito, en busca de ser un Vitar, un ser capaz de curar con sus dones espirituales. Toman caminos separados encontrando más oscuridad de la que se temieron, planteándose grandes dudas en su camino.
Joshua escribe suave y diestramente a sus personajes, su mundo, sin gastar más tiempo del necesario en la descripción, dejando que nuestra mente complete el resto. Personajes profundamente humanos, llenos de falencias, que sonríen con la luz del sol, pero que se encolerizan con la humillación del otro. Sus personalidades van evolucionando a lo largo del libro sin nunca detenerse.
Ballatas sin cuartel en un mundo corrompido.
“The people of Pauper’s Pit, despite their difficulties… Despite eating scraps left behind the city, they still erect a chapel in Samael’s name, and they still believe. Do you know why? Faith, Sir Phaedra. People like you—a knight by profession and a Dawnborn in name—are very powerful. In the darkest of times, you will fight for yourself. But what about them? What about the weak? Who will protect them but their Angels.”
5/5 estrellas
#JoshuaDharmawan #ACrownForThePromised #UnhallowedCrown #Fantasy #Grimdark #books #indie #libros
Unhallowed Crown #1
**Obtuve este libro como una copia de lectura anticipada (ARC) de parte de Joshua Dharmawan. El libro sale al mundo el 2 de septiembre de este año.**
---
Hace 500 años los ángeles le dieron una corona a Lucien Verdant, ligada con la promesa de preservar la vida en Morbidia. Sin embargo, el linaje de los Verdant se volvió contra la humanidad y libró una cruzada contra el mundo entero, retorciendo el significado de su fe. La promesa de los ángeles está corrompida al servicio de aquellos que anhelan el poder.
---
Primero que todo agradezco a @joshua.dharmawan por incluirme entre los primeros lectores de su novela debut. Disfruté cada capítulo intensamente.
¡¡¡Wowowowow!!! Este libro se suma a los mejores libros que he leído este año.
Escrito a través de varios narradores, aunque dos los principales: Cain, un muchacho sencillo que se convierte en Caballero con el afán de escalar en la sociedad; y Kadmon, también de origen humilde que se convierte en acólito, en busca de ser un Vitar, un ser capaz de curar con sus dones espirituales. Toman caminos separados encontrando más oscuridad de la que se temieron, planteándose grandes dudas en su camino.
Joshua escribe suave y diestramente a sus personajes, su mundo, sin gastar más tiempo del necesario en la descripción, dejando que nuestra mente complete el resto. Personajes profundamente humanos, llenos de falencias, que sonríen con la luz del sol, pero que se encolerizan con la humillación del otro. Sus personalidades van evolucionando a lo largo del libro sin nunca detenerse.
Ballatas sin cuartel en un mundo corrompido.
“The people of Pauper’s Pit, despite their difficulties… Despite eating scraps left behind the city, they still erect a chapel in Samael’s name, and they still believe. Do you know why? Faith, Sir Phaedra. People like you—a knight by profession and a Dawnborn in name—are very powerful. In the darkest of times, you will fight for yourself. But what about them? What about the weak? Who will protect them but their Angels.”
5/5 estrellas
#JoshuaDharmawan #ACrownForThePromised #UnhallowedCrown #Fantasy #Grimdark #books #indie #libros
August 28, 2026
ARC review of A Crown For The Promised, which will be officially published in September 2026 by Stormbraver Publishing.
This is the first entry in what is intended to be an epic dark fantasy trilogy and serves as a prequel to the horror-themed board game Legions of Kadmon.
Set in the realm of Morbidia where both divine magic and gunpowder technology coexist, this novel serves as a gripping villain origin story for Kadmon, the titular antagonist of the related board game.
Born in the kingdom of Verdania and serving as an acolyte in the powerful Church, Kadmon hopes to gain access to the healing magic wielded by the clergy who have long ignored the misery of the despised slum residents known as the Pit Dwellers.
However, faced with the callous indifference of the Church and the ruling dynasty of Verdania, Kadmon is ultimately forced to resort to subversive measures to achieve his agenda. This decision will ultimately put him on the fateful path to becoming a dreaded necromancer.
Another pivotal character is Cain Rath, Kadmon's best friend who spent his formative years growing up in the slums alongside the latter. But consumed by his ambition of bettering his social status, Cain chooses to ally himself with the ruling dynasty, swiftly becoming the pawn of the beautiful but ruthless crown princess, Ianira. Cain's willingness to compromise his morals to gain access to wealth and privilege is the most compelling element in the novel and makes him especially engrossing as an example of how good intentions can wilt in the face of overwhelming temptation.
My primary point of criticism lies with the author's decision to present the reader with a cast of five characters, all of whom take turns to relate the events of the novel. Ultimately, this results in a somewhat fractured perspective that doesn't allow us to remain long enough with any of the protagonists to become deeply invested in their destinies.
Nevertheless, this is a promising introduction to the world of Morbidia, and I look forward to watching Kadmon's continuing descent into darkness.
This is the first entry in what is intended to be an epic dark fantasy trilogy and serves as a prequel to the horror-themed board game Legions of Kadmon.
Set in the realm of Morbidia where both divine magic and gunpowder technology coexist, this novel serves as a gripping villain origin story for Kadmon, the titular antagonist of the related board game.
Born in the kingdom of Verdania and serving as an acolyte in the powerful Church, Kadmon hopes to gain access to the healing magic wielded by the clergy who have long ignored the misery of the despised slum residents known as the Pit Dwellers.
However, faced with the callous indifference of the Church and the ruling dynasty of Verdania, Kadmon is ultimately forced to resort to subversive measures to achieve his agenda. This decision will ultimately put him on the fateful path to becoming a dreaded necromancer.
Another pivotal character is Cain Rath, Kadmon's best friend who spent his formative years growing up in the slums alongside the latter. But consumed by his ambition of bettering his social status, Cain chooses to ally himself with the ruling dynasty, swiftly becoming the pawn of the beautiful but ruthless crown princess, Ianira. Cain's willingness to compromise his morals to gain access to wealth and privilege is the most compelling element in the novel and makes him especially engrossing as an example of how good intentions can wilt in the face of overwhelming temptation.
My primary point of criticism lies with the author's decision to present the reader with a cast of five characters, all of whom take turns to relate the events of the novel. Ultimately, this results in a somewhat fractured perspective that doesn't allow us to remain long enough with any of the protagonists to become deeply invested in their destinies.
Nevertheless, this is a promising introduction to the world of Morbidia, and I look forward to watching Kadmon's continuing descent into darkness.
September 8, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Crown for the Promised is the kind of epic fantasy that reminds you why the genre is so beloved. At over 700 pages, this is a substantial journey, but one that rewards readers who enjoy immersive worlds, layered politics, and a cast of characters whose paths gradually intertwine in fascinating ways.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its ambition. The world feels vast and lived-in, with a rich history woven into the story rather than simply explained. Joshua Dharmawan takes the time to develop the setting, cultures, and conflicts, creating a fantasy landscape that feels both complex and believable.
The character work was another highlight for me. With multiple perspectives, each character brought something unique to the story, and I found myself invested in their individual struggles and motivations. Watching their choices shape the larger narrative kept me turning the pages, especially as the stakes continued to rise.
The pacing can be slower in places, particularly in the early sections where the world-building is being established, but the payoff is worth it. As the story progresses, the plot gains momentum and the various threads begin to connect in satisfying ways. The final portions of the book were especially engaging and left me eager to see where the series goes next.
Overall, A Crown for the Promised is a strong epic fantasy that delivers an expansive world, memorable characters, and a story filled with intrigue, conflict, and promise. If you enjoy detailed fantasy worlds, multiple POVs, and long-form storytelling that rewards patience, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Crown for the Promised is the kind of epic fantasy that reminds you why the genre is so beloved. At over 700 pages, this is a substantial journey, but one that rewards readers who enjoy immersive worlds, layered politics, and a cast of characters whose paths gradually intertwine in fascinating ways.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its ambition. The world feels vast and lived-in, with a rich history woven into the story rather than simply explained. Joshua Dharmawan takes the time to develop the setting, cultures, and conflicts, creating a fantasy landscape that feels both complex and believable.
The character work was another highlight for me. With multiple perspectives, each character brought something unique to the story, and I found myself invested in their individual struggles and motivations. Watching their choices shape the larger narrative kept me turning the pages, especially as the stakes continued to rise.
The pacing can be slower in places, particularly in the early sections where the world-building is being established, but the payoff is worth it. As the story progresses, the plot gains momentum and the various threads begin to connect in satisfying ways. The final portions of the book were especially engaging and left me eager to see where the series goes next.
Overall, A Crown for the Promised is a strong epic fantasy that delivers an expansive world, memorable characters, and a story filled with intrigue, conflict, and promise. If you enjoy detailed fantasy worlds, multiple POVs, and long-form storytelling that rewards patience, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Before you read this book, Ask yourself: “Can I handle pain right now?” because even before the pain, there’s a looming promise of pain seeping through the pages.
A Crown for the Promised is the kind of book you can’t put down but dread finishing.
It was a rollercoaster(in the best way) and knowing about the Legions of Kadmon game, I knew kind of where we were heading, but I had no idea how we would get there. (Really, I couldn’t even imagine it.) And while the book starts in what I would call a happy place, (I was giggling and kicking my feet most of the time because everyone was so precious) it soon turned darker and more painful. And every time I picked it up, I ended up reading for hours.
I am a big fan of seeing everyone's sides. I like when books and stories don’t just make one side out to be evil without showing us more than that. And this book really did an amazing job in showing us multiple sides of the same conflict.
The Characters all added their own opinions and circumstances and made not only the world feel bigger and more real, but also the conflicts. Everyone really wanted different things and had different opinions on the war.
And the way all major characters evolve throughout the book it impressive, and sometimes a bit terrifying. And I can’t wait to see where they go in future books.
Notice: I received an early copy of this book from the author.
A Crown for the Promised is the kind of book you can’t put down but dread finishing.
It was a rollercoaster(in the best way) and knowing about the Legions of Kadmon game, I knew kind of where we were heading, but I had no idea how we would get there. (Really, I couldn’t even imagine it.) And while the book starts in what I would call a happy place, (I was giggling and kicking my feet most of the time because everyone was so precious) it soon turned darker and more painful. And every time I picked it up, I ended up reading for hours.
I am a big fan of seeing everyone's sides. I like when books and stories don’t just make one side out to be evil without showing us more than that. And this book really did an amazing job in showing us multiple sides of the same conflict.
The Characters all added their own opinions and circumstances and made not only the world feel bigger and more real, but also the conflicts. Everyone really wanted different things and had different opinions on the war.
And the way all major characters evolve throughout the book it impressive, and sometimes a bit terrifying. And I can’t wait to see where they go in future books.
Notice: I received an early copy of this book from the author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Received an Advance Reader Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
It is a plot driven epic fantasy book filled with guns, magic, religion and supernatural creatures. I enjoyed the grim and dystopian tone of the book, along with great character development.
It is a cruel world. Death comes easy, sometimes unexpected or meaningless. It shows the ugly side of humans, a corrupted monarchy, discrimination, and traumatized victims.
You can see multiple character's beliefs changing with the story. Characters trying to do what is right despite its unfairness, or turning evil from their circumstances.
The theology is also another interesting aspect this book explores. In this world, gods blessing can be invoked through prayers. And there are tangible outcomes for it.
If that is the case, should it still be considered a religion? Isn't the point of faith is that one does not know if there will be tangible results or proof. Wouldn't it be considered science instead?
Also, who should be more deserving of it, the strength of peoples faith or people with authority and knows the hidden methods to invoke it?
I'm not one who really likes descriptions. So some parts felt a bit too long for me. But occasionally some symbolism, phrases or the environment it paints did stand out to me.
It is a plot driven epic fantasy book filled with guns, magic, religion and supernatural creatures. I enjoyed the grim and dystopian tone of the book, along with great character development.
It is a cruel world. Death comes easy, sometimes unexpected or meaningless. It shows the ugly side of humans, a corrupted monarchy, discrimination, and traumatized victims.
You can see multiple character's beliefs changing with the story. Characters trying to do what is right despite its unfairness, or turning evil from their circumstances.
The theology is also another interesting aspect this book explores. In this world, gods blessing can be invoked through prayers. And there are tangible outcomes for it.
If that is the case, should it still be considered a religion? Isn't the point of faith is that one does not know if there will be tangible results or proof. Wouldn't it be considered science instead?
Also, who should be more deserving of it, the strength of peoples faith or people with authority and knows the hidden methods to invoke it?
I'm not one who really likes descriptions. So some parts felt a bit too long for me. But occasionally some symbolism, phrases or the environment it paints did stand out to me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Some books are easy to put into a “good vs evil” box. A Crown for the Promised definitely isn’t one of them and that’s exactly what I loved about it.
The characters were easily one of my favourite parts of this book. Nobody feels completely good or completely bad; everyone has their own motives, beliefs and reasons for the choices they make. They’re messy, complicated and morally grey, which gave the story a very Joe Abercrombie-esque feel that I absolutely enjoyed.
I loved getting to know the characters and seeing how their choices, loyalties and ambitions shaped the story. There’s something so much more interesting about characters who make you question whether you should be rooting for them rather than simply telling you who the hero and villain are.
The world of Morbidia also gives the story such a dark and atmospheric feel, and I really enjoyed getting lost in it.
If you’re a fan of fantasy with complex characters, questionable decisions, shifting loyalties and plenty of moral grey areas, I definitely recommend giving A Crown for the Promised a try.
This was such an enjoyable read, and I’m very interested to see where the story goes next.
The characters were easily one of my favourite parts of this book. Nobody feels completely good or completely bad; everyone has their own motives, beliefs and reasons for the choices they make. They’re messy, complicated and morally grey, which gave the story a very Joe Abercrombie-esque feel that I absolutely enjoyed.
I loved getting to know the characters and seeing how their choices, loyalties and ambitions shaped the story. There’s something so much more interesting about characters who make you question whether you should be rooting for them rather than simply telling you who the hero and villain are.
The world of Morbidia also gives the story such a dark and atmospheric feel, and I really enjoyed getting lost in it.
If you’re a fan of fantasy with complex characters, questionable decisions, shifting loyalties and plenty of moral grey areas, I definitely recommend giving A Crown for the Promised a try.
This was such an enjoyable read, and I’m very interested to see where the story goes next.
Review of advance copy received from Autorin bzw. Autor
This certainly is a multi POV epic fantasy. There are quite a few POV characters that each add to the story. The world is vast, gritty and dark. Dharmawan is able to bring the world to life by painting a organized society and add rich details to everyday life as well as in battle. The characters each have their own motivations, that are true to their characters. The romance subplot(s) felt a little bumpy and aprupt, while still adding to the narrative.
I enjoyed the flintlock aspect and definetly need more of that.
If you like a dark fantasy with a complex backstory, a well fleshed out world and gods - this is a book for you.
I recived an ARC of the book by the author and I'm leaving a honest review.
I enjoyed the flintlock aspect and definetly need more of that.
If you like a dark fantasy with a complex backstory, a well fleshed out world and gods - this is a book for you.
I recived an ARC of the book by the author and I'm leaving a honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was absolutely driven through the book because of the characters. Some became my favorite, and some became my most hated! But that just made me want to read more.
The story must continue, and I hope to read more of Kadmon’s endeavors in the future! He was so well-written.
As someone who has never had faith, I was blown away by how beautifully it was written in this book. It was so interesting and moving!
I appreciated how the pov characters did interact with one another eventually. The dynamics & character voices were steady and clear.
It was an intense read at times, some things I wondered if they were necessary. But alas, I read to the end and wanted more. So, I’d say that’s a job well done! Thank you for the read!
The story must continue, and I hope to read more of Kadmon’s endeavors in the future! He was so well-written.
As someone who has never had faith, I was blown away by how beautifully it was written in this book. It was so interesting and moving!
I appreciated how the pov characters did interact with one another eventually. The dynamics & character voices were steady and clear.
It was an intense read at times, some things I wondered if they were necessary. But alas, I read to the end and wanted more. So, I’d say that’s a job well done! Thank you for the read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book got me back into reading after a long time.
If you are looking for a book with:
- a feudal society similar to Brandon Sanderson's The Final Empire
- a hero's tragic back story
- a bit of romance
- a bit of war/conquest epic
- some magic that isn't like every other typical magic system
- teary/emotional moments
- heart warming moments
- faith
- despair
I would say, this book is for you.
Anyway, I received ARC for free and just leaving an honest review. Can't wait for the next one.
If you are looking for a book with:
- a feudal society similar to Brandon Sanderson's The Final Empire
- a hero's tragic back story
- a bit of romance
- a bit of war/conquest epic
- some magic that isn't like every other typical magic system
- teary/emotional moments
- heart warming moments
- faith
- despair
I would say, this book is for you.
Anyway, I received ARC for free and just leaving an honest review. Can't wait for the next one.
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