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The Last Firstborn
As Firstborn, Levi is blessed with the power of prophecy. As Firstborn, he is cursed to live under the Merx.
Prophet Levi has two be the mouthpiece of the Goddess and make sure the Merx family-corporation get the future they want. The first, he performs joyfully. The second, he performs out of fear. The Merx hold his brother Wes’ life in their hands. He needs to keep them happy. But every prophecy they make Levi see leaves him sick—sick of watching Wes stagnate, sick of himself for keeping his mouth shut, and literally sick with the aftershocks of each vision.
Levi dreams of a world where he and his brother can be free from the Merx’s control. Unable to keep himself from pushing back against their greed and corruption, they retaliate, and Levi’s worst fear comes to pass. Wes vanishes. But at that point, Levi has nothing left to lose. He flees to search for a better world, holding on to hope that he’ll be able to free Wes later. Levi’s path leads him out of the tower for the first time, into Nexus, a city where he will uncover layers of corruption, generational secrets, and a new divine mandate from the goddess who grants his power.
Will he find the future he is looking for, or will he have to make it?
Dune meets Final Fantasy 7 in this dystopian fantasy set in a mega-city surrounded by wastelands. Poisonous rainwater soaks the streets of Nexus, killing everything it touches, but the family-corporations are safe in their towers. And for as long as the Merx are in charge, it's going to stay that way.
For fans of Mark Lawrence's RED SISTER, follow Levi as he uncovers conspiracies, corruption, and fully steps into his role as Prophet.
Prophet Levi has two be the mouthpiece of the Goddess and make sure the Merx family-corporation get the future they want. The first, he performs joyfully. The second, he performs out of fear. The Merx hold his brother Wes’ life in their hands. He needs to keep them happy. But every prophecy they make Levi see leaves him sick—sick of watching Wes stagnate, sick of himself for keeping his mouth shut, and literally sick with the aftershocks of each vision.
Levi dreams of a world where he and his brother can be free from the Merx’s control. Unable to keep himself from pushing back against their greed and corruption, they retaliate, and Levi’s worst fear comes to pass. Wes vanishes. But at that point, Levi has nothing left to lose. He flees to search for a better world, holding on to hope that he’ll be able to free Wes later. Levi’s path leads him out of the tower for the first time, into Nexus, a city where he will uncover layers of corruption, generational secrets, and a new divine mandate from the goddess who grants his power.
Will he find the future he is looking for, or will he have to make it?
Dune meets Final Fantasy 7 in this dystopian fantasy set in a mega-city surrounded by wastelands. Poisonous rainwater soaks the streets of Nexus, killing everything it touches, but the family-corporations are safe in their towers. And for as long as the Merx are in charge, it's going to stay that way.
For fans of Mark Lawrence's RED SISTER, follow Levi as he uncovers conspiracies, corruption, and fully steps into his role as Prophet.
494 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2026
About the author
KR Holton
1 book8 followersKR Holton (kae) is an agender (any pronouns) author from the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, land of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Kae loves blending genres and incorporating speculative elements in unexpected places.
When they're not writing, you can find kae climbing TBR mountain, playing roguelike video games, or under a pile of cats.
When they're not writing, you can find kae climbing TBR mountain, playing roguelike video games, or under a pile of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 1, 2026
Full disclosure. I was supplied with an ARC of this novel.
I must say the premise is intriguing. We have an MC who is essentially blind, any attempt at removing his blindfold results in visions of the future. One such vision sets us off on a rollercoaster of revelations and hardship. Visions are a big part of the narrative here, and are always interesting in how they work and why. Part of the mystery as it were.
Despite the MC not seeing much, I never felt as if I couldn't see the world around him anyway. A futuristic dystopic mirror of our own. There are threads to be pulled on in there that makes pointed commentary on our current way of life and direction. Where the ivory towers are perhaps not the best place to be, despite having it all.
Don’t go into it expecting full closure on the plot, as this is very much the first in a series. We are left with many questions, only having gathered more of them with every answer we got. For some that might be a minus, for me it's a plus.
I wholeheartedly recommend The Last Firstborn, and I know that book two is well on the way. I for one can’t wait to see where things go from here.
I must say the premise is intriguing. We have an MC who is essentially blind, any attempt at removing his blindfold results in visions of the future. One such vision sets us off on a rollercoaster of revelations and hardship. Visions are a big part of the narrative here, and are always interesting in how they work and why. Part of the mystery as it were.
Despite the MC not seeing much, I never felt as if I couldn't see the world around him anyway. A futuristic dystopic mirror of our own. There are threads to be pulled on in there that makes pointed commentary on our current way of life and direction. Where the ivory towers are perhaps not the best place to be, despite having it all.
Don’t go into it expecting full closure on the plot, as this is very much the first in a series. We are left with many questions, only having gathered more of them with every answer we got. For some that might be a minus, for me it's a plus.
I wholeheartedly recommend The Last Firstborn, and I know that book two is well on the way. I for one can’t wait to see where things go from here.
October 12, 2026
Really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Great plot development and I really liked the characters. Solid writing, strong debut novel in my opinion. Story feels fresh and new, I’m excited for the series to continue!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews