What do you think?
The Glorious Dead
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a very strange book, and I mean that as a compliment. The story and worldbuilding are wonderful, with a cast of characters who feel refreshingly distinctive in a genre that can sometimes lean heavily on familiar medieval-fantasy archetypes. The story moves between numerous perspectives, but the consistent third-person narration keeps this from becoming confusing, and I particularly enjoyed The Teacher and Banu. The Teacher’s motivations felt deeply human and easy to connect with, while Banu’s struggle to rebuild her homeland was genuinely moving without ever becoming overly sentimental.
I also appreciated how much of the world is revealed gradually. The central war, in particular, is explained in pieces as it becomes relevant, creating intrigue rather than requiring the reader to sit through a massive lore dump. Even characters who are decidedly unpleasant are given understandable motivations, resulting in some satisfying moral ambiguity.
The beginning could have used a little more structural clarity; it took me a while to realize that the opening chapters take place a decade before most of the novel. And then there’s the ending. My immediate response was essentially, “What the fuck kind of ending is that?” Discovering that this is the first book in a planned trilogy made me much more forgiving—and, ultimately, excited to see where these threads go next.
Learning more about the circumstances that inspired the book also gave additional weight to its themes of grief and loss. It’s a bizarre, ambitious story that didn’t quite have the hold on me that earns five stars, but I consistently enjoyed returning to it and am genuinely looking forward to the next installment.
I also appreciated how much of the world is revealed gradually. The central war, in particular, is explained in pieces as it becomes relevant, creating intrigue rather than requiring the reader to sit through a massive lore dump. Even characters who are decidedly unpleasant are given understandable motivations, resulting in some satisfying moral ambiguity.
The beginning could have used a little more structural clarity; it took me a while to realize that the opening chapters take place a decade before most of the novel. And then there’s the ending. My immediate response was essentially, “What the fuck kind of ending is that?” Discovering that this is the first book in a planned trilogy made me much more forgiving—and, ultimately, excited to see where these threads go next.
Learning more about the circumstances that inspired the book also gave additional weight to its themes of grief and loss. It’s a bizarre, ambitious story that didn’t quite have the hold on me that earns five stars, but I consistently enjoyed returning to it and am genuinely looking forward to the next installment.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to the Book Guild for a complimentary arc of The Glorious Dead. All opinions expressed are my own.*
I went into the Glorious Dead with absolutely no expectations, aside from the synopsis sounding intriguing.
The story jumps pretty much straight into the plot, and while that kept things moving, I did find getting a handle on the world confusing at times. Considering this is a shorter story, I can understand why there isn’t quite as much room to ease the reader into the world as I would’ve hoped. The character introductions at the beginning did help, though, and saved me from feeling completely disconnected in following the story at first.
This is a complex and wonderfully absurd story. For every moment where the fast pace left me struggling to grasp what was going on, there was another moment so odd, I couldn’t help being amused. There are also moments where, whether you find yourself occasionally disconnected from the story like I did or not, you can’t help but become invested. Moments where you’re rooting for the characters and suddenly feel completely anchored to the plot.
That said, I did struggle to fully get into this one. Don't get me wrong, the story is good, but I think the Glorious Dead may be one of those stories that benefits from a reread in order for me to be able to connect to it more.
If you’re looking for an intricate fantasy that doesn’t shy away from death and is slightly quirky, the Glorious Dead might be something you could easily breeze through in a day or a weekend.
I went into the Glorious Dead with absolutely no expectations, aside from the synopsis sounding intriguing.
The story jumps pretty much straight into the plot, and while that kept things moving, I did find getting a handle on the world confusing at times. Considering this is a shorter story, I can understand why there isn’t quite as much room to ease the reader into the world as I would’ve hoped. The character introductions at the beginning did help, though, and saved me from feeling completely disconnected in following the story at first.
This is a complex and wonderfully absurd story. For every moment where the fast pace left me struggling to grasp what was going on, there was another moment so odd, I couldn’t help being amused. There are also moments where, whether you find yourself occasionally disconnected from the story like I did or not, you can’t help but become invested. Moments where you’re rooting for the characters and suddenly feel completely anchored to the plot.
That said, I did struggle to fully get into this one. Don't get me wrong, the story is good, but I think the Glorious Dead may be one of those stories that benefits from a reread in order for me to be able to connect to it more.
If you’re looking for an intricate fantasy that doesn’t shy away from death and is slightly quirky, the Glorious Dead might be something you could easily breeze through in a day or a weekend.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews