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Season of Night: The Empire of Nine Oaths
Not yet published
Expected 3 Oct 26She watched her husband hang. The Prince watched a criminal meet justice.
In the Empire of Drakandar, the people worship their emperor without question. As the emperor’s health fails, Prince Erkki is thrust toward a throne he has spent his life preparing to inherit, determined to uphold the empire his father built.
Over the course of the year after her husband’s execution, Kiira Lahti discovers that the empire’s peace is built on fear, oppression, and a carefully crafted system. Armed with little more than her knowledge of herbs, she infiltrates the imperial Falkerstone castle as a scullery maid, determined to strike at the heart of the regime.
But when Kiira's plot fails, she becomes the empire’s most wanted traitor. Bound by the nine sacred oaths, the ruthless Prince Erkki is charged with bringing her to justice.
On the day of her execution, a scandal shatters the court, fate of the empire balancing on a knife’s edge.
Season of Night is the first installment in The Empire of Nine Oaths trilogy, a dark fantasy exploring cult-like devotion, tyranny, sacrifice, and the cost of choosing truth over loyalty.
In the Empire of Drakandar, the people worship their emperor without question. As the emperor’s health fails, Prince Erkki is thrust toward a throne he has spent his life preparing to inherit, determined to uphold the empire his father built.
Over the course of the year after her husband’s execution, Kiira Lahti discovers that the empire’s peace is built on fear, oppression, and a carefully crafted system. Armed with little more than her knowledge of herbs, she infiltrates the imperial Falkerstone castle as a scullery maid, determined to strike at the heart of the regime.
But when Kiira's plot fails, she becomes the empire’s most wanted traitor. Bound by the nine sacred oaths, the ruthless Prince Erkki is charged with bringing her to justice.
On the day of her execution, a scandal shatters the court, fate of the empire balancing on a knife’s edge.
Season of Night is the first installment in The Empire of Nine Oaths trilogy, a dark fantasy exploring cult-like devotion, tyranny, sacrifice, and the cost of choosing truth over loyalty.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I promise this review is not A. I. generated!
I was very excited to have been given a chance to read this work, and even happier when I had such an enjoyable time with it! I read it straight through.
The development of detail, from craft and culture to character and personality, only benefited the already existing depth of the plot. All too often it is easy to come across works that force or even flaunt extraneous detail, rendering it useless, or even distracting, to the whole. Because this work handles a stark and complicated divergence in belief, it is remarkable that the development serves to only enhance that dichotomy. The story is gripping, the characters are compelling, and the display of contrasting beliefs is incredibly well executed!
All in all, a great read! I’m looking forward to Book 2!
I was very excited to have been given a chance to read this work, and even happier when I had such an enjoyable time with it! I read it straight through.
The development of detail, from craft and culture to character and personality, only benefited the already existing depth of the plot. All too often it is easy to come across works that force or even flaunt extraneous detail, rendering it useless, or even distracting, to the whole. Because this work handles a stark and complicated divergence in belief, it is remarkable that the development serves to only enhance that dichotomy. The story is gripping, the characters are compelling, and the display of contrasting beliefs is incredibly well executed!
All in all, a great read! I’m looking forward to Book 2!
September 1, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
WOW, just wow. This book kept me guessing the entire way through, and I absolutely can’t wait until the next one!!
From the very start I was immediately pulled in and quite literally put down every other book I was reading to finish this.
The characters are written beautifully and she really takes the time to SHOW you each character, their flaws, their weaknesses, what drives them.
The descriptions were amazing as well. Descriptive enough without being boring as so many other books are. The ending of each chapter left me wanting more and more!
I can’t wait for this book to come out and everyone to be able to read it!!
WOW, just wow. This book kept me guessing the entire way through, and I absolutely can’t wait until the next one!!
From the very start I was immediately pulled in and quite literally put down every other book I was reading to finish this.
The characters are written beautifully and she really takes the time to SHOW you each character, their flaws, their weaknesses, what drives them.
The descriptions were amazing as well. Descriptive enough without being boring as so many other books are. The ending of each chapter left me wanting more and more!
I can’t wait for this book to come out and everyone to be able to read it!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Be prepared to not put this book down until you have finished it!
Every detail, every word was so beautifully laid out. I loved taking the time to appreciate the descriptions. While so many books have me skipping those parts, The Empire of the Nine Oaths transported me!
The storyline always kept me guessing! Was this character a friend or foe? How would this character react in this situation? No character ever just fits a certain branding; they are all human and those traits appear in different situations.
The ending was amazing and has me waiting so impatiently for book #2!
Every detail, every word was so beautifully laid out. I loved taking the time to appreciate the descriptions. While so many books have me skipping those parts, The Empire of the Nine Oaths transported me!
The storyline always kept me guessing! Was this character a friend or foe? How would this character react in this situation? No character ever just fits a certain branding; they are all human and those traits appear in different situations.
The ending was amazing and has me waiting so impatiently for book #2!
Review of advance copy received from Author
*I received a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for a good-faith review of the book. Slight plot spoilers follow, but I am keeping my review largely spoiler free.*
Holy cow, what a great read. Especially considering this is a debut novel, my attention was gripped from beginning to end.
Roling’s biggest strength in this story was easily the world-building. The world of Drakandar was incredibly immersive, and felt very real. Each commonwealth, though one didn’t see them much individually, had a distinct culture that aided in conveying the experience of the world feeling large, diverse, and real. Despite much of the story being contained to Falkerstone Castle and the city of Hakkari, I didn’t feel bored or cheated, as Roling introduced me to all the different inhabitants of the castle, making it feel like the hectic and oppressive imperial capital that it was. Being aware of the author’s Catholic background gave me an even deeper appreciation for this book. I took notice of how different Catholic prayers, responses, or acclamations during the Mass were inverted in meaning to place the mad emperor Olkvar in the place of God.
The plot of the story was also incredibly compelling. I already love a classic fantasy underdog story, but what made Kiira’s battle that much more meaningful was that she was battling against a clear and present evil, one that is revealed to be Old Testament Canaanite levels of evil. Roling is not afraid to tackle violence, gore, and the depths of cruelty that men are capable of, without over-indulging in or glorifying these themes.
Plot twists are also something that are handled incredibly well in this book. There were three major plot twists that I recall and each one caught me off guard. Additionally, each plot twist served to further the plot along, and weren’t purely shock-value, which kept me engaged as the reader.
So, with all this being said, why only 4 stars instead of 5?
This story was told entirely in first-person narrative format from each character perspective, which, for this type of story, felt odd. This is a personal stylistic choice, however, so I don’t hold this against the author or her work.
My main criticism has to do with Kiira’s initial introduction to the reader, some of the effects of her presence in Falkerstone, and the prose choice for Errki’s chapters. Again, minor spoilers to follow.
When the reader is first introduce to Kiira, she’s talking to her brother about how frustrated she is that people can’t have their own opinions. While this in of itself isn’t an issue, the way in which she approached the topic was very twenty-first century, which felt very out of place in the medieval setting of the story. When Kiira arrived at Falkerstone, she seemed to have gained the attention of every powerful man in the castle simply by being present, which again felt off, and felt like it leaned a little too much into the “she’s the main character” vibe. The foreshadowing of some sort of future connection between her and Errki, the deuteragonist of the story, also felt very heavy handed.
Errki’s chapters are what I’m primarily critical of. His writing felt inconsistent. In some chapters he’s a politically savvy schemer with a cool head and nerves of steel. In others he’s a raging edgelord with a violent hatred for everyone within 50 meters of his person. During the latter chapters, the prose felt very forced, at least for me, and oversold the hatred and blood-thirst Erkki was experiencing. His obsession with Kiira also didn’t make much sense to me. He didn’t spend much time with her in Falkerstone, yet a good chunk of his internal dialogue was focused on Kiira or the color of her eyes. However, by the end of the book Roling finally settled on the type of character Erkki was to be, which made the transition into the final arc very satisfying. His obsession with Kiira made sense by this point in the story as well given very specific events that preceded the final arc.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the story, I’m super grateful for being picked as an ARC reader for this story, and I hope I’m considered to be an ARC reader for the next entry! I’m very much looking forward to the official release of this book, as it’s one I’m definitely adding to my library, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in The Empire of Nine Oaths trilogy!
Holy cow, what a great read. Especially considering this is a debut novel, my attention was gripped from beginning to end.
Roling’s biggest strength in this story was easily the world-building. The world of Drakandar was incredibly immersive, and felt very real. Each commonwealth, though one didn’t see them much individually, had a distinct culture that aided in conveying the experience of the world feeling large, diverse, and real. Despite much of the story being contained to Falkerstone Castle and the city of Hakkari, I didn’t feel bored or cheated, as Roling introduced me to all the different inhabitants of the castle, making it feel like the hectic and oppressive imperial capital that it was. Being aware of the author’s Catholic background gave me an even deeper appreciation for this book. I took notice of how different Catholic prayers, responses, or acclamations during the Mass were inverted in meaning to place the mad emperor Olkvar in the place of God.
The plot of the story was also incredibly compelling. I already love a classic fantasy underdog story, but what made Kiira’s battle that much more meaningful was that she was battling against a clear and present evil, one that is revealed to be Old Testament Canaanite levels of evil. Roling is not afraid to tackle violence, gore, and the depths of cruelty that men are capable of, without over-indulging in or glorifying these themes.
Plot twists are also something that are handled incredibly well in this book. There were three major plot twists that I recall and each one caught me off guard. Additionally, each plot twist served to further the plot along, and weren’t purely shock-value, which kept me engaged as the reader.
So, with all this being said, why only 4 stars instead of 5?
This story was told entirely in first-person narrative format from each character perspective, which, for this type of story, felt odd. This is a personal stylistic choice, however, so I don’t hold this against the author or her work.
My main criticism has to do with Kiira’s initial introduction to the reader, some of the effects of her presence in Falkerstone, and the prose choice for Errki’s chapters. Again, minor spoilers to follow.
When the reader is first introduce to Kiira, she’s talking to her brother about how frustrated she is that people can’t have their own opinions. While this in of itself isn’t an issue, the way in which she approached the topic was very twenty-first century, which felt very out of place in the medieval setting of the story. When Kiira arrived at Falkerstone, she seemed to have gained the attention of every powerful man in the castle simply by being present, which again felt off, and felt like it leaned a little too much into the “she’s the main character” vibe. The foreshadowing of some sort of future connection between her and Errki, the deuteragonist of the story, also felt very heavy handed.
Errki’s chapters are what I’m primarily critical of. His writing felt inconsistent. In some chapters he’s a politically savvy schemer with a cool head and nerves of steel. In others he’s a raging edgelord with a violent hatred for everyone within 50 meters of his person. During the latter chapters, the prose felt very forced, at least for me, and oversold the hatred and blood-thirst Erkki was experiencing. His obsession with Kiira also didn’t make much sense to me. He didn’t spend much time with her in Falkerstone, yet a good chunk of his internal dialogue was focused on Kiira or the color of her eyes. However, by the end of the book Roling finally settled on the type of character Erkki was to be, which made the transition into the final arc very satisfying. His obsession with Kiira made sense by this point in the story as well given very specific events that preceded the final arc.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the story, I’m super grateful for being picked as an ARC reader for this story, and I hope I’m considered to be an ARC reader for the next entry! I’m very much looking forward to the official release of this book, as it’s one I’m definitely adding to my library, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in The Empire of Nine Oaths trilogy!
Review of advance copy received from Avaliadores independentes
This is a beautiful start to an intriguing trilogy. It is beautifully written, in beautiful english, so much that I had to stop myself from fast-paced reading to actually appreciate the beauty and care that came out of these pages.
This book is a rare found in today's editorial uniformity where every book says, looks and sounds exactly the same.
The story is a slow burn narrative, the storyline goes on fast enough to be interesting but it doesn't give away too much to keep it intriguing. Adding to it, the characters are fundamentally human, even in the worst parts of our humanity.
The Kingdom of Drakandar, how powerful it is and how small, clumsy and naive Kiira is, will make you question yourself if you would have Kiira's courage to stand up for what is right, even if it costs you everything.
Erkki's psychological process is not forced, it's well established why he believes what he believes and why he does what he does. Which makes him even more interesting.
Mary H. Roling is a breeze of fresh air in an era where editorials are feeding us useless nonsense. It is refreshing to know that we still have fantastic authors that give the world the beauty, care, love and respect that comes with doing art.
It has been a while since I've been looking forward to reading the next book of a series. This author and this story deserve to be read, give them a chance and you'll not be disappointed.
This book is a rare found in today's editorial uniformity where every book says, looks and sounds exactly the same.
The story is a slow burn narrative, the storyline goes on fast enough to be interesting but it doesn't give away too much to keep it intriguing. Adding to it, the characters are fundamentally human, even in the worst parts of our humanity.
The Kingdom of Drakandar, how powerful it is and how small, clumsy and naive Kiira is, will make you question yourself if you would have Kiira's courage to stand up for what is right, even if it costs you everything.
Erkki's psychological process is not forced, it's well established why he believes what he believes and why he does what he does. Which makes him even more interesting.
Mary H. Roling is a breeze of fresh air in an era where editorials are feeding us useless nonsense. It is refreshing to know that we still have fantastic authors that give the world the beauty, care, love and respect that comes with doing art.
It has been a while since I've been looking forward to reading the next book of a series. This author and this story deserve to be read, give them a chance and you'll not be disappointed.
September 1, 2026
I was excited to be an ARC reader for this book. It really captured me—my interest, my emotions, and most of all my admiration for the author's descriptive talent.
The characters are often relatable and very real—a mix of strong and flawed, sometimes clever and sometimes naive. The changing POV between the characters, showing opposite sides of the story, is really compelling. I found myself thinking, “Ohhh I can't wait to get back into X's head to see what they think of this.”
It's really an enjoyable story in many ways. It's great for all ages teenage and up, while being elevated enough to not have a “juvenile” feel (I'm in my 30s). And perhaps most important of all: it is not predictable.
I am very much looking forward to getting back into the heads of the characters in Book 2!
The characters are often relatable and very real—a mix of strong and flawed, sometimes clever and sometimes naive. The changing POV between the characters, showing opposite sides of the story, is really compelling. I found myself thinking, “Ohhh I can't wait to get back into X's head to see what they think of this.”
It's really an enjoyable story in many ways. It's great for all ages teenage and up, while being elevated enough to not have a “juvenile” feel (I'm in my 30s). And perhaps most important of all: it is not predictable.
I am very much looking forward to getting back into the heads of the characters in Book 2!
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of the best books I have read this year. From the stunning descriptions to the realistic and flawed characters every page of this book sucks the reader in from start to finish. You very quickly find yourself rooting for the main character despite her not having any special powers or abilities or being “the chosen one” she is determined to use her talents to make the world a better place. There is a distinct good and evil line without all of the fluff of the morally gray villain who never actually does anything wrong. Have been and will continue to recommend this book to all of my family and friends and can’t wait to get an official copy when the book releases.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews