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The Knight and the Necromancer #1
The Capital
It’s a classic fairytale: Knight meets necromancer. They argue. They fight. They…make out?
Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia’s sake. It’s the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield.
Roland expects to enjoy some anonymity and perhaps flirt with a few strangers for old time’s sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town—a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. The man clearly has his secrets, but so does Roland, and their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months.
Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He figures he’ll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family’s sworn enemy—a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war.
Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He’s never been this far from his tower. He’s good with magic, not people. He’s frightened, although he doesn’t want to admit it.
Sairis knows he’s doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals—a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have.
He tells himself that he’ll just watch—see what ordinary people enjoy every day. Sairis is confident in his ability to intimidate anyone who comes too close.
He’s shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is not intimidated in the slightest. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person.
Of course, he’ll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life.
The Knight and the Necromancer is a trilogy with satisfying HEA at the end of book 3. Steamy scenes, adults only.
Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia’s sake. It’s the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield.
Roland expects to enjoy some anonymity and perhaps flirt with a few strangers for old time’s sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town—a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. The man clearly has his secrets, but so does Roland, and their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months.
Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He figures he’ll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family’s sworn enemy—a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war.
Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He’s never been this far from his tower. He’s good with magic, not people. He’s frightened, although he doesn’t want to admit it.
Sairis knows he’s doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals—a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have.
He tells himself that he’ll just watch—see what ordinary people enjoy every day. Sairis is confident in his ability to intimidate anyone who comes too close.
He’s shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is not intimidated in the slightest. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person.
Of course, he’ll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life.
The Knight and the Necromancer is a trilogy with satisfying HEA at the end of book 3. Steamy scenes, adults only.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2020
About the author
A.H. Lee
14 books212 followersA.H. Lee writes fantasy under several names. These are her steamier books.
(Source: Amazon.com)
Main Goodreads Author profile: Abigail Hilton
(Source: Amazon.com)
Main Goodreads Author profile: Abigail Hilton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
May 17, 2020
This is the best high fantasy I’ve read in years. It’s fresh and original, full of surprises, extremely well-written, extremely well-edited… just all-around good. Damned good.
The POV alternates between two characters with completely distinctive voices, so I always knew whose head I was in. Roland and Sairis, the knight and the necromancer, are star-crossed would-be lovers:
At various times I laughed, I got goosebumps, I fretted when the MCs took risks, I was moved by the portrayal of grief for a lost love. In short, I was hooked.
And as I suspected from how the 3 books in the “series” are titled, this is actually one story broken into serial form. That means… you guessed it… CLIFFHANGER!
It stops right in the middle of the action. But since I was expecting it, and since all 3 books are currently available on KU, that wasn’t an issue for me. Except for one thing: I loved it so much I’d like to buy it. But as I said, it’s not 3 books in a series, it’s one book broken into 3 installments. Which means the pricing (as it currently stands) would be $2.99 + $3.99 + $3.99, or basically $11 for a single story. And that gets a great big fat honkin’ NO from me. No matter how much I love the story (and I *do* love it so far), I’m NOT spending eleven bucks on an ebook. Don’t get greedy, authors. It can backfire on you.
I normally don't even bother with books titled along the lines of The This and the That. Oi, those titles can be so cringeworthy. Authors, why not be honest and just go with I Give Up: Titles Are Too Hard. Yes, they’re hard, but surely it’s worth the extra effort to come up with a REAL one. Why I picked this up to sample despite the title I’m not sure — I’m just grateful I did.
And now: On to the next installment!
The POV alternates between two characters with completely distinctive voices, so I always knew whose head I was in. Roland and Sairis, the knight and the necromancer, are star-crossed would-be lovers:
He was the premier knight of the realm and Sairis was closest thing [the kingdom] had to a dragon.
At various times I laughed, I got goosebumps, I fretted when the MCs took risks, I was moved by the portrayal of grief for a lost love. In short, I was hooked.
And as I suspected from how the 3 books in the “series” are titled, this is actually one story broken into serial form. That means… you guessed it… CLIFFHANGER!
It stops right in the middle of the action. But since I was expecting it, and since all 3 books are currently available on KU, that wasn’t an issue for me. Except for one thing: I loved it so much I’d like to buy it. But as I said, it’s not 3 books in a series, it’s one book broken into 3 installments. Which means the pricing (as it currently stands) would be $2.99 + $3.99 + $3.99, or basically $11 for a single story. And that gets a great big fat honkin’ NO from me. No matter how much I love the story (and I *do* love it so far), I’m NOT spending eleven bucks on an ebook. Don’t get greedy, authors. It can backfire on you.
I normally don't even bother with books titled along the lines of The This and the That. Oi, those titles can be so cringeworthy. Authors, why not be honest and just go with I Give Up: Titles Are Too Hard. Yes, they’re hard, but surely it’s worth the extra effort to come up with a REAL one. Why I picked this up to sample despite the title I’m not sure — I’m just grateful I did.
And now: On to the next installment!
January 14, 2025
This story is a fun dive into a world of magic, moral dilemmas, and romance. While the story leans more heavily on its fantasy elements, the romance between the two leads is completely engaging and heartfelt.
Gay fantasy
Age gap
Size difference
Morally complex
Excellent side characters
Slow-burn
Dual POV
Violent battles
Cliffhanger ending!
Sairis is a young necromancer, who has lived alone in a tower with his master since he was a boy.
Prince Roland has been fighting at the border for the last four years. His father has died and he’s returned to town to watch his sister be crowned queen.
They meet one evening in a well-know gay tavern. Their chemistry is undeniable, but they protect their guarded hearts (and their secrets). More fantasy driven than a romance, but the romance is still a strong lead. A world filled with magicians, ghosts, knights, necromancers, and the ability to spirit-walk.
Fabulous narration on the audiobook by Kirt Graves.
Gay fantasy
Age gap
Size difference
Morally complex
Excellent side characters
Slow-burn
Dual POV
Violent battles
Cliffhanger ending!
Sairis is a young necromancer, who has lived alone in a tower with his master since he was a boy.
Prince Roland has been fighting at the border for the last four years. His father has died and he’s returned to town to watch his sister be crowned queen.
They meet one evening in a well-know gay tavern. Their chemistry is undeniable, but they protect their guarded hearts (and their secrets). More fantasy driven than a romance, but the romance is still a strong lead. A world filled with magicians, ghosts, knights, necromancers, and the ability to spirit-walk.
Fabulous narration on the audiobook by Kirt Graves.
March 30, 2025
I love this story,
but first for my smut-loving friends: you get a wonderful blow job scene but the rest of the sex scene fades to black. I think if you know that beforehand, you are less disappointed. Thanks to whatever review I had read beforehand. I would have been terribly frustrated otherwise. Especially since the scene ends very abruptly and I hadn't even understood that really penetrative sex had probably taken place off page. That was actually the only thing that was oddly written in this first book of this series. Everything else was wonderful for me.
I'm not a fan of the covers either, so I had bought the version with all three books in one and this cover is wonderful and also fitting.
Anyway, two struggling characters who find each other despite the circumstances in a fantasy world full of strange magic and political intrigue.
What more could you want? Rather plot-driven in this first part, I hope that the following parts will perhaps go a bit more into the depth of the characters, although I have a pretty good picture and attachment to Roland and Sairis.
Sairis is a sweetheart.
Sairis found himself wondering what kisses were supposed to feel like. Was it normal to feel that, by opening your mouth a quarter inch, you’d somehow opened your soul? Did it always feel like your stomach was melting? Did it normally make the skin of your entire body feel like a stuttering heartbeat? 💞🥺💞
Roland is a bit of a sweetheart and an ass, he needed some time to sneak into my heart.
Roland had never met anyone so starved for touch and so afraid of it. He wanted to say to Sairis, Just tell me everything—what happened to you, how you’ve been living. 💞🥺💞
Oh well, there was something else: The first book ends in the middle of a scene, in the middle of all the action, and yes that's really annoying, luckily you don't have to wait for the next book ...
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Minor spoilers probably ahead
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Content warnings: death of a former partner, death of animals, lethal injury to one of the MCs
Cheating between MCs: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
Kinks: none
but first for my smut-loving friends: you get a wonderful blow job scene but the rest of the sex scene fades to black. I think if you know that beforehand, you are less disappointed. Thanks to whatever review I had read beforehand. I would have been terribly frustrated otherwise. Especially since the scene ends very abruptly and I hadn't even understood that really penetrative sex had probably taken place off page. That was actually the only thing that was oddly written in this first book of this series. Everything else was wonderful for me.
I'm not a fan of the covers either, so I had bought the version with all three books in one and this cover is wonderful and also fitting.
Anyway, two struggling characters who find each other despite the circumstances in a fantasy world full of strange magic and political intrigue.
What more could you want? Rather plot-driven in this first part, I hope that the following parts will perhaps go a bit more into the depth of the characters, although I have a pretty good picture and attachment to Roland and Sairis.
Sairis is a sweetheart.
Sairis found himself wondering what kisses were supposed to feel like. Was it normal to feel that, by opening your mouth a quarter inch, you’d somehow opened your soul? Did it always feel like your stomach was melting? Did it normally make the skin of your entire body feel like a stuttering heartbeat? 💞🥺💞
Roland is a bit of a sweetheart and an ass, he needed some time to sneak into my heart.
Roland had never met anyone so starved for touch and so afraid of it. He wanted to say to Sairis, Just tell me everything—what happened to you, how you’ve been living. 💞🥺💞
Oh well, there was something else: The first book ends in the middle of a scene, in the middle of all the action, and yes that's really annoying, luckily you don't have to wait for the next book ...
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Minor spoilers probably ahead
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Content warnings: death of a former partner, death of animals, lethal injury to one of the MCs
Cheating between MCs: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
Kinks: none
April 8, 2020
This fantasy novel has a refreshing new flavor of magic, with demons and ghosts, mirrors and blood-magic in the mix. It also has the start of a fun M/M romance with a confident prince and a shy and uncertain necromancer. There is action, mystery, the tentative beginnings of a relationship, and a touch of humor. The tone is more exciting than angsty so far, despite some fairly traumatic events.
Both Prince Roland, back at the capitol to see his sister crowned after his father's death, and Sairis the necromancer, watching the balance of power shift, are fascinating characters who clearly have depths yet to be explored. The action is taut and unpredictable.
Do note that the ending is a cliffhanger. But fortunately the next two books are available and I immediately moved on to book 2.
Both Prince Roland, back at the capitol to see his sister crowned after his father's death, and Sairis the necromancer, watching the balance of power shift, are fascinating characters who clearly have depths yet to be explored. The action is taut and unpredictable.
Do note that the ending is a cliffhanger. But fortunately the next two books are available and I immediately moved on to book 2.
May 24, 2020
I’m going to review the entire trilogy as one book, because that’s the way I read it.
I could’ve reviewed each book as I finished it, but the way the story was cut into three volumes was such that it didn’t make much sense to stop and try to formulate thoughts on the single book. Especially in the jump from the second to the third book, it would’ve been like stopping at the end of a random chapter to review half a book only to immediately resume reading the remaining chapters until the end.
So, no spoilers about the plot, just general considerations.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this story by a new-to-me author was the characters. Sairis and Roland surprised me at every turn, they were so not what I would’ve expected and that’s not something I take lightly. Reading so many books every year, some aspects of the genre start to feel a little ‘been there, done that.’ I don’t want to say much about how they surprised me, because part of the fun reading their story was getting to know them, their past, their strengths and weaknesses, little by little.
I can say that I loved how well rounded and real they felt, their personalities distinct and consistent. I loved the humor that permeates the story and how the romance was a big part of it, but not the main focus. The world bulding was really good, the plot interesting and well paced, with some rather surprising turns, and the perfect setting for what for me was the main appeal: the character growth of...well, basically everybody.
Sairis and Roland, of course. Sairis’s character arc was, or at least felt to me, more prominent and evident, more powerful, in a way, maybe because he seemed less well put-together than Roland at the beginning. Roland’s journey was more subtle, the changes weren’t as obvious throughout the series, or maybe I was the one who overlooked the signals distracted as I was by other things, but they certainly became evident at the end.
The MCs weren’t the only ones to change and grow during the series. A truly remarkable aspect of this trilogy, and a clear sign of very competent writing, was the attention and care poured into outlining basically every character, even the minor ones. They all felt like actual people, their lives and personalities painted vividly, sometimes with just a few sentences. Even the relationships between secondary characters were nuanced in a way rarely reserved for characters with so little page time.
If that wasn’t enough, mention of honor for
My first experience with this author and it definitely won’t be the last!
----------------------------------------------
Thank you to Rosa and Teal for another amazing BR and, in Teal’s case, also for pointing me to another awesome read. My TBR isn’t grateful, but I am.
I could’ve reviewed each book as I finished it, but the way the story was cut into three volumes was such that it didn’t make much sense to stop and try to formulate thoughts on the single book. Especially in the jump from the second to the third book, it would’ve been like stopping at the end of a random chapter to review half a book only to immediately resume reading the remaining chapters until the end.
So, no spoilers about the plot, just general considerations.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this story by a new-to-me author was the characters. Sairis and Roland surprised me at every turn, they were so not what I would’ve expected and that’s not something I take lightly. Reading so many books every year, some aspects of the genre start to feel a little ‘been there, done that.’ I don’t want to say much about how they surprised me, because part of the fun reading their story was getting to know them, their past, their strengths and weaknesses, little by little.
I can say that I loved how well rounded and real they felt, their personalities distinct and consistent. I loved the humor that permeates the story and how the romance was a big part of it, but not the main focus. The world bulding was really good, the plot interesting and well paced, with some rather surprising turns, and the perfect setting for what for me was the main appeal: the character growth of...well, basically everybody.
Sairis and Roland, of course. Sairis’s character arc was, or at least felt to me, more prominent and evident, more powerful, in a way, maybe because he seemed less well put-together than Roland at the beginning. Roland’s journey was more subtle, the changes weren’t as obvious throughout the series, or maybe I was the one who overlooked the signals distracted as I was by other things, but they certainly became evident at the end.
The MCs weren’t the only ones to change and grow during the series. A truly remarkable aspect of this trilogy, and a clear sign of very competent writing, was the attention and care poured into outlining basically every character, even the minor ones. They all felt like actual people, their lives and personalities painted vividly, sometimes with just a few sentences. Even the relationships between secondary characters were nuanced in a way rarely reserved for characters with so little page time.
If that wasn’t enough, mention of honor for
My first experience with this author and it definitely won’t be the last!
----------------------------------------------
Thank you to Rosa and Teal for another amazing BR and, in Teal’s case, also for pointing me to another awesome read. My TBR isn’t grateful, but I am.
May 12, 2020
4.5 stars for the trilogy
The Knight and the Necromancer trilogy includes The Capital, The Border, and The Sea. In my opinion they are one story split into three books. There is also a 17-page prequel (Putting the Romance in Necromancy) and a 33-page "second epilogue" (Spring in the Haunted Forest), which I have yet to read. A.H. Lee is a pen name for Abigail Hilton who writes primarily mainstream fantasy and one or two YA titles. The pen name AH Lee is reserved for, in her words, "where I publish my more explicit romances" including "gay romance".
So, in a word... outstanding. I am thrilled to be able to add this series to my Best of 2020 list. It's one of the best high fantasy stories I've read in recent memory. As my fellow GR reviewer Teal said in their review: "Fresh, original, full of surprises, and extremely well written and edited". In addition, deftly drawn characters with whom I fell in love, stellar world building, and atmosphere one could cut with a knife. We get to watch the effects of different kinds of magic and a new envisaging of necromancy. I vastly enjoyed the alternating points of view that offered a more complete picture of the relationship between the Knight of the Realm and a young necromancer, and the extraordinary challenges they faced. You'll laugh, you might cry, you might throw your hand up over your mouth. A truly exceptional story. And can I just say... the action scenes were phenomenal, a rare thing in MM high fantasy.
Critique:
1) I hope the author considers unique covers if and when she releases second editions.
2) There are a tiny number of misspellings that need to be fixed, i.e., a structure holding back water is a dam, not a damn.
3) My only disappointment was discovering that a fascinating demonic character in this series, Mal, is the “star” in Lee’s MMF series entitled Incubus Caged. Sadly, I have an aversion to MMF.
The Knight and the Necromancer trilogy includes The Capital, The Border, and The Sea. In my opinion they are one story split into three books. There is also a 17-page prequel (Putting the Romance in Necromancy) and a 33-page "second epilogue" (Spring in the Haunted Forest), which I have yet to read. A.H. Lee is a pen name for Abigail Hilton who writes primarily mainstream fantasy and one or two YA titles. The pen name AH Lee is reserved for, in her words, "where I publish my more explicit romances" including "gay romance".
So, in a word... outstanding. I am thrilled to be able to add this series to my Best of 2020 list. It's one of the best high fantasy stories I've read in recent memory. As my fellow GR reviewer Teal said in their review: "Fresh, original, full of surprises, and extremely well written and edited". In addition, deftly drawn characters with whom I fell in love, stellar world building, and atmosphere one could cut with a knife. We get to watch the effects of different kinds of magic and a new envisaging of necromancy. I vastly enjoyed the alternating points of view that offered a more complete picture of the relationship between the Knight of the Realm and a young necromancer, and the extraordinary challenges they faced. You'll laugh, you might cry, you might throw your hand up over your mouth. A truly exceptional story. And can I just say... the action scenes were phenomenal, a rare thing in MM high fantasy.
Critique:
1) I hope the author considers unique covers if and when she releases second editions.
2) There are a tiny number of misspellings that need to be fixed, i.e., a structure holding back water is a dam, not a damn.
3) My only disappointment was discovering that a fascinating demonic character in this series, Mal, is the “star” in Lee’s MMF series entitled Incubus Caged. Sadly, I have an aversion to MMF.
March 26, 2020
Hm, we have an interesting world setting, a new spin on necromancy, likable characters with troubled past, an villain who seems worth his salt, a lot of magic, of course a big war at the gate and a medieval gay bar. So everything is set for a nice epic fantasy and the author is making every effort to balance fantasy and romance … it just seems that this balance is not that easy. It takes a lot of attention for the characters and probably a complex adjustment regarding motive and action. Too much focus on the balance is likely leading to missing something on the romance and on the fantasy part. It was nice watching Roland and Sairis together but I didn't feel the pull or the attraction and on the other side the preparing for war, the obligatory scheming and threatening danger fell a bit short. The single pieces were enjoyable but quite often I simply had to believe the author telling me that everything fits together. Could have been more.
May 7, 2020
WARNING: This is not a complete book, the 'trilogy' is actually one book split into three installments - unless you've got KU that works out a very expensive book. Also Cliffhanger. Two devices I hate.
The story starts interestingly with the characters meeting at medival gay tavern. Sairis and his necromancy sound interesting but we really don't learn enough of him. For me the balance between world building, however many countries were represented, the plot, and the romance; didn't leave enough time to fully connect. There's far too much internal thought and what could have brought emotional connection got lost, there was some promise there and humour, but then plot would take over.
While reasonably done little about this plot stood out as original, it was a bunch of usual tropes. The necromancy was a promising angle but really only a tease for the next installment. And yes, that does bug me! But a worse irritant is the ignoring of clues. Reading this I immediately knew who was responsible for an event, before the characters even decided someone was - because of what one character's pov noticed. It then took half the book for that same character to work it out! This more than anything lowered my rating.
If it had been presented as one book I'd read on, it has plenty potential and Sairis clearly has a story; but it didn't make me care enough to fork out more money. If I do KU in the future I may continue.
The story starts interestingly with the characters meeting at medival gay tavern. Sairis and his necromancy sound interesting but we really don't learn enough of him. For me the balance between world building, however many countries were represented, the plot, and the romance; didn't leave enough time to fully connect. There's far too much internal thought and what could have brought emotional connection got lost, there was some promise there and humour, but then plot would take over.
While reasonably done little about this plot stood out as original, it was a bunch of usual tropes. The necromancy was a promising angle but really only a tease for the next installment. And yes, that does bug me! But a worse irritant is the ignoring of clues. Reading this I immediately knew who was responsible for an event, before the characters even decided someone was - because of what one character's pov noticed. It then took half the book for that same character to work it out! This more than anything lowered my rating.
If it had been presented as one book I'd read on, it has plenty potential and Sairis clearly has a story; but it didn't make me care enough to fork out more money. If I do KU in the future I may continue.
June 3, 2020
I don't get it. I thought this book was boring. It started of great but it quickly became slow. I liked the necromancer angle and I might read the other book, maybe.
May 16, 2021
I was judging this book by the cover. *ashamed* :(
Buuut it turned out to be an awesome story. Even tho the romance was insta... at first but then it wasn't, then it was insta again. The pacing was definitely odd, but it worked for me 100%.
Great worldbuilding, diverse characters, yay women in power!
This book was an absolute surprise, in a good way.
Buuut it turned out to be an awesome story. Even tho the romance was insta... at first but then it wasn't, then it was insta again. The pacing was definitely odd, but it worked for me 100%.
Great worldbuilding, diverse characters, yay women in power!
This book was an absolute surprise, in a good way.
October 13, 2021
Interesting plot, intriguing MCs and secondary characters. However, the story paused in awkward moments in order for the romance to progress, in a non-realistic way, which I didn't like.
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April 27, 2020I don't think it's fair of me to properly rate this, because around 50% I started to get a little bored and frustrated and started skipping a lot.
This had elements of being well written, but for me it was bogged down by a too much exposition and too much internal thoughts and explaining of things before we got to dialogue and important interactions. I didn't feel enough of a connection between Roland and Sairis to keep going and read everything. There wasn't too much time spent on them and their romance, although that doesn't mean there wasn't anything. There was some.
And I did skim to one sex scene, but just when they are going to go all the way, it fades to black, which would have annoyed me even more than it did if I had been reading the story the whole time and it fades to black after all the foreplay.
This story just didn't catch enough of my interest, unfortunately. It's not badly written or anything, the writing style and story just wasn't for me. If the world building had been a little more interesting, and the plot, and the character relationships as well, then this could have been a win.
As it was, basically soon after I started it I wanted to be done with it and it kinda started to drag and that's never a good sign. I didn't exactly DNF this, but I skimmed the rest of this after 50% and couldn't get back into it, really.
So no rating from me.
This had elements of being well written, but for me it was bogged down by a too much exposition and too much internal thoughts and explaining of things before we got to dialogue and important interactions. I didn't feel enough of a connection between Roland and Sairis to keep going and read everything. There wasn't too much time spent on them and their romance, although that doesn't mean there wasn't anything. There was some.
And I did skim to one sex scene, but just when they are going to go all the way, it fades to black, which would have annoyed me even more than it did if I had been reading the story the whole time and it fades to black after all the foreplay.
This story just didn't catch enough of my interest, unfortunately. It's not badly written or anything, the writing style and story just wasn't for me. If the world building had been a little more interesting, and the plot, and the character relationships as well, then this could have been a win.
As it was, basically soon after I started it I wanted to be done with it and it kinda started to drag and that's never a good sign. I didn't exactly DNF this, but I skimmed the rest of this after 50% and couldn't get back into it, really.
So no rating from me.
March 7, 2021
3.5 Stars!!
Superb narration by Kirt Graves!!
I really, really liked the story and the world building. I liked slowly learning about the different types of
magic. I liked the slow burn between the prince and the necromancer. (You won’t find much heat here).
What I didn’t like & what made this a 3 star read instead of a 4 star read:
Excessive internal dialogues.
A scarcity of dialogue.
In an audiobook, it’s hard to know when a character is talking out loud and when they are sharing 1sr person internal thoughts. More actual dialogue would have really helped. I had to keep referencing the ebook to figure out what was said and what was thought.
Since this one ends in a cliffhanger and I bought the audiobook series set, I’m off to the next one.
My rec? Yes.
Superb narration by Kirt Graves!!
I really, really liked the story and the world building. I liked slowly learning about the different types of
magic. I liked the slow burn between the prince and the necromancer. (You won’t find much heat here).
What I didn’t like & what made this a 3 star read instead of a 4 star read:
Excessive internal dialogues.
A scarcity of dialogue.
In an audiobook, it’s hard to know when a character is talking out loud and when they are sharing 1sr person internal thoughts. More actual dialogue would have really helped. I had to keep referencing the ebook to figure out what was said and what was thought.
Since this one ends in a cliffhanger and I bought the audiobook series set, I’m off to the next one.
My rec? Yes.
May 18, 2020
Everything happens too fast for my liking from the action to the romance.
Not quite satisfying.
The MC's do have good chemistry but it's lacking anticipation, tension, a build up... just shy of being the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading.
Not quite satisfying.
The MC's do have good chemistry but it's lacking anticipation, tension, a build up... just shy of being the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading.
June 29, 2026
3.75 stars
So, this was recommended to me on the mm romance subreddit when I had requested fantasy romances. I very specifically asked for books that weren't part of long series (trilogies or less), that had at least equal focus on romance as plot, and didn't have any other person drama. I even stated no perfect dead exes, no FWBs hanging around, no on page sex with others, etc. This one looked really interesting and I was assured it didn't have OP stuff.
I think I really liked this book but unfortunately I was thrown because MC Roland has a dead ex (this isn't a spoiler as it comes up nearly immediately). I think if I hadn't been specifically reassured ahead of time that something like this wouldn't come up, I would've coped with it better, but as it was I felt kind of grumpy about it. And this was not a case of someone casually mentioning a former love, this was a huge part of Roland's life, personality, trauma, motivation. The ex in question was a childhood friend who he had a sexual relationship with for most of his life - all his first sexual experiences and then casually after that up until he died. They weren't exclusive and they weren't exactly together, but only because Roland was afraid to tell him that he loved him and wanted more before he tragically died in Roland's arms. Roland was unable to be with anyone else or even get off by himself in the year after that friend died. Soooo... like a HUGE part of Roland was dedicated to this dead man.
And Sairis was perfectly rational about it, not jealous or insecure, very supportive of the fact that the man he was starting to have feelings for was totally in love with someone else. But I am not rational about this and I did not want to hear one more word about Marcus. And it feels like it will continue to be brought up for the rest of the series.
Outside of that large element, I did have a really good time. I was super into the politics, the magic, the plot. And I enjoyed that there was an undercurrent of friction between the two MCs surrounding necromancy. It is an inherent part of Sairis and he is not apologetic about it. Roland struggles with the morals of it and I think that will get played into a lot more in the future.
Sairis was a fantastic black cat. He was very competent at his job, intelligent, distrustful, and cutting when needed. Roland was a patient, gentle golden boy foil. I really did love Roland's caretaker side coming to the fore, and if I weren't so bitter I'd be super into the dynamic.
There wasn't much spice to this (a weirdly timed dry humping, and a bj/handjob exchange) and I'm not sure there really will be in the future - maybe a scene or two? Tbh, if it means I don't have to hear any comparisons or past history with Marcus, I'll skip the smut all day.
I really liked the side characters and I loved the cultural history of their country and how women and queer people and magic users were treated.
This story is really more of a single long book split into three shorter parts (not sure why - maybe it was originally a serial or something?) and this ended on a cliffie. I do want to continue the story for sure but I might take a break first because I'm feeling a little salty about the OP content. A lot of people will probably like how maturely this was handled but, turns out, I am not in any way mature about former lovers and want to be bitchy about it in peace.
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Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None
Other person drama: Roland was in love for most of his life with a friend who died. He also had been very active at the gentleman's club where the MCs meet. Sairis had lived in isolation most of his life and never had an opportunity to be with another person before.
So, this was recommended to me on the mm romance subreddit when I had requested fantasy romances. I very specifically asked for books that weren't part of long series (trilogies or less), that had at least equal focus on romance as plot, and didn't have any other person drama. I even stated no perfect dead exes, no FWBs hanging around, no on page sex with others, etc. This one looked really interesting and I was assured it didn't have OP stuff.
I think I really liked this book but unfortunately I was thrown because MC Roland has a dead ex (this isn't a spoiler as it comes up nearly immediately). I think if I hadn't been specifically reassured ahead of time that something like this wouldn't come up, I would've coped with it better, but as it was I felt kind of grumpy about it. And this was not a case of someone casually mentioning a former love, this was a huge part of Roland's life, personality, trauma, motivation. The ex in question was a childhood friend who he had a sexual relationship with for most of his life - all his first sexual experiences and then casually after that up until he died. They weren't exclusive and they weren't exactly together, but only because Roland was afraid to tell him that he loved him and wanted more before he tragically died in Roland's arms. Roland was unable to be with anyone else or even get off by himself in the year after that friend died. Soooo... like a HUGE part of Roland was dedicated to this dead man.
And Sairis was perfectly rational about it, not jealous or insecure, very supportive of the fact that the man he was starting to have feelings for was totally in love with someone else. But I am not rational about this and I did not want to hear one more word about Marcus. And it feels like it will continue to be brought up for the rest of the series.
Outside of that large element, I did have a really good time. I was super into the politics, the magic, the plot. And I enjoyed that there was an undercurrent of friction between the two MCs surrounding necromancy. It is an inherent part of Sairis and he is not apologetic about it. Roland struggles with the morals of it and I think that will get played into a lot more in the future.
Sairis was a fantastic black cat. He was very competent at his job, intelligent, distrustful, and cutting when needed. Roland was a patient, gentle golden boy foil. I really did love Roland's caretaker side coming to the fore, and if I weren't so bitter I'd be super into the dynamic.
There wasn't much spice to this (a weirdly timed dry humping, and a bj/handjob exchange) and I'm not sure there really will be in the future - maybe a scene or two? Tbh, if it means I don't have to hear any comparisons or past history with Marcus, I'll skip the smut all day.
I really liked the side characters and I loved the cultural history of their country and how women and queer people and magic users were treated.
This story is really more of a single long book split into three shorter parts (not sure why - maybe it was originally a serial or something?) and this ended on a cliffie. I do want to continue the story for sure but I might take a break first because I'm feeling a little salty about the OP content. A lot of people will probably like how maturely this was handled but, turns out, I am not in any way mature about former lovers and want to be bitchy about it in peace.
This was Mistala, where they’d been killing their magicians until fifteen years ago, and even now kept them like tame dogs on leashes. And now they want a word with a wolf.
I reacted badly to your identity, and you’re right. I don’t know you. But I want to. Will you let me?” Sairis sounded confused. “Let you...what?” “Will you let me get to know you?”
He was the premier knight of the realm and Sairis was the closest thing Mistala had to a dragon. Of course Sairis shouldn’t be talking to him about how he survived or who sold him food. They were natural enemies, and Sairis was keenly aware of it even if Roland often forgot. Roland could afford to forget.
Roland had never met anyone so starved for touch and so afraid of it. He wanted to say to Sairis, “Just tell me everything—what happened to you, how you’ve been living, even Karkaroth—if he’s your mentor and you love him. Tell me, and I’ll try to understand. I’ll try to make it all better.”
Oh, Sairis. I swear if I do nothing else, I am going to make you feel safe.
Mistala has a queen. And maybe a prince could marry another man, and maybe magic does not have to be our enemy. The world is changing, and I just heard it shift.
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Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None
Other person drama: Roland was in love for most of his life with a friend who died. He also had been very active at the gentleman's club where the MCs meet. Sairis had lived in isolation most of his life and never had an opportunity to be with another person before.
April 18, 2020
I adore this series so HARD.
It's not often that I find an M/M high fantasy that has good world building. I almost didn't try this one, as there were very few reviews for it on Amazon. I'm so glad I took the chance. It was lovely, how little internal angst there is between the characters. The main two MCs are just solidly good guys, I want to give them all the hugs. ALL THE HUGS. In fact, I loved the series so much I bought the paperbacks.
I haven't tried the author's other series with the Incubus but it is now on my TBR.
It's not often that I find an M/M high fantasy that has good world building. I almost didn't try this one, as there were very few reviews for it on Amazon. I'm so glad I took the chance. It was lovely, how little internal angst there is between the characters. The main two MCs are just solidly good guys, I want to give them all the hugs. ALL THE HUGS. In fact, I loved the series so much I bought the paperbacks.
I haven't tried the author's other series with the Incubus but it is now on my TBR.
April 17, 2020
Excellent
An excellent, well developed fantasy set in a well realized world with well drawn three dimensional characters. There is no insta love here, and no silly self created drama that keeps them apart either. Both main characters are strong in their own way, and I really love that the Knight isn't some shallow alpha male stereotype. I can't wait to read the next book.
An excellent, well developed fantasy set in a well realized world with well drawn three dimensional characters. There is no insta love here, and no silly self created drama that keeps them apart either. Both main characters are strong in their own way, and I really love that the Knight isn't some shallow alpha male stereotype. I can't wait to read the next book.
May 18, 2020
Ok, so this is enjoyable and easy reading - magicians, golems, knights, necromancers, spirit-walking, a kingdom in turmoil and of course a cute romance burning underneath it all. On to book two...😍
January 18, 2022
Action from the first chapter to the last.
This book was absolutely riveting! I couldn’t put it down and loved it all. It felt more like high fantasy than romance and I was into that. The magic system hasn’t been fully explained, but the mystery of that is part of the high stakes of everything in this story.
Magic has changed and the world has changed because of this. Literally. New mountains have risen, seas have parted, and kingdoms are fighting for the land and resources they once had. At the heart of it is Mistala, the first Queen ever, her brother, and the brother’s new lover who just happens to be a Necromancer.
For all the heavy topics involved, the story is quite easy to read. You won’t get lost, some plot points are cheesy and obvious, but it’s all so fun to read. I particularly liked the themes of oppression and change within these pages and how it’s never too much.
I’m onto the next and can’t wait.
This book was absolutely riveting! I couldn’t put it down and loved it all. It felt more like high fantasy than romance and I was into that. The magic system hasn’t been fully explained, but the mystery of that is part of the high stakes of everything in this story.
Magic has changed and the world has changed because of this. Literally. New mountains have risen, seas have parted, and kingdoms are fighting for the land and resources they once had. At the heart of it is Mistala, the first Queen ever, her brother, and the brother’s new lover who just happens to be a Necromancer.
For all the heavy topics involved, the story is quite easy to read. You won’t get lost, some plot points are cheesy and obvious, but it’s all so fun to read. I particularly liked the themes of oppression and change within these pages and how it’s never too much.
I’m onto the next and can’t wait.
June 7, 2020
This is not a complete book but is the first of three parts of a single book. However, since the author decided to release these parts separately, I will review each one accordingly. (There is a three-in-one bundle available, so you can get that rather than wasting your money buying them individually.)
This was fun. It had a lot of action and some wild shenanigans going on, and the magical elements were used to great effect. I really liked Daphne and Roland's sibling relationship, and I think I liked Sairis but the jury's still out on that one at the moment. Anton's also a nice character and I hope we get more of him. There were a couple of twists, and the confrontation that ended this part felt a little staged. And as might be expected, everything was left unresolved and there's a huge cliffhanger.
The world building overall was adequate for the story being told but not as in depth as I expected after all the high praise I've seen. I think this is supposed to be set in some AU version of ancient Greece, but it's not entirely clear. Also not clear was why the enemy was after these other lands beyond "just because." There was some interesting stuff about how magic and those who can wield it were treated in the varying kingdoms, so that was good.
The relationship was just way too insta. Roland and Sairis do have decent chemistry, and they're pretty much the historical fantasy version of the jock and the geek. There are some pretty big issues between them, and I like that they're open to learning more about each other, but at the same time, it felt rushed. By the end of the third day, Roland's already acting like he's in love. There are two other "books" to work up to that. Also, I can't tell you how bored I am of the bigger/smaller dynamic in M/M. *yawn* That's an automatic check in the minus column for me, and it takes a lot to get me to overlook it. The various ways the author forced these two into close proximity just had me eye rolling through the whole thing, but YMMV.
This was fun. It had a lot of action and some wild shenanigans going on, and the magical elements were used to great effect. I really liked Daphne and Roland's sibling relationship, and I think I liked Sairis but the jury's still out on that one at the moment. Anton's also a nice character and I hope we get more of him. There were a couple of twists, and the confrontation that ended this part felt a little staged. And as might be expected, everything was left unresolved and there's a huge cliffhanger.
The world building overall was adequate for the story being told but not as in depth as I expected after all the high praise I've seen. I think this is supposed to be set in some AU version of ancient Greece, but it's not entirely clear. Also not clear was why the enemy was after these other lands beyond "just because." There was some interesting stuff about how magic and those who can wield it were treated in the varying kingdoms, so that was good.
The relationship was just way too insta. Roland and Sairis do have decent chemistry, and they're pretty much the historical fantasy version of the jock and the geek. There are some pretty big issues between them, and I like that they're open to learning more about each other, but at the same time, it felt rushed. By the end of the third day, Roland's already acting like he's in love. There are two other "books" to work up to that. Also, I can't tell you how bored I am of the bigger/smaller dynamic in M/M. *yawn* That's an automatic check in the minus column for me, and it takes a lot to get me to overlook it. The various ways the author forced these two into close proximity just had me eye rolling through the whole thing, but YMMV.
September 1, 2022
DNF @ 56%
While the initial setup with Roland and Sairis meeting at the pub, connecting and then realizing who the other person is at the palace meeting the next day was really great, nothing else worked for me. I'm not trying to be rude but this author usually writes YA and I think that was the source of my main issues.
The Romance
While I felt some chemistry between Roland and Sairis at the start, that chemistry vanished in later scenes because the plot got in the way. There were multiple forced proximity scenes which had the potential to create UST and demonstrate the chemistry between the characters, but the flow was constantly interrupted by big plot things happening. The plot things were necessary, but this meant the romance didn't progress naturally. Making things worse is that the author kept telling us both MCs had this intense connection and were basically in love with each other after their 5 minutes conversation at the start, but none of this was shown. I didn't believe their intense feelings for each other and it didn't help that relationship-progressing scenes were always being side tracked by other characters and other plotlines.
Immature MCs
Roland was supposed to be in his mid-20s, an experienced soldier and military commander, yet the author kept switching between making him act his age and making him think like a teenage boy. When he and Sairis are sneaking around the palace, his thoughts should have stayed focused on where they were going and preventing their discovery. Instead, he's constantly distracted by Sairis' close proximity and how that makes him feel. Later, he and Sairis discover that a side character could possibly have betrayed them. While he does react with outrage, he's also busy thinking about how attracted he is to Sairis and hoping he won't have to witness the side character having sex...?
Sairis also wasn't immune to the author's tendency to treat her characters like they're in a YA novel. When he and Roland are hiding from the aforementioned side character, Sairis worries that Roland will have an outburst at the betrayal discovery...so his solution is to kiss him? It felt very forced and not at all as romantic and tropey as it should have felt.
Sidelining the MCs
One of the things that added to the bad romance progression was having side characters taking the focus away from the MCs. For example, Daphne and Sairis have lengthy conversations about magic/political stuff while Roland just stands in the background, doing nothing. In spoilers for future books, I read that . This isn't what I want in a romance. In a non-romance fantasy, sure. But not in a romance-based story. I want the MCs to stay at the center of the action and I want them being the heroes. It's their story and I don't want them being sidelined for other characters. In particular, I dislike having male characters being shoved into the background for the sake of giving female characters more page time when I'm reading MM romance. If I want female characters being in the spotlight, I'll read MF.
Enemies-To-Lovers Minus The Enemies Part
The whole reason I picked up this book is because the setup promised an enemies-to-lovers situation. Unfortunately, Roland and Sairis are never enemies. Sairis apparently hates all knights, but he's fond of Roland from the moment they meet and that doesn't change once he discovers who he is. As for Roland, he's understandably wary about Sairis' necromancy powers, but he has no problem with the man himself. Like I said earlier, everything about their relationship felt insta and unrealistic.
Good vs Evil
I hated the childish and overly simplistic view of humanity and society that the author pushed in this story. Every good person was young, female and/or LGBT. Every bad person was middle aged, male and presumably straight. Not only that, but every 'good' character shared the exact same progressive views about every single modern-day item on a leftist diversity checklist while the bad guys were anti-everything, religious and also rude and abusive. Roland and Daphne's father, their uncles and the middle aged male leaders of surrounding kingdoms are all misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic and anti-magic. On the other hand, Roland and the other young characters all had the 'correct' political view about every single one of these issues. It's not that I wanted Roland to be a misogynist who resented that his sister was on the throne or have Daphne be homophobic. But the overly simplified way the author created these characters made it feel childish. I think this is due to her YA writing because I believe those audiences not only want but expect such rigid divisions where people of certain ages/races/orientation etc always align completely with the political left or the political right. But this was supposed to be adult fantasy and I don't want fantasy worlds I read about to be reduced to this juvenile nonsense.
Not to mention that including concepts like misogyny and homophobia in this book served no purpose. Out of all the isms/phobia issues that the author crammed in, the only one that fit with the narrative and made sense was the anti-magic stance. The reason is because the author provides a clear background of why the older generations learned to fear and hate magic and how their harsh stance came to be. But there's no explanation for why the older generations held the other non-progressive views that they did. For example, why was homophobia a thing in this magic-based fantasy world? Why was misogyny? Why is being religious automatically viewed as a bad thing? It's never explained, which is why it felt like the author just wanted an easy way to split the characters into good vs bad by using modern real world progressive talking points that a young audience would automatically relate to. This might work for some readers and might even be welcomed by them, but I don't want to be spoon-fed overly simplistic depictions of humanity.
Of course, like many books that are stuffed full of modern-day left-leaning ideals, the author fails to notice the hypocrisy that this stance creates. Daphne and Roland are the 'good' guys, their views on all politically left issues are the 'correct' views...yet there's zero acknowledgment of their privileged positions and how their lives are only possible due to their family having enforced a blood lineage based absolute monarchy for generations. This system of governance is pretty much the least progressive system that exists and Daphne's subjects never had a choice about accepting her as Queen, yet she walks around acting like she has a right to her position and proclaiming that the only problem with the previous rulers was that they were old, straight men.
I also got sick and tired of the author whacking me over the head in her attempts to emphasize how very woke her good characters are and how she had taken the time to stuff as many diversity checklist items into her story as possible. We're told over and over again that Daphne is the first female ruler, how horribly misogynistic the previous generations are, how horribly homophobic etc etc etc. Once again, this style felt juvenile and would have been more appropriate for YA, which is geared towards younger readers.
Sairis' Necromancy
Like the homophobia/misogyny (etc) issues that the author just crammed into the story for no reason, Sairis' necromancy felt the same. Being a necromancer makes you an outsider in this world so I wanted an explanation for why Sairis voluntarily continues associating with this magic when he clearly doesn't like how lonely it makes him. In addition, the whole necromancy felt forced at certain points. For example, Sairis does a magic cloaking spell when he and Roland go to the palace. This seems like pretty typical magic that doesn't seem rooted in necromancy, but Sairis needs to use a human finger bone to do it. It's never explained why necromancy is required for such a generic spell, which if why it felt like the author just wanted to be edgy (Human Bones = OMG Spooky!). Not to mention that Sairis seems to be capable of doing magic that doesn't involve necromancy, like when he magically extinguishes the lamps outside the palace.
All of this felt messy and it honestly seemed as if the author wanted Sairis to be a necromancer just because it was cool and edgy instead of there being a plot-based reason behind it. I recently read The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark and the necromancy was handled much better in that book, which is why this issue stood out to me. In The Necromancer's Light, Shae literally can't do any magic unless it's necromancy based and he's forced to keep using necromancy magic due to a life and death situation he's involved in. But in this book, Sairis' necromancy skills are there just because and I didn't like that.
One Book Sold As Three
When I opened this book, I was confused about it's length because it seemed way too short for a fully developed fantasy romance. After some research, I discovered that the author had the audacity to take one story and deliberately cut it into three parts so she can make more money. Not only that, but she reused the same cover three times, only spending 5 minutes with the hue slider in a photo editing program to change the color palette. Everything about this was lazy and greedy and it's a slap in the face to the authors who actually devote time and energy to creating real series and unique covers. I have a policy that if I find an author who does this, I won't ever buy anything from them again. In this case, the author's style doesn't work for me anyway, but I would have refused to spend another penny on this author, even if I did like the story.
While the initial setup with Roland and Sairis meeting at the pub, connecting and then realizing who the other person is at the palace meeting the next day was really great, nothing else worked for me. I'm not trying to be rude but this author usually writes YA and I think that was the source of my main issues.
The Romance
While I felt some chemistry between Roland and Sairis at the start, that chemistry vanished in later scenes because the plot got in the way. There were multiple forced proximity scenes which had the potential to create UST and demonstrate the chemistry between the characters, but the flow was constantly interrupted by big plot things happening. The plot things were necessary, but this meant the romance didn't progress naturally. Making things worse is that the author kept telling us both MCs had this intense connection and were basically in love with each other after their 5 minutes conversation at the start, but none of this was shown. I didn't believe their intense feelings for each other and it didn't help that relationship-progressing scenes were always being side tracked by other characters and other plotlines.
Immature MCs
Roland was supposed to be in his mid-20s, an experienced soldier and military commander, yet the author kept switching between making him act his age and making him think like a teenage boy. When he and Sairis are sneaking around the palace, his thoughts should have stayed focused on where they were going and preventing their discovery. Instead, he's constantly distracted by Sairis' close proximity and how that makes him feel. Later, he and Sairis discover that a side character could possibly have betrayed them. While he does react with outrage, he's also busy thinking about how attracted he is to Sairis and hoping he won't have to witness the side character having sex...?
Sairis also wasn't immune to the author's tendency to treat her characters like they're in a YA novel. When he and Roland are hiding from the aforementioned side character, Sairis worries that Roland will have an outburst at the betrayal discovery...so his solution is to kiss him? It felt very forced and not at all as romantic and tropey as it should have felt.
Sidelining the MCs
One of the things that added to the bad romance progression was having side characters taking the focus away from the MCs. For example, Daphne and Sairis have lengthy conversations about magic/political stuff while Roland just stands in the background, doing nothing. In spoilers for future books, I read that . This isn't what I want in a romance. In a non-romance fantasy, sure. But not in a romance-based story. I want the MCs to stay at the center of the action and I want them being the heroes. It's their story and I don't want them being sidelined for other characters. In particular, I dislike having male characters being shoved into the background for the sake of giving female characters more page time when I'm reading MM romance. If I want female characters being in the spotlight, I'll read MF.
Enemies-To-Lovers Minus The Enemies Part
The whole reason I picked up this book is because the setup promised an enemies-to-lovers situation. Unfortunately, Roland and Sairis are never enemies. Sairis apparently hates all knights, but he's fond of Roland from the moment they meet and that doesn't change once he discovers who he is. As for Roland, he's understandably wary about Sairis' necromancy powers, but he has no problem with the man himself. Like I said earlier, everything about their relationship felt insta and unrealistic.
Good vs Evil
I hated the childish and overly simplistic view of humanity and society that the author pushed in this story. Every good person was young, female and/or LGBT. Every bad person was middle aged, male and presumably straight. Not only that, but every 'good' character shared the exact same progressive views about every single modern-day item on a leftist diversity checklist while the bad guys were anti-everything, religious and also rude and abusive. Roland and Daphne's father, their uncles and the middle aged male leaders of surrounding kingdoms are all misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic and anti-magic. On the other hand, Roland and the other young characters all had the 'correct' political view about every single one of these issues. It's not that I wanted Roland to be a misogynist who resented that his sister was on the throne or have Daphne be homophobic. But the overly simplified way the author created these characters made it feel childish. I think this is due to her YA writing because I believe those audiences not only want but expect such rigid divisions where people of certain ages/races/orientation etc always align completely with the political left or the political right. But this was supposed to be adult fantasy and I don't want fantasy worlds I read about to be reduced to this juvenile nonsense.
Not to mention that including concepts like misogyny and homophobia in this book served no purpose. Out of all the isms/phobia issues that the author crammed in, the only one that fit with the narrative and made sense was the anti-magic stance. The reason is because the author provides a clear background of why the older generations learned to fear and hate magic and how their harsh stance came to be. But there's no explanation for why the older generations held the other non-progressive views that they did. For example, why was homophobia a thing in this magic-based fantasy world? Why was misogyny? Why is being religious automatically viewed as a bad thing? It's never explained, which is why it felt like the author just wanted an easy way to split the characters into good vs bad by using modern real world progressive talking points that a young audience would automatically relate to. This might work for some readers and might even be welcomed by them, but I don't want to be spoon-fed overly simplistic depictions of humanity.
Of course, like many books that are stuffed full of modern-day left-leaning ideals, the author fails to notice the hypocrisy that this stance creates. Daphne and Roland are the 'good' guys, their views on all politically left issues are the 'correct' views...yet there's zero acknowledgment of their privileged positions and how their lives are only possible due to their family having enforced a blood lineage based absolute monarchy for generations. This system of governance is pretty much the least progressive system that exists and Daphne's subjects never had a choice about accepting her as Queen, yet she walks around acting like she has a right to her position and proclaiming that the only problem with the previous rulers was that they were old, straight men.
I also got sick and tired of the author whacking me over the head in her attempts to emphasize how very woke her good characters are and how she had taken the time to stuff as many diversity checklist items into her story as possible. We're told over and over again that Daphne is the first female ruler, how horribly misogynistic the previous generations are, how horribly homophobic etc etc etc. Once again, this style felt juvenile and would have been more appropriate for YA, which is geared towards younger readers.
Sairis' Necromancy
Like the homophobia/misogyny (etc) issues that the author just crammed into the story for no reason, Sairis' necromancy felt the same. Being a necromancer makes you an outsider in this world so I wanted an explanation for why Sairis voluntarily continues associating with this magic when he clearly doesn't like how lonely it makes him. In addition, the whole necromancy felt forced at certain points. For example, Sairis does a magic cloaking spell when he and Roland go to the palace. This seems like pretty typical magic that doesn't seem rooted in necromancy, but Sairis needs to use a human finger bone to do it. It's never explained why necromancy is required for such a generic spell, which if why it felt like the author just wanted to be edgy (Human Bones = OMG Spooky!). Not to mention that Sairis seems to be capable of doing magic that doesn't involve necromancy, like when he magically extinguishes the lamps outside the palace.
All of this felt messy and it honestly seemed as if the author wanted Sairis to be a necromancer just because it was cool and edgy instead of there being a plot-based reason behind it. I recently read The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark and the necromancy was handled much better in that book, which is why this issue stood out to me. In The Necromancer's Light, Shae literally can't do any magic unless it's necromancy based and he's forced to keep using necromancy magic due to a life and death situation he's involved in. But in this book, Sairis' necromancy skills are there just because and I didn't like that.
One Book Sold As Three
When I opened this book, I was confused about it's length because it seemed way too short for a fully developed fantasy romance. After some research, I discovered that the author had the audacity to take one story and deliberately cut it into three parts so she can make more money. Not only that, but she reused the same cover three times, only spending 5 minutes with the hue slider in a photo editing program to change the color palette. Everything about this was lazy and greedy and it's a slap in the face to the authors who actually devote time and energy to creating real series and unique covers. I have a policy that if I find an author who does this, I won't ever buy anything from them again. In this case, the author's style doesn't work for me anyway, but I would have refused to spend another penny on this author, even if I did like the story.
May 4, 2022
Roland es el principe de un reino en guerra, desde que re-aparecio la magia la paz que existia entre los reinos se fue rescrebajando a medida que cada reino tomaba el mando a favor o en contra de la magia, sobre todo despues de que grandes magos atacaron a aquellos que estaban en contra. Sin embargo, su reino esta a favor de los magos, los acepta pero con restricciones. Pero un mago muy poderoso esta utilizando metodos "prohibidos" para derrocar reinos, y si todos no se unen van a caer en manos de este y sus creaciones.
Para Roland, la magia es normal, igual que lo es su homosexualidad (aceptada, pero no mucho), pero no espera que su hermana la Reina le pida trabajar con un Nigromante, uno de los pocos magos a los que les tiene miedo, y mucho menos sentirse atraido por el joven que podria ser la clave para ganar la guerra y unificar los reinos.
El problema es que hay un traidor entre ellos que trajo a un demonio que esta intentando asesinar a la reina, y todo el mundo cree que fue el Nigromanente, ahora su deber no es solo detener al traidor, ganar la guerra, sino tambien probar la inocencia del Nigromante ante todo el reino.
Es un libro diferente, un universo lleno de caballeros, magia, reinos, politica, pero tambien lleno de personas diferentes, especiales. El autor logro mezclar bastante bien todo para ser un primer libro, pero siento que fracaso con los personajes, no logro conectar con ninguno de ellos, ni los protas, ni ninguno de los secundarios, no los entiendo, por eso me cuesta mucho entender la trama.
Otra cosa que me di cuenta, es que no hay muchas vistas al pasado, y la quimica que senti entre los protas en el primer capitulo, poco a poco se va desvaneciendo.
Quizas al ser solo el primer libro, podemos decir que es un tipo de introduccion al universo, y aunque se perfila interesante, no es lo suficiente como para lanzarme de lleno a leer los siguientes, quizas mas adelante la continue, pero ahorita lo voy a dejar hasta aqui.
Para Roland, la magia es normal, igual que lo es su homosexualidad (aceptada, pero no mucho), pero no espera que su hermana la Reina le pida trabajar con un Nigromante, uno de los pocos magos a los que les tiene miedo, y mucho menos sentirse atraido por el joven que podria ser la clave para ganar la guerra y unificar los reinos.
El problema es que hay un traidor entre ellos que trajo a un demonio que esta intentando asesinar a la reina, y todo el mundo cree que fue el Nigromanente, ahora su deber no es solo detener al traidor, ganar la guerra, sino tambien probar la inocencia del Nigromante ante todo el reino.
Es un libro diferente, un universo lleno de caballeros, magia, reinos, politica, pero tambien lleno de personas diferentes, especiales. El autor logro mezclar bastante bien todo para ser un primer libro, pero siento que fracaso con los personajes, no logro conectar con ninguno de ellos, ni los protas, ni ninguno de los secundarios, no los entiendo, por eso me cuesta mucho entender la trama.
Otra cosa que me di cuenta, es que no hay muchas vistas al pasado, y la quimica que senti entre los protas en el primer capitulo, poco a poco se va desvaneciendo.
Quizas al ser solo el primer libro, podemos decir que es un tipo de introduccion al universo, y aunque se perfila interesante, no es lo suficiente como para lanzarme de lleno a leer los siguientes, quizas mas adelante la continue, pero ahorita lo voy a dejar hasta aqui.
September 1, 2022
Tags: Fantasy, necromancer, prince, one room but *two beds*, whyyyyy
Oh no a cliffhanger! Good thing the series is already finished. I enjoyed this a lot - solid worldbuilding, and interesting character setup. I’m kind of glad I didn’t read the prequel first since it features a MC who isn’t Roland. Looking forward to the next book.
Oh no a cliffhanger! Good thing the series is already finished. I enjoyed this a lot - solid worldbuilding, and interesting character setup. I’m kind of glad I didn’t read the prequel first since it features a MC who isn’t Roland. Looking forward to the next book.
July 15, 2020
The Capital feels like Merlin (the BBC Show) but without the queer baiting because the characters are in fact, actually queer. This is everything I ever wanted in a high fantasy world featuring kingdoms and magic and I couldn’t be happier with how this story started off. I’m in love with the world that A.H. Lee has created already and I’m especially fascinated by the mirror worlds. This was a fantastic start to a series that allowed for some world building and for the love interests to begin building what I’m certain will turn into quite the bond as they face more struggles together.
The Plot:
When book one starts off, Prince Roland has just returned to the Capital in order to see his sister crowned after his father’s unexpected death. He’s there to support his sister as she takes on the duties of a Queen.
His first night back, he decides to visit one of his old favorite haunts, a gentleman’s club for those who prefer men. Here, he meets a scholarly man by the name of Sairis. After sharing a short but sweet moment with a man he believes to be a student, they agree to return to the club the following night for a sort of ‘second date’ after they each attend their own meetings that day.
Little do Roland and Sairis realize who each other are and that they will in fact be attending the same meeting that next day. It’s here that it’s brought into the light that the Handsome Knight is in fact a Prince and the Student is actually a Necromancer and the apprentice of the royal family’s sworn enemy.
Thoughts:
The Capital did a wonderful job of hooking me on these characters stories. The ending was bloody frustrating however, as it cut out in the middle of the drama, leaving you desperate to start the next book.
Will I be continuing this series?
If I didn’t already have books planned for this month I’d more than likely be starting on the second book right now but I’m being forced to practice self control and wait till I finish my current planned books before continuing on with this story. I cannot wait, but I must.
February 10, 2021
I haven't read a good MM high fantasy for quite a long time, and this book is like rain during a drought for me. I love everything about it, great characters, intriguing plot, intricate world building and superb writing from a new-to-me author.
In the novel, the world was newly awakened to magic, caused by a great earthquake that caused geographical changes and brought forth new, powerful magic. An evil sorcerer across the sea brought his enthralled army to invade the kingdom, and the queen had to enlist an outlawed necromancer, Sairis, to the fight. Sairis met the prince, Roland, and a romance blossomed as they fought together against the invading force, traitors as well as prejudice against Sairis' dark magic.
This book is the first of a 3-book series. It ends in a cliffhanger, which means I have to move on to Book 2 immediately.
In the novel, the world was newly awakened to magic, caused by a great earthquake that caused geographical changes and brought forth new, powerful magic. An evil sorcerer across the sea brought his enthralled army to invade the kingdom, and the queen had to enlist an outlawed necromancer, Sairis, to the fight. Sairis met the prince, Roland, and a romance blossomed as they fought together against the invading force, traitors as well as prejudice against Sairis' dark magic.
This book is the first of a 3-book series. It ends in a cliffhanger, which means I have to move on to Book 2 immediately.
Read
March 6, 2021Not rating, skimmed a lot.
January 16, 2025
Not so sure what my feelings are on this? It’s definitely good. I’d recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone who was looking for this kind of story. It’s easy to read, the characters are charming, the plot is interesting.
But there’s still just something…. Off? Something a little wrong? Something that feels a little rushed. Something that feels like a couple story beats got skipped over, and we’ve tripped into something that SHOULD be a book or two later.
Definitely not PERFECT, but… hell. I still had a great time. 🤷♀️
But there’s still just something…. Off? Something a little wrong? Something that feels a little rushed. Something that feels like a couple story beats got skipped over, and we’ve tripped into something that SHOULD be a book or two later.
Definitely not PERFECT, but… hell. I still had a great time. 🤷♀️
May 17, 2021
I really enjoyed these books. They hit that perfect spot in length for me, with a great fantasy world and cool, interesting magic but not bogged down in too many points of view. I like the love story, and how each volume built on the last. I also think she did a great job on where she made her cuts between the books, definitely a cliffhanger, but when the length wasn't 800 pages I didn't mind. Really enjoyable and want more books like this! If I had one critique it's that I do prefer fantasy words that have moved beyond homophobia, but it wasn't the central conflict in the story and didn't detract.
April 3, 2020
This was a fun book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Likable characters, a bit action packed, and the mystery all kept me entertained.
The world building was a bit much for me though because it was a bit confusing. Having to remember which country every character is from, which countries hate each other, who is the king or queen of what, who made what law, etc. At times, I felt like I was reading a history book on international relations.
Anyway, i think I will come back for the next book. I’m intrigued.
The world building was a bit much for me though because it was a bit confusing. Having to remember which country every character is from, which countries hate each other, who is the king or queen of what, who made what law, etc. At times, I felt like I was reading a history book on international relations.
Anyway, i think I will come back for the next book. I’m intrigued.
August 16, 2024
I actually read this series before I started using Goodreads, and it was among the books that started my love for MM romance!
Bingeable and cozy, featuring an adorable couple (one is a knight, the other a necromancer; as you can see from the title!)
I'd recommend this especially if you have KU. I bought all 3 books in paperbacks because I love them; and re-reading this again in 2024, I'm delighted to find it still holds up to the test of time. 🥰
Bingeable and cozy, featuring an adorable couple (one is a knight, the other a necromancer; as you can see from the title!)
I'd recommend this especially if you have KU. I bought all 3 books in paperbacks because I love them; and re-reading this again in 2024, I'm delighted to find it still holds up to the test of time. 🥰
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