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The Gifted and the Cursed #1
Kings and Daemons
If you like fantasy tales of conquest, dark kings, daemonic heroes, and magic, you’ll love 'Kings and Daemons' by Epic Fantasy author, Marcus Lee. This is a spellbinding Dark Fantasy novel which will enchant you with its plot of ambition, revenge, love, and tragedy. What the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.
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Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King, and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.
Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.
Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.
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Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King, and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.
Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.
Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.
417 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2020
624 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Lee
8 books86 followersMarcus Lee is a bestselling author of Fantasy novels full of magic, conquest, darkness vs light, and Machiavellian plot twists that you won't see coming.
Born and living in London, he has been a lover of fantasy since reading Homer the Odyssey and The Iliad as a seven year old. Now, as a father of one, he seeks to create worlds and stories that capture the imagination of a new generation of readers, to give back some of the magic he has so happily immersed himself in over the years.
Whenever Marcus' quill is at rest, he can be found wandering enchanted forests, or engaging in a variety of sports/playing computer games with his son.
Marcus can be contacted via his website: www.marcusleebooks.com
Born and living in London, he has been a lover of fantasy since reading Homer the Odyssey and The Iliad as a seven year old. Now, as a father of one, he seeks to create worlds and stories that capture the imagination of a new generation of readers, to give back some of the magic he has so happily immersed himself in over the years.
Whenever Marcus' quill is at rest, he can be found wandering enchanted forests, or engaging in a variety of sports/playing computer games with his son.
Marcus can be contacted via his website: www.marcusleebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 11, 2020
KINGS AND DAEMONS is a multi-perspective fantasy tale that takes the reader on an exciting journey that both entertains and gives all of the familiar traditional fantasy feels that made me fall in love with the genre to begin with. That being said, this is by no means a standard or tropey story at all as there are a couple of twists that make this book wholly original in both concept and execution. The insertion of daemons who control a few of the characters creates an atmosphere of unpredictability and angst that really make it an engaging read.
The Witch-King in particular is a dastardly fellow whose only pleasure derives from seeing others die slow and painful deaths at his hands. His constant obsession with conquest is also a problem for the neighboring Freestates and the territories beyond. I put him right up there with some of the most evil antagonists in the genre and he never fails to deliver when it comes to cruelty and downright malice. I'm trying not to give away too much of the plot so I'll just say that the Witch-King is not unopposed and has his share of those who would attempt to take him down before his vile plans can be carried out. But will they succeed in thwarting him? I'm not telling, so you'll have to find out for yourself.
Marcus Lee has succeeded in crafting a terrific story that at times gets pretty dark. The daemon aspect really gave the book almost a horror feel to it at times, so it also scratched that particular itch for me and satisfied on many different levels. It's a very easy read, so much so that I found myself consuming large chunks of the book in one sitting. Another thing that I particularly enjoyed were the backstories of the characters who we are introduced to before knowing anything that came before. Marcus does a wonderful job of info dumping without it seeming like an info dump through reflections of the characters and dialogue. It never seems clumsy, but rather a natural flow within the story. As these histories are revealed slowly, I began to get a better picture of the motivations of each main character.
In the end I came away feeling as if I read a very well-written fantasy epic that hearkened back to my very first reads in the genre. I enjoyed KINGS AND DAEMONS a great deal and would recommend it to both the seasoned fantasy reader and also those just starting out and wanting something to hook them on the genre. It has an accessibility that is unmistakable and should appeal to many readers. I look forward to reading many more books by Marcus Lee if this one is any indication of what is to come The sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned.
The Witch-King in particular is a dastardly fellow whose only pleasure derives from seeing others die slow and painful deaths at his hands. His constant obsession with conquest is also a problem for the neighboring Freestates and the territories beyond. I put him right up there with some of the most evil antagonists in the genre and he never fails to deliver when it comes to cruelty and downright malice. I'm trying not to give away too much of the plot so I'll just say that the Witch-King is not unopposed and has his share of those who would attempt to take him down before his vile plans can be carried out. But will they succeed in thwarting him? I'm not telling, so you'll have to find out for yourself.
Marcus Lee has succeeded in crafting a terrific story that at times gets pretty dark. The daemon aspect really gave the book almost a horror feel to it at times, so it also scratched that particular itch for me and satisfied on many different levels. It's a very easy read, so much so that I found myself consuming large chunks of the book in one sitting. Another thing that I particularly enjoyed were the backstories of the characters who we are introduced to before knowing anything that came before. Marcus does a wonderful job of info dumping without it seeming like an info dump through reflections of the characters and dialogue. It never seems clumsy, but rather a natural flow within the story. As these histories are revealed slowly, I began to get a better picture of the motivations of each main character.
In the end I came away feeling as if I read a very well-written fantasy epic that hearkened back to my very first reads in the genre. I enjoyed KINGS AND DAEMONS a great deal and would recommend it to both the seasoned fantasy reader and also those just starting out and wanting something to hook them on the genre. It has an accessibility that is unmistakable and should appeal to many readers. I look forward to reading many more books by Marcus Lee if this one is any indication of what is to come The sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned.
August 18, 2020
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The Book in Hand Blog
....
I really bloody enjoyed this book!
Kings and Daemons is Marcus Lee’s debut novel and the first in the series, I loved it and I am excited to read the next book in the series.
As I said on my Twitter and Goodreads update I truly loved Marcus’ writing, it read perfectly to me, and by perfectly I mean it is exactly the tone and style of writing I adore in fantasy. It made me feel like I was reliving a tale told by someone who knew the characters and witnessed the story unravel.
I really enjoyed my time in the world, it was a dark and punishing world with a history as bloody and harsh as it’s present. Really early on it the book, when we hear a little of Kalas’ history, I was thinking give me that book too! I wanted to know more and more and could have read about the previous wars and beauties of the Ember Kingdom for longer and that’s saying something! For this not to come off as an unwanted info dump is a feat all in its self. These glimpses into the characters and the worlds history were utterly enjoyable.
”Spoiled vegetables in the fields, dead or dying fish in the rivers, the whole land was teetering on a knife-edge.”
Marcus really managed to make the world something in its own right, yes the witch king was an epic villain and always the root cause of it, but the world was almost a character unto its self, it was so evil and utterly corrupted. People were taught to relish in bloodshed and revel in the gore of war and death, it was so corruptive you saw glimpses of it’s corruption even in your ’good’ characters.
”His dreams, full of killing and bloodshed, he would once have considered nightmares, had shown him his destiny in all its blood-drenched glory.”
Throughout we see glimpses of quite a few characters in Kings and Daemons, I’m going to say this is third-person omniscient because the narrator knows all the characters and their inner thoughts not just our leads, but I could be wrong. As I was saying, you see into other people’s minds in between our main characters. This is done brilliantly, I enjoyed the breaks in main character pov’s and found that they really added to the story and the scenes. In some cases it showed the awe of someone in response to one of our leads actions or the disgust. It is done fluidly and does not come across as disjointed or clunky.
Maya is one of our main characters and I found I quite liked the nimble-footed little hunter, at one point she says something a little flirtatious and I was a shocked and giddy at it, as was who it was said too, because I was like oh hello new playful Maya. Then the nitpicker in me thought is that really in character for her and it was, because all her life she had been told to stay away and keep to herself, play herself down whereas now she was in the company of folk whole knew her so she had nothing to hide and could be her true, playful and nature-loving self.
Mmmm, and the grey hair! You know I love this, I mean I named my dog Rogue (after the x-men and not rogue one star wars) so I was digging this little detail.
Kalas was also quite an intriguing fellow, I adored his history and thoroughly enjoyed reading of it. Kalas was at sometimes infallible though, there didn’t seem to be any risk to him. I would have liked to have seen more go wrong for him, or at least provide a few wee hiccups in his journey. Though saying this I don’t think this will be an issue in the next book!
”From there, chaos reigned. But inside the chaos, as men ran forward, swords clashed, blood flew and screams shattered the afternoon air, there danced the daemon, moving fluidly, every blow deadly, men falling behind him like leaves from a tree.”
Rakan was a great character too, I actually liked him from the start despite his horrible nature. Something about him just seemed redeemable and to see his character grow and develop was an absolute treat.
Taran was a joy to read too and I thoroughly enjoyed the blossoming relationship between him and Maya.
”His life which was hardly gifted by the gods, was now certainly cursed.”
And. Don’t judge me. I like the Witch-King, its almost as if by calling him by his given name I feel more understanding towards him. He didn’t have a great start and was pushed to some degree in the direction he took. Don’t get me wrong he continued in that direction with a ruthless brutality but I still kind of like the guy. It is understandable how he masterfully manipulates those around him perfectly, by knowing his soldiers and gifting them his attention and actual gifts! Heck, he manipulated me into kind of liking him! Thats how well written his character is. Marcus managed to create a brilliant cast of characters who are all fun and unique.
Marcus takes you on a great journey with his plot and his writing, I love the burst of colour when Maya works her magic and his descriptions of such create such vivid imagery. The plot is filled with many of the aspects I love from fantasy and constantly had me wanting to read more. We are treated to dark fantasy elements, a natural feeling and stunningly written romance and your classic fantasy elements.
”I’d rather die fighting next to you, than live without you. Don’t ask me to go again. I won’t.”
The magic in this book is satisfying to read, I love that it always comes with a cost and Marcus does a brilliant job at slowly showing you the rules of said magic. Without saying much I am really excited to see the costs of said magic for some of the characters, we find a few out in this book but I expect we may find out some others in the later books too.
This book is really good, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series, it was a super easy read and you will find yourself reading and reading and reading.
Sound good? I can confirm it is! If you want to pick up your own copy you can do so through Kindle Unlimited!!
The Book in Hand Blog
....
I really bloody enjoyed this book!
Kings and Daemons is Marcus Lee’s debut novel and the first in the series, I loved it and I am excited to read the next book in the series.
As I said on my Twitter and Goodreads update I truly loved Marcus’ writing, it read perfectly to me, and by perfectly I mean it is exactly the tone and style of writing I adore in fantasy. It made me feel like I was reliving a tale told by someone who knew the characters and witnessed the story unravel.
I really enjoyed my time in the world, it was a dark and punishing world with a history as bloody and harsh as it’s present. Really early on it the book, when we hear a little of Kalas’ history, I was thinking give me that book too! I wanted to know more and more and could have read about the previous wars and beauties of the Ember Kingdom for longer and that’s saying something! For this not to come off as an unwanted info dump is a feat all in its self. These glimpses into the characters and the worlds history were utterly enjoyable.
”Spoiled vegetables in the fields, dead or dying fish in the rivers, the whole land was teetering on a knife-edge.”
Marcus really managed to make the world something in its own right, yes the witch king was an epic villain and always the root cause of it, but the world was almost a character unto its self, it was so evil and utterly corrupted. People were taught to relish in bloodshed and revel in the gore of war and death, it was so corruptive you saw glimpses of it’s corruption even in your ’good’ characters.
”His dreams, full of killing and bloodshed, he would once have considered nightmares, had shown him his destiny in all its blood-drenched glory.”
Throughout we see glimpses of quite a few characters in Kings and Daemons, I’m going to say this is third-person omniscient because the narrator knows all the characters and their inner thoughts not just our leads, but I could be wrong. As I was saying, you see into other people’s minds in between our main characters. This is done brilliantly, I enjoyed the breaks in main character pov’s and found that they really added to the story and the scenes. In some cases it showed the awe of someone in response to one of our leads actions or the disgust. It is done fluidly and does not come across as disjointed or clunky.
Maya is one of our main characters and I found I quite liked the nimble-footed little hunter, at one point she says something a little flirtatious and I was a shocked and giddy at it, as was who it was said too, because I was like oh hello new playful Maya. Then the nitpicker in me thought is that really in character for her and it was, because all her life she had been told to stay away and keep to herself, play herself down whereas now she was in the company of folk whole knew her so she had nothing to hide and could be her true, playful and nature-loving self.
Mmmm, and the grey hair! You know I love this, I mean I named my dog Rogue (after the x-men and not rogue one star wars) so I was digging this little detail.
Kalas was also quite an intriguing fellow, I adored his history and thoroughly enjoyed reading of it. Kalas was at sometimes infallible though, there didn’t seem to be any risk to him. I would have liked to have seen more go wrong for him, or at least provide a few wee hiccups in his journey. Though saying this I don’t think this will be an issue in the next book!
”From there, chaos reigned. But inside the chaos, as men ran forward, swords clashed, blood flew and screams shattered the afternoon air, there danced the daemon, moving fluidly, every blow deadly, men falling behind him like leaves from a tree.”
Rakan was a great character too, I actually liked him from the start despite his horrible nature. Something about him just seemed redeemable and to see his character grow and develop was an absolute treat.
Taran was a joy to read too and I thoroughly enjoyed the blossoming relationship between him and Maya.
”His life which was hardly gifted by the gods, was now certainly cursed.”
And. Don’t judge me. I like the Witch-King, its almost as if by calling him by his given name I feel more understanding towards him. He didn’t have a great start and was pushed to some degree in the direction he took. Don’t get me wrong he continued in that direction with a ruthless brutality but I still kind of like the guy. It is understandable how he masterfully manipulates those around him perfectly, by knowing his soldiers and gifting them his attention and actual gifts! Heck, he manipulated me into kind of liking him! Thats how well written his character is. Marcus managed to create a brilliant cast of characters who are all fun and unique.
Marcus takes you on a great journey with his plot and his writing, I love the burst of colour when Maya works her magic and his descriptions of such create such vivid imagery. The plot is filled with many of the aspects I love from fantasy and constantly had me wanting to read more. We are treated to dark fantasy elements, a natural feeling and stunningly written romance and your classic fantasy elements.
”I’d rather die fighting next to you, than live without you. Don’t ask me to go again. I won’t.”
The magic in this book is satisfying to read, I love that it always comes with a cost and Marcus does a brilliant job at slowly showing you the rules of said magic. Without saying much I am really excited to see the costs of said magic for some of the characters, we find a few out in this book but I expect we may find out some others in the later books too.
This book is really good, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series, it was a super easy read and you will find yourself reading and reading and reading.
Sound good? I can confirm it is! If you want to pick up your own copy you can do so through Kindle Unlimited!!
June 21, 2020
The problem with this book is that I don’t have any problem with it, not even a tiny issue. That is a problem because now, I’m finding it hard to make this review long. But I have to…
The story…"Kings and Daemons" features Kings and Daemons. (Sorry, can’t help it. Hehe.) But kidding aside, the story is set in a world where daemons exist and ruled by one who feeds on life. It’s been decades since the Witch-King Daleth conquered the Ember Kingdom, turning the lands grey and people dying. Still with his thirst for eternal youth, now the Witch-King prepares his forces to conquer the neighboring Free States. Meanwhile, a group of misfits, each with their own past and motives, find themselves together and help change the world.
Kings and Daemons has everything I love in fantasy – strong plot, well-constructed fictional world and magic system, great ensemble cast, and even romance. As a lover of romance, this really pleased me. Several main characters are introduced and the story is told in three main POVs – Maya, Taran, and Kalas. I can say who to focus more but I won’t, besides it wasn’t my favorite. My favorite character would be the warrior Kalas. I love a character whose external battle is as important as their internal battle. Kalas is a perfect example of such a character. But despite not being my favorite, I still like Maya and her arc. She’s one of those characters you can’t help but root for right from the start. Her gift of healing can change everything because it is the direct counterpoint of the Witch-King’s power. Taran, on the other hand, is a typical character but his actions make him interesting to follow.
The secondary characters have their POVs shown throughout the story as well, just not as long as the main ones. But I am amazed that the author managed to give everyone the right amount of spotlight in the book, so in the end, no character seems flat or unnecessary. I even found myself connected to the Witch-King’s character. I also enjoyed the switching of the POV mid-chapter. I don’t think I’ve seen that done before but it’s very effective. It provides all the necessary tension, making the story more engaging.
Another thing is that the author used the multiple POVs to perfectly introduce the world, avoiding info-dumping. It’s really amazing to see and learn more about the world through all the character’s POVs, even through secondary characters’ POVs. The story kept surprising me, especially about how the magic system works. Everyone who has a gift/power is also cursed (thus the series title, The Gifted and The Cursed). It’s amazing to discover the characters' gifts and how exactly they’re cursed. Also, the creatures that exist in the book’s fictional world made me more enthusiastic to read. When the daemons were introduced, I was amazed because I wasn’t expecting them to be like that.
So this is definitely a character-driven book, which is my favorite. No matter how complex the world is and how compelling the plot is, the book still gives more value to the characters’ personal goals. I just love it when it is the characters who are moving the story/plot forward and not the other way. Even better when the characters are as interesting as the ones in this book.
Finally, the book wrapped up neatly, and with a promise of more excitement in the next book. It tackled various themes that I really hope to see again in the next book, and darker. Kings and Daemons already has a dark undertone but I’m expecting it to be darker in the next book.
I highly recommend Kings and Daemons. It’s perfect for all fantasy lovers since this is both Young Adult and Adult fantasy. And whether you like high fantasy or dark fantasy, you will love this book.
The author has given me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
The story…"Kings and Daemons" features Kings and Daemons. (Sorry, can’t help it. Hehe.) But kidding aside, the story is set in a world where daemons exist and ruled by one who feeds on life. It’s been decades since the Witch-King Daleth conquered the Ember Kingdom, turning the lands grey and people dying. Still with his thirst for eternal youth, now the Witch-King prepares his forces to conquer the neighboring Free States. Meanwhile, a group of misfits, each with their own past and motives, find themselves together and help change the world.
Kings and Daemons has everything I love in fantasy – strong plot, well-constructed fictional world and magic system, great ensemble cast, and even romance. As a lover of romance, this really pleased me. Several main characters are introduced and the story is told in three main POVs – Maya, Taran, and Kalas. I can say who to focus more but I won’t, besides it wasn’t my favorite. My favorite character would be the warrior Kalas. I love a character whose external battle is as important as their internal battle. Kalas is a perfect example of such a character. But despite not being my favorite, I still like Maya and her arc. She’s one of those characters you can’t help but root for right from the start. Her gift of healing can change everything because it is the direct counterpoint of the Witch-King’s power. Taran, on the other hand, is a typical character but his actions make him interesting to follow.
The secondary characters have their POVs shown throughout the story as well, just not as long as the main ones. But I am amazed that the author managed to give everyone the right amount of spotlight in the book, so in the end, no character seems flat or unnecessary. I even found myself connected to the Witch-King’s character. I also enjoyed the switching of the POV mid-chapter. I don’t think I’ve seen that done before but it’s very effective. It provides all the necessary tension, making the story more engaging.
Another thing is that the author used the multiple POVs to perfectly introduce the world, avoiding info-dumping. It’s really amazing to see and learn more about the world through all the character’s POVs, even through secondary characters’ POVs. The story kept surprising me, especially about how the magic system works. Everyone who has a gift/power is also cursed (thus the series title, The Gifted and The Cursed). It’s amazing to discover the characters' gifts and how exactly they’re cursed. Also, the creatures that exist in the book’s fictional world made me more enthusiastic to read. When the daemons were introduced, I was amazed because I wasn’t expecting them to be like that.
So this is definitely a character-driven book, which is my favorite. No matter how complex the world is and how compelling the plot is, the book still gives more value to the characters’ personal goals. I just love it when it is the characters who are moving the story/plot forward and not the other way. Even better when the characters are as interesting as the ones in this book.
Finally, the book wrapped up neatly, and with a promise of more excitement in the next book. It tackled various themes that I really hope to see again in the next book, and darker. Kings and Daemons already has a dark undertone but I’m expecting it to be darker in the next book.
I highly recommend Kings and Daemons. It’s perfect for all fantasy lovers since this is both Young Adult and Adult fantasy. And whether you like high fantasy or dark fantasy, you will love this book.
The author has given me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2021
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Treachery, battles and an adventurous quest makes “Kings and Daemons” a compelling read.
Firstly I enjoyed how the author narrated the story. We get three parallel storylines, one of Maya, one of Taran, and one of Antoc. Each of them has its unique gripping storylines filled with adventure twists and turns. On the one hand, we have Maya, who tries to escape from terrifying beasts, and on the other hand, Rakas torments Taran while Kalas on Antoc. Also, the author tells each storyline from multiple points of view, making us connect to the characters nicely.
The story seems straightforward in the beginning. However, I was surprised as to how it grew into a more comprehensive picture as it progressed. We get to meet other characters like Tristan, Anthain, Astren, and Laska. I particularly enjoyed the storyline between Daleth and Tristan. In my opinion, the story became exciting up once the characters interact with each other on their Journey to Kingshold. I also enjoyed the world-building and the concepts like spirit traveling.
Moreover, what’s nice about the book is how complex the author made the characters. My perception of some of the characters changed throughout the story. Initially, I was not too fond of characters like Rakan. But the author added layers to them and made me like them later on in the story. There is also romance in the storyline, and I loved the scenes between Taran and Maya.
Overall, I enjoyed reading “Kings and Daemons” and found it a great start to “The Gifted and the Cursed.” I can’t wait to pick up the next book to see how it continues.
July 25, 2021
Thank you so much to TheWriteReads for including me in the book tour for Kings and Daemons, and to the author for my review copy. This in no way affects my opinion.
I had no idea what to expect when going into Kings and Daemons, but I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see where the rest of the series will go. It's an extremely expansive fantasy series that I think has something for everyone to enjoy.
There is a wide range of characters in Kings and Daemons, and they all brought something different to the story. I liked some characters more than others, but together they made an incredibly strong cast which showed all the different levels of desperation and the lengths that someone will go to. I have to say that my favourite character is Maya and the strength that she possesses. I loved the development that she goes through and how she comes to trust some of the other characters considering where she was when the book starts. I will say that as there are so many different character PoVs in Kings and Daemons, I didn't feel as if I knew some of them as well as others, but fingers crossed, as the series continues, we get to see some more of them.
The only small problem that I had with the characters was the development of the romance between two of them; to me, it felt very much like insta-love and developed extremely quickly. I would have much prefered that this romance came in the later books as it would have felt a bit more authentic to me considering where the plot was going.
The plot of Kings and Daemons is extremely expansive and is something that I really appreciated. It had so many different fantasy elements that I love, and it felt natural for them to coexist together. However, I would have loved for a bit more development of the fantasy elements, so there is definitely some scope for more fantasy in the future books in the series. The only other thing that I would have loved was some more worldbuilding because as much as we were told about the setting, I would have loved to have learnt some more about the orientation of the places, as I did find myself getting confused as to where exactly the characters were.
I cannot wait to find out more about the character and see where the story is going to go, especially after the events of Kings and Daemons. I cannot recommend this book enough if you love satisfying high fantasy, which just keeps you guessing.
I had no idea what to expect when going into Kings and Daemons, but I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see where the rest of the series will go. It's an extremely expansive fantasy series that I think has something for everyone to enjoy.
There is a wide range of characters in Kings and Daemons, and they all brought something different to the story. I liked some characters more than others, but together they made an incredibly strong cast which showed all the different levels of desperation and the lengths that someone will go to. I have to say that my favourite character is Maya and the strength that she possesses. I loved the development that she goes through and how she comes to trust some of the other characters considering where she was when the book starts. I will say that as there are so many different character PoVs in Kings and Daemons, I didn't feel as if I knew some of them as well as others, but fingers crossed, as the series continues, we get to see some more of them.
The only small problem that I had with the characters was the development of the romance between two of them; to me, it felt very much like insta-love and developed extremely quickly. I would have much prefered that this romance came in the later books as it would have felt a bit more authentic to me considering where the plot was going.
The plot of Kings and Daemons is extremely expansive and is something that I really appreciated. It had so many different fantasy elements that I love, and it felt natural for them to coexist together. However, I would have loved for a bit more development of the fantasy elements, so there is definitely some scope for more fantasy in the future books in the series. The only other thing that I would have loved was some more worldbuilding because as much as we were told about the setting, I would have loved to have learnt some more about the orientation of the places, as I did find myself getting confused as to where exactly the characters were.
I cannot wait to find out more about the character and see where the story is going to go, especially after the events of Kings and Daemons. I cannot recommend this book enough if you love satisfying high fantasy, which just keeps you guessing.
August 4, 2020
When Marcus Lee approached me with his self published novel Kings and Daemons, I thought it sounded intriguing. It happens to be included on Kindle Unlimited, so I downloaded it and here we are. I wasn’t expecting such an enthralling and well written book. I was hooked pretty much from the start.
You follow a couple different perspectives and I think they all play off of each other really well. Maya’s touch can heal blight and ruin, illnesses and broken bones. Taran is strong and courageous. Rakan is brutal but loyal. Kalas suffers but never waivers in his strength. The Witch King is single minded and terrible, destructive to everything in his path, sucking vitality from the land. We have a cast of characters that are—true to the title—as cursed as they are blessed. Throughout the novel, our cast of characters will intertwine storylines.
I found that this book has a lot of aspects that appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans. If you like that medieval feel, if you like intense battles, fun magic systems, light romance, great friendships, mystical beings and creatures… Kings and Daemons has it all for you. I enjoyed that one minute our characters could be exchanging witty banter and the next they were cracking skulls or running for their lives. There was a streak of tenderness balancing the harshness of this world. Well done, Marcus. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. It ends in a good spot that leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
You follow a couple different perspectives and I think they all play off of each other really well. Maya’s touch can heal blight and ruin, illnesses and broken bones. Taran is strong and courageous. Rakan is brutal but loyal. Kalas suffers but never waivers in his strength. The Witch King is single minded and terrible, destructive to everything in his path, sucking vitality from the land. We have a cast of characters that are—true to the title—as cursed as they are blessed. Throughout the novel, our cast of characters will intertwine storylines.
I found that this book has a lot of aspects that appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans. If you like that medieval feel, if you like intense battles, fun magic systems, light romance, great friendships, mystical beings and creatures… Kings and Daemons has it all for you. I enjoyed that one minute our characters could be exchanging witty banter and the next they were cracking skulls or running for their lives. There was a streak of tenderness balancing the harshness of this world. Well done, Marcus. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. It ends in a good spot that leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
August 18, 2020
Wowza, Kings and Daemons was fantastic! This book felt very old-school fantasy to me – and I loved it! It had so many of the elements that I love to see in fantasy. A group of characters to follow? Check. Inner conflict to match the external struggles? Check. Fantastical creatures? Check (daemons: need I say more). A terrifying Big Bad who is deliciously evil? Check.
Despite having these well-known and well-loved fantasy building blocks, this book is in no way a copy of other works. It is wholly original and incredibly creative. The characters were fantastic. I loved them all, but at the moment my favorite is Kalas. I reserve the right to change my mind, however. Each character has so much going on that not only provides fascinating backstories, but explains their personalities and the choices they make.
The world is grim and bleak, but not enough so that it killed my reading mojo. I know that sentence makes next to no sense, but sometimes a world is too dark for me to enjoy -this wasn’t the case here. The shades of despair in this book were nuanced and offset by the sheer waves of stick-to-itness that the characters possessed. Here was a group who had taken their hits and were still kicking. I love characters like that!
The pacing was fabulous. The story started moving and never stopped. I was immediately drawn in and I stayed enthralled from beginning to end. Everything unfolded with perfect timing and nothing felt forced. There was no dreaded info-dump. It was obvious that the author knew exactly what story he wanted to tell and confidently went about doing it.
The world was incredibly well-developed. The history was fascinating, and I’m excited to see it explored even more in future installments. In case you can’t tell, this is my long-winded way of saying Kings and Daemons was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Despite having these well-known and well-loved fantasy building blocks, this book is in no way a copy of other works. It is wholly original and incredibly creative. The characters were fantastic. I loved them all, but at the moment my favorite is Kalas. I reserve the right to change my mind, however. Each character has so much going on that not only provides fascinating backstories, but explains their personalities and the choices they make.
The world is grim and bleak, but not enough so that it killed my reading mojo. I know that sentence makes next to no sense, but sometimes a world is too dark for me to enjoy -this wasn’t the case here. The shades of despair in this book were nuanced and offset by the sheer waves of stick-to-itness that the characters possessed. Here was a group who had taken their hits and were still kicking. I love characters like that!
The pacing was fabulous. The story started moving and never stopped. I was immediately drawn in and I stayed enthralled from beginning to end. Everything unfolded with perfect timing and nothing felt forced. There was no dreaded info-dump. It was obvious that the author knew exactly what story he wanted to tell and confidently went about doing it.
The world was incredibly well-developed. The history was fascinating, and I’m excited to see it explored even more in future installments. In case you can’t tell, this is my long-winded way of saying Kings and Daemons was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
July 27, 2020
Kings and Daemons is the first book in The Gifted and the Cursed trilogy. The book is told by an omniscient narrator who focusses on the different characters. The whole story circles around Maya and evolves with her journey to the Freestates, running away from the Witch King, Daleth. The witch King drains the land and its people of their life force and is sustained by their misery. The more miserable everyone and everything is the more power and life he gets. As his land is dying, he needs to find a new source to sustain himself and marches his troops to conquer the Freestates. Maya is an opposing force to him as she owns the gift of healing and growing. Everywhere she uses her gift people are less miserable and the King gets less power off happier people. Her gift grows when she meets and falls in love with Taran. And so does his gift, which enables them to emerge alive out of dire situations.
As the title indicates there are also daemons. Actually, there are two who are in the bodies of Alano and Kalas, former elite warriors of the Ember kingdom. To save their kingdom from the Witch King they summoned daemons to give them more strength, but fail nonetheless. Alano’s daemon swore his allegiance to the Witch King to ensure his survival. Kalas was able to flee.
After a tranquil beginning the story picks up speed as it unravels and never slows down again.
It took me while to get used to Maya and I didn’t manage to really adore her, despite her being so good and pure. Maybe that is also the reason why. Although she has such a precious gift, people keep being mean to her and use her and she just simply accepts their rude behaviour and mean treatment. She nearly dies trying to heal someone and then goes on healing the land as is suspected of her without complaint. I see the way she is supposed to be portrait but somehow I'd have wished she'd be a bit less docile and show some more fiery spirit and determination. I hope to see that in the following books. It’s understandable why other reviewers really liked her but somehow something was really missing for me, especially at the beginning. Nonetheless, she really grew on me in the course of the book and I’m really looking forward to see how she’ll evolve in the following books.
In general, there aren’t many female characters in this book and the ones that are there next to Maya aren’t appealing figures either. Worst of them is Yana, who shamelessly flirts with Taran, making me hope I’ll never meet anyone like her in real life. I expect her to have an even bigger part in book 2 and suspect she’ll cause a lot of misery.
In contrast to her I really fell for the stories and character evolvement of Kalas and Rakan and those two quickly became my favourites. They have suffered a lot in their life but haven’t lost their good parts despite them being buried deeply within at the beginning. Especially Kalas’ story broke my heart time and time again.
The worldbuilding is excellently made and the overall story is really gripping and exciting.
Marcus Lee managed to write an excellent debut and I am really looking forward to reading the following two books of the trilogy.
As the title indicates there are also daemons. Actually, there are two who are in the bodies of Alano and Kalas, former elite warriors of the Ember kingdom. To save their kingdom from the Witch King they summoned daemons to give them more strength, but fail nonetheless. Alano’s daemon swore his allegiance to the Witch King to ensure his survival. Kalas was able to flee.
After a tranquil beginning the story picks up speed as it unravels and never slows down again.
It took me while to get used to Maya and I didn’t manage to really adore her, despite her being so good and pure. Maybe that is also the reason why. Although she has such a precious gift, people keep being mean to her and use her and she just simply accepts their rude behaviour and mean treatment. She nearly dies trying to heal someone and then goes on healing the land as is suspected of her without complaint. I see the way she is supposed to be portrait but somehow I'd have wished she'd be a bit less docile and show some more fiery spirit and determination. I hope to see that in the following books. It’s understandable why other reviewers really liked her but somehow something was really missing for me, especially at the beginning. Nonetheless, she really grew on me in the course of the book and I’m really looking forward to see how she’ll evolve in the following books.
In general, there aren’t many female characters in this book and the ones that are there next to Maya aren’t appealing figures either. Worst of them is Yana, who shamelessly flirts with Taran, making me hope I’ll never meet anyone like her in real life. I expect her to have an even bigger part in book 2 and suspect she’ll cause a lot of misery.
In contrast to her I really fell for the stories and character evolvement of Kalas and Rakan and those two quickly became my favourites. They have suffered a lot in their life but haven’t lost their good parts despite them being buried deeply within at the beginning. Especially Kalas’ story broke my heart time and time again.
The worldbuilding is excellently made and the overall story is really gripping and exciting.
Marcus Lee managed to write an excellent debut and I am really looking forward to reading the following two books of the trilogy.
May 2, 2021
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Kings and Daemons
A huge thank you to Marcus Lee who sent me a copy of Kings & Daemons!
Daleth the Witch-King is slowly bleeding the countryside and its people of life. But with the death of the land and its people, his eternal youth is beginning to slip. Daleth sets his eyes on the Freestates, a land teeming with life ready to be concurred and drained. But what he doesn’t expect is a young girl born with a power to combat his own. When Maya's power forces her to come out of hiding, she will embark on an unexpected quest. One that will pit her against the Witch-King’s gifted soldiers, and force her full potential.
Kings & Daemons isn’t your typical good versus evil storyline. Readers will certainly see which characters strive to bring life back to the kingdom, but the road is full of choices. And not all of those choices will allow them to walk away with a clean conscience. Kalas is the perfect example of a good character who struggles against the uncertainty of his actions.
The concept of the daemon possessed soldiers was fascinating. Marcus Lee eases in a good deal of history by introducing Kalas and his past. Readers will follow the daemon possessed soldier and watch his constant battle with the creature inhabiting his body. And for all Kala’s good intentions, the daemon is a manipulative and powerful entity.
All the characters throughout Kings & Daemons had solid foundations and arcs throughout the story. There was even a bit of romance blossoming as the story progressed. Though at times I thought the humor certain characters used didn’t quite fit their personalities or the situations they were in. I still enjoyed watching each of them develop and discover more about themselves
Marcus Lee also puts little details into his writing that really brought it all together for me. There were certain challenges each character faced that seemed so normal, and yet would cascade into something more challenging. This brought a healthy dose of realism to the writing amidst all the fantastical elements.
Fans of traditional high fantasy will be swept up in the world-building and characters in Kings & Daemons. Magic, romance, mystery, and more can be found within its pages.
A huge thank you to Marcus Lee who sent me a copy of Kings & Daemons!
Daleth the Witch-King is slowly bleeding the countryside and its people of life. But with the death of the land and its people, his eternal youth is beginning to slip. Daleth sets his eyes on the Freestates, a land teeming with life ready to be concurred and drained. But what he doesn’t expect is a young girl born with a power to combat his own. When Maya's power forces her to come out of hiding, she will embark on an unexpected quest. One that will pit her against the Witch-King’s gifted soldiers, and force her full potential.
Kings & Daemons isn’t your typical good versus evil storyline. Readers will certainly see which characters strive to bring life back to the kingdom, but the road is full of choices. And not all of those choices will allow them to walk away with a clean conscience. Kalas is the perfect example of a good character who struggles against the uncertainty of his actions.
The concept of the daemon possessed soldiers was fascinating. Marcus Lee eases in a good deal of history by introducing Kalas and his past. Readers will follow the daemon possessed soldier and watch his constant battle with the creature inhabiting his body. And for all Kala’s good intentions, the daemon is a manipulative and powerful entity.
All the characters throughout Kings & Daemons had solid foundations and arcs throughout the story. There was even a bit of romance blossoming as the story progressed. Though at times I thought the humor certain characters used didn’t quite fit their personalities or the situations they were in. I still enjoyed watching each of them develop and discover more about themselves
Marcus Lee also puts little details into his writing that really brought it all together for me. There were certain challenges each character faced that seemed so normal, and yet would cascade into something more challenging. This brought a healthy dose of realism to the writing amidst all the fantastical elements.
Fans of traditional high fantasy will be swept up in the world-building and characters in Kings & Daemons. Magic, romance, mystery, and more can be found within its pages.
October 18, 2020
The first book in the The Gifted and the Cursed trilogy, Kings and Daemons, is an incredibly special fantasy read that entertained me tremenduously. The writing is fluid and the story is thrilling; the characters make you want to get to know them better. While the book highlights different characters’ lives, the whole story focuses on Maya’s journey to the ‘Freestates,’ and her run away from the so called ‘Witch King.’ The world we find ourselves in is very bleak, very grey, very dark – hopeless and ruined. The king’s name has a meaning… Daleth, the Witch King, is sustained by his people’s misery, so he enforces it by draining them off their life force. The weaker they get, the stronger he becomes. That is where Maya comes into play.
Maya, the main character, has a very special gift – the gift of healing, so basically the exact opposite of the king’s power. With her gift, she can heal broken bones, but also illnesses and ruin. While the land around her is dying and the people are withering away with it, Maya uses her gift to help people and the land, by healing them and leaving the country behind in a better state. And when she falls in love, her powers get stronger than ever before.
I have to admit that the beginning was a little slow for my taste. But trust me – keep reading, and you will be rewarded. Very much so. After a while, the pace picks up – and keeps up. The worldbuilding is excellent and the overall story is really gripping and exciting. Marcus Lee managed to write an excellent debut and I am very much looking forward to reading the following books in the series, and to finding out how the characters develop.
If you enjoy fantasy with a unique magic system, a dash of romance, dark forces and stunning characters, you will love Kings and Daemons. 4.5 stars from me.
Head over to my blog for my full review!
https://theartsyreader.com/kings-and-...
Maya, the main character, has a very special gift – the gift of healing, so basically the exact opposite of the king’s power. With her gift, she can heal broken bones, but also illnesses and ruin. While the land around her is dying and the people are withering away with it, Maya uses her gift to help people and the land, by healing them and leaving the country behind in a better state. And when she falls in love, her powers get stronger than ever before.
I have to admit that the beginning was a little slow for my taste. But trust me – keep reading, and you will be rewarded. Very much so. After a while, the pace picks up – and keeps up. The worldbuilding is excellent and the overall story is really gripping and exciting. Marcus Lee managed to write an excellent debut and I am very much looking forward to reading the following books in the series, and to finding out how the characters develop.
If you enjoy fantasy with a unique magic system, a dash of romance, dark forces and stunning characters, you will love Kings and Daemons. 4.5 stars from me.
Head over to my blog for my full review!
https://theartsyreader.com/kings-and-...
July 8, 2022
I enjoyed this Dark Fantasy. It was written in a multiple POV when I say multiple I mean many. However, for me, I enjoyed this. I often enjoy multiple povs as it helps build the story by seeing the things that occur through different characters eyes, so to speak.
Interesting concept of good versus evil, powers versus curses and I enjoyed it.
Interesting concept of good versus evil, powers versus curses and I enjoyed it.
July 26, 2021
You can read my full review here.
I guess those who loved reading the Throne of Glass series might enjoy this book. Kings and Daemons is an action-packed, gory epic fantasy. The setting mostly felt like a dystopian fantasy, but the fantasy part was more prominent to make it dystopian. I’ve only spoken about 5 characters here, but there are at least 5 new characters introduced in the second half of the book who are vital to the plot. If you’re looking to start an all-new fantasy series, then I’d recommend this book.
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(Thanks a ton to The WriteReads Tours for the eARC and for letting me join this blog tour.)
I guess those who loved reading the Throne of Glass series might enjoy this book. Kings and Daemons is an action-packed, gory epic fantasy. The setting mostly felt like a dystopian fantasy, but the fantasy part was more prominent to make it dystopian. I’ve only spoken about 5 characters here, but there are at least 5 new characters introduced in the second half of the book who are vital to the plot. If you’re looking to start an all-new fantasy series, then I’d recommend this book.
BLOG • INSTAGRAM • TWITTER • PINTEREST
(Thanks a ton to The WriteReads Tours for the eARC and for letting me join this blog tour.)
August 18, 2021
4 stars - review to follow. Entertaining read
July 28, 2023
My Review
There is never a dull moment in Kings and Daemons and it really hits the spot in terms of its fantasy elements. It’s completely addicting as soon as you start reading. I feel like there is something for everyone including, gruesome battles, magical elements, fluffy romance and evil beings. There are so many different characters that all bring something different to the story. The plot and the characters both make this book so easy to read to the point where you have to sit there until you’ve finished!
While the book primarily focuses on Maya and her attempt to flee the ‘Witch-King’, we get to see a lot of Taran, who was outcast from his village and forced to join the army. These two are such lovable characters that you will instantly want more. Both of their abilities were really interesting to me and I loved every chance they got to use them.
I really liked how the story told was from a variety of POVs. It was great to get to know so many other characters and their backstories without making it too overwhelming. It made the whole book extremely interesting and fun to read all the way through. I did enjoy Maya and Taran’s POV more than others. Her healing power was amazing and I am such a sucker for a bit of romance.
I found the whole world and the plot extremely creative and fast-paced. Lee has painted this very derelict and ruined place that is so easy to imagine and sounds devastating to live in. Crops fail, plants are dead and it’s hard to live off the land. Once we see more of Maya’s healing power, it’s really easy to immerse yourself in this magical world that is trying to rebuild.
This review was quite hard to write as there is so much that happens throughout this book. Too much to touch on every detail that I enjoyed. So, overall, Kings and Daemons is an incredibly thrilling and addictive fantasy that you won’t be able to put down. The plot is fun and exciting yet dark and intense at times but no matter what these characters are doing, you want to follow them. If you love fast-paced epic fantasies with a unique world that behold magical abilities and creatures, you have to read Kings and Daemons!
There is never a dull moment in Kings and Daemons and it really hits the spot in terms of its fantasy elements. It’s completely addicting as soon as you start reading. I feel like there is something for everyone including, gruesome battles, magical elements, fluffy romance and evil beings. There are so many different characters that all bring something different to the story. The plot and the characters both make this book so easy to read to the point where you have to sit there until you’ve finished!
While the book primarily focuses on Maya and her attempt to flee the ‘Witch-King’, we get to see a lot of Taran, who was outcast from his village and forced to join the army. These two are such lovable characters that you will instantly want more. Both of their abilities were really interesting to me and I loved every chance they got to use them.
I really liked how the story told was from a variety of POVs. It was great to get to know so many other characters and their backstories without making it too overwhelming. It made the whole book extremely interesting and fun to read all the way through. I did enjoy Maya and Taran’s POV more than others. Her healing power was amazing and I am such a sucker for a bit of romance.
I found the whole world and the plot extremely creative and fast-paced. Lee has painted this very derelict and ruined place that is so easy to imagine and sounds devastating to live in. Crops fail, plants are dead and it’s hard to live off the land. Once we see more of Maya’s healing power, it’s really easy to immerse yourself in this magical world that is trying to rebuild.
This review was quite hard to write as there is so much that happens throughout this book. Too much to touch on every detail that I enjoyed. So, overall, Kings and Daemons is an incredibly thrilling and addictive fantasy that you won’t be able to put down. The plot is fun and exciting yet dark and intense at times but no matter what these characters are doing, you want to follow them. If you love fast-paced epic fantasies with a unique world that behold magical abilities and creatures, you have to read Kings and Daemons!
August 26, 2020
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Kings and Daemons is the first book in a new series by Marcus Lee! This interesting and original Young Adult fantasy/romance is the story of a rag-tag group of people who band together to defeat a great evil! One of those 'misfits' is Maya, a girl with extraordinary powers. Also Taran, a telepath with a penchant for anger and Kalas, an incredible warrior. I felt this fit exactly into the young adult genre and it is a fantasy book with all of the classical elements that readers love!
The world-building through the first few chapters is well-done through character point of view vignettes. I loved the imagery of the forest, the Free States, and the Witch-King's lands. Though the book is near 400 pages, I found it went rather quickly and I was engrossed in the plot from the beginning. This is a fantastic introduction to a new fantasy world from author Marcus Lee!
I enjoyed the rich character building for Maya, Taran, and all of the other main/side characters. I thought the character arcs tied up nicely along with the narrative. Of course, being a series, there is more to come and I am absolutely excited for a continuation of this story! I would recommend this to any YA fantasy fans and any general fantasy fans. There is something for every reader in this book, plenty of action, a bit of romance, all of the fantasy elements, and an easy to follow plot that hooks you from the beginning!
Thank you to Marcus Lee and Storyteller's on Tour for having me along for this tour! I appreciate all of the work that indie authors put into their novels and I am so glad to have the opportunity to read them! Thanks to the team at Storyteller's on Tour as well! This is my third or fourth tour with them and they are always top notch!
Kings and Daemons is the first book in a new series by Marcus Lee! This interesting and original Young Adult fantasy/romance is the story of a rag-tag group of people who band together to defeat a great evil! One of those 'misfits' is Maya, a girl with extraordinary powers. Also Taran, a telepath with a penchant for anger and Kalas, an incredible warrior. I felt this fit exactly into the young adult genre and it is a fantasy book with all of the classical elements that readers love!
The world-building through the first few chapters is well-done through character point of view vignettes. I loved the imagery of the forest, the Free States, and the Witch-King's lands. Though the book is near 400 pages, I found it went rather quickly and I was engrossed in the plot from the beginning. This is a fantastic introduction to a new fantasy world from author Marcus Lee!
I enjoyed the rich character building for Maya, Taran, and all of the other main/side characters. I thought the character arcs tied up nicely along with the narrative. Of course, being a series, there is more to come and I am absolutely excited for a continuation of this story! I would recommend this to any YA fantasy fans and any general fantasy fans. There is something for every reader in this book, plenty of action, a bit of romance, all of the fantasy elements, and an easy to follow plot that hooks you from the beginning!
Thank you to Marcus Lee and Storyteller's on Tour for having me along for this tour! I appreciate all of the work that indie authors put into their novels and I am so glad to have the opportunity to read them! Thanks to the team at Storyteller's on Tour as well! This is my third or fourth tour with them and they are always top notch!
May 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75
Thank you to the author for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review.
Marcus Lee shows excellent characterisation through multiple perspectives through both the good and evil.
The witch king was an epic villain. Normally I don’t include the villain in my reviews, but he gripped me: his control, shadow, and terror over the world was terribly exciting to read. He is ingenious in his manipulations and manoeuvrings: his total self-absorption and protection.
Maya is such a strong character, and I loved her highlighted strength and independence even with her accompaniment by two strong males too.
My only complaint is that sometimes the romance felt like it took away from her development, sometimes making her more placid and docile and flirty which seems at odds with her personality.
The pacing is fantastic. The start immediately gripped me as we were thrown right into the plot and darkness of the characters. Everything moves perfectly into place to bring our threads together and deliver a satisfying end of the start of a dark and deadly series.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed the Forgetting Moon.
Bookstagram
Thank you to the author for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review.
Marcus Lee shows excellent characterisation through multiple perspectives through both the good and evil.
The witch king was an epic villain. Normally I don’t include the villain in my reviews, but he gripped me: his control, shadow, and terror over the world was terribly exciting to read. He is ingenious in his manipulations and manoeuvrings: his total self-absorption and protection.
Maya is such a strong character, and I loved her highlighted strength and independence even with her accompaniment by two strong males too.
My only complaint is that sometimes the romance felt like it took away from her development, sometimes making her more placid and docile and flirty which seems at odds with her personality.
The pacing is fantastic. The start immediately gripped me as we were thrown right into the plot and darkness of the characters. Everything moves perfectly into place to bring our threads together and deliver a satisfying end of the start of a dark and deadly series.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed the Forgetting Moon.
Bookstagram
January 23, 2021
I actually won both books 1 and 2 of the Gifted and the Cursed trilogy in a giveaway by Storytellers on Tour, so thank you very much, Justine, Timy and of course Marcus Lee!
Kings and Daemons is a character driven dark fantasy set in a world devastated by one of the Kings from the title, Daleth the Witch King, who gains strength and longevity through sucking the life out of the lands and people he conquers.
Each of the characters we meet in this story is fully fleshed out and we are given their back stories and feel like we know them and understand their motives, however dark.
Daleth is pure evil, a typical fantasy villain and yet when we hear of his childhood backstory we maybe even feel a little sympathy for him. He collects people with magical gifts and either puts them to use in his evil campaign to overrun as many lands as possible, or has them killed. He himself has the gift of spirit walking; he is able to travel the spirit pathways while sleeping and visit anywhere he has previously set foot to spy on his lands. He is also able to spirit talk to his overseers miles away from him and keeps receiving the prophetic message ‘Kalas is coming’ without knowing who or what Kalas is.
Daleth’s army are ruthless and relentless, all compassion and empathy taken from them the minute they are given an amulet which denotes their allegiance to the Witch King and contains a small piece of ‘soul stone’:
“These stones deadened the soul, enhancing base emotions such as hatred and cruelty while suppressing others such as kindness or remorse, making whosoever wore them ruthless and cold.”
Maya is a peasant girl, gifted with magic healing abilities. She can create gardens and bring forth life where only dust and dirt has been before. She is also able to spirit walk and visit others in her sleep. The Witch King is aware of these gifts since she visited him in her sleep and he saw her. Now he wants her captured and brought to him.
Daleth sucks the life from the land by conquering it. As such he is the opposite of Maya, who brings forth life everywhere she goes. He had hoped to be able to use her gift so she could replenish lands he drained and then he could sustain himself from those lands once more, but he finds he is unable to drain lands she has brought back to life. She therefore becomes useless to him and he decides she must die.
Rakan is another member of the Witch King’s army and therefore a merciless killer. He is a captain in the army and made Taran a corporal to save his life.
“Rakan’s eyes looked misty, ‘I can’t wait,’ he said, ‘I just can’t wait. The slaughter, the blood, the pleas for mercy, it makes you feel so alive!’ “
Over the course of the novel, however, Rakan’s character completely transforms. Once he stops wearing the amulet he becomes more human again and begins to see the error of his ways. He is now capable of empathy and becomes like a father to Taran by the end of the story. Taran and Maya’s love story is very sweet and a small ray of sunshine in a dark land. They give Rakan hope for the future, just as Maya spreads a trail of hope by her very footsteps in a land full of despair and sickness.
Taran is one of the heroes of this story and Maya’s love interest. He is gifted with the ability to read minds and tap into memories. He gets conscripted to the Witch King’s army by Rakan against his wishes. He never loses fights since, by using his gift, he can tell what his opponent’s next moves will be.
Taran is given the amulet which makes him bloodthirsty and uncaring. Luckily he recognizes its effects on him and removes the stone so he can continue wearing the amulet without having to suffer it’s effects.
Kalas is a very interesting character. He is possessed by one of the daemons of the title, as is Alano, his fellow soldier from fifty years ago. They were each possessed by a minor daemon brought forth from the nine hells via a portal opened by King Anders’ magi in a bid to protect himself and his legion of elite royal guard against the invading armies:
“The magi had believed they would gain the strength of the hell-born, the speed, the inexhaustible stamina and they were right, but they hadn’t known that they would share their minds, their thoughts and that the daemons would try to twist them to their wills and ways.”
Kalas receives renewed youth and strength after feeding on soldiers from the Witch King’s army, who murdered his wife and child. He struggles to keep the daemon under control now it has been reawakened after 50 years laying dormant. He is driven to fulfill the vow he made all those years ago, to kill the Witch King, or die trying, but now there are a hundred thousand soldiers on the Witch King’s side, getting ready to invade the Freestates.
The scenes with the daemons, driven only by bloodlust and hunger to kill are very dark and filled with gore and could just as easily belong in the horror fiction genre.
Marcus Lee is talented at describing his locations so that you can see them before you. From the opulence of the Freestates reigned over by King Tristan, to the sick and dying lands reigned over by the Witch King and the wonderful areas of beauty and regrowth brought about by Maya’s gift, everything is richly depicted and easily visualised.
“Long banners and tapestries hung on the walls, depicting not famous battles or heroic deaths, but rather the god of greed. Gold and jewels dripped from between his fingers, raining down upon the Freestates in approval of their pursuit of wealth, the noblest pursuit of them all.”
As can be expected in a tale of Kings, there are also plenty of political machinations in this book which lend depth and intrigue to the story. Anthrain is Tristan’s bodyguard, yet he plans to overthrow Tristan and become king instead.
Oh and did I mention, there are also giants! The elder of the giants sums up the premise for the trilogy’s title The Gifted and the Cursed nicely in the following exchange with Taran:
“Everyone who is gifted, young Taran, is also cursed. Mark my words. Look to your chosen one beside you. When she uses her gift to heal others, she ages herself. This Daleth the Witch-King as you call him, lives for hundreds of years, yet has no heirs and likely suffers from being unable to sire children. Kalas, your new comrade, would seem to have been gifted with extraordinary speed and skill, but was then possessed by a daemon.”
I read the second half of the book in one day, which is quite a rare thing for me to do, but I was completely gripped. Most of the second half of the book seems to be leading up to an epic battle between the two Kings and their armies, so I am excited to see that in the next instalment, Tristan’s Folly, which I am very much looking forward to reading soon.
Kings and Daemons is a character driven dark fantasy set in a world devastated by one of the Kings from the title, Daleth the Witch King, who gains strength and longevity through sucking the life out of the lands and people he conquers.
Each of the characters we meet in this story is fully fleshed out and we are given their back stories and feel like we know them and understand their motives, however dark.
Daleth is pure evil, a typical fantasy villain and yet when we hear of his childhood backstory we maybe even feel a little sympathy for him. He collects people with magical gifts and either puts them to use in his evil campaign to overrun as many lands as possible, or has them killed. He himself has the gift of spirit walking; he is able to travel the spirit pathways while sleeping and visit anywhere he has previously set foot to spy on his lands. He is also able to spirit talk to his overseers miles away from him and keeps receiving the prophetic message ‘Kalas is coming’ without knowing who or what Kalas is.
Daleth’s army are ruthless and relentless, all compassion and empathy taken from them the minute they are given an amulet which denotes their allegiance to the Witch King and contains a small piece of ‘soul stone’:
“These stones deadened the soul, enhancing base emotions such as hatred and cruelty while suppressing others such as kindness or remorse, making whosoever wore them ruthless and cold.”
Maya is a peasant girl, gifted with magic healing abilities. She can create gardens and bring forth life where only dust and dirt has been before. She is also able to spirit walk and visit others in her sleep. The Witch King is aware of these gifts since she visited him in her sleep and he saw her. Now he wants her captured and brought to him.
Daleth sucks the life from the land by conquering it. As such he is the opposite of Maya, who brings forth life everywhere she goes. He had hoped to be able to use her gift so she could replenish lands he drained and then he could sustain himself from those lands once more, but he finds he is unable to drain lands she has brought back to life. She therefore becomes useless to him and he decides she must die.
Rakan is another member of the Witch King’s army and therefore a merciless killer. He is a captain in the army and made Taran a corporal to save his life.
“Rakan’s eyes looked misty, ‘I can’t wait,’ he said, ‘I just can’t wait. The slaughter, the blood, the pleas for mercy, it makes you feel so alive!’ “
Over the course of the novel, however, Rakan’s character completely transforms. Once he stops wearing the amulet he becomes more human again and begins to see the error of his ways. He is now capable of empathy and becomes like a father to Taran by the end of the story. Taran and Maya’s love story is very sweet and a small ray of sunshine in a dark land. They give Rakan hope for the future, just as Maya spreads a trail of hope by her very footsteps in a land full of despair and sickness.
Taran is one of the heroes of this story and Maya’s love interest. He is gifted with the ability to read minds and tap into memories. He gets conscripted to the Witch King’s army by Rakan against his wishes. He never loses fights since, by using his gift, he can tell what his opponent’s next moves will be.
Taran is given the amulet which makes him bloodthirsty and uncaring. Luckily he recognizes its effects on him and removes the stone so he can continue wearing the amulet without having to suffer it’s effects.
Kalas is a very interesting character. He is possessed by one of the daemons of the title, as is Alano, his fellow soldier from fifty years ago. They were each possessed by a minor daemon brought forth from the nine hells via a portal opened by King Anders’ magi in a bid to protect himself and his legion of elite royal guard against the invading armies:
“The magi had believed they would gain the strength of the hell-born, the speed, the inexhaustible stamina and they were right, but they hadn’t known that they would share their minds, their thoughts and that the daemons would try to twist them to their wills and ways.”
Kalas receives renewed youth and strength after feeding on soldiers from the Witch King’s army, who murdered his wife and child. He struggles to keep the daemon under control now it has been reawakened after 50 years laying dormant. He is driven to fulfill the vow he made all those years ago, to kill the Witch King, or die trying, but now there are a hundred thousand soldiers on the Witch King’s side, getting ready to invade the Freestates.
The scenes with the daemons, driven only by bloodlust and hunger to kill are very dark and filled with gore and could just as easily belong in the horror fiction genre.
Marcus Lee is talented at describing his locations so that you can see them before you. From the opulence of the Freestates reigned over by King Tristan, to the sick and dying lands reigned over by the Witch King and the wonderful areas of beauty and regrowth brought about by Maya’s gift, everything is richly depicted and easily visualised.
“Long banners and tapestries hung on the walls, depicting not famous battles or heroic deaths, but rather the god of greed. Gold and jewels dripped from between his fingers, raining down upon the Freestates in approval of their pursuit of wealth, the noblest pursuit of them all.”
As can be expected in a tale of Kings, there are also plenty of political machinations in this book which lend depth and intrigue to the story. Anthrain is Tristan’s bodyguard, yet he plans to overthrow Tristan and become king instead.
Oh and did I mention, there are also giants! The elder of the giants sums up the premise for the trilogy’s title The Gifted and the Cursed nicely in the following exchange with Taran:
“Everyone who is gifted, young Taran, is also cursed. Mark my words. Look to your chosen one beside you. When she uses her gift to heal others, she ages herself. This Daleth the Witch-King as you call him, lives for hundreds of years, yet has no heirs and likely suffers from being unable to sire children. Kalas, your new comrade, would seem to have been gifted with extraordinary speed and skill, but was then possessed by a daemon.”
I read the second half of the book in one day, which is quite a rare thing for me to do, but I was completely gripped. Most of the second half of the book seems to be leading up to an epic battle between the two Kings and their armies, so I am excited to see that in the next instalment, Tristan’s Folly, which I am very much looking forward to reading soon.
June 21, 2020
A great book. It might be rather dark at times, but that is offset by a beautiful love story that runs throughout. Great female lead character. The fantasy world in which she lived was so bleak and the revelation of her gift was a beautiful thing when set against such a backdrop. I'd recommend this to readers of fantasy and romance alike. Good for aged 10 upwards
August 15, 2020
Deliciously dark fantasy, and a spectacular debut!
I adore dark fantasy, and Lee has created a fantastically dark world in Kings & Daemons. The atmosphere is expertly crafted, until the bleakness of this world seems to leak off the pages and wrap itself around you, drawing the reader into the world in the best way. There is layering as well, with the history woven through the present, and it was fantastic to learn about how the world had become so corrupted and evil, without ever feeling as though you were caught in an info dump, it all felt incredibly organic. One reason for this was that the darkness lies not just in the physical landscapes, but inside the people who inhabit this world, in the secrets and distrust and the lengths, people will go to hide their gifts. This could have the potential to get too dark, but that is not the case here, because, for all the dark depths of this world, it is countered with a wonderful, blossoming spark of hope.
The hope and the colour against this dark world comes from the characters themselves. There is a broad cast of characters, and whether they were the main POV characters or secondary characters, they were all written with a depth and complexity that breathed life into the narrative and the world around them. As brilliant as the worldbuilding and prose are, I would say that it is the characters and their development where the author’s talents really shone through the pages.
The main POV characters each have distinctive voices, and you never lose track of who is who, and each one was memorable in their own way, although I would argue that I am torn between Taran and Kalas for my favourites. Maya, it took me a little longer to warm to, although I thoroughly enjoyed her chapters and she was the character that hooked me into the book. What I particularly enjoyed about Lee’s characterisation is that they all felt so real, each one had their own flaws, and some like Rakan took a while to develop into a character that we wanted to cheer on, and that progression and change felt very natural. It also says a lot, that I found myself thoroughly enjoying the character The Witch King. While he is reprehensible, and almost single-minded in his focus – it truly says a lot for the author’s skill, that I found myself wanting to read more about him, even as I cursed him (the best kind of character!)
Kings & Daemons very much plays with that traditional, epic fantasy feel and what you would expect from that, without becoming tropey or losing its individuality. I particularly enjoyed the daemons aspect of the world, which added a wonderful, horrific twist to the world. The magical system was also really well done, and I appreciated how we got to explore more about it as the narrative progressed through the characters and those that they meet, and it grew into a well-structured and explained system, that complemented the rest of the book.
The writing style flowed from start to finish, and it was one of those books that sweeps you along for chapters at a time, with the real-world disappearing. It was an easy, fast-paced read, without losing the depth and descriptiveness that I enjoy in fantasy, and I appreciated the skill with which information was delivered through the characters and dialogue so that even when that aspect was a little heavier at certain points, it felt so natural and believable that you are carried along.
Kings & Daemons is a brilliant start to a new epic fantasy series. While it was billed as a YA, I would argue that it has a much wider appeal, and if you like the darker side of fantasy with well-crafted characters then I would certainly recommend giving this book a go, and I will certainly be checking out the rest of the series.
I adore dark fantasy, and Lee has created a fantastically dark world in Kings & Daemons. The atmosphere is expertly crafted, until the bleakness of this world seems to leak off the pages and wrap itself around you, drawing the reader into the world in the best way. There is layering as well, with the history woven through the present, and it was fantastic to learn about how the world had become so corrupted and evil, without ever feeling as though you were caught in an info dump, it all felt incredibly organic. One reason for this was that the darkness lies not just in the physical landscapes, but inside the people who inhabit this world, in the secrets and distrust and the lengths, people will go to hide their gifts. This could have the potential to get too dark, but that is not the case here, because, for all the dark depths of this world, it is countered with a wonderful, blossoming spark of hope.
The hope and the colour against this dark world comes from the characters themselves. There is a broad cast of characters, and whether they were the main POV characters or secondary characters, they were all written with a depth and complexity that breathed life into the narrative and the world around them. As brilliant as the worldbuilding and prose are, I would say that it is the characters and their development where the author’s talents really shone through the pages.
The main POV characters each have distinctive voices, and you never lose track of who is who, and each one was memorable in their own way, although I would argue that I am torn between Taran and Kalas for my favourites. Maya, it took me a little longer to warm to, although I thoroughly enjoyed her chapters and she was the character that hooked me into the book. What I particularly enjoyed about Lee’s characterisation is that they all felt so real, each one had their own flaws, and some like Rakan took a while to develop into a character that we wanted to cheer on, and that progression and change felt very natural. It also says a lot, that I found myself thoroughly enjoying the character The Witch King. While he is reprehensible, and almost single-minded in his focus – it truly says a lot for the author’s skill, that I found myself wanting to read more about him, even as I cursed him (the best kind of character!)
Kings & Daemons very much plays with that traditional, epic fantasy feel and what you would expect from that, without becoming tropey or losing its individuality. I particularly enjoyed the daemons aspect of the world, which added a wonderful, horrific twist to the world. The magical system was also really well done, and I appreciated how we got to explore more about it as the narrative progressed through the characters and those that they meet, and it grew into a well-structured and explained system, that complemented the rest of the book.
The writing style flowed from start to finish, and it was one of those books that sweeps you along for chapters at a time, with the real-world disappearing. It was an easy, fast-paced read, without losing the depth and descriptiveness that I enjoy in fantasy, and I appreciated the skill with which information was delivered through the characters and dialogue so that even when that aspect was a little heavier at certain points, it felt so natural and believable that you are carried along.
Kings & Daemons is a brilliant start to a new epic fantasy series. While it was billed as a YA, I would argue that it has a much wider appeal, and if you like the darker side of fantasy with well-crafted characters then I would certainly recommend giving this book a go, and I will certainly be checking out the rest of the series.
January 1, 2022
Thank you to The Write Reads and the author for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review!
When it comes to fantasy, I’ve read a wide variety. It is my favorite genre, after all. So I’ve come to the point in my reading life where I can tell fairly quickly whether I’m going to enjoy a fantasy book or not. Which is how I knew I was going to love Kings and Daemons within the first few pages!
This story follows quite a few characters: a young woman with a forbidden gift, a young man who find himself conscripted into an army he hates, and a man possessed by a daemon who should have died years ago. All of them live in the realm of the Witch King, a conquering tyrant who devastated the country years ago when he defeated the king. But the land is dying and the Witch King has set his sights on spreading his empire. Through strange and devastating means, these three lives are set on a collision course that may change the fate of a nation.
This was such a wild ride, y’all! When the author says you’re about to dive into a dark fantasy, he does mean dark. He certainly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the more gruesome details and I would suggest checking trigger warnings if you’re at all sensitive to certain things. I will say, though, that it never felt the more intense scenes were simply dropped in for shock value. They served a purpose and added to the story, instead of feeling like they were there just to show how gruesome the author could be.
The action in this story is intense, as well! This was certainly a page-turner, with seemingly one crisis after the next making me fly through the book. I needed to know what was happening to my favorite characters! The writing pulls you into the world and makes you invested fairly quickly. I liked that the world-building was seamlessly woven into the story. I never felt like I was getting too much information at once. It was wonderfully done and written in a way that built a picture in my mind. Do you ever read a book and, while you’re reading, you can vividly see it playing out in your head? That’s what happened to me with this one! I love when that happens.
Beyond the great plot and fantastic world-building, this book is also populated with some captivating characters. Maya, our huntress with the hidden gift, is by far my favorite. She is such an interesting character and I loved watching her come into her own, especially when it came to her powers. But, even though Maya is my fave, the other main characters in this story, Taran and Kalas, were equally well crafted! They are fascinating, flawed, and I loved being able to get inside their heads. I will say, we get to see a lot of different perspectives and, at times, it was a little overwhelming. Especially when the switches happened frequently, as in sometimes multiple switches within one chapter. It was a bit disorienting and it made it hard to connect with some of the secondary characters. But I still think the overall character work was great!
Final thoughts: This was a dark, blood soaked ride and I enjoyed every minute of it! Though I think we got to see a few too many points of view, I did love getting to know our three main characters and I thought they were well-written. You can’t get me invested in an epic fantasy if you don’t have compelling characters, but this book definitely hit the mark! The world-building was solid and the pacing well done, with my attention hooked from beginning to end. If you enjoy fantasy that has high stakes, interesting magic, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, I think you would love Kings and Daemons!
When it comes to fantasy, I’ve read a wide variety. It is my favorite genre, after all. So I’ve come to the point in my reading life where I can tell fairly quickly whether I’m going to enjoy a fantasy book or not. Which is how I knew I was going to love Kings and Daemons within the first few pages!
This story follows quite a few characters: a young woman with a forbidden gift, a young man who find himself conscripted into an army he hates, and a man possessed by a daemon who should have died years ago. All of them live in the realm of the Witch King, a conquering tyrant who devastated the country years ago when he defeated the king. But the land is dying and the Witch King has set his sights on spreading his empire. Through strange and devastating means, these three lives are set on a collision course that may change the fate of a nation.
This was such a wild ride, y’all! When the author says you’re about to dive into a dark fantasy, he does mean dark. He certainly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the more gruesome details and I would suggest checking trigger warnings if you’re at all sensitive to certain things. I will say, though, that it never felt the more intense scenes were simply dropped in for shock value. They served a purpose and added to the story, instead of feeling like they were there just to show how gruesome the author could be.
The action in this story is intense, as well! This was certainly a page-turner, with seemingly one crisis after the next making me fly through the book. I needed to know what was happening to my favorite characters! The writing pulls you into the world and makes you invested fairly quickly. I liked that the world-building was seamlessly woven into the story. I never felt like I was getting too much information at once. It was wonderfully done and written in a way that built a picture in my mind. Do you ever read a book and, while you’re reading, you can vividly see it playing out in your head? That’s what happened to me with this one! I love when that happens.
Beyond the great plot and fantastic world-building, this book is also populated with some captivating characters. Maya, our huntress with the hidden gift, is by far my favorite. She is such an interesting character and I loved watching her come into her own, especially when it came to her powers. But, even though Maya is my fave, the other main characters in this story, Taran and Kalas, were equally well crafted! They are fascinating, flawed, and I loved being able to get inside their heads. I will say, we get to see a lot of different perspectives and, at times, it was a little overwhelming. Especially when the switches happened frequently, as in sometimes multiple switches within one chapter. It was a bit disorienting and it made it hard to connect with some of the secondary characters. But I still think the overall character work was great!
Final thoughts: This was a dark, blood soaked ride and I enjoyed every minute of it! Though I think we got to see a few too many points of view, I did love getting to know our three main characters and I thought they were well-written. You can’t get me invested in an epic fantasy if you don’t have compelling characters, but this book definitely hit the mark! The world-building was solid and the pacing well done, with my attention hooked from beginning to end. If you enjoy fantasy that has high stakes, interesting magic, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, I think you would love Kings and Daemons!
August 13, 2020
I received a copy of this book from Storytellers On Tour and the publisher for reviewing purposes as part of a blog tour. This does not influence my opinions in any way.
You can read my full review on my blog: Mind of Luxe
The book opens with an introduction to different characters, and through their perspectives we get to see how the story unfolds in different aspects. It’s interesting how we get to learn about their individual experiences then see where their paths end up crossing. It’s also very intriguing to see the thoughts of and what transpired for each character, especially with the antagonists.
A big factor as to why I really enjoyed reading this is the character arcs. Again, this book follows multiple viewpoints, which I’m not usually a fan of. With this however, each character has their own distinct personality so I really like the contrasts of perspective. I grew attached to the main characters and was really invested with how each of them developed.
Plot-wise, Kings and Daemons is the type of book you constantly crave the next chapter for. Honestly, the amount of times I said “one more chapter” and then ended up reading until dawn! And from the start, the author did an amazing job with the worldbuilding, really solid and it laid out the foundation for a spectacular story! Whenever I pick this book up, I immediately get sucked into its scary world. I literally gasp from time to time, because I got really immersed to the story and characters that my reactions for every revelation were magnified. Although it is also worth mentioning that the book can get really dark so I strongly advice you to check out the content warnings I’ve included at the end before diving into this one. Please let me know if there are more I have missed as well!
Overall, I am at awe with this one! A high fantasy complete with complex characters, a well-written plot and fantastic worldbuilding, Kings and Daemons is a book you wouldn’t want to miss! If you are into dark fantasy stories, then I definitely recommend you try this one.
You can read my full review on my blog: Mind of Luxe
The book opens with an introduction to different characters, and through their perspectives we get to see how the story unfolds in different aspects. It’s interesting how we get to learn about their individual experiences then see where their paths end up crossing. It’s also very intriguing to see the thoughts of and what transpired for each character, especially with the antagonists.
A big factor as to why I really enjoyed reading this is the character arcs. Again, this book follows multiple viewpoints, which I’m not usually a fan of. With this however, each character has their own distinct personality so I really like the contrasts of perspective. I grew attached to the main characters and was really invested with how each of them developed.
Plot-wise, Kings and Daemons is the type of book you constantly crave the next chapter for. Honestly, the amount of times I said “one more chapter” and then ended up reading until dawn! And from the start, the author did an amazing job with the worldbuilding, really solid and it laid out the foundation for a spectacular story! Whenever I pick this book up, I immediately get sucked into its scary world. I literally gasp from time to time, because I got really immersed to the story and characters that my reactions for every revelation were magnified. Although it is also worth mentioning that the book can get really dark so I strongly advice you to check out the content warnings I’ve included at the end before diving into this one. Please let me know if there are more I have missed as well!
Overall, I am at awe with this one! A high fantasy complete with complex characters, a well-written plot and fantastic worldbuilding, Kings and Daemons is a book you wouldn’t want to miss! If you are into dark fantasy stories, then I definitely recommend you try this one.
August 13, 2020
KINGS & DAEMONS
by Marcus Lee @marcusleebooks
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
KINGS & DAEMONS is Marcus Lee's first book in his The Gifted and the Cursed series.
A brilliant unforgettable high fantasy with incredible world building. Fast paced book that was thrilling to read. Impeccable storyline and stunning magic system that will impress hard core fantasy readers everywhere.
This is one of those books that you just have to read to know what I am getting at. With great execution and precision, it sucks you in and keeps you hungry for more.
Told through multiple POV’s, with seamless narration, the reader sees through the eyes of the three main characters Maya, Taran, and Rakan.
What immediately grabbed my attention in this story was the complexity of the characters. As the characters were raw, honest, and flawed. The authors talent definitely shines when it comes to how interesting and fleshed out her characters are. Atmospheric imagery and vibrant imagery along with the right amount romance.
I enjoyed the dark aspects of the book, it adds great depth to the plot line and twist we’re exciting. I am excited to see the story expand and continue in the next installment.
The is a stellar fantasy we’re the Gifted are the Cursed, the author definitely has made his place in fantasy genre.
Marcus Lee delivers a compelling, intriguing, and well-written read here with absolutely fantastic characters that totally captivated and fascinated me.
I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!
#storytellersontour #kingsanddaemons #booksaremagic
by Marcus Lee @marcusleebooks
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
KINGS & DAEMONS is Marcus Lee's first book in his The Gifted and the Cursed series.
A brilliant unforgettable high fantasy with incredible world building. Fast paced book that was thrilling to read. Impeccable storyline and stunning magic system that will impress hard core fantasy readers everywhere.
This is one of those books that you just have to read to know what I am getting at. With great execution and precision, it sucks you in and keeps you hungry for more.
Told through multiple POV’s, with seamless narration, the reader sees through the eyes of the three main characters Maya, Taran, and Rakan.
What immediately grabbed my attention in this story was the complexity of the characters. As the characters were raw, honest, and flawed. The authors talent definitely shines when it comes to how interesting and fleshed out her characters are. Atmospheric imagery and vibrant imagery along with the right amount romance.
I enjoyed the dark aspects of the book, it adds great depth to the plot line and twist we’re exciting. I am excited to see the story expand and continue in the next installment.
The is a stellar fantasy we’re the Gifted are the Cursed, the author definitely has made his place in fantasy genre.
Marcus Lee delivers a compelling, intriguing, and well-written read here with absolutely fantastic characters that totally captivated and fascinated me.
I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!
#storytellersontour #kingsanddaemons #booksaremagic
August 14, 2020
Kings&Daemons is the first book of The Gifted and The Cursed trilogy. The hole book is about Maya, one of the main characters and her journey across kings and daemons.
Kings & Daemons is a fun, thrilling fantasy story full of unexpected twists and lovable characters. Marcus Lee creates a world with his book that is both overwhelming and dazzling to the reader.
Already when you start you feel in your gut that you will love it and that feeling will accompany you along your path. You experience the adventures with the characters, push them together and discover the Ember Kingdom.
I love fantasy and the writer has a very unique, fun book behind him. Every single detail is meticulous, rich in detail, colorful and one minute no receipt. Something always happens. From the beginning to the end, it holds in your hand and by the time you notice it, you’re done. It’s not enough of a volume, you’re thirsty for a sequel, and you can’t get enough of it. And yeah this is the perfect fantasy book, that we readers want and love.
The characters are lovable, real warriors who are not afraid of anything. Of course my favourite was Maya, but she's more than a decent figure, she's a true badass female who rules the plot. Who made the book powerful and unstoppable. The created world was a little scary in the beginning, but I really liked it. And I know it's an indie book, but it should rule the book market because it's freaking good and more people should read and know this trilogy.
Kings & Daemons is a fun, thrilling fantasy story full of unexpected twists and lovable characters. Marcus Lee creates a world with his book that is both overwhelming and dazzling to the reader.
Already when you start you feel in your gut that you will love it and that feeling will accompany you along your path. You experience the adventures with the characters, push them together and discover the Ember Kingdom.
I love fantasy and the writer has a very unique, fun book behind him. Every single detail is meticulous, rich in detail, colorful and one minute no receipt. Something always happens. From the beginning to the end, it holds in your hand and by the time you notice it, you’re done. It’s not enough of a volume, you’re thirsty for a sequel, and you can’t get enough of it. And yeah this is the perfect fantasy book, that we readers want and love.
The characters are lovable, real warriors who are not afraid of anything. Of course my favourite was Maya, but she's more than a decent figure, she's a true badass female who rules the plot. Who made the book powerful and unstoppable. The created world was a little scary in the beginning, but I really liked it. And I know it's an indie book, but it should rule the book market because it's freaking good and more people should read and know this trilogy.
Want to read
September 7, 2020For the super low price of just $1.30, you can own the following:
Deliciously dark fantasy, and a spectacular debut!''
''A brilliant unforgettable high fantasy with incredible world building. Fast paced book that was thrilling to read. Impeccable storyline and stunning magic system that will impress hard core fantasy readers everywhere''
A tale of conquest, dark kings, and daemonic heroes. A spellbinding story that will enchant you with its plot of ambition, love, betrayal, sacrifice and redemption.
Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.
Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.
Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.
''“Marcus Lee can afford to paint his world in such brutally dark hues because he knows the splashes of colour he’s going to introduce in the form of his characters''
– BookendsandBagends.com
August 14, 2020
So! This is listed as a fantasy romance which I do agree with and I'd also say that it borders between adult and YA so lovers of either will get along with this book!
We follow a few different protagonists in this book and I have to say, I loved all of them! There's usually at least one character that I don't like following but all of these characters were really interesting and I loved seeing what they did! The world building in this book was also fantastic! I found that I could always visualise each of the different areas that our characters went through which is a big plus for me!
This book basically has something for everyone! There's action, a bit of romance (which was done very well), all of the fantasy elements that we know and love along with a few things that were new to me and I hadn't seen before!
I would definitely recommend picking this one up and I can't wait for the next book!
We follow a few different protagonists in this book and I have to say, I loved all of them! There's usually at least one character that I don't like following but all of these characters were really interesting and I loved seeing what they did! The world building in this book was also fantastic! I found that I could always visualise each of the different areas that our characters went through which is a big plus for me!
This book basically has something for everyone! There's action, a bit of romance (which was done very well), all of the fantasy elements that we know and love along with a few things that were new to me and I hadn't seen before!
I would definitely recommend picking this one up and I can't wait for the next book!
July 21, 2020
You can also read this review on my blog!
Thank you to the author for a free review copy of this novel.
Although Kings and Daemons isn’t the usual sort of book we review on this blog, I have a secret: I am a fantasy nerd. So when Lee got in touch with me asking if I would review this book I was so excited! This Witcher-esque novel makes good use of all the best fantasy tropes, whilst, for the most part, remaining original and inventive.
This is a multi-protagonist novel, which I always love in a story! It allows for such nuance and insight into each character’s story. My favourite of these protagonist’s is Maya. Although the novel begins with you thinking she is going to be a ‘chosen one’ character, you soon realise that she is so much more than that. Yes, she might have special healing powers that she has kept hidden all her life, but she is also just an ordinary girl trying to deal with the trials and tribulations thrown at her throughout the course of the novel.
The biggest strength of the novel is its pace, which is never slowing. This makes for a gripping read – one that I really enjoyed! Despite this fast pace and frequent jump in protagonist, the novel is not confusing. It remains engaging and a fun read throughout.
However, this fast pace is in part why I could not give the novel five stars. I feel it could have been a little longer. Whilst too much filler can make a read tedious to get through, I feel Kings and Daemons could have benefited from slowing down the pace just a notch.
Nevertheless, this is an extremely strong debut novel from Lee. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Kings and Daemons is a fantastic read for both fantasy lovers and those who want to dip their toes into the genre.
Thank you to the author for a free review copy of this novel.
Although Kings and Daemons isn’t the usual sort of book we review on this blog, I have a secret: I am a fantasy nerd. So when Lee got in touch with me asking if I would review this book I was so excited! This Witcher-esque novel makes good use of all the best fantasy tropes, whilst, for the most part, remaining original and inventive.
This is a multi-protagonist novel, which I always love in a story! It allows for such nuance and insight into each character’s story. My favourite of these protagonist’s is Maya. Although the novel begins with you thinking she is going to be a ‘chosen one’ character, you soon realise that she is so much more than that. Yes, she might have special healing powers that she has kept hidden all her life, but she is also just an ordinary girl trying to deal with the trials and tribulations thrown at her throughout the course of the novel.
The biggest strength of the novel is its pace, which is never slowing. This makes for a gripping read – one that I really enjoyed! Despite this fast pace and frequent jump in protagonist, the novel is not confusing. It remains engaging and a fun read throughout.
However, this fast pace is in part why I could not give the novel five stars. I feel it could have been a little longer. Whilst too much filler can make a read tedious to get through, I feel Kings and Daemons could have benefited from slowing down the pace just a notch.
Nevertheless, this is an extremely strong debut novel from Lee. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Kings and Daemons is a fantastic read for both fantasy lovers and those who want to dip their toes into the genre.
August 2, 2021
Kings and Daemons is both the first book in a new dark fantasy series and the first book written by the author, Marcus Lee. Its self published, but well presented and edited etc.
As tends to be a trend these days the book is told from multiple perspectives, we have Maya, Taran, Kalas, Rakan. All unique and all with their own skills or traits which makes each one intriguing enough to maintain the reader's interest.
The world itself is dark. Really dark and its getting darker as the witch king drains all vitality and life and joy and color from the world.
To contrast this we luckily get some moments of brightness from the characters themselves, though I did feel there was a smack of insta-love and the author would have been better served by allowing things to develop more organically there. Having said that this was not significant enough to detract from the book in any significant way for me.
If you like dark fantasy with strong characters this one might be of interest to you.
I read this book for a write reads book tour.
3.5-4 stars from me
As tends to be a trend these days the book is told from multiple perspectives, we have Maya, Taran, Kalas, Rakan. All unique and all with their own skills or traits which makes each one intriguing enough to maintain the reader's interest.
The world itself is dark. Really dark and its getting darker as the witch king drains all vitality and life and joy and color from the world.
To contrast this we luckily get some moments of brightness from the characters themselves, though I did feel there was a smack of insta-love and the author would have been better served by allowing things to develop more organically there. Having said that this was not significant enough to detract from the book in any significant way for me.
If you like dark fantasy with strong characters this one might be of interest to you.
I read this book for a write reads book tour.
3.5-4 stars from me
August 31, 2020
An excellent debut. Elegantly written with evocative scene setting and rich world building. Epic fight scenes that are brutal, bloody and believable are countered with mirthy lines, and Maya’s romantically pretty healing of the earth in this dark, magic-laced world. Multiple POV keeps it a pacy read.
Note: I read this pre-publication and provided notes on plot, continuity etc.
Note: I read this pre-publication and provided notes on plot, continuity etc.
June 22, 2021
A little dark for my tastes but I liked most of the protagonists and redemption arcs. The pacing was good.
January 11, 2022
a charming read and great characters. Review to come....
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