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The Hellborn King Saga #1
The Hellborn King
A KINGDOM AT WAR.
A ROYAL FAMILY AT WAR WITH ITSELF.
After the massacre of his people, Damien Dreadfire leads a patchwork army of unlikely allies against the Kingdom of Betanthia. The alliance teeters on the edge of a knife, as old rivalries between clans threatens to tear it apart. With the help of his trusted friend, Einarr, and a strange mystic, Damien launches a bold offensive that will decide the future of the free lands. Short on time, and even shorter on men, the fate of a once vibrant culture and its people rests on the outcome of the next battle.
Meanwhile, Betanthia's crown prince, Gareth Bethard, faces dangers of his own. With his family coming apart at the seams and a growing conspiracy afoot, he tries desperately to hold everything together. Even as Gareth grapples with inner demons, he must learn to take up his father's mantle as the protector of civilization and defeat Damien's invading horde. It's only the fate of a thousand-year dynasty resting on his shoulders, after all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher G. Brenning is a native of Racine, Wisconsin. He has a deep love of fantasy and horror stories, metal and neofolk music, and passionately enjoys entertaining others.
A ROYAL FAMILY AT WAR WITH ITSELF.
After the massacre of his people, Damien Dreadfire leads a patchwork army of unlikely allies against the Kingdom of Betanthia. The alliance teeters on the edge of a knife, as old rivalries between clans threatens to tear it apart. With the help of his trusted friend, Einarr, and a strange mystic, Damien launches a bold offensive that will decide the future of the free lands. Short on time, and even shorter on men, the fate of a once vibrant culture and its people rests on the outcome of the next battle.
Meanwhile, Betanthia's crown prince, Gareth Bethard, faces dangers of his own. With his family coming apart at the seams and a growing conspiracy afoot, he tries desperately to hold everything together. Even as Gareth grapples with inner demons, he must learn to take up his father's mantle as the protector of civilization and defeat Damien's invading horde. It's only the fate of a thousand-year dynasty resting on his shoulders, after all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher G. Brenning is a native of Racine, Wisconsin. He has a deep love of fantasy and horror stories, metal and neofolk music, and passionately enjoys entertaining others.
638 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2021
44 people are currently reading
953 people want to read
About the author
Christopher G. Brenning
4 books82 followersChristopher G. Brenning is an author based out of Racine, Wisconsin. He is the author of the epic fantasy series, "The Hellborn King Saga". Chris has always had a passion for entertaining, and started writing short stories as far back as elementary school. In 2003, he became more focused on writing and made it into a hobby. In 2019, he decided to write his first novel. He is also passionate about music, movies, history, and travel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 2, 2022
Brutal, Compelling, and awesome!!!
Looking for a multi POV dark military campaign with dynamic broken characters look no further. I am just upset I waited so long to read this fantastic debut.
A broken royal family a kingdom in decline and a Warlord hell bent on revenge for past wars are just some of what you will find in Hellborn king.
From the first chapter this book grabs you and takes you on a wild ride.
5/5 great morally grey flawed characters, political maneuvering, and awesome battles. I have nothing but praise for Hellborn King!!!
Dedicated book review to come!
Looking for a multi POV dark military campaign with dynamic broken characters look no further. I am just upset I waited so long to read this fantastic debut.
A broken royal family a kingdom in decline and a Warlord hell bent on revenge for past wars are just some of what you will find in Hellborn king.
From the first chapter this book grabs you and takes you on a wild ride.
5/5 great morally grey flawed characters, political maneuvering, and awesome battles. I have nothing but praise for Hellborn King!!!
Dedicated book review to come!
January 11, 2022
The End of all things is the final clang of the doom bell in Christopher Brenning’s The Hellborn King, a dark tale of intrigue, vengeance, and war.
The story begins with the bloody annihilation of force of soldiers sent to investigate a local disturbance. In amongst the soldiers is the son of a commander of the King of Betathia’s Army, Alfrid Valens. With a foreboding of the events to come, Alfrid is brutally murdered by the behemoth warrior, Damian Dreadfire, the leader of the collected Northern tribes, whose obsession is to bring down what he sees as the despotic rule over the North by Betanthia, and gain vengeance for the haunting atrocity of war in a place called Borjifa.
The story is set two main settings, the rulers of Betanthia, a family that is coming apart at the seams through the alcoholism of the King, and the in fighting between the siblings. Then moving the focus of the story to the barbarian hordes and their conquest of the Betanthian held North in retaliation for the events at Borjifa.
The book is set out in a multi-point of view, with different characters having individual storylines, which successfully converges at the end, with each character having different experiences and adding to the story in different ways. This multi-faceted approach to the story works well as it gives epic proportions to the story and also shows us different parts off the world in which the story is set.
There are numerous characters in the book, each with their own character arc. The standout ones are Gareth, Einor & Madeline. However, interestingly, we never get the point of view of the main antagonist of the story Damian Dreadfire, and he is usually portrayed through the eyes of other characters and how they perceive him.
Now on the whole (and I don’t say this in a bad way), I have to say that I wasn’t actually that fond of many of the characters in the book, and I think that this is a testament to Christopher Brenning’s writing in that he does not give excuses for the decisions that the characters make. The Royal Family on the whole infuriated me, particularly with their ineffectual handling of any situation (although, I did empathise with Charlotte and the impossible situation that she is in). The father is a horrid drunkard who has succumbed to his weakness (although, we can see the reasons for his deterioration and the fact that he is using alcohol as a crutch), and with his vitriolic view of his family has virtually led to its implosion. The children equally are spoilt and spiteful, continuously bickering with each other, adding to the tension
Similarly, within the barbarian camp, I wasn’t all that fond of many characters in there. Yes, it is not all black and white and there are a multitude of greys. In this camp, Einar is the one that stands out as the moral compass of the Northern Tribes, and he is the one that I could emapthise with the most as he tries to guide Damian and uphold the duty that he has sworn to.
The other storyline, Madeline, I didn’t initially warm to until the second half of the book really. However, when certain events play out midway through, her character does become more grounded, and I did end up liking her.
For me, this shows that there is a strength in Christopher Brenning’s writing skills in that he can keep me engaged with the story, regardless of me not liking the characters.
The story itself is quite bleak in its execution, and I must highlight that there are some scenes that people may not be comfortable with. However, this is dealt with quite sensitively and for the most part happens off the page and there are no graphic scenes in that respect.
At times, I felt that on occasion plot overshadowed the pacing and there were some parts of the book where I felt that it lost its momentum. However, this was not a detriment to the book as a whole as I continued to be engaged with the story.
In terms of world building, the multi point of view gives plenty of opportunity to show expansive elements of the world in which the story is set and is a good device to show the sweeping vistas of the world that is encapsulated in the book.
On the whole I enjoyed this darkly powerful epic fantasy revolving around a family imploding, vengeance and obsession.
If you enjoyed this review there are more at www.fantasybooknerd.com
The story begins with the bloody annihilation of force of soldiers sent to investigate a local disturbance. In amongst the soldiers is the son of a commander of the King of Betathia’s Army, Alfrid Valens. With a foreboding of the events to come, Alfrid is brutally murdered by the behemoth warrior, Damian Dreadfire, the leader of the collected Northern tribes, whose obsession is to bring down what he sees as the despotic rule over the North by Betanthia, and gain vengeance for the haunting atrocity of war in a place called Borjifa.
The story is set two main settings, the rulers of Betanthia, a family that is coming apart at the seams through the alcoholism of the King, and the in fighting between the siblings. Then moving the focus of the story to the barbarian hordes and their conquest of the Betanthian held North in retaliation for the events at Borjifa.
The book is set out in a multi-point of view, with different characters having individual storylines, which successfully converges at the end, with each character having different experiences and adding to the story in different ways. This multi-faceted approach to the story works well as it gives epic proportions to the story and also shows us different parts off the world in which the story is set.
There are numerous characters in the book, each with their own character arc. The standout ones are Gareth, Einor & Madeline. However, interestingly, we never get the point of view of the main antagonist of the story Damian Dreadfire, and he is usually portrayed through the eyes of other characters and how they perceive him.
Now on the whole (and I don’t say this in a bad way), I have to say that I wasn’t actually that fond of many of the characters in the book, and I think that this is a testament to Christopher Brenning’s writing in that he does not give excuses for the decisions that the characters make. The Royal Family on the whole infuriated me, particularly with their ineffectual handling of any situation (although, I did empathise with Charlotte and the impossible situation that she is in). The father is a horrid drunkard who has succumbed to his weakness (although, we can see the reasons for his deterioration and the fact that he is using alcohol as a crutch), and with his vitriolic view of his family has virtually led to its implosion. The children equally are spoilt and spiteful, continuously bickering with each other, adding to the tension
Similarly, within the barbarian camp, I wasn’t all that fond of many characters in there. Yes, it is not all black and white and there are a multitude of greys. In this camp, Einar is the one that stands out as the moral compass of the Northern Tribes, and he is the one that I could emapthise with the most as he tries to guide Damian and uphold the duty that he has sworn to.
The other storyline, Madeline, I didn’t initially warm to until the second half of the book really. However, when certain events play out midway through, her character does become more grounded, and I did end up liking her.
For me, this shows that there is a strength in Christopher Brenning’s writing skills in that he can keep me engaged with the story, regardless of me not liking the characters.
The story itself is quite bleak in its execution, and I must highlight that there are some scenes that people may not be comfortable with. However, this is dealt with quite sensitively and for the most part happens off the page and there are no graphic scenes in that respect.
At times, I felt that on occasion plot overshadowed the pacing and there were some parts of the book where I felt that it lost its momentum. However, this was not a detriment to the book as a whole as I continued to be engaged with the story.
In terms of world building, the multi point of view gives plenty of opportunity to show expansive elements of the world in which the story is set and is a good device to show the sweeping vistas of the world that is encapsulated in the book.
On the whole I enjoyed this darkly powerful epic fantasy revolving around a family imploding, vengeance and obsession.
If you enjoyed this review there are more at www.fantasybooknerd.com
August 3, 2022
Please read my review below:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
August 14, 2022
Let me just say, wow! I can’t believe this is a debut novel! As soon as you read the prologue, you say - wait, what? The whole idea of good guys vs bad guys is turned on its ear here.
I do love character driven stories and this is just dynamite. Each character is well defined with clear individual traits. Even if I didn’t like a particular person, I still enjoyed reading the chapter. Will characters change my heart towards them? Some I like and some I don’t. Slowly all the characters weave together and you see the threads that bind them.
There’s also some lovely passages. “A full moon cast its glow down onto the gentle rippling waves…. The large, hulking frame of a freighter bobbed gently in the water two piers down. A gull squawked in the distance as it foraged near the fish market. The waters lapped lazily at the wooden piling sod the dock.”
Actually this reminds me to mention that one chapter might be calm and quiet, but then bang! You’re thrust into a bloodthirsty battle. There’s plenty of very rough and violent clashes between fighters. And then you’re back into a serene place again. You can barely catch your breath with all the different events going on. The slow buildup to the climatic battle was riveting. It was hard to put down the book.
Will any of the characters surprise me with a different path? “Is it ever too late for a man to find redemption? Can the gods forgive the things we do for love and loyalty?”
The next book can’t come soon enough!
I do love character driven stories and this is just dynamite. Each character is well defined with clear individual traits. Even if I didn’t like a particular person, I still enjoyed reading the chapter. Will characters change my heart towards them? Some I like and some I don’t. Slowly all the characters weave together and you see the threads that bind them.
There’s also some lovely passages. “A full moon cast its glow down onto the gentle rippling waves…. The large, hulking frame of a freighter bobbed gently in the water two piers down. A gull squawked in the distance as it foraged near the fish market. The waters lapped lazily at the wooden piling sod the dock.”
Actually this reminds me to mention that one chapter might be calm and quiet, but then bang! You’re thrust into a bloodthirsty battle. There’s plenty of very rough and violent clashes between fighters. And then you’re back into a serene place again. You can barely catch your breath with all the different events going on. The slow buildup to the climatic battle was riveting. It was hard to put down the book.
Will any of the characters surprise me with a different path? “Is it ever too late for a man to find redemption? Can the gods forgive the things we do for love and loyalty?”
The next book can’t come soon enough!
December 2, 2022
The Hellborn King- Christopher G. Brenning
What made me pick this up ? the cover!!!
You know your reading a great book when you literally don’t want it to end so you keep on putting it down!!
7 POV characters chapters intertwined
The Kingdom Betanthia falling apart within….
A Family in disarray….
Dying King
Sibling hatred to reach other
Charlotte- The Queen
Gareth- the Prince
Lucetta - the princess ..this one is c a strange one
Damien Dreadfire, isThe Supreme Warlord…. reminds me of the Kurgan from Highlander movie 🪓
Einarr - trusted friend to Damien.
Cedric Valens -Commandant of Betanthia’s western garrison.
Madelyn Everly -
Titan Bradshaw
Political intrigue… backstabbing to the fullest ,,, great battles 🪓🪓🪓🪓🫁
I love this line:
He swatted at a fly that danced around his face, then donned a crested steel helm over his mop of shaggy blonde hair.
Or
The Hinterwood seemed less of a nightmare, and more of a paradise.
Which brings humanity to these characters
None of these people are perfect .. not even the reader 👀
I gave this book 5 star’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What made me pick this up ? the cover!!!
You know your reading a great book when you literally don’t want it to end so you keep on putting it down!!
7 POV characters chapters intertwined
The Kingdom Betanthia falling apart within….
A Family in disarray….
Dying King
Sibling hatred to reach other
Charlotte- The Queen
Gareth- the Prince
Lucetta - the princess ..this one is c a strange one
Damien Dreadfire, isThe Supreme Warlord…. reminds me of the Kurgan from Highlander movie 🪓
Einarr - trusted friend to Damien.
Cedric Valens -Commandant of Betanthia’s western garrison.
Madelyn Everly -
Titan Bradshaw
Political intrigue… backstabbing to the fullest ,,, great battles 🪓🪓🪓🪓🫁
I love this line:
He swatted at a fly that danced around his face, then donned a crested steel helm over his mop of shaggy blonde hair.
Or
The Hinterwood seemed less of a nightmare, and more of a paradise.
Which brings humanity to these characters
None of these people are perfect .. not even the reader 👀
I gave this book 5 star’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 18, 2021
unbelievable!!! what a book...this book left me emotionally gutted... I loved it from beginning to end... it has everything bad ass characters, war, underdogs, rebellion, drama, political intrigue, turmoil...I can not wait till book 2
June 1, 2021
My Review for The Hellborn King by Christopher Brenning
My Book Review Blog
"There would be time enough to mourn for his love, but it would’nt be now, Gareth Bethard had decided. Now would come a time of blood, and death, and hate."
So what’s the book about?
The North wants to reclaim their land after a massacre of their people and now Damien Dreadfire is bringing together an army of disparate people to stand against the kingdom. The fate of the North culture and the entire nation depends on the outcome of the battles in the kingdom, but warriors are in short supply. Damien can count on the help of his friend Einarr, who is becoming more and more divided by his friend Damien’s actions. For he carries out atrocities to get closer to his goal and will stop at nothing. The attacked kingdom, however, has its own problems, for a king who only devotes himself to alcohol, rules the country. Or his son, the crown prince Gareth, who is unable to find his way in his role. As Gareth tries to become a better successor to his father, he gets caught up in more and more conspiracies and has to fight his own family in the process. Therefore, the kingdom faces not only the enemy from the north, but also itself.
Why I wanted to read this series?
I received a copy of the book from the author himself, which I am very happy about, in exchange there is an honest review about the book. I would also like to say thank you very much here again. When I received the request, of course I immediately searched on Amazon for the book to read the blurb of it. When I got the search result, I was first very surprised about the incredibly beautiful cover of the book. Then I read the blurb and was immediately thrilled. Because this one sounds like war and intrigue and that’s what I particularly like. I felt reminded of The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie and since this is one of my favourite books, I was of course enthusiastic!
These aspects attracted me the most while reading.
This story takes you into a cruel world, full of atrocities and barbarians – and that’s the kind of story we all want to read! For the world is not only cruel because of its enemies from the north, but also because its own empire is crumbling. The king is a drunkard and wife-beater, the son who can’t get anything done either, and the siblings who make things even more complicated. So an exciting intrigue is built up within the kingdom, in which everyone plays their own game and you experience many surprises. And the fighters from the north don’t make things any easier for the king either. But even if you expect the king to move against the attackers here, you have misunderstood something. For the realm of Betanthia is not at all interested in the Nordic people slaughtering their own people, but simply let them go. Only a few fighters oppose them, which makes the situation seem even more hopeless. For the nobles of the empire are more interested in their own game for the throne than in standing up for the common people, and so everyone has to look out for themselves.
The story is told very slowly and at first, you don’t know what each of the main characters is supposed to do for the story. However, this builds up an incredible tension because at first you get to know all the characters in detail, you know their weaknesses and faults and their dreams. You feel very connected to them and can understand their suffering. Nevertheless, each character in this story has a very individual experience that completely changes the story around the character. Thus, a separate arc of tension is built up for each character and not for the whole story, which has strengthened the connection to the character, but you also don’t know how everything will come together later. You are plunged into different adventures with each individual character, and you don’t even know which one is the most exciting. You get intrigues, fights, but also the inner struggle with oneself is fought out with the characters and thus the tension is always kept high on different levels.
In this book, there is a role reversal between the typical gender characteristics – the women here are ambitious, show strength and also have a will of their own, whereas the men have to fight with themselves, don’t want to fight against others at all and care more about love or friendship. The typical image of women or men does not come from anyway and that is why I find it all the more exciting to read when these character traits are simply changed. Often in books there is always a strong woman or an effeminate man, but here everyone has really swapped roles, although in this world you find the typical gender roles, such as men fighting and women having children. And through the book it is shown that there is nothing wrong with what gender you are and despite that can behave differently than society dictates, because women make it to positions that women would have only dreamed of back then and men can show their feelings even if they still get setbacks.
Lucetta is actually a completely unworldly princess who you can tell has never lived outside her society and yet I was able to take her to my heart and she became my favourite character in this book. Because Lucetta changes after she sees the completely run-down capital and has to see how the poor have to live there. From there on she changes, because she wants to change something in this world, even though she has never lifted a finger herself. Moreover, from then on, the girl, who at first only lives lonely in her privileged world, changes and becomes a ruthless adult who stands for her goals and ambitions. Lucetta has the most exciting part of this book, because she doesn’t have to fight for her goals alone.
So what are my final thoughts about it?
This is a cruel and very serious story, reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie’s world. Because nothing is as it seems, the characters experience an incredible development through the first part, thanks to their also incredible, even partly disturbing, experiences. This story is very character driven and I have to say that every single character is interesting and I enjoyed reading it. Even though Madelyn came across as a little too generic at first, she was able to convince me so much towards the end that she made up the most exciting ending for me. The book is also more of a low fantasy story, with more of a focus on politics and combat and only a hint of fantasy, but this made me identify with the world much more, as the magic that is present does seem very real. The only negative point I could find are the time jumps at times, which took away from the rythm of the story. This is a story that not only brings war to the kingdom, but the kingdom itself is at war. The ending was so exciting that I can’t wait to read the next volume!
My Book Review Blog
"There would be time enough to mourn for his love, but it would’nt be now, Gareth Bethard had decided. Now would come a time of blood, and death, and hate."
So what’s the book about?
The North wants to reclaim their land after a massacre of their people and now Damien Dreadfire is bringing together an army of disparate people to stand against the kingdom. The fate of the North culture and the entire nation depends on the outcome of the battles in the kingdom, but warriors are in short supply. Damien can count on the help of his friend Einarr, who is becoming more and more divided by his friend Damien’s actions. For he carries out atrocities to get closer to his goal and will stop at nothing. The attacked kingdom, however, has its own problems, for a king who only devotes himself to alcohol, rules the country. Or his son, the crown prince Gareth, who is unable to find his way in his role. As Gareth tries to become a better successor to his father, he gets caught up in more and more conspiracies and has to fight his own family in the process. Therefore, the kingdom faces not only the enemy from the north, but also itself.
Why I wanted to read this series?
I received a copy of the book from the author himself, which I am very happy about, in exchange there is an honest review about the book. I would also like to say thank you very much here again. When I received the request, of course I immediately searched on Amazon for the book to read the blurb of it. When I got the search result, I was first very surprised about the incredibly beautiful cover of the book. Then I read the blurb and was immediately thrilled. Because this one sounds like war and intrigue and that’s what I particularly like. I felt reminded of The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie and since this is one of my favourite books, I was of course enthusiastic!
These aspects attracted me the most while reading.
This story takes you into a cruel world, full of atrocities and barbarians – and that’s the kind of story we all want to read! For the world is not only cruel because of its enemies from the north, but also because its own empire is crumbling. The king is a drunkard and wife-beater, the son who can’t get anything done either, and the siblings who make things even more complicated. So an exciting intrigue is built up within the kingdom, in which everyone plays their own game and you experience many surprises. And the fighters from the north don’t make things any easier for the king either. But even if you expect the king to move against the attackers here, you have misunderstood something. For the realm of Betanthia is not at all interested in the Nordic people slaughtering their own people, but simply let them go. Only a few fighters oppose them, which makes the situation seem even more hopeless. For the nobles of the empire are more interested in their own game for the throne than in standing up for the common people, and so everyone has to look out for themselves.
The story is told very slowly and at first, you don’t know what each of the main characters is supposed to do for the story. However, this builds up an incredible tension because at first you get to know all the characters in detail, you know their weaknesses and faults and their dreams. You feel very connected to them and can understand their suffering. Nevertheless, each character in this story has a very individual experience that completely changes the story around the character. Thus, a separate arc of tension is built up for each character and not for the whole story, which has strengthened the connection to the character, but you also don’t know how everything will come together later. You are plunged into different adventures with each individual character, and you don’t even know which one is the most exciting. You get intrigues, fights, but also the inner struggle with oneself is fought out with the characters and thus the tension is always kept high on different levels.
In this book, there is a role reversal between the typical gender characteristics – the women here are ambitious, show strength and also have a will of their own, whereas the men have to fight with themselves, don’t want to fight against others at all and care more about love or friendship. The typical image of women or men does not come from anyway and that is why I find it all the more exciting to read when these character traits are simply changed. Often in books there is always a strong woman or an effeminate man, but here everyone has really swapped roles, although in this world you find the typical gender roles, such as men fighting and women having children. And through the book it is shown that there is nothing wrong with what gender you are and despite that can behave differently than society dictates, because women make it to positions that women would have only dreamed of back then and men can show their feelings even if they still get setbacks.
Lucetta is actually a completely unworldly princess who you can tell has never lived outside her society and yet I was able to take her to my heart and she became my favourite character in this book. Because Lucetta changes after she sees the completely run-down capital and has to see how the poor have to live there. From there on she changes, because she wants to change something in this world, even though she has never lifted a finger herself. Moreover, from then on, the girl, who at first only lives lonely in her privileged world, changes and becomes a ruthless adult who stands for her goals and ambitions. Lucetta has the most exciting part of this book, because she doesn’t have to fight for her goals alone.
So what are my final thoughts about it?
This is a cruel and very serious story, reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie’s world. Because nothing is as it seems, the characters experience an incredible development through the first part, thanks to their also incredible, even partly disturbing, experiences. This story is very character driven and I have to say that every single character is interesting and I enjoyed reading it. Even though Madelyn came across as a little too generic at first, she was able to convince me so much towards the end that she made up the most exciting ending for me. The book is also more of a low fantasy story, with more of a focus on politics and combat and only a hint of fantasy, but this made me identify with the world much more, as the magic that is present does seem very real. The only negative point I could find are the time jumps at times, which took away from the rythm of the story. This is a story that not only brings war to the kingdom, but the kingdom itself is at war. The ending was so exciting that I can’t wait to read the next volume!
March 29, 2022
I'm a sad poppet. I had such high hopes for this book. The beginning was EXCELLENT! Blood soaked and grim desperation. And then the story fell into mundane, every day things. I don't know, maybe it's me? I'm a quitter at 25%. My apologies to the author, I really tried. 3 stars because I really did like that beginning.
February 27, 2022
The Hellborn King is Christopher Brenning’s debut novel. I agreed to read and review this one on the first look due to the powerful front cover. Little did I know that I would be assaulted with a story that would take me on a journey of adventure and discovery. Once again, I’ve discovered a self-published novel that I have loved from start to finish. The skill and finesse of Brenning cracks open the surface and delves behind the reasonings and implications of war as a multi-faceted beast. There are always two sides to a story and I found myself feeling torn between both sides. It is relentless in its brutality and has enough humanity and bloodshed to keep any fantasy fan engrossed.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
December 8, 2021
The Hellborn King is a brutal, epic, grimdark fantasy at its finest. I mean look at the cover, is this not one of the best cover arts that you have seen. Bear in mind when reading this book that its a Debut, and great debut but a debut nonetheless, so there are a few teething issues and the author is finding his feet and planting them firmly.
This book starts off strong with the Prologue – The Joker in the Dark knight rises'' was correct “In their last moments people show who they are” and Alfrid showed who he was, a coward, not embracing death like a warrior that he was supposed to be.
The story continues to be brutal and cruel, once you have read through a few early chapters just to get to know the characters and set the scene. War, brutal fight scenes, war, family feud, war, battles, just pure brutal enjoyment.
Brenning has created an amazing world and awesome characters, each chapter is from a different POV i.e., Dameon Dreadfire - brutal awesome character. Madelyn reminds me of a combination of Lagertha in Vikings and Anna Valerious in Van Helsing and (that scene towards the end - Horrendous) Gareth is a wet wipe Ha Ha Even some of the side characters for me are brutally epic, Titan Bradshaw for me I enjoyed thoroughly. Starts off as a side character and then gets his own chapter titles that how good he is, worthy of chapter titles.
Some chapters are better than others (a lot of Charlotte's chapters drag a bit but are key to the story) and some characters have a faster, more brutal story arc but this in no way diminishes the book. It just creates one brutal grim dark ride.
If you are into grim dark fantasy as all its glorious brutality then this book is worth your valuable time and you cannot go wrong. If you are not into the genre then I think you will either hate this book or this book will make you a fan.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
This book starts off strong with the Prologue – The Joker in the Dark knight rises'' was correct “In their last moments people show who they are” and Alfrid showed who he was, a coward, not embracing death like a warrior that he was supposed to be.
The story continues to be brutal and cruel, once you have read through a few early chapters just to get to know the characters and set the scene. War, brutal fight scenes, war, family feud, war, battles, just pure brutal enjoyment.
Brenning has created an amazing world and awesome characters, each chapter is from a different POV i.e., Dameon Dreadfire - brutal awesome character. Madelyn reminds me of a combination of Lagertha in Vikings and Anna Valerious in Van Helsing and (that scene towards the end - Horrendous) Gareth is a wet wipe Ha Ha Even some of the side characters for me are brutally epic, Titan Bradshaw for me I enjoyed thoroughly. Starts off as a side character and then gets his own chapter titles that how good he is, worthy of chapter titles.
Some chapters are better than others (a lot of Charlotte's chapters drag a bit but are key to the story) and some characters have a faster, more brutal story arc but this in no way diminishes the book. It just creates one brutal grim dark ride.
If you are into grim dark fantasy as all its glorious brutality then this book is worth your valuable time and you cannot go wrong. If you are not into the genre then I think you will either hate this book or this book will make you a fan.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
November 19, 2022
I did the audiobook for The Hellborn King and that started off quite well, but eventually turned into a bad thing for me. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I thought I was going to. As the book went on, some of the voices started to grate on me. In particular, I found the female voices didn’t do anything for me, and in places were actually a bit off-putting.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
October 28, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Christopher Brenning’s debut novel combines the brutal realities of war with the emotional turmoil of a grimdark environment. The Hellborn King is relentless in the chaos it entails and the characters driving the plot home with all the shocking moments to remember. I hope you are in the mood for a lot of blood and pain!
Let me start the review by saying this. If you do not like Grimdark fantasy with all the evil and gritty scenes that come with it, this may not be the book for you. I have read my fair share of Grimdark novels and some scenes in this book made my stomach turn. Hopefully if you are still reading, this is a novel for you. The northern tribes have united under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and they are on the march to invade the Kingdom of Bethanthia. However, old rivalries between enemy clans are starting to rise and Damien will need the help of his friend Einarr and an ancient mystic to calm the people. A prophecy has been told of a forgotten line being rediscovered for the North to gain its dominance once again and Damien seeks to find that lost catalyst. Bethanthia is being defended by the crown prince Gareth Bethard, son to a drunk and beaten King, Gareth has to find his place to combat this invading force he just doesn’t know how to accomplish that.
I can’t obviously talk about every character but I would just like to highlight two that stood out for me. The first one is Madeline, she is the captain of imperial troops and is tasked with meeting this invading force head on in this conflict. She is a tactical genius and has never lost a battle, but she doesn’t have the numbers on her side. She enlists the help of an old soldier named Titan and he may be just the type of person she needs for the incoming war. The other character I greatly enjoyed was Einarr. Einarr gives us a first hand knowledge of the invading horde, what their motivations are, and the several tribes that have joined in the campaign. The best moments were the revelations about Einarr’s past and it was these scenes that made me realize the “enemy” are human beings as well. Job well done by the author to make me care for characters on both sides of the conflict.
I will be honest in saying that I wasn’t sure about this book at first. Apart from the prologue, the first several chapters I didn’t find very interesting. That all changes when the characters started to open up and it wasn’t just blood and steel. This is a multi POV and there is not one wasted chapter even if some are better than others. The actions scenes are great and it is the quiet moments where this book really shines. Fair warning here, do not expect a happy ending but one that will set up the rest of the series.
This is a Grimdark epic worthy of your time and one of the better ones I have read in a long time. Pain will be felt but also the hope of something better on the horizon. I hope you will join me on this dark path. Who knows where it may lead!
Cheers!
Let me start the review by saying this. If you do not like Grimdark fantasy with all the evil and gritty scenes that come with it, this may not be the book for you. I have read my fair share of Grimdark novels and some scenes in this book made my stomach turn. Hopefully if you are still reading, this is a novel for you. The northern tribes have united under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and they are on the march to invade the Kingdom of Bethanthia. However, old rivalries between enemy clans are starting to rise and Damien will need the help of his friend Einarr and an ancient mystic to calm the people. A prophecy has been told of a forgotten line being rediscovered for the North to gain its dominance once again and Damien seeks to find that lost catalyst. Bethanthia is being defended by the crown prince Gareth Bethard, son to a drunk and beaten King, Gareth has to find his place to combat this invading force he just doesn’t know how to accomplish that.
I can’t obviously talk about every character but I would just like to highlight two that stood out for me. The first one is Madeline, she is the captain of imperial troops and is tasked with meeting this invading force head on in this conflict. She is a tactical genius and has never lost a battle, but she doesn’t have the numbers on her side. She enlists the help of an old soldier named Titan and he may be just the type of person she needs for the incoming war. The other character I greatly enjoyed was Einarr. Einarr gives us a first hand knowledge of the invading horde, what their motivations are, and the several tribes that have joined in the campaign. The best moments were the revelations about Einarr’s past and it was these scenes that made me realize the “enemy” are human beings as well. Job well done by the author to make me care for characters on both sides of the conflict.
I will be honest in saying that I wasn’t sure about this book at first. Apart from the prologue, the first several chapters I didn’t find very interesting. That all changes when the characters started to open up and it wasn’t just blood and steel. This is a multi POV and there is not one wasted chapter even if some are better than others. The actions scenes are great and it is the quiet moments where this book really shines. Fair warning here, do not expect a happy ending but one that will set up the rest of the series.
This is a Grimdark epic worthy of your time and one of the better ones I have read in a long time. Pain will be felt but also the hope of something better on the horizon. I hope you will join me on this dark path. Who knows where it may lead!
Cheers!
March 15, 2022
Thanks to @christophergbrenning
For sending me a physical copy (I picked up this audible version myself)
The Hellborn King is a multi POV , medieval grimdark fantasy book that features a host of characters on both sides of a war between the Kingdom of Betanthia, and a patchwork alliance of Northerners led by the warlord Damien Dreadfire , who, with the aid of a mysterious mystic , is looking for vengeance after the massacre of his people .
Fans of Joe Abercrombie will immediately feel at home here , the book features a host of varied , interesting, and downright grotesque "barbarians" as well as an equal amount of pompous, selfish and arrogant royals, all very well written, and varied in their personality, which allows for excellent character development throughout the book.
Both the world building and character development are strong here, there's moral and immoral characters on both sides, there's no clear distinction of who's in the right or wrong , we're drip fed some intriguing backstory, giving context to the present story , something I'm eager to learn more of in the coming books. And we're treated to some very gritty , and dark scenes both on and off the battlefield (this is grimdark at its best , be aware of that going in. Some parts are tough to read)
I wasn't fully invested in every POV throughout , certain characters did grate on me a bit, and I had clear favourites whom I was eager to get back to. However , this changed in the latter half of the book, when each individuals roles in the overall story started to open up. And the ending was excellent and left me very excited for the next installment .
The audible narration was very well delivered , with a variety of different voices for each character . Will definitely continue the series this way
For sending me a physical copy (I picked up this audible version myself)
The Hellborn King is a multi POV , medieval grimdark fantasy book that features a host of characters on both sides of a war between the Kingdom of Betanthia, and a patchwork alliance of Northerners led by the warlord Damien Dreadfire , who, with the aid of a mysterious mystic , is looking for vengeance after the massacre of his people .
Fans of Joe Abercrombie will immediately feel at home here , the book features a host of varied , interesting, and downright grotesque "barbarians" as well as an equal amount of pompous, selfish and arrogant royals, all very well written, and varied in their personality, which allows for excellent character development throughout the book.
Both the world building and character development are strong here, there's moral and immoral characters on both sides, there's no clear distinction of who's in the right or wrong , we're drip fed some intriguing backstory, giving context to the present story , something I'm eager to learn more of in the coming books. And we're treated to some very gritty , and dark scenes both on and off the battlefield (this is grimdark at its best , be aware of that going in. Some parts are tough to read)
I wasn't fully invested in every POV throughout , certain characters did grate on me a bit, and I had clear favourites whom I was eager to get back to. However , this changed in the latter half of the book, when each individuals roles in the overall story started to open up. And the ending was excellent and left me very excited for the next installment .
The audible narration was very well delivered , with a variety of different voices for each character . Will definitely continue the series this way
February 7, 2022
Grimdark extreme! This one is as brutal as they come. The viciousness of war on full display. A well written powerful low fantasy. Great stuff!
August 19, 2022
4.5
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!
April 30, 2025
Unflinching, brutal action that packs a mean story
I had this book sitting in my library for over a year [not a long while compared with others 🤣]
But then I got the follow-up, Wrathbringer, and decided it was a good moment to start the series, and oh boy, was that a great decision.
Hellborn King is a GRIM story, with unflinching brutal action that pulls no punches in delivering a masterfully crafted story of vengeance, hate, politics and domination, with a sprinkle of The Dates, Omens, Crones and Godly vengeances.
The characters we get are all superbly represented, the feel human, visceral, fallible, and relatable. These characters feel inspired in the classic Shakespearean mould, and that's a testament to Chris's skill in characterization.
The action and battle scenes are brutal, energetic, and bloody. Nothing feels out of place or done purely for shock value. Everything has a weight and an importance to the scene or the character or the story. No one here gets a pass or escapes scot-free with bad decisions.
The Empire is crumbling, the royal family is crumbling from within, the Wolves, the carrion crawlers, the poor and the downtrodden are smelling it and everything is poised in the sharpest of edges.
Hellborn King keeps you flipping page after page after page, unable to peel your eyes away from the story.
Highly recommended.
4.7⭐️
I had this book sitting in my library for over a year [not a long while compared with others 🤣]
But then I got the follow-up, Wrathbringer, and decided it was a good moment to start the series, and oh boy, was that a great decision.
Hellborn King is a GRIM story, with unflinching brutal action that pulls no punches in delivering a masterfully crafted story of vengeance, hate, politics and domination, with a sprinkle of The Dates, Omens, Crones and Godly vengeances.
The characters we get are all superbly represented, the feel human, visceral, fallible, and relatable. These characters feel inspired in the classic Shakespearean mould, and that's a testament to Chris's skill in characterization.
The action and battle scenes are brutal, energetic, and bloody. Nothing feels out of place or done purely for shock value. Everything has a weight and an importance to the scene or the character or the story. No one here gets a pass or escapes scot-free with bad decisions.
The Empire is crumbling, the royal family is crumbling from within, the Wolves, the carrion crawlers, the poor and the downtrodden are smelling it and everything is poised in the sharpest of edges.
Hellborn King keeps you flipping page after page after page, unable to peel your eyes away from the story.
Highly recommended.
4.7⭐️
November 9, 2021
Brilliant! Another excellent read for me as I see out the year, what a read this has been. Brutal in places, but an interesting approach to POV characters made this an intriguing read as well. A full review will be on my blog soon.
November 1, 2022
“Fear is our most potent weapon. Time to wield it or end up wielding the sword again.” - The Hellborn King
(After-writing note… this is a long review. The longest I’ll ever likely write. My apologies to anyone who reads it in its entirety).
Reviewing a book can be a hard task when one respects/likes/befriends the author. But this is my attempt at transparency.
Before we get to the review, I want to take a moment and clarify something. Sometimes, books don’t work for readers. This can be for many reasons, but I’m specifically referring to the “right place, right time”. I am very much a mood reader, and if I’m not “feeling it”, I won’t like it. This occurred so badly that I DNF’d The Hellborn King and didn’t plan on returning. Why though? My brother and his girlfriend were visiting, and I was reading at inopportune times. I was reading and trying to make a deadline, so I could take part in a YouTube stream (shout out to the YouTube channel Steve Talks Books). The Hellborn King isn’t without its flaws, of which I’ll note in my review below; however, none of the flaws were so egregious as I made them out to be when I originally DNF’d. I’m guessing between the interruption in my normal schedule, a current level of stress I’ve been under, a wackier-than-normal sleep schedule (whereupon I’ve been exceedingly exhausted), and the repeated appearance of the complaints I have about the book, all melded together and created a much more toxic opinion than ever should have formed. But upon recognizing this, I jumped back in. And I liked it. So… to Christopher G. Brenning, I apologize. Let’s get into the actual review.
So let’s begin with the criticism (i.e. the reasons I almost DNF’d). Quick note: this is going to sound like a lot, but it really isn’t. Most people don’t have a problem with the writing in The Hellborn King (I also have plenty of good to say about it, too… just bear with me). For the first 200ish pages, it didn’t bother me. It was only during 200-450 (the time my brother was visiting) that I became super frustrated. As soon as my schedule returned to normality, everything went back to mostly enjoyment and these "issues" weren't affecting me as much. However, I still feel as if I should point a couple out.
There were a few wrong usages of words… “pouring” instead of “poring” and a couple random grammatical mistakes (these are very minor issues that affected me but I don’t think other readers are likely to notice). And filler words. A lot of the sentences were longer/wordier than necessary. I’ll cite an example of being “light of the moon” instead of “moonlight”—alone, this isn’t much of an issue, but a lot of sentences have these extended phrases and they sort of “bloat” the book.
Character thoughts/dialogue are often over-explained or state things that both characters interacting already know (and the reader also knows). A good example is early on there’s a chapter where two characters are at dinner… the dinner ends, and one of them asks the other, “do you remember when we were at dinner?” and it was two paragraphs ago. Another example: swords are almost drawn, and the narrator references how threatening this is—but this is implied in both the actions and dialogue (and this sort of implication is often used, but then directly explained). The last stylistic choice was overly dramatic statements. To explain what I mean, here’s an example: (note… these are NOT direct quotes from The Hellborn King) “it was the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen”, “she’d never been so awestruck in her entire life”, “it was the worst thing she’d ever experienced”. Was it, though? Most of the time, the answer felt like “no”.
So I’ve taken more time than I normally would to critique some writing, but I felt it was necessary to explain what was getting to me. I’d like to highlight some solid praise for Brenning’s writing now.
Despite the issues I had above, wow. I was really surprised/impressed with Brenning’s consistent fluidity with his word choice. Except for a few repeated words… “as of late” stands out, I thought Brenning could really differentiate based on what he was describing. When something was brutal, it felt brutal. When something nice was happening, it felt nice. The political sections were particularly intriguing, and I really enjoyed the Gareth sections whenever he was dealing with other politicians. Christopher excels at writing in an accessible manner. I don’t think anyone will have any trouble reading/comprehending every sentence—which is a huge plus. There’s not any purple prose or unnecessary description (aside from what I mentioned above with telling us things we [and the characters] already know).
Let’s jump into characters and the story, because I’ve rambled far too much about the writing. We follow Einarr, Cedric, Madelyn, Lucetta, Gareth, Charlotte, and Titan. That sounds like a lot, and it is at first, but it’s surprisingly not as complicated as it sounds. Several of these POVs work hand-in-hand, so it’s not like each POV is separated from the stories of the others. Gareth and Madelyn are the standout characters to me. Gareth’s archetype is one of my favorite character-types in books, the incompetent, disrespected-by-everyone-who-matters person, struggling to gain a foothold. The politics in his chapters were very interesting. Madelyn is a warrior, and I just found her story/journey to be more interesting than a lot of the others. My least favorite was easily Lucetta. I didn’t really like her and something that happens with her is… odd, sorry, avoiding spoilers here. Cedric was pretty interesting as well, and his last chapter in the book was very good. I’m being vague here, but there’s a lot to like.
Perhaps the most interesting decision in The Hellborn King is that the main villain, Damien Dreadfire, isn’t followed directly. You only see him through the POVs of other characters. Einarr is the second-in-command to Damien and through Einarr’s eyes, you see Damien complete villainous act after villainous act. I would have appreciated a Damien POV or two, just to get some of his direct thoughts. However, I think Brenning doesn’t want readers to have access to his direct thoughts… so fair enough.
Regarding the story, there are some brutal moments I really enjoyed, though I was hoping for something more in the finale which I can’t really talk about (spoilers, pesky things). More brutal moments in Wrathbringer (book two of the series), hopefully?
I’m very curious to see what’s going to happen next, particularly with ___ and ____. Also ____, because of where he ended up.
Rating. I struggled with this. Do I rate it as a 1 or 2 star for almost DNFing? No. I returned to the book and none of the aforementioned issues bothered me nearly as much as I figured they would. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars. I think the official rating will be a 3.5/5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads and Amazon, because I am buying the second book, reading it immediately, and optimistic that Brenning will greatly improve upon the first. Debut novels are tricky little devils. Overall there are way more positives than negatives to this book, and if I sounded overly critical, that wasn't my objective. It was a solid entry and I'm excited to read more.
Thanks to Christopher G. Brenning for writing an interesting read—anybody interested in grimdark/military fantasy will enjoy this series. I strongly recommend people pick it up.
(After-writing note… this is a long review. The longest I’ll ever likely write. My apologies to anyone who reads it in its entirety).
Reviewing a book can be a hard task when one respects/likes/befriends the author. But this is my attempt at transparency.
Before we get to the review, I want to take a moment and clarify something. Sometimes, books don’t work for readers. This can be for many reasons, but I’m specifically referring to the “right place, right time”. I am very much a mood reader, and if I’m not “feeling it”, I won’t like it. This occurred so badly that I DNF’d The Hellborn King and didn’t plan on returning. Why though? My brother and his girlfriend were visiting, and I was reading at inopportune times. I was reading and trying to make a deadline, so I could take part in a YouTube stream (shout out to the YouTube channel Steve Talks Books). The Hellborn King isn’t without its flaws, of which I’ll note in my review below; however, none of the flaws were so egregious as I made them out to be when I originally DNF’d. I’m guessing between the interruption in my normal schedule, a current level of stress I’ve been under, a wackier-than-normal sleep schedule (whereupon I’ve been exceedingly exhausted), and the repeated appearance of the complaints I have about the book, all melded together and created a much more toxic opinion than ever should have formed. But upon recognizing this, I jumped back in. And I liked it. So… to Christopher G. Brenning, I apologize. Let’s get into the actual review.
So let’s begin with the criticism (i.e. the reasons I almost DNF’d). Quick note: this is going to sound like a lot, but it really isn’t. Most people don’t have a problem with the writing in The Hellborn King (I also have plenty of good to say about it, too… just bear with me). For the first 200ish pages, it didn’t bother me. It was only during 200-450 (the time my brother was visiting) that I became super frustrated. As soon as my schedule returned to normality, everything went back to mostly enjoyment and these "issues" weren't affecting me as much. However, I still feel as if I should point a couple out.
There were a few wrong usages of words… “pouring” instead of “poring” and a couple random grammatical mistakes (these are very minor issues that affected me but I don’t think other readers are likely to notice). And filler words. A lot of the sentences were longer/wordier than necessary. I’ll cite an example of being “light of the moon” instead of “moonlight”—alone, this isn’t much of an issue, but a lot of sentences have these extended phrases and they sort of “bloat” the book.
Character thoughts/dialogue are often over-explained or state things that both characters interacting already know (and the reader also knows). A good example is early on there’s a chapter where two characters are at dinner… the dinner ends, and one of them asks the other, “do you remember when we were at dinner?” and it was two paragraphs ago. Another example: swords are almost drawn, and the narrator references how threatening this is—but this is implied in both the actions and dialogue (and this sort of implication is often used, but then directly explained). The last stylistic choice was overly dramatic statements. To explain what I mean, here’s an example: (note… these are NOT direct quotes from The Hellborn King) “it was the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen”, “she’d never been so awestruck in her entire life”, “it was the worst thing she’d ever experienced”. Was it, though? Most of the time, the answer felt like “no”.
So I’ve taken more time than I normally would to critique some writing, but I felt it was necessary to explain what was getting to me. I’d like to highlight some solid praise for Brenning’s writing now.
Despite the issues I had above, wow. I was really surprised/impressed with Brenning’s consistent fluidity with his word choice. Except for a few repeated words… “as of late” stands out, I thought Brenning could really differentiate based on what he was describing. When something was brutal, it felt brutal. When something nice was happening, it felt nice. The political sections were particularly intriguing, and I really enjoyed the Gareth sections whenever he was dealing with other politicians. Christopher excels at writing in an accessible manner. I don’t think anyone will have any trouble reading/comprehending every sentence—which is a huge plus. There’s not any purple prose or unnecessary description (aside from what I mentioned above with telling us things we [and the characters] already know).
Let’s jump into characters and the story, because I’ve rambled far too much about the writing. We follow Einarr, Cedric, Madelyn, Lucetta, Gareth, Charlotte, and Titan. That sounds like a lot, and it is at first, but it’s surprisingly not as complicated as it sounds. Several of these POVs work hand-in-hand, so it’s not like each POV is separated from the stories of the others. Gareth and Madelyn are the standout characters to me. Gareth’s archetype is one of my favorite character-types in books, the incompetent, disrespected-by-everyone-who-matters person, struggling to gain a foothold. The politics in his chapters were very interesting. Madelyn is a warrior, and I just found her story/journey to be more interesting than a lot of the others. My least favorite was easily Lucetta. I didn’t really like her and something that happens with her is… odd, sorry, avoiding spoilers here. Cedric was pretty interesting as well, and his last chapter in the book was very good. I’m being vague here, but there’s a lot to like.
Perhaps the most interesting decision in The Hellborn King is that the main villain, Damien Dreadfire, isn’t followed directly. You only see him through the POVs of other characters. Einarr is the second-in-command to Damien and through Einarr’s eyes, you see Damien complete villainous act after villainous act. I would have appreciated a Damien POV or two, just to get some of his direct thoughts. However, I think Brenning doesn’t want readers to have access to his direct thoughts… so fair enough.
Regarding the story, there are some brutal moments I really enjoyed, though I was hoping for something more in the finale which I can’t really talk about (spoilers, pesky things). More brutal moments in Wrathbringer (book two of the series), hopefully?
I’m very curious to see what’s going to happen next, particularly with ___ and ____. Also ____, because of where he ended up.
Rating. I struggled with this. Do I rate it as a 1 or 2 star for almost DNFing? No. I returned to the book and none of the aforementioned issues bothered me nearly as much as I figured they would. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars. I think the official rating will be a 3.5/5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads and Amazon, because I am buying the second book, reading it immediately, and optimistic that Brenning will greatly improve upon the first. Debut novels are tricky little devils. Overall there are way more positives than negatives to this book, and if I sounded overly critical, that wasn't my objective. It was a solid entry and I'm excited to read more.
Thanks to Christopher G. Brenning for writing an interesting read—anybody interested in grimdark/military fantasy will enjoy this series. I strongly recommend people pick it up.
Want to read
May 30, 2021The title of this book has entirely ensnared me. I want it now.
November 4, 2022
Engaging G.R.R. Martinesque book full of vengence and inheritence suspence.
Overall Rating 4.5/5
Writing Style 4.5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Originality 3.5/5
Engaginess 5/5
Impactfulnes 4.5/5
I picked this book up because i saw the cover on dominish books on Youtube. I thought it badass and picked it up to read after my read of Babel. Babel left me wanting for mature characters in a realistic setting and with realistic choices. And men does The Hellborn King deliver. I'm a non-native speaker so I can't tell exactly about the quality of writing but men the plot, pacing and engagingness was amazing. The book ends on multiple impactfull cliffhangers which leave me wanting for more. However all characters did develop through the story through logical choices and circumstances. The characters drive the plot, which i think is always better. An unexpected really good read. Next month i'll dive in book two.
Two things i thought could be improved and they seem to have some connection. I would really much like some more originality and dipping my toe more into the extended lore. Because now we only see lore that serves the story. It would benefit from lore that is there but not just for the story, like Martins Dragon heads in Kings Landing, or Tolkiens references to the Valar.
Mr. Brenning, please finish this story in a good way. Kill off some people, make some of these moral grey characters prevail. And please, that Bojifra incident has to be really cruel for Damian to leave such a bloody trail.
Overall Rating 4.5/5
Writing Style 4.5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Originality 3.5/5
Engaginess 5/5
Impactfulnes 4.5/5
I picked this book up because i saw the cover on dominish books on Youtube. I thought it badass and picked it up to read after my read of Babel. Babel left me wanting for mature characters in a realistic setting and with realistic choices. And men does The Hellborn King deliver. I'm a non-native speaker so I can't tell exactly about the quality of writing but men the plot, pacing and engagingness was amazing. The book ends on multiple impactfull cliffhangers which leave me wanting for more. However all characters did develop through the story through logical choices and circumstances. The characters drive the plot, which i think is always better. An unexpected really good read. Next month i'll dive in book two.
Two things i thought could be improved and they seem to have some connection. I would really much like some more originality and dipping my toe more into the extended lore. Because now we only see lore that serves the story. It would benefit from lore that is there but not just for the story, like Martins Dragon heads in Kings Landing, or Tolkiens references to the Valar.
Mr. Brenning, please finish this story in a good way. Kill off some people, make some of these moral grey characters prevail. And please, that Bojifra incident has to be really cruel for Damian to leave such a bloody trail.
February 24, 2024
Phenomenal book with indescribably brutal scenes and attention-grabbing characters. Brenning masterfully combined intrigue and action and placed them in a cruel and unrelenting world, and with every page I want it more and more. Each battle is so well described that I felt like I was standing in the middle of it. The characters are simply perfectly written and get under your skin very quickly. According to my predictions, I think that this series will end up among my top 3 reads of this year. It's a shame that the book doesn't get the attention it deserves
August 22, 2022
A strong and grim debut for the Saga.
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
February 15, 2022
Brenning delivers a gripping dark fantasy story in his debut. The format is clean with the author using a traditional style to develop the characters and tell the story from different angles. There's elements of vengeance, betrayal and overall brutality throughout the story. Mix in bits of romance and heartbreak and you have yourself a rollercoaster. Awesome debut and the audio version is outstanding! It made my commutes so enjoyable. Looking forward to book two!
June 6, 2024
I am typically not a fan of grim dark. I could never dig JOE ABERCROMBIE or GEORGE R.R. MARTIN (who can’t seem to finish a book series), but this book was an impulse buy based on the cover, which is killer!!! I got to say WOW this book delivers a great story. It reads like a BERNARD CORNWALL historical novel, but it is set in a fictional setting that is much more grounded and developed than either Abercrombie or Martin put together. FIVE STARS!!!
August 26, 2024
The Hellborn King is a fast-paced military fantasy story with multiple character viewpoints. We are gradually teased about the characters' backstories over the six hundred pages. The world is dark, violent and often very brutal in a grimdark way. The world-building is subtle and all this together raises more questions than answers, which is a good thing. I am glad the story stays away from the recent slew of fantasies that pay homage to the Wheel of Time. I enjoyed the battle scenes and the tension gradually builds towards the end.
This was an excellent read and I already have book two plus a free prequel novella. An absolutely fantastic read and well worth buying!
This was an excellent read and I already have book two plus a free prequel novella. An absolutely fantastic read and well worth buying!
June 12, 2025
This book absolutely hit the mark for me. The Hellborn King is a grimdark ride packed with brutality, political scheming, and characters that feel like they’ve been through hell and still have more to face. The tone is raw and unflinching, but never edgy for the sake of it. Brenning weaves a tight, flowing storyline that doesn’t drag even with multiple POVs, everything stays sharp and purposeful. The world feels lived-in, gritty, and merciless. The battle scenes are savage, cinematic, and completely absorbing. If you like your fantasy bleak, bloody, and beautifully written, this one's for you.
December 26, 2024
1.5
This just had nothing for me, to where I have little but a stream of complaints all but to ask 'why'. Possibly enjoyed it less than its rating here, but at least it wasn't like offensive. Mostly. Brenning's Hellborn King is just a slow plod of characters multiple points of view whinging and wishing they were elsewhere all in a grey mush of characterization. There's nowhere near strong enough writing to do this complex political Game of Thrones-y thing the author is going for - instead we get stock characters with stereotypical descriptions doing things blandly and as convenient for the plot as possible.
It just feels like a generic remix of any low-magic story of the past decade. Throw in some vikings, a little bit of racism and a rape or two... surprise! There's nothing here to stand out against the horde of similar grey 'grimdark' wannabes - not the fighting or even brutality. It's all quite empty, toothless, and not saying much. Sorry - that's quite harsh, and clearly the book has its following. Just don't count me among them.
This just had nothing for me, to where I have little but a stream of complaints all but to ask 'why'. Possibly enjoyed it less than its rating here, but at least it wasn't like offensive. Mostly. Brenning's Hellborn King is just a slow plod of characters multiple points of view whinging and wishing they were elsewhere all in a grey mush of characterization. There's nowhere near strong enough writing to do this complex political Game of Thrones-y thing the author is going for - instead we get stock characters with stereotypical descriptions doing things blandly and as convenient for the plot as possible.
It just feels like a generic remix of any low-magic story of the past decade. Throw in some vikings, a little bit of racism and a rape or two... surprise! There's nothing here to stand out against the horde of similar grey 'grimdark' wannabes - not the fighting or even brutality. It's all quite empty, toothless, and not saying much. Sorry - that's quite harsh, and clearly the book has its following. Just don't count me among them.
February 6, 2022
A full five star book ! What a debut novel.
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
November 4, 2022
Brenning's flagship novel in the Hellborn King Saga is an action packed thrill ride from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great world building, which is usually what I put my chips down on for what I think is a grade A fantasy book. Brenning does an amazing job with interweaving the world's outer struggles with the struggles of the protagonist. It is an addictive read which will have you going for the book 2. I strongly, and highly, recommend the Hellborn King.
October 17, 2021
This book is grimdark at it's finest. The story was started strong and was fast paced. The characters felt very real, their problems, theor fears, their triumphs. Brenning creates a world of intense emotion and fraught with struggle. I am looking forward to book 2. This was one of my top 3 reads in the last several years.
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