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City of Floods: The Fall of the Crow King
Memories are precious things. Morgan Bishop King has the wrong ones.
He has been the kingpin of Flood City for the better part of his life. He came to its streets as a stranger and took control of them through his ambition, cruelty, and brutal cunning. His dominion over the stormy, windswept Isle of Atlas is secure—the city bends to him, submitting to the terror of his unpredictable wrath, and there are few who dare cross him.
Yet, this power comes with a price of its own. No amount of authority nor wealth can fill the emptiness in him—years ago, his heart was broken by the man he had loved, and what remains in him is no more than a silent void. He lives in contempt, as frigid as the icy waters that surround his home, and though he mourns, he mourns alone.
Everything changes, however, when the monotonous routine of his self-destructive days is disrupted by a peculiar stranger who claims that things are not as they seem. It is not long before King is calling into question everything he thinks he knows about both himself and the world around him—but, more distressing than that, is the stirring of a long-lost emotion deep within him. A spark catches, its ember slowly smouldering, and he fears it may burn him alive. It reminds him of forgotten possibilities, giving him hope, and there is little he can do to resist it.
With the help of the man who threatens to capture his damaged heart, King must find a way of uncovering the truth before it is too late. He stands to lose everything—there is a war with a powerful enemy looming on the blood-red horizon, there are unrelenting adversaries who will stop at nothing to ensure his ultimate demise, he is falling dangerously closer to the abyss of love, and he is running out of time.
He has been the kingpin of Flood City for the better part of his life. He came to its streets as a stranger and took control of them through his ambition, cruelty, and brutal cunning. His dominion over the stormy, windswept Isle of Atlas is secure—the city bends to him, submitting to the terror of his unpredictable wrath, and there are few who dare cross him.
Yet, this power comes with a price of its own. No amount of authority nor wealth can fill the emptiness in him—years ago, his heart was broken by the man he had loved, and what remains in him is no more than a silent void. He lives in contempt, as frigid as the icy waters that surround his home, and though he mourns, he mourns alone.
Everything changes, however, when the monotonous routine of his self-destructive days is disrupted by a peculiar stranger who claims that things are not as they seem. It is not long before King is calling into question everything he thinks he knows about both himself and the world around him—but, more distressing than that, is the stirring of a long-lost emotion deep within him. A spark catches, its ember slowly smouldering, and he fears it may burn him alive. It reminds him of forgotten possibilities, giving him hope, and there is little he can do to resist it.
With the help of the man who threatens to capture his damaged heart, King must find a way of uncovering the truth before it is too late. He stands to lose everything—there is a war with a powerful enemy looming on the blood-red horizon, there are unrelenting adversaries who will stop at nothing to ensure his ultimate demise, he is falling dangerously closer to the abyss of love, and he is running out of time.
- GenresFantasyM M Romance
675 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2021
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 1, 2021
Delve into the dark and treacherous Flood City, ruled by the enigmatic Morgan Bishop King, a man beset with ceaseless nightmares of a lost past. The Fall of the Crow King provides a contained and compelling narrative, full of intrigue and trickery, blood and betrayal, as Morgan King seeks to understand his nightmares while maintaining his hold on the ever turbulent city. We journey with Morgan through this mystery, bolstered by a strong cast of characters, intricate histories, and interesting backdrops. Among my favorite aspects of the book is the cast of characters. Morgan King is a forcible presence throughout the novel, initially characterized by his ruthless and cunning nature, contrasted with his insecurities. He is not indestructible. He is decidedly vulnerable, human, and reserved, a man who has had to struggle all his life for scraps and always hungered for more. Morgan’s rise to power is heightened through his relationship to his friends, enemies, and lovers, equally intriguing in their own right, like the mysterious and lovestruck alchemist, William Tetchik, the headstrong and charismatic James Winchester, or the icy, calculated Isabelle Snowden. At the heart of the story is a tragic and hopeful romance that is excellently weaved into the narrative, never feeling out of place and providing depth to both the world and the main plot, serving as almost a driving force that keeps you invested in what’s coming next, and desperate to find out more about the characters. It is, in my mind, probably the best-written aspect of the book. Callahan excels in this field in particular, the romance never becomes overbearing or overshadows the greater stakes of the book, but rather inserts emotion and hope into the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fantastical mystery, with magic, betrayal, death, and most importantly, romance.
October 1, 2021
A fallen king. A librarian with a dark secret. A witch-turned-corrupt-mayor. The Fall of the Crow King is the first instalment of D.M. Callahan’s City of Floods series, an LGBTQ+ fantasy romance that follows Morgan Bishop King as he unravels the mysteries of his past and fights to take back a kingdom, his by right. Callahan deftly balances multiple storylines, weaving them through one another, and keeps the reader guessing. We witness Morgan, an underground tycoon in Flood City with few friends and fewer morals, as he uncovers the lies and corruption that built his city. A tale about the power of memories, love, magic, wisdom (and sheer physical prowess!), The Fall of the Crow King is not a story that will be easily forgotten.
October 18, 2021
The unfolding of an anti-hero with immersive, vivid world building between dark fantasy and modern day. D.M. Callahan draws you through a story of life-long heartache, drama, and bloody conflicts in their first installment of the "City of Floods".
January 30, 2022
Vile, corrupt, violent, heartless... and that's the "hero" of the story. Loved this story and the well crafted characters, and now I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment! (As I type this, I'm listening to the crows in my yard debating eating the cookies I put out for them.)
Did not finish
April 25, 2023DNF @ 20%
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews