The Grimoire of Kings

The Tales of Bramoria #1

by Blake R. Wolfe

alternate cover edition of ASIN B09QPCKK4L

Tyler was a regular high school student until he was thrust into a fantasy world of magic and dragons. Now his new world is threatened and he must fight to find a way home and save his friends lives.

Tyler Wilson isn’t special, in fact with his only skill being getting good grades he doesn’t care about, he’s less than average. But when his best friend Danny tells him he only has three months to live, Tyler does something crazy. Gathering up his friends they run away for one last summer together before Danny inevitably dies.

When the three decide to steal from a mysterious bookstore, their entire world changes overnight. Thrust into a magical fantasy land full of dragons and monsters, Tyler must fight for his life. Now he’s searching for his friends and a way to get back home while vicious dragon attacks are on the rise. The appearance of a mysterious sage could be their only hope or their doom.

Can he find his friends before it’s too late or will they all be trapped in this dangerous new world forever?

Flip open The Grimoire of Kings and be transported into your own epic adventure today!


The Grimoire of Kings is the enthralling and adventurous first installment of the coming of age fantasy The Tales of Bramoria.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Romance, Dragons, Audiobook, LGBT, Adventure

251 pages, ebook

First published February 5, 2022

About the author

Blake R. Wolfe has adored werewolves and monsters since he was a child growing up in a small rural Michigan town. Now he lives near the shores of Lake Michigan with his two partners, two cats that need to be fed every three seconds, and a dog that is very spoiled. He spends most of his free time hiking through the nearby forest, thinking up the next great romance story for his readers.

Blake writes under three separate Pen Names:

--Blake R. Wolfe -- Gay Paranormal Romance

--Atreus Rosewood -- Gay Contemporary Romance

--Eoghan R. Cunningham -- LGBTQ+ Fantasy

Sign up for Blake’s newsletter for exclusive discounts and special editions at www.blakerwolfe.com

Get access to exclusive short stories on Blake’s Patreon!
www.patreon.com/blakerwolfe

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Author isn't bad; feels like this is his first try at writing.

I was quite confused at how Tyler is depicted at the beginning versus how Tyler is depicted in Bramoria. Frankly, I was hoping Tyler would die; he is a whiney, selfish brat in Bramoria. I understand his character is new to all of that danger, but dear lord, if I wasn't ready to throw my book across the room a couple times.

However, with that being said, ALL of the support characters are rich and amazing, and I kept reading for them. Worth reading, just forget Tyler is supposed to be the main character.

[Wayne Blood · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 49%.

I found the MC to be absolutely insufferable. It’s too bad, because I really enjoyed the author’s TALES OF THE TELLURIAN PACK and OMBRA PACK series. They were terrific. This one reads like an angsty YA novella.

[Laron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book would be great if Tyler would have died when he first got to Bramoria and they had went to Danny's POV. Tyler is the worst cry baby I was so ready for him to go. How do you hate the main character more then the big villain? He almost made me drop the series. other than him this book was really good as an opener for a series.

[Bill Lezynski-Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn to start. By the end, I found myself just really, really disliking Tyler. Ending of course was supposed to completely change that, but it was a little too late for me to change my view point. Overall, fun story..just the book left me wanting more out of everyone. The location, the plot line, the characters. It’s fun, and enjoyable. But that’s about it.

[Kenneth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely one of the most unpleasant, unlikeable, selfish, insufferable main characters (Tyler) I’ve ever encountered. No way could I spend another moment with this ignorant jerk. And his sidekick, Danny, is written like a 13-year old child. No 18-year old talks like that. Additionally, the continual use of American slang by characters in a foreign world kept pulling me out of Bramoria. Amateurish attempt at writing. Oh, and there’s nothing LGBT in this book. False advertising.

[MiChElLe]

KINDLE FREEBIE 9/25/2024

[Bo Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tyler is a narsociesis. Abused victims becomes abuser trope.

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler is such a selfish, spineless, arrogant, and entitled coward. It’s truly annoying but this series is fantastic

[Precociousp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blake R. Wolfe’s The Grimoire of Kings is a captivating start to the Tales of Bramoria series, blending originality with classic fantasy elements. The story follows Tyler Wilson, who is determined to give his best friend Danny, who has only three months to live, an unforgettable summer. Joined by their friend Clay, who steals a mysterious book from an ancient bookstore, they are transported to the magical land of Bramoria. Wolfe’s unique twist on the adventure genre, where the characters must pay the price of "Integrity," adds depth and intrigue.

In the real world, Tyler, Danny, and Clay each face personal trials: Danny battles terminal cancer, Tyler struggles with an abusive father, and Clay feels the pressure to meet his single parent's expectations. Their individual journeys and eventual reunion are handled with emotional depth, showcasing Wolfe’s strength in character development.

The loss of integrity profoundly affects their experiences in Bramoria. Tyler becomes a knight but struggles with the guilt and burden of his past. Danny, assuming the role of a mage, grapples with the reality of his illness in a world where magic and mortality intersect. Clay, as a rogue, faces the consequences of his actions and the complexities of trust and betrayal. The sacrifices they make and the growth they experience highlight the cost of their adventure, adding layers of complexity to their characters.

Wolfe’s vivid descriptions bring Bramoria to life. From the perilous encounters with magical beasts to the awe-inspiring landscapes reminiscent of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, every detail is crafted to immerse the reader in this high fantasy world. The sophisticated world-building enhances the narrative, making it easy to visualize and feel part of the adventure.

The Grimoire of Kings excels in world-building and character development, offering a rich and immersive fantasy experience. However, the novel falls short of its promotional promise as an LGBTQ fantasy. The series was advertised with an expectation of a gay lead character, but the narrative focuses more on friendship and personal growth. Tyler’s sexuality is not explored, nor is there a romantic subplot between male characters, which may disappoint readers looking for LGBTQ representation. Overall, it is a compelling read for fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate intricate worlds and heartfelt character arcs.

[Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll say it here so it’s visible. If you’ve read this book to the end, it’s worth reading the other two because it genuinely gets better.

To start with, I was super disappointed that I bought this book. The writing felt like something I would write (which isn’t a compliment), and it just didn’t flow. Each sentence felt like the author had a vision of where the story was supposed to go, and rather than use the text to paint a picture and pave the road to the destination, the author was using it to mow down and blaze a trail without much regard to anything else. It’s fast paced, and feels like a means to an end in the dryest sense. The result was a shallow story that read like early high school fanfiction.

I had the same feeling about Tyler that other readers did. Entering Bramoria flips a switch across Tyler’s entire personality, and he becomes instantly irritating.

Though it wasn’t my favorite, the author was clearly making an attempt to tell a great story. All the elements are there. It’s just the execution in this book that is rough. I initially rated it three stars and was contemplating lowering it to two.

HOWEVER, the other two books in the series have redeemed it significantly. I purchased all three at once and knew I was taking a risk doing it. If not for that, I probably would not have read the other two, and in (not) doing so, would have missed the better parts of the story.

(No spoilers here, I promise) By the end of The Crown of Madness, I was sad that it had ended and was yearning for another book that continues where the epilogue left off. There’s a complicated dynamic at play that I would love to see fleshed out. More on that in my review of that book.

The bottom line is that if you’ve stuck through this one and want to see this story through, the writing gets better. The story gets deeper, and it’s worth the next two books.

[Brewergnome · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... mostly ok in terms of writing. A lot of repetitive word use. MC is... VEERY 17. Whiny, often an asshole, selfish as fuck, self-centered, no impulse control. Readable, but low end of 3 star.

[Carlos Mock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Grimoire of Kings (The Tales of Bramoria #1) by Blake R. Wolfe Kindle edition.

"Readers devour books every day searching for something missing from their own lives. A way to escape the drudgery...But the books in this shop do something else. They devour their readers." p. 31-32

This is NOT a stand-alone book. Don't read it unless you're willing to commit to reading the trilogy.

Tyler Wilson is an 18 y/o high school student. The book opens on Tyler's last day of his High School class. Tyler had just learned he got a full ride at a Michigan college to study his passion - creating fantasy games.

His best friends are Danny and Clay.

Clay is another 18 y/o who shares Tuyler's passion for fantasy games. However, Clay's father is an alcoholic who abuses Clay physically and emotionally. Clay can't wait to be out of his house and stop the abuse.

Danny is also 18 y/o high school student, but he has terminal leukemia and has about three months left to live. None of the treatments, chemotherapy, or surgeries worked, so Danny decided to stop any therapy and enjoy his last days without suffering the side effects of the treatment.

On a whim, all three boys decide to spend the summer vacation together on an adventure giving Danny a summer he'll never forget.

As their trip progresses, the boys enter a curious bookstore. First, it wasn't there, then it was, then it wasn't. Unfortunately, Tyler is the only one who realizes the particulars of the store.

Once inside, they get chastised by the owner because the owner thinks the boys are not serious about having an adventure. As they are chased out, Clay steals a book: "The Book of Grimoire Kings" which is all blank p[ages except for the first sentence; "Welcome to Bramoria."

Tyler tries to return the book but the store is now gone.

As they open the book, the boys are sent into a fantasy world. Tyler must fight for his life. Vicious dragon attacks are on the rise. Tyler is injured but he's helped by Kotolor (Koto) Garrunda, a Veordya who looks like a lizard with pointed ears. Koto gives Tyler a magic potion to cure his wounds and promises to help him find his friends and a way home.

In Bramoria, Tyler finds Danny first. Danny has been inside for several weeks, while Tyler has only been there for a few days. Danny is now healthy and part of a band of thieves - The Shadow Squad- and goes by the name of Tiragan.

Soon they find Clay. Clay has been in Bramoria for more than a year and he's now the king.

Clay accuses Koto of killing his father and trying to dethrone him. Koto is sent to the dungeons.

Burt things are not what they seem. Clay has the Book of Grimoir Kings and the book is being written as Clay acts in this land. As Tyler gets a chance to read the book, he realizes that Clay is possessed by some sort of magic and is not a nice person.

The only way to save himself and his friends is to activate the magic stone that Tyler came to this world and find the Sage who's Clay's enemy.

The book is narrated from Tyler's third-person point of view. It's a wonderful easy read. The characters are alive and well. The story is not believable - it's fantasy, but the plot is fun and entertaining.

It reads in a few hours. My only problem with the book is that the ending is very abrupt and is a setup for the second book in the trilogy.

[Sam Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into Grimoire of Kings with high hopes. Marketed as a queer fantasy adventure full of chaos, dragons, and “three twinks isekai’d into a realm of swords and politics,” it promised the kind of unhinged D&D energy I live for. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t match the promise.

This book isn’t so much a self-contained novel as it is Act One of a larger story that was broken off and sold separately. The pacing, the arc, the abrupt ending…all signal a single narrative that was divided into thirds for release strategy rather than storytelling logic. By the end of book one, we’re still hovering just past the point-of-no-return with no true climax or resolution in sight.

Splitting a long novel can work if each installment carries a complete internal arc; this one doesn’t. The result feels like buying a prologue and being told the rest of the book is “coming soon.”

Our protagonist, Tyler, begins as a compassionate, over-worked student devoted to his dying best friend and his mother. Halfway through, he morphs—without clear catalyst—into someone bitter, selfish, and dishonest. Not in a compelling “flawed-hero” way, but in a please let someone else narrate way.

There’s a scene where Tyler withholds money and thanks meant for a genuinely kind traveling companion. It’s presented as a character choice, maybe even setup for growth, but the inner logic doesn’t hold. The betrayal feels arbitrary, and from that point on it’s hard to root for him.

For a book advertised as MM fantasy romance, there is remarkably little of either. Beyond a single cheek-kiss (immediately followed by the character’s gruesome demise), there’s no romantic tension, no queer subtext, no indication of who the supposed love interest might even be.

If queerness or romance emerges later in the trilogy, great, but readers shouldn’t have to wade through 300 pages of mis-shelved setup to find it. The marketing reads like it was written when this was one big book and never adjusted after the split.

Here’s the frustrating part: Wolfe can write. The prose is often lovely, lush imagery, vivid atmosphere, elegant phrasing. The narration performance in the audiobook is also strong. But beautiful sentences can’t disguise structural emptiness. The craft shines in micro; it collapses in macro.

There’s potential here: a solid premise, an author with descriptive talent, and characters that could have carried emotional weight with more consistent psychology. But the decision to slice the story apart undermines everything good about it.

If future installments manage to deliver the promised romance, cohesive arcs, and earned character growth, this trilogy could still recover. For now, though, Grimoire of Kings reads like an ambitious first draft that escaped the editing room too soon.

Verdict: A beautifully written disappointment. Not hateful, just hollow.
If this were a spell, it would be called Summon Mild Frustration.

[Kyle Speilberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, along with the series, was poorly written in my opinion. There are obvious signs that this was partially, if not completely, AI generated which is beyond disappointing. There were spelling and grammar errors in addition to very strange word choice errors.

The main characters of this series were pretty dull and didn’t have much substance to them, at all. Playing at heartstrings with a terminally ill character, parental abuse, and fear of not being good enough, the connection felt very forced and abrupt. Marketing the book as a LGBTQIA+ (MM Romance), and having dealt with the previously mentioned character developments, I thought I would really connect with this book. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The main storyline follows Tyler, who is a whiny brat who pouts, a lot. Tyler is completely disconnected from reality which is even further exacerbated by falling into a fantasy land. The others, Danny and Colt, aren’t much more dynamic. I purchased all three books at the same time, really rooting for this series, so I continued to read, despite my disappointment in the first book.

My review may seem harsh, but it’s well thought out, I can give examples, and is just my opinion. I gave this small author a try and read reviews on some of his other works - apparently, they’re better! My recommendation is to stop using AI, slow down a bit, give more detail, and expand your vocabulary. This book and series as a whole had a lot of promise - maybe the author will rework it someday.

[Brittney Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

I love books. I love writing. I love characters and fantasy worlds and how the plot and characters develop over time. But I wish that I'd read the reviews before starting this book. I haven't yet read anything by this author, so I don't know if this is a common thing, but while the world is interesting, the main character is the MOST insufferable person I have ever had the misfortune of reading about. He's selfish, whiny, sometimes downright cruel and unfair to the people around him (who somehow have to keep apologizing to HIM for things?) and has no redeeming qualities. None.

I kept reading for as long as I could tolerate my steadily increasing blood pressure, hoping that we would find some kind of redemption moment, an apology on Tyler's behalf, or anything resembling a selfless, empathetic, compassionate, loyal, understanding, or tolerant personality trait to emerge. With a little over an hour left on my audio version, I gave up and will not continue. I tried very hard because I've heard the next couple of books aren't so bad, but it's not worth it to me, which sucks because I would love to support more queer content. But holy heck. Someone needs to duct tape Tyler's mouth shut and bodily throw him back into the real world. With force. Over a long distance, I hope.

2 stars instead of 1 simply because it's a MM fantasy, though I didn't see a single indication of anyone in the book being queer at all. Maybe later in the series, but it's not worth having to suffer through Tyler's whining to get there. Sorry.

[Christal Tsunami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the biggest issue I had with this book was Tyler being so overly whiny and having no problems with letting others die to save himself. But, I'm hoping he'll grow braver and learn as the story continues. I still never wanted Tyler to die like other reviewers, haha. Maybe I'm just not the type of person to want cowards to die, I want them to overcome their fears to become a better person. Another issue I had with the book was all the grammar mistakes. Yikes. It's such a short book that a simple re-read would make these obvious and easy to fix so I'm not sure why this wasn't done. Anyhow, I'm interested enough to continue the series.

[John Geddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely YA material and a familiar premise (teens dropped in fantasy realms), but I found myself charmed by it. It starts slow and doesn't have as fire and majesty as most fantasy books, but it's part of the conceit of normal kind faced with unbelievable circumstances. The style doesn't change because the narrator doesn't change. And yes, the narrator comes off a little annoying (he just wants to go home), but that's an anchor of realism. The whole thing takes itself seriously and maintains its outlook instead of immediately switching over to a power fantasy (like his friend does.) It won't set the work on fire, but it was a fun little read and I found myself invested in the characters.

[Justin Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 star! This gets a lot of unnecessary hate. The writing is very YA style but adds in some adult themes. I loved the world building of Bramoria. I love the characters in Bramoria. Is it phenomenal Tolkien fantasy… NO! Is it a super fun adventure like watching The Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story, The Dark Crystal all with a bit of MM representation underlying the focus on the story… YES!!! If you want to just fall into something fun and not over analyze it, this is fantastic!!!

[Saydrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well written book is a little darker than the young adult fantasy promised by the author. The warnings about lgbt themes was not really necessary, but the egoistical and amoral attitude of the MC can be surprising, and even horrible at the beginning af his journey in Bramoria. But after that, the plot is far more classical and rather pleasing. Very interesting for those who like this author.

[L.J. Canters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It's obvious that it's a YA but the comments about Tyler whining are a bit much. Yeah, he does whine a little but it doesn't take anything away from the story. I find Koto my favourite character so far! It would have been fun to see another pov at one point, but sadly that wasn't in the book.

No romance.

[Josh Buyarski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has an idea that’s been done a few times, because it’s engaging and interesting!
Tyler seemed a little emo, but you can tell he’s figuring himself out, which of us weren’t a little emo as teenagers.
The phones to mage stones and different timelines, dragons and kings. I’ll be reading the rest of this series!

[lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good, most reviews state that the MC was Whiny which I unfortunately agree with. Was a bit disappointed there wasn’t much romance in this gay romance novel. If you forget the romance part and some of the MCs angst, it’s a decent book with some juicy reveals at the end.

[Gregory Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m going to finish the story because I need to know what happens to Danny and Clay. As for Tyler, I feel as though the author meant to make him relatable snd yet so easy to hate. But I think he went too far,

[Djw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoying the story and world overall, but the main character, Tyler, is resisting and whining a bit too much for my liking. At the end, he seems like he may have finally accepted and be willing to do what he needs. We will see in book two.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, a few grammatical and editorial errors sprinkled about. Not the best fantasy book I’ve ever read, but not the worst book I’ve ever read so. Many reviews say it gets better in book two and three so lets see…

[Lhc · Rating 1 out of 5]

I assure you, you must start off with an interesting character. It would have been better if Tyler actually was drugged or poisoned moments after arriving instead of the insulting condescending attitude he chooses.

[Dustin Wayne Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of an Epic Adventure!

So far so good. The characters are well put together. This feels like a Part 1 of more to come. I'm someone who enjoys a good magic system so I'm interested to see where this story goes with it. Added the next two books to mg TBR list.

[Timothy Hennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected reading

Did not read much of a gay three twinks story as described. But the character development of the three was not at all what I expected. Entertaining storyline, quite ready to read the next book.

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow, Tik tok tricked me.

[James Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grimoire

This is book for is okay. It kind of reads like video game. I found it at times hard to follow and dry. But I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them more.