Honor & Heresy

by Max Francis

Instagram sensation Max Francis makes his highly anticipated debut with this atmospheric, gothic, dark academic fantasy of two scholars racing each other to find answers to an invasion in a haunted library, perfect for fans of Katabasis and A Study in Drowning.

Roy Dawnseve, the prospective heir to Dawnseve Manor, cares more for philosophy than battle. However, in a society that shuns literature and promotes violence, his fate is compromised. But Roy is given a he can either brave the front lines and fight the Old Ones, the mysterious, black-armored soldiers invading Northgard—or he can investigate their identity in the Orphic Basilica, an ancient, abandoned library.

When Roy chooses to unravel the mystery, it soon becomes clear that the Orphic Basilica isn’t without its own horrors. Strange voices echo down the halls, ghosts with burning red eyes roam the bookshelves, and those who stepped foot in the library have either emerged insane or were driven to their own demise.

Roy’s only companion—and his partner in the investigation—is Percival Atherton, a manipulative, enigmatic and distractingly charming scholar who has no qualms about belittling Roy. As a fierce snowstorm sinks its claws into the city, isolating them from civilization, Roy and Percival must grapple with their tormented pasts, an unexpected romance, and an age-old conspiracy whose secrets are certain to wipe Northgard from history.

Filled with all the yearning of a rivals-to-lovers romance, the intrigue and fear of a dark academia, and the wonder and discovery of an epic fantasy, Honor & Heresy is ultimately a story of self-discovery amidst the chaos of war and a long, cold winter.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Queer, Romance, LGBT, Horror, Mystery

Hardcover

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

Hi, I’m Max Francis! I was born in Melbourne, Australia and completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing at RMIT (Melbourne Campus) in 2021. Since I was young, I’ve dreamed of becoming an author and have been writing science-fiction/fantasy novels for over a decade now. If I’m not plotting the best way to break readers’ hearts, I’m probably reading a fantasy or romance book that will break mine.

Reviews

[Max Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming soon.

[sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i had the honor of beta reading h&h and i’m so glad i was able to. this novel really showed me what it means to dedicate yourself to writing. there is no sugarcoating—no cheesiness tipped into the lines to make it more digestible for the readers—which is something i’m not used to seeing in recent releases. i had forgotten what it meant to be attached to characters and a story without the overwatered tropes and archetype characters.

this novel is genuinely unique in every way imaginable.

as i was reading, i had to be patient and let the characters show me what was going to happen, instead of anticipating the ending. this is not a forgettable novel; it’s shocking, heartwarming, maddening, and devastating all at once.

it’s incredibly hard to find an author that is a good storyteller and writer, but you when you find both, it can make all the difference. max francis truly is a force to be reckoned with.

[Risbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max laughed at my distress.

[gabby ୨୧]

life has no meaning if i don't get to read this

[Lance]

E-ARC generously provided by Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

M/M dark academia?? Say less.

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait for this book to be in my hands.

[Lucia]

I can't remember the last time I've been this excited for a book release.

[reverie · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC after I’ve sat on things for a bit. Very… conflicted

[Cerys Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRO I WANNA READ THIS SO BAD FRFR
IVE SEEN REELS AND QUOTES. PLEASE I NEED IT BEFORE OCTOBER

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Harper Voyager via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date April 21st, 2026.

I thought this book's haunted scholarship and queer romance premise sounded interesting, so I gave it a shot. In Honor & Heresy, young Roy lives in a world where scholarship is illegal and punishable by death. Caught out by the ruling governor, he's sent to his city's ancient library with one task: discover the secret of the armies that invade Northgard, or die.

I've consistently had a bad time with books where the first line of the cover copy describes it as a "Tiktok sensation", but I decided to give this Instagram sensation a shot. Unfortunately, my first instinct was correct. The book is written in an attempt at a formal style that obviously isn't quite fluent. Each descriptive word is ever so slightly wrong and the overall effect grates horribly. In addition, the text is also impressively overwritten. Why have one mediocre sentence when you can have ten instead. Stuff some more unnecessary adjectives in there, and why don't we stop the plot dead for three pages for a little light description. I don't say this lightly, but I found the prose almost entirely unreadable. I haven't had such a bad experience since When the Moon Hatched, and I dnf'd that one with extreme prejudice after about ten pages.

The actual characters are cardboard-flat stereotypes: the sweet sister, the cruel older brother, the scheming ruler, and so forth. The one exception is Roy and his love interest Percival, who are each allotted one trauma apiece. Their romance is propelled Percival's instant, groundless hostility rather than by any real chemistry. In one of Percival's first on-page appearances, Roy startles him by entering a room, and he knocks over his own ink bottle. Percival screams that Roy is an imbecile, and then grabs and threatens Roy when he apologizes and attempts to mop up the ink. Highly unpleasant, and also pointless in a world where there's not even any tenure to fight over. In a book where the romance is a central element, ugly squabbling is a poor substitute for attraction.

I found the other central element, the dark academia, to be equally underwritten. For a book that's supposedly focused on research and scholarship, I don't think Francis has the faintest clue what higher-level historical research looks like. In Honor & Heresy, the work of a historian is depicted as consuming books in a series of Instagram-pretty montages. To be fair, both Percival and Roy are entirely self-taught, but what about writing, let alone primary sources...? In addition, the central premise of a world where books are banned and historians are executed was straight out of the ill-advised YA dystopia trend of 2010. It may be possible to pull this premise off with dignity, but not with such vague and politically naive worldbuilding. Give me a nice bureau of government propagandist historians or something, rather than climactic speeches where Roy declares that historians are an oppressed people.

Clunky prose, poorly written characters, and barely defined worldbuilding. We might have parted on better terms had I been able to dnf at about page 20, but alas, the commitments of an advanced copy. Not recommended.

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing this book up as a 'read now'.

Welp.

I came in looking for a fantasy with M/M vibes, instead I get weak M/M vibes with a plot that literally is stretched out for the sake of the two characters talking and talking about their intellectual obsessions.

Somehow in this world 'research' and 'historical documentation' is banned, except in this forbidden 7 story library. The mysterious group called ' The Old Ones ' are fighting with this long standing city. The governor has allowed a scholar to come and raid the library for insight on who the Old Ones are and, work alongside another. Oh, did I mention Scholars are frowned upon?

Cue these two characters having the equivalent of a gay Rosencrantz & Gildenstern are dead for chapters upon chapters. Meanwhile, spirits of forgotten scholars are trying to tell the the truth.

I feel cheated. There was some weak M/M feelings, a weak plot (because lol, education and historical documentation banned), but there is hardly any world building that when they start putting the pieces together regarding the Old Ones I couldn't give a fuck because I didn't care or feel for the city they were trying to save.

This book is going to be the Wes Anderson of the lit world 2026. It'll appeal to some but I'm not one of them.

[Bookish Boy]

I am convinced that this is never releasing

[Angelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this more as a M/M dark academia set in a library is so up my alley. However, this was mostly just pages and pages of characters thinking and occasionally talking about thinking with nothing really happening. The world building was also a bit shallow as I still don’t really understand why “scholars” are forbidden (like all scholarship, some banned subjects?) and the politics was all over the place. I like subtle world building through context clues but felt mostly in the dark the entire book (and as wordy and verbose as it is that just mostly annoyed me).

I found myself knowing I was supposed to be shocked or invested when certain things occurred or were revealed but just didn’t have the world building or emotional connection to actually care. I’m hopeful this all was mostly just debut novel issues (and would read give this authors next work a try) as the final third picked up a bit - but by then I was kind of just speeding through to finish as parts 1 and 2 are a slog.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Percy]

I want to read so badly !
I don’t know where the 26 people are reading it but I want to be one of them 🥲
It would be lovely if you could bring it out as an E-book !
I’m going to patiently wait until I get to read it

[Saima Ahmad]

Every day of my life is lading up to the day that I can read this.
This book seems like perfection

[Ryan Goos · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-ARC provided by Harper Voyager for an honest review - thank you!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I’m really struggling to put my feelings into words for this one because I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for years. I enjoyed elements of this book, and I can see how others may really enjoy it, but unfortunately it just never pulled me in and a lot of things fell flat for me.

I noticed in the acknowledgments that the original manuscript was much longer, and I can’t help but feel like a lot of details ended up being edited out. I think the bones of this story and the world were left in, but all the juicy worldbuilding details were cut.

Without those details the world felt hollow and I couldn’t get immersed in the story, which also meant that I wasn’t really invested in the characters or their mission. The twists and turns didn’t excite me and the emotional moments didn’t hit like they should have. The pacing of the romance also felt odd to me, and the prose felt needlessly complex.

Pros: loved the vibes, the setting, and just the library overall. If you pick up a copy of this book, I hope you love it. I will absolutely read more books by this author, and I hope he continues to write more MM dark academia fantasy because those are truly the best vibes.

[Rowan Redfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysterious and captivating, Honor & Heresy grips the reader from the very first page and doesn't let go until the end. Francis weaves a powerful tale of humanity's desperation for righteousness, a man's exploration of love and grief, and the stark reality of a world on the brink of destruction. The first in a series of interconnected standalones, Honor & Heresy is a dark fantasy novel fans of Garth Nix and Patrick Rothfuss won't want to miss.

** Thanks to Max Francis for allowing me to read, review, and blurb this novel ahead of release. Seriously, don't miss out on this talented new voice in the dark fantasy genre.

[Boyboy Macario · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trading my soul for Roy Dawnseve and Percival Atherton!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Roseanneya]

I'm dying to read book! Counting days till 10th October

[rachel x]

"Atmospheric, gothic, dark academic fantasy of two scholars racing each other to find answers to an invasion in a haunted library, perfect for fans of Katabasis and A Study in Drowning."

[kleobleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS ;)

[幽灵 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a beta reader and the first reader to complete this book, I can fully and confidently tell you that y'all aren't ready for the power Northgard holds.

The power of the writing and the beauty of the imagery will blight you. >:)

FULL REVIEW BELOW

...


: ̗̀➛ 4.5 stars

To compile my thoughts into one coherent review is almost as difficult as combing through all the volumes in the Orphic Basilica; it is simply impossible. Honor & Heresy is marketed as a dark epic fantasy, and it is exactly that: an epic. In the wild lands of Northgard lies betrayal, dark secrets, and history, so much history, rising from the depths of time's coffin. A nation unforgiving to those who don't conform, it weaves a tale surrounding two scholars, hurt and battered by their own homeland and yet desperate to save it from ruin. But that's not all; H&H's premise is vast and profound. Woven within the narratives are character dynamics so sharp every taste of them hurt, exhilarate and leaves you yearning for more simultaneously. In this indefatigable story, who is truly the antagonist and who the savior? How do you determine the nature of one's moralities, especially when one is forced to the edge of the precipice between life and death? Is there really true evil and inherent good? Is it even possible to split the human race into factions of light and dark when we all inherently possess traits of darkness and malice within our souls?

H&H invites its readers to delve into various principles of philosophy, asking important questions about the world that we now still puzzle about. Over its 800+ pages, not one is devoid of lyrical prose, and while some might find it a heavy read, I was constantly impressed by the author's pacing. Admittedly, some parts particularly the beginning feels slow and, dare I say, somewhat mundane but it is simply the nature of the book: the lull before its rapid descent into madness. If you stick around, I can almost guarantee you a ravishing tale of twists and turns so dark but also so, so rewarding. After all, the best things in the world require effort to acquire.

Max's lively description of his characters is another note-worthy point I would like to touch upon in this review. Every single one of those characters are brought to life by vivid adjectives, painting three-dimensional pictures in the reader's subconscious as they make their way through the story. It's mind-blowing. It's stunning. It is a work of art. From the smallest side characters to the protagonists navigating the mess that is the war, each one of them is written to perfection. The diversity, the uniqueness, the attention to detail... Max, if you're reading this, I hope you're proud of it because goddamn, you should.

I could go on and on about this book for ages. Months. Years. There is so much to digest, so much to comment on, and so much to question. You know the feeling you're left with when you turn the last page and just sit there, mulling over what the heck just happened and a million ponderings filling your mind? That's exactly how it feels to finish H&H. Like Roy and Percival, finishing their story feels like the end of an arduous journey, simply because of how long it has been and how close the reader is drawn to the plot, as if every incident that was incited was happening to you too. So why, you might ask, would I give this 4.5 stars instead of five?

Well, I have to admit that there were parts when I felt like putting the book down simply because of how complicated everything is, and how overwhelmingly much information is presented to me in a span of a few pages. It feels like reading my history textbook at times, and god did I hate history with all my heart. The excerpts peppered throughout the story added depth to the characters' research; perhaps it is a matter of personal opinion. Perhaps it is a bit heavy. But I can tell you without a doubt that if you push through just like I did, it will all make sense in the end. Yes, even the boring historical figures you encounter in the beginning will become people of their own personalities, sorrows, joy and pain. I can also tell you that it is kind of the point of an adult fantasy epic: all that research material, all the philosophies discussed, the complex worldbuilding... it's what you should expect and I hope you will, like I did, grow to enjoy them.

P.S. Remember to read the trigger / content warnings before reading the book!

P.P.S. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT CLICK THIS UNLESS YOU'VE READ THE BOOK Briar and Irene deserved better

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 4.25/5 on StoryGraph, 4/5 on Goodreads.

I had to sleep on my review of this book. I knew what I wanted to rate it the moment I finished it but, like with many things (especially books or full music albums), I needed a little while to let myself sit with how the entirety of the project made me feel.

Typically, when I go into writing a review, I go in blindly. I don’t like to look at reviews from other readers because I find that they often influence the way that I come to my conclusions. This time, I cheated a little bit. Sorry! I couldn’t help myself. There was a review on StoryGraph that said something to the effect of “I’m bummed that this final draft is so short in comparison to the original manuscript’s 230k words.” I have to admit… I kind of agree. I don’t know what the final word count is here, but I feel like… honestly? Max Francis should’ve gotten away with that giant manuscript. Hear me out:

In my 75 Booked journal, I finalize my read through of this book with a mention of how Honor & Heresy reminded me of R.F. Kuang’s Babel in both aesthetic and writing style. Babel is, as a final product, a behemoth on its own at around 200k words and 544 pages for the hardcover. H&H’s hardcover sits at 432 pages. I feel like Francis was robbed! Robbed, I tell you!

While I do wish there wasn’t such a large cut, I don’t feel that the shave truly takes away from the beauty of this novel. As I said, H&H feels very reminiscent of Babel, and as someone who absolutely loved Babel, I can comfortably say that I loved this, too. My only qualms are with the romance and the ending. I do wish we could have seen more of the budding romance between Roy and Percival. I know that, for Percival, a lot of his romantic interest in Roy was held back due to his trauma, but I wish we had gotten to expand on their relationship beyond the walls of the Basilica. As for the end… I think I’m just a sucker for a finalized, confirmed ending. H&H’s ending felt very open, and I can’t really see how Francis could continue their story via a second novel. Who knows, though? Maybe he’ll surprise me. This isn’t to say I hated the ending, by the way–I most certainly did not. I think that it toyed with my own tastes, which is 100% a me problem.

Overall, I did very much enjoy this book and I will be getting a physical copy for my bookshelf. I hope to see more of Max Francis in the coming years, and maybe I’m coping, but… I hope he finds a way to surprise me by continuing Roy and Percival’s story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Cuadra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read Honor & Heresy on netgalley, which was available for a short, limited time to read the uncorrected e-proof. Honestly, I was immediately drawn into the prose. As a lover of classical literature, it was as chilling as the breeze drifting through the haunted library itself. I've anticipated this novel for awhile now (like the rest of you following Max online), and the dark academia themes will happily fulfill your desires. It was emotionally driven, realistic with trauma, and enough lore to keep you curious and desiring to visit catacombs and speak with ghosts.

I enjoyed the progression, the determination, and the complexity of the situation, but also it being simple enough to follow along.

However, the love story in itself was slightly disappointing, more like a side-note, a quick passing thought after the heightened emotions. And I don't mean that in expectation that "spice" is a must, but rather the sudden drop off after being "rivals." The first half of the story has a good mixture of several webs of tension, including their rivalry and obvious attraction, but the second half focuses mainly on the story plot, kinda dropping the romance altogether. I'm not a big fan of love stories only romanticizing conflict and becoming stagnant after collaboration. Love is powerful, grief terrifying--all themes heavily addressed in this story, but more on the negative/conflicting aspects of it all. It is a very brutal world, a lot of gore, but there were moments that I had hoped would have been more fleshed out with the main character's tender affection during these desperate times. Like the sunlight after a storm--tender love after years of pain, I would have liked to feel more satisfied with this theme after so much they went through. While the conclusion was satisfactory and I've never read a book so fast, I hope Max doesn't shy away from using his gifts in story telling to also drive the emotions of what love can feel like, even during a storm.

Also. I was a bit concerned about their hygiene. Did they ever bathe?

Overall, an amazing story and I look forward to having a physical copy come spring 2026.

[sam ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

eARC provided by Harper Voyager via NetGalley

My initial interest in Honor & Heresy was sparked by Instagram, where a vast majority of the promotion (as far as I remember) was centered on the romance. I have always been a die-hard fan of dark academia, and especially queer dark academia. Needless to say, this has been one of my most anticipated reads. I am so glad this lived up to almost every expectation I had of it.

This is a difficult book to dive into if you're unfamiliar with dark academia interlaced with magic. This book truly requires patience from its reader - which is not entirely a bad thing! It's almost refreshing to read a slower-paced book when so many books are eager to throw every plot device your way in as few pages as possible. Francis's power over language is demonstrated through the harrowing details of death, grief, revenge, and love. There's a sense of perpetual dread throughout the book that is very reminiscent of R.F. Kuang's Babel. I can't explain how many times I annotated a line with "oh i like this a lot!!" because I couldn't properly articulate how much I enjoyed reading the descriptions of just about everything. Although I largely enjoyed this book, there were a few aspects I didn't quite like. The introduction to the magic felt a little jarring, specifically in Part 3. Maybe I was reading too fast and missed some indicators of this magic earlier on, but all that I can remember is rooted in matters of the afterlife. On the topic of Part 3, the urgency to conclude was quite prominent. By the end, I felt like there were questions left unanswered, but these questions were not crucial enough to dampen my enjoyment. Lastly, Roy and Percival are exactly what I wanted them to be. They're not the most likeable of characters, but this pair works so well. It was an absolute delight to read the gradual fade from tension to understanding.

I am excited to purchase a physical copy for my collection and especially for what Francis has in store for the future. Thank you again, Harper Voyager and NetGalley!

[emily]

dnf @ 25%. unfortunately for me, this was another case of “promising premise meets lackluster execution”. the comparison to a study in drowning piqued my interest from the start, and i was intrigued to dive into a dark academia fantasy in which a mysterious, haunted library has been known to drive people insane – or to their deaths! what a fascinating concept. and, of course, i was drawn in even more by the idea of a rivals-to-lovers romance sprinkled in with the challenges that our protagonist was set to face.

i did not get very far. i found this to be a frustrating, unsatisfying read. i made it a quarter of the way through this, and considering the length of this book, that means i read over 100 pages and still felt very confused about what was going on or why the plot was unfolding the way it did. it is entirely possible that some of my questions were answered later in the book, but the fact that 25% of the story had gone by with very limited understanding of why any of this was happening is too long for my tastes. exposition only gets us so far, especially in what is meant to be a lore-heavy fantasy. where is the elaboration on this bloody history of violence against scholars? why would scholars be considered so dangerous that the mere act of owning and reading philosophical texts is a literal (!) death sentence? to me, it feels like a concept that the author came up with as an ~intriguing~ plotline to pull people in, but then struggled to justify after the fact. i need to see some real rationale for this, and there was barely an inkling in the entire setup for the rest of the story.

the beginning of the romance arc also left me unsatisfied. there was a very strong “hatred” kickoff to their first couple of meetings, yet it was mixed with a strange tension that felt awkward and forced to me. i greatly dislike when an author tries to show us that their characters are wildly attracted to each other even when they’re “enemies” – just let that develop naturally!

i will say there were some very nice turns of phrase in the writing that i did read, but unfortunately, they couldn’t make up for the rest of it (for me). if you are someone who doesn’t need a very in-depth lore explanation or you prefer the insta-lust type of vibe, this might work better for you than it did for me.

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Belladonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me from the very beginning and did not let go! I absolutely loved this story. I'm a sucker for books with quests and race against time and this book delivered that and so much more.

Roy and Percival, the main characters in this book, start off as rival scholars but soon realize that the mysteries of their quest are better solved together. I loved the chemistry and snark between these two and eventually the comfort they were able to find in each other.

In today's climate there were so many things that were relevant in this book but as a queer person the message of perseverance in the odds was something that I latched on to and needed to be reminded of.

Read this book if you like dark academia, haunted libraries, spooky elements, queer love, and mystery.


I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for a review but my thoughts on this book are my own. That said I can't wait to purchase a physical copy of this when it's released.

[Ginni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like many YA fantasies or “romantasies,” this book is thin on world-building and magic systems and chock-full of tension between our protagonist and a maddeningly arrogant/handsome love interest. This is my fault for not being more careful about which giveaways I entered; there is definitely a huge audience for that kind of thing. But the writing is bad even if you enjoy that genre. Characters say nonsensical things that are supposed to sound smart. They respond to each other in weird, illogical ways. They have the same conversations over and over. It reads like bad fanfic.

The one thing I enjoyed about this book was the massive ancient spooky library--until it turned into the ocean from Moana and started literally pushing them toward answers, catching them from falls, and otherwise deus ex machina’ing everything.

(I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)

[David Pomerico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased, but I love this book and live and die with Roy--both his naivete and his growing bravery. This is a brutal world, but the joy of discovery is a bright light, as is the potential of love during a dark time. Anyone who likes dark academia heavy with supernatural and fantastical elements, this is such a great book to fall into.

[Chloe Komesarook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max, you devastated, amazed, and floored me all in one book. This was incredible, start to finish. Thank you for making this an accessible book for all readers, of all genres. Because at the end of the day, this is the story about knowledge, history, and how the ghosts of our past are really our future.

I love you!!!