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A Succession of Swords: Even Gods Bleed

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Mortals kill for lavish thrones and golden crowns …
the Gods are no different...

The sun is setting on the old guard - the Sentinels of the Gods, the Rulers of Serenity. As
a new millennia dawns the succession to the throne, and the Sentinels that keep the peace must be decided from the royal bloodline.

But with succession comes bitter betrayal, heartbreaking tragedy and a war that threatens
to tear apart the ruling bloodline and the fragile peace that unites the peoples of Serenity.
Arian, the honourable God of Water, must band together with his siblings in order to fight
the darkness, survive the challenges to their birthright and protect the kingdom and their people.

As the land plummets into war, will the Gods of Serenity prevail?
With sword in hand and vengeance on the wind, Arian must prove himself, one way or the other.

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2022

3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read

About the author

A.D. Bollen

1 book1 follower

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11 (52%)
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7 (33%)
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Bevany.
669 reviews14 followers
August 5, 2023
A high fantasy to rival the like of Game of Thrones. There is so much to this book, great characters, and so much action.
I do want a character guide and map to be included and hope it will be in a final copy of the book as i received an arc. Also, it can be confusing to read as it will change pov from one paragraph to the next without warning. Something to differentiate when the setting changes would make this a much smoother book to read.
Overall, it was a wonderful book I highly suggest to other fantasy readers.
Profile Image for Belinda Smith.
548 reviews18 followers
December 25, 2022
​A Succession of Swords: Even Gods Bleed is the first book of Chronicles of Serenity series, an Adult Dark Fantasy with Gods, Elves, Orcs and humans set in an impressive world.

The sun is setting on the old guard - the Sentinels of the Gods, the Rulers of Serenity. As a new millennium dawns, the succession to the throne, and the Sentinels that keep the peace must be decided from the royal bloodline.

This leads to bitter betrayal, heartbreaking tragedy and a war that threatens to tear apart the ruling bloodline and the fragile peace that unites the peoples of Serenity. An old enemy resurfaces and turns the world upside down.

The brothers need to fight the darkness, survive the challenges to their birthright and protect the kingdom and their people. The world created here was magnificent. I loved the details described at every point of time. The plot was intriguing and the pace set here made it a page turner.

There were too many characters, which made it hard to follow the story at times. The writing style was confusing at times as well. It was hard to follow who was talking most of the time. It made following the story difficult at times. The sentence structures did not define who’s taking most of the time. I had to re-read passages to figure out who was talking.

The plot was filled with twists that ​​had me hooked. Every secret unraveled added to the story. This was a really intriguing read. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these characters.

Thank you to the author and Moonlight Book Tours for sending me a copy of the book to review.
Profile Image for Khadeejah E..
49 reviews
December 14, 2022
'All is fair in love and war'

A tale of Gods with exceptional powers exclusive to their respective roles. To attain the throne of Serenity, the 3 brothers must prove themselves worthy and dependable.

Not everything is always black and white, and not everybody gets what they want.
Prince Arian, God of Water is chosen to take over the consequential responsibility of leading as the King of Serenity. But will his brothers stand alongside to support and serve him?

The story entails twists, love and a vicious war for throne and authority.

Love for power can blind one's conscious, enforcing him to violate every value that he's lived for. Will he choose his rebellious desires over family? Raptis, God of Knowledge, must decide his own fate.

Will Laquis, God of Storm, discern the frailty of moment and leave his nonchalant ways to help Arian?

After all, it's always the closest ones that stab you in the back the hardest. Is there a future of tranquility, or does darkness and death awaits the arrival of Sentinals?

Apart from a few minor reasons, I enjoyed the book entirely!
Profile Image for Bonnie.
58 reviews4 followers
December 15, 2022
As soon as I saw the cover of this book and read the name.. I instantly signed up for this book.. this book is a very well written book and it has a lot of heart breaks in it. So many scenes made me super sad.. The writing is so good I could imagine the scenes like they were happening in front of me.. the fight for throne can be very deadly and your loved ones are the first ones to betray you… this is a very spellbinding story of three brothers Arian, Raptis and Laquis who have to prove themselves to get hold of the throne.. you have to read the whole thing to get to know what exactly happens!!!
Profile Image for Marcia - itsabookthing2021 .
787 reviews19 followers
December 28, 2022
Thanks to Mbooktours for this ecopy. My review is my own opinion.

A Succession of the swords: Even Gods Bleed follows three Princes each who want the throne and have to prove themselves worthy of becoming the king.
The storyline progresses well and the introduction of many characters, sometimes makes it a little hard to keep up but, the characters are all fleshed out well and once you get into the story it all falls in line.
The writing is so creative with the world building, it almost feels like you're thrown into the scenes. The pacing of the story is good and the twists the plot takes is surprising. This was an enjoyable read that kept me guessing with every turning page.
Profile Image for Stacey.
65 reviews2 followers
December 15, 2022
It’s a fight for the throne. History has forever been witness that the war for throne is the deadliest. A brother kills his brother just for the sake of throne. Arian is my fav prince and I love how Alex has so nicely developed his character. I’ve fallen in love with his personality and the execution of the story. I highly recommend this book to all the fantasy lovers. This is exactly what you’re looking for!!!
Profile Image for Casey.
69 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2022
This book is story about three brothers who have prove themselves to become the king of land of Serenity. Prince Arian the God of water gets chosen for the throne. The rest of the two brothers are left behind to either support Arian or stab him in his back. And of course your closest one’s are the ones that stab you the hardest. It’s a very interesting read with so many twists - a total page turner. Highly recommended!!
Profile Image for Caroline.
71 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2022
Sometimes it’s not lust for love, it’s lust for power. A legendary story about three Gods who have to fight and prove themselves to take over the land of Serenity. The prince Arian becomes the chosen God and gets betrayed by his own brother for power and throne. The story and writing style are so amazing!! Bollen has constructed and executed the story in a very creative manner. A very intriguing and compelling story with lots of fun, entertainment, heartbreaks and love..
70 reviews4 followers
December 15, 2022
This is not your ordinary read, it’s so different from rest of the fantasy books. I loved the story and writing style. The character development is amazing; Arian, Raptis and Laquis are nicely written and I loved the fact that author has given important lessons through his story. Sometimes our loved ones are the ones that hurt us the most. Overall a superb read and I highly recommend.
50 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2022
Thanks a bunch @mbooktours for sending me this magical book. This book has so many heartbreaking scenes that my heart twisted into knots while reading those scenes. My heart is all over prince Arian and his personality development is so classy. It’s a great read with so many twists and turns. This will keep you on your toes. It’s a total masterpiece!!!
144 reviews6 followers
June 22, 2023
A Kingdom on the Brink of War

In this dark fantasy novel, swords become symbols of power, vengeance, and redemption. The author's vivid descriptions and evocative prose transport readers to a world where battles are fought not only with steel but also with determination and the complexities of the human heart. This character-driven novel weaves a tale of betrayal, tragedy, and the fight for survival amidst a kingdom on the brink of war.
Profile Image for Syd Gilmore.
Author 3 books11 followers
August 5, 2023
There is a lot of betrayal, misery, and violence in this epic fantasy novel, but the characters are well-developed and the plot is intricate. In this universe, wars are waged not just with steel but also with determination and the complexity of the human heart, and the author's brilliant descriptions and evocative words take readers there. The beautiful full-color plates sprinkled throughout add a stunning visual element to the already descriptive prose.
Profile Image for Lois Garrett.
363 reviews11 followers
December 14, 2022
A story of gods, heroes, and adventure, what’s not to love. My only complaint is that I wish there had been a curly or dingbat to indicate a scene change as the change was quite abrupt at times other than that it was a great read. Fantasy at its finest. Not a book for young readers as it was graphic at times. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
Profile Image for Headache.
17 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2022
Though this wasn't my favourite kind of book(about kings,queens and their successors,crowning and swords) anyway it was quite interesting to read... language was simple and everything was well explained....
32 reviews
July 20, 2023
good book

I enjoyed this book very much. Several plot twists I did not see coming. Overall a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Kathryn Troy.
Author 5 books138 followers
March 14, 2023
This tale is a solid epic fantasy, with vast storytelling, and a good healthy dose of intense adult content, which I love in my fantasy. It also has a nice twist on stakes for each of the characters and what their vulnerabilities are, which gives even godly characters a nice twist and a sense of unpredictability.
Profile Image for Beth Billings.
102 reviews3 followers
March 3, 2023
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


When it's time for Philla and Deminious to move on, they must choose their successors. Their daughter will be queen and they have 3 sons to choose from whom all have good qualities and would rule well. It's a hard choice but they make it. After the wedding, they ascend to the celestial plain. All is well; they are happy. What could possibly go wrong?


This is a good story and I did enjoy it. There just seemed to be a lot going on. There were sections where it was one part of the story, then the next paragraph was with somebody and something completely different, and it took a couple of sentences to catch up with what was happening. It was a bit of a shame as it did take away from the story as the flow that should have been there wasn't.


I did enjoy the story when I was able to decipher what was what and I would recommend it. You may just need some patience.


** same worded review will appear elsewhere **



* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Profile Image for E.W..
Author 10 books13 followers
July 22, 2025
Promising story with a few rough edges

This debut novel tells a strong and engaging story, with clear stakes and a world that shows real potential. The plot unfolds at a good pace, and the author shows promise as a storyteller.
That said, there are a few things potential readers should be aware of:
• The book uses non-standard dialogue formatting, often placing multiple characters’ spoken lines in the same paragraph. This can make it difficult to follow who is speaking, especially in fast-paced or emotionally charged scenes.
• The book includes graphic depictions of battle, which may be disturbing to some readers.
• It also contains references to rape and abuse, sometimes without much warning.
If you’re comfortable with those elements, there’s a rewarding story beneath them. With refinement in formatting and a clearer sense of audience boundaries, the author’s future works could really shine.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,054 reviews
June 20, 2023
I feel like there was a lot of characters and story lines and many different twists happening all at once while reading. It was just a lot to keep up with, and it may be because I am not use to this author’s writing style but it was a nice story. It was a decent storyline and progressed well, the world-building may have been a tad overdone but enjoyable.

I do want to thank the author for reaching out to me about this ebook and note that all opinions/thoughts above are my own!
Profile Image for Joshua Bish.
Author 7 books8 followers
July 22, 2025
Brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable

This book was amazingly good. The world building is rich, dark, and brutal. Arians story had me locked in. The art between some of the chapters was a great addition that allows for natural break points. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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