The Stagsblood Brother: Book Three of the Stagsblood Trilogy

The Stagsblood Trilogy #3

by Gideon E. Wood

The goddesses and gods have restored King Tel’s magic. His power over dirt, wind, fire, and rain is keener than ever. Still, his people are in danger. The sorcery of the antlered ones has also returned to his exiled brother, Lag. The inevitable collision of siblings unfolds in The Stagsblood Brother, the thrilling conclusion of the dark gay fantasy trilogy.

Hungry for power and revenge, Lag will cross any moral boundary to defeat his older brother—and make him suffer in the process. He’ll exploit Tel’s faith, decency, and generous heart to win the advantage in a war that will spill blood over the heart of Feigh. He’ll terrorize unarmed innocents. He’ll use sinful magic to transform the man Tel loves into a weapon.

To end the bloodshed and secure the kingdom, Tel must ready himself to meet his brother and lover on the battlefield and eliminate the threat to peace and justice, whatever the cost. To do that, he’ll need to realize the final confrontation is really with the darkness, tragedy, and grief of his own past. The last war must be won inside himself.

(You can find content/trigger warnings for this book at the author’s website.)

409 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2022

About the author

Gideon E. Wood writes gay fantasy fiction. He has been in recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction since 2011. Second chances and transformation are at the heart of his work. Gideon lives in New England with his cat but thinks it’s important you know he isn’t a cat person.

Reviews

[Grey Forge LeFey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final fate of Tel and Feigh!

What a ride! The Stagsblood Brother is a very unexpected tale, completely unguessable, and kept me magicked from beginning to end.

I so appreciate Gideon Wood telling the story of this world, these people, in a period voice. His vocabulary and intentional choice of words is delicious. Not a smidge of contemporary slang sneaks in to ruin the authentic experience.

Of the trilogy I found the second book least satisfying but Stagsblood Brother returns us to a deeper journey into Tel's incredibly complicated psyche and heart. The first novel was devastating and this one is immensely gratifying in its conclusion of the epic. Beautifully done.

[Jenn Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. It's a well-written, evocative, immersive adventure. Tel, as a main character, is incredible. He's thoughtful, strong, loving, and complicated. The king isn't perfect, which makes him an incredible character to follow. This final installment is as strong as the first and second novels (which is sometimes hard for writers to maintain). I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. It had great pacing and maintained the tension as it rolled forward. Whew. It was a stressful ride, but you will look back on it and be glad you took it!

Go. Read. Love.

[Nupsilon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great conclusion to the trilogy. I enjoyed seeing Tel and Caip grow and look back on the past events of the last two books. This series' strength is without a doubt its characters, especially those two. I felt for Tel and rooted for him every step of the way.

[Gealach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible book.
Review coming soon on my blog.