Fantasy

Kagen the Damned

Kagen the Damned

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  • Create Date：2022-05-12 04:19:38
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Jonathan Maberry
  • ISBN：B09GH6S29N
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Summary

* Duration: 18 hours *

'Kagen the Damned' marks the first installment of an exciting new series of dark epic fantasy novels from best-selling author Jonathan Maberry。

Sworn by Oath

Kagen Vale is the trusted and feared captain of the place guard， charged with protection the royal children of the Silver Empire。 But one night， Kagen is drugged and the entire imperial family is killed， leaving the empire in ruins。

Abandoned by the Gods

Haunted and broken， Kagen is abandoned by his gods and damned forever。 He becomes a wanderer， trying to take down as many of this enemies as possible while plotting to assassinate the usurper， the deadly Witch-king of Hakkia。 While all around him magic - long banished from the world - returns in strange and terrifying ways。

Fueled by Rage

To find the royal children and exact his vengeance， Kagen must venture into strange lands， battle bizarre and terrifying creatures， and gather allies for a suicide mission into the heart of the Witch-king’s empire。

Kings and gods will fear him。

Kagen the Damned

A Macmillan Audio production from St。 Martin's Press。

©2022 Jonathan Maberry （P）2022 Macmillan Audio

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Reviews

Kathryn Atkins ，

This is my first Maberry book。 I received this book as an advanced reader copy as Mr。 Maberry is speaking to the California Writers Club of Long Beach， CA， in July 2022 about， wait for it。。。 Crossing Genre Lines。 Because that's exactly what this book did for him and for us readers！ I really loved "Kagen the Damned。" While the MC， Kagen， is arguably amoral in most respects， he still has a moral core。 And， as I read other reviews by "disappointed" followers of Jonathan Maberry， I am struck by the This is my first Maberry book。 I received this book as an advanced reader copy as Mr。 Maberry is speaking to the California Writers Club of Long Beach， CA， in July 2022 about， wait for it。。。 Crossing Genre Lines。 Because that's exactly what this book did for him and for us readers！ I really loved "Kagen the Damned。" While the MC， Kagen， is arguably amoral in most respects， he still has a moral core。 And， as I read other reviews by "disappointed" followers of Jonathan Maberry， I am struck by the feeling that， as a writer myself， I applaud that Maberry steps out of his past genres to experiment and stretch his writing prowess in new ways。 Perhaps I loved this book because I wasn't "expecting" someone else。 I'd have given the book a 5-star， but I agree with some of the other reviews。 It's "too long" 。。。whatever that means。 Was GWTW too long？ What about "Lincoln Highway"？ Other than that， I am glad to be riding along on this bloody， gory， dark fantasy。 It's a "safe" outlet for the things we feel， but don't dare tell anyone we're feeling them。 :） Bottom line: I'm now a Maberry fan and can't wait to go back and read more of his work。 I am also tickled to see how much Mr。 Maberry gives back to the writing community。 Where does he find the time？？？ 。。。more

CASPER HILEMAN ，

Mr。 Maberry in Kagen the Damned adapts the idea of the Ronin to a Western Fantasy world and does it well。 Kagen is not merely tasked with the protection of the royal family in the "Silver Empire。" The only thing driving Kagen after this is vengeance and rage。 Grimdark fantasy is well served by both the author and this first installment of a new trilogy。 Mr。 Maberry in Kagen the Damned adapts the idea of the Ronin to a Western Fantasy world and does it well。 Kagen is not merely tasked with the protection of the royal family in the "Silver Empire。" The only thing driving Kagen after this is vengeance and rage。 Grimdark fantasy is well served by both the author and this first installment of a new trilogy。 。。。more

Yev ，

This was meant to be the new book I read for May， I've been reading a new book published each month this year， but it didn't work out。 I thought I would finish it anyway， but it turned out that I couldn't and dropped it a quarter of the way through。 In the intervening period between initially seeing this book and attempting to read it today I had read some anthologies that included stories by the author， whom I hadn't read before。 They weren't enjoyable at all， so that tempered my expectations。 This was meant to be the new book I read for May， I've been reading a new book published each month this year， but it didn't work out。 I thought I would finish it anyway， but it turned out that I couldn't and dropped it a quarter of the way through。 In the intervening period between initially seeing this book and attempting to read it today I had read some anthologies that included stories by the author， whom I hadn't read before。 They weren't enjoyable at all， so that tempered my expectations。 Even so， I was still very much disappointed。 One of the main problems was that I felt the complete infusion of Lovecraftian mythos into this felt entirely out of place。 Yes， the various Lovecraftian gods are in this， including Cthulhu。 Maybe some readers could subsist on that alone， but it doesn't do much at all for me。 After I decided to drop it， I skimmed ahead to the end to see if it went where I thought it would， and it did。 I don't think being rather predictable is necessarily a bad thing， but this certainly was。 The other problem that made it difficult for me to read was how relentlessly melodramatic it was with the grimdarkness。 I found it impossible to take seriously because it was past the point of being a satire of grimdark to me。 It's just bad theatrics。 There wasn't any emotional impact because there wasn't anything to care about。 Literally the opening pages are the drunk nude protagonist vomiting everywhere where he then finds out in gory detail that everyone he has known and loved has been dismembered and/or raped。 It's just a mess and so is the writing。 It's generic fantasy overspiced with edginess and surprise Lovecraft added in for good measure， because that's something people like， right？ I don't know what the author's intentions were， but it doesn't matter me now because I don't think I'll be reading anything from him again， aside from maybe his short fiction if I come across it in anthologies。 Maybe。 Low 2/5 at best 。。。more

PastTheSample ，

Random hungover and very much unlikable guy wakes up and retches his guts out。Is the target audience "regularly hungover dudes" or how is this supposed to NOT bore me to death？Judgement: 0 Interesting Information FAIL！🌈🎯♥️ Random hungover and very much unlikable guy wakes up and retches his guts out。Is the target audience "regularly hungover dudes" or how is this supposed to NOT bore me to death？Judgement: 0 Interesting Information FAIL！🌈🎯♥️ 。。。more

Kym's Open Books ，

The book opens with Kagen waking from a drugged stupor during an intense battle。 The Hakkin are attacking the palace and they seem to have come from everywhere。 Kagen is unsuccessful in saving the royal family， the very people he has sworn oaths to protect。 Part 1 and 4 were exciting and I enjoyed the fast pace。 The middle parts were less exciting and moved slow enough that I lost interest a few times。 I think starting the book out so strong and intense made me expect more of the same throughout The book opens with Kagen waking from a drugged stupor during an intense battle。 The Hakkin are attacking the palace and they seem to have come from everywhere。 Kagen is unsuccessful in saving the royal family， the very people he has sworn oaths to protect。 Part 1 and 4 were exciting and I enjoyed the fast pace。 The middle parts were less exciting and moved slow enough that I lost interest a few times。 I think starting the book out so strong and intense made me expect more of the same throughout。 Kagen’s journey became bland and meaningless as he drank himself into oblivion。 It picks up a bit when we learn the possibility of the royal twins being alive but there were very few passages about them and I wanted more。 It almost felt like a medieval time period if it wasn’t for a few fantasy elements thrown in。 But then vampires showed up and I needed either more of them （and magic/fantasy elements） or none at all。 General content summary: This book is high in violence， brutality and gore。 More details on my blog with the full review！Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press for the gifted copy！The book releases May 10， 2022。https://www。theopenbooks。net/2022/05/。。。 。。。more

Michelle Taylor ，

An epic first chapter in an even more legendary story to come。 The ancient gods are stirring， the path to victory is fraught， and only one， betrayed and betraying man holds the key to the future of the known world。 Kagen is the epitome of the reluctant hero-his failures have marked him as Damned， but his very soul cries out for vengeance still。 Following him on his journey often feels like we are on a fool's errand。 But the intrigue around him never stops。 So many pieces come together over the c An epic first chapter in an even more legendary story to come。 The ancient gods are stirring， the path to victory is fraught， and only one， betrayed and betraying man holds the key to the future of the known world。 Kagen is the epitome of the reluctant hero-his failures have marked him as Damned， but his very soul cries out for vengeance still。 Following him on his journey often feels like we are on a fool's errand。 But the intrigue around him never stops。 So many pieces come together over the course of the story， disparate snatches coalescing into a greater truth。 While the snippets of these tales tease， they come to glorious fruition in the end。The story is far from over， and I cannot wait to see what happens next！Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Griffin for my free copy。 These opinions are my own。 。。。more

Chris Monceaux ，

***Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I was immediately sucked into this book because it started in the midst of all the action。 Poor Kagen woke up with a vicious hangover amidst the sacking of the imperial capital， and his confused， nauseous stumbling through the butchery and depravity of the invading army was written in such a way that I felt as if I was right there alongside him ***Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I was immediately sucked into this book because it started in the midst of all the action。 Poor Kagen woke up with a vicious hangover amidst the sacking of the imperial capital， and his confused， nauseous stumbling through the butchery and depravity of the invading army was written in such a way that I felt as if I was right there alongside him。 The first quarter of this book was brutal， frenetic， and captivating， and it set up an interesting mystery while introducing the reader to a fascinating world。 It was definitely not for the faint of heart， though， and put the DARK in dark fantasy with plenty of epic fighting， torture， rape， and so much vomit described in， at times， excruciating detail。After how the book started， I was very surprised by how dull it became。 After the sack of the capital， Kagen became a depressed drunk who wanders the countryside before eventually making a friend that ropes him back into the fight against the usurper。 If I hadn't really liked Kagen and been invested in his story， I think I probably would have DNF'd this book because of how long it gets bogged down at this point。 The middle 50% of the book felt like the author didn't really know what to do with Kagen between the time he fled the city and the time he goes back to take his revenge。 So， he just added never-ending scenes of him drunk or in training。 To make things worse， several other POVs were added in at this point and served primarily as avatars of the info dumps。 Even though the world-building was interesting， the additional POVs mixed with the super short chapters made everything feel choppy， and anything interesting that started to happen lost its momentum because of all the rapid shifts。 I think it was meant to build suspense， but all it did was make me super frustrated。All that being said， there were some great character moments for Kagen buried in that tedium。 I found his struggle to overcome his guilt and depression to be incredibly relatable， and there were plenty of moments where he and his friend， Tuke， made me laugh out loud。 The world was another major plus of this story。 It was a unique blend of several different fantasy elements， and the societies explored felt historic and lived in。 The book also touched on interesting themes related to religious oppression， postmodern philosophy， and the use of propaganda as a tool of subjugation。 I enjoyed reading those bits， but overall the exploration of those topics was fascinating but felt a bit underdeveloped。The ending of the book picked up the pace and had some very intriguing elements alongside an epic confrontation that I really enjoyed reading。 It also weaved together the multiple story threads in a way that brought this first part of the story to a cohesive end。 There were plenty of twists， as well， but I think they will be obvious to most people from pretty early on in the book。 The clues were not subtle at all， but the emotional payout of them still felt impactful even though I knew they were coming。Overall， there was a lot to like about this book， especially the world， Kagen's journey through depression， and the fantastic and brutal action sequences。 I just wish the pacing had been better。 If the beginning and ending could have been smashed together with only one quarter （okay maybe half） of the middle in between， I think I would have liked this a lot more。 It definitely has promise， and I'll give book two a shot before deciding whether to DNF the series。 Therefore， I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars。See more of my reviews and other bookish content here！ 。。。more

Lacey ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I've read quite a bit of Jonathan Maberry's other works。 I got an Arc of this off Netgalley， but I just could not get into it。 I got through the first 5 chapters and that was it。I loved everything else I have read by this author。 I really tried to get through this， I might try again later on。 I have so many books on my TBR that I am no longer pushing myself to read ones that don't catch my attention。 Thanks for the Arc though and I'll give it another shot if I can！ I've read quite a bit of Jonathan Maberry's other works。 I got an Arc of this off Netgalley， but I just could not get into it。 I got through the first 5 chapters and that was it。I loved everything else I have read by this author。 I really tried to get through this， I might try again later on。 I have so many books on my TBR that I am no longer pushing myself to read ones that don't catch my attention。 Thanks for the Arc though and I'll give it another shot if I can！ 。。。more

Michele ，

Jonathan Maberry takes on dark fantasy and comes up a winner！ This book is just the beginning to a new series and it's evident because as much action as it involved， there was a great deal of setup and world building。 I can hardly wait to see what else this author has in store for the readers。This book hits the ground running。 The book's so-called "hero，" Kagen wakes after a night of drinking and "indulging" to find that the city， Argentium is literally under attack and burning。 As a captain and Jonathan Maberry takes on dark fantasy and comes up a winner！ This book is just the beginning to a new series and it's evident because as much action as it involved， there was a great deal of setup and world building。 I can hardly wait to see what else this author has in store for the readers。This book hits the ground running。 The book's so-called "hero，" Kagen wakes after a night of drinking and "indulging" to find that the city， Argentium is literally under attack and burning。 As a captain and esteemed member of the royal guard， he struggles with the after effects of his hangover but makes his way to the palace and is horrified by the level of brutality that has taken place there。 Feeling that he has failed his charges， Kagen believes the gods have abandoned him。 Gradually the reader learns that the attack was planned and initiated by an evil being known as the Witch-King。 His brutality knows no bounds。 To make the situation even more frightening， he surrounds himself with a necromancer and others with bloodthirsty appetites and little in the way of a conscience。 It's clear that Kagen has to find a way to stop him， he's just unsure how to do it。 The Witch-King and those that follow him benefit from the use of magic which had long ago been made illegal。 Therefore， Kagen and those around him know little about it or how to harness it。While wandering， Kagen meets up with old and new friends and they eventually formulate a plan。。。but will it work？ In addition， there are other characters and plot lines being told during this story as well。 It's hard to keep up with it all at times but they all tie together towards the end of the book and make more sense。 Of course， with the end of book one， there are still many questions to be answered and problems to be resolved。。。hence the next book。 Overall， I found this to be clever and inventive。 It's gruesome and bloody， but the characters in the book are cruel and heartless so it's realistic for the situation。I truly enjoyed this first entry into the series Kagen the Damned and look forward to seeing what else lies ahead for this character and his friends。Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC。 I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own。 。。。more

Robin （Bridge Four） ，

This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from NetGalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Kagen the Damned is the first book in a new Grimdark fantasy series Kagen the Damned and it is dark。  Kagen was part of the royal guard， trained by his mother the personal bodyguard to the empress he was supposed to protect the royal children。  But the city was invaded while he lay drugged in a whore's bed and everything he li This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from NetGalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Kagen the Damned is the first book in a new Grimdark fantasy series Kagen the Damned and it is dark。  Kagen was part of the royal guard， trained by his mother the personal bodyguard to the empress he was supposed to protect the royal children。  But the city was invaded while he lay drugged in a whore's bed and everything he lived for， all of his honor is lost and Kagen believes he has failed his honor and is damned。The first 10% of the book is the sacking of a city and it is rough。  The Witch-King of Hakkia performed a masterful attack and was able to take over the entire silver empire in one evening。  His people were overthrown in much the same way over a thousand years ago when the Silver Empire slaughter many of the Hakkia people， outlawed their gods and magic persecuting and who practiced。  The tides have turned and Witch-king has brought magic back to this land and outlawed only the new gods of the Silver Empire。Kagen takes awhile to warm up to as he spends some time after the events in the beginning of the book lost in a drunken stupor。  It takes some hard truths and a new friend， Tuke， to pull him out。  Tuke was a much needed breath of fresh air and humor the story really needed。  He has a quick wit and way with a turn of phrase that added a little light to all of the dark we had been dealing with。  He is a good balance to Kagen and able to help him see a path that might mean vengeance against the Witch-king。I did like how this book toyed with good and evil。  Is the Witch-king really evil for wanting his people to be free to practice their religion and thrive in a world with magic again？  Are the monsters of the deep and a dragon evil for needing to feed themselves or looking hideous？  Do you blame the nature of an animal for what they need to do to survive or is their a balance that can be reached？  There are truths to every story and whoever writes the history gets to decide what those truths are。  It is a powerful thing。I do wish we got to do more with the last dragon on earth currently trapped， that seemed like a quest worth going on。  Kagen has magic himself， even though he was taught not to speak of it。  He was probably born for this time in the world where new gods are awakening and the Witch-king is trying to bring hell to earth。There are plenty of interesting characters。  The historian selected to rewrite the history of the last 1000 years to make Hakkia the slighted country and the Silver Empire the villain。  Mother Frey， once of the religion of the garden， with three different prongs to a plan that might be able to save them from what the Witch-king has in store。  There is Ryssa and Mara， nuns escaped from the city on the night it was sacked and now on an Island where they are protected but there is a devious plot that is hidden until near the end。  This storyline lost something for me halfway through as women became lovers。  Not because they were women， but they were nuns and one nun was well into her 20s while the other was barely 15 it seemed a bit on the edge a pedophilia and blasphemy all at the same time。This had a lot of great ideas and moments in the book if you can get past how dark it is。  I usually don't read anything quite this dark。  But I think the plot could have been a little cleaner as there is a ton of stuff going on in the background。  I think that will play into the next books of the series but didn't have much to do with what is happening now。  The book was engaging though and I did have a hard time putting it down after I got to 35-40% but did debate on DNFing earlier。  Maberry is good at writing conflicted characters though and through the multiple PoV was able to develop was layered story。 。。。more

Tessa Talks Books ，

What’s it about （in a nutshell）:Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry is the start of an epic fantasy journey to overthrow the Witch-King who ruthlessly usurped the Empress of the Silver Empire and brought back the magic to the realm。Initial Expectations （before beginning the book）:I admit it。 The first thing I noticed about Kagen the Damned is that gorgeous cover。 It drew my eye and screamed epic fantasy – how could I possibly resist？ I understand from the blurb that there is a big battle， a jou What’s it about （in a nutshell）:Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry is the start of an epic fantasy journey to overthrow the Witch-King who ruthlessly usurped the Empress of the Silver Empire and brought back the magic to the realm。Initial Expectations （before beginning the book）:I admit it。 The first thing I noticed about Kagen the Damned is that gorgeous cover。 It drew my eye and screamed epic fantasy – how could I possibly resist？ I understand from the blurb that there is a big battle， a journey， and my favorite component in a fantasy story – magic。 If it ends up having dragons， too， I will have found a new favorite fantasy series。 I’m a bit worried about the description that it’s a dark fantasy because dark means such a wide range of things。 Overall， I feel that this is just the kind of fantasy that I will happily get lost in。 The 560 pages will just fly by， leaving me waiting for book 2。Actual Reading Experience:Everything I thought about this book before I started it was absolutely correct。 I have found my newest favorite epic fantasy。 It has all of the elements that I adore in the genre， maybe even a dragon…shhh…that’s between you and me。I loved the world-building。 It is pure perfection。 It drew me in and transported me to a new world， where I happily stayed as the story developed and eagerly sought to get back to when I had to put it down。 I can’t say enough about how well-developed this world is and how completely immersive I found it。The story is so complex but easy to follow and so full of metaphors that I’m still processing them。 Magic has been made evil in the Silver Empire， and magic-wielders suppressed。 So I knew the people would come back in a big bloody way – our own history tells us that people tend to revolt whenever a way of life is forcibly stopped。There is a significant amount of death and killing， which constitutes the dark fantasy description。 Still， those events are handled in a non-gratuitous manner， so I was easily able to take them。 Sexual encounters are treated the same way。 They are part of the story but are never written gratuitously， so I never had reason to skim over a scene。 I appreciated this very much， and it kept me firmly in the book’s world with my disbelief suspended at all times。Characters:At the start of the novel， Kagen Vale is the sworn protector of the royal children。 When the empire is usurped in a deadly battle， all the children are lost， and Kagen blames himself even though he is off-duty。 The self-flagellation （metaphorically） he puts himself through can get tiring。 Sometimes I just wanted to slap him and tell him to find the courage and reconnect with those hero qualities that caused him to be made the children’s sworn protector。 He has a whole empire to save from the Witch-King， so there is no time to lose himself in self-pity and a bottle。 This flawed hero is frustrating and intriguing， and I can’t wait until he thoroughly reconnects with all those hero qualities that peek out from time to time。Miri and Ryssa lead a side story to a different land in the empire and another plot to stop the Witch-King。 It feels like Ryssa， in particular， has a much more significant role in the story and perhaps in Kagen’s life， but that remains to be seen in future novels。 These characters are enigmatic， but I look forward to learning more about them and their side plot。To Read or Not to Read:Since the world lost Terry Goodkind， I lost a series of fantasy stories that were always guaranteed to draw me in and take me away。 Thanks to Jonathan Maberry and his Kagen the Damned series， that void in my life has been filled。 If you love epic fantasy filled with a personal journey， magic， and madness， you will love Kagen the Damned。 。。。more

Michelle Smith ，

Facts- 1） My phone keeps correcting Kagen to Karen。 2） The Witch-King is very scary。 3） “…Gods of the…” will be said and breathed many a time in this book。 4） Kagan drinks a whole lot。 My husband has some Jonathan Maberry books， a zombie series， if I’m not mistaken。 Zombies are decidedly not my thing so I never read them and as a result this is the first of Mr。 Maberry’s books that I’ve read。 The description for this story was so interesting that I felt compelled to accept the invitation to read Facts- 1） My phone keeps correcting Kagen to Karen。 2） The Witch-King is very scary。 3） “…Gods of the…” will be said and breathed many a time in this book。 4） Kagan drinks a whole lot。 My husband has some Jonathan Maberry books， a zombie series， if I’m not mistaken。 Zombies are decidedly not my thing so I never read them and as a result this is the first of Mr。 Maberry’s books that I’ve read。 The description for this story was so interesting that I felt compelled to accept the invitation to read an advance copy of this and I'm glad that I did。 The author’s writing style here is very visual and that’s really enjoyable。 This adult fantasy is heavy on the violence，yet is very easy to read， even for me， who has to hide her eyes when throats are cut or people are stabbed on-screen。 I’m not much for comparisons so instead of making any I will simply say that this book was pretty wildly entertaining and if you like world building fantasy， then I suggest giving it a try。 The world building really was awesome and the character development is terrific。 There was a cliffhanger at the end and I want to read more of this series （hopefully soon）。eARC kindly provided by St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley。 Opinions shared are my own。 。。。more

Dreams ，

Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for early access to Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry in exchange for an honest review。TW: Graphic Violence， Adult Language， Adult Content， Rape， Suicide， Killing of AnimalsI enjoyed where the plot of this story was going， however I felt that there was a lot of repeating scenes。 Whether they were flashbacks， or different characters talking about them， I found it a bit annoying。 In the first 1/3 of the book， our main character， Kagen， was extremely Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for early access to Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry in exchange for an honest review。TW: Graphic Violence， Adult Language， Adult Content， Rape， Suicide， Killing of AnimalsI enjoyed where the plot of this story was going， however I felt that there was a lot of repeating scenes。 Whether they were flashbacks， or different characters talking about them， I found it a bit annoying。 In the first 1/3 of the book， our main character， Kagen， was extremely unlikable。 Maybe that’s the point， but he was extremely whiney and drunk。 Once he sobered up， he got a bit better。 There are multiple POV throughout the story， which is normally something I extremely enjoy。 I did enjoy switching views and following different characters stories， but sometimes I felt it jumped around just a bit too much。 Sometimes your character switch was for half a page， which was the full chapter。 I enjoyed learning about the different gods and religions， the magic system， and different creatures。 It’s action packed and kept me reading late into the night。 I’m not sure if I will continue the series， but also need to know what happens with the last page plot twist/cliffhanger。 。。。more

Aracely ，

Unfortunately I can’t finish this book。 This was my first encounter with this authors work and definitely is not for me。 I’m always open to try new stories out of my comfort zone， but this one here is way too much for myself。 Very graphic scenes of sexual violence， this is way to dark and just can’t keep reading。 I have to thank NetGalley and St Martin Press for trusting me with an advance copy of this book， I wish all the success to all the parts involved in this。Happy reading 🥰

Olivia ，

KAGEN THE DAMNED is an intriguing epic fantasy。 Kagen is the captain of the guard， and one night， off-duty， he is drugged and awakes to find the empire in shambles with the imperial family he swore to protect dead。 Set adrift by the loss of his family， his kingdom， and the loss of his purpose， Kagen is filled with anger but not sure what to do next。 He is soon fueled by a desire to destroy the Witch-king of Hakkia who has usurped the throne， gathering allies as he travels。The empire has had a ro KAGEN THE DAMNED is an intriguing epic fantasy。 Kagen is the captain of the guard， and one night， off-duty， he is drugged and awakes to find the empire in shambles with the imperial family he swore to protect dead。 Set adrift by the loss of his family， his kingdom， and the loss of his purpose， Kagen is filled with anger but not sure what to do next。 He is soon fueled by a desire to destroy the Witch-king of Hakkia who has usurped the throne， gathering allies as he travels。The empire has had a rough takeover and the people are wary。 To add to the troubles， magic is returning to the land in unpredictable ways， giving individuals unexpected gifts。 Aside from Kagen， the nun Miri and teenage trainee Ryssa have also escaped the capital with their own plans to stop the Witch-king。This is quite a hefty read， but it encompasses a lot of world-building， showing different people and towns in the midst of the stories around Kagen and Ryssa。 While it felt tough to remember them at the start， it soon became clear that most were to advance the world and show what was happening， so it read more smoothly later on。 Kagen and Ryssa were both compelling characters， and I appreciated their perspectives， with both their present and their hopes for the future they are moving toward through these challenges。Overall， KAGEN THE DAMNED is an action-packed and engaging epic fantasy that will leave the reader eager for the next installment。 With themes around religion and the way history can be subjective， this is an intriguing start to a new series。Please note that I received an ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Heidi ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I don’t this book will appeal to everyone but I do think the right reader is going to have fun with it。 It was much closer to horror than I usually read but it was a fast paced page turner and I enjoyed it。 I think a reader that likes their fantasy very grim and dark who isn’t going to be offended at the grosser content would enjoy this book。 I think I’ll probably read book two despite not really liking horror， in the end despite the gross and grim bits I enjoyed book one。 Also， and I have to ad I don’t this book will appeal to everyone but I do think the right reader is going to have fun with it。 It was much closer to horror than I usually read but it was a fast paced page turner and I enjoyed it。 I think a reader that likes their fantasy very grim and dark who isn’t going to be offended at the grosser content would enjoy this book。 I think I’ll probably read book two despite not really liking horror， in the end despite the gross and grim bits I enjoyed book one。 Also， and I have to add this: Iä！ Iä！ Cthulhu fhtagn！ 。。。more

Audrey S ，

Kagen the Damned has been on my 2022 most anticipated list ever since the summary was dropped: a horribly dark fantasy story revolving around a fallen empire and the warrior who seeks revenge for its fall？ Sold。 I’m in。 Tell me no more。The first 50% of this book had me in an absolute chokehold。 It was gut punch after gut punch， with a character you saw spiraling， and for good reason。 So much is going on， Kagen’s world is falling apart around him， he’s losing the people he swore to protect， his s Kagen the Damned has been on my 2022 most anticipated list ever since the summary was dropped: a horribly dark fantasy story revolving around a fallen empire and the warrior who seeks revenge for its fall？ Sold。 I’m in。 Tell me no more。The first 50% of this book had me in an absolute chokehold。 It was gut punch after gut punch， with a character you saw spiraling， and for good reason。 So much is going on， Kagen’s world is falling apart around him， he’s losing the people he swore to protect， his siblings， his parents， all of it being torn from him and leaving him a mess。 Oh the emotional damage is so sweet！And the plot points？ The moving pieces？ All of it shifting around and you know， you KNOW， that more is going on behind the scenes。 Maberry is smart with his characters and that cleverness is what got me hooked with each new page。 Every。 Single。 Page。 piqued my interest and I haven’t felt that in so long。 It was so fun。My one note for the first 50% is that there is is a LOT of sexual violence in here， and while there is a good number of strong women characters to balance it out， I wish there had been more men involved in the receiving end of sexual violence as well - not just women （I think I counted one instance where it was mentioned specifically towards a man）。 If you’re going to go that hard on the sexual violence component in a story - don’t just dish it out to women。Then… oh gosh， then we get to the 50% mark。 Honestly， the first 50% of this book was 5 stars， but for me， as a reader， it fell off a cliff at that point and the remainder was 2 stars at best。I guessed the “big bad” twist at about 43%， I’m sure other， quicker eyes will spot it earlier， but so many weird plot elements were also introduced: the oversexualized， exotic brown skin foreigners; a Gary Stu like sexcapade with a vampire-fairy in a tower that lasts months; and even Cthulhu！I understand that Maberry has been a horror writer for a long time， so the addition of Cthulhu is probably a fun nod for his fans， but as a predominantly fantasy reader， this addition totally “lifted my sunglasses” so to speak and really took me out of the fantasy story。 Alongside the Cthulhu story line， we have a young， virgin， 15 year old nun being escorted to safety by another nun， 10 years her senior。 As they travel， they get into a relationship and while Maberry makes it very clear that the older nun is grooming the girl， I don’t think their sexual relationship added anything to the plot。 Also， even though they have sex （though it’s made very clear there is no penetration） both are considered ‘pure’ enough for the sacrifice ritual， which definitely minimizes their sapphic relationship。 I’m sure the author didn’t mean it as such， just thought it was a clever loophole， but that’s what this plot choice did unfortunately。 And it left a sour taste in my mouth。Finally， the ending also felt incredibly rushed。 It felt like an ending that should have been reached at the end of a standalone or the ending of a second or third book， not crammed into the first installment。Overall， I struggle with how to rate this book， because the characters are FANTASTIC， the set up is AMAZING， the world building - SO FREAKING COOL。 The plot just seemed to tumble off a cliff at the 50% mark and it never gained the same momentum again。5 stars for the first half， 2 stars for the second half， so 3。5 stars。 And I’ll round up because of how much of a chokehold this first half had on me。 I just wish Kagen the Damned could have stuck the landing better。CW: graphic violence， graphic depicitions of sexual assault/the aftermath sexual assault， war violence， child murder， child sexual assault， sexual acts with a minor， grooming of a minor， & PTSD。*I received an eARC from NetGalley & St Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review* 。。。more

Amber ，

An absolutely wonderfully dark fantasy that fits in with Maberry's works。 This is definitely an adult title so be wary if grimdark is not your thing， but it is a good starting point for those unfamiliar with grimdark。 I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own。 An absolutely wonderfully dark fantasy that fits in with Maberry's works。 This is definitely an adult title so be wary if grimdark is not your thing， but it is a good starting point for those unfamiliar with grimdark。 I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own。 。。。more

David S Meanderings） ，

I'm not gonna star rate this because I didn't finish it， but I think this is gonna be a DNF for me。 It's not that it was bad so much that it was just "meh" up until the 30% where I stopped。 There are just too many great books in the world for me to push through meh books。 I'm not gonna star rate this because I didn't finish it， but I think this is gonna be a DNF for me。 It's not that it was bad so much that it was just "meh" up until the 30% where I stopped。 There are just too many great books in the world for me to push through meh books。 。。。more

Lou Jacobs ，

KAGEN THE DAMNED #1 by Jonathan Maberry An immersive epic dark fantasy that is a melange of the best in heroic and sword & sorceryworks of the past masters。 Rivals the scope of Game of Thrones， with elements of Robert E。 Howards’s “Conan The Barbarian” ， while borrowing from H。P。 Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu Mythos”， and projecting the cinematic quality of “Indiana Jones”。 Our intrepid hero， Kagen Vale is the captain of the palace guard and is sworn by oath to protect the children of the Silver Empire。 KAGEN THE DAMNED #1 by Jonathan Maberry An immersive epic dark fantasy that is a melange of the best in heroic and sword & sorceryworks of the past masters。 Rivals the scope of Game of Thrones， with elements of Robert E。 Howards’s “Conan The Barbarian” ， while borrowing from H。P。 Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu Mythos”， and projecting the cinematic quality of “Indiana Jones”。 Our intrepid hero， Kagen Vale is the captain of the palace guard and is sworn by oath to protect the children of the Silver Empire。 While off-duty and enjoying the benefits of a maiden， he is drugged and fails to note the ensuing calamity enveloping the city。 When he is eventually aroused from the drug addled stupor he rushes to the palace only to find the royal children butchered， after being tortured and defiled。 He witnesses his father’s death and attempts to unsuccessfully intervene in a sword fight involving his mother， who is taking on a multitude of dark knights。 The lavishly choreographed fight scene is a marvel to behold。 The fact that the invading army “appeared out of nowhere” without warning is the first hint that magic has been used …。 even though outlawed for a thousand years。 Kagen miraculously escapes， only to be haunted by his oath failure and grief at the annihilation of his and the royal family。 Surely he is “damned” by the gods。 While on the road and fleeing for his life， he vows to kill as many of the Hakkian enemy as possible 。。 with the end goal of killing the Witch-King of Hakkia before he can be coronated as emperor。 He will encounter many colorful friends and foes on the road in his attempt to seek revenge and retribution。 Maberry crafts a masterful complex and twisted tale， steeped in intrigue， menace and mounting obstacles。 His world building and fight scenes are thing of absolute beauty and poetry。 The elements of magic and sorcery are introduced so effortlessly that would make Lovecraft， Howard and Poe proud。 The main characters are multilayered and compelling … the reader cannot help but identify with them as the suspense and action escalates to a crescendo denouement。 The lyrical prose is laced with well placed humor …。 irony， sarcasm ， good natured blistering insults and a stream of colorful epithets that adds texture to this epic fantasy。 Introduced are the concepts of the presence of many worlds， on different planes and the notion that time is truly not linear。 Very appealing is the insertion of elements of the Cthulhu mythos。 Although there is an artful crisis and conclusion during the denouement， many loose threads remain to be explored and enjoyed in future volumes。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication on May 10， 2022 。。。more

Elodia ，

DNFing for now， may come back to this later。

Megan ，

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I'm sorry to say this probably won't be the review Jonthan Maberry or St。 Martin's Press was hoping for。 This book was painful to read from the first page， and it never got any better。The story begins at the end of civilization as Kagen knows it， with his beloved empire falling to the villainous， black magic-using Hakkians。 Kagen is caught with his pants down （literally）， and fails to protect the royal chi Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I'm sorry to say this probably won't be the review Jonthan Maberry or St。 Martin's Press was hoping for。 This book was painful to read from the first page， and it never got any better。The story begins at the end of civilization as Kagen knows it， with his beloved empire falling to the villainous， black magic-using Hakkians。 Kagen is caught with his pants down （literally）， and fails to protect the royal children in his charge。 The gaping plot hole of how he wasn't killed in his sleep like every other soldier isn't even acknowledged， let alone addressed。 Queue a very long 15% of the book that was literally just a naked Kagen running around figuring out how badly his world is crashing down on him， and realizing how completely he's failed。Nearly every other chapter switches points of view to Ryssa， an orphan preparing to become a nun。 Ryssa and her guardian run and hide throughout the battle， find some mysterious， secret tunnels， and then disappear from the book for a long time。Once Kagen accepts that his home is lost， he leaves the palace to sink into a state of drunken despair， resigning himself to the suicidal mission of killing every Hakkian he can one by one。 Except Kagen takes the time between leaving the palace and starting his quest to meet up with an old friend， have sex， and smile and laugh over some drinks， completely ruining the organic flow of his arc。 He was suicidally depressed when he left the palace， went to a friend for solace and had a good time， then actively chose to go back to being depressed and suicidal when it was clear that he was capable of thinking clearly and had alternatives。Along the way， Kagen meets a bunch of new people， including a witch who would have been killed for having nearly passive magic under the old regime。 For someone as devoted to his empress as Kagen was， he comes to the conclusion rather quickly that the religious persecution of magic users in his kingdom wasn't necessarily a good thing。This book felt like something the author was so excited to write， he rushed through the first draft， then was too impatient to fill it out。 The bare bones were there， but the writing was just so disappointingly lazy。 The language was over-dramatized and read as though dictating what should appear on a movie screen。 Every conversation was one big bad's monologue。 The characters were one dimensional and even the main character was treated like a plot device instead of a person。 Everyone was introduced as their role or profession （"the soldier，" "the nun，" "the empress，" etc。）， and while they were given names， and more often than not， with the exception of Kagen， they were still referred to by their title， de-humanizing them。 Everything about the writing and the characters felt hollow。There was also a strong vein of sadism running throughout the story， with a near obsession with rape。 Put a man and a woman in a room together， and she's getting raped。 Unless it's Kagen; then she's safe。 Because he's the hero， right？ Well， he may be the protagonist， but that's the only thing heroic about him。 It's a bit like watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom， where the bad guys are depicted as bloodthirsty savages for no good reason， with some truly graphic and unnecessarily cruel punishments。 I mean some of them were fairly creative - I'll give Maberry that - but it was in a torture！porn kind of way。 。。。more

Kate Eminhizer ，

This book captured every ounce of my attention from page one。 Even with its hefty page count I was not ready for it to end。 From its opening chapter I was urged forward to witness the extent of the vengeance Kagen was attempting。 There was a LOT going on in this book。 While not all scenes are action packed， something pivotal was almost always happening。 The descriptions of battle， torture and murder are not for the faint of heart。 These scenes ironically are deftly balanced out by Kagen himself。 This book captured every ounce of my attention from page one。 Even with its hefty page count I was not ready for it to end。 From its opening chapter I was urged forward to witness the extent of the vengeance Kagen was attempting。 There was a LOT going on in this book。 While not all scenes are action packed， something pivotal was almost always happening。 The descriptions of battle， torture and murder are not for the faint of heart。 These scenes ironically are deftly balanced out by Kagen himself。 Whether the author intended it or not， I found a considerable amount of humor in the book mainly due to Kagen's lamenting to the gods and his quips with others。 Maberry presents almost everything that a dark epic fantasy should have: a darkly mysterious magical usurper， a far away island populated by cult followers， a haunted tower， outliers set on reverting the empire back to before the resurgence of magic， unexplained secrets， and a main character set on death and revenge。 The author so skillfully wrote this that one cannot help while reading to visualize the plot unfold as it would on the big screen。 This series could definitely be the next big thing。 I received a copy of this title via NetGalley。 。。。more

Jacqueline ，

TW: War， rape， death Firstly， I’d like to thank St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital copy。 So I had high hopes for this story as I love fantasy and in theory everything the synopsis of this book promised。 Unfortunately， the hopes were dashed as the writing in this story was very repetitive and dull。 While I understand this the first book in a series the world building was overdone and it left the plot empty。 The plot stalled out at round 55% of the way through and at 70% I had to stop TW: War， rape， death Firstly， I’d like to thank St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital copy。 So I had high hopes for this story as I love fantasy and in theory everything the synopsis of this book promised。 Unfortunately， the hopes were dashed as the writing in this story was very repetitive and dull。 While I understand this the first book in a series the world building was overdone and it left the plot empty。 The plot stalled out at round 55% of the way through and at 70% I had to stop because I wasn’t enjoying it enough to finish。 I think there are definitely compelling characters in the story， but the chapter length didn’t allow for those stories to flourish。 。。。more

Reid Edwards ，

Jonathan Maberry's Kagen the Damned doesn't pull any punches （much like the protagonist himself） - it is a dark fantasy novel that leans heavily into the horror and violent aspects of the genre。 The combat is frequent， bloody and visceral， lending weight and authenticity to the setting and story。 Maberry's characters are shaped and molded by their experience with this violence， and their actions show the weight of their experience and understanding。 The mythology and history of the setting is in Jonathan Maberry's Kagen the Damned doesn't pull any punches （much like the protagonist himself） - it is a dark fantasy novel that leans heavily into the horror and violent aspects of the genre。 The combat is frequent， bloody and visceral， lending weight and authenticity to the setting and story。 Maberry's characters are shaped and molded by their experience with this violence， and their actions show the weight of their experience and understanding。 The mythology and history of the setting is interesting; Maberry has pulled from a few sources and blended them nicely into his universe and magical system （which feels very sorcerer/religiously based）。 I'm excited to see what happens in book two， and while this might not be everyone's cup of tea， it's a nice change of pace from the traditional epic fantastical worlds that feel bright and shiny。 。。。more

Melissa Overby ，

Absolutely as good as the Joe Ledger series and Rot and Ruin。 I don't think there is one book by Mr。 Maberry I don't love。 His world building is excellent and he really sucks you into his story。 Absolutely as good as the Joe Ledger series and Rot and Ruin。 I don't think there is one book by Mr。 Maberry I don't love。 His world building is excellent and he really sucks you into his story。 。。。more

Kayla with a Book ，

DNF at 35%

Sky ，

It was fun and interesting。 Very， very graphic so be sure to look up the trigger warnings。 There were instances where the writing was annoying and I don't really plan on continuing if it becomes a series。 It was fun and interesting。 Very， very graphic so be sure to look up the trigger warnings。 There were instances where the writing was annoying and I don't really plan on continuing if it becomes a series。 。。。more

Veronica ，

Review to come

Sarah-Grace （Azrael865） ，

As with all of Jonathan Maberry's writing， this story is relentless。 It opens with a seige on the Silver Empire and the 13 nations it is comprised of。 All the capitol cities are taken in one bloody night。 The Silver Empire came into existence at the expense of the defeat of the nation of Hakkia and their sorcerer ruler known as The Witch-King。 Now Hakkia is back in power and The new Witch-King is eager to complete his coronation to solidify his right to rule the new Empire。 Kagen Vale was the C As with all of Jonathan Maberry's writing， this story is relentless。 It opens with a seige on the Silver Empire and the 13 nations it is comprised of。 All the capitol cities are taken in one bloody night。 The Silver Empire came into existence at the expense of the defeat of the nation of Hakkia and their sorcerer ruler known as The Witch-King。 Now Hakkia is back in power and The new Witch-King is eager to complete his coronation to solidify his right to rule the new Empire。 Kagen Vale was the Captain of the royal guard of the Silver Empress and her family。 Even though he was off duty， he is on the point of breaking from his failure to save the royal children and from witnessing the death of both parents。 His only driving desire is revenge。 This story follows Kagen on his road to redemption， though he doesn't feel he deserves it， in a world where forbidden magic is now reawakening and strange things are happening。 I never saw the final twist， during the ending climax， coming。 Jonathan Maberry has touched on the world of HP Lovecraft and the existence of many other worlds in his writings before and it is exciting to see that aspect expanded on in this world。 I look forward to seeing more from these new characters and if I had any complaints it would be that I didn't have a world map to look at because this is a digital ARC of the book。 That will be fixed as soon as the book is published because I am buying a copy right away。 Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to entire into this start of an exciting fantasy epic。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Kagen the Damned

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Kagen the Damned&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Kagen the Damned&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0