Fantasy

Seven Deaths of an Empire

Seven Deaths of an Empire

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-27 08:51:50
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：G.R. Matthews
  • ISBN：1781089132
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Summary

A new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark， GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。

The Emperor is dead。 Long live the Empire。

General Bordan has a lifetime of duty and sacrifice behind him in the service of the Empire。 But with rebellion brewing in the countryside， and assassins， thieves and politicians vying for power in the city， it is all Bordan can do to protect the heir to the throne。

Apprentice Magician Kyron is assigned to the late Emperor’s honour guard escorting his body on the long road back to the capital。 Mistrusted and feared by his own people， even a magician’s power may fail when enemies emerge from the forests， for whoever is in control of the Emperor’s body， controls the succession。

Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of the Empire。

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Reviews

Amanda ，

It's a good story。I was really looking forward to this book--everything from the cover to title to description really grabbed me。 I think perhaps my expectations were too high。 In the end， it wasn't exactly what I wanted。 That's not to say I didn't enjoy it。 Like I said it's a good story。 It's a classic， comforting story of sword and magic fantasy。 It reminds me of the books I read during summer break when I was a kid， Jordan， Tolkein， Hobbs， Gavriel Kay and such。 It's a good solid fantasy novel It's a good story。I was really looking forward to this book--everything from the cover to title to description really grabbed me。 I think perhaps my expectations were too high。 In the end， it wasn't exactly what I wanted。 That's not to say I didn't enjoy it。 Like I said it's a good story。 It's a classic， comforting story of sword and magic fantasy。 It reminds me of the books I read during summer break when I was a kid， Jordan， Tolkein， Hobbs， Gavriel Kay and such。 It's a good solid fantasy novel。 It's not reinventing the wheel by any means and it doesn't have to。 One of the things I really liked was the story structure。 The chapters are short and alternate between 2 pov （the general and the magician） with little snippets of flashback at the beginning。I felt at times the wording was too repetitive。 I would read a passage， turn the page， and read the almost same passage again。 To the point that I double-checked that my book wasn't misprinted。 Another thing that bothered me was that we never learn the ages of the magician and the prince/princess。 They make stupid choices。 The prince/princess I understood their choices more but still having their age would help。 At times they would act much older than they previously had and then in the next much younger without any real explanation。 Is this the action of a grieving 14yo or a stupid 22yo？ The magician is the one this bothered me the most with。 His questions seemed pretty on par for a middle school kid， but based on other elements， this leads me to believe that would be too young。 So in that case what is happening？ This might be intentional on Matthew's part to show the transition of the old guard to the young， but I think having more consistent aging would've been nice。This book is a story， the characters are a supporting cast to it。 The characters are memorable and you empathize with them。 But I didn't really feel like I got to know any of them very well。 They were almost like caricatures of fantasy casts and not really fleshed out。 The plot and twists in the book I would consider pretty typical of a classic fantasy novel。 Nothing really surprised me。 I liked the timing of this book， at the last moments of one regime and on the precipice of change。 I hope there are other books in this series。 I'd loved to see where the stories go and how the characters develop。 I'll definetly read them and buy them on publication day。 This is a fantasy novel of the old but slightly updated。 A story that you can return to。 （view spoiler）[I almost DNFed this book in the first hundred pages。 The prince was acting way too much like Prince Joffrey of GoT。 To the point， it made it difficult to read。 But luckily he gets killed before p。200 and the princess isn't a cardboard cutout of Joffrey。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Jeff Cosmi ，

I believe fans of GoT will enjoy this book。 The book switches back and forth between a couple POV's with each chapter， which aren't too long。 The book isn't too long either but also isn't a quick read， good pacing and enjoyable story。 Overall， a good book， I'm afraid I won't remember too much after a few other reads。 I didn't spend a long time with this one。 I really floated through it。 I started it late and had a few other reads to finish without a lot of time。 I feel like if I had spent more t I believe fans of GoT will enjoy this book。 The book switches back and forth between a couple POV's with each chapter， which aren't too long。 The book isn't too long either but also isn't a quick read， good pacing and enjoyable story。 Overall， a good book， I'm afraid I won't remember too much after a few other reads。 I didn't spend a long time with this one。 I really floated through it。 I started it late and had a few other reads to finish without a lot of time。 I feel like if I had spent more time with this I would have liked it more。 I wish it great success。 。。。more

bogo_lode ，

DNF around 15%。 It plods。

Heather ，

“The desire for revenge can destroy a person or fuel them for a time， but revenge fulfilled is an empty thing。”Magic， battles， scheming， backstabbing， this book has all of the classic fantasy tropes that I love。 We follow two POV characters， Borden and Kyron。 General Borden is an old man ready for retirement， but he needs to keep the empire going after the emperor is murdered。 Apprentice magician Kyron is a young man who is part of the group tasked with bringing the emperor’s body back to the em “The desire for revenge can destroy a person or fuel them for a time， but revenge fulfilled is an empty thing。”Magic， battles， scheming， backstabbing， this book has all of the classic fantasy tropes that I love。 We follow two POV characters， Borden and Kyron。 General Borden is an old man ready for retirement， but he needs to keep the empire going after the emperor is murdered。 Apprentice magician Kyron is a young man who is part of the group tasked with bringing the emperor’s body back to the empire。 I equally enjoyed both POVs especially when they eventually intertwined。There were several twists and turns in this book including betrayals。 Although I saw all of them coming， I still enjoyed the reading experience。 I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the sequel。*I just read that this book is a standalone。 There is a sequel written that may or not get published。 If this book is supposed to stand alone， then I would lower my rating to 3 stars。 I was not at all satisfied with the ending。 。。。more

William Gwynne ，

SEVEN DEATHS OF AN EMPIRE IS RELEASED TODAYTo hear a short pitch of this debut from G。 R。 Matthews himself， to see if this is for you， you can click on a link here - The Brothers Gwynne SEVEN DEATHS OF AN EMPIRE IS RELEASED TODAYTo hear a short pitch of this debut from G。 R。 Matthews himself， to see if this is for you， you can click on a link here - The Brothers Gwynne 。。。more

Colleen ，

With Thanks to Solaris and G R Matthews for an advanced readers copy of the book。 4* Overall a very strong novel with lots of avenues to explore。 The story is told through Multi POV - -General Bordan who leads a vast army and has given his life to the empire and is loyal to the throne。-Kyron， a magician's apprentice who is returning the late Emperor’s body to the capital。It effortlessly weaves roman history， battle strategy and religion with the unique elements of Matthews fantasy world。 Where t With Thanks to Solaris and G R Matthews for an advanced readers copy of the book。 4* Overall a very strong novel with lots of avenues to explore。 The story is told through Multi POV - -General Bordan who leads a vast army and has given his life to the empire and is loyal to the throne。-Kyron， a magician's apprentice who is returning the late Emperor’s body to the capital。It effortlessly weaves roman history， battle strategy and religion with the unique elements of Matthews fantasy world。 Where the novel does have a slower start it isn't "hard to read" the worldbuilding is gradual， removing the feeling of info dump often seen at the start of epic fantasy novels。 By around 60% I was barely able to put it down， the pace twists and turns and really drags you towards that brilliant conclusion。 。。。more

Shikha ，

RTC

Alyssa （Intotheheartwyld） ，

Thank you Netgalley and Solaris for the opportunity to read 'Seven Deaths of an Empire' early in exchange for an honest review。Lets start out by saying I am severely in the minority when it comes to this book。 This was without a doubt not the book for me even though I was super excited and pumped for it。 First let us start with why this book is a prime example as to why I hate when people/publishers compare books to other books。 The synopsis here on Goodreads starts with this:"A new grimdark fa Thank you Netgalley and Solaris for the opportunity to read 'Seven Deaths of an Empire' early in exchange for an honest review。Lets start out by saying I am severely in the minority when it comes to this book。 This was without a doubt not the book for me even though I was super excited and pumped for it。 First let us start with why this book is a prime example as to why I hate when people/publishers compare books to other books。 The synopsis here on Goodreads starts with this:"A new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark， GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。"There was nothing in this book that gave me vibes for any of these authors （minus Sparks as I have not read her work yet） There was also nothing Grimdark about this， I have read my share of grimdark books and this was not it。 This tag line created so many high expectations and I really hate when this happens。 IF this wasn't there I probably would have gone in with lower expectations but nope， I fell for this hook line and sinker， like they wanted to happen。 This is why I absolutely hate book comparison like this it creates a false hope， and why I tend to take them with a grain of salt， but no I was tricked this time。 You got me！Now as for the story goes， this was so dry， immediately out the gate I was met with a very numb and emotionless story， 20% in and there was just no feeling present at all and as it continued it got worse。 None of the characters stood out， I was actually highly annoyed with Kyron， and my feelings towards him never changed。 And as the story continued the dryness got worse and the lack of emotion became so heavy that it made me bored， tired， and sleepy。 I'm really good at picturing images in my head when I read and this evoked nothing from my imagination。 The overall story felt like it got lost within itself for the longest time。 You follow two point of views Bordan and Kyron， they switch back and fourth。 IF I had to choose who's I liked better it would have to be Bordan's chapters， but that's being kind。 Bordan's chapter were very repetitive and it felt like so many conversations just went in circles with the same information being talked about over and over again just in a different manner or with different characters。 And this is constant through the whole book。 While Kyron's chapters started out with a ton of whining， and for the longest time felt like the importance of transporting the dead emperor was forgotten as it felt like they where always camping。 Kyron was always complaining about using his magic， the bickering between him and curate was so forced and felt like a thorn in your side。 There is a particular part that really upset me with Kyron's lineage as well， you don't have to be apart of something to finally recognize that the way they are treated is unfair， that whole bit just really got under my skin。 I know a lot of people liked the tribes but I felt like they where there just to create tension of some sort or action in Kyron's portion of the story as they didn't stand out to me， and they just felt like they all of sudden appeared， and then were gone when no longer needed。There was also this frustrating writing device used that grated on my nerves but every time something exciting was finally going to happen the chapter ended and then when it finally went back to that portion of the story the event was already over， thusly not allowing me to see or read anything about it。 It happened more so in the start and the middle of the story and by the time the end came I was so burnt out on not being able to see any action that when the action finally started to show up it felt like it dragged on and it was so unstimulating， even the battles felt emotionless。 Deaths meant nothing me， any moments that where suppose to evoke my feelings fell flat， and that says a lot for me as I am extremely sensitive and can cry at any moment。The character building was something that bothered me immensely， I felt like I wasn't given any choice to decide how I should react to them。 Some of the characters where presented in a manner that it felt like I was being forced to react to them in a certain manner。 For example， the minute the prince was introduced everything his character did was so over the top of "I'm bad look at me" that it felt like I was being force fed the need to hate him， I wasn't given a choice to decide if I would hate him or like him， or even feel any kind of sympathy towards him and his plight。 This goes for Kyron， it felt like it was being force fed to me that he was whiny and annoying， because he did it all the time。 It just felt like if I was suppose to "like" them they where presented in a "likable" manner only， and if I was suppose to hate them they where presented in a "hateable" manner only。 Only one character really feels like they fall out of this and that was Godewyn， because he was the only who felt like I got the chance to see two different sides to （which unfortunately took the whole book to reveal and then it was very short lived）The end felt like it dragged on， after that big final battle I realized there was still another 10 chapters and I was beyond exasperated at that point。 Coming out of a very non exciting battle and into more story that felt like it ran in circles and started to repeat the same information over and over again I knew I was offically done with the story。 The Princess good lord really liked to repeat herself， which she was another character where I was like "ahh I'm suppose to hate this girl" she just became so unbearable。 And the overall finale just left me numb， the reveal of who did orchestrate everything came way to late for me， the unhinged accusations from the princess， the unlocked strong magic， just all of it too late for me。Now the magic， the last thing I have yet to talk about and its because I was so underwhelmed with it。 From other reviews I thought I was going to get this really wicked magic system， but all I got was confusion and flying motes， and I guess invisible magic that no one can see expect for magic users but sometimes can be seen by non magic users？！？ I don't know I really couldn't tell you。 I wasn't impressed with it nor was I even able to visualize it in my mind， and it felt like it wasn't present enough， but there was also this whole "i used my magic to talk to people" bit that got on my nerves， like can I see the characters do that？ No， oh okay。 So the magic， yah didn't cut it for me。Its left with the possibility of another book being added and if it does get more that will be great as there are plenty who did enjoy this and of course I want to see the author succeed， but for me I will most likely skip out on it。 This was without a doubt a case of "we just weren't meant to be" I was so pumped for this， so I am sad I didn't enjoy it。 I will keep my eye out for the author for something not in this world， there is potential in the writing， I just need more emotion。 。。。more

Mark Lawrence ，

Out today （June 22nd） in the US The headline is that this is a book which gathers speed and past the half-way mark begins to thunder towards an exciting conclusion。The setting is strongly Roman and the world-building draws heavily on history， mixing in magic and a simpler （easier to engage with than the Roman pantheon） religious side。The story is told through two points of view: in the capitol we have the aging highest ranked general in the empire， and in a distant tribes-held forest， a young ap Out today （June 22nd） in the US The headline is that this is a book which gathers speed and past the half-way mark begins to thunder towards an exciting conclusion。The setting is strongly Roman and the world-building draws heavily on history， mixing in magic and a simpler （easier to engage with than the Roman pantheon） religious side。The story is told through two points of view: in the capitol we have the aging highest ranked general in the empire， and in a distant tribes-held forest， a young apprentice magician。I'll deal with my two minor-ish gripes and finish with all the good stuff。 The first is that while the old man was immediately engaging （after an initial misstep where he seems to fairly gratuitously stab a messenger when alternatives easily suggest themselves）， the young apprentice was harder to care about。 When I say that Kyron spends a large portion of the book whining and moaning， it's not just my impression from his words - the majority of his dialogue tags are literally "he complained" "he whined" etc。 He does grow， and that's good， we like character arcs。 But he is somewhat insufferable to start with。The second is a writing thing。 The description in the book is curiously generic。 Few places are named - we have 'the woods' 'the town' 'the market' 'the plains'， and for me a smattering of detail makes things feel real and come to life。 Meals are described down to a certain level， we have platters of meats， bowls of fruit， trays of pastries， but I'm not sure a single fruit is named。 I recall multiple examples of someone eating or slicing 'fruit' or 'meat'， and just going that step further， making it an apple， or some pork， or whatever would have grounded me that bit more。 It's a writing thing and might only bother writers。There - we have those things out of the way。 Onto the good stuff！Seven Deaths has many deaths， lots of fighting， a twisty plot， intrigue， mystery， royalty with Joffrey-level disfunction 。。。 and with the groundwork in place it builds a head of steam such that I really enjoyed the race to the end。The combat and battle-magic was well done。 I wasn't always sure why our general was in the thick of the fighting or why our apprentice and a few priests seemed to be the only ones between the tribal hordes and the vital cargo 。。。 but I appreciated having a PoV in the midst of the battles， sharing the excitement， danger， and fear。The choice of a Roman setting was a good one， giving a new （ancient） vibe to the story and a pleasant change for anyone who has read too many pseudo medieval tales in a row。 Additionally， although the story is about the fate of a whole empire， it is in many ways a small scale story for epic fantasy。 This is GRM not GRRM。 The fate of the world isn't at stake， it's more a political issue。 And when it boils down to it， the focus is on a small army returning to the capitol through dangerous territory， and on a small group at the top of the power-pyramid in the capitol itself。 Despite its seeming scale the story is quite a parochial one， and again may be a welcome change to those that find epic fantasy scales the heights too quickly， putting the fate of life itself in the balance by page 12。Matthews' traditionally published debut is a solid effort that I enjoyed reading， and something I'd encourage you to try out if any of the praise it has pried from my ungenerous hands has struck a chord with you。Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes 。。。more

Josie ❃The Bubbly Book Reviewer❃ ，

Starts with a bang - the death of the Emperor （in the blurb） and what a great cover。Lots of interesting prose that is very well written。 But I found some things that were not believable。 The general is not with the army （yes he is old so maybe he gets a pass）， the continuance of the Emperor’s role depends on a magical amulet and they only send 500 honour guards to defend the body and the amulet all the way back through contested territory （whoever wears the amulet is the next Emperor）。 So there Starts with a bang - the death of the Emperor （in the blurb） and what a great cover。Lots of interesting prose that is very well written。 But I found some things that were not believable。 The general is not with the army （yes he is old so maybe he gets a pass）， the continuance of the Emperor’s role depends on a magical amulet and they only send 500 honour guards to defend the body and the amulet all the way back through contested territory （whoever wears the amulet is the next Emperor）。 So there is hardly any point waging a war in the North if the people of the tribes of the north get their hands on the amulet。 They will win anyway。This book just didn’t grip me and pull me in。 It felt like it had many lectures on how you should live a good life and maybe it would be a better choice for younger-than-me readers。Thank you to NetGalley & Rebellion Solaris for an advance copy。 。。。more

Rach_Reads ，

Thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishers for the arc。 For a debut， this is a very well written book。 The prose is beautiful and descriptive。 The characters are also really engaging and I enjoyed following both Kyron and Bordan's POVs and also many of the secondary characters。 Kyron goes through a bit of a growth arc as well， which helps to flesh him out from a whiny apprentice at the beginning of the book。However how the two characters are linked became clear fairly quickly。 Little shocked m Thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishers for the arc。 For a debut， this is a very well written book。 The prose is beautiful and descriptive。 The characters are also really engaging and I enjoyed following both Kyron and Bordan's POVs and also many of the secondary characters。 Kyron goes through a bit of a growth arc as well， which helps to flesh him out from a whiny apprentice at the beginning of the book。However how the two characters are linked became clear fairly quickly。 Little shocked me in this book as the foreshadowing was maybe a bit too clear。 Nonetheless， these twists added depth to the plot。I have seen Seven Deaths of an Empire described as a grimdark， and I'm not sure I would agree with that。 It doesn't have the bleakness and darker aspects I would expect to see in that genre。 However as the title suggests， there is a lot of deaths which are a natural part of an Empire at war both internally and externally。The Roman Empire influence is clear throughout the story， but doesn't overwhelm or detract from other elements of the story。The magic system is only loosely explained and the limitations of it are not very clear。 As we follow an apprentice magician there is some talk of the basics surrounding it， but not a huge amount of depth to it。Overall， Seven Deaths of an Empire was an enjoyable read and I would be interested in reading more from G R Matthews in future to see how he builds upon the skills shown in the book。 。。。more

Maria Pereira ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！ All the opinions expressed in this review are my own。Seven Deaths of an Empire is a new Grimdark Fantasy book inspired by the history of the Roman Empire。 In this story， the readers are introduced to a world full of turmoil as the ruler of the Empire is killed and the process of succession， filled with fighting， political manoeuvring and betrayals， begins。 Starting with the author’s writing Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！ All the opinions expressed in this review are my own。Seven Deaths of an Empire is a new Grimdark Fantasy book inspired by the history of the Roman Empire。 In this story， the readers are introduced to a world full of turmoil as the ruler of the Empire is killed and the process of succession， filled with fighting， political manoeuvring and betrayals， begins。 Starting with the author’s writing style， I enjoyed it quite a lot。 It was straight to the point and punctuated， from time to time， with interesting and beautiful metaphors that conveyed the feelings of the characters and the ambiance of the world。 Because of that I consider this book to be very accessible to readers who are used to big adult fantasy books and also to those who are just starting their journey through this genre。 The use of the double POV， alternating between General Bordan’s and Kyron’s story， is something that I appreciated because they made it possible to see different locations of the world。 The flashbacks at the start of every chapter are also a very nice and concise way to establish the nuances of those two characters’ relationship， without having to further prolong the story more than necessary。As for the characters themselves， I like that the author introduced us to two very different personalities。 On the one hand you have the General who always lives his life according to the values of duty and sacrifice for the good of the Empire and then you have an Apprentice Magician who is still very much a naive young boy， getting his first taste of life at the front lines of a conflict， when given the task to protect the late Emperor’s body。 It was very interesting to see that those characters had very different opinions about the world they lived in， even though it was the same。 I especially enjoyed Kyron’s growth throughout the book， even though I would have liked it more if his change of opinion originated from his own reasoning， instead on it being so dependent on Emlyn pointing things out for him。 The rest of the characters， for the most part， felt somewhat like props to me， like they were there just to further progress the story。 I think the book would have benefited if those individuals were more fleshed out before （some of them！） reached their demise。 The magic system and the world building are both parts of this story that I think have the potential to be further developed in future books， because they weren’t very detailed in this first instalment。 Overall， this is in my opinion， a great fantasy book that’s worth reading， whether you’re a veteran or a beginner to the adult fantasy genre！Star Rating: 3。5 ⭐ 。。。more

Mark ，

Very interesting way to write a book。 Told only by two of the main characters， nicely done by creating a bit more tension in the storytelling。 Really recommend this one to all my good read friends who read fantasy。

Steven Poore ，

[Originally posted on Fantasy Faction]History and fantasy have always been easy bedfellows。 Rather than just cuddling up under the covers however， Seven Deaths of an Empire wears its influences and heritage proudly， presenting the evidence as a golden standard at the head of a marching legion。 Imperial Rome is the template for GR Matthews’ first foray into epic fantasy， with his characters walking a venomous knife-edge of politics as one Emperor dies and another must be crowned。Part coming-of-ag [Originally posted on Fantasy Faction]History and fantasy have always been easy bedfellows。 Rather than just cuddling up under the covers however， Seven Deaths of an Empire wears its influences and heritage proudly， presenting the evidence as a golden standard at the head of a marching legion。 Imperial Rome is the template for GR Matthews’ first foray into epic fantasy， with his characters walking a venomous knife-edge of politics as one Emperor dies and another must be crowned。Part coming-of-age journey， part court intrigue and murder mystery， Matthews drives the pace of the story through fast-moving chapters that alternate between the two lead characters， resisting the temptation to broaden the scope and bring in other points of view。 He adds more depth to Bordan’s history with Kyron through short flashbacks at the beginning of each chapter， reinforcing the way both men feel about duty and service and how Bordan has instilled his values in his grandson。It is those values the book begins to question as the story develops: at what point does duty become a burden？ What if your service is to the wrong ideals？ What if the ideals of the Empire are actually harmful to all who live under it？ Young apprentice magician Kyron has a lot of questioning to do， in the company of mentor Padarn and their charge， a hostage named Emlyn from the savage， uncivilised Northern tribes the Empire campaigns against at the start of the story。 He faces hostility not only from the tribes， but from his own side too， as he and Padarn join the honour guard escorting the body of the dead Emperor back to the capital。 Matthews removes the foundations of Kyron’s faith in his Empire brick by brick through the magician’s chapters， culminating in a vision and revelation that force him to face a truth that had been kept from him。Meanwhile his grandfather Bordan， the Empire’s greatest living general， is being tested by his own crisis of faith—none of the Emperor’s children are suited to the crown， and yet the Empire must endure lest it falls。 Here Matthews uses Bordan， mired in politics and surrounded by uncertain allies， to show events spiralling out of control， a man of honesty undone by strategy。And with the refractions of Roman history within the story， it all rings true: riots in the markets of the city， the campaigns of the legions against the Northern tribes （aka the Gauls and Franks）， the death of the Emperor while on campaign （directly inspired by the death of Drusus the Elder in 9BC， perhaps？）， crucifixion of the Empire’s enemies， and particularly the battle scenes。 Matthews takes an unflinching look at the lines of battle and adds spice to the blood with a well-executed system of magic。 The book’s climax sees characters sacrificed for their ideals， and ideals sacrificed for justice， and the ground is well laid for an exciting sequel。Matthews gives a nod to David Eddings， but Seven Deaths of an Empire is both bloody， and bloody well written。 Fans of John Marco and John Gwynne have an excellent new addition to their shield wall。 。。。more

Peter ，

Absolutely fantastic！ This was such an anticipated read for me and it did not disappoint！ Everything from the epic world inspired by The Roman Empire to the skillfully handled political sections， to the cinematic battle scenes。 Coupled with an interesting magic system， and a character driven story this has been one of the best books I have read this year。 A full review will be on my。blog soon。

Red Beards Book Reviews ，

"Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of the Empire。"Seven Deaths of an Empire is a Grimdark Fantasy that draws most of its inspiration from the history of the Roman Empire。 We're thrown straight into action of a conquest to conquer the Northern tribes and bring them into the ever expanding territory of the Empire。 Everything is thrown into turmoil with the death of the emperor and the desperate need to get his body back to the capital。 This leads to an epic journey with shocking betray "Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of the Empire。"Seven Deaths of an Empire is a Grimdark Fantasy that draws most of its inspiration from the history of the Roman Empire。 We're thrown straight into action of a conquest to conquer the Northern tribes and bring them into the ever expanding territory of the Empire。 Everything is thrown into turmoil with the death of the emperor and the desperate need to get his body back to the capital。 This leads to an epic journey with shocking betrayals， brutal politics and an intriguing magic system。The characters in Seven Deaths of an Empire are definitely one of the strongest aspects of the book。 We follow two main POV's that are polar opposite so we get to see story from two completely different perspectives。 The first POV is General Bordan， a solider through and through whose spent his life protecting the Empire and its people。 Bordan reminded me of Maximus in Gladiator， a wise General whose respected by all and as loyal as they come。 The second POV is Apprentice Kyron， a magician whose joining the army on his first ever campaign。 Kyron is tasked with protecting the emperors body whilst it makes its dangerous journey through the forests of the tribes and back to the capital。 I absolutely loved the characters in this book。 Not only were the two main characters believable and extremely interesting， they had their own unique personalities that left you cheering for them throughout the book。 Then again， I also found the smaller characters to be fleshed out and very engaging。 There was definitely characters that I loved and others I absolutely hated。 This just goes to show the authors skill when it came to characters。The world-building was on point。 We spend most of are time flicking back and forth the forest of the northern tribes to the Palace in the capital which were very detailed and imaginative。 Both the characters experienced hostile surroundings whether it's protecting the emperors body in the forest or having to deal with the poisonous politics from power hungry Dukes。 We only really get to see the capital， parts of the forrest and the odd village or town yet Matthews made it feel like a massive adventure。My favourite part of Seven Deaths of an Empire is no doubt the fighting and the magic system。 The fighting was a classic illustration of the Roman war tactics and fighting styles。 It doesn't matter how many times its been used in books， I still find it absolutely fascinating。 Matthews doesn't hold back when it comes to how brutal and gruesome war can be， you have to appreciate the level of detail that was put into the fight scenes。The magic system in this book is solid and something I really enjoyed reading about。 As we follow Kyron， we slowly get to know more about the history， schools and how it's used which is shown through Kryons development as a magician。 I absolutely loved the use of magic during the fights。 I've always found Roman fighting techniques and strategies extremely interesting， so when this is combined with magic it lead to some explosive and entertaining battles and fighting scenes。For me， Seven deaths of an empire ticked all the boxes， engaging characters， intriguing magic system， solid world-building and a fascinating plot that was completely gripping from start to finish。 Seven Deaths of an Empire is one of the best books of 2021 and a must read book for fantasy readers！Thanks to Netgalley， Rebellion and G。 R。 Matthews for providing me with a copy to ready and review。 5/5 Stars 。。。more

Kaffeeklatsch and Books ，

First of all， amazing cover and great title！ This definitely caught my eye immediately。 However the marketing team laid it on a bit thick throwing names like GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。 Promises like this make me have quite high expectations as a reader。 Altogether it was an enjoyable reading experience， mainly because the author is a talented writer and I would read more in the future， however now we're coming to the parts I had some issues with。 Firstly the world set up， weaponry， names and First of all， amazing cover and great title！ This definitely caught my eye immediately。 However the marketing team laid it on a bit thick throwing names like GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。 Promises like this make me have quite high expectations as a reader。 Altogether it was an enjoyable reading experience， mainly because the author is a talented writer and I would read more in the future， however now we're coming to the parts I had some issues with。 Firstly the world set up， weaponry， names and culture is pretty much our Roman Empire except for the magic system。 Instead of a fantasy it reads more like a historical fiction book with some magical elements。 I was hoping for something more unique and was disappointed。 The two main characters Kyron the apprentice and General Bordan were interesting enough， but again not outstanding。 The murder mystery aspect I kind of saw coming and the royal family felt like a crazy rip off Lannister clan， especially the prince could've been replaced with Geoffrey （here I understand the GRR Martin comparison）。 I understand that the ending was sort of left open for potential further volumes in the series， but if it's turning out to be a standalone， it wouldn't be a satisfying ending for me personally （I don't like open endings）。 Thank you Netgalley and Rebellion for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 I would recommend this to readers who are just starting out with fantasy or looking for a book that is more historical fantasy。 It is still fast paced enough， but be aware that there are quite a few violent scenes in there。 I would try more from this author in the future。 。。。more

Dawn ，

I love it when a book manages to pull you right into the story from the very first page， and "Seven Deaths of an Empire" did just that。 It is a fantastic story， it's written brilliantly， has great characters， is set in a solid and believable world， and just has that feeling of "rightness" that I look for in a fantasy。 Definitely one for the re-read shelf。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 I love it when a book manages to pull you right into the story from the very first page， and "Seven Deaths of an Empire" did just that。 It is a fantastic story， it's written brilliantly， has great characters， is set in a solid and believable world， and just has that feeling of "rightness" that I look for in a fantasy。 Definitely one for the re-read shelf。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more

Ray Curto ，

I was given a free copy of Seven Deaths of an Empire by GR Matthews （author）， Solaris （publisher）， and Net Galley to provide an honest review。 This review will be spoiler free。I would characterize Seven Deaths of an Empire as epic fantasy。The world-building appeared to be something akin to European， possibly western European， and takes place in a large city and the countryside and in a pre-industrial age。 Mr。 Matthews does a commendable job in creating the setting that is interesting including s I was given a free copy of Seven Deaths of an Empire by GR Matthews （author）， Solaris （publisher）， and Net Galley to provide an honest review。 This review will be spoiler free。I would characterize Seven Deaths of an Empire as epic fantasy。The world-building appeared to be something akin to European， possibly western European， and takes place in a large city and the countryside and in a pre-industrial age。 Mr。 Matthews does a commendable job in creating the setting that is interesting including sights and sounds。 I， however， as I continued to the read the story that it did not add nor detract from the story but serves the story。The magic system is an important part of the story and provides a layer of complexity。 One of the two main characters is a young mage in training， mostly in school， and seems to get his first taste of what it is like to be mage in the field including battles。 In this story， there is antagonism between mages and healers。 The healers are represented by church which has an important role in shaping public policy and has the ear of the emperor。 Only a few people can practice and magic。 The mages at the school （possibly， a university or college） find and test these people， and then train them in the school。 Political intrigue is important in this story and provides another layer of complexity。 The second of the two main characters is general who tries to navigate a fraught situation which could explode in an uprising or a coup while trying to maintain a cool head and a stoic front while counseling the emperor and empress。For the most part， I did not find them compelling or engaging。 I think the arcs for the two main characters are not unique， but I found the story interesting enough to finish reading the novel。 I found a few of the side characters such as the mage who is the head of the order， the healer who is the head of the church， the woman who is the guide for the young mage， and young mage’s mentor。 I think I would have preferred if some of the side characters had their own points of view in addition to the two main characters。I think Mr。 Matthews’ writing is the strongest aspect of this story because I continued reading because I did not find too many dead spots or a mushy middle， but the plot continues to move forward。 I rate Seven Deaths of an Empire 3 stars。I would like to thank GR Matthews， Solaris， and Netgalley for the free arc。 。。。more

TheDigressiveApproach ，

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the opinions expressed in this review are my own。---This was terrific！ I was not sure if this had a Roman military setting until I started reading and that was the first of many pleasant suprises！The pacing is immaculate and likely to keep you anticipating the start of each chapter。 Although I initially felt the writing to be a bit lacking in terms of description and character interac Huge thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the opinions expressed in this review are my own。---This was terrific！ I was not sure if this had a Roman military setting until I started reading and that was the first of many pleasant suprises！The pacing is immaculate and likely to keep you anticipating the start of each chapter。 Although I initially felt the writing to be a bit lacking in terms of description and character interactions， it was quickly remedied by around the 5% mark。 The rest of the book had a consistently vivid and smooth writing style。I truly loved the characters and how developed they were。 The action sequences was really well-written and explained military maneuvers and terms without infodumps。I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an amazing start to a new series focusing on Roman politics and military。Overall rating: 5/5 stars！ 。。。more

Di Maitland ，

G。 R。 Matthews is not currently a well known author but I think he'll gain popularity with this book。 I loved it。 The plot drew me in from the start and I loved the forest settings and the rather unconventional heroes。 "Control the army and you can impose your will on a country on Empire。" General Bordan is sixty and starting to feel his years。 When his friend， the Emperor， dies whilst on campaign， Bordan must hold together the capital until the heir can be crowned。 Far away to the north， Appr G。 R。 Matthews is not currently a well known author but I think he'll gain popularity with this book。 I loved it。 The plot drew me in from the start and I loved the forest settings and the rather unconventional heroes。 "Control the army and you can impose your will on a country on Empire。" General Bordan is sixty and starting to feel his years。 When his friend， the Emperor， dies whilst on campaign， Bordan must hold together the capital until the heir can be crowned。 Far away to the north， Apprentice Magician Kyron and his Master are tasked with accompanying the Emperor's body as it's returned to the capital through enemy territory。The plot seems simple at first but gains complexity and momentum as it goes。 It's the first time I've read a book where the title played an active role in how I read the story。 I knew to expect seven deaths， so when the plot slowed but we'd only had four， I knew that there was a lot more to look forward to。 （Oddly， I'm not sure we ever did reach seven deaths but that proved unimportant by the end。 （view spoiler）[Of the significant characters， I counted: 1） The emperor 2） Alhard 3） The empress 4） Padarn 5） Bordan 6） Aelia （hide spoiler）]）The story is told from two different perspectives and the protagonists couldn't have been more different。 Kyron is seventeen and a nervous， diminutive boy。 He's well intentioned and does his best， but is slow to learn and doesn't always think for himself。 He does， however， inspire friendship and loyalty in others – sometimes more than he， perhaps， deserves – and won't be pushed over or trodden on。 I found him sweet （though I did want to give him a good kicking at times）， and I enjoyed watching him grow and learn。Bordan， meanwhile， is both a soldier and a politician。 He'll make the hard choices when he has to， but isn't going to throw away the lives of his men for frivolous pursuits。 He can lead， and does his best to guide the leadership of others， but， at the end of the day， he will do what his monarch demands of him， no matter the cost。 He was far more patient and understanding with Prince Alhard and Princess Aelia than I would ever have been， and far more friendly and trusting of Godewyn and Vedrix than I would have expected。 Both warmed him to me and increased my admiration of him tenfold。 "Will you two stop joking and fencing with each other？ Can't you see I am having a last minute panic about his whole idea，" Bordan said， flicking the reins in irritation。 "Last thoughts are to be expected， General，" Godewyn said。 "A least that is what I say to nervous grooms and worried brides on their day of joining。" Emlyn， the tribal guide， I knew I'd like from the start， if only because my brother is called Emlyn and I've never seen the name in a book before。 I found her surprisingly diligent in her work and knew there had to be more to her story than first appeared。 Padarn， Kyron's Master， I loved。 He was wise and sweet and an inspiration to teachers everywhere。 "I will be stabbing a tree in a minute，" he said。 "Me too， sir，" the soldier said。 "Get your own tree，" Bordan said， his smile growing wider。 "Plenty to choose from。" The story itself was inspired by Roman history has an interesting underlying commentary on the value and consequences of imperialism。 It's set in a secondary world which reminded me somewhat of Britain， perhaps because of the dimensions of the continent or perhaps because of the forest setting， its tribal residents， and the magic system based upon motes and nets and the power of life itself。 I hope we get to see more of this in the next book。 "We're bringing peace and civilisation，" he answered， though vision of death and smoking pyres clouded his mind。 "Civilisation just means a way of living，" she replied， her knife moving smoothly along the wood，" and we have that。 One of our own， not yours。 And how do you bring peace？ At the tip of a sword or javelin。" There's no doubt at all that I will be reading the next book。 The ending took a far darker turn that I was expecting， especially given how moderate the rest of the book was， and I'm desperate to know what happens next。 I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a well written， epic fantasy novel。 As epic fantasy goes， it's an easy read but gives good bang for its buck。 。。。more

love， luc ，

Thanks to the publisher （Rebellion Publishing via Netgalley） for providing this ebook ！！"A long history of service to the Empire，" Bordan said， rising his goblet in salute。 "It bends and flexes but never breaks"Perfect for fans of the Roman Empire and Game of Thrones， Seven Deaths of an Empire provides a very entertaining read filled with interesting settings， likeable characters， magic， treasonous plots againts the throne， family， religion and intolerance issues， bloody battles and epicness tha Thanks to the publisher （Rebellion Publishing via Netgalley） for providing this ebook ！！"A long history of service to the Empire，" Bordan said， rising his goblet in salute。 "It bends and flexes but never breaks"Perfect for fans of the Roman Empire and Game of Thrones， Seven Deaths of an Empire provides a very entertaining read filled with interesting settings， likeable characters， magic， treasonous plots againts the throne， family， religion and intolerance issues， bloody battles and epicness that has you standing on the edge trying to guess what's going to happen next until the very end！ With a smooth writing style and fast pace perfect for everyone entering the epic fantasy genre。I personally found it very light and interesting to read and the topics it addresses， like religion differences， xenophobia or war aftermath， are treated in a way everyone can relate to。 。。。more

Paige ，

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。I completely adored this book， I normally don't find fantasy books that fly by but this one absolutely did。 It was one of those ones where you look up and you've read 100 pages without even realising。 That's how engaged I was。 I'm deviating a little bit here for some context。 In G。 R。 Matthews' bios it's mentioned that he has read and loved Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings。 Pawn of Prophecy is the start to a multi-series fantasy th I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。I completely adored this book， I normally don't find fantasy books that fly by but this one absolutely did。 It was one of those ones where you look up and you've read 100 pages without even realising。 That's how engaged I was。 I'm deviating a little bit here for some context。 In G。 R。 Matthews' bios it's mentioned that he has read and loved Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings。 Pawn of Prophecy is the start to a multi-series fantasy that was my intro to fantasy as a kid。 I read and re-read these books more times than I can count， I challenged myself to read them in a day， I read them over and over again。 Basically for a while my reading just consisted of David Eddings' work。 This might seem like a bit of an odd deviation but basically what I'm saying is that Seven Deaths of an Empire gave me serious Pawn of Prophecy vibes and I was here for it。 This book has all the makings of a great fantasy。 Big battles， political intrigue and magic systems。 But somehow it doesn't get bogged down in all this。 Matthews writes battle scenes with ease and with a grace that is hard to find elsewhere。 I usually get a bit confused in battle scenes and just hope that at the end an overview is given of who beat who and who is still alive。 However Matthews uses one of our characters to describe battles in a way that is easy to follow。 You know what is happening， you can follow the beats and it just worked so well for me。 We follow two points of view， and they work in alternating chapters。 You get General Bordan， who is all about duty and loyalty to the Empire， and is within the inner circle of the Emperor and his family。 Then you get Apprentice Magician Kyron who is out in the war party， and is given the duty of escorting the Emperor's body home。 These two alternate within wonderfully short and snappy chapters。 It means you're never far away from one characters journey and it makes it easy to keep up with the more complicated aspects of the plot。 They also make great juxtapositions to each other， as Bordan is so loyal to the Empire while Kyron is learning about life outside the Empire and how it might not be all that it seems。 I LOVED this。 It felt pretty unusual for the ruling empire to be taken apart in this way。 Rather than Kyron seeing it as this purely benevolent force he begins to learn about why the tribes don't want to be conquered， and he begins to see the less-than-great elements of this Empire that he was raised to love。 This is also something you experience in Bordan's chapters， where he has access to the Emperor's family， and more specifically his children。 They act in ways that will shock you， and again， it's refreshing to be given that insight into why the Empire isn't quite all it's made out to be。 Kyron is an Apprentice Magician and so he's learning how to use and control his magic throughout the course of the book。 It gives the reader a chance to learn how the magic system works without any long explanations。 I hope the magic system is explored further as the series progresses because there's definitely more to it than meets the eye！ This portion of the books gave me some serious Garion/Belgarath vibes and it made me love the book even more than I already was。 （See why I felt it necessary to rant about Pawn of Prophecy at the start？）。 Political intrigue is usually something I shy away from a little bit in books， because I find remembering names and attaching names to actions tough at times。 However Matthews made it easy for me to keep up。 Honestly for me this was a breath of fresh air and even with all the twists and turns I knew who and was who， and what they had been accused of。 It meant that Bordan's chapters were something I looked forward to as we unravelled the plot and learnt more about those who ruled the Empire。 The last 50 pages of this book are a ride。 Like usually books start winding down at this point and you start to maybe have some threads wrapped up。 Instead Matthews takes his plot and runs full force towards the ending。 I found myself completely caught up in the plot and I really didn't want it to end。 Now I have that wait for the sequel and to be honest it's going to be a struggle。 If you want a fantasy you'll devour in a matter of days， this one is for you。 It's somehow complicated but easy to follow。 With some characters you'll completely adore and some twists that you'll never guess Matthews has written an absolute winner here。 。。。more

James ，

From the very start of Mr。 Matthews' Seven Deaths of an Empire， it is apparent that quite a bit of work went into it; especially the extensive world building。 The effort paid off as this is a big time start to a big time series。I became lost in this story after about the fourth page and just went along for a very enjoyable ride。 I thought that the relationships between the characters was excellent。 I thought a nice touch was during skirmishes （no world shaking battles yet） foot shoulders would a From the very start of Mr。 Matthews' Seven Deaths of an Empire， it is apparent that quite a bit of work went into it; especially the extensive world building。 The effort paid off as this is a big time start to a big time series。I became lost in this story after about the fourth page and just went along for a very enjoyable ride。 I thought that the relationships between the characters was excellent。 I thought a nice touch was during skirmishes （no world shaking battles yet） foot shoulders would advise or instruct the apprentice on how to protect himself and to his credit， he would comply。 The impression I had was， we are all in this together and we will look after each other。I'm looking forward to the next two books in this series。 Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more

Amanda ，

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This was a decent story that I could see being made into a movie， but I can’t say it particularly stood out to me。 Maybe this is because I was expecting a little more due to how this book was marketed as “grimdark”; there’s nothing in here that I haven’t read before in YA fantasy books。 This book follows two POVs。 The first is a young magician called Kyron， who is very much the naive young f Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This was a decent story that I could see being made into a movie， but I can’t say it particularly stood out to me。 Maybe this is because I was expecting a little more due to how this book was marketed as “grimdark”; there’s nothing in here that I haven’t read before in YA fantasy books。 This book follows two POVs。 The first is a young magician called Kyron， who is very much the naive young fantasy protagonist。 Although he was a fairly generic character archetype， there were some interesting topics raised in his chapters， like his complicated heritage or his anger issues， but I wish the book had explored these topics more to give his character more depth。General Borden， the second POV， is much older than the typical fantasy protagonist and offers something a little more interesting。 You could really feel his tiredness but also his dedication to duty。 However， a lot of Borden’s chapters deal with political intrigue， but I felt they weren’t fleshed out enough to be truly intriguing。 Unfortunately， I found the characters， from the politicians to the Emperor’s children to the High Priest to be very flat， and I thought it was pretty easy to see what was going on which made these parts of the book feel painfully slow。 The last few chapters are exciting and explosive， and I enjoyed them but they felt rushed in comparison to the earlier chapters。Overall， I see a lot of potential in the world and characters of this story， but I’d like to see more depth all around。 。。。more

shauna ，

Warning。。。 this is a page turner。 You may find yourself reading this at the wee hours of the morning， thinking， ‘just one more page。’Like a literary version of the TV show 24， the chapters have a way of leaving you on either a cliff-hanger or on the verge of a new discovery。All my reviews are spoiler free， but I do give a short a blurb - something similar to what you’ll see on the back of the book - just so I can discuss the concept and world。 This only goes into events in the first couple of ch Warning。。。 this is a page turner。 You may find yourself reading this at the wee hours of the morning， thinking， ‘just one more page。’Like a literary version of the TV show 24， the chapters have a way of leaving you on either a cliff-hanger or on the verge of a new discovery。All my reviews are spoiler free， but I do give a short a blurb - something similar to what you’ll see on the back of the book - just so I can discuss the concept and world。 This only goes into events in the first couple of chapters。 The Emperor is dead。The amulet that he wears must be given to his son， Prince Alhard， before he can be crowned。。。 The only problem is that the Emperor has died far away from the capital。General Bordan orders a cohort of soldiers to escort the body home， through a forest where thousands of newly conquered barbarians live。 A magician and his master travel with the cohort， using their magic to preserve the body of the dead emperor。The journey is fraught with danger， not only from the hostile barbarians， but also from the scheming Dukes of the capital。 For whoever has the amulet is the new Emperor - and not everybody wants Prince Alhard in charge of an Empire。And so there we are - a great premise - and two fantastic POV characters to follow。 The General， who tries to protect Prince Alhard， and his sister， Princess Aelia， from the dangers of court。 And a magician apprentice， Kyron， who is learning how to use his magic as he protects the body of the dead Emperor。We also have a great supporting cast。 Religious zealots， a spoilt royal family， slimy dukes， and a barbarian tracker with questionable loyalties。I enjoyed both POV characters and they were both different enough to give their chapters a distinctive flavour。 Themes of loyalty， the meaning of empire， of peace and freedom are explored， but not in a preachy way。 This isn’t a book that lets itself get bogged down in lengthy expositions and both sides of the argument are observed by the main characters。 In terms of setting， this is based on the Roman Empire。 The link is very tangible。 In fact， I don’t even remember the name of the capital， in my mind it’s just Rome。 I love historical fantasy and I love this era of history in particular， so I found this actually quite immersive。 I felt like I knew what the city looked like， as well as the northern forests that the cohort must march through to get home。 For those wanting a unique setting， this perhaps won’t satisfy， though there is enough to differentiate it for someone who doesn’t mind。I would also add that the magical system is NOT based on the pagan gods of the Roman Empire and the main religion of ‘The Flame’ isn’t the same as Christianity。 These both give another layer of difference。The chapters weave together really well。 At times you know trouble is coming before the character does， at other times you know a character has just lied because of something you’ve discovered from the other perspective。 There is also a mystery to unfold。 At the start of every chapter there is a short extract。 Who is the boy？ Who is his grandfather？ This mystery is linked to the narrative and at the end everything comes together。 As I have mentioned， the pace is brisk， and once we get to the last 1/3 it moves very rapidly。 It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a plot move me along at this speed， and I enjoyed that。 I’m usually in the “character-driven” camp when it comes to stories， but I found this had enough of that to sustain the more plot-driven sequences。There were also some shocking twists。 On two occasions I was very sure I knew where the story was heading， only to have the opposite happen。 This again really elevated the story and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel。Overall this is a great debut。 I’d say it will be a hit for fans of The Last Kingdom and Simon Scarrow - as well as those who have enjoyed historical influenced fantasy like Game of Thrones or Blood Song。 。。。more

Becca （Horners_book_corner） ，

"Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of an empire。"Mother forking magical fireballs！ I really enjoyed this dramatic， politics filled， tale of an empire told from the perspective of an Apprentice Magician and a super big-job General。 Did I guess the main villain？！ Hells NO。 Did I want to read the next book immediately？！ Heck YES。 Seven Deaths of an Empire kind of reminded me of elements of classic high fantasy series like the Belgariad， and a bit of Mistborn。 You get to experience great "Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of an empire。"Mother forking magical fireballs！ I really enjoyed this dramatic， politics filled， tale of an empire told from the perspective of an Apprentice Magician and a super big-job General。 Did I guess the main villain？！ Hells NO。 Did I want to read the next book immediately？！ Heck YES。 Seven Deaths of an Empire kind of reminded me of elements of classic high fantasy series like the Belgariad， and a bit of Mistborn。 You get to experience great world building through the medium of travel and learn the history of the land through both beginner and experienced sets of eyes。 At points， I was actively counting deaths on my fingers to prepare myself how many more/who else might go 😂🤦‍♀️。So happy to have had the opportunity to read this， thank you to @rebellionpublishing for providing me with an early copy！If you like the sound of it， I *believe* that @goldsboro might have signed editions available for pre-order 🤩😱。 。。。more

Erin ，

🔥⚔ BOOK REVIEW ⚔🔥 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 by @g_r_matthews🌟 🌟 🌟🌟 🌟 /5𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱。 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲。What a start fucking start to a series！ I devoured this over two days， but had life not got in the way it would have been one sitting。This book tells us the story about what transpires after the Emperor dies suddenly through the POVs of two great characters。The first is that of an old General who has been loyal to the Emperor and Emipre since he was young。 His story introduces us to t 🔥⚔ BOOK REVIEW ⚔🔥 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 by @g_r_matthews🌟 🌟 🌟🌟 🌟 /5𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱。 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲。What a start fucking start to a series！ I devoured this over two days， but had life not got in the way it would have been one sitting。This book tells us the story about what transpires after the Emperor dies suddenly through the POVs of two great characters。The first is that of an old General who has been loyal to the Emperor and Emipre since he was young。 His story introduces us to the imperial family， political players and just the absolute shit show of trying to hold it together and protect the heir to the Empire alive until he can be crowned the new Emperor。Our second POV is from a young magicians apprentice called Kyron。 He and his master are part of the escourt that are returning the dead Emperors back to the capital city to be buried and pass on the special， shiny， emperors medallion。 Through Kyron and the characters he is travelling with we learn the magic system， the state of the empire outwith the capital and the religious ways of the Empire。Matthews has done fantastic character and world building。 This book ticks a lot of my boxes - scheming， morally grey characters， a good magic system， stabbing， drawn aspects from actual history。I'm normally good at sussing a plot out， but this threw me off and kept me guessing。 I cannot wait to own this in hardback as I LOVE the cover soooo much。I would say that if you like Joe Abercrombie's First law books， then check this out。Thanks to @Netgalley for giving me an earc copy for an honest review。 。。。more

Dominic ，

** Review copy supplied by Netgalley， with my thanks to them and to the publisher， Rebellion / Solaris **Seven Deaths of an Empire， by G。R。 Matthews， is labelled as “a new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark， GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。” The Emperor is dead， and his body must be returned to the capital for the succession ceremony to be completed。 The book has two points of view – the young mage accompanying the body of the late Emperor， and the general of the Empire’s army， back in t ** Review copy supplied by Netgalley， with my thanks to them and to the publisher， Rebellion / Solaris **Seven Deaths of an Empire， by G。R。 Matthews， is labelled as “a new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark， GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence。” The Emperor is dead， and his body must be returned to the capital for the succession ceremony to be completed。 The book has two points of view – the young mage accompanying the body of the late Emperor， and the general of the Empire’s army， back in the capital with the Imperial family。With political intrigue on one side， and a journey through hostile lands on the other， there’s plenty to get your teeth into。 Rather than a delicious feast however， it was more like a standard run of the mill dish。PlotThe plot here is relatively straightforward – the Emperor is killed while on a military campaign， attempting to conquer the tribesmen of the northern forests。 An honour guard is tasked with escorting his body back to the capital， in the presence of a mage and his apprentice， who will use their powers to preserve the body for the duration of the journey。Although they are travelling through lands that have， ostensibly， been conquered， that does not mean they are friendly。 And it’s not only the enemy that the honour guard have to watch out for…Back in the capital， the general receives news of the Emperor’s death and must inform the Imperial family。 From there， he finds himself preparing the heir for the succession ceremony – a prince who the general knows full well is not yet ready to rule。Meanwhile， suspicions are raised that there’s a plot to intercept the Emperor’s body and claim power， so the general must hunt for traitors within the ruling council of the Empire。The MacGuffin of the story is an amulet worn by the Emperor， which forms part of the succession ceremony。 When being crowned， the new Emperor is presented with the amulet and from wearing it， gains access to the memories （and wisdom） of the previous Emperors。By intercepting the Emperor’s body before it gets to the capital， rebel agents hope to use the amulet to crown themselves Emperor instead of the legitimate heir。 CharactersThe two main characters share the book’s chapters almost evenly – each chapter title alternates between “The General” and “The Magician”， and starting out with a flashback from one of the characters （the same character throughout）。These flashbacks are not related to the chapter they precede， so almost seem a bit out of place – especially once you realise which character they relate to， and that the character may not even appear in the following chapter。The General is Bordan， an aging soldier close to （but not ready for） retirement。 His men adore him， and would follow him anywhere， and in any course of action。 It’s not clear why Bordan remains in the capital rather than going to war with his Emperor and the army Bordan himself commands。 This does of course， give us the second point of view， and the storyline of political intrigue。The character itself is nothing new， but Bordan is well enough written that his chapters are easy to get into and to become invested in his character。At the edges of the Empire， the chapters titled “The Magician” give us Kyron， apprentice to the master magician Padarn。 Kyron is a young mage still learning his craft， and while he’s with the army he continues with his training。These chapters largely deal with Kyron trying to come to term with his slow progress， and give us a good insight into the magic system on display。 They also show us a bit more of the world， its history and its people。There are instances where Kyron’s character is a bit too annoying to my tastes， and on occasion he jumps inexplicably through barriers that previously held him back in his magic， just in the nick of time。WorldbuildingOne issue I found with the book was the worldbuilding。 While mostly standard fare， there was just too much for me that had been taken from our own world history。 The Empire is clearly a take on our own Roman Empire， with weapons， armour， naming conventions and more being familiar to any with a decent enough grasp of our history。The world itself contains a river called the Rubicon， close to the city of Cesena – and there’s a scene where it appears the crossing of this river is akin to the point of no return with Julius Caesar， which gave rise to the phrase “crossing the Rubicon”。The magic on the other hand， was well presented。 Kyron’s learning gives us plenty of opportunity to explore the capabilities and restrictions of the magic system。 In battle for instance， we get to see the workings of “motes” of magic， and nets being cast to hunt out magic users in the enemy lines。At one point， Kyron feels useless， not knowing the same spells as his master and feeling therefore that he is a liability。 He experiments with spells he does know， and tries to extrapolate from there something that would be of use – he can create flame， so can he set an enemy combatant on fire？ Can he use fire to create a barrier？ Can he create a flaming sword？ This section， for me， gives the best insight into the character， despite it only being a brief moment easily overlooked。OverallOverall， I felt this was a good book， but was lacking a bit too much to be a great one。 The pacing was a little slow， especially to start off with， and sometimes I felt there wasn’t enough happening in one chapter to warrant its inclusion in the middle of action in the alternating storyline。The characters were likeable without being outstanding， and the plot similarly so。 The worldbuilding just didn’t work for me， with too many elements lifted from our world and not enough moulding done to fit them naturally into this fantasy world。Fans of historical fantasy will probably be right at home with this world， and likely enjoy the book much more than I did。 As it is though， for me there were just too many negatives for the positives to outweigh。 。。。more

Nic M ，

Great story full of twists and turns。 This is one for classical fantasy fans。 I felt so nostalgic reading this！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Seven Deaths of an Empire

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Seven Deaths of an Empire&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

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