The Tethered God by Noah Brisk

Published 22nd September 2026

★★★.5

I was offered an ALC of the audiobook and jumped at the chance, as grimdark fantasy is my bread and butter. An MC in their 40s was also a big draw for me, and there’s something nice about reading about someone similar in age to yourself.
 

What I enjoyed was the world building, and the unique and intriguing magic system. The second half of the book is where the story really gets into gear, and I was more invested in things after the midway point. In the first half I wish we could have swapped out some of the battle scenes with the NPCs so we could sit more with Bran and Seren and really watch their relationship develop a bit more. I noticed a few other people felt there was a lack of depth to the main duo, and it does let things down a bit. I also found the repetition of words and phrases very distracting, something I feel was highlighted as this was the audiobook version.
 

In terms of action, gore, horrors and all of the usual grimdark goodness…this book brings them in dripping barrel loads. 

 Mystery of the Pale King by Sam Flynn 

Published 17th September 2024

★★★★★

This is a hidden gem of a dark fantasy. Flynn seamlessly takes the reader from a fairly typical fantasy tale into something closer to a Lovecraftian horror, sprinkled with glimpses of Marlon Brando in The Island of Doctor Moreau and a hint of Stephen King’s It. That’s a concoction I am here for!
 

We follow Faron, the page of Bishop (an actual Bishop) who is being sent by the church to deal with The Hero of Hathur. The Hero is running his lands dry financing a play, the titular Mystery of the Pale King. Who or what is the Pale King? Why is he risking everything for this play in a Caligula-esque display?
 

Flynn has a knack for creating atmosphere that I haven’t seen in many books, and painting vivid images in the mind that is deeply unsettling at times. All while weaving in little hints to later reveals that land with excellent impact.
 

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys classic horror, dark fantasy or the weird. It is criminal that more people haven’t read this!

Wolves of Empire by L. E. Garrison

Published 16th November 2026

★★★★★

Epic. Brutal. Heartbreaking. Just a few of the words that are needed to describe Wolves of Empire.
 

Garrison has been on my radar for some time, and this is the first time I’ve actually had eyes on the page of one of their books. I was not disappointed!
 

Wolves takes place in a world that has been carefully created, and dances a delightful line between demonic, magical and gritty. I feel as though we only touch the surface to some much, much deeper lore than will hopefully come out in the next book. Which I’m already excited for!
 

What I wasn’t prepared for were the emotion gut punches of tested family and romantic bonds. Something that can feel thin if not done properly. Garrison absolutes excels at this.
 

There’s plenty here for Grimdark and epic fantasy and fans with duels, multi army battles, assassinations and torture. Add a pinch of smexy times and we are all set.
 

All the stars!

The Godsblood Tragedy By Bill Adams

Published 23rd July 2024

★★★★★

An incredible science-fantasy epic, teeming with rebellion, unique magic and well crafted characters. I flew through the audiobook, and was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the time.
There is so much that is unique about this world and story, that I can’t go into it all here, but it all comes together into a gorgeous, cinematic experience. There’s still enough of the traditional fantasy tropes of chosen one, orphaned reluctant hero and a prophesy to make a die hard fantasy reader feel at home, but with Adams’ own twist to make it stand out.
Definitely one of the best reads of my year so far. 

The Envoys of War by Dave Lawson

Published 19th October 2024

★★★★

  I went in to Envoys right after completing Pawns of Havoc. To preface this review, my usual taste in books is much darker and grittier, but for sheer entertainment value this was still very much something I’m glad I listened to/read.
 

The character work is top notch, and the interactions between them are a delight. The banter and inner monologues had me in stitches at times, and like many others have said, Gen is my favourite. No one is perfect, and each one of them is interesting and unique.
 

If you are looking for an action filled mission gone wrong, with twists and turns, and an example of perfectly balanced multi-POV, this won’t disappoint.

Inquisitors: A Tale of Love and Damnation By Paul G. Zareith

Published 1st July 2026

★★★★★

A perfect cure for the Lovecraftian horror itch crawling beneath your skin.
 

I seem to recall Zareith saying this was an experiment in character driven story telling. As it’s the first work of his I’ve read, I’d say he has nailed it perfectly. Our protagonist is a brooding veteran turned inquisitor with a history we learn as he goes about his unpleasant work. The setting is deliciously descriptive, painting a kingdom on the verge of collapse, for reasons I won’t spoil here.

This is precisely the kind of atmospheric, almost poetic Grimdark world I adore, so top marks from me!

The Pawns of Havoc by Dave Lawson

Published 29th May 2025

★★★★★

A fun and bloody little novella!

I needed something light and easy to do a listen/read combo and this was an excellent pick. Cork is a very likeable MC with a wonderful and unique voice. It’s not often I get quickly attached to a character, especially in the space of a novella, so this is a testament to great writing by Lawson.

As a way to hook someone into the main novel this is well crafted as I want to know more, so I’m off to read/listen to the next book now.

Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs by Adam Bassett

Published 3rd February 2026

★★★.75

 I have to preface this review by saying this is not the sort of book I usually read….and yet…..and yet this one got under my skin in a good way.
 

I listened to the audiobook of this cozy horror novella, and I’m glad I did as I may not have stuck with the written story. Which would have been a shame with hindsight. The Eastern European/Russian inspired world is intriguing and beautifully written, with a mysterious darkness surrounding what appears to be the last pocket of humanity in existence.
 

It feels very much like the start of something much bigger, and I’m left with plenty of unanswered questions that make me curious for the upcoming sequel. There’s a history to the world that we only scratch the surface of via our young MC, and the sensation of isolation is palpable throughout.
 

The second half of the story is definitely where things get interesting, so push through the slower start, and you’ll be rewarded. 

 A Sermon in Blood: A Grimdark Fantasy Novella of Siege Horror and Shattered Faith by J. F. Allan 

Published February 10, 2026

★★★★★

What a grim little treat this was!
 

I was lucky enough to catch an arc of this, and I finished it in an afternoon as I couldn’t put it down for long. This is a crowd pleaser, easy to read and dripping with comfortable, familiar tropes that satisfy as you go.
 

If you enjoy things like Netflix’s Love, Death and Robots you’ll enjoy this short stab of grimdark fantasy.

 The World-Breaker Requiem by Luke Tarzian

Published 21st December 2021

★★★★★

 This was an experience I will never forget. Tarzian’s prose is so unique, it scratches a part of my brain I didn’t realise existed until now. I enjoyed Parable immensely and it set me up nicely for the complexities of Requiem, so i will start by saying it should be mandatory to read that first!
This is not a casual read, and you are expected to keep up, but if you do the rewards are rich, hellish dreamscapes and a twisting narrative that keeps you on your toes until the final chapters. I bounced between the audiobook and ebook towards the end because I got into my stride and needed to know how the threads finally wove together.
All the stars.

 The World-Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian

Published 14th Aril 2020

★★★★★

Reading this prequel is like stepping into a fever dream. I wish I’d had time to read it in one sitting, as it would have had so much more impact. As it stands I went back to cover old ground recently and I’m glad I did.

I love reading unusual books, and this is definitely and defiantly one of them. The prose is beautiful and the Inception style plot is delivered in a snappy style that keeps the reader on their toes throughout. Even though I didn’t fully understand the world, I felt that was a positive as I was constantly analysing and comparing the threads to piece things together. This isn’t a book that hands you information, you have to work for it.

It does its job as a prequel, because now I want to read the rest of the books! 

Luke is also a talented artist and creates his own cover artwork

The Shattered Line: The Corrosion of Ages Trilogy Book One by Jasper L. Walker

Published 3rd January 2026

★★★★★

 Somewhere in the multiverse Brian Lumley and Scott Lynch are drinking buddies and write books together. In this universe we have a more compact version of the pair in Jasper L Walker.

For clarity and honesty I was one of the early beta readers for this book, and receiving an arc of the final version was an absolute delight. I was hooked on the story in its raw format, and getting to read about Elias Finch and his crew of misfits attempting to overcome the odds in a polished form was even better.

The Shattered Line combines old school eldritch horror and, in my opinion, borderline sci-fi elements in a richly realised Grimdark world. Elias and the main cast are beautifully characterised, and you get behind them very quickly and want to see them achieve their seemingly impossible goal. Even the antagonist is someone with real depth, who you hate yourself for rooting for at times.

Even though Jasper is up front is saying he isn’t worried about genre conventions, any fan of Grimdark with find the required buckets of exquisitely detailed gore and people being horrendous that we crave. If you want a dark, gritty fantasy heist, then this is the book for you.

My thanks to the author for providing me with this arc to review! 

I beta read this girthy tome, and getting to see it in its final form was a pure delight. 

Jasper runs r/GrimDarkEpicFantasy on Reddit