There are some books that grow on you. There are others that you know within the first few pages that this is going to be your kind of book.

Fury of Kings was the latter for me. By the time I reached the end of chapter one, I knew the writing would be strong, the world-building complex, and the characters a mix of those you love, those you hate, and those you love to hate.

I was right.

The story follows several characters on different sides of a budding war. The position of heir is up for grabs after the death of the prince and while the new heir isn’t too fussed – he's got better things to do like visiting taverns with his friends – his mother is a different story.

Meanwhile, we have a king with an explosive temper and a perchance for cruelty. Desperate for a new heir, he is not kind to his new, young queen. His brother, every inch the noble that the king is not despite his low birth, is riding to war to stop a rebellion over the succession.

While the book is split into several narrations, a few key characters stand out. Orsian, nephew to the king, is desperate to prove himself to his father and eager for his first battle. He’s not concerned when his hated brother is captured, but keen to show what he could do. Orsian is young and naive, especially at the start of the book, but he throws himself into everything he does and swiftly is able to make a name for himself as more than his father’s son. There’s also a charm to his naivety rather than it being cumbersome.

Pherri, his younger sister, is my favourite character. She knows she is destined for more than being someone’s wife. Uncovering her talent for magic opens a new world for Pherri and she’s not holding back.

The magic in this world isn’t yet clear. We learn there are mages, and we find out that they are rare and generally disliked. Magic is split into different categories, but as a reader, we don’t yet have a true grasp on what this power can do. We’re learning alongside Pherri, and I feel this plot line is going to be of importance in the future books.

The battles are well-written. While the men may be in chaos, the reader is not: we know who is where and what odds the characters are facing. Rather than getting lost in the details of warfare, we instead get a tense, action-packed fight that made it hard to put the book down.

Fury of Kings is the start of a trilogy that has the making of a thoroughly enjoyable read. All the elements to make it a good fantasy are in place: magic, warfare, complex world and interesting characters. You know who you’re supposed to root for, and those characters are likeable and complex. I’m looking forward to continuing the trilogy and watching this world unfold.

"The Fury of Kings" by RS Moule delivers a gripping tale of intrigue, betrayal, and power struggles, meriting a four-star review. Moule's world is intricately crafted, filled with complex characters whose ambitions and loyalties constantly shift. The narrative is fast-paced, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as allegiances crumble and secrets unfold. The rich dialogue and vivid settings enhance the story, drawing readers deeper into its political and emotional conflicts. While some plotlines can be predictable, the novel's strong character development and intense action make it a compelling read for fantasy enthusiasts seeking a thrilling adventure.

The Fury of Kings offers a good, solid beginning of a promising epic fantasy series. The pace is quite steady and there's a fair amount of necessary (for the first book) world-building. Looking forward to reading the sequel!

This was a little be slow of a read. In fact I put it aside and then picked it back up. I can't say that it was the book because sometimes high fantasy with lots of politics just drags for me until I really get into it. I will say the action was great and all the building of this world will be well worth it as the series progresses. I look forward to seeing all the characters and exploring more of this world.

Review copy for honest opinion

Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury of Kings is a debut epic fantasy by RS Moule. It's got all the check boxes of epic fantasy: sprawling world, multiple povs, political intrigue, war, magic, etc. It did, however, feel very GRRM lite to me. Sometimes for good and sometimes to its detriment.

The book started really strong for me. Good pacing and building of the world and the plot. There's a mystery in the beginning and enough action while still maintaining that slow epic fantasy burn. We start off with multiple solid povs across the kingdom of Erland with characters ranging from the strong stoic warrior to thieving teens to a partying nobleman. The plot hits the ground running with a dead heir to the throne, an old king with no wife, and the new Heir coming from a rival family.

Unfortunately, it started to unravel a bit and didn't end on the strongest note for me. I think this had to do with how many POVs there are, and while I'm not saying each don't have purpose and value, they seemed to be a bit jumbled in order, maybe? Or some of them lacked direction at the moment but will be an important character later, so the author felt the need to include them now. This meant we would suddenly pick up with a characters viewpoint when they had been a side character till then in the book, then they would disappear again. I think it was also a struggle because so many of the character pov were taking place in the same city, which is a bit of the antithesis to epic fantasy. Usually, your characters are spread all over the world, lending scope to the narrative, and I think the reversal hurt this book. We started out spread over the kingdom, but so many characters traveled to the same city in no time at all. It almost felt like things began to be repeated from another unnecessary viewpoint.

The inevitable GRRM comparison will probably hurt this book as there are a few things that were predictable because of it. I don't want to give any spoilers, and I'm in no way saying this book is a copy, but a couple of events felt very inspired by a Song of Ice and Fire.

But all that being said, I thought this was a solid epic fantasy debut. The beginning was a really strong start, and for a while, this book was reaching for unputdownable status. The writing is direct, and the characters are relatable and varied in their own ways. The battle scenes are another high point to the book. I haven't been that tense reading about a fantasy battle in a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone seeking an enjoyable epic fantasy read, and I look forward to seeing what book 2 brings.

This book is why I love fantasy! It has amazing world building, strong characters and gives the need of wanting more. I can’t wait to see where this series goes!!

In Jennifer Moore's "The Wilderness Retreat," readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

The protagonist, Sarah, finds herself at a crossroads in her life after a painful divorce. Seeking solace and renewal, she decides to embark on a wilderness retreat. As Sarah ventures into the remote wilderness, she is initially overwhelmed by the challenges it presents. The physical demands of hiking and camping push her to her limits, and the solitude forces her to confront her inner demons.
However, as she immerses herself in the beauty and tranquility of nature, she gradually begins to heal.

Through her interactions with the other participants in the retreat, Sarah learns the importance of community and support. She discovers that she is not alone in her struggles and that there are others who understand her pain. Together, they share their stories, offer encouragement, and support each other on their journeys of healing.
One of the most significant turning points in Sarah's journey comes when she encounters an elderly woman named Mary. Mary shares her own experiences of loss and heartbreak, and she teaches Sarah the power of forgiveness. Sarah realizes that holding on to anger and resentment is only hurting herself, and she begins to let go of the pain that has been holding her back. As the retreat draws to a close, Sarah returns to her everyday life transformed.

She has gained a renewed sense of purpose and hope, and she is ready to face the challenges ahead with newfound strength and resilience. "The Wilderness Retreat" is a powerful and moving story about the healing power of nature and the importance of human connection.

Jennifer Moore's evocative writing and deeply drawn characters create a compelling and unforgettable narrative that will resonate with readers long after they finish reading.

Nicely written, and strong characters, but I just didn't quite connect with it and struggled to really get invested. Personally, I don't think it's the fault of the book, I just didn't click with it, but could easily see why it would absolutely appeal to a lot of other readers

I was getting lord of the rings vibes from this book. But it also felt very new. I can’t wait to see where the series goes, and how many books are in the series. I love slow, winding epic fantasies.

Reviewed by Elliose Hopkins for the British Fantasy Society:

Gelick has the blood of kings. They say that Eyrispeak has no summit and can be seen from everywhere. A Lutum, coming of age, Gelick’s time has come. He must ascend the mountain and return a man… if he returns at all. Not all of them do. Magic is changing, and dreams shift. A thief sets his sights on too high a prize, and a cruel and ageing king refuses to yield.

In Violet Hall, 11-year-old Pherri is not too young to realise that something is brewing. Daughter of the famous Andrick Barrelbreaker, King Hessian’s military advisor, and herself the king’s niece, Pherri – as usual – is sent off with her tutor. Meanwhile, her brothers get to hear the news that this very day called their father away so early and saw him return in a rage. Pherri decides that this time she will not be left out.

Rymond Prindian, the morning after a ‘more-sensible-than-some’ night before, is rudely awoken to discover he is next in line to the Erland throne. Being king has never been one of Rymond’s life goals, much to his mother’s disgust, and by the look on her face, she has already hatched a plan. How is he going to get out of this one?

This first book in The Erland Saga places female characters equally on its pages and weaves a compelling and engrossing narrative framed by the mystery of Eyrispeak. In the setting of ancient, patriarchal societies, we have power struggles, a magic system that has only begun to be revealed, and a fiery cast of characters that begin cold, detached and ruthless before cleverly growing on you, leaving you as charged for their success as they are themselves.

The Fury of Kings is the first in a new series from digital publisher Second Sky. By the end of this debut, it is clear that Moule is an author unafraid to make the hard choices and take his characters along the paths of dark deeds and bleak outcomes. Slow to start, it nevertheless delivers bold writing that fits well among its grimdark fellows and promises much more to come.

Lots of world building and characters, so it takes a little while to get into, but once I was invested I could not put it down. Every character had a place and added something great to the story. Very excited to see what the next book brings!

This was a truly fantastic start to the Erland Saga that had me gripped from start to finish. The murder of the King's son and his only male heir sends the country into chaos. The King's loyal half-brother Andrick Barrelbreaker must help his older brother keep the throne.

This book had a GOT feel to it, with a huge range of characters, from different places, social strata's and ages. At times, I found the POV changing within a chapter a tad confusing and it took me a while to get used to the style. The characters are fantastic and well fleshed out, both the good and bad and in-between. I really found myself caring for them and wanting them all to survive the politics of those schemers dragging everyone into a war.

I found the pacing to generally be fast, and the twists and turns had me turning the pages till late into the night. .
This was a truly solid start to the series, which I can't wait to continue. A definite if you're a fan of fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

With strong characters, complicated political problems and loyalties, and mysterious magic - this book had all the things I like in an epic fantasy.

The magic is there, but we don't see a lot of it in this first book of the series. In fact, I'm not sure if we ever will. But it has a nice place, and I'm intrigued.

The battles were epic and well described. I thought of Cornwell's Saxon Stories with the descriptions of shield walls. The politics were also very well done and seeing the differences in the three primary cities was such a great way to see how leadership functioned. I was prepared to think of one kingdom as "good" and the others as "evil", but my mind changed several times during the course of the story. My favorite part of the book was the characters. There were some good women characters, some people that fooled me, and all are well described.

The book does end on a cliffhanger, and I'll certainly be looking for the next one.

The Fury of Kings is the first book in the Erland Saga and it is an epic fantasy. I was gripped from the start.

The King's son has been murdered and he has no heir. The time of peace is over as throughout the kingdom people pick sides and war looms. The armies of the West are being gathered. Strange storms are raging on the mountain that towers over the capital.

After decades of peace, the kingdom of Erland is sliding toward disaster. The rebellious lords of the West are gathering their armies. On the mountain that towers over the capital, strange storms rage.

Against this backdrop, we have a cast of characters who are trying to live their lives. Orsain, the son of Erland's greatest warrior who wants to prove himself in battle. His sister, Pherri, who is left to roam wild and is taken under the wing of the court wizard. A group of thieves trying to make their way in life.

The stories intermingle and create a fascinating story, with echos of magic and the cries of battle. It is a gripping fantasy and I can't wait to find out what else is to come.

This was a big book and totally enthralling all the way through. More like the SCI/Fantasy books I used to read. Long books with lots to get involved in.. Some really interestinbg characters and it will be fascinating to see how their lives progress.. Lots to look forward to as the story develops. Can't wait!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury of Kings is the first book in a brand new series called The Erland Saga. With The Fury of Kings, we are transported into a Kingdom where a dark power is threatening to rise, and enemies are getting ready to strike. The kingdom ends up going through a crisis when the King's only son is killed, and a new heir comes into play, and they will go to any length to secure the throne. Then, there is Andrick the Barrelbreaker who once upon a time at the age of 16 led an army. Now, a decade later with the kingdom in upheaval, he must decide if he should protect his family or go to battle for a brother he no longer recognizes.

It has been a while since I read an epic fantasy book and I have been wanting to get back into reading more heavier, epic fantasy books and have only stepped away from them a bit due to my lack of focus when it comes to focusing on books with a lot of information, world building, political intrigue, etc.

The Fury of Kings starts off very promising and has a very promising plot. The world building was well done at times with excellent characters that really shine through the book, but because there is so many characters point of views in this book that it becomes hard to keep track of them/remember who is who. However, this may because I read this in audiobook format, which fantasy sometimes does not work well on audiobook and should be read physically so you can get a better understanding of the world, magic system, and characters.

My biggest struggle with The Fury of Kings was it being a really slow story and it felt it dragged for a good chunk of the story. Due to how slow the story was, I felt like I could not give it my full attention and kept losing my focus.

I think if I physically read this book instead of listened to the audiobook, then I probably would have rated this book at 4 stars compared to the 3.5 stars I rated this as. I will be picking this up physically when the time comes for book two to come out so I can see if my perceptions of this book changes if I read it physically. I do admit it is a great start of an epic fantasy story for a debut author and I think this author will get better and better with each book or series since you can tell they love the craft of fantasy by how they wrote this story.

The Fury of Kings is the initial book in the Erland Saga, an epic fantasy series, written by R.S. Moule, perfect for those that look for an ambitious story spawning several POVs in the style of George R.R. Martin. The kingdom of Erland is broken, and several actors are trying to get control over the situation.

The murder of King Hessan's only son threatens to break the fragile peace that is held in Erland; and soon, an heir to the throne makes his move to reclaim his rights. War winds are blowing over Erland, and Andrik Barrelbreaker is called by the king to lead his army, bringing the rest of his family to the capital.

With this premise, we are soon in the middle of complex politics and war movements, but keeping the focus on the small characters and how their actions can change the conflict direction. Moule throws us early into the action and the blood, but goes more for the epic aspect of this kind of fantasy; there's almost no dull moment, even when we are having the first contact with the world of the Erland Saga.

A world made in a medievalesque way, patriarchal, but where many strong women are fighting to break the conventionalisms; a world where in the style of ASOIAF, magic is only present in reduced quantities, Magi are rather uncommon, but I think this will change the more we advance in the story.
Moule introduces us to this world slowly and uses the different POVs to portray different parts of the world, building some mystery all over the place (especially when we are talking about Eryispek).

Despite being the initial book of a saga, we don't have an excessively long introduction, opting the author to only develop those parts we will need for the narration. Said that, it is true that the first 100 pages or so could be called slow depending on the criterium used.

If you are looking for a new epic fantasy saga, spawning several POVs, The Fury of Kings is the perfect starter. Especially if you like Gwynne or Martin, you should try this book.

A debut epic fantasy by R.S Moule, The Fury Of Kings is an immersive tale that I revelled in from the very start. Fantasy is a genre I have only discovered over the last few years in a real way. Before this, I did enjoy books from Terry Pratchett. These days, I look forward to any fantasy book that can transport me out of the real world for a while. This book did just that.

Told from multiple characters perspectives that I love as it gave me a fuller, more rounded picture of everything. The characters themselves and the settings were so vivid that I almost felt I was with them throughout their battles. I was captivated by this world. R.S. Moule's world building was detailed enough to allow me to see it as I read.

It was a great start to the series and one I hope to follow throughout. I'm looking forward to learning much more about the characters and seeing how they develop. I always love magic within a fantasy, and in this book, the magic was well explained, but I would like to see much more of it in the books yet to come.


The fact that the pages flew by and I just had no intention of putting this book down at any point makes it a book I got so involved with. I am already impatient to see what's next for everyone when the next book is released!
Thanks to Second Sky Books and NetGalley.

The Fury of Kings put me through a whirlwind of emotions with the main emotion being the love I have for this book

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the fury of kings. i felt this was more on the sci-fi line than fantasy and i ordered it for my store for my store any way because the story was intriguing.