Cry, Voidbringer is an epic fantasy that showcases the brutality of war, the helplessness of not being able to change the system, and the importance of family, whether blood or found.

I loved this book. We are thrown in the deep end at the start, and the story immediately grabbed me. The world-building is excellent with enough detail for things to make sense and to feel immersed in the world without the problem of the info-dump. The characters were intricate, each one flawed but understandable.

Hammer (Elera) and Rafeis both endured the trauma of being raised as Faceless warriors, but while Hammer walls herself off and hides behind sarcasm and bitterness, Rafeis reaches out, using humour and companionship. My heart hurt for Viri as she was dragged from one nightmare to another, and her reactions to her situations as a 12-year-old make sense.

The balance between action and politics was very well done. You need the politics to understand why the action is happening and showing it from Naias’s point of view was an excellent way to do this. Although Naias isn’t one of ‘the good guys’, it is very easy to understand her actions and why she is doing it. Ultimately, she wants to change things for her people, but in doing so she loses herself and makes things worse.

I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a multi-layered fantasy that doesn’t gloss over the harshness of a continent at war but also shows the small moments of love on an individual level.

I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for the digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible imagination has created a world seemingly full of mistrust and anger, and yet acts of kindness and love continue to provide hope for the amazing set of characters forming the heart of the story.

This read will never be predictable, a rare thing to find in contemporary writing. Sometimes confusing, frustrating and even heartbreaking but a compelling style. When fully immersed in the book it is difficult to leave but for some I think the intensity will demand a break.

Finally, the acknowledgement section, in just a few initial sentences, explains a reason for the depth of feeling felt throughout. An incredible piece of writing.

Cry, Voidbringer is:
Epic
Evocative
Emotional
High Stakes
Breathtaking

It is full of political intrigue and high stakes moments. Cry, Voidbringer is character driven and incredible descriptive writing.
I almost don’t know what to say about this book except that I loved it and I really think you should read it!

A story about found family, love in the darkest of places and how easily it can all fall apart.

Hammer is one of the Faceless, an army built on stolen children, branded and assigned names based on their speciality in fighting. Hammer does have a name, a real name, but she tells no one, as it is forbidden. One evening, she was sent with Crescent to attack an Empire's convoy, and what they found was a child, half beaten and starved. A God Child, a child born with a small amount of power from a specific god. Sometimes that power can be immense, and sometimes it can be pitiful. Bringing the child back to their Queen, Hammer is ordered to look after the child, Viri, and protect her. Until the day Viri's power is unleashed, and Hammer is now in the way of letting others abuse it.

This is a heartbreaking book of love, betrayal and stealing children to use them in a war for power. Beautifully written.

I was drawn in by the cover of this book and the title, before I knew anything about it. I am so glad that I took a chance on it as it was absolutely terrific. I loved the worldbuilding and this whole book as it’s unique and totally different to anything I’d read before. The characters were nuanced and complex, forged by the world and the people around them. It’s not an easy or comforting read, but rather it’s challenging and thought provoking. There are so many layers in this book that it’s one that you can read over and over and get something new from it each time. Stunning debut, hope to read more from this author. Thanks to @Solarisbooks for allowing me to read an early copy.

‘Cry, Voidbringer’ is a dark fantasy rooted in politics, mythology, and relationships. I went into this novel with high expectations, and it somehow exceeded them all. It was gritty, raw, and brutally honest. It took me longer to digest than most books because of its heavy topics, but they were handled wonderfully, and I am so glad I stuck this one out. I would be honoured to add this to my physical collection when it is released.

What made me fall in love with this book was that its characters were all so completely flawed. Each was deeply human in their own way—including the characters that were barely human at all. They were complex and multilayered, and I couldn’t bring myself to truly hate any of them. I also loved the different perspectives: not only the multiple POVs, but the blend of first- and third-person narratives, as well as the fourth-wall breaks. The writing was masterful. I am so impressed.

One drawback: I wish this included a map. While the world-building was remarkable, I often found myself confused about the whereabouts of certain events. The fact that this seems to be my only complaint, however, speaks volumes about the brilliance of this book.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gritty, thought-provoking fantasy novel filled with political intrigue and complex characters!

This is an entertaining debut, and I loved every moment of this. I am SO excited to see what Elaine Ho writes next and I KNEW I’d love this the moment I learned of the title

basically, i love this so much, its so good. READ IT. unmissable debut

This book cut me open and left me to bleed and yet here I am thankful for it. The fact that this book is a debut is just shocking.

We have the ever cynical Hammer, one of the Faceless stolen children, a soldier who inadvertently becomes a guardian of sorts to Viri; a hunted child in possession of rare powers that could potentially alter the course of the imperial war. Naias, the Queen’s war advisor and former faceless is possibly the most complex character. Hammer finds herself attached to Viri in ways she can’t yet understand and will do almost anything to protect her.

I have been left raw, while there are plenty of physical horrors and acts of betrayal, the emotional cost is the most painful. The complexities of relationships straining under the weigh of oppression are explored emphatically. Grief is irrecoverable but sometimes there is hope is the small acts that can change everything.

This book doesn’t sugarcoat the truths of complicity and power but it offers a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Like a small, lonely candle in the vast expanse of the void. I’m going to need a few days to recover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion, Solaris for the opportunity to read this title.

Absolutely incredible. Legitimately one is the best books I've read all year. The emotions! The gods! The manipulation!

I loved almost every moment of this book, the writing was fantastic, particularly Elera - who is traumatised she could barely see past her own pain to Naias who was just trying to make the best of her situation.... only to make it so much worse. I'm not sure if this is a debut, I have to check, because if not I need to check Ho's whole backlog.

I am devastated and in awe at this debut epic fantasy. This is an unflinching portrayal of the horrors of war and oppression, the costs of revolution, and how people who think they can bring about change by playing the oppressor’s game end up on the wrong side of history.

I’m honestly blown away. The complexity of the characters and the impossible choices they face, the beautiful prose, the intricate world building - all of it perfect. This will resonate with fans of The Poppy War and Blood Over Bright Haven.

“Tyranny doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye. It is a slow descent, helped by the complicity of those who think they have no power.”

Many thanks to Bindery Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a hard book to review, because it was so excellent that I'm finding it hard to do it justice. Epic fantasy with incredible world building, political intrigue, rebellion and war, a very cool magic system and the brutal realities of colonialism laid bare. This is the queer-normative, diverse fantasy world I always wanted Game of Thrones to be.

We have three POVS in Cry, Voidbringer, each a different voice while simultaneously having things in common.
Their lives are intertwined: one a Faceless, an elite soldier-slave kidnapped in childhood and trained for empire; another the advisor and lover to the queen of a once-great nation brought to its knees, who will do anything to climb higher; the third a child, violently ripped from her home for her gods-blessed powers, rescued only to face another terrible fate.

We're thrown straight in the deep end in terms of action and plot, with a lot of characters and lore introduced in quick succession. I was a little stunned by it at first, but once I had a grasp on things I flew through the rest of the book, desperate to unravel the secrets building up throughout.

Thoroughly recommended to anyone who loves a good political fantasy with epic potential.