Christopher Fowler’s final novel, The Foot on the Crown, is a testament to his unmistakable and mischievous imagination.

Set during the enigmatic period of London’s history in the second half of the first millennium—an era shrouded in mystery when the city seemingly vanished for over four centuries—the story immerses readers in a world where the Romans are long forgotten. King Scarabold now rules over the remnants of the city, alongside his over-entitled daughter, Giniva, her effete brother, Leperdandy, and a host of eccentric relatives. Their internal squabbles are overshadowed by the looming threat of a coalition of enemies, including the eerie Sheathwing and the warlike nuns of Étranges Cadeaux.

The narrative is gripping, and I particularly enjoyed the arrival of Watborn, a mysterious birdcatcher with his own hidden agenda, which adds layers to the unfolding drama. As tensions escalate, the battle for London’s very soul begins, leaving me questioning who—if anyone—will emerge unscathed.

This was my first book by Fowler, and I loved how he blends dark humour with vivid, gory battle descriptions. His unique tone both satirised and pays homage to the fantasy genre, making for an engaging and memorable read. For me, this novel not only showcases Fowler’s sharp wit and masterful storytelling but also serves as a fitting conclusion to his illustrious career.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House UK, for providing a free eBook in exchange for an honest review.

If you want to read a classic fantasy book this is not the right one, if you want to read a very funny and well written story this the right one.
This is Fowler and I wanted to read it because it's his last book.
I laughed out loud, read it in a "one more chapter" mode, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you are a Christopher Fowler's fan read it, if you don't know him but want to read a quirky and humorous story read it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I did not find this book to my liking. The attempts at humor were unsuccessful and felt somewhat immature.

If you appreciate the writing style of Fowler, you might enjoy this book. However, if you are seeking an epic fantasy, as the length might suggest, this may not be suitable for you.

I had expected this to be a more traditional fantasy historical novel but I'd say it's closer to a grotesque hall of mirrors for history. Every character is an extreme version of what you might expect (fat, revolting king / idealistic young princess / knowledgeable, thoughtful commoner / shrewish, conniving wife) and when reading it I felt that I was swallowing a thesaurus as every description included so many adjectives (although I did enjoy the fact that vocab was so varied!). I was also underwhelmed with the depiction of women within the book.

I think some of my disappointment was more of a mismatch of expectations and I can see how this book would appeal to other readers who want to read alternative history which has a more humorous slant - it just wasn't for me at all!

This book wasn't for me. The attempts at humour fell flat, and felt a little childish for me. Tonally, it felt like a Horrible Histories novel, but I'm never going to read that for 512 pages!

The writing for me was far too descriptive, and bits of it felt unnecessary, especially the entire scene that centred around the king farting.

This book was the pinnacle of crazy fantasy names, like Carapace and Leperdandy.

If you like Fowler, you might enjoy this book. If you're looking for an epic fantasy (which the page count would suggest), this might not be the one for you.

London’s remains are under King Scarabond’s rule.
Giniva is an interesting character and a cool princess.
Watborn and Leperdandy are amazing characters too.
I found the first chapter with Watborn very entertaining. Then for a couple of chapters, I was not sure what was happening due to the introduction of different characters and the chapters’ focus on each.
Giniva stands up for herself, blood lines are discovered, truths come out, and all of this happens with a touch of humour. In some ways, we have glimpses of GoT, Princess Bride and some fantasy-adventure books.
Fowler’s writing in this book felt like a 3.5-4 star experience. It was nearly a perfect read for me, and I love long books that spend time on all aspects of a story. In this case, it was Fowler’s crafting of sentences that told multiple things in a few words that were the highlights and his characters and tone. Had I not found some parts (these were often the paragraphs midway through a chapter) more rushed, or shown than told or imbalanced (more words, telling less/wrapping up aspects I was interested in in a couple of sentences) and slightly more fresh takes, this would have easily been 5 stars.
Overall, I highly recommend it. It is funny, it has twists, and amazing characters.
I will read this again in case I missed something.
The bio in the end read ‘was’, then I remembered having read about Fowler’s death. I wish he were alive and have seen this book published.

Thank you for this eARC.

A historical fiction novel somewhere between farce and epic—the closest thing in terms of tone I can think of would be Horrible Histories, but with added in-depth character work and a rich portrayal of sociopolitical inequality.

I adored the detail of the world created, every moment anchored in our grim medieval setting, down to the vocabulary and names (some of my favourite names were: Scarabold, Leperdandy, Skank-Damply and Squeam). All the details felt consistent and internally logical, even when by any normal metric, they were ridiculous.

I enjoyed the way the novel primarily followed people who didn’t fit into this medieval society—Watborn, a birdcatcher who yearns for more than a peasant’s stock; Giniva, who struggles against forced marriage with some quite astounding violence; and probably my favourite character, Leperdandy, a soft-hearted ‘fop’ who manages to learn his own form of bravery. All three were strong protagonists to root for in their own right.

The first half of the novel moved a little slowly for my taste; but around the halfway point, the pace sped up and it felt like I was rocketing through the book. I also think the second half was so enjoyable partly because of the groundwork done in the earlier parts, so perhaps I can forgive the pacing after all.

As someone born and bred in London, the ending of the book was touching. Fowler raised questions of history, story-telling and the idea of a city, without ever compromising on his humour. Overall, a very enjoyable book. I look forward to its official release, and was sad to find out about Fowler’s death, since this book was something special.

This is not a book I would have picked up on the blurb, but it's Fowler.
Not only that, it's Fowlers last book that he mentioned working on fairly often, so I had to read it.
As I said, not my usual sort of book.
Are they all like this? Slightly mad? Mostly amusing? Little bit sinister?
Genuinely there was a moment or two that I just laughed out loud (very rare for me) and others when I reread a few sentences as surely I'd got it wrong.
Very entertaining

Oh Gosh where do I start?!? This book is a masterpiece! Omg! I loved every single second of this book! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.