Superb, epic fantasy. Gripping until the very end. Excellent character development, clever intertwining plots. Couldn't put it down and can't wait for Book 2. The book is set in the mythical land of Erland and describes warring factions between East & West along with other mystical forces beyond, focused mostly on one noble family's exploits. How the latter develops is so well described that you feel you know the individuals personally. The various strands left open at the end of the book leave you desperate to start the next book in the series. Best book I've read in a long time.

I really enjoyed this story and would like to read the next in the saga.

The blurb gave it a lot to live up to referencing epic fantasy tales and it didn't disappoint.

Well written and really involved you with the various characters.

A lot of books claim to appeal to fans of George R. R. Martin, but not many of them can back it up with political manoeuvring, colourful characters, shocking moments, an intriguing history, an authentic feel and interwoven viewpoint chapters that flow. Where Martin sometimes achieves this through admittedly slower chapters, Moule is able to make sure that in every chapter, you are glued to the page. It’s a real skill and stands out especially given the fact this is a debut.

I didn’t actually look how many pages this was before I read it and I never checked, just being given the percentage progress on kindle. I’d have guessed this was 350 pages. It’s actually 548 pages, a sizeable book that felt like I’d absolutely flown through it in the blink of an eye.

So why in my opinion is this debut such a triumph?

The combination of plot and characters is the answer. It just doesn’t happen very often where one of these does not stand out over the other, giving an unbalanced feel. In The Fury of Kings, the warring kingdoms and factions are genuinely interesting and I became really invested in taking in all the information about their history and the political atmosphere. This is driven by some brilliant characters who by the end I was really attached to and leapt from the page.

Perhaps my favourite character was Strovac Sigac, which shows the quality of the author’s writing and characters. Sigac is a ruthless, cold-hearted and cruel killer with basically no redeeming qualities, yet he brings the pages to life, as do so many other characters. There is no such thing as plot armour; Moule acknowledges that war isn’t always fair and the handsome, chivalrous heroes don’t always overcome the odds in reality. There’s a gritty realism I really enjoyed and the battles are fantastically written, as are the cities he’s brought to life and the chess pieces being moved around the board.

I like that although there is magic in the book, it still feels like it could be real history and the author has brilliantly captured how things often played out in the middle ages when there were disputes over succession, as well as the tactics used to get ahead.

Erland is a patriarchal society but there is no shortage of strong women, many of whom fight against it (whether through small victories or hugely significant acts of defiance) and the female characters are definitely as colourful, interesting and engaging as the men, if not more so. They’re really well written, from small parts such as the religiously fanatical Elder Bride Sister Velna, to King Hessian’s daughter Helena, determined to have agency and control over her life rather than be married off to some old lord or other.

Pherri’s chapters are where we see most of the magical elements in this book and although I personally prefer more low fantasy elements usually, hers were some of my favourite chapters. For me as the first book in the series, Moule has the perfect blend of action, character development, magic and political intrigue. Magic doesn’t play a huge role in the story yet but you sense that when the next book comes along, it will play a much bigger role. The world at present is one in which Magi are a rare thing – they used to be much more populous. With one of the main characters showing the first signs of a natural ability for magic, you sense that this power will only grow as the story continues and I’m really looking forward to it. Of course, I also hope the awesome battles and political manoeuvres continue for that middle ages history brought to life feel!

This is not a hugely complicated book where you have a lot to learn before things get going; it starts well and continues throughout in the same fashion. That doesn’t mean that it won’t shock or surprise, and there are a couple of major events that happen towards the end that will probably leave you speechless. I’m impressed that the author had the balls to do them and subvert the expectations. That to me is the sign of a great book. I don’t want everything to go as I expect it to!

The Fury of Kings has only just entered the atmosphere but already I’m desperate to know what happens next. I highly recommend this book!