This is one of those fantasy novel that are huge but you read them fast as they're gripping and enthralling.
The world building fascinated me as it's a sort of Roman Empire and I liked the details and how it was developed.
The plot is complex, dual POVs, plenty of characters and intrigue.
It's the first book I read by this author but won't surely be the last as it's an excellent fantasy.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was not what I expected, and consequently I cannot say I loved it. Perhaps I had too high expectations, but I felt the story lacked originality, and I was left with questions, not answers. The characters felt a little unrealistic, with peculiar motivations. Despite this, I do not believe this to be a 'bad' book - there were times I was invested and engaged - I do believe many would enjoy this, and clearly many have.

For me this was a fresh take on fantasy as I don’t usually read a lot to do with things modelled on the Roman Empire. The religious aspects were very interesting and so were the magic systems. I would have liked to know more lore in relation to both of these things, and am hoping there will be a second so that I can! The only thing that made this book a bit tedious at times for me was the military strategising - just not my thing!

This was an okay book. It was enjoyable and I had a great time reading but it was also not that memorable. Furthermore, I felt really disconnected from the characters so it was difficult for me to be fully invested and immersed in the plot.

A General trying to guide the new heir in ruling the Empire, while keeping the Empire afloat. A budding magician, tasked with returning something of great importance to its home. Seven Deaths of an Empire is a leisurely paced fantasy that explores faith, colonisation, and power.

Told in two POVs, we see the after-effects of an Emperor’s death, and the Empire’s battle to restore balance and maintain power. Through Bordan’s chapters we see the direct impact the Emperor’s family and council face in trying to understand his death and ready his heir for ruling. We also get a nice glimpse into the structure of the army as Bordan is also the Army General. Alternately, in Kyron’s chapters we see the struggle of returning the Emperor’s body, while getting to explore the world, the colonisation of the Empire, and the magic system.

As is with any multi-POV story, I did enjoy one over the other. While I really enjoyed the mystery and political machinations of Bordan’s narrative, I truly just had a better time reading Kyron’s parts. I did enjoy more of the conversational aspects of Kyron’s chapters and seeing him grow as a character. That’s not to say Bordan’s chapters were weak or bogged down the story, they were equally as good, just in a different way.

The book also has these small interludes at the start of each chapter that tell the story of a man and his grandson. I loved these little additions and they felt like a separate POV all on their own. It was such smart way to add to the story without detracting from what was already going on.

I thought the characterisation in Seven Deaths of an Empire was *chef’s kiss*. Each character was so full and the spectrum of them represented so much of human nature – all its glories and faults – that they all felt incredibly believable. The characters also have meaningful relationships with those around them, and we see how clearly these relationships drive the choices our POV characters make and it was just very important to me.

A large overarching theme in this book is that of faith – and where it can take you, and how it can be used as a tool of abuse and power. The empire uses their faith as the main justification for their colonisation and in Kyron’s chapters we see the realisation of how not all we have been taught is right, and that not all who have different ways of life need saving. We see how faith in a system can be used to corrupt and divide. We also see how it can be used to love and guide and comfort. This is explored not only through the tension between the Empire and the Forest, but the Church and the Gymnasium (the magicians). I think this topic was explored deftly and a highlight in this reading journey. (I did just finish watching Midnight Mass on Netflix and I will say these two feel like they could be companions to each other. Take that as you will.)

This was definitely one of those reads that was a quiet big enjoyment. I wasn’t highlighting quote after quote thinking about how the words would ruin me forever; but each time I put the book down, I couldn’t help thinking – yup, this is a goodie. The last quarter I think was the book’s strongest point, but the lead up to it all was incredibly worth it.

If political intrigue and the deconstruction of faith and loyalty are your jam, I urge you to give this story a chance. I will say I have no idea how the next book will be handled, but I cannot wait to find out.

This book just wasn't for me. The writing style and I didn't really vibe. Hopefully their next book will be a better fit.

I requested this off of Netgalley for two reasons. Firstly, I love this cover (even though it seems to bear no resemblance to the story, and uses the same stock image as The Tower of Living and Dying). Secondly, comparisons to Anna Smith-Spark, George R.R. Martin, and Mark Lawrence are bound to catch my attention. Regrettably, it doesn't live up to that comparison. The cover is still nice though.

The opening 30% or so was quite engaging. We have distinct voices from the two POVs; one being a naive young sorcerer exploring the world with his master, and the old cynical general on the brink of retirement. They’re each dealing with the consequences of the emperor’s death. I enjoyed both, particularly at the start. It starts off quite grimdark, but I wouldn’t say that this tone is consistent throughout.

Unfortunately, in my view, the story falls off quite a bit in the middle section. We get a mostly uninteresting mystery plot line and a forced march plot line (a less resonant chain of dogs sort of scenario).

This book is apparently the start of a series. Halfway through, I was ready to DNF the series, but the final 10% was strong and sets up a series plot line I’m interested in.

The setting is Roman Empire inspired, which is fresh. But there’s not much substance to the main city or the outlying areas explored by the characters. There’s some references to a southern continent, but the story is limited to the empire and its interactions with the ‘barbarian tribes’. We get quite a lot of moralising about how the tribe life is preferable over the empire’s exported civilisation. This was a bit heavy-handed for my liking.

The magic system is interesting, but I would’ve liked a bit more flavour. The sorcerer POV also has what felt like unearned power creep.

The prose is workmanlike for the most part. It gets the job done without much fuss. There are some examples where the author has tried for some extra eloquence, but has landed in overwrought instead. However, these are in the minority. There are also some nice turns of phrase sprinkled throughout. My favourites are below:

“Sometimes simple answers are the truth,” Padarn said. “Take a razor to a complicated knot and it comes apart easily enough.”

Old warriors were old because they had killed and lived. Experience was the only true gift of age, its one compensation for the loss of strength, the slowness of limb, and shallow well of energy.

The Cohort had chosen a spear to tie the flag to and the sharp point pierced the clouds above. Trust, the flag said. Only so far, the spear point cautioned.

The cool and fresh water coated his tongue and a sense of hope washed through him, clearing the cobwebs of depression away. As soon as the thought occurred the little spiders returned, stringing their silken strands from one worry to another, drawing them together into a dark ball which settled in his guts once more.

Overall, I enjoyed it. But the middle dragged on quite a bit, and I found myself skim reading sections. The end caught my interest, though. So I expect I'll check out book 2 at some point.

I was really surprised by this one.
I love political intrigue in my fantasy books and this really served that to me.
It also felt very old school fantasy with quite simple world building and a very understandable magic system.
Not saying that it was too simple, but I sometimes just want to have a good time when I’m reading and not have to try to use my brain too much 😂.
I really enjoyed both perspectives and loved seeing how they joined up eventually. The little snippets of backstory on the two main characters and how it came into play in the end was really clever.
I will say this is quite slow paced on the action and more about the politics. I can maybe see how some people might not get on with that.
I also would have loved to have more reveals and some of them I did see coming.
However I would say that this is a amazing first book and I can’t wait to continue the series.
If you are a fan of political fantasies, definitely give this one a go.

I feel like I’ve known Matthews for a hundred years. I haven’t, but sometimes when I look at all my time online in the genresphere, its Matthews that I feel like I’ve known the longest. He was in the very first SPFBO, and we’ve talked on and off through the years. I’ve admired his tenacity, and how hard he works at his books and his writing career. When I saw him land a traditional publishing contract, I was over the moon with happiness for him. If anyone deserves it, it’s this guy.

I will tell you, right off the bat a few things stuck out to me. First, I’ve been editing a lot of epic fantasy this year, of the empires falling and fate of the world hangs in the balance kind. And that’s fine. I love it, I really do, but when I do my free time reading, I’m looking for something else. I will say, one thing that instantly stuck out to me here was the fact that the book was a standalone. Epic setting, epic manner of storytelling, but a standalone. I was excited to see how Matthews worked an epic story into one volume, and I was also excited about the change of pace from what I’ve been editing.

The other thing that stuck out to me was the narrow focus. In fact, I’m not really sure if this would be considered epic fantasy. It’s a sort of delightful blurring of boundaries between epic and… not epic, and I really enjoyed that. Told with two points of view, with a fairly narrow focus on events, this book tells the story about one empire, through the perspectives of two people. One, being a magician’s apprentice Kyron, and the other being an old general named Bordan. Through both flashbacks and forward momentum, the story unfolds and slowly the reader sees how it all fits together.

It’s this narrow focus that really gives this book an edge. Through two incredibly different perspectives, and positions in society, readers are brought into the struggle that is unfolding as the long-reigning emperor is on the cusp of death and a power grab ensues. The two point of view characters are vastly different, and yet both equally ruthless in their own ways. One uses magic as his tool, and the other uses weapons. They come from different places, different backgrounds, and have different personalities, and I thought they played off of each other extremely well. This is a book about what happens when an empire shows a moment of weakness, and it’s superbly well done and explored in a careful, though provoking manner.

I will say, this is one type of story I love. I enjoy politics, and political maneuvering, subtle behind-the-scenes power plays, and then potential power vacuums that could have catastrophic outcomes, depending. This is the kind of story that grips me in real life, and it’s no different in fantasy. Matthews really excels here, never being too obvious, never hitting the reader over the head with important points and the clues he drops along the way. He trusts the reader will follow where he’s going, and he establishes a firm foundation on which the book unfolds. There are a lot of twists and turns here as well, things I didn’t expect, treacherous deeds that took the plot unanticipated directions.

The book both feels large and small at the same time. It would have been so easy to turn this into a sprawling, world-encompassing plot, but he never let it get out of hand. There is a sense of the wider world, of long-range impacts, of things that happen other places, but Matthews keeps the focus pretty narrow for a fantasy like this. I think that’s one of the book’s primary strengths. It is comparatively narrow in scope, and while a lot happens here, and the implications are vast, the narrow focus really allowed Matthews to get into the meat of this story, flesh it out, polish it, and make it really shine.

One place where Matthews really shows his chops is with atmosphere, the creeping dread that seems to fill every page until the very end. I found myself clenched with anticipation throughout the entire book, and it made me genuinely feel for the characters, the people in this empire. It is very rare that I see atmosphere used to its fullest potential the way I did here. I will say, the book does take some time to get going. It is, in some respects, what I’d qualify as a “slow burn” but once you hit the halfway point, all that development is shown to be necessary and things really get going. That atmosphere I mention is the one-two punch the book needs to make all this matter for the reader, and it is masterfully done.

If there was one minor complaint I had, it was with some of the descriptions, which I think could have used a bit of detail and focus. There were scenes where I wanted to more clearly see the surrounds and it lacked just a touch of the specificity needed to bring me there.

All in all, Seven Deaths of an Empire was magnificent, thoughtful, highly readable account of what happens when a strong empire is thrust into unpredictable transition. It’s full of political intrigue and dripping with potent, dark atmosphere. This is a must read for fantasy fans who enjoy reading about political machinations.

Seven Deaths of an Empire is one of those rare books that rather than immediately jumping you into the "this is why you should care about these characters" allows the hooks to slowly be set, so by the time you realize what has happened, you're so invested that you can't wait to see what happens next. Matthews does a fantastic job of building drama and tension, with clear understanding of each character and their understanding and involvement within the larger story. I am excited to see what happens next within this world; Matthews has set his hooks deep.

So good I had to buy a signed hardback copy for my collection!
This is a must read for any fan of Anna Smith-Spark. Grimdark Roman inspired fantasy at its very best!!!

10/25 (40%) 2 stars.
A thoroughly underwhelming book with a pseudo-Roman-inspired setting in which legions aren't bodies of troops but people... bland, uninteresting protagonists, overly short chapters, and a predictable plot. Also featuring The Cult of the Eternal Fire from the Witcher series. How original.
Booktube review: https://youtu.be/G4hQw2XY-UU
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.
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Stephen reviews Seven Deaths of an Empire by @G_R_Matthews - new and exciting military fantasy!
https://youtu.be/lPNfB5DV-i4

General Bordan is dedicated to the Empire and those who rule it. He has spent a lifetime in service to the Emperor and, with his passing, will now spend his days keeping his heir safe from all those unhappy with his family's rule.

Apprentice Magician Kyron might be far removed from the throne but finds himself just as close to the one who sat upon it, when the Emperor dies upon the battlefield and he is one of the few tasked with seeing his body returned home to safety.

These two different individuals each contributed their own perspectives, and between their two insights, an understanding the politics that governed, the rebellion hoping to end it, and the magic system that was present yet feared and despised, was provided. Their chapters were pretty brief, with much dialogue and a fast-pace of plot, which ensured I raced through this fascinating fantasy story.

Political intrigue was the focus for the first half of the book and scenes of action, upon the various battle-fields, dominated for the second. I wished the kingdom had been painted in more detail and a better understanding of the magic system was provided, but this proved an immersive and well-crafted story, nonetheless.

Grim dark is not descriptive enough. It was too dark for my tastes to be honest. I had to read it in stages and then go do something else in between.

I became aware of the book on twitter as I follow the author. I stumbled across him on goodreads a while ago as someone mentioned that he is one of their favourite authors. So when I saw that he was publishing a new novel – a start to a series – I was really intrigued. And when I saw the cover, my heart melted away and I applied for it on Netgalley. After I got approved I started a happy dance. It is such a pretty book -inside and outside. Although maybe pretty is not the exact right word as the story itself is very captivating but also pretty bloody. Oh well, there you have the ‚pretty‘ 😃

The story is set in a fictional world similar to the Roman Empire. Th Empire is everything and it keeps expanding. This closeness to the Roman Empire also influenced the author’s choice of words, which took me while to get used to. So some names or job descriptions resemble Latin words like for example Cohort or Legion. For me this sometimes was a bit of a struggle as I am absolutely clueless about Roman Latin warfare words -except for Asterix and Obelix vocabulary- but I quickly got used to it. Also the way society is built has its paragon in Roman society. There are the rich nobles, the poor people and finally the slaves. Buuuuut differently to the real Roman Empire this Empire also has got magic. So it has magicians too. And not only the Empire inhabitants are able to control magic but also the ‚wild‘ people of the forest know how to wield magic even if it is different for them .

The story is told from two alternating perspectives: The General’s and the Magician’s; a grandfather, Bordan, and his grandson, Kyron. These two are also the two main characters of the book.
By far my most favorite character is the character the author dedicated his book to: Emlyn. She is my heroin 💕. Emlyn -already her name is pretty- is a strong character who knows exactly what needs to be done and does not shy back from doing it. I can not reveal much more about her as that would give away too much already. I am convinced you will like Emlyn very much too, when you read the book. Her and Kyron really spoke to my heart.

The story of the book is excellently told and the ending really surprised me. I did not see that plot twist coming at all! It is not too bloody and there is not much nudety and sexuality in it. There is violence and there is torture and death but it is not too explicit.

The book is a real gem of an epic fantasy novel – even if you’re not interested in the Roman Empire and I can’t recommend reading it enough. I am really looking forward to reading the next installment and find out how the story continues and how the Empire is going to die.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the e-Arc! My rating is in star form and will be included with this review. I may go back to more extensive reviews in the future, but while I am catching up on everything, they will continue to be stars only. Thank you so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one and it’s another good entry into the epic fantasy genre. While set in a new world, it is clearly influenced by the Roman empire and you can see it in everything from the military to the conniving politics. The one drawback for me was that it stayed almost too true to the inspiration. As a history lover and avid reader of fantasy novels, it started to become too easy to predict what would happen next. I just wanted a few more surprises, twists that I couldn’t see coming.

I had mixed feelings about that book, mostly because I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, and although this book had fantasy elements to it, it was mostly an ode to the roman empire and grimdark fiction (which again am not an avid reader of). It reminded me of the movie “The Gladiator”. The initial battle in between the empire and tribes in the movie was well represented in the book. If you love fiction inspired by moments in history, this is definitely a novel for you.

If I had to put my finger on the element I’d improved in the book; it’s the pacing. We had a ton of big shocking events in the first act, then things slowed down for a good portion of Act 2 and the start of Act 3 to finally end in the last remaining pages of Act 3 with balls to the walls twists and turns and action. Although some might not see a problem here, I prefer when the pacing is dispersed throughout the book. It helps with maintaining interest throughout and at one point I was wondering if the book would pick up in intensity. Some might quit before they arrive at the big ending if it’s too much of a slow burn throughout Act 2. Again, some other readers might feel differently about this, especially readers who truly enjoy the historical/grimdark fiction subgenre.

However despite this there were really shining elements in this story. Like I already mentioned, the first half of the book didn't stop hitting me with shocking events, and what an ending. Matthews’s prose was a breeze to read and not using an array of complex wording/sentences, therefore is highly accessible to readers of all ages. Also, the authenticity of the elements related to Roman history was accurate and brought a level of realism I truly enjoyed. Like I was experiencing the moments and learned a few things about the army of these times. The world-building was top-notch.

Characters were well done, especially the people driven by corruption in the narrative. When you hate a character to a point where you cheer terrible events happening to this character, it means the author is doing an amazing job in pushing the right buttons with said character. I especially like the conspiracy driven manipulations and backstabbing conversations. These debates and characters brought us back to a time where manipulative politics started.

So if you truly enjoy a conspiracy, politically driven fiction Roman novel, this book is an impressive addition to your list and fans of Roman times and grimdark will get a blast with this book.

actual rating: 3.5/5

Well, this one was quite fun. While it wasn't anything groundbreaking, it does have an enjoyable plot and familiar ancient roman setting.

I love how interesting the characters are, but I just can't seem to get attached to any of them. It's like in theory, they are interesting and they *should* be some of my favorite characters, but they aren't. And this is also how I felt for pretty much every aspect of the book. The wroldbuilding is solid, the plot is enjoyable, but they never go beyond that to really set this book apart.

And while the politics and power play kept things interesting, the ending just fell flat to me and honestly felt out of place. I do feel like this book could be more but I still had an enjoyable time reading this and I think this book would be a nice choice for beginners to fantasy.