It took me a while longer to read this book than what I would have hoped, but I do think it's an interesting start to a new series.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Solaris / Rebellion for the opportunity.

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I'm not very sure if it's because my interests or likes are changing, but I really enjoy books with more than one POV. Being new to the world, I enjoy seeing different aspects and/or familiarizing myself with them alongside the characters as we make our way together which makes me glad that this book has two of them and the best thing about them is that they were not set in the same location.

Even then both of them actually follow different plot-lines before they merge into one, which I thought was an interesting mix and the author's got the required skills to pull it off without making it seem that one is lacking. I have read previous books with multiple point of views where I was hoping one of those point of views will disappear because it was boring to me, which I thankfully didn't experience here.

The General's point of view is based in the capital itself, where I get a closer look at the political side of the court, the major players, a somewhat whodunit mystery and of course a look at the different factions that make up the Empire. The army from one side, the magicians from another and because it's set in a heavily inspired Roman world, the church is also extremely prominent. Couple that with the mystery element here and I'm enjoying the subtlety pointed fingers while I got to build my own assumptions. What made it even more interesting in this regard, is that the mystery was well done. I had a few possible suspects and slowly worked around filtering them the more information became available to me and it's probably the part I enjoyed the most in the book.

On the other hand, the Magician's point of view is more of a journey. This in turn opened the door for me to see completely different things like the magic, the tribes and colonialism. The last point there is a very heavy theme in this part of the book as the Empire started out small and started working it's way absorbing other locations, therefore Kyron gets pulled into these view challenging discussions that I ended up really enjoying.

In this point of view however, I did wish for a couple of things to have a bigger view, the tribes and the magic system. Now that I finished the book, I have a somewhat vague knowledge of how this system works and being the magic loving person that I am, I did wish for a bigger explanation on how it's done and what are the types to name some examples. The tribes as well were a very interesting existence and I hope to see them in a bigger light at some point.

The pacing of the book because of the above hefty collection of discussed things, was a bit on the slow side, but it made the progression feel like a gradual learning curve that is very open to a more thorough continuation which I also ended up liking. I say this because the author may have tied up the plot-lines in a neat way, but he also ended up opening the path to a much darker plot-line moving forward. For that, I can happily say that I have enough knowledge of the world to act as a frame for the details that I couldn't see here, to be added in while reading the sequels.

All of that aside, I did struggle in the beginning 25% or so of the book. The writing is pretty interesting, don't get me wrong, but I just couldn't really commit as quickly as I would have hoped. Later on, I was curious to see where all of this is going to end up while getting caught up on all the elements this book had, but I knew why I couldn't get as hooked as I had hoped and it's because of the characters. Obviously, they weren't bad, otherwise I wouldn't have continued till the end. But there were these nitpicks of mine on several of them that made it hard to care all that much and while they didn't completely disappear, some of them ended up growing on me and by then I was pretty hooked to the plot-line anyway. I literally could not stop thinking about it whenever I wasn't reading.

If there's one thing that G. R. Matthews managed to do to me which I don't recall being done in the same way for a very long time (if not ever), it was to hook me to the plot regardless of what I feel about the characters which is a thing that I almost never get to experience in my reading so thank you for that interesting experience.

All in all, I enjoyed myself in the end, and I do think that this series has a lot of potential, which I really hope I get to see very soon.

Final rating: 3.5/5

The story is told from two different perspectives. First we have the young magician Kyron, who travels with the army to protect the body of the late emperor from the tribes living on the lands they travel through. Kyron is young and because of this a pretty naive character, who we slowly see become a more matured man. The other perspective is that of the old general Boran, who resides in the capital to serve the royal family. Because of his lifetime of experience Boran is a wise, patient man. The contrast between these two characters kept the story very interesting and made me want to keep reading.

The plot surprised me in a good way. In the beginning I thought the story was going to be a straightforward quest, which isn't my favourite, but I was quickly proven wrong by the plot twists. While they weren't the best I've ever seen, they were extremely interesting and added a lot to the story, especially at the end of the book.

The pacing of the book was also really good. The constant switch of perspective after each chapter was easy to get used to and it kept my interest in the story.

The world building was amazing. Since we followed the story from two different settings, we got to know more about the empire itself, but also about all the tribes living in the lands surrounding the empire. The culture of the empire was also fascinating to learn about, and I would love to learn more about it and also about the culture from the tribes. The world is full of political issues, most notably the conflict between the clergy and the magicians, which is present throughout the whole book. All these things combined made the story even more intriguing to read.

I do want to note that the ending wasn't fully satisfactory to me. I believe a sequel to this book is coming, which I would love to read. It would be a shame if this book would remain a standalone.

In conclusion, this was an amazing book, definitely one of the best ones I've read this. If you're into high fantasy, I highly recommend you pick this one up once it comes out on June 22nd!

I wanted to not like this book because I had a really good play on words involving the title of this novel.. But sadly it was pretty awesome. The plot was fast paced and thoughtful at the same time. The action felt real and the character choices did also. My only complaint is the ol show don't tell. I could have done with out some of the pontificating, but that really is a minor issue at best. I'm excited to see what comes next!

Seven Deaths of an Empire is a story of a conquering empire at the peak of its power but the sudden death of the Emperor during a campaign leaves a power vacuum.

The Magician Apprentice Kyron, a naive, young man struggling to find his place in the Empire. He and his master were tasked with overseeing the safe return of the Emperor's body and the amulet to the citadel.

Enter General Bordan, an old man who dedicated his life to serving the royal family. He has a strong sense of honor and duty and he needs to keep the Empire from falling into chaos and protect it from machinations until the body of the emperor and the amulet is safely returned to the citadel and the new Emperor is crowned.

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Seven Deaths of an Empire is a grimdark fantasy based on the Roman Empire. Told in two POVs, switching every chapter between General Bordon and Magician Apprentice Kyron.

This was a refreshing and engaging read, a traditional fantasy for the modern reader. It has political intrigue, betrayals, great battle scenes, and a well-crafted world. This was a political and character-driven story.

It's well written and executed skillfully. The prose is straightforward, clear, and precise. It has a solid and intricate plot. GR Matthews did a great job balancing politics, fantasy, and magic. The plot moved reasonably well.

The characters are complex and realistic. I especially enjoyed seeing Kyron's development. Bordan and Kyron's POV complement each other.

The world-building is top tier and well researched. It's Romanesque with its structure, culture, weapons, the conflict between the Church and the magicians, and the Empire and the tribes. The battle scenes are well written and realistic. The magic system is described well. The hows of it are simple enough to follow and visualize. It's not that powerful but it has its merits.

I do hope this will not be standalone. This is a promising to great fantasy series.

I recommend this for someone who's fed up with all the mainstream fantasy (heh) and would love to try something new.
Thank you Netgalley, GR Matthews, and Rebellion for an opportunity to read this amazing book!

Very cool, and very well written. Can't wait to read others in the series, and by this author. Would tell my friends and family to look out for this book and this author.

I enjoyed this book. Good characterisation and it ket me interested all the way to the end. It's easy to read with clever dialogue and descriptions.

“The desire for revenge can destroy a person or fuel them for a time, but when revenge fulfilled is an empty thing. In the end, it is how we deal with our losses that define and guides our future.”

Seven Deaths of an Empire is a Roman-inspired fantasy set in a world where the empire is actively trying to conquer and control the “barbarians” in the forests. However, due to the sudden passing of the Emporer, the whole empire is struck by uncertainty and fear. This book follows two POVs, Bordan, a general that has gained a reputation of being loyal and skilled through his many years of service, and the apprentice Kyron, who is being trained by his Master Padarn, to become a magician.

G.R. Matthews does a phenomenal job at introducing the reader to the world and its characters. The reader is introduced to a world with a focus on forbidden magic, politics, discrimination and rebellion. Although there is a lot of political manoeuvring, the reader is never left confused. Matthews writing style is very accessible, and the pacing is phenomenal, making the reader feel immersed in this world from the first page. This book reads like a classical fantasy, but the fast pacing and the unexpecting plot twists make this story feel exciting and new.

General Bordan and the apprentice Kyron are great characters, with a lot of depths and complex motivations. Matthews does a terrific job at making the reader feel invested in the character’s story by explaining their thoughts, feelings and giving the reader some insights into these characters past. Moreover, these characters are put through challenging situations, forcing them to act on their intuition and showcase their character. Having the reader follow these two characters, which are different by age, location, and occupation keeps this story fresh throughout the book. Matthews is also analysing some fantastic themes in this book, such as identity, the value of human life and the cost of being loyal.

The world-building is also great. The world is inspired by the Roman empire, which is reflected in the Empire's motivations, how the Roman numerals used at the start of each chapter and the mention of gladiators. The reader is introduced to a priesthood, magicians, soldiers, generals, tribes, forest, lore and forbidden magic. The magic system is based around the weave of motes into constructs but has its limitations and rules, making it feel like a “hard magic” system. My primary “criticism” is that the reader is left wanting to know more about the world, such as the tribes, the magic system and the empire’s history. Although we learn about these aspects, the reader does not get extensive knowledge about this, and the reader is left wondering what else there is to discover in this world (which can be a good thing!). Hopefully, we will learn more about this world in the sequel.

In conclusion, Seven Deaths of an Empire is a classical fantasy with fantastic pacing, memorable characters and satisfying plot twists. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. If you are looking for something new to the fantasy genre, I wouldn’t recommend this book. However, if you are looking for a classical fantasy, done well, then I can highly recommend this book. Although this is a thick book, it didn’t feel long or drawn out. I will definitely be continuing with this series. My only ‘criticism’ is the lack of explanation about the tribes, the lore and the magic system. Hopefully, we will learn more about these aspects in the sequel.

4.25 / 5 stars

Thanks to Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A great grimdark fantasy with Roman undercurrents, what more could a man want?

Seven Deaths of an Empire is not a quick read, though the plot does have a fair amount of pace for a chunky book. The world is well drawn out, I could picture it without having to refer to the map at the front. The characters too are well rounded, the two POV's have their flaws and drawbacks, one being the limitation of age, the other the inexperience of youth.

The plot itself is simple enough to follow: the emperor has died in the far north on campaign, in the company of the soldiers charged with bringing his body home is a young magician, Kyron. In the city at the heart of the empire to the south is the General Bordan, and whilst the magician must battle the wild northern tribes and fight to stay alive, Bordan must weave the honeycomb alleys of imperial politics, and hope he doesn't reach a dead end.

There are many other side characters, each bringing their own personality to the party. The magic system is described well, and the ending brings a brilliant little twist a lot of readers won't see coming.

This is a workmanlike fantasy, competently put together, but which did not grab my attention.

The background of the book is an empire very like the Romans, and with an incursion into northern woods which brings to mind the invasion of Germania. The descriptions of various skirmishes and battles are well communicated, so you can follow what′s going on, and get the impact of fighting.

There are two voices within the book, the older General and the young Magician and we find out how they are connected as the book progresses. I found the General′s parts more interesting to read. The seven deaths that give the book its title do not stand out particularly. I think if the book was divided into parts with the name of the dead person as the title of the part, it might give the book a better pace. (Although some of the deaths perhaps come a bit too close together to make this work.)

I think I was able to work out who was behind the plot(s) too soon in the book, so I was not reading on eager to find out what would happen. It′s certainly not a badly written book, and I think somebody else might read it and it would just hit their sweet spot of empires and magic.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

Well, I can recommend this book to any fantasy reader that likes battle, magic and intrigue. Matthews wrote a good book with an interesting plot, a good mix of action and dialogue with just enough new information every time to keep you interested.
I also liked how he managed to show the tension between church, magic and army while making it possible to understand where each was coming from. Kyrion was an interesting main character and I cannot wait to see what will happen next now that he has to decide which path to take in life. You see him grow from unsure, and frankly, childish apprentice into a more powerful magician. Now the question remains what is he going to do with that power and how will the events in the empire evolve? All side characters were great too, each with their own distinct personality and I applaud any writer not choosing the easy way out just so the reader will be left feeling good.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

Short review due to my disabilities. I really enjoyed this one. It was an easy read with characters that were predictable but still fun. It reminded me of fantasy from the likes of Tad Williams in style and pace. Would have liked more tying up of loose ends but will definitely read more from the author

The opening scenes and intro to the main characters failed to hook me or hold my interest so I gave up reading this book after 30 pages.
I'm a fan of historical fiction combined with fantasy such as Outlander and Vikings. I loved the Game of Thrones series.
I thought I would enjoy reading this particular book because it got so many good reviews from other readers, but I was disappointed with the slow-moving opening events and familiar character types from so many other similar stories.

That was really epic!! The story was awesome, we felt the stake of it all and we felt invest into it as a reader! The characters were well develop and most of them didn't fall into the clichés or tropes. Very well done for a newcomer, I least I think Matthews one! I recommend it!

I'm torn with this review. I feel bad because I really didn't connect with any characters and so didn't care where the story went.
There was no sense of urgency to the narrative and so I didn't really care what they were doing and why. The twist at the end seemed added on and I went back through looking for foreshadowing but couldn't find anything that would fit what was occurring. It felt as though the end of this book was the beginning of the actual novel and the most exciting and interesting part - so there's no way this is standalone. It's the start of a series.
The General was a good character, the Magician was not. The most interesting character Emelyn had a small part and was so underused.
The middle of the book lagged and I'm not sure what the point of most of it was. To showcase the author's love of battles and military history, perhaps. It just seemed to go on and on.

I finished this so it's more than a 1 star, and the writing is good in places so I can go to 2 stars, but I feel anything more gives a false sense of how much I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review

I didn’t connect with the characters in this at all. It was dry and in places felt overdone and repetitive. The ‘mad king’ (female emperor) cliché was eye-rolling and the reasons behind this a bit deus ex machina. I don’t understand how anyone thinks this is full of twists when it’s formulaic.
The writing was ok, and there are a few nice nuggets and turns of phrase, but the story lacked originality. I wanted spice or strangeness. I almost fell asleep in some places.
2 stars

The story begins in the wake of the Emperor’s death. In order for the Emperor’s heir to be crowned, his body and amulet need to be safely returned to the Empire.

Kyron is a Magician’s apprentice who is tasked with escorting and preserving the Emperor’s body back to the Empire. With a naïve and idealistic approach to the world outside the city he grew up in, he finds himself in many a debate with Emlyn, an enigmatic woman from the forest tribes who has agreed to guide the Emperor’s wagons back to the Empire.

Bordan is a seasoned General in the Empire’s army and loyal to the Empire. Whilst awaiting the return of the Emperor’s body, he attempts to keep the peace whilst protecting the successor to the throne. However it doesn’t take long to realise there are others who are willing to make a play for power and Bordan is caught in the midst of deceit and political schemes.

This book reminded me of a mix between “Game of Thrones” and the TV series “Rome”. You’ve got the magic, the lies and the political games with the promised gore of battle. The magic system in this book was quite straightforward in the sense it was easy to visualise and was detailed in its description - I really liked it.

I also love a book with multiple POV’s and to have Bordan and Kyron’s stories running parallel (and knowing their paths would inevitably have to cross at some point), left me very intrigued to see how things would conclude. They are opposites in almost every way, yet they are both loyal to the Empire and want to fulfil their duties.

Whilst it didn’t pack the same punch as some other fantasy reads, the plot was solid and easy to follow whilst keeping you guessing. If you like grimdark fantasy with a Roman twist, then I would say this is a book you should pick up for an enjoyable read.

This book was ok. I had much too high expectations, after seeing glowing reviews from Mark Lawrence and a few other authors. I didn't really like the young magician, his one mode of communication was complaining. I liked the aging general but I don't understand why he had to kill the messenger to gain one day of silence. He couldn't be confined for one single day, he had to be killed? That set me up to dislike the general too. I was happy when the wretched royal family started getting killed off though. After slogging through their ridiculous behavior I was glad there would be seven deaths. It was tedious reading, since nothing felt original. Twice Kyron explains gladiators to Emlyn. I had bigger expectations from Emlyn too, given the big shout-out the author gave to "the Emlyns". From the constant naming of weaponry and armor, woad paint, and other vocabulary, I presume this is an alternate Roman Empire expansion into the UK. I'm kind of just glad to be through with this one so I move on to something interesting. I think this book just wasn't for me, since it's getting high praise elsewhere.

This was a very interesting read for me overall. The plot seemed sort of straightforward at first but then as it went along I started wondering when the twists would happen. There were twists that I did not see coming and that was great although somethings I predicted did happen while some didn't.
The story centers around two main characters and those they interact with. Kyron and Bordan each serve the Empire but in different capacities. Kyron is relatively new to his service it seems and the Bordan as the General has served most of his life. Through these two we how they choose duty and service before almost everything.. I found myself really liking Bordan for his strength of character but he was not a perfect person. Kyron is a young man who is struggling to find out how he fits in the Empire. He is still learning and open to learning new things unlike the priests who hate magic and those who use it. The religion is not something that I really paid that great attention to but there doesn't appear to be a god but rather an abstract idea of some type of force. Most of the priests seem to be fanatics or heading towards that direction. I could see them as part of the Inquisition easily. The world seemed based off of the Roman Empire. There are no gods mentioned at all just worship of the Flame. There doesn't seem to be anything like a Senate but just the Emperor and his council that control everything.
The magic and combat were both good as well. The magic isn't all powerful but still able to do quite a bit of damage. The combat was thought out and written well I thought. The magic of the tribes wasn't gone into any detail but they seem to have magic users as powerful as those in the Empire perhaps but they use and see magic in different ways. At the end of the book I was already thinking about what may or could happen in the next book. I think this was a three and half stars for me but averaged it out to four stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book.

A fantastic fantasy adventure for all tastes.

I mostly read social commentary pieces, but I enjoyed this publisher's other title so had to give this a go and I'm glad I did.

The mash up of traditional fantasy story with ancient Roman influence was wonderful, and the strong characterisation of the General was perfection. I wasn't overly keen on the magician, but I think that's a credit to the author as the arrogance of his youth was grating at times! His female companion was fantastic however and I can't wait to read more about her.
The seven deaths were played out well, but the last one was absolutely fantastic.

A great page turner.

Update 23/03

I've been going back over my reviews and feel I was wrong on this.
I've upped this to a 3 star. I found myself thinking about the story even though I DNF so I went and read the rest. I enjoyed it. Still dry in places but the attention to detail was excellent.

Original review
This was a DNF for me. I found the plot predictable (and skipped ahead to the last 10% to confirm suspicions of family ties). The writing and prose both dry.
It wasn't quite the chosen one trope but the young magician was close and I've read enough fantasy like that to know I want (and expect) more in today's day and age.