DNF around 40%. While I'm thankful I got the opportunity to read this, I could not make myself care for the characters, the plot, the empire, or any of the themes. The writing is very dry and straight to the point, and despite the chapters not being long at all I had a really hard time pushing myself through them, to get this far.

It's not a bad book - it's between historical and fantasy (just because of the bits of magic we see with one of the POVs), dealing with imperialism and struggles for power, but it just didn't captivate me enough to make me excited to continue. Others who enjoy this kind of long book more might like it a lot, though, especially those who appreciate well-thought court politics.

This bok is a Roman-inspired epic tale with interestingn setting and a lot of action.
The world building was done very well and so were the characters. The writing style is flowy, the pacing is great and it's a really enjoyable classic epic fantasy story.

Seven Deaths of an Empire was amongst the honored few in Grimdark Magazine Best Dark SFF Books of 2021. Imagine my excitement to read this. Then imagine my disappointment when Seven Deaths of an Empire didn't live up to this hype.

The overall story was good and I really liked the magic system. The first major setback was the character building. There were 2 character categories:
The Adult
The Sniveling Brat

Also, I could feel the sense of a writing formula with each chapter. There seemed to be one point to each chapter and the rest was a bunch of words to fill in the chapter. Would have been nice to see more of a flow in the story as a whole.

G.R. Matthews does have a good story to tell. His writing style just isn't for me. I truly am bummed about that.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
✅ mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgottable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are ficitonal

PLOT
✅ you've already heard this exact story a thousand time
🔲 nothing memorable
🔲 gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
✅ OK
🔲 nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
✅ fine
🔲 immersive
🔲 you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
✅ page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

The most generic story I've read in a while :\

I was really looking forward to read this book based on the blurb and the synopsis. I was still quite excited after the first ~50 pages. Sadly my opinion went downhill from there..

At the start of the story I immediately liked the narration style which was based on switching between two POV characters who were in different parts of the world, but had to deal with the consequences of the same problem. There are also short flashback snippets at the start of each chapters which made another connection between the two MCs and I was looking forward to find out what will the conclusion of the flashback sequence be. Slight spoilers, but there was no conclusion imo. I feel like they were absolutely unnecessary and didn't give anything to the present storyline.

So about the present plot. It felt insanely predictable, played on tropes that I read a thousand times already. Since I'm mostly a character-driven reader I could be even fine with this if the characters were well-developed and interesting to follow but it wasn't the case. I felt like they were also just very tropey and I couldn't care about them or connect to them.

The thing about the pacing is a bit weird, because the chapters were short and there was a lot of action, so in that sense the plot progressed in a good pace. On the other hand because I couldn't care about the characters or the plot I started to skim through the second half of the book and I feel like I didn't miss out on anything, so I don't really understand why did this have to be almost 600 pages. There was just so much fluff in the prose, I don't have a better word for it.

I can't say much about the worldbuilding, I didn't hate it but it also just felt very generic 🤷

This book definitely wasn't for me and I'm not sure who would enjoy it. Maybe if you like very tropey epic fantasy? Eh..

"Seven Deaths of an Empire" is a promising debut novel by G. R. Matthews and possibly the first book in a larger series.

The story is set in an empire strongly reminiscent of the ancient Roman civilization, at a time when the empire is actively working to conquer and control the “barbarians” who inhabit the forests. The similarities are especially obvious in the organization of power, down to the naming conventions of the army and its subdivisions. There are some obvious differences, however, including the existence of magic and a much simplified religious system. The conquering empire is thrust into significant uncertainty when the Emperor passes away suddenly, which high-positioned nobles see as an opportunity to make their own bid for power.

The story is told through two points of view: in the capital we follow Bordan, the empire's highest ranked general, aging, but still fiercely loyal to the throne and trying to keep control over the nobles jostling for power; among the hostile tribes we accompany Kyron, a young apprentice magician, tasked to accompany the Emperor's body back to the capital.

The book is a swift read, the chapters are short to medium, keeping the story going at a nice pace. The plot is twisty, filled with mystery and intrigue, lots of skirmishes and deaths (see the title!). Ultimately, however, I look to my fantasy mostly for magic, and much larger stakes (like the fate of the world). The story of "Seven Deaths of an Empire" centers more on political maneuvering, which is not as interesting to me, personally. It did not help that one of the POVs (Kyron) comes across as grumbling and complaining for the majority of his narration. I also felt that some of the backstory (the tribes) as well as the magic system/lore were not sufficiently fleshed out.

"Seven Deaths of an Empire" is a solid introduction to this world, but I feel it would work better as a first novel in a larger series, rather than a stand-alone, which it has been marketed as to this point.

I did get an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review , I also bought the Audible version , Wayne Forrester is an excellent narrator.

Wow.. this is really good “Seven Deaths of an Empire”
A Romanesque fantasy , Magic… full of intrigue …..fight scenes that were poetic in nature.

The story is told by two point of view characters one is General Bordan And the other is a Magician Apprentice Named Kyron.
The story starts with the death of the emperor and the domino effect that follows.

always keep in mind the title of the book. Is in my mind a back character to the book,imo👀

Great Prose

One interesting part I found was at the beginning of every chapter either be the general or the magician it always started with something from the past ….wasn’t long maybe a paragraph …..but the author would feed you little nuggets little by little, with those Italicize words in the beginning of every chapter.

I give it 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s

I ended up really liking Seven Deaths of an Empire.
I wasn't sure at first that I would like it as the book started really slow but once it picked up I quickly started to love it!
I really enjoyed the the 2 different POV's as both characters were really fascinating.
I highly recommend this book to people who love grimdark fantasy.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A strongly political fantasy story which takes a long while to lift off. I was close to putting it down permanently just after the middle, as not much was happening in my opinion and predictable political scheming does not keep me engaged usually. In the end I decided to stick to it, and see it through and I am happy I did. The characters are interesting, and the story wraps up in a quite satisfying way. Would recommend to a political fantasy enthusiast, and would read a sequel if the author ever decides on coming back to the story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book definitely took a little time to establish itself. You don't get a lot of exposition, you just have to sit with the story and allow it to unfold.

It's a story told from 2 viewpoints, which will intertwine down the road, as you might expect. I won't give too many specifics, as that would likely take away from the story (Although it's not that much of a surprise). This is a roman'esque world, with the addition of magic, so feels familiar and a little otherwordly at the same time.

I really enjoyed the second and third acts, and the first act got better as the characters were established. I did find the final part a little out of pace with the rets of the book and it seemed a little rushed to close out what I expect to be the start of a series.

Overall, a good read, and hopefully the next part of the story will be better paced now that the story has been established. Definitely worth a red.

I was looking forward to this book, being a fan of the author's indie work, but unfortunately it didn't completely work for me. This is a very traditional "non-epic" fantasy, reminding me of early Martha Wells, Carol Berg or even Lawrence Watt-Evans, though I'm struggling for more recent comparisons. I wouldn't call it grimdark, either, though I think I've seen that tag attached - there's plenty of violence and betrayal, but it's not pointlessly bleak or edgy. The worldbuilding borrows heavily from the Roman Empire, diligently and to good effect, which at least makes a change from faux-medievalism. The two-handed plot was intriguing and rattled along nicely, and while some of the twists were fairly predictable, they worked - right up until an ending that didn't fully land with me. I'd still recommend it for fans of classic fantasy, especially those that enjoy a bit of a mystery/thriller element along with the magic and military escapades. Interested to see where he goes next!

3.5/5

"How do you bring peace by starting a war?"

After the death of the emperor in the middle of a military campaign, the empire prepares for his funeral and his son to replace him. We have two POV, that of General Bordan, who has dedicated his entire life to the service of the empire, and that of apprentice mage Kyron, who is among the retinue appointed to escort the body of the late emperor to the capital.

"Sometimes simple answers are the truth."

Although with General Bordan I was immediately able to connect with his character, with Kyron it took me longer. His character is not only stubborn, but also very complaining, he was whinning al the time, and he did not questioning things that were obviously wrong, or at least could make you doubt. However, later, his character learned, matured, and began to show good potential. I always find it positive that the characters learn something throughout the story.

Both characters are involved in the political intrigues that follow the death of the emperor, and must find a way to survive. The stability of the empire is at stake, and also the survival of the magicians, who are considered abominations by the church and its faithful. The political game creates a very good atmosphere for the book, very tense, which accompanies the narrative very well.

It is very well written, and I actually marked several phrases that were significant to me. The plot of the story grabbed me from the synopsis, and the pacing was generally pretty consistent. In my opinion, the world building needed a little more development. In particular, I get the impression that the potential of the type of magic proposed by the author was not fully exploited.

In general, a book that I really liked, I found it entertaining, and I would definitely like to read this author again.

"It is a big commitment, to teach another."

TLDR
Characters - 3.5/5
Plot - 3.5/5
Setting - 3.5/5
Writing - 4/5
Final Impression - 3.5/5
-
The chapters alternate between General Bordan and apprentice magician, Kyron. I liked this back and forth, and thankfully I found both their storylines interesting enough that I didn't resent switching POV after each chapter.
They were plenty of politics interspersed with action scenes so there was never really a dull moment. I haven't felt bored reading it. I really enjoyed the writing in this. It found a very nice balance between prosaic and plain.

Full Review

3.5*

Characters
The chapters alternate between General Bordan and apprentice magician, Kyron. I liked this back and forth, and thankfully I found both their storylines interesting enough that I didn't resent switching POV after each chapter. I was always happy to go back to the other one. There is a connection between the two characters but I won't say it here. It's more fun to figure that out yourself through the flashback snippets at the start of each chapter.

Emlyn was a fun character. Smart and ballsy. I enjoyed the friendship that grew between her and Kyron despite initially disliking each other. I also appreciated the fact that they were just friends and not love interests. at least for now.
I really liked Padarn and Vedrix, oh, and Borus too. Solid blokes really.

I hate to be that person, but I do wish there were more women who weren't crazy bitches. Emlyn was literally the only woman of importance who was decent and not incensed. I didn't really notice until Livillia. I think she was just one crazy woman too far, then it just felt like a pattern was emerging.

The royal family, (AKA: the bad guys, cause let's be real, every one of them is portrayed as an arsehole from the very start) are scary in an annoying way. Not scary cause they are particularly villainous, but scary because they have more power than brains. Sometimes that can be the scariest villain imaginable, one that can't be reasoned with, but it also makes them really bloody annoying. Like Joffrey from GoT. Alhard and Aelia are brats. Spoiled brats, greedy and power-hungry. Alhard is impulsive, reckless and thick as shit. Aelia is manipulative, unhinged

Plot
Kind of like GoT in the sense that this is literally a race to become the next emperor after his untimely death in battle. A small escort is sent home to accompany his body, but they're unaware of the shit going down in the city as various characters move against each other to be the ones to greet the body on its return. Cause whoever has the dead emperor's amulet holds the empire.
I liked this plot. I haven't read an idea like this before, so this was initially what drew me to this book. There were plenty of politics interspersed with action scenes so there was never really a dull moment. I haven't felt bored reading it.

There were plot twists and betrayals but personally, I saw them coming, and nothing really took me by surprise. Pretty much any prediction I made came to pass. Not that that's a problem, but I did keep hoping something would randomly come out of nowhere and catch me unawares.
And when the bad guys constantly seem to get the upper hand, it's just unsatisfying from a reader perspective. There's small wins, but not enough.

The ending was awesome though. Obviously, I'm not going to say what happened, but let me tell you, Kyron does something really fucking cool at the end and it makes tolerating the royal family's bullshit worth it for that one exquisite moment.

Setting
I found the world more interesting than I expected. It's obviously based on the Roman empire, which is cool, but personally, Roman history wouldn't be one of my go-to historical time periods, so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this as much as I did.
Something I loved however was the wood tribes, and how Celtic they felt. Celtic history is (ironically) something that does interest me (even though it's heavily connected to the Romans, I know.)
I really don't think Celtic culture is used enough in fantasy. The Celts were fucking cool.

The magic system within this world is quite fascinating. It's difficult to explain and I don't think I could do it justice. But the power to create constructs of seemingly anything the mind can conjure is such a cool idea with limitless potential.

However, I'm always a little bit baffled when fantasy worlds use iconography so deeply rooted in the real world. In this case, it's the use of the crucifix and crucifixion, despite how the religion in this world is completely unrelated. They worship the Holy Flame, yet they execute people by nailing them to a cross, and, I dunno, it just feels weird and out of place. And for me personally, a bit icky (my personal opinion as an atheist. Any form of religious execution makes me uncomfortable and repelled.)
I don't think I would be nearly as put off if it was a completely fictional religion, but this one just feels a tad too closely related to Christianity. I think that's why I suddenly felt so put-off at the end of the book. I know the Romans were Christians, and these people are inspired by Romans, but I just wish the Holy Flame was a fully fleshed out religion on its own that didn't lean so heavily on Christianity.
If not for the use of the crucifix, I don't think I would've had a single gripe about the world-building.

Writing Style
I really enjoyed the writing in this. It found a very nice balance between prosaic and plain. There was enough to-the-point, unembellished writing to appeal to those who hate purple prose, but also just enough beautifully creative descriptions to keep people like me satisfied. There were some truly delicious passages that fed my soul.

Though I will say, I'm not a fan of when a scene is repeated from a different POV. For me, it feels almost like a waste of time. I've already seen this, already know what happens, I just want to know what happens next.

Final Impression
Despite whatever issues I may have had whilst reading, I'm ultimately left satisfied, and I'm invested in Kyron and Emlyn. I can't deny how the heavy Christian inspirations is off-putting for me, but I do think I'll give the next one a read just cause I want to see Kyron and Emlyn fuck these fanatics up.

This book is told in alternative chapters between two POV’s. A general and a magician. Each chapter starts with something that happened in the past. As the book progresses these past snippets count down to the present. This formatting made the book a page Turner for me.

I was very excited when I first heard about this book! The story is told with two viewpoints: the magician’s apprentice Kyron, and the General of the Empire Bordan. The story also contains several flashbacks that go back ask 10 years. I love that the author did this, it all starts to make sense the more the reader goes on. As the story unfolds the reader gets to look into the turmoil that is taking place and the questions that surround the death of the Emperor. The author does a great job of intriguing the reader with the political powers.

Seven Deaths of an Empire is full of intrigue, deception, action, and magic. It is a great, fascinating book about what happens when a once-powerful empire, then when weakness is shown, exposes the entire empire to evil both inside and out. G.R. Matthews does not hold back, and keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

"“Live,” Emlyn answered, stuffing a warm cloak into a backpack. “Do that and you make all the choices, mistakes and successes you want. Stand there, do nothing, die, and all those choices are gone forever.”

Two things in this book stand out to me. One being the characters, the second being the magic system.

Throughout the book you follow two POVs -

Kyron, a Magician apprentice, code name Edgelord of confusion, and Bordan; General in the Emperors army, otherwise known as a cinnamon roll with a sword. Honourable mentions - Emlyn for being the real MVP and keeping everyones shit together.

I am a sucker for a good murder mystery so when you sprinkle in political intrigue, magic and a march through an amazing forest I am very very happy

Its definitely a character driven book, and I did struggle at the beginning of the book to relate to the world. TBH I still can't really picture it much, but I have SUCH a strong impression of all the characters which is what really kept my interest and made the pages fly by after the first 25-30%

There were parts where I found some of the prose, though beautiful, was excessively long, like I had to take a minute to figure out what the hell a sentence meant. There was also a sense of just being told the worldbuidling, rather than shown. After the halfway mark the characters came through for me and I didn't notice things like the excessive sentences or the infodump of worldbuilding.

Overall an enjoyable read, the ending had me at the edge of my seat ! Overall 3.5 stars

Sidenote: I am slightly disappointed to find out this is a complete story - and I have SO many questions that need to be answered that I thought would be in the sequel. Who killed the Emperor ? Where did Kyron go in the glade?? (IYKYK)

(Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC)

“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 defines 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 a brewing 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 not afraid to manipulate with the readers' feelings by having unexpected betrayals and murders prevalent in this book. If you are picking up this book, then be prepared to get your heart ripped out.

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 are 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 / 5 stars

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

A highly recommended original story, only told in two view points, which makes it unique to fantasy.

If you want something to read which is different in style then it’s this one.