A.G. Slatter's The Crimson Road is a darkly enchanting journey through the gothic Sourdough Universe, blending grim fairy tale sensibilities with richly detailed world-building and a razor-sharp protagonist. Fans of Slatter’s previous works like All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns will relish this foray into the ominous Darklands, a setting teeming with vampires, witches, and the echoes of broken promises. While accessible to newcomers, the book rewards long-time readers with satisfying ties to the larger universe.

The story follows Violet Zennor, a hardened fighter shaped by her father’s brutal upbringing, who finds herself trapped in his shadow even after his death. Tasked with venturing into the Darklands to untangle the mystery of her stillborn brother and the ominous Anchorhold, Violet’s journey is one of self-discovery, grit, and navigating a world where betrayal is often closer than trust. The setting’s vivid horrors—ranging from vampire Leech Lords to spectral dangers—bring a captivating, albeit terrifying, energy to the narrative.

Slatter excels at crafting complex characters and evocative prose. Violet’s mix of resilience and vulnerability anchors the story, and her interactions with returning figures like Miren O'Malley and Ellie Briar offer a deeper appreciation for fans familiar with the universe. The pacing, however, can be uneven. While the middle sections simmer with intrigue and lush world-building, the ending feels slightly rushed, leaving some threads underdeveloped.

The gothic elements shine brightest in the atmospheric descriptions of the Darklands and its macabre inhabitants, but the novel also explores universal themes of familial duty, identity, and the cost of freedom. The Crimson Road’s narrative doesn’t shy away from darkness, both literal and emotional, making it a brooding, immersive read.

Though not without flaws—minor characters could be more fleshed out, and first-time readers may find the dense lore daunting—The Crimson Road is a rewarding tale for those willing to venture into its shadowy depths. It’s a testament to Slatter’s ability to weave intricate, haunting worlds while keeping her characters’ humanity at the forefront.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It is no secret how much I adore the books in the Sourdough Universe - and this was such an incredible ending to an arc that began with Miren O'Malley in All The Murmuring Bones, brought us Asher Todd (The Path of Thorns) and Ellie Briar (The Briar Book of the Dead), and then tied everything together with Violet Zennor's story. With cameos from beloved characters from the aforementioned books, The Crimson Road takes us on a perilous journey to the terrifying and mysterious Darklands, ruled over by the Leech Lords. Following familiar themes of found family, female empowerment and self discovery, this fourth book is a perfect ending to a beautiful world of stories - and stories are truly a running theme throughout. While The Crimson Road is a standalone - as all the Sourdough books are - a reader who has consumed the earlier books will get maximum enjoyment out of it. The subject matter in this book feels darker than the others in many ways, perhaps the addition of vampires and the bodies they leave in their wake, all the blood spilled seeps across the pages. A delightful, dangerous read, at once cozy and high stakes if something can be such an oxymoron!

If there are more books set in this universe to come, you can be sure I'll be reading them.

2.5 ⭐️

thank you to net galley and a.g. slatter for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

this book was honestly really disappointing. the premise itself didn’t explain much, but it was said to be a dark gothic fantasy and had the cover of dreams, so i was immediately intrigued.

positives first. this book was dark, and had an all-consuming, but also very whimsical, forest setting for the majority of the book, and high i enjoyed. i also looooove anything to do with quests, which i think a lot of this story centred, but i don’t know if it completely delivered in the way i wanted it to.

there were pirates, witches, ogres, redcaps, vampires (of a sort)…so many different characters that were all barely fleshed out, and as we didn’t get to spend much time with any of them i ended up feeling really disconnected. however, after reading some other reviews of people who have been long time fans of slatter’s sourdough universe it made clear to me that this book tried to connect all the characters from previous books into this one, so that may be the reason for me feeling so confused. BUT this book is marketed as a standalone!!! i should not be feeling like this!!!

i also felt this book was really heavy on the info dumping, which is rare for me to say, and i couldn’t really process the world and lore because of that. i’d say the vast majority of events or plot progressing scenes in this book happened so quickly, and were kind of forgotten and moved on from in an instant. there were points where i felt quite bored, waiting for something major to happen, and when it did, it was extremely anticlimactic, and had no genuine impact on me or my enjoyment of the story, unfortunately!

A page turning read that will have you hooked from page 1. A brilliant atmosphere, intriguing protagonists and a plot that will keep you captivated right till the final page.

The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter is an enjoyable and entertaining dark fantasy adventure quest that I had trouble setting down. Filled with mysterious and magical characters, there was ever a new, alluring, and unexpected twist to the smooth unfolding of the story that showcased the fascinating lore and world building to great effect.
Filled with an array of magical characters and the requisite adorable scamp of a sassy orphan we have elements of folklore and fantasy, piracy and prophesy, and the blunt force trauma of a tried and true trope that I'll let you discover for yourself.
The world is well developed and I understand the author has a few books set in this space. The characterization is lean and I would have enjoyed a certain enhanced depth of emotion to the characters, especially the MC given her backstory.
The Crimson Road was entirely enjoyable-| went in looking for a fun diversion and that's precisely what I got. As this is the first book l've read by Slatter, I'm excited to read this author's other work.
If you're looking for a fun, easy to read, well paced, dark fantasy quest with witches, vampires, assassins and other magical creatures, with interesting world building and lore, The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter is the book for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, A.G. Slatter and Titan Books for access to an eARC. All opinions are my own.
Expected Publication Date: February 11, 2025

I’m loving this gothic fairytale world Slatter has created and seeing cameos from previous characters just warms my heart.

The Crimson Road is traditional quest fantasy, complete with unexpected grottos, magic weapons, and found family. This is a great foray into the vampire lore of this world from their cursed conception to a long-ago prophesied end. While I do thoroughly enjoy the fairytale rhythm that is becoming Slatter’s signature style, it was a touch predictable by the end and being a horror fan, I only wish that the vampires were a shade more threatening.

But it’s safe to say that I’m in it for the long run and I intend to read Slatter for a long time yet.

The Crimson Road by A.G Slatter
Arc review: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read

Thank you to titan books and net-galley for providing me with an eArc of the crimson road in exchange for an honest review.

The Crimson Road was the first book of A.G Slatter I have read and after finishing I can confirm it will not be the last.

A sharp, punchy fantasy that has you sucked into the story immediatley: Violet Zennor is our protagonist and has been trained nearly her whole life by her father Hedrek, to be the perfect killing machine, sly and deadly even if it cost her, her own self. Hedrek needed a weapon and Violet would be just that.

When herded dies of an ongoing illness all that violet feel sis relief as no Hedrek means no more control from the man who has ruled her entire life since she was 13 and the loving man he used to be was washed away. Or so she thinks. Violet’s believed freedom Is short lived when she realises she’ll never truly be free of Hedrek’s machinations, the mess he has caused and it becomes clear the fate of their country depends on her bending to her fathers iron clad will even if death.

Violet from the off was a fantastic character to read and I absolutely loved how she knew exactly who she was and what she wanted even after years of abuse and being constantly controlled and monitored by the men in her life. A FMC who dealt with every storm thrown at her in a way that was so real and true to her character all throughout the book and beneath all that she was going through, was the driving force to obtain the life she truly wanted and knew she deserved.

This book was filled with nods to folklore and legend that I absolutely loved, even the mention of small creatures and house dwellers that kept little cogs in this gothic fantasy world turning and had you wanting to know more about all of them.

A big mention has to go tot the women and girls in this book, all of them so strong in themselves and who they were even if them strengths lay in different ways for all of them, this book was a perfect ode to the wonder of women and all that they are capable of.

A different take on vampires in fantasy and one I absolutely loved, the leech lords with their history and origins just added to the gothic atmosphere of this book and made them feel much more substantial than how we would typically view them.

I will say that the way this story was laid out was amazing, with the darkness of the plot and violets family history slowly coming to light and being leaked into the pages as the story went on really made you realise the further into the depths you got of this book the darker everything became; The contrast of the darkness of plot with the quest like adventure Violet embarks on and the connections she makes along the way, filled with lots of fun banter, love and care for kind strangers in dire situations was masterful and my only gripe is I wish we had just had slightly more of that towards the end and got to witness Violets life in peace after all the terrors she had been through,

Would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, a fun and absorbing stand alone the packs a big punch in a fairly small amount of pages.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I love a good gothic dark fantasy. And I went into this book blind, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enthralled in the story and the world. I hadn’t realized this book was going to tie into the universe Slatter has created and was excited when I realized.

If you have read Slatter’s other work or love gothic fantasy you will really appreciate and enjoy The Crimson Road.

The Crimson Road is a lushly gothic fantasy that follows our main character, Violet Zennor. For most of her childhood, Violet was trained as a deadly fighter by her father. The pair have a strained relationship (to say the least) and when he dies, Violet finally feels like she has the chance to live her life on her own terms. Little does she know that even in death, her father seeks to control her, and she’s informed that she must embark on a dangerous journey to ultimately defeat a menacing foe.

Initially refusing to honor her father’s wishes, Violet hopes to move forward and have a peaceful life. However, her brief moment of calm is quickly shattered and she is thrusted back into chaos, after assassins come for her. Now fully understanding the weight of her father’s task, Violet reluctantly sets out to finish what her father started. Though, the journey proves to be difficult and she’s met with resistance and betrayal along the way.

🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️

Real rating 3.5 🖤

This was a nice read! Violet is a flawed character, but she is tough and at her core, you can tell how deeply she cares for certain side characters in this story. I really loved the setting this book took place in. The author did a wonderful job with the world building and introducing a diverse group of characters. My only issues are with the pacing (so slow at times) and how the ending seemed a bit rushed.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The Crimson Road is officially published on February 11th!

Violet Zennor’s father trained her to be a weapon her entire life, ranting about terrible monsters all the while. Now that Hedrek Zennor is dead, Violet looks forward to a life without hearing about Leech Lords or waiting to be attacked at any moment. A.G. Slatter’s The Crimson Road is another entry in her Sourdough Universe series, featuring a prickly, conflicted, and absolutely lethal protagonist who only takes up her father’s fight when she realizes just how much is at stake. Readers who’ve picked up other books in this loose series will be delighted at the extended cameos of characters from All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, and The Briar Book of the Dead.

Violet Zennor is a reluctant hero. If she had her druthers, she wouldn’t be a hero at all; she would just quietly live out her days finally doing what she pleases instead of following her father’s lunatic dictates. Even learning that her inheritance is tied up in following her father’s last wishes doesn’t pursue Violet. But then her loved ones are taken hostage by some of her father’s enemies. You can try to take Violet’s money but you can’t harm a hair on the heads of the women who mothered her. Violet is the kind of highly practical protagonist I love. She never dithers. She might be stubborn but she never dithers about her next steps.

Although Hedrek shaped his daughter into a match for the undead Leech Lords, he either didn’t know or just neglected to tell Violet exactly how she’s supposed to stop the great evil from the north. On the road, Violet has to seek out others who might know who she’s after and how to stop them. The side quests provide opportunities for Slatter to share more of the Sourdough Universe’s lore: clerics who try to document everything, how the Leech Lords came to be, and hints about the true nature of the witches. I ate it all up. In fact, I’m so happy that I’ve got another Sourdough Universe book already on my Kindle.

Another thing that I loved about The Crimson Road is that, although Violet has always expected that she will have to fight the Leech Lords alone, she finds a lot of people who can join her in her possibly deadly quest. She worries about the allies she attracts, of course, because the Leech Lords and their hench people are just as deadly as her father warned, but they’re almost as stubborn as Violet and refuse to let her head into the darkness on her own. The two women Violet meets in the far north are especially outstanding characters—I kind of wish we’d gotten to spend more time with Rikke and Adlisa the Bloodless.

I recommend that readers read All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, and The Briar Book of the Dead before reading The Crimson Road. While it’s possible to read this book on its own and understand what’s going on, the world and the characters are so rich I think the cameos work better if you already know who Asher, Miren, and Ellie are before joining Violet on the road.

🗡️ The Crimson Road 🗡️

For the past thirteen years, Violet Zennor has been trained to become a weapon, molded by her father to serve as his tool for atonement. Her mission? To journey to the Darklands and destroy the Leech Lord who bought her stillborn brother from her father.

When her father dies, Violet believes she’s finally free. But when assassins are sent after her and those she loves, she realizes she has no choice but to confront her past. As she faces her fate, Violet will be forced to choose again and again between her freedom and the greater good.

This was such a fun gothic fantasy! I loved Slatter’s unique take on vampires, or "Leexh Lords." The world-building, especially the backstory of the Leeches, was well-developed, and Slatter’s atmospheric writing made it easy to fully immerse myself in the story.

I really liked Violet. I appreciated how, even though she was trained for violence, it wasn't an inherent part of her nature. Her struggle to protect her loved ones by keeping them at a distance was also very relatable.

This is the fourth book set in the Sourdough Universe, but the only one where characters from other stories overlap. Having read just one other book in the series, I can confirm that it’s not necessary to have read the others to enjoy this one. My only complaint is that, at times, the large cast of characters made some feel a little flat. Still, it was fun revisiting past main characters and seeing how they came together and I would definitely recommend this to fans of gothic fantasy who are both new and acquainted with the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: February 10, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for my e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book waws an absolute five star read for me! This was my first book I've read by A.G. Slatter, and it absolutely has me wanting more. I'm a huge fan of gothic fantasy, and I really do feel that this story did something different compared to any other story I've read. I loved the take on vampires- often lately vampires can feel really overdone, but Slatter wrote them in a way that felt fresh instead of repetitive. Violet Zennor was a fantastic main character. It was the perfect combination of storyline and character arc. It felt like we were getting to experience her growth right alongside her rather than having to retrace the steps once the book was completed. Every character felt so purposeful and just downright enjoyable. There was the perfect amount of twists and turns, and the ending genuinely really caught me by surprise! I will absolutely be recommending this book at the library!

When trained assassin Violet's father dies of an illness, she sees freedom; instead of being a weapon for her father, she can lead the life she wishes. However, she learns of the mission her father was training her for and sees no way to freedom without completing it. This mission will send Violet to the Darklands, land of the Leech Lords, to fulfill the prophecy. Along the way, she seeks help from unlikely individuals and encounters deadly challenges all to earn the freedom she is so eagerly seeking.

I enjoyed the way this story was told for various reasons. First, Violet's backstory is tragic and dark. The reader does not learn all of the story at once, but it unfolds as Violet herself opens up to individuals around her. It is almost as if the reader is experiencing her trusting them to share just as she is trusting the person she is telling. Second, there is a lot of lore and history woven into the plot. As Violet learns the lore from her father's friends, strangers along the way, and through reading books, we the reader learn too. I appreciate how both of these pieces are told and it made me feel like I was on the mission as Violet.

The pacing of this story was a bit challenging for me as I was extremely invested in the beginning and the end, where I felt the middle seemed disjointed and slow. I found myself skimming over some of these sections and had to go back as I realized some of them ended up being important. The ending of the story wrapped up extremely quick and I wish there was a little more dedicated to what happened after the climax.

Violet's relationship with Freddie was one of the most incredible parts to this story. As the reader learns that Violet can no longer have children, thanks to her abusive father, we see that Freddie becomes the child she never could have. Their story was honestly the most compelling piece to this tale.

Also, I would like to note that this is heavily marketed as an "assassin" tale, and while we do see elements of it, I would not put this at the forefront of the marketing. Yes, Violet is an incredibly strong FMC but I assumed this story was a bit more about that. One other thing to note, I am not sure this book should be sold as "dark". This probably says more about me than the book because I read a LOT of dark romance and while this is considered "dark" because of Violet's horrific past, it was not what I was anticipating at all.

This book is perfect for someone looking for a gothic vampire tale with a strong FMC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Crimson Road is a spellbinding plunge into a dark, gothic fantasy world where blood is currency, magic is power, and survival is a ruthless art. From the very first page, Slatter weaves a mesmerising tale of vengeance, mystery, and the harrowing legacy of a brutal upbringing.

Violet Zennor is a protagonist unlike any other—hardened by years of fighting in underground arenas, she possesses a fierce determination to carve her own path. But her dreams of freedom are dashed when she uncovers her late father’s shocking plans to send her into the Darklands, a nightmarish realm ruled by the Leech Lords. The stakes are raised further when assassins attack, forcing Violet to confront the web of horrors her father left behind.

The journey that unfolds is both gripping and audacious, taking readers through a sinister landscape filled with vampires, witches, and ancient curses. Violet’s alliances with characters like the enigmatic Miren O’Malley, the Briar Witch Ellie, and the shadowy Asher Todd lend depth to the story, while their secrets and motivations add layers of intrigue. Each encounter propels Violet closer to the heart of the Anchorhold, where answers—and unimaginable dangers—await.

Slatter’s prose is richly atmospheric, painting a world steeped in menace and wonder. The narrative is paced impeccably, blending moments of brutal action with quieter, haunting reflections on loyalty, betrayal, and the weight of inherited sins. The gothic undertones and lush world-building envelop readers in a setting that feels both expansive and claustrophobic.

The Crimson Road is a triumph of dark fantasy. Slatter’s ability to balance gripping action with nuanced storytelling makes this tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches, and broken promises utterly captivating. Fans of gothic fantasy will find themselves enthralled by Violet Zennor’s perilous journey into the shadowy depths of the Darklands.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

As a huge fan of Slatter's Sourdough universe, I was thrilled to get an arc of this - and it surpassed my expectations, as it wove together so many threads from the universe's previous stories into a delightfully dark and twisty tale about not-quite vampires. I flew through the story in 2 days and only hope for more from Slatter, as her books have made themselves an auto-buy for me.

I quite like Slatter's Sourdough universe novels, but what I like best about them is how they all fit comfortably as standalone books in a shared universe. This one ffelt like it was making an uncomfortable effort to connect with the others, as if it didn't feel capable of telling a tale that stood on its own. Every character from the previous books shows up, and some -- like Asher Todd -- in a way that would have felt like an unconnected thread if I didn't know where she originally came from. Unless you'd already read the other books, it hurt the coherence of this one; and if, like me, you had read the other books, then the strands of connections felt forced and box-ticky.

The Crimson Road is fantasy novel with a new take on vampire lore that we all know and love. I really enjoyed this new take. The storytelling was extremely well thought out. These aren't your typical characters either Violet is no shrinking violet. I enjoyed this author's storytelling skills. I look forward to more of this author in the future.

I'd like to thank Titan Books for this ARC via Netgalley.

This started off fairly strong for me, but pretty quickly started to feel like it was all over the place and meandering. A lot of the lore & explanations didn't make enough sense for me, either. I simply don't have that much to say. I wanted to like it, of course, especially because I had really enjoyed Briar Book of the Dead which is in the same world... but it unfortunately fell a little flat.

A gothic fantasy set in the world of Slatter's All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. Strong worldbuilding with a gritty atmosphere and a clever take on traditional vampire lore. Unfortunately the pacing is a little inconsistent and if you haven't read any of Slatter's other books a lot of scenes and characters won't make a ton of sense.

Ive read the first book in the Sourdough Universe, and enjoyed this book a lot-- even though I hadnt read the other novels in the series. The world building was the best part for me. i love the ambiance of a gothic fantasy. All of the mythical creatures and backdrop setting were lush and gorgeous. It was complex enough that it took me a bit to finish, it requires your full attention. Now I want to go back to the previous works to really flesh out the world Slatter has built