The Gryphon King is simply one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s hard to believe this is a debut because it feels so confident and unique. From the start, I was pulled into a world that’s both fascinating and brutal, filled with POLITICS, delicious mind games, TENSION and of course gryphons, Pegasus and djinn.

What really kept me reading were the characters. I loved them all, mostly because everyone is morally grey. Nohra and Bataar especially stood out to me. Their dynamic had me glued to the book. And while romance isn’t the main focus, the moments between Nohra and Qaira and even her pull toward Bataar added a lot of depth to their arcs.

One thing I really liked was how all the side characters had their own voice. In a lot of fantasy books, side characters can blur together, but here they felt important in their own ways. Darya was easily a standout, and I cannot wait to learn more about her.

You really have to pay attention, as I would consider this a high political fantasy. Between the time jumps, political setups, and history, you must stay focused. It is done incredibly well so I would say it is worth the push.

And that epilogue? That is how you write an epilogue. If you’re into political fantasy with gore, morally grey characters, a spectrum of personalities and choices, and on top of all that incredible queer characters, this is for you. I am definitely seated for book two. I’m scared, though, because this book did not pull its punches, and I can only imagine what book two might bring.

Thank you, Titan Books, for the digital ARC. This is easily one of my most anticipated sequels.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Very impressed by this book! The setting was amazing- such immersive world building. Really liked the characters and the fantasy elements of this story as they were not the typical fantasy story elements. Great politics too. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

This is an immersive epic fantasy with queer rep and a non-European setting, which I enjoyed a lot!! I read it on the airplane, and it was fantastic company! I didn't want to leave it down. The world is inspired by various Turkic cultures, and it felt genuine.

We follow Bataar and Nohra, and I loved how different their worlds and perspectives were. It really offered a 360-degree angle of the world. I felt like I knew Nohra the best. I knew of her personality, her motivations, her dreams and desires. I just can't say that I knew Bataar well. Yes, he cares for his wife and offspring, and yes, he wants to conquer everything, but I don't know why. Why did he want to declare war against everyone? There were a few lines that may have explained it, but I wasn't sure if I interpreted it right, and I just wanted more about his motivations.

I think the worldbuilding was everything. The author did an amazing job at bringing this complex and rich world to life, each with different backgrounds, social norms, and governing. It blew my mind, to be honest!!

If you enjoy epic fantasy, I definitely recommend it!! The writing and worldbuilding are brilliant!! And a woohoo for non-European settings!!

Struggled with the writing in this as it was quite dense. Dense detail AND story in books can be fantastic if there is more clairt but this wasn't entirely clear for me.

This had so much going for it: the worldbuilding was rich, the politics and religions were super intriguing, and the gryphons? Absolutely wild. But I did struggle with the pacing and found the writing a bit distant, which made it hard to fully connect with the characters. The last chunk really picked up, but overall I just wish I’d felt more emotionally invested. Still, if you’re into morally grey characters and complex fantasy settings, it’s worth checking this one out.

While this wasn't my favorite, I think this would make a good intro to high fantasy for those looking to elevate their fantasy reads.

I was definitely seated for the violent battle scenes and the MCs' questionable decisions. Neither Bataar nor Nohra were 100% likeable. So if you're into morally (and ethically) questionable characters, then you might like this novel. If you need a clearcut character to root for, then this ain't it.

I'm a very visual person and this is the type of book that I wish were a movie or TV series instead. There was a lot of description and detail that would lend well to a visual adaptation. But since this is a novel, a lot of times I would get lost in those details and I found it difficult to make out which detail was important to the story and which detail was just fluff.

There was a time jump from the two MCs' childhood to adulthood. And honestly, I'd rather read about what happened in that time period so I could actually understand how the characters became who they were now. The way it was written made it feel impersonal. I was kind of disappointed tbh.

While I had a good time reading this, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel anytime soon. There were too many lulls in between the more exciting scenes, and I found myself nodding off and wishing that the story would move faster or that one of the characters would transform into someone likeable enough for me to really care for. It became a lot more interesting in the last 25%, but at that point it was a little too late in the story to care about anything.

Also, this was pretty much a colonizer romance and I wasn't really into that portion of the story. The relationship didn't make sense to me.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this arc.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. The world and the characters are richly developed, and I was very invested in them. I found the religious element especially intriguing. The two main cultures depicted in the book have clear and distinct religions, both of which I found fascinating - on the one hand, the almost cosmic horror of Preeminence, and on the other, the Goddess in her twin aspects of order and chaos.

However, the richness of the world is also one of the shortcomings of the book. It felt like more and more things kept being added, with gryphons and pegasuses and sea monsters and ghouls and plague and demons and gods... and I'm not not into it, but I think that streamlining a bit would have helped give this more of a shape and an overarching plot. It felt like a lot of things happened rather than there being a clear plot structure.

I appreciated having two complex POV characters in Bataar and Nohra. I wanted to see more from Qaira, as she's so important to both of them but she remains a slightly enigmatic background character. I'm looking forward to seeing how those relationships develop in the future.

I was absolutely not prepared for the level of gore and violence (although I did read and appreciate the list of content warnings, so maybe that's on me). When a child got graphically eaten by a gryphon in chapter 1, I started to realise what I was in for. So I do recommend this, but caveat lector.

All that said, I'm pretty mad the sequel isn't available yet, because I would be reading it already.

I've been excited about The Gryphon King ever since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint!
This is a great epic fantasy novel with amazing worldbuilding, complex characters and layered storytelling.
I love the Southwest Asia inspired setting and I thought it was really well done.
I really loved how there was so much political complexity on the one hand, and unique fantasy elements on the other. The gryphons and the other (more spoilery) fantastical beasts and creatures were so cool and perfectly incorporated into the story.
The characters had a lot of depth to them and I enjoyed that the relationship dynamics were quite unique. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romantasy, but it was so refreshing to read a book with a married MMC, whose relationship to the FMC is quite complex with the added layer of his wife trying to establish a relationship with her as well.
The plot was great too and I enjoyed the story progression and seeing the different threads getting woven together.

For me personally, the writing style felt a bit distant, which stopped me from getting as invested in the story as I would have liked to be.
Objectively, all the elements are there and done well, so I think it was just some disconnect on my part.
However, I highly recommend the book to any fan of epic fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The first in a grimdark adult fantasy series inspired by Southwest Asian Turkic cultures.

The first 1/3rd of this is very much low fantasy with lots of war and conquest. One of our main characters, Bataar, is driven to conquer the world - his legend beginning when, as a child, he manages to kill a gryphon. Our other main character is Nohra, a pegasus-riding Harpy Knight to her father's court, and her land is next on Bataar's list to conquer. Following the murder of her father the zultam, Nohra and her sisters are forced to grudgingly cooperate with Bataar.

I have to say that I really wasn't in the mood for a war/conquest story, so it took me a while to get into this, even though it's an interesting story. Eventually, I did become more invested and I thought it really picked up in the second half when the action moves to the abandoned and supposedly haunted city of Anhabar. This is also the part where the fantastical elements start to really be developed as well and soon there aren't just gryphons and pegasuses, but also ghouls and djinn.

This is such an interesting and richly developed world and there's clearly a lot more that has yet to be explored in this book. The fantastical elements were really great (and creepy) and I'm looking forward to learning more about those in further books.
My main frustration throughout the book was the limited explanation given for Bataar's motivations, something I'm sure will be expanded on later, and maybe that I couldn't really get a grip on his real character. He's definitely morally grey; he's a conqueror - ruthless and bloodthirsty. But he also has a more sympathetic side. Nohra is also not an easy character to like - she tends to act first and think later but she's dedicated to her family and friends.

Although it took me a while to get into, I ended up gripped and look forward to seeing more of this world.

It’s refreshing to see a different take on fantasy worldbuilding, drawing on a range of influences (the author cites their Turkic and Kurdish heritage).

Prose is serviceable, but not sparkling. I read an ARC, so some of these criticisms may have been cleared up by release (and thus I won’t quote any specific lines), but the writing style is fairly simplistic, and the way the writing is structured on a page or within a paragraph often seems scattershot rather than by stylistic choice. Sara Omer displays a much stronger voice in some of her published poetry and short stories, so this is clearly a choice made to appeal to a wider audience - and not one I think necessarily always lands. There are some striking images here, though, from the haunting descriptions of abandoned Anhabar to the Ivory Gates of Rayenna.

Towards the end of the book, the pacing and structure loosen, and characterisation gets a little sloppy. It feels as if the writer is hurrying to find a place to conclude this first book; individual characters and their individual voices begin to break down as the story heads towards an ending.

Other reviews have brought up ‘problematic’ elements of the romance. Puritans, all of you. The romance isn’t central to the story, and nor is it presented in a particularly positive light. No one in this book is having much fun! A light fluffy rom-com this is not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5/5 stars

The Gryphon King is the first book in a Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy The Chaos Constellation. Bataar, once a gryphon-touched child marked by an attack from the beast he ultimately slew, has become a feared warlord determined to unite the continent that once scorned his people. In his path is the wealthy kingdom of Dumakra with an isolationist sultan and an army led by pegasus-riding princesses. Nohra is one of those princesses, the daughter of a favored concubine, and one of its four leaders. When complacency and betrayal puts Dumakra under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows revenge. Her path, however, becomes complicated by the magnetic presence of Qaira, Bataar’s wife, and the reawakening of ancient powers that may force enemies to become allies.

The book is impressively plotted and consistently subverts expectations, though its prose leaves something to be desired. The basic writing style does hold it back from being outstanding, but the strong storytelling and two engaging leads more than compensate. The worldbuilding is rich and complex, filled with striking action sequences, political tension, and layered family dynamics. The inclusion of mythical creatures adds flair, though the underlying mythology remains somewhat hazy, especially for readers unfamiliar with Turkic culture or history.

It’s unclear whether the book intends to frame Bataar as a villain, but he reads much more like a central antihero. He is sympathetic and way too charismatic and likable to ever be the antagonist. His political vision and personal motivations are fully realized. In contrast, Nohra is the more polarizing of the two leads, defined by her fierce loyalty, inner conflict, and ideological journey. Layered onto that is a budding polyamorous tension between her, Qaira, and possibly even Bataar, which adds intriguing romantic complexity I hope will be explored further in future installments.

Though its plain prose keeps it just shy of excellence, The Gryphon King stands out for its intricate political landscape, compelling character dynamics, and inventive worldbuilding rooted in Turkic and non-Western inspirations.

*Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC via NetGalley

Wow. A highly anticipated release that did not disappoint. A sweeping, epic fantasy debut that delivers richly layered worldbuilding inspired by Southwest Asian, Turkic and Kurdish cultures. The story centers around Bataar Rhah, a feared warlord whose rise to power begins with the slaying of a gryphon as a child, and Nohra Zultama, a fierce Harpy Knight bound by faith and loyalty. Omer creates a vivid landscape teeming with supernatural creatures, political intrigue, and ancient magic, weaving themes of conquest, devotion and identity into every page. The novel’s immersive setting and morally complex characters make it stand apart from standard Eurocentric fantasy.

Omer leans into the grey: faith and ambition, loyalty and love, power and pain are constantly in tension. The prose is razor-sharp yet lyrical, and the worldbuilding is so textured. Cannot wait to read the rest of this series, this promises to be a very compelling trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC to review!

3/5

Survivor of a Gryphon attack in childhood that left him forever scarred, Bataar, a young Rhah, continues his conquest of a continent where he has become enshrined in legend. Nohra, a revered Harpy Knight—battle tested women who ride the famed Pegasi, must contend with her kingdom of Dumakra overthrown, her father slain, and Bataar instated as its new ruler. Nohra intends to resist Bataar’s rule at any cost, but general unrest and strange beasts plague the land, not to mention the actual plague staking claim on the populace. To survive, Nohra will need to set down her weapons, but that may mean going against her principles and furthering Bataar’s conquest.

The Gryphon King is first in a dual perspective epic fantasy trilogy strong on the morally grey characters and Turkish Mythology influences. Contrasting the two perspectives of Bataar and Nohra, a conqueror and warrior respectively, Sara Omer details a world of conflicting agendas, deadly plagues, and mythological beasts and beings unexpectedly awakening and wreaking havoc on the land. From the first chapter of Bataar’s Gryphon attack and kill, I knew the level of excellence we were in for with Omer’s The Gryphon King. Each of these characters is ruthless and uncompromising but over the course of just one novel will confront their limitations and what it will take to loosen their resolve. This is really a gorgeous debut balancing fantasy elements with more intense court politics, religious ties, and just a sliver of romance. I did find I wanted more backstory with our characters, especially to engage with them to a greater extent. We would be told so many interesting tidbits about Bataar in his journey from a young man almost killed by a Gryphon, to leading armies in a conquest. None of that was shown and I found I spent a lot of time noticing the gaps that hopefully will be filled in with the sequel. The Gryphon King nails the landing though and if that epilogue is any indication, this is shaping up to be a truly extraordinary trilogy.

I was approved for this eARC back in February (!!!!!!) and have been desperate to pick this up ever since, so I’m glad I finally got round to it because it was stunning.

The Gryphon King is the first instalment in an all-round epic political fantasy trilogy, in a Southwest-Asian setting pulled from Turkish culture, with monstrous creatures, cutthroat warlords and sword-wielding princesses who ride man-eating pegasuses, which in itself says it all really.

The world-building in this book was by far the absolute highlight for me. I love myself a rich and expansive world and if nothing else, this book had that down to a T. Combined with political intrigue, queer rep, a plethora of morally ambiguous characters and bloodthirsty gore, this made for a fantastic read.

I genuinely can’t believe this is a debut and I’m SEATED to find out where Omer takes this series next. An endless thank you to the author, publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one and happy to see that there is more to come from this series. I was quite engrossed in this tight, narrative and look forward seeing where it goes from here.

I want to start by saying if you enjoy epic fantasy with elements of myths and legends then leave this review and go read The Gryphon King. This book was fantastic. Omer manages to combine Southwest Asian mythology and folklore with all the intrigue and power dynamics you come to expect in epic fantasy. The world is lushly imagined and built in such a way that you are easily transported there as you read. I loved every second this one and I have to say I will be looking for more work by Omer in the future. This is a must read for fans of epic fantasy. Trust me you will not be disappointed.
As always thank you to Titan Books for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

If you are even vaguely interested in an epic fantasy with mythical creatures, betrayal, intrigue and war ... This book is a must. Intense world building mixes with gripping characters and an action packed plot - I cannot wait for the sequel.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Gryphon King is the opening book in The Chaos Constellation, a sprawling epic fantasy inspired by the Asian Steppe and packed full of all of those fantasy aspects you know and love. Fearsome warlords, morally grey characters, a menagerie of fascinating and terrifying beasts, badass female warriors who ride man eating pegasi, what more could you possibly ask for?

I personally have a huge fascination with the history of nomadic steppe tribes. I tend to prefer the more eastern tribes and have a massive interest in the Mongols, however the entire area of history is so underrepresented in the fantasy genre despite being perfect inspiration for an epic fantasy. Finally Sara Omer has come along and filled that gap and I could not be more excited. As soon as I saw The Gryphon King I knew it was going straight to the top of the TBR.

The book opens with the main character of the story, Erdene the magnificent eagle. Okay well actually it shows a flashback to a younger Bataar slaying a Gryphon and earning his reputation that will follow him around as he sets about conquering the continent one kingdom at a time. We also see a flashback to the earlier life of our other POV character Nohra. Nohra is one of the famous Harpy Knights, an all female brigade of pegasus riding warriors from Dumakra. These early flashbacks help to introduce the characters, them as people, their motivations and their backstory without having to dump a bunch of exposition.

It is especially important to have had those flashbacks to open as the story in earnest begins right in the thick of the action and for the most part does not let up. The book is packed full of action and excitement with only brief lulls that serve as opportunities to develop characters, build the world, and give direction to the plot. I love the pacing of the book, it is like a HIIT workout, flat out action, a chance to recover and catch your breath, and then thrown back in with another immense action set piece! It doesn’t become overwhelming with too much action and simultaneously doesn’t fall too much into a lull where you begin to check out.

There’s silly moments that make you smile, as well as hauntingly terrifying moments that will make you loudly exclaim words that I probably shouldn’t share on here. There is an unbelievably slow burn romance with an emphasis on the slow. Sara Omer also does a great job of putting you on a level playing field with the characters in terms of not 100% understanding or knowing what is going on. There are things that happen that make you gasp and go wide eyed alongside Bataar, and Nohra, and the rest of the colourful and diverse cast of characters. There is a layer of mysticism to the universe that digs deeper than what you see on the surface and both you as the reader, and the characters themselves are united in your attempts to piece together what this means for the universe and the balance of power.

There is something for everyone in the fantasy space, you have your warriors, battles, and fighting. You have your fantastical beasts and creatures. There is political maneuvering and machinations. You even get the mystical and the magical. The Gryphon King is a wonderful combination of different aspects of the genre that combine to produce a show stopping entry to the Chaos Constellation trilogy.

A superbly crafted fantasy adventure full of thrills, political intrigued and adventure than you've ever seen - but in the best way possible.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve seen amazing reviews for this book so I was so excited to pick it up. I would like to say I really should have done my due diligence first and checked for themes etc as I first thought this was going to be more of a YA Romantsy so that’s on me.

The first few pages of names overwhelmed me with information, however I did really appreciate this as it was useful to go back and check.

I can see this novel being a big hit specifically around high fantasy readers who thrive on cutthroat politics and immersive world building.

There were parts where I could not put this down and there were parts I felt a little lost and confused (judging from reviews I would say this is just me though and perhaps this was just a book I need to build up to)

All in all I would say this is has been expertly done and I’m sure I will pick this back up again