I think this is a good debut, full of action and interesting characters but it ended up becoming repetitive really quickly. The Hawk and Anji argued in the same circles throughout most of the book and the plot followed the same structure: travel for a bit, get caught by someone, fight, continue to travel, rinse and repeat. It felt like the book was actually meant to be the first half of a much longer book. By the time we got to the end, it felt like the halfway point.

I do think the potential is there and I am interested to see how the next book goes so I will be checking it out. Moira Quirk is a fantastic narrator and I enjoyed her work! Thank you to Tor for the early access to the ALC!

Thank you to Netgalley, Evan Leikam, and Macmillan Audio for an opportunity to listen to this book.

As an avid fantasy fan, I find myself more interested in adventure fantasy or small-scale fantasy rather than epic fantasy most of the time. Part of this comes from an apprehension for huge page counts but I also just like stories about a few flawed people trying to do their best with some magic and adventure thrown into the mix. Anji Kills a King was basically exactly that.

Despite having a page count that is pretty short, it doesn't feel like a lesser story because of it. The plot and narrative deftly gets you accustomed to the world and characters effectively while also maintaining the tension of Anji's demise. And also this story is emotionally brutal from the reader perspective. Not in a sense that I loved the main character and couldn't handle what happened to her, but it's very unforgiving in what it allows the main character space to do. Similar to Mad Max: Fury Road, Anji is confined for MOST of this story. She's malnourished, captured, and tossed around that, while not being wasted, did feel appropriately exhausting by the end. Whether it could've used more pages or not, I felt like I had truly gone through a this ordeal with Anji and I appreciated that. I would definitely not say that this book is full Abercrombie, Cook, Lawrence grimdark, it is harrowing at times in a way that is quite wearisome.

I resonate with other reviews of "not enough taking place," but in my opinion authors in fantasy rarely focus enough on real character work rather than events happening, so Leikam focusing on character works very well. Anji as a main character is annoying, loud, abrasive, and frustrating, but no less interesting to follow. I'll take a main character who is obnoxious and drives events than passive protagonists who don't do much but coast along with the plot.

And while I mention the above detractor, I may as well mention the only other problem I had with this story: the debut novel aspect does show--it's just rarely an actual issue. Character work, plot buy-in, and climactic payoff are flawed at times but they're really solid MOST of the time. Despite this not being perfect, there is way more to like than not.

Overall, this reminds me a lot of another fantasy adventure I really enjoyed, The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson. There were issues, sure, but what takes place is handled effectively and solidly that it really isn't worth complaining about. I would've definitely taken another 20-30 pages for certain sequences to sit a little while longer but I also really enjoyed the fast pacing as a whole. I'm eager to see where this heads next especially considering where the story leaves off.

This was a really interesting debut fantasy, but it didn’t quiiiite do it for me. I thought it was more intellectually interesting than emotionally, but I am going to read the rest of the series because I’m super curious to see where this is going.

We start out strong with the titular Anji killing the king and then going on the run. We don’t know who she is or why she did it, just that she’s on the run, and there are bounty hunters after her. The story continues on like this, giving us bits and pieces of backstory as the book goes on; but where I think this was trying to create curiosity in me the reader, I think what it actually did was help to emotionally divorce me from the story. I needed more, sooner.

The other thing that lessened my emotional investment was that the main relationship between Anji and the Hawk (bounty hunter) that forms the structure of the novel was extremely frustrating. It’s essentially a road trip novel, where these two characters are traveling together (one being taken to be turned in for a bounty, and to be executed) and they encounter different peoples and situations along the way. I admire the author’s commitment to character here, as both Anji and the Hawk had consistent personalities the whole way through. It’s just, their consistent personalities really hindered the story, in my opinion. Anji was always going off half-cocked, not thinking, and asking tons of questions (and doing very impulsive, stupid things) and the Hawk instead of explaining literally *anything* to her, just keeps telling her variations of “shut up” for like, 80% of the novel. Their dynamic makes sense, but it was SO FRUSTRATING to read.

I feel like this barely got going by the time it ended.

I am rounding up from 3.5 stars, though, because this has a ton of potential to be a really good series. I hope the author can build on what he’s started here, and hopefully the pacing and character issues I had here won’t be a problem in the next one.

Moira Quirk narrates the audiobook, and she does a fantastic job, as always.

[3.5 stars, rounded up]

Anji Kills a King starts off filling the title's promise, our main character Anji kills the king within the first couple of pages of this novel. While it starts off with this explosive introduction to the world and main character, the rest of the story changes to a very long travel. We get introduced to our other main character Hawk early on, one of the hunters chasing after Anji. I think this was a me problem, but I didn't connect or found I cared about either of these characters. It was a very easy book to read, the writing is good, but I never found myself wanting to pick it up.

I would be interested to see what Leikam writes next, but sadly this didn't work for me.

A snap decision to stab the hated king sends Anji, a laundry servant, on a cross country and dangerous flight to stay ahead of the king's feared mercenaries, the Menagerie. Each enforcer sports an animal-shaped mask that is supposed to grant the wearer superhuman powers.

Anji is apprehended by the Hawk, an aging warrior who is clearly keeping secrets, such as why she is eager to stay away from and ahead of her fellow bounty hunters, and why, though clearly very ill, refuses to slow her pace toward their destination, where she intends to turn Anji over for execution.

They encounter cold, storms, foul creatures, and a terrifying brush with a Sun Warden. The journey is horrible, and deadly, and Anji learns that the Menagerie, whom all in the land are taught are noble, are very, very different from the stories about them.

Anji is no stranger to danger and unfairness, having grown up with two parents who protested the injustices of the land and rule of the king, and who were killed for their activities. Everywhere she and the Hawk travel, Anji sees terrible living conditions, poverty and desperation, and she learns that this situation, as well as within her hometown, is not unique within the kingdom. And Anji learns to question whether the honour of the Menagerie, when all they do is uphold the injustices perpetrated by the king.

I was immediately invested in this narrative. The story is brutal, and I could really feel the urgency in the Hawk's voice as she pushed, yelled, and dragged Anji along. Anji is naïve of the wider world at the story's outset, though this changes with each new experience she has with the Hawk, and her eyes are opened to much as she travels.

The action is quick and the violence sudden, and difficult and frightening as the Hawk is, I came to enjoy the dynamic between her and Anji, fraught with secrets, pan and anger as it is.

My enjoyment of this book was only increased thanks to the skilled narration by Moira Quirk in the audio. I'm very familiar with this voice actor's work, and have long enjoyed her interpretations of characters. It goes without saying that Quirk's Anji and Hawk are fantastically rendered, and her voicing of the other members of the Menagerie was chilling.

I greatly enjoyed the story's ending, and look forward to returning to this world in the next entry in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my review.

4.75/5 stars (rounded to 5 stars)

This book delivered! From start to finish, I was hooked. The characters were rich and compelling, and I loved watching their relationships evolve over the course of the story. The plot feels timeless, yet Evan Leikam gives it a fresh, modern retelling that absolutely works.

The action scenes? Top tier. They practically leapt off the page—and Moira Quirk’s narration made every moment feel cinematic.

There were plot twists I definitely didn’t see coming, which kept me fully engaged and on edge. And that ending?! Total cliffhanger. I’m already counting down the days for book two.

If you’re into gripping, fast-paced fantasy with well-written characters and unexpected turns, I highly recommend giving this one a go.

Anji Kills a King is a phenomenal beginning to a new fantasy series from debut author and podcast host, Evan Leikam. This story begins where many other fantasy novels end: the protagonist plunging a blade into the oppressive, tyrannical king's neck. What follows is a harrowing, fast paced journey as Anji flees the kingdom, pursued by an elite mercenary group that calls themselves the Menagerie.

Readers and listeners will love this journey and will be clamoring for the rest of the series by the end of this one.

Unfortunately I didn't like this as much as most people.
I didn't like the characters and the writing style was not for me.
The narrator did a good job.

What a fantastic debut novel!!

I loved every minute of this read. It was a quick and easy to follow read that I couldn’t put down!
The fate of the two main characters felt intertwined from the start. There were moments of laughter and also great peeks into the characters backgrounds. The back and forth between Anji and Hawk was so good!! I loved the sass of both characters, they almost seemed to echo each other in some ways.
Moira Quirk was the perfect narrator to give voice to Anji, she encapsulated all of Anji’s attitude and inner thoughts.
The ending did a great job tying up this part of what will clearly be a much larger journey. I can’t wait to listen to book 2 and see what happens next!!

Anji Kills a King on audio is a must-read/listen! Anji and Hawk's personalities are a perfect match for their adventures, and lead to a lot of humor and heart-felt moments. Anji is so lovable and snarky that you cannot help but root for her. The narration was fabulous, and the book was so much fun that I cannot wait for more from this author! Well done!

This was an excellent fantasy debut! Fast paced from the very first page and honestly didn’t guess where it would go at all. The world building was both interesting and detailed. Full of adventure and wit, I highly recommend Anji Kills a King for any fantasy lover.

While this is newcomer Evan Leikam's first novel, Anji Kills a King has easily matched the caliber of some huge names in the grim-dark fantasy space. From the very first page, this world leapt into being with every detail, from whispers of political uprising to the blood-curdling effects of addiction ravaging the body. For a debut fantasy, I was blown away by the scope of everything. Bravo! And Moira Quirk was an inspired choice for this audio presentation. Anji felt so alive through her voice.
As a fairly long time follower of Evan (book_reviews_kill), this book is an insanely high return on investment: as in, I clicked one button a few years ago and now I am witnessing the launch of a very talented writer. I am so excited to champion this book!

♡ 𝙰𝚗𝚓𝚒 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚊 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚢 𝙴𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝙻𝚎𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚖
𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 • 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜

♡ Thank you @macmillan.audio for the complimentary ALC.

The opening action scene hooked me. However, plot then took a backseat to bloody battles & rampage. Needed more story to keep me engaged. It’s giving an increasingly forgettable menagerie of villains. Every chapter characters will die. I loved Moira Quirk’s narration and bumped my rating for her stellar performance which kept me pushing to the finish line. Less action and more context for the characters' motivations earlier on would have improved my enjoyment.

We follow Anji, who is on the run after she assassinated the king. She is caught by a member of the Menagerie, a group of highly skilled mercenaries who are tasked with tracking her down to return her home to be executed.

I had a good time with this story, although it moves at a slower pace. We spend a lot of time with Anji and the Hawk on the road. They stop at various towns and run into different issues, like other bounty hunters or wild beasts. There are some fantastic fight scenes, however, they never last very long. I do think this book could have been a little longer to show us more of the world and some of the characters.

I will definitely read book 2. Moira Quirk did a phenomenal job of bringing this story to life—she is a top-notch narrator and made me feel for Anji. I will listen to anything she narrates.

If you're a fan of grimdark fantasy, Anji Kills a King delivers in gut-wrenching fashion. While on the run for regicide, Anji is quickly captured by the Hawk, one of the most well-known bounty hunters in the kingdom. What follows is a gripping tale of hope and despair as captor and captive struggle with what it truly means to live and die for a cause.

Gritty and grim, Anji Kills a King is the story of a young woman on the run with a notorious bounty hunter, Hawk, on her tail. Both Anji and Hawk are stubborn and unwavering in their goals, one wishing to escape towards freedom and the other to turn in her bounty and reap her reward. Leikam drops the reader right in the middle of the story and takes them on a journey at break neck speed. A journey in which we discover Anji's motives for killing the king and why Hawk is so determined to bring her to justice.

Evan I was familiar with your Booktok game, but I was not familiar with your writing game. This was AWESOME! A wanted criminal and a badass milf go on a quest. Loved it!!

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ALC.

First, round of applause for this cover because it’s stunning and encompassing of the journey in this book.

Evan Leikam writes a compelling debut of exploring the aftermath of choices.
Anji impulsively kills the king. I think this impulsivity sums up a lot of Anji’s choices in this book. She brash, unlikable and under the skin of Hawk and readers alike, but I did like her arc in this story. We get to see her start to process her choices and how it impacts others in the book. Her relationship with Hawk is a highlight: a slow build for the characters themselves and readers. I found myself not always attuned to the story but did realize toward the end that I surprisingly cared more for characters than I thought. The plot is repetitive with the cat and mouse chase and I did wish certain sections breathed a bit more to bring the characters development (rebellion/people’s involvement, intersection of past/present relationships) throughout and showed vs told in the story. I will admit I do need to go back to refresh some of the world building and magic that I think bypassed my retention aurally.

I didn’t realize this was a first in a series, but this can read as a standalone with an open ending.

Audiobook wise, Moira Quick brings character and flavor to the narration. She brings tension, volume, and emotion to her voices with a natural conversation feel without the listener needing to toggle the volume button drastically; applaud also goes to the editors.

I was so excited to read this book and was unfortunately let down. While I really liked the overall storyline, I think there were certain plot points that weren't developed enough. The title of the book is Anji Kills a King but we hardly get any backstory into why she wants to kill him. I don't feel that we went enough into the Menagerie and their background. The world didn't feel fleshed out enough and I don't think we're left with enough main characters by the end of book one to keep me interested in book two.

Character deaths need to mean something in any form of media- there were a couple of deaths in here (one in specific being a child) that I thought didn't add anything to the plot and felt senseless. Also, can we please stop using the words "slut" and "whore" to describe any female character? There are so many better derogatory words than those in the year 2025 to call women.

On the plus side, I greatly loved the narrator.

This did not work well for me as an audio book. I think the story is there but the characters didn’t grab me. I think I may need to give this another shot on physical before I make a final decision