This was definitely different than the average fantasy book I have read, and I really appreciated that. Typically, the whole plot of the book would be working up to Anji killing a king however this book is about everything after the title happens. There were some surprising plot points to keep things fresh but if you like fantasy in general it had a lot of usually fun stuff too. Also loved no random plot points to add length the story, not every fantasy book needs 800 pages to be well written and enjoyable. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Furthermore, the audio narrator did an amazing job. Moira Quirk does a wonder with all the characters. I also didn't realize how many books she has done that I have enjoyed.

"If you’re willing to kill for a cause, you should be ready to die for one too."
▪️Evan Leikam, Anji Kills a King, 4⭐
Narrator: Moira Quirk
Pub day: May 13, 2025

Anji kills the king who she blamed for the poverty and corruption of her society as well as the death of her parents. She's arrested by The Hawk, then darkness, drama, shenanigans, and horror ensues.

Leikam's world is so interesting! The story has a running start and the setting unfolds without apology or info dumping. Here are some highlights:

🦅 Grimdark fantasy
🦅 Lots of villains!
🦅 Political intrigue
🦅 Monsters, mutants, magical powers
🦅 Quest
🦅 First of a series
🦅 V exciting cliffhanger!

But also some warnings:
⚠️ It's grimdark, so obvs v violent
⚠️ Lots and lots of cussing
⚠️ Drugs and drug addiction

Audio-arc fr0m NetGalley and MacMillan Audio.

ANJI KILLS A KING is a mix of fun, dark, and edgy adventure!

All the characters felt real enough to walk off the pages.

I could visualize the setting and feel the intensity sizzling in the atmosphere.

A surprisingly powerful look at addiction is expertly woven into the story.

Moira Quirk provided a completely immersive listening experience.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download!*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Anji Kills A King by Evan Leikam

While working as a servant in the castle, Anji manages to kill the tyrant king. Now she is on the run and has caught the attention of the feared mercenaries, the Menagerie. She is captured by the Hawk who intends to collect the bounty without her companion mercenaries. Anji, kicking and screaming, is dragged to her fate and the journey is perilous.

First in a fantasy series and a debut novel for Evan Leikam, Anji Kills A King is 1000% a yes you need to read this book! AKAK managed to get me out of my fantasy slump, it was so refreshing. I love fantasy books where they travel and encounter monsters and battles along the way. I felt the fantasy world and magical elements were easy to understand. Instead of info dumping, the world was built over time and easy to digest. It was brutal and action packed, but also heartfelt and soft at times. It’s got a clear direction and I’m so excited to watch what happens to the kingdom next. The narrator was amazing! Moira Quirk’s character voices were distinct and I was hanging on her every word as she brought this story to life.

Anji Kills A King releases tomorrow May 13, 2025 and I can’t wait to see it in everyone’s hands!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this arc.

Ultimately, the story overall felt like something I’ve read before. It started off really interesting and good, but by the middle it kind of fell flat. Then at the end it got somewhat interesting but at that point, I was like ok sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review!

Anji is a servant in the castle. She finds herself in the right place at the right time; in the king’s room when he’s alone. She seizes the chance at killing the king. Now Anji is on the run but not for very long. The Menagerie is sent after her. With a hefty bounty and magic on their side, it’s not long before Anji is found by the Hawk. Anji was told the stories of the Menagerie when she was young and found it odd that it was only one of the mercenaries attempting to turn her in. The Hawk has other motives for keeping Anji away from the others and alive. As they trek across the land, moving back to the kingdom, Anji and the Hawk begin to learn more and more about each other and how their lives have crossed paths.

WHAT A CRAZY STORY!! This book moves at a BREAK NECK speed. I could not stop picking it up. It’s been a long time I was this invested in a story to the point where I just keep coming back to it. Leikam does an amazing job with world building and characters. Everything feels thought out on each detail. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I will read it again in the future for sure. I love how much the magic system isn’t the center of the story and stays consistent throughout. Some characters have magic, most don’t, and at no point does it feel like the plot says, “it’s like this cuz magic!” Like a lot of stories we see today. This feels like the hobbit with a hostage! The story is the fantasy and it feels like a work of Tolkien.

The ending of this story is CHEF’S KISS!! I won’t put any spoilers but I thought it was going to go one way and it went another but I was close! The narrator of this story is brilliant as well. I couldn’t put my finger on where I knew Moira Quirk from until I looked up her other work and she is the narrator of THE LOCKED TOMB SERIES!! Her pacing is amazing and her inflection and tone bring so much of the story to life. If you want to listen to a top tier narrator, pick this up via audiobook!!

Overall this book is a 5/5 star book. I can’t wait to read it again and pick up on things I might’ve missed the first time around. Congrats to Evan Leikam on such a SOLID debut!!

There were certainly things I really enjoyed about this book. I loved the mystery at the start of the bounty hunter group and then why Hawk had gone out on her own, as well as the dynamic between Anji and Hawk. But overall, outside of these interactions, I didn’t really like Anji. For someone who plotted to murder a king and successfully pulled off the assassination, she very much was too impulsive to be someone that could have succeeded in this. Especially since the only reason she was caught was because of something Hawk knew about her already.

“You want people under your control? Divide them. Fill them with fear. Then point that fear at something to hate and they'll do whatever you say."

The audiobook was great, however, and definitely kept me engaged.

3.5 stars

Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

I pretty much went into this story completely blind, not knowing what to expect. I knew it was a fantasy story and that was it. I'm so happy I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It explores the question: What happens when you cut off the head of the government? Does killing the figure head, or king, really make a difference? What impact does that have and how does it impact not only the world, but you? It discusses the struggles of being human. We see multiple characters introduced and each time a little more of the story is revealed.

Personally, I would love to see more in this world and would love to see Angi, the MC, grow up a little more. We did get character development in this book with Angi, but it's obvious she is still naive and has some work to do if she intends to make it with her decisions.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the narrator, she did a fantastic job with the cast of characters!
4.5/5

Anji Kills a King is a grand debut! The worldbuilding was stellar. It felt very lived-in and unique, especially in the sociopolitical aspects and the consequences were real and earned. This is a world I would like to revisit as the series continues.

What a great debut novel! Definitely a strong 4-star read for me. The premise pulled me in right away, and I loved how fast-paced and intense it was from the start. The Menagerie and their relics were such a cool concept, and Anji was a really compelling character to follow. There were a few rough edges here and there, but overall, it was a super solid start to what feels like a fresh, exciting new fantasy series.

Evan truly served with this debut, it was everything I thought it would be! The world building and social commentary was chef’s kiss and I cannot wait for the next book after that ending. A quote that has stayed with me since reading it was “You want people under your control? Divide them. Fill them with fear. Then point that fear at something to hate and they’ll do whatever you say.” I absolutely loved that.

One question to Evan…WHY?!? That spider scene haunts me and I will never look at spiders or tornadoes the same way. You did that!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated releases on 2025 especially because I have been followed the author on social media for years now. Then I saw this cover and was even more excited about it.

This book was a wild ride from page 1 and had several twists that I was not expecting! The main hook for me was the character development of Anji and Hawk. I am always a fan of morally grey characters and wow, were both Anji and Hawk so flawed.

Best part of this fantasy book, all the feels the author was able to make me feel. One second, I'm mad and frustrated, next, I'm devastated. Overall, loved it and I can't wait for the next book.

2.5
Things I liked:
-By the end of the book, the 2 central characters felt fleshed out and their dynamic felt like it had grown naturally.
-Some of the worldbuilding elements, like the wild creatures, the magic, and the dredgers, were interesting.
-One of the reveals at the end added some interesting extra layers to the dynamic between the characters.
-The narration of the audiobook was very good. The narrator did a good job with emotion of the characters.

Things I didn't like:
-I found both of the main characters to be pretty annoying. They are designed to be unlikeable so this wasn't out of character for them, I just didn't enjoy it. I don't usually have trouble connecting with an unlikeable protagonist but I just found them both frustrating, especially the Hawk. I really didn't understand why she acted the way she did for so long.
-There was a lot of repetitive language in this book. The amount of times a character was told to stop talking or a character made a (usually empty) threat was so high. I counted 6 instances of the Hawk saying "shut up", or something similar" in one short chapter.
-A lot of the reveals were pretty unsurprising. They were a small part of the book so this didn't bother me too much, I'm just usually a person who doesn't see things coming.
-I went into this book thinking it was a standalone and I was surprised to hear it was a series. There just doesn't seem like there's enough in this first book to warrant that much story. The first book seemed too long as it was and it wasn't that long to begin with.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early copy for review*

This had a lot of potential, but ended up getting lost in the repetitive nature of it being a travel storyline. The biggest thing with a fantasy series book one is if it makes me want to continue and this did not do that for me. I would have preferred a restructuring and making this a standalone maybe.
The narration in the audiobook was good, but the audiobook does not add anything special to make it a must listen.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Evan Leikam for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this advanced listening copy of Anji Kills a King.

This story knocked me out of my slump and I’m thankful. This book is a fiery and beautiful debut! Congratulations Evan!

I’ve been following Evan and his book reviews/rants for a while now, I can see that his debut is a love letter to all of the fantasy books he’s enjoyed in his lifetime. This new world is so inviting, easy to understand, and the magic system wasn’t too difficult to grasp. I enjoyed how the characters could never catch a break because, OBVIOUSLY, ANJI KILLED A KING! I never knew what to expect next.

I can’t wait to learn more! I can’t wait to see what other shenanigans Anji gets herself into.

I’m really looking forward to continuing this series and I’m excited for Evan’s journey as an author.

I can actually see a lot of people liking this book, but it wasn’t for me. It starts off intriguing, is fast-paced, a unique fantasy, and has a great narrator on audio. However, I never felt fully invested in the story and had a hard time getting into it. The gory shock factors got pretty old.

Fans of Joe Abercrombie will love this book! The story follows Anji, who as the title proclaims, kills a king. But what happens after is dark and gory, with twists you may or may not see coming. The book took a minute to get going, but by the end I could not out it down! I will definitley be reading book 2 and look forward to reading more about this world!

Rating = 4.25

Anji Kills a King has such a nostalgic quality to it while still standing on its own as a unique story. It feels like ‘coming home’ into classic grim-dark fantasy and reminds me of all the fantasy worlds and tropes I fell in love with as a kid.

Part of what makes this unique is it is a story told in reverse to the typical tale. We open the first book on a scene where a series would usually end: the protagonist kills a corrupt king. The rest of the story uncovers the motives and rippling consequences of this act.

A lot of the plot is a fantasy ‘travel’ story which lends to the nostalgic feel of the book, but can feel a little slow and repetitive at times. I loved Anji as a character and despite her impulsiveness and naivety, will always root for her.

The ending had me tearing up and I was surprised how much I had grown attached to these characters and their complicated relationship. I am so excited to see where this series goes from here.

Moira Quirk truly brings this story to life in the audiobook. Cannot recommend the audiobook version highly enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan.Audio for the arc. This one was a miss for me, so take my review with a pinch of salt. As always, your mileage may vary.

I’ve been complaining about sff book covers for the traditionally published books for two years now but I have no complaints with this cover. It has an excellent cover that immediately drew me in. Take a bow Oliver Barrett and Shreya Gupta. And another bow to Moira Quirk. What a narrator. She is excellent, brings more to the book, and is instrumental in me finishing the book.

Coming to the book, it is similar in plot to The Blacktongue Thief definitely. It follows a quest narrative with two MCs traveling far and wide but my main problem was that I wasn’t able to be invested in either of the two. There was not enough wit, emotion, or character development to endear the two characters to me. Anji especially fell very flat for me and I would have enjoyed the book significantly more if I had endeared her. Even after 50% of the book, I was feeling no intrigue in her journey and might have stopped reading if it weren’t for Moira Quirk and it being an arc. And this lackluster character work also extends to all of the side characters, none of them are the least bit memorable.

Another major stumbling block for me is the way these two MCs interact. Hawk does something and then Anji asks her why she’s doing that thing and Hawk tells her to shut up and then no information is revealed at all. This keeps happening throughout the book. I have read books that have this kind of behavior between the MCs but it is not done well here. I don’t like Hawk enough to enjoy it when she’s being haughty and I don’t sympathize enough with Anji to feel for her when she gets no answers from Hawk. Specifically they get into a big fight in the second half of the book after they are separated from each other briefly and the way this argument went drained all of my interest. And I learnt nothing new about the characters, the journey, the world, the magic, the lore, anything… Hawk kept going on about how Anji doesn’t understand the consequences of her action but refused to elaborate for no reason. It is only after 80% of the book this is revealed and at that point I was just waiting for the book to end. There were also other inconsistencies but talking about those would venture into spoiler territory.

The action scenes did not grab me too. I felt like there was potential for a lot of good action because the book literally had people taking drugs and becoming monsters as a side-effect and yet I didn’t get to enjoy it. I also did not learn enough about the world, the religious order, why the king had to be killed, the magic system, how the mercenary group became so feared, and what little I learnt was toward the very end of the book. I understand that everything cannot be expanded in the first book of a fantasy series but even allowing for all that gradual unfolding I still sincerely feel what was present is not enough. I definitely need more depth than this in the first book for me to build enough momentum and pick up the sequels.

In conclusion, this book was not for me and I did not find many redeeming qualities to end on a positive note. As I read more books I have realized that any of the deficiencies I find in different aspects of the book like plot, world-building, action scenes, magic systems can be overlooked if I just liked the characters enough. Conversely, poorly developed or uninteresting characters completely kill the interest in the story and that’s what happened to me here.

Anji has an opportunity to kill an evil king, she takes it. Hawk captures Anji and is returning her to face justice and collect the bounty. The chemistry between the two is magical. There is a rollercoaster of emotions grief, trauma from harsh religion. The story is filled with action and adventure. This is an incredible debut.

4 stars


Thank you to Tor Books and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. The narrator Miora Quirk was great.