The Antlered King

A Raven's Trade Novel

You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Feb 18 2025 | Archive Date Apr 15 2025

Talking about this book? Use #TheAntleredKing #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

In this stunning conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology that began with The Gilded Crown, Hellevir’s bargains with Death to save the ones she loves—including the princess she risked everything to bring back to life—may just lead to the ultimate sacrifice.

Hellevir’s gift to raise the dead once thrust her into the center of a court filled with backstabbing and treason, where she became duty bound to protect Princess Sullivain, the sole heir to the kingdom’s throne and target of many rivals eager for the crown. But the more Hellevir risked to keep Sullivain alive, and the more deeply she fell in love with the princess, the greater the cost became—for Hellevir’s power can only be granted by the strange figure who rules the afterlife, and there is always a price to pay.

Now Hellevir may have risked too much, and Sullivain has become obsessed with consolidating power to vanquish her foes once and for all—by whatever means necessary. Cast out to the fringes of a country on the verge of civil war, Hellevir is torn between protecting her heart or giving what little she has left to finish what she started. Yet, her connection with Sullivain runs deeper than the mortal world, and saving her friends and family might mean risking the woman she is still bound to by soul and blood.

To stop a war, Hellevir must unravel the last of Death’s riddles and decide, once and for all, who deserves to live, what a life is worth, and whether she can pay the price. This explosive finale to the Raven’s Trade duology is sure to satisfy fans of dark fantasy and queer romance. 


In this stunning conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology that began with The Gilded Crown, Hellevir’s bargains with Death to save the ones she loves—including the princess she risked everything to...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780063248830
PRICE $18.99 (USD)
PAGES 464

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 28 members


Featured Reviews

Not so long ago as I write this, I had the privilege to read the first book of this duology. It had been sitting on my TBR for some time as I kept passing it up based on my assumption that it would be a fairly standard romantasy tale; the cover, frankly, made it blend in to the point where I would have ignored it entirely if I had not heard it was sapphic. “Standard romantasy but make it sapphic” is enough of a hook to make me curious to try something.

When I finally got around to reading that first book, it was nothing like I’d imagined. The story was rich with complicated characters and a claustrophobic world that left me anxious to read the next part. And wow, that wasn’t the conclusion I had expected, but perhaps I should have known better than to ever assume I knew where this was all going.

The Raven’s Trade as a whole is not for the faint of heart. It’s not the darkness of the world, but the circumstances and choices presented to the characters that make it such a “difficult” read. Hellevir makes mistakes but never does she feel stupid for making them: she tried her best given what she knew and the restraints around her. Sullivan is cruel but no matter what she does, it comes after a lifetime of being molded into that role. How much control do either of these two really have over their lives and choices? I wouldn’t call this series a tragedy exactly, but it certainly follows the rules of one, much more than any other template.

Now, I’ve said my piece on the whole duology. If any of that intrigues you, if you’re a fan of hurt no comfort (lol), if you enjoy reading sapphic stories that aren’t straightforward romances… do check out the first book. And if you enjoy the ride, pick up the second when it comes out.

For those who already have read the first book and want to know about the second: the Antlered King is a book about death. Death, immortality, the afterlife, and what people do and don’t deserve. The “surface” plot picks up a few years into Hellevir’s self-imposed exile and follows her continual efforts to protect the people she loves and prevent a civil war. But that’s only the surface. Mind you, it’s surface one that masterfully wracks up the tension and nearly had me pacing the room and yanking on my hair as I knew I couldn’t trust a single moment of peace. But the real heart of the story is its questions and themes. Is wanting to be a good person enough to absolve us? Or do only our actions matter? What purpose does shame serve in helping or hindering our growth? Is eternal suffering a fitting punishment for mistakes we made in life? At what point do we stop giving people second chances? Is forgiveness a weakness or a strength? It’s these ideas that take center stage as the story reaches its conclusion, and they’re what will make or break the ending for you.

Perhaps you’ll disagree with Hellevir’s choices. I know I never could have made them. But I’m not Hellevir and can only wish someone might make the same choices for me as Hellevir made for other characters. That someone might see the good in me even when I can’t see it in myself. Because the alternative is the void, which is really just shame, and that never solves anything.

Was this review helpful?

I'm gutted but I'm also healed.

I adored The Gilded Crown and it remains one of my top reads last year. It was a dark fairytale with a lush world, complex characters, and tense political intrigue, and I couldn't wait to see where the sequel led.

The Antlered King didn't go in the direction I expected at first, but then I did see the ending coming. I don't mean that in any sort of negative way; it means the foreshadowing and bread crumbs were there, and I was filled with a growing sense of dread that made me devour page after page. When I finally reached the ending, there was catharsis as I blew my nose and wiped away my tears. I wouldn't say it's a classically happy ending, but it's a fulfilling one and I can't see this tale ending in any other way.

Hellevir remained a wonderful character with seemingly steadfast morals, but they twisted her up inside with her love for Sullivain. To know someone so intimately, their history, their struggle, their abuse, to drink their SOUL! Are we what others have made us? Or can we remake ourselves?

Sullivain embodies the line "as long as you're still alive, you always have the chance to start again." And again. And again. Did she get too many chances? Yes. Did that make me cry any less? No.

This duology is about grief and death but ultimately about foregiveness. I feel scraped up and raw inside but also comforted. This is a beautifully crafted tale in a beautifully crafted world.

Was this review helpful?

The Antlered King by Marianne Gordon is a sweeping, tragic, and fiercely beautiful conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology. It’s the kind of dark fantasy that doesn’t flinch from the brutality of war or the devastation of love, but it also finds moments of quiet tenderness amid the chaos. Gordon’s lush prose and meticulous world-building create an immersive reading experience that will stay with you long after the final page.

At the center of the story is Hellevir—a necromancer whose gift to raise the dead is both a blessing and a curse. Hellevir’s journey in this book is nothing short of harrowing. Cast out from the very court she fought to protect, she’s haunted not just by the souls she has raised but by the betrayal and heartbreak that comes from loving someone as ambitious—and dangerous—as Princess Sullivain. Their relationship is the beating, broken heart of the narrative. It’s a love story steeped in obsession, power, and sacrifice, with moments so raw they leave you breathless.

Sullivain, once a vulnerable heir clinging to survival, has grown into something darker—a ruler consumed by the need to consolidate power at any cost. Gordon doesn’t shy away from showing how love can become twisted by ambition and fear, and it makes Sullivain an incredibly complex character. She’s magnetic and terrifying in equal measure, and watching Hellevir wrestle with her devotion to a woman who may no longer be the person she fell in love with is both devastating and mesmerizing.

The stakes in The Antlered King couldn’t be higher—civil war looms, and Hellevir is caught between the living and the dead, forced to navigate Death’s cryptic riddles one last time. The afterlife itself is rendered with eerie beauty, a place both haunting and strangely sacred. The Antlered King, the mysterious ruler of the dead, is an unforgettable presence—a figure who feels ancient and otherworldly but somehow deeply connected to Hellevir’s fate. The mythology surrounding Death is one of the strongest parts of the series, and in this final installment, it reaches its crescendo in a way that is both surprising and inevitable.

Gordon’s writing is rich without being overwrought, her descriptions dripping with sensory detail. The battle scenes are brutal, the emotional confrontations even more so. Yet for all its darkness, the story never feels hollow. There’s a beating heart beneath the blood and ash, a yearning for justice, connection, and something that feels like peace.

If there’s a critique, it’s that the pacing can feel uneven at times. The middle section, while full of character introspection, slows down as Hellevir pieces together Death’s final puzzle. However, the explosive final act more than makes up for it, delivering a climax that is as heartbreaking as it is cathartic.

At 4.5 stars, The Antlered King is a masterful conclusion that balances dark fantasy with profound emotional depth. It’s a story about power, loss, and the price of holding on to love when the world demands sacrifice. Fans of queer romance and morally complex heroines will be captivated by Hellevir’s final reckoning. This is a tale that doesn’t offer easy answers—but it offers something far more precious: a reminder of the beauty found in resilience, even when all seems lost.

Was this review helpful?

WOW did I love this duology. This book was DARK and I loved every second of it.

Hellevir made her decision to leave Sullivan, and now she must pay the price. She chooses to retain the parts of her that are left and move on, convinced Sullivan isn't the girl she thought, despite their time together in dreams. But after running into a Peer, Hellevir learns the situation is more dire than she anticipated, and she finds herself searching for precious things again.

While she uncovers the truth about The Antlered King, Sullivan, and her own family, Hellevir has to make a choice--does she choose peace or war? Sullivan or her brother? Which one is right? And what will her decision cost her?

This book feels SO raw. Hellevir really goes through it (not that she wasn't already), both emotionally, physically, and mentally. Every step forward is two steps back, and even my heartless soul feels for her and her lose-lose situations. The character development for Hellevir and Sullivan is incredible, both as individual characters and their relationship. Are they friends? Lovers? Enemies? All three? None of the above? It's such a complicated story without feeling that way--it's just emotional. And dark. This is VERY dark.

If you're looking for rainbows and butterflies, or a light sapphic romance--this is not for you. If you want a happily ever after--this is also not for you. But if you want a raw fantasy rooted in politics, relationships, and what it means to hunger, this is for you.

This is definitely going to stick with me for awhile--I wish this had been a four or 5 book series somehow, because I would read a million more books about Hellevir and The Antlered King.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: