This book will definitely have you waiting for the next one! You get drawn in almost from the start by Calen's adventure. The plot seems to, at times, flow as swiftly as a river. What exactly are Calen's powers? What secrets does his grandmother, Mira, hold? Who is the dark, mysterious mage/assassin that becomes attached to Calen against his will? The diverse cast of characters are simultaneously relatable and extremely intoxicating. Reeve, the trusty and trusting sidekick who is just along for the ride. Liri, the sassy fae who got them all in this mess. And Suldric, who the reader is instantly drawn to, but knows almost nothing about. Just when it's getting good and you learn juicy details and well kept secrets...BAM! The ending sneaks up on you. I didn't want it to end!

Suldric's King is very reminiscent of Brigid Kemmerer's Warrior Princess Assassin duology. Magic, romance, and struggle with identity, all wrapped up in political intrigue and a fully imagined world.

If you'd like to read this review with the spoilers censored, make sure to view it on Goodreads (@The Reading Frog) or Storygraph (@the_reading_frog).

Thank you to Brom Geistman, Geistman Press & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review



Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
CW: Explicit | Objectification
Moderate | Sexual harassment, digit severance/amputation, some sexual content (not detailed), assassinations/murders
Mild | Death, blood, injury description, feces, urine, description of clothed genitals, mention of past child-death, past parental death, scar description, mention of sexwork


“I didn’t ask for any of this,” he said. “I didn’t want it. But—I’m still me. I’m still the same person—the same Calen—I always was.”Liri studied him like she was seeing him for the first time. Something shifted behind her eyes. Then she said quietly: “That’s the most dangerous lie of all."


Representation
╰┈➤ Nothing specific in this one, though ARC sites include the LGBTQIA+ tag.
╰┈➤ Some B-text seems to imply a queernormative society, but this isn't explicitly stated.
╰┈➤ Some characters seem to be attracted to a multitude of genders, but once again, this isn't very explicitly stated.


Themes
Magic, mages/wizards, secrets, fairies, imperialism, adventure, autonomy or the lack of it, irresistibility, morality, ethics, enchantment/mind control, the concept of 'home', brotherhood, political intrigue, magic in the hands of the ruling and enforcer class, law regulated black/illegal magic, illusions, free will or the lack of it, ethics of magic that influences connections.


Tropes
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Found-family
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Adventure quest
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Reluctant chosen one


What I liked/loved
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Plotheavy stories aren't always my vibe, but I've enjoyed it in this specific book.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ It seems to suggest that this universe is queer-normative, with no homophobia so far, but this is not explicitly confirmed.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ "A sentient magical stone, a fairy, a reluctant chosen one, and a blacksmith apprentice walk into a bar.... oh, and an additional group member is lurking in the shadows." I love me a little ragtag group of unlikely allies and eventual found-family.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Morally-grey/evil POV, my beloved!!! I love spending time in those types of headspaces.

"No tremble. No guilt. Not even a flicker of hesitation. Just…clarity."

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ There is a setup to explore some interesting ethical dilemmas around magic that influences emotions or magic that enforces care/like/love/lust.

" "You could probably get free buns every morning. Discounts. Better rooms. Skip every line in the market. I bet you could ask someone for their boots, and they'd hand them over with a smile."

Lyra frowned. "Yeah, but...what if you couldn't stop? What if it's too easy to use it? You wouldn't even notice you're doing it anymore. Just-turn it on whenever you wanted something."

She glanced at Calen and then Reeve. "That's how good people go bad." "

This is touched upon in this book, but the subtext leads me to believe it will play a heavier part in future books. Which I hope is the case!
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Calen develops a very intriguing dynamic with another character in the third part of the book, and I NEED to know more.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Regardless of my dislikes, I am invested now, which is why I'll definitely pick up the sequel.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Discourse on how to move through a world that has already formed an opinion on you, especially when these aren't always positive.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Intriguing world-building, power structures, magic system, and the regulation of this magic.

"Black magic was a close-quarters art—intimate, invasive. It didn’t reach. It took."

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ There is a lot of potential here!!!



What I didn't like/felt lackluster about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Disclaimer: I acknowledge that some of my complaints are about presumed plot-holes, missing information, or the lack of exploration of certain themes, which could still be highlighted in future books.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Unless I missed it, it was never explained why the stone needed to be returned ASAP. This could be revealed in the future, but it did leave me a little confused in the first few chapters.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I really disliked how everyone touched and felt entitled to Calen, which is a concept that I don't mind exploring, but I wish this were more explicitly discussed and/or deemed as problematic. There is definitely some sexual harassment aspect to it, but in this context of Calen's magic, it becomes more nuanced and complex, which was really interesting to me, if not a little brushed over. I'm manifesting further exploration of this concept in the rest of this series.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Some of the things happening in the first half feel like they have no purpose, for example, the bond with Lyra and many other characters we only spend a brief moment with.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ There is a character of great importance to the plot who is introduced in the last third of the book that I really wish had been introduced earlier.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ The LGBTQIA+ tag on most ARC sites enticed me, but there isn't much here yet to state that these characters are confirmed queer. Though implied, some editing might help make it clearer that this world is queernormative if the author indeed intended it to be as such.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ There are some pacing issues in my opinion, sometimes it felt slow to me, while at other times I felt confused why we were rushing over stuff.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ A different blurb/marketing might help with a lot of these issues since it reflects a lot of the story that happens only in the last third of the book, which might have contributed to me feeling like there was a slow pace at the beginning because I kept wondering when what is mentioned in the blurb would come to fruition.



Conclusion/Notes
Regardless of some of my irks with this book, it definitely shines with potential.

There is a lot of setup that makes me extremely curious about where this adventure will take us, as well as intriguing world-building.

The group we follow isn't stereotypically sure or heroic, which makes me excited for possible grey area exploration in the future. Especially after the last addition to the group, which introduced a more morally ambiguous POV.

Throughout this book, I've felt myself becoming more and more immersed and emotionally attached to the characters. And I'm excited to find out where this will all lead to!


Suldric's King is set to be released on May 16, 2026. Make sure to pick it up if you love fantasy and adventure stories!