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whattamess's review
3.0
I'm a sad poppet. I had such high hopes for this book. The beginning was EXCELLENT! Blood soaked and grim desperation. And then the story fell into mundane, every day things. I don't know, maybe it's me? I'm a quitter at 25%. My apologies to the author, I really tried. 3 stars because I really did like that beginning.
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
4.0
The Hellborn King is Christopher Brenning’s debut novel. I agreed to read and review this one on the first look due to the powerful front cover. Little did I know that I would be assaulted with a story that would take me on a journey of adventure and discovery. Once again, I’ve discovered a self-published novel that I have loved from start to finish. The skill and finesse of Brenning cracks open the surface and delves behind the reasonings and implications of war as a multi-faceted beast. There are always two sides to a story and I found myself feeling torn between both sides. It is relentless in its brutality and has enough humanity and bloodshed to keep any fantasy fan engrossed.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
tezzarudge's review
5.0
A full five star book ! What a debut novel.
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
npscott's review
dark
slow-paced
4.0
Definitely a character driven story with bouts of brief but dramatic action moments.
dublin_book_review's review
dark
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual assault
Moderate: War
szeththeassassin's review
4.0
Please read my review below:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/08/03/the-hellborn-king-the-hellborn-king-saga-1-by-christopher-g-brenning/
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/08/03/the-hellborn-king-the-hellborn-king-saga-1-by-christopher-g-brenning/
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
dominish_books's review
3.5
I did the audiobook for The Hellborn King and that started off quite well, but eventually turned into a bad thing for me. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I thought I was going to. As the book went on, some of the voices started to grate on me. In particular, I found the female voices didn’t do anything for me, and in places were actually a bit off-putting.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
nina_bloodsworn's review
4.0
A strong and grim debut for the Saga.
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
nerdyboy's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
This was a debut and a half. From the stellar prologue all the way through to the end of the book I was gripped. None of the characters are your typical white hats/black hats they are all nuanced and while I didn’t like all of them I never begrudged the time spent with them. Add in some well written action scenes and this one was a winner.
dragontomes2000's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
4.5
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!