Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free e-arc!

Already I am eager for more in this series! Since being introduced to Jeff Wheeler a year or so ago I have thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the many worlds his mind has produced, and this is no different. I love how he ties history and culture yet builds a whole new realm around it.

It is refreshing to have female leads in each of Jeff's books, and Bingmei is quite an interesting character to get to know. Jeff is able to be descriptive without being overwhelming about it, so that the characters build up and come to life with ease. There is plenty of action and suspense throughout- I kept trying to sneak a chapter or two in down time at work because I just HAD to know what would happen next!

Learning the way Bingmei interacts with her companions and the world at large- and learning what sets her apart and why- was fascinating. Each time a question is answered, those answers bring 3 or 4 more questions, without feeling too convoluted. At the end, you really feel Bingmei's struggle between what the world is expecting of her and what she feels is right. My only complaint is that I now have to wait until I can read what happens to Bingmei and her companions!

"Revenge settles nothing. It only poisons those who carry it in their hearts.”

-The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler

Publisher's description:

The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series conjures an epic, adventurous world of ancient myth and magic as a young woman’s battle with infinite evil begins.

Survivor of a combat school, the orphaned Bingmei belongs to a band of mercenaries employed by a local ruler. Now the nobleman, and collector of rare artifacts, has entrusted Bingmei and the skilled team with a treacherous assignment: brave the wilderness’s dangers to retrieve the treasures of a lost palace buried in a glacier valley. But upsetting its tombs has a price.

Echion, emperor of the Grave Kingdom, ruler of darkness, Dragon of Night, has long been entombed. Now Bingmei has unwittingly awakened him and is answerable to a legendary prophecy. Destroying the dark lord before he reclaims the kingdoms of the living is her inherited mission. Killing Bingmei before she fulfills it is Echion’s.

Thrust unprepared into the role of savior, urged on by a renegade prince, and possessing a magic that is her destiny, Bingmei knows what she must do. But what must she risk to honor her ancestors? Bingmei’s fateful choice is one that neither her friends nor her enemies can foretell, as Echion’s dark war for control unfolds.

My thoughts:

Two nights ago, I was outside with my elderly beagle. While he sniffed his way around my yard, I watched the sky. The moon was full and it cast a silvery glow on the grass and trees, only interrupted by clouds that seemed to be growing as I watched. It had been an unseasonably warm day and only now did a cold wind start stirring around me. The air was moist and seemed to run its cold fingers across my skin. As the breeze picked up, it carried the smell of damp earth and decaying leaves. The hair raised on my arms and neck as I felt like I was being watched. It was eerie and unnerving. I hurried my dog inside and dead bolted my door against the dark and whatever was in it.

You may be wondering what this has to do with The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler. That's reasonable. Bear with me and I'll tell you. Wheeler has a way with words that immediately pulls you into the setting within the first paragraph. He draws on all the senses in his world building and puts you straight in the middle of a world that is touched by ancient China and Mongolia. You can smell the camphor, myrrh, and cinnamon. You can hear the marketplace or the shouts of the soldiers. You can see the boats laden with fish. And yes, you can feel the eeriness and foreboding of the Killing Fog. It was a feeling almost exactly like my midnight excursion with my pup and I wanted to lock my doors lest the fog rolled in and claimed my furballs' lives.

Bingmei has faced far more than an unnerving dog walk, as she lives and breathes in this wild world Wheeler has created. She has faced loss upon loss and now struggles with developing attachments. Here are her thoughts after one such loss:

"Loss quivered in her chest again, though she tried to still the wrenching sensation . Death was something that happened often. It did no good to become too attached to people ."

Bingmei often feels throughout the book that she would not sacrifice herself for anyone. That she is selfish. Over the course of the book she comes to the conclusion that she would die for her friend Quion and that maybe she's not as selfish as she thought. When she's asked to sacrifice herself for a cause greater than herself she balks at the idea. Maybe it's selfishness on Bingmei's part or maybe it's because too many have already died to preserve her life. Maybe throwing her life away seems to her that it wastes their sacrifice. This is a truly honest feeling. How many of us would choose to sacrifice ourselves, given the chance to think about it beforehand? Overall, I don't think any of that detracts from her character since it is such a human thing to feel. Bingmei is likable and fierce. She has secret skills that are unique from most fantasy books I've read.

The supporting characters were also interesting. Bunmia Suun is her master and a maternal figure in Bingmei's life. She is highly skilled as a warrior and highly moral. Her honor and how she lives it day to day is refreshing as it's not cheesy or portrayed as weaker than the more morally ambiguous characters. She loves her followers dearly and treats Bingmei as a daughter. One quote I liked, is Bunmia describing herself:

"When I take an assignment to protect something, I protect it as a mother does her cubs. It is powerful magic. The most powerful, I believe."

We also have two potential love interests that, thankfully, never descends into a love triangle. Any romantic feelings are secondary to the rest storyline. The first is Quion. He is the sweet, steadfast boy-next-door. The other is Rowen, our brooding bad boy that is more than he seems. I look forward to seeing which one "wins the girl". This is a very clean read where love is hinted at more than anything.

One last thing, I truly appreciate what Wheeler has done with this book. The female characters are strong, fierce, moral, and honorable without falling into stereotypes that still prevail in fantasy fiction. How many times are a woman's strength portrayed as being less than a man's and she needs to be rescued from her innate weakness? Here the men and women are on equal footing. Their strengths are different but equal. If one character shows any weakness, it is because they are human, not because they are male or female. Many thanks to the author for writing his characters that way. Also, my thanks to Netgalley for the ARC on exchange for my honest review.

“Real love is displayed when a choice has to be made. It would be easy to heal everyone who was sick if it didn’t cost you anything. But what if it meant excruciating pain? Then you would have to make a choice: Do I love enough to take on that pain, or do I take the easy route and keep this gift to myself?”

Daughter of Light by Morgan L. Busse

Some recommended reading that I think is similar to this book:

Daughter of Light by Morgan L. Busse
Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
Prophet by R.J. Larson
A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr
Red Winter by Annette Marie

The Killing Fog has an exciting new world created by Jeff Wheeler. The world is rich and complex with characters facing moral dilemmas.

Not only are there factions fighting to exist in a harsh world, but there are unexplained powers within artifacts from a bygone era. When the fog rises it kills those it touches, but no one knows where it originates. The current people live within the cities of a people whose history is lost to time. Why did this former civilization disappear?

The main character, Bingmei, has her life course changed when mercenaries attack her home. As she grows, she comes to find that she values her own life more than revenge.

There haven't been dragons for ages, and the lost city she is sent to find might not even exist. When she and her companions find a lost city, they are in awe. There is no way to know what awaits them in this mystic palace. Bingmei is guided on their travels. Even she doesn't know that deception is at the heart of the sword binding to her. Bingmei sets the wheels of destruction in motion when she is tricked by the ancient forces.

When Bingmei is seen as a means for peace, she questions the fate planned for her. The rising evil is great, but is it greater than the forces already at work? When there is unspeakable evil in the hearts of mankind, why should she sacrifice herself?

I can hardly wait for the next in the series. If you enjoy fantasy novels with interesting worlds, you won't want to miss The Killing Fog!

This is an easy 4.5 stars for me.

Considering I love the fantasy genre so much it's a bit of an oversight for me that I haven't read any of this author's previous books - only because I never knew which series I should begin with! When I saw The Killing Fog - the first in The Grave Kingdom series - offered on Netgalley I jumped at it and am so glad I did.

We are thrown immediately into the action as Bingmei's entire family and community is slaughtered and she narrowly escapes. From there the story continues to progress at a good pace, neither hurried or too slow, and Bingmei becomes a formidable fighter in a band of mercenaries led by Kunmia. Kunmia's team are sent on a mission, along with an exiled prince and his friend, to find a legendary palace buried beneath a glacier. Also buried and now awoken is a powerful lord, Echion, who commands a legion of outlaws and who rules over The Grave Kingdom - the kingdom of the dead.

I loved the Asian influences throughout the book. It was very fitting for the storyline. The author has drawn a cast of characters whose unique strengths and weaknesses are revealed bit by bit along the way. Together they make a strong ensemble. The magical components add an element of unpredictability to the story.

I now know why Jeff Wheeler is such a popular author and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Absolutely loved this new start to the series! Wheeler did not disappoint, the only downside is now having to wait for the next in the series.

Love Jeff's other works and this book is no exception. I love the Asian influences scattered within and the concepts you come across with the magical weapons. Cannot wait for a sequel!

Jeff Wheeler is one of the best authors of fantasy on the scene. This current novel “The Killing Fog” is the first book in The Grave Kingdom trilogy. It was fast-paced, action packed, the world building and characters were amazing, and there is no doubt this will be a success. Wheeler does what many authors cannot do: create a world as real and tangible as the world we live. Another great success for the fantasy genre.

Thank you @netgalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC of this book. The synopsis drew me in and after I started reading it I got hooked. I was intrigued by Bingmei and her journey. The story of the orphaned teenager who becomes a warrior and wants to avenge the killing of her family. She is fierce, determined, goal-oriented, amazing fighter and selfish. She is not a weakling but has vulnerabilities and her weaknesses that she loathed are the very things that will be the key to the mission. The only mission she is chosen for. We see other female characters that are equally skilled and talented lead the story forward. The men and women showcased in this book were flawed and unique in their skills. The magic system is not fully known to us. The magic introduced were very fascinating and intriguing. Overall the book is amazing and a great start for a new series. I gave it 5 stars and can't wait to read the sequel to this.

Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for letting me read and review this incredible story. I'm already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series! I love and have read most of Jeff Wheeler's works and he never disappoints with his stories full of adventure, intrigue, romance, life lessons and so much more. It's always one wild rollercoaster ride with my emotions when I read one of his books, but I always learn or take away something and enjoy the stories immensely.
I always find myself easily lost and immersed in the worlds he creates and invested in the characters and the stories they have to tell. This story is very unique and different from others that Jeff Wheeler has written and just as amazing and engrossing as the others I have read.
In this story, we find ourselves following along with this story of an orphaned girl named Bingmei, who is with a group of mercenaries that serve a local ruler. They are sent on a mission to find and retrieve what treasures they can that are in a lost palace buried and preserved in ice. But when they get there, they find more than they bargained for and when they upset the tomb, they unknowingly cause havoc.
Bingmei unknowingly brings Echion, Dragon of the Night back to life, waking him from his tomb and now is meant to fulfill her part in the legendary prophecy. She has to destroy Echion before he takes over all the kingdoms and he has to stop her from destroying him. Bingmei knows what she has to do, but she doesn't know if she can do it.
This is in a world of ancient myth, legend, magic and is a story about love, loss, grief, balance, duty, honor and what people do when faced with difficult choices in heart-rending situations and so much more. You definitely want to have this one on your list, preorder it and read it as soon as you can.

"Oh, yay! a new Jeff Wheeler book!" This is my reaction every single time Mr. Wheeler has a new book - and this one does not disappoint. The Grave Kingdom series is a complete departure from his prior stories of Kingfountain, etc. But the main elements are there - a young girl, destined to do great things to save her country, battles through what seems like unbeatable odds to win the day. Clean and moral, but full of wisdom, clever characters, evil villains, and wonderful plots of adventure and magic, his books are just the best, and this was a delight to read. Based on some Chinese history that I know nothing about, I still enjoyed the ride, and can't wait for the next installment. Many thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the e-arc. 4.5 stars!

A new fantasy series, engrossing and entertaining. I loved the characters and the amazing world building.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you NetGalley and 47North for the free e-arc.

DNF 26%: Unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to get into this story. The main character, Bingmei, was cool and unique. I liked her determination and power. However, the story progressed very slowly. I read 1/4 of the book and felt like nothing was happening. I don’t know. There were definitely cool concepts, it just wasn’t for me.

I’m giving it the average 3 star since I couldn’t finish it to fully know.

I read Jeff Wheeler's Harbinger series and really enjoyed it. That was the reason I chose to read the Killing Fog. As with the Harbinger series, I very much enjoyed what I read. The story was very intense and the characters were unique and well built. My only problem is the story started a little too fast and didn't have enough back story at times. I felt like I was either learning as I read or had to piece together why we were where we were at certain times. I'm sure if you read more of Wheeler's series, some of the language/verbiage would make more sense. Overall though, a really good book an good start to a new series,


Thank you to Jeff Wheeler, NetGalley, and 47North for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

I've been a fan of Mr. Wherefore a long time, so I was excited that he was coming out with a new series. This doesn't disappoint, it still has what I enjoyed about the previous series with great new characters.