A wonderful gothic fantasy. Beneath the walls of Becken keep evil waits. Plenty of plotting by kings and queens leads to plenty of violence. Great characters with wonderful depth keep the story alive. When you pick up this book you will not want to put it down.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, Titan Books) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

J.L. Worrad is back with another fantasy epic. Fresh off the back of the exquisite Pennyblade, we are once again thrust into a fantasy realm of divine inspiration.

I have always been impressed by J.L. Worrad’s worldbuilding and his superb ability to draw a reader in and utterly immerse them into a world of his creation. The Keep Within is a novel in this vein and I couldn’t help but be captivated by the storytelling and the realms being described with masterful prowess.

I think I need to make a special mention for the cover of this novel and in fact Pennyblade too as they are similar in their aesthetic. The design is classic, a true fantasy cover depicting unique characters on dark backdrops, making them pop. I mean, come on, how crazy does this scythe-armed, nail toothed demon look! Straight out the nightmares.

A rich cast of characters and intense action marry together to create a high stakes fantasy that fans of the genre will adore. Thank you to Titan Books for the opportunity to read and review this book and for the invite to the tour! Go get The Keep Within now! And while you’re there…grab Pennyblade too!

I liked Pennyblade, loved this one and thoroughly enjoyed it as I had a lot of fun.
There's humour, action, a fast paced story and a lot to love. As soon as I started I couldn't put it down.
Excellent story: enjoyable and well plotted.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and to Titan Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.
TW: death, gore, violence, incest, injury

"The Keep Within" is a dark and fast paced fantasy that follows Sir Harry Larksdale, an illegitimate son of the former King, who is trying to run his theatre and eventually gain a strong position in court at the hand of the new King, his brother Ean. After a chance meeting with a man named Gethwen, Harry falls swiftly in love and promises to aid Gethwen as he flees from enemies- including the apparent reincarnation of a spirit called Red Marie. Following behind Gethwen is a mountain mother, Fwych, who has sworn to protect what the man carries. However, the first wife of King Ean, Carmotta has plans of her own and the three characters end up on a collision course with tragic and wide reaching consequences. All the while, a curse from the world inside the keep waits to break free.

I really enjoyed this book, Harry Larksdale is a hugely entertaining main character who brings humour and levity to even the darkest of scenes. His relationships with the characters throughout were powerful, especially with his right hand Marla. This is definitely a book where people should read the trigger warnings and be prepared for the worst.

Due to my absolutely bonkers (and entirely self-inflicted) work schedule over at <a href="https://www.criminalelement.com/author/dvaleris/">CriminalElement.com</a>, I feel like I've had to dial back a lot on my professional obligations w/r/t books over here, but you'd best believe that when the chance to join the book tour for J. L. Worrad's latest book came up, I jumped on it! <a href="https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/17/pennyblade-by-j-l-worrad/">Pennyblade</a> was one of my favorite books of last year (note to self: go nominate it for a Hugo once the Chengdu website starts working) and I was super ready to read more set in that universe.

So, the bad: Kyra isn't in this book. As far as I can tell, no one from Pennyblade appears in The Keep Within (except for maybe the gross country priest?) but I am also notoriously bad with names and details.

But the good? Oh, there is so much good!

The world depicted in TKW is the same as Pennyblade's, tho I couldn't tell you how far from that era it may or may not be. My grasp of real world history also tends to be shaky, but TKW feels very Tudor, if not outright Elizabethan. One of our four viewpoint characters is Sir Harrance "Harry" Larksdale, one of the reigning King Ean's many bastard siblings. Unlike his brothers, he's never taken to the study of the blade, preferring instead the stage. As the proprietor of The Wreath, the foremost theater in Becken, he's a known dandy who's given free access to the royal seat of Becken Keep, where the king and his court reside.

In the keep, the king's First-Queen, Carmotta Il'Lunadella, is scheming. She knows that the heavily pregnant Third-Queen Emmabelle is plotting against her, but isn't quite sure how. Chafing at the bonds that constrain her due to her sex, Carmotta plans out her intrigues even as rumors of coup swirl throughout the court.

Meanwhile, Mother Fwych is escorting precious cargo from the Spine Mountains when she's beset by a figure out of myth: the dreaded Red Marie. Robbed of her powers, Fwych must venture far from the safety of her homelands to ensure that the horrors beneath the keep are not unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. But how is she to do that when she is weakened, friendless and viewed with suspicion as a witch by the flatlanders of Becken?

Finally, Red Marie herself haunts the city in her own viewpoint chapters of blood and madness. Is she an unstoppable killing machine or is there more to this fabled monster who culls as she pleases? After all, she's only a mythical figure whose ritual slaughter of Dickie o' the Green is a metaphor for the year's renewal... isn't she?

Told over the course of nine days, TKW draws our main characters into each other's inescapable orbits as at least two of them fight to save the world. Often acting at cross-purposes, our four viewpoint characters engage in a deadly quadrille set to a tempo beaten out by the hidden, cursed keep lurking in the dark beneath the royal seat.

This book was so mesmerizing, I could barely stop reading it to go do real life things! Filled with magic, intrigue and brutality, this highly original successor to Pennyblade wasn't quite as moving -- it's less about the savagery of love, to begin with -- but it was wonderful in its insistence that everyone can try to do the right thing, no matter how powerless we feel. Good people can falter and squabble and agree to disagree, but kindness and patience and perhaps even forgiveness can go a long way towards making things right. Playing to our own strengths and refusing to give in to despair will win the day more assuredly than any blade or royal dictate.

And here's the thing: most of Mr Worrad's characters are exceptionally terrible people. Harry and Carmotta, in particular, do not get along, and for very good reason. They're both awful -- and it's of no comfort to Carmotta that she is usually right but is just as often thwarted -- but they're working towards being better. Even the main villains are shown to be people in so much pain that they feel they have no choice but to inflict that pain on others. I will say that the only person who I didn't think got what they deserved was The Explainer.

If you're looking for a fantasy novel that's heavy on Elizabethan intrigue -- not a subgenre that is at all easy to find -- or at the very least has a different perspective on the usual Renaissance European shibboleths, with a healthy dose of sex-positivity and representation, then this is the book for you. Heck, if you just want to read something entertaining and smart, full of heart and humor, then this is definitely the book for you. Tho it isn't quite as debauched as its predecessor, TKW is a really great follow-up to Pennyblade, and I'm so glad I was able to squish it into my schedule. Thought-provoking, profane and laugh out loud funny in turn, this is another triumph for Mr Worrad, who is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors.

But don't just take my word for it! Titan Books is giving away copies, so you can find out how awesome this book and how talented Mr Worrad is for yourself. Fill out <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKOdzSqLR_dk_DXWRKcQIi-0NtDB-RdGlxSaimml-38NSCGA/viewform?usp=sf_link">this form</a> for a chance to win a copy of this excellent novel.

The Keep Within by J. L. Worrad was published March 28 2023 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781803362977">Bookshop!</a>

Often you may hear a book have its prose discussed. Oh I loved this writing style (or not). For me prose is very much in the eye of the beholder erm reader. Like music it needs to match your tastes. What I think works for me is if the writing good storytelling. Does the language’s style suit the story? Many books are fairly flat unless the narrator is actually a character I’m always impressed when the third person narration itself suits the story. That is quite hard to get right. I was therefore so pleased that JL Worrad’s deliciously entertaining, murky, darkly funny, and poignant fantasy book The Keep Within delivered a wonderful story told with a unique and enthralling voice that explores the price of power. Yep I was impressed!

Becken Keep is ruled by good King Ean and his three wives. Ean has a bastard brother named Sir Harrance ‘Harry’ Larksdale – a theatre impresario; would-be merchant and quiet fixer of Ean’s desires – he’d like some prestige and wealth. Queen Carmotta is pregnant but not with Ean’s child and is worried she may be usurped by the latest Queen – she is now plotting; as are separately many others in the Keep. Meanwhile a mysterious magical artefact has been brought closer to the Keep; one that brings danger and whisper it quietly but a bloodthirsty creature of folklore one named Red Marie appears to be real and merrily killing people with abandon. Eventually all these schemers will cross paths and the results will be bloody and memorable.

Worrad has delivered a story of intrigue, magic, violence and passion that wouldn’t be out of step with a Elizabethan play. It’s an adventure of political intrigue and yet also a tragedy as the desire to be more; keep what you want or sometimes save the world will bring about people’s undoing. Worrad’s natation is third person but knows when to be dramatic; loud, wistful, and remarkably as if someone from this non-existent place was talking to us in the style of the time. The use of language is a delight to read – lyrical and has a lovely informal (on times even bawdy) style that knows when to rein it in and let the characters and action do the talking. It is a joy to read a book like this and appreciate the craft of the storytelling on display.

Worrad’s tale initially is multiple strange and compelling plot threads all coming together but takes us a while to see where they’ll join. We start off in a simple tavern where a Mother and son arrive -it soon goes viciously wrong fast and we see so many dangerous people in action. From that first chapter it underlines that no one is safe; and everyone has other sides to them – it will also grab you to carry on reading. The Keep sections of the plot mainly focus on Harry and Carmotta. Harry is a fixer and a dreamer – wanting to run the big plays at the Keep. He’s a emotional, witty and intelligent man but conscious he does wrong things for selfish goals. Murky rather than your typical grimdark amoral character and one who we see has a growing dash of conscience. Carmotta who has a past with Harry they rarely speak of is a woman under pressure keeping her own dalliances out of public sight and feeling betrayal is hovering around several corners – she is deliciously ruthless and like a great stage character also explains her motivations are giving herself some authority to be her own woman and rule. Weirdly we may end up liking both of these flawed people. As these two characters fall into the schemes of others we get intrigues paying off each other and a cannonball affect takes off as people use people who use people - the danger of being too clever is you may not see where everything can go wrong. Worrad constantly contrasts the grubby powerplays of the nobles with the lack of any thought given to the people they rule – the ones Harry thanks to his life outside running a theatre perhaps knows a little more than most

Now as that aspect of the plot progresses then we also get the more fantastical elements coming in to further rock the boat. Worrad’s world is filled with strange things. A group of women named Mothers who can command you with their voice; the mysterious Commrach who sound whisper t a tad elvish who create powerful and strange devices and one of whom is fascinated in the secret of the Keep – the keep within a Keep – a strange building a the heart pf the larger Keep that seeps with power and appears to have a strange curse hanging around it. Worrad gently explains these things telling us what we need to know rather than in depth magic system manuals and that gives the tale mystery in the old-fashioned sense of a world filled with things most people don’t understand – especially our scheming nobles. By all focusing on their own ambitions they may not realise the danger they’re all in and then to add to the mx a magnificent rogue element in the form of Red Marie – a monster with her own secrets. Worrad holds back from showing us her for a while so let’s just say its impressive how character voice and actions alone can make someone be terrifying on a page. She is another example of how people may not realise exactly what they’re let into the henhouse when they’re seeking glory.

As you can see a lot going on yet Worrad knows when to let one plot point breathe; move on and then I the latter half collide with gusto. The story is always moving – dramatic, violent and thoughtful. Its also quite refreshing how this story handles queerness as something people understand happens and accepts it (interestingly less so in the Keep but the wider town seems far more enlightened). This is a story where people have not just passion for power but want to be loved or sometimes just take pleasure for its own sake. It adds to that feeling of this being almost a version of some forgotten bawdy and bloody play set in this world. But by the end as the cast gets smaller, and all comes to light we see an interesting commentary on exactly why do people want power when they rarely do anything with it for anyone else? An usual but much more interesting idea we don’t get in too many novels even today.

JL Worrad is an author I need to read more of and of look another tale set in the same world is also out (I need to get to that ASAP). What though I can say is The keep Within hugely impressed me – great ideas, characters, and an unforgettable way of telling a story that fully enhanced the experience. Highly recommend if you enjoy your fantasy stories with a touch of stylish gusts…and occasional guts (inside or out).

Last year author J.L. Worrad released the fantasy novel Pennyblade, which married together a world that didn't feel hugely far removed from our own history, and a world of magic, and feline elves. Whilst the first book set within this world focused on these beings, the Commrach, this time round Worrad is taking a much more human approach as we focus on the realm of Brintland, diving deep into the political conflicts and double dealings within the aristocracy.

The Keep Within tells the story of the Brintland royal family, focusing on several key individuals. The story revolves around the current King, Ean, his wives Carmotta and Emmabelle, and a couple of the King's bastard brothers, Osrin, and Harry Larksdale. Larksdale is one of our main protagonists for the book, and we follow the story from his point of view for a good portion of it. Harry has grown up with a love of the arts and story telling, and runs a well respected theatre in the city. He has plans to be more than just a theatre manager, however, and is aiming to have himself named the next Master of Arts and Revels by the King. To this end, he does his best to keep the King happy, providing him with any women he wants, and various intoxicants for the high court parties.

Carmotta, the first wife of the King, has a personal vendetta against Larksdale, and she sees his trying to work the King for his own ends as a threat to her own schemes. Secretly sleeping with her cousin, who's pretending to the court that he's gay, she's become pregnant. Unfortunately, King Ean hasn't slept with her since they lost their first child, and is instead doting on his new, pregnant, wife Emmabelle. Now Carmotta has to figure out a plan to get the King to sleep with her, so that she can pass of her bastard baby as his, saving her life.

Whilst all of this is happening, there are members of the court who are carefully moving into position in order to stage a coup against the King in order to take the crown for their own. Not only this, but there's also a secret hidden deep inside Bechen Keep, the Keep Within. A dark, ancient, magical structure hidden beneath the castle, anyone who speaks of its existence outside the keep died ten days later under bizarre, often violent ends. Forces are preparing to use the power of the Keep within to their own ends, and as such several outside forces have been drawn to Bechen Keep. There's a young man with a dark crown, a mountain woman with a magical voice, and the figure of myth and horror, Red Marie. As all of these forces and secret plots converge on Bechen Keep at the same time they begin to intersect with each other, and the fate of perhaps the entire kingdom will rest on the outcome.

Pennyblade introduced readers to this world, and took us from location to location on a journey that would cover both the human world and that of the Commrach. It felt like a big book. The Keep Within feels a lot bigger. Part of this is down to the fact that the book is a little longer, clocking in with an extra hundred pages or so, but it's also down to the court politics, the scheming, and the tight focus on characters. The story is might more focused this time round, with the vast majority of it being set within Bechen Keep, or the surrounding city. It's dealing with personal dramas, and for the most part it's about the people that live there rather than some big, world ending thing. But despite that smaller scale focus the book feels like it's giving us a wider view of the world. Perhaps this is down to the fact that we're focusing on those who run the kingdom, of the people in charge, and it gives us an idea of how that world works. The book also shows us what those at the very bottom of society deal with too, and despite only taking place in one location, it gives a more expansive view of how this particular societal structure stacks up.

The Keep Within is a political thriller first and foremost, compared to the adventure story of the first book. This change in tone and style works to the benefit of the book, giving readers something hugely different to what came before. There's a different kind of tension this time round, and the threat isn't whether or not our heroes will be attacked on the road, or go down in a fight, but if they can out think and out manouver the other people vying to improve their positions in court. There's a lot of clever plot work going on here, and it's the kind of book where once everything is done you'll find yourself wanting to read through it again to see if you can see any hints that you missed the first time round; if any of the schemes revealed in the latter parts of the book were hinted at earlier on if you know what to look for.

There are some great characters in the book too, and each of the point of view characters brings something different into the mix. Larksdale is a bit of a fop, he's got schemes and plans, but they'e clearly just goals that he want to achieve in order to rise the ranks. At worst he's like an overly ambitious guy in the office. He's not out to kill anyone, he just wants a nice title and a raise. Carmotta on the other hand has a bit of an edge to her. She knows that if her plans fail and she can't get the King to sleep with her than she's likely dead. With that kind of pressure and stakes she's willing to go further and do worse to survive; which makes her a bit of a wildcard. Fwych, the powerful mountain woman, is something of an enigma in the sense that for the longest time the book reveals very little about her. She's one of the first characters we meet, and she has an important mission, and is willing to kill, but we never quite know if we should be rooting for her or fearing her. And then there's Red Marie. She's absolutely evil. She does some sick, twisted things to her victims, and is painted as one of the biggest villains of the book. But, things are never quite as simple as that, and Worrad does some incredibly interesting things with her.

The Keep Within is a wonderful sequel, one that sets itself in the same universe, but does it's own thing in every way imaginable. It builds upon what came before and expands the world, introducing some fantastic new ideas, some interesting new characters, and some questions that I really, really hope we get answers to someday. If you enjoyed the first book you're going to love this one.

This is a weird book for me to review. For the most part, I really enjoyed it but there was just something that stopped me from loving it.

The Keep Within was mostly very good. I liked the plot and I liked the characters. There’s a lot of intrigue and plotting to murder people and I love a good bit of plotting. The story is well paced and I never felt bored at all while reading it.

I really found the characters to be excellent, particulary Harry and Carmotta. Their stories really drive the plot and they were both very enjoyable POV characters. Red Marie made for a threatening and rather creepy villain. She has some unique ways of getting what she wants. Tongue removal being one of them. All in all, the characters all manage to be simultaneously likeable and rather horrible, often at the same time.

The only thing that didn’t really gel for me was the tone of the book in some places. It’s a very darkly comic novel, which is fine, but when characters feel genuine emotion, it tends to veer a little too far into melodrama. Harry is the perfect example of this. He spends so much time being the butt of the joke, especially in the beginning, so that when he is genuinely feeling some emotion, it feels a little too comedic.

On the whole, I did enjoy The Keep Within. The story is tightly paced and it keeps you interested from beginning to end. It’s a standalone novel and I particularly liked the ending, especially for Harry. The novel made me laugh out loud in places and I thought the characters were really well written for the most part.

I don't normally review books that I DNF, but I'm making an exception this time.

The Keep Within sets up some interesting mysteries and a solid cast of characters. The setting isn't revolutionary, but has just enough cool details to keep me interested.

Unfortunately, two of the characters almost instantly fall in love despite having three scenes together and almost no chemistry. I tried to continue, but my trust that anything else in the book will make sense after that was shattered. Promising book with a detail that unfortunately spoiled it for me.