Three empires join forces against the Drehhu, the strange nation that has enslaved humans and terrified countries, and we are invited to join on the last stretch of this war. We follow cereal people and are introduced to this most amazing world by the eyes of several characters from nobility to magic users and others in between.
A compelling narrative, interesting and well rounded characters, lots of action, magic that feels new and unknown and a world full of mysteries are just some of the good points of this book.
Do not sleep on this one! “The Basilisk Throne” is the first installment of a series that has everything to be the next big fantasy hit!
And the audiobook was greatly enriched by the voice of John Skelley.

While I’m familiar with Greg Keyes’s writing, until now it was only through his time ‘playing’ in already established universes, namely his Star Wars and Babylon 5 books. So this was the first time reading (listening to actually) something of his that was ‘original’. And I was not disappointed. This is the opening book of a new epic fantasy series...emphasis on epic! The book focuses on three main storylines, rotating through them as we get to know this complex world. I’m sure all the storylines will eventually come together, but in this opening book the connection is only obvious in two of the storylines since they feature members of the same family. (In wildly different situations.) There is quite a bit of world building, which is done very well, and yet I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of this fascinating, politically complex, and magical world. The three storylines feature the swashbuckling adventures aboard a merchant fleet going to war, a young woman forced to be a political ‘prisoner’/pawn/spy, and a wild young man who somehow finds himself drawn into adventuring with a group on a magical quest. As I said, this is a complex world (think Games of Throne complex), the story is totally engaging, action packed, and I hated when I reached the end and realized I’d have to wait to find out what comes next. John Skelley does an excellent job with the narration. I’d like to thank RB Media for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of The Basilisk Throne.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RQARXL4URV2EY/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

There are a lot of main characters in this book! In the beginning this makes it a bit hard to fully get a hang of the story, but once you’ve gotten your head around who is who you can truly appreciate the world building behind this book.

It feels like the world has an actual history, and even though that makes the world feel alive, it also makes the story a little harder to get into.
I feel like a little in universe history book could be written and published. It might also make the book a little more accessible.

I found it beneficial to not think about the details of the text, but to just take in the story as a whole, not minding if there were things that you didn’t remember from earlier. It will probably be a lot easier if I were to reread the book.

The fantasy theme was quite like game of thrones, in that there is magic and such, but the majority of people are ordinary humans who can’t do it.

When I first started I didn’t think that much of it, but is definitely grew in me. If there were to be a sequel I would definitely buy that!

The Basilisk Throne is a great dark fantasy novel that kept me engaged from start to finish, a great read for anyone that enjoys high fantasy with a bit of grit. Be warned - while not as dark as something like Prince of Thorns, this novel does feature some very disturbing themes including repeated rape and slavery, albeit thankfully not described in excessive detail. I will DNF books for being too descriptive/fixated on physical intimacy and didn't feel the urge to do so here.

The story follows a cast of characters across roughly 3-4 distinct storylines - there's a nautical war adventure, a young woman trapped in a castle, a country girl navigating the intricacies of court life, and a call to a mysterious quest. The storylines remain largely separate for the bulk of the book, but eventually converge and everything seems to fall into place right at the finish. This was the highlight of the book - each of the plotlines kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next, despite having no idea how they fit together for an incredibly long time.

The characters are all interesting and distinct from each other, but feel a bit too on the nose at times - they are all very predictable, and often repetitive. I didn't find any of the characters particularly irritating, but I also didn't find any overly relatable either. Without giving too much away, I felt that the plot twist at the end with a certain minor character was entirely contrived, and unnecessary, and the way the topic was foreshadowed earlier in the book completely broke my suspension of disbelief. I think the character twist could have worked well with more subtle hints or foreshadowing, but it was set up very poorly - my neck still aches from the whiplash I got due to how fast the tone of the book shifted from dark fantasy to cheesy parody. I was tempted to drop to 3 stars as a result, but ultimately the (audio)book kept me entertained through 15+ hours of driving so I figured I should give a bit of slack - consider my 4 stars a rounded-up 3.5.

The Basilisk Throne is my first read my Greg Keyes. The novel is darker than I expected at first, so I would advise readers to look at trigger warnings before reading. It does get lighter as the story moves forward, so it had a nice balance. The story follows multiple realms where conflict is explored where humans in Ophion, Velesa, and Modial are against the inhuman Dreuhhu. There is Alastor Nevelon, his son Crespin, and his daughter Chrysanthe, who all have their own journeys. The characters go through a lot of trauma and turmoil where the reader can follow along with their journey. I do wish there was more expansion into the aftermath into how each deal with everything, though. I do love the narrator who did a great job navigating the story.

The novel is told from different perspectives, which can be tiring as the reader goes from place to place. In this sense, it was like Game of Thrones where there was disconnect, but the reader is aware everything is supposed to come together in some way. There are some Brandon Sanderson vibes to the writing for the characters, which is great at I can see it appealing to Sanderson’s and Martin’s large audiences while still staying true as an original. The plot does take a bit to fully reveal itself, which can be difficult for impatient readers like me. There are multiple ones that come together for the larger story, so it does take a little thinking for the reader to put all the pieces together. While it is not listed as the first in a series on Goodreads, there are possibilities based on the ending. It is not quite a cliffhanger, yet I could see it seamlessly lead into a possible sequel. Overall, this was an intriguing novel and if there is a sequel, I look forward to reading it.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

The Basilisk Throne by Greg Keyes is a high fantasy adult novel about a trio of nations coming together (maybe?) to fight a common foe. While this novel is not the most profound high fantasy book I have ever read, it does have some excellent qualities. The world-building is phenomenal. The author sets up the three different nations while simultaneously differentiating the sections of Ophion. There is also an interesting magic system. While not completely explained (this is a series), the magical concepts used are enough to keep the reader intrigued. (There are ancient beings and witch-nuns→witchuns?)

Another great quality of this book is the storytelling. The pacing and overall plot of the book is engaging without being overly complicated. There are three essential storylines. These storylines are each told separately at their own pace. However, they each come together nicely in the climax to bring the storyline to a head (towards a cliffhanger!)

The downfall of this novel can be summed up into two parts: the characters and their lack of emotional depth. There is not one character that is sympathetic, not one that I found myself rooting for. Most are one-dimensional. They have one driving factor, and they stay that way until the end of the book. No growth at all. One exception to this may be Chrysanthe. She had a little growth at the very end. And, I stress the word “little". Every other character was forgettable.

Now, let’s talk about that lack of emotional depth. Hound is the best example of this issue. He is innocent to all the treachery going on in this world. His origins are unknown, but he’s learning about the world. And, how does he want to learn about the world you ask? He wants to see one of his companions naked, and he wants to sleep with another one. I have absolutely no issue with portrayals of sex in books, but I need to understand the reason why these people want to have sex. Where’s the flirting? In this book there was a man. There was a woman. They were alone. They said let’s have sex. Then, they proceed to have sex. (What? What just happened?) They were literally just thrown together.

Another downfall of my experience with this book is through no fault of the book. It has EVERYTHING to do with the narrator. Can you say “Domo arigato misuta Roboto?” He was so robotic. There was no emotion and very little inflection. If the story and the pace of this book didn’t capture me like it did, I would have been out at Chapter 1.

Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for providing this audiobook for me to review. #TheBasiliskThrone #NetGalley

3.25/5 stars

Read this book if you enjoy epic fantasy, closed door romance, LGBTQ friendly literature.

Trigger warning: rape/forced sexual acts

High Seas naval combat, shapeshifting sorcery, magical potions, interfering apparitions, and cunning coups collide in this fast-paced epic fantasy.

An admiral and his son fight at sea against an evil kingdom of demonic peoples for the sake of their empire. The admiral’s perceptive daughter must uncover a plot to overthrow multiple governments while navigating the rigorous demands of proper comportment in high society. An ancient sorcerer’s naïve, abused prisoner and her semi-feral rescuer must best ancient wizards and other opposition or face certain death. Their stories collide in a magically induced cataclysmic event that could destroy them all.

The audiobook is narrated by John Kelley. He has a lively, pleasant voice and reads for all characters. He consistently changes his voice enough so that it is easy to distinguish between characters during dialogue and follow the storyline. He is also very talented at matching speaking style with character traits. Conceit, nervousness, and bluntness are all relayed effectively through the narration.

Full of fantastic battles, scheming, and adventure, this fantasy does not disappoint. Readers will be charmed by the intriguing characters, romantic entanglements, and witty dialogue. Utilizing multiple, alternating POV, the first-rate writing invokes stunning scenery and makes the reader feel like they are in the midst of every adventure. However, be prepared that there are a few unanswered questions at the conclusion of the novel, presumably to lay the groundwork for another book. All in all, this is a must read story that truly allows you to immerse yourself in another world and leaves you wanting more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

I received an audio ARC through Netgalley for an honest review
I really enjoyed this book, the story was fun, the characters showed development and the world building was great. Although I really enjoyed it, there were a few things that lower the rating for me. It felt like some relationships between characters were forced, the pacing was off due to the story needing to cover so much ground and at some points it would swap to a new pov without warning. That being said, I do feel like the pacing and pov issues would be different if I was reading it instead of listening to it.

AUDIOBOOK VERSION: The Basilisk Throne by Greg Keyes

When I read the description of this book I was so excited to dive in. I was wanting an epic fantasy adventure and was excited to find a new author (for me) and a new series to start.

Summary:
This book was described as Pirates of the Caribbean, meets Game of Thrones, meets Master and Commander. You will find battles, court intrigue and an evil enemy. Humans are slaves for centuries but the tides turn and the human empire is fighting in one last stand against the Drehhu, ruled buy the Basilisk Throne, The Basilisk Throne has never been defeated as they have dark magic and weapons on their side. There may be a way to defeat the throne and it’s found in unexpected places and the keys are held by unexpected people.

Pros:
Concept is amazing
Love the humor sprinkled throughout
Audiobook Narrator was amazing

Cons:
Characters seems disconnected and a bit jumbled for me, I like it when they are woven together and I felt like that was a challenge to see in this book.
Takes too much time to build the plot, I’m an inpatient reader and if it takes too long to reveal, I lose interest. I don’t need to resolve, but I do need to find out what the plot is, and I felt like it took way too long to get here.

Overall this was just not my type of fantasy book, but I can see how this would be great for people who appreciate a heavily layered plot with battles, blood, mystery and magic this might be for you.

Pace;
Medium-Fast

Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. This is an interesting, well-written, dramatic story with elements of some other well-known series. The book starts off dark and slow and lightens up as it goes along. Full of dark magic, sorcerers, and fights for the throne, this is a great read for any fantasy lover.

Although this was a good overall story, I often found myself lost from chapter to chapter. The constant bouncing back and forth from setting to setting, character to character got really hard to follow. The story and writing itself was amazing, but hard to follow the scene.

Are you feeling like reading Brandon Sanderson but you don't have the time to read dozens of thick books? then I would recommend this book!
The stakes are high and the world is full of mystery and magic. We follow characters who feel like real humans struggling with the war they are thrown into. The magic system is interesting and we get to know it as if we were native to the world the story is set in.
Character perspective switches at a satisfying rate and the pacing is great.

Content warning: Sexual assault and drugs.

Critique I have. Like I write at the start, it's overall vibe is Brandon Sanderson and I personally like this book better than spending an ungodly amount of time reading about every characters mental breakdowns like in Stormlight archives. However this means even though the characters in this books goes through trauma and a lot of if, we don't get a lot of consequences of how our heroes deal with this or get over it.
I honestly enjoy the story being fast paced and get a conclusion without the need to explain everything in existence. But it is still a weakness for a reader who prioritize characters inner-monologue and growth over the story progressing.

Filled with sorcerers, dark magic and wars for the throne and power in treacherous water is this fantasy tale.

The book is surely a page-turner but it does take its sweet time with plot building. Once you are through with that, the parallel tale being narrated makes more sense. It does have a lot of its storyline around attacks, fighting and wars - so keep that in check while you read it. A queer thing however is that a major portion of the story is set around fleets on water which reminds me a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean.

If like me you to are in a mood read a lot of fantasies, you can surely add this to your TBR.

Genre: #fantasy #epicfantasy @adult
Rating: 4/5 star ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @gregkeyes1 @titanbooks for the wonderful ARC
#TheBasiliskThrone #NetGalley

Definitely not forever but some will enjoy it but please check the trigger warning for this one because this starts of pretty dark.

This book did not make much sense overall. Each character seemed too disconnected. Relationships seemed forced, thrown together at the end. It was wonderfully written and dramatic. The story itself kept my interest, but the characters did not. As well, little to nothing was thoroughly explained. In the end, I was left with more questions than answers.