Nicely written, and strong characters, but I just didn't quite connect with it and struggled to really get invested. Personally, I don't think it's the fault of the book, I just didn't click with it, but could easily see why it would absolutely appeal to a lot of other readers

I was approved to read this book through Netgalley at the same time as several other books. They all got approved at once, and unfortunately, this one got archived before I had a chance to read it.

I finally got a copy of the audiobook through Libby and read it, and wow! I'm so glad that I did!!

This was only book 1 of a series, but I can already tell that the author has enough here for a SPRAWLING epic fantasy to rival Game of Thrones or A Wheel of Time. It's a darker, grittier book than those titles, but the potential for world-building is just as epic.

It featured a lot of magic, a lot of violence, and some devious characters that I absolutely loved to hate. It reminded me of a Game of Thrones kind of book with a Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' kind of style. (If that makes sense.)

Part of what made the book so intriguing, I think, was the narrator. The accents and distinctions between characters were absolutely phenomenal. Loved, loved, LOVED it!

There are TONS of characters in the book, and the plots and subplots are numerous, so it isn't for someone looking for a quick and easy read that doesn't require real concentration.

Still, if you want to plunge into a sprawling (sorry, I know I said it twice, but that's the best word to describe it) fantasy world, this just might be the book for you.

This started really well but unfortunately peaked for me at about 25 percent. I felt detached from the characters and struggled with the choppy nature of the story. I did think Sigac was a well done character and probably the highlight of the book

I have recommended this book to a part of my book discord as I think there is potential for people to love it. I just wasnt one 😔

I did try a lot with this one, the plot was intriguing at first, the mention of magic was interesting enough to keep me for a while, now for me the overall round and round of the plot just kill for me to be honest.

I kept waiting for something major to move forward but it was like taking one step forward and 3 more back and that really didn't connect nor did anything to keep me longer in there the story.

Better suited for heavy epic readers.

Great audio book narrator. Engaging and very easy to listen to.



I've seen this described as ASoIaF lite and that's both unfair and justified. It does fit in that GRRM niche. It's epic fantasy with many POV characters, concerned with warring over a throne and political intrigue while in the background, unexpected magic begins a slow, inexorable ascension. But don't take that to mean this is a knock-off because it's not. The characters are fresh and interesting the world building is stellar. My niggle is that I would really like male authors to challenge themselves by not importing what the 21st C mindset perceives as Medieval sexism in order to create conflict and narrative difficulties for the female cast. There are so many other ways to achieve this than forced, arranged marriages, women only being used as brood mares politically and only exceptional edge case women breaking free of this. Not that I'm saying it's any better for men in that scenario but it is somewhat wearying to come upon yet another version of that already tired narrative. It's fantasy try something new. Anyway, aside from that this is a slow burn start but stick with it because it ripens into a very promising beginning to a new series. And you never know, unlike Mr Martin, Moule might finish his series in a timely manner!

I really enjoyed reading this general fiction/sci fi/fantasy book. The audiobook narrator was amazing, and he really brought the story to life. I felt like I was in a huge adventure, with a lot of interesting characters, and a lot of things going on. The writing was superb, and the story was really good.

If you like books by George R R Martin, then you will love this book. It is quite a long book, so it will keep you busy for a while. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish this book, it's not that the story wasn't for me, which it was. I simply did not choose the correct format. A book with this complex realm and characters with such unusual names doesn't work for me as an audiobook. I would have had to read it in ebook format to appreciate the story. My assessment is in relation to the audiobook and not in relation to the story itself. I don't think the audiobook is a good format for this kind of complex book.

An dark and gritty epic fantasy with a large cast of characters, political intrigue, magic and darkness in equal measure. In the land of Erland where resources are slim and violence is rampant, two sides battling for the crown emerge after the King's only son dies.

I felt shoved into this very dark world and by listening to this as an audiobook (the narrator did a great job of using regional accents as a tool) I felt like I was overhearing the conversation and overseeing the devastation occur before me. If you like military and political battles, strong characters (none of whom are innocent/wholly good) and a case of 'you do what you can in the situations you are given, and your actions have consequences beyond your comprehension' this is the kind of book for you.

Despite having such a large cast of characters, I was able (just about!) to keep track of everyone and their storylines fairly easily. A lot left unanswered in this book which I anticipate will be drawn into the next one. Absolutely amazing - though I feel it cannot go without a trigger warning for violence, sexual assault/rape, misogyny, torture and gore.

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this audiobook by Bookouture Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.</i>

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury of Kings is the first book in a brand new series called The Erland Saga. With The Fury of Kings, we are transported into a Kingdom where a dark power is threatening to rise, and enemies are getting ready to strike. The kingdom ends up going through a crisis when the King's only son is killed, and a new heir comes into play, and they will go to any length to secure the throne. Then, there is Andrick the Barrelbreaker who once upon a time at the age of 16 led an army. Now, a decade later with the kingdom in upheaval, he must decide if he should protect his family or go to battle for a brother he no longer recognizes.

It has been a while since I read an epic fantasy book and I have been wanting to get back into reading more heavier, epic fantasy books and have only stepped away from them a bit due to my lack of focus when it comes to focusing on books with a lot of information, world building, political intrigue, etc.

The Fury of Kings starts off very promising and has a very promising plot. The world building was well done at times with excellent characters that really shine through the book, but because there is so many characters point of views in this book that it becomes hard to keep track of them/remember who is who. However, this may because I read this in audiobook format, which fantasy sometimes does not work well on audiobook and should be read physically so you can get a better understanding of the world, magic system, and characters.

My biggest struggle with The Fury of Kings was it being a really slow story and it felt it dragged for a good chunk of the story. Due to how slow the story was, I felt like I could not give it my full attention and kept losing my focus.

I think if I physically read this book instead of listened to the audiobook, then I probably would have rated this book at 4 stars compared to the 3.5 stars I rated this as. I will be picking this up physically when the time comes for book two to come out so I can see if my perceptions of this book changes if I read it physically. I do admit it is a great start of an epic fantasy story for a debut author and I think this author will get better and better with each book or series since you can tell they love the craft of fantasy by how they wrote this story.

The fury of kings had a good start to the story but half way through it I got lost in the plot and got very confused at what was happening until about ⅔ of the way through the book
The world building is pretty great and I was able to actually picture the places in my head
Overall the book was good and was pretty solid all around

There are 2 times when a person wanders into the white in their life, once when they come of age and once to die.



The Erland Saga is a new fantasy book series starting with The Fury of Kings. Pherri and Orsian are the children of Andrick Barrowbreaker - Brother of the King, Head of the King’s Armed Guard and renowned warrior. When Andrick returns with news that King Hessian’s son has been murdered by the Thrum, they know a civil war within the tribal Kingdom is inevitable. Andrick and the guard rush to be by the Kings side and plan what must be done for the Kingdom in the shadows of Eryispek mountain to prevail.



The world building is epic, which matches the tone of the book overall, flavours of patriarchal Medieval England interwoven with magic and myth. My only gripe is that there are a lot of characters and I would have liked a little more time between introducing new ones to get more of a grasp of what’s happening in the plot. As another reader suggested, a family tree or character list pdf would be great for the audiobook.



Overall this is a fantastic book and I can see the comparison to Game of Thrones et al, but it has its own flair. I can’t wait for the next in the series, especially with that cliffhanger of an ending!


I truly love Colin Mace as a storyteller, he is excellent at character voices as well as being clear and great at conveying emotion. He makes the this tale a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

4.25 rounded down.

I enjoyed the variety of characters and how vividly the author brought each to life. I found several characters particularly likable and several particularly despicable-- which caused me to quite enjoy them as well. I look forward to the series continuing. There are many subplots that could be explored and I can't wait to see how they are resolved.

This book was insane. I had so many feelings. It seriously made me so mad in some spots and cry in others. Such a great book and I can't wait to see what the next book will hold. The characters are all so interesting and the circumstances they are put in makes you either like them or hate them. I am very curious about whats going to happen next. The book ended with so many questions.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Colin Mace
Content: 4.5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

Andrick Barrelbraker led the army and secured the throne for his brother Hessian. Decades later, the Hessian is still king, and the throne is secured for now. But when the king's only son and heir to the throne is murdered, a new contender for the throne suddenly appears.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this audiobook. But I was pleasantly surprised. The Fury of Kings is a great epic fantasy novel with diverse, interesting, and complex characters. There are battles, political intrigues, magic, family history, and more.

I suggest including the character list and family tree at the beginning of this book and the accompanying PDF to the audiobook edition. There are many characters, and the reader may be confused at first.

The audiobook is masterfully narrated by Colin Mace. He made so many characters come to life. Even though the audiobook is over 16 hours long, I never felt it was too long. The story was interesting, and the narrator made listening a pleasant experience.

I wouldn't compare this novel to Game of Thrones because this story is unique and compelling on its own. But I would say that readers who liked Game of Thrones might give this novel a try.

The Fury of Kings is a first novel in The Erland Saga and it is a debut novel that doesn't feel like it. I will follow up on R.S. Moule's work.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I think fans of George R. R. Martin who could do with less gore will enjoy this book. There are multiple points of view, some surprises, and an ending announcing the second book. I personally thought it was a little above average.

The surprises were telegraphed, so they didn’t surprise me all that much. I found the telling a bit drawn out; there could have been less and the book would have flowed better for me. The narrator did a good job, though I felt the pauses between paragraphs rather long.

Three and a half stars for this book. My thanks to Hachette UK via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are strictly my own and offered without recompense.

#TheFuryOfKings #NetGalley #IfCatsCouldRead #RescuedIsMyFavoriteBreed #Bookstagram #Catstagram #BooksAndCats #CatsAndBooks

The Fury of Kings is a the first book in a new series The Erland Saga, a new debut fantasy set in a recognizable format of warring families and various PoVs that roll out the world around you. This is a staging book with a few epic battles and a question of what is happening in the mountains, with some disappearances and something ancient making its way back into the world. I would call this GRRM-lite, just because most people will be able to relate to that reference.

There is a large cast of characters and many PoVs so this story has some pacing issues that I think we see a lot with this set up, especially from newer authors. In the beginning, we get a nice prologue that will not make sense until much later in the book. The first chapters cover the death of the heir to the throne throwing the line of succession into disarray. After that it slows down and you will have to be a patient reader in between the action happening

The current king won his throne through the strength of his brother. He will have to call on him again if he has any chance of keeping it. A new generation will also need to decide if the King is a man of honor worth fighting for or if he is just a man obsessed with power. While we never see the world through the eyes of the king, we do see the king through the eyes of multiple PoVs and while the alternative to the throne doesn’t seem much better. I do wonder if the current King will be able to keep the loyalty of all those surrounding him through the entire series.

The main plot is of the next player to sit on the throne, very GRRM in that respect, however the rest of the book is about magic and the awakening of something in the mountains. Some of the characters currently embroiled in the main plot will be pulled of into new adventures as the possibilities of what is happening high in the mountains makes itself know.

I read a lot of fantasy and I will say that RS Moule has done a good job of setting up the series. There could have been a little more editing to make the story flow a little better and possibly not having so many PoVs in the opening book. I think the series has a lot of potential and if you are an Epic Fantasy reader then you know how much patience can pay off in the end. I will say this is very Game of Thrones-lite. There is sex and some rape-ish features as the king beds his new unwilling bride, but it is all off page. There are some battles and even those while intense are not too gruesome. Overall I think it is much tamer than some of the other fantasy books out there in that regard.

With a nice little cliff hanger at the end, it will be interesting to see how the writing and the story are fleshed out in future books. I did enjoy the overall story even though I predicted quite a few of the twists before they happened (I read a lot, it is hard to trick me) but still enjoyable to go on the journey. I wish Mr. RS Moule luck in his completion of his series and hope he finds ways to bring even more of this world to life.

Narration:
Colin Mace is not new to this genre and I enjoyed his performance of The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne. He does really well with a complete cast of characters and multiple PoVs. He is also so versed in how to portray an epic tale. He was a great choice to be the voice for this series. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I'm uploading my spoiler-free review here, but my much longer and spoiler-filled review (spoilers hidden unless clicked, of course) is available on Goodreads.

This book has a very interesting premise about ancient magic and civil war as the heir to the throne dies and the line of succession becomes tenuous. However, it becomes quite apparent early on in the book what the influences were. I like A Game of Thrones, I just hadn't expected this book to draw so heavily from it.

There were a lot of POV's, maybe about 10, and I only liked half of them. But that's to be expected with multi POV. Some of the characters were really strong and definitely led the story and kept the plot moving forward. While some of them had so few chapters, I'm not even sure they were necessary.

On the one hand, I really like the world created here. This world is undoubtedly rich and full of culture and history and some very interesting ancient secrets. It's easy to see that a lot of thought has gone into it. But on the other hand, I don't enjoy it all that much. When you have to scope to create anything at all, why are men still writing books in which women have no rights? Its saving grace in this regard, however, is its awareness. The female characters themselves know it's unfair and unjust and are equally as frustrated by the dynamic.

The writing is very strong with just enough descriptors to paint the scene without bogging down the prose. The author is really fantastic at writing and conveying battle sequences on the page. It's brutal and bloody, and man, I love me a shield wall so damn much.

I really do feel this series has such potential to be something epic if it took a chance and stepped away from the crutch of its own influences.

I loved the voice of Colin Mace and he immediately made me feel I was off on an epic adventure, which I soon discovered I was. His voice was so fitting to the story, bringing it to life and it felt reminiscent and nostalgic to the Wheel of Time audiobooks.

This is a multiple point of view story which begins very quickly when the King's only heir is murdered. With war on the horizon, Erland is in crisis, the people starving and soldiers being made out of simple folk. The main characters in the story are very likeable and all going through their own tragedies, an arranged marriage and a forgotten princess, a thief, a revered soldier and a boy straining to make his father proud.

Although it seemed that the story would be focused in a medieval setting with a patriarchal society filled with politics and war, there was also magic and I loved this thread in the story. The battles within the story were excellent and I held my breath at points and of course we cannot forget the tavern songs 'What a large sword wouldn't fit in her ..'

I think this was an excellent debut and I look forward to spending more time in this World!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury of Kings
I was given this by NetGalley for an honest review ..I give this four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 for its debut!
Takes awhile to get going, to set the tone , so, if you have patience, read it if you’re not that type of person with patience,, you’re missing out !!
the World , the secrets of the erland!
Multiple POVs,
The pacing finally gets its groove on. Great plot, his writing style reminds me of Kevin J Anderson ( Spine of the Dragon).
fighting scenes very reminiscent of John Gwynne in other words, very intense! Eager for book two

Part 2

Thanks also to Melissa @ secondsky
What a world, I went back Colin Mace was doing the audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5
His voice was perfect for this story! He have every character there own voice And a dash of Matthew Harffy again I thank NetGalley and the publisher for reaching out. Honest Review hell yea.

I have never read a book, then a week later get the audio and listen back to it again the world I love I love it !!!

The Fury of Kings is the start of a new fantasy series, the Erland Sagas, by R. S. Moule. It is a story about civil unrest within Erland following the death of the Crown Prince as well as unrest amount the surrounding tribes and nations. As is typical in fantasy novels, there are numerous storylines progressing simultaneously, mostly surrounding the King of Erland and his extended family and the man who is now his heir, It takes a while to establish the background of each character and storyline and I wasn’t immediately engaged in the story. I had to figure out what was happening and how the various pieces fit together. However, once the story gets going, it is obvious that R. S. Moule knows how to weave an epic tale. I was very invested in the lives of the various primary characters and was disappointed when it ended. The characters were multidimensional and made both smart and poor decisions. The ending was a cliffhanger, leaving the reader anxious for the next installment in this saga, The Hunger of Empires, which will be released in October 2023. The narrator of this audiobook, Colin Mace, often reads stories of this ilk and does so masterfully. He has the skill of reading many distinct voices to differentiate characters and his narration of the story made it even more enjoyable.. I recommend this audiobook for fans of George R.R. Martin and Tad Williams. Goodreads additionally lists this as appropriate for fans of John Gwynne and Raymond E Feist. I am voluntarily submitting this independent review after listening to an advanced complementary copy of this audiobook thanks to Netgalley and Hachette-Second Sky.