Deliciously dark fantasy, and a spectacular debut!

I adore dark fantasy, and Lee has created a fantastically dark world in Kings & Daemons. The atmosphere is expertly crafted, until the bleakness of this world seems to leak off the pages and wrap itself around you, drawing the reader into the world in the best way. There is layering as well, with the history woven through the present, and it was fantastic to learn about how the world had become so corrupted and evil, without ever feeling as though you were caught in an info dump, it all felt incredibly organic. One reason for this was that the darkness lies not just in the physical landscapes, but inside the people who inhabit this world, in the secrets and distrust and the lengths, people will go to hide their gifts. This could have the potential to get too dark, but that is not the case here, because, for all the dark depths of this world, it is countered with a wonderful, blossoming spark of hope.

The hope and the colour against this dark world comes from the characters themselves. There is a broad cast of characters, and whether they were the main POV characters or secondary characters, they were all written with a depth and complexity that breathed life into the narrative and the world around them. As brilliant as the worldbuilding and prose are, I would say that it is the characters and their development where the author’s talents really shone through the pages.

The main POV characters each have distinctive voices, and you never lose track of who is who, and each one was memorable in their own way, although I would argue that I am torn between Taran and Kalas for my favourites. Maya, it took me a little longer to warm to, although I thoroughly enjoyed her chapters and she was the character that hooked me into the book. What I particularly enjoyed about Lee’s characterisation is that they all felt so real, each one had their own flaws, and some like Rakan took a while to develop into a character that we wanted to cheer on, and that progression and change felt very natural. It also says a lot, that I found myself thoroughly enjoying the character The Witch King. While he is reprehensible, and almost single-minded in his focus – it truly says a lot for the author’s skill, that I found myself wanting to read more about him, even as I cursed him (the best kind of character!)

Kings & Daemons very much plays with that traditional, epic fantasy feel and what you would expect from that, without becoming tropey or losing its individuality. I particularly enjoyed the daemons aspect of the world, which added a wonderful, horrific twist to the world. The magical system was also really well done, and I appreciated how we got to explore more about it as the narrative progressed through the characters and those that they meet, and it grew into a well-structured and explained system, that complemented the rest of the book.

The writing style flowed from start to finish, and it was one of those books that sweeps you along for chapters at a time, with the real-world disappearing. It was an easy, fast-paced read, without losing the depth and descriptiveness that I enjoy in fantasy, and I appreciated the skill with which information was delivered through the characters and dialogue so that even when that aspect was a little heavier at certain points, it felt so natural and believable that you are carried along.

Kings & Daemons is a brilliant start to a new epic fantasy series. While it was billed as a YA, I would argue that it has a much wider appeal, and if you like the darker side of fantasy with well-crafted characters then I would certainly recommend giving this book a go, and I will certainly be checking out the rest of the series.