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the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
4.0
The Hellborn King is Christopher Brenning’s debut novel. I agreed to read and review this one on the first look due to the powerful front cover. Little did I know that I would be assaulted with a story that would take me on a journey of adventure and discovery. Once again, I’ve discovered a self-published novel that I have loved from start to finish. The skill and finesse of Brenning cracks open the surface and delves behind the reasonings and implications of war as a multi-faceted beast. There are always two sides to a story and I found myself feeling torn between both sides. It is relentless in its brutality and has enough humanity and bloodshed to keep any fantasy fan engrossed.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
The Hellborn King ticked all the boxes. From the very start, you can tell that the multiple layers of storytelling, epic world-building, and deep and definitive character building would be worth the investment, in both time and brainpower. It has that instant feeling that you have something incredibly special in your hands. Grief, remorse, guilt, and vengeance are themes that play a crucial role in the development of the story, and you are left with the feeling that you’ve almost watched characters come full circle. It was an investment that plagued my waking moments and I rushed to get back to reading as often as I could.
Some scenes are hard to read and comprehend but it only added to the multi-faceted complexity of the story. The more hardship the characters went through, the more connected to the characters I felt. It’s one of the best fantasy stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Hellborn King takes place in two geographical settings, the rulers of Bethanthia, who are a family that has more issues than vogue. There’s abuse, alcoholism, and apparent mental health issues. It’s the cracks that are holding them together. There is also the POV of the battle taking place between the northern tribes under the banner of Damien Dreadfire and the Bethanthian troops. Some moments turned my stomach but, in a good way, the imagery was crisp and raw.
The standout characters for me were Gareth, Madeline, and Einarr. They each have a measured approach to the war at hand and their character arcs were a sheer testament to the author’s knack of being brutally unapologetic in the roads that they had to take. A lot of the characters are spiteful and not very likable but it gave the reader a spectrum of characters to get to know (not all good) with a prism of realism shining throughout. A book that left me emotionally gutted but worth every minute of being transported into.
tezzarudge's review
5.0
A full five star book ! What a debut novel.
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
This books starts with an absoutley incredible prologue and then a break next speed for the first 25 percent. You learn about an amazingly described world and get to witness death and destruction from multiple pov.
The paces slows through the middle of the book, but only to build the depth of the characters and pull you deeper into the story.
We then hit the 75 percent stage and we get the luxury of one of the best fantasy chapters I've read in a very very long time!!
The final 25 percent is helter-skelter drama and emotions and I for one can not wait for book 2
npscott's review
dark
slow-paced
4.0
Definitely a character driven story with bouts of brief but dramatic action moments.
dublin_book_review's review
dark
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual assault
Moderate: War
szeththeassassin's review
4.0
Please read my review below:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/08/03/the-hellborn-king-the-hellborn-king-saga-1-by-christopher-g-brenning/
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/08/03/the-hellborn-king-the-hellborn-king-saga-1-by-christopher-g-brenning/
Thanks for reading my review, and as always happy reading and Stay Great!!
dominish_books's review
3.5
I did the audiobook for The Hellborn King and that started off quite well, but eventually turned into a bad thing for me. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I thought I was going to. As the book went on, some of the voices started to grate on me. In particular, I found the female voices didn’t do anything for me, and in places were actually a bit off-putting.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
The story was pretty enjoyable. There were definitely some unanswered questions, but it’s book one in the series and so that’s not exactly unexpected. It did leave me wondering a bit on the motivations of some of the characters, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
Some of the characters in themselves didn’t really work for me, and probably the best example of this is a great commander who seemed completely out of place in battle. There’s a bit of explanation around her not being in the position on merit, but there is also the suggestion that she is battle-hardened, and has never lost, but every time there was a battle, it felt like her first one.
Other than that, the battles themselves were pretty good, with some excellent description allowing me to picture what was going on, and some of them leading to some pretty intense scenes. Overall it was good but not great for me, and if and when I continue the series, I anticipate doing so physically rather than on audio.
nina_bloodsworn's review
4.0
A strong and grim debut for the Saga.
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
The board is set and the pieces are moving.
We get to know a lot of characters, their motives and get a glimpse at what happened in the past.
The present is building up to a war.
The end of everything.
it isn't as easy as good vs evil in any way shape or form.
pretty grim and characters have to life with the consequences of their decisions. good worldbuilding and great battle scene.
Bring on Book 2: The Wrathbringer
nerdyboy's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
This was a debut and a half. From the stellar prologue all the way through to the end of the book I was gripped. None of the characters are your typical white hats/black hats they are all nuanced and while I didn’t like all of them I never begrudged the time spent with them. Add in some well written action scenes and this one was a winner.
dragontomes2000's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
4.5
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!
One of my big goals this year was to read and support Indie Authors. The Hellborn King is the debut of Indie author Christopher G. Brenning. Who also so happens to be a Wisconsin native from where I am from. So that's a double win for me.
Anyway, Hellborn King was brilliant from beginning to end. This fantasy is very character driven with tons of political intrigue and scheming. There is a plot but I would say it is more of a foundation that drives the characters. Hellborn King is told through 7 main POVs and 2 very minor POVs. Gareth, Lucetta, Einar, Madelyn, and Titan are my favorite characters as they are the ones who have the biggest emotional arcs. Christopher's prose were excellent. He was able to craft a story to get utterly lost in. Believe it or not, this was not very action packed as I thought it was going to be. The action that we did get though was harrowing and brutal.
For why I cannot give this the full five stars as much as I want to, there was an aspect of the ending of this book did not sit well with me.
To say this book needs more readers and attention is an understatement. With book two just weeks away now is the perfect time to get caught up like I did. Please if this sounds at all interesting to anyone, pick this book up and show Christopher some love. Support Indies!
fantasybooknerd01's review
4.0
The End of all things is the final clang of the doom bell in Christopher Brenning’s The Hellborn King, a dark tale of intrigue, vengeance, and war.
The story begins with the bloody annihilation of force of soldiers sent to investigate a local disturbance. In amongst the soldiers is the son of a commander of the King of Betathia’s Army, Alfrid Valens. With a foreboding of the events to come, Alfrid is brutally murdered by the behemoth warrior, Damian Dreadfire, the leader of the collected Northern tribes, whose obsession is to bring down what he sees as the despotic rule over the North by Betanthia, and gain vengeance for the haunting atrocity of war in a place called Borjifa.
The story is set two main settings, the rulers of Betanthia, a family that is coming apart at the seams through the alcoholism of the King, and the in fighting between the siblings. Then moving the focus of the story to the barbarian hordes and their conquest of the Betanthian held North in retaliation for the events at Borjifa.
The book is set out in a multi-point of view, with different characters having individual storylines, which successfully converges at the end, with each character having different experiences and adding to the story in different ways. This multi-faceted approach to the story works well as it gives epic proportions to the story and also shows us different parts off the world in which the story is set.
There are numerous characters in the book, each with their own character arc. The standout ones are Gareth, Einor & Madeline. However, interestingly, we never get the point of view of the main antagonist of the story Damian Dreadfire, and he is usually portrayed through the eyes of other characters and how they perceive him.
Now on the whole (and I don’t say this in a bad way), I have to say that I wasn’t actually that fond of many of the characters in the book, and I think that this is a testament to Christopher Brenning’s writing in that he does not give excuses for the decisions that the characters make. The Royal Family on the whole infuriated me, particularly with their ineffectual handling of any situation (although, I did empathise with Charlotte and the impossible situation that she is in). The father is a horrid drunkard who has succumbed to his weakness (although, we can see the reasons for his deterioration and the fact that he is using alcohol as a crutch), and with his vitriolic view of his family has virtually led to its implosion. The children equally are spoilt and spiteful, continuously bickering with each other, adding to the tension
Similarly, within the barbarian camp, I wasn’t all that fond of many characters in there. Yes, it is not all black and white and there are a multitude of greys. In this camp, Einar is the one that stands out as the moral compass of the Northern Tribes, and he is the one that I could emapthise with the most as he tries to guide Damian and uphold the duty that he has sworn to.
The other storyline, Madeline, I didn’t initially warm to until the second half of the book really. However, when certain events play out midway through, her character does become more grounded, and I did end up liking her.
For me, this shows that there is a strength in Christopher Brenning’s writing skills in that he can keep me engaged with the story, regardless of me not liking the characters.
The story itself is quite bleak in its execution, and I must highlight that there are some scenes that people may not be comfortable with. However, this is dealt with quite sensitively and for the most part happens off the page and there are no graphic scenes in that respect.
At times, I felt that on occasion plot overshadowed the pacing and there were some parts of the book where I felt that it lost its momentum. However, this was not a detriment to the book as a whole as I continued to be engaged with the story.
In terms of world building, the multi point of view gives plenty of opportunity to show expansive elements of the world in which the story is set and is a good device to show the sweeping vistas of the world that is encapsulated in the book.
On the whole I enjoyed this darkly powerful epic fantasy revolving around a family imploding, vengeance and obsession.
If you enjoyed this review there are more at www.fantasybooknerd.com
The story begins with the bloody annihilation of force of soldiers sent to investigate a local disturbance. In amongst the soldiers is the son of a commander of the King of Betathia’s Army, Alfrid Valens. With a foreboding of the events to come, Alfrid is brutally murdered by the behemoth warrior, Damian Dreadfire, the leader of the collected Northern tribes, whose obsession is to bring down what he sees as the despotic rule over the North by Betanthia, and gain vengeance for the haunting atrocity of war in a place called Borjifa.
The story is set two main settings, the rulers of Betanthia, a family that is coming apart at the seams through the alcoholism of the King, and the in fighting between the siblings. Then moving the focus of the story to the barbarian hordes and their conquest of the Betanthian held North in retaliation for the events at Borjifa.
The book is set out in a multi-point of view, with different characters having individual storylines, which successfully converges at the end, with each character having different experiences and adding to the story in different ways. This multi-faceted approach to the story works well as it gives epic proportions to the story and also shows us different parts off the world in which the story is set.
There are numerous characters in the book, each with their own character arc. The standout ones are Gareth, Einor & Madeline. However, interestingly, we never get the point of view of the main antagonist of the story Damian Dreadfire, and he is usually portrayed through the eyes of other characters and how they perceive him.
Now on the whole (and I don’t say this in a bad way), I have to say that I wasn’t actually that fond of many of the characters in the book, and I think that this is a testament to Christopher Brenning’s writing in that he does not give excuses for the decisions that the characters make. The Royal Family on the whole infuriated me, particularly with their ineffectual handling of any situation (although, I did empathise with Charlotte and the impossible situation that she is in). The father is a horrid drunkard who has succumbed to his weakness (although, we can see the reasons for his deterioration and the fact that he is using alcohol as a crutch), and with his vitriolic view of his family has virtually led to its implosion. The children equally are spoilt and spiteful, continuously bickering with each other, adding to the tension
Similarly, within the barbarian camp, I wasn’t all that fond of many characters in there. Yes, it is not all black and white and there are a multitude of greys. In this camp, Einar is the one that stands out as the moral compass of the Northern Tribes, and he is the one that I could emapthise with the most as he tries to guide Damian and uphold the duty that he has sworn to.
The other storyline, Madeline, I didn’t initially warm to until the second half of the book really. However, when certain events play out midway through, her character does become more grounded, and I did end up liking her.
For me, this shows that there is a strength in Christopher Brenning’s writing skills in that he can keep me engaged with the story, regardless of me not liking the characters.
The story itself is quite bleak in its execution, and I must highlight that there are some scenes that people may not be comfortable with. However, this is dealt with quite sensitively and for the most part happens off the page and there are no graphic scenes in that respect.
At times, I felt that on occasion plot overshadowed the pacing and there were some parts of the book where I felt that it lost its momentum. However, this was not a detriment to the book as a whole as I continued to be engaged with the story.
In terms of world building, the multi point of view gives plenty of opportunity to show expansive elements of the world in which the story is set and is a good device to show the sweeping vistas of the world that is encapsulated in the book.
On the whole I enjoyed this darkly powerful epic fantasy revolving around a family imploding, vengeance and obsession.
If you enjoyed this review there are more at www.fantasybooknerd.com
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