Kagen the Damned follows the eponymous man who believes he is damned and whose gods have turned their backs on him. One night, a brutal coup strips him of his charges, his family, and all he holds dear. Tragically, he does not arrive in time to save the royal children. Surviving against all odds, Kagen swears revenge against the person responsible- the mysterious and terrifying Witch King. The stage is thus set for a grimdark epic fantasy, as magic is brought back to a world that has long forgotten it.

Despite the dire circumstances in which readers initially find him, I didn’t feel a strong sense of interest in Kagen. While his circumstances were indeed grim, I didn’t find the choices he made as a result particularly compelling. It felt like the book struggled to balance the level of gore and assault one might expect during a coup with shock value.

Ultimately, I did not find Kagen a likable or relatable character. He was a character of extremes. This ranged from self-congratulatory over his substandard treatment of women to self-castigating over honest mistakes. The writing felt clunky and unpolished. I particularly disliked the ending for two of the only queer-coded characters, which had an unpleasant twist.

However, this series certainly has a lot of potential and I look forward to learning what is next for Kagen. I know Jonathan Maberry is a beloved author and now that the world-building and circumstances have been established in book one, perhaps book two will be more my cup of tea. Thank you to Jonathan Maberry, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.