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The Chaos Constellation #1
The Gryphon King
The first in a stunning Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy brimming with morally ambiguous characters, terrifying ghouls and deadly monsters.
Combining cut-throat dynastic politics with expansive worldbuilding and slow-burning romance, this book is perfect for fans of Godkiller and Samantha Shannon.
Bataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the Red Steppe. As an adult, he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, chosen by god to rule the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra, whose princesses rule the skies from the backs of pegasuses.
When rumours reach the capital that the infamous warlord is moving on Dumakra, Nohra Zultama prepares to face him. She and her sisters are feared warriors, goddess-blessed and mounted on winged, man-eating horses. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father's court, Nohra soon learns the price of complacency. With her city under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge. But her growing closeness to Bataar’s wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve.
When rioting breaks out and mythic beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings towards the man she’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world.
Inspired by the diverse Turkic cultures of Southwest Asia, this gorgeously written fantasy is sure to sweep readers off their feet.
Combining cut-throat dynastic politics with expansive worldbuilding and slow-burning romance, this book is perfect for fans of Godkiller and Samantha Shannon.
Bataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the Red Steppe. As an adult, he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, chosen by god to rule the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra, whose princesses rule the skies from the backs of pegasuses.
When rumours reach the capital that the infamous warlord is moving on Dumakra, Nohra Zultama prepares to face him. She and her sisters are feared warriors, goddess-blessed and mounted on winged, man-eating horses. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father's court, Nohra soon learns the price of complacency. With her city under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge. But her growing closeness to Bataar’s wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve.
When rioting breaks out and mythic beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings towards the man she’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world.
Inspired by the diverse Turkic cultures of Southwest Asia, this gorgeously written fantasy is sure to sweep readers off their feet.
464 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2025
54 people are currently reading
8282 people want to read
About the author
Sara Omer
8 books55 followersSara Omer is a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer. She’s been a technical editor for medical and engineering publications and is now pursuing teaching. You can find her (sometimes unsettling) poetry and prose in places like The Dark, PodCastle, Small Wonders, Strange Horizons, and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
June 24, 2025
4.0 Stars
This was a rich epic fantasy story with lush, vivid worldbuilding. I am admittedly a sucker for a non European setting so this one was right up my alley. I enjoyed the characters who felt well fleshed out and complex.
I enjoyed this one and happy to see that there is more to come from this series. I was quite engrossed in this tight, narrative and look forward seeing where it goes from here.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a rich epic fantasy story with lush, vivid worldbuilding. I am admittedly a sucker for a non European setting so this one was right up my alley. I enjoyed the characters who felt well fleshed out and complex.
I enjoyed this one and happy to see that there is more to come from this series. I was quite engrossed in this tight, narrative and look forward seeing where it goes from here.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
July 10, 2025
I received a gifted ARC of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Titan Books.
The Gryphon King is the first book in an epic new fantasy series by Sara Omer that was unputdownable once I had gotten my head around the characters.
Based on the Turkish cultures of South West Asia, this book was lush with vivid descriptive settings, well fleshed out and complex, intriguing characters and mythological monsters that are absolutely glorious yet terrifying! The pegasus that the princesses ride are beautiful and as formidable as their riders, but oh how I'd love to ride upon one!
The word building of this novel was superb, and I found myself unable to pull away after each chapter. The political side was interesting and easy to follow and understand, and I had a love-hate relationship with Bataar throughout the book. I honestly can't wait for book 2!
The Gryphon King is the first book in an epic new fantasy series by Sara Omer that was unputdownable once I had gotten my head around the characters.
Based on the Turkish cultures of South West Asia, this book was lush with vivid descriptive settings, well fleshed out and complex, intriguing characters and mythological monsters that are absolutely glorious yet terrifying! The pegasus that the princesses ride are beautiful and as formidable as their riders, but oh how I'd love to ride upon one!
The word building of this novel was superb, and I found myself unable to pull away after each chapter. The political side was interesting and easy to follow and understand, and I had a love-hate relationship with Bataar throughout the book. I honestly can't wait for book 2!
July 8, 2025
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
All I knew about The Gryphon King before going in was that it was promised to have (queer) sword-wielding female knights on winged, man-eating horses, and that was honestly enough to know I needed this in my life. Turns out, that is only one of the many (many!) aspects that make this dark, epic, political fantasy so wonderfully intriguing and breathtakingly brilliant. In a way, it reminds me of a mash-up of all the best elements of She Who Became the Sun, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and The City of Brass, except it’s also completely its own thing and truly unlike anything I have ever read.
We are transported into a vast, complex and masterfully crafted (queer-normative!!) fantasy world inspired by Turkic/Kurdish cultures that is as beautiful as it is brutal. And then it’s got all the most morally gray characters who you can love to hate and hate to love, cutthroat political intrigue and military scheming, all kinds of mythical monsters like gryphons, sea horses, pegasi, ghouls, and djinn roaming (or terrorizing) the lands, a deadly blood disease with a mysterious effect on the spirit, and just the most delicious dash of sloooow-burn queer romance that had my heart beating overtime; I know, almost sounds too good to be true, but I promise you it’s not!
Now, the early chapters of The Gryphon King felt a bit disjointed to me due to a few timeskips, the overwhelming depth of the history and complexities of the tense political landscape, and the heavy focus on action, but the intrigue factor just had me turning pages like crazy anyway. And then, around the 25% mark, I really found my footing as all the pieces started to click into place, and I was completely hooked from there on out.
Both my scarred and dangerously ambitious Bataar and my hot-headed, cunning warrior princess Nohra were just fantastic characters to follow (even if I sometimes wanted to strangle them for their actions), and I loved seeing the development of their dangerous dynamic as their paths grew ever more inextricably intertwined over the course of the story. Sometimes I found it a bit hard to really understand their emotions, motivations and actions, but instead of it feeling like weak character work, it almost felt like that was intentional; they are just so realistically flawed and frustratingly human, and we all know that human emotions do not make logical sense all the time.
Some of the side cast did admittedly pale a bit in comparison to these two powerhouse main characters (especially since we’re dealing with so many players on the board), but there were a few side characters who absolutely stole my heart. For me, my bisexual queen Qaira was the biggest highlight, and I ate up every scene that she was in, be that with her family with Bataar or with our lovely chaos queer Nohra (hello sapphic tensionnnnn!!). But then Darya, Tarken and a lot of the badass Harpy Knights also really got their time to shine, and I loved digging into all the complicated and beautifully complicated relationships at the core of this story, be they platonic, rivalrous, friendly, familial, romantic, or something altogether more confusing in between it all.
It was exactly the deadly schemes and dangerous games that these characters were playing with each other that kept me fully engaged, even in moments where the (military) action was a bit too intense for my personal tastes. See, as skilled as Omer is at writing pulse-pounding battle scenes or deadly monster attacks, I personally think all the more quiet moments when characters are fighting silent battles in their own minds or are wielding their words as weapons against each other are the absolute standout scenes in The Gryphon King, and I would have loved to see more of those to create an even deeper emotional connection and investment.
Ultimately, The Gryphon King was just an absolute rollercoaster of a story that excited, delighted and freaked me the hell out with each new turn of the page, and I can’t wait to see what Omer has in store in the rest of The Chaos Constallation; I’ll bet it’s going to be chaos, and I am SO ready for it. If this debut is anything to go off of, then I have no doubts that Omer is going to be an author to watch. What a wild ride, highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
All I knew about The Gryphon King before going in was that it was promised to have (queer) sword-wielding female knights on winged, man-eating horses, and that was honestly enough to know I needed this in my life. Turns out, that is only one of the many (many!) aspects that make this dark, epic, political fantasy so wonderfully intriguing and breathtakingly brilliant. In a way, it reminds me of a mash-up of all the best elements of She Who Became the Sun, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and The City of Brass, except it’s also completely its own thing and truly unlike anything I have ever read.
We are transported into a vast, complex and masterfully crafted (queer-normative!!) fantasy world inspired by Turkic/Kurdish cultures that is as beautiful as it is brutal. And then it’s got all the most morally gray characters who you can love to hate and hate to love, cutthroat political intrigue and military scheming, all kinds of mythical monsters like gryphons, sea horses, pegasi, ghouls, and djinn roaming (or terrorizing) the lands, a deadly blood disease with a mysterious effect on the spirit, and just the most delicious dash of sloooow-burn queer romance that had my heart beating overtime; I know, almost sounds too good to be true, but I promise you it’s not!
Now, the early chapters of The Gryphon King felt a bit disjointed to me due to a few timeskips, the overwhelming depth of the history and complexities of the tense political landscape, and the heavy focus on action, but the intrigue factor just had me turning pages like crazy anyway. And then, around the 25% mark, I really found my footing as all the pieces started to click into place, and I was completely hooked from there on out.
Both my scarred and dangerously ambitious Bataar and my hot-headed, cunning warrior princess Nohra were just fantastic characters to follow (even if I sometimes wanted to strangle them for their actions), and I loved seeing the development of their dangerous dynamic as their paths grew ever more inextricably intertwined over the course of the story. Sometimes I found it a bit hard to really understand their emotions, motivations and actions, but instead of it feeling like weak character work, it almost felt like that was intentional; they are just so realistically flawed and frustratingly human, and we all know that human emotions do not make logical sense all the time.
Some of the side cast did admittedly pale a bit in comparison to these two powerhouse main characters (especially since we’re dealing with so many players on the board), but there were a few side characters who absolutely stole my heart. For me, my bisexual queen Qaira was the biggest highlight, and I ate up every scene that she was in, be that with her family with Bataar or with our lovely chaos queer Nohra (hello sapphic tensionnnnn!!). But then Darya, Tarken and a lot of the badass Harpy Knights also really got their time to shine, and I loved digging into all the complicated and beautifully complicated relationships at the core of this story, be they platonic, rivalrous, friendly, familial, romantic, or something altogether more confusing in between it all.
It was exactly the deadly schemes and dangerous games that these characters were playing with each other that kept me fully engaged, even in moments where the (military) action was a bit too intense for my personal tastes. See, as skilled as Omer is at writing pulse-pounding battle scenes or deadly monster attacks, I personally think all the more quiet moments when characters are fighting silent battles in their own minds or are wielding their words as weapons against each other are the absolute standout scenes in The Gryphon King, and I would have loved to see more of those to create an even deeper emotional connection and investment.
Ultimately, The Gryphon King was just an absolute rollercoaster of a story that excited, delighted and freaked me the hell out with each new turn of the page, and I can’t wait to see what Omer has in store in the rest of The Chaos Constallation; I’ll bet it’s going to be chaos, and I am SO ready for it. If this debut is anything to go off of, then I have no doubts that Omer is going to be an author to watch. What a wild ride, highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2025
Wow. What can I say expect what a masterpiece of a novel and this is coming from a person who usually doesn't like to read fantasy.
The Gryphon King is exceptionally plotted, masterfully crafted and expertly written with characters who you will fall in love with on the first opportunity set in a beautifully built Turkish inspired world with cultures inspired by the Ottomans and Turkish steppe empires all wrapped in a plot that combines A Song of Ice and Fire politics with the polyamorous queer love triangle of Iron Widow.
Can I also say how refreshing it is to have an adult fantasy set in a world that is not inspired by China or Europe? There are so many incredible cultures out there and Sara Omer has finally chosen to shine a light and craft a brilliant novel set on the Turks who have their own fascinating history and culture. Well, done!
The characters themselves are also incredible. Baatar despite being a villain protagonist and conquering warlord is also oddly likeable and has his redeeming qualities with his relationship with Qaira being well developed. However, despite being humanized he is still a bad man and one of my favorite scenes of this novel is when it’s called out. Nohra, is also a tremendously well written character coming off as a female Turkish Anakin Skywalker who struggles with revenge, pragmaticism and her growing affection for Qaira. However, my favorite character must be Qaira herself, Baatar’s queen and Nohra’s love interest. I’m a sucker for goodhearted characters in grimdark fantasies who despite being kind are not soft and my favorite scenes in the entire novel are the interactions between Qaira and Nohra. So tense and sweet! Really, the entire trio relationship reads like a Polyamorous Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme and Anakin throuple.
However, the supporting cast is just as strong with brilliant character such as: Tarken, Baatar’s best friend who has some of the best lines in the novel. Qaira’s sister, Shaza who is the complete opposite of her sister and an absolute delight and Nasser who reminds me of the total bastards from Game of Thrones such as Joffrey Baratheon and Viserys Targaryen along with many more that I can’t wait for readers to meet.
The worldbuilding is absolutely incredible with counterparts to China and Europe also existing in this world and religions based on Mesopotamia and Turkish mythology but Sara Omer is such as incredible writer that the worldbuilding is built to reflect on the Turkish people’s relationships with these cultures since anybody who knows history will know the complex dynamics of Turkish people and their history with these nations and cultures. Expertly and wonderfully done!
The romance is also one of the highlights of this novel and I must commend Sara Omer for managing to avoid any and all Orientalist stereotypes and managed to craft a relationship that is both sapphic, tender, sweet and all without being fetishized. Though be warned that if you’re expecting some heavy spice, you will be sorely disappointed. This novel is not romantasy.
The themes are well done and crafted with prominent messages about power, glory, revenge and the lengths we will go to never be powerless ever again and they are all done to perfection.
Please be warned though, this novel is an adult fantasy with graphic descriptions of gore, violence and brief mentions of sexual assault though it is not as graphic or violent as “The Poppy war” which this novel takes a lot of influence from.
This entire novel reads like a combination of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R Martin, The Night Ends with Fire by K.X Song, The Poppy War by R.F Kuang and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. So, if you love those novels. You will love this one.
So, if you’re looking for your next obsession, the next great fantasy debut or just looking for a fantastic novel with brilliant characters, non-European cultures as the focus, and an expertly written romance then look no further then this novel. You have found it. If you're on the fence, about pre-ordering this novel then doubt no more. This is one of the best fantasy debuts I’ve ever read and one of my favorite novels up there with: The Witch of Colchis and The Night Ends With Fire. Simply unmissable. Sara Omer, I don’t know how you did it, but you have made one of my favorite novels of all time. Quite simply put: a masterpiece.
ORDER NOW
FIVE STARS!
The Gryphon King is exceptionally plotted, masterfully crafted and expertly written with characters who you will fall in love with on the first opportunity set in a beautifully built Turkish inspired world with cultures inspired by the Ottomans and Turkish steppe empires all wrapped in a plot that combines A Song of Ice and Fire politics with the polyamorous queer love triangle of Iron Widow.
Can I also say how refreshing it is to have an adult fantasy set in a world that is not inspired by China or Europe? There are so many incredible cultures out there and Sara Omer has finally chosen to shine a light and craft a brilliant novel set on the Turks who have their own fascinating history and culture. Well, done!
The characters themselves are also incredible. Baatar despite being a villain protagonist and conquering warlord is also oddly likeable and has his redeeming qualities with his relationship with Qaira being well developed. However, despite being humanized he is still a bad man and one of my favorite scenes of this novel is when it’s called out. Nohra, is also a tremendously well written character coming off as a female Turkish Anakin Skywalker who struggles with revenge, pragmaticism and her growing affection for Qaira. However, my favorite character must be Qaira herself, Baatar’s queen and Nohra’s love interest. I’m a sucker for goodhearted characters in grimdark fantasies who despite being kind are not soft and my favorite scenes in the entire novel are the interactions between Qaira and Nohra. So tense and sweet! Really, the entire trio relationship reads like a Polyamorous Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme and Anakin throuple.
However, the supporting cast is just as strong with brilliant character such as: Tarken, Baatar’s best friend who has some of the best lines in the novel. Qaira’s sister, Shaza who is the complete opposite of her sister and an absolute delight and Nasser who reminds me of the total bastards from Game of Thrones such as Joffrey Baratheon and Viserys Targaryen along with many more that I can’t wait for readers to meet.
The worldbuilding is absolutely incredible with counterparts to China and Europe also existing in this world and religions based on Mesopotamia and Turkish mythology but Sara Omer is such as incredible writer that the worldbuilding is built to reflect on the Turkish people’s relationships with these cultures since anybody who knows history will know the complex dynamics of Turkish people and their history with these nations and cultures. Expertly and wonderfully done!
The romance is also one of the highlights of this novel and I must commend Sara Omer for managing to avoid any and all Orientalist stereotypes and managed to craft a relationship that is both sapphic, tender, sweet and all without being fetishized. Though be warned that if you’re expecting some heavy spice, you will be sorely disappointed. This novel is not romantasy.
The themes are well done and crafted with prominent messages about power, glory, revenge and the lengths we will go to never be powerless ever again and they are all done to perfection.
Please be warned though, this novel is an adult fantasy with graphic descriptions of gore, violence and brief mentions of sexual assault though it is not as graphic or violent as “The Poppy war” which this novel takes a lot of influence from.
This entire novel reads like a combination of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R Martin, The Night Ends with Fire by K.X Song, The Poppy War by R.F Kuang and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. So, if you love those novels. You will love this one.
So, if you’re looking for your next obsession, the next great fantasy debut or just looking for a fantastic novel with brilliant characters, non-European cultures as the focus, and an expertly written romance then look no further then this novel. You have found it. If you're on the fence, about pre-ordering this novel then doubt no more. This is one of the best fantasy debuts I’ve ever read and one of my favorite novels up there with: The Witch of Colchis and The Night Ends With Fire. Simply unmissable. Sara Omer, I don’t know how you did it, but you have made one of my favorite novels of all time. Quite simply put: a masterpiece.
ORDER NOW
FIVE STARS!
May 27, 2025
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
Two things: a) I read an arc. So it’s possible all my issues with it will be fixed before the book is published. I’m pretty sure at least some of the lines that make me twitch are genuine typos and thus have a good chance of being smoothed away before release day.
b) I am unreasonably picky about prose. I think most readers will get along with Gryphon King just fine. I did not. If the quotes I quote don’t bother you, then you’re golden, and I kind of envy you!
The prose here is simple and direct, with word choice often striking a weirdly juvenile note. That’s not me saying this reads like YA, because it doesn’t; I’m saying that it’s a little odd to hear ‘the palace stunk’ from an adult author, because ‘stunk’ is not the word most adults would choose there. It’s not wrong. It’s just odd, jarring, and unfortunately, the writing is jarring a lot, to the point that I very quickly didn’t care about the story any more because the prose was bothering me so much. As if to compensate for the weirdly juvenile word choices, there were often moments that read as though the author had popped the normal word into a thesaurus and picked a synonym that doesn’t actually quite work.
The other jarring thing, the much, much more prevalent one, is awkward or clunky phrasing.
What that sentence actually seems to be saying is that Nohra’s wading forward is like the waves breaking around her body – and that makes no sense. That’s not what the author is trying to say, but…that’s what they’ve said.
‘A mouth he couldn’t keep shut for long’? Why would you phrase it like that?
I’m sorry, his eyebrows what?
(Please enjoy the mental image of me spending several minutes trying to make my eyebrows flutter, in an effort to make this line make sense.)
They dove…inside the horse???
No it didn’t. His mouth did not curl like a snake’s mouth curls. You might have meant ‘his mouth curled like a snake’ – that would work! But it did not curl like a snake’s mouth curls. You know why? Because their mouths don’t curl.
(At certain angles a snake can open its mouth at you and be extremely cute! But its mouth is not curling.)
You mean ‘house’. Inside the ‘house’. He hasn’t left the grounds, so he hasn’t left anybody’s ‘estate’, he’s just stepped outside!
The ornaments only wield influence because he let them? And ‘signaling his station’ sounds so off. It’s not technically wrong! But you could say that so much better if you tried literally at all.
Speaking of ‘literally’, the dialogue is bizarrely modern – I know not every fantasy reader cares about this, but uh, if you do, it’s a problem here.
or
etc.
For a fantasy that is all about war, the scenes of violence and/or gore are terrible. I’ve noticed before that if you don’t use sensory description for things like monsters, the description falls flat and they’re not scary. The same sort of thing happens here: the description is so minimal, or else odd, that the intended effect is not coming through. (And I say this as someone who is very sensitive to gore!)
SPURTED? The soul SPURTED out of its body? Even if your minimal description didn’t leave me cold, this is just going to make me crack up during a scene you want me to take seriously.
SPURTED. Oh my gods.
Listen: you’re not wrong! Sausages are made out of intestines! The intestines probably do actually look like sausages! But: sausages are not scary. Sausages are either neutral or outright cosy, depending on your reader’s preferences/experience with them. Food descriptors for gore do not work in text form, and I will explain why!
See, if I was standing where this character is standing, and saw gore, and my brain went ‘sausages’, I would probably be really grossed out! Possibly distressed! But I would be distressed at my own response to the gore, not the gore itself (in that moment). It’s like if you smell a burned human body, and it reminds you of cooked pork or something: you want to throw up because it is deeply disturbing that you could find that smell appetizing. The smell in and of itself is not horrifying: your own reaction to it is.
But if I am not standing there – if it is not my brain that thinks ‘sausages’ or ‘yummy pork’ or whatever – then there is no horror. The food descriptor just becomes…pretty dumb, actually. You want me to be icked out by sausages??? That’s. That’s not gonna happen, ma’am. I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about an English Breakfast now.
Oh, and the monsters don’t get described well either;
That is very plain, boring description, but also: the gryphon looks like a LION with a BEAK??? Are you sure? Are you sure that’s what you want me to picture? (And like, you can do what you want, obviously, it’s fantasy, but gryphons usually have the front half of eagles and the back half of lions and the mental image I have looks deeply weird with it the other way around.)(Also you might want to tell your cover artist that they got your gryphons wrong.)
This isn’t a prose issue, but: hi, your characters are stupid. In one early scene, our MMC orders his eagle to attack the hunting bird of a prince. The prince is upset. (The bird is fine. But like. I’d be upset too.) Possibly I am just being Very Autistic, but I have scrutinised this scene several times and I cannot work out why the hell the MMC did that. This prince is not an important person, exactly, but he is important to the MMC’s plans – and even if he wasn’t, what kind of idiot makes enemies when he doesn’t have to? You’re a terrible war-leader! Goodbye!
His two second-in-commands, who are his besties and clearly attracted to each other, also have this kind of banter, which I hate so much;
Ahh yes: the Badass Woman who is aggressive to the man she’s attracted to because gods forbid she display Feelings. Specifically, is aggressive to the man she’s attracted to who has done nothing wrong. What did he say that made him a louse? He said one woman ever might be attracted to him! MAYBE two women! That’s not a gross thing to say! If anything, it’s kind of funny, and very surprising, to hear a guy say only one or two women might be attracted to him! That’s very modest! It certainly isn’t rude.
I despise this kind of banter/dynamic. No. Go away.
I could go on – I could talk about how strange the timeskips are, in that they skip over some momentous events in the lives of each main character that we were set up to expect on-page (Nohra becoming a Harpy Knight, which her opening chapter made clear was the sole goal of her life; Bataar marrying Qaira whom he had no chemistry with when they were introduced); or the very strange way paragraphs keep going statement->not clearly related fact with no overt connection between them; or the wildly wrong use of the word hatpin – I could go on! But. I have gone on way too long already.
I really did want to love this. The premise is so cool. But I cannot enjoy it.
Two things: a) I read an arc. So it’s possible all my issues with it will be fixed before the book is published. I’m pretty sure at least some of the lines that make me twitch are genuine typos and thus have a good chance of being smoothed away before release day.
b) I am unreasonably picky about prose. I think most readers will get along with Gryphon King just fine. I did not. If the quotes I quote don’t bother you, then you’re golden, and I kind of envy you!
The prose here is simple and direct, with word choice often striking a weirdly juvenile note. That’s not me saying this reads like YA, because it doesn’t; I’m saying that it’s a little odd to hear ‘the palace stunk’ from an adult author, because ‘stunk’ is not the word most adults would choose there. It’s not wrong. It’s just odd, jarring, and unfortunately, the writing is jarring a lot, to the point that I very quickly didn’t care about the story any more because the prose was bothering me so much. As if to compensate for the weirdly juvenile word choices, there were often moments that read as though the author had popped the normal word into a thesaurus and picked a synonym that doesn’t actually quite work.
the coolness of morning
Nohra and Safiya strode inside
whispers cresendoed to impassioned shouts
Wormy voices whispered that he ran [the district]
The other jarring thing, the much, much more prevalent one, is awkward or clunky phrasing.
Change came, and like waves breaking around her body, Nohra would have to keep wading forward, even if it was without [her friends].
What that sentence actually seems to be saying is that Nohra’s wading forward is like the waves breaking around her body – and that makes no sense. That’s not what the author is trying to say, but…that’s what they’ve said.
Before them spread a sea of patterned turbans and snowy beards, each man with a mouth he couldn’t keep shut for long.
‘A mouth he couldn’t keep shut for long’? Why would you phrase it like that?
Minister Lofri’s feathery eyebrows fluttered as he spoke
I’m sorry, his eyebrows what?
(Please enjoy the mental image of me spending several minutes trying to make my eyebrows flutter, in an effort to make this line make sense.)
Two more gryphons dove into the same horse.
They dove…inside the horse???
His mouth curled like a snake’s when the corners pulled up too high.
No it didn’t. His mouth did not curl like a snake’s mouth curls. You might have meant ‘his mouth curled like a snake’ – that would work! But it did not curl like a snake’s mouth curls. You know why? Because their mouths don’t curl.
(At certain angles a snake can open its mouth at you and be extremely cute! But its mouth is not curling.)
Bataar exited into the courtyard first. Inside the estate, suffocation had gripped him
You mean ‘house’. Inside the ‘house’. He hasn’t left the grounds, so he hasn’t left anybody’s ‘estate’, he’s just stepped outside!
The royal ornaments sparkled in light thrown from a tall window, signaling his station in the room of men. He was goddess-blessed, and they only wielded influence because he let them.
The ornaments only wield influence because he let them? And ‘signaling his station’ sounds so off. It’s not technically wrong! But you could say that so much better if you tried literally at all.
Speaking of ‘literally’, the dialogue is bizarrely modern – I know not every fantasy reader cares about this, but uh, if you do, it’s a problem here.
I’d literally rather practice sums or read Grandmother’s diary.”
or
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get smart.”
etc.
For a fantasy that is all about war, the scenes of violence and/or gore are terrible. I’ve noticed before that if you don’t use sensory description for things like monsters, the description falls flat and they’re not scary. The same sort of thing happens here: the description is so minimal, or else odd, that the intended effect is not coming through. (And I say this as someone who is very sensitive to gore!)
Its body slammed so hard into one of the horses that bones broke and torn-open veins sprayed showers of red. Bataar had never seen something die as quickly as that horse’s soul spurted out of its body.
SPURTED? The soul SPURTED out of its body? Even if your minimal description didn’t leave me cold, this is just going to make me crack up during a scene you want me to take seriously.
SPURTED. Oh my gods.
Thick intestines like strings of sausages were strewn across the dirt
Listen: you’re not wrong! Sausages are made out of intestines! The intestines probably do actually look like sausages! But: sausages are not scary. Sausages are either neutral or outright cosy, depending on your reader’s preferences/experience with them. Food descriptors for gore do not work in text form, and I will explain why!
See, if I was standing where this character is standing, and saw gore, and my brain went ‘sausages’, I would probably be really grossed out! Possibly distressed! But I would be distressed at my own response to the gore, not the gore itself (in that moment). It’s like if you smell a burned human body, and it reminds you of cooked pork or something: you want to throw up because it is deeply disturbing that you could find that smell appetizing. The smell in and of itself is not horrifying: your own reaction to it is.
But if I am not standing there – if it is not my brain that thinks ‘sausages’ or ‘yummy pork’ or whatever – then there is no horror. The food descriptor just becomes…pretty dumb, actually. You want me to be icked out by sausages??? That’s. That’s not gonna happen, ma’am. I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about an English Breakfast now.
Oh, and the monsters don’t get described well either;
A clear membrane slid over the gryphon’s eyes. It looked like a huge lion, except for its beak and feathered back legs ending in taloned feet.
That is very plain, boring description, but also: the gryphon looks like a LION with a BEAK??? Are you sure? Are you sure that’s what you want me to picture? (And like, you can do what you want, obviously, it’s fantasy, but gryphons usually have the front half of eagles and the back half of lions and the mental image I have looks deeply weird with it the other way around.)(Also you might want to tell your cover artist that they got your gryphons wrong.)
This isn’t a prose issue, but: hi, your characters are stupid. In one early scene, our MMC orders his eagle to attack the hunting bird of a prince. The prince is upset. (The bird is fine. But like. I’d be upset too.) Possibly I am just being Very Autistic, but I have scrutinised this scene several times and I cannot work out why the hell the MMC did that. This prince is not an important person, exactly, but he is important to the MMC’s plans – and even if he wasn’t, what kind of idiot makes enemies when he doesn’t have to? You’re a terrible war-leader! Goodbye!
His two second-in-commands, who are his besties and clearly attracted to each other, also have this kind of banter, which I hate so much;
“Leave some women for the rest of us.”
“What woman wants you?” Shaza deadpanned.
“I can think of one.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or two.”
She shoved him. “Watch your tongue if you want to stay attached to it, louse.”
Ahh yes: the Badass Woman who is aggressive to the man she’s attracted to because gods forbid she display Feelings. Specifically, is aggressive to the man she’s attracted to who has done nothing wrong. What did he say that made him a louse? He said one woman ever might be attracted to him! MAYBE two women! That’s not a gross thing to say! If anything, it’s kind of funny, and very surprising, to hear a guy say only one or two women might be attracted to him! That’s very modest! It certainly isn’t rude.
I despise this kind of banter/dynamic. No. Go away.
I could go on – I could talk about how strange the timeskips are, in that they skip over some momentous events in the lives of each main character that we were set up to expect on-page (Nohra becoming a Harpy Knight, which her opening chapter made clear was the sole goal of her life; Bataar marrying Qaira whom he had no chemistry with when they were introduced); or the very strange way paragraphs keep going statement->not clearly related fact with no overt connection between them; or the wildly wrong use of the word hatpin – I could go on! But. I have gone on way too long already.
I really did want to love this. The premise is so cool. But I cannot enjoy it.
February 18, 2025
I’m a simple woman. I see an author posting art of a scowling knight lady, a man with an eagle, a murderous pegasus, I come begging to read. Thank you, Titan Books, for indulging me with an ARC!
My official blurb:
Let me break this down for you:
The politics? Cutthroat. Everyone is trying to outmaneuver everyone else, and I’m just munching my popcorn when the backstabbing starts.
The monsters? Deliciously horrifying. I’ve never been so terrified of a sea horse in my life, and gryphons are the stuff of nightmares. (The flesh-eating pegasus gets a pass because Mercy is such a good boi)
The romance? The slowest burn that has ever burned slowly, so agonizing that I’m shouting at the author for emotional damages, but this angsty yearning is off the charts (and a f/f/m poly setup???). An angry murder mongoose knight stewing over how hot her mortal enemy and his wife are, while plotting his demise? Yes please.
All these characters feel so real. So messy. Please, give me more of these adult fantasy books where people act like ✨adults✨. I loved them all the more for making terrible choices for the people they love, or even just the lesser evil. This book does such an excellent job of portraying that there’s no clean “good versus evil” in conquest, it’s all hard choices and harder consequences, everyone makes sacrifices, and at the end of the day, fighting just for honor starts to feel stubbornly naive.
My official blurb:
Omer has created an engulfing fantasy world, as vicious as it is human, not shying away from the brutality of conquest or the deeply complex characters who fight for it. The monsters are horrific. The slow-burn yearning is borderline inhumane. I stan an angry woman reaping vengeance with a scythe from the back of a nightmare fanged pegasus.
Let me break this down for you:
The politics? Cutthroat. Everyone is trying to outmaneuver everyone else, and I’m just munching my popcorn when the backstabbing starts.
The monsters? Deliciously horrifying. I’ve never been so terrified of a sea horse in my life, and gryphons are the stuff of nightmares. (The flesh-eating pegasus gets a pass because Mercy is such a good boi)
The romance? The slowest burn that has ever burned slowly, so agonizing that I’m shouting at the author for emotional damages, but this angsty yearning is off the charts (and a f/f/m poly setup???). An angry murder mongoose knight stewing over how hot her mortal enemy and his wife are, while plotting his demise? Yes please.
All these characters feel so real. So messy. Please, give me more of these adult fantasy books where people act like ✨adults✨. I loved them all the more for making terrible choices for the people they love, or even just the lesser evil. This book does such an excellent job of portraying that there’s no clean “good versus evil” in conquest, it’s all hard choices and harder consequences, everyone makes sacrifices, and at the end of the day, fighting just for honor starts to feel stubbornly naive.
July 9, 2025
While this wasn't my favorite, I think this would make a good intro to high fantasy for those looking to elevate their fantasy reads.
I was definitely seated for the violent battle scenes and the MCs' questionable decisions. Neither Bataar nor Nohra were 100% likeable. So if you're into morally (and ethically) questionable characters, then you might like this novel. If you need a clearcut character to root for, then this ain't it.
I'm a very visual person and this is the type of book that I wish were a movie or TV series instead. There was a lot of description and detail that would lend well to a visual adaptation. But since this is a novel, a lot of times I would get lost in those details and I found it difficult to make out which detail was important to the story and which detail was just fluff.
There was a time jump from the two MCs' childhood to adulthood. And honestly, I'd rather read about what happened in that time period so I could actually understand how the characters became who they were now. The way it was written made it feel impersonal. I was kind of disappointed tbh.
While I had a good time reading this, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel anytime soon. There were too many lulls in between the more exciting scenes, and I found myself nodding off and wishing that the story would move faster or that one of the characters would transform into someone likeable enough for me to really care for. It became a lot more interesting in the last 25%, but at that point it was a little too late in the story to care about anything.
Also, this was pretty much a colonizer romance and I wasn't really into that portion of the story. The relationship didn't make sense to me.
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this arc.
I was definitely seated for the violent battle scenes and the MCs' questionable decisions. Neither Bataar nor Nohra were 100% likeable. So if you're into morally (and ethically) questionable characters, then you might like this novel. If you need a clearcut character to root for, then this ain't it.
I'm a very visual person and this is the type of book that I wish were a movie or TV series instead. There was a lot of description and detail that would lend well to a visual adaptation. But since this is a novel, a lot of times I would get lost in those details and I found it difficult to make out which detail was important to the story and which detail was just fluff.
There was a time jump from the two MCs' childhood to adulthood. And honestly, I'd rather read about what happened in that time period so I could actually understand how the characters became who they were now. The way it was written made it feel impersonal. I was kind of disappointed tbh.
While I had a good time reading this, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel anytime soon. There were too many lulls in between the more exciting scenes, and I found myself nodding off and wishing that the story would move faster or that one of the characters would transform into someone likeable enough for me to really care for. It became a lot more interesting in the last 25%, but at that point it was a little too late in the story to care about anything.
Also, this was pretty much a colonizer romance and I wasn't really into that portion of the story. The relationship didn't make sense to me.
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this arc.
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August 14, 2025I wrote this book, and I wanted to provide links to content warnings, plus a little preview!
The Gryphon King is dark fantasy for adult readers. Broadly, the content warnings can be summarized as bereavement, discrimination, health-related triggers, sexual violence, graphic violence, death (including animal death, death of a child, and death of a parent), language, and consensual sexual content.
Please click through to view more specific details and be mindful of what's best for you when deciding to read!
View Content Warnings
Read an Excerpt from Chapter One
The Gryphon King is dark fantasy for adult readers. Broadly, the content warnings can be summarized as bereavement, discrimination, health-related triggers, sexual violence, graphic violence, death (including animal death, death of a child, and death of a parent), language, and consensual sexual content.
Please click through to view more specific details and be mindful of what's best for you when deciding to read!
View Content Warnings
Read an Excerpt from Chapter One
March 5, 2025
i really hope this becomes everyone's next epic fantasy obsession because this was so good!!! it looks at conquest and all the emotional complexities that come when a warlord wants and needs to coexist with the people he's conquered. it's so very human in the way it looks at relationships and desires (there's a budding sapphic relationship that is SO GOOD and there's also an emerging polycule that's going to be so delicious).
the worldbuilding is so very complex and sprawling and dark, with mythic beasts and terrifying gods. cinematic battles (the author really knows her stuff!!), plenty of court intrigue, unexpected twists, bloody fights, princesses flying carnivorous pegasuses, tons of interesting female characters (many of whom will surprise you!), all in a world inspired by turkic and mongolian cultures.
it's all just so very good!!! please read this you guys, we've really been starved of good epic fantasies and this made me fall in love with the genre all over again!
the worldbuilding is so very complex and sprawling and dark, with mythic beasts and terrifying gods. cinematic battles (the author really knows her stuff!!), plenty of court intrigue, unexpected twists, bloody fights, princesses flying carnivorous pegasuses, tons of interesting female characters (many of whom will surprise you!), all in a world inspired by turkic and mongolian cultures.
it's all just so very good!!! please read this you guys, we've really been starved of good epic fantasies and this made me fall in love with the genre all over again!
October 31, 2024
This one is like a cross between She Who Became the Sun, The City of Brass, and House of the Dragon, and I do NOT make those comparisons lightly. Trust me. It has SWBTS’s ambitious, morally dubious yet relatable MC, TCoB’s court politics and complicated romances, and HotD’s familial drama/various giant flying monsters humans probably shouldn’t have trifled with. I loved it so much!!
The Gryphon King is a twisty political fantasy with plenty of action and intrigue, with horrible characters you’ll love anyway, and enough humor and (ill-advised) romance to keep things lively. If you’d rather your protagonists be interesting than good people, if you love to watch characters f*ck around and find out in the worst possible ways… this is the book for you!
The worldbuilding is so rich, it feels like the narrative barely scratches the surface of a much deeper world, and I’d happily spend several books there. The entire cast of side characters is well developed, too; they’re not just set dressing for the leads. I BREEZED through this 400+ page book in one afternoon.
My thanks to the author for an early look! I won’t shut up about this come publication season!
The Gryphon King is a twisty political fantasy with plenty of action and intrigue, with horrible characters you’ll love anyway, and enough humor and (ill-advised) romance to keep things lively. If you’d rather your protagonists be interesting than good people, if you love to watch characters f*ck around and find out in the worst possible ways… this is the book for you!
The worldbuilding is so rich, it feels like the narrative barely scratches the surface of a much deeper world, and I’d happily spend several books there. The entire cast of side characters is well developed, too; they’re not just set dressing for the leads. I BREEZED through this 400+ page book in one afternoon.
My thanks to the author for an early look! I won’t shut up about this come publication season!
March 9, 2025
Read the early drafts, and you guys don’t even realize how good this book is going to be… Bataar! Nohra! Qaira! Ugh, be still my ever-lovin’ heart. Sara knows how to write a fantasy novel.
May 30, 2025
First of all, I must say, wow, wow, wow. That might give you a hint of what I thought of this read, ha ha.
The Gryphon King is part 1 in the fantastical South-West Asian inspired epic fantasy trilogy, The Chaos Consstellation.
What the author has created here is nothing short of a masterpiece, and being a huge fan of fantasy, this really was right up my street.
The world building on display here is sweeping, sprawling and engulfing. The landscapes our characters inhabit open up before your very eyes wonderfully, and completely immerse you in their majesty.
The characters are complex, believable and feel real and as all good novels should have, there's characters you'll love, characters you'll dislike, and characters you'll be neutral towards. Just a great mix
There's a substantial horde of monsters and beasts to get your teeth into, some quite horrorfying. There's carnivorous pegasuses, the Gryphons really will haunt your nightmares, and I'm sure the seahorses will have you terrorised.
There's a good dose of the political throughout the story, with some pretty ruthless characters out to get eachother, and romance features heavily. But I will say, for me, the romance was quite slow burning, maybe a little slow for my taste.
There's amazing, expansive battle scenes, blood spattered fights, and lots of tricky twists and turns.
Just epic in all respects.
A huge 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
The Gryphon King is part 1 in the fantastical South-West Asian inspired epic fantasy trilogy, The Chaos Consstellation.
What the author has created here is nothing short of a masterpiece, and being a huge fan of fantasy, this really was right up my street.
The world building on display here is sweeping, sprawling and engulfing. The landscapes our characters inhabit open up before your very eyes wonderfully, and completely immerse you in their majesty.
The characters are complex, believable and feel real and as all good novels should have, there's characters you'll love, characters you'll dislike, and characters you'll be neutral towards. Just a great mix
There's a substantial horde of monsters and beasts to get your teeth into, some quite horrorfying. There's carnivorous pegasuses, the Gryphons really will haunt your nightmares, and I'm sure the seahorses will have you terrorised.
There's a good dose of the political throughout the story, with some pretty ruthless characters out to get eachother, and romance features heavily. But I will say, for me, the romance was quite slow burning, maybe a little slow for my taste.
There's amazing, expansive battle scenes, blood spattered fights, and lots of tricky twists and turns.
Just epic in all respects.
A huge 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
June 16, 2025
4.5 stars
“For a beat, the gryphons watched like vultures, still as statues. Then, stretching awake, they shook off the red dust and dove like hawks, pulling away from the mountainside. Soldiers standing in scattered clusters ducked as shadows shot overhead. "Get down!" someone yelled.”
Bataar was just a young boy when he killed a gryphon but that one single act earned him respect within the Red Steppe and set his path on course to becoming a legend across the continent. As the years passed Bataar became known as Bataar rhah, the Gryphon King, conquering land after land. Eventually he sets his sights on the Kingdom of Dumakra, where Harpy Knights wage war in the skies protecting their king on man-eating pegasuses. Nohra Zultama is the king’s daughter and one of his Harpy Knights and so she prepares to face Bataar’s might. Yet when new threats arise and ancient myths become reality the two may have to make an uneasy alliance to face greater forces.
With treacherous politics, morally grey characters, and a well of monsters and myths, Sara Omer’s The Gryphon King is a sumptuous treat.
This is a book which holds a large cast of characters, however our point of view only switches between two central figures. Bataar, being the first we meet, was a character I found utterly compelling and fascinating from the onset. To follow his story arc from a child aspiring to become a leader, a warlord, and then to seeing his vision become realised, was something I was not expecting. Then Omer surprised me even further with Bataar because he was so likable. For someone who was a skilled warrior, a killer, a mighty conqueror who caused much warfare and bloodshed, he was intelligent, often remorseful, vulnerable and his strive to better the lands he took under his rule made him less of a tyrant. He also showed compassion, he wasn't needlessly cruel and his overall vision although was to elevate himself, it was also to help his people from Red Steppe who lived life constantly on the brink of starvation. I’m not one to readily hold sympathy for or attachment to a character who is essentially stealing lands that are not his but Bataar’s motivations are complex and so I couldn’t help but become engrossed in his rising. An additional gentler side is shown through his relationship with his wife, Qaira who he almost worships and confides in the most, and in his childhood friends Tarken and Shaza. Having a story shown through the perspective of a villain can always be a tricky task because for me personally I would look for darkness as well as light within them and I feel here Omer gets that balance right.
"You can be a great king, the best to ever breathe, and the world will still be
a bad place. You can try to make things better, but you'll only ever be one man."
She was looking at him like he was a man now, not a god, not the saber of Preeminence's will.
He wasn't just a man, though. That was the problem with being a rhah.”
Nohra is our second main character and I was first drawn to her because she is a Pegasus-riding Harpy Knight, which of course had me very excited. Nohra was clearly skilled with a blade, especially in the air on her steed Mercy and seeing her in battle was always a sheer delight. Yet sometimes I did feel she could be a little bit too fight, fight, fight and less practical or forward thinking. She was illustrated as feisty and vengeful, rightly so considering her kingdom had been invaded, but she often got to the point of being too rash with her decisions. However there were other sides to her character which I very much preferred exploring, her faith in the goddess Paga, her love for embroidery which showed a much more reflective, creative side. Omer once again balances out her characters by showing that Nohra can find peace in belief and beauty. I felt this added a wonderful level of depth because in real life we can have many sides to us.
Omer’s worldbuilding was simply exquisite as we are given complex politics, religion and myth all weaved into the narrative with such atmospheric prose. Politics was most definitely at the forefront of this novel as when Dumakra is conquered we see political marriages deciphered upon, new governmental figures installed and a fight for the throne in Kalafar, to become the new zultam. This involved much treachery and uncertainty which made it so addictive to read about. I absolutely adore fantasy creatures especially when they're hugely monstrous, and Omer certainly delivered on that. Gryphons were the main beasts terrorising the lands but then we get so much more, from flesh eating Pegasus, giant seahorses and even djinn, and oh my do I love this inclusion of Middle Eastern mythology. Then there was the religion with the Preeminent Spirit and the Paga and Nuna Gods simmering away in the background and shaping our characters beliefs. I was immensely impressed by how all these elements interconnected in one way or another.
Omer brings fresh life to the epic fantasy genre and crafts a deeply enriched and immersive world which I felt completely enveloped inside.
“Vengeance and guilt are sins. Cast them off, and you’ll be stronger.”
ARC provided by Bahar at Titan Books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
“For a beat, the gryphons watched like vultures, still as statues. Then, stretching awake, they shook off the red dust and dove like hawks, pulling away from the mountainside. Soldiers standing in scattered clusters ducked as shadows shot overhead. "Get down!" someone yelled.”
Bataar was just a young boy when he killed a gryphon but that one single act earned him respect within the Red Steppe and set his path on course to becoming a legend across the continent. As the years passed Bataar became known as Bataar rhah, the Gryphon King, conquering land after land. Eventually he sets his sights on the Kingdom of Dumakra, where Harpy Knights wage war in the skies protecting their king on man-eating pegasuses. Nohra Zultama is the king’s daughter and one of his Harpy Knights and so she prepares to face Bataar’s might. Yet when new threats arise and ancient myths become reality the two may have to make an uneasy alliance to face greater forces.
With treacherous politics, morally grey characters, and a well of monsters and myths, Sara Omer’s The Gryphon King is a sumptuous treat.
This is a book which holds a large cast of characters, however our point of view only switches between two central figures. Bataar, being the first we meet, was a character I found utterly compelling and fascinating from the onset. To follow his story arc from a child aspiring to become a leader, a warlord, and then to seeing his vision become realised, was something I was not expecting. Then Omer surprised me even further with Bataar because he was so likable. For someone who was a skilled warrior, a killer, a mighty conqueror who caused much warfare and bloodshed, he was intelligent, often remorseful, vulnerable and his strive to better the lands he took under his rule made him less of a tyrant. He also showed compassion, he wasn't needlessly cruel and his overall vision although was to elevate himself, it was also to help his people from Red Steppe who lived life constantly on the brink of starvation. I’m not one to readily hold sympathy for or attachment to a character who is essentially stealing lands that are not his but Bataar’s motivations are complex and so I couldn’t help but become engrossed in his rising. An additional gentler side is shown through his relationship with his wife, Qaira who he almost worships and confides in the most, and in his childhood friends Tarken and Shaza. Having a story shown through the perspective of a villain can always be a tricky task because for me personally I would look for darkness as well as light within them and I feel here Omer gets that balance right.
"You can be a great king, the best to ever breathe, and the world will still be
a bad place. You can try to make things better, but you'll only ever be one man."
She was looking at him like he was a man now, not a god, not the saber of Preeminence's will.
He wasn't just a man, though. That was the problem with being a rhah.”
Nohra is our second main character and I was first drawn to her because she is a Pegasus-riding Harpy Knight, which of course had me very excited. Nohra was clearly skilled with a blade, especially in the air on her steed Mercy and seeing her in battle was always a sheer delight. Yet sometimes I did feel she could be a little bit too fight, fight, fight and less practical or forward thinking. She was illustrated as feisty and vengeful, rightly so considering her kingdom had been invaded, but she often got to the point of being too rash with her decisions. However there were other sides to her character which I very much preferred exploring, her faith in the goddess Paga, her love for embroidery which showed a much more reflective, creative side. Omer once again balances out her characters by showing that Nohra can find peace in belief and beauty. I felt this added a wonderful level of depth because in real life we can have many sides to us.
Omer’s worldbuilding was simply exquisite as we are given complex politics, religion and myth all weaved into the narrative with such atmospheric prose. Politics was most definitely at the forefront of this novel as when Dumakra is conquered we see political marriages deciphered upon, new governmental figures installed and a fight for the throne in Kalafar, to become the new zultam. This involved much treachery and uncertainty which made it so addictive to read about. I absolutely adore fantasy creatures especially when they're hugely monstrous, and Omer certainly delivered on that. Gryphons were the main beasts terrorising the lands but then we get so much more, from flesh eating Pegasus, giant seahorses and even djinn, and oh my do I love this inclusion of Middle Eastern mythology. Then there was the religion with the Preeminent Spirit and the Paga and Nuna Gods simmering away in the background and shaping our characters beliefs. I was immensely impressed by how all these elements interconnected in one way or another.
Omer brings fresh life to the epic fantasy genre and crafts a deeply enriched and immersive world which I felt completely enveloped inside.
“Vengeance and guilt are sins. Cast them off, and you’ll be stronger.”
ARC provided by Bahar at Titan Books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
July 22, 2025
The Gryphon King is simply one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s hard to believe this is a debut because it feels so confident and unique. From the start, I was pulled into a world that’s both fascinating and brutal, filled with POLITICS, delicious mind games, TENSION and of course gryphons, Pegasus and djinn.
What really kept me reading were the characters. I loved them all, mostly because everyone is morally grey. Nohra and Bataar especially stood out to me. Their dynamic had me glued to the book. And while romance isn’t the main focus, the moments between Nohra and Qaira and even her pull toward Bataar added a lot of depth to their arcs.
One thing I really liked was how all the side characters had their own voice. In a lot of fantasy books, side characters can blur together, but here they felt important in their own ways. Darya was easily a standout, and I cannot wait to learn more about her.
You really have to pay attention, as I would consider this a high political fantasy. Between the time jumps, political setups, and history, you must stay focused. It is done incredibly well so I would say it is worth the push.
And that epilogue? That is how you write an epilogue. If you’re into political fantasy with gore, morally grey characters, a spectrum of personalities and choices, and on top of all that incredible queer characters, this is for you. I am definitely seated for book two. I’m scared, though, because this book did not pull its punches, and I can only imagine what book two might bring.
Sara, thank you for the representation. It meant so much to me. The SWANA girls are really thriving. And thank you, Titan Books, for the digital ARC and the finished copy. I will absolutely be knocking for book two, as this is easily one of my most anticipated sequels.
What really kept me reading were the characters. I loved them all, mostly because everyone is morally grey. Nohra and Bataar especially stood out to me. Their dynamic had me glued to the book. And while romance isn’t the main focus, the moments between Nohra and Qaira and even her pull toward Bataar added a lot of depth to their arcs.
One thing I really liked was how all the side characters had their own voice. In a lot of fantasy books, side characters can blur together, but here they felt important in their own ways. Darya was easily a standout, and I cannot wait to learn more about her.
You really have to pay attention, as I would consider this a high political fantasy. Between the time jumps, political setups, and history, you must stay focused. It is done incredibly well so I would say it is worth the push.
And that epilogue? That is how you write an epilogue. If you’re into political fantasy with gore, morally grey characters, a spectrum of personalities and choices, and on top of all that incredible queer characters, this is for you. I am definitely seated for book two. I’m scared, though, because this book did not pull its punches, and I can only imagine what book two might bring.
Sara, thank you for the representation. It meant so much to me. The SWANA girls are really thriving. And thank you, Titan Books, for the digital ARC and the finished copy. I will absolutely be knocking for book two, as this is easily one of my most anticipated sequels.
August 8, 2025
Wow this was good!! Review to come! 🪽
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a fabulous start to a new series inspired by Southwest Asia and Turkic culture and mythology! I loved how morally grey both the MCs were and how each were right in their own way while also being incredible frustrating in others. The grimdark elements were stellar in this and mixed so well with the world it’s inspired by. 🔥
The story is split between Bataar, a steppe warlord whose desire for vengeance fuels the conquest of the book’s world; and Nohra, a princess and Harpy Knight for her father. I found myself preferring Bataar’s POV simply because I liked how complex he was. While Nohra is wonderful in her own way, her selfishness and inability to find fault with her father frustrated me so much. But that just shows how well written she was because not all characters, especially MC’s, should be likable. ⚔️
Oddly enough, I did wish there was a bit more tension between Nohra and Bataar whenever they were in the same scene because I loved how vicious they were with each other. I also wish we could’ve gotten to know Qaira a little more because of how much of a phenomenal bisexual enigma she was. 😍
Overall, loved this and can’t wait to get the second book!! Thank you goes out to Titain Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest (and late 😅) review. And then to the author, Omer, for writing such a fantastic grimdark fantasy inspired by your two cultures! I can’t wait for book 2!! ❤️
Publication Date: July 8!!
Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a fabulous start to a new series inspired by Southwest Asia and Turkic culture and mythology! I loved how morally grey both the MCs were and how each were right in their own way while also being incredible frustrating in others. The grimdark elements were stellar in this and mixed so well with the world it’s inspired by. 🔥
The story is split between Bataar, a steppe warlord whose desire for vengeance fuels the conquest of the book’s world; and Nohra, a princess and Harpy Knight for her father. I found myself preferring Bataar’s POV simply because I liked how complex he was. While Nohra is wonderful in her own way, her selfishness and inability to find fault with her father frustrated me so much. But that just shows how well written she was because not all characters, especially MC’s, should be likable. ⚔️
Oddly enough, I did wish there was a bit more tension between Nohra and Bataar whenever they were in the same scene because I loved how vicious they were with each other. I also wish we could’ve gotten to know Qaira a little more because of how much of a phenomenal bisexual enigma she was. 😍
Overall, loved this and can’t wait to get the second book!! Thank you goes out to Titain Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest (and late 😅) review. And then to the author, Omer, for writing such a fantastic grimdark fantasy inspired by your two cultures! I can’t wait for book 2!! ❤️
Publication Date: July 8!!
Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️
March 7, 2025
It was an intricate, beautifully crafted tale. I adore the world building, the world lore, and how things played out. All the political intrigues, how the characters dancing around each other with tensions running high... I simply had so much fun reading this book! Everyone is so hot too lol. I love how strong Nora is as a lead, followed by Bataar and Qaira and Darya and all of the other characters. I enjoyed this book so much and can't wait to read the next installment!
August 5, 2024
I read early drafts of this work. The Gryphon King is not only gripping and beautifully written but also creates an entirely unique world. I don't want to spoil too much, but my favorite aspects of Sara Omer's story are the morally grey characters, mythical creatures, and epic battles. Fans of Game of Thrones, Priory of the Orange Tree, God Killer, or Poppy Wars will enjoy this book.
August 1, 2024
BEYOND EXCITED. What I’ve had the privilege to read of The Gryphon King thus far has been phenomenal: immersive, mystical, emotional, fantastical, thrilling. I am ready!!
September 3, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
The Gryphon King is the first book in The Chaos Constellation, an epic fantasy series written by Sara Omer, published by Titan Books. A dark, epic, political fantasy that is set in a world blending Asian cultures (mostly Kurdish and Turkish), morally grey characters, mythical creatures roaming the land, and all together with a complex plot that not only features military scheming, a tense political landscape, but also a dash of slow burn romance to complete it.
Bataar was a child when he killed a gryphon, becoming a legend across the Red Steppe; as an adult, he's the warlord that has united his people. After several victories, he puts his eye on the Dumakran Kingdom, getting a quick conquest over the own Dumakra, partly because of the betrayal on the court; with the city under Bataar's rule, Nohra Zultama vows to take revenge and recover it, killing Bataar in the process. But when rioting breaks out and mythic beasts start coming back into the world, Nohra will have to fight alongside the own Bataar, despite her own resolve, if they want to keep a chance to stand against the monsters that threaten their world.
Omer puts two marvellous main characters at the center of the plot. On the one hand, we have Bataar, a dangerously ambitious warlord, who acts a bit as the villain depending on who tells the story; he might be cold-blooded, cruel, but there are also moments where we can appreciate his human side. On the other hand, we have Nohra, much more passion-driven, even chaotic; extremely brave (also her scenes on the pegasus are chef-kiss), but with a duty to her family. The dynamic between our two characters is extremely complex, starting from necessity but also growing from hate to an unstable alliance for the common good.
The rest of the cast pales a bit in comparison with these two, but Omer gives them the opportunity to shine with the complex net of family and political relationships that are in play (also, I won't mind if a certain character gets stabbed).
The worldbuilding is another highlight for me, from how several Asian cultures are blended into this novel (I could also argue that partly the Red Steppe reminds of Mongolia, with Bataar being a sort of Gengis Khan equivalent), to the inclusion of many fantastical creatures, including not only the pegasus and the gryphons, but also the djinns, sea horses and ghouls. Omer's writing style is quite detailed, painting vivid images as part of the scenes.
The pacing is excellent, but it is true that the first quarter or so can be felt as a bit disjointed, as the characters are introduced in a previous timeline; from that moment and on, you can expect to be glued to the page, always in tension while all the pieces are being played in the board.
The Gryphon King is an excellent first instalment for what promises to be a stunning Asian-inspired fantasy; if you like fantastic creatures, cutthroat politics and a marvellous cast, you should totally give it a try. Can't wait to continue reading about these characters in The Harpy Knight.
The Gryphon King is the first book in The Chaos Constellation, an epic fantasy series written by Sara Omer, published by Titan Books. A dark, epic, political fantasy that is set in a world blending Asian cultures (mostly Kurdish and Turkish), morally grey characters, mythical creatures roaming the land, and all together with a complex plot that not only features military scheming, a tense political landscape, but also a dash of slow burn romance to complete it.
Bataar was a child when he killed a gryphon, becoming a legend across the Red Steppe; as an adult, he's the warlord that has united his people. After several victories, he puts his eye on the Dumakran Kingdom, getting a quick conquest over the own Dumakra, partly because of the betrayal on the court; with the city under Bataar's rule, Nohra Zultama vows to take revenge and recover it, killing Bataar in the process. But when rioting breaks out and mythic beasts start coming back into the world, Nohra will have to fight alongside the own Bataar, despite her own resolve, if they want to keep a chance to stand against the monsters that threaten their world.
Omer puts two marvellous main characters at the center of the plot. On the one hand, we have Bataar, a dangerously ambitious warlord, who acts a bit as the villain depending on who tells the story; he might be cold-blooded, cruel, but there are also moments where we can appreciate his human side. On the other hand, we have Nohra, much more passion-driven, even chaotic; extremely brave (also her scenes on the pegasus are chef-kiss), but with a duty to her family. The dynamic between our two characters is extremely complex, starting from necessity but also growing from hate to an unstable alliance for the common good.
The rest of the cast pales a bit in comparison with these two, but Omer gives them the opportunity to shine with the complex net of family and political relationships that are in play (also, I won't mind if a certain character gets stabbed).
The worldbuilding is another highlight for me, from how several Asian cultures are blended into this novel (I could also argue that partly the Red Steppe reminds of Mongolia, with Bataar being a sort of Gengis Khan equivalent), to the inclusion of many fantastical creatures, including not only the pegasus and the gryphons, but also the djinns, sea horses and ghouls. Omer's writing style is quite detailed, painting vivid images as part of the scenes.
The pacing is excellent, but it is true that the first quarter or so can be felt as a bit disjointed, as the characters are introduced in a previous timeline; from that moment and on, you can expect to be glued to the page, always in tension while all the pieces are being played in the board.
The Gryphon King is an excellent first instalment for what promises to be a stunning Asian-inspired fantasy; if you like fantastic creatures, cutthroat politics and a marvellous cast, you should totally give it a try. Can't wait to continue reading about these characters in The Harpy Knight.
July 27, 2025
Wow. A highly anticipated release that did not disappoint. A sweeping, epic fantasy debut that delivers richly layered worldbuilding inspired by Southwest Asian, Turkic and Kurdish cultures. The story centres around Bataar Rhah, a feared warlord whose rise to power begins with the slaying of a gryphon as a child, and then there is Nohra Zultama, a fierce Harpy Knight bound by faith and loyalty. Omer creates a vivid landscape filled with supernatural creatures, political intrigue and ancient magic, weaving themes of conquest and identity into every page. The novel’s immersive setting and morally complex characters make it stand apart from standard Eurocentric fantasy.
Omer leans into the grey: faith and ambition, loyalty and love, power and pain are constantly in tension. The prose is razor sharp yet lyrical and the worldbuilding is so textured. Cannot wait to read the rest of this series, this promises to be a very compelling trilogy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC to review!
Omer leans into the grey: faith and ambition, loyalty and love, power and pain are constantly in tension. The prose is razor sharp yet lyrical and the worldbuilding is so textured. Cannot wait to read the rest of this series, this promises to be a very compelling trilogy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC to review!
July 27, 2025
3.75*
reallyyyy enjoyed this one! the world was so interesting and immersive and the monstrous animals were so cool. i wish we got more character depth tho, i wasn’t too connected to them but the potential poly romance setup has me intrigued 👀👀👀
also the epilogue??? i’m so intrigued for the next instalment
reallyyyy enjoyed this one! the world was so interesting and immersive and the monstrous animals were so cool. i wish we got more character depth tho, i wasn’t too connected to them but the potential poly romance setup has me intrigued 👀👀👀
also the epilogue??? i’m so intrigued for the next instalment
July 12, 2025
I already am looking forward to rereading this when I'm more in the mood for fantasy.
I think there's a lot to like about this book, the story Sara Omer has created is super fascinating, I'm just having issues with reading fantasy right now, which is entirely my problem.
I think there's a lot to like about this book, the story Sara Omer has created is super fascinating, I'm just having issues with reading fantasy right now, which is entirely my problem.
June 28, 2025
(4'5/5) Creo que voy a escribir la primera revew en español de este libro jeje
Lo primero, muchas gracias a Sara y a su editora por mandarme una copia, ha sido una gozada leerlo mientras trabajaba en unas ilustraciones para la caja de Dryad Books! 😭
Lo segundo: mi tipo de libro, qué puedo decir: politiqueo, batallas, lore, gore, misticismo, romance bisexual, mujeres muy enfadadas... Ambos protagonistas me han encantado.
Por ponerme quisquillosa (y tal vez esto sea cuestión de comercialidad), creo que el libro sería un diez con unas cuantas páginas más. Aunque la redacción es concisa y funciona, me falta un poco de elaboración en las descripciones para acabar de coronar la atmósfera. Lo mismo sucede con los saltos temporales y cambios de escena, en ocasiones he echado de menos páginas de transición o escenas más largas. Lo relativo a la "monstruosidad" de los personajes, tema recurrente a lo largo de la historia, me ha resultado un poco literal en ciertos momentos y hubiera agradecido más sutileza a la hora de abordarlo. Pero repito que esto es yo siendo quisquillosa. Ha sido una lectura súper ligera, con mucha epicidad. Se la recomiendo a cualquier lector de fantasía que disfrute de personajes ferales, sangre y tramas románticas abocadas a la tragedia
Lo primero, muchas gracias a Sara y a su editora por mandarme una copia, ha sido una gozada leerlo mientras trabajaba en unas ilustraciones para la caja de Dryad Books! 😭
Lo segundo: mi tipo de libro, qué puedo decir: politiqueo, batallas, lore, gore, misticismo, romance bisexual, mujeres muy enfadadas... Ambos protagonistas me han encantado.
Por ponerme quisquillosa (y tal vez esto sea cuestión de comercialidad), creo que el libro sería un diez con unas cuantas páginas más. Aunque la redacción es concisa y funciona, me falta un poco de elaboración en las descripciones para acabar de coronar la atmósfera. Lo mismo sucede con los saltos temporales y cambios de escena, en ocasiones he echado de menos páginas de transición o escenas más largas. Lo relativo a la "monstruosidad" de los personajes, tema recurrente a lo largo de la historia, me ha resultado un poco literal en ciertos momentos y hubiera agradecido más sutileza a la hora de abordarlo. Pero repito que esto es yo siendo quisquillosa. Ha sido una lectura súper ligera, con mucha epicidad. Se la recomiendo a cualquier lector de fantasía que disfrute de personajes ferales, sangre y tramas románticas abocadas a la tragedia
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March 9, 2025A big thank you to the editor, author, and publisher for an ARC for a blurb!
THE GRYPHON KING is intricate in its political intrigue, delightful in its conflict and tension, brilliant in the complexity of characters, and a wonderfully mythic story of love and sacrifice.
For those into action-packed fantasy with great character banter and relationship tensions 👀
THE GRYPHON KING is intricate in its political intrigue, delightful in its conflict and tension, brilliant in the complexity of characters, and a wonderfully mythic story of love and sacrifice.
For those into action-packed fantasy with great character banter and relationship tensions 👀
June 12, 2025
If you're looking for epic fantasy with lots of political maneuvering, prepare to become obsessed with this book! The Gryphon King features a richly detailed, expansive world, bloodthirsty mythological creatures, lots of gore, and morally grey main characters who want to both kiss and kill each other. The story took some twists I absolutely didn't expect! I also loved the sapphic and bi rep--the developments between Nohra and Qaira were one of my favorite aspects of the plot.
Definitely read the content warnings on this one--it's a pretty brutal story and world, with a lot of character deaths a la Game of Thrones.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.
Definitely read the content warnings on this one--it's a pretty brutal story and world, with a lot of character deaths a la Game of Thrones.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.
July 8, 2025
4.5/5 stars
The Gryphon King is the first book in a Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy The Chaos Constellation. Bataar, once a gryphon-touched child marked by an attack from the beast he ultimately slew, has become a feared warlord determined to unite the continent that once scorned his people. In his path is the wealthy kingdom of Dumakra with an isolationist sultan and an army led by pegasus-riding princesses. Nohra is one of those princesses, the daughter of a favored concubine, and one of its four leaders. When complacency and betrayal puts Dumakra under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows revenge. Her path, however, becomes complicated by the magnetic presence of Qaira, Bataar’s wife, and the reawakening of ancient powers that may force enemies to become allies.
The book is impressively plotted and consistently subverts expectations, though its prose leaves something to be desired. The basic writing style does hold it back from being outstanding, but the strong storytelling and two engaging leads more than compensate. The worldbuilding is rich and complex, filled with striking action sequences, political tension, and layered family dynamics. The inclusion of mythical creatures adds flair, though the underlying mythology remains somewhat hazy, especially for readers unfamiliar with Turkic culture or history.
It’s unclear whether the book intends to frame Bataar as a villain, but he reads much more like a central antihero. He is sympathetic and way too charismatic and likable to ever be the antagonist. His political vision and personal motivations are fully realized. In contrast, Nohra is the more polarizing of the two leads, defined by her fierce loyalty, inner conflict, and ideological journey. Layered onto that is a budding polyamorous tension between her, Qaira, and possibly even Bataar, which adds intriguing romantic complexity I hope will be explored further in future installments.
Though its plain prose keeps it just shy of excellence, The Gryphon King stands out for its intricate political landscape, compelling character dynamics, and inventive worldbuilding rooted in Turkic and non-Western inspirations.
*Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC via NetGalley
The Gryphon King is the first book in a Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy The Chaos Constellation. Bataar, once a gryphon-touched child marked by an attack from the beast he ultimately slew, has become a feared warlord determined to unite the continent that once scorned his people. In his path is the wealthy kingdom of Dumakra with an isolationist sultan and an army led by pegasus-riding princesses. Nohra is one of those princesses, the daughter of a favored concubine, and one of its four leaders. When complacency and betrayal puts Dumakra under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows revenge. Her path, however, becomes complicated by the magnetic presence of Qaira, Bataar’s wife, and the reawakening of ancient powers that may force enemies to become allies.
The book is impressively plotted and consistently subverts expectations, though its prose leaves something to be desired. The basic writing style does hold it back from being outstanding, but the strong storytelling and two engaging leads more than compensate. The worldbuilding is rich and complex, filled with striking action sequences, political tension, and layered family dynamics. The inclusion of mythical creatures adds flair, though the underlying mythology remains somewhat hazy, especially for readers unfamiliar with Turkic culture or history.
It’s unclear whether the book intends to frame Bataar as a villain, but he reads much more like a central antihero. He is sympathetic and way too charismatic and likable to ever be the antagonist. His political vision and personal motivations are fully realized. In contrast, Nohra is the more polarizing of the two leads, defined by her fierce loyalty, inner conflict, and ideological journey. Layered onto that is a budding polyamorous tension between her, Qaira, and possibly even Bataar, which adds intriguing romantic complexity I hope will be explored further in future installments.
Though its plain prose keeps it just shy of excellence, The Gryphon King stands out for its intricate political landscape, compelling character dynamics, and inventive worldbuilding rooted in Turkic and non-Western inspirations.
*Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC via NetGalley
July 13, 2025
✨️𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆
Bataar Rhah, a warlord and gryphon-slayer, has conquered half the steppe. Nohra Zultama, a Harpy Knight with wings of vengeance, plans to end him. But ancient monsters are stirring, alliances are fracturing, and these two sworn enemies might be the only thing standing between order and apocalyptic chaos.
🍵𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This book did *not* come to play—it grabbed me by the throat and made me love a murderous gryphon-slaying warlord against my will. I started the book for revenge and violence. I stayed for the winged woman who said “absolutely not” to playing nice and the slowest, sexiest enemies-to-something-horribly-complicated I’ve read this year.
The political games are cutthroat, the monsters are *feral*, and every page drips with tension—romantic, violent, and magical. Sara Omer doesn’t hold your hand—she throws you into battle, betrayal, and bizarre lore with sharp-edged prose and zero apologies. The vibes? Grim, mythical, and SO addicting. I need book two injected into my veins immediately.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿
⚔️ Epic Steppe Warfare
🩸 Grimdark Politics
🪶 Harpy Knights
👹 Ghouls & Djinn
🌫️ Moral Ambiguity
🔥 Slow‑Burn Romance
Bataar Rhah, a warlord and gryphon-slayer, has conquered half the steppe. Nohra Zultama, a Harpy Knight with wings of vengeance, plans to end him. But ancient monsters are stirring, alliances are fracturing, and these two sworn enemies might be the only thing standing between order and apocalyptic chaos.
🍵𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This book did *not* come to play—it grabbed me by the throat and made me love a murderous gryphon-slaying warlord against my will. I started the book for revenge and violence. I stayed for the winged woman who said “absolutely not” to playing nice and the slowest, sexiest enemies-to-something-horribly-complicated I’ve read this year.
The political games are cutthroat, the monsters are *feral*, and every page drips with tension—romantic, violent, and magical. Sara Omer doesn’t hold your hand—she throws you into battle, betrayal, and bizarre lore with sharp-edged prose and zero apologies. The vibes? Grim, mythical, and SO addicting. I need book two injected into my veins immediately.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿
⚔️ Epic Steppe Warfare
🩸 Grimdark Politics
🪶 Harpy Knights
👹 Ghouls & Djinn
🌫️ Moral Ambiguity
🔥 Slow‑Burn Romance
June 20, 2025
Was able to read an advanced copy, and all I can say is WOW.
The Gryphon King has everything you’d want from a story: complex characters who are simultaneously easy and hard to root for, great pacing, and a really rich setting/world.
Weapons with cool names, intense battles, and fighting on Pegasus-back. It’s not a hard sell. Also, I didn’t realize I had a fear of gryphons until reading this.
This feels unfairly good to be a debut, and I’ll pick up whatever Omer writes next.
The Gryphon King has everything you’d want from a story: complex characters who are simultaneously easy and hard to root for, great pacing, and a really rich setting/world.
Weapons with cool names, intense battles, and fighting on Pegasus-back. It’s not a hard sell. Also, I didn’t realize I had a fear of gryphons until reading this.
This feels unfairly good to be a debut, and I’ll pick up whatever Omer writes next.
July 9, 2025
I've been excited about The Gryphon King ever since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint!
This is a great epic fantasy novel with amazing worldbuilding, complex characters and layered storytelling.
I love the Southwest Asia inspired setting and I thought it was really well done.
I really loved how there was so much political complexity on the one hand, and unique fantasy elements on the other. The gryphons and the other (more spoilery) fantastical beasts and creatures were so cool and perfectly incorporated into the story.
The characters had a lot of depth to them and I enjoyed that the relationship dynamics were quite unique. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romantasy, but it was so refreshing to read a book with a married MMC, whose relationship to the FMC is quite complex with the added layer of his wife trying to establish a relationship with her as well.
The plot was great too and I enjoyed the story progression and seeing the different threads getting woven together.
For me personally, the writing style felt a bit distant, which stopped me from getting as invested in the story as I would have liked to be.
Objectively, all the elements are there and done well, so I think it was just some disconnect on my part.
However, I highly recommend the book to any fan of epic fantasy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
This is a great epic fantasy novel with amazing worldbuilding, complex characters and layered storytelling.
I love the Southwest Asia inspired setting and I thought it was really well done.
I really loved how there was so much political complexity on the one hand, and unique fantasy elements on the other. The gryphons and the other (more spoilery) fantastical beasts and creatures were so cool and perfectly incorporated into the story.
The characters had a lot of depth to them and I enjoyed that the relationship dynamics were quite unique. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romantasy, but it was so refreshing to read a book with a married MMC, whose relationship to the FMC is quite complex with the added layer of his wife trying to establish a relationship with her as well.
The plot was great too and I enjoyed the story progression and seeing the different threads getting woven together.
For me personally, the writing style felt a bit distant, which stopped me from getting as invested in the story as I would have liked to be.
Objectively, all the elements are there and done well, so I think it was just some disconnect on my part.
However, I highly recommend the book to any fan of epic fantasy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
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