Kagen the Damned
A Novel
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2.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
Kagen the Damned marks the first installment of an exciting new series of dark epic fantasy novels from bestselling author Jonathan Maberry.
Sworn by Oath
Kagen Vale is the trusted and feared captain of the palace guard, charged with protection of the royal children of the Silver Empire. But one night, Kagen is drugged and the entire imperial family is killed, leaving the empire in ruins.
Abandoned by the Gods
Haunted and broken, Kagen is abandoned by his gods and damned forever. He becomes a wanderer, trying to take down as many of his enemies as possible while plotting to assassinate the usurper, the deadly Witch-king of Hakkia. While all around him magic—long banished from the world—returns in strange and terrifying ways.
Fueled by Rage
To exact his vengeance, Kagen must venture into strange lands, battle bizarre and terrifying creatures, and gather allies for a suicide mission into the heart of the Witch-king’s empire.
Kings and gods will fear him.
Kagen the Damned
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stoker Award winner Maberry (Ghost Road Blues) launches his Kagen the Damned series with this gripping, if somewhat anticlimactic, dark fantasy. Kagen Vale, captain of the Silver Empire's Imperial Guard, is horribly hungover when the Hakkian army attacks the empire, killing his family and the Empress. With the empire now in the hands of the Hakkian Witch-king, Gethon Heklan, who harbors dark magic, the humiliated Kagen plunges into despair and guilt. But as the Witch-king's coronation draws near, a group of underground revolutionaries scrambles for ways to overthrow the usurper, even dabbling with forbidden magic. Now, vowing vengeance against the Witch-king, Kagen embarks on a quest to climb the Tower of Sarsis and retrieve a fabled artifact. Maberry takes his time building the suspense, maneuvering his characters through a vivid world peppered with figures from European folklore and monsters from the Cthulhu mythos. The final twist, however, offers more questions than answers. Still, fantasy readers will be spellbound by the intricate worldbuilding and the delightful cast. This is a promising start.
Customer Reviews
Unimaginative
I rarely review things but this is dull, don’t waste your money on another bland edgelord protagonist.