The Dragons of Deepwood Fen (The Book of the Holt, #1)

by Bradley P. Beaulieu

'Calls to mind Game of Thrones... epic' Publishers Weekly

Lorelei Aurelius is the smartest inquisitor in the mountain city of Ancris. When a mysterious tip leads her to a clandestine meeting between the Church and the hated Red Knives, she uncovers a plot that threatens not only her home but the empire itself.

The trail leads to Rylan Holbrooke, a notorious thief posing as a dragon singer. Lorelei soon discovers there’s more to Rylan than meets the eye. He came to Ancris to solve the very same mystery she stumbled onto. Knowing his incarceration could lead to the Red Knives’ achieving their goals, Lorelei makes a fateful decision: she frees him.

Now branded as traitors, the two flee the city on dragonback. In the massive forest known as the Holt, they follow the trail of clues and discover something terrible. The Red Knives are planning to awaken a powerful demi-god in the holiest shrine in Ancris, and for some reason the Church is willing to allow it. It forces their return to Ancris, where the unlikely allies must rally the very people who’ve vowed to capture them before it’s too late.

• Publish Date: 4 January 2024 (first published 5 December 2023)
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Out of Print: 1 September 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Imprint: Head of Zeus -- an AdAstra Book
• Edition: Broken Binding Exclusive
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 704
• Language: English
• Special: Numbered Signed Sprayed Edges

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen is the first book in a new fantasy series by Bradley P. Beaulieu. Released 5th Dec 2023 by Astra on their DAW imprint, it's 496 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is the start of an epic political high fantasy series and readers should be prepared to spend some time with the world building and character backgrounds which that entails. The plotting is deliberate and not fast. The world is intricate and there are numerous primary and secondary characters. The book does not include a list of dramatis personae; the ebook format makes content searching much easier. 

The chapters alternate points of view between numerous characters; each chapter is labeled clearly with the point of view, but it does make keeping track of the story more challenging. This is not an light-beach-read, it requires a considerable effort to keep track of the cast of characters, the political machinations, and the deliberate pacing (some will say slow).

Four stars. Definitely one for fans of heavy political fantasy and intricate world building. There are dragons, which is a definite bonus. It would be a great choice for public library acquisition, home reading, and gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.