The Radiant King – David Dalglish – Lost In A Good Book
Book Title: The Radiant King
Series: Astral Kingdoms (#1)
Author: David Dalglish
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215755502-the-radiant-king
Release Date: 3/4/25
Star Rating:
Holy cow! What did I just read!
Six immortal siblings. Five sworn to peace. One demands a throne.
Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.
But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.
Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.
But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.
Exhilarating. Imaginative. Wholly original. If you can’t tell I really enjoyed this book. It’s the kind of book that leaves a phantom in your brain for a couple of days afterward. Every time I think about opening my kindle, I imagine I’m going back to this world, only to remember that I finished this book days ago and am on to something new. Which does not bode well for the next book on my TBR because I think I need a palate cleanser.
The characters in this novel are so completely fascinating. Each of them are broken in their own unique way and are all insane. Deeply insane, but trying to lead/control this world of humans as the only 6 immortal beings with power. As we can see, that does not help their case. Who does deserve to lead? Should rulers lead with compassion or be merciless in a pursuit of justice. Questions that are on the top of all our minds at the moment. This book doesn’t give us an answer but does illustrate the questions well.
It is also completely crazy pants. In the best of ways. The last few pages are absolutely insane and compelling. I recommend this book for anyone who likes darker fantasy with very high stakes. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
