I need to put y’all on an ongoing book series.
Lion of Zarall by Eddy Rose
In a world where dragons once soared alongside gods and fiends lurked in the shadows, Lion of Zarall is the most feared gladiator in history. Branded, collared, and forced to kill for the entertainment of nobles, he’s known only as property — a “purebred” slave without a soul, without rights, without hope.
But when everything changes in a single night of dark magic and political betrayal, Lion finds himself cast into a world that wants him dead. His past fame is now a curse, his name an insult to the new order.
Hunted by the king and ailed by a deadly injury, he must survive in the harsh North where his very existence is a sin — and confront the invisible chains that bind him. But if his obedience shatters, he’ll face a fate far worse than death.
What if a living weapon broke loose?
What if a man who knew no mercy held the power to destroy the world?
Lion of Zarall is a low-magic grimdark fantasy that drags you deep into its unforgiving world. Perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie.
my disorganized insane thoughts post book 2 because i haven’t had time to write a proper review:
MY YAOI AND MY HETERO IS DOOMED, MY STEAK IS DRY, MY LOBSTER IS UNSEASONED
when i tell you guys THIS IS MY TOP BOOK SERIES. EVER. MY GOD. it’s fucking brutal. it’s fucking beautiful. it’s everything i’ve ever wanted and everything i want to hide from.
i won lion of zarall in a giveaway and started reading it bc i didn’t have any other books. i’m so fucking glad i found it. the themes explored in this book were so beautifully gutwrenching and fulfilling in a way no other book series has made me feel. eddy rose is not afraid of confronting really harrowing themes and making you confront your own humanity in the process. she is a psychologist by day and my GOD does it show in this series.
i did not go in expecting to get so attached to a grown ass male character who is basically getting tortured for the entire series. but lion represents hope, resilience, and the human spirit in ways that no other main character has ever done for me before. in a way that i’ve needed in the current state of the world.
you stay with lion through thick and thin, unraveling what happened to him throughout book one by jumping back and forth from past to present, until the true weight of what humanity has done to him comes crashing down by the end of the book. you watch him break down and build back up over and fucking over in a way that should seem impossible for any human to endure, but is somehow so relatable.
i won’t make an extensive comment on book 2, beast of zarall, because you just have to experience it. but the entire series thus far has been hit after hit after hit.
politics and stakes that actually make sense and are grounded in reality
real world parallels and allegories that feel similar to both our history and our present
a psychological journey you undergo with the main character in real time (i am so fucking emotionally attached to our mmc y’all)
doomed romance as a subplot MULTIPLE FUCKING TIMES AhHHHHHH
dark themes and stakes (please read the TWs)
and of COURSE we have magic!!! and dystopia!! and rebellion!!! the best!!!
this series is genuinely up there with the hunger games and attack on titan for me in terms of commentary on politics and humanity through a fictional and sometimes fantastical lens. PLEASE read it if you can handle the dark themes and trigger warnings. it will change your life.
reblog if you feel like doing so; this book needs to find its audience here!!!
