David Dalglish is in a groove as a fantasy writer. He tends to publish about a book or two per year, he juggles multiple series per year so there’s a decent chance he’s starting a new series. The Radiant King launches a brand new series, The Astral Kingdoms that is epic in scope. Gods? Angels? Immortals? Walk amongst men, but their internal politics have largely set rules for themselves that doesn’t allow them to exert their will on humanity, they can help, sure. But truly lead humanity? Well, that is until we catch up with the characters in The Radiant King.
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 vow: 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.
Dalglish splits the story among these six immortal siblings for multiple points of view with most of the focus on the powerful brothers of Faron and Sariel. They’ve chosen to help humanity, while Eder has chosen to take steps to rule humanity. Eder wants to connect with the Creator, their god who has seemingly gone silent and unapproachable for centuries. This doesn’t quite sit well with Faron and Sariel because the Radiance – the source of these immortal’s powers – should not be used by humans or to influence humans.
One woman named Isabelle, a warrior, princess, and soon to be queen might be able to combat Eder’s power because she is seen by her people as a goddess with divine power. Her powers are even a mystery to Sariel and Faron, they both feel drawn to her, a loyalty they can’t quite explain, But they also see her as the best chance to prevent their brother from reigning in the world of Kaus unchecked.
Dalglish has a lot working here, the core of it is the sibling rivalry of these immortals. When we meet them at the beginning of this novel, they’ve seen the world go through many stages of development and life. What they learn in this latest cycle about the princess is a mystery even to them, Isabelle is like a magnet pulling Sariel and Faron into her orbit. The other siblings seem a little more… damaged, than Sariel and Faron, but that goes to show that immortality may not lead to sanity.
A similar story that came to mind also involves immortal, god-like beings observing and casually interacting with human beings. I won’t name the writer at this point, but the focal god of those characters was very pale, dark haired, and wore a long flowing robe. That famous series is far from the only story to feature omnipotent beings fascinated with human beings, though it may be the most famous. What Dalglish does differently is set the story in a more traditional epic fantasy milieu.
This series starter really does have it all, given Dalglish’s experience in crafting such stories. He sets the table, weaves the world into story elegantly, and has created characters who draw the eye and ever important quality of “I need to know what happens to them!” The interesting hook with this story about immortals and humans who reincarnate is that he’s added stakes and drama where the ultimate stakes of death are all but removed and Dalglish manages to maintain the dramatic tension throughout. It looks as if Dalglish has launched another winner of a Fantasy series.
This book would be a great place to try Dalglish’s brand of Epic storytelling if you haven’t yet read his work.
Recommended.
Trade Paperback | Orbit Books | The Astral Kingdoms, Book 1
March 2025 | 448 Pages
https://www.demontheory.net/
Excerpt: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/orbit-books/excerpt-the-radiant-king-by-david-dalglish/
Review copy courtesy of the publisher, Orbit Books
