A year has passed since King Osiris, the rightful ruler of Harth, and his family vanished in the Northern Sea. As tradition dictates, the time has come for the nine noble families to choose a successor. Grim, a notorious assassin in the kingdom, anticipates that one of the aspiring lords for the throne will enlist his services. However, he is surprised when Rhoric Amir, a lesser-known noble, hires him as a bodyguard for his family amid the complex selection process. Unbeknownst to him, Lord Amir’s seemingly benign intentions initiate a perilous power struggle where rapidly shifting alliances will determine if the kingdom survives in Cole Hopkins’s The Queen’s Reaper.

Intricate world-building highlights The Queen’s Reaper. Cole Hopkins gives as much attention to the folklore surrounding the Kingdom of Harth’s origins as he spends on the technical aspects of the battles. The character development is extensive as well-rounded origin stories combine with intriguing motives. The result of this combination is realistic characters with whom readers will instantly connect. The details on the maps and pictures at the beginning of the narrative create the immersive read that fantasy genre enthusiasts look for. He describes every jab and parry as if you are there fighting alongside the flawed antihero in his unusual quest. There is even a subtle romantic triangle developing among Grim’s companions. Hopkins's unique narrative technique will especially appeal to action and adventure readers. The Queen's Reaper is the first installment in a developing series, and, with the masterful quality of work in this installment, I cannot wait to see how its sequel turns out.

The Queen's Reaper by Cole Hopkins begins with the royal family of the Harth kingdom having vanished without a trace, leaving the steward as the closest person to the throne. Nobleman Rhoric Amir gains the title of steward and stands to become king if the family doesn’t return in a year. However, the princess, Octavia, is being secretly protected. Rhoric sends the skilled assassin Grim to find her, threatening Joanne, Grim’s only love, to force his hand. Despite his reluctance to harm the young princess, Grim is torn between helping her reclaim her kingdom and keeping Joanne safe. Meanwhile, when Commander Eriana Courtright and the Wolf Legion come up against vicious supernatural beasts, Rhoric dismisses her report, seeking to remove her from her post. “There’s always a price to pay… A life for a life...”

The Queen's Reaper by Cole Hopkins is the first book of The Queen's Reaper Saga. It has a wonderfully unique premise and immediately sets the series up with political power shifts and fractured allegiances that make any power unstable. I liked the meteoric rise of Rhoric Amir and the total strength of Eriana when she threatened to seize the city, declaring him unfit to rule. The hallmark of an excellent story to me is when there's a character that hovers in the morally grey area. Hopkins has created this role and given it to Grim. There's a scene where he has to do something to one person to prevent another from dying, and it forces readers to decide with him when it comes to difficult, morally ambiguous choices. Hopkins’s world-building is expertly done, and with layered storytelling and a fresh approach to a genre that sees few and far between with new ideas, this is a series that I look forward to following. Very highly recommended.