The Gryphon King

Omer’s enthralling debut epic fantasy starts with a bang and never slows, not holding back in its depictions of the brutality of war as it chronicles its eponymous protagonist’s attempts to conquer the world. When Bataar of the Red Steppe is a young teen out hunting with friends Tarken, Shaza, and Qaira, he witnesses a giant gryphon devour Tarken’s little brother. He beats the beast back, earning him an impressive scar and a nickname that will stick for the rest of his life. For the next decade, with Tarken and Shaza as his generals and Qaira as his wife and counsel, he conquers the surrounding tribes and lands until he rules the majority of the continent. Now he’s taking on his strongest neighbor, the kingdom of Dumakra, but to succeed he’ll have to get past Princess Nohra and her sisters, the Harpy Knights, who battle from the sky on powerful winged horses. When an incursion of supernatural creatures threatens both of their peoples, however, the two forces may have to work together for survival, and Bataar enlists Qaira’s help in getting Nohra on their side. The epic battles and juicy political machinations keep the pages turning, and Omer’s Southwest Asian–inflected worldbuilding fascinates. Readers will be eager for more. (July)