5 Answers2026-08-20 23:49:36
Went through that opening chapter a few times now. The two you can't escape are Veresca and the guy they call the Gallows Knight. They're basically the engine of the whole plot from what I've pieced together so far.
Veresca is fascinating because she's not your typical fantasy lead. She's got this hardened, almost cynical edge, a product of whatever rough past the book hints at. But there's a thread of loyalty in her, maybe to a cause or a person, that keeps her from being just a mercenary type. Her interactions with the Knight are all about this tense, wary partnership. You're never quite sure if they'll stab each other in the back or save each other's necks next.
The Gallows Knight himself is the bigger mystery. The name says it all – he's either been saved from the noose or lives in its shadow. His motives are shrouded, and he carries that classic haunted-by-history vibe. The dynamic isn't romantic, at least not upfront; it's more two damaged pieces of a broken world forced to rely on one another. The magic system seems tied to his condition somehow, maybe a curse or a pact that spared him from the gallows.
Beyond them, the antagonist presence is felt more than seen in the early going – some noble house or a cult that uses these 'gallows born' as tools or threats. There's also a younger character, a scribe or an apprentice maybe, who serves as the reader's window into how strange and terrifying these two main figures seem to ordinary people.
5 Answers2026-08-20 17:42:17
Okay, so this is a bit of a mess to untangle, and I spent way too long on Goodreads and Amazon trying to figure it out. 'Gallows Born' is the first book by Lee Conley in his 'The Riven Kingdom' series.
The sequel is titled 'Grave Bound.' After that, the series continues with 'Risen King' and 'Siege of the North.' So the reading order is pretty straightforward: 'Gallows Born,' then 'Grave Bound,' then 'Risen King,' then 'Siege of the North.' It's a complete quartet as far as I know.
Where it gets confusing is that 'Gallows Born' was apparently originally published under a different title? I've seen some references to it being called 'A Ritual of Bone' in some editions or maybe as part of a combined volume. Honestly, my advice is to just search for Lee Conley and 'The Riven Kingdom' series list on a site like Goodreads to get the definitive order from the source. The author's website probably has it listed clearly too.
I read them back-to-back last winter and the story is very continuous, so you definitely want to follow that order to make sense of the characters' journeys and the overall plot about the dead rising in this grimdark fantasy setting.
3 Answers2026-01-16 13:12:57
The Gallows Pole' by Benjamin Myers is this gritty, raw dive into 18th-century Yorkshire, where a gang of counterfeiters led by David Hartley operates under the radar. It’s based on true events, which makes it even wilder—imagine a bunch of working-class folks flipping the script on the system by forging coins. The book doesn’t glamorize it, though; it’s brutal, muddy, and full of betrayal. Myers’ writing feels like you’re right there in the moors, smelling the damp earth and feeling the tension. The dialogue’s written in this thick Yorkshire dialect, which takes a minute to get used to, but once you do, it adds so much authenticity.
What stuck with me was how it’s not just a crime story—it’s about survival, community, and how far people go when they’re backed into a corner. Hartley’s charisma pulls you in, but you’re always aware of the violence simmering underneath. The ending’s inevitable but still hits hard. If you’re into historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts, this one’s a must-read.
3 Answers2026-01-16 13:50:39
The Gallows Pole' by Benjamin Myers is this gritty, raw dive into 18th-century Yorkshire, and the characters feel like they’ve clawed their way out of the earth itself. At the center is David Hartley, the ringleader of the Cragg Vale Coiners—a real-life gang that forged currency to survive. He’s magnetic but terrifying, like a storm you can’t look away from. Then there’s his brother, Isaac, who’s more cautious but just as ruthless when pushed. Their dynamic is tense, all unspoken loyalty and simmering violence. The women aren’t sidelined either; Grace Hartley, David’s wife, is steel wrapped in lace, holding things together while the men spiral. Myers doesn’t glamorize any of them—they’re dirty, desperate, and utterly human. It’s less a hero’s tale and more a howl against injustice, with characters that linger like bruises.
What’s fascinating is how the supporting cast mirrors the bleak landscape. The whole gang—Broadbent, Thomas Clayton, even the traitorous James Crabtree—feels like extensions of the moors: harsh, unpredictable, and survival-driven. The novel’s strength is how it makes you root for them even as they do monstrous things. It’s like watching a wildfire; you know it’s destructive, but you can’t help admiring the raw power.
5 Answers2026-08-20 15:41:26
Checked a few places out of habit because I remember the title popping up in dark fantasy circles. 'Gallows Born' is available as an ebook on most major platforms—I saw it on Amazon Kindle and Kobo for sure. The audiobook situation is trickier. I couldn't find a professional, narrator-led version on Audible or Google Play Audiobooks. There might be some text-to-speach fan stuff floating around on niche forums, but that's not really the same experience.
It's one of those indie-published dark progression fantasies that seems to have gone the digital-first route. The author's Patreon or personal site might have the most direct info, but I think the effort went into the written serialization. If you're an audio-first person, this might be a miss, but the ebook is definitely out there and usually priced pretty low. I grabbed it on a sale last year, and the formatting was fine for a self-pub.
3 Answers2026-07-27 17:27:10
Man, that ending really sticks with you, doesn’t it? Red Bailey, our weathered ex-private eye turned bar owner, thinks he's finally out of the game. But the past, in the form of a rich, powerful man named Whit Sterling, drags him back for one last job that's obviously a trap.
He goes through the motions, knowing he's being set up to take a fall for a murder. The brilliance is in his acceptance; he's too tired and too smart to fight it head-on. He arranges things so his girl, the luminous but troubled femme fatale, gets the money and a clean escape. The final scenes on the foggy beach are pure noir poetry—bleak, inevitable, and weirdly dignified. He walks toward the men coming to kill him, having already lost everything except the choice of how he meets it. It's less a twist and more a slow, grim settling of accounts. That last image of him alone on the shore just guts me every time.
For a book often overshadowed by the movie adaptation ('Out of the Past'), the novel's ending feels even more interior and resigned.
3 Answers2026-03-14 13:35:58
The protagonist of 'Black Bird of the Gallows' is Reece Fernandez, a teenage girl who stumbles into a world of supernatural intrigue when she meets a mysterious boy named Kestrel Shaw. Reece is sharp-witted but carries emotional scars from her mother’s tragic death, which makes her both resilient and wary of letting people in. Kestrel, on the other hand, isn’t just any boy—he’s a harbinger of death, a creature tied to an ancient curse that brings disaster wherever he goes. Their connection becomes the heart of the story, blending romance, danger, and eerie folklore.
What I love about Reece is how real she feels—her skepticism, her gradual trust in Kestrel, and her determination to protect her town despite the risks. The book plays with themes of sacrifice and redemption, and Reece’s journey from isolation to courage is downright gripping. Kestrel’s character is equally compelling; he’s tormented by his role but finds hope in Reece. If you’re into YA paranormal with depth, this duo’s dynamic is worth every page.
3 Answers2026-05-17 11:12:43
Born from the Ash' is this gritty, post-apocalyptic survival story that hooked me from the first chapter. It follows Kai, a former firefighter who wakes up in a world reduced to smoldering ruins after a mysterious global catastrophe. The ash isn't just literal—it's symbolic of society's collapse. Kai teams up with a ragtag group of survivors, including a sharp-witted medic and a silent kid with a knack for scavenging, to trek toward a rumored safe zone called 'Eden.' But the real tension comes from the human conflicts: power struggles, betrayals, and those haunting flashbacks to Kai's failed rescue mission pre-collapse.
The second half shifts gears when they discover Eden isn't what they imagined. It's run by a cult-like leader harvesting survivors for some twisted rebirth experiment. The finale delivers this brutal showdown where Kai embraces his symbolic 'rebirth' by torching the place—literally rising from ash to ash. What stuck with me was how the story weaponizes hope. Even the title plays double duty, referencing both the apocalyptic setting and Kai's arc from guilt-ridden wreck to reluctant leader.
4 Answers2025-12-24 07:25:11
I stumbled upon 'The Hanged Man' during a weekend bookstore crawl, and its eerie cover caught my eye immediately. It's a psychological thriller that weaves folklore and crime into a haunting narrative. The protagonist, a detective grappling with personal demons, investigates a series of murders mimicking an old legend about sacrificial hangings. The book’s strength lies in its atmospheric tension—every page feels like walking through a misty forest where something sinister lurks just out of sight.
The author plays with duality—justice vs. revenge, sanity vs. obsession—and the small-town setting amplifies the claustrophobia. Side characters aren’t just fillers; their secrets unravel alongside the main plot, making you question everyone’s motives. What stuck with me was the ambiguous ending—it’s the kind that lingers, leaving you torn between wanting closure and appreciating the unsettling open-endedness. Perfect for fans of 'True Detective' or 'Sharp Objects'.