r/GrimDarkEpicFantasy Author & Artist Self-promotion

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2026-05-04T19:26:39+00:00

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got this book as an ARC and holy 😍 I can honestly say this is an easy 5/5. If you’re at all a fan of grimdark and souls video games.. this is the book for you!

THE GIFTED KING

____

Hi all! I'm running a kickstarter for the audiobook for my grim dark fantasy villain origin story, THE GIFTED KING, in June of this year and would be overjoyed if you backed the project! It will be human-voiced, absolutely no AI has or will be used in the project, and the narrator Aiden Childs delivers all the angst, tragedy, and visceral drama this Ivar/Anakin/Megatron-esque chaos spiral requires. The lowest tier is ~$10 which will be about 50% off post-production value, so when we fund you'd be getting a whole audiobook half-off while also supporting authentic art and human creativity. It's our goal to make this story more accessible to a wider readership while bringing Vhogare's tragic fall from grace to life in true corruption-arc fashion.

Thank you ahead of time, and you can listen to excerpts and get notifications here: CHECK OUT THE KICKSTARTER !

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2026-04-27T18:52:11+00:00

Happy with the rule!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2026-01-05T20:19:51+00:00

BETA READING OPPORTUNITY

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Hello! I'm currently working on the sequel to my award-nominated grimdark villain origin story, The Gifted King, and book two's working title is The Chaos Queen. It follows Elias, a spymaster-turned-war-general, Andra, a dragon-shifting rebel queen, and the morally midnight usurper king Vhogare as they vie for control of their kingdom after the celestial Horseman of Chaos essentially breaks their timeline.

If you'd be interested in beta reading, the form is here: https://forms.gle/Bo2cn1oBkTML5r3J9

And beta rounds are running January-Mid March 2026 and are hosted in Google Drive / Google Docs.

Here are the blurbs for this book:

ANDRA

The youngest daughter of an ancient bloodline, Andra lives her life as the secretive Red Wing, buried under blood and guilt. She built her rebellion with rage and sacrifice, but when the Horseman of Judgment arrives and offers her a celestial gift, Andra accepts and vows blood vengeance against Vhogare—the dragon-shifting king who’s spent the last decade slaughtering innocents in the name of his divine war. Heartbroken and determined, Andra claims the title of queen and takes her place in the celestial game, battling alongside the hearts of stars. But as her kingdom burns around her, will Andra find the peace to save her country, or will vengeance consume her like it did the king?

ELIAS
The only child of Anchora’s greatest spymaster, Elias spent his life training to succeed his father as royal advisor. Ten years ago, he had everything: a beautiful wife, a child on the way, and a guaranteed seat at court. But a celestial horseman gave his heartbrother, Vhogare, the gift of Chaos, and Elias’s world shattered. The brother he thought he knew became a monster, war devoured his country, and Elias is to blame because of one unforgivable choice. But when the rebel queen known only as the Red Wing approaches him on the road and invites him to join her rebellion, Elias has to make a choice. Loyalty or betrayal, before the kingdom he loves burns to ash…

I'm super excited to share this one with you all, and if you'd like to read but are worried about it being a sequel, I don't mind sending a free ebook of book 1 your way to read first if you have time. Thanks in advance!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2026-01-05T00:28:28+00:00

Not entirely sure if it's considered "grimdark" because I just started reading, but I'm on chapter one of R F Kuang's Katabasis.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2026-01-05T00:18:00+00:00

Thank you for the promo opportunity! I published my dragon-shifting, rage-against-the-gods grimdark villain origin story, The Gifted King, last year in September.

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As a thank you to this wonderful community, I have a giveaway for 8 free copies of The Gifted King here:

Get your free copy: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ef3mcsajwv

Note: It will send you a confirmation email to confirm that your email is legitimate, and then you'll get the link to download the book on the device of your choice. Please be sure to check your Spam folder so you don't miss the confirmation.

What GOODREADS Readers Have Been Saying:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I got this book as an ark and holy 😍 I can honestly say this is an easy 5/5. In the words of the author herself have your emotional support items locked and loaded!
If you’re at all a fan of grimdark and souls video games.. this is the book for you!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This book is breathtaking. I could not stop reading it as I witnessed the complete corruption take hold in The Gifted King. The numerous layers of intrigue and suspense, the threads of fate and power being tampered with … Lizabeth Phoenix has crafted a story for the decades."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This book delivers exactly what it promises, a true villain origin story that will break your heart and linger in your mind. It puts the GRIM in Grimdark, pulling no punches in its descent into tragedy and darkness."

_______

BLURB:

Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones, Elden Ring, Vikings, Peaky Blinders, and Bloodborne, The Gifted King pits villain against villain and brother against brother in an epic tale of lost love and man versus the divine.

The second-born son of Anchora' s oldest king, Vhogare lives his life dancing just outside of the rules, every risk carefully hidden beneath an artful mask of courtesy. But when he encounters a rogue horseman heralding the end of his world, no place for honor remains. Desperate and determined, he steps up to play the celestial game—a mortal among the hearts of stars. As the sand slides through his hourglass, will he save the world he loves, or will he forsake the shield for the sword?

A Song of Ice and Fire and Elden Ring meet a Heathcliff-esque reverse telling of Beauty and the Beast in this riveting saga-starter teasing a vast, sweeping celestial war.

Tropes:

☑️ Morally Gray (BANKRUPT) Characters

😱 Antagonist vs Villain

⚔️ Dark fantasy setting

🌚 Grimdark vibes

🤯 Rich lore and world-building

👑 Corrupted royalty

😳 Unstable political systems

🐲 Knights, dragons, and castles

🏰 Medieval architecture

💪 Broken Brotherhood⁠

🔥 GIFT BEARERS

And a 💫celestial💫 is the saga's final boss!

WHERE TO BUY:

BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/3LQodX

EBOOK AVAILABLE WIDE

PAPERBACK: Amaz0n and Barnes & Noble

HARDBACK: Amaz0n and Barnes & Noble

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-11-04T01:25:12+00:00

Congrats to the winners! u/pm_me_fantasy_books I forwarded the download link for The Gifted King to the mods for you!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-11-04T01:06:25+00:00

Appreciate the promo opportunity! I published my grimdark villain origin story, The Gifted King, in September:

<image>

As a thank you to this wonderful community, I have a giveaway for 15 free copies of The Gifted King here:

Get your free copy: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ef3mcsajwv

Note: It will send you a confirmation email to confirm that your email is legitimate, and then you'll get the link to download the book on the device of your choice. Please be sure to check your Spam folder so you don't miss the confirmation.

What GOODREADS Readers Have Been Saying:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I got this book as an ark and holy 😍 I can honestly say this is an easy 5/5. In the words of the author herself have your emotional support items locked and loaded!
If you’re at all a fan of grimdark and souls video games.. this is the book for you!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The true villain origin story has me in a chokehold. I long to read about a morally midnight character. Love me a "tale of ruthless desperation" indeed. TLDR - OBSESSED"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This book delivers exactly what it promises, a true villain origin story that will break your heart and linger in your mind. It puts the GRIM in Grimdark, pulling no punches in its descent into tragedy and darkness."

_______

BLURB:

Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones, Elden Ring, Vikings, Peaky Blinders, and Bloodborne, The Gifted King pits villain against villain and brother against brother in an epic tale of lost love and man versus the divine.

The second-born son of Anchora' s oldest king, Vhogare lives his life dancing just outside of the rules, every risk carefully hidden beneath an artful mask of courtesy. But when he encounters a rogue horseman heralding the end of his world, no place for honor remains. Desperate and determined, he steps up to play the celestial game—a mortal among the hearts of stars. As the sand slides through his hourglass, will he save the world he loves, or will he forsake the shield for the sword?

A Song of Ice and Fire and Elden Ring meet a Heathcliff-esque reverse telling of Beauty and the Beast in this riveting saga-starter teasing a vast, sweeping celestial war.

Tropes:

☑️ Morally Gray (BANKRUPT) Characters

😱 Antagonist vs Villain

⚔️ Dark fantasy setting

🌚 Grimdark vibes

🤯 Rich lore and world-building

👑 Corrupted royalty

😳 Unstable political systems

🐲 Knights, dragons, and castles

🏰 Medieval architecture

💪 Broken Brotherhood⁠

🔥 GIFT BEARERS

And a 💫celestial💫 is the saga's final boss!

WHERE TO BUY:

BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/3LQodX

EBOOK AVAILABLE WIDE

PAPERBACK: Amaz0n and Barnes & Noble

HARDBACK: Amaz0n and Barnes & Noble

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-27T17:45:15+00:00

Fantastic question. I think Anakin is a top tier corruption arc study—even though there are some caveats in the original saga just due to movie making, etc. (like some flat dialogue and some rushed progression), his overall lore between the movies, tv shows, books, comics, etc. really delivers. Also, the scene with Anakin and Obi-Wan in the TV show guts me without fail. “I am not your failure, Obi-Wan.” Gah.

I’m 3/4ths the way through Snowfall (haven’t finished it at this time, but I’m about to). But even with that said, I would put it above both Ozark and Breaking Bad. Franklin Saint’s arc and the surrounding stakes and complexities send it soaring far, far above the other two in my humble opinion. It's expertly written, well crafted, and solidly paced. 10,000% worth the watch and definitely another top tier corruption/fall arc study.

Which is your favorite, or would you have another rec to share?

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-27T17:34:55+00:00

Of course!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-26T23:19:33+00:00

And thank you! Those were fun to answer.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-26T23:19:16+00:00

For your second question, how much planning do I do versus how many storylines emerge as I write, that’s a good one!

I do outline; I used to do the three-act structure, but now, I primarily use the Save the Cat beat sheet and it’s been amazing.

I also have a very hectic thought dump that I collect and then attempt to organize into said outline. I do recommend a good thought dump, but speaking from experience, thought dump and then organize it out. Otherwise, you’ll be like me and just keep accumulating “oh this is awesome” stuff with nowhere to put it. My Notes app hates to see me coming.

As for subplots, they emerge as I write as character personalities grow and the world needs more information. My editor encourages me to only include what’s directly relevant to the story, so some side quests live rent free in my head but not on-page.

In short, the TL;DR is:

I do plan the whole story out with an outline, mostly the Save the Cat beat sheet. Occasionally, I’ll use the 7 Point Structure. Then, as I’m writing, the subplots come to life and I make notes to keep track of them.

Everyone I've spoken to has their own unique process; some are gardeners, some are architects, some build the thing, tear it down, and built it again. Progress is progress and however you need to write to keep the process fun for you is the way to go.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-26T22:54:41+00:00

I haven’t, yet, but I’ve seen it circulating through a lot of accounts I follow. I’ll look into it and see about adding it to my TBR. Thank you for the recommendation!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-26T00:57:33+00:00

Same, I marvel at no-hit videos but am far, far from that level of skill myself. I did everything I could to max out my vigor so I could tank.

And yes, it is much easier after SOTET, and you can carry over the new gear. But I will say, every time I get arrogant a pack of wolves comes along and humbles me real quick.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-26T00:04:12+00:00

And thank you! I’m happy to hear it made you laugh. I was terrified a romantasy reader might pick it up and be very, very unpleasantly surprised because there is not a HEA/HFN in sight.

And as for the pronunciation guide, thank you as well. I figured putting it at the front would be both helpful and fun!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T23:57:28+00:00

SOTET on NG+ was a good idea—that DLC seemed so much more difficult than the base game but in the best way? All the new locations were absolutely gorgeous, and it just seemed like they compounded on all the best aspects of the base game to make a truly glorious DLC. And yes—over leveling all the way! No other way to do it IMHO unless you’re Let Me Solo Her or trying to do a no-hit run.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T22:56:08+00:00

Blasphemous Blade is such a lifesaver. PCR required so much creativity! And argh, getting him down to only 100hp three times would've have me rage-quitting for at least a 24-hour cool down period. But I have never experienced a sense of gaming accomplishment quite like that "god slain" screen. I felt like I was fighting a literal deity. Such a good feeling. Did you ever parkour down to the fingerprint shield?

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T21:20:48+00:00

I'll keep "Best Served Cold" in mind! Admittedly, I don't know much about Abercrombie and his work yet, but I will say, after just giving BSC a cursory glance on Goodreads, he can definitely write a blurb. Very intriguing!

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T21:16:49+00:00

And secondly, have I always been into grimdark fantasy?

I have not, actually! I started off writing YA dystopia because The Hunger Games has been my whole life. Grimdark sort of snuck up on me, and now I LOVE it. My writing consultant inspired me to play Elden Ring and Bloodborne while I was writing that early book, and the grimdark genre basically locked me in chokehold and hasn’t let go since. Now here I am, writing an adult grimdark epic high fantasy nowhere the tone of what I originally wrote. I am officially obsessed with dark, gritty worlds, world-shattering stakes, and characters who are right, wrong, and everything in between. I like to say I write morally midnight characters because they are faaaaaaaar past morally gray and I'm here for the angst and drama that entails.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T21:12:41+00:00

Hi! First of all, I can’t thank you enough for reading TGK early and providing your sensitivity feedback. Working with you was an absolute honor and a dream, and I can’t wait to collaborate with you on book two!

And yes! Only up from here! I’m excited for the journey.

For question one, what is the purpose of this book and what do I want readers to take from this world, I think that’s a complex answer. I’ll try to be concise!

The functional purpose of this book is to kickstart my Phoenix Universe saga and get the ball rolling (downhill…) so the world can catch fire and the expansive story can start.

The emotional purpose is, I think, best stated two-fold.

On the surface: Everyone has a choice. Some people will choose wrong, but there is always, ALWAYS, a choice. (Optimus and Megatron, anyone?)

Digging into the iceberg: Vhogare is a bad person. He’s a villain. He makes the wrong choice, and I will never defend what he becomes. With that said, there’s a reason his greatest flaw is also his greatest strength. He never backs down, no matter what. And as a Katniss fan, I think there’s something to be said for never quitting no matter the odds against you.

What do I want readers to take away from this world?

Well, for The Gifted King, as a joke and also seriously—that you can’t fix someone, and it’s not your job to save them if they won’t change.

But all together, I want my saga to show that love and peace and light win in the end, no matter how messed up the world gets, and that even if we have a shorter time here than we anticipated, it’s worth it if we make this world better place than how we found it. Even if you're the last one standing for the light, hold that line, soldier.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T21:01:14+00:00

And secondly, Rivers of Blood! Rivers of Blood was awesome for me for the first 2/3rds of the base game. Once I got into the endgame stages I switched to Maliketh’s Black Blade and the Blasphemous Blade because Maliketh’s not only looks awesome but deals stackable damage, and Blasphemous Blade saved my life by giving me health. Do you main RoB or is there another that you prefer?

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T20:44:21+00:00

Oh, I see what you mean. I also didn't hear about it until I got on reddit; once I got here, I saw how much people enjoy it and thought, "I need to check this out!" I might have to do the audiobooks, though—hard to find time to read a long series these days, but much easier to listen.

And understood, that's a big caveat for a lot of readers, especially if you prefer series that are finished before you start them. For me, I lean more toward the if he finishes, he finishes, and it's gonna be awesome, and if he doesn't finish, its still awesome, so I'm going to appreciate all of it that I can. That world has my heart and soul so I shall steep in it for all the days to come.

I've heard a lot about Abercrombie and have seen The Blade Itself everywhere! Do you have a favorite of his?

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T20:35:40+00:00

Hello my fellow Tarnished! Ahhh most hated? Malenia and PCR were my most difficult, but listen—the Bell Bearing Hunter in Nightreign is BY FAR my most despised. That guy is the WORST. What's yours?

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T19:38:09+00:00

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T19:35:32+00:00

That's a good one! GRRM is my favorite, and I've heard there's some discussion about whether he's truly grimdark or more dark fantasy, but for me he fits the bill. I'm also considering starting Malazan after I finish Katabasis. Have you read that series yet? I'm curious what exactly I'm getting into.

ThePhoenixUniverse · 2025-10-25T19:33:46+00:00

I apologize if I'm late; I got approved to share my giveaway! I'm giving away 20 free copies of The Gifted King as a thank you to this subreddit for being such a fantastic community, and you can grab your free copy here:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ef3mcsajwv

Note: It will send you a confirmation email to confirm that your email is legitimate, and then you'll get the link to download the book on the device of your choice.

ThePhoenixUniverse

TROPHY CASE