It’s evident that someone has played a lot of D&D.
The title tells you everything: six heroes, one suicide mission against the Liche Queen, and an explicit promise that none will return. It's an elevator pitch, and Harkness delivers on it.
The structure is simple and effective. Too simple. A group of champions is recruited by the king after a tournament fair: the archer, the swordswoman, the wrestler, the woodcutter, the old soldier, the seer. They are teleported into the Liche Queen's domain and must fight their way to her tower. One by one, they fall. Some to age, some to cowardice, some by deliberate choice.
The most interesting character is Shai, the seer who knows from the beginning how it will end but [SPOILER!]. It's a genuine tragic dilemma, and the book works best when exploring this tension.
The action scenes are cinematic and clear. Harkness knows how to handle group combat without confusing the reader, and the creatures, wights, a Dark Captain, spiked abominations, have physical presence. Unfortunately, what is the book’s greatest strength seems to be its only strength.
Where the book doesn't convince is in depth. The characters are functional to their roles, the brute, the treacherous archer, the competent swordswoman, but they don't breathe beyond that. The worldbuilding is standard medieval fantasy with a Liche Queen who could come from any D&D campaign.
The cover does its job: red runic circle on black background, dominant title in gold. It says "dark fantasy" without screaming it — professional without being memorable. The title dominates, which is the right choice when you have a title this strong.
ARC copy received in exchange for an honest review.
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