Reviews
Praise for The Risen Kingdoms series
“A gripping tale of a woman who refuses to be defined by her physical and magical limitations, thwarting both assassins and all who see her as a pawn. A great read!” — Brandon Sanderson
“Curtis Craddock’s debut is a grand tale of intrigue, adventure, and gaslight fantasy in the tradition of Alexander Dumas.” —Charles Stross
“A setting fabulous and strange, heroes to cheer for, villains to detest, a twisty, tricky plot — I love this novel!” —Lawrence Watt Evans
“In a world shattered by sorcery, a princess without magic battles for peace, aided only by her wits and a drunken sot of a musketeer. A thrilling adventure full of palace intrigue, mysterious ancient mechanisms, and aerial sailing ships!” —David D. Levine, author of Arabella of Mars
“Debut author Craddock’s vivid, fluid prose makes for the best kind of world building….His writing remains buoyant, sweeping the reader along with the ease of an airship. Isabelle’s dedication to peace and Jean-Claude’s dedication to Isabelle comprise the novel’s emotional core, even as they flip-flop allies and adapt to a barrage of shocking twists.” — Booklist, starred review
“The skullduggery is pleasurably complex, the emotional stakes feel convincing, and the reasonably happy ending feels earned. And while Jean-Claude’s doggedness in protecting Isabelle is admirable, Isabelle is decidedly and enjoyably not a damsel in need of rescue. A very promising start, both for a series and a new author.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“In A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery, Craddock expands the world, its history, customs and geography…The ending opens many possibilities for future exploration of the world and Isabelle’s place in it, and I want to participate in this journey. Well done, Monsieur Craddock. Well done.” – Fantasy Book Critic
“I highly, highly recommend The Risen Kingdoms series to everyone. The world building is complex as it is intriguing, the characters are realistic and multifaceted and the writing is absurdly witty, clever and well-written. The Risen Kingdom is a truly underrated series and for how ridiculously great it is, I’m surprised not many more people have read it. I hope that changes soon. Read it folks, this series is a hidden gem, you won’t regret it!” – Short and Sweet reviews
“I loved An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock, so you can imagine my excitement when it came time to dive into its sequel. To my delight, A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery turned out to be every bit as enchanting and mysterious as the first book, featuring the same incredible fusion of genre elements that captured my imagination so completely.…This is a series I would highly recommend if you enjoy narratives that contains a number of different genres, themes, and ideas.” – Bibliosanctum
“Readers who already enjoyed the Romanticism-inspired worldbuilding of the first in Craddock’s Risen Kingdoms trilogy will be pleased to discover even more nuances here. The types of magic are especially fleshed out and, with them, competing political factions. A fun, complicated tale, filled with adventure and intrigue.”—Booklist on A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery
