Elder Epoch (Gunmetal Gods, #3) (2025)

It's here, and it's the best book I've ever written by far!

4.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/U9KIoxdYmfo

Gunmetal Gods was one of my favourite debuts when I first read it last year. After having mixed feelings about the second book, I am glad that it was worth it to return back to the third book.

I love the middle eastern focus of this series which is expanded with each book. The world is rich, feeling both familiar and otherly.

The other strength of this series is the characters. I adored the characters in book one and so was taken back when book two focused on new characters. This third book felt like more of a balance between the first two books.

While I still consider the first book to be the strongest, I am very interested to continue on when book four comes out.

4 stars.

Thank you to Akhtar for providing me with an ARC.

This book is dark as fuck. Zamil said "You want cosmic horror and nihilism? Hold my pen."

I don't want to give away any character names or plot points because the amount of plot twists from the first two books means that we're dealing with an entirely new chess board with different players in this third installment in the series.

Overall, I would say that it took me a little while to sink my teeth into this story, but by about 30% I started to fly through it as Akhtar continues the breakneck pacing he established in Gunmetal Gods and Conqueror's Blood. The characters that we follow are all extremely flawed and morally grey (dark grey more like) to the point where you feel conflicted as a reader supporting any of them. On one page you might agree with their sentiments, but on the next you just know they're going to do something terrible. Which I think was a very conscious choice by the author to make the reader push their own sense of morality.

One of the things dark fantasy can do for us is provide a mirror where we can look at the worst aspects of ourselves and confront them in a fictional environment. Elder Epoch not only holds the mirror up to humanity, but the larger cosmos as a whole and the powers that be. There are many scenes in this book that are extremely hard to read (trigger warning for all types of graphic violence) but that lend themselves to broader themes of cyclical violence in the endless struggle for power.

I find that the pattern with this entire series has been that I appreciate the books more the longer I sit with them, and I have a feeling it will be the same with Elder Epoch. My ratings usually end up increasing after having time to marinate with the themes presented (Death Rider went from a 4 to a 5 star over time) so I will possibly revisit this review.
However, I can confidently say that if you like Akhtar's dark ruthless world with dynamic political landscapes, morally grey characters, and eldritch horror from the fist two installments and novella in the series, then you will thoroughly enjoy Elder Epoch as well!

Ok. By now we know that Akhtar can write. We know he has made a wonderfully realized desert dark fantasy world, which he only expanded upon here. We know he has written religion and zealotry, power and conflict, ruse and real magic, jinn and angels, and a lot of other cool things into these books.

What he does in Elder Epoch is expand on everything. The intrigue spreads to foreign lands. Kevah and Cyra are back as our two major points of view. War and religion are really deep dived into and I think where he shined in this book was to give us a solid mix of new elements and expansion on old things so that everything still feels a little bit new even after over 1k pages and three books.

The coolest part, for me, was finding out what caused the blood plague and seeing all the other maladies/plagues like the red tulips. This one got real dark. We got a new point of view, Basil, who I enjoyed the most just as a breath of fresh air. Without going into too much detail I do think Akhtar fully succeeded in creating a dark, bloody, dense conflict that all settled on Zelthuriya. Basil's whole storyline was 💔😳😭 and what even happened in that cell! What are these Gods & Saints actually!

There's even a whole brand new plot from another region starting that seems to be the launching point for book four.

Where I think he defeated himself a bit was that, despite taking my time and enjoying the book slowly, it was long, dense, and a bit of a slog at times. While meditating and taking your time on cosmic horror and character discovery is fine, I think parts got a little repetitive and it really needed to be a bit shorter overall. Cosmic horror is always fun but how many times can you repeat that something has eyes and tentacles before it loses its punch a tiny bit? I did like all the other strange omens like the blood cloud, the tulips, plague maladies, the dev tortures, etc. Also did I miss why the Kashanese only ride mares?

Anyway, if it tells you anything, I fully plan on reading everything Akhtar writes because he's a great writer. These books have a ton of new ideas and cool elements. I can't wait for the fourth book hopefully next year!

---- Review originally published at the Escapist Book Tours blog (not online anymore) ----
“Our holy fire will chase all rats out of their roosts. We must armor our hearts with faith as we do our bodies with iron.”

Holy Zelthuriya… (if you read books in the series, you know 😉 )

I usually start with a description, but since we’re already three books into the series, I’ll skip that. Instead, I wanted to share a bit about my reading experience and how I felt as I soaked up every word.

I already knew what I was in for – gore, horror, devastation… but also hope, excitement, and that satisfaction you get after finishing a phenomenal book. I took my time finishing Elder Epoch because I really wanted to read it. I wanted to enjoy every word, every beautiful description, and every breathtaking dialog. And boy did I!

Zamil has a way with words that I haven’t seen anywhere else. He’s also incredible at worldbuilding. Have you read Malazan? This series is similar in the sense that he shows you what you need to know as the story progresses. Not long descriptions, but snippets that are cleverly woven into the story. Yes, there are moments of confusion, but if you just go with it, it’s so rewarding. Unlike Malazan, though, the Gunmetal Gods saga is much easier to follow.

If you’ve read Gunmetal Gods and Conqueror’s Blood, you’ll find similar approaches to the plot in Elder Epoch. Such as “Are the characters really that bad?” which was very prevalent in Conqueror’s Blood: at the beginning, you just loathe them (in a “I want to read more about them” way, not in a “I hate the book” way) but by the end, once you have the whole picture, you feel for them. Brilliant how Zamil is able to do that. What’s different, though, is that he takes it up a notch with the horror and gore elements. That entire section was so vivid. All the details he included were just oozing (literally) with despair.

I’m starting to ramble… Even a few weeks after I finished the book, I’m still at a loss for words to adequately describe this entry in the series. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to, so let’s leave it at that: It’s mind-blowing, eye-opening, satisfying, deep, beautiful, … a once-in-a-lifetime reading experience. I just hope someone will pick up the movie rights to this story and make it into a TV show.

“No one will remember what happened in this world. Not our names, nor the glories of our nations. Not our virtues and sins. We will simply become a drop within a far greater creation. One that will also, one day, be forgotten. And on and on it goes – forever meaningless.”

I’ll add the usual note about trigger warnings: Check them, there are lots! If you’ve read books 1 and 2 already, you are aware. But better believe that you have seen nothing yet…

Another easy 5 stars from me. This was an incredible step up from the second book! Zamil Akhtar’s prose is wonderful to behold. His stories are so well realized, especially if you mind the maps to get a good idea of how the world is arranged. The character development is something else. Character’s go from one direction to another, all varying shades of grey in what seems to be an indifferent, if not hostile, universe.

Elder Epoch is brutal in the best way. This book ramps up the lovecraftian/cosmic horror elements compared to previous books, but still manages to stay grounded by having well-thought-out characters that are trying to navigate this struggle they’ve been thrust into by self-interested gods and demons.

Elder Epoch melds together the first two books of the series, both in terms of storyline and stylistically, to create the best entry so far.

Stunning!

I LOVED Gunmetal Gods. Conqueror's Blood was one of the three best books I read in 2021. Incredibly, Elder Epoch is EVEN BETTER!

Inspired by 15th- and 16th-century West Asian history and culture, the Gunmetal Gods saga (which also includes the marvelous prequel novella Death Rider) is an exceptional fantasy series and one of my all-time favorite reads. With Elder Epoch, Zamil Akhtar digs deep into the deepest depths of the human imagination to give us a layered and textured work of political intrigue, personal rivalry, Lovecraftian monstrosities lurking in a cloud of blood, unromanticized violence on both large and small scales, jinn and devs, unbridled ambition, wonder, and existentialist dread.

And characters! Kevah and Cyra are unforgettable and extremely human antagonists whose blinding hatred for each other is a profound and elementary force of nature, a fully-developed and complex character in its own right. To this mix, we add the out-of-time Basil the Breaker (aka Basil the Banished and Basil the Opener). What would be a cardboard cutout in most stories becomes a complicated, engrossing, and fully realized character in the hands of Akhtar.

This book is not a light read. It's dark and beautiful, a story to sink your teeth into. Truly an epic tale, the characters love and hate while fighting for their lives and sanity, deep in the shadow of forces beyond their understanding. The story ends with a promise of more to come, and I'll be at the edge of my seat waiting.

Oh, and I'll never look at red tulips the same way again.

Five stars? More like a thousand!

By Lat and Saint Chisti, that was bloody awesome. Zamil Akhtar knows how to keep his readers glued from start to finish, with this gore ridden blood fest and mind-bending of read from the Gunmetal God's series.

Elder Epoc is the third instalment that reminds me and feels like a Lovecraftian tale riddled with cosmic horror and a world full horror where the price of power holds no bounds

Zamil Akhtars writing is fast becoming some of my favourite, his prose are exquisite, and the story just flows beautifully, keeping you mesmerised utterly throughout as his world desends into madness that war brings and the devastation it leaves behind.

With so many twists and turns. The new characters are so endearing, and old ones are even more fleshed out and showing and bringing out different sides of them as their fate to their Gods, and Saints sets them on new paths to bring new lands and riches to their people.

If you are a fan of The Prince of Nothing trilogy by R. Scott Bakker and love horror fantasy with a twist of cosmic horror, eldritch angels, demons, jinns and religious holy wars with gun toting paladins, then you should check out this series, it will leave you in awe of its epicness.

In this book, Elder Epoch, Zamil Akhtar tells the story of three protagonists, Kevah, Cyra, and Basil, whose lives are about to clash for the war and invasion of Zelthuriya, the home and shrine to Saint Chisti.

Once allies, Kevah and Cyra have become vast enemies, have vowed to kill each other as their powers grow in service to their Gods and Saints, Basil the breaker wants to Conquer Zelthuriya. But a blood plague has decended, bringing a red mist and horrors that dwell with in bring death as the gods play their games.

Absolutely brilliant. My head is spinning after reading that. Excellent worldbuilding, plot, and setting. If you haven't read the series yet, there are three books and a short story so far in the series. I very highly recommend...😁💙🔥

My man Zamil continues to impress with another excellent installment!

I have really enjoyed the Gunmetal Gods series, and honestly think it is the best ongoing fantasy series around right now. His characters are believable (though often infuriating in their obstinance), and the world is lived in, breathed in, and incredibly well realized (would not want to live there though). I love how each book adds more and more mystery while answering previous burning questions. I am 100% invested in this series and am anxious for the next one. His cosmology continues to be the most fascinating thing about these books, and every answer just leads to more questions and an increase in my burning curiosity!

However, fair warning - first two books I would qualify as "dark fantasy" but this one definitely crossed the threshold into "grimdark" - there are some extremely dark and brutal moments. The horror is exponentially increased in this one, and things that are hinted at in the other books are brought out front and center.

Can't wait to see what Zamil does next! Grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review and boy, I am happy that I got this book

Elder Epoch is the 3rd book in the medieval Middle Eastern inspired grim dark fantasy and boy, does the book deliver everything promised in spades. The previous book introduced new characters and that took sometime to get going - Elder Epoch pretty much starts at an urgent pace and immediately involves significant plotting and maneuvering between the lead parties

Make no mistake - this is a book about flawed individuals, each of them is driven by their own feelings, ambitions and survival instincts and they find opposing each other for most of the book. Kevah and Cyra are heavily messed up individuals who have been bestowed so much power that they don’t know what to do and end up striking deals that come to bite them in the long run. It’s like an arms race between the 2 and escalation is the name of the game, be it powers, weapons, alliances and deals. The book introduces a 3rd POV this time - a figure from history who is brought across in time and is just concerned about keeping his troops alive but is caught between our 2 lead protagonists.

What Zamil Akthar does well is to further expand the mythology of the series, in a way that also makes our leads almost puppets. There are greater powers at play, angels, gods et al that try to pull strings to keep one of the two leads in ascendancy to achieve their ultimate goals. The series packs in action, politicking, mythology and so much more for most of its run. A lot of time does go in talking but when the action erupts, it’s brutal, messy, chaotic and inevitably violent. The packing in too much also does make the book feel heavy and ambitious but there is that inkling that some of it could be refined. Also make no mistake there are horror elements peppered through the book and it’s kind of gross at times

Elder Epoch is easy enough to follow when it comes to our leads but I confess some of the other relationships and alliances and other tribes did go a bit over my head esp at the beginning - it just made sense to go with the flow at times and that’s what I did

I have to give kudos to the author on the ending itself - it lands pretty much well and in quite an unexpected way given how the rest of the book went even if there are hints peppered through the book - and it does set up the next one in a pretty nice way. This book didn’t have a mid series book feeling and thats always a rather good thing

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit! This book is dark as the night sky. The overall tone and feeling of this book is of total despair. Brutal scenes happening everywhere, morally gray characters acting according to their own agendas, and cosmic beings as well. The more I let this book simmer, the more perplexed I am with what I read.

I can tell that this was not an easy story to tell for Zamil. But Zamil being Zamil, managed to pull it off in a spectacular level. On some parts I felt lost and confused, but I kept on reading and everything came together. That is magnificent storytelling. So, for future readers, expect to feel lost don’t worry it will all make sense in the end.

The level of epicness that this book pulls off is unmeasurable. Over 3000. This is truly a Lovecraftian infused Fantasy. It is so, that I as a reader was unable to comprehend the cosmic beings thrown off in here. I mean, Lovecraftian creatures were supposed to be exactly that, something that the human mind cannot fully understand. I very much enjoyed that feeling.

This is by far the best book in the series. I will be re-reading the entire series before the next (and final?) book comes out.

Zamil is a master of his craft and managed to create a book full of intrigue, cosmic horror and very dark scenes that immerse the reader into a broken world with even more broken characters as companions.

Note: I was a beta reader for this book. Thanks for the opportunity, Zamil!

Without a doubt the BEST book in Gunmetal Gods yet! Zamil really cranks up the eldritch horror vibes this time around. The former instalments felt like military fantasy with Lovecraftian themes thrown in to complement the story while Elder Epoch lets the other worldly terrors shine front and center! The strategy and politicking are all still present, of course, but it seems Zamil has decided it's time to move to a more grandiose scale with the series and I LOVED it!

Overall i enjoyed this book significantly more than the previous due to the seamless continuation of character arcs from the previous entry. Unlike its predecessor, which introduced a new story and a fresh cast while retaining only a few characters from the earlier book, this book intereeaves the narratives introduced in the first two installments.

I enjoyed the focus on battles, internal strife between factions, the political maneuvers, and the betrayals that keep the tension high throughout the story. Additionally, the eerie elements surrounding the angels and the plagued holy city under siege adds was super rad, especially the whole bit about clouds of blood that scream and have flailing limbs protruding from within.

I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds in the next installment, expected later this year.

Zamil Akhtar continues to widen the horizons of this series beyond any expected confines to build a world this is rich, expansive and truly horrific!

Read for the lovecraftian horror, but stay for the sick and twisted characters that are oddly redeemable in their own ways.

In this, the third entry, Akhtar confounds all expectations to offer a story with three POVs warring over a pile of dust as monsters in the sky laugh down on the unsuspecting victims.

It is tragic, bloody and truly excellent! My only draw backs are some pacing issues in on POV in the middle of the book, and a slight tension drop in comparison to the second book in the series - but neither of these limit the enjoyment of what is truly a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book.

If you are a fan of fantasy, horror or drama, you are doing yourself a disservice by not immersing yourself in this series. Right up there with my favourites of ALL TIME!

Questa serie resta una delle migliori mai lette!!!
Questo terzo libro è al di sopra delle 5 stelle, non come il secondo che è stato perfetto, ma comunque sopra la media di qualsiasi altra cosa letta...
Il senso di immenso e arcano, permea tutto il libro..
Amil ha davvero una scrittura unica, che rende il romanzo qualcosa di così vivo e immersivo in modo unico..
A partire dal fatto che anche se abbiamo pochi pov, riesce lo stesso a dare una visuale corale ben più ampia, con tantissimi personaggi secondari davvero ben creati e descritti..
Seguiamo Kevah, personaggio principale del primo libro, Cyra principale nel secondo libro, più un terzo pov imprevedibile e inusuale..
I personaggi di Amil sono vivi, imperfetti, umani.. si riesce a percepire ogni loro paura, desiderio, difetto o perversione..
Il Worldbuilding di ispirazione medio-orientale poi è davvero riuscitissimo.. ogni singolo sapore, odore, ogni veduta è dipinta in poche pennellate e ti raggiunge in un attimo..
È un libro di guerra, combattimenti, pieno di cose oscure, brutali e crude, ma è anche un libro che ha posto per l'amore e la vita..
Anche se a un certo punto la narrazione frenetica si fa un po' troppo ferma, in attesa di cosa sta per venire, riprende poi a un ritmo alto verso un finale davvero imprevedibile.. a differenza degli altri, anche meno risolutivo, molto più aperto agli avvenimenti i del prossimo libro in uscita a breve..
La parte che mi è piaciuta di più è quella legata al mondo invisibile, si "sistema magico" se così si può chiamare.. Amil ha creato un mondo ricco di simbologia, di misticità e creature arcane, infuso di grande orrore cosmico, che rende gli esseri umani come piccolissime formichine rispetto agli eventi in corso per durata e dimensione.. e questo senso di millenaria follia traspira da ogni evento nel corso di questa serie, in un crescendo davvero epico..
La capacità di rendere l esistenza di queste creature superiori all'uomo con parole, immagini e sensazioni, è qualcosa che rende questa serie unica!!

Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review, which I have provided below.

A eldritch cloud of blood, monstrous, Lovecraftian cosmic horrors in the form of angels and gods, the eerie trans-temporal movement of 70,000 troops, whisked forward seven centuries into the future, and a plague involving red tulips would provide enough insane action in any novel for most fantasy writers.

Author Zamil Akhtar seems to smirk and say, “Not enough”.

Instead, Akhtar ups the ante, adding unmitigated ambition and political intrigue, thrilling, absolutely brutal battles, religious zealotry, jins, devs, and more to all I’ve already mentioned, in the third installment of the “Gunmetal Gods” series entitled “Elder Epoch”.

Wow, what a ride!

In “Elder Epoch”, as in the first book in the series (“Gunmetal Gods”), the siege of a holy city is the focal point. This time, it’s the holy city of Zelthiria, and three main factions vie for its rule.

The first of these factions is led by the Magus Kevah, POV character from “Gunmetal Gods”, who plays a smaller but still pivotal role in Book Two “Conqueror’s Blood”.

Wielding the power of three dead Magi, in the form of their masks, Kevah remains – seemingly fruitlessly after the events in “Conqueror’s Blood” – a devotee of Lat.

Haunted by his past decisions – such as imploring the gods to resurrect his love, rather than destroy Cyra – Kevah is single-mindedly focussed now on Cyra’s as enemy number one, and he will stop at nothing until she’s dead. With faithful Kinn - the impish and delightful jinn – by his side, Kevah have to will face his worst fears, and become those worst fears, if he wishes to triumph.

The wily and ruthless Cyra, former ally of Kevah, now his sworn enemy, leads the second faction trying to take control of Zelthiria. Cyra is now the ruler of Qandbajar. But one never rests easy with a crown on one’s head in Akhtar’s books, especially one like Cyra who has continually betrayed and slaughtered her way to the top, including murdering gods.

Cyra’s starwriting abilities have caused the blood plague, by summoning the monstrosity known as Hawwa the Dreamer. Hawwa, who engineered the destruction of two very powerful gods in the previous book in the series, may be the most devious, despicable and destructive of all the gods seen so far (that’s saying something).

But Cyra is only bent on survival and completely vanquishing her mortal enemies, and she hopes to avoid Hawwa, who as a capricious and evil god, could easily turn against her.

One of those enemies Cyra is looking to overcome is Kyars, who was once betrothed to Cyra. Kyars has fled to the supposed sanctuary of Zelthiria. Cyra wants to roust Kyars and annihilate him, but she also has to contend with Kevah, who is relentlessly hunting her, and the third, and most unexpected faction wanting the city for themselves.

The third faction is led by the renowned Crucian conqueror Imperator Basil, also prophesized as “The Opener”, who was said to have vanished a long time ago under mysterious circumstances. Basil seemed poised on the cusp of his greatest victory, when…

“That day, blood drenched the sky. At first, the cloud seemed like a strange thing in the distance, just a blotch of red drawn onto heaven’s canvas by an angel. As it approached, the screams from within shook my ironed heart. The unholy blood cloud drifted down from the northeast, over us, and toward the desert depths. Herakon said he witnessed arms and legs and heads poking out of it. The priest, Yohan, swore he saw a giant human eye open in its folds. My tactician, Markos, was adamant that tentacles, bubbling with yet more eyes, grabbed at the sparrow passing by. But all I beheld was blood, coursing through the bulbous cloud as if through veins in a wrestler’s arm.”

Brilliant characterization will always be part of the “Gunmetal Gods” series, and “Elder Epoch” continues that trend.

Akhtar has a real knack for putting not only extremely flawed, conflicted and often thoroughly unlikable characters into play, and making the reader care about them, but also pitting those unlikable characters against one another, and making us care about all their fates.

Perhaps it’s just me (I think not, I think Akhtar made that subtle change to how Kevah is written), but Kevah is a bit more nasty in this book, certainly more dogged and obstinate in his pursuit of death and vengeance and clinging to Lat, and more obsessive with ending Cyra, and accomplishing his goals.

It might be his additional Magus powers that are giving him an even darker slant. Regardless, like most of the characters, Kevah has fallen into the mold of the only “right” side can be their side.

As such, the enthusiasm of their bloodlust for their opponents, the depths to which they are willing to sink to accomplish their ends knows no bounds, and the (occasional) reluctant admittance that they’ve maybe gone a bit over the top, showing of a bit of remorse, becomes something the readers should get used to when it comes to these characters.

Ultimately, the characters in Akhtar’s novels seem to refuse to acknowledge they are peons in the grand scheme of things, and that horrific existential threats lurk that are toying with mortals like them, for their own purposes. Even when confronted with irrefutable evidence of this, players like Kevah and Cyra still seem to thing they can scheme and outmaneuver enough to forge their own destiny.

This is also what I found to be a central theme in the novel. Does anything mortals do matter when compared against the omnipotence of gods, and their larger designs? Is not our paltry mortal existence, and all we fight for and fret about, naught but futility, in the end? That is what Kevah seems to comment on, in the novel:

“No one will remember what happened in this world. Not our names, nor the glories of our nations. Not our virtues and sins. We will simply become a drop within a far greater creation. One that will also, one day, be forgotten. And on and on it goes – forever meaningless.”

Yet, he keeps fighting, as do the other main characters, striving for victory, at all costs.

As usual, Akhtar’s Eastern-inspired worldbuilding is rich, fully realized, fabulous. Moreover, as the cosmic horror element is raised, so too does the reader learn more about all the deities and angels and magical beings that inhabit the world, enhancing the worldbuilding even more.

I must comment overall, on the feature of the blood plague. Written by Akhtar to creepy perfection, it’s the contagion from hell, that will eventually convert all water and living tissue into blood. Gross, macabre, and fascinating!

The prose is smooth, very accomplished, and at times poetic. I am a huge fan of Akhtar’s writing, which effortlessly transports me into the setting, and makes me feel like I’m charging alongside the janissaries into battle, or riding in a carriage to the Sand Palace, or enjoying the simple pleasure of ice water on a hot day in the desert.

And oh, speaking of those jaw-dropping battle scenes:

“I rushed forward and swiped at his neck; he fell and spat blood. Then a deafening pop-pop-pop burst through the air around me. The legionaries at my back screamed. Something zipped by my ears at thunderous speed. Like a firefly, it left a fiery trail of light through the haze. It was as if they were loosing fire arrows faster than we could see…Legionaries charged through the haze and into the cave depths. Metal screamed at metal, shrieks erupted from dying throats, and blood and innards flew, though I could scarcely see who we were fighting.”

This book is definitely grimdark, uber-violent, set in a brutal, yet beautiful world. The following passage is a sample of how pitiless that world can be:

“The palace’s mahogany wall must’ve been rebricked, judging by its freshness. What wasn’t so fresh were the bodies attached to the poles lining it. Some had withered to skeletons; others till dripped blood. They’d been impaled upside down, the poles running from their mouths and out their anuses. I could only assume these were Seluqal loyalists, and the sultan wanted to send a message. Seeing such horror, I felt less ashamed. I’d committed barbarities, but I’d never impaled anyone. Qandbajar was the pearl of the universe, and I couldn’t imagine sullying its beauty like this.”

The “Gunmetal Gods” series is epic grimdark fantasy, set in a fantastic Eastern-inspired world, blended seamlessly with cosmic horror at its finest. With this series, Akhtar has become one of my favourite Indie authors.

“Elder Epoch” is amazing, and I won’t even pretend to imagine how Akhtar is going to wind up this highly imaginative, unpredictable series, after reading this last stunning installment. Yet, rest assured, I’ll keep reading to find out!

This book was definitely good, but for me it failed to ever hit a peak where I could go, whoa I love this! This series feels like a more accessible Second Apocalypse, which is a good thing. I know some people have compared it to Malazan, but I think "less dense Second Apocalypse" is a better comparison. For me, there was a little too much sitting around and musing/chatting that made it feel slow in parts. I loved the concept of the blood cloud and transtemporal displacement of 50 Roman legions. I think the ending, the big reveal, could have been drawn out a little more to have greater impact. That was also one of my comments on the previous book.

I really tried to finish this before it came out in April but two kids under 3 make it tough to find time to do anything. Anyways this book was a masterpiece just like the previous 2 books.

The ideas in this series are so fresh and feel so different from anything else I have read in the genre. The cosmic horror elements are exactly what I want. Gods meddling in human affairs and even higher powers meddling with those gods. The mysteries continue to unravel and create even more questions and I love that.

The character work is top notch once again. Cyra's arc is actually incredible in this book. I was hooked the entire time with the new character Basil as well. I keep going back to the malazan comparisons but that's because it's accurate. Like malazan, there are so many different characters in this book -- maybe not quite as many haha -- and they all feel distinct from one another. Many times when you have lots of characters, the secondary ones run together. Not the case with this series. They all have their own motivations and personalities.

If this series continues like it has it will easily make the top 5 and maybe even top 3 of all time for me. I honestly cannot wait for book 4. READ THIS SERIES!

After finishing part 3 of the Gunmetal Gods series, i feel the series is losing a bit of its focus. I enjoyed part 1 and 2, but I cannot say I enjoyed part 3 that much.

After finishing a lenghty 600+ page book I wonder a bit what it was all about. Its not very clear what the point is, how did this progress the overall story. On one end there is a lot of conquering and scheming going on, with a more wider cosmic struggle of which much is unknown. The conquering piece has some progress on the one hand, while on the other the balance of power is similar to the start of the book. At the same time there is little character development going on, and very little progress to unveil to the reader more about this cosmic struggle and who are the players and what are they doing.

Kevah's arc is all over the place. What was his role in the book? All he was doing is being a rogue actor, flying around killing people, without never really accomplishing anything, untill the end of the book. Perhaps this was the point, but it wasn't very interesting to read.

Also new characters or weapons (Cyras mother, Kevahs armour, the various "melody of X" books) are introduced in a clunky way I feel and clearly are only meant to act as a plot device the next chapter. It would be better if they appear on stage in a more natural way and are allowed to be interesting on their own, instead of only functioning to progress the plot.

I liked Basil's plot, he seemed the most interesting of all in the book. Showing the effecs of being stuck in some cosmic horror was quite well done and I could feel for his struggle

I really enjoyed the first book of this series, and the second book, while being a step down for me, still ended strong. In this book, however, I think the series takes another step down.

There are things I really like about the book, and the main things are the characters. Kevah and Cyra are back, and they are just as strong and complex as they were previously. But even they are outshined by a new POV, Basil the Breaker. He is a wonderful character, and his interactions with Kevah are full of tension and intrigue.

The main problem I have is the story itself. While Akhtar is a very good writer, the story feels like it slows to a crawl too often and not much happens. This can be attributed to the world being so dense that it takes time to explain what's going on, but more often than not, I found myself zoning out and had to re-read passages, which affected my overall enjoyment.

I wish I could say I liked this book more than I did, but unfortunately that is not the case. I think there is one more book in this series, and if that's the case, then I will still read the last one. However, if there are more than that left, then this might be where I take a break.

This book was an absolute BORE. It was a slog to get through that I ended up speed reading the last 130 pages to get the gist of the ending. The issues that were evident in the first book are amped up in this one, such as inconsistent character arcs, unbelievably dense world building, a lack of focus, and unnecessary gore. The one redeeming quality is the addition of Basil's POV, as the choice to keep Cyra was painful. Frankly, Akhtar doesn't write convincingly for most characters, but this is especially true for female characters.This book started out okay and then devolved quickly into a boring political saga pretending to be cosmic horror. It was a disappointment to end the trilogy and technically doesn't end, as he says book four will be out on 2024. I will not be reading it.

Also, how many times can someone use the word jape?? It was everywhere and that's saying something for a book THIS LONG.

On the positive side, I wanted to read a spooky book this October and Elder Epoch totally delivers there. The worldbuilding and particularly the supernatural horrors revealed through the book are spectacular.

On the negative side, I found myself really immersed in the first half of the story, but it seemed to go in circles the more it went on. Despite being lengthier, less happens in this book than the previous 2. Character growth is essentially nonexistent, and 90% of the story takes place in the same general area.

The ending is less conclusive than the previous books and it seems like there will be future books needed to complete the story.

9.3/10 ⭐️

A big step up from Conquerer’s Blood! It’s darker and more lovecraftian and it’s all the better for it! I was always left guessing where this book was heading and I am so excited for book four when it releases. The world that Zamil Akhtar has created is so intriguing and each book in the gunmetal gods series just keeps expanding this world and the scope in fascinating ways. Fantastic book!

Everyone switched sides way to many times or had changes of heart. It was too hard to keep track of and didn't feel meaningful.

I write this review as an ARC reader. Thanks for allowing me to read it before release!

Elder Epoch is the third installement of the Gunmetal Gods series, and easily the best for me. Zamil improves with each book, and Elder Epoch is , for now, his finest work. A truly masterful grimdark story, and also one of the darkest i`ve read.

Warning! Unmarked spoilers of Gunmetal Gods and Conqueror`s Blood from here

Elder Epoch structure is similar to the other two previous books: A clash between two very determined characters, whose ideals and objetives are completely incompatible. In Gunmetal Gods we had the conflict between Kevah and Micah, and in Conqueror`s Blood, the one between Cyra and Zedra. In this third book, we have the confrontation of the "winners" (in a very broad sense of the word) of the previous books clashing, Kevah and Cyra. And Zamil has refined this formula wonderfully, creating a thrilling and complex conflict with massive stakes.

Before the book begins, there is a recap of everything that happened in the previous books, which is amazing. I wish more authors did this.

The story begins where Conquerors Blood left it: Cyra controls Qandbajar thanks to her covenant with the Dreamer, which killed Lat, and a fragile alliance with two nomadic tribes, while Kevah has seen his god die in front of his eyes and sworn revenge agains Cyra. There are still lots of other characters, but the actions of these two are what moves the story foward.

The first third of the book is very Game of Thrones style, with lots of political maneuvering. Kevah tries to rally allies to confront Cyra, while she is doing whatever it takes to survive in a nation where everyone is hostile to her faction. Speaking of Cyra, she has gone full machiavellian between books and has embraced the "end justifies the means" to achieve victory. She seems the antagonist of the story, at the beginning. But things get more complicated quickly.

Because one third into the book, Elder Epoch stops pulling punches, and the political and military plot gets complemented with Zamil`s speciality: cosmic horror. And holy shit, the horror level is up to eleven this time. I won`t get into spoilers, but the descriptions of the eldritch horrors that populate Alanya are some of the most impactful i`ve ever read. The already familiar biblically accurate angels go together with Boschian abominations. You end up feeling really sorry for the characters.

And speaking of characters, here a third POV character gets introduced to the story. Altough i expected little from this character, i ended up liking it a lot. I don`t want to spoil the surprise, so i can`t say much more.

From here, Elder Epoch has a very tense, almost agonizing, development until the amazing climax at the end. The already rich mythology and magic of the setting gets expanded, and characters evolve. I really like the development of Kevah, poor guy can`t catch a break. Elder Epoch takes full advantage of the first-person point of view to show the reader the dephs of the three POV characters. Their thought process, their doubts and how they progressively sink into despair while the world drowns in madness.

Before i finish the review, i must mention a few thing i didn`t like. Some twists at the ending felt that came out of nowhere. And i found a little disappointing the end of the arc of the new POV character.

To sum up, if you liked the previous Gunmetal Gods, you`ll love this one. It has everything that make the saga awesome: the unique Middle Eastern fantasy setting, the lovecraftian horror and the thrilling action.

In Zamil Akhtar's third - but not last - installment of his Gunmetal Gods saga we see both new and familiar characters vying for supremacy while (mostly) hidden gods and angels lurk, supporting or suppressing various factions through blood magic or whatever means they can summon to meet their goals. Even as higher forces manipulate them, Akhtar's cast of characters hold to the notion they can emerge the winners and impose their own wills on the populace.

As begun in Gunmetal Gods and carried through Conqueror's Blood, his pov charavcters all hold their own attractions but are undercut when plans fail and end up making desperate moves that surprise both their enemies and Akhtar's audience. The cosmic horror that readers have seen developing throughout the series reaches a crescendo here, as the holy city of Zelthiria is not only invaded by an army that should be 700 years dead, but infected by blood magic that makes it ultimately uninhabitable,
even eating away at it's latest would-be conquerors.

The various warring factions looking to control Zelthuria, rather than findimg a way to combat this threat to each of them, looks instead for ways to use the horror to their own ends, looking for this larger foe to eat their own smaller enemies and leave them in charge of the holy site. This, for those who know their Aristotle, is what leads to tragedy, and there is no shortage of tragedy in Elder Epoch.

The holy chapel nestled in the city's mountain stronghold provides a safe space for those who held the city when it arrived, yet both they and the invaders from the past are trapped where they are, essentially neutralized, while those who would take zelthuria from them find the blood magic an impassable barrier to their own armies. This cannot stop the scheming from within and without, amd each faction uses its own magics to continue the fight on a much smaller scale tan they would like, and mostly limited to fighting one another for the privilege to infiltrate the gods-controlled city.

Kevah and Cyra are back as pov characters, more conflicted over one another than ever, and Basil joins them to complete a triangle of conflict over who will rule and how the blood fog over Zelthuriya might be dispelled. But then those tragic moments complicate the snario at every turn, setting the stage for at least one more piece of the saga.

While I gave Elder Epoch the same 5 stars as the two previous novels, Conqueror's Blood is still my favorite of the three, a little tighter for it's restriction to two alternating pov characters. Elder Epoch is no less enjoyable a story for adding a pov and detailing even more than the previous entries both the fog - in this case a literally and bloody one - of war and the tragic circumstances that play themselves out at nearly every turn. Akhtar's characters are tested every moment as their seemingly surefire plans fail or their hands are unexpectedly tied when each warring faction refuses to ally with others or forms false alliances that may backfire at any time.

The complications that ensue leave characters exchanging their advantages in nearly every chapter, their weaknesses as well as their strengths revealed in turn, their frustrations leading to more desparate measures over and over, often involving use of the magical gifts each of the main characters wield, giving us new glimpses into the magical underpinnings of Akhtar's world.

Will the next entry in the saga bring it all to a close? No doubt Akhtar is hard at work on GG4 so we can find out.

The author provided an Advance Review Copy for this unfortunately not so advance review. Where Conqueror's Blood earned a rare 9/10 rating from me, Elder Epoch does not lag far behind with 8.5, my threshold for the GR rating of 5 stars.

Elder Epoch (Gunmetal Gods, #3) by Zamil Akhtar is a tour de force in the dark fantasy genre, blending intricate world-building with complex character arcs. Akhtar's ability to weave a narrative that is both compelling and thought-provoking sets this book apart from its contemporaries.

One of the standout elements of Elder Epoch is its rich, immersive world. The setting is meticulously crafted, with a level of detail that rivals the works of Brandon Sanderson and George R.R. Martin. Akhtar's world feels lived-in and alive, with a history and culture that permeate every page.

"Akhtar's prose is both lyrical and brutal, capturing the beauty and horror of his world in equal measure."

Compared to other recent entries in the genre, such as R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War series or Joe Abercrombie's The Age of Madness trilogy, Elder Epoch stands out for its unique blend of Middle Eastern mythology and steampunk elements. This fusion creates a refreshing and original setting that distinguishes it from the often Eurocentric focus of its peers.

Character development in Elder Epoch is another highlight. The protagonists are deeply flawed and human, their personal struggles and growth driving the narrative forward. In this respect, Akhtar's work is reminiscent of Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire series, where the characters' internal conflicts are as gripping as the external battles they face.

 
 Without giving too much away, the climax of Elder Epoch is both satisfying and heartbreaking, leaving readers eager for the next installment. 

In conclusion, Elder Epoch is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy. Akhtar's masterful storytelling, combined with his unique world-building and complex characters, make this book a standout addition to the genre. Whether you're a longtime fan of the Gunmetal Gods series or a newcomer, Elder Epoch is sure to captivate and leave a lasting impression.

OH. MY. GOD. WOW.

alright, let me start off by saying that zamil akhtar can write a 600 paged book about kinn and his adventures, and I'd read it.

now for the actual review.
I'm honestly so obsessed with the writing, from start to finish I was just absolutely hooked on every word. I was so happy that Kevah had his own POV again, he was my favourite character when I started this series and he remains one of my favourites. I also love his relationship with Ruhi, it's so sweet and it reminds me of Melody at times, (also when Kevah mentioned Melody??? I will never not cry when she's mentioned.) Basil is also such a great character to me, his lore was very interesting to read and I wished we had gotten more of him!!

Cyra's chapters are another one of my favourites after Kevah's, she is one hell of an unhinged antagonist. I almost feel bad for her multiple times before I remember just how many people she's willing to sacrifice for power, comparing her to the conqueror's blood version, she has really come a long way. I remember how I used to LOVE her so much then, her villain arc is absolutely delicious.

I was suprised for Lunara to make her return, and I'm so intrigued on what her character will bring in the next book, and hopefully Sadie will find her way back to her body somehow too🙏🙏 also, THE ENDING??? So excited fot the fourth book, I NEED to know who that man really was.

I expected this book to close the story. I was about ~90% into the account when I realized that it is not likely happening here... so I am somewhat disappointed and happy at the same time.

What did we got here? Political intricacy? Fairly well written. Combat? Getting hotter. Cosmic horror? Sublime. Mr Zamil found a masterful act of balance of telling, hinting and just showing us things. The dread is real and the supernatural is just beyond our understanding with so many layers.

The raw materials are good, does the cooking and the seasoning go along with it? Not remarkably, this book is again a big tease. Things are happening but their impact is questionable at best, feel weightless in most cases. The story is still just building up. I am not a huge fan of going home without some climax thought. The ending felt, short.

I liked the characters better this time. My janissary Kevah is going at least somewhere.

I rate this book as a 1 big tease out of the grand scheme of things. An egg, not yet hatched but bled some content into this world.