Author Andrzej Gieralt is bringing his next novel to Kickstarter, and for fans of dark, morally serious fantasy with real literary bones, this one is worth your attention.
A Fading Crown of Glory is the second book from Gieralt, author of The Dragon Slayers. Set in the earliest age of the world of Iliras, it follows the bitter rivalry of two men fighting over the Eracian crown, with consequences that will reshape the kingdom for centuries. Gieralt is pitching it honestly: “It holds similar themes to tales like Macbeth and Tolkien’s The Children of Hurin. It’s a dark and cautionary tale that refuses to fall into the cynical nihilism found in many modern reactionary stories.”
The fantasy genre has a problem right now. Half the market is sanitized message fiction, and the other half overcorrects into grimdark nihilism where no one has convictions and nothing matters. Gieralt is threading the needle: his novel promises “men of valor with strong convictions, a road of temptations lined with good intentions, and a clash so disastrous it will reshape the Eracian kingdom for centuries to come.” That’s the Tolkien tradition, not a cynicism competition.
The story centers on Prince Adacos, a soldier wearied by decades of foreign war whose only comfort is staying far from the succession. Then Duke Taralos arrives: ambitious, manipulative, and determined to seize the crown. As the law of succession fractures, Adacos has to abandon his dreams of a quiet life and stop the duke from throwing everything into chaos. The twist: the burden of power starts blurring his own moral lines. Will he save the kingdom, or become the next version of the corruption he set out to stop? It’s a classic tragic arc, and in the right hands those never get old.
The Special Edition Is the Real Headline
The Kickstarter’s centerpiece reward is a signed special edition hardcover with foil-stamped faux leather cover and a dust jacket. Stretch goals could add a ribbon marker and sprayed edges, which would make it a genuinely collector-grade object. For readers who want something that looks as good on a shelf as it reads, this is the tier to back.
Standard options include a signed trade hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook, all available as add-ons.
The top collector tier, the Ilirian Emperor bundle, goes all in: the special edition, signed hardcover, signed paperback, both signed formats of The Dragon Slayers, and the complete artwork collection printed on letter-sized premium photo paper, signed by the artists. If you want the definitive Gieralt collection, that’s the one.
Get In Early
Gieralt is offering Early Bird rewards on launch day, so hitting “Notify me on launch” now is the move if you want first access. A sample chapter is already available on the campaign page for readers who want to check the prose before they commit.
Fantasy publishing needs more writers willing to write morally serious stories without flinching into nihilism. Gieralt is doing exactly that. A Fading Crown of Glory looks like the real thing.
Head to the Kickstarter page and sign up for launch notifications now.
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