Vispilio

At a Glance: My Biggest Surprise of the Year

Vispilio is often compared to the story everyone knows—Robin Hood, a timeless classic that has been retold countless times over the years. Vispilio doesn’t just retell that story; it weaves it into the world’s own mythology through the legend of “Vispilio,” reimagining the trope into an epic political fantasy that is told through multiple POVs. This isn’t just a retelling, it’s unpacking of the Robin Hood myth that asks what kind of tyranny creates such a legend in the first place. I went in expecting a standard fantasy tale, but DeBoer’s debut novel ended up delivering a visceral and emotionally complex political drama that blew me away.

In the Kingdom of Southborn war has finally come to an end, but for the common people of the land it doesn’t mean things are going to get better. Vispilio tells the story of two men, their lives shaped by the sins of their fathers, and how they try to navigate their circumstances and their secrets. On one side is Antony, a bowyer’s adopted son who has little memory of his youngest years. On the other is John, the King’s bastard who is loathed by his father and will do anything to get his approval. As the King’s oppression pushes the common people to a breaking point, and a violent rebellion begins under the mantle of the Vispilio, both men find themselves trapped in a game where the only prize is survival. This is a story where fathers die for their sons, innocents are caught in the crossfire, and the line between hero and villain is drawn in blood.

The Vispilio Legend: Tyranny Sparks Rebellion

The Kingdom of Southborn is low magic world set in a medieval time period, where mythology, bloodlines, and dreams have slight hints of a magical influence. Rumors of the forest being alive are the most magic the citizens of the realm—and in turn the reader—is aware of.

The women of Barnswood liked to talk about how the trees of the Hemlock came alive at night and would dance under the Harvestmonth moon.

While Vispilio may not have water mages or dragons, it does have an abundance of political intrigue, complex characters, palpable tension, and a gripping plot with a broad and well-thought-out world.

The land is ruled by a Monarchy that is in question from the start as we learn how King Tanor came to power, and what he is willing to do to keep his legacy alive and his family name on the throne. There is a well fleshed out religious system as well, with several saints who are looked upon for guidance and often used to justify the tyrannical actions of the King.

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Sons of Sinners: Two Different Paths

Vispilio is told through multiple POVs each with distinct voices and not one of them ever makes you want to skip to the next chapter as they all enhance the overall story.

Antony is the son of a local bow maker, a humble young man who suffered a fall from a tree as a boy and has amnesia about anything prior to the fall. His moral compass and inability to stay quiet in the face of injustice quickly lead to trouble. Now he struggles with the weight of responsibility he never asked for, a past he can’t remember, and whether the violence he must commit is forgivable when it’s done in the name of what is right.

John, a King’s bastard and weapon, has returned from a war he should have never survived and still cannot win his father’s approval. On the surface John is clearly the villain, a ruthless killer without remorse, desperately seeking the validation of a depraved tyrant who will never love him. While the story never tries to justify the actions of John, it does a great job exploring what years of abuse at the hands of a father can do to a persons mental state. John was someone that I felt both anger and empathy for because his story is in my opinion tragic, but not enough to justify the choices he consciously makes.

I didn't ask to be born... I didn't ask to be your son. The least you could have done was be my father.

Adelaide is a courtier who has been brought to the kingdom by her aunt in an attempt to find her a match of worth—which really is to boost her aunts station. Her story sticks out the most to me after reading because she goes from pawn to survivor as she is forced to make impossible choices. DeBoer brilliantly has Adelaide navigate difficult situations to demonstrate the struggle of a woman who is an independent thinker in a world of unwavering expectations looking to strip away any agency she may possess. She is cunning, witty, and develops into a brave woman forced into making choices in the interest of the survival of others and herself.

That brings me to our antagonist King Tanor, who from the start is an unlikable character who appears to be another tyrant King cast from the fantasy mold. Like much of this book, DeBoer doesn’t just break the mold—she shatters it, creating one of the most compelling, terrible, demented, and infuriating antagonists I’ve read. I haven’t vehemently hated a character in a long time, but I found myself sending messages to the author as I read because I was so disgusted—a compliment, I swear—by not just what Tanor does, but by his internal monologue while doing it. Tanor is the embodiment of what happens when you give someone deranged any kind of power. After a particular scene where Tanor is disgusted by the “waddle” of the woman carrying his child I messaged DeBoer and this was her response

I knew from the start that Tanor might be a charmer but he's oftentimes a terrible husband and an even worse father. That's been true about him from draft one, 15 years ago.

— Audrey D. DeBoer

There are so many standout side characters in this as well, some more fleshed out than others, but none felt like afterthoughts or just plot points as they were involved in different scenes.

The Slow Bleed: Tension Builds to Breaking

Vispilio is told in a three—or five depending on how you look at it—act structure with a prologue and an exciting climax. We start with one hell of a hook as events from 10 years prior unfold laying the groundwork for the reader, and giving us insight the characters themselves don’t all have. As we move into act one and the groundwork for the world starts to be laid out the paces slows down in a significant way. After the strong prologue hook, act one felt like it dragged a little as things are laid out for the rest of the story. There were some moments of action peppered in that introduce characters and plant seeds of connection, which I appreciated—I just wish there had been more of that.

Vispilio hits it’s stride toward around the end of act one and then keeps a consistent pace, speeding up when it should, and giving the more intimate character moments the room they need to breath. As the political pieces start to emerge, the tension builds to a perfect crescendo as you hit the peak of the act two conflict. This leads us into the big reveals, huge character revelations, and some of the most incredible character moments of the book for all of our on POVs.

Perhaps your aunt has told you it's not what you know at court, but who you know. I would offer you this advice - it's not what you know or who you know. It's what you know about who you know.

DeBoer has prose that evokes emotions even in the most mundane of scenes, she toes the razors edge of giving you beautifully descriptive moments to paint the picture while never overdoing the exposition. This leads to a consistent, immersive reading experience that allows the characters to shine and be instantly memorable.

Between the Sheets: Duty Bound Acts

Vispilio has—for lack of a better term—a love triangle between John, Antony, and Adelaide but it’s not the typical romantic endeavor that this trope usually covers. Adelaide is duty-bound in an arranged marriage to John while falling for Antony, which ultimately creates the triangle—but the line connecting Adelaide and John lacks love. With all of this, where Vispilio doesn’t break the fantasy mold is outside of a few kisses, this follows the fade-to-black style often seen in fantasy earning this a 🌶️ (1.0) on our spice scale.

Where it does shine is the forbidden love and deep yearning between Adelaide and Antony, the love feels real and not manufactured, it’s not convenient, and overall is beautifully tragic. There are some darker themes tied to intimacy and consent, but those are also implied via context and not ever on the page directly.

Bro Reading Comfort: Lobby Approved

Vispilio doesn’t have any explicit scenes that would make you blush out in public, but does get emotionally heavy at times which could lead to a little bit of discomfort depending on how outwardly you convey your emotions. The cover has a bit of whimsy to it, but won’t draw any raised eyebrows as people walk by earning this a 😳 (1.5) on our comfort scale.

The story reads as a dark fantasy or something Grimdark adjacent but isn’t completely bleak, it does traverse some sensitive things thematically that could cause a bit of personal discomfort.

Darkness Factor: Brutality With Purpose

The third paragraph contains a minor spoiler

Vispilio is not retelling the lighthearted fantasy tales from films like Robin Williams’ Hook, this story really shows what types of atrocities and brutality that pushes a populous to rebellion. The violence is visceral, graphic beheadings, descriptive combat, psychological breakdowns, and a wedding night that is consummated out of survival instead of consent. This is a bleak story that examines heavy themes in order to build understanding earning this a 💀💀💀 (3.5) on our darkness scale.

I want to be very clear, while these themes are dark and can be uncomfortable, DeBoer handles them with care and I never got the feeling that any scene was unnecessary or gratuitous. Rebellions aren’t only sparked over raised taxes, they are sparked because of the oppression and atrocities the monarchy inflicts upon its people while they live lavish lives unbothered by the plights of their subjects.

The wedding night in particular is something that implies through context a non-consensual consummation of the marriage where John is acting out of obligation to his father, and Adelaide submitting out of fear and lack of agency, rather than mutual passion. The scene is a fade to black but the gathered context from right before and after it happens serve to convey the gravity of the moment.

Book Battlefield: A Dark Political Fantasy

It has been a long time since I’ve read a political fantasy that has captivated me the way Vispilio has. I don’t say this lightly, but what DeBoer has created with this book feels like it has the bones of something along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. Before you come for me, I’m speaking to the potential of what the future books could become if this is the path the series takes and continues to improve upon, not that in its current state it’s a 1:1 with ASOIAF.

I think for not only a book one, but a debut at that, this is a stellar political fantasy that anyone who enjoys the aforementioned politicking will really enjoy.

Shelf Placement: This sits perfectly on the shelf between Joe Abercrombie’s cynical Grimdark war stories and George RR Martin’s political machinations—but with a tighter scope that actually finishes plot threads. If you loved the court intrigue of A Song of Ice and Fire but wish it focused on a rebellion’s spark rather than sprawling kingdoms, Vispilio delivers. For readers who finished Empire of the Vampire and need that same “fathers sacrificing for sons, heroes shaped by brutality” energy in a medieval political setting, this is your next read. While you won’t get vampires, you will get a great thematic exploration of how people rise to the occasion when all hope seems lost, while also navigating a complicated political landscape, mixed with some brutality.

I think Vispilio is shaping up to be an incredible series and I wouldn’t be shocked to start seeing this regularly at bookstores and as a regular recommendation when people are looking for Grimdark, Political Fantasy, or an adult Robin Hood retelling.

Should You Bother?

For Fans of Political Fantasy: This is a resounding yes, there is no question that you will absolutely devour this one and then find yourself wondering why you’re not seeing this everywhere.

For Fans of Grimdark: This is a gritty and bleak look into just how terrible a populous has to be treated to cause a rebellion. If you love the cynicism of Joe Abercrombie, this has the same vibes.

For Character First Readers: None of these characters are straight forward, they are messy, complicated, and make bad decisions for understandable reasons. Everyone of them is compelling in a different way and feel incredibly human and believable.

For Fans of Adult Fantasy Retellings: If you’ve aged out of YA Robin Hood adaptations and want a visceral, politically complex reimagining with real stakes and brutal consequences, this is exactly what you’re looking for. DeBoer doesn’t sanitize the legend—she unpacks what kind of tyranny creates a Vispilio in the first place.

Final BroMantasy Verdict

Vispilio was recommended to me a ton even before I decided to dedicate November to only indie reads, and was pitched as an adult gritty Robin Hood retelling with good character work. It is all of those things for sure, but what I think is the most compelling and impressive thing is the level of court intrigue, backstabbing, and overall political maneuvering that this story has. Once the politicking became the primary focus I found myself moving through this at a wild pace because I just had to know what was going to happen next. As if that wasn’t enough, the character work is top notch, the dialogue was smooth with a natural feel, and the visceral hatred I had for the antagonist is something I haven’t experienced in a long while. Couple all these things together with the fact that this is a debut novel, and that is why this is hands down my biggest surprise of the year, earning it a 4.25/5.

DeBoer has laid the foundation for what could be a generational Political Fantasy, a series that could one day go toe to toe with the greats in the space. It hits all the right notes for anyone who loves this genre for what it really is, a drama filled, scheming, tension laden landscape that has you on the edge of your seat even in the most innocuous of moments. You’ll find yourself analyzing every conversation for double meanings, foreshadowing, or traps being laid as you grow to love—and hate—these characters. While the brutality is woven in, the heart of the story lies with the characters and their experiences as the people are pushed past breaking and lines are drawn.

While Vispilio does so many things right, the pacing of act one put me on my heels a little bit after the strong hook of the prologue. I always expect a bit of a slow start when entering a new world but I did find myself thinking it was a little drawn out during some of the early world-building. The story quickly recovers towards the end of act one and then hits a perfect stride for the remainder as the political intrigue really starts to take center stage.

From the end of act one on though, DeBoer puts on a show with her prose as she starts to focus on the political machinations happening within the court. The ability to build tension in moments that on the surface seem like harmless conversations was such an enjoyable experience as a reader. I found myself questioning everything as these scenes unfolded, wondering how this conversation could be used to benefit or hurt someone else. I personally can not wait for book two, if you’re here trying to figure out if you should add Vispilio to your TBR, I’m telling you this is a book you need to put at the top of your pile.

Be sure to follow Audrey DeBoer on socials for updates about her upcoming books as well on Instagram and X!