GetUrBook Review: The Dying Realms

🌌 The Dying Realms by Hil G. Gibb — A Portal Fantasy That Dares to Feel

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Genre: Romantic Epic Fantasy 

Series: Book 1 of the Golden Fleck Series

Hil G. Gibb’s The Dying Realms opens not with a bang, but with a quiet ache. Annie Harper, an 18-year-old loner, finds herself in Glasgow’s Necropolis on her birthday—a setting that’s as symbolic as it is eerie. When she touches a moss-covered gravestone, she’s pulled into a realm that’s dying, both literally and metaphorically. What follows is a journey that’s part fantasy quest, part emotional reckoning.

✨ What Works

• Atmospheric World-Building: Gibb’s realm is richly textured. From elven beasts to ancient artefacts, the setting feels lived-in and layered. It’s not just magical—it’s mournful.

• Emotional Depth: Annie isn’t your typical chosen-one heroine. She’s vulnerable, angry, and often unsure. Her emotional arc—grief, guilt, and reluctant hope—adds weight to the fantasy.

• Romantic Undercurrents: The romance is slow-burning and tangled in the story’s darker themes. It doesn’t overpower the plot but adds a human pulse to the magical stakes.

⚠️ What Might Divide Readers

• Pacing: The early chapters lean heavily into introspection, which may feel slow for readers expecting immediate action.

• Complex Lore: The realm’s mythology is ambitious, but at times overwhelming. A glossary or map might have helped.

💭 Final Thoughts

The Dying Realms isn’t just a portal fantasy—it’s a meditation on pain, purpose, and the fragile threads that connect worlds. Gibb’s writing is poetic without being indulgent, and Annie’s journey feels earned. For readers who crave fantasy with emotional grit and romantic tension, this is a promising start to a series that dares to go dark.