In the world of grimdark fantasy, few debut authors arrive with the kind of visceral clarity and underground buzz that surrounds Anji Kills a King. Evan Leikam didn’t take the traditional path into publishing—no MFA, no prestigious workshops. Instead, his journey began backstage in dimly lit venues and on long van rides across Europe and the U.S., drumming for an indie rock band and scribbling story ideas on the back of setlists. Somewhere between the stage and the solitude, a world took shape—one filled with haunted bounty hunters, fractured kingdoms, and a girl who topples an empire with a single, fatal act.
Leikam grew up tucked among the forests of central Oregon, where fantasy novels and retro video games shaped his early imagination. But it wasn’t until years later, working restaurant shifts and podcasting in Portland, that he returned to writing in earnest. The idea that became Anji Kills a King began as a messy draft written in a basement. It might have stayed there, too—if not for a quiet push from his girlfriend, who encouraged him to see it through.
That perseverance led to a three-book deal with Tor Publishing. The novel, set for release in May 2025, is the opening chapter in The Rising Tide, a dark fantasy series where magic is rare, power is ruthless, and no character is safe. Drawing comparisons to Joe Abercrombie and R.F. Kuang, the book has already stirred anticipation among fans of morally complex, blood-streaked epics. But what sets Leikam apart isn’t just his brutal worldbuilding or breakneck pacing—it’s the quiet tenderness pulsing beneath the violence, the way his characters bleed not just from wounds but from regret, fear, and fleeting moments of hope.
Off the page, Leikam is known for co-hosting the Book Reviews Kill podcast and creating thoughtful, hype-free content on TikTok and Instagram, where he’s become a trusted voice in the fantasy and sci-fi reading communities. He still lives in Portland, where he divides his time between writing, cooking, music production, biking through rain-slick streets, and dying repeatedly in Elden Ring.
With Anji Kills a King, Leikam hasn’t just written a debut—he’s carved out a raw, resonant space in the fantasy genre, one where brutality and beauty clash in every chapter.
