God needs to die, and the Sorcerer Merulo has decided he’s the man for the job. Hidden by magical fog in his tower, Merulo gathers sacred texts from the pre-calamity to try and find a way to restore the world he believes once was. Outside the tower, a religious order has risen up with the express purpose of keeping the world the way it is and preventing Merulo from his task at all costs.
Sir Cameron is not having the best time. Not only do his fellow knights want him to fight a rather hideous magical construct to prove his mettle, but now his best friend, Glenda, wants to murder him. After careful consultation of a burned dragon part, a prophecy has been revealed. For the evil sorcerer Merulo to die, the greatest danger to the kingdom, Sir Cameron must fall under Glenda’s blade. Sir Cameron is a lot of things: attractive, tall, golden haired. However, he isn’t particularly brave and enjoys being late to most battles. When Glenda declares that he must die and it is a great honor, he doesn’t react well. In fact, he gives her a concussion and flees to the shelter of their common enemy. After all, if he doesn’t die, neither does the sorcerer. Thankfully, Merulo sees his point. Unfortunately, he doesn’t agree that Sir Cameron should be pampered or treated like a guest. Cameron soon learns he sometimes enjoys being mistreated, leading to a lot of concerns on Merulo’s part. Will Cameron accidentally keep Merulo from his task or be the inspiration for the magic user to succeed?
Greer Stothers’ world building is creative and surprising, regularly sparking the reader’s attention and reminding them that all may not be as it seems. The book is occasionally laugh out loud funny, as Sir Cameron is self-deprecating but often struggles with true self-awareness. While there are racier scenes implied, they are mostly fade to black with more inference than detail. While nothing is Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series, I will say that it definitely predisposed me to love the world Stother’s has created. Queer characters where gender really doesn’t matter? Check. A knight who seems to have no idea how to interact with the world outside the structure of their youth? Check. A god who sounds like a bit of a bastard? Double check.
One of the things I absolutely loved about this book is how it plays with gender like silly putty. In just a few short chapters Sir Cameron goes from male to a vulture, to a human woman, and then back to male when he can’t handle a period. Women aren’t disparaged for being women, often proving to be the more qualified and trained member during individual missions and pairings. Their struggles are appreciated without it being the center focus on the story or making it all about trauma. Cameron, even when in a different body feels very gender fluid. It’s played for laughs but still feels respectful for readers exploring their identities.
Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die is available from Titan Books February 3, 2026.
