Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die
by Greer StothersPublished by: Titan Books on February 3, 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Pages: 383
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Rating:
In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together.
All his life, Sir Cameron has tried to stay as far away from danger as possible. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Sir Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to the mad sorcerer.
Merulo isn't thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he's really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew?
As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, led by an angry concussed elf—which definitely isn't in any way Cameron's fault—the sorcerer's poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he's also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if their hobby is trying to kill God.
Even if it might get you killed, too.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Action-packed, funny romantasy that keeps you guessing
- A cowardly protagonist trying to save himself from a world that wants him dead
- A less-than-healthy (but oddly compelling) queer romance
- A mad sorcerer trying to save the world from itself . . . by destroying it
- Delightfully funny scenarios, made more absurd with magic
Overall
The only thing I needed to know about this book before knowing, without a doubt, I needed to read it was the title. I mean, how can you resist a title so snarky and defiant?! It doesn’t hurt that this book in its entirety, from its shiny, gold cover to its decorated edges, is absolutely stunning. I was always going to pick it up. But then I read the blurb and knew that this was a book written for me!
Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die is a comedic queer romantasy where one cowardly knight is willing to go against prophecy to save his own hide, with the . . . help? (if you can call it that) . . . of his worst enemy.
This book was an absolutely wild ride, in the best possible way. The characters are funny, the plot unexpected, and I couldn’t stop laughing. I did find that there were beats that felt “off,” though, like the ending. There also seems to be an entire side plot that felt incomplete and not well tied in. All in all, I really enjoyed it, and Greer Stothers is an author I will definitely read more from!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
My Thoughts
Right off the bat, I am absolutely in love with the chapter subheadings, which are delightfully descriptive and ridiculously funny.
For example, Chapter 4: In Which an Elf Is Concussed, but It’s Not Really My Fault because What Would You Have Done? Would You Not Have Concussed the Elf? No, Of Course You Would Have. We All Would Have Concussed the Elf. Besides Which, I Am Very Sorry for Concussing Her and Will Try to Make Amends Later if She Stops Trying to Kill Me. And Also, Her Intent to Kill Me Was a Highly Relevant Factor in My Decision to Concuss Him.
Is it hopelessly long and wordy for a subtitle? Okay, sure. But is it wonderfully in character and every bit as chaotic as Sir Cameron himself? Why yes, it is. The subtitles absolutely cracked me up, and I looked forward to seeing what each new chapter had in store. I’ve never been much of a fan of titled chapters, but I absolutely loved . . . whatever this is.
In Which the Mad Sorcerer Merulo Announces His Nefarious Intentions to the World, Expecting Some Nonspecific Mixture of Fear and Awe, but Is Instead Ridiculed for His Clothing, Which He Chose on the Basis of Wanting to Look Intimidating and Is Thus Rather Sensitive About.
Sir Cameron isn’t exactly what I would call likeable, but darn if he’s not painfully relatable! Right down to being remarkably bad at . . . well . . . mostly everything.
Including, as it turns out, staying alive. To be fair, until now, Sir Cameron has done a wonderful job at that. He’s conveniently managed to avoid battles and side-step his way out of danger, to his father’s chagrin. But there’s one danger that he’s finding quite unavoidable: a prophecy shows that he must die in order for the mad sorcerer to be overthrown, once and for all. Violently. Bloodily. Two things he’s not particularly fond of, especially when they’re attached to his untimely demise.
He does everything he possibly can think to do. He pleads and begs. Sir Cameron even tries to seduce someone. Twice. (He swears this has worked before, but his track record is questionable at best.) Finally, he does the only thing that makes any sense and throws himself at the mercy of the one person who might be just as invested as he is in keeping him alive: Merulo, the Mad Sorcerer himself.
It tasted like a rock.
“Next time we’ll bring baked goods. It’s been less than an hour, and you’re already eating stones,” the sorcerer muttered.
The mad sorcerer describes Sir Cameron as a “chaos entity,” and that is probably the most apt description I’ve ever heard.
To be fair, Sir Cameron doesn’t mean to cause trouble for the people around him. Well . . . mostly. He’s just . . . not particularly good at anything? He does his best to be agreeable, in whatever way the people around him want. That’s how he’s stayed alive for so long. He’s remarkably flexible and good-tempered, even when Merulo turns him into a vulture. Easier to not be killed that way, for the most part. Sure-fire way to avoid the prophecy. In the end, not very practical, though.
Sir Cameron is realizing that he may not be as popular as he had once thought. It doesn’t bother him all that much to throw himself upon the whims of his totally not handsome and mysterious enemy, who may be the only person willing to save him, but also the only person who truly likes him. Which is the roughest blow of all.
“Well la de da, good evening to you, too.” Truthfully, I also missed being a vulture; it had been less work.
With seemingly the whole world wanting Sir Cameron dead, he throws himself upon the mercy of his mortal enemy, the mad sorcerer. And they are both . . . less than pleased. Mostly.
Merulo, understandably, isn’t thrilled when a knight throws himself on his mercy. Probably because Sir Cameron is, to put it kindly, a nuisance who is literally not good at anything. Not even seduction. (Despite his claims to the contrary.) More importantly, Sir Cameron is interrupting Merulo’s very important work. Notably, destroying the world. For its own good, of course. But still. Distractions are not welcome, and Sir Cameron is most assuredly a distraction. Certainly as a vulture. Definitely as a female. But most of all as himself.
There is actually a ridiculously cute enemies-to-lovers queer romance in this. Is it healthy? Probably not, given the circumstances. But you know what? It works for them. And it’s quite funny. My favorite part is that the romance only hints at spice. There are some . . . erm . . . compromising scenes, but nothing actually shown “on screen,” which, if I’m honest, is my favorite kind of romance!
I jingled my chains helplessly, knowing any words that left me would be compelled truthfulness. “Well listen, Merulo, you’re an extremely powerful man, and here I am all, you know . . .” I tugged my restraints in demonstration. “Seems like you could have your way, and little ol’ powerless me, what am I to do but take it?”
His face twisted into something that even an optimist like me would struggle to read as lust.
“If it’s an issue of consent, I absolutely do consent,” I clarified.
“It is not an issue of consent,” he hissed, rubbing his hands, as if the brief contact had made them dirty. “I mean, not that I would violate someone’s . . . but that’s not . . . I don’t want . . . I am INTERROGATING you!”
It killed the mood, if I was being honest, and I was magically obligated to be honest at the time.
The secondary cast are every bit as delightful as the main cast, from a drug-addicted elf, to a recluse dragon, to the worst partners-in-crime of all: siblings.
There’s not a whole lot I can say about the side cast that isn’t venturing close to spoiler territory, so what I will say is that they were fun. We meet Glenda the Elf early on, and the dual perspective with her was . . . odd. Her story felt extremely unfinished, which was kind of frustrating, considering how much time we spent with her. She was also the character that I felt like I had the least understanding of, as she was kind of all over the place.
The rest, though? I won’t say much, but they were delightful. I wouldn’t say they were necessarily Merulo’s allies, but they also weren’t actively trying to kill Sir Cameron, so . . . win?
“Me?” I said, in panicked surprise. “You can’t be angry with me today. It’s my birthday.”
He paused, anger giving way to bewilderment. “Is it?”
“Uh, well, I was born the day after the summer solstice, so . . .”
There was silence as we both tried to work out the date. Time moved differently underwater, without weather or input from the seasons. “The summer solstice passed well before we left,” he cried at last. “It is not your birthday.”
“Then my birthday passed by and we never even celebrated, which is even worse. I feel just awful about that.” And I tried to rearrange my features into appropriate mournfulness.
It didn’t work.
About Greer Stothers
Greer Stothers is an award-winning author/illustrator based in Toronto. Their experiences as a nonbinary individual inform their writing and art, as does their drive to find the humor in everything.
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I’ve been eyeing this one so I’m happy to see you enjoyed it!