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rebeccazh's review against another edition
I actually enjoyed this quite a lot, though I won't be reading the sequels. The greatest strength of this book is definitely Amaranth. She's curious and focused and really (unintentionally) funny. Her thought processes are so entertaining and enjoyable to read. I'd recommend this book just on the strength of her voice.
Buuuut what I didn't like so much was that this is a world in which gender discrimination and stereotypes are part of its fabric. Glass ceilings for women, ideas about how women and men should behave... Didn't really like that.
Buuuut what I didn't like so much was that this is a world in which gender discrimination and stereotypes are part of its fabric. Glass ceilings for women, ideas about how women and men should behave... Didn't really like that.
poodily's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
renuked's review against another edition
3.0
I read this because I was looking for something set in an altered world with fantasy elements. I was also excited by the prospect of steampunk and some sort of Asian tinged society. But what I received was a confusing world, with too many different aspects ripped from both different book genres and world history. It was exciting at first, but eventually it became overwhelming and things just overlapped like a messy seven-layer dip.
I really enjoyed Amaranthe Lokdon. She wasn't a typical female protagonist. She wasn't the one to throw punches and beat up a thousand different people. Sure, when it came to a fight she held her own. But she was more the one to use her brains and concoct crazy schemes. However, most of her plotting was actually borderline ridiculous. If it was meant to be comedic, it would have been perfect. However, I do believe that I was supposed to take her "genius" plan for inflating the economy seriously. i really don't know how that was supposed to save the Emperor. I just went with it, even though there were serious plot holes and flaws.
It was definitely strange. The romance was just bland. Sicarius was supposed to be a cold, mysterious assassin. I think I was supposed to fall in love with him. But his exterior was just too boring. There was no personality. And the bombshell dropped at the end was just weird. It was a twist I really did not expect...but I also didn't enjoy. Sounds vague, I'm sorry. But suffice to say, it was just distasteful to me.
But overall it's a fun romp. The characters are varied and the fantasy is light. I liked the political conspiracies the most. But there were definitely some important elements missing, and that added up to make the book mildly disappointing.
I really enjoyed Amaranthe Lokdon. She wasn't a typical female protagonist. She wasn't the one to throw punches and beat up a thousand different people. Sure, when it came to a fight she held her own. But she was more the one to use her brains and concoct crazy schemes. However, most of her plotting was actually borderline ridiculous. If it was meant to be comedic, it would have been perfect. However, I do believe that I was supposed to take her "genius" plan for inflating the economy seriously. i really don't know how that was supposed to save the Emperor. I just went with it, even though there were serious plot holes and flaws.
It was definitely strange. The romance was just bland. Sicarius was supposed to be a cold, mysterious assassin. I think I was supposed to fall in love with him. But his exterior was just too boring. There was no personality. And the bombshell dropped at the end was just weird. It was a twist I really did not expect...but I also didn't enjoy. Sounds vague, I'm sorry. But suffice to say, it was just distasteful to me.
But overall it's a fun romp. The characters are varied and the fantasy is light. I liked the political conspiracies the most. But there were definitely some important elements missing, and that added up to make the book mildly disappointing.
msbookishcompagnons's review against another edition
adventurous
4.75
this book really surprised me. Positively.
I got it on a whim, just because it was free and honestly didn't expect much.
But it was so so good. Wanted to read like 30 minutes in the morning before getting up...but well, I finished it in one sitting. Do I have stuff to study? Sure. But was I really invested? Hell yeah.
I liked the plot - though a lot of things happened in an awfully convenient way - the characters - seriously, they are all amazing and very different from each other, funny in a way - and, most importantly, the writing.
It feels a bit like an adult Six of Crows, with the found family of misfits, if Kaz were the heartless assassin in Inej the good-hearted plotter.
I will say that sometimes...it didn't exactly make sense. Nothing dramatic or anything but just a bit too dramatic / extreme to be realistic. Which I don't necessarily expect from my books, so I'm fine with it.
The romance really isn't important in this book though it undoubtedly develops in the background. Same with magic...it's there but it's not in the forefront.
I'm excited to see where this will lead.
I got it on a whim, just because it was free and honestly didn't expect much.
But it was so so good. Wanted to read like 30 minutes in the morning before getting up...but well, I finished it in one sitting. Do I have stuff to study? Sure. But was I really invested? Hell yeah.
I liked the plot - though a lot of things happened in an awfully convenient way - the characters - seriously, they are all amazing and very different from each other, funny in a way - and, most importantly, the writing.
It feels a bit like an adult Six of Crows, with the found family of misfits, if Kaz were the heartless assassin in Inej the good-hearted plotter.
I will say that sometimes...it didn't exactly make sense. Nothing dramatic or anything but just a bit too dramatic / extreme to be realistic. Which I don't necessarily expect from my books, so I'm fine with it.
The romance really isn't important in this book though it undoubtedly develops in the background. Same with magic...it's there but it's not in the forefront.
I'm excited to see where this will lead.
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an adventurous romp with a healthy dash of silliness.
The story revolves around Amaranth Lokdon, Imperial Enforcer (cop), neat-freak, and all around goodie two shoes. After foiling a robbery by two large ex-soldiers on her own, she attracts the attention of the Emperor, who had been in the area for something unrelated. This brings her to the attention of Commander of the Armies Hollowcrest. Hollowcrest sets her to apprehend a notorious and dangerous assassin named Sicarius.
But Enforcers patrol the street and uphold the law. They aren't killers, or even soldiers. Why did Hollowcrest want her for this mission? Finding that out gets Amaranth involved in things much bigger than she had ever imagined.
The story is a fun adventure populated with engaging characters. I found certain plot points and plans very larger-than-life. They strained my suspension of disbelief a bit, but the book doesn't take itself very seriously, which helped. In the end, it had the feel of an old pulp adventure in that way. Indiana Jones disarming soldiers with a bullwhip, or Alan Quartermain riding railroad rails on his shoes come to mind.
The author's voice was pretty good, with a few discordant notes here and there.
All in all, I enjoyed it a lot and plan to read the rest of the series.
The Audio Book
I downloaded the MP3 version of this book from PodioBooks.com.
The production (Darkfire Books) was good quality with clear audio. It was performed well, for the most part, though the narrator mishandled a few less common words.
The story revolves around Amaranth Lokdon, Imperial Enforcer (cop), neat-freak, and all around goodie two shoes. After foiling a robbery by two large ex-soldiers on her own, she attracts the attention of the Emperor, who had been in the area for something unrelated. This brings her to the attention of Commander of the Armies Hollowcrest. Hollowcrest sets her to apprehend a notorious and dangerous assassin named Sicarius.
But Enforcers patrol the street and uphold the law. They aren't killers, or even soldiers. Why did Hollowcrest want her for this mission? Finding that out gets Amaranth involved in things much bigger than she had ever imagined.
The story is a fun adventure populated with engaging characters. I found certain plot points and plans very larger-than-life. They strained my suspension of disbelief a bit, but the book doesn't take itself very seriously, which helped. In the end, it had the feel of an old pulp adventure in that way. Indiana Jones disarming soldiers with a bullwhip, or Alan Quartermain riding railroad rails on his shoes come to mind.
The author's voice was pretty good, with a few discordant notes here and there.
All in all, I enjoyed it a lot and plan to read the rest of the series.
The Audio Book
I downloaded the MP3 version of this book from PodioBooks.com.
The production (Darkfire Books) was good quality with clear audio. It was performed well, for the most part, though the narrator mishandled a few less common words.
dudenhag's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
To give credit where credit’s due, I kept on returning to this book after every time I decided to put it down because I found problems with the writing. So as far as self-published books go, this is a real nice free find. It has some of the problems that I’ve experienced in other self-published books—notably in pacing, world-building, and plot—but at its heart is a very delightfully strong protagonist and some chuckle-inducing dialogue.
Amaranthe Lokdon is one of the few female enforcers working for her emperor, but when she gets in the middle of a sinister plot that threatens the emperor’s life, she’s forced to drop everything from her old life in order to save herself—and possibly save the emperor. Amaranthe amasses a ragtag team, including Sicarius, a lethal assassin, to execute her crazy plan. But what if she can’t trust even her own team to have her back?
Amaranthe is the type of woman that many protagonists think they are but aren’t really. With her enforcer training, she’s more than physically and intellectually competent. She’s also capable of getting herself out of sticky predicaments with creative thinking. Instead of saying all the time that she’s resourceful and smart and badass, she actually IS. Whenever I thought I was done with this because of some writing weaknesses, Amaranthe comes out with something that impresses me.
About those writing weaknesses… Well, it’s just the stuff that I’ve generally found to appear in self-published books. As in, the world makes sense in the author’s mind, but somewhere down the line, the author’s intended world doesn’t align with the words that actually end up on the page. THE EMPEROR’S EDGE claims to be a fantasy with steampunk elements, but besides for a few mentions of engines and mages and whatnot, it was difficult to distinguish what made this world so different than a medieval/contemporary mashup of our own. (At one point one of the characters calls out, “Yo!” I facepalmed like it was the end of the world.)
I also haven’t warmed up to the Amaranthe-Sicarius romance yet, primarily because Sicarius himself doesn’t demonstrate even a HINT of romantic gestures throughout the whole novel. Amaranthe, girl, you are really deluded if you’ve spotted anything even remotely resembling him caring for you in this episode of your life. However, I believe that the potential for romance is there, and it can pay off in the end, if that’s something that motivates your reading.
Nevertheless, THE EMPEROR’S EDGE exceeded my expectations for a free self-published novel. It’s got its flaws, but they’re not deal-breakers, not with great characters and an admirable female protagonist leading the charge. I may even consider reading on in the series sometime in the future. Snap up this free e-book and be prepared to be impressed with how much heart it’s got.
Amaranthe Lokdon is one of the few female enforcers working for her emperor, but when she gets in the middle of a sinister plot that threatens the emperor’s life, she’s forced to drop everything from her old life in order to save herself—and possibly save the emperor. Amaranthe amasses a ragtag team, including Sicarius, a lethal assassin, to execute her crazy plan. But what if she can’t trust even her own team to have her back?
Amaranthe is the type of woman that many protagonists think they are but aren’t really. With her enforcer training, she’s more than physically and intellectually competent. She’s also capable of getting herself out of sticky predicaments with creative thinking. Instead of saying all the time that she’s resourceful and smart and badass, she actually IS. Whenever I thought I was done with this because of some writing weaknesses, Amaranthe comes out with something that impresses me.
About those writing weaknesses… Well, it’s just the stuff that I’ve generally found to appear in self-published books. As in, the world makes sense in the author’s mind, but somewhere down the line, the author’s intended world doesn’t align with the words that actually end up on the page. THE EMPEROR’S EDGE claims to be a fantasy with steampunk elements, but besides for a few mentions of engines and mages and whatnot, it was difficult to distinguish what made this world so different than a medieval/contemporary mashup of our own. (At one point one of the characters calls out, “Yo!” I facepalmed like it was the end of the world.)
I also haven’t warmed up to the Amaranthe-Sicarius romance yet, primarily because Sicarius himself doesn’t demonstrate even a HINT of romantic gestures throughout the whole novel. Amaranthe, girl, you are really deluded if you’ve spotted anything even remotely resembling him caring for you in this episode of your life. However, I believe that the potential for romance is there, and it can pay off in the end, if that’s something that motivates your reading.
Nevertheless, THE EMPEROR’S EDGE exceeded my expectations for a free self-published novel. It’s got its flaws, but they’re not deal-breakers, not with great characters and an admirable female protagonist leading the charge. I may even consider reading on in the series sometime in the future. Snap up this free e-book and be prepared to be impressed with how much heart it’s got.
nivis's review against another edition
5.0
Just buddy read three tragically terrible booktok romances back to back, so of course I had to temper it with a 4th reread of one of my all-time favorite comfort novels (usually I loathe rereading/rewatching anything but exceptions are made). I can't even explain why I love this book so much, and lowkey I wouldn't even recommend it to anyone who asked, but I guess it's just one of those books. Could be nostalgia. God I love these characters so much they have to be my favorite cast ever. 11/10
(Also, someone please give this novel the cover it deserves
(Also, someone please give this novel the cover it deserves
nitzanschwarz's review against another edition
4.0
May 27, 2018 re-read: I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS ONE A SECOND TIME!
It's still not a five star because certain plot-lines are such throwaways and mean nothing,like the whole counterfeit money. Could have been used a little better but that doesn't change anything, really. The characters are golden. Their interactions are golden. And the fact no one else sees how freakin' fond Sicarius is of Amaranthe drives me insane. I'm going to get to these two having their HEA this time around!
Originally published on my blog.
You guys, let me tell you of this little hidden gem. According to Amazon, I one-clicked The Emperor's Edge on September 28th 2012.. That was before I had any form of e-reader. All I had was the free PC kindle app, and a trigger-happy finger for freebies because I was so stoked by the idea of getting to read a book legally for free.
Course, I am still trigger happy for that, but I am a little more reserved - only getting books I truly think I'm going to enjoy. Thing is, I didn't do this filtering process back at 2012. And so I ended up with a TON of books that I just... left hanging. This was one of those, until I saw some very strong recommendation for this book (and series) by my friends Ellen and Sierra (you should follow them, they're totally awesome).
So, I read it. And guess what? I LOVED it!
The best thing about this book is hands down the characters, though hell if I know how to pronounce their names!
In a militaristic empire in an unknown world, lives Amaranthe, a young female enforcer where women warriors are highly unusual. But no matter how much people may look down at her, Amaranthe knows what she wants- and it's not to be a business woman ora housewife. She's a protector, through and through. And possibly an adrenaline junkie... *shrug* She's a stickler for details (actually, kind of verges on OCD), she's serious and.... how did Sicarius coin it?... focused . In other words,
Seriously, the girl isn't even a great warrior or anything, but she's just so badass. she's a Queen! And she managed to remain female despite that!
Then there's Sicarius - aloof, poker faced Sicarius... a deadly assassin who moves like a shadow. You never see him strike, and he is cold and emotionless. For the most part. Naturally, there's more to the ruthless killer, and anyways, my strong opinion on Sicarius could be summed pretty neatly by the following gif:
Yep.
As for these two together...
Oh yeah, you guys. I ship it... I ship it bad.If you're a fan ofslow-burn romances, of these couples that drive you crazy and make you shake the book and chant "just kiss!" at it, those couples you know will be just so EPIC if they would just kindly decide to smooch, get married and have beautiful children please because IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!?.
Then you'll love this series, for sure.
Aside for these perfect two, we've got an occasionally functional gang with tendencies toward violence that consists of a hilarious ex-heir turned male escort, a drunk professor, and a magical punk. All lovable, all added to the story, all deserving of hugs and love.
Truly, this book is just so much fun. It's epic adventure, with dire mission and high stakes, and death (though, I admit, the reason this book is not a 5 star is that I felt death was handled a bit too offhandedly) but it's has such a light comedic tone to it that makes it so readable. It doesn't depress you, like a lot of epic adventure stories do.
I truly recommend you go get and read this one, you guys. It will literally cost you nothing!
It's still not a five star because certain plot-lines are such throwaways and mean nothing,
Originally published on my blog.
You guys, let me tell you of this little hidden gem. According to Amazon, I one-clicked The Emperor's Edge on September 28th 2012.. That was before I had any form of e-reader. All I had was the free PC kindle app, and a trigger-happy finger for freebies because I was so stoked by the idea of getting to read a book legally for free.
Course, I am still trigger happy for that, but I am a little more reserved - only getting books I truly think I'm going to enjoy. Thing is, I didn't do this filtering process back at 2012. And so I ended up with a TON of books that I just... left hanging. This was one of those, until I saw some very strong recommendation for this book (and series) by my friends Ellen and Sierra (you should follow them, they're totally awesome).
So, I read it. And guess what? I LOVED it!
The best thing about this book is hands down the characters, though hell if I know how to pronounce their names!
In a militaristic empire in an unknown world, lives Amaranthe, a young female enforcer where women warriors are highly unusual. But no matter how much people may look down at her, Amaranthe knows what she wants- and it's not to be a business woman ora housewife. She's a protector, through and through. And possibly an adrenaline junkie... *shrug* She's a stickler for details (actually, kind of verges on OCD), she's serious and.... how did Sicarius coin it?... focused . In other words,
Seriously, the girl isn't even a great warrior or anything, but she's just so badass. she's a Queen! And she managed to remain female despite that!
Then there's Sicarius - aloof, poker faced Sicarius... a deadly assassin who moves like a shadow. You never see him strike, and he is cold and emotionless. For the most part. Naturally, there's more to the ruthless killer, and anyways, my strong opinion on Sicarius could be summed pretty neatly by the following gif:
Yep.
As for these two together...
Oh yeah, you guys. I ship it... I ship it bad.If you're a fan ofslow-burn romances, of these couples that drive you crazy and make you shake the book and chant "just kiss!" at it, those couples you know will be just so EPIC if they would just kindly decide to smooch, get married and have beautiful children please because IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!?.
Then you'll love this series, for sure.
Aside for these perfect two, we've got an occasionally functional gang with tendencies toward violence that consists of a hilarious ex-heir turned male escort, a drunk professor, and a magical punk. All lovable, all added to the story, all deserving of hugs and love.
Truly, this book is just so much fun. It's epic adventure, with dire mission and high stakes, and death (though, I admit, the reason this book is not a 5 star is that I felt death was handled a bit too offhandedly) but it's has such a light comedic tone to it that makes it so readable. It doesn't depress you, like a lot of epic adventure stories do.
I truly recommend you go get and read this one, you guys. It will literally cost you nothing!
beautifuldissonance's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good fun but required some suspension of disbelief. I enjoyed the characters but they seemed mire like caricatures than real people. All in all, though, it was an amusing romp and I can see myself reading the next one eventually.