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mariexlupin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
midrel's review against another edition
3.0
Depending on how much you enjoyed the first instalment in the series, you'll either be relieved or disappointed to know this second book takes place in a different setting from the first, albeit obviously in the same world. Instead of sun-blasted merciless deserts we are taken to Ethrea, a land that is much more reminiscent of all that is traditional in fantasy.
Personally, I am conflicted. While the first book had a number of flaws, the setting was nonetheless a fascinating one. In comparison to Mijak, Ethrea feels... bland, I suppose. Lacking in personality. Mijak's charm was in its harshness, in its weirdness, its fantastical monotheism in worship of a harsh but visible god. Its not something one gets to see often in fantasy.
In comparison, Ethrea felt altogether typical in pretty much everything.
As for Hekat and Rhian, they are both interesting characters in their own right, and in a way it feels like they are meant to be foils to each other, much like the settings themselves, but in the end I think I enjoyed Hekat's story so much more. Rhian by the end does not feel substantially different from Rhian at the start, which might as well be part of the point. Hekat let power, her bitterness, and her chalava change her completely, while Rhian tries to hold onto herself as much as she can, and with Dexterity's miracles this choice is made relatively easy for her.
All this is not to say the story is not un-enjoyable, though. Its certainly much more accessible than the first book, and from a strictly technical perspective maybe even better written. Every character felt really well developed, something the first book floundered pretty badly on sometimes.
I think I would have wished the miracles didnt happen. The climax felt like a foregone conclusion long before it came, and while it was still mostly satisfying to read about, I feel like it robbed the story of some further opportunity for character development.
Because of these and other gripes, I'll give it three stars just like the first book.
Personally, I am conflicted. While the first book had a number of flaws, the setting was nonetheless a fascinating one. In comparison to Mijak, Ethrea feels... bland, I suppose. Lacking in personality. Mijak's charm was in its harshness, in its weirdness, its fantastical monotheism in worship of a harsh but visible god. Its not something one gets to see often in fantasy.
In comparison, Ethrea felt altogether typical in pretty much everything.
As for Hekat and Rhian, they are both interesting characters in their own right, and in a way it feels like they are meant to be foils to each other, much like the settings themselves, but in the end I think I enjoyed Hekat's story so much more. Rhian by the end does not feel substantially different from Rhian at the start, which might as well be part of the point. Hekat let power, her bitterness, and her chalava change her completely, while Rhian tries to hold onto herself as much as she can, and with Dexterity's miracles this choice is made relatively easy for her.
All this is not to say the story is not un-enjoyable, though. Its certainly much more accessible than the first book, and from a strictly technical perspective maybe even better written. Every character felt really well developed, something the first book floundered pretty badly on sometimes.
I think I would have wished the miracles didnt happen. The climax felt like a foregone conclusion long before it came, and while it was still mostly satisfying to read about, I feel like it robbed the story of some further opportunity for character development.
Because of these and other gripes, I'll give it three stars just like the first book.
vms_lcsw's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good book though didn't really follow the storyline of book one. This book sets up a new world and then slowly introduces a character from the first. It's been about a year since I read this so I don't remember details. If you're not sure then just skip it -- it didn't blow me away.
rebekah_b94's review against another edition
3.0
When I first opened this book after finishing 'Empress', I was surprised to find the tone was very different to the previous novel, which I worried would become jarring. The world of Ethea, is very different from mjak, even the tone of the text between the two worlds are dissimilar. I applaud Miller for attempting to fuse together two very different worlds, but my first impression proved too true and soon I found the flow of the novel to be dry and unyielding. Whereas I loved Empress, with its brutal anti-heroine Hekat, I found in comparison Rhian to be rather less engaging. Whereas Empress is the lifespan of Hekat, from very early childhood to late adulthood, running almost like a biblical tale of eventual moral decline and destruction; 'The Riven Kingdom' barely covers a year in our characters lives. Yet even for the closer quarters we share with them, I found them no more endearing at the end than I did at the beginning, in fact I actually lost some of my affection for dexterity from the sudden reveal as him being the 'second-coming of Rollin'. I enjoyed dexterity's character for his simplicity and I felt turning him into a magical figure lacked development. Rhian remained pretty much the same character through-out, a poor comparison to the fiery Hekat, and Alasdair, who we spend most of the book waiting to meet could do with a good knife dancing session with Zanakadar, he seems the spiritual ancestor of Ashley Wilkes, lacking any fundamental willingness to get his hands dirty.
Marlan, was quite stereo-typically evil, I could easily imagine him twirling a fake black mustache and giggling manically, during several paragraphs of speech from him. An atheistic holy man with a lust for power, who seems to enjoy whipping young women a little...too much, is basically his character. Although his level of threat to Rhian personally is large at the beginning of the novel, his threat to the newly empowered Queen Rhian at the end, seems rather limp and lacks real power, especially as he has no support from the population, something he probably should have considered before whipping the next heir to the throne half to death.
There were however several points in the novel I enjoyed. I found the character of Helford, interesting and found the character growth believable. As always the returning characters of Empress were engaging and stimulating. The one plot choice that I applaud, is the reveal that the God of Mjjak, is in fact a Demon, something I can quite readily believe, and would make re-reading 'Empress' more interesting in retrospect.Therefore I can still safety give it three stars, and rate to above Millers 'Innocent mage' series. However such a poor showing after the brilliant novel that was 'Empress' leaves me with doubts to the quality of the next installment 'Hammer of God'.
Marlan, was quite stereo-typically evil, I could easily imagine him twirling a fake black mustache and giggling manically, during several paragraphs of speech from him. An atheistic holy man with a lust for power, who seems to enjoy whipping young women a little...too much, is basically his character. Although his level of threat to Rhian personally is large at the beginning of the novel, his threat to the newly empowered Queen Rhian at the end, seems rather limp and lacks real power, especially as he has no support from the population, something he probably should have considered before whipping the next heir to the throne half to death.
There were however several points in the novel I enjoyed. I found the character of Helford, interesting and found the character growth believable. As always the returning characters of Empress were engaging and stimulating. The one plot choice that I applaud, is the reveal that the God of Mjjak, is in fact a Demon, something I can quite readily believe, and would make re-reading 'Empress' more interesting in retrospect.Therefore I can still safety give it three stars, and rate to above Millers 'Innocent mage' series. However such a poor showing after the brilliant novel that was 'Empress' leaves me with doubts to the quality of the next installment 'Hammer of God'.
thedreadcat's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book, mainly because it got a bit repetitious for my taste (especially the language). But at least it was different. I quite liked hearing the story from the antagonist's pov.
This one is just boring. 700+ pages about dynastic struggles, arguments about marriage and a whole bunch of one dimensional characters. I'll take battles over boring politics any day.
What really bugged me is how euro-centric it suddenly is. It just reads like a thinly veiled version of good white Christians and evil barbaric Muslims.
This one is just boring. 700+ pages about dynastic struggles, arguments about marriage and a whole bunch of one dimensional characters. I'll take battles over boring politics any day.
What really bugged me is how euro-centric it suddenly is. It just reads like a thinly veiled version of good white Christians and evil barbaric Muslims.
woolfardis's review against another edition
4.0
[Quick, short review from memory before I re-read and re-review:
I remember some good snippets from these books (couldn't say which book they came from, though) and that is quite rare so it must have left an impression. Good characters, good anti-heroes, good setting and storyline. Perhaps a bit loose toward the end?]
I remember some good snippets from these books (couldn't say which book they came from, though) and that is quite rare so it must have left an impression. Good characters, good anti-heroes, good setting and storyline. Perhaps a bit loose toward the end?]
ashybear02's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Murder, Death, Blood, War, Torture, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Confinement, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
venti's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
another shrug. “all places, rhian. all places men are men. men want, men take. you want stop?” he raised his knife. “this stop.”
loved this book (admittedly i loved empress more, though) but hated prolate marlan. being the antagonist of this book, you’d think he’d be less fucking annoying and more generally evil. but alas, in the face of all the shit hekat has done — no one seems quite as evil as her.
i really liked rhian. she was very consistent, and though i thought she would fold to the whims of the dukes and marlan toward the end of the book, she stayed consistently stubborn as hell. which like, relatable queen (literally.) but alisadair did get on my nerves when they got married. like king, rhian is looking for a man to step on, and you are not emulating that idea very well.
also zandakar deserved more lines </3 my fav blue hair man does not get enough speaking time. look at that banger at the start of the review and tell me he doesn’t deserve every line ever.
+ on a final note, omg helfred actually grew on me wtf. props to karen miller for being able to make me like a character who literally whipped the main character LOL
p.s. adding content warnings (if you’ve read empress you’re probably aware of the shit that goes on LOL) and just realised religious bigotry is an option. adding it in solely as an homage to the king helfred
loved this book (admittedly i loved empress more, though) but hated prolate marlan. being the antagonist of this book, you’d think he’d be less fucking annoying and more generally evil. but alas, in the face of all the shit hekat has done — no one seems quite as evil as her.
i really liked rhian. she was very consistent, and though i thought she would fold to the whims of the dukes and marlan toward the end of the book, she stayed consistently stubborn as hell. which like, relatable queen (literally.) but alisadair did get on my nerves when they
also zandakar deserved more lines </3 my fav blue hair man does not get enough speaking time. look at that banger at the start of the review and tell me he doesn’t deserve every line ever.
+ on a final note, omg helfred actually grew on me wtf. props to karen miller for being able to make me like a character who literally whipped the main character LOL
p.s. adding content warnings (if you’ve read empress you’re probably aware of the shit that goes on LOL) and just realised religious bigotry is an option. adding it in solely as an homage to the king helfred
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Misogyny, Slavery, War, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm and Torture
Minor: Religious bigotry
pemdas97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
usiakkatie's review against another edition
5.0
The writers ability to switch between languages and cultures and capture each one is amazing. Such a good writer.