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eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 Stars
I got this book for free a while ago, and I decided to pick it up because I’m trying to reduce the number of books I own that I haven’t read. And this turned out to be a decent read. There were pacing issues at times and, of the three perspectives, one wasn’t at all interesting to me. But it was also the POV that made up only about 10% of the book, so it wasn’t a big deal.
The story follows the three children of the Emperor of Annur. All three of them are in different locations. The daughter, Adare, stayed in the palace with the Emperor while the two sons were sent away to train in very different things. We mostly follow the two sons, Kaden and Valyn. There are also these mysterious and thought- to-be-dead beings we’re introduced to in the prologue. But their relevance is more to the series that this book so I won’t mention them much. Okay, let’s get to the main characters.
Valyn’s is the POV that, from what I’ve heard, most people found interesting. And I get why. Valyn was sent to train to be a Kettral. They’re elite soldiers of the empire who go riding on giant birds in the night and specialise in stealth and killing. That’s very cool. Valyn is also the one whose story is most connected to the main plot concerning the schemes against the royal family, so his arc seems to be the one that accomplishes the most. He’s also a decent character. Not the smartest, but at least he’s (kinda mostly) aware of it.
I liked Valyn’s arc, but it had its ups and downs. Parts of it were so interesting, and then characters would do dumb shit. I also felt like their investigation moved at an uneven pace. There were chunks when not much happened and there was a romance I really didn’t care about, but when things picked up, they were great.
Kaden’s was the POV that I found the most interesting. I don’t even know why. He was training with monks. Not much excitement there, and the monks’ base is so remote that he had no clue what was going on in the rest of the empire. And yet I found his training, which was heavy on manual labour and corporal punishment, to be so fascinating. The skills they taught were interesting and Kaden is easily my favourite of the three siblings. Probably because Kaden is the most competent of the three and actually uses his brain.
That leaves Adere. She didn’t get a lot of page time and her chapters always felt like I was being pulled out of the story. Didn’t help that she was rushed as a character, wasn’t that smart, and her arc was kinda meh. I’d rather read three chapters of Kaden locked in a pitch-black room instructed to do nothing.
Overall though, this was a good read. The objective here was to build a base for the series by letting us get to know the setting, the characters, and the various conflicts, while also hinting at the bigger conflict. And it accomplished all that. This is not a fast read nor always exciting, but it holds your interest, and I’m looking forward to more.
I got this book for free a while ago, and I decided to pick it up because I’m trying to reduce the number of books I own that I haven’t read. And this turned out to be a decent read. There were pacing issues at times and, of the three perspectives, one wasn’t at all interesting to me. But it was also the POV that made up only about 10% of the book, so it wasn’t a big deal.
The story follows the three children of the Emperor of Annur. All three of them are in different locations. The daughter, Adare, stayed in the palace with the Emperor while the two sons were sent away to train in very different things. We mostly follow the two sons, Kaden and Valyn. There are also these mysterious and thought- to-be-dead beings we’re introduced to in the prologue. But their relevance is more to the series that this book so I won’t mention them much. Okay, let’s get to the main characters.
Valyn’s is the POV that, from what I’ve heard, most people found interesting. And I get why. Valyn was sent to train to be a Kettral. They’re elite soldiers of the empire who go riding on giant birds in the night and specialise in stealth and killing. That’s very cool. Valyn is also the one whose story is most connected to the main plot concerning the schemes against the royal family, so his arc seems to be the one that accomplishes the most. He’s also a decent character. Not the smartest, but at least he’s (
I liked Valyn’s arc, but it had its ups and downs. Parts of it were so interesting, and then characters would do dumb shit. I also felt like their investigation moved at an uneven pace. There were chunks when not much happened and there was a romance I really didn’t care about, but when things picked up, they were great.
Kaden’s was the POV that I found the most interesting. I don’t even know why. He was training with monks. Not much excitement there, and the monks’ base is so remote that he had no clue what was going on in the rest of the empire. And yet I found his training, which was heavy on manual labour and corporal punishment, to be so fascinating. The skills they taught were interesting and Kaden is easily my favourite of the three siblings. Probably because Kaden is the most competent of the three and actually uses his brain.
That leaves Adere. She didn’t get a lot of page time and her chapters always felt like I was being pulled out of the story. Didn’t help that she was rushed as a character, wasn’t that smart, and her arc was kinda meh. I’d rather read three chapters of Kaden locked in a pitch-black room instructed to do nothing.
Overall though, this was a good read. The objective here was to build a base for the series by letting us get to know the setting, the characters, and the various conflicts, while also hinting at the bigger conflict. And it accomplished all that. This is not a fast read nor always exciting, but it holds your interest, and I’m looking forward to more.
rayy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
dkadastra's review
4.0
Great start to what I hope will be an awesome series. Just a lot of inventive world building. Excited to see where it goes.
adam338's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
willrefuge's review
4.0
Sometimes you feel like a good read, but not too good enough. Somewhere between wherever those lines are, you find this book.
REVIEW
THE EMPEROR’S BLADES
by Brian Staveley
The Unhewn Throne Book I
Yet another book in an age of trilogies, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES was released by Tor in early 2014. I actually picked it up from the library and read it during the summer of 2014, but ended up rereading it this year when I finally acquired the second in the series (THE PROVIDENCE OF FIRE). Upon further reflection, and the notes I accrued from my first pass through, this book was pretty much how I remembered: a strong entry into the fantasy genre and start of a new series that was held back by its lack of female leads and character growth (though at this point I will cite that both these issues are addressed in the sequel).
‘ In The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, the emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.
Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.
An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.
At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing—and risk everything—to see that justice is meted out. ‘
I’d never heard of Brian Staveley before reading this in 2014, but by the summer his debut had caught many an eye. It was getting good reviews and I totally wanted to read it. But, I was somewhat broke-ish, and still feeling out what I wanted to do with my life (as of 2017, the only thing that’s changed there is it’s 2017), so I waited til THE EMPEROR’s BLADES was introduced at the library and snagged it for some special alone time.
And it was quite good.
The premise of this book (if you haven’t (a) read up on it or (b) noticed the blurb posted just above) is that the emperor is dead and his three children need to stay alive long enough to avenge him. In the first installment of THE UNHEWN THRONE, this, well… kinda struggles to hold up.
But this is as you would expect.
The premise, at least, is a good one. I mean, it’s been done, but THE EMPEROR’s BLADES in no way copies what many other series have capitalized on. The world, or what little we see of it, is exotic and new. From the cities of the Annurian Empire, all that Adare sees is colored by anger and sorrow (not to mention detail) as she tries to deal with her father’s passing, and her own lack of power to avenge him. From the islands to the east, Valyn is caught up in assassination plots that wreath him in suspicion and paranoia, all while he attempts to stay the path his father set him on. And on the rooftop of the world, Kaden is surrounded by emptiness, as he struggles with the burdens that threaten to overwhelm him.
Though every sibling is wrought with sorrow at their father’s passing, each individual is confronted with their own unique emotions to overcome. This aspect is key to THE EMPEROR’s BLADES’s success, and guides each character’s progress through the book. I noticed two key details about the execution of this, however. It (a) keeps the story moving at a good pace, preventing any excessive detail or personal angst to slow its progression, but at the same time (b) severely limits character progression among the mid- to later-stages of the book.
The plot never felt like it was stalled. I’m fairly patient, but even I can get bogged down in a story that doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere (like WoT books 7-10). THE EMPEROR’s BLADES, while only a 400+ page read, was never too slow. After establishing its way and characters in the first few chapters, the story rolls along quite nicely the rest of the way, with each character working through their own personal challenges in addition to overcoming their father’s death.
I will say though, that upon working through said challenges (to whatever end), there wasn’t much feeling of accomplishment. It’s like whatever growing they did was muted somehow (one POV in particular, though another did a better job of this). It’s hard to explain without giving away too much, so I’ll just skip it.
I was pleasantly surprised with the depth and character growth of the minor players. Though none controlled their own POV chapter (these were reserved for the three children), many added to the story, complete with their own obstacles and progression. Along with how they related to the so-called Blades (Kaden’s in particular I enjoyed), but I feel that with the lack of real, physical character growth exhibited by the main three, this achievement is somewhat muted.
My biggest problem with the text was Adare. Though promoted in the title (and on the back cover) as one of the Emperor’s Blades, Adare doesn’t get the screen time that her brothers enjoy. While she does enjoy her own storyline, it wasn’t nearly as well done or deep as her brothers’, thus muting any real feel of accomplishment at the outset. Moreover, she kind of feels like a bit player throughout the book. And while she does come alive in the sequel, I feel that more could have been done to establish her as an equally integral part of the Unhewn Throne story.
Another issue I had was with the characters in the early going (maybe up through the first half of the book). They felt, I dunno… empty. Empty of ambition, empty of growth, empty of, well, character. Not particularly human. It’s Kaden who breaks out of this first. Adare never really does. Valyn—well, though we are specifically told at instances WHERE Valyn has changed—I’m not sure I ever noticed until nearer to the end.
Given it is the first in a new series, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES struggles to meet its ambitions. The under-utilization of Adare is something that holds THE EMPEROR’s BLADES back, though this is addressed well in the sequel. Character growth, while minimal, is something that is also confronted in the next installment. The story, the attention to detail, the fantastic worldbuilding is likely where THE EMPEROR’s BLADES excels, and I am pleased to report that this also carries over to THE PROVIDENCE OF FIRE. Get ready for plot twists, startling developments, and yes, more Adare.
My Favorite Character
Kaden.
I felt that Kaden exhibited the most growth, the most… humanity. Plus I guess I kinda related to him a bit. Mostly though, I think that Kaden’s chapters are better written and blend together rather than standing out, if that makes any sense.
Recommendations
Fantasy lovers. THE EMPEROR’s BLADES does little to redefine the genre, but it is a good novel and does have a solid story that continues well through its sequel. For people that enjoyed THE GRIM COMPANY, THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY, SHADOWDANCE or THE POWDER MAGE series, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES is a good read, and one that gets better the more you progress through the Unhewn series.
Rating
3.75 / 5 stars. While not 4, I feel like 3.5 would be too little. So… yeah. 3.75.
While not perfect, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES is a good read by itself. The sequel, PROVIDENCE OF FIRE, continues the series well, making THE EMPEROR’s BLADES a must read. You shouldn’t have any problem finishing it and hopefully moving on to the next. Personally, I haven’t yet read the third, but I expect more of the same and am excited to see where the story leads (look for a worldbuilding entry whenever it is I finish it, along with reviews of books 2 and 3).
REVIEW
THE EMPEROR’S BLADES
by Brian Staveley
The Unhewn Throne Book I
Yet another book in an age of trilogies, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES was released by Tor in early 2014. I actually picked it up from the library and read it during the summer of 2014, but ended up rereading it this year when I finally acquired the second in the series (THE PROVIDENCE OF FIRE). Upon further reflection, and the notes I accrued from my first pass through, this book was pretty much how I remembered: a strong entry into the fantasy genre and start of a new series that was held back by its lack of female leads and character growth (though at this point I will cite that both these issues are addressed in the sequel).
‘ In The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, the emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.
Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.
An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.
At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing—and risk everything—to see that justice is meted out. ‘
I’d never heard of Brian Staveley before reading this in 2014, but by the summer his debut had caught many an eye. It was getting good reviews and I totally wanted to read it. But, I was somewhat broke-ish, and still feeling out what I wanted to do with my life (as of 2017, the only thing that’s changed there is it’s 2017), so I waited til THE EMPEROR’s BLADES was introduced at the library and snagged it for some special alone time.
And it was quite good.
The premise of this book (if you haven’t (a) read up on it or (b) noticed the blurb posted just above) is that the emperor is dead and his three children need to stay alive long enough to avenge him. In the first installment of THE UNHEWN THRONE, this, well… kinda struggles to hold up.
But this is as you would expect.
The premise, at least, is a good one. I mean, it’s been done, but THE EMPEROR’s BLADES in no way copies what many other series have capitalized on. The world, or what little we see of it, is exotic and new. From the cities of the Annurian Empire, all that Adare sees is colored by anger and sorrow (not to mention detail) as she tries to deal with her father’s passing, and her own lack of power to avenge him. From the islands to the east, Valyn is caught up in assassination plots that wreath him in suspicion and paranoia, all while he attempts to stay the path his father set him on. And on the rooftop of the world, Kaden is surrounded by emptiness, as he struggles with the burdens that threaten to overwhelm him.
Though every sibling is wrought with sorrow at their father’s passing, each individual is confronted with their own unique emotions to overcome. This aspect is key to THE EMPEROR’s BLADES’s success, and guides each character’s progress through the book. I noticed two key details about the execution of this, however. It (a) keeps the story moving at a good pace, preventing any excessive detail or personal angst to slow its progression, but at the same time (b) severely limits character progression among the mid- to later-stages of the book.
The plot never felt like it was stalled. I’m fairly patient, but even I can get bogged down in a story that doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere (like WoT books 7-10). THE EMPEROR’s BLADES, while only a 400+ page read, was never too slow. After establishing its way and characters in the first few chapters, the story rolls along quite nicely the rest of the way, with each character working through their own personal challenges in addition to overcoming their father’s death.
I will say though, that upon working through said challenges (to whatever end), there wasn’t much feeling of accomplishment. It’s like whatever growing they did was muted somehow (one POV in particular, though another did a better job of this). It’s hard to explain without giving away too much, so I’ll just skip it.
I was pleasantly surprised with the depth and character growth of the minor players. Though none controlled their own POV chapter (these were reserved for the three children), many added to the story, complete with their own obstacles and progression. Along with how they related to the so-called Blades (Kaden’s in particular I enjoyed), but I feel that with the lack of real, physical character growth exhibited by the main three, this achievement is somewhat muted.
My biggest problem with the text was Adare. Though promoted in the title (and on the back cover) as one of the Emperor’s Blades, Adare doesn’t get the screen time that her brothers enjoy. While she does enjoy her own storyline, it wasn’t nearly as well done or deep as her brothers’, thus muting any real feel of accomplishment at the outset. Moreover, she kind of feels like a bit player throughout the book. And while she does come alive in the sequel, I feel that more could have been done to establish her as an equally integral part of the Unhewn Throne story.
Another issue I had was with the characters in the early going (maybe up through the first half of the book). They felt, I dunno… empty. Empty of ambition, empty of growth, empty of, well, character. Not particularly human. It’s Kaden who breaks out of this first. Adare never really does. Valyn—well, though we are specifically told at instances WHERE Valyn has changed—I’m not sure I ever noticed until nearer to the end.
Given it is the first in a new series, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES struggles to meet its ambitions. The under-utilization of Adare is something that holds THE EMPEROR’s BLADES back, though this is addressed well in the sequel. Character growth, while minimal, is something that is also confronted in the next installment. The story, the attention to detail, the fantastic worldbuilding is likely where THE EMPEROR’s BLADES excels, and I am pleased to report that this also carries over to THE PROVIDENCE OF FIRE. Get ready for plot twists, startling developments, and yes, more Adare.
My Favorite Character
Kaden.
I felt that Kaden exhibited the most growth, the most… humanity. Plus I guess I kinda related to him a bit. Mostly though, I think that Kaden’s chapters are better written and blend together rather than standing out, if that makes any sense.
Recommendations
Fantasy lovers. THE EMPEROR’s BLADES does little to redefine the genre, but it is a good novel and does have a solid story that continues well through its sequel. For people that enjoyed THE GRIM COMPANY, THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY, SHADOWDANCE or THE POWDER MAGE series, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES is a good read, and one that gets better the more you progress through the Unhewn series.
Rating
3.75 / 5 stars. While not 4, I feel like 3.5 would be too little. So… yeah. 3.75.
While not perfect, THE EMPEROR’s BLADES is a good read by itself. The sequel, PROVIDENCE OF FIRE, continues the series well, making THE EMPEROR’s BLADES a must read. You shouldn’t have any problem finishing it and hopefully moving on to the next. Personally, I haven’t yet read the third, but I expect more of the same and am excited to see where the story leads (look for a worldbuilding entry whenever it is I finish it, along with reviews of books 2 and 3).
thoven's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
peterkeep's review
4.0
When I finished this one, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Not because the book was bad, or I thought I had wasted time, or that I had come into the book with exceedingly high expectations. I was disappointed in my varying opinions from the first half to the second half.
The first half of the book was really enjoyable. I was invested in the world, I felt like I was learning about it and enjoying it, even if sometimes the writing was a little "explainy." I thought that the settings for each character were great! There was the excitement and intrigue seeing the Kettral as well as the Shin in their own training, and we got a good picture of the overall politics back home. Then there's a nice hook to an overall plotline that connects all three.
In the second half of the book, though, I felt like the plot simplified a lot. It started feeling a little watered-down and predictable. The characters kind of stop developing. There are a couple of plot devices that get introduced that kind of feel cheesy (introduction of some character "powers" mainly).
Overall, it was a fun read and I didn't dislike it. I'm just slightly disappointed that the second half of the book didn't really improve on the stuff that grabbed my attention at first.
EDIT: I'm stuck between 3 and 4 stars. I think I'm gonna go with 4 stars, because the first half of the book has really stuck with me since I finished it!
The first half of the book was really enjoyable. I was invested in the world, I felt like I was learning about it and enjoying it, even if sometimes the writing was a little "explainy." I thought that the settings for each character were great! There was the excitement and intrigue seeing the Kettral as well as the Shin in their own training, and we got a good picture of the overall politics back home. Then there's a nice hook to an overall plotline that connects all three.
In the second half of the book, though, I felt like the plot simplified a lot. It started feeling a little watered-down and predictable. The characters kind of stop developing. There are a couple of plot devices that get introduced that kind of feel cheesy (introduction of some character "powers" mainly).
Overall, it was a fun read and I didn't dislike it. I'm just slightly disappointed that the second half of the book didn't really improve on the stuff that grabbed my attention at first.
EDIT: I'm stuck between 3 and 4 stars. I think I'm gonna go with 4 stars, because the first half of the book has really stuck with me since I finished it!
eman1223's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75