ptohver's profile picture

ptohver 's review for:

Daughter of the Empire by Janny Wurts, Raymond E. Feist
4.25
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

It’s been a while since I felt this kind of rush to finish a book as I did with Daughter of the Empire. Blazed through the last 200 pages and for that I sincerely salute the authors. It was good to feel like a kid again. Mara is a kickass protagonist and some of the political scheming in the book was genuinely intricate. Some schemes felt a bit contrived or at least far fetched but were still enjoyable. The cho-ja alien ant side story was a bit weird and unnecessary if I am honest, but then again I am a sucker for the outworldly. The final victory, though experly built up,  felt a bit like deus ex machina at the climax with a goddamn wizard swooping in to help shed light on the wrongdoing. But since these damn wizards apparently play a pretty significant role in the series as a whole, I am inclined to forgive Feist and Wurts. 

I’m torn whether to continue the series, begin the original series or let things sit for a while. If for nothing else, I lean towards continuation to enjoy more of the authors’ command of the English language and flare for suspense.