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A review by btwnprintedpgs
Empire of Gods and Beasts by Joyce Chua
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
It's always bittersweet when a series comes to an end. Empire of Gods and Beasts had a grand but also sentimental finale that was absolutely perfect for this story and its characters.
As a whole, I really loved this series. The sweeping desert landscape, the political tension between our characters and the Oasis Kingdom, the oppression and scapegoating against the Ling (particularly the shouren), the four POVs of our favourite characters (Desert Rose, Wei, Windshadow, and Meng), all come together and clash within this epic finale.
Joyce Chua proves herself a storytelling master. Every book weaves in the events of the previous instalments to show the impact of previous events, as well as remind readers in an organic way of the the things that have already come to pass. It really helped to flesh the characters out further and remind us of their motivations and intentions. This also helped to continue to shape the world and its lore and history. As a whole, I found the story so easy to digest and I was so invested in their journey as the events laid out in the prophecy came to a head.
I will say that some parts felt too easy, though I also think that was also a result of our characters meshing better and them teaming up to actually fight their battles together. There was also one part where it felt like an MC was drinking some cultish koolaid, but I liked how that was spun as a fatal flaw issue. Windshadow and Meng surprised me the most, I think, though I think I would've like to be privy to more of the work they did in the background. We get to see Meng's sharp mind and Windshadow's surprising loyalty more in book 2, and I kind of wanted a bit more of that in this instalment. All that to say that I was wholly invested in the trajectory of their character arc and I really loved them and wanted more!
After all that scheming, all those various rotations through the palace dungeons, all the angst and fighting and loss, the end felt so earned and wonderful, and I loved that this story closed the way it did. I was so excited to hear Joyce Chua mention that there are spin-offs in the work that take place in the same universe, and I'm already excited to return to this world in the future.
TW: injury detail, fire injury/death, death, murder, war, violence; mentions torture, death of a parent, death of a sibling, grief
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 5/5
eARC gifted by the author in exchange for an honest review.
As a whole, I really loved this series. The sweeping desert landscape, the political tension between our characters and the Oasis Kingdom, the oppression and scapegoating against the Ling (particularly the shouren), the four POVs of our favourite characters (Desert Rose, Wei, Windshadow, and Meng), all come together and clash within this epic finale.
Joyce Chua proves herself a storytelling master. Every book weaves in the events of the previous instalments to show the impact of previous events, as well as remind readers in an organic way of the the things that have already come to pass. It really helped to flesh the characters out further and remind us of their motivations and intentions. This also helped to continue to shape the world and its lore and history. As a whole, I found the story so easy to digest and I was so invested in their journey as the events laid out in the prophecy came to a head.
I will say that some parts felt too easy, though I also think that was also a result of our characters meshing better and them teaming up to actually fight their battles together. There was also one part where it felt like an MC was drinking some cultish koolaid, but I liked how that was spun as a fatal flaw issue. Windshadow and Meng surprised me the most, I think, though I think I would've like to be privy to more of the work they did in the background. We get to see Meng's sharp mind and Windshadow's surprising loyalty more in book 2, and I kind of wanted a bit more of that in this instalment. All that to say that I was wholly invested in the trajectory of their character arc and I really loved them and wanted more!
After all that scheming, all those various rotations through the palace dungeons, all the angst and fighting and loss, the end felt so earned and wonderful, and I loved that this story closed the way it did. I was so excited to hear Joyce Chua mention that there are spin-offs in the work that take place in the same universe, and I'm already excited to return to this world in the future.
TW: injury detail, fire injury/death, death, murder, war, violence; mentions torture, death of a parent, death of a sibling, grief
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 5/5
eARC gifted by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Torture, Grief, and Death of parent