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A review by verosnotebook
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers
3.0
Behind the Throne is an easy and entertaining read.
The idea of a rogue princess is not a new one but it works. Hail has left her planet for a particular reason, living as a gunrunner for the last 20 years and making a 'reputation' for herself. However, with the Empress ill and her sisters and niece recently murdered, Hail is brought back to fulfill her role as heir.
The blurb is misleading since this story is nothing like Star Wars, nor are there any space battles. Really, did they read the story before writing that? No. What we have is an entertaining political intrigue with yes some action scenes. Wagers puts together an interesting multi-ethnic feudal civilisation, a matriarchy in this case, where LGBT relationships are accepted. However she seems to focus only on the 'aristocracy'. I would have liked to see more of the Indranan world, how it functions at all levels, but we only get glimpses. The story is indeed very much centered on the mystery surrounding the murders of Hail's family and the threats to the throne and empire.
The choice of having a 38-year old woman of colour as the main character is a good one. Hail is easy to like with her harsh manners and reticence to be responsible for millions of people, although sometimes inconstant. I did enjoy witnessing her problematic relationship with her mother, and banter with her trackers. Emmory and Zin in fact stole the show in my opinion, and I'll probably read the sequel to find out more about them.
So, not a groundbreaking novel but a quick and engaging story that kept my attention to the end.
The idea of a rogue princess is not a new one but it works. Hail has left her planet for a particular reason, living as a gunrunner for the last 20 years and making a 'reputation' for herself. However, with the Empress ill and her sisters and niece recently murdered, Hail is brought back to fulfill her role as heir.
The blurb is misleading since this story is nothing like Star Wars, nor are there any space battles. Really, did they read the story before writing that? No. What we have is an entertaining political intrigue with yes some action scenes. Wagers puts together an interesting multi-ethnic feudal civilisation, a matriarchy in this case, where LGBT relationships are accepted. However she seems to focus only on the 'aristocracy'. I would have liked to see more of the Indranan world, how it functions at all levels, but we only get glimpses. The story is indeed very much centered on the mystery surrounding the murders of Hail's family and the threats to the throne and empire.
The choice of having a 38-year old woman of colour as the main character is a good one. Hail is easy to like with her harsh manners and reticence to be responsible for millions of people, although sometimes inconstant. I did enjoy witnessing her problematic relationship with her mother, and banter with her trackers. Emmory and Zin in fact stole the show in my opinion, and I'll probably read the sequel to find out more about them.
So, not a groundbreaking novel but a quick and engaging story that kept my attention to the end.