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This books suffered from what I call the "Herman Melville effect." When I was in college, taking an American Literature survey course, we were supposed to read "Moby Dick." I would start to read "Moby Dick" and within a few pages I would fall asleep. I would wake an hour later, try again, and fall asleep. I have no idea what it was about "Moby Dick" which made me sleepy, but it was really hard to stay awake and read that book.
I don't know why "Impyrium" made me sleepy, but I could read about 8 pages before I the book would drop from my hands and I was off in dreamland. I liked the story, I liked the characters, I just couldn't stay awake very long once I started reading it.
Impyrium is the story of a post-apocalyptic world, after an event called "the Cataclysm" destroyed much of the world (it looks like a map of the world after all the ice caps have melted and all low-lying areas flooded). The kingdom is ruled by one family, who took power because they had the strongest ability with magic. Hazel is the youngest of triplets, granddaughters of the current empress and the only heirs. No one seems to expect much of her, and she doesn't expect much of herself. Hob is the only son of a mixed race couple from the backcountry. Although very smart (he scored a "first" in the provinces exam, a notoriously difficult exam), he has worked as a miner for the past few years because his father is dead and Hob needs to support his family.
Hob is befriended by a man who claims to be a friend of his father's, and initiates Hob into a world of intrigue, training him to be a spy in the royal palace. The information he is providing is going to help lead to the overthrow of the ruling elite. Hob's cover is that he is working as a page in the royal household, but also secretly a tutor to Hazel, who is doing poorly in school and must do better, or else the Empress will take drastic measures
However there is intrigue within intrigue, plots within plots, and loyalties are tested.
I really did like this book, I just (like I said) kept falling asleep while reading it. I am curious what happens next, so I will probably read the sequel despite the risk of nodding off.
I don't know why "Impyrium" made me sleepy, but I could read about 8 pages before I the book would drop from my hands and I was off in dreamland. I liked the story, I liked the characters, I just couldn't stay awake very long once I started reading it.
Impyrium is the story of a post-apocalyptic world, after an event called "the Cataclysm" destroyed much of the world (it looks like a map of the world after all the ice caps have melted and all low-lying areas flooded). The kingdom is ruled by one family, who took power because they had the strongest ability with magic. Hazel is the youngest of triplets, granddaughters of the current empress and the only heirs. No one seems to expect much of her, and she doesn't expect much of herself. Hob is the only son of a mixed race couple from the backcountry. Although very smart (he scored a "first" in the provinces exam, a notoriously difficult exam), he has worked as a miner for the past few years because his father is dead and Hob needs to support his family.
Hob is befriended by a man who claims to be a friend of his father's, and initiates Hob into a world of intrigue, training him to be a spy in the royal palace. The information he is providing is going to help lead to the overthrow of the ruling elite. Hob's cover is that he is working as a page in the royal household, but also secretly a tutor to Hazel, who is doing poorly in school and must do better, or else the Empress will take drastic measures
However there is intrigue within intrigue, plots within plots, and loyalties are tested.
I really did like this book, I just (like I said) kept falling asleep while reading it. I am curious what happens next, so I will probably read the sequel despite the risk of nodding off.