PotsandPlots

This review is part of The Dead Man’s Empire blog tour. Due to a communication mix-up, it’s my turn to post, but I haven’t had a chance to finish the book yet. Nevertheless, here are my initial thoughts.

Growing Information:

Plant With: Fantasy, Political Shenanigans, Religious Dogma

Grows Into: – I’m not sure, I haven’t finished it yet!

Available now in Paperback (affiliate link).

Review copy sent to me by publisher, Angry Robot.

The Review so far.

I wanted to read and review this book because I enjoyed The Last Blade Priest, with its thoughtful worldbuilding, varied characters, and explosive ending. It was suffused with dark magic and conflicting loyalties and delivered the most original take on elves that I can remember reading.

As usual with my advancing years, I couldn’t fully remember what happened in book one, but there’s a brief recap at the beginning that put things back in context for me.

I have read the first 3 parts of The Dead Man’s Empire. Each one features a different central character, and one ends on an explosive cliffhanger that has deep ramifications for the world in which our story is set.

The first section follows Syzenne, whom I don’t remember featuring in The Last Blade Priest. The illegitimate daughter of an up-and-coming kingdom, she has been sent as a pawn to the decadent court of Mirolinia. She finds herself tangled in a political web, but has a secret power that might just keep her one step ahead of the game.

The second part follows Duna, the main protagonist of The Last Blade Priest. She is fleeing the consequences of that book’s explosive climax, with danger at every turn.

The third part deals with Duna’s erstwhile companions as they, too, try to come to terms with the destruction surrounding them. Despite the plans that each of them had had, having gone almost entirely wrong, no one can put their agendas to one side to secure collective survival. This leads to yet another cataclysmic reveal, which is where I’m currently up to.

For its fourth part, the book has switched back to Syzenne, so I’ll get to find out what happened to her. A deeper mystery is how the three threads are intertwined. Time will tell.

The Dead Man’s Empire is a rich read. Wiles’ world-building across both books is deep, and the political machinations are manifold but fun to follow. There’s plenty here for grimdark fans, especially around the series’ magic systems, which are often macabre and gruesome.

It’s unfortunate that I haven’t finished the book in time for a full review, but I shall definitely return to this post and update it when I have completed the book.

In the meantime, I assure you that if you haven’t read it yet and want to get cracking on The Last Blade Priest, you won’t be disappointed. So far, The Dead Man’s Empire is shaping up to be at least as good, possibly even better, as it feels a tighter, more urgent read.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the blog tour!