Empire: Estate

by Tim Goff

The war between demon ridden Traag and the Solarian Empire dragged on for decades. Finally, Solaria emerged victorious - barely. Two years later, Solaria stands on the brink of chaos. Common folk live in poverty, prime farmland goes to weeds, and bandits stalk the decaying roads. Even once wealthy noble houses find themselves in difficult positions. But some see opportunity amidst this turmoil. Tia Samos belongs to a family of such opportunists. She has been dispatched to bucolic Copiah House, stronghold of the once prominent Bestia Clan to acquire laborers for her families enterprises. It would be a simple transaction - were it not for the complications. A forbidden record surfaces, revealing dark secrets from the war. A former commander of the Amazon legion is prowling about the estate. Worse, Tia is dreaming of Li-Pang again. And her staff has issues of their own. Rebecca runs Tia's errands - but she is much more interested in a mysterious minstrel. Sir Peter Cortez is recruited to hunt down local bandits - but finds himself embroiled in a mystery. Kyle ia reconnecting with his family - and trying to find a mysterious magician. Together and apart, they grapple with secrets, mystery, and a perilous plot.

282 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

I was raised on an Alaskan homestead at the edge of civilization, an upbringing that brought with it passing knowledge of everything from mechanics to gardening to carpentry.

I was an avid reader from an early age - and started my first writing efforts as a teenager. It took me a while to actually get published.

Reviews

[Dee Osah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s clear that Tim Goff put tremendous thought into creating this incredible world with his host of characters, maybe too many at times. We’re given impressive details about the land, the history of rule, baronies and such, and the various classes, with magic at the pinnacle of it all.
At first, the plot was difficult to follow and I had to reread multiple parts to grasp the action and the battle scenes at times left me confused. It was only at the end of the book that I understood some of the characters and why their POVs were included, especially Li Pang. But once the story got going, I enjoyed the action and the uneasy balance between the four characters traveling together. The main lead Tia Samos is well fleshed out and the cliffhanger ending characterized her in a way I least expected.
As mentioned, a good editor could fix some obvious issues with the writing, but hardcore fantasy fans will love the detailed world-building and tropes in this story.

[T.N. Traynor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret missions and lots of magical elements.
A party of four leave Equitant on a mission to Copiah House. A stuck-up, haughty lady. A thug with a sword sworn to protect her. A fumbling oaf with magic at his fingertips drives her ill-fated carriage.
And an untrustworthy gypsy maidservant who hides secrets from the woman she serves. Travelling together, yet with separate story arcs, the author does a good job of building their unique personalities and their interaction with each other.
What was great: The intricate plot and the fantasy world-building which incorporates lots of fantasy and magical elements.
What was not so great: The flow of the writing. I found it jarring and I had to keep re-reading parts to work out what was being said. A good edit could move this story from a 3 to a 5-star book. I have rated a 4 to balance between the two.

[K.A. Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Goff has created a sweeping fantasy world with a detailed history. The principal four characters are distinctive, and the saga unfolds through their eyes, in a post war world of magic and the vanquished demon worshipping 'Pasties'.
There is a load of potential in Goff's writing, but I found it difficult coming into the Empire series so late. There were a lot of characters to get acquainted with and convoluted history that came in 'info-dumps', particularly of the various families in the aristocracy. I found the writing mixed formal and informal descriptions and speech in a way that jarred for me and there were occasional repetitions in the action (e.g.: Tia discovering a particular pink door at an inn). All of these sent me back and forth rereading for clarification. Great world building, but I felt more editing would help a book with good potential.

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author paints a detailed picture of a country ravaged by demonic wars, the Wizards and Warlocks who still vie for power, and the very large number of characters who inhabit this world. Magic seems to be the main undercurrent running through the book—who has it and who doesn’t. Intrigue and Conspiracy, on the other hand—are a part of everyone’s daily life. Still, there were a few chuckles along the way. A thorough editing would improve reading. Warning: Cliffhanger Ending