What do you think?
Rate this book
Worldbreaker Saga #2
Empire Ascendant
When the dark star of the cataclysm ascends, one empire will rise... and many will perish. Every two thousand years, the dark star Oma appears in the night sky, bringing with it a tide of death and destruction. Tattered rifts open between worlds; great empires are born, and mighty rulers die. Whole nations succumb to madness. And those who survive must contend with friends and enemies newly imbued with bloody powers. The kingdom of Saiduan already lies in ruin, decimated by invaders from another world who share the faces of those they seek to destroy. Now the nation of Dhai is under siege by the same force. Their only hope for survival lies in the hands of an illegitimate ruler warring with his consort and former lover for control of the nation's allegiance. As the foreign Empire spreads across the world like a disease, one of their former allies takes up her own Empress's sword again to unseat them, and two enslaved scholars begin a treacherous journey home with what they hope is the key to the Empire's undoing. But when the enemy you must overcome shares your own face, who can be trusted?
557 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2015
132 people are currently reading
2485 people want to read
About the author
Kameron Hurley
94 books2,465 followersKameron Hurley is the author of the upcoming science ficition thriller These Savage Stars (2026), The Light Brigade, and The Stars are Legion, as well as the award-winning God’s War Trilogy and The Worldbreaker Saga. Hurley has won the Hugo Award, Locus Award, Kitschy Award, and Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer. She was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Nebula Award, and the Gemmell Morningstar Award. Her short fiction has appeared in Popular Science Magazine, Lightspeed and numerous anthologies, and appears in two collections: Future Artifacts and Meet Me in the Future. Hurley has also written for The Atlantic, Writers Digest, Entertainment Weekly, The Village Voice, LA Weekly, Bitch Magazine, and Locus Magazine. Her most popular essays, including the viral hit "We Have Always Fought" are collected in The Geek Feminist Revolution. She posts regularly at KameronHurley.com. Get a short story from Kameron each month via: patreon.com/kameronhurley
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
November 21, 2017
What makes someone a villain?
Dark cloak? Ancient evil backing them up? Prophecy foretelling?
Senseless urge for power? Power to destroy the world and rule its ashes?
Oh, Sauron, you unaccomplished dimwit, go back to fifties where you belong.
And could you be so kind to find that (apparently not so) Great Other and drag him with you? Thanks. :D
So, what makes someone a villain?
Sometimes it’s not more than someone else’s distorted point of view.
Sometimes a villain can simply be a wife and a mother, desperately trying to protect those she loves.
What? Ridiculous, right?
Well… not to the people she seeks to destroy in order to do so.
But, more on that later.
Empire Ascendant . A second book in the Worldbreaker Saga and a sequel to one of my favorite books this year – The Mirror Empire .
What does it bring to the table?
Pretty much everything you expect from the sequel to do.
It elevates the story. It deepens its worldbuilding, and although it doesn’t necessarily develops characterization of our (not so much) beloved characters, it certainly doesn’t make them worse.
Well, she does, but not in the way you would expect.
And on top of that, it makes new characters we’re introduced to much more interesting with subverting some of the fantasy tropes.
But overall it serves as a bridge to final resolutions of this trilogy.
I think that characters progression somewhat stalled for the sake of plot moving forward.
Which is not a bad thing by itself – especially if characters already progressed to a certain degree, which they certainly did in the first book – I don’t need them always affected when dealing with life-changing events.
Protagonist ≠ Antagonist?
And when it comes to characters themselves – yeah, you still have no characters to root for.
There’s simply no protagonist in this book.
The one that comes closest to it is a little condescending monster Lilia Sona who thinks that world is constantly looking at her and judging her through her physical disabilities instead of her actions.
Same can be said for our main antagonist Zezili Hasaria .
An Empire asks of you to commit atrocities in its name. And after some time you realize that it’s not right and not what you signed up for.
Then, you turn against them, you betray them and you run.
But, then they catch you.
So, what is the worst thing they can do to you?
Apparently the worst thing they can do to you is to – put you back into service. Service of an Empire you don’t believe in, Empire you betrayed, and to continue committing atrocities in its name.
But, of course, not before they relieved you of few of your limbs.
And then you have to grasp to those very few straws you’re left with hanging on, convincing yourself, over and over again, how those physical restraints won’t restraint your resolve in doing what’s right.
So it’s no wonder that lines between these two, protagonist and antagonist, once clearly define – blur.
Which brings me to our main villain: Empress Kirana Javia.
Well, is she the main villain? Or a villain, at all?
A wife and a mother? Trying to protect her family and her people from the world that’s dying?
I mean, if she's a villain, how come she was also one of the closest characters I was willing to root for?
You don't root for villains, right?
In previous book we got a glimpse of her, and yeah, she seemed like your average and everyday mass murdering type of a villain.
And although I wasn’t surprised that we’ll get to read from her POV as much as I was surprised what will I find in those chapters.
Which was frankly not more or less then you would find with every other average person.
No malice. No lust for dominance or power.
Just care and love. For her people, and her family above everything else.
Well, I didn’t said it’s a perfect family, didn’t I? :D
All in all… yeah, easily top 10 on my list. And honestly, better than most on that list.
Dark cloak? Ancient evil backing them up? Prophecy foretelling?
Senseless urge for power? Power to destroy the world and rule its ashes?
Oh, Sauron, you unaccomplished dimwit, go back to fifties where you belong.
And could you be so kind to find that (apparently not so) Great Other and drag him with you? Thanks. :D
So, what makes someone a villain?
Sometimes it’s not more than someone else’s distorted point of view.
Sometimes a villain can simply be a wife and a mother, desperately trying to protect those she loves.
What? Ridiculous, right?
Well… not to the people she seeks to destroy in order to do so.
But, more on that later.
Empire Ascendant . A second book in the Worldbreaker Saga and a sequel to one of my favorite books this year – The Mirror Empire .
What does it bring to the table?
Pretty much everything you expect from the sequel to do.
It elevates the story. It deepens its worldbuilding, and although it doesn’t necessarily develops characterization of our (not so much) beloved characters, it certainly doesn’t make them worse.
Well, she does, but not in the way you would expect.
And on top of that, it makes new characters we’re introduced to much more interesting with subverting some of the fantasy tropes.
But overall it serves as a bridge to final resolutions of this trilogy.
I think that characters progression somewhat stalled for the sake of plot moving forward.
Which is not a bad thing by itself – especially if characters already progressed to a certain degree, which they certainly did in the first book – I don’t need them always affected when dealing with life-changing events.
Protagonist ≠ Antagonist?
And when it comes to characters themselves – yeah, you still have no characters to root for.
There’s simply no protagonist in this book.
The one that comes closest to it is a little condescending monster Lilia Sona who thinks that world is constantly looking at her and judging her through her physical disabilities instead of her actions.
Same can be said for our main antagonist Zezili Hasaria .
An Empire asks of you to commit atrocities in its name. And after some time you realize that it’s not right and not what you signed up for.
Then, you turn against them, you betray them and you run.
But, then they catch you.
So, what is the worst thing they can do to you?
Apparently the worst thing they can do to you is to – put you back into service. Service of an Empire you don’t believe in, Empire you betrayed, and to continue committing atrocities in its name.
But, of course, not before they relieved you of few of your limbs.
And then you have to grasp to those very few straws you’re left with hanging on, convincing yourself, over and over again, how those physical restraints won’t restraint your resolve in doing what’s right.
So it’s no wonder that lines between these two, protagonist and antagonist, once clearly define – blur.
Which brings me to our main villain: Empress Kirana Javia.
Well, is she the main villain? Or a villain, at all?
A wife and a mother? Trying to protect her family and her people from the world that’s dying?
I mean, if she's a villain, how come she was also one of the closest characters I was willing to root for?
You don't root for villains, right?
In previous book we got a glimpse of her, and yeah, she seemed like your average and everyday mass murdering type of a villain.
And although I wasn’t surprised that we’ll get to read from her POV as much as I was surprised what will I find in those chapters.
Which was frankly not more or less then you would find with every other average person.
“A black storm of blood poured into the sky from the shattered jars, a wave so mortifying that Kirana had woken screaming for three months after seeing her first. Now it looked like freedom to her.
Promise.
It looked like survival.”
No malice. No lust for dominance or power.
Just care and love. For her people, and her family above everything else.
“Kirana stood in a new, vibrant world, with two of her children, while one child and her wife remained on a toxic wreck of a world she had killed millions to free them from. For the first time since the beginning of the Great War, the Empress of Dhai, Divine Kai of the Tai Mora – wept.”
Well, I didn’t said it’s a perfect family, didn’t I? :D
All in all… yeah, easily top 10 on my list. And honestly, better than most on that list.
November 6, 2015
The sequel to 'The Mirror Empire.'
I found myself torn between saying, 'Don't read this one first; you'll just be confused' and saying, 'Go ahead and don't worry about the first one, you're going to be confused anyway.'
Don't get me wrong - I really, really like these books. But the scenarios Hurley gives us approach the complexity of the real world. The main world here is a big place, full of different countries, all of which have their own political situations and distinct, original cultures (not analogues of real-world societies).
But that main world's not the only world. There are also the mirror worlds - not just one, but many! - and due to impending disaster, invasions and crossovers are both imminent and ongoing. (The catch? You can't cross over unless your counterpart on the 'other side' is dead.) So there are different 'versions' of both countries and individual characters.
On top of all that, the power structures in all of these worlds depends on what satellite is ascendant at a certain time. (Each satellite imbues the people who are 'attuned' to it with 'magical' abilities.) This book takes place in the midst of a major shift - so even once you get a grasp on who's in charge in any certain place, it's pretty much guaranteed to be changing.
You will find the 'Dramatis Personae' useful. (I rarely do, but...)
With the impetus of certain death awaiting a world of the verge of apocalypse, citizens' only hope is to escape to a 'mirror' world. This requires the murder of those on the other side. Of course, those wishing not to be invaded and killed are bound to fight back. There are plenty of people who will make desperate back-room deals, leaders who will give ruthless orders, and others who will simply take advantage of instability for their own gain. Pretty much no one at all here is a nice person. Survival requires a vicious edge. And plenty of people will die.
Recommended for fans of political-intrigue-driven fantasy who are up for a challenge.
Many thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
I found myself torn between saying, 'Don't read this one first; you'll just be confused' and saying, 'Go ahead and don't worry about the first one, you're going to be confused anyway.'
Don't get me wrong - I really, really like these books. But the scenarios Hurley gives us approach the complexity of the real world. The main world here is a big place, full of different countries, all of which have their own political situations and distinct, original cultures (not analogues of real-world societies).
But that main world's not the only world. There are also the mirror worlds - not just one, but many! - and due to impending disaster, invasions and crossovers are both imminent and ongoing. (The catch? You can't cross over unless your counterpart on the 'other side' is dead.) So there are different 'versions' of both countries and individual characters.
On top of all that, the power structures in all of these worlds depends on what satellite is ascendant at a certain time. (Each satellite imbues the people who are 'attuned' to it with 'magical' abilities.) This book takes place in the midst of a major shift - so even once you get a grasp on who's in charge in any certain place, it's pretty much guaranteed to be changing.
You will find the 'Dramatis Personae' useful. (I rarely do, but...)
With the impetus of certain death awaiting a world of the verge of apocalypse, citizens' only hope is to escape to a 'mirror' world. This requires the murder of those on the other side. Of course, those wishing not to be invaded and killed are bound to fight back. There are plenty of people who will make desperate back-room deals, leaders who will give ruthless orders, and others who will simply take advantage of instability for their own gain. Pretty much no one at all here is a nice person. Survival requires a vicious edge. And plenty of people will die.
Recommended for fans of political-intrigue-driven fantasy who are up for a challenge.
Many thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
February 10, 2016
I don't know if you've ever seen anyone spin plates. It's really hard. I tried it once, and believe me, I don't have any more plates.
THE MIRROR EMPIRE was Kameron Hurley getting the plates up to speed: three distinct major cultures, each with its own history, its own moment as the terror of the world, its own politics and schools of badassery, invaded by a parallel world, all beneath the rising red light of the death-moon Oma.
At the opening of EMPIRE ASCENDANT Kameron's mirror universe double with a goatee starts hurling plates at her husband and family, and she's got to keep the plates spinning, and protect her family, and figure out how to throw some plates back. There is an ASTONISHING amount going on in this book: magic driven by orbital configurations, time fuckery, complex multipolar politics within many separate nations.
This is a book about what to do after everything goes wrong. And I don't mean 'you lost the chess match' or 'your loved one died' or 'there has been a setback'. I mean your last-ditch, spend-it-all, my-bone-and-breath effort. It failed. It Didn't Do Shit. What do you do now?
This book really surprised me. It went places I don't think I've seen a story go before: not in terms of raw horror, or petty cruelty, but in the way it drove the characters down the failure path of a traditional story. You are *not* the chosen one any more. Your political opponent really *is* better-connected and more competent. Remember those rules we told you about how to use magic? Those aren't limits you need to break to prove you're a real hero. Those are no-shit protagonist-breaking Consequences.
Maimed warrior Zezili fights on even when she has to strap weapons to her scarred limbs. Would-be religious hero Lilia tries plan after ruthless plan and even though each one involves more and more personal sacrifice - seriously, the costs she pays are prodigious - they all fail. And yet she keeps on going. That's the story. How do you keep going? When do you give up? (The protagonists and antagonists of this story are protagonists largely because, no matter their other traits, they are made of raw gristle. They hurt a lot but they don't stop.)
What do we do with a world full of predators? How does a peaceful, pretty well-put together society respond when the neighbors come knocking with weapons and hordes? Can social goodness survive without a bodyguard of monsters?
You probably won't like Kameron's answers. But they'll probably ring true.
THE MIRROR EMPIRE was Kameron Hurley getting the plates up to speed: three distinct major cultures, each with its own history, its own moment as the terror of the world, its own politics and schools of badassery, invaded by a parallel world, all beneath the rising red light of the death-moon Oma.
At the opening of EMPIRE ASCENDANT Kameron's mirror universe double with a goatee starts hurling plates at her husband and family, and she's got to keep the plates spinning, and protect her family, and figure out how to throw some plates back. There is an ASTONISHING amount going on in this book: magic driven by orbital configurations, time fuckery, complex multipolar politics within many separate nations.
This is a book about what to do after everything goes wrong. And I don't mean 'you lost the chess match' or 'your loved one died' or 'there has been a setback'. I mean your last-ditch, spend-it-all, my-bone-and-breath effort. It failed. It Didn't Do Shit. What do you do now?
This book really surprised me. It went places I don't think I've seen a story go before: not in terms of raw horror, or petty cruelty, but in the way it drove the characters down the failure path of a traditional story. You are *not* the chosen one any more. Your political opponent really *is* better-connected and more competent. Remember those rules we told you about how to use magic? Those aren't limits you need to break to prove you're a real hero. Those are no-shit protagonist-breaking Consequences.
Maimed warrior Zezili fights on even when she has to strap weapons to her scarred limbs. Would-be religious hero Lilia tries plan after ruthless plan and even though each one involves more and more personal sacrifice - seriously, the costs she pays are prodigious - they all fail. And yet she keeps on going. That's the story. How do you keep going? When do you give up? (The protagonists and antagonists of this story are protagonists largely because, no matter their other traits, they are made of raw gristle. They hurt a lot but they don't stop.)
What do we do with a world full of predators? How does a peaceful, pretty well-put together society respond when the neighbors come knocking with weapons and hordes? Can social goodness survive without a bodyguard of monsters?
You probably won't like Kameron's answers. But they'll probably ring true.
January 6, 2020
Reread with SFFBC buddies (January 2020)
This book does not suffer from middle-book syndrome at all. Bring on The Broken Heavens!
First read (June 2016)
I can't get enough of Kameron Hurley. Plot, dialogue, character, WORLDBUILDING in her novels are so enthralling, fearless, no holds barred. Hers is the kind of writing that made me breathless and giddy when I turn the pages. I lose sleep over this series. And I truly hate the fact that the series is not finished yet, but relish on another fact that she will release another book (back to scifi) a few months from now (already preordered).
Ok. So. This book. It is the 'A Storm of Swords' for Worldbreaker Saga. Characters died. Horribly. Blood everywhere. Limbs. Intestines. The ultimate gore. While her characters were not particularly likeable (or even make you want to root for them), I still feel so invested in the narrative and eager in waiting what's going to happen. It is like watching a really good thriller that you know the characters are doomed but you can't take away your eyes from it. Almost everyone felt real, their emotions, motivations, that almost feverish drive to achieve something in a war-torn world with no hope.
The depth of the story increased twofolds. More kingdoms, politics, hidden motives, betrayals and deaths for both rulers and civilians. However, the world is so rich I had difficulties in understanding some parts. For example, how many worlds exactly had connection with the main world in the narrative. And there was this weird alien empress and her alien cannibal friends with a living portal/temple with a scary throne thing. And of course the appearances of many non-human creatures. An ancient palace that talks and can transport you wherever in its folds? Hmm. Maybe I will find out more in the next book.
PS: Sinajistas - fire witches - are so badass.
This book does not suffer from middle-book syndrome at all. Bring on The Broken Heavens!
First read (June 2016)
I can't get enough of Kameron Hurley. Plot, dialogue, character, WORLDBUILDING in her novels are so enthralling, fearless, no holds barred. Hers is the kind of writing that made me breathless and giddy when I turn the pages. I lose sleep over this series. And I truly hate the fact that the series is not finished yet, but relish on another fact that she will release another book (back to scifi) a few months from now (already preordered).
Ok. So. This book. It is the 'A Storm of Swords' for Worldbreaker Saga. Characters died. Horribly. Blood everywhere. Limbs. Intestines. The ultimate gore. While her characters were not particularly likeable (or even make you want to root for them), I still feel so invested in the narrative and eager in waiting what's going to happen. It is like watching a really good thriller that you know the characters are doomed but you can't take away your eyes from it. Almost everyone felt real, their emotions, motivations, that almost feverish drive to achieve something in a war-torn world with no hope.
The depth of the story increased twofolds. More kingdoms, politics, hidden motives, betrayals and deaths for both rulers and civilians. However, the world is so rich I had difficulties in understanding some parts. For example, how many worlds exactly had connection with the main world in the narrative. And there was this weird alien empress and her alien cannibal friends with a living portal/temple with a scary throne thing. And of course the appearances of many non-human creatures. An ancient palace that talks and can transport you wherever in its folds? Hmm. Maybe I will find out more in the next book.
PS: Sinajistas - fire witches - are so badass.
January 11, 2020
Kameron Hurley is so underrated! This book was amazing!!!!!! 😜😜 I already preordered the third book immediately after reading book 1. Kameron Hurley is a master at creating unique worlds and exploring gender in a way that feels so genuine and natural in the world she created. I love so many of the characters and their character arcs and, oh boy, Hurley is NOT afraid to kill off those main characters lol. The "villain" in this series is amazingly done and so sympathetic. I can't wait for book 3 to be released on Tuesday!
So this year I set some personal challenege goals for myself and I am also participating in the 2020 popsugar reading challenge.
2020 popsugar reading challenge
a book with a map
a book that passes the bechdel test (other tests it passes are the Mako-Mori test and the Vito Russo test)
personal reading challenge
a book I own
a book with LGBTQIA+ main characters whose dominant character traits and story arc are NOT defined by being queer (this book includes a lesbian character, a trans character and a non-binary character)
So this year I set some personal challenege goals for myself and I am also participating in the 2020 popsugar reading challenge.
2020 popsugar reading challenge
a book with a map
a book that passes the bechdel test (other tests it passes are the Mako-Mori test and the Vito Russo test)
personal reading challenge
a book I own
a book with LGBTQIA+ main characters whose dominant character traits and story arc are NOT defined by being queer (this book includes a lesbian character, a trans character and a non-binary character)
May 7, 2023
"War turns it's makers mad"
- Dhai Saying
🖤
When i find a book that's making waves, i like to look out for the author's previous works, to test the waters. It's obviously not a fail safe plan as the author could have improved but generally it helps to "know" the author.
That being said, Hurley's Worldbreaker saga series is criminally underrated. I think maybe because it's hard? for fantasy readers to step out the usual familiar tropes and embrace a book that basically throws all these tropes out the window in favour of something that is different from the norm. The strength of this book is that Hurley is not afraid to challenge the status quo of what you will find in most fantasy works.
🖤🖤
So, you thought The Mirror Empire was peak crazy but then you start Empire Ascendant, and you can really tell that Hurley is going no holds barred will make your head spin, fuck everything up in ways you never imagined. Listen, no one is safe, and you really start asking yourself, are there really villains here?
Sure, someone is out there conquering but would you really be different if it was kill or be killed?"I'm afraid of what we've had to become to survive this"
The plot of Empire Ascendant is basically a simple question wrapped in a bold plot, with far from insipid characters- What would you do to survive?The good people don't always win
🖤🖤🖤
No second book slump here people, Empire Ascendant is a book that does not disappoint
4.5 Stars
March 12, 2022
4.0 Stars
This was a fantastic sequel in the Worldbreaker Saga. If you loved the first book, you should definitely continue on with this series.
This series is unflinching and brutal. Content warnings for all the kinds of violence and abuse. However if you can stomach the content, this is a rewarding reading experience. The series addresses complex themes explored through morally gray characters. The worldbuilding was complex and dense, with a magic system that is slowly revealed without any info dumping. As a science fiction reader, I particularly enjoy that this series bends the line between the genres. It felt so fresh to read a fantasy novel involving multiple worlds.
I highly recommend this series, but you need to start back at the beginning with The Mirror Empire. This is a must read for sci fi and fantasy readers looking for something unique.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a fantastic sequel in the Worldbreaker Saga. If you loved the first book, you should definitely continue on with this series.
This series is unflinching and brutal. Content warnings for all the kinds of violence and abuse. However if you can stomach the content, this is a rewarding reading experience. The series addresses complex themes explored through morally gray characters. The worldbuilding was complex and dense, with a magic system that is slowly revealed without any info dumping. As a science fiction reader, I particularly enjoy that this series bends the line between the genres. It felt so fresh to read a fantasy novel involving multiple worlds.
I highly recommend this series, but you need to start back at the beginning with The Mirror Empire. This is a must read for sci fi and fantasy readers looking for something unique.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
July 28, 2015
Longer review in the morning when I'm done reeling from the death toll*.
*ASoIaF is for PISSBABIES
One of those second-in-series that blows the first book (which I also loved) out of the water. I went back and edited Mirror Empire down to 4 stars, which is something I tend to do a lot (Ancillary Justice, Half a King, etc). Certainly not an indictment of "The Mirror Empire", but ME sets up, and "Empire Ascendant" DELIVERS. More world(s)-building, more points-of-view, more Tarantino-style action, more blood magic. Sadly, not more cannibalism. Some of your faves die (maybe), some of your faves torture each other. You cry. Just another day being a Kameron Hurley fan.
*ASoIaF is for PISSBABIES
One of those second-in-series that blows the first book (which I also loved) out of the water. I went back and edited Mirror Empire down to 4 stars, which is something I tend to do a lot (Ancillary Justice, Half a King, etc). Certainly not an indictment of "The Mirror Empire", but ME sets up, and "Empire Ascendant" DELIVERS. More world(s)-building, more points-of-view, more Tarantino-style action, more blood magic. Sadly, not more cannibalism. Some of your faves die (maybe), some of your faves torture each other. You cry. Just another day being a Kameron Hurley fan.
July 5, 2021
Damn the sequel is just as captivating and intense as the first book!! I loooove Taigan. and Zezili is undestructable 🙈. She goes beyond fierce and is such a grey...dark character. I am fascinated by her arc. There is another character that I enjoy that doesn't appear often. There are so many naaames to remember. I am horrible at it. I honestly don't know how to describe my enjoyment of the series. The magic keeps fascinating me, the grit and harsh world is something that really speaks to me. It is a tough one to stay alive in. And the progress with the folks from the alternate dimension is suspenseful and destructive! The level of doom encompasses the entire plot. Ruthless carnage, survival, abuse, politics... be aware it is grimmmm.
September 13, 2023
Ah, hell, I'm scared for what comes next. For the survivors, and their worlds.
November 22, 2015
A million characters, and not a single one to root for. Oof.
October 15, 2015
FTC disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Notes on Diversity:
As with THE MIRROR EMPIRE, a huge and deliberate amount of diversity is on display in EMPIRE ASCENDANT. The second installment in the Worldbreaker Saga digs deeper into the explorations and subversions of power and marginalization that were introduced in the first book. For example, more is revealed, very deftly, about the way gender and sexuality function in Dhai Prime vs. Mirror Dhai vs. Saiduan. Issues of dis/ability dig in deeper and deeper, especially in Lilia Sona's storyline.
While THE MIRROR EMPIRE was almost exclusively populated by brown people, EMPIRE ASCENDANT introduced characters I, at least, read as white (in Tordin). The focus remained very strongly on brown voices still in EMPIRE ASCENDANT.
Review:
It took me forever to write this review because this book sat like a stone in my heart.
Kameron Hurley warned us all on twitter that Terrible Things would befall the characters introduced in THE MIRROR EMPIRE, and she did not lie. But she also didn't give the whole truth. EMPIRE ASCENDANT is a deeply complicated book. Yes, it is dark and brutal. But it is also almost bizarrely hopeful. It has these hopeful moments, these moments of hidden triumph, that made the book work for me.
I confess I typically struggle with second-books-in-trilogies. I think, in many ways, EMPIRE ASCENDANT suffers from what I can only think of as TWO TOWER syndrome: after doing such a beautiful job pulling together so many disparate stories in the first volume, EMPIRE ASCENDANT (like TWO TOWERS) then splits those narratives apart. The story fractures again; the driving force of the book is not 'how are these threads connected?' as in THE MIRROR EMPIRE but 'what happens now that we know that they are connected?'
As a reader who gloms onto characters more than onto plot, these in-between novels are often difficult for me. I am guessing that EMPIRE ASCENDANT fits well into the overall arc of the Worldbreaker Saga, but the long breaks from one narrative thread to the other left me wondering and drifting a little as a reader. That said, the book still worked for me because in every thread I was invested. In every thread, I still cared about the narrative.1
I'm trying to write this review without spoilers, so I'll speak now in generalities about things I wish I could dissect in much greater nuance and specificity. The book delves deeper and personalizes the Tai Mora in ways I loved. EMPIRE ASCENDANT complicated relationships I thought were stable from the first book and stabilized relationships I thought would never work from THE MIRROR EMPIRE. Many Terrible Things happen. Many decent people are forced into making brutal and vicious decisions because this is a time of war and invasion.2
But healing happens, too. Oh, god, how I wish I could talk about spoilers here because I want to talk about some the the healing arcs in this book so badly. About how one character's arc so beautifully mirrors something from the first book and in such an unexpected way. About how a character I've been rooting for since the beginning gets something--finally--that they deserve, even as the world seems to fall down around them. About the secret kindness delivered to one character that I hoped for but did not think was going to happen, but did. About how one character, when it seems like the entire world has beaten them, rises again: fierce, vicious, brilliant as ever. Self-destructive and walking a knife's edge, and precisely, exactly what is needed in that moment in that place--and, again, mirroring someone else's arc in very clever, very subtle ways.
There is much brutality in EMPIRE ASCENDANT--and portals, and wastelands, and bizarre murderous alien bug creatures, and Bad Plants--but there is gentleness, too. And regrowth. And small moments of justice that very well could lead to larger moments of justice.
Oma is the star of change. Change is a brutal force--brutal, but, at heart, ambivalent.
1I rarely do this--partly to keep from influencing my own reactions to books, and partly because usually I don't sit with a book so long before writing a review of it--but I read a couple of other people's reviews of EMPIRE ASCENDANT to get the juices flowing before actually writing my own. Some people have had trouble, it seems, connecting with the core plot, or character's motivations for doing what they do in service of it. I have not had that problem.
At a con last week, I gushed over THE MIRROR EMPIRE and listened to other people's critiques of it. And again, those critiques (that it's full of terrible people, that it's not a particularly realistic of portrayal of genocide) are valid. Other people bounce off books I don't.
These books treat me, as a queer and genderqueer reader with disabilities, with so much respect that I am, frankly, so hungry for them that I am, I think, taking them utterly on their own terms. I fell in love with THE MIRROR EMPIRE because I felt seen by it, recognized by it, like I could exist in that world with a fullness that is unavailable to me in this one, and I engaged with that book at a deep level because of that. My devotion in no way waned while reading EMPIRE ASCENDANT. I drank both books in like a man dying of thirst drinks water. I can recite the intricacies of the plot to you in my sleep.
2One critique of THE MIRROR EMPIRE I've heard that I don't fully agree with is that the book is about bad people doing bad things. I think, actually, the books are about mostly decent (and/or deeply broken and complicated people) doing fucked up things they have to do in order to survive. That's different than, say, Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, who truly is a Bad Person doing Bad Things because he is Bad (until the ending or whatever). But, you know, YMMV.
Notes on Diversity:
As with THE MIRROR EMPIRE, a huge and deliberate amount of diversity is on display in EMPIRE ASCENDANT. The second installment in the Worldbreaker Saga digs deeper into the explorations and subversions of power and marginalization that were introduced in the first book. For example, more is revealed, very deftly, about the way gender and sexuality function in Dhai Prime vs. Mirror Dhai vs. Saiduan. Issues of dis/ability dig in deeper and deeper, especially in Lilia Sona's storyline.
While THE MIRROR EMPIRE was almost exclusively populated by brown people, EMPIRE ASCENDANT introduced characters I, at least, read as white (in Tordin). The focus remained very strongly on brown voices still in EMPIRE ASCENDANT.
Review:
It took me forever to write this review because this book sat like a stone in my heart.
Kameron Hurley warned us all on twitter that Terrible Things would befall the characters introduced in THE MIRROR EMPIRE, and she did not lie. But she also didn't give the whole truth. EMPIRE ASCENDANT is a deeply complicated book. Yes, it is dark and brutal. But it is also almost bizarrely hopeful. It has these hopeful moments, these moments of hidden triumph, that made the book work for me.
I confess I typically struggle with second-books-in-trilogies. I think, in many ways, EMPIRE ASCENDANT suffers from what I can only think of as TWO TOWER syndrome: after doing such a beautiful job pulling together so many disparate stories in the first volume, EMPIRE ASCENDANT (like TWO TOWERS) then splits those narratives apart. The story fractures again; the driving force of the book is not 'how are these threads connected?' as in THE MIRROR EMPIRE but 'what happens now that we know that they are connected?'
As a reader who gloms onto characters more than onto plot, these in-between novels are often difficult for me. I am guessing that EMPIRE ASCENDANT fits well into the overall arc of the Worldbreaker Saga, but the long breaks from one narrative thread to the other left me wondering and drifting a little as a reader. That said, the book still worked for me because in every thread I was invested. In every thread, I still cared about the narrative.1
I'm trying to write this review without spoilers, so I'll speak now in generalities about things I wish I could dissect in much greater nuance and specificity. The book delves deeper and personalizes the Tai Mora in ways I loved. EMPIRE ASCENDANT complicated relationships I thought were stable from the first book and stabilized relationships I thought would never work from THE MIRROR EMPIRE. Many Terrible Things happen. Many decent people are forced into making brutal and vicious decisions because this is a time of war and invasion.2
But healing happens, too. Oh, god, how I wish I could talk about spoilers here because I want to talk about some the the healing arcs in this book so badly. About how one character's arc so beautifully mirrors something from the first book and in such an unexpected way. About how a character I've been rooting for since the beginning gets something--finally--that they deserve, even as the world seems to fall down around them. About the secret kindness delivered to one character that I hoped for but did not think was going to happen, but did. About how one character, when it seems like the entire world has beaten them, rises again: fierce, vicious, brilliant as ever. Self-destructive and walking a knife's edge, and precisely, exactly what is needed in that moment in that place--and, again, mirroring someone else's arc in very clever, very subtle ways.
There is much brutality in EMPIRE ASCENDANT--and portals, and wastelands, and bizarre murderous alien bug creatures, and Bad Plants--but there is gentleness, too. And regrowth. And small moments of justice that very well could lead to larger moments of justice.
Oma is the star of change. Change is a brutal force--brutal, but, at heart, ambivalent.
1I rarely do this--partly to keep from influencing my own reactions to books, and partly because usually I don't sit with a book so long before writing a review of it--but I read a couple of other people's reviews of EMPIRE ASCENDANT to get the juices flowing before actually writing my own. Some people have had trouble, it seems, connecting with the core plot, or character's motivations for doing what they do in service of it. I have not had that problem.
At a con last week, I gushed over THE MIRROR EMPIRE and listened to other people's critiques of it. And again, those critiques (that it's full of terrible people, that it's not a particularly realistic of portrayal of genocide) are valid. Other people bounce off books I don't.
These books treat me, as a queer and genderqueer reader with disabilities, with so much respect that I am, frankly, so hungry for them that I am, I think, taking them utterly on their own terms. I fell in love with THE MIRROR EMPIRE because I felt seen by it, recognized by it, like I could exist in that world with a fullness that is unavailable to me in this one, and I engaged with that book at a deep level because of that. My devotion in no way waned while reading EMPIRE ASCENDANT. I drank both books in like a man dying of thirst drinks water. I can recite the intricacies of the plot to you in my sleep.
2One critique of THE MIRROR EMPIRE I've heard that I don't fully agree with is that the book is about bad people doing bad things. I think, actually, the books are about mostly decent (and/or deeply broken and complicated people) doing fucked up things they have to do in order to survive. That's different than, say, Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, who truly is a Bad Person doing Bad Things because he is Bad (until the ending or whatever). But, you know, YMMV.
October 9, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book for a couple of reasons. First, my e-copy went dead on me just after I couldn't access it for download anymore. But before that happened I was already agonizing over whether I wanted to read the whole thing.
I read the first book in the series, "Mirror Empire", last year. It was a challenging book. This book drops you right back in the middle of the action with no recap, and I had a hard time remembering what was going on. There were lots of POV characters, all with alien sounding names, and the plot was spread out over several worlds without much overlap. I felt totally overwhelmed and confused. Generally I can mostly keep my feet even in books with a lot going on, but after reading several chapters I felt more lost than ever. And then I had to ask myself if I cared enough to keep going, and the honest answer was "no". I wasn't attached to any of these characters. I didn't remember their motivations or many of their conflicts, and while I'm clear on the overall plot of the books, I couldn't piece together this crazy quilt of narrative into anything resembling sense. It was exhausting and it didn't pay off enough for me.
It saddens me to write this review because I think Kameron Hurley is an excellent author with a unique voice, who is writing stuff different from anything else I've seen. She takes on gender issues and standard tropes, turns them inside out and makes you see the ugly underbelly of assumptions. It could be, though, that she's trying so hard to do that in this book that the story suffers.
Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book for a couple of reasons. First, my e-copy went dead on me just after I couldn't access it for download anymore. But before that happened I was already agonizing over whether I wanted to read the whole thing.
I read the first book in the series, "Mirror Empire", last year. It was a challenging book. This book drops you right back in the middle of the action with no recap, and I had a hard time remembering what was going on. There were lots of POV characters, all with alien sounding names, and the plot was spread out over several worlds without much overlap. I felt totally overwhelmed and confused. Generally I can mostly keep my feet even in books with a lot going on, but after reading several chapters I felt more lost than ever. And then I had to ask myself if I cared enough to keep going, and the honest answer was "no". I wasn't attached to any of these characters. I didn't remember their motivations or many of their conflicts, and while I'm clear on the overall plot of the books, I couldn't piece together this crazy quilt of narrative into anything resembling sense. It was exhausting and it didn't pay off enough for me.
It saddens me to write this review because I think Kameron Hurley is an excellent author with a unique voice, who is writing stuff different from anything else I've seen. She takes on gender issues and standard tropes, turns them inside out and makes you see the ugly underbelly of assumptions. It could be, though, that she's trying so hard to do that in this book that the story suffers.
did-not-finish
October 20, 2023DNF at page 127
While I wasn't a fan of the first book, I already owned this one as well so I tried it to see if I might like it better. I didn't. I lost the plot in book 1 and I just can't find it again. Have little to no clue what's actually going on and I don't care much for any of the characters.
While I wasn't a fan of the first book, I already owned this one as well so I tried it to see if I might like it better. I didn't. I lost the plot in book 1 and I just can't find it again. Have little to no clue what's actually going on and I don't care much for any of the characters.
November 28, 2019
4.5 stars
November 16, 2015
I think it is the most violent non-horror book I have ever read. There are so many atrocities, and genocides and crimes against entire worlds, destruction, invasions, slaughters, mainly made by warrior women, that made me often cringe. No, this is not a book for sensitive souls, it is way too violent. And if you really want to understand this fascinating world (because it is really, extremely, interesting and well made), you have first to read the glossary (you will find it at the end of the second book, this one), then the first book, The Mirror Empire, and then this one, Empire Ascendant. And it will still be very difficult.
October 12, 2015
Brutal.. off the hook.. and amazing. Hurley will soon be remembered as a great of the genre.
August 22, 2015
[This review is based on an advance copy of the book received through NetGalley.]
Empire Ascendant is a brutal read, which is somewhat to be expected from Kameron Hurley in general, and certainly to be expected in the follow-up to The Mirror Empire. The world of The Worldbreaker Saga is a harsh one, and this second book in the series turns the grimdark up to eleven.
Unfortunately, I’m just not loving this series the way I did Hurley’s God’s War trilogy.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
Empire Ascendant is a brutal read, which is somewhat to be expected from Kameron Hurley in general, and certainly to be expected in the follow-up to The Mirror Empire. The world of The Worldbreaker Saga is a harsh one, and this second book in the series turns the grimdark up to eleven.
Unfortunately, I’m just not loving this series the way I did Hurley’s God’s War trilogy.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
June 6, 2021
If I had to sum up Kameron Hurley as an author, I'd probably say "unique and gruesome" and this book definitely falls into those categories.
I am struggling a bit with this series. Despite several well-developed viewpoint characters, I don't feel a connection to this world at all. Perhaps because every single character is basically completely awful (save one that I actually like ). I don't really care if this world or that world triumphs in this battle. And I don't totally understand the overarching meta-battle so it's hard to care about that.
Not a bad book, in all, and I'll read the third book at some point, but yeah.
I am struggling a bit with this series. Despite several well-developed viewpoint characters, I don't feel a connection to this world at all. Perhaps because every single character is basically completely awful (save one that I actually like ). I don't really care if this world or that world triumphs in this battle. And I don't totally understand the overarching meta-battle so it's hard to care about that.
Not a bad book, in all, and I'll read the third book at some point, but yeah.
July 28, 2015
Empire Ascendant is the second in Kameron Hurley’s ‘Worldbreaker’ series. In quick summary, it’s great. It’s a book which wants to ask complicated questions. It’s a book which requires engagement, and rewards investment. It’s a book rife with raw emotion, much of it in some way traumatic, and all very genuine. It’s a book with some excellent battles, and a refusal to look away from the consequences of those conflicts, both at the political and personal levels. There’s personal drama, there’s sprawling politics, there’s even some excellent battle scenes. Hurley has put together something with an incredible scope, and managed to make the narrative feel tight, focused, and pitch-perfect.
The setting is diverse, and that’s reflected in the environments presented to the reader. Hurley gives us frozen wastes, a lush semi-jungle populated by carnivorous plants, cities under siege, and an entire world, dying beneath a shattered star, amongst others. Each of these environs feels distinct from the others, a star in Hurley’s carefully crafted geographical firmament. At the same time, each locale feels lived in, and real – often horrifyingly so. There’s some excursions to new environments outside of the first book, and it’s always nice to see somewhere new – but n area where the prose shines is in making each of the places the reader is exposed to feel authentic.
It’s always felt to me like the core of this series is the characters, and here, again, Hurley is on very good form. The existing cast of characters from the first book was quite large, and we get a few new people to read over as the text goes on. But what characters they are. There’s a determination here to not only present characters as people, but to approach that personification in an unflinchingly honest fashion. Indeed, one of the themes of the text seems to be around the creation of monsters, both physical and mental. Individuals find themselves working on behalf of a nebulous greater good, doing things which appall them – in an effort to combat adversaries who are also working for their own ideals, and performing atrocities of their own. The characters are in a turbulent gyre, where their own good intentions lead inextricably toward horrors. At the same time however, they remain sympathetic – vulnerable, damaged, struggling people.
Speaking of damage, this is another place that the narrative performs strongly. We’ve seen characters perform atrocities. We’ve seen characters struggle with breaking the customs of their own society. Empire Ascendant portrays both of these well. But it’s not afraid to look at the consequences, at the mutability of identity, or at the ghosts that characters carry on their shoulders. The world of Empire Ascendant has rapidly become nasty, brutal and short – and many of the characters involved are trying to rapidly adjust to that, often with a great deal of difficulty. The kind of individual and social pressure that a character is under is something that the author portrays well – some characters are increasingly wrung out and look to be teetering on a psychological edge; others are forced to deal with more immediate changes of circumstance.
The takeaway here is that the characters in this book, like it’s predecessor, are disturbingly, wonderfully believable. Not two dimensional, but real men and women on a page, acting with the best of motives, having their society fall down around them. A great many of them aren’t especially likable, but can be empathised with, can be understood, can be invested in, because they feel like people, not characters.
There’s a lot going on in the interactions between characters as well. There’s the issue of goals versus means. The issue of what is justifiable. There’s a discussion to be had around slavery, and the way that individuals see themselves when they’re torn out of society. There’ssome truly marvellous moments of character epiphany, as an individual assesses where and who they are, and becomes something else. It’s impressive that none of this, or the many other points raised, feel heavy-handed. They slide by as part of the extended narrative, in character asides or setting descriptions, in the underlying assumptions of dialogue, and the occasional remark. There’s an impressive sense of broader culture here, of societies within which our protagonist find themselves. Alongside the individual portrayals of betrayal, loneliness, compassion and tiny acts of heroism, are societies which defines what those things are – and they leap off the page at the reader alongside the characters which they have shaped.
The plot kicks off pretty much from the close of the first book in the series. It’s not exactly incidental to the characters, but it feels like they drive it, rather than the other way around – and that’s a good thing. It feels like the twists and turns that get thrown out by the plot are growing organically out of character choice. The pacing is spot on – there’s instances of frenetic action, the careful tension of political discussion, the tingling excitement of discovery; the raw, focused horror of murder and the explosive disaster of battle. There’s also the opportunity to get some answers, as the book progresses – by the end, much like the characters, I was beginning to get a feel of the stakes of the game. But the author doesn’t pull any punches, and I think it’s reasonable to say that by the end of the text, with danger in every shadow (as well as right there in front of them), none of the characters is entirely safe. A lot changes over the course of Empire Ascendant, for the characters and cultures portrayed within it – and the impacts feel seismic, and very real.
The setting is diverse, and that’s reflected in the environments presented to the reader. Hurley gives us frozen wastes, a lush semi-jungle populated by carnivorous plants, cities under siege, and an entire world, dying beneath a shattered star, amongst others. Each of these environs feels distinct from the others, a star in Hurley’s carefully crafted geographical firmament. At the same time, each locale feels lived in, and real – often horrifyingly so. There’s some excursions to new environments outside of the first book, and it’s always nice to see somewhere new – but n area where the prose shines is in making each of the places the reader is exposed to feel authentic.
It’s always felt to me like the core of this series is the characters, and here, again, Hurley is on very good form. The existing cast of characters from the first book was quite large, and we get a few new people to read over as the text goes on. But what characters they are. There’s a determination here to not only present characters as people, but to approach that personification in an unflinchingly honest fashion. Indeed, one of the themes of the text seems to be around the creation of monsters, both physical and mental. Individuals find themselves working on behalf of a nebulous greater good, doing things which appall them – in an effort to combat adversaries who are also working for their own ideals, and performing atrocities of their own. The characters are in a turbulent gyre, where their own good intentions lead inextricably toward horrors. At the same time however, they remain sympathetic – vulnerable, damaged, struggling people.
Speaking of damage, this is another place that the narrative performs strongly. We’ve seen characters perform atrocities. We’ve seen characters struggle with breaking the customs of their own society. Empire Ascendant portrays both of these well. But it’s not afraid to look at the consequences, at the mutability of identity, or at the ghosts that characters carry on their shoulders. The world of Empire Ascendant has rapidly become nasty, brutal and short – and many of the characters involved are trying to rapidly adjust to that, often with a great deal of difficulty. The kind of individual and social pressure that a character is under is something that the author portrays well – some characters are increasingly wrung out and look to be teetering on a psychological edge; others are forced to deal with more immediate changes of circumstance.
The takeaway here is that the characters in this book, like it’s predecessor, are disturbingly, wonderfully believable. Not two dimensional, but real men and women on a page, acting with the best of motives, having their society fall down around them. A great many of them aren’t especially likable, but can be empathised with, can be understood, can be invested in, because they feel like people, not characters.
There’s a lot going on in the interactions between characters as well. There’s the issue of goals versus means. The issue of what is justifiable. There’s a discussion to be had around slavery, and the way that individuals see themselves when they’re torn out of society. There’ssome truly marvellous moments of character epiphany, as an individual assesses where and who they are, and becomes something else. It’s impressive that none of this, or the many other points raised, feel heavy-handed. They slide by as part of the extended narrative, in character asides or setting descriptions, in the underlying assumptions of dialogue, and the occasional remark. There’s an impressive sense of broader culture here, of societies within which our protagonist find themselves. Alongside the individual portrayals of betrayal, loneliness, compassion and tiny acts of heroism, are societies which defines what those things are – and they leap off the page at the reader alongside the characters which they have shaped.
The plot kicks off pretty much from the close of the first book in the series. It’s not exactly incidental to the characters, but it feels like they drive it, rather than the other way around – and that’s a good thing. It feels like the twists and turns that get thrown out by the plot are growing organically out of character choice. The pacing is spot on – there’s instances of frenetic action, the careful tension of political discussion, the tingling excitement of discovery; the raw, focused horror of murder and the explosive disaster of battle. There’s also the opportunity to get some answers, as the book progresses – by the end, much like the characters, I was beginning to get a feel of the stakes of the game. But the author doesn’t pull any punches, and I think it’s reasonable to say that by the end of the text, with danger in every shadow (as well as right there in front of them), none of the characters is entirely safe. A lot changes over the course of Empire Ascendant, for the characters and cultures portrayed within it – and the impacts feel seismic, and very real.
June 20, 2016
4.5 stars
I asked for the blood to rain down...I definitely got my wish!
This is one of those books that tears your heart out, takes a big bite out of it, and then smushes it back into place and hopes you can recover. Gory image? Well, you'd better get used to it if you want to take on this series! I'm usually terrified of gore and avoid books that are really bloody because I can't stomach it, but there is just something about this series that keeps me fascinated and glued to the pages even when I am internally running away screaming.
So what is it about this book that makes me so enchanted by it?
It might be the impeccable world-building. Hurley is up there with Sanderson in my eyes for creating stunning, intricate fantasy worlds. The magic, the cultures, the mythology...just when you think you understand everything, there's a new big revelation and you're left reeling all over again.
Or maybe it's the vast scope. Like ASoIaF, there isn't really a side that has all "the good guys". In The Mirror Empire it seemed like there was a clear side to root for, but Empire Ascendant makes you question your loyalties. Power corrupts even the most well-intentioned people, and sometimes the people behind terrible acts have an almost rational reason for them. Sometimes. There aren't just two worlds anymore, and there is a lot more at stake in this book than in Mirror Empire.
It could be the characters. They're all very morally ambiguous, and any one of them could drop dead because the story demands it. This is something that drove me crazy with ASoIaF, so much so that I stopped reading; why care about these people when they will most likely just drop dead? But Hurley doesn't let you make that call. Somehow I am deeply invested in all of these characters, even when they make choices that I can't bear. I know many of them will die (and many of them have died already...tears) but I can't stop caring!
I cannot wait for Book 3.
I asked for the blood to rain down...I definitely got my wish!
This is one of those books that tears your heart out, takes a big bite out of it, and then smushes it back into place and hopes you can recover. Gory image? Well, you'd better get used to it if you want to take on this series! I'm usually terrified of gore and avoid books that are really bloody because I can't stomach it, but there is just something about this series that keeps me fascinated and glued to the pages even when I am internally running away screaming.
So what is it about this book that makes me so enchanted by it?
It might be the impeccable world-building. Hurley is up there with Sanderson in my eyes for creating stunning, intricate fantasy worlds. The magic, the cultures, the mythology...just when you think you understand everything, there's a new big revelation and you're left reeling all over again.
Or maybe it's the vast scope. Like ASoIaF, there isn't really a side that has all "the good guys". In The Mirror Empire it seemed like there was a clear side to root for, but Empire Ascendant makes you question your loyalties. Power corrupts even the most well-intentioned people, and sometimes the people behind terrible acts have an almost rational reason for them. Sometimes. There aren't just two worlds anymore, and there is a lot more at stake in this book than in Mirror Empire.
It could be the characters. They're all very morally ambiguous, and any one of them could drop dead because the story demands it. This is something that drove me crazy with ASoIaF, so much so that I stopped reading; why care about these people when they will most likely just drop dead? But Hurley doesn't let you make that call. Somehow I am deeply invested in all of these characters, even when they make choices that I can't bear. I know many of them will die (and many of them have died already...tears) but I can't stop caring!
I cannot wait for Book 3.
December 28, 2015
Writing speculative fiction is a really fine line between originality and familiarity. This book has three problems, and that's one of them: It's simply too alien and without enough familiar touchpoints to be enjoyed (by me in any case). Now, don't get me wrong - it's very possible to do far more alien than this and have it work. Ursula Le Guin's made a career of it. So did Jack Vance and Ian Banks. So does Greg Egan. But they all manage to make it comprehensible with excellent characterization and touches of the familiar. Here, not so much. We're in sink or swim territory.
Now even that might not be a problem if it weren't for the other two problem. Gorn's one. That's a portmanteau of Gore and Porn. Hurley revels in it. There's blood and guts over every page. Not pleasant. I get that Hurley's trying to set the stakes high and not romanticize violence, war, whatever, but it's so ludicrously gory that it crosses the line there and back again. And again, wouldn't necessarily be a problem without the other ones. Ian Banks can do some pretty hairy stuff like this too - billions dead in planetary destruction, chairs made of bones, walking and flying tour of Hell - but it's never gratuitous and it serves the narrative. GRRM can similarly get nearly out of hand - witness the making of Reek - but it serves the story. Not the case here.
Finally, at the bottom of it, the one thing which would make one forgive these flaws: If there were any character one could like, appreciate, respect, identify with in any way, that would help. I'm waxing hyperbolic, here; there are characters worthy of a modicum of respect, but not enough of them or sufficiently respect-worthy; there are some characters that one could like, but they don't last long, or they're annoying in other ways.
I'm going to wait to see reviews before getting to the next one. God forbid this series should metastasize like Wheel of Time or Song of Ice and Fire.
Now even that might not be a problem if it weren't for the other two problem. Gorn's one. That's a portmanteau of Gore and Porn. Hurley revels in it. There's blood and guts over every page. Not pleasant. I get that Hurley's trying to set the stakes high and not romanticize violence, war, whatever, but it's so ludicrously gory that it crosses the line there and back again. And again, wouldn't necessarily be a problem without the other ones. Ian Banks can do some pretty hairy stuff like this too - billions dead in planetary destruction, chairs made of bones, walking and flying tour of Hell - but it's never gratuitous and it serves the narrative. GRRM can similarly get nearly out of hand - witness the making of Reek - but it serves the story. Not the case here.
Finally, at the bottom of it, the one thing which would make one forgive these flaws: If there were any character one could like, appreciate, respect, identify with in any way, that would help. I'm waxing hyperbolic, here; there are characters worthy of a modicum of respect, but not enough of them or sufficiently respect-worthy; there are some characters that one could like, but they don't last long, or they're annoying in other ways.
I'm going to wait to see reviews before getting to the next one. God forbid this series should metastasize like Wheel of Time or Song of Ice and Fire.
April 8, 2016
Well, I don't know. While I loved the gender, sexuality, etc. issues that were just complete non-issues throughout this series, I just couldn't find it in me to finish it. I've been reading at a snail's pace (started in February! FEBRUARY!!) but just couldn't find the drive or interest to finish reading it, even after so long. A lot of people have mentioned (and quite rightly) the lack of characters to root for - I found myself disliking nearly everyone, and to be honest the plot was hellishly confusing at points. I'm really disappointed that I couldn't finish this, because I really love the whole concept (and especially the issues I mentioned first). But yeah. Alas! Onwards and upwards.
September 24, 2023
His militia escorted her up four painful flights of stairs to a great foyer, apologizing the whole way for not considering how difficult stairs would be for her. What they really meant, of course, was that they felt silly and impatient because her pace was so much slower than theirs.
Honestly, this series is similarly un-reviewable as The Broken Earth Trilogy books, seriously, what can one even say to this?!
These books are brutal. I mean... Hurley said about this series in her essay collection The Geek Feminist Revolution this:
Like all of my books, it's a mess, but it's a mess in a very specific way. I set out to create a fantasy world no one had seen before, with societies no one had ever heard of, and I wanted the villain to be nothing less that the protagonists themselves. That's a tall order for any book. But will it be loved in the way that a Stephanie Meyer book is loved? Probably not. That was not its purpose.
Which sums the series pretty perfectly. Yes, you either love the characters and they turn out to be despicable, or they are clearly despicable, but you end up loving them, because each of them has some redeeming quality. This book put me in a mind-twist, because while the first book is a bit more straight-forward in terms of rooting for someone, this book puts you in the heads of previous villains (not that the first book didn't do that, it did, but... different villains... you'll see) and... the things that are happening are so terrible. But... I can also empathise with a lot of what's going on? There are no good choices around here...
While I love the extensive genderbuilding in this series, I still think Hurley has some room of improvement concerning her use of pronouns and the treatment of her "trans" characters (I wrote "trans" because I actually don't think that the concept as we understand it exists in this world...). In this book we learn that Luna - who uses gender neutral pronouns assigned to him by Saiduan - would prefer to be a man. You might notice that this formulation is very unfortunate. I'm going to presume from this that Luna IS a man and is misgendered by the narrative the whole time. This is kind of symbolic, because he actually is misgendered by Saiduanese society and this the book shows critically, but it still means that the author misgenders their character repeatedly, even after it's revealed that he's actually a guy. This might also mirror Luna's own feelings of internalised transphobia, where he "wants to be" a man, but isn't but... you know, this is a third person narrative, so it's tricky and this made me a bit uncomfortable.
I'm not going to get into any other details just because everything feels like spoiler in this series and I don't want to ruin anybody's experience. Just know that... this story is brutal, lot of people die (I still don't quite believe some of the deaths...) and most people also become disabled during the series in a way that feels very realistic and not played as a sort of narrative plot-points at all. I also switched to the audio for this one, which was great choice because it helped me get through the book quicker and not die by suspense. I hated narrator's voice for Taigan though.
I need more people to read this series and suffer alongside me! I can't wait to read the next and last book 🙈
BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
June 11, 2022
Empire Ascendant continues scratching my itch for something of its type, while also expanding the world and its scope.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
───────────────────
Empire Ascendant continues where the The Mirror Empire ended, while also confirming the fates of several characters.
There is a much bigger focus on the objectives of the sides involved in this conflict, while I’m also able to see how they plan to get about it. To that end, while there are definite battles to see and learn more about the satellites that govern the powers and their potency, the main conflict was more on the politicking side.
But even then, that seems like it’s not doing the level of complexity in this book any justice.
Kameron Hurley wrote something that to me, takes epic to a new height. While also, providing me with enough reasons to want to continue on this journey with the characters. There are multiple worlds, there are multiple countries involved and they are all coming with their own ideas, cultures and objectives.
The amount of world building I get to see is always appreciated, because it did get truly confusing sometimes. I mentioned in my review of The Mirror Empire that the midway point started clearing up the elements a bit and it was even more so by the end. But the opposite happens in this one because of the even more epic scale, the series is seemingly trying to reach.
Now that we know that there are other worlds out there, with its own nations but fighting in one war, so to speak, things could get confusing. I had somewhat of a hard time keeping some lesser used characters in check, and that in turn made me really glad that the author added a Dramatis personae to use if needed.
When it came to the other parts of the story like the powers and the designations however, it was a much easier time for me to keep track of which was which. The main characters in the conflict are distinct, they all have something different to offer to the story, and that made the book incredibly interesting despite the confusion at times.
One of the main reasons for that interest, other than how interesting it is to actually see so many horrible people in a cast of characters, was the different issues they personally had to deal with in themselves. Whether it’s opening their eyes to the truth, trying to do the best thing for themselves or revenge. There is always something more to a character, and that made it all the more enjoyable for me.
Though I will say that there were a few characters who made me think ”Why are you even in this book? as I was reading through. One of them showed why by the end, and one other is seemingly there to primarily show one of the sides in bigger details. But there is one who’s existence seemingly remains to be like an outlet to discuss an aspect of a culture, more so than an important driver of any of the plots.
So far anyway, I’m ready to be impressed in The Broken Heavens because of the power they posses, and how that might tip the scales.
Speaking of outlets of discussions, the author to me, is seemingly doing that throughout this book series. She has taken this grimdark tale and managed to include issues or angles that might not be explored in the same way in the genre. Or from what I read in it anyway. The way the gender roles are flipped, consent, how societies and cultures are portrayed, character motivations, torture and a continuous ask of what more are they going to do?
I’ve never really seen it done like this before, and it’s giving me the idea that it might be something a lot more unique than I know.
Despite the characters being the main driving force of the plots, the objectives are continuously mentioned. It’s there, it doesn’t go away for a second, but the focus is so far, on how to get there instead of anything else. The third book, The Broken Heavens is most likely going to be insane to read when it merges all of this together.
And I’m truly at a loss of even thinking of how that is going to go.
But, I can’t wait to see how the author goes about it in this month. If the previous two are any indication, I’m most likely am in the ride of a life time.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
───────────────────
Empire Ascendant continues where the The Mirror Empire ended, while also confirming the fates of several characters.
There is a much bigger focus on the objectives of the sides involved in this conflict, while I’m also able to see how they plan to get about it. To that end, while there are definite battles to see and learn more about the satellites that govern the powers and their potency, the main conflict was more on the politicking side.
But even then, that seems like it’s not doing the level of complexity in this book any justice.
Kameron Hurley wrote something that to me, takes epic to a new height. While also, providing me with enough reasons to want to continue on this journey with the characters. There are multiple worlds, there are multiple countries involved and they are all coming with their own ideas, cultures and objectives.
The amount of world building I get to see is always appreciated, because it did get truly confusing sometimes. I mentioned in my review of The Mirror Empire that the midway point started clearing up the elements a bit and it was even more so by the end. But the opposite happens in this one because of the even more epic scale, the series is seemingly trying to reach.
Now that we know that there are other worlds out there, with its own nations but fighting in one war, so to speak, things could get confusing. I had somewhat of a hard time keeping some lesser used characters in check, and that in turn made me really glad that the author added a Dramatis personae to use if needed.
When it came to the other parts of the story like the powers and the designations however, it was a much easier time for me to keep track of which was which. The main characters in the conflict are distinct, they all have something different to offer to the story, and that made the book incredibly interesting despite the confusion at times.
One of the main reasons for that interest, other than how interesting it is to actually see so many horrible people in a cast of characters, was the different issues they personally had to deal with in themselves. Whether it’s opening their eyes to the truth, trying to do the best thing for themselves or revenge. There is always something more to a character, and that made it all the more enjoyable for me.
Though I will say that there were a few characters who made me think ”Why are you even in this book? as I was reading through. One of them showed why by the end, and one other is seemingly there to primarily show one of the sides in bigger details. But there is one who’s existence seemingly remains to be like an outlet to discuss an aspect of a culture, more so than an important driver of any of the plots.
So far anyway, I’m ready to be impressed in The Broken Heavens because of the power they posses, and how that might tip the scales.
Speaking of outlets of discussions, the author to me, is seemingly doing that throughout this book series. She has taken this grimdark tale and managed to include issues or angles that might not be explored in the same way in the genre. Or from what I read in it anyway. The way the gender roles are flipped, consent, how societies and cultures are portrayed, character motivations, torture and a continuous ask of what more are they going to do?
I’ve never really seen it done like this before, and it’s giving me the idea that it might be something a lot more unique than I know.
Despite the characters being the main driving force of the plots, the objectives are continuously mentioned. It’s there, it doesn’t go away for a second, but the focus is so far, on how to get there instead of anything else. The third book, The Broken Heavens is most likely going to be insane to read when it merges all of this together.
And I’m truly at a loss of even thinking of how that is going to go.
But, I can’t wait to see how the author goes about it in this month. If the previous two are any indication, I’m most likely am in the ride of a life time.
December 6, 2018
Mi relación con la primera parte de esta saga fue compleja (aquí la reseña)
A esta segunda parte ya iba preparada y terminé entrando mejor al juego. De cada personaje la autora va a explicar dos cosas: la primera es por qué están oprimidos y la segunda es por qué son opresores.
Sigo pensando que no hubiera necesitado recurrir a determinados "tópicos". La novela es muy oscura sin necesidad de ellos y me gustaría que hubiera alguna historia así. Pero otra vez será.
La trama me ha parecido adictiva. Una vez que me sentaba a leer era muy difícil parar, aunque tiene ciertos excesos que al cogerlo unos meses después del primero me la hicieran un poco confusa.
El crecimiento de los personajes es maravilloso y eso que los capítulos de algunos de ellos siguen sin llegarme.
Su otra pega es que a veces el lenguaje es un poco redundante.
Pero de verdad, aunque me queje mucho, me ha merecido mucho la pena. Ha quedado en un punto perfecto para el tercero y me muero por leerlo.
A esta segunda parte ya iba preparada y terminé entrando mejor al juego. De cada personaje la autora va a explicar dos cosas: la primera es por qué están oprimidos y la segunda es por qué son opresores.
Sigo pensando que no hubiera necesitado recurrir a determinados "tópicos". La novela es muy oscura sin necesidad de ellos y me gustaría que hubiera alguna historia así. Pero otra vez será.
La trama me ha parecido adictiva. Una vez que me sentaba a leer era muy difícil parar, aunque tiene ciertos excesos que al cogerlo unos meses después del primero me la hicieran un poco confusa.
El crecimiento de los personajes es maravilloso y eso que los capítulos de algunos de ellos siguen sin llegarme.
Su otra pega es que a veces el lenguaje es un poco redundante.
Pero de verdad, aunque me queje mucho, me ha merecido mucho la pena. Ha quedado en un punto perfecto para el tercero y me muero por leerlo.
November 20, 2017
El mundo de Raisa, donde transcurre esta fascinante Worldbreaker Saga y un puñado de relatos más surgidos todos de la imaginación de la escritora Kameron Hurley, se enfrenta en esta segunda entrega a una guerra total donde ninguno de los bandos en contienda está dispuesto a rendirse porque dicha decisión significaría su completa desaparición. Tras el sugestivo arranque que marcaba The Mirror Empire (aquí mi reseña), donde la norteamericana nos ofrecía una dinámica historia, con personajes atractivos y sobre todo con una original y sugestiva ambientación, apostando por sociedades mucho más llamativas para el interés del lector que los habituales mundo medievales excesivamente exprimidos por la fantasía.
En Empire Ascendant todos los bandos enfrentados en esta guerra son conscientes de lo que se juegan: el completo exterminio a mano de los Tai Mora. Las revelaciones sembradas en el último tramo de la entrega anterior dejan bien claro que el reino de Dhai y el Imperio de Dorinah son los siguientes objetivos de los implacables invasores extranjeros, en busca de unos objetivos todavía poco claros pero que poco a poco se irán desvelando. Una vez más la trama apuesta por una gran diversidad de puntos focales, centrada en hasta ocho protagonistas diferentes y otras tantas localizaciones principales, lo que al tiempo que le aportan un gran dinamismo a la historia en ocasiones pueden hacer que el lector se siente un poco perdido entre tantos elementos en juego al mismo tiempo.
Y es que si algo destaca de esta segunda parte de la saga de los Rompemundos es que su imparable ritmo que arrastra al lector a una aventura donde se mezcla la despiadada guerra, la lucha por la supervivencia, las intrigas, y los secretos del pasado. Sus personajes son llevados al límite por una situación que se está volviendo cada vez más desesperada, con un implacable ejército invasor que también tiene el tiempo en su contra y lo lleva a volverse todavía más despiadado.
—He estado asustada toda mi vida y nunca me ha dado nada.
—El miedo templa las malas decisiones.
Una vez más Kameron Hurley nos presenta una refrescante fantasía donde a través de diversas y complejas sociedades explora los entresijos de todas las culturas, y nos hace plantearnos hasta que punta estas llegan a constreñir nuestra forma de ver el mundo. Sus personajes tiene que hacer frente a las limitaciones con las que su propia educación y cultura coartan sus mentalidades, o tratar de dilucidar hasta que punto merece la pena sacrificar lo que convierte a una civilización en lo que realmente es. Este acercamiento resulta particularmente interesante para comprender el dilema al que se enfrentan los pacíficos Dhai si pretenden sobrevivir a una brutal guerra sin ver su sociedad convertida en todo lo que rechazan.
Además, después de que la escritora norteamericana nos planteara civilizaciones tan diferentes como las de Dhai, Dorinah, Saiduan y Tai Mora, en Empire Ascendant Hurley no se queda corta y amplía su mundo con otras dos más: los reinos de Aaldia y Tordin. En realidad solo este último tiene el suficiente peso y definición para resultar destacable, y con el la autora explora por fin una sociedad patriarcal que choca de frente con las civilizaciones matriarcales que predominan en el mundo de Raisa. Desde luego Saradyn, el rey de Tordin, cumple a la perfección como personaje miserable y rastrero, con un toque de 'locura' que aporta mucho interés a su trama.
Desde luego Kameron Hurley tampoco se corta a la hora a añadir su toque grimdark a la historia, algo que ya se percibía también en The Mirror Emprie. La escritora norteamericana no ahorra sufrimiento a sus personajes, que a cada paso sufrirán mutilaciones, heridas y hasta la muerte como castigo por sus errores... o los ajenos. Porque el mundo de Raisa tampoco es un lugar justo en el que vivir.
—No eres estúpido, sólo ignorante. Lo maravilloso de la ignorancia es que se puede solucionar fácilmente. La estupidez no.
En el punto negativo de Empire Ascendant hay que señalar que algunos de los personajes que resultaban altamente atractivos para el lector en la primera novela, como Zezili o Taigan, en esta segunda entrega quedan bastante desdibujados en la trama general, perdiendo mucho peso e impacto. Una pena, porque ambos presentaban dos creaciones realmente fascinantes, y esperaba mucho más en esta nueva entrega. Una de ellas se embarca en una misión a priori sumamente fascinante pero que se acaba diluyendo en agua de borrajas, y la segunda se enfrenta a un papel mucho menos principal que la deja muy en segundo plano en la acción (aunque queda la esperanza de que Hurley la haga resurgir con toda su fuerza en la conclusión de la trilogía).
Con Empire Ascendant Kameron Hurley apuesta por una segunda entrega con un ritmo imparable, en un mundo con una fascinantes culturas que chocan de frente por la supervivencia. Una aventura con mucha acción, personajes llevados hasta el límite y trufada con algunos toques de ciencia ficción que son lo suficientemente atractivos como para mantener a lector enganchado hasta el final. Reconozco que la organización y sincronización de la trama, especialmente en su último final, no me ha parecido el más acertado y algunos arcos argumentales se enfrentan a un cierre excesivamente atropellado, pero como todo ello transcurre de una forma tan dinámica no queda más remedio que rendirse ante este tren desbocado de acción y emociones. La lectura en conjunto resulta tan entretenida que Empire Ascendant logra mantener atrapado al lector durante toda su extensión, convirtiéndose en una sobresaliente segunda entrega, que nos deja con ganas de que Kameron Hurley concluya la escritura de The Broken Heavens para enfrentarnos al último movimiento de esta apasionante historia.
http://caballerodelarbolsonriente.blo...
En Empire Ascendant todos los bandos enfrentados en esta guerra son conscientes de lo que se juegan: el completo exterminio a mano de los Tai Mora. Las revelaciones sembradas en el último tramo de la entrega anterior dejan bien claro que el reino de Dhai y el Imperio de Dorinah son los siguientes objetivos de los implacables invasores extranjeros, en busca de unos objetivos todavía poco claros pero que poco a poco se irán desvelando. Una vez más la trama apuesta por una gran diversidad de puntos focales, centrada en hasta ocho protagonistas diferentes y otras tantas localizaciones principales, lo que al tiempo que le aportan un gran dinamismo a la historia en ocasiones pueden hacer que el lector se siente un poco perdido entre tantos elementos en juego al mismo tiempo.
Y es que si algo destaca de esta segunda parte de la saga de los Rompemundos es que su imparable ritmo que arrastra al lector a una aventura donde se mezcla la despiadada guerra, la lucha por la supervivencia, las intrigas, y los secretos del pasado. Sus personajes son llevados al límite por una situación que se está volviendo cada vez más desesperada, con un implacable ejército invasor que también tiene el tiempo en su contra y lo lleva a volverse todavía más despiadado.
—He estado asustada toda mi vida y nunca me ha dado nada.
—El miedo templa las malas decisiones.
Una vez más Kameron Hurley nos presenta una refrescante fantasía donde a través de diversas y complejas sociedades explora los entresijos de todas las culturas, y nos hace plantearnos hasta que punta estas llegan a constreñir nuestra forma de ver el mundo. Sus personajes tiene que hacer frente a las limitaciones con las que su propia educación y cultura coartan sus mentalidades, o tratar de dilucidar hasta que punto merece la pena sacrificar lo que convierte a una civilización en lo que realmente es. Este acercamiento resulta particularmente interesante para comprender el dilema al que se enfrentan los pacíficos Dhai si pretenden sobrevivir a una brutal guerra sin ver su sociedad convertida en todo lo que rechazan.
Además, después de que la escritora norteamericana nos planteara civilizaciones tan diferentes como las de Dhai, Dorinah, Saiduan y Tai Mora, en Empire Ascendant Hurley no se queda corta y amplía su mundo con otras dos más: los reinos de Aaldia y Tordin. En realidad solo este último tiene el suficiente peso y definición para resultar destacable, y con el la autora explora por fin una sociedad patriarcal que choca de frente con las civilizaciones matriarcales que predominan en el mundo de Raisa. Desde luego Saradyn, el rey de Tordin, cumple a la perfección como personaje miserable y rastrero, con un toque de 'locura' que aporta mucho interés a su trama.
Desde luego Kameron Hurley tampoco se corta a la hora a añadir su toque grimdark a la historia, algo que ya se percibía también en The Mirror Emprie. La escritora norteamericana no ahorra sufrimiento a sus personajes, que a cada paso sufrirán mutilaciones, heridas y hasta la muerte como castigo por sus errores... o los ajenos. Porque el mundo de Raisa tampoco es un lugar justo en el que vivir.
—No eres estúpido, sólo ignorante. Lo maravilloso de la ignorancia es que se puede solucionar fácilmente. La estupidez no.
En el punto negativo de Empire Ascendant hay que señalar que algunos de los personajes que resultaban altamente atractivos para el lector en la primera novela, como Zezili o Taigan, en esta segunda entrega quedan bastante desdibujados en la trama general, perdiendo mucho peso e impacto. Una pena, porque ambos presentaban dos creaciones realmente fascinantes, y esperaba mucho más en esta nueva entrega. Una de ellas se embarca en una misión a priori sumamente fascinante pero que se acaba diluyendo en agua de borrajas, y la segunda se enfrenta a un papel mucho menos principal que la deja muy en segundo plano en la acción (aunque queda la esperanza de que Hurley la haga resurgir con toda su fuerza en la conclusión de la trilogía).
Con Empire Ascendant Kameron Hurley apuesta por una segunda entrega con un ritmo imparable, en un mundo con una fascinantes culturas que chocan de frente por la supervivencia. Una aventura con mucha acción, personajes llevados hasta el límite y trufada con algunos toques de ciencia ficción que son lo suficientemente atractivos como para mantener a lector enganchado hasta el final. Reconozco que la organización y sincronización de la trama, especialmente en su último final, no me ha parecido el más acertado y algunos arcos argumentales se enfrentan a un cierre excesivamente atropellado, pero como todo ello transcurre de una forma tan dinámica no queda más remedio que rendirse ante este tren desbocado de acción y emociones. La lectura en conjunto resulta tan entretenida que Empire Ascendant logra mantener atrapado al lector durante toda su extensión, convirtiéndose en una sobresaliente segunda entrega, que nos deja con ganas de que Kameron Hurley concluya la escritura de The Broken Heavens para enfrentarnos al último movimiento de esta apasionante historia.
http://caballerodelarbolsonriente.blo...
August 21, 2015
This was originally published at The Scrying Orb.
This is the second book in the Worldbreaker Saga. I reviewed part one, The Mirror Empire, last year. Reading my own review prior to starting part two turned out to be a boon. The world is complicated, the dramatis personae lengthy. According to my Kindle, the glossary at the end is 5% of the total mass of the book. Even after the refresher, I was a bit overwhelmed by the plethora of similar-sounding names for a good while.
The world is under assault from a relentless army from a mirror-world, an army comprised of phantom versions of the people of this one. They’ve already sacked an entire continent and are on their way to conquer the other two main countries. A hodgepodge group of characters all over the world stand to oppose them (and just as frequently: oppose each other). The pace, the headlong speed of the action, the scale continues to be Hurley’s strong suit. So many world(s)-spanning epic fantasies become lost in their own details and sputter on following millions of new threads introduced each book. The Worldbreaker Saga is speedy, despite the massive scope. Events happen quickly. The plot is spinning at a nice and compelling rate, while still remaining (mostly) comprehensible. When new threads are introduced, old ones are severed. Character bloat isn’t an issue when a writer is balancing the scales by brutally murdering many of the old ones (seriously brutal, not faux-brutal — trust me).
I complained of the world not feeling weird enough in The Mirror Empire, especially given how strange it was supposed to be. Empire Ascendant is more satisfactory in that regard, the strange attributes (killer plants, moon-based magic powers, world hopping) are better realized and many of the old tropes discarded. When we can base a major set piece on an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque tea party of disparate characters sitting down for a banquet right in between two different armies protected by magic air bubbles, and the scene works, we’re going places. I’m still a little nonplussed by the main continent/character set where the action is taking place (Dhai) but there was so much going on all over the damn place, that I wasn’t too displeased.
There’s a theme that runs through the novel about ‘monsters’. To fight a monster, you must become one. Gaze long into the abyss… etc. While it is of course credible that being exposed to constant violence would provoke violent tendencies in the person (or people) attempting to survive, it does not mean they would need to become monsters. I always balk when a character in a narrative thinks something along the lines of “If I do this [possibly bad thing], then I’ll be just as bad as them.” I am not sold by Empire Ascendant’s version of this; the villains have launched a sustained genocidal rampage on such an unimaginable scale, that the main characters killing a few people (in self defense) just cannot compare. Nor am I sold on the theme beyond the scope of the novel — that real life evil requires evil in return. It seems to be like Hurley is reaching for some of the moral heft of Oakley Hall’s Warlock but not quite grasping it.
Another reason maybe I’m not sold on it is because I do not find the characters to be truly believable people. I saw this as a detractor in the first book (and still feel like the universe has some strange-but-nostalgic affinity to video games) but I’ve come to terms with the characters being less realistic depictions of people and more like pulpy archetypes who speak modern english. I’ve read Kameron Hurley’s blog and she’s confessed her love of 80s action heroes and I can see the influence in Empire Ascendant. Several scenes in the book could be reinvented as death metal album covers. Picture a grim anti-hero bleeding out, reclining on a mountain of corpses, flipping off the camera. That’s honestly not that far from a description of one character’s demise in this book.
Empire Ascendant does everything the first book did well better, and minimizes on the things the first book did poorly. Not much more you can ask for from a sequel. I’m invested in the plot. It’s refreshing to feel like this is actually going to wrap up in three books. The board is set for book 3 and I look forward to the conclusion.
This is the second book in the Worldbreaker Saga. I reviewed part one, The Mirror Empire, last year. Reading my own review prior to starting part two turned out to be a boon. The world is complicated, the dramatis personae lengthy. According to my Kindle, the glossary at the end is 5% of the total mass of the book. Even after the refresher, I was a bit overwhelmed by the plethora of similar-sounding names for a good while.
The world is under assault from a relentless army from a mirror-world, an army comprised of phantom versions of the people of this one. They’ve already sacked an entire continent and are on their way to conquer the other two main countries. A hodgepodge group of characters all over the world stand to oppose them (and just as frequently: oppose each other). The pace, the headlong speed of the action, the scale continues to be Hurley’s strong suit. So many world(s)-spanning epic fantasies become lost in their own details and sputter on following millions of new threads introduced each book. The Worldbreaker Saga is speedy, despite the massive scope. Events happen quickly. The plot is spinning at a nice and compelling rate, while still remaining (mostly) comprehensible. When new threads are introduced, old ones are severed. Character bloat isn’t an issue when a writer is balancing the scales by brutally murdering many of the old ones (seriously brutal, not faux-brutal — trust me).
I complained of the world not feeling weird enough in The Mirror Empire, especially given how strange it was supposed to be. Empire Ascendant is more satisfactory in that regard, the strange attributes (killer plants, moon-based magic powers, world hopping) are better realized and many of the old tropes discarded. When we can base a major set piece on an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque tea party of disparate characters sitting down for a banquet right in between two different armies protected by magic air bubbles, and the scene works, we’re going places. I’m still a little nonplussed by the main continent/character set where the action is taking place (Dhai) but there was so much going on all over the damn place, that I wasn’t too displeased.
There’s a theme that runs through the novel about ‘monsters’. To fight a monster, you must become one. Gaze long into the abyss… etc. While it is of course credible that being exposed to constant violence would provoke violent tendencies in the person (or people) attempting to survive, it does not mean they would need to become monsters. I always balk when a character in a narrative thinks something along the lines of “If I do this [possibly bad thing], then I’ll be just as bad as them.” I am not sold by Empire Ascendant’s version of this; the villains have launched a sustained genocidal rampage on such an unimaginable scale, that the main characters killing a few people (in self defense) just cannot compare. Nor am I sold on the theme beyond the scope of the novel — that real life evil requires evil in return. It seems to be like Hurley is reaching for some of the moral heft of Oakley Hall’s Warlock but not quite grasping it.
Another reason maybe I’m not sold on it is because I do not find the characters to be truly believable people. I saw this as a detractor in the first book (and still feel like the universe has some strange-but-nostalgic affinity to video games) but I’ve come to terms with the characters being less realistic depictions of people and more like pulpy archetypes who speak modern english. I’ve read Kameron Hurley’s blog and she’s confessed her love of 80s action heroes and I can see the influence in Empire Ascendant. Several scenes in the book could be reinvented as death metal album covers. Picture a grim anti-hero bleeding out, reclining on a mountain of corpses, flipping off the camera. That’s honestly not that far from a description of one character’s demise in this book.
Empire Ascendant does everything the first book did well better, and minimizes on the things the first book did poorly. Not much more you can ask for from a sequel. I’m invested in the plot. It’s refreshing to feel like this is actually going to wrap up in three books. The board is set for book 3 and I look forward to the conclusion.
October 12, 2015
This was a really solid fantasy offering that actually improved in the series' sophomore effort. Unlike many books that come second in such a series, which are either bloated with filler intended to appease a publisher looking to maximize the number of volumes they can squeeze out of a series, this one actually tightened up the narrative rather than adding unnecessary tangents to it.
I liked the first book in the series very much but was a little worried about its lack of focus going forward. The story felt a little disjointed at times and perhaps overambitious. Credit to Hurley here for proving me wrong in volume two, where she honed down a large-ish cast of characters and a big, sweeping story into a more singular focus.
Excellent character development here as well. I thought Hurley did a great job of fleshing out female characters in a way that left them appearing strong and capable without beating the reader over the head with an eye-rolling "girl power!" mantra. Kirana in particular has become a far more interesting character, less a villainous cutout than in the first book. For others in the series too, we see more of the "why" behind their actions in this book than in the first.
Hurley has done an admirable job of creating a nuanced explanation for each of her character's actions without losing the air of mystery essential to keeping the ball rolling on the series as a whole.
I liked the first book in the series very much but was a little worried about its lack of focus going forward. The story felt a little disjointed at times and perhaps overambitious. Credit to Hurley here for proving me wrong in volume two, where she honed down a large-ish cast of characters and a big, sweeping story into a more singular focus.
Excellent character development here as well. I thought Hurley did a great job of fleshing out female characters in a way that left them appearing strong and capable without beating the reader over the head with an eye-rolling "girl power!" mantra. Kirana in particular has become a far more interesting character, less a villainous cutout than in the first book. For others in the series too, we see more of the "why" behind their actions in this book than in the first.
Hurley has done an admirable job of creating a nuanced explanation for each of her character's actions without losing the air of mystery essential to keeping the ball rolling on the series as a whole.
February 18, 2017
This book is a wild ride. I read an interview a long time ago where Kameron Hurley said that she initially planned this trilogy as a 15 book series, and I think that's evident especially in this second novel. It leads to both strengths and weaknesses.
The weaknesses are sort of the what-could-have-been variety, as certain chapters contain entire novels worth of potential material. By jamming it all into the book, it makes some of the relationships and character transitions and emotional moments weaker than they would have been had Hurley had several novels to detail these relationships and events.
That being said, Hurley covers a tremendous amount of material in this 500 page novel and it's kind of fascinating, if only to see her pull it off. Also, she's maybe more brutal to her characters than any author I can think of. Few people have a very good time in this novel and where this novel ends is an enormous question mark to me. I'm super excited for the third novel, as it will very obviously step away from the intrigue and political machinations and become one of guerrillas and revolutionaries.
But, yeah, there's almost too much to talk about in this novel, but I'm pretty impressed. A vast improvement on the first novel, I think. If anything, I wish this novel had been spread over several novels. Oddly, I think that would have made it better.
Excited for the final volume. Annoyed that I now have to wait.
The weaknesses are sort of the what-could-have-been variety, as certain chapters contain entire novels worth of potential material. By jamming it all into the book, it makes some of the relationships and character transitions and emotional moments weaker than they would have been had Hurley had several novels to detail these relationships and events.
That being said, Hurley covers a tremendous amount of material in this 500 page novel and it's kind of fascinating, if only to see her pull it off. Also, she's maybe more brutal to her characters than any author I can think of. Few people have a very good time in this novel and where this novel ends is an enormous question mark to me. I'm super excited for the third novel, as it will very obviously step away from the intrigue and political machinations and become one of guerrillas and revolutionaries.
But, yeah, there's almost too much to talk about in this novel, but I'm pretty impressed. A vast improvement on the first novel, I think. If anything, I wish this novel had been spread over several novels. Oddly, I think that would have made it better.
Excited for the final volume. Annoyed that I now have to wait.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews