Five Kingdoms: Dryth Chronicles Epic Fantasy

Celestial Empire #2

by T.A. Miles

With the Celestial Swords and their bearers united, Xu Liang heads for his homeland. Having lost his spiritual connection with the Empress, he is unprepared for the severity of Chaos’ grip on the land and its people.

Fear is spreading throughout Sheng Fan. War is in the air. There is dissension in the ranks of the Empire and Xu Liang’s favor with the Empress seems to be in question, his once influential position now tenuous. The coming together of the Blades seems for naught while enemies from within threaten to tear apart his allegiance with the outsiders he dared to bring into Sheng Fan by spreading dangerous rumors.

It seems that Xu Liang can do little more than watch as the Dragon continues to rise, every hour clawing its way deeper into the heart of the Empire, which slowly rends itself apart with the governors of the Five Kingdoms taking up arms against each other, as well as against the Song Dynasty.

Those allied by the Swords must put Chaos to rest—be it an actual dragon, or war itself—but first they must find peace within themselves and amongst each other.

382 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2016

About the author

T.A. Miles is a being owned by curiosity and fueled by internal magic. She claims to have fallen down a rabbit hole as a child, but in reality seems to be living in a semi-permanent out-of-body experience where she meets fantastical people and magical creatures in lands unknown to earth. She believes her characters are real people, and she publishes for one reason only: to share these people and the experiences they relay in carefully constructed stories unmarred by common human perception. Which sounds very complicated. It's easier to say she prefers to write about exceptionally human experiences.

Let's not try to explain that, actually. It's simpler to read one of her books instead. Remember to read with your head and your soul.

Reviews

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book of the series, is as epic as the first. We see the bearers of the celestial Swords make their way across country and sea, to reach the home of the Fanese people. Although, Xu Liang held a prominent post in the Fanese sovereignty, his prolonged absence had allowed a foot hold for those who wished to malign the reasons for seeking the celestial Swords. The idea of bringing the bearers of the weapons, was as if he was putting the Empire at risk.
With the unity and fellowship we have come to expect from the strange assortment of brethren that were the bearers of the swords, we see that all obstacles can be overcome, working together.
I love this series, and look forward to reading the next book. Although they could be read as stand alone, a lot of the underlying ground work, which scaffolds this book would be lost, if the first book was not read prior to this one.

[Barbara Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the continuation of the epic begun in Six Celestial Swords. Our Heros are finally on the way back to the Empire, and the chaos which is mounting there. Personal relationships evolve, easing in some cases and becoming more fraught in others. Dangers are faced. Politics rears its ugly head.
My feelings about this book are pretty similar to my feelings about it's predecessor: great story, great characters (glad to see Tristus seems to be less inclined to embody his homophone, tristesse), pretty good pace (a tad less time spent on explanations of what has already happened would be good), shame about the editing. There are lots of awkward sentences and inappropriate word choices (please, note the difference between disinterested and uninterested, for example) which should have been addressed before publication.

[Tony Duxbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this fantasy with an oriental flavour. Xu Liang armed with hope and faith goes on a quest to save his homeland from chaos. Only the celestial swords will keep the darkness away. As he travels to far lands in search of them he and his companions face many dangers, both concrete and magical. By sheer personality, he binds the bearers of the weapons to his cause, but probably the greatest danger to the success of the quest is the attitudes, hates and personal problems of his allies. I liked the way Xu Liang and the rest struggle to deal with their own uncertainties and deep-seated problems with the view of serving a higher cause. Lots of action, some very down to earth moments and plenty of fantastical magic.I would recommend this to any sword & sorcery fan.