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Dragon Empire Trilogy #2
Guardian of Empire
The Dragon Empire is under threat ... Kylie Chan, bestselling author of White Tiger, returns with the follow-up to Scales of Empire - imaginative, epic and a whole lot of fun.
Earth has joined the Galactic Empire, a vast interstellar society ruled by dragon-like aliens where everybody is immortal. Pain, famine and disease have been eradicated, but this doesn't mean the end of conflict.
A cruel alien Republic has been watching from afar and wants to take the Empire's progress for its own. Jian Choumali, ex-British forces and now Colonel in the Imperial space force, must fight to keep her friends, family and fellow citizens in the Empire safe. A brutal battle of skill and wits begins as Jian and her human colleagues attempt to combat the invaders -- but with all their technology, enhancements and weapons in the hands of their enemies, the odds are stacked against them, and there is the very real threat of the destruction of the Empire itself.
PRAISE FOR SCALES OF EMPIRE (Book 1):
'A smart, slick read that keeps the reader in suspense' Canberra Weekly
'I had so much fun reading this -- adorable characters, seductive dragons, narcissist cats, crazy imagination and lots of wisdom' Lian Hearn
'This gender bending inter-stellar romp, is full of delightful surprises that kept me enthralled from start to end. I am dragonstruck! ' Traci Harding
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2019
19 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Chan
26 books593 followersKylie doesn't participate in the Goodreads network. You can find her fanpage on Facebook or visit her website at www.kyliechan.com.
Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Eastern China, lived in Australia for ten years, then moved to Hong Kong for ten years and during that time learnt a great deal about Chinese culture and came to appreciate the customs and way of life.
In 2003 she closed down her successful IT consultancy company in Hong Kong and moved back to Australia. She decided to use her knowledge of Chinese mythology, culture, and martial arts to weave a story that would appeal to a wide audience.
Since returning to Australia, Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is now a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.
Kylie is a mother of two who lives in Queensland's Gold Coast. She is the best-selling author of the Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang trilogies, which tell the story of Emma, an ordinary Australian woman thrown into the world of Chinese Gods, martial arts, and magic. Emma must deal with a bewildering variety of Chinese mythological creatures from dragons to the Monkey King as she learns martial arts from her employer John Chen, who is really the God of Martial Arts, Xuan Wu.
Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Eastern China, lived in Australia for ten years, then moved to Hong Kong for ten years and during that time learnt a great deal about Chinese culture and came to appreciate the customs and way of life.
In 2003 she closed down her successful IT consultancy company in Hong Kong and moved back to Australia. She decided to use her knowledge of Chinese mythology, culture, and martial arts to weave a story that would appeal to a wide audience.
Since returning to Australia, Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is now a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.
Kylie is a mother of two who lives in Queensland's Gold Coast. She is the best-selling author of the Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang trilogies, which tell the story of Emma, an ordinary Australian woman thrown into the world of Chinese Gods, martial arts, and magic. Emma must deal with a bewildering variety of Chinese mythological creatures from dragons to the Monkey King as she learns martial arts from her employer John Chen, who is really the God of Martial Arts, Xuan Wu.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2019
basically a soap, there’s no real point or plot. just who sleeps with and who is at war with whom.
it’s well written, the universe and characters are interesting but i found myself halfway through thinking “why??”
it’s well written, the universe and characters are interesting but i found myself halfway through thinking “why??”
June 1, 2019
This is a weird and wonderful sci fi adventure, emphasis on WEIRD. The pacing felt very odd at times, plot twists ripping into space in front of you as suddenly as the inter-dimensionally travelling dragon aliens featured in the book. Does that sound too strange to you? It’s the tip of the iceberg.
The characters fell flat for me, but were typically so conceptually interesting that it made up for their lack of well-roundedness. I find it very similar in tone to the author’s previous series, which I also enjoyed.
The characters fell flat for me, but were typically so conceptually interesting that it made up for their lack of well-roundedness. I find it very similar in tone to the author’s previous series, which I also enjoyed.
November 16, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this book, hence my also mixed rating.
Not about the soap feeling it often gives, that part is expected from the first book's premise.
This part however leaves a lack of depth about most of the relationships ongoing between the protagonists.
Perhaps it is an effect of the characters exploring a newfound immortality, thus losing the urgency that can drive mortals into more passionate (and possibly botched) relationships.
But the way the main protagonists repeatedly get backstabbed by the cat-like alien antagonists who clearly are cunning, ruthless, self-centered individuals (any resemblance with actual cats... though the real ones are at least cute and cuddly if we don't dwell too much on their real motivations), and always answer gingerly to promises of negotiation... to get scammed again, and again... it is a bit hard.
Even though this repetition and the cycles serves a progression that eventually exposes some of the dirt the dragons had hidden under the carpet (and they had some big clusters), the way it is done stretches suspension of disbelief quite a bit.
Aside of that, the dragons depicted here really lack both morals and strength, which personally puts me off.
Of course I'm not looking for creatures that would be powerful, wise and perfect, it would be quite boring.
But those ones really have had little to make me like them for the first two books.
Maybe the development that appears near the end of this book will redeem their species.
Not about the soap feeling it often gives, that part is expected from the first book's premise.
This part however leaves a lack of depth about most of the relationships ongoing between the protagonists.
Perhaps it is an effect of the characters exploring a newfound immortality, thus losing the urgency that can drive mortals into more passionate (and possibly botched) relationships.
But the way the main protagonists repeatedly get backstabbed by the cat-like alien antagonists who clearly are cunning, ruthless, self-centered individuals (any resemblance with actual cats... though the real ones are at least cute and cuddly if we don't dwell too much on their real motivations), and always answer gingerly to promises of negotiation... to get scammed again, and again... it is a bit hard.
Even though this repetition and the cycles serves a progression that eventually exposes some of the dirt the dragons had hidden under the carpet (and they had some big clusters), the way it is done stretches suspension of disbelief quite a bit.
Aside of that, the dragons depicted here really lack both morals and strength, which personally puts me off.
Of course I'm not looking for creatures that would be powerful, wise and perfect, it would be quite boring.
But those ones really have had little to make me like them for the first two books.
Maybe the development that appears near the end of this book will redeem their species.
July 30, 2019
Continuing Kylie Chan’s unique story, Guardian of Empire is a fun, gender fluid, love fluid romp among the stars. And dragons… So many dragons. (In fact I kinda wish some dragons were on the cover). Those Goldenscales sound utterly delightful. And from folding to gate travel… this is a terrific science fiction to become immersed in.
The Empire’s war with the Cats reaches its peak, and humans are the target. Main character Jian is dealing with her children, her love life, her career and everything in between. A story of betrayal and lies is at the heart of this novel. Who can Jian trust? It seems both sides want a piece of her. And it make take losing her family to choose a side.
The world building in this series is extraordinary. The details of the dragon Empire, the Cat homeworld, class distinctions, politics and alien life is well thought out and comprehensibly seeded throughout the story. Truly unique alien lifeforms from telepathic octopus mothers, to energy beings, to insect mating practices… its a fascinating look into the priorities of life unlike our own.
And then there is the concept of death and what it means. If you have the chance to live forever – how do your priorities change? What does it mean for your love life if you can truly be with someone forever? And if you loose them… how do you go on forever without them?
The Empire’s war with the Cats reaches its peak, and humans are the target. Main character Jian is dealing with her children, her love life, her career and everything in between. A story of betrayal and lies is at the heart of this novel. Who can Jian trust? It seems both sides want a piece of her. And it make take losing her family to choose a side.
The world building in this series is extraordinary. The details of the dragon Empire, the Cat homeworld, class distinctions, politics and alien life is well thought out and comprehensibly seeded throughout the story. Truly unique alien lifeforms from telepathic octopus mothers, to energy beings, to insect mating practices… its a fascinating look into the priorities of life unlike our own.
And then there is the concept of death and what it means. If you have the chance to live forever – how do your priorities change? What does it mean for your love life if you can truly be with someone forever? And if you loose them… how do you go on forever without them?
August 12, 2019
Thankyou to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and the author, Kylie Chan, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Guardian of Empire in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
What an incredible read. I was hooked from the start.
The storyline was well thought out and written with intriguing , mysterious characters. It was atmospheric in its imagery and totally immersive. Another great fantasy ride from an incredible writer.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.
What an incredible read. I was hooked from the start.
The storyline was well thought out and written with intriguing , mysterious characters. It was atmospheric in its imagery and totally immersive. Another great fantasy ride from an incredible writer.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.
June 23, 2019
I wanted to give this a shot. I read “Scales of Empire” last year, and it wasn’t my cup of tea. I decided to work through book 2, simply because there were no 1 star reviews, and I hoped that it would have improved. I was wrong. The timeline was just as skewed, the swearing for the sake of being ~badass~ was annoying, and I just couldn’t stay focused for more than 10 min at a time to follow the story. Even the representation couldn’t avoid stereotypy.
May 8, 2021
The trouble with immortality seems to be that history repeats itself. While Jian continues her exotic adventures with love, loyalty and adventure, I felt there was a certain echo in her life. I wanted her to have a bit more insight after all her decades of life. The same things kept happening and I wanted her to protest. Eventually she did!
Great world building and an eclectic cast keep the tale revolving.
Great world building and an eclectic cast keep the tale revolving.
June 9, 2019
I love all her books but this lost my attention a couple of times when time passed and I didn’t realise. Also didn’t have much of a purpose but more a travel through the story. Not sure I will rush to read number three but will read it to complete the story. The different species and characters are brilliant and true space travel also. So there were good things about it .
July 16, 2022
I gave up after 50% read. I find it (rarely) difficult to put my feelings about this novel in words. It consisted of a menagerie of weird entities that seemed rendered to earth equivalents, often in love and interbreeding. I found it sickenly cutesy in places yet extremely violent in others. The pacifism was laudable and interesting.
June 1, 2019
This author certainly comes up with some original ideas; but for some reason I loose interest in a book when there is more vulgar language used than the orchestration of a plot. Ever since Demon Child, the writing has just lost its way and this felt quite rushed.
October 27, 2019
I really enjoyed the first one of the trilogy, but this one not so much. I think it could have done with a bit more character development, and a bit less padding with long descriptive passages. However, it will be interesting to read the 3rd volume to see how she finishes it.
October 16, 2019
What an unusual scifi story. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique tale of interstellar travel and empire conquest. Eagerly awaiting book three of what must be a trilogy.
November 17, 2019
Very original but lost the magic of book one. Pacing and timeline were sometimes hard to follow but if you have read other works by Chan thats all part of the parcel.
March 15, 2020
Too absurd for my particular preference.
May 1, 2021
Excellent read.
Brilliant as usual.
Fun to read and no way of loss in read, excellent communication of characters brings life to all.
Brilliant as usual.
Fun to read and no way of loss in read, excellent communication of characters brings life to all.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews