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Hostage of Empire #1
The Throne of the Five Winds
The lady-in-waiting to the princess of a conquered kingdom must navigate a treacherous imperial court, in this captivating beginning of an East Asia-inspired epic fantasy trilogy.
Two queens, two concubines, six princes.
A single hidden blade.
The imperial palace -- full of ambitious royals, sly gossip, and unforeseen perils -- is perhaps the most dangerous place in the Empire of Zhaon. Komor Yala, lady-in-waiting to the princess of the vanquished kingdom of Khir, has only her wits and her hidden blade to protect herself and her charge, who was sacrificed in marriage to the enemy as a hostage for her conquered people's good behavior, to secure a tenuous peace.
But the Emperor is aging, and the Khir princess and her lady-in-waiting soon find themselves pawns in the six princes' deadly schemes for the throne -- and a single spark could ignite fresh rebellion in Khir.
Then, the Emperor falls ill -- and a far bloodier game begins...
Hostage of Empire
The Throne of the Five Winds
The Poison Prince
Two queens, two concubines, six princes.
A single hidden blade.
The imperial palace -- full of ambitious royals, sly gossip, and unforeseen perils -- is perhaps the most dangerous place in the Empire of Zhaon. Komor Yala, lady-in-waiting to the princess of the vanquished kingdom of Khir, has only her wits and her hidden blade to protect herself and her charge, who was sacrificed in marriage to the enemy as a hostage for her conquered people's good behavior, to secure a tenuous peace.
But the Emperor is aging, and the Khir princess and her lady-in-waiting soon find themselves pawns in the six princes' deadly schemes for the throne -- and a single spark could ignite fresh rebellion in Khir.
Then, the Emperor falls ill -- and a far bloodier game begins...
Hostage of Empire
The Throne of the Five Winds
The Poison Prince
704 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2019
227 people are currently reading
6449 people want to read
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October 18, 2019
I absolutely loved this rich, complex story, which is filled with what feels like a multitude of characters that each have their own motives and purpose within the story. The Throne of the Five Winds is simply beautifully written and one I whole-heartedly recommend.
Thoughts:
Oh my goodness – this book is long. 704 pages long. I’m not used to reading for hours and not be 10% into a book. Well, truthfully, it took a bit longer at the beginning because of the overall complexity of the book and sheer number of characters. The first few chapters switched between the different locations and characters and I had to learn how to keep it all straight – for example, when someone was referenced in chapter 4 or 5, I needed to go back and see what was said about them in chapter 2 to put all the pieces together in my mind. For this reason, the first several chapters were not ones where I could put down the book and pick it back up later and immediately know where I was in the story. However, once I figured out who the 2 queens, 2 concubines, 6 princes, 1 adopted-son/prince, and 2 princesses were plus the characters from Khir, it became a much easier read.
In The Thone of the Five Winds, there are three main characters: Yala – a noble lady who agrees to be Princess Mahara of Khir’s lady-in -waiting as she goes to Zhoan to marry Crown Prince Takeyo. Kai – General of Zhoan and adopted son of Second Concubine Kanbina, and third prince Takshin – a son who had been sent at a young age to another kingdom to serve under a Mad Queen.
Within the kingdom of Zhaon, Emperor Tamuron’s wives and various sons play games as they jockey for power. Some of these games are very subtle – where they might say something that sounds pretty benign to me and yet mean a huge insult to another character. But some are not subtle – there are poisonings and multiple assassination attempts. As a lady-in-waiting, Yala must work through all the politics and slights to ensure Princess Mahara’s honor and dignity remains intact. It is in this where you find what the main story centers around.
At the end of the book it comes to a conclusion where you can see the author’s handiwork in getting it setup rather nicely for the next book in the series. It concludes with multiple plot points to pick up where we leave off in this one as well as heightened tensions that you can see coming, but are not there yet. Overall I really, really enjoyed this Asia-inspired fantasy book. I truly appreciated it’s maturity level and its seriousness. Sometimes you want to read a light-hearted fantasy that has a more modern feel to it and then there are times when you don’t – where political games are done very subtly. It took a while to read through, but what I enjoyed was how excited I was to get back to it every chance I got. I am really looking forward to the next in the series.
Rating: 5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Thoughts:
Oh my goodness – this book is long. 704 pages long. I’m not used to reading for hours and not be 10% into a book. Well, truthfully, it took a bit longer at the beginning because of the overall complexity of the book and sheer number of characters. The first few chapters switched between the different locations and characters and I had to learn how to keep it all straight – for example, when someone was referenced in chapter 4 or 5, I needed to go back and see what was said about them in chapter 2 to put all the pieces together in my mind. For this reason, the first several chapters were not ones where I could put down the book and pick it back up later and immediately know where I was in the story. However, once I figured out who the 2 queens, 2 concubines, 6 princes, 1 adopted-son/prince, and 2 princesses were plus the characters from Khir, it became a much easier read.
In The Thone of the Five Winds, there are three main characters: Yala – a noble lady who agrees to be Princess Mahara of Khir’s lady-in -waiting as she goes to Zhoan to marry Crown Prince Takeyo. Kai – General of Zhoan and adopted son of Second Concubine Kanbina, and third prince Takshin – a son who had been sent at a young age to another kingdom to serve under a Mad Queen.
Within the kingdom of Zhaon, Emperor Tamuron’s wives and various sons play games as they jockey for power. Some of these games are very subtle – where they might say something that sounds pretty benign to me and yet mean a huge insult to another character. But some are not subtle – there are poisonings and multiple assassination attempts. As a lady-in-waiting, Yala must work through all the politics and slights to ensure Princess Mahara’s honor and dignity remains intact. It is in this where you find what the main story centers around.
At the end of the book it comes to a conclusion where you can see the author’s handiwork in getting it setup rather nicely for the next book in the series. It concludes with multiple plot points to pick up where we leave off in this one as well as heightened tensions that you can see coming, but are not there yet. Overall I really, really enjoyed this Asia-inspired fantasy book. I truly appreciated it’s maturity level and its seriousness. Sometimes you want to read a light-hearted fantasy that has a more modern feel to it and then there are times when you don’t – where political games are done very subtly. It took a while to read through, but what I enjoyed was how excited I was to get back to it every chance I got. I am really looking forward to the next in the series.
Rating: 5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
October 18, 2019
Doslovce sam koristio svaki mogući trenutak da čitam ovu knjigu. Najbolje što je Lilit Sentkrou do sada napisala. Takođe, najbolja "orijentalna" fantazija od trilogije Empire iz pera Rejmonda Fajsta i Dženi Vurc. Izvanredna knjiga i vrlo na tragu recimo "Iskorenjenoj" Naomi Novik i sličnim novijim romanima, koji s puno poštovanja prilaze ne-zapadnim kulturama i trude se da budu prikazane uverljivo i originalno. Vrhunska knjiga.
September 25, 2019
Simply beautiful, seeped in tradition, seamlessly flowing court life with its never-ending intrigue. The characters in this book are so distinct one from the other, each one so nicely developing, with such (sometimes) restrained ways about them that speak so well of their times and manners. And while some might not enjoy the slow pacing and developing of a novel as large as this one, I found that to be one of its most enjoyable aspects. It allowed me to fully explore every little nook and cranny of this story and wish for more.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 22, 2019
Find this and other reviews at The Reader in Indigo
If you're looking for bloody battles or magical duels or epic quests . . . look further, cause this is definitely not the book for you. There is no magic here, no quests (unless you consider 'trying to stay alive in a palace with more assassins per capita than there are bankers in Manhattan' to be a quest), and the only (physical) battles end well before our narrative begins. But if you, like me, find court intrigue absolutely riveting, then oh god do I have the book for you.
The newly-reconstituted Empire of Zhaon, the Land of the Five Winds, has just defeated its fierce neighbor Khir in battle. As part of the surrender terms, the Great Rider of Khir's only daughter has been dispatched to marry the Crown Prince of Zhaon, accompanied only by a single (quite fierce) lady-in-waiting. The two women must navigate a palace that's less a snake pit than a bloody, shark-filled ocean, as the Emperor's health worsens, his six sons (and their mothers) vie for power, and enemies beyond their borders begin to plot.
The writing here is absolutely superb. This is a very long book (the first of a series), with a decently large cast of characters, but at no point did I ever have trouble remembering who was who, who was allied with whom, etc. And the author is one of those truly gifted writers whose prose I can just fall into; her language has cadence, rhythm, depth---beauty to spare. Her scenes are exquisitely crafted, conversations with double meanings crafted so brilliantly I was literally in awe, each word honed to absolute perfection.
Fans of books like The Goblin Emperor, or political/court drama in general (or even regency romances---the romance factor here is clear and present, though never overdone) will find a lot to love here. (But with way more assassination attempts. Seriously, there is a ridiculous amount of assassination attempts in this book.) This is a book I'll probably be pulling out to comfort-read on rainy days for years to come, and I'm really excited for the sequel.
(As an aside, it's mentioned in the back extras that S.C. Emmett is a pseudonym for Lilith Saintcrow. Never in a million years would I have guessed that! I've read some of her other works--some I liked a lot, others that weren't my cup of tea--and this is definitely the most ambitious writing, worldbuilding-wise, I think I've seen from her yet.)
Overall: highly, highly recommended.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
If you're looking for bloody battles or magical duels or epic quests . . . look further, cause this is definitely not the book for you. There is no magic here, no quests (unless you consider 'trying to stay alive in a palace with more assassins per capita than there are bankers in Manhattan' to be a quest), and the only (physical) battles end well before our narrative begins. But if you, like me, find court intrigue absolutely riveting, then oh god do I have the book for you.
The newly-reconstituted Empire of Zhaon, the Land of the Five Winds, has just defeated its fierce neighbor Khir in battle. As part of the surrender terms, the Great Rider of Khir's only daughter has been dispatched to marry the Crown Prince of Zhaon, accompanied only by a single (quite fierce) lady-in-waiting. The two women must navigate a palace that's less a snake pit than a bloody, shark-filled ocean, as the Emperor's health worsens, his six sons (and their mothers) vie for power, and enemies beyond their borders begin to plot.
The writing here is absolutely superb. This is a very long book (the first of a series), with a decently large cast of characters, but at no point did I ever have trouble remembering who was who, who was allied with whom, etc. And the author is one of those truly gifted writers whose prose I can just fall into; her language has cadence, rhythm, depth---beauty to spare. Her scenes are exquisitely crafted, conversations with double meanings crafted so brilliantly I was literally in awe, each word honed to absolute perfection.
Fans of books like The Goblin Emperor, or political/court drama in general (or even regency romances---the romance factor here is clear and present, though never overdone) will find a lot to love here. (But with way more assassination attempts. Seriously, there is a ridiculous amount of assassination attempts in this book.) This is a book I'll probably be pulling out to comfort-read on rainy days for years to come, and I'm really excited for the sequel.
(As an aside, it's mentioned in the back extras that S.C. Emmett is a pseudonym for Lilith Saintcrow. Never in a million years would I have guessed that! I've read some of her other works--some I liked a lot, others that weren't my cup of tea--and this is definitely the most ambitious writing, worldbuilding-wise, I think I've seen from her yet.)
Overall: highly, highly recommended.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 19, 2019
I received a free copy of this ebook from the author, Orbitz publishing, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Yala Komor has been chosen to be Princess Mahara's lady in waiting who is to be married to a prince in the land of Zhaon. Once there, they try to fit it only to be targeted by assassins and more. Can they survive this cruel land? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good historical fantasy fiction. If you like these types of stories, be sure to check this book out. It is now available to own in bookstores everywhere.
Yala Komor has been chosen to be Princess Mahara's lady in waiting who is to be married to a prince in the land of Zhaon. Once there, they try to fit it only to be targeted by assassins and more. Can they survive this cruel land? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good historical fantasy fiction. If you like these types of stories, be sure to check this book out. It is now available to own in bookstores everywhere.
October 21, 2019
It isn’t often that a book wins me over like The Throne of the Five Winds did! I usually know my general sentiment towards a book within the first fifty pages or so. My mood will change for better or worse as the story unfolds, and a 2-star book might make it to 3 or vice versa, and once in a while, a 4- or 5-star book plummets to 1 star because of an unforgivable sin. When I began this book, which I received as an eARC from Orbit and NetGalley, I was not feeling it.
Moreover, I really dislike it when someone tries to sell me a series by saying “for fans of Game of Thrones.” Because, like it or not, Game of Thrones is mainstream now. It’s like saying “for fans of Harry Potter” or “for fans of Marvel movies”—that’s not a useful category any more. And I honestly don’t think this book is very much like Game of Thrones, for many reasons, but hey, that’s not what this review is about.
Lady Komor Yala (house name, first name) has been sent from her home country of Khir to Zhaon. She accompanies her princess, Mahara, who is a bride and tribute to the Crown Prince of Zhaon following Khir’s rout at the battle of the Three Rivers. Yala and Mahara are alone in Zhaon, with no other Khir around them, forced to adapt to a strange culture. There are 6 princes of Zhaon, from 3 different women—two queens and a concubine. A second concubine of the emperor has adopted a son, General Zakkar Kai, who is unpopular with some because of his humble origins. Yala and Mahara barely have time to catch their breath before the latter is wedded and the assassination attempts begin.
People are going to tell you this book is long. Boy is it ever—but I don’t see that as a particular stumbling block, and I don’t think that’s even what those commenters are really picking up on. Sure, it’s long, and we could discuss how the story might be streamlined. But perhaps what we’re actually noticing is that almost all of the scenes in this book are two-handers, or perhaps three-handers in a pinch. There are certainly some larger crowd scenes, often action scenes. Yet so much of this book comprises private conversations between two characters, often involving intrigue veiled behind courtesy. That’s why this book feels longer than it is: everything is embedded within subtext, and so it takes twice as long to say. There is a lot of dialogue but also a lot of stillness, and S.C. Emmett’s description tends towards the poetic, with many quotations from writers in this world and comparisons of people’s movements to calligraphy.
Emmett also tends towards the “hard no” side for exposition and is even so hardcore as to put “untranslatable” terms into the book with footnotes explaining their meaning in English. So that adds to the initial learning curve. Frankly, I don’t blame anyone for noping out within the first twenty or fifty pages. It’s not easy to get into this book.
But if you persevere, you might decide it’s worth it. The Throne of the Five Winds has so many tropes of fantasy/historical fiction: palace intrigue, succession crises in the making, subtle love triangles, capricious queens and princes, a dying emperor, and assassins lurking behind every arras. Despite this surfeit of tropes, though, the book never feels that clichéd. The cornucopia of characters allows Emmett to wend and wind the plot through this world with a narrative deftness that keeps us on our toes.
There are downsides, of course. Another reason I couldn’t get into the book at first is that I didn’t feel invested in any of the initial protagonists. Why did I care about Yala being sent away from her home country? Who is this Kai dude, and why should I care about him and this emperor? Which of these princes am I supposed to care about? Similarly, the antagonists are two-dimensional. We’re supposed to like most of the protagonists and dislike most of the antagonists. Even Takshin, who is a fairly obvious antihero, is supposed to be the “lovable rogue,” in contrast to the Second Prince, Kurin, who is portrayed as an inveterate schemer. Emmett tries to give Queen Gamwone some depth by making it seem like her gambits are merely a way of ensuring the survival of herself and her sons in the limited ways she can as a woman in this world … yet the narrative voice of the book is so biased towards portraying her as a rude, vindictive, and petty woman that this little attempt at balancing the scales is insufficient, to say the least. And as far as the Khir nobility goes … we get, what, 4 scenes with them?
In other words, The Throne of the Five Winds has all the intrigue I love in a political fantasy novel. Nevertheless, it is still quite messy in some ways, and its characterization is shiny yet not always substantial. Emmet’s writing is beautiful in most cases, particularly as we watch Yala grow in her appreciation of her new home. I recommended this book to a coworker who enjoys reading sprawling court epics.
Moreover, I really dislike it when someone tries to sell me a series by saying “for fans of Game of Thrones.” Because, like it or not, Game of Thrones is mainstream now. It’s like saying “for fans of Harry Potter” or “for fans of Marvel movies”—that’s not a useful category any more. And I honestly don’t think this book is very much like Game of Thrones, for many reasons, but hey, that’s not what this review is about.
Lady Komor Yala (house name, first name) has been sent from her home country of Khir to Zhaon. She accompanies her princess, Mahara, who is a bride and tribute to the Crown Prince of Zhaon following Khir’s rout at the battle of the Three Rivers. Yala and Mahara are alone in Zhaon, with no other Khir around them, forced to adapt to a strange culture. There are 6 princes of Zhaon, from 3 different women—two queens and a concubine. A second concubine of the emperor has adopted a son, General Zakkar Kai, who is unpopular with some because of his humble origins. Yala and Mahara barely have time to catch their breath before the latter is wedded and the assassination attempts begin.
People are going to tell you this book is long. Boy is it ever—but I don’t see that as a particular stumbling block, and I don’t think that’s even what those commenters are really picking up on. Sure, it’s long, and we could discuss how the story might be streamlined. But perhaps what we’re actually noticing is that almost all of the scenes in this book are two-handers, or perhaps three-handers in a pinch. There are certainly some larger crowd scenes, often action scenes. Yet so much of this book comprises private conversations between two characters, often involving intrigue veiled behind courtesy. That’s why this book feels longer than it is: everything is embedded within subtext, and so it takes twice as long to say. There is a lot of dialogue but also a lot of stillness, and S.C. Emmett’s description tends towards the poetic, with many quotations from writers in this world and comparisons of people’s movements to calligraphy.
Emmett also tends towards the “hard no” side for exposition and is even so hardcore as to put “untranslatable” terms into the book with footnotes explaining their meaning in English. So that adds to the initial learning curve. Frankly, I don’t blame anyone for noping out within the first twenty or fifty pages. It’s not easy to get into this book.
But if you persevere, you might decide it’s worth it. The Throne of the Five Winds has so many tropes of fantasy/historical fiction: palace intrigue, succession crises in the making, subtle love triangles, capricious queens and princes, a dying emperor, and assassins lurking behind every arras. Despite this surfeit of tropes, though, the book never feels that clichéd. The cornucopia of characters allows Emmett to wend and wind the plot through this world with a narrative deftness that keeps us on our toes.
There are downsides, of course. Another reason I couldn’t get into the book at first is that I didn’t feel invested in any of the initial protagonists. Why did I care about Yala being sent away from her home country? Who is this Kai dude, and why should I care about him and this emperor? Which of these princes am I supposed to care about? Similarly, the antagonists are two-dimensional. We’re supposed to like most of the protagonists and dislike most of the antagonists. Even Takshin, who is a fairly obvious antihero, is supposed to be the “lovable rogue,” in contrast to the Second Prince, Kurin, who is portrayed as an inveterate schemer. Emmett tries to give Queen Gamwone some depth by making it seem like her gambits are merely a way of ensuring the survival of herself and her sons in the limited ways she can as a woman in this world … yet the narrative voice of the book is so biased towards portraying her as a rude, vindictive, and petty woman that this little attempt at balancing the scales is insufficient, to say the least. And as far as the Khir nobility goes … we get, what, 4 scenes with them?
In other words, The Throne of the Five Winds has all the intrigue I love in a political fantasy novel. Nevertheless, it is still quite messy in some ways, and its characterization is shiny yet not always substantial. Emmet’s writing is beautiful in most cases, particularly as we watch Yala grow in her appreciation of her new home. I recommended this book to a coworker who enjoys reading sprawling court epics.
February 1, 2021
Do you ever have those books that you are super excited to read and it's constantly up next in the tbr pile but then life gets in the way and *insert unspecified amount of time later* you finally do read it, and find yourself sitting there thinking 'what the bloody hell took me so long?!' The Throne of the Five Winds is exactly that book for me. I received it for Christmas in 2019 just after it came out and having loved the Dante Valentine series (written as Lilith Saintcrow), I was very much excited to check this series out but life got in the way. I finally made the decision to sit down and read it this year because I had put it off for so long (2020 was a clusterfuck let's face it) and I loved it so much. It's a new favourite. My reading has been sparse and not very committed for a little while but The Throne of the Five Winds gripped me and didn't let go. It's the first time I have binge read in a very long time.
The Throne of the Five Winds follows Komor Yala as she accompanies her princess to the foreign court of Zhaon. After the bloody loss of battle Khir must send its princess to Zhaon, Yala having just lost her brother is the only one to accompany Mahara to the capital. Though the war may be over and Khir defeated, the deadly battleground of politics at the court proves to hold many more dangers and it's not clear who is friend or foe. Yala must protect her princess not just from vipers in the court but assassins making attempts on the Crown Prince and Princess. Though seemingly surrounded in the foreign city and having no one but each other, Yala and her princess might just find allies from unexpected corners.
Yala stole the show in The Throne of the Five Winds, I can understand why so many are enamoured of her because honestly? Same. She brave and loyal and kind and absolutely devoted to Mahara. I loved watching her face whatever Zhaon threw her way with strength and dignity. Deadly with her yue, she can take down a man and we love to see it. I really enjoyed the whole concept of the yue, the maiden's blade and the honour of the hawk's kisses. If a woman is cut with the yue they'll rub ink into the cut and wear the scar as a mark of pride.
Speaking of characters I loved, I WOULD LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR KAI AND TAKSHIN. Tough warriors who are actually soft are my ultimate weakness and Throne of the Five Winds gives us two, TWO! Garan Suon-ei Takshin, Third Prince of Zhaon and General Zakkar Kai, known as the God of War. Takshin, newly returned from Shan bears the scars of his forced exile there under the car of the Mad Queen. He is prickly and cares nothing for the games the other play. Kai was taken in by the Emperor and serves as his right hand but there are Princes who would have him out of the way. Both of these men could kill you without hesitation and but don't be fooled, beneath Takshin's prickly exterior is someone who really just needs some love and self-esteem and Kai is a blushy boy.
I highly recommend Throne of the Five Winds, particularly if you love books like The Goblin Emperor. It's a beautifully wrought complex political fantasy, with fantastic characters at its core and intricate worldbuilding. I had my local bookshop order book two, The Poison Prince, in for me before I was even halfway through it, if that isn't an indication of how much I loved this I don't know what to say except do yourself a favour and pick up Throne of the Five Winds.
This review and more can be found at https://wildheartreads.wordpress.com/
"Flowers fade," she murmered in Khir. "Only the blade survives."
The Throne of the Five Winds follows Komor Yala as she accompanies her princess to the foreign court of Zhaon. After the bloody loss of battle Khir must send its princess to Zhaon, Yala having just lost her brother is the only one to accompany Mahara to the capital. Though the war may be over and Khir defeated, the deadly battleground of politics at the court proves to hold many more dangers and it's not clear who is friend or foe. Yala must protect her princess not just from vipers in the court but assassins making attempts on the Crown Prince and Princess. Though seemingly surrounded in the foreign city and having no one but each other, Yala and her princess might just find allies from unexpected corners.
Yala stole the show in The Throne of the Five Winds, I can understand why so many are enamoured of her because honestly? Same. She brave and loyal and kind and absolutely devoted to Mahara. I loved watching her face whatever Zhaon threw her way with strength and dignity. Deadly with her yue, she can take down a man and we love to see it. I really enjoyed the whole concept of the yue, the maiden's blade and the honour of the hawk's kisses. If a woman is cut with the yue they'll rub ink into the cut and wear the scar as a mark of pride.
The man was too quiet for Takshin's liking; when Zakkar Kai had made his decisions he grew taciturn, and then he was truly dangerous.
Speaking of characters I loved, I WOULD LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR KAI AND TAKSHIN. Tough warriors who are actually soft are my ultimate weakness and Throne of the Five Winds gives us two, TWO! Garan Suon-ei Takshin, Third Prince of Zhaon and General Zakkar Kai, known as the God of War. Takshin, newly returned from Shan bears the scars of his forced exile there under the car of the Mad Queen. He is prickly and cares nothing for the games the other play. Kai was taken in by the Emperor and serves as his right hand but there are Princes who would have him out of the way. Both of these men could kill you without hesitation and but don't be fooled, beneath Takshin's prickly exterior is someone who really just needs some love and self-esteem and Kai is a blushy boy.
I highly recommend Throne of the Five Winds, particularly if you love books like The Goblin Emperor. It's a beautifully wrought complex political fantasy, with fantastic characters at its core and intricate worldbuilding. I had my local bookshop order book two, The Poison Prince, in for me before I was even halfway through it, if that isn't an indication of how much I loved this I don't know what to say except do yourself a favour and pick up Throne of the Five Winds.
Takshin breathed in, deeply. If he concentrated upon her scent, the pain retreated. It was a new thing, to have such a refuge, and normally he would disdain to use it. But he faced a wall and a cabinet of apothecary drawers, with no one to see any weakness.
This review and more can be found at https://wildheartreads.wordpress.com/
January 27, 2022
While I really enjoyed the idea and plot of this book, it was quite dense and confusing which made it a slog to get through at times. Lots of politicking which is what I was expecting but I had to go back several times to try and figure out which person or country the characters were referring to and even then it could be hard to parse out. The use of poetry for pretty tiresome after a while especially when the author kept spoon feeding us the meanings we were supposed to infer from each line. I understand she was trying to emphasize the layers of hidden meaning and veiled intentions the characters were conveying but it was hard to get through. Again, I do the ink the plot of this book is very interesting and the interplay between all the characters is well done. I would compare this book to the Lady Grace series which yes I know is a middle grade series but I really loved it and it has the same theme of threats hiding behind politeness, appearance, and traditions of court. I am excited to read the second book and hopefully it will be easier to get through now that much of the exposition is done and I have a better grasp on the world.
Here are just a couple of nitpicks things that I think could of have been changed:
1. The map. I know they were trying to go for a “Chinese script” kind of look but it just makes it incomprehensible. I can’t read half the letters. Also I feel like there are important places missing from it too.
2. If you’re gonna use footnotes, please use them for slightly more than telling me what a certain tea or flower is. I would have really appreciated footnotes when Shan and Tabrak were first introduced as I thought they were people instead of countries for like five pages.
3. There’s a device she used multiple times where two characters have a very intense conversation over yea and then she’ll just be like “and then the conversation moved onto safer topics and it was a very pleasant afternoon” idk why but that device really annoyed by the fourth time it happened.
4. I would love to know some ages, particularly when it comes to zakkar Kai and where exactly he falls in the whole line up of princes. Also how did he even become general if he’s the same age as them???
Here are just a couple of nitpicks things that I think could of have been changed:
1. The map. I know they were trying to go for a “Chinese script” kind of look but it just makes it incomprehensible. I can’t read half the letters. Also I feel like there are important places missing from it too.
2. If you’re gonna use footnotes, please use them for slightly more than telling me what a certain tea or flower is. I would have really appreciated footnotes when Shan and Tabrak were first introduced as I thought they were people instead of countries for like five pages.
3. There’s a device she used multiple times where two characters have a very intense conversation over yea and then she’ll just be like “and then the conversation moved onto safer topics and it was a very pleasant afternoon” idk why but that device really annoyed by the fourth time it happened.
4. I would love to know some ages, particularly when it comes to zakkar Kai and where exactly he falls in the whole line up of princes. Also how did he even become general if he’s the same age as them???
August 4, 2023
Very good... Kleenex is necessary.... when is the next book out?
The snippet helped but I really need to see how this turns out.
The snippet helped but I really need to see how this turns out.
January 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It was long, and it was certainly a slow build. The characters and their relationships, including the romance, was the main pull here. I loved the ancient Asian setting and worldbuilding. There wasn't a ton of plot or action, but there was a lot of political intrigue in the form of tea luncheons and court meetings. I loved the slow build in the story. I wish the ending was given a bit more time, but I enjoyed the ride a lot.
October 11, 2019
The author was able to create a world like no other with the detail writing, in depth storyline, and mass range of characters in which case I did try time and time again to immerse myself into this fantasy world but sadly it was a no-go.There is a massive amount of characters, world-building and an intriguing plot but unfortunately I wasn’t able to make any connection nor resonate with this epic fantasy novel which is the main reason why I have decided not to continue reading this. Sad to say, I was definitely not the best suited audience for this piece but would still recommend it to readers who are fans of George R. R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” series.
Read
April 7, 2022I’m just going to start of by saying this ... *stares blankly at wall*
I really don’t have much to say other than I tried. I really wanted to like this book. I thought the synopsis was pretty interesting and I wanted to read an Asian culture inspired fantasy, but I just couldn’t get into it. I do want to say that this was a DNF for me, I really tried to get into the book as I said before. The book starts off slow which isn’t a big deal for me since I like to get to know characters and I fairly enjoy character development. My struggle was that I didn’t feel a connection to the story, world or characters at all. I’m not going to sit her an say it lacked any of this because I simply didn’t finish the book but I honestly wanted To like it. I guess some books aren’t for everybody, but I’m sure that this book will be someone’s favorite. I want to thank orbit books for sending me the ARC, I really appreciate it. This by all means is not a negative review.
I really don’t have much to say other than I tried. I really wanted to like this book. I thought the synopsis was pretty interesting and I wanted to read an Asian culture inspired fantasy, but I just couldn’t get into it. I do want to say that this was a DNF for me, I really tried to get into the book as I said before. The book starts off slow which isn’t a big deal for me since I like to get to know characters and I fairly enjoy character development. My struggle was that I didn’t feel a connection to the story, world or characters at all. I’m not going to sit her an say it lacked any of this because I simply didn’t finish the book but I honestly wanted To like it. I guess some books aren’t for everybody, but I’m sure that this book will be someone’s favorite. I want to thank orbit books for sending me the ARC, I really appreciate it. This by all means is not a negative review.
February 22, 2020
This was so full of things I love that I am completely incapable of thinking anything like objectively about it. It is wall to wall subtle and precise court drama, endless scenes of careful conversations over tea or music or walks in exquisite gardens, abundant details of clothes and food and who said what to whom... and I loved it. I mean, one of my few slight dissatisfactions is that the full range of POVs and intrigues slims down in the second half to concentrate on the key players in the central drama... and I missed all the other connivings! (Another would be the sometimes overblown nature of the prose, but it was a barely-there niggle.)
So anyway, I am WAY EASY for this sort of lush mesh of political intrigues and I had a great time and I cannot wait for the next book.
So anyway, I am WAY EASY for this sort of lush mesh of political intrigues and I had a great time and I cannot wait for the next book.
July 4, 2024
A strange mix between "I loved it" and "OMGWTF?" What was done well was done very well, but a few aspects were so off-putting that it colored the reading experience in a truly negative way.
I was into this book and read it steadily with interest even at 600+ pages. There was a lot of skill in the world-building and characterization- great visual detail around settings and clothes and food, the place felt real, and despite too many characters with different titles and names and no helpful index I was pretty much able to keep them straight, because they were very well-drawn.
I loved Komor Yala, she was great and nuanced and moral and skilled and witty. I cheered for her and cared about her. I totally bought into her as a heroine.
Now for the off-putting aspects:
I was playing a game with myself as to whether the author was male or female. At first I thought male because of footnotes telling me that a "dragonwing" is an insect like a dragonfly, or that "babu" is ... a plant like bamboo. Also using Southron or Westron as words. These are stylistic tics that grate deeply on my soul. And-forgive me-something a pretentious male author would be totally into. I am also a bit unsure of the Asian setting - I found myself wondering if the cultures were being fetishized a bit. I am not sure.
Further, women's essential characteristic in Khir seems to be their honor - they learn to fight only so they can protect it. If they are sexually violated they should just kill themselves -- nope, they should kill themselves before it happens if they don't manage to kill their attacker. A woman who has a child outside of wedlock? No longer quite human, and neither is her child. The way the bastard prince's mother was spoken of was matter-of-fact and horrifying. Aside from Komor and her princess, the other main female characters are scheming bitches because that's just what women do, as far as men are concerned. In Zhaon, women are ornaments or servants, from the noble male perspective. Love exists, but... it doesn't seem to be the norm. (There was also a mention of" slatterns" with muddy eyes - not clear-eyed like a noble (who are, of course, superior to mere servants.)) This is all deeply, deeply icky. I think it was supposed cool that women fight? but... yikes. Another reason to think the writer is male - not attuned to women as humans.
And men, well they are men because they are violent. It seems to be their essential characteristic - not just to be warriors, but to be ready to hurt and kill as vengeance or to protect the women they "love" or just because they are men with power. I hate this bullshit. All of the men who profess to love Yala express this by wanting to protect her and kill or cut off the hands of any who harm her. It's so weird. I get why they like her - she's smart and funny and serious. But yikes they are emotionally limited.
And I thought, "This is a fantasy novel. Why do I want to spend time with these people who only seem to be given these reductive characteristics so that I will believe it's a different world in a different time? What's the point of imagining THIS world when not much of the injustice seems to be questioned?"
So... so far I thought it was a male author. But then, three men are in love with Yala. THREE. And those scenes are written so well! The dialogue is so on point! Sparkling, even. I started to think the author was a woman (it is). These aspects of the novel are so well done, but started to teeter into YA court novel territory, where it's all about how Nobles are People, Too, as they Yearn from Afar. It doesn't quite get there, but the vibe exists. The People in Love with Yala started to take over the book, but it was fun and well done, so I didn't mind too much, especially as the scheming made less and less sense.
Which brings me to the most disappointing aspect, the plot. A lot happens, but it ends up... not making sense to me as a larger picture. There is a lot of plotting that never really came to anything. There are a lot of assassination attempts. Like, a lot. Nothing about court life seems to change as a result - nobody talks about what's happening or why or changes their habits. Guess how that ends up?
At the end I am still unclear about who was scheming what and why. What I THINK happened really doesn't make any sense with the information and motivations I understood, so I'm confused. People often seemed to act against their best interests, or even common sense, in service to what the plot needed. I mean, maybe this is a lead-in to the next book, but ... all I'm left with is a vivid picture of court life, some amazing dialogue, and a desire to make sure Yala is ok.
The reading experience of this was fun, but the threads never came together in a way that made sense. I will read the next book. [July 2024: I never read it, and now no longer care.] But I will be shaking my head in between the enjoyment, wondering why I couldn't just have it all.
(And p.s. - I thought Zakkar Kai was neat and all, but I would have expected Yala to be less ready to like him, considering his whole claim to fame is bloodily winning a war against her homeland. This is the kind of headtilt I'm talking about. Sure, he was under orders to fight and win, but the plot just bends around what seems to me to be a serious sticking point.)
I was into this book and read it steadily with interest even at 600+ pages. There was a lot of skill in the world-building and characterization- great visual detail around settings and clothes and food, the place felt real, and despite too many characters with different titles and names and no helpful index I was pretty much able to keep them straight, because they were very well-drawn.
I loved Komor Yala, she was great and nuanced and moral and skilled and witty. I cheered for her and cared about her. I totally bought into her as a heroine.
Now for the off-putting aspects:
I was playing a game with myself as to whether the author was male or female. At first I thought male because of footnotes telling me that a "dragonwing" is an insect like a dragonfly, or that "babu" is ... a plant like bamboo. Also using Southron or Westron as words. These are stylistic tics that grate deeply on my soul. And-forgive me-something a pretentious male author would be totally into. I am also a bit unsure of the Asian setting - I found myself wondering if the cultures were being fetishized a bit. I am not sure.
Further, women's essential characteristic in Khir seems to be their honor - they learn to fight only so they can protect it. If they are sexually violated they should just kill themselves -- nope, they should kill themselves before it happens if they don't manage to kill their attacker. A woman who has a child outside of wedlock? No longer quite human, and neither is her child. The way the bastard prince's mother was spoken of was matter-of-fact and horrifying. Aside from Komor and her princess, the other main female characters are scheming bitches because that's just what women do, as far as men are concerned. In Zhaon, women are ornaments or servants, from the noble male perspective. Love exists, but... it doesn't seem to be the norm. (There was also a mention of" slatterns" with muddy eyes - not clear-eyed like a noble (who are, of course, superior to mere servants.)) This is all deeply, deeply icky. I think it was supposed cool that women fight? but... yikes. Another reason to think the writer is male - not attuned to women as humans.
And men, well they are men because they are violent. It seems to be their essential characteristic - not just to be warriors, but to be ready to hurt and kill as vengeance or to protect the women they "love" or just because they are men with power. I hate this bullshit. All of the men who profess to love Yala express this by wanting to protect her and kill or cut off the hands of any who harm her. It's so weird. I get why they like her - she's smart and funny and serious. But yikes they are emotionally limited.
And I thought, "This is a fantasy novel. Why do I want to spend time with these people who only seem to be given these reductive characteristics so that I will believe it's a different world in a different time? What's the point of imagining THIS world when not much of the injustice seems to be questioned?"
So... so far I thought it was a male author. But then, three men are in love with Yala. THREE. And those scenes are written so well! The dialogue is so on point! Sparkling, even. I started to think the author was a woman (it is). These aspects of the novel are so well done, but started to teeter into YA court novel territory, where it's all about how Nobles are People, Too, as they Yearn from Afar. It doesn't quite get there, but the vibe exists. The People in Love with Yala started to take over the book, but it was fun and well done, so I didn't mind too much, especially as the scheming made less and less sense.
Which brings me to the most disappointing aspect, the plot. A lot happens, but it ends up... not making sense to me as a larger picture. There is a lot of plotting that never really came to anything. There are a lot of assassination attempts. Like, a lot. Nothing about court life seems to change as a result - nobody talks about what's happening or why or changes their habits. Guess how that ends up?
At the end I am still unclear about who was scheming what and why. What I THINK happened really doesn't make any sense with the information and motivations I understood, so I'm confused. People often seemed to act against their best interests, or even common sense, in service to what the plot needed. I mean, maybe this is a lead-in to the next book, but ... all I'm left with is a vivid picture of court life, some amazing dialogue, and a desire to make sure Yala is ok.
The reading experience of this was fun, but the threads never came together in a way that made sense. I will read the next book. [July 2024: I never read it, and now no longer care.] But I will be shaking my head in between the enjoyment, wondering why I couldn't just have it all.
(And p.s. - I thought Zakkar Kai was neat and all, but I would have expected Yala to be less ready to like him, considering his whole claim to fame is bloodily winning a war against her homeland. This is the kind of headtilt I'm talking about. Sure, he was under orders to fight and win, but the plot just bends around what seems to me to be a serious sticking point.)
November 11, 2019
I love historical political dramas. I also love magicless/low magic fantasy. My favorite TV show is Rise of the Phoenixes, and I play it on a loop. This book felt like an alternate version of that show (albeit Korean inspired rather than Tang China). It hit all my tropes: competent female character, stranger in a strange land, romance, female friendship, slow pacing, a plethora of atmospheric details, duty conflicts, intrigue, scheming eunuchs/queens, calligraphy descriptions, conversations held entirely through poetry/classics/metaphors, so much silk and tea. All it was missing were several scenes where hidden meanings were revealed through board games.
This is the type of book setting I dream of writing.
Granted it had it's flaws. Facts were repeated over and over. Yes it's hot. People died at three rivers etc. Which got annoying after a while. It took me more than halfway through the book to like Mahara. (The MC, Yala is the type of girl I love, thankfully). I think it could be stronger thematically. Things happen to people but to me it feels like there is no weight, which is fine, but I feel like that could improve the story and unite all the disparate POVs.
Overall, 4.75. It scratched an itch for me that I've been desperate for. Can't wait until the next book.
This is the type of book setting I dream of writing.
Granted it had it's flaws. Facts were repeated over and over. Yes it's hot. People died at three rivers etc. Which got annoying after a while. It took me more than halfway through the book to like Mahara. (The MC, Yala is the type of girl I love, thankfully). I think it could be stronger thematically. Things happen to people but to me it feels like there is no weight, which is fine, but I feel like that could improve the story and unite all the disparate POVs.
Overall, 4.75. It scratched an itch for me that I've been desperate for. Can't wait until the next book.
April 16, 2020
Newly defeated in battle, Khir have to send their princess as tribute to their conquerors in Zhao. Zhao itself is not still, having 6 princes, some of them ambitious and wanting more power...
Well, well, well. I almost dropped this at page 5. Made-up words, flowery language, formal way of speaking, "painting the scene" descriptions.. not to mention many POVs, gazillion characters (I made a mind map to keep track od them!), plot moving at snails pace and made of character interactions in which poetry gets recited, intrigues are explained... But I read 700 pages in 2 days.
It competely drew me in, this Asian inspired (oh, the topknots and hairpins!), sprawling book you know can't end well. Beautiful scenes, characters you can almost see, this is a feast for all the senses (the smells, the music!). Yes, everyone is tragic, over the top, there is a bit of Mary Sue-ism... but something that makes me feel like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did in my tween years is a rare thing indeed.
Bravo!
Edit: One of the factors that *may* have hightened my enjoyment is The Hu, Mongolian bad of pure awesomeness I listened on repeat while reading the book. Do yourself a favor and give them a listen.
Well, well, well. I almost dropped this at page 5. Made-up words, flowery language, formal way of speaking, "painting the scene" descriptions.. not to mention many POVs, gazillion characters (I made a mind map to keep track od them!), plot moving at snails pace and made of character interactions in which poetry gets recited, intrigues are explained... But I read 700 pages in 2 days.
It competely drew me in, this Asian inspired (oh, the topknots and hairpins!), sprawling book you know can't end well. Beautiful scenes, characters you can almost see, this is a feast for all the senses (the smells, the music!). Yes, everyone is tragic, over the top, there is a bit of Mary Sue-ism... but something that makes me feel like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did in my tween years is a rare thing indeed.
Bravo!
Edit: One of the factors that *may* have hightened my enjoyment is The Hu, Mongolian bad of pure awesomeness I listened on repeat while reading the book. Do yourself a favor and give them a listen.
January 5, 2023
I Absolutely LOVE The Throne of The Five Winds by S.C.Emmett (Book 1 of Hostage of Empire).
t’s very slow paced, historical political intrigue story in a fantasy land. It’s filled with court intrigue and tradition. Everything develops slowly . It’s elegent and reserved and simply beautiful. Slowburn relationships, elegent snippets of conversations, and court life. It’s the sort of book that nothing much really happens but once you finished the book you just want more.
Just to be clear there are no epic battles or Dragons or magic in this book, so if that’s what you were looking for, look elsewhere 🌹
t’s very slow paced, historical political intrigue story in a fantasy land. It’s filled with court intrigue and tradition. Everything develops slowly . It’s elegent and reserved and simply beautiful. Slowburn relationships, elegent snippets of conversations, and court life. It’s the sort of book that nothing much really happens but once you finished the book you just want more.
Just to be clear there are no epic battles or Dragons or magic in this book, so if that’s what you were looking for, look elsewhere 🌹
May 4, 2020
Honestly, this was kind of racist, and even if it wasn't, I'm really not comfortable with a white person writing "Asian-inspired" fantasy. Also I hated the writing style.
October 13, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on October 15th.
Admission: I judged a book based on its cover. The cover is incredible and immediately piqued my interest. That it’s a politically-charged fantasy didn’t hurt either. Beautifully written, if a bit dense, this east-Asian inspired fantasy was the only of its kind I’ve read this year.
It took me quite a while to become invested in this book. I was almost halfway through, and considering not finishing, before I found myself interested in the story. There’s that much setup. The pacing was much slower than with many fantasies, and takes some getting used to.
The writing was flowery, which alternated between annoying and impressing me. What can I say: sometimes I’m hard to please. That being said, I am of the opinion that if I had cloistered myself away for a few days and read this book straight through, I would have enjoyed it more. The subtle chess-like moves made throughout this book were very well done and it’s apparent that the author has an intricate plan for the series and knows exactly where everything is going.
My biggest complaint is less of a complaint than an observation: it was really difficult to keep track of all the characters for the first bit. Next time I pick up a book of this scope, I’ll write down character names and relationships if there isn’t a glossary of characters in the book.
If you like slow-building books, political intrigue, and flowing language, this is a fantasy to read.
Admission: I judged a book based on its cover. The cover is incredible and immediately piqued my interest. That it’s a politically-charged fantasy didn’t hurt either. Beautifully written, if a bit dense, this east-Asian inspired fantasy was the only of its kind I’ve read this year.
It took me quite a while to become invested in this book. I was almost halfway through, and considering not finishing, before I found myself interested in the story. There’s that much setup. The pacing was much slower than with many fantasies, and takes some getting used to.
The writing was flowery, which alternated between annoying and impressing me. What can I say: sometimes I’m hard to please. That being said, I am of the opinion that if I had cloistered myself away for a few days and read this book straight through, I would have enjoyed it more. The subtle chess-like moves made throughout this book were very well done and it’s apparent that the author has an intricate plan for the series and knows exactly where everything is going.
My biggest complaint is less of a complaint than an observation: it was really difficult to keep track of all the characters for the first bit. Next time I pick up a book of this scope, I’ll write down character names and relationships if there isn’t a glossary of characters in the book.
If you like slow-building books, political intrigue, and flowing language, this is a fantasy to read.
Want to read
October 13, 2020This one sounds great! I love reading about court intrigues! Plus, it’s Asian-inspired ✨👏🏼.
November 29, 2019
The peace between the neighboring Kingdoms of Zhaon and Kir is a fragile one, and after putting down a revolt from the Kingdom of Khir, Zhaon takes Khirinese Princess Mahara hostage. She is to wed Prince Takyeo, who is first in line for the throne in Zhaon. Mahara brings her lady-in-waiting, Komor Yala, with her as a companion. While Prince Takyeo proves to be a good husband, the rest of their time in Zhaon is a disaster. The two women face constant fear of assassination, and balancing political angst between the members of the Royal Family proves difficult. When the Emperor of Zhaon begins to show signs of illness, the line of succession must be confirmed. The fate of Zhaon will depend on who survives the ensuing chaos.
This was a great idea for a book, and the story has so many interesting traits. The Throne of the Five Winds is about the political push and pull between and within Kingdoms. Khir, Zhaon, and the surrounding Kingdoms are constantly fighting for power. Inside Zhaon, there are six Princes and Two Royal Concubines also looking for political elbow room of their own. The constant backstabbing, undercutting, and scheming makes this story really interesting. It plays out almost like reality TV, almost as if there are cameras inside the characters' private rooms listening to their intimate conversations. And speaking of intimate, the story includes one or two maybe slow-burning romances, as well.
My issue with this book, though, is that while it is full of political intrigue there is almost nothing else to the story. As a reader, I felt like there was almost no buy in at the beginning, as the first 100 pages or so was an info dump and the next 300 was super-complicated and hard to follow. I like a complex story, but since I felt detached from this book in the beginning that made it hard to get into.
I ended up enjoying the book, though. It grew on me. and Last 200 pages hooked me in, and with the way it ended I am really excited to see what is coming next. I cannot, however, rate a book any higher than 3* if it took me 400 pages to get into it.
I hope to read the second in the Hostage of Empire series now that I have bought into this story. I recommend The Throne of the Five Winds for anyone who likes their fantasy slower and full of political intrigue.
This was a great idea for a book, and the story has so many interesting traits. The Throne of the Five Winds is about the political push and pull between and within Kingdoms. Khir, Zhaon, and the surrounding Kingdoms are constantly fighting for power. Inside Zhaon, there are six Princes and Two Royal Concubines also looking for political elbow room of their own. The constant backstabbing, undercutting, and scheming makes this story really interesting. It plays out almost like reality TV, almost as if there are cameras inside the characters' private rooms listening to their intimate conversations. And speaking of intimate, the story includes one or two maybe slow-burning romances, as well.
My issue with this book, though, is that while it is full of political intrigue there is almost nothing else to the story. As a reader, I felt like there was almost no buy in at the beginning, as the first 100 pages or so was an info dump and the next 300 was super-complicated and hard to follow. I like a complex story, but since I felt detached from this book in the beginning that made it hard to get into.
I ended up enjoying the book, though. It grew on me. and Last 200 pages hooked me in, and with the way it ended I am really excited to see what is coming next. I cannot, however, rate a book any higher than 3* if it took me 400 pages to get into it.
I hope to read the second in the Hostage of Empire series now that I have bought into this story. I recommend The Throne of the Five Winds for anyone who likes their fantasy slower and full of political intrigue.
November 21, 2019
THRONE OF THE FIVE WINDS was an enjoyable tale. Lot's of court intrigue and character depth. Probably the thing that appealed to me most was the depth to the world building. There has obviously been a great deal of thought given to this world and how it works. The character depth goes a long way toward making the world feel real and authentic. These characters have lived here. They know the world. It feels very natural and that's something I appreciated greatly.
There is also some amazing prose in this book. There were moments when I was completely engaged by the beautiful prose which is quite flowery at times, but--to me anyway--never strays into that overly descriptive area. The prose combines with an intricate plot to really give us something that has a great deal of depth and realness to it. I enjoyed those aspects quite a bit and can definitely recommend this to fans of political drama and intricate plot and world building.
On the negative side, the novel does move very, very slowly, especially for the first half to two-thirds. There is a lot of setup for this intricate plot. This means that there are a lot of names to keep straight, and actions that characters take that may not have a payoff until much later. I imagine the series as a whole will rely on some of these early and intricate character choices. On the whole, that's a lot to keep track of, and I would have liked for the novel to have moved a little bit more quickly. I generally enjoy big epics where there is a lot of setup, but for some reason the setup here didn't grip me.
This is a book that some are going to adore and others are going to struggle with. I can definitely see the appeal, and I may continue with the series, but it didn't entirely hit for me.
There is also some amazing prose in this book. There were moments when I was completely engaged by the beautiful prose which is quite flowery at times, but--to me anyway--never strays into that overly descriptive area. The prose combines with an intricate plot to really give us something that has a great deal of depth and realness to it. I enjoyed those aspects quite a bit and can definitely recommend this to fans of political drama and intricate plot and world building.
On the negative side, the novel does move very, very slowly, especially for the first half to two-thirds. There is a lot of setup for this intricate plot. This means that there are a lot of names to keep straight, and actions that characters take that may not have a payoff until much later. I imagine the series as a whole will rely on some of these early and intricate character choices. On the whole, that's a lot to keep track of, and I would have liked for the novel to have moved a little bit more quickly. I generally enjoy big epics where there is a lot of setup, but for some reason the setup here didn't grip me.
This is a book that some are going to adore and others are going to struggle with. I can definitely see the appeal, and I may continue with the series, but it didn't entirely hit for me.
February 11, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the author’s style for the most part and she worked hard to develop the characters. Overall, though, it was a struggle to get through. Despite numerous assassination attempts and an enormous cast of characters, there was not enough happening to keep me turning the many, many, many pages. It was truly a struggle.
I still wonder how so many assassins were able to get so close without some kind of serious security adjustment for the Empire. And why no one seriously seemed to investigate who was behind any of them. Mahara and Takyeo always seemed somewhat benign and distant for some reason, in spite of Yala’s obvious love for her Princess.
I would have liked this book much better with some variety in the threats instead of just one assassination attempt after another, and about two hundred fewer pages. It took a very long time to come to a very predictable and heavily foreshadowed end. I will skip the rest of this series. 2.5 stars. I liked the world she built, I just wanted more variety in the plot lines.
I still wonder how so many assassins were able to get so close without some kind of serious security adjustment for the Empire. And why no one seriously seemed to investigate who was behind any of them. Mahara and Takyeo always seemed somewhat benign and distant for some reason, in spite of Yala’s obvious love for her Princess.
I would have liked this book much better with some variety in the threats instead of just one assassination attempt after another, and about two hundred fewer pages. It took a very long time to come to a very predictable and heavily foreshadowed end. I will skip the rest of this series. 2.5 stars. I liked the world she built, I just wanted more variety in the plot lines.
October 18, 2019
After some initial doubts
I was pulled in and ended up finding The Throne to be a terrific read. Looking forward to volume 2.
It’s been awhile, and I forgot to add: received as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was pulled in and ended up finding The Throne to be a terrific read. Looking forward to volume 2.
It’s been awhile, and I forgot to add: received as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review.
Want to read
August 17, 2019Two queens? Two concubines? Six princes? East Asia inspired fantasy?? For fans of GRRM?!
Here's my soul and I'm ready to give it away for this book.
Read
January 2, 2024This was definitely not as bad as I was afraid of. I was prepared for this to be another white-authored Asian fantasy where people are constantly talking about honor and such and there is a little bit of that, but it's overall a very entertaining political novel from someone who has clearly watched a LOT of Mando/K palace dramas. Which is fine, I like them too. I am not 100% sure why it couldn't have been set in Joseon Korea or Qing/Tang/Ming China which is clearly where they are getting a ton of their influences.
Also, this is a period that I know a fair amount about so the rest of this review is going to be extremely nerdy. You have been warned.
Some of the things that frustrated me: the author feels the need to make up lots of words that are just very clearly analogues for real life things here and is very very lazy about the names. It's fine to be lazy about worldbuilding, there is already a world that is here that you can use. But this really takes the cake:
rai/raipaper=IT'S RICE, JUST CALL IT RICE. There is an interesting academic question if Asia would have been less er "Asian flavoured" if the southern parts of it had not cultivated an extremely water and labour consumptive grain, but this is really not the book for it. We get it, this is Asia, it's ok to just have rice.
babu-IT'S BAMBOO, you keep saying it's segmented, again just call it that.
Zhaon An= AKA Chang'an, the name for the imperial capital of the Tang (among others). Strong Tang influence also with the standard of beauty being for plump beauties with round faces and dresses to be low cut. Also the power of women at court although weirdly Emmett is very conservative on this in comparison with the historical record. Queens and princesses weren't just consorts who attempted to interfere, they really ruled. (The Li royal family was descended from a hybrid Northern Dynasty elite, which, in early years had not yet thrown off some of their non-Han influences so this being a purely N vs. S thing is also weirdly simplistic).
Far Nihon=.....Nihon for those playing at home, simply a word for actual real life Japan in Japanese...woooo...
I mean, these things just seem so lazy that it makes me wonder if the author just didn't really want to learn what things are called in an actual language and so tried to disguise this as "another land in a galaxy far far away" but like I don't know, you could just translate the word or...get a dictionary.
This was by far less annoying, but perhaps more conceptually troubling. Khir, the land to the north, seems to be a bizarre mashup of the Xiongnu (Tang China's big bad nomadic neighbor to the north), Japan, and possibly the Jurchen (Song China's semi big, not nomadic neighbor to the north), and the Mongols (Ming China's big bad, nomadic neighbor to the north). Their noble women have a small blade that they use to defend themselves against rape (samurai class women in Edo Japan), but they have a Great Rider (Khan) and love horses and riding (Xiongnu and Mongols), but somehow their land is also very small (I guess maybe Jurchen). I guess it's fine, but the other aspects of this Khir society, women are very oppressed and stay in the home and make babies and don't own property or get involved in politics and also they have giant fortresses and stuff is really antithetical to most nomadic Northern Asian societies. There is something kind of twisted about putting a lot of stereotypical sedentary Asian society ills (Asians=bad for women) on a nomadic society where from what we know women had a great deal of parity within the society and much power was institutionally granted to noblewomen within for example Mongol society. The not owning property, being at home, not learning to read, is extremely characteristic of the very urban and settled Song and late imperial China, most specifically the Southern Song and Ming-Qing. I was not reading this and expecting to encounter anti-nomadic, anti-Mongol propaganda, and yet life is full of surprises. Han supremacy from a white author caught me a bit off guard but perhaps this is an indictment of the kind of books that the author consulted or the broad assumptions about Northern Asian nomads that are out there.
While I think some of this can be seen as attitudes of the characters, there is a lot of "broad peasant face" "dull peasant eyes" etc etc that is...pretty classist. Like if Princess Mahara's face is full and beautiful, why is a peasant's face broad? This is just kind of classism.
Things I was basically neutral on:
Garan Tamuron the reigning emperor seem to be based more on Zhu Yuanzhang (founder of the Ming) or perhaps most closely Liu Bang (founder of the Han) in that he was a commoner who rose to become emperor. Perhaps the main way in which they differ is that from what we know both Zhu and Liu were really not fun people to be around and they killed A LOT of people. They would probably have eaten Tamuron alive because he actually occasionally has a feeling and people like him. I do rather wonder if there is a Joseon king that he resembles more, I am less familiar with premodern Korean history.
The intrigue between the brothers. At least to me, this seems very congruent with the bloody disputes that arose during the late reign of the Qing emperor Kangxi, who crowned a favorite son Crown Prince and then things got complicated with two factions forming around two princes.
There are a lot of mean Asian dads, to an extent that their kids all think they hate them, and I guess that's fine, but it seems a little unbelievable to be honest.
Things I liked
I enjoyed the characters for the most part. I do think it a little unlikely that Yala immediately has every important man who is not married in love with her even though she is not a plump beauty but in fact Too Thin, and she is not like the other girls and is smart. It does end up being Yala and lots of men and the women are often sort of side characters and not that interesting. This seems highly unlikely. Part of me does wonder if there is a little bit of a Hong Taiji vs. Dorgon thing going on here. For those of you who know, you know.
The underlying political plot that is realized in this book seems entirely original and is quite interesting and smart for that reason. I enjoyed this. Unlike similar fantasies where you're like oh yes, this is that battle from Chinese history therefore I know exactly what happens, this did keep me on my toes and I liked that.
I felt the author was pretty fair to all the characters, showing them all some compassion. The part where Garan Tamuron is the emperor but also feeling very very ill was particularly good.
I will definitely be reading on to see what happens in the next book, but a bit worried that given the real Han supremacy in here that the appearance of Khublai (Khubilai) er excuse me "Khubai Khan" and the Golden er excuse me "Pale Horde", heavily suggested that I am going to be rolling around on the floor due to really bad Mongol stereotypes.
Also, this is a period that I know a fair amount about so the rest of this review is going to be extremely nerdy. You have been warned.
Some of the things that frustrated me: the author feels the need to make up lots of words that are just very clearly analogues for real life things here and is very very lazy about the names. It's fine to be lazy about worldbuilding, there is already a world that is here that you can use. But this really takes the cake:
rai/raipaper=IT'S RICE, JUST CALL IT RICE. There is an interesting academic question if Asia would have been less er "Asian flavoured" if the southern parts of it had not cultivated an extremely water and labour consumptive grain, but this is really not the book for it. We get it, this is Asia, it's ok to just have rice.
babu-IT'S BAMBOO, you keep saying it's segmented, again just call it that.
Zhaon An= AKA Chang'an, the name for the imperial capital of the Tang (among others). Strong Tang influence also with the standard of beauty being for plump beauties with round faces and dresses to be low cut. Also the power of women at court although weirdly Emmett is very conservative on this in comparison with the historical record. Queens and princesses weren't just consorts who attempted to interfere, they really ruled. (The Li royal family was descended from a hybrid Northern Dynasty elite, which, in early years had not yet thrown off some of their non-Han influences so this being a purely N vs. S thing is also weirdly simplistic).
Far Nihon=.....Nihon for those playing at home, simply a word for actual real life Japan in Japanese...woooo...
I mean, these things just seem so lazy that it makes me wonder if the author just didn't really want to learn what things are called in an actual language and so tried to disguise this as "another land in a galaxy far far away" but like I don't know, you could just translate the word or...get a dictionary.
This was by far less annoying, but perhaps more conceptually troubling. Khir, the land to the north, seems to be a bizarre mashup of the Xiongnu (Tang China's big bad nomadic neighbor to the north), Japan, and possibly the Jurchen (Song China's semi big, not nomadic neighbor to the north), and the Mongols (Ming China's big bad, nomadic neighbor to the north). Their noble women have a small blade that they use to defend themselves against rape (samurai class women in Edo Japan), but they have a Great Rider (Khan) and love horses and riding (Xiongnu and Mongols), but somehow their land is also very small (I guess maybe Jurchen). I guess it's fine, but the other aspects of this Khir society, women are very oppressed and stay in the home and make babies and don't own property or get involved in politics and also they have giant fortresses and stuff is really antithetical to most nomadic Northern Asian societies. There is something kind of twisted about putting a lot of stereotypical sedentary Asian society ills (Asians=bad for women) on a nomadic society where from what we know women had a great deal of parity within the society and much power was institutionally granted to noblewomen within for example Mongol society. The not owning property, being at home, not learning to read, is extremely characteristic of the very urban and settled Song and late imperial China, most specifically the Southern Song and Ming-Qing. I was not reading this and expecting to encounter anti-nomadic, anti-Mongol propaganda, and yet life is full of surprises. Han supremacy from a white author caught me a bit off guard but perhaps this is an indictment of the kind of books that the author consulted or the broad assumptions about Northern Asian nomads that are out there.
While I think some of this can be seen as attitudes of the characters, there is a lot of "broad peasant face" "dull peasant eyes" etc etc that is...pretty classist. Like if Princess Mahara's face is full and beautiful, why is a peasant's face broad? This is just kind of classism.
Things I was basically neutral on:
Garan Tamuron the reigning emperor seem to be based more on Zhu Yuanzhang (founder of the Ming) or perhaps most closely Liu Bang (founder of the Han) in that he was a commoner who rose to become emperor. Perhaps the main way in which they differ is that from what we know both Zhu and Liu were really not fun people to be around and they killed A LOT of people. They would probably have eaten Tamuron alive because he actually occasionally has a feeling and people like him. I do rather wonder if there is a Joseon king that he resembles more, I am less familiar with premodern Korean history.
The intrigue between the brothers. At least to me, this seems very congruent with the bloody disputes that arose during the late reign of the Qing emperor Kangxi, who crowned a favorite son Crown Prince and then things got complicated with two factions forming around two princes.
There are a lot of mean Asian dads, to an extent that their kids all think they hate them, and I guess that's fine, but it seems a little unbelievable to be honest.
Things I liked
I enjoyed the characters for the most part. I do think it a little unlikely that Yala immediately has every important man who is not married in love with her even though she is not a plump beauty but in fact Too Thin, and she is not like the other girls and is smart. It does end up being Yala and lots of men and the women are often sort of side characters and not that interesting. This seems highly unlikely. Part of me does wonder if there is a little bit of a Hong Taiji vs. Dorgon thing going on here. For those of you who know, you know.
The underlying political plot that is realized in this book seems entirely original and is quite interesting and smart for that reason. I enjoyed this. Unlike similar fantasies where you're like oh yes, this is that battle from Chinese history therefore I know exactly what happens, this did keep me on my toes and I liked that.
I felt the author was pretty fair to all the characters, showing them all some compassion. The part where Garan Tamuron is the emperor but also feeling very very ill was particularly good.
I will definitely be reading on to see what happens in the next book, but a bit worried that given the real Han supremacy in here that the appearance of Khublai (Khubilai) er excuse me "Khubai Khan" and the Golden er excuse me "Pale Horde", heavily suggested that I am going to be rolling around on the floor due to really bad Mongol stereotypes.
January 3, 2023
This is a very good fantasy book— albeit it’s a multi-perspective… like MULTI-perspective. Like EVERY character and their twice-removed-Aunt’s-lady-in-waiting get’s a chapter… and yet that didn’t bother me (as much as it should’ve ) this is of course because S.C Emmett is an amazing writer who excels at characterization. Once I learned all their names (I cannot understate this feat) it was really intriguing to get into their minds.
If any of you have watched the kdrama Moonlover’s Scarlet Heart Ryeo— you will LOVE this. There are some very direct parallels so direct in fact it makes you wonder if there potential influence. Regardless that’s neither here nor there I shall commence the next book 🫡
3.5 stars ✨ (also can you believe I learned 53 NEW words?!? The sheer volume of words I hadn’t considered the necessity of, let alone could even fathom existed was insane.)
If any of you have watched the kdrama Moonlover’s Scarlet Heart Ryeo— you will LOVE this. There are some very direct parallels so direct in fact it makes you wonder if there potential influence. Regardless that’s neither here nor there I shall commence the next book 🫡
3.5 stars ✨ (also can you believe I learned 53 NEW words?!? The sheer volume of words I hadn’t considered the necessity of, let alone could even fathom existed was insane.)
December 30, 2024
4.5
Really loved this!
Really loved this!
August 7, 2022
On the plus side, the story is engaging, the plot is intricate, and if you like political intrigue, there's a lot of that to be had here. Many of the characters were rich and well developed, and the author put a great deal of thought into the world building.
On the down side, this book is TEDIOUS to read. Every character's outfit is described in mind-numbing detail every time they enter a scene, from the fabric and cut of the dress, to their jewelry, to their hair presentation. Since most scenes have half a dozen characters, and scene only last half a dozen pages, the description of fashion alone takes up an inordinate percent of space. Not to mention that each room has to be described, the weather has to be described, and so on and so on. The book got much better once I resorted to skimming large swaths of the excruciating detail involved in scene setting. I know some people like that kind of detail; I found it mind numbing.
The world is loosely modeled on medieval East Asia. While it is a fictional world, there is no magic nor other monsters or fantastical elements (even though it is marketed as fantasy). There is, however, a wide array of fictional items that the author even provide footnotes to define. This includes several dozen type of tea, various types of wood, a number of foods and spices, and even elements of fashion (e.g. styles of shoe). In theory, this could have made the world building richer. In practice, it just made the book hard to read, as one had to remember a number of fictional words for fictional types of tea. It would have been easy enough to use actual varieties of tea or rice instead of "rai" - a staple grain very similar to rice, and it would have made the reading much easier and more pleasant, especially early on before the reader has learned all the new words.
The number of characters is, at the start, a bit overwhelming. Many characters have very similar sounding names, and sometimes use nicknames. It makes things hard to follow early on. All of these complexities made me unhappy with the first 300 pages of the book. Once we got to page 400 and I was familiar enough with the new vocabulary, the many characters, the implicit cultural norms, and had learned to skim the lengthy descriptions, I started enjoying the book much more. Enough so that I am invested in the world and am likely to read the sequel. But oh is it work to get to that point...
On the down side, this book is TEDIOUS to read. Every character's outfit is described in mind-numbing detail every time they enter a scene, from the fabric and cut of the dress, to their jewelry, to their hair presentation. Since most scenes have half a dozen characters, and scene only last half a dozen pages, the description of fashion alone takes up an inordinate percent of space. Not to mention that each room has to be described, the weather has to be described, and so on and so on. The book got much better once I resorted to skimming large swaths of the excruciating detail involved in scene setting. I know some people like that kind of detail; I found it mind numbing.
The world is loosely modeled on medieval East Asia. While it is a fictional world, there is no magic nor other monsters or fantastical elements (even though it is marketed as fantasy). There is, however, a wide array of fictional items that the author even provide footnotes to define. This includes several dozen type of tea, various types of wood, a number of foods and spices, and even elements of fashion (e.g. styles of shoe). In theory, this could have made the world building richer. In practice, it just made the book hard to read, as one had to remember a number of fictional words for fictional types of tea. It would have been easy enough to use actual varieties of tea or rice instead of "rai" - a staple grain very similar to rice, and it would have made the reading much easier and more pleasant, especially early on before the reader has learned all the new words.
The number of characters is, at the start, a bit overwhelming. Many characters have very similar sounding names, and sometimes use nicknames. It makes things hard to follow early on. All of these complexities made me unhappy with the first 300 pages of the book. Once we got to page 400 and I was familiar enough with the new vocabulary, the many characters, the implicit cultural norms, and had learned to skim the lengthy descriptions, I started enjoying the book much more. Enough so that I am invested in the world and am likely to read the sequel. But oh is it work to get to that point...
December 5, 2023
DNF at 410 pages.
This book was pointless. It was way too long. Absolutely nothing was happening. The writing is great and there is political intrigue... But there's no point to it. I've read reviews that say the last 150-200 pages are where the action is... So maybe I'll come back to it... But I don't want to waste my December on boring books.
This book was pointless. It was way too long. Absolutely nothing was happening. The writing is great and there is political intrigue... But there's no point to it. I've read reviews that say the last 150-200 pages are where the action is... So maybe I'll come back to it... But I don't want to waste my December on boring books.
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