Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

The Empire's Ruin by Brian Staveley is a sweeping epic fantasy that will leave you spellbound. The book follows the journey of a young warrior as he battles against a corrupt empire and its tyrannical ruler. Staveley's world-building is intricate and immersive, with richly detailed landscapes, cultures, and history. The characters are multi-dimensional and relatable, with their own motivations and flaws. The action is fast-paced, with epic battles and duels that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of epic fantasy, The Empire's Ruin is a must-read that delivers on all fronts.

(i received this e-arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

evoking Mistborn and The Way of Kings, i enjoyed this fast-paced fantasy. (the cliffhanger should be considered illegal, though!)

Update. After reading the original trilogy. I get it now and cannot wait for book 2. This was fantastic. I really syringe with the original trilogy. But. I am here for more Gwenna content. Highly recommend for fantasy lovers.

Stars: 3 out of 5

This was an okay book, but nothing special. I mean, it kept me engaged enough to plod through 600+ pages, but it never got me engaged enough to be truly invested in the story. The world is interesting, and I really wanted to read more about it. I also realized that this was a sequel to an existing trilogy, but I don't think you need to have read the previous books to understand the world. From what I could gather, this story follows a different set of characters anyway.

So why did I give this only three stars? I had two problems with it. The first one is the pacing. There is no sense of urgency, no real stakes for our characters. Gwenna is sent to the butt end of the world to recover kettral eggs, but there is no timeline on this. We are told that the empire is falling apart and that restoring the kettral is crucial in saving it, but nowhere in the book are we given an indication that the fall is imminent. We are TOLD that it's the case, but we aren't SHOWN. It's hard to be invested in a quest when the stakes aren't known. Gwenna could take years to get those eggs back, and the empire might still stand. Who knows? The readers certainly don't. 

Same problem with Ruc's storyline. We are told at the beginning of the book that this supernatural badass "First" is coming with an army and he will subjugate this city... then we don't hear from him at all until the very end of the book. Again, we are TOLD. We are shown a dead messenger who didn't even try to resist and some kind of bat creature who, supposedly, killed several people before it was captured. We are TOLD that, but we don't see that happening. So again, the stakes are unclear. The urgency is minimal. Especially since we spent the entire book in one place - the Arena. The characters kept talking about escaping, but never really actively doing anything about it (apart from almost at the very end). So there is this big army coming, and we keep hearing that Ruc and Bien need to escape the city... yet they are still in the Arena every time the narrative comes back to them.

As for Akiil's storyline, I still have no clue why it was even necessary to include it, apart from that one little seed at the end. Other than that, he was my least favorite of the characters, so reading through his POVs was a slog. One of the reasons is that I can't understand his motivation.

I figured out Gwenna and was onboard for her slow descent into depression and cheered when she finally clawed her way out of it. I was mildly sympathetic to Ruc's efforts to suppress his violent tendencies, but Akiil? I still have no clue what motivates him. It honestly felt like he was making bad choices just for the sake of making bad choices. And that whole ark with the Captain and Skinny Gwenn? I'm not even sure what the point of that was...

So all in all, I was engaged enough to finish this book, but I'm not sure if I am invested enough to pick up the next one, or to go back and read the original trilogy.

PS: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's unquestionably a page-turner. It's enticing and ruthless, and it'll keep you wanting more. Staveley never fails to deliver a novel that is masterfully crafted.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/.

People familiar with the Unhewn Throne trilogy will undoubtedly be fans of Gwenna Sharpe. If this is your first foray into this world, prepare to have your definition of the word “badass” redefined. I think the story picks up not long after the events of The Last Mortal Bond, maybe five years or so? Gwenna now leads her own Kettral wing, but things are in disarray. In fact, there is but one kettral (these are GIANT war hawks that Kettral fly into battle) remaining. Brian Staveley’s reverence for this character shines through again & again, but wow…Gwenna goes to hell and back more times than I can count in this book.
Full review to come on YouTube

I was so excited for a continuation of the Emperor’s Blades series, and Brian Staveley didn’t disappoint! This series follows Gwenna, my favorite character from the original trilogy, as she is disgraced as a soldier and commanded by Adare to seek out the last kettral eggs. There are also two other main characters, one of whom is mentioned in the original trilogy, and another who has ties to a side character from the original trilogy. I didn’t enjoy their perspectives quite as much; I would’ve preferred if Gwenna was the only POV character (that’s how much I love her!), but I did enjoy the other two perspectives. I’m so excited to see where this series goes!

I mean what can I say. I've been waiting for Staveleys new book for years. Go read this book now. Epic fantasy at its best.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with a ecopy of this book. All thoughts and opinions here are my own & unbiased.*

So....a little backstory here. This was one of the first ARCs I requested on NetGalley because I had seen The Emperor's Blades, loved the premise and I saw SOMEWHERE (I really don't remember where🙈) that this was a different series that could be read without the first trilogy. After surprisingly being approved for the ARC, I realised I had 4 books I had to finish before I got to this to enjoy it completely. And not some sweet, short reads either.

But, surprise, surprise! I am completely up to date with the world of Annur within 2 months of getting into it. And I'm NOT someone who binges on a Fantasy series either.
*The Hero of Ages giving me a sidelong glance 'cause I still haven't picked it up when I started Mistborn way back in early 2020*

And, I ended up using my Audible credit on the Audiobook for this because I fell in love with this world listening to Simon Vance narrate the story beautifully. New set of narrators, but man, oh man, did they not disappoint at all. They were absolutely perfect for voicing the three characters.

Okay, okay. That was long enough. On to the actual story.
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We are in back in Annur after 5 years of the events in The Last Mortal Bond, following three characters - Gwenna, Ruc and Akiil - their lives so completely different but sometimes, curiously entangled.
Things are not really going Gwenna's way. She made some serious mistakes and she has lot to make up for. So now, on the Emperor's orders, she has to go on a quest across unknown lands to find a new hope for the empire.
Ruc, a priest of Eira, whose faith is tested constantly by his past trying to dig its way out. And it is not made easier on him by the people around him in Dombang, where strange things are beginning to occur.
And finally, Akiil. A former thief from the Perfumed Quarters with years of training to be a monk, tempted into his old ways after everything he knows of Ashk’lan is destroyed. And the biggest temptation? His desire to settle an old score with the Empire.
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Like you can see, the premise is very enticing. I was already in love with the world I saw in the 4 books I read prior. And this expanded that world, so I love fell in with it some more. And I was already familiar with the histories, the religions, and the people,so getting into the story took no time for me.

Which was significantly helped by the fact that the Prose in this book is just beautiful. I, personally, am not a huge fan of flowery writing in my fantasies. But, this book was right at that gratifying edge. Simple writing, but made so much better. And yes, ending with lots and lots of highlights and bookmarks.
(Which I'm resisting to include because I don't want to spoil anything)

"The sight should have kindled in her a whole range of emotions: relief, anticipation, excitement, triumph. Instead, she felt a blank, unreasoning despair.
... To realize that she was going to be needed after all, but that she was no longer equal to that need."

As someone who really loves reading about the 'Soldier' type characters, Gwenna was easily my favourite character to follow. It was so easy to get into her mind, to understand her thoughts and her feelings even as she experienced them. I was so caught up in the things happening around her that sometimes, it was easy to get caught up in it and see her reasoning behind her actions. Misgivings for some of the obvious mistakes? Yes. But I was also going through the experience of the realisations as they hit her. And looking at her 'ragtag group of semi-strangers' through her eyes was amazing as well. Especially when a certain someone entered the scenes. Literally my favourite thing to come across in a story.

Ruc was, of course, a total different type of experience. Reading Skullsworn had set up an expectation for Dombang. And it was met and also made better in some ways. Pyrre's story, while being absolutely brilliant, was difficult for me get through as an Atheist and as someone who has quite strong negative feelings regarding religious fanaticism. So, to read about the inner struggles of Ruc following a faith he did not quite agree with, or trying but failing to completely give himself up to his worship, was something I loved.

Also, was quite happy to see that a certain taciturn character could talk so much.

Akiil's story on the other hand felt like we were witnessing the beginning of something big. Which, given that his parts are relatively fewer, might actually be true. It's not quite until the end that we see how everything he does and goes through is changing him.Very much looking forward to how his story will continue.

Speaking of, why is it that Adare still frustrates me so much?

" There was a time she would have called it anger, but it wasn’t anger. She understood that now. Anger was a useful tool, but one that had shattered when she needed it most. This was something else— she had no name to give it— something that, when everything else had fallen apart, somehow, inexplicably, remained."

While you might be overwhelmed to see me describing the characters so much, and yes their individual journeys plays a huge role in your experience of this book, the plot wasn't any less important. Sure, on a large (like, inter-continent level) scale, very little happens - making this very much a book setting up for the sequels, atleast plotwise - there's wasn't any point in the story where my interest went down. The story keeps you hooked in the pages right until the every end, which, yes, made me cry a bit.

So, finally, in case it got lost in all the rambling, I absolutely loved this book. And if you are looking for an epic fantasy, I'll definitely recommend this. And will keep hounding you until you read it.

While it’s no secret I love this book and this author, this was beyond my expectations for a new series beginner.

Another sprawling fantasy, populated with both familiar faces and brand new ones. The plot has more questions than answers but spends significant time exploring the world/history - plot is slow going but I enjoy Staveley’s prose + worldbuilding. Harsh, brutal, fascinating ★★★★

Absolutely phenomenal. This book exceeded my expectations in every possible way. Staveley is a fav at this point.

Prose is very important to me and I just didn't like the writing style. lots of modern swearing and phrases in fantasy settings distract me. The characters weren't interesting and honestly, I actually hated the most important character. (the girl on the cover.) She literally just swears for half of the book. the World didn't interest me either. It's just not for me.

I'm a massive fan of Brian Staveley's previous books and The Empire's Ruin is a release I've been eagerly anticipating. I'm happy to say that the book more than lives up to the hype and may be Staveley's best work yet. The novel follows the events of the original trilogy and focuses on Gwenna Sharpe, one of the secondary characters of those books. It's an easy jumping in point for the series, however, and while knowledge of the previous books enriches the experiences, it is not necessary. The Empire's Ruin is beautifully written, engaging from beginning to end, and one of the best fantasy releases in the last few years.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley, and I’m very much looking forward to the sequels.

Here’s what the book’s about:

The advantages used by the Annurian Empire for millennia have fallen to ruin. The Empire is disintegrating. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, which grant instantaneous travel across the lands, can no longer be used. One of the surviving Kettral needs to voyage beyond the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting grounds of the giant war haws: it’s the only way to save the empire. And a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates. Time is running out. Because, next to it all, an Ancient God-like race has begun to stir.

The story picks up immediately, with the first bloody fight already starting in the first chapter. The Kettral try to rescue their captured friends and a huge fight breaks out.

There are more than one POV in the story (which can be expected when the book is over 700 pages). We are first introduced to Gwenna, one of the Kettral, a group of highly trained mercenaries that serve the Annurian Emperor.

The other person is Ruc, someone who grew up with the Vuo Ton in the Delta, an extremely dangerous place with many beasts that can kill you. He made a decision to move to the city years ago and became a priest for a different god than the Three. However, when he hears news that his birthplace might be under attack from a ruthless Lord claiming to be the First God, he feels the need to go back and help out. Even if that means he needs to go back into his violent mindset, something he’d shaken from him when he moved to the city.

And finally, we also meet Akiil. He’s a con-artist with big plans: conning the Emperor herself. He’s one of the last Shin monks after his temple was attacked, killing the rest (including the Emperor’s brother). He promises to teach the Emperor how to use the kenta, rings that allow you to transport from one place to the next. There’s one problem, however: he doesn’t actually know how to use them.

While there’s a lot of action in the story, it’s also very character-driven. I would say one of the best parts of this book was the characters and their relationships. All the characters were incredibly rounded and gave life to the story.

Next to that, the world is also incredibly vast and is rich in detail, but it’s always shown in an interesting way rather than just info-dumping it on the reader.

In my opinion, what elevates books from being ‘just fun’ to ‘amazing’ is when they have great underlying themes that are discussed. The Empire’s Ruin definitely has those.

There’s a lot of focus on dealing with failure and overcoming fear of failure, in addition to loyalty, leadership, and the power of love. Further on in the book, I could also discern a comment on consumerism and how the hunger to consume makes monsters of us all, but that might also just be my interpretation.

All in all, I can recommend The Empire’s Ruin without a doubt. If you love a vast new world with interesting characters and a lot of bloodshed and violence, The Empire’s Ruin will almost certainly be a great book for you.

Possible Triggers:
DEATH | Mutilation | Torture | graphic graphic Violence/Gore | talk of Rape

Summary:
This is the first book in a new series by Brian Staveley.

Characters:
The story follows between 3 different sets of characters for its entirety.

There are so many awesome characters in this book that it's difficult to choose a favorite. There are multiple ‘main’ characters but also a fair bit of secondary characters that you get to follow alongside for a vast portion of the story. Strong female characters, morally grey ones, down right naughty naughty’s, and highly principled rigid folk.

Rat: My absolute favorite character in the entire book. I love her interaction with everyone. I love her fierce loyalty (and hatred). I love how she humanized other people by just existing. There is so much about the character that I want to know more about; that I can't wait to experience with her as she (hopefully) ages throughout the series. I just wanna round shouting “spoilers” because there is so much awesome stuff I can't talk about that makes her such a cool character.

Positives:
+ The characters! Holy heck do we have some really awesome characters!!! Gwenna Sharpe! Rat! Ruc! You go through their history, their breakings, their risings. The awesome way they interact with others both in league with themselves and against them. The characters are absolutely a strong strong factor in why I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to see what happens to them in the subsequent books.
+ The stakes are SO freaking high. I love that everything in this book has a freaking cost. A cost to humanity, sanity, personal well being. There IS always a cost. I love that. Making a good decision - consequences. Bad decisions- consequences. NO DECISION… consequences.
+ So much cool stuff in this book. Old and new gods (of various cultures). Ancient civilizations. Magics. Technologies. Strange religions. Really I have a hard time even focusing on which thing to rant and rave about the most. ALL OF THE THINGS.

Final Thoughts:
I struggled hard with reading the first 50% of this book. It wasn’t because it was uninteresting, or badly written, or not a fully realized and immersive world/story with fascinating characters. It was absolutely all of those things and so much more. Can an author be too good at writing hopelessness and despair and you just read a book at the wrong time to NOT be able to take that well? Staveley has a way of really making the feelings bloom inside you while you are reading and this book had some intense freaking feelings throughout the entire thing. That being said… holy crap.. You are absolutely missing out on SO MUCH if you don't get past the 50% mark.

If you like your books with HIGH freaking stakes, cultures that are completely unlike our own, steamy steamy violent and terrifying jungles/continents, GIGANTIC birds, monsters in both human and horror-fueled forms, ancient races, and old and new gods alike… hold on to your butt, because this book is going to take you all of the places.

I need more people to talk about this book with...

Brian Staveley's new trilogy - based on the Annurian Empire ( From his Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne ) released this week in the US and is slated to release in Aug 1st week in the UK. It was always going to be a tough act to measure up to - especially given how realistically the different threads of that first mind-blowing trilogy came to a satisfying end and then how Brian hits one out of the park, with a back story to Pyrre (Skull-Sworn) , one of the most enigmatic characters to surface in the Unhewn Thrones trilogy.

Brian Staveley is my go-to-author when it comes to delightfully grim-dark fantasy stories bursting with fresh ideas, intricate and effortlessly smooth world-building - headlined by foul-mouthed, fallible characters who are real, flawed and intense, fighting to stay alive, not just against backstabbing treacherous enemies but also hitherto unimagined hell-spawned monsters. Not to forget the white-knuckle, crazy-ass action sequences and the thought-provoking 'zen-talk' focused on self-discovery. All of this keeps it dialed way beyond 'just interesting' for me and I am always amazed at the impossible end-product - the hefty fantasy-tomes with layers and layers of fascinating stories that you can get lost in, and stay happily lost forever.

The latest series opener, The Empire's Ruin (Book One, Ashes of the Unhewn Throne) is a masterclass testimony of all this. If I thought he had topped his talent with the Skull Sworn, Brian proves you wrong and plants a starshatter deep inside your bone-marrow to blow any doubts to smithereens, with this new book. It's fucking maniacal. One of the most fantastic and intense rides I been on, for a while.

The Annurian empire has been cracking for a while and the fissures are spreading. The story follows three different POV's as the death-knell of this great empire is sounding and how their individual storylines are traced in this grim background of an empire's ruin. First is the indefatigable duty-sworn Kettral soldier Gwenna Sharpe ( Whom we last saw in the Last Mortal Bond, friend and companion to Commander Valyn) - an always angry red-haired soldier, with a bias-for-action and violence. Her latest mission goes tits-up and lands her in a spot of bother - especially, since she has just lost the last of the Kettrals ( Yeah, those same giant flying birds with deadly sharp talons used by the Annurian Military as tactical advantage for any bleak situations that needs salvaging!) in a fubar-ed mission to this district called Dombang (Yes, the same delta-surrounded marshy dirty place where most of the action of the Skull Sworn happens!) She's given this new mission to "recruit" new Kettrals, from way beyond the Empire - from these unexplored lands south of the world. Where stories abide, that madness, sickness and demons called "Gabhya" are more numerous than living men or women.

The second POV is that of this priest of the Goddess of Love, named Ruc Lantur - within the district of Dombang, itself one of the most dangerous places on this earth, where murder is a daily occurrence that nobody bats an eyelid at. Surrounded by marshy swamps full of colorful spiders, venomous snakes and ever-hungry crocs, this is place that has just come through a revolution against the empire. Hatred for Annurians run high and any excuse, a misplaced act of kindness or love, even the wrong kind of pale skin-color is harshly punished by wanton violence. Ruc, however is not a stranger to the worship of such violence. With his own history - having been brought up by the "delta" people and his strange legacy owed to the Three, the ancient Gods who are revered and prayed to by the residents. The third POV is that of Akiil ( You might recognize him from the first trilogy) - a shin monk turned con-artist, who is in the capital to try now his hand, at exhorting something from the Emperor herself. The setting is the capital itself, including certain scenes inside the Dawn Palace from the earlier trilogy.

Brian redefines EPIC with this new monster of a book. Weighing in just under 800 pages, this is a masterfully crafted page-turner that despite its sheer size, makes for an immersive reading. The plotting and story-telling is sheer genius as we are sucked in, deeper and deeper into the story without realizing that Brian has expanded his world, taking us to the unexplored 'Quarter' inside of the Annurian Empire capital, shows us newer haunts within the nasty treacherous violence-strewn districts of Dombang and of course, expands the borders of the known world into the unknown - this whole new landscape called Menkiddoc where madness, sickness and terrifying monsters hold sway. The settings are atmospheric and lend the story its dangerous feel, hiking up that uncertainty, fear and anxiety you feel for the characters. Indeed, because no one is safe. even from themselves.

Among all characters, there is no doubt that Gwenna is probably the labor of love. Painfully crafted, emotion by emotion, put through the wringer, emotionally, mentally and physically, Gwenna's chapters are about pain, redemption and rediscovery. It takes a toll on the reader as well as we go through this rollercoaster as we follow her halfway across the world, see her broken spirits, her crippling self-doubts, that ember of rage within her that never quite is extinguished. There are multiple characters we encounter along with Gwenna, who help expand the overall narrative arc. Kiel the mysterious imperial historian, Admiral Jonon, the man in charge of this new mission, Bhuma Dhar, a foreign captain whose musings on life, duty and the courage of the mind were absolutely legendary and the spitfire wild-cat of a child, Rat. It was with a lot of joy and pride that I re-joined Gewnna, an absolutely awe-inspiring epitome of sheer grit and courage on this new mission. The amount of pain that Gwenna goes through in this book, is not funny. Gwenna Sharpe, take a bow and don't you fuckin' quit.

Ruc, the priest to the Goddess of Love Eira, is another man going through that titanic struggle inside his own mind. About how much he wants to surrender to the call of the 'love' - or give in to the base nature of his own brutal and ruthless upbringing, a cruel childhood spent inside the delta, where the blood and claw and violence reigned supreme. His bond with the priestess Bien was a tender love story, a thing to be treasured and cherished, as Brian totally tugs at our heart-strings taking us deeper into their complex relationship, a bond between two lost souls. The comradeship, the camaraderie born on the battlefield and the training fields of the 'Arena', as both of them forge new friendships while training to be gladiators, these lend his blood-soaked chapters a sort of reprieve from the gloom and doom that pervades them. Akiil possibly was the weakest of all three characters. While I enjoyed the con-man's 'shin-monk' teachings, ruminations and his attempted heists, compared to the other two POV's, the intensity was lesser. We are re-introduced to one of the main POV's from the first trilogy but this is wholly Akiil's adventure as he flirts with danger and comes up empire-shattering discoveries.

Surging with adrenaline-fueled action set-pieces ( including a terrifically choreographed ship-battle at the sea!) and white-knuckle fights against a bunch of horrific creatures misshapen and mangled by rotten magic gone astray mixed up with the blood, screams, sweat and dust of the gladiatorial fights and the thrill of the secretive heists gone wrong - Empire's Ruins has enough to keep the action-gluttons happy. And yet, it is in those brief lulls between the never-ending nerve-wracking action thrills, that Brian really drives it home for the reader. Through the tumultuous thoughts and exploration of the self, of the countless internal monologues of Gwenna, Ruc or Akiil, we get much closer to seeing their souls bared, naked and broken. A reveal of the flawed, vulnerable and piteous humans trying to survive in this brutal cruel world where Gods and ancient races have thrown the dice a long time back, committing to war and destruction and they can only watch as the fingers of ruin speed through the fabric of this crumbling empire.

Staggering, sweeping imagination turned to an unrelenting, brutal epic narrative, The Empire's Ruin is a veritable masterclass on fantasy genre writing. I loved every single page of this big book, glued and hooked in by the unpredictable twists and turns, fraught with razor-sharp tension and imminent danger at every corner. This is undoubtedly the best book I have read this year ( despite the fact that it is only half the year gone by!) and all the fans of Brian's previous novels or in general, who love their fantasy expansive and thought-provoking should get their hands on this new series. He has outclassed himself. Highly highly recommended read.

The Empire’s Ruin is the beginning of a new epic fantasy series. The action and the vivid imagery pulled me in from the very beginning and did not cease through this adventure. The characters are complex and world building is fantastic. This book has everything a grimdark fantasy fan craves.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Brian Staveley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, for the advanced copy of The Empire’s Ruin.

The Empire’s Ruin kicks off a new series in Brian Staveley’s universe first introduced in his CHRONICLES OF THE UNHEWN THRONE trilogy and then expanded upon via the standalone novel, Skullsworn. The new series is a direct sequel to the earlier trilogy, and I strongly recommend reading in publication order, as several of this book’s characters appeared in the first series, while the events of that series drive the plot and characters of this new one. I will note that I found the Staveley’s first UNHEWN THRONE book to be the weakest, so if you finish that unsure about whether to press on, I’d urge you to do so as book two is excellent and book three nearly as good.

We pick up a few years after that third book, with the Annurian Empire, after the devastating war and civil dissension/unrest depicted in the first series, falling apart even as the newly crowned Empress, Adare, tries desperately to keep things together. The magical portals once used by the emperors to keep track of the wide-flung empire are no longer usable, some regions are starting to get ideas of independence, and the Kettrals — the Empire’s elite airborne fighting force — is down to its last giant war raptor.

The Empire’s Ruin is a three-track novel, each following a different POV. In one, we follow the journey of the Kettral Gwenna Sharpe (my favorite character from the first series) after she is sent by the Empress on a mission to a remote continent shrouded in myth and mystery in hopes of finding Kettral eggs to replenish the Empire’s supply of warbirds. The other POV is set in the rebellious delta city of Dombâng (the same setting as Skullsworn) and follows Ruc, a priest of Eira, goddess of love. As opposed to his current position, Ruc’s past history is mysterious, filled with violence, and is somehow connected to Dombâng’s much more bloody gods, known as The Three. Finally, the third strand focuses on Akiil, a young thief-turned monk-turned thief again, who is attempting a long con on Empress Adare.

Akiil’s strand is, I’d argue, the weakest of the three. It feels a bit stretched out so as to better fit structurally within the novel, and there isn’t a great sense of urgency or tension in it. Akiil himself is a likable, engaging character, but his motivations at various points are a bit muddy, and a subplot involving his past is introduced but never really goes anywhere. It feels like we either needed more in his POV to flesh his story out or less, so the page time was more attuned to what actually happens plot and character-wise. Honestly, I’m not sure a lot would have been lost had his section been cut or cut and saved for the next book.

The other two are much stronger. Ruc, as part of Dombâng’s customary religious worship, ends up forced into a sort of gladiator role, along with Bien, the woman he loves and a fellow priest of Eira. He and Bien are partnered with a captured Annurian soldier, and the three of them, along with another trio, are trained in preparation for a fight to the death against others (some voluntary, many not so much) until those proven “worthy” by virtue of survival will go to face the Three. A lot is packed into Ruc’s storyline. One thread is slow unveiling of his mysterious past and his desperate attempts to hold on to his principles of love as a prevailing force despite his inner urge to violence. Another is the arrival in Dombâng of foreigners who announce themselves as “messengers” of “The First,” warning the citizens of Dombâng that The First is coming, and they need to submit or die. The citizens, at least at first, do neither, choosing instead to kill all the messengers as they arrive.

A strong sense of urgency runs throughout Ruc’s storyline thanks to several ticking clock plots: the date of their first fight, the impending arrival of The First, and a desperate plan of escape that has to be timed out just right. On top of that, tension is heightened by conflict with a nasty trio of fighters also being trained, with the inherent suspicion between the Dombâng characters and their Annurian partner, and by several secrets I won’t detail here. The characterization in this section is richly drawn, and even the ones who are more sketchy are still captivating for their personal touches, such as their trainer Goatface. Finally for this section, I quite liked the more philosophical bent of it as we see internal and external debates over the efficacy of love and kindness in a world such as the one they inhabit.

Gwenna’s segment falls somewhere between the other two (though closer to Ruc’s). It starts the novel off with a bang (almost literally) with a fantastic chase and fight scene, then continues to deliver most of the action in the novel via naval battles, storms, several fights scenes, monsters, and murder. Gwenna is perhaps a bit too super-powered (at least for my liking), but that relatively minor issue is more than compensated for by how the core of her story is not her success-against-all-odds fighting ability but instead is about her being utterly broken by the consequences of her decisions. An aid to piecing herself together is the relationship she forms with a young girl they find in an abandoned city. That thread is perhaps a bit predictable; I think readers will make some good guesses about what will happen and how there, and it may remind some of a similar setup in Aliens between Ripley and Newt (even the girl’s name, Rat, is somewhat similar), but despite that the relationship still moves in spots and also adds some much needed comic relief to the story.

Gwenna and Ruc’s storylines, and Akiil’s as well though to a lesser and less successful extent, all deal in some way with coming to terms with one’s past and reconstituting a sense of selfhood and identity, and the exploration of that theme is one of the stronger aspects of the novel. Setting is another plus, with Dombâng coming fully alive as a city and culture. Meanwhile, Gwenna’s journey takes her across a “poisoned” region that calls up echoes of Jeff VanderMeer’s SOUTHERN REACH trilogy, though with a more direct, a more overt horror note to it.

I’m not sure The Empire’s Ruin needed all of its 700+ pages (actually, I’m pretty sure it didn’t). As already noted, Akiil’s storyline felt more than a bit superfluous and padded, and Gwenna’s could have been tightened somewhat. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading, zipping through the book in a day and a half without ever feeling a sense of impatience or being bogged down. And it certainly left me eager to see where the story goes from here. I call that a successful opening to a new series.