I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wow, this book had almost too much going on. I think that was one of the reasons it took me longer than usual to get through. Magic and machines and animal-like beings. Airships and swords and oh my god there were too many twists.

Overall it was a very enjoyable, if not long and drawn out read. It was one of those books where it did feel like there wasn't enough editing because every single chapter had some sort of twist and new thing happening. With more action and less tension, it did come off as sort of bam! here's this and bam! here's that. I do wish he would have continued on with some of the plot lines he started. Sometimes it just felt like an unfinished idea.

That being said, I did really like all the characters that we did get to read from the perspective of. It was a very complicated family dynamic that I felt played very well in the world he built. I also loved how he melded magic and technology together. While at times it did feel a bit disjointed in how the characters storylines actually matched up, it did get better about halfway through. The beginning felt like a lot of characters were introduced but forgotten about while the middle and ending soley felt like they focused on the three siblings. Overall, enjoyable read if not a bit tropey in it's fantasy.

I loved the worldbuilding so far in the first 20% of this book. The audiobook is especially great with different VO narrators for each POV character. Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an ARC for this title.

I had a hard time connecting with the book and caring about what was going on.
The names were weird and didn't make sense to me, so it was hard to keep track of the characters - particularly secondary characters. The names just felt unnatural and there was no way to figure out the gender of the speaker when just having the name (Wyllow is a "he" and Rosmon is a "she" and many other examples - that goes against natural linguistic instincts in me

The book felt too cinematic and there's a reason why Visual Media and the Book media are different forms of Media.
The World is supposed to be steampunk, there're trains and such, but the world didn't feel consistent. If you have advacements of technology, the whole aspects of living are supposed to be Advanced. This just felt like a regular Medieval Fantasy with magic and swordfighting, only sometimes we'd see a Steampunk element

The only characters I conntected with were Fulren and Lancelin, and not always, the rest of the book was boring to me and I couldn't find it in myself to care what was going on.

An action packed character driven fantasy novel. Remarkably combines aspects of steampunk, fantasy and a sprinkling of Final Fantasy vibes. The different locations visited are vibrant and unique.
I grew to love some of the POV characters. The book kept me on the edge of my seat towards the end, anticipating what will happen to the Hawkspur Family.

Vey much recommend this book and I can not wait to read more in this world and by this author!

DNF @ 25%.

Setting this one aside for now. I'm having a hard time connecting with this book, and I think it's because of the writing style. It's all very matter-of-fact, even when there's a major onscreen event or revelation. I don't feel the buildup of anticipation or the stakes rising, which makes it difficult for me to engage with the story and the characters.

There's also a dearth of description for my taste, also contributing to the difficulty in engagement. I don't know what any of the characters look like or how old they are. Tyreta, for example, acts like a bratty teenager but she has a younger brother who's an accomplished fighter and maker, so she has to be at least... sixteen? Seventeen? Is she twenty? What color is her hair? Her eyes? I don't know anything about her beyond her actions, and that makes it difficult to care.

The world-building is similarly sparse on details, even though there is a great deal of potential there. A kingdom run by Guilds, each responsible for an aspect of operations, and the potential for political drama therein sounds so promising! Unfortunately, we're just given the facts of the present-day events (for the most part) with little description or explanation. I wanted more! What does a stormhulk look like? What is a Titanguard? Where, exactly, is the intersection of science/technology and magic? How do these people dress? What do they eat?

This book is described as an 'epic fantasy' and it may be one in scope; however, I feel that in order to be truly epic, the world should be immersive, a reader should be able to reach out and feel the realm they're being invited into. I felt at arm's length here.

I may return to it eventually. Judging from the reviews, there are plenty of readers who loved this one so don't let my experience deter you from picking it up and judging for yourself.

<b><i>A huge thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review! (My first ever eARC!!)</i></b>

I tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. I'd like to start with literally the first few lines of the prologue...

<b><i>"Courage. That ever-elusive virtue. Willet had once been told a man could never possess true courage without first knowing true fear."</b></i>

Dragon-gods, demon worshippers, magic-infused machines? Those are just a few of the things you will find in <i>Engines of Empire</i> by R.S. Ford. It's the first book in a new epic fantasy series called <i>The Age of Uprising</i>. The setting mainly takes place in the nation of Torwyn, which is at the height of industry and ruled by guilds. There are a variety of guilds and they are all family run. The highest among them are the Hawkspurs, whom four of our five point of view characters are members of.

<b><i>"Are you so easily swayed by riches? Don't let your greed overcome your reason."</b></i>

Rosomon is the matriarch of the family. She is a powerful asset of the Hawkspur guild and pretty much takes on the duty of trying to keep the nation afloat behind the scenes. Especially after her brother proclaims himself emperor and her husband was killed years ago. There is much greed within the political system and Rosomon faces the brunt of it. She became my favorite character, I think she is the most developed and given the most unique voice amongst them. I'm always a fan of strong independent women who aren't afraid to act!

Moving on to Conall, he is the eldest of the Hawkspur children. He is the heir to the guild and with that duty looming over him he finds it best to earn respect and goes off to the military located in a different area called the Karna Uzan. There he is a captain of the Phoenix Battalion. He faces many obstacles, mainly that of Frontier Marshall Beringer, whose bias towards the wealthy and pampered halts a lot of Conall's discoveries. Conall starts to uncover something very detriment to the safety of Torwyn.

Overall I didn't care much for Conall in this book. I felt he was dull and under-developed. He is very inconsistent in his mindset. He tries to balance the line of being a good solider with respect but also wanting to help his family, which is a hard choice to make however he does it over and over again! I didn't care for that repetition. It felt like he was making progress in his decision to just go back and erase it. I'm hoping to see some more depth with him in the next entry.

<b><i>How long do you think the battalions will carry on this war when it stops being profitable? This won't last."</b></i>

Tyreta, the daughter of Rosomon Hawkspur is the next character whom we see thru POV chapters. She is a webwainer, which is a sorceress that has the ability to channel the power of pyrestones (a glowing stone that has many uses and is the main conductor/energy source to most of the machinery in the story). Like Conall, she almost immediately leaves Torwyn to go to the mines where Pyrestone is harvested in order to learn more about the process. However what she discovers there throws her into a dangerous pit of war between the original inhabitants of that land and the colonizers from her nation.

<b><i>"By placing a number of pyrestones inside small conversion chambers, a webwainer could use them to imbue any piece of artifice to life."</b></i>

Tyreta's arc is my least favorite in the book, not because she's a bad character but just because of how fast she becomes adept at fighting, using a bow. She just automatically becomes friends with an indigenous tribe even though her people are hurting them. The speed of this book is very good in many ways, a lot happens but I wish this part slowed down so her abilities and relatinships could develop more.

Fulren Hawkspur. I like Fulren a lot! He is the youngest son of the Hawkspur family and a prodigy artificer. Unlike his brother and Sister he has no desire to leave Torwyn. He becomes a guide to a woman from Nyrakkis, Assenah Neskhon. Nyrakkis is a rival nation (that worships demons!) and Assenah has traveled to Torwyn in order to make a trade deal between the nations. However, during Fulren's showing her of the city he becomes embroiled in a plot and framed for a heinous crime he had nothing to do with.

We see a lot of growth with Fulren, it may be because he is the youngest in the family and has the most growth to achieve or he goes through the most traumatic experiences in the book. Needless to say his journey is astounding. He does suffer like Tyreta of making friends of strangers too quickly though and wish that was fleshed out more delicately.

<b><i>"But don't you see? This is our future. The old gods are not revered as they were. We are done with that past. Inventions like this will ensure that famine and hunger are eradicated from Torwyn. They offer so much potential."</b></i>

The last POV of the book is that of Lancelin Jagdor. He is a swordwright, which is a highly trained swordsman. Lancelin is bad-ass! He is a great character. I don't want to get into much more about him since it's spoilery but I really don't have any issues with his arc.

Some last things I want to touch on in this book is the religion of Torwyn. The religion is called The Draconate Ministry and it worships the five Great Wyrms (dragon gods) which are as follows: Ammenodus Rex, Ravenothrax the Unvanquished, Saphenodon, Undometh, and Vermitrix. I just wanted to list those, how absolutely awesome are those names? I just want to know and see more of the religion. I wish there was more about it in this book but being the first in the series I understand there needs to be that build-up.

<i><b>"Only you seem to have many great things in your country. Great Wyrms, a Great Library. Is anything merely mundane?"</i></b>

<b>Score: 3.75/5</b> - A good start to a series with atmospheric world-building, unique magic mixed with artifice and treacherous politics and religion. I would have liked to see more character development and less auto-friendships. The prose was fine, easy to read but didn't leave a lasting impression. I thought the magic would also be more prevalent after the stunning prologue. Overall, an enjoyable read and I will be continuing the series once the next is released.

Review also on my blog here: https://shieldanvilsstudy.wordpress.com/2022/01/22/review-engines-of-empire/

And goodreads here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4393949661

Loved this book! Such a unique world and magic system. Loved the political twists and turns and family dynamics. Another unique thing about this book is usually when there are family dynamics like this, you don't see a mother's perspective. This book had that. I will definitely be continuing with this series and will be looking for other works by this author.

So, Engines of Empire.... super mixed feelings but overall an enjoyable start to a new series!. My biggest issue is that it felt like Ford was too afraid to let things breathe. I've read non-stop action books before but they usually feel a lot more confident, this felt like he was worried if he didn't throw a giant lizard or a betrayal or an explosion into every single chapter people would DNF. Some of the time, he would introduce a twist or an obstacle or kill a character and then the following chapter would bring entirely new circumstances so the previous thing was almost an irrelevant event meant to keep the plot "moving" at all times. Many aspects of the world are just introduced for a chapter or two and then never spoken about again- some of the early stuff I almost forgot was even introduced. A secondary aspect of this is that there were times where he let the reader know about a reveal or some juicy information *immediately* and I think the reading experience would have been better with a bit more delay to build the tension. The dialogue was never better than serviceable and was cliche at times. It felt like Ford took a lot of inspiration from ASOIAF for characters/plot but took all the wrong lessons from the back half of the show- he went for spectacle every time over substance. There's a character that is so clearly inspired by Jaime Lannister that it's almost funny.

But all that said, I was super entertained the whole time. I devoured the book quickly and set aside every other book to read it. The plots introduced were really cool and I greatly enjoyed learning more about the world, the multiple magic systems, the types of sentient creatures, and the technology in Torwyn, the main civilization we follow. The book follows four major POVs (with another POV joining later) and each of these four POVs are in the same family and go off on their separate adventures, like the Starks. I enjoyed every POV character which is a difficult feat, although my favorites were Fulren and Tyreta. The end of the book was a bit of a forced cliffhanger, but I enjoyed reading the climax immensely. I'm definitely going to read the second book. I just hope Ford can learn to trust his story. I'm gonna say 7.5/10

The description of the book is what caught my attention. Particularly, the "magic-fueled machines" since I immediately thought this would be some sort of steam punk novel (which, I've never read).

After reading this book, the closest thing I can think that is similar to this world is Final Fantasy 7. Throughout the book, machines called stormhulks were mentioned and I just inserted one of the various machines you fight in FF7. The are these stones called pyrestones that artificer's make to power these machines. For them, I straight up just thought of it as FF7's materia.

If you're into that type of magic (and more!) then I would give this a read. Even though it didn't go into too much detail with it, it was good enough for me. While not perfect (and nothing really is), I believe R.S. Ford wrote a good introduction to his The Age of Uprising series and I look forward to picking up the second book!

I was given a free copy of Engines of Empire by R.S. Ford (author), Orbit (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Engines of Empire is the first book in The Age of Uprising series.

This review will be spoiler free.

I would characterize Engines of Empire as high fantasy that includes a coup, jungle warfare, necromancy, and political intrigue.

The story takes place in several different types of settings such as a city that could have been something akin to a European city during the Renaissance, jungle, desert, and snow-capped mountains. There is an emperor, but guilds are responsible for the management of the services and industries that ensure the empire is running. The guilds are families that operate monopolies in the story.

The world building, in this story, is expansive, but nothing unique. It, however, did add another layer of complexity to the story.

The magic system appears to a blend of hard and soft magic systems. The hard magic system is comprised of stones of different colors have special properties if used by people who can manipulate the different properties of the stones. The stones can be used to operate heavy machinery and munitions. The soft magic system is comprised of people who have glyphs burned onto their bodies that enable them to do things.

The magic system serves the story.

Engines of Empire has four major characters and a secondary character that have chapters told by their perspectives. The four main characters are mother, her older son, middle daughter, and younger son. The mother’s perspective is about the political intrigue and coup. The older son’s perspective is about him being in the military. The daughter’s perspective is about the war between humans and orc-like creatures called kesh that takes place on island that is a large jungle. The younger son’s perspective deals with another country that is considered the enemy of the empire. The secondary character is asked by the mother to rescue her younger son from the enemy.

I enjoyed the daughter’s story in Engines of Empire because she grows and evolves from the beginning of her story to the end of the story. I found her to be interesting and engaging, especially when she interacts with the kesh. I did not find the mother and the younger son’s chapters interesting because I thought each of them are mostly reacting to events instead of making decisions and initiating the action. The older son’s perspective was somewhat interesting but could have been further developed and could have been more interesting.
I think I would have preferred if either the mother’s perspective or younger son’s perspective and that of the secondary character were removed which would enable to have the remaining perspective along with the older son’s to be expanded and developed.

Another aspect of the story that I had difficulty with was the antagonist(s) of the story. The three antagonists are the leaders of the country that is considered the enemy of the empire, the leaders of the coup, and the kesh. I think it would be helpful if part of the story revealed the perspective of each the antagonists to understand the motivations and why do each group do what they do.

I found the story to be too long. The plot of the story meandered in the middle of the story, and I thought some chapters did not add to the plot nor propel the story forward.

The ending, however, was a rush to the conclusion and sets the table nicely for the sequel.
I plan to read the sequel.

I would recommend Engines of Empire to readers who enjoy high fantasy with multiple points-of-view.

I rate Engines of Empire 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank R.S. Ford, Orbit, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

An action-packed start to a new high stake epic fantasy series you will not be able to put down!

In the nation of Torwyn, the power and politics are run by the Guilds who oversee their people. Each Guild is responsible for different jobs within this world to keep the economy running. In this story we follow the point of view of one family, the Hawkspurs, as they set out on their own paths to take on their responsibilities within the Guild. Each of the family members encounters trouble as they encounter situations that whisper revolution, betrayal and barbarity.

This book was a rollercoaster of a ride with twists that caught me by surprise multiple times I almost got whiplash. This book was such as fun read from beginning to end and at no point did I feel it dragged. There was always something going on somewhere to one of the character’s POV that I could stop turning the pages! This book is so great! If you want an author who can rip the carpet out from under your feet and slap you across the face when you least expect it, then read this book!

I believe what was exceptionally well done within this novel was the plot. It was constantly moving, intriguing and engaging. Part One had so many surprises that left me bug eyed on multiple occasions. Once Part Two came into play I think I’ve read faster than I ever have in my life. That being said, the characters are well written but they aren’t written in a way where you know the inner workings of every thought. Which is totally fine with me but I feel character focused readers may find this lacking in their reading experience. If the book was able to dive just a tad more into the inner workings of the character’s minds I think it would have elicited more of an emotional connection that generally find, for me, separates a good book from a great book.

I think the author did a fantastic job changing up the setting for each character within this world. One was set in the “capital” area, one in the jungle, one in the dessert, and one on the complete other side of the drift. At some points we even find ourselves at sea or riding on an eagle in the sky! I found this super interesting and even more compelling when characters would cross into each other’s settings. I would have liked to have seen more of the Anvil and more of the tech within the world to explore more on the steam punk feel I got from the read.

The character I felt less drawn to was Tyreta’s POV. I wasn’t really drawn to her as a reader however that doesn’t mean her character arc was not interesting. I did enjoy it but just not as much as I did with Fulren and Lancelin. I think each POV offered something to the story and I liked how the POVs constantly were written in a forward progressing story line and not jumping around from past to future to present.

This world has actual retrocessions that occur which I loved to read because it made it seem more realistic in the sense that every action will have a reaction. I like it when a writer is able to make me fall in love with a character but also scared that they may not even make it through the book. I think that shows the absolute talent of the story teller. It keeps me as a reader emotionally invested and on my toes as well.

The magic system was extremely interesting with how the different pyrestones worked within this world as well as how different individuals with or without gifts interacted with the stones. For some reason I kept referring to the show Arcane in my head when I started reading this book. It reminded me a lot of the magic system used there within the show. The magic is volatile and can harm anyone including the user.

This book was masterfully written. As a reader I can appreciate that there was a likely an outlined process of how this book was going to occur and the timing of events that occurred within the book hit so perfectly paced. The writing style is very readable and the book is written in such a way that it didn’t feel like I was reading a 600+ page book. I didn’t even care about the pages I was too worried about the story. There were some tropes that were written that felt awfully convenient despite the gravity of repercussion the book possessed but I’m able to look over that. It didn’t bother me much.

Content Warnings I would include would be profanity, graphic violence, death and murder. There are a lot of grim visualization within the book and it reminded me a lot of The Poppy War in that sense.

Overall, I rated this book 4/5 stars which for me is a GREAT book! I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes epic fantasy, steam punk and even thriller readers wanting to bridge over into fantasy.

The best way to describe Engines of Empire is as a steampunk, epic fantasy. The story mainly focuses on the members of the Hawkspur family - Rosomon (the mother), Conall (the eldest son), Tyreta (the daughter), and Fulren (the youngest son). There is one other POV who is a close ally to some of the Hawkspurs. From the start, each family member is sent off to different areas of this fantastical world. In the sense that the reader then follows the adventures of each family member, the book reminded me a lot of Game of Thrones. There were some POVs that I liked more than others and a few that I wished the author had dedicated more pages to. So much happens throughout the novel, it is hard to summarize in a short review post. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the sequel!

"Engines of Empire" is a steampunk fantasy novel that follows several characters of the powerful Hawkspur family, which runs one of the major guilds that govern and generates ludicrous profit from the country of Torwyn. The Hawkspurs, consisting of matriarch Rosomon and her three children Connall, Fulren, and Tyreta, are thrown into disarray as both a coup against the current government and an uprising against a colony of the empire by that region's native inhabitants shake the foundations of their world.

Steampunk fantasy is always a bit hit-or-miss for me, as when authors uncritically lean into the whole 'steampunk empire' thing you can get some pretty standard stories, but this novel really does have a lot going for it in terms of varied storylines and character motivations. Because the family is split up when the novel really gets going, you get some quality perspectives on the goings on of empire (or the dirty laundry of empires). I will say that this is a fast paced book, and while that helps move it along, there are some instances where a bit of a slower burn might have helped me get into the minds of some characters a bit more. As is, it is difficult to really see character growth in several of the POV characters and while this is the first book in a series, I'd have liked to see some of those needles move a bit more.

Definitely recommended for steampunk fans.

Mr. Ford adds to the many coming-of-age Fantasy Novels with aplomb and a dash of military fantasy. Worth the time to read and begin a new Fantasy series with the promise of enjoyment. Ford delivers and will seemingly continue to do so for the rest of the series.

R.S. Ford is an author whose books I have been meaning to check out for a while, but for whatever reason it just hadn't happened as of yet. All that thankfully changed when I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of his brand new book ENGINES OF EMPIRE from publisher Orbit Books. So it was with much curiosity and excitement that I leapt into the opening pages.

I had a feeling right off the bat that I was going to enjoy this book as things take shape fairly quickly and the intrigue is intense very early on in the story. Not a lot of setup and dilly-dallying about as it were. And in the end that's a big part of what made this a great book and not just a good book for me.

We are told this story mainly through the eyes of three siblings from the very influential Hawkspur guild. Every so often a different POV chapter is interspersed, but the three main characters carry the bulk of the tale. Torwyn is a nation and empire that is at the height of its power, built mostly through industry. And yet there is also a hinting that at one time they were vulnerable, most specifically from a neighboring nation Nyrakkis. There are still worries throughout the kingdom that certain parts of their border are susceptible to aggression from across the border.

Much of this concern begins to dissipate when out of the blue an emissary from Nyrakkis shows up in an airship (i'll get to that later) asking for an audience with the leader of Torwyn. The emissary claims to be there with a peace offering and a deal that would usher in a new era of cooperation and harmony between the two formal rival lands. Old suspicions die hard however, and many in Torwyn speculate whether this is simply a ploy to gain sensitive intelligence rather than the olive branch it is being portrayed as. When something unexpected happens during the emissary's visit, the three siblings each find themselves faced with their own burdens to avoid a catastrophic war, and maybe even save their own lives in the process.

And this is really where the intriguing element of the book I was talking about grabs you and never lets go through the 600 or so pages. Each POV chapter takes you back to a part of the story that is engrossing in its own right and also integral to the overall plot, which we know will at some point come back together again. I love books like this because we aren't focused on one linear viewpoint that can sometimes tend to get boring and stagnant. There's none of that here as each time we jump into another sibling's adventure, it's almost like reading three books in one. Ford handles this very skillfully and keeps the focus on the main conflict, which is quite fantastic and kept me fixated on every word.

But what truly separates this book from just good fantasy and catapults it into great fantasy is the world-building and magic. Yes, the characters are amazing, the story is super intense and interesting, but where I was really dazzled was Ford's brilliant world that didn't fit in the typical box we see in so many epic fantasies. In this world we encounter multiple moons that you would normally see in science-fiction, yet it felt totally unique and mysterious set in this fantasy setting. And those airships! No this isn't a steampunk novel, but a main mode of transportation are enormous airships. And wait until you find out what powers these mysterious flying machines in their "engine rooms". It completely blew me away!

I guess you could say I had a giant crush on this book. It came as a breath of fresh air for me as just when I would think the story was headed in one direction, I was continually kept off balance. Nothing is as it seems in ENGINES OF EMPIRE and Ford has pushed the boundaries to give us an epic fantasy that feels very different and doesn't follow the rules. This is a wonderful thing and I believe that anyone who picks up this book will be treated to a story that while not conventional epic fantasy, still captivates with the same sense of wonder that we find in those reads. Get ready for an entertaining and magical book that will keep you up until the early morning hours dying to know what happens next.

This story follows three siblings and their separate paths to make their Mother and their Guild proud. They are Hawkspurs. The Guilds control industry and the Hawkspur Guild is one of the most powerful.

Conall is the heir. He is sent to prove himself in the military.

Tyreta can control pyrestones. Pyrestones are used to power the machines. She is sent off to learn more about how pyrestones are harvested.

Fulren is the youngest. He is busy inventing new things for his uncle the Emperor. He's an artificer that secretly wishes to be a fighter.

All of this seems pretty mundane, until it isn't.
The Hawkspurs will have to prove themselves worthy in ways they never could've imagined.

This book is fantastic! So much political intrigue! I loved these characters so much. Everything about this book is amazing. I can't wait for the next one.

2.75
This year I have decided to get more tight on my stars, so if you're thinking "Wow, I haven't seen Tes rate this way" it's because I was giving away 5 stars like I was Oprah last year and we can't have that anymore!

Anyway, about Engines of Empire. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC!
I want to start off by saying Richard Ford's writing style is descriptive and easy to follow. Something that I find doesn't always go to together when it comes to fantasy writers. The chapters are structured around a character coming from one family. If you enjoyed the structure of Game of Thrones and Malice by John Gwyenne, this authors writing style is in your wheel house.
The book is medium paced, it doesn't take long for things to speed up and a plot to be established. I will say between character focus and plot focus, it leaned more on the character focus side with a lot of individual character development.
The lore in this world regarding the pendants and how each guild uses them or how they run these giant machines can get a bit confusing. Within the first few chapters a ton of information is thrown at you. If you're like me just continue to read on because it does explain itself more later if you don't quite understand how it works yet.
Overall this book was good, and I can see each book in this new series getting better and better.

talk about a genre mash-up. i unfortunately kept thinking of the bad mortal engines movie from a few years ago, but it's really not that similar, my brain is just broken. obviously a legit start to a high fantasy series, i just don't know how enduring it will be.

I really, really liked this book. I was absorbed into the narrative every time I turned on my Kindle. The writing was engaging, and the pacing was non-stop. Once the story started, it did not let up and included so many twists and turns I gave up trying to predict what would happen next. The author also managed to weave together five distinct POVs into a clear, coherent story, which was truly impressive. Not only did the POVs complement each other remarkably well, but I never found myself wanting to stay with one over the others. Each viewpoint consistently grabbed my attention in a way that doesn't often happen.

My favorite thing about this book was the world the author created. It was incredibly fascinating and complex. There were at least four different, well-developed societies represented in this work, and each one had a unique take on magic and religion. I was riveted by reading them all collide in the different story threads. My favorite of the cultures/magic systems shown in this book had to be Torwyn. The interconnection of magic, precious gemstones, and machinery was just really dang cool. I also found the conflict between the guilds and the dragon religion to be very interesting. Despite loving the different cultures, the world-building itself was a bit clunky, mostly due to the scope and complexity involved. There were so many different factions at play, and, while the author did a good job of making the general conflicts understandable, I often lost track of the specific parties involved.

The plots associated with each character were all well-developed and interesting. This book kept me on my toes because I never knew where it was going to go next. There were characters I liked and expected to be a major part of the book that were unceremoniously killed off fairly quickly. The family drama and dynamics between the main characters created an interesting backdrop for the events of the book, as well. Despite enjoying the stories and all the characters, I didn't really connect with any of them on an emotional level. I don't know if it was me thing (I've been in a bit of a reading slump so far this year) or the characters themselves, but they all felt a bit flat. That being said, each of the characters endured a lot of struggles and underwent much growth throughout the story, and I enjoyed reading it. I just felt somewhat removed from it.

There were so many interesting themes in this book. I particularly enjoyed how the author handled the topics of imperialism and colonialism. The story illustrated the negative impacts quite well and acted as a fascinating critique of they way indigenous peoples have been treated under such doctrines in the real world. I also found the portrayals of religious fundamentalism and unfettered capitalism, and their dangers, to be eerily familiar to some conversations happening in the world today. This book explores these topics in a fascinating way that also acts as a warning of what can happen when a complacent ruling class cares about wealth and power more than doing what is best for their people.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. The societies and cultures created for this one were fantastic, and the plot was gripping. I could see this being a 5 star read for a lot people who love epic fantasy, and it might have been one for me too if I'd read it at a different time. However, my lack of connection to the characters leads me to rate this 4 out of 5 stars.

4.4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/01/18/engines-of-empire-by-richard-s-ford-review/

While Torwyn was once a nation based on the will of the Wyrms—five great dragons that granted men magic and ruled the doors of life and death—it is now powered by the might of industry. And industry is booming.

But industry is only as good as the people that run it—and in Torwyn, industry is run by the Guilds; chief among them the Archwind Guild, whose guildmaster now occupies the Emperor’s throne. Only a step below them sit the Hawkspur Guild, run by the Emperor’s only sibling, Rosomon. It is around Rosomon that the story resolves—her and her three children.

Conall, the eldest son, is dispatched to the frontier, where he hopes to earn honor and fame through military valor. Instead he finds a desert full of enemies, be they human or demon. The sands also hide a conspiracy, one that hints of a coming revolution, one that may shake the empire to its core.

Tyreta, the eldest daughter, the future Guildmaster of the Hawkspurs, is sick of duty. She’s not her brother, and constantly feels the weight of responsibility. A webwainer, she can control and wield the power of pyrestone—a geological component vital to the Empire’s burgeoning industry. When Tyreta is dispatched to visit Torwyn’s overseas colony of New Flaym, it might be just the escape she has been seeking. Or it might change everything for her, including in ways she never thought were possible.

Fulren, youngest son and brightest star of the family, is a talented artificer, one that is destined to lead the Guilds into the new age of industry. If he survives to see it. After being assigned as an escort to a foreign dignitary, he soon finds himself accused and condemned of murder he didn’t commit. A crime that may just start a war.

Industry drives the future of Torwyn. And the future seems bright, for now. But whispers in the Empire’s darkest corners tell of something more: of revolution, of rebirth, of the rise of an enemy long forgotten.

—

In many ways Engines of Empire is high fantasy at its best. A rich, immersive world, built on the backs of its strong leads, and equally strong characters. A lovely steampunk setting that blends magic with technology, and that pits the new ways against the old. A plot that plays at speculation, at fears, at rumors of revolution, and even darker whispers of unknown evil at its edges. It all comes together to tell an amazing story, one that I had absolutely no trouble tearing through once I got into it.

The problem is that I didn’t get into it right away. While I appreciated that the story was driven by alternating POVs of the same one family, it was this style that somewhat dampened my enjoyment. See, in a story of technology, one that tells of discontent and possible revolution, of an industry built on the backs of the working class, it’s important to see at least some of what the working class is dealing with. The Hawkspurs are each different, each see the world their own way and each want something different for their place in it—but if there’s one thing they’re not it’s underprivileged, downtrodden, working class. I would’ve liked to see at least one POV from the commonfolk, to see what life was like out of a position of inherent power. This is my main issue with the plot, one that really kept me from getting immersed in the story sooner.

That said, it’s also really my only complaint.

The story is a great one—interesting, entertaining, faced-paced at times and slow-built tension at others. There’s not a lot I can say about Engines of Empire, other than you really should read it. There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of this book, and I’m happy to say it was entirely warranted. I’ve read R.S. Ford before; his first series, Steelhaven, was a bit of a mixed bag—partial world-building and mostly human characters, some combination of dark and epic fantasy that never quite figured out what it wanted to be. It’s a good story, but one that leaves something to be desired. It’s been seven years since Steelhaven finished, and it seems that Ford has spent his time since well. Engines of Empire begins a much different series, one with stronger leads, stronger world-building, and a more immersive plot. It’s not that I hated his previous works—it’s more how much I love this new universe. Can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!