Wow, okay. This book swept me away and wormed into every corner of my mind. Awesome worldbuilding, wonderful characters, a found family that made my heart ache in the best way, and an absolutely delightful (and dark) mystery to unravel. I loved it!

I found this book excruciating, slow, full of filler, and impossible to get through. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me.

3.5⭐️

The actual plot and mystery of this book was absolutely page turning. I wanted to know who was behind the murders and unravel the story of the past rebellion.

However the world building was a bit lack luster. I spent a lot of the book confused with the different aspects of the world, but that could just be me as I’m newer to more complex fantasy worlds, but I did want to point it out. I was able to understand the world near the end of the novel, but I wish we got more detail at the beginning or more throughout the novel.

Thank you to orbit and net-galley for an e-book in exchange for my review. I will be reading the next book to see what happens!

This was SO engaging and SO thrilling. I actually haven't read Evans' Forgotten Realms books, but I picked this up because I'd heard they were incredibly well written (and I've seen the price increases around them since they went out of print compared to so many others). So when I saw the ARC, I jumped at it.

I'm so glad I did. The characters are wonderful, all very rich, often abrasive, each of them dealing with their own situations and own lives; nobody stands in to serve anyone else's story, they just exist and react to the narrative naturally. The lead characters have great chemistry, and I appreciated the number of female leads. As a queer author and reviewer, even when I'm not reading a book with lgbt+ protagonists my bare minimum is seeing if the world acknowledges that we exist in it -- and this does that, casually and early on.

The story here is convoluted and sharp, and the magic system is fascinating (I LOVE the affinity spirals and how they both show great power but also fantastic drawbacks). The only thing I wasn't entirely sold on was the Changelings' being sheer forces of chaos and destruction when we also see them thinking and talking like people, since a society can't exist out of sheer forces of chaos and destruction -- but we get all that from the characters' povs, and the narrative itself doesn't seem to think they're entirely correct about it. I'm excited to see if the next book develops that more.

Really, truly enjoyed this. Can't wait for book 2 and to spend more time with these characters.

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

I love a good genre mashup and this one was fun. Fantasy goes very well when paired with mystery. I thought the murder mystery was very well developed as was the world. It had a realistic feel to it that made it seem lived-in rather than a 2D world. I did think it felt a bit long and dragged at certain parts, especially towards the middle. That chunk did take me a while to get through because it felt very slow. It almost had too many ideas shoved into one book that made it feel a tad bit clunky. Overall, it was a very solid debut that introduced some great characters and an interesting world.

Empire of Exiles
Erin M. Evans
Fantasy Mystery
NetGalley

Years after a Duke's failed coup, the empire moved on. Quill, a scribe apprentice is sent to retrieve artifacts from that coup from the Archives. Then there is a murder and now Quill, along with a detective, and those who work in the Archives, search for who did it and to stop them from doing it again.

The blurb claims Quill is the MC. No, he's one out of three main characters, and there are a bunch of minor. And I wish I had stopped reading when I knew I didn't care about the characters because they were poorly described, as was the entire world. When the first few pages of this book were a listing of characters and events, along with other stuff, I about DNFed it right there because I knew either there were way too many characters, or the author was using it as a guide so they could get away with lazy descriptions. I was right on both accounts.

This book could have been so much better if the author cared about the characters and the world. It's a very interesting concept, but there's no backbone, just sentences of summaries. Some of the characters have tentacles and horns, but not explained. It's as if the author had a murder mystery all written, but at the last minute decided that because fantasy was popular, they would change the world and add some 'fantasy' elements. And the flashbacks to the past were not needed, just added to the page count.

Honestly, the blurb is a lot better and more entertaining than the entire story.

1 Star

I’m really regretting not reading this book before the release despite having an arc but I couldn’t help it coz I was sick for many days. Even when I started and found myself completely engrossed in it, I couldn’t finish it quickly coz the cold weather has been hard to manage and I was finding it hard to hold the book for a long time with freezing hands. But here I am with a review because I somehow managed to finish it and I’m just so so happy that I got to read it.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book since the first time I saw it. And then we got the lovely cover and also the arc which had the stunning map as the temporary cover, and it all made for great anticipation. And wow was I glad to see that all my expectations weren’t wrong. The author has created a very ambitious world with multiple kingdoms (or protectorates), cultures, species and infused this book with all their histories and lore, while never being infodumpy. I can’t say I understood or remember all the details but if you go checkout the author’s Twitter page, you’ll definitely understand a lot. But what amazed me more is that in this epic fantasy world, the author gives us a murder mystery - a mystery that may have empire level consequences, conspiracies abound with interconnecting threads to an old coup attempt, and a group of characters each with their own motivations trying to unravel it all. The writing is engrossing right from page one and if I wasn’t having trouble with the cold, I would have finished this book in one sitting.

The magic system with affinities towards materials, specialists who need to be protected from going to spiral and becoming one with their material, and sorcerers with powers beyond just understanding materials - it’s very unique and interesting and the way it’s written just makes for extremely compelling reading. We only meet a few characters with affinities like bronze, ink and glass but the way their spirals are written is wow. The author called it a magic system resembling anxiety and I think that’s a perfect description. And that’s another thing I felt the author wrote very well - characters suffering from ptsd and anxiety, both related or not to magic, making all the stakes feel very very real.

How can I not talk about the amazing characters too when we have so many of them. Amadea is a superior generalist of the Imperial Archives - calm and capable one who can bring down her specialists from any bad spiral, the strong and observing kind who remembers everything, gets things done, and protects everyone under her charge. But how she hides all her past anxieties under this cool facade, just hanging onto the threads of the present so that her traumatic past doesn’t wreak havoc on her mind - it’s all written very well and makes her a very compelling and easy to love character. The author peels the layers of her character chapter by chapter, which is very much integral to the whole mystery of this story and it’s just masterfully crafted.

Then there’s Quill who starts off the book by being amazed at being able to get a tour of the archives (and I was amazed along with him) but is suddenly thrust into a murder mystery and the death of his friend - he might not understand what’s happening but he is determined to get to the truth of it all come what may. His strong convictions and sometimes impulsive nature made him such a fun person to follow along.

Yinni is the only specialist we actually get a pov of and it was such a unique experience getting to understand the magic system through her. The way the ink makes her feel, how every element around her is calling her to become ink, how she is struggling all the time to not give up control, while also battling the expectations of her family - but ultimately she is also invested in the mystery and just wants to protect her friends, even if it means she might spiral bad.

Finally we have Richa to round off this cast, who is a vigilant or investigator who encounters obstacles whenever he is trying to solve this murder mystery but is persistent enough to pursue the truth, even when it puts his job in jeopardy. He doesn’t know exactly whom to trust but is won over by Amadea’s protective nature and Quill’s passion and he also takes his oath to protect the empire seriously, even if the imperial family itself is ready to stop him.

Along with this unforgettable cast of main characters, we also have many other side characters like the other specialists at the archives, the main suspects of the murder from various protectorates, the members of the imperial family who we don’t know much about and may or may not be related to our main cast; and Redolfo Kirazzi who may not be technically present but his past coup attempt against the imperial family is the main undercurrent of this entire story, the consequences of his actions so vast that no one is even in a position to comprehend them all.

In the end, I don’t know if I’ve articulated properly but I want to emphasize again that I adored this book. The author gives us a perfect blend of both the epic fantasy and murder mystery genres, a great multicultural and queernorm world, a unique magic system, and a cast of characters immensely memorable. I was thoroughly entertained and intrigued, and that little sneak peak of the next book at the end is already making me all excited for the sequel. I’m gonna have so much trouble making my end of the year favorites list next month but I feel strongly that this book will make its way onto it.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC :)

Empire of Exiles is a solid start to a fantasy series. Once the ball got rolling I found myself quite intrigued by the plot developments, the mystery, and the character development. I like Quill, he's not the most riveting MC out there but you do grow to enjoy him.

It does lose some points though, because it took a *while* for the ball to get rolling. Initially I wasn't sure if I wold finish at all, just because of the info dumping in the beginning. It did feel quite overwhelming, and a lot to slog through.

You wont get anything mind blowing by reading Empire of Exiles, but its not a bad book.

3/5

Orbit publishing just does not miss with their books. If I see a book with the Orbit logo on the spine, there's a strong chance I know I'm going to end up falling in love with it - and 'Empire of Exiles' was no exception. It truly felt like a unique blend of fantasy and murder mystery with a various cast of wonderful characters and a terrific writing style. It did take me a bit to really sink into the book but when I finally settled in and things started to make sense, it became impossible to stop reading. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2 of the Books of the Usurper series!

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans
This book is two of my favorite things come together. Locked room murder mystery, and high fantasy!



+27 years ago a Duke led a coup against the empire, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a sorcerer imprisoned, and a princess missing.

Now, Apprentice Scribe Quill is sent to the archives to retrieve artifacts relating to the traitorous Duke and his coup. As soon as the artifacts are gathered, Quill is the only reliable witness to a brutal murder that rocks the city.

No one in power believes Quill. With the help of an archivist, a mage battling her own affinity, and a disillusioned detective, uncovering the truth behind the murders will either save the city or destroy it.+

Set in a complex and vivid world, with unique races and cultures. (Orozhandi being one of my favorite, with their horns and third eye that can see sort of like infrared.)

A bit of a slow burn in the beginning, because we are setting up this world with all its magic, history, and it's politics. Like fantasy does, of course.

Imagine having an affinity to bronze, sort of like an addiction, and being able to know everything about any bronze you come in contact with.

And the mystery is fantastic! I had such a fun time trying to guess and being shocked with each new reveal.

There's awesome characters (looking at you Tunuk), changelings and salt walls, and mind blowing secrets.

A 2022 favorite for sure!

Thank you to the author and Orbit books for giving me an arc to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Empire of Exiles is a suspenseful murder mystery with incredible world building that fell a bit short in execution but still left me very excited for sequels.

I originally picked this book up, like any good fantasy fan, because of the map. I mean just look at it...

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The world of Empire of Exiles is so fascinating. All of the sentient races on the continent live crammed behind the Salt Wall on the Semillan peninsula (yes that small peninsula on the left), their original homes abandoned because of an invasion of monstrous changelings. It's been over 100 years since anybody has seen the ruins of the old world, and the new empire of Semilla is seething with political conflict because of the clashing ideologies of so many different peoples. Evans sets up several different layers of history to play her story off of and weaves important worldbuilding details into the plot to incredible effect.

On top of that, this book features a really unique magic system. People develop affinities for worked materials, such as ink, bone, and bronze, but at a cost because if their affinity becomes too strong they spiral and lose their identities to the material. The way this magic is written and how characters deal with the anxiety-attack like symptoms of spiraling is easily one of the highlights of this book for me. Every scene that dealt with this added so much tension to the story.

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At it's heart, Empire of Exiles is also a murder mystery. Twenty years after a failed coup by the Duke Redolfo Kirazzi, a scribe and a politician are murdered and the infamous Kirazzi name keeps appearing to vex the investigators; Quill, an apprentice scribe, Amadea, a head archivist, Yinii, an ink specialist and Richa, a detective. The set up for this mystery was incredibly well done, the first half of the book was full of tension, the right number of small clues and really good dialogue that made you pay attention at all times.

Unfortunately, and this is why there's a star missing, the plot did fall off for me around the halfway point. Because it is a mystery, it's hard to talk about specifics but there were several plot reveals in the second half that I felt either happened too early or not in the right order. It left some scenes without any tension at all and others completely predictable. Really though, it may work way better for some people because different reader's notice different clues at different times.

The writing in the second half also felt lower quality. Some things might be fixed in the final print version but many times I felt that the author was being too intentionally obtuse in dialogue and it just left me wondering what the characters were trying to say in the first place.

Apart from those criticisms, though, this book really left me wanting to read more. All of the characters, from Amadea's dedication to her archivists to Quill's dedication to his murdered friend, were so compellingly likeable that I would read their POVs in a heartbeat. Add in the incredible setting that I talked about earlier, some intriguing reveals at the end of the book, and I'm fully hooked for the sequel. I don't normally read a ton of new releases but just based on the huge number of aspects of this book that intrigued me I had to pick it up, and it delivers on pretty much all of them.

If you are looking for a political fantasy book, look no further. Evans has built a rich world filled with intrigue and strife and so many characters and secrets. The book was difficult for me at the beginning. I am not very well adept at being able to concentrate on fragmented stories told from many points of view, but alas, most of the best fantasy is told in this way. The same is said for Empire of Exiles. I ended up referring back to the list in the front of the book for clarification on who people were. Story-wise, this book is fantastic. I love the complex relationships and political structure.

If you liked Game of Thrones, you'll like this. Just try it!

I've tried and tried to get into this book, but I just can't. That's a shame too, because this is a mashup of two genres that I love, fantasy and mystery. Right off the bat, I didn't care for the writing style. This is an incredibly slow book, and I found it dull and boring. I kind of liked the main character, Quill, but didn't care enough about the characters to keep trudging through the slow and sometimes confusing story. I don't think the setup for the story was very good. There's a lot of info dumping while not enough explanation about the magic system and other political things that are going on. At least for a large part of the book. I'm giving up on this one, at least for now.

ARC provided by Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review!

Empire of Exiles is an incredibly fresh piece of fantasy with filled with great characters, a unique magic system, and a setting full of life and history; all rounded out by an exciting murder-mystery subplot.

The book takes place in a walled kingdom that hosts survivors of various races and cultures, all of whom have fled the invasion and destruction of their homelands by a mysterious, malevolent race of shapeshifters.

At the center of the story is Quill, a law clerk of sorts. Visiting the capital on business, he ends up embroiled in a potential conspiracy after he witnesses his best friend kill himself at the scene of a murder involving a number of important people. His journey to clear his friend's name brings him into contact with the staff of the Archives, an institution dedicated to the preservation of the history and culture of each group of people that fled there. It's here that he meets the 'specialists', people with an affinity for materials such as ink, bone, bronze, or corundum that gives them incredible powers.

This book works really well on a number of levels. If it were simply about a conspiracy and royal politics, it still would have been great. The setting is familiar, but the unique backstory and Evans' attention to detail make it work perfectly with the story being told. Everything you learn about the history and political structure of the world enriches your understanding of the characters. Even better, I felt like I knew enough about the world to fully appreciate the story, but I knew there was still more to be expounded on in future installments. This is especially true for the magic users in this book. We see so much that they can do, how individual groups and cultures react to their abilities, how they are perceived and utilized by various aspects of society. And yet, it's so clear that there's more to learn and that Evans has an idea of where those new ideas could lead.

When you add to that a whodunnit, with detective fiction tropes wonderfully transposed into a fantasy setting, you get what makes Empire of Exiles special. The story keeps the reader guessing, avoids falling into cliché pitfalls or obvious answers, and centers character development as the mystery unfolds. It's a fantastic read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC of this novel!

4.75/5 stars (closer to 5 than 4)

This was such an incredible start to a series and I cannot wait to continue when the next arrives! The only reason it’s not a perfect 5/5 star is that I found the huge cast confusing at times, but it might have been easier with a physical copy to refer to the reference list at the beginning of the book.

The world Evans creates is interesting and all encompassing and the characters, at least the main ones I was able to easily track, were enrapturing. I wanted to know everything about them and learned enough that I was hooked along the way.

The story kept me guessing but gave me enough breadcrumbs I could make some guesses while other plot twists hit out of no where. The writing was well organized and easy to follow (except the large cast of characters sometimes) and I loved the plot - it mixes many genres well and definitely hooked me quickly.

One of the hardest things to do in a fantasy novel is mix world building with plot and lore and still allow for good pacing - this novel does it seamlessly. Honestly, I loved most everything about this book and absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic fantasy world to dive into.

I really liked the premise of this book. I really like the author, that all should have made it work really well. Unfortunately there's a few areas where I feel like the book fell short and that resulted in 3 stars.

Firstly, I feel like a lot of exposition takes place throughout the book. There's a lot that has been explained to us instead of actually just played out on page.

The characters are enjoyable, but there wasn't any particular one who experienced what I would call a character arc. They felt like DnD characters in a book, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (love DnD) but did result in some flat depictions.

On a positive note, the plot is great and the world building is detailed and unique. I feel like maybe the world building has more depth and detail than characters do, and that's why I have to give it a lower rating than I would honestly like to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me a digital copy for review.

Empire of Exiles was everything I was hoping it would be. It had a great cast of characters and a compelling story. I was never bored while reading it. While it took me a little bit to get the gist of the magic system within this world, it was a fun to figure out and wasn’t overly complicated. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers and those who simply like a good story and fleshed out characters that feel real.

Solidly good read! I liked the magic system, it felt new. The magic affinity some have is great until such time as it takes over a person a bit too much and they spiral out of control. The people with affinities seem to mostly live as academics in a somewhat controlled setting where they have others with different affinities around to keep an eye out for when things start to spiral so they can be helped before it kills them. There’s a nice mystery at the centers of the plot and the main characters are well drawn and interested. I’ve marked this author to follow on Goodreads and look forward to book two!

TL;DR

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans begins with a murder that takes the main characters into the lingering effects of a failed coup in the recent past. Secrets are uncovered that were best left hidden, and the very balance of the empire may once again be at stake. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

We like to think of history as being discreet events, but really it’s a continuum that affects the present in subtle and complex ways. For example, after the liberation of France, some of the people were labeled collaborators and punished as such. Yet as they were given amnesty, these collaborators and their accusers had to live side by side. For them, the past indelibly marked them. In Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans, a coup in recent history still affects the Empire. Those involved in the coup still live and work alongside those who weren’t. While all maybe forgiven, all is not forgotten. The chief assassin used by the Usurper was never found and maybe living amongst the citizens of the empire. An incomprehensible murder/suicide brings up questions about the past, questions that may resurrect the coup. Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans answers those questions and shows the past is quite dead and buried.

Quill, an apprentice attorney/scribe, stands with his master and a friend in the Imperial Archives. It’s a place that he’s dreamed of visiting based on rumors of treasures inside. The archive houses artifacts from the various peoples as they fled their lands to the country of Semilla. Changelings warred with the human, Alojan, and Orozhandi peoples, forcing them to retreat behind a magical construction of a giant wall. Quill hopes to be given a tour so that he can see some artifacts for himself. While he waits, his master argues with the head archivist about the removal of some artifact. The treasures that Quill’s master wants happened to belong to a duke, who led an unsuccessful rebellion against the empire. All the paperwork is in order; so, as the artifacts are retrieved, Quill’s master and friend head back to their residence while Quill is given a tour of the archives. When Quill returns from the archives, he finds that his host is dead; his master and an important Orozhandi are injured; and he watches his friend commit suicide. Thus begins Erin M. Evans’ Empire of Exiles. Quill enlists the help of a senior archivist, Amadea, and an Orozhandi ink adept, Yinii. As they begin to investigate the death, assaults, and suicide, the group finds more and more connections to the failed coup of years previous. Secrets, once thought buried, begin to rise again. Secrets that could shift the balance of imperial power.

Empire of Exiles is a third person point of view novel with four main POV characters. Quill, Amadea, Yinii, and Richa, the imperial equivalent of a police officer. The book is divided into parts with each part featuring a conversation between the failed rebel leader and his brother. The pacing of the book is excellent; it pulls you along towards the solution of the mystery with ease. The interludes were an extra added spice to an already tasty novel. (Ugh. Tasty?) The main mystery is one that kept me guessing throughout. There are smaller mysteries that are easier solved, but guessing the answers didn’t affect my reading experience. Bucking the current trend of fantasy bricks, Empire of Exiles built a beautiful world in under 400 pages. (My ARC was 378, to be exact.)

Quill

I could write at least a paragraph on each of the main characters – Quill, Yinii, or Amadea – because they were all well written. I’m choosing to focus on Quill because, for whatever reason, his journey is on my mind. At the beginning of the novel, Quill seemed a bit unfocused. He was starstruck standing in the Archive. I found him naive and a little immature. Maybe he was sheltered from the harsher realities of life. But when his friend died in front of his eyes, Quill changed. He focused on the task of trying to understand his friend’s actions. As his investigation deepens and his continued interactions with the Archive, he finds purpose in his life. By the end of the book, he feels a bit more somber and grown up.

What struck me most is his empathy toward his friend. Even though he thought his friend was a murderer, Quill still wanted to see him laid to rest according to the practice of their Order, the Paremi. For a while, Quill didn’t deny his friend did it. I found that so interesting that he was still loyal in those moments. How does one reconcile the love, the joy, the good times spent with someone who ends up being a murderer? Quill doesn’t know, but he wants to mourn his friend. Many would disavow the person or pretend that he was innocent despite all the evidence. Cognitive dissonance would almost be required in order to cope. But Quill accepts; for a brief time, he holds two contradictory images of his friend – the good times and the murder – in his head. He CHOOSES to make sure his friend gets the correct burial rites. This type of complexity makes characters and people interesting. It’s a very mindful attitude that Quill’s taken. I’m not sure I would be as enlightened.

Magic System

Evans’ magic system is very interesting. Her magical users are attuned to certain materials: ink, bronze, glass, bone, etc. They are able to manipulate this material, and they know everything there is to know about it. Yinii is attuned to ink; so, as she uses her magic, she knows what the ink has written. But Evans chose to balance her magical advantages with cycle for each magic user, where at certain intervals, they may ‘spiral,’ or lose control of themselves and seek to merge with their materials. If left unchecked, this will result in the death of the magician, at the least. In some cases, the spiral might result in the destruction of property, people, animals, etc. While interacting with their material, the magicians act like addicts. They want more and more; they’re chasing the high of being one with their affinity.

This system is both enticing and terrifying. I can see how the users would get lost in the ecstasy of the spiral. But, at the same time, the cost of the spiral is a loss of self. The cyclic nature, addictive qualities, and mortal danger of this magic system are fascinating. I’m looking forward to Evans exploring and expanding on this in the future. She’s set the bare bones rules of how it works; now, I want to see the variations her imagination can produce. This is a system that will not disappoint fantasy lovers.

Non-Human Races

Lots of non-Human characters exist in Empire of Exiles, and I loved that. Fantasy – and science fiction, for that matter – isn’t limited to human only species. Evans gives us three additional species that we know of: the Alojan, human from the waist up, octopus from the waist down; the Orozhandi, think Tieflings from Dungeons and Dragons; and the Changelings, which we still don’t know too much about. Readers will see humans, Alojans, and Orozhandi living together peacefully. They have affinities, traditions, and social structures all their own. They aren’t humans in masks. Readers get to see the Orozhandi culture and way of life more than that of Alojan and Changelings. I look forward to learning more about the other two as well.

While the Alojan and Orozhandi are portrayed as well-rounded races, the Changelings are portrayed as an evil race. This is always a sticky situation for a writer. Based on how Evans handled the Alojan and Orozhandi, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that there’s more going on than we know in this opening book. After all, we don’t get a Changeling’s point of view. Instead, we’re subjected to the stories and myths that come in the aftermath of a war, and we’re getting the losing side’s view only. We have no idea why or how the war started. Based on the way information in presented, I wonder if the characters in-world know the reasons behind the changeling war.

The Archive

Of all of Evans creations, I like the Archives the best. It is described as a repository for the artifacts of the empire. The cultural things refugees brought with them are stored in the archives, and there is plenty of stuff that hasn’t been cataloged. But the Archive sounds like so much more than a warehouse. It has places for the magicians to work and live with their affinities. It’s got paintings representing every culture that Semilla prior to the raising of the salt wall. It sounds like a museum with a strong support staff. I have to imagine that it’s wonderful place to explore, for those who are privileged to do so. It’s also a testament to how people try to hold onto their roots, to their culture, and to their identity. The artifacts from the past connect a society as it moves, changes, and grows.

For those displaced from their home, maintaining that connection becomes more difficult. Having a place that preserves culture and history shows that Evans put thought into how her society is constructed. The Semillan Empire could have dictated conversion to their culture, which just puts other cultural appreciation underground. Instead, they embraced a multi-cultural society, and they respected the needs of others to appreciate their homelands.

Conclusion

Erin M. Evans created a wonderful world in Empire of Exiles. This small – by epic fantasy standards – book is epic in scope. It contains all that I love about good fantasy: politics, magic, and fascinating characters. Quill, Yinii, and Amadea are characters worth following. Empire of Exiles answers some questions from the past but poses more about the future of the Empire. Highly recommended.

I almost passed on this one when offered an ARC because of how behind I always am on my reviews. Something about the synopsis pulled me in, though, and I saw on Twitter the story included magical librarians, which meant I couldn't pass it up. I'm so glad I went with my gut and made the time for it because I loved this book.

This book was a murder mystery with political intrigue all wrapped up in the trappings of exquisite high fantasy. The writing was immersive, and the plot was a ROLLER COASTER RIDE of twists and surprises. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, there would be another betrayal or huge secret revealed. It kept me hooked, and I stayed up late into the night to finish because I didn't want to put the book down. Basically, don't trust most of what you think is happening because very little in this book is what it seems.

The world-building in this story was top notch. It was incredibly complex but not too difficult to follow once you jump into it. The author managed to strike a good balance by creating a vast, believable world without losing focus on the central story-line. I was impressed with how the narrative guided the reader to slowly learn more and more about the history of the society from experiencing the twists and reveals of the characters' backgrounds and motives. It was all seamlessly woven together to give snippets of the larger world despite most of the story taking place in only one or two places. It provided enough background to have the story make sense while also making me yearn for more.

The diverse team of characters was a compelling one, and their different personalities and backgrounds complemented each other very well. I loved that the magical librarians and nosy, naive scribe were at the center of all the shenanigans. The different races and their abilities were all fascinating, and each character had a clear arc and experienced a great deal of growth over the course of the novel. I loved them all, but my favorites were probably Yinii and Amadea. Yinii's story was one of accepting one's power and leaving the nest to pursue one's own unique future. Amadea, on the other hand, had to come to terms with the trauma of her past after repressing it for decades, which had some huge ramifications for the larger narrative. Both of these story threads were emotionally impactful and made me feel close to these characters. Even the secondary characters had distinct, and often lovable, personalities, and I'd love to get know some of them even more in future books.

My favorite thing about this book, though, was the magic system. The archivists could manipulate and commune with different types of matter (bronze, ink, glass, etc.), which was cool enough on its own. The author took it a step further, though, and crafted the powers to reflect particular aspects of mental illness, especially anxiety. The descriptions of its use tapped into something I cannot really explain that illustrated the author 'gets' the experience of anxiety and panic. Remarkably, the author achieved this without things getting too dour or tedious, which I often find when reading depictions of mental health disorders, especially anxiety. I also found the descriptions could be relatable to people living with other disorders, as well. Aspects of the power felt a bit like mania and depression too (at least to me), which I liked because a wide variety of people could potentially find representation in these really cool powers.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough if you enjoy high fantasy, mystery, political intrigue, or any combination of the three. It was an exciting ride in a brilliant world, and it left me urgently needing the sequel. This is the only problem with reading great ARCs. I want the sequel now, and the first book isn't even out yet. lol. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.