Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3|Empire of Exiles

Empire of Exiles follows a group of mages, scribes, and archivists who must unite to unearth a conspiracy that might topple their empire. It is an action-pack fantasy epic which includes magic, mystery and the kingdom on the break of a revolution. The beginning pacing of this novel is slow, so it takes a while for the story to flush out thoroughly.

One major problem for me while reading this book was that there were a lot of characters to keep track of, which could be tricky trying to remember who was who (names were a big problem). Unfortunately, I DNF this book due to not connecting with the story and characters, and I did not want to continue to force myself to finish this book.

I loved the premise of Empire of Exiles and the novel itself did not disappoint! Hang on through the info-dump at the beginning and get ready for a memorable story, an intriguing murder mystery, and a unique magic system. Definitely recommended!

One star off for occasionally clumsy prose, but overall this was a really enjoyable fantasy read.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Empire of Exiles presents itself as a fairly standard political/mystery oriented fantasy story. Standard is not a bad thing at all - it means that, in general, I know what to expect from the story. This was however surprisingly diverse in terms of non-human characters and had a super cool magic system based on affinities for various substances/materials. What a delightful surprise!
The book starts off with Quill, a Paremi apprentice scribe, entering the Imperial Archives to procure items for a client. The synopsis makes these items to be of much more import than the role they actually play in the story. The true event of import is the murder that occurs soon after Quill arrives in the city with his boss and fellow apprentice Karimo. Quill returns to their lodging and finds Karimo in the process of attacking several individuals who were attending a dinner with their host and then killing himself, but not before uttering a strange phrase. This traumatic event brings Quill together with ink specialist Yinii, archivist Amadea, and Vigilant Richa as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the unusual violence.
Empire of Exiles had a wonderful blend of mystery and political intrigue, made even more satisfying by some well placed flashbacks to Redolfo Kirazzi, attempted usurper, just prior to his hanging. And then the well placed revelations are mere icing on the glorious cake that is this book. I loved it, particularly when the changelings are introduced and become an important part of the storyline. Essentially changelings are shapeshifters that live on the other side of the salt wall that was magically erected many years prior. Their blood can be used to make people forget or even create false memories, which certainly adds a layer of complication to the whole “why did Karimo murder these people” plot line. As the story progresses, it becomes clear how much this concoction plays a role in events as far back as Redolfo’s failed revolution.
This was an excellent, engaging read that kept me guessing as to the character's true motives and even identities. While it doesn’t always move at a breakneck pace the way many more action-centric books do, I never for a moment found it boring but it did take just a bit of effort to sink into the story at first. I was particularly fond of Yinii, Amadea, and the other specialists in the Archives because they felt like such a warm family unit with Amadea being their guiding figure. Quill grew on me as the story went, but Richa felt underdeveloped in comparison to the others. I’m hoping that Richa will get more backstory and be fleshed out a bit more in the sequel. Overall, I think if you enjoy a good political fantasy with murder, magic, and mayhem, then Empire of Exiles might just be the perfect book for you!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot is essentially a murder mystery. What makes it compelling is the world the author has built, the magic system and the characters. I can't wait for the next books in the series and can't wait to see what other stories she has in store for us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with this review copy!

Empire of Exiles is a truly unique reading experience, with this novel managing to be a fantasy novel, murder-mystery, and a novel of political intrigue all-in-one.  Though the pacing of the novel was often a bit of a struggle for me, I was very intrigued by the mystery surrounding the cast of characters, the exceptionally unique magic system, and the world-building at large. 

“‘Those who sow deception,’ Karimo called tearfully, ‘must reap only death.’”

The novel had barely started before a recently introduced friend and colleague of a main character and apprentice scribe, Quill, inexplicably attacks and murders several important people at a fundraising party and then tuns his blade upon himself, uttering a phrase about changelings before dying. Refusing to believe his friend capable of committing such atrocities, Quill sets out to get to the bottom of what happened, with help from archivists Amaeda Gintanas and Yinii, as well as a cynical detective named Richa. 

Though Empire of Exiles starts out with this shocking beginning, I found that the rest of the novel stalled out a lot during the subsequent investigation. Though Quill, Amadea, and Richa strive to get to the bottom of what is going on, the novel flounders. Instead of leaving tantalizing bread crumbs for these characters and readers to follow, Empire of Exiles meanders away from the purpose of its main mystery, getting lost in Quill and Yinii’s burgeoning feelings for one another, side characters falling prey to their magical affinities, and alarming questions surrounding the true nature of Amadea’s past.

Though I was truly interested in how Amadea’s murky and mysterious past related to the previous coup that almost destroyed the empire and the murder mystery they were trying to solve, I was dismayed by how long it took for this and for other mysteries to come to light. With Quill running around trying to question powerful families, I found myself struggling to keep the cast of characters and their relations to each other and the murder mystery, related. I felt like I never truly grasped the depth and connections of the murder mystery or the key players and powerful families that had the most to lose. This is despite the fact that there is a dramatis personae in the beginning of the novel.

And quite honestly, I truly struggled to connect with any of the characters except Yinii, the archivist with an ink affinity. Though each of the characters have an interesting and unique perspective, upbringing, religion, or identity to offer in Empire of Exiles, Yinii was the one whom I cared for the most. I related to her need to please her family and her saints, her unwillingness to leave her new life at the Archives, her fear of losing control of her Ink affinity, and her hesitant crush on Quill. I found her to just be such a dear character and Yinii will undoubtedly be the main reason I read the sequel. 

“Yinii bit her tongue. Her family understood traditional alignments, but not ink. Not the way that when she spiraled it was like a maw opening in her chest, like she had to write the whole world into being before it was swallowed up, but she just needed ink to do it. And making ink meant burning things, meant gathering water and oils and alcohols to her. Meant destruction.”

Besides Yinii, my favorite part of Empire of Exiles was the absolutely one-of-a-kind magic system. In this world, characters have an affinity for certain elements, so to speak. So some characters have specialties in bronze, ink, or glass. At times this pull from the characters’ affinities can be too strong, causing these specialists to lose themselves in the call of their element. This can lead to terrible incidents, like these people being physically consumed by their element, self-mutilation, or even the destruction of the people and things around them in their quest to make or to get to more of their affinity. In the author’s note at the end of the book, Erin M. Evans states that the idea for her magic system stemmed from the idea of having a magic similar to anxiety, which I think is such an original and fascinating idea. 

“Whatever the truth, wherever they’d come from, everyone agreed on what the changelings did: they took your shape, they replaced you, they made you turn against one another, then they destroyed everything you’d built.”

Similarly, I found the world-building to be incredibly intriguing as well. Though less is expounded upon about the actual world of Empire of Exiles, there are references to a salt wall swaddling the city in a layer of protection. Before this wall was created by one who is now revered as a saint, the changelings wreaked complete and total havoc over the world. But as these creatures with superhuman powers cannot stand salt, people remain safe behind this indispensable wall. Though I found the idea of changelings slightly less original as they are so reminiscent of the fey to me, I really liked not only the idea of the salt wall, but the implications of what would happen were it to fall that lingered behind its very existence. 

“And then the Salt Wall was sealed and the changelings were held back. What lay beyond the Wall now was only stories—no one alive remembered the old world, no one alive knew how it felt to truly fear your loved ones, your neighbors; your sovereigns weren’t what they said they were. People knew the stories, knew that what their ancestors had fled was something terrible, even in the terror was remote and polished smooth by so many years. They knew the changelings persisted—the soldiers on the Salt Wall spotted scouts or travelers now and again—and given the chance, they might tear down this last bastion of civilization.”

Though I struggled with connecting to most of the characters and the pacing of Empire of Exiles, overall, there is really so much to love about the novel. With its original world-building and magic system, murder mystery, characters with diverse backgrounds and even more diverse secrets, and looming threat of both political strife and the rise of the deadly changelings, I am definitely planning on reading future installments in this series and other works by this imaginative author. I recommend Empire of Exiles for fans of both the Rook & Rose and A Chorus of Dragons series.

Admittedly I'm a sucker for a fantasy story that involves mysterious artifacts and a richly developed history of both the characters involved and the world. And this book has that at the highest levels. So I knew right away that I was going to be completely drawn into Erin M. Evans' EMPIRE OF EXILES from the very start.

As the story unfolded it also became pretty clear that this is the kind of book and series that is epic in scope. The cast of characters is daunting to say the least and the maps are breathtaking and expansive, but this kind of story requires both as you will soon find out. There's a lot of history as I mentioned and being able to get a grasp on how we got to this point is essential to fully appreciating the amazing tale that Evans has delivered with this spectacular opening entry in the Books of the Usurper series.

The thing that captivated me the most about EMPIRE OF EXILES was the mystery of the changelings, a group of beings who forced a number of kingdoms to flee to the very end of the continent where a salt wall was erected by a martyred sorcerer to help protect the newly formed protectorates from further encroachment. But the changelings are still there at the doorstep of Semilla waiting for their chance to strike and looking for any vulnerabilities in the wall. Couple that with the natural frictions and animosities that come with different groups of people being forced to live in a fairly limited space within close proximity to each other and you have the makings of a powder keg waiting to blow at any moment.

This was such a cool concept to me and the threat posed by the changelings kept me turning the pages feverishly because I just craved to find out more and more about these enigmatic supernatural foes. Evans has really hit on something here that is truly unique as I've not come across this type of "antagonist" before in my previous fantasy reading.

Another aspect that I found really enjoyable were the characters and how each has their own story that must be peeled back in layers to try to ascertain their motivations and roles in the overall scheme of things. These characters do not always behave the way you would expect and I found myself being constantly kept on my toes as there's no way to tell whose actions come from a place of sincerity or betrayal. To be able to pull something like that off and surprise the reader at every turn is a testament to Evans' skill of storytelling.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible magic system. I found it to be one of the more dynamic magic systems in any fantasy book to be quite honest. The idea that people can have certain affinities that connect with physical material like wood, ink, and bone, and they derive powers of manipulation in conjunction with these things is just so fantastic and I was mesmerized by this whenever it was described. And it is also, by the way, the means by which the salt wall was erected. So kudos to Erin Evans for hatching such an amazing magic system through which the entire story benefits greatly.

I can't emphasize enough how much fun I had reading this and I recommend everyone put this one at the top of their TBR. It's a book that is well worth the reading investment and I am totally on the Erin M. Evans bandwagon going forward. Don't be intimidated by the character list and maps, this is a magnificent book that will have you caught up in its intrigue and mystery from the first page to the last. The good news is you don't have very long to wait to be able to purchase it as it will be released on November 8th. Be sure to get your copy immediately because this is the beginning of what I believe will be one awesome fantasy series!

I liked this more than I thought I would! I sometimes find myself in a tricky place with political/revolution-is-brewing type fantasies, but I really enjoyed this. I loved the depth and style of the world-building, the way the intrigue and mystery was woven into the plot and the magic system! I thought that having different people devoted to different materials was really interesting, not necessarily novel but done really well in this book. I loved the way that this author wrote, too--the expository bits could have come off as dense or bogged down, but they made it really easy to understand and seamless into the narrative. I think my biggest negative with the story was the ending: if you're going to give us a final battle you really have to make it matter, make it intense, and it just felt like the battle came and went just as fast. Overall, though, I really liked this story and will definitely be purchasing a copy for myself!

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans follows a cast of main characters as they seek to determine whether a murder was just the act of a rebel or something more. I loved the mash-up of genres -- fantasy and mystery. It was a fun twist on a traditional detective story.

While I enjoyed some of the characters and relationships built throughout the book, particularly Quill and Amadea, I also felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of and often got confused as to who was who. In a similar vein, some of the worldbuilding and folklore for different religions and groups of people could get confusing. However, this is the first book so there was a lot of groundwork to lay. I would be interested in how the series continues to build upon this base.

Overall, it was an entertaining mystery story with a fantasy twist. I enjoyed the world and characters and was ultimately satisfied with the ending. I'd put this at a solid 3.5/5 and would recommend to fantasy and mystery lovers alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Final Rating: 4.5

I have to say, I was a little nervous when I started reading this one because it was a lot of info and characters right at the beginning that wasn’t sure if I would be able to catch up and understand what was happening, but I’m happy to say that that feeling dissipated quite quickly! I enjoyed learning about the magic system and how it seems to mostly be used in the archives and how there is a downside to having magic, with being in alignment.

I also very much enjoyed the murder mystery aspect and how it relates to events that happened in the past in this world and how this mystery pulls a group of people together into a found family. I loved Quill and Yinii the most, and I can’t wait to explore more of Yinii’s story in the second book because it seems like it’s going to be really interesting!

The setting of the Empire of Semilla is really interesting because it’s a melting pot of all these different races and cultures since a ton of kingdoms fled there after changelings appeared and started causing havoc. They built a wall out of salt around the Empire which kept the changelings out, and so each kingdom has its own section of the empire where its people live.

I will say that I’m a bit confused about how the changelings and the coup connect, because there’s clearly something else going on there. The flashbacks that we get to the Duke after he was caught really only made me more confused as to what was going on and I don’t feel like I got any answers. I’m sure that will come in book 2, but I wish that there were even just a few answers to leave me satisfied with that plot line before having to wait for book 2. That’s really my only ‘negative’ for this book, and it’s pretty small compared to how much I enjoyed the rest of the book.

Definitely looking forward to book 2, and if you’re looking for a fantasy with a good murder mystery, I highly recommend giving this one a shot!

Good world-building, interesting characters, mysterious intrigue, murder, and great pacing kept me reading past my bedtime! Empire of Exiles is well balanced with the magical/fantastical elements; the magic system, with the various specialists devoted to their particular materials. The descriptions of the way they work, particularly when they "spiral" and lose themselves to the magic, were written beautifully. The history sprinkled throughout was easy to understand, and I really liked how we switched perspectives every so often before continuing back to the main story.

First, I read the audio.book so I have to say that Imogen Church is a Goddess of narrators. I've listened to A LOT of audio books and she is one of the best.

The only reason I took off a star is because there is a HUGE info/character dump. Thankfully, there is a guide, upfront. But even with that, there was a lot of... say who? Where did this person come from.

However, that is well worth this incredible book. It is packed with action, suspense, sneaky reveals and incredibly written characters.

Quill is absolutely one of my favorite fantasy characters of late.

I love the magic system. How each person has direct connection to their magic and that their affinity can be a blessing or a curse, if they aren't careful.

I received an advanced readers copy through Netgalley for an honest review.

I generally enjoyed this book so much. I felt like the world building was done in such an excellent way. Throughout the book we gain snippets of history before the wall was erected and this is enough to make me want not just a second book to continue the current story, but other books to explore the previous events we’re introduced to (like when the changelings first came about for example). I also really enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the story. I also found the magic system was interesting. It did take some time to figure out how it worked, but once I understood it fully, I found it fun and interesting.
The only real issue I had was with the final battle in which it didn’t feel like a final battle as I felt it came and went to quick. But, other than that, it was an amazing story and I can’t wait for more.

I don’t know where to start in describing this. It’s an epic fantasy novel with a mystery at its heart. Decades ago a duke launched a failed coup and was executed for it. Now there’s a murder in the present day, done in a way that points back to that time, but no one believes it. It’s up to a small group of people to find out the truth- and if the empire is in danger again.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. It builds the world in such a way that there are tantalizing clues as to the larger land beyond the empire and what happened beyond the wall that encloses it. It’s an interesting world with great characters who you root for. There are plot twists and surprises. I can’t wait for the next book, but this one wraps up nicely with a satisfying conclusion. It doesn’t leave you hanging.

It was soooo good! It’s definitely a five-star read for me. It comes out November 8. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for my copy.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before and this blurb had me quite curious! It’s always fascinating to read about an event that happened and was thought to be resolved rear its ugly head once again.

The book is told from multiple point-of-views which was good because there is a lot going on and it also show cases the different people and their backgrounds. I wouldn’t say that I had a favorite. They were all fine but none stuck out. I also don’t feel like I ever connected to them fully. I wouldn’t say that this was due to the writing or anything.

Another part I had trouble with was the world-building. There are many different groups of people, religion, etc. that are talked about in the book, but I didn’t feel like I really grasped onto their identities that well. Some of the world-building aspects were a bit vague and I wish that they had gone on with more detail.

The mystery/murder plot was pretty cool and definitely what kept the story going for me, even though it felt rather slow in the beginning. It wasn’t what I had expected and the group/person that was in charge of it all is still quite mysterious and I am assuming a lot more will be revealed in the sequel. There quite the plot twists!

Although I didn’t love this one like I had hoped, there were good things about this one. The writing is done well as well as the murder plot. The ending was quite the cliffhanger too. I’m not sure if I will continue on with the sequel, but I do think that this book will catch the eye of a lot readers!

An absolute banger of an epic fantasy, a gripping start to a series, and a serious triumph of worldbuilding. Do you like locked-room murder mysteries? Magical gaslighting? Horrifying shapeshifters? Cool non-human people?? Absolutely incredibly thoughtful and complex worlds? Come read this book!!

Told deftly in four alternating POVs, this book includes such things as an archive staffed by mages who are susceptible to losing themselves entirely to their magic; a murder mystery; serious political shenanigans; twisty plots and secret backstories; a bunch of very traumatized people (I would like to give pretty much all the protagonists a hug); an empire that’s really a whole bunch of tinier nations stuffed into a trenchcoat, masquerading as a unified entity (literally, the imperial family wears masks of office); queernorm worlds (it’s quiet but absolutely present!); excellent pacing and a super well-constructed plot; and an ending that has left me absolutely screaming for the next book.

I went slowly and carefully through the beginning — I don’t think it’s a flaw, but there’s a lot of worldbuilding to get your head around — but as soon as the plot got started I was fully hooked, and I slammed through the rest of the book very speedily. The complexity of the worldbuilding felt a little daunting at first, but it is truly gorgeous; the author is doing some very very cool Twitter threads about it too, which actually helped it feel more accessible to me! (My day job as a person who studies the past leaks into my reading, too, what can I say!)

This is available 11/8 from Orbit, and I highly encourage you to preorder if you can, because there’s PREORDER SWAG. (I am very, very sad that I don’t have preorder money right now.) I recommend it immensely and without reservation, and I’m SO thrilled to have gotten the chance to read it early; thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for making it happen!

An interesting new fantasy series. Good world-building, engaging characters. Sometimes the dialogue was a little stilted, but it wasn’t a glaring problem.

Well worth checking out if you’re after a new fantasy novel.

I have read books by this author before and liked them but did not like this one. I didn't finish reading this book sadly. I was sort of forcing myself to read it and didn't enjoy that. I think this will be a book for some people to love but I just couldn't get into it.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Thank you, Erin Evans and Orbit Books for giving me the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of Empire of Exiles via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I have been truly enjoying the Orbit books I've read this year. They are among my favorites among many (130+). Based on the synopsis and other reviews, I thought I would enjoy this just as much. Science fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres in books, TV and movies. I love stories wherein various cultures interact. I love a good mystery/investigation. Empire of Exiles has all that and more, including a unique magic system.

However, I felt overwhelmed by the numerous names...of people, places, things, cultures. I had to force myself to keep reading, hoping context would help me feel less lost. It did, but not enough to make reading this book enjoyable for me. I know I am in the minority among reviewers for this book, but I could only give it three stars.

Once the story got going, I was riveted. It started slow for me. Also the names were giving me problems as well. BUT, once the mystery got going, and the characters started banding together, I got so much more invested! Now I can't wait to find out what the resolution is. Just needed to get jumpstarted a little earlier.