Much thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

Right off the bat, I knew I’d love this book! The first chapter drew me in with some political intrigue, which I always relish.

Dangerous monsters (changelings) exist as an ever-present threat outside the Salt Wall surrounding the Semillan Empire. But of course trouble also lurks within the Wall. Evans unfurls the broad political plot with an up-close-and-personal murder mystery.

Reasons I loved the book:
+ Tone: historic, grand, old world
+ Reading experience: transported me to that world; both entertaining and intelligently written.
+ Writing: simple and accessible but descriptive.
+ POVs: seamless transitions between character POVs; flows in and out of present action and POV thoughts
+ Characters: Evans writes interesting, distinct, well-rounded characters. They’re not just 2D blobs onto which she slaps vague descriptors. Things don’t just happen to the characters; they are active with intent and motivations.

When I first opened the e-book, I was a little freaked out by the long character list. Who wants to have to flip to an appendix every other page? But Evans slowly introduces the reader to a widening world of characters, so I was not overwhelmed at any point. All characters do serve a purpose to the interconnected plots.

Evans deals with magic in very compelling ways and asks nuanced questions. Is it good or bad? How does religion tie into it? How does magic affect political influence? What are the consequences of magic?

I love the all-too-real historical feeling I got from reading <i>Empire of Exiles</i>. It is well balanced with the magical/fantastical elements, but Evans blends the two effortlessly. This world-building is par excellence, helped along by the many different peoples of varying (fantastical) cultures, religions/beliefs, and agendas housed within the empire.

In short, I am thrilled to have discovered this author. I will definitely be following Erin Evans’ career and future works. Evans avoided all the typical pitfalls that make some reading a grind and wove a stunningly beautiful, magical tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free e-book advanced reading copy of Empire of Exiles for me to read. This review is my honest opinion.

I felt like this novel was a breath of fresh air. I had previously read some of the Forgotten Realms work of Erin M. Evans, but I had no idea this author was this good! The worldbuilding, interesting characters, and mysterious intrigue kept me captivated as I was reading. As a bookish person myself, I especially liked the scholarly characters and focus on the idea of archivists working with old texts and artifacts. Despite changelings being one of my least favorite fantasy elements, I still appreciated how they were used for the murder mystery aspect of this story.

I highly recommend this book to not only fans of fantasy, but also to fans of historical murder mystery as well.

One of this book's strongest points is that several of the main/significant characters are archivists and scribes. The class of people usually relegated to the background of any fantasy novel, and often portrayed as 'boring' or 'lifeless'. Instead, this novel places them in the front, has them make significant world altering decisions, and creates a fantasy world built around dangerous archives and ancient documents. It works incredibly well, and serves as a fresh take on the fantasy genre.

~if it can’t touch iron, kill it with salt
~how much do you trust your memories?
~a (maybe) mammoth

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Empire of Exiles. On a technical, objective level, it’s a very well-written piece of work; the use of language is good, the worldbuilding is detailed without being overwhelming, the cast is made up of an interestingly varied group of characters, the magic system is unique and fabulously interesting, and the stakes start high and just grow higher as puzzle pieces fall into place one by one, coming down like lightning strikes.

And yet.

It’s not that I found myself frustrated with it. I mean what I said: I can’t point to any flaws, give any concrete critique.

But I just didn’t care. I found Empire of Exiles to be missing some critical x factor; even as secret after world-shaking secret was revealed, I had to force myself to read through to the end. I think I really only did so for Yinii, who is perfect in every way and really the star of the entire novel; I’m very glad that her role grew as the book went on, so that she started out as a fairly minor character but was vitally important to events by the final pages.

It’s very possible that the problem with Empire of Exiles is not, in fact, with the book, but with me; I do kind of feel that I might have enjoyed it more if I’d read it at some other time, when I was in a better headspace. Because when I think about the book’s component parts, it seems like something I should have loved – the incredible setting of an empire surrounded and contained by a giant salt wall to keep out shapeshifting monsters; several non-human species living alongside humans; a magic system inspired by clinical anxiety; an imperial archive of ancient treasures and the archivists who care for them all. What’s not to like?

It was the promise of excellent worldbuilding that led me to request an ARC of Empire of Exiles, and I think Evans both delivers and does not deliver on that promise. On the one hand, each of the cultures that make up the empire feel very distinct, with their own ideas about religion, social hierarchy, family models, magic, etc. On the other hand, I was baffled by how minimal the physical descriptions of the non-humans were; we’re told that Orozhandi like Yinii have horns, but until someone calls her ‘goat girl’ near the end of the book, I had no idea what those horns looked like – given that the Orozhandi hang special charms from their horns, at once point I wondered if they might even be more like antlers (since those would be much easier to hang charms on). Then there’s the Ashtabari, who are human from the waist up but have tentacles from the waist down, and again, despite the fact that we have a (delightfully snarky) Ashtabari character among the cast, I never even caught what colour his tentacles were, never mind how many a person has, or whether they have suckers like an octopus’s, or what walking upright with tentacles instead of legs is supposed to look like. Etc. These are pretty obvious details to overlook – I adored learning about the Orozhandi saints and how their views on magic differ from pretty much everyone else’s, but no matter how much cultural info you give me I’m going to struggle if I don’t know how to picture one.

If you can get past that, the story Evans has come up with is extremely twisty, with plenty of intrigue surrounding a bizarre murder – one that turns out to have jaw-dropping implications for the past civil war, and reveals a pretty incredible right-now threat against the empire. The ‘weapon not seen since the days of rebellion’ mentioned in the blurb is objectively cool and clever, and is utilised to great effect; I’m not going to tell you any more than that, because learning what it is and how it works should definitely be a part of the reading experience. Its use, or possible uses, affect every aspect of the book in ways I genuinely want to applaud.

Objectively, Empire of Exiles is pretty excellent. I can’t point to anything Evans did wrong (beyond the not-describing-your-non-humans thing). Maybe I was in the wrong headspace, or maybe Empire of Exiles simply wasn’t for me, but as much as I loved the worldbuilding (and I did love it a lot), I had next to no interest in the story itself, or most of the characters. I’ve already forgotten most of the cast’s names, which is never a good sign. Empire of Exiles and I just didn’t connect. I appreciated various parts of it, but I didn’t enjoy it – does that make sense? I would happily read an entire fictional encyclopedia on the world Evans has created here, and intellectually, I can acknowledge that she did a lot of great things with this book. I will tentatively check out her other books, and keep an eye on what she writes after the Books of the Usurper series is finished, because I think she’s a great writer. It’s just that this book didn’t work for me.

If I pick up the sequel, it will be solely to see what happens next to Yinii, because her storyline and character growth in Empire of Exiles is wonderful.

But I probably won’t pick it up.

Great new voice in fantasy. This was thrilling and exciting to read. I loved the world and the characters very much. Looking forward to more.

Familiar tropes done well. I really enjoyed reading this - definitely part of the Middle East-influenced found family political fantasy trend, and I happen to really like that trend. The Salt Wall aspect was super interesting, and the worldbuilding in general was fascinating, although confusing at times.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review "Empire of Exiles" by Erin M. Evans, one of the newer fantasy books of 2022. It tells the story of a conspiracy, mages, a broken empire, and mystery.

"Twenty-seven years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup..."

This epic fantasy takes place within the Empire of Semilla, where years ago a ruthless coup lead to many deaths, and after, the Empire moved on.

The story is told through different views, such as Quill - an apprentice scribe- who arrived in the capital city for a simple errand which leads to him being the only reliable witness when a brutal murder shakes the city. Yet, since no one in power believes Quill's story, the apprentice scribe must join a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective to uncover the truth of the attack.

What they uncover soon after could be a key or a match for the empire.
---
A great book with excellent worldbuilding, complex but easy-to-understand characters, history, and magic.

I recommend this book, 5 stars. One of my favorite books 2022.

Empire of Exiles is one of the most wildly original fantasy books I've read in a long time. I had no idea what this book was really about when Orbit sent it my way, but wow. Take the typical fantasy novel, add a dash of locked-room, a dash of murder, and a splash a mystery and you've got this book.

So -- a murder mystery set in something like a locked-room.

Is your interest piqued? How about I tempt you further?

Humans are, but one type of being in this world. There are beings with tentacles, beings with horns, and beings that I think can see in the dark? I'm not sure on that one, it wasn't explained in detail. And lastly -- there are beings called changelings who can turn into anyone. At all. At will. (See why the murder mystery is extra interesting in this one?) Basically -- the world of Empire of Exiles is wildly diverse, and the beings included are so very different to what I'm used to in my fantasy books. It's so refreshing to have some different types of beings than the usual elves, dwarves, orcs.

The setting itself is fascinating, and I really, really wish we had seen more of it. We really only see one corner of one city, and that's it. Everything we see is set inside a massive salt wall and no one is allowed to go outside it. The wall was put up long ago to magically to protect everyone from the changelings. The changelings were taking over, and causing havoc, and so the wall was built to keep them out, forever.

And the magic system? Talk about another absolutely unique point to this book. Those who have magic are usually called 'specialists' and they specialize in one particular thing -- some seen directly on page are bronze, glass, ink, or bone. Their abilities wax and wane throughout the year, and at certain times they are in danger of 'spiralling' -- when their power goes extremely out of their control and they attempt to turn into whatever their medium is. It's dangerous, and the author does a fantastic job of showing how this feels.

The characters are another great piece to this amazing puzzle, but I really don't want to spoil too much about them for anyone so I'm going to sum them up very quickly: Quill - naïve boy who wants to help, Amadea - extreme mom friend, Yinii - precious cinnamon roll who I would protect with my life, Richa - a 'detective' type with actual morals. There are others, but these have the most page time, and they all are so fantastically well done.

It took me a tiny bit to sink into the book -- you have to really follow what Evans sets up carefully -- but once you're there, you're there. I loved this, and I can't wait to see where Evans goes in the next one.

This is a book that I should not try and read on e, I think it's something that I need to have in physical so this is technically a dnf but I'm writing it highly because I think it's good I just struggled to get through it in this format.

What feels in part a historical text, EMPIRE OF EXILES reads like something that happened in our very own world. Full of politics, lies, deception and uncovering the mysteries that the powers at be hide from us.

Evans has once again graced us with a wonderous tale mixed with fictional/historical fantasy and elemental magic that is beyond fascinating. Amongst this all, Evans throws in a peppering of mystery, murder, and treachery, bringing us to the question of "WHODUNNIT?"

"Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he's on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He's always found his apprenticeship as a lawman to be tedious work. But these aren't just any artifacts — these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup.

Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists — a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective — to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire – or destroying it again."

Quill is an innocent apprentice when the attack happens, although he bears witness and is yet a dependable witness.
Resolute as he may be the murder weapon had not been seen since the rebellion. Yet, the real people in power feigned disinterest in hearing the truth and claimed Quill was mistaken; he had a hallucination.
But Quill is determined; he knows what he saw precisely. So, to him, why say he is reliable if people of power are not going to believe him anyway?

Quill goes to the only place where he knows he can turn. He turns to the Imperial Archives to request their help.
It is the Imperial Archives where Quill will gather the team of Amadea, Yinii, and Richa in his entourage. Will this team of Scholars be able to take on the Empress and the Kirazzi family?
The same family who tried to overthrow the throne before and failed?
Will Amadea's past cause her to lose focus on the task at hand?
How will they be able to beat a murderer who can change like the wind and remove all you know?

Evans presents the most satisfying, fantastically imaginative read in a good while.
Her stellar word building is well-tuned, hence making the flow eloquent and finely polished.
Evans's Beautiful daydreamlike, chimerical world is beyond envisaging. However, her world is one you want to get lost in exploring.
You do not want to be part of it, but you would like to witness the salt wall, and the changeling army, with the 12 protectorates. Evans's imagination is mind-blowing, to say the least.
Then there are her characters, "brilliant," you instantly feel connected to them, making them feel authentic.

Evans has done a fantastic job with Empire of Exiles, and I am totally here for it.

I cannot wait to see what she has in store next, but I will be coming for the ride.

It was extraordinarily done!

"ENCHANTING"

"ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!"

Thank you, NetGalley/Erin M. Evans/Orbit Books.Orbit/ For this wonderful eARC to review for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.

#TEAMORBIT

#ORBITROCKS

I enjoyed how different this book felt while still also having familiar tropes to latch on to. One of the coolest settings in recent memory with a great wall of Salt surrounding the kingdom, protecting the people from the Changelings beyond the wall. The names, setting, etc. reminded me of the Byzantines or the Persians, and the main characters are all scholars + one detective. The magic, which allows specialist archivists to determine the nature of their aligned material (bronze, ink, bone, wood, glass, etc.) was also fantastically realized.

The murder mystery and conspiracy at the heart of the book kept me turning the pages and, while not a perfect book, it is certainly one that ticks a ton of my own personal boxes (detectives, scholars, historicity, political conspiracies, mystery element, etc). If you're in the mood for something a little different, something simultaneously a slow-burn and an avalanche, definitely put this on your TBR.

Full review to come closer to the November release date.

Thank you so much to Orbit and to NetGalley to providing me with an eARC!

I absolutely LOVED this book! The world is so amazingly created and all of the characters are unique and interesting! The history is sprinkled throughout and I really loved how every four or so chapters we switched perspectives for a brief section and then continued back to the main story. It helped keep me interested and eager to keep reading!

I think my favorite part of this book is the characters and their relationships. They’re all so distinctly different but they still feel realistic, and you can really feel that in their interactions. Nothing feels forced and the character dynamics are absolutely perfect. I especially loved Amadea and her genuine care for her specialists. Reading her interactions with other made me so happy.

This book was nearly perfect, I could not put it down and when I had to, I so desperately wanted to get back to it.

Thank you again for the eARC—I’m extremely grateful for having been able to read it!

Thanks to Erin Evans...a great other and I have read her previous series..

A great story, steeped around character intrigue and development. Scrivner Quill is a great character who very quickly has his youthful innocence removed when he witnesses a a brutal murder, to which noone believes his story.

There are plenty of twists in the story which both surprise and leave you guessing. Lost loves, backstabbing and political intrigue move the story along.

Quill has to Group with several characters of interest including a mage. The magic, monsters, and unique changeling, give this story a murky quality that isn't totally clear all the time but works...even in the ending.

I have been a big fan of Evans since 2017, when I read Brimstone Angels. I went on to read all 7 of her Forgotten Realms novels, and so was very excited to see that she had a novel being published by Orbit. While not D&D related, it is fantasy and first in a series.

This is a very character focused fantasy, somewhat reminding me of Lynn Abbey. It’s also a sort of mystery, and some things are murky even at the end. This mystery revolves around changelings, which as per folk tales, are a sort of doppelgänger. This leads to confusion on identity sometimes, and coupled with magic that resembles anxiety, I feel this is very modern but excellently executed.

A Mediterranean slash middle-eastern slash south/southeast Asian inspire sort of fantasy feel, with a early modern, late Renaissance sort of feeling, since wallpaper and gunpowder exists. Though I guess I shouldn’t be too quick to try to find real world analogues. It’s a hodgepodge, and the title of is very fitting.

There is a salt wall, erected 100 years ago that goes around the Imperial Federation of Semillan Protectorates, making the country relatively recently formed, and old families having older connections. The old kingdoms outside the wall are in ruins, a changeling army having brought them to ruin. There are 12 of these protectorates, and in a way the place reminds me of the New World or the United States, in the unity but with racial diversity and intermixing and ancestry not mattering to some but mattering to others.

Decent amount of cursing, some in world or made up, some not, specifically a good amount of “f bombs”. This, along with food from our world with almost contemporary (though still alien) characters, makes it seem almost like urban fantasy, though it’s a secondary world.