Django Wexler certainly knows how to write epic fantasy. He's got the pacing down cold and the various characterizations spot on. This concluding volume of the series wraps up the saga with an epic battle sequence and flashy (pun intended) conclusion.

This series is probably what Michael Swanwick would call 'science fantasy'. There's a form of magic (two forms, actually), but plenty of hardware. Laboratory experiments on life forms, mechanical constructs both large and small, and some keen weaponry. There would be a certain crossover appeal between fans of science fiction (perhaps especially space opera) and swords'n'sorcery fans.

An awesome ending to this trilogy. I had never read Wexler before this, but I will definitely be on the lookout for his series' in the future.

This series was pitched to me as gay fantasy Star Wars and that’s not a bad comparison. This co cousin ties up a lot of loose ends without feeling too neatly packaged. It was tightly paced and well written. I just wished I liked it more, but honestly I think it’s just a me thing. Where I could totally see this being a 4 or 5 star series for many, for me it was fine and honestly a little forgettable.

I do love that this book starts with a quick recap of the first two books and I love the mix of fantasy and technology elements. I also love how queernormative the world is and this discussion on power and responsibility. There’s just something missing for me that keeps me from loving it.

I do think I’ll check out more by the author because I think he has incredible ideas!

Think of this series as a cross between Star Wars and... all the anime with technicolor hair and giant eyes. Maya, the red-haired Jedi/paladin, is a favorite character of mine- I think the author is great at writing female characters.

In this book, most of the focus is on defeating Ashok the Chosen/Corruptor. Our heroes run around trying to find a safe haven, to rescue Maya's mentor, to find a secret base that might have the information or power they need to defeat someone with mastery over both biotechnology and energy magic who has most of the world ready to follow him and who has 400 years of experience. There's quite a bit of backstory exposition in this book that explains more about the Plague.

Still don't like Kit, even though she proves useful. I just can't believe that someone as addicted to chaos as she is would settle down so handily.

Another review said that their favorite thing about this series is the setting and I've kind of got to agree. The plot was just fine but the setting is incredibly imaginative, with its mix of magic and technology used by people in different ways in order to find a way to survive in a post-cataclysmic world.

This finale was very lackluster to me; each of these books got a little worse. I just found the characters to all be so insufferable and basic, and the plot of this one was predictable. Although, I will say that the expansion of the world was cool. I'd probably read another series in this setting, following different characters.

Django Wexler has a fun conclusion to his trilogy set in a world four centuries after a high-tech, magical empire ruled by the magically powerful chosen fell. It is a world where magical plaguelings are constantly attacking human settlements. It is a world where Centarchs can throw energy through their hakens. Ashes of the Sun (paper) introduced two siblings. Gyre lost his eye and parents when the Twilight Order took his sister Maya to train as a Centarch. He’s been in rebellion ever since. Blood of the Chosen (paper) ends up with the two of them releasing the Emperor of Ruin (paper from Orbit). Ashok is a mad scientist Chosen who has used his life magic to turn himself into an unkillable plagueling and created plagueling soldiers to conquer their world. Maya had Gyre and their friends have to do the impossible to stop him. Lots of fun and very exciting

8.5 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/emperor-of-ruin-by-django-wexler-review/

With the plague finally dissipated, Ashok, the last surviving Chosen, has returned to the world. Within days he has assumed total control of the Twilight Order, bearing promises of equality for all and a return to the golden age of olde. The Order, having been founded to shepherd the world in the Chosens’ absence, readily gives way to Ashok’s rule.

While Maya and Gyre know the truth, the rest of the world (even those at odds with the Order) seem thrilled with the prospect, forcing the pair to flee to the fringes of the Dawn Republic, back to Gyre’s old stomping grounds—Deepfire. There, where news has yet to arrive, the outcasts assume control of the city and try to unite it against the Chosen; one last bastion to oppose Ashok.

But there are issues—especially as the Tunnelborn and the Republic refuse to work together. Worse still, both seem thrilled with the prospect of the Chosen return, and seek to send word to Skyreach straight away.

The siblings—along with a fair few allies, both old and new—must unite the people under one banner, that opposing Ashok’s world order. While Gyre returns to the tunnels deep beneath the city, Maya must venture into the mountains at the world’s edge—in pursuit of a legendary weapon that could not only turn the tides, but prove Ashok’s deity is a lie.

No pressure.

—

<i>Sometimes, chaos is better than the alternative.</i>

—

The final book in the trilogy, Emperor of Ruin starts off with a bang—the same way that Blood of the Chosen ended. While the newly arisen Chosen takes to the capital, the siblings take to the shadows. This creates some interesting pacing, as the action stops and starts more than once to focus instead on more world-building. Don’t get me wrong—I LOVE the world this trilogy is set in, but I could’ve done with a bit of a slower start if we were just going to focus on more plot development.

I’m actually a little disappointed we don’t get to see MORE of the world; throughout the trilogy, the story only takes us to pieces of maybe a quarter of the Republic, and none of the surrounding kingdoms. I really hope that Wexler revisits this place sometime in the future—there’s just so much potential here!

While I may criticize the pacing, the plot itself plays out very well. I mean, it’s a bit of a classic one—forced into a corner, the ragtag team seeks a legendary weapon to turn the tides—albeit with a few unexpected twists. Even though it’s not the most creative of conclusions, this one comes together well enough that I didn’t mind the classic format. Not everything can be new and cutting-edge but also interesting and immersive, after all.

I quite enjoyed the plot and premise of the series, but neither can contend with the setting itself! I adored the quasi science fiction/fantasy feel to the place, the reliance on a combination of new and old, of futuristic and obsolete that makes up that of everyday life. I can’t rave about the setting enough, as I seem to do it after every book.

A great ending to a great trilogy. Django Wexler had me sucked into this series from the very start. Highly recommend reading this trilogy.

Emperor of Ruin is a fabulous book, but it feels like it lacks the special something that elevated the previous two entries. Gyre's story feels lost, as he wanders the lands revisiting old plot points and side characters that feel less relevant. Maya simply feels like she is treading water until the final climax.

Emperor doesn't feel like it introduces any new ideas to the formula. While book one was about the discovery of powers beyond our protagonist's control, book two was about mastery and ownership of that power. Book three feels like it lacks a cohesive identity beyond "all out battle to stop the bad guy". It is still a very enjoyable book, just not on quite the same level.

This was a solid conclusion to a good series. Maya, Gyre and their friends join together to take down Ashok, who is the Corruptor and wants to make humans his slaves. There is of course a lot of action, but I think where this series shines is in the characters and their development. They learn, grow, and realize mistakes they have made in the past and that their long held beliefs are not always right.

The return of a Chosen was supposed to herald an era of peace for the Republic, but Maya and Gyre have realized it may signal the end of humanity. Faced with an enemy able to create deadly variations of Plaguespawn, the two siblings have one last hope to defeating him. Their allies have unearthed clues of a lost weapon that may turn the tide in the coming war, but they’ll have to retrieve it before their resistance is crushed once and for all.

EMPEROR OF RUIN is a pitch perfect finale to the trilogy, one that delivers on action and unravels mysteries in a way that is supremely satisfying. There’s no rushed explanation of backstory here; instead, the author finds a way to weave in some fairly detailed scenes of the final days of the Chosen to show what went wrong and how the world humanity has been living in the last four hundred years came to be. I really appreciated this tactic, especially as the reveals show some long planted story seeds finally paying off.

One thing I have loved over and over about this series is how much it just screams ADVENTURE. It’s full of ruins, (laser) sword fights, daring rescues and all of the things that just make it a great ride from start to finish. While this series wears its STAR WARS inspiration on its sleeve, I also get a similar feeling to INDIANA JONES, with events jumping from one escapade to the next, all in a race to beat the bad guys to the punch.

Along the way, the story makes great use of its growing cast of characters, continuing to make me fall for everyone from daredevil Kit to bookish Beq. I don’t know if I would quite classify it as a “found family” story, but both Gyre and Maya have picked up a considerable troupe of allies over the series, and it was great fun seeing everybody get to contribute in this final battle. Oh, and did I mention it’s a queernorm world too?

BURNINGBLADE & SILVEREYE has been a fantastic series from start to finish, never missing a beat. EMPEROR OF RUIN is a finale that delivers, and a worthy ending to this journey. If you like fantasy adventure with a healthy splash of sci-fi elements, a great group of characters, and delving into the ruins of a not-so-ancient civilization, you need to pick up ASHES OF THE SUN and start this series today.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I think it's fair to say that this book series (with the final book especially) is very much tailored to Star Wars fans. If you're a fan of Star Wars and you want to read something like Star Wars that's not actually Star Wars then this is a great series to dive into. With that in mind I will say that the story overall does stay consistent throughout so if you liked book one or the story didn't seem original to you that will be something that's carried out through book two and three because of the inspiration behind it. I think that that can be used as a way to find a comfort in the story rather than being bored by it.

I would have liked to have seen more lore and World building, As it is is say the story is very surface level. (You're not going to get a Tolkien or Jordan level of info here) I thought it was done quite well and it has an enjoyable Indiana Jones like Adventure feel to it. There's also a really well done Sapphic romance in the book (probably the best I've ever seen) so that was an added bonus!

I personally would probably categorize this as YA as other than some strong language there is not really anything substantial in the story either (event or thematically) that lends it towards a more adult audience.

Great series! Kind of bloody and not for the squeamish but a fun page turner. Characters are interesting and the world building was good. I’m glad to gotten to read the ARC. If you like action driven fantasy this would be a good trilogy to consider.

Thank you to the publisher Orbit for providing me an eARC via Netgalley for my honest opinion!

This is the WHAT NOW book. We go into this final book with sky-high, civilizational and existential stakes. The end of book 2 cracked the fragile balance of existence and forces the characters to recalibrate in the aftermath of a big world-breaking event. Gyre, Maya, and friends are racing to do damage control, stop The Corruptor, and remake the world into a stable, peaceable place.

WHAT I LOVED: Wexler brings together estranged sister and brother, and they find an understanding. Their formerly opposing worldviews and goals have been reconciled as they fight a common enemy. What makes the book for me is the questing squad dynamic and the interpersonal interactions that occur along the way.

Wexler also organically weaves meaningful themes of humanity into the narrative. Gyre (as the former Halfmask freedomfighter vigilante) forces Maya (prejudiced by her upbringing as a Chosen) to work together with and slowly accept the ghoul Elariel and the narrative/history of the ghouls. While the book only shallowly addressed intercultural and interracial reconciliation, I found Wexler’s handling of it as a piece of the larger plot good and appropriate to the light tone and bantering that epitomizes this action-packed trilogy.

We have another theme seeded throughout the trilogy that comes to a head here. What lies do we tell ourselves to justify our actions? (In regards to society and power.)

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Not sure I understand the necessity for all of the side quests in this book. They bog down the pace, distracting and diluting the overall plot. The band just united only to be split up again.

I also felt that the magic was too much. It was not confusing. However, two types of “magic” exist in this universe—add to that various different functions and applications of those magic systems as well as arcana (magical artifacts). Personally, I felt Wexler’s handling of magic and plots in this story were too messy.

WHO ARE THESE BOOKS FOR? The obvious answer would be Star Wars fans, as Wexler supposedly took inspiration from the George Lucas story, but I personally find this trilogy super different tonally. This series will appeal to sci-fantasy readers wanting a cinematic Marvel-esque experience. Also, the two kinds of “magic” and the young adult band of protagonists makes this trilogy a simpler, briefer, and more lighthearted version of James Islington’s Licanius trilogy.

First thing: you must read at least Book One to enjoy this trilogy.

I liked this alot but oddly compared to how dense the other books were, this was relatively short. It's like the importance of The Deathly Hallows (sorry to reference that) but not as long. And yes def Star Wars vibes.

My fave part? Maya actually acknowledging how much she screwed up (SJM take notes) without any constant surprise turnarounds bc off page people made decisions that would ofcourse work out in the end.

Good character development, good world building and an enjoyable story. 3.5 stars

This is the final book of the Burningblade and Silvereye trilogy that began with Ashes of the Sun. The world building remains an exemplar of the craft that was one of the primary reason for why I loved the first book so much and why I continue to rank the series as a whole so high. The combination of sci-fi and fantasy elements inserted into a dystopian and apocalyptic world was perfectly done and slowly revealed in each installment. The dual magic system of deiat (innate power wielded by The Chosen) and dhaka (learned power wielded by ghouls and dhakim) was a unique take on the concept that was compelling for me. The peoples of the world were well done as well (Chosen, Republic, Independents, Rebels, Ghouls and Plaguespawn) and the interactions realistic and believable. There are a lot of complex ideas and concepts to track, but there is a gloss at the end that helps if you lose the thread.

In this book, we finally get the full story of the fall of the Chosen and the raise of the plaguespawn amid the blasted remains of civilization (again … very well done). From the beginning it hits the floor running picking right up from where the second book left off; unfortunately it starts to drag a bit in the middle as the pieces are all prepped and positioned for the final boss fight (which would have been worse if not for the instant travel permitted by magic gates/portals). I am not a fan of a drawn out finale … so for me the rush to the end was perfect (but admittedly not for everybody) and was pretty much as anticipated well in advance.

Then we get to the characters which I felt were complex and richly developed with the main two (2) being a brother and sister separated at a young age and raised on opposite side of the main conflict and only recently reconciled enough to work together against the greater threat … the Corruptor. The supporting cast was also fun: Kit (Gyre’s wise cracking dead lover, now embodied into a swarm of constructs), Beq (Maya’s alchemist lover), Elariel (an exiled ghoul), Sara (a talented alchemist), Varo Plagueluck (a Republic scout) and Xalen (a socially awkward librarian) that together help keep the whole plot moving just ahead of total failure. For me … the minimal relationship drama and gratuitous violence was perfect for me (rated PG); however, YMMV.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#EmperorOfRuin #BurningbladeAndSilvereye #NetGalley

Characters are great...love Kit! This was a good ending to the trilogy, with a well formed story. I don't feel like there was as much action in this book as the other two, but it was still a good read.

Emperor of Ruin is an excellent conclusion to Wexler's Burningblade & Silvereye trilogy. It is, without a doubt, my favorite of the trilogy. Maya and Gyre together really balance each other out and Kit ended up being absolutely amazing in the end. I loved how all of the characters found their place in this book. The addition of Zeph's POV really made this book too.

Like the previous books, there's tons of action, adorable romance and tons of sarcasm. I recommend this series to those who like easy sci-fi mixed with a bit of fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thanks to Orbit books, Django Wexler and Netgalley.
I have absolutely enjoyed the crap out of this trilogy!
Gyre and Maya are characters that I really don't want to see end. But, as they say.....All good things..
This third book in the trilogy ended up being a wee bit difficult for me. At times it really felt like I was reading a YA book, but then things would get bloody and complicated. I never felt that I was reading YA in the first 2 books.
Heck! I had a thought somewhere along the way that I'd score this final book at 3 stars. But, that freaking ending was everything that I had hoped for!
I loved Maya, but Gyre and Kit? I just loved them and the humor!
A most excellent story, Mr. Wexler!
4 stars for this final book, but 5 stars for the whole trilogy.

Thank you, Orbit Books, Orbit, for allowing me to read Emperor of Ruin early!

Final books are hard, but rarely Wexler makes it seem so. Another touchdown!