@duffythewriter review of The Empress

The Empress – S.J. Kincaid

It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don’t have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone and not just the elite.

But having power isn’t the same thing as keeping it, and change isn’t always welcome. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress.

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire—or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it?

What Did I Think Of The Empress?

The Empress is book 2 in a trilogy and I wasn’t aware when I signed up to review, however, It didn’t take me long to catch up and get the drift of what was happening.  You do have to concentrate a little bit to understand who is who and how the religion and politics tie together in this universe, and maybe that’s where reading the first book The Diabolic, would have helped, but overall I enjoyed the read.

 

Nemesis is a ‘Diabolic’ she is seen as a dangerous creature, and a threat as the future bride to a young handsome Tyrus, ruler of the Empire. They are constantly under scrutiny, attack and attempted murder pretty much from the first chapter. The pace is fast and the fights and scheming on both sides are never-ending.  Nemesis is no sweet female, she is tough and ruthless and she often sits on both sides of good and bad. Any book that shows a strong female lead that isn’t always in need of rescuing or looking for a man is a good one in my book! I enjoyed the plot twists, although fans of the first book seem distraught at them from reading other reviews!

There is quite a focus on politics and religion, which felt almost like a step back in time to Tudor heresy and the clash between the belief in the sciences over organised religion. Such ideas were seen as such a threat back then, and many lost their lives for their beliefs, and this re-imagining was intriguing to me as an older reader. The Empress may turn some younger readers off who want a little more action and fantasy and less politics and religion, after all, we get so much of it stuffed into our newsfeeds today, but the success of the first book The Diabolic cements this second in the trilogy as a success!

S.J. Kincaid writes well and hits the perfect pace for a solid YA read. I would definitely read her other works.

Buy for just $16.95 at Booktopia!

Given to my by Simon & Schuster as part of the Beauty & Lace Book Club for an honest review