I have to say it: Karen Miller is … awesome. Her KINGMAKER duo of books had fabulous reach, and the first book in her new trilogy, EMPRESS: GODSPEAKER — BOOK ONE, is set on an even larger scale. Ambitious, deep and with a coherent world and characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned, her work gets my highest recommendation.
The title character of the book is one Hekat, an unwanted she-brat from the savage north who is sold into slavery. Escaping her fate, she works her way into the warriors’ barracks and becomes one of the most talented knife-dancers in the retinue of the warlord Raklion. That would be enough for one book for most authors, but we’re only about 30 percent into the tale.
Miller takes Hekat and a large cast of ancillary characters through a world-changing series of events that sees Hekat and her colleagues grow and change. The character dynamism is a strong suit of Miller’s writing.
There are one or two jarring notes. The Raklion culture is heavily involved with animal sacrifice, but the amount of animals killed on a regular basis would seem to require hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. The godspeakers, who maintain contact with the god and interpret his will, brook no doubt, and there seem to be no dissenters to their religious rule.
But these are minor points, compensated for by Miller’s deft, smooth style; her obvious affection for her characters; and a tale that pauses in a stunning climax that leaves the reader a bit dumbfounded. There are two more books to come to complete the story, and they can’t come fast enough. These thick and chewy novels are definitely well worth your time. —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE INNOCENT MAGE: KINGMAKER, KINGBREAKER — BOOK ONE by Karen Miller
