Tuesday, February 25, 2020

2020 book 45

Rae Carson's The Empire of Dreams
So this is a story about Red, the little mixed race slave girl from the third book. In theory this is a standalone, but I do think you need to have read the earlier trilogy to understand the world and its politics. This takes place about eight years after the trilogy, as Red is about to be formally adopted by the queen—until a plot finds their petition denied. Red ends up in training to be one of the royal guard for some reason, the first girl to do so. It’s all very Tamora Pearce. I mean, it’s enjoyable—action, ass-kicking, making friends and reluctant allies, finding bad guys, etc—but it’s pretty well-worn territory. It is a well-written version of that trope, so if you’re into it (I am), definitely check this out. This seems like it was a very personal story for the author, and the emotions especially ring really true. A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in April.

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