I really enjoyed the first book in this series – this is my review of Heirs of Empire – which is a military science fiction adventure that reads very much like epic fantasy. Would this sequel maintain the fluid readability of the first book?
The coup that won traitor General Corian the Scourwind throne has been overturned, but his ongoing rebellion has left the empire divided. Lydia’s birthright regained, she adjusts to her role as empress at war, while Brennan begins training as an elite Cadreman soldier. With tensions rising between the empire and the Alliance, this momentary lull seems to portend a gathering storm…
An Empire Asunder more or less picks up where the first book left off and I easily slipped back into this entertaining world once more. The main characters in the first book continue to be swept up into the action, although this particular storyline mostly featured the protagonists Brennan, Lydia’s twin and trainee elite soldier, and Mira Desol, one of the elite soldiers known as Cadre turned privateer.
All the ingredients to make this military science fiction adventure an engrossing, pleasurable read are there – plenty of pace, a strong storyline that raises the stakes for both sides in this war for control of the Empire and foot-to-the-floor action including a major set-piece battle. As for the antagonist, General Corian, I’ve learnt a bit more about his motives in this current slice of the adventure, but that raises more questions than it answers – and I’m still not exactly sure where this world is set, although I have some theories. Given that Currie is clearly an experienced and very capable writer, I’m prepared to go with the flow regarding that dangling plotline, because I shall certainly be getting hold of the next book in the series.
Those unanswered questions keep tugging at my brain and I find myself regularly thinking about this world and the characters in it – which given that I’m spectacularly busy right now, means this series has managed to burrow under my skin. If your taste runs to either epic fantasy and you’d like to try a science fiction take on the genre, or you enjoy a cracking military science fiction adventure with a different feel, then this series comes highly recommended. Though I would advise that you start with the first book, Heirs of Empire, as this is too good a series to compromise by starting in the wrong place.
The fact that this arc was provided by the publisher via NetGalley has not affected my honest opinion of An Empire Asunder.
9/10
Brainfluff 