I was lucky enough to be approved to read Tim Pratt’s entertaining portal sci fi adventure, Doors of Sleep, back in January this year which I thoroughly enjoyed. So I was pleased to see this offering on Netgalley and delighted when I was approved to read it.
BLURB: Bianca Xing has spent a lifetime on a provincial planet, dreaming of travelling the stars. When her planet is annexed by the Barony of Letnev, Bianca finds herself being taken into custody, told that she’s special – the secret daughter of a brilliant scientist, hidden away on a remote planet for her own safety. But the truth about Bianca is stranger. There are secrets hidden in her genetic code that could have galaxy altering consequences. Driven by an incredible yearning and assisted by the fearsome Letnev Captain, Dampierre, Bianca must follow her destiny to the end, even if it leads to places that are best left forgotten.
REVIEW: Apparently this novel is a spinoff story from a popular boardgame, Twilight Imperium. If you’ve played and enjoyed the game, then you might find this information interesting – however if you haven’t ever heard of it, don’t worry as it won’t impact your enjoyment of this rollicking space opera adventure in any way.
The other issue to clear up is the fact that this is the second book in the series. As you know, one of my main hobbies is crashing midway into series – and this is one of those occasions when that tactic absolutely paid off. As far as I can ascertain, the first book was set in an entirely different part of the Imperium galaxy with a cast of different characters. I hadn’t even realised there was another book, Fractured Void until I looked up the details of The Necropolis Empire on Goodreads and while I’d like to get hold of the first book and read it as I think I’d thoroughly enjoy it – as the stories don’t overlap, it really doesn’t matter if you pick this one up without having read it.
I thoroughly enjoy Pratt’s breezy, humorous style. While space opera is a favourite genre of mine, it frequently can get very tense and serious – and right now I can do with all the fun I can get. Pratt has the knack of covering actions scenes full of violence and gore with a gung-ho bravura which didn’t diminish the stakes or the tension, but gives an extra layer of entertainment. He is an accomplished writer with a smooth writing style and an ability to write genuinely nice, sweet-natured characters that are also interesting and possess hidden depths. That’s harder to do than he makes it look. I fell in love with dear Bianca and I particularly enjoyed the vivid worldbuilding of her home planet that sets up the action, before life takes a major left turn for her.
In many ways, the story covers one of the major SFF tropes – that of a Chosen One who is singled out for a particular destiny once she reaches a certain age. What amused me is the way Pratt plays with our expectations around this dynamic right from the start of the story. And while the setup is as cosily familiar as a cup of night-time cocoa, that doesn’t prevent him from presenting us with some surprises along the way. I tucked into this one, relaxed in the knowledge that I was in the hands of a storyteller who knows his craft and would take me on a roller-coaster ride that I’d thoroughly enjoy. And I was absolutely right. This is a joy and I thoroughly recommend it for space opera fans, who like a splash of humour alongside their star-studded action adventures. While I obtained an arc of The Necropolis Empire from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
Brainfluff 