It’s been quite a while since I read the first Emperor’s Edge book, an engaging read in a more technologically advanced setting than I usually go for (think steampunk). Naturally, spoilers for that are contained in this review so if you want to avoid those, stop reading now. My review of the previous entry in this series is here.
At the start of the book Amaranthe, a former cop, has
assembled what amounts to a steampunk A-Team, and is intent on clearing their names
(including that of Sicarius, the taciturn assassin). Aided by a preening
peacock, a learned bookworm, a foreign mute, and a delinquent novice mage,
Amaranthe and her assorted ne’er-do-wells have been attempting to find problems
to solve to get into the Emperor’s good books (hence their collective name, the
Emperor’s Edge). When a corpse gets washed up the trail leads the Edge into an
alarming conspiracy regarding the city’s water sources and magical constructs.
Tensions continue to rise between the misfits as Amaranthe does her best to
balance a group whose primary unifying characteristic is having bounties on
their heads.
The characterization is excellent and fun, and the pace is handled very nicely, never feeling sluggish without straying into over-the-top needy constant action. It had been a while since I read the first book so it did take me a little while to recall who was who beyond Amaranthe and Sicarius, but this was a fun and engaging read and I’m looking forward to part three.
Incidentally, you can get the Emperor’s Edge Collection, which is the first three e-books, and is very good value.
Thaddeus
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