by Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns #4
Published on April 7, 2020 by Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780062691903
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 432
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. With action, adventure, and a heroine set on destroying the patriarchal limits meant to keep her in her place, The Empire of Dreams once again proves that Rae Carson is a master of epic fantasy.
Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by Empress Elisa herself. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and Red is left with no family and no future.
Grieving and lost, but determined to find her place, Red hatches a daring plan: she will prove herself as a recruit for the world's most elite fighting force, the legendary Royal Guard—something no woman has done before. But it's no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess, someone whose shadowy agenda puts everything she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red and her new friends—and maybe some new enemies—to save the empire. If they can survive recruitment year.
| Knight's Judgment | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| Writing Style | |
| Cover | |
| Enjoyment | |
| Overall: | |
Just Another YA Fantasy - Rinse, Wash, Repeat
I went into The Empire of Dreams with almost no context from the previous trilogy. Which I read. What feels like ages ago which it kind of was as I read them when they were releasing and have put in hundreds of books since. I bring this up because I think I would have enjoyed this book more even just as a trip down nostalgia lane had the first trilogy been fresher in my mind.
Without that, I certainly enjoyed The Empire of Dreams but I wasn’t enthralled. I wasn’t clamoring to pick it up once I started it. It’s something I’ve struggled with in YA fantasy lately. Many of the books I’m picking up are good, but they’re not capturing my attention like other titles and it’s harder for titles to stand out. Carson’s writing style is good and engaging enough that I read start to finish, but the plot was where I wasn’t feeling it.
I think a lot of that came down to Red, the protagonist. I… wasn’t sure why I should invest in her struggles and triumphs. I didn’t dislike her but she felt like a name on the page rather than someone who could be very real. If the book had been a bit shorter overall, the plot a bit faster paced, the tension a bit higher, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way? I’m not sure but I wasn’t connecting with Red.
I think as a positive note (for other readers) for The Empire of Dreams is that there really isn’t any romance in this one. It feels rare to find a YA fantasy without a romantic subplot these days so I wanted to highlight that. The absence of the romance was a miss for me as I do enjoy those subplots but it’s definitely not needed and might appeal to some readers.
And… that’s all I really retained from this book. The plot wasn’t memorable, I really didn’t care one way or another about the characters, and I basically dumped the book from my brain after finishing to move on to new books. Take that as you will. I do think that fans of the original trilogy will enjoy this expansion on that world (but you don’t need to read those books first).
About Austine
I'm a 20-something research proposal developer with a background in the life sciences and education. Reviewer of books since 2011, amateur photographer by day, and aspiring author by night. I believe animals (and books) are better than people.
I’d tried many times to read the Girl of Fire and Thorns series but simply couldn’t get into it so this would probably be a miss for me. Maybe the fact you couldn’t remember the trilogy as well is part of why you couldn’t fully connect with the MC? It’s interesting to hear there’s no romantic subplot, though. personally, I love the romance in YA fantasy but I do know a lot of people get frustrated as it can feel like it overtakes the main plot so it’s refreshing to see a YA fantasy without that.