First thing out of the way – this was a good follow up to HEIR, I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but the first book was a little better. Maybe it was the change in stakes? I feel like Mother Div wasn’t as strong of a villain here? I really can’t say anything bad because there is so much I like about this world, the magic and characters.

The characters are my first favorite thing about this series. A diverse cast with complicated emotions and journeys that merge together in the finale. I liked the new POVs of Karinna and Cero. I think I looked forward to their chapters the most. Every character has some sort of magical ability, hidden or otherwise, Karinna and Cero’s really balanced out each other and I liked their banter a lot. Telepathy with animals is really cool – Abzi the little magical cat was so cute, I liked that she called Karinna Two-legs. Cero, on the other hand, has a redemption arc that was very natural in progression. Coming into his own power and to terms with the destruction Aiz’s monstrosity has caused. 

My second favorite of this series is the setting and world building. I have a great visual in my head of this land and its people. I find that fiction which follows similarities to the real world can say so much about humanity. It is political. There are more details here about the genocide and suffering of multiple minorities vying for basic survival like food. It’s the driving force that brings the characters together, to finally stop Div and bring peace to each land. 

Overall, I still recommend this series as a whole. I believe Sabaa said she’ll take a break from this universe for a while, so I’m curious to read anything she writes next. 

Title: Empire
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️