Good but far, far too long. ( )

Hailimi Bristol, former gunrunner, now Empress of Indrana, has been manipulated into agreeing to head up a peace summit, to stop a war before it starts. Things go downhill from there.

I love Hail and her bodyguards and her friends. The action is great, the plotting is complex and the world building is intriguing.

Highly recommended for those who love Space Opera. ( )

I was enthralled by Wagers' Indranan War trilogy. You better believe I had this first book in the new trilogy preordered--and once it arrived at my house--it quickly moved to the top of my massive to-pile.

Hours after finishing the book, I'm still in a state of withdrawal and shock. This book is GOOD. Seriously good. Like, added to my awards shortlist kinda good.

The overall pace of the book is a bit slower than the past books, but that doesn't mean it's a slow read. The emphasis has changed. Former gunrunner Hail survived an intricate plot to destroy her family and their empire. She is now empress. Many of the maneuvering in the book is of a political nature rather than outright brawling. It's twisty and clever and magnificent, and the tension builds up. Hail is put in an impossible situation to negotiate peace between two alien groups that really don't want peace, and you just know everything is going to go wrong. It does. In spectacular, heart-breaking fashion. The cliffhanger ending is brutal, but then there's a teaser from the next book that feels like salt on a wound.

And now I have to wait how many months to find out what happened?! Noooo! ( )

A slow start builds gradually to a thrilling conclusion and the start of a new trilogy, another grand space opera.

Empress Hailimi Mercedes Bristol is finally beginning to feel, if not at ease, then at least slightly less uncomfortable in her role. She's finally secure on her throne, and the process of rebuilding her family's empire towards a stable future can begin. Although many of her policies still meet resistance from the Council of Matriachs, Hail is confident enough modernising voices will be heard to give men something like the equality they've been promised and will hopefully minimise any future discontent. In order to consolidate her position she'd been advised to go on a Grand Tour of the Empire's worlds, something she's ambivalent about. It will be great fun to get back out into the black with some friends around her (and no-one shooting), but it also involves a lot of Reasons of State, and will cost her war depleted treasury a small fortune. However she's not even underway before the humanoid but distinctly alien Farian and Shen forces are squabbling again, and their skirmish starts to collect human and eventually Iradian bystanders. Hail is not impressed. She still hasn't forgiven the only Farain she personally knows, Fase, for allowing her youngest BodyGuard to die, but the opening gambit of the Shen, dragging her into a confined space, doesn't win them friendship either, even if Hail finds Mia attractive.

The opening is very slow, as our familiar (surviving) friends from the last trilogy are re-introduced. I think by the 2nd series it's probably better to assume the readers will know or deduce who's important without going through too many details again. Hail does spend quite a lot of time stressing over how she nearly died, which is probably accurate but not the best reading, we're used to heroines who can put the past firmly behind them. Most of the character banter come from a surly Huo, rather than the Ekam who IMHO is more fun, but the world building and concept of how a very different society all fits together is really superbly done.

It's tagged as political science fiction, but whilst it is making a point it's quite subtly done, and far less intrusive than many, more of a story presented in a different setting than anything else. Enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the rest.

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Doesn't feel like it's been nearly two years since I read this. Still wonderful, although the introductions of the characters is still slightly unnecessary, but it does help as their voices appear in Hail's thoughts reminding her of the stakes at play. I think I prefer a heroine who doesn't forget her past trauma, but it's a difficult balance to strike. ( )