Vengeance & Truth • Empress of A Thousand Skies

Empress of a Thousand Skies is a fast-paced science fiction adventure that follows two individuals, Rhiannon and Alyosha. Rhee is the crown princess, the only surviving heir in her line, and she is determined to exact revenge on those who killed her family. Her plan goes awry, however, when an attempt is made on her life and she is forced to flee and seek help. Aly, on the other hand, is a war refugee turned DroneVision star and he is accused of murdering Rhee. He flees in an attempt to have time to prove his innocence, and evade capture by those calling for his blood. As they both embark on unplanned journeys, these two will be forced to figure out what it is that they are willing to fight for, and will uncover secrets that will shake the foundation of everything they've believed.

First, a quick disclaimer - I'm not particularly well-versed or well-read in science fiction.

Now that we have that out of the way, I can let you know that I enjoyed Empress of a Thousand Skies. In large part, my interest in the novel is two-fold: the characters and the world. 

Both Rhee and Aly were well-written, both fleshed out enough so that I never felt confused about which perspective I was reading from. Their motivations were clear, and their personalities were fairly consistent all throughout. While I didn't necessarily form a strong connection to either one, and while they often made frustrating choices (frustrating to me, anyway), I still found them to be engaging characters to read about.

The world was absolutely fascinating. It is a bit complicated to keep track of, and I'll admit that sometimes I got a little overwhelmed. But for the most part, it made me feel a little bit like I was immersed in a universe as complex as the Star Wars universe - futuristic technology, multiple races with differing appearances and languages and a plethora of terminology and names. 

As for the story itself, it does have predictable plot elements, many of which I've encountered in other stories. That didn't deter me from getting invested in the outcome, however, and I was racing to find out how things would end for Rhee and Aly. My only complaint, really, is that I need more - and I'm certainly hoping there's a sequel in store for us readers. All in all, I'd give Empress of a Thousand Skies a thumbs up for being a fun science fiction YA read.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Publisher: Razorbill | Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Source: ARC from the publisher (Thanks!) | Buy the Book: Book Depository | Amazon | IndieBound