Blood of the Old Kings seems to ask the question, “what if the Evil Empire was Evil, but the alternative is possibly worse?” The Empire in Blood of the Old Kings is incredibly vast and has managed to conquer the entire world. (It’s organization is very Roman Empire themed, and the overal feel is very Western fantasy setting.) It is an empire run on the power generated by dead sorcerers. There are various insurrections happening in this vast empire at all times, but the sorcerer-powered technology of the Empire is not something the priests, wizards, witches and old gods can stand against for very long.
Our Protagonists are:
Loran: A woman with just enough royal blood to sneak into the place where the Dragon of Arland, guardian of the royal line has been imprisoned. She is granted a sword and power by the dragon in exchange for one of her eyes. Her mission: to become King of Arland. She falls in with an insurgent group who really are not all that trustworthy. They tend to treat her with contempt, because she is not “a real princess.”
Arienne: Is a student sorcerer who knows no magic because the only thing the Imperial Sorcerer’s Academy teaches you is how to be a battery. She is convinced by a mysterious voice to run away from the school and is lured by promises of learning real magic. However, it slowly becomes apparent that the voice really can’t be trusted, and isn’t going to teach her anything.
Cain: Is a man who survives mostly by his wits and a complex web of favors and alliances. He fled from Arland as a young boy after an attempted rebellion there killed his parents. He discovers he was somewhat adjacent to an Arland mutual aid society that may or may not be a front for an insurgent group, after the murder of a friend. While attempting to investigate his friend’s death, he’s been pressed into service by Imperial agents as a informant. This is not great and becomes less great when he runs across Arienne, our runaway sorcerer, who he decides to help escape.
This is a complicated book with a lot of twists and turns. Of the three protagonists I think I like Cain the best, as Arienne and Loran are extremely naive and get into huge trouble because of it. Inexperience is only interesting to me if they learn quickly. (Arienne and Loran are not learning quickly. This is a good characterization choice given the characters backgrounds, but it still creates a sense of “neither of these women are going to be the Last Girl.”) Cain is also in huge trouble, but seems more likely to survive it, as he seems more worldly and skilled. (I like it when protagonists don’t die!) The setting and worldbuilding is fascinating, as are the uses of magic-tech. The main themes involve conflict between “industrialization” and “traditional ways,” with both systems being put in a negative light.
This book review was based on a galley copy received from NetGalley.
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