Book Review of The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso
Name of Book: The Unbound Empire Author: Melissa Caruso
ISBN: 978-0-316-46693-6
Publisher: Orbit
Part of a Series: Swords and Fire Trilogy (THE TETHERED MAGE and THE DEFIANT HEIR are prequels)
Type of book: Fantasy, Venice based, magic, fire magic, skin witch, alliances, politics, Vaskandar, heiress, wealth, relationships, final decisions, secrets, intrigue, LGBtQIA+ romance,
Year it was published: 2019
Summary:
The final volume of the Gemmell Morningstar Award-shortlisted Swords and Fire fantasy trilogy, in which political scion Amalia and her bound fire warlock Zaira must save the Empire from a ruthless, magical enemy. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, The Queen of the Tearling, and Uprooted.
While winter snows keep the Witch Lord Ruven's invading armies at bay, Lady Amalia Cornaro and the fire warlock Zaira attempt to change the fate of mages in the Raverran Empire forever, earning the enmity of those in power who will do anything to keep all magic under tight imperial control. But in the season of the Serene City's great masquerade, Ruven executes a devastating surprise strike at the heart of the Empire - and at everything Amalia holds most dear.
To stand a chance of defeating Ruven, Amalia and Zaira must face their worst nightmares, expose their deepest secrets, and unleash Zaira's most devastating fire.
Main characters definitely include Amalia, an heiress to the Cornaro name who is well connected, politically savvy and has come into a lot of personal growth of what she wants and desires. (One thing I appreciate is that the characters make choices that are right for them versus having choices forced on them.) Zaira is another main character who is a warlock who can control fire and who is afraid of connecting as well as herself. There is also Marcello, a somewhat trusting guard who seems to be complete opposite of Amalia, but at the same time he loves her a lot. I definitely think one of my favorites is Lord Kathe, a Crow witch lord who matches Amalia in suaveness, sophistication and political intrigue. Other old favorites also appear and its definitely sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful trilogy.
Theme:
Be true to self
Plot:
Just like the previous two novels, this novel is told from Amalia's point of view in first person narrative. There is definitely a lot of character growth and its very balanced in showing political action and intrigue versus character growth. Reading the previous two novels, THE TETHERED MAGE and THE DEFIANT HEIR is definitely a must because there is no summary of what happens in the first two novels and the reader will definitely get lost if they begin with this novel. There is also a lot of climactic scenes and it seems as if Melissa Caruso really knew and understood how to keep the action going because it never got boring.
Author Information:
(From goodreads)
Melissa Caruso is the author of THE TETHERED MAGE, first in the Swords and Fire trilogy, out now from Orbit books.
Opinion:
All I can say is how amazed I am at the continued tension and upping the stakes in the third book. Normally it often feels as if there is a breather between books, letting the reader readjust before the novel begins the action again. In THE UNBOUND EMPIRE though, the action and story continue on from the previous two novels, which really amazes me. The pages kept flying fast in my hands, I all too eager to see what happens next. The third novel is definitely heartbreak personalized between certain characters and I am excited that the author returns to a version of this world in her future trilogy, ROOKS AND RUIN. While there is less Marcello, there is a whole lot more of Lord Kathe and more of the intriguing world of Vaskandar and its immortal lords. All in all, a wonderful read and conclusion to the first trilogy.
This was given for review
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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