Today, I’m super excited to be a part of the Empress of a Thousand Skies & Blood of a Thousand Stars Blog Tour! Empress released last year, and Blood of a Thousand Stars is releasing this year. To encourage you all to pick up your copies, I thought I’d share my review of Empress of a Thousand Skies.
(Empress of a Thousand Skies #1)
Publication
Date: February 7, 2017
Hardcover, 314 pages, Razorbill
Genres:
YA, Sci-Fi
A sweeping sci-fi fantasy adventure
that follows two fugitives -- a princess-in-exile and her accused killer --
across the galaxy as they fight to reclaim her family dynasty and save the
universe from a deadly threat.
Crown Princess Rhiannon, known as Rhee, has deadly accuracy with a blade
and a thirst for vengeance. After her family perished in a suspicious
spacecraft accident when she was just a child, Rhee grew up in exile while a
corrupt government ruled in her stead. Now, Rhee has finally come of age to
claim her title as Empress... and to avenge her family.
But on the eve of her coronation, Rhee is brutally attacked by a
government assassin and only narrowly escapes with her life. Without knowing
who she can trust, Rhee goes into hiding, relying only on her sharp instincts
and her trusty blade to survive.
Across the galaxy, pilot Alyosha has risen above his war refugee origins
to find fame as the popular star of a reality holo-vision show. But when Aly is
framed for the attack on Rhee, he goes from celebrity to fugitive in an
instant. On the run from the formidable UniForce army, Aly knows that his only
hope is to find the princess and clear his name.
Thrown together by an act of violence, Rhee and Aly eventually discover
the attack is just one part of a larger plan with devastating, far-reaching
consequences for the entire galaxy.
My Thoughts
Princesses in space? Check. Advanced technology? Check. Spaceship chases? Check. And a sassy droid? Check. This YA book has all the makings of a fun, action-packed sci-fi read.
Princess Rhiannon has known since her family died that she
would take the thrown, but she just wants to avenge her parents and sister. Not
rule an entire galaxy. Apparently, others think the same since someone just
tried to murder her before her coronation. And Alyosha wants to be free to live
his own life, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time forces him to go
on the run from the galaxy’s UniForce.
In the book, the two main characters, Rhiannon and Alyosha,
or Rhee and Aly, share their respective journeys across the galaxy in each of
their POVs. While Rhee is trying to figure out who is attempting to end her
life, Aly is trying to figure out why he’s being set up for a crime he didn’t
commit.
Sometimes Rhee and Aly aren’t always the most flushed-out
characters, yet their voices do resonate as you’re reading. Rhee is the girl
reluctant to take charge, and Aly is the boy who everyone blames simply because
he exists. I think their stories are very poignant when it comes to today’s
society. At times, though, I did find myself gravitating more towards Aly’s
story. I think this was because of his partners in crime. I mean, he had a
droid following him around! Doesn’t every space hero need an awesome droid?!
As for the plot of the story, it was definitely quick-paced.
Rhee’s chapters were often longer than Aly’s, but both always ended on
cliffhangers. This made reading the story super frustrating, but, at the same
time, super fast. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next! At a
couple points, the cliffhanger situation did bum me out a little bit, simply
because there were such big scenes happening, but when the next chapter from
the character’s POV started, it would pick up too far in the future and the
whole ordeal would only be mentioned in passing later on. Thankfully, those
odd cliffhanger scenarios only happened once or twice.
Now, I’ve got to talk about the worldbuilding. It was good.
I enjoyed reading a YA science fiction story that had other creatures in it,
not just humans! It was kind of like Guardians
of the Galaxy in that way. There were fuzzy creatures, pointy-eared
creatures, and more! But, I wish more time had been spent developing all the
species, technology, planets, and religions. It’s such a cool concept that I
think it could have been explored as much as possible. But who knows? Maybe
that worldbuilding happens in book two?
All in all, I’d recommend Empress of a Thousand Skies to any YA SFF lover. Especially fans of
Melissa Landers, Marissa Meyer, and/or Mindee Arnett.
The Author
Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Files fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She's a children's editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she's not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel.
The Tour
EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES
WEEK ONE
WEEK TWO
BLOOD OF A THOUSAND STARS
WEEK ONE
2/14 – Celesha’s Love for Books – Review
WEEK TWO
Make sure to check out the other tour stops!
*Note: I received a finished copy of Empress and an ARC of Blood of a Thousand Stars for review from the publisher. This in no
way affected my opinion/review.
This sounds great and I love that cover! Glad you enjoyed it!
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