Servant Of The Empire

Mara may have defeated Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi, but his downfall has left a vacancy for his nephew Tasaio to step to the fore. With Tasaio, the very person responsible for her father and brother's demise, Mara is faced with an opponent that is her equal in cunningness and one that is sworn under blood oath to obliterate the Acoma line ...

Let's start with some points of critique: On several occasions the politics in 'Servant of the Empire' becomes so tangled that motivations and implications become unintelligible. Also, the tension gets muffled as it becomes evident that all events eventually turn out in Mara's favor, often because of a disproportionate amount of luck. These points can occasionally make 'Servant of the Empire' a bit tedious. However, the book also has several fascinating sides to it that make this a very interesting read nonetheless. For one, in this second part of the Empire Trilogy the game of the council is joined by the game of two lovers from different worlds when Mara starts a romantic affair with her Midkemian slave Kevin. The cultural chasm between these two people is very palpable and discernibly described. It is good fun to witness how they affect each other's long-held beliefs about such concepts as honor and tradition and how they achieve to turn their newfound perceptions to their advantage. Another impressive aspect of this story is how it seamlessly blends the events in Feist's debut novel 'Magician' with the storyline of the Empire Trilogy, now seen from the Tsurani perspective. Certainly for those that have read 'Magician' it will be gratifying to get to know the profound effects that Pug and Kevin have had on Mara's way of thinking as well as on the Tsurani society in general. Overall 'Servant of the Empire' is a very insightful novel that will without doubt please all that enjoyed the previous book of the Empire Trilogy.

Geschreven bij Servant of the Empire

Mara may have defeated Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi, but his downfall has left a vacancy for his nephew Tasaio to step to the fore. With Tasaio, the very person responsible for her father’s and brother's demise, Mara is faced with an opponent that is her equal in cunningness and one that is sworn under blood oath to obliterate the Acoma line ...

Let's start with some points of critique: On several occasions the politics in 'Servant of the Empire' becomes so tangled that motivations and implications become unintelligible. Also, the tension gets muffled as it becomes evident that all events eventually turn out in Mara's favor, often because of a disproportionate amount of luck. These points can occasionally make 'Servant of the Empire' a bit tedious. However, the book also has many fascinating sides to it that make this a very interesting read even so. For one, in this second part of the Empire Trilogy the game of the council is joined by the game of two lovers from different worlds when Mara starts a romantic affair with her Midkemian slave Kevin. The cultural chasm between these two people is very palpable and discernibly described. It is good fun to witness how they affect each other's long-held beliefs about such concepts as honor and tradition and how they achieve to turn their newfound perceptions to their advantage. Another impressive aspect of this story is how it seamlessly blends the events in Feist's debut novel 'Magician' with the storyline of the Empire Trilogy, now seen from the Tsurani perspective. Certainly for those that have read 'Magician' it will be gratifying to get to know the profound effects that Pug and Kevin have had on Mara's way of thinking as well as on the Tsurani society in general. Overall 'Servant of the Empire' is a very insightful novel that will without doubt please all that enjoyed the previous book of the Empire Trilogy.