Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This is a temporary soft dnf for now.

I absolutely loved the first series in this world but I found myself confused and struggling to concentrate whenever I tried to read this one.

It's also almost 1000 pages long and book 2 hasn''t been announced yet almost 18 months after the first one came out.

I think I'm going to wait until book 2 is released and read both books together to cement this series in my brain.

I tried the first of Staveley’s books twice. The first time as a sample and loved the opening, the second time as a library loan and hated it. Go figure. The danger of samples I guess. Getting this ARC seemed a good way to try him again, particularly as it centered around an element I loved – elite warriors on fuckoff big birds. Alas, Staveley treats them in a very modern way that just doesn’t fit what I want from fantasy a lot of the time, and I found that out in a big battle in which people I didn’t care about spent lots of time hunting people I also didn’t care about. I for one can’t wait for the standard writing advice to include “please never do this”. I guess I’ll try Staveley again a different time, but definitely one for the action junkies who like anachronistic special forces, and not otherwise.

A brilliant dark, epic fantasy set in the same world as Staveley's previous series. Having not read the preceding trilogy I did feel I was missing out on some things but nevertheless the book itself was excellent and I shall be delving into his back catalogue now!

Apologies for such a late reply. I had a lot of projects last year and didn't get half the read done that I usually do. I'll post proper reviews on my site, GR and Amazon soon.

I also love the HB of this!

This was a stunning fantasy which really sucked me in and had me flying through! I'd never read any Brian Staveley before, although I understand that this is a spin off from another series. I didn't really feel like I'd missed anything (although I will be going back to read the original series!) and was gripped from start to finish. I can't wait for the next in the series!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent, a true epic in every way ... I just wish I knew a trilogy had come before this before starting the read.

I absolutely loved all the action and worldbuilding - honestly layers and layers of it - but it would've hit different if I knew myself it was linked to a previous trilogy. That being my fault doesn't lose marks from how interesting the plot was, but I felt like there would've been a level of nostalgia that I missed and also, there's the fact that when I read the first series now, elements are spoiled. That doesn't take away from the fact that if you're a fantasy fan, you should definitely read this one. It's got all the flavours you'd enjoy.

5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2021/09/27/the-empires-ruin-ashes-of-the-unhewn-throne-1-by-brian-staveley/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : I absolutely freakin loved this

Wow, just wow. What can I say. Would another wow suffice? I loved this book. I really did. It’s epic-y goodness, fantastic characters, adventure, danger, conflict and such a book of emotion. This is a book that I would simply love to read again. One of those books that you can have at the side of your bed and just pick up every now and then and read a little more, dive straight back into the world, meet up with your favourite character/s and become immersed all over again. I am in love.

To be honest, I feel woefully unprepared to write this review because this book is so good I don’t see how I can possibly do it justice. What I plan to do instead is gush uncontrollably. You have been warned.

I think I will mostly stay away from the plot because there are some excellent reviews already out there that elaborate in a far better fashion than I could. If you want something of an idea then here’s the description from the cover (I don’t usually cut and paste these but this is spot on so why reinvent the wheel?)

‘The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used.

In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.

But time is running out. Deep within the southern reaches of the empire and ancient god-like race has begun to stir.

What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever. If they can survive.’

There you have it – in a nutshell.

Now, to my thoughts and feelings.

I guess it’s all about perspective but the main winner of any book for me is the characters, you can have a great plot, lovely writing and a stunning world BUT if I don’t connect with the characters then you’ve pretty much lost my attention. I can’t engage if I don’t feel anything. So, this story follows three characters. I would say the main character is Gwenna – and I loved her. To be honest I can’t conceive of the idea of anybody not loving this character. It just doesn’t compute. Ruc is the next pov and this is a character that I’ve very happily met before in Skullsworn (for info – I think this is a book you could pick up fresh but I personally enjoyed the fore knowledge of Dombang and its inhabitants and their violent tendencies). Finally we have Akiil. I would say that Akiil initially comes across as the least exciting of the perspectives but don’t be fooled. His story brings with it some fascinating ideas and some rather breathtaking scenes.

So, why did I love Gwenna so much, you might reasonably ask. Put bluntly, she made me feel good, I felt uplifted when I was reading her chapters. She’s prickly, tough, makes mistakes and swears like a trooper but she’s also fundamentally good. Staveley certainly puts her through some trials and some very low periods. Some of her chapters make for difficult reading. But, at the same time, I just couldn’t get enough of them. She’s such a ‘full of life’ character. Over the top you might be forgiven for saying. Her chapters are quite simply exhilarating and I couldn’t get enough of them. We travel to jungles with unspeakable monsters, places that will slowly poison the mind and body. There is so much to make you gasp. The Kettral, which are fundamental to Gwenna’s story are fantastic, huge birds, used for war, gigantic, magnificent birds of prey. I mean, just, everything. The time at sea and the tribulations they encountered, then taking on board a rather feral young girl known as ‘rat’. The whole idea of the deformed creatures within the jungle – some like a strange combination of animal and insect, impossibly fast, strong and hideous. What more could you ask for – abandoned towns? Check. Impossible scenes of bravery? Check. Monsters aplenty? Check. Fighting aplenty? Check. I could go on.

Ruc. A monk for the Goddess of love and his love interest Bien. Ruc has a fascinating story that involves the swamps that surround Dombang. His current God of choice, in fact, couldn’t be further from those of his upbringing. The two of them also share a fantastic story arc that eventually sees them meet up with a surprise character (who I can’t or won’t unveil here) and puts them into a gladiatorial style arena where, in spite of their ‘loving deity’ means they will either fight or die. I loved this. Again, this will give you highs and lows, make you gasp as you read – I mean, the concluding elements of these chapters, not to be a tease or anything, are amazing. Amazing I tell you – but don’t take my word for that – pick up the kent kissing book and find out for yourself.

Finally, Akiil. I feel a bit grim on this character because he gets a little bit of a bad rap comparatively speaking. His chapters feel sedate after the excitement of Gwenna and Ruc but, don’t be misled, these chapters are integral to the story so don’t be in a big rush to skim forward. Yes, I found these a little slow at first. Akiil is something of a monk turned con artist. He’s trying to charm some gold out of the Emperor but eventually he has to take action – possibly life threatening. He’s bragged about his abilities to travel through ancient portals – fatal to some – and so eventually he has to take that leap of faith. From here his story gathers pace – but I’m also not going to share any of it here. Because spoilers.

I don’t think I can add much more. To conclude I can confidently say this will be one of my top ten reads of the year. It was fantastic. If you love fantasy you simply have to read this book, I implore you to do so. Pretty please even. What more can I say? Come for the fantasy, stay for the characters, prepare to be gobsmacked and read in wonder.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating

5.5 of 5 stars – I know, it’s not possible but let’s just say I’ve been in the jungle and my mind has gone a little crazy.

It was the first book Iread by Brian Staveley and loved it.
It's gripping, gritty and it kept me turning pages as fast as I could, this promises to be a very exciting fantasy series.
The world building and the character development are excellent, the plot is fast paced and I was enthralled.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was already a fan of Brian Staveley’s Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne so I was so excited to see we’d be getting more books in the same world.

Honestly this is his best work yet.
Gwenna was one of my favourite characters from the first trilogy, so it was great to read from her perspective and see her journey through this book.
I also really liked the new characters we’re introduced to and even though there story is really disconnected, I was still totally captivated and I can see how it might come into play in the sequel! I’m so excited for more of it.
Also the third perspective Akiil, although he didn’t have as much time dedicated in this book, I still really enjoyed his parts of the story too.

This is a fast paced and brutal world. It can be very grim and dark at times and if anything I think even more so than the original trilogy.
Seeing Gwenna’s growth through the book really helped me to connect with her on a whole new level. The relationship between her and Rat was my absolute favourite thing!

The prose was just excellent and I think this has cemented Staveley to become an auto buy author for me for sure.

"The Empire’s Ruin" is the first book in a new series that is an expansion of a fantasy world fans and other readers of the speculative fiction genre have praised for years. This novel is an excellent place for newcomers to start reading about the Annurian Empire. Brian Staveley has written one of the best (and one of the most underrated) books of the year. This novel is the 1st in what’s to come in this epic fantasy, which will remind readers of a musical overture.

This book is not only the first in a new epic fantasy series, but also is part of the saga of the Annurian Empire which started with the "Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne" series. Fans of Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson and Melissa Caruso will enjoy this book—and, the upcoming books in this series—the most. This series will continue the expansive world-building that started with the author’s previous books. All of the narratives are part of the bigger story to come, and Brian Staveley wrote this story in a way that it is not too long, but with enough details to capture the readers’ attention.

An incredible read that grabs you from the very start and doesn't let you go. Staveley is a master of epic fantasy and this is another sprawling entry in a world that has gripped me from the very first page. At no point did this feel like book one of a series. The stakes were incredibly high from the start and I was on the edge of my seat throughout.

To get myself in the mood for this, I reread the original trilogy and it was really satisfying to see how the world has changed and how circumstances are different since then. The characters are incredibly strong, though I can't help but feel the fates of some of them are a bit of a waste. I guess that's just reflective of the nature of the war and the world that Staveley has presented to us.

I'm very excited and impatient to see what comes next! This is definitely a must read for fantasy fans. It is epic grimdark fantasy at its very best and a stunning example of the genre.

It’s been a long wait for this one(partially explained in the afterword). Brian Staveley’s Unhewn Throne books helped revitalise my interest in epic fantasy after a fallow period, so I’m happy to say they’re back, and as good as they’ve ever been.

There’s a good sense of place throughout, with very evocative descriptions that put you right alongside the characters. Staveley writes great action, and isn’t afraid of the old ultra violence, with a visceral glee that will get you right in the gut. There’s good character work as well, with internal conversations convincingly rendered and characters developing and having an actual arc. There are flaws, but they’re typical first book of a series ones. Of the three storylines, only one comes to any sort of conclusion and the others are cut off in mid flow. Almost mid-scene for one of them! And those storylines don’t crossover with each other at all (yet), spare a few very minor elements, so the effect is almost like reading three short books set in the same world spliced together. I trust that by the end of the trilogy these will look like silly moans and everything will come together and resolve, but I also hope it isn’t another four year wait for the next volume!

I adored the first trilogy in this world, and I can confidently say that this book maintained the high standard the first trilogy set.

This book handles an expansive world, a large cast and a long world history without blinking. I think this is one of the best examples of handling these elements on par with GRRM.

This second series switches focus to some select side characters from the first trilogy and adds in a couple brand-new characters who are some of my favourite in the book. I also wasn't expecting to find a possible relationship to stan and I hope it develops in future books.

Honestly one of my most anticipated books of the year and it more than delivered. I highly recommend you pick up a book by Staveley soon!!

This is the start of a new series following on from the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series. Set some time after The Last Mortal Bond, we follow three characters, Gwenna Sharpe as she leads her Kettral wing into disaster, resulting in her being sent thousands of miles away to retrieve the much needed Kettral eggs in the hope of restoring the Kettral and save the empire. Elsewhere, an ex-monk and con artist is trying to offer his not entirely legitimate services to the Emperor of Annur and two priests of Eira, the goddess of Love, get caught up in a barbaric ritual.

Gwenna was one of my favourite characters from the previous series so it was great to follow her journey as she reaches rock bottom. She is broken, and due to the development of a new relationship forced upon her, she builds herself back up. While other characters were interesting, I enjoyed Gwenna's chapters the most.

The story is a slow burn, as it intricately builds, moving each piece into place, as these storylines will eventually intertwine. The world building is intense, there is a lot of history, and you will need to read the previous series to fully enjoy this. I did sometimes feel, that some parts got a bit repetitive, however saying that, it was easy to visualise and get a real feel for what the characters were going through. It is a big book with a lot of information, it's clear that it is set to be a series, while there is lots of conflict and action it may be feel slow for readers who like quick resolutions.

The end is a comfortable cliff-hanger, our characters are still in peril and there's lots more to do, but it resolves the minor goals set in this book, leaving enough intrigue to read the next.

First of all, before reading The Empire’s ruin by Brian Staveley, you should read the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series. Unfortunately I haven’t read the series but after seeing how amazing Staveley’s world is of course I will read every book he wrote and will write in the future! Also look at this stunning cover! It won my heart before reading the synopsis.

We have 3 POVs: Gwenna, Ruc and Akiil. My favourite is Gwenna because she is such interesting character. A bad ass who knows what she wants and how to achieve it. But all 3 characters have incredible journeys full with mysteries, magic, secrets and twisted situations.

The author knows what he is doing because I couldn’t put the book down. It has 800 pages and never felt like a boring story and he never lost my attention. He knows how to keep you captivated! His books should be on your wishlist for sure, especially if you love epic fantasy books with great adventures and amazing characters.

Thank you so much @blackcrow_pr for the opportunity to read The Empire’s ruin and giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unputdownable, immersive, action-packed, brutal

Brian Staveley had been on my radar for years, and this is my first foray with his works. The Empire's Ruin is the first book in the series of Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, a sequel to Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne. Despite being a sequel series, It took me a while to get into, but I started enjoying it after reading the first quarter. It was pretty unputdownable after that!

It's 752 pages, and it took me 8 days to finish it. The Empire's Ruin has three POVs: Gwenna, a member of the Annurian Empire’s elite force called Kettral; Ruc, a priest of Eira; and Akiil, a shin monk and a thief. All characters are compelling, fierce, and well fleshed out. Their struggles and inner conflicts were portrayed well.

The writing style and pacing were just perfect. There are plenty of names, places, and information, but it never felt like an info dump. One of its strengths is world-building. Immersive, interesting, and detailed. It was descriptive without being too detailed, and I can picture clearly the places. Another strength of The Empire's Ruin is its well-executed fight scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Empire's Ruin. It's a dark, brutal, and richly imagined novel with diverse and compelling characters. Need to read the previous series soon! Don't wanna miss out on something awesome!

Thank you so much Pan Macmillan/Tor and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinion are mine.

Staveley is an author who I have heard a lot about since coming back into the world of fantasy, so when the invitation for this blog tour landed in my inbox I knew I had to accept! I was immediately gripped by the first chapter of The Empire’s Ruin and it is easy to see why Staveley is a favourite amongst fans of the genre.

Whilst this is a beast of a novel at 752 pages, don’t let that intimidate you! There are three different narratives running through this novel, all with engaging characters which have the pages just flying by. From the opening pages I fell in love with Gwenna, Commander of the Kettrals who will do everything she can for her men even if she knows that her ideas aren’t the best. The entire opening chapter is from Gwenna’s perspective as she embarks on one of her most dangerous missions and makes several mistakes which cost her the lives of those she is sworn to lead. She is such a strong and complex character, it was fascinating seeing how she coped in the aftermath of the disaster. I liked how she appeared to have lost herself for a moment and yet there were still parts of her stubborn personality that shone through. I particularly loved her fiery interactions with Jonon, the Admiral, but the true highlight was her unlikely… friendship with a feral girl who she, affectionately, names ‘Rat’ (in fact, I could have an entire 700 page novel with just Gwenna and Rat and not get bored).

Then we have the narratives of the Priests of Eira, Ruc and Bien who aren’t typical priests. I found these chapters of the novel great for understanding the politics behind other parts of the novel. Whilst each narrative builds the world in a certain way and alludes to a ‘bigger picture’ - it felt as though Ruc and Bien were in the heart of the political turmoil which was great to see alongside the other narratives revolving around the Annur. I also really liked seeing them contrasted with the ‘Worthy’ in later chapters, it feels like they shouldn’t work as well together as they do but Staveley has a knack for crafting characters as well as worldbuilding. Even Akiil, who we don’t see as often as the other characters, is incredibly memorable as the con-man monk. By the end of the novel, I was surprised to find that he was one of my favourite characters and much more complicated than I initially thought.

Whilst each narrative may seem separate at first, as the novel progresses you begin to see more and more links between them. I loved this gradual coming together of the plot as it had me eagerly returning to the novel to see what happened next every time I picked it back up again when life decided to interrupt. Although so much is going on in the novel, it was very easy to keep up with all of the different strands of plot and the different groups of people within this world. The attention to detail in the different settings also highlights how Staveley is absorbed in this world as much as the reader is, which is always great to see on the page. His descriptions of action as well as the world also captivated me and I could clearly see everything as I was reading, even if there were times I perhaps didn’t want to (well, maybe that’s not entirely true, I did very much enjoy seeing certain characters get what was coming to them).

Overall, I loved The Empire’s Ruin and will be checking out the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series as I just need to know more about this world whilst I wait for the next installment in the Ashes of the Unhewn Throne series. Not many authors can write a 700 page book and leave me desperate for more but Staveley has masterfully achieved this.

Thank you to Jamie-Lee-Nardone and Stephen Haskins at Tor UK for providing me a review copy and participating in this blog tour!

I need more of this. I cannot for one, accept that this is the entire story. It feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface, as I’ve uncovered something more mysterious and deep in this fascinating world. No doubt in mind, this is the sequel trilogy to the Chronicles of the Unhewn Thrones of which I enjoyed reading a lot about. It features many old and new characters from this world, and instead of solely focusing on Annur, it gives us glimpses of the entire world that this book offers. With a whopping 1045 pages, it is massive. It’s something that should be celebrated. Therefore, we have an epic fantasy.

Following onwards, this novel features the POV of three characters: Gwenna, who is part of the Kettral, the Annurian Empire’s elite force. She ends up deciding to abandon her loyal soldiers in a daring raid at Dombang and pays up the price for it. What she uncovers throughout this novel is a mysterious secret that will astound you. I was guessing; I knew what was coming, and I could guess it because I’ve read the first three books of the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne. However, I would recommend reading it to get an understanding of the events that happen. Let me summarise it in this way: The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne focuses on a declining Annurian Empire. Five years onwards with the Empire’s Ruin, it’s declining at a much steady pace than you can think. The events that happen there directly relate to the events that happen in Empire’s Ruin. Moving back to Gwenna, I didn’t like her character so much in the beginning. I despised her ability not to fight and stand up, even though she has the skills of a highly trained warrior. In the end, I understood her motivations and what she did. She is the epitome of the Broken Warrior seeking redemption. Then we have Ruc the Priest in Dombang, who is essentially uncovering his truth about who he really should worship. There’s an entire story arc for that, although unrelated, was a refreshing read. And we have Akill, who I seriously think could have his spin-off series as a Shin Monk. This monk is perhaps the bravest monk to live in this world. He goes to extent that no ordinary person can go through.

The action sequences are well written, and the battle scenes are also well done. Part of the reason I loved this novel was the naval combat and the descriptions of storms and the brig. Gwenna, while being sent by Emperor Adare to go to the mysterious land of Menkiddoc under Admiral Jonon, encounters the Manjari navy. Jonon defeats them, but not, of course, with Gwenna trying to prove she can do more. In the end, it ends up like a bloody mess. She meets the Captain of the Manjari Ship, Dhar, in the brig. There are philosophical conversations, there are engaging debates, and Dhar is a more secretive character than he lets on to be. Same for the Historian that accompanies Gwenna. Watch out for the Historian, by all means, just keep an eye out for him. I cannot tell you how engaged I was having reading Gwenna’s story in this arc when she went with this arc. There is brutality, there is a lot of cussing, there are a lot of truths and lies to be uncovered. There are trustworthy characters and untrustworthy characters. There are complete story arcs, and I think the POVs work well enough to complement one another. Some nitpicks I had were that some scenes were too long, and too many scenes felt on the edge of a cliff-hanger sometimes, but it’s a grand dark epic fantasy. Not every single page will be perfect. Fantasies will have their own strengths and weaknesses in a way. I was engaged in a story that made me want to uncover the truth and that’s what this dark fantasy presented to me. I don’t feel this is a benevolent world, because benevolence for the people of this world is, of course, wrought by elites and corrupted priests. But somewhere, there is still goodness in this world. Somewhere there is. Somewhere, a broken warrior may become attached to a small girl, which may reveal who she can become, a better version of herself than what she pretends herself to be. I wanted to see more of Akill. But the focus of book 2 should be on Gwenna. I need to know more. I just need to know more.

Amazing writing, great combat, I loved every second! Amazing!

I have submitted my Amazon and Waterstones Review as well.

Straight off the bat, I was surprised to see so much cursing in such quick succession. I’m not against cursing, and I personally curse a lot, but I didn’t expect it within the first few pages of the book. I think what bothered me most about it was that it was unnecessary and completely unimaginative. By unnecessary I mean every sentence did not require ‘f**king’ from the main character Gwenna, and that was the only swear word she seemed to know. Genuine cursing has variety, it’s not just the f-word, it’s s**t, crap, bloody, bugger, bollocks and so on. But for several pages right at the start of the book all I got was effing this and effing that, and it really wasn’t making me take a shine to the book. There was still cursing throughout the rest of the book, but it was down to a normal level which felt natural even when it was exaggerated.

As I got deeper into The Empire’s Ruin it split into three separate narratives and I found it really difficult to see how they had any relevance to each other at first. It took quite a while before two of them began to connect and it was two-thirds of the book before the third one connected. One narrative follows Gwenna Sharpe as she sets off on the voyage beyond the edge of the known world described in the synopsis. The second narrative follows two priests of love, and the third is about the monk turned con-artist also mentioned in the synopsis. Staveley’s writing style is very slow and it was too slow for me. This is a hefty book and 752 pages of slowly plodding on is not my idea of a fun read. There was action at times, but as you can see from the trigger warnings this is a very graphic novel and again, not my type of book.

By the end of the book, I was a little interested in the story and a few characters, but not nearly enough to pick up the next book. I just couldn’t get into this one and it wasn’t because I was coming into a universe at book 5, it was because it just did not grab me in any way. I felt that we were constantly reminded that Gwenna could only do all the things she was able to do, as a woman, because she was Kettral (and thus had extraordinary abilities) rather than her actually being a skilled fighter and demolitions expert. Her entire background as a legendary fighter and a hero seemed to only hinge on her being a Kettral and every time she did something epic the attitude was “well yes, she’s Kettral”. At the same time, there was this consistent insistence from everyone (including Gwenna herself) that she was not in fact Kettral anymore since she had been demoted. It got a little tiresome.

There was also the constant overhanging threat of rape. While it was primarily directed at female characters although it was directed at male characters occasionally, and at one point a male and female character had to defend themselves from rapists. You don’t need to tell me sexual assault happens; I’m a woman, I’ve been sexually assaulted and harassed, and I know too many people who have been as well. It’s a reality that women can’t avoid, but I don’t want to be bombarded with it in books I choose to read as well.

I keep seeing this book described as “epic” and I guess in terms of genre, it fits the bill of epic fantasy. The Empire’s Ruin is more Tolkien style fantasy (albeit with an R rating) and as such, it’s just not my kind of read. It certainly has some decent qualities and an interesting plot, it just didn’t click with me personally.