The Emperor's Edge

Yes, she’s also lucky, but what hero isn’t? Exciting action, narrow escapes, eclectic characters, noble motives, agonizing regrets, good and bad decisions … and a protagonist who actually thinks about her situation (well, when she has a moment to do so). What’s not to like?

Love the way Lindsay makes the world feel real. They way she uses Amaranthe as a non believer in a world full of magic. She hides it from the everyday people and it takes a little while before it’s clear that this is high fantasy. The bond the characters have and slow build to the inevitable romance keeps things interesting. My only issue was Amaranthe’s thirst for Sicarius. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to read book two

Mystery fantasy, scifi elements don’t really come in ‘til later in the series. I do not recommend this as a series. The author dips their toes in a lot of things but never explores any of them to a meaningful depth, and reinforces and perpetuates a lot of problematic behaviors. The author focuses on pushing the characters through the convoluted plot without taking time to really illustrate the magnitude of the experiences they’re enduring. This book individually was an overall okay read. Good use of callbacks, and Amaranthe’s resourcefulness is interesting. I would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t feminist bait. Though the story leads with feminism, it quickly falls to the background as far as the story is concerned, emphasized by the team being 1:5 woman:man. Amaranthe pulls the “I can’t eat a pastry” mentality possessed by women who want to watch their figure, rather than an athlete who knows a pastry here and there doesn’t really matter. She wants to be athletic enough for her job, not film a movie. Sexual assault was thrown in as if decades of using it for cheap drama in media hasn’t had consequences or shaped how people view it today. Basically she’s assaulted by a man, has to be saved by another man, and after a page or two she’s perfectly fine, as if multiple sexual assaults doesn’t have long term effects. The author appears to go out of their way to use unnecessarily jarring vocabulary. Verisimilitude instead of truth, mien instead of air, inveigle instead of entice, prevarications instead of lies, facsimile instead of copy, ecumenical instead of worldly, peregrinations instead of courses, appurtenances instead of accessories. It’s not done consistently enough to be a literary device. But yay for learning new words I guess.

This book shares the universe of Warrior Mage but takes place in a different country. Buroker is a fine story teller who delivers intriguing plots, finely crafted writing and believable and endearing characters. The Emperor’s Edge amply delivers all of that. I am eager to read the next book in the series.

The author has a tendency to over-explain some things, but by the end of the book the need for her excessive detail becomes an asset to the storyline (You don't get lost in the details). The characters are believable but laced with humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am planning on reading the entire series.

Story was adrenaline pumped with action and a fine journey into the historical periods

Great action and plot!

With so many choices for entertainment. I kept coming back to finish the book. It was awesome.

It is a fast pace action adventure. I wasn't able to put it down. It was humorous with the schemes that were plotted and how they were carried out. There also was a bit of mystery woven in with a splash of romance. I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next book in the series.

Definitely a good read. Story was engaging, hinting to layers of subplots that are fleshed out in the other books. What I was most impressed with however was the male lead in this story. I have found it quite hard to find a believable character of his profession who isn't just some silent person or a wise crack all the time. The way the author describes the characters gives you subtle glimpses into the characters nature as the characters respond to different circumstances.