Her only hope could lay with Lancelin Jagdor, sent to gather allies in their struggle against the usurper. Can even the greatest warrior in Torwyn hope to succeed with so many adversaries determined to stop him?
Tyreta returns home with newfound strength and mysterious sorcerous abilities, only to discover it is not the land she left behind. She will have to call upon her untested powers to survive when she embarks on a mission that could turn the tide of war.
Conall, trapped in a dangerous land, has his own enemies to defeat before he can hope to escape and join the conflict that threatens his family. Even if he succeeds, he must overcome the demons that threaten from within or face damnation.
Though Rosomon is vastly outnumbered, and her family lost, she is determined to strike back against her enemies. But saving her homeland might prove an impossible task.
ENGINES OF EMPIRE was one of my favorite fantasy novels of 2022. It was my first book by R. S. Ford & so I went into it with no idea what to expect. And I think what I found was a book that felt so expertly balanced. The characters were so well defined & (mostly) very likable. There were moments of absolute white-knuckle thrills. I’m also a huge fan of books that have magic but give you just enough to understand how things work…overly complicated magic systems are increasingly Not For Me, and the way the magic works in both ENGINES OF EMPIRE and ENGINES OF CHAOS felt perfect to me!
As is the case with a lot of second books in a trilogy, this one features just a whole boatload of pain. The Hawkspur family is going through some shit, make no mistake.
The conflict between the Draconate Ministry and the Guilds is in full swing, which has left Rosomon the unlikely leader of a growing rebellion.
Conall has been shipwrecked & enslaved, and fucking hell…his story goes to some brutal & weird places as he fights to rejoin his family.
Tyreta is for sure my favorite of the POV characters…her story just went to such unexpected places, particularly in the first book. Her magical powers continue to grow, and she embarks on a dangerous mission in ENGINES OF CHAOS. Joining Tyreta is her MURDER PANTHER named Cat, and, as fate (or the author) would have it, Sted, who was one of my favorite secondary characters from ENGINES OF EMPIRE!
We also get some new POV characters for book two. My favorite of these is Ansell, Knight Commander of the Drakes, and personal bodyguard to Sanctan Egelrath. Ostensibly, we should be set up to hate someone like Ansell, who seems to be indiscriminately serving a religious fanatic who is determined to outlaw artifice (magic) in this world.
But Ansell strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young girl named Grace. Grace is the illegitimate child of Sanctan and a sex worker, and this is something that is deeply frowned upon in this world…I mean, Sanctan is kind of like the (evil) Pope of this world, he’s not supposed to be having kids! This puts Grace in serious jeopardy, and Ansell is not fucking having it. If you’re like me & are an absolute sucker for the dangerous/grumpy/lovable-adult-accompanying-a-kid-in-peril trope, you’re gonna love Ansell’s chapters!
THE AGE OF UPRISING is shaping up to be such an incredible trilogy! A great cast of characters, an expansive & unique fantasy world, and some dark & dangerous magic! Really looking forward to the finale of the trilogy, and definitely planning on checking out more of R. S. Ford’s work as well!!
Massive thanks to Orbit for sending a copy my way!
Grimdark Dad 