As the center volume of the Empire trilogy, this could have been the novel equivalence of “marking time”. Middle volumes tend to complicate situations with little or no resolution in the process. This novel, however, picks up the story within days after the first novel and takes the story to a conclusion that could have easily been the end of Mara’s rise to power in and of itself.
Mara’s struggle against the Minwanabi escalates to what, in essence, is a chess game to the death. Being a relative amateur at the Great Game, Mara appears to be out of her depth. The Minwanabi slowly but surely plot and scheme, and for the most part, they are successful. The authors seem to recognize that her situation should be grim and almost hopeless, given that they found a way to challenge Mara internally and offer a reason for her eventual success.
The character of Kevin keeps the book from becoming a retread of the action and drama from “Daughter of the Empire”. His introduction is a bit quick and simple, to the point that his survival as written relies on Mara’s whim more than his apparent merit, but he quickly becomes a more organic element of the tale.
Initially, Kevin is the man who finally introduces Mara to womanly delight, and they explore that option quite often. It is never explicit, so while the romance elements are there, they are handled deftly and maturely. Eventually Kevin offers his Midkemian perspective on Tsurani politics, giving Mara the element of surprise in her dealings with the Minwanabi.
This all takes place against the backdrop of the events described in the second half of “Magician”, right up until the end of the Riftwar. Mara manages to outscheme the Minwanabi and reform Tsurani society, but the effectiveness of this particular resolution is reduced by a “deus ex machine” plot device involving the Great Ones and their ability to trump just about anyone and everyone. Even so, the book comes to a satisfying end, setting the stage for Mara’s next victory in the third and final volume.
Rating: 8/10
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