Eleanor Herman’s Empire of Dust is the second book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series. The book almost immediately after Alexander’s victory over the Aesarian Lords. Five of the six main characters must deal with drastic changes after this battle. Alex must lead Macedon in his father’s absence, Hephaestion must regain Alex’s favor, Katrina must learn more about her history, Jacob must navigate the complex workings of the Aesarian Lords, and Cynane must find a way to achieve her ultimate dream. Meanwhile, Zofia is held captive while she attempts to search for the Spirit Eaters. Each character began their story in Legacy of Kings and now must follow their respective yet intertwined paths to their destiny.
Once again, we have an extremely large cast of characters. Each one is given multiple chances to narrate the story and faces many obstacles to overcome.
As the Prince of Macedon, Alex must rule his kingdom in his father’s absence. This matter is complicated by the fact that there is a spy hidden among his advisors. Alexander strives to be a respected leader, and the way he approaches each new obstacle will define the kind of leader he will be.
Hephaestion (Heph) also faces his own troubles. His hotheadedness cost him Alex’s favor and he spends the rest of the book trying to regain it. While doing so, he conceals a dangerous prophecy that concerns the person he is falling for and his Prince.
Katrina discovered many things about herself and her heritage in Legacy of Kings, but it has left her with many questions about her future. As she travels with Heph to Egypt, she needs to figure out what to do with her newfound knowledge.
Jacob joined the ranks of the Aesarian Lords and fought against Katrina in his most recent battle. While his ambition to be someone worthy of Kat ultimately led him away from her, his desire to prove himself hasn’t faltered. As he attempts to rise through the Aesarian ranks, he learns more about Blood Magic and takes on a new goal.
Cynane was captured after the battle in Pella. The Aesarian Lords torture her to discover the secrets of the Smoke Blood she has recently gained. In Legacy of Kings, Cynane has proven herself both fierce and untrustworthy. She is willing to do anything to achieve her dreams including betrayal and backstabbing, but there is clearly more to her story. As the novel progresses, something lures her back to her mother’s ancestral home.
Zofia is far away from Macedon. As a Persian Princess, she was supposed to be the bride of Prince Alexander, but her love for Cosmas led her to run away. She is currently enslaved by Ochus, a Persian Commander. Zofia leads him to the Eastern Mountains under the guise of pursuing a Pegasus. As time wears on she quickly become suspicious of Ochus’s story and wonders what is in store for her.
Empire of Dust is a great book. Like Legacy of Kings, it is very difficult to get into this book. The story doesn’t pick up until about 100 pages in. The book also doesn’t bother to recap the plot, making the book’s beginning seem annoyingly complex. The plot is slow moving. While containing many fast-paced scenes, the book progresses slowly and takes time to focus on each character individually. In fact, characters continue to be one of this series’ strong points. None of the characters seem like a carbon copy of another. Each character is well crafted and unique. Each possesses a different goal and a different way of achieving it. In this book, the characters continued down the path they chose in Legacy of Kings. Each one encounters obstacles that shape the characters, but is clear that there is much more in store for each one of them. Another one of Eleanor Herman’s strong points is her beautiful description of the setting. She does an amazing job of placing the reader into the turbulent times of the dying Age of Gods. The massive amount of research shines through as she paints a comprehensive scenery that doesn’t detract from the plot. I give this 372 page book 4.5 stars.
Once again, we have an extremely large cast of characters. Each one is given multiple chances to narrate the story and faces many obstacles to overcome.
As the Prince of Macedon, Alex must rule his kingdom in his father’s absence. This matter is complicated by the fact that there is a spy hidden among his advisors. Alexander strives to be a respected leader, and the way he approaches each new obstacle will define the kind of leader he will be.
Hephaestion (Heph) also faces his own troubles. His hotheadedness cost him Alex’s favor and he spends the rest of the book trying to regain it. While doing so, he conceals a dangerous prophecy that concerns the person he is falling for and his Prince.
Katrina discovered many things about herself and her heritage in Legacy of Kings, but it has left her with many questions about her future. As she travels with Heph to Egypt, she needs to figure out what to do with her newfound knowledge.
Jacob joined the ranks of the Aesarian Lords and fought against Katrina in his most recent battle. While his ambition to be someone worthy of Kat ultimately led him away from her, his desire to prove himself hasn’t faltered. As he attempts to rise through the Aesarian ranks, he learns more about Blood Magic and takes on a new goal.
Cynane was captured after the battle in Pella. The Aesarian Lords torture her to discover the secrets of the Smoke Blood she has recently gained. In Legacy of Kings, Cynane has proven herself both fierce and untrustworthy. She is willing to do anything to achieve her dreams including betrayal and backstabbing, but there is clearly more to her story. As the novel progresses, something lures her back to her mother’s ancestral home.
Zofia is far away from Macedon. As a Persian Princess, she was supposed to be the bride of Prince Alexander, but her love for Cosmas led her to run away. She is currently enslaved by Ochus, a Persian Commander. Zofia leads him to the Eastern Mountains under the guise of pursuing a Pegasus. As time wears on she quickly become suspicious of Ochus’s story and wonders what is in store for her.
Empire of Dust is a great book. Like Legacy of Kings, it is very difficult to get into this book. The story doesn’t pick up until about 100 pages in. The book also doesn’t bother to recap the plot, making the book’s beginning seem annoyingly complex. The plot is slow moving. While containing many fast-paced scenes, the book progresses slowly and takes time to focus on each character individually. In fact, characters continue to be one of this series’ strong points. None of the characters seem like a carbon copy of another. Each character is well crafted and unique. Each possesses a different goal and a different way of achieving it. In this book, the characters continued down the path they chose in Legacy of Kings. Each one encounters obstacles that shape the characters, but is clear that there is much more in store for each one of them. Another one of Eleanor Herman’s strong points is her beautiful description of the setting. She does an amazing job of placing the reader into the turbulent times of the dying Age of Gods. The massive amount of research shines through as she paints a comprehensive scenery that doesn’t detract from the plot. I give this 372 page book 4.5 stars.