In the Strangled Empire, three oppressive princes rule through terror and magical birthrights under their father, the Old Emperor. Jun, a conflicted imperial guard, and Keis, a one-armed warrior, unite to escort a dying goddess across a war-torn landscape. This deity, the Moon, seeks to reclaim her power and dismantle the tyrannical Moon Throne. The story unfolds across multiple perspectives, utilizing a theatrical framing device where a narrator in a modern dream-theater recounts the legend of the escape while spirits in the audience interrupt the flow of the history.
Readers who value experimental narrative structures and non-linear storytelling find here a subversion of traditional epic fantasy tropes. Those interested in the intersection of queer romance and internal political collapse will identify with the friction between Jun and Keis as they navigate their violent legacies. The audience walks away with an understanding of how oral traditions evolve over time and how individual acts of rebellion calcify into national myths. This is a study of the physical cost of magic and the endurance required to end generational cycles of systemic cruelty.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2022
- Language
- EN
