| Title | : | Conspiracy (The Emperor's Edge, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 359 |
| Publication | : | First published April 25, 2012 |
When you’re an outlaw hoping for a pardon, and the emperor personally sends a note requesting that your team kidnap him, you make plans to comply…
Even if it’ll involve infiltrating a train full of soldiers, bodyguards, and spies loyal to a nefarious business coalition that has numerous reasons to hate you.
Even if it means leaving the city right after you’ve uncovered a secret weapons shipment that might be meant to start a war.
Even if it's a trap...
Conspiracy (The Emperor's Edge, #4) Reviews
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Previous rating: 4 stars.
New rating: 4.5 stars. BecauseSicariusreasons.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: There’s nothing quite like Amaranthe’s very special knack for findingtrouble“missions fraught with danger and morally ambiguous choices,”, if you ask me. Then again, her unique style of leadership (“which, at no extra charge, includes non-linear thinking, inappropriate jokes, and a tendency to blow things up”) does also have a certainje ne sais quoiI-don’t-know-what. And let us not forget her innate ability toburblemuse constructively. Or her scintillating (and ever pertinent) reflections on tongues and appreciation.
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: How could I forget that Fleet Admiral DaShrimp is part of the cast in this installment! He’s on a top secret assignment here, obviously, doing all kind of nefarious stuff on my behalf (like, you know, kidnap Sicarius and stuff), and therefore doing, err, business, under an assumed name. But make no mistake, Fleet Admiral Starcrest is really DaShrimp in disguise. The “legendary naval strategist” thingie is a dead giveaway, methinks.
➽ And the other, other moral of this reread is: Sicarius = YUM = MINE. Gotta love maths.
P.S. The disruptive power of underwear is quite underestimated, just so you know. Indeed it is.
P.P.S.: So glad we finally have anotherGrouchcharismatic young lady on the team!
• Book 1:
The Emperor’s Edge ★★★★
• Book 2:
Dark Currents ★★★★
• Book 3:
Deadly Games ★★★★
• Book 5:
Blood and Betrayal ★★★★
• Book 5.5:
Beneath the Surface ★★★★
• Book 6:
Forged in Blood I ★★★★
• Book 7:
Forged in Blood II ★★★★★
• Book 8:
Republic ★★★★
• Book 9:
Diplomats and Fugitives ★★★★
[Abominably crappy original review (March 2014)]
And the adventure continues! I was a bit sceptical about this instalment because the focus is on Askyr and he is my least favourite character in the series so far. I was also wondering whether Buroker would be able to keep the story as exciting and entertaining as in previous instalments. I have been so disappointed in other series that never lived up to their original promises and was afraid this would also be the case here.
Well the good news is, Buroker did it again and Conspiracy is a great read! It’s yet another excellent instalment and frankly I don’t know how Buroker keeps it up. The writing keeps getting better, the characters keep evolving from one book to the next and their dialogues & interactions are just hilarious. Lots of memorable quotes and laugh-out-loud moments!
There are lots of things going on in this volume and a lot of action, which is nice. Buroker also gets better at world-building (new weapons, new technologies, new settings) which I always thought was her major weakness. Another nice touch: the addition of Sergeant Yara. We desperately needed another girl on the team!
Fun fun fun, I can’t wait to read
Blood and Betrayal! -
*** 4.44 ***
I think the enjoyment of the book has everything to do with us getting to know and love these characters through every previous book. By this point, I know for myself and the friends I am reading the series with, we have fallen in love with the gang of the main 5, despite their perfect imperfections and obsessive desire to get into more trouble than they could ever possibly handle... This book is no exception. Amaranthe, being the heart of the group, continues to attempt and find this "big case", which will save the Empire, make a name for themselves and clear their tarnished and mostly criminal reputation and public record. Luckily for them, they are poised on the verge of committing a very high profile kidnapping, which if they could pull off without much bloodshed, they might be able to finally walk unafraid from Enforcers and bounty hunters alike. Of course, all of their training, planning and preparations doesn't prepare them adequately for all they actually encounter...
The best part of the books is still the banter between the members of the team and their characters relating to each other and the world at large. The one thing I actually had a problem with was the ending - a cliffhanger?!??? Really, Ms. Buroker, really?!?! 🐙 -
I’ve decided that Lindsay Buroker is a colossal tease. She’s been dragging out the romance in this series for four frickin’ books! grrr
I’ve been pretty entertained though so far so I guess I don't mind.
As with each book, Buroker goes into another one of the gang’s point of view. This one delves into the mind of Akstyr, who’s actually one of my favorite characters. I say that because he got the longest list of bad character traits. He’s lazy, grumpy, selfish, immature, difficult and more than a little traitorous. Amaranthe didn’t win him over as easily as she did the others. He also struck me as being Buroker’s least favorite character because she doesn’t go into deep detail about him. I’ve always had a weakness for underdogs. Yet I’m not sure this book really satisfied my Akstyr curiosity. I can’t help but feel he still has a lot more potential for depth. I think he’d be a hilarious, curmudgeonly, grumpy old wizard if Buroker decided to visit with him later on as an old man -- maybe in another series. :)
Anyway, I was happy to see Sespian again. Yara was a nice addition to the group, and I thought the ending exciting. I’m off to read book five. Each book gets a little better and better.
As always, I want to thnk Jeannette for doing a buddy read with me on these. :) -
3.5*
More (mis)adventures from Amaranthe & Co. This one finishes in a middle of the mission on a clifhanger so I'm rounding up to 3*. My advice is to read #4 and #5 back to back. -
I have read this entire series up to date but this is the only book I'll write a review for. Why you ask? It is simply because I have a tendency, if I am in the zone with a series that I plow through it and read any book available like a locust through a crop. I REALLY like this series.
You shouldn't be reading this review if you haven't read the other books or you want to read this series ok? You have been warned, I assume you can read since you're on GR, so don't moan if you come across something that seems spoilerish because you didn't read the other books prior to this.
I have always felt the heroine, Amaranthe, to be heavily Mary Sue but Buroker does it in a way that makes her still very likeable and enjoyable to read. Amaranthe is like a Disney Princess with a Law and Order penchant running around trying to gain pardons for herself and her team from the Emperor. It is refreshing to meet a heroine who can fight (and it makes sense that she can fight) who doesn't have to be an obnoxious bitch to everyone around her to prove that's she's badass. Amaranthe is a goody two shoes who is interested in justice most of all. Her biggest flaw as a person is that she is hell bent on trying to make her own mark in history- this is a believable flaw and that's why I like Amaranthe so much. She's a clean freak and leader of her own steampunk A-Team.
I enjoy the world Buroker has created and I enjoy that this book is steampunkish but isn't set in an alternative history of the real world.
Also I enjoy the different characters and their interactions and the dialogue between the team members a lot! These books have had me laughing at times, have had me upset about stupid mistakes and frustrations.
Oh let us get to the good stuff..Sicarius. Yeah- wow. He's one of the biggest reasons why I keep on reading this. I have your number Buroker, you really like stoic. Super amazingly statue like stoic men don't you? I feel like I'm cheering on my toddler for doing something like picking up a piece of trash and putting it in the trash bin- YAY GOOD JOB BABY! Sicarius, when Buroker decides to treat us to his moments of "weakness" with Amaranthe, I swear I read the paragraphs again and again. I don't know how Amaranthe is dealing with it. It's just as well since she has mission after mission and adventure churning up her entire life because any sane woman would have been on her knees begging for Sicarius to relent methinks.
The entire time I've been reading this series wondering to myself often and crazily- is it something you can condemn one for- that he is raised from birth and wholly created for one purpose only and molded cruelly into the perfect tool that he knows nothing else. I am a bleeding heart if there ever was one and I find myself unwilling to condemn Sicarius even though I know if I were more rational about it I would. I find myself being as crazy as Amaranthe.
I am relieved that Amaranthe really doesn't spend idiotic scads of pages mooning over Sicarius - but there are moments throughout the last book or so or more where you definitely see the patterns of her decision making being bent for her adoration and I love to see this.
This book ends with a whopping kick in the ass cliff hangar. Usually I'd berate an author for doing this- but oh I'm a fan and Buroker did leave a nice note to her readers about this. I am definitely going to read everything she has. I have already read her other two novellas. I like her characters.
So I want more Buroker, I want it NOW, gimme gimme gimme GIMME SOME MORE. -
Yes, it's definitely getting better and better!
I thought I would be a bit disappointed in this one, it's focusing on Askyr's story, but it was, again, better than I expected.
Even more, the plot thickens! Now is where the story actually begins. This one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, although it's not exactly a problem because all the books are out and you can just go on reading them all,
Yes, still worth it! -
I think it safe to say that if readers have come this far, they will not be disappointed. In fact, I think this is my favorite so far. The world building is as wild as the action, the humor kept me cracking up, and the pacing so fast that I've been staying up far too late reading. I love these characters so much.
The only caveat? Ends with the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers, so have Book Five ready and waiting! (I'm glad I did!) -
I WAS hoping to be able to take a little reading break after this one... but that's clearly not gonna happen.
I really enjoyed getting a chance to see the world through Akstyr's perspective. He was always my least favorite character, but it was heartwarming to see him develop his sense of loyalty toward the rest of the group.
This particular installment (especially because there was a train involved) reminded me a lot of the TV show, Firefly. And I love being able to make that comparison because I think both the show and these books focus a lot on family, and I don't mean the traditional sort of family. The mercenary kind.
It just gives me all sorts of good feelings.
THEY MAKE ME HAPPY.
And in the words of Jay-Z... I'm on to the next one! -
I've been loving this series, and Conspiracy felt like it got the plot back 'on track'. The 2nd and 3rd books feel like lulls, but Conspiracy gets back to the main plot with the Forge conspiracy. There's also a train heist. What's not to like? Also, I was seriously impressed with Akstyr's plot, which I honestly didn't have high expectations for after how little I enjoyed the Books and Basilard sections of the last two books. I think one of the things I liked the most was that Akstyr, who felt the least like a real character in this series, came across as fully formed with his own unique motives (his mom and not wanting to be a shithead for the rest of his life) and life goals (to study the mental sciences). This book also benefits greatly from the return of Yara and Sespian.
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Beautiful, excellent, fanstatic!
I grow to love each one of the characters! They're so fantastic together! -
Ever since one of my #BookBesties recommended this series to me... thank you agan for that K ;) I'm in love with it... but before I will go into all the reasons why, I have to explain something... we are finally at that moment in the series, when I no longer can avoid every little spoiler from the previous stories, so this is what we will do this time: I will have the next paragraph totally free from any spoilers whatsoever, for all of you people who are brand new to this series... :) and then we will jump to the part where you need to be caught up with previous stories to avoid ruining any surprises :) so let me tell you a bit more... :)
This is a phenomenal series, a mix of fantasy and steampunk, with witty humor, surprising twists and turns and lots of adventures and action along the way :) we have our main character, Amaranthe Lokdon, who used to be an Enforcer, a police officer of sorts, but now she is on the other side of the law, after some unfortunate misunderstandings, and trying to clear her name :) she cleans when she's nervous, tries her best to stay positive even under the worst circumstances and I adore her :) she may be the main focus of the stories, but the further we are going into the series, the more and more we get to know about other members of her group... because there is a group... ;) and my oh my, they are probably my favourite band of misfits ever :) there's Maldynado, a hilarious man, disowned by his warrior-caste family, who says the most inappropriate things all the time, but is also charming as hell... there's Akstyr, a young guy, angry most of the time, expecting betrayal on every turn, who studies Mental Sciences... or magic as we would call it :) there's Books, a bit older gentleman, with a vast knowledge who talks about the most trivial things when he gets nervous :) and Basilard, scarred and mute, from a different country, I am very curious to know more about him... and of course how I could forget about Sicarius... *sighs* I should not be sighing so much thinking of him, because he is this deadly, mysterious assassin, trained from when he was just a kid to be a merciless weapon... he is dangerous and do not mistake my love for him with total blindness to everything he's done... but there are also moments when we see... just a glimpse, of his other side... and I am swooning all over again... :) so there you have it ;) a few teasers about all of them :) additional information, this is one of those series when you have to read all the books in order... because the same group of people is always at the center of them all, and the stories in each installment are very much connected to one another :) ok, now is the time for all of you who are completely new to this series to skip the rest of my review and just go read the first book :) every one else can proceed :)
Final warning: there will be now some spoilers from the first three books, but not the one I am reviewing today :) ok, you've been warned :) so after the ending of that last installment, I was very curious about this one :) not every day you are asked by the emperor of the whole country to kidnap him :) and that is exactly how that third book ended :) so we pick up a few months later, with the team in their last stages of preparations to do just that :) over all they've been working together for about nine months and are starting to get better at it ;) finally... ;) but of course nothing can go according to the plan they prepared ;) if that will happen at some point, I will be shocked :) shocked I tell ya! ;) I had some troubles getting into the first half of the book, but I think that was more because I was very busy and didn't have the time to read more than chapter or two at a time :) but the other half, when they get to the kidnapping part... damn... that one went by really fast :) and a huge warning, this book ends on a mother of all cliffhangers... seriously, have the next one ready to go... because I had a plan... to read certain books after finishing this one... yeah... good times ;) because after that ending I had to change my plan and went straight into the sequel... and I heard somewhere that the rest of the books end on cliffhangers as well, so it's possible that I will have to finish this series before going into anything else... oh no... poor me... ;) will let you know in future reviews if that's the case :)
I gave this book another five stars, like all others in the series, although I think I enjoyed it the least... don't get me wrong, it was still full of phenomenally entertaining writing style, witty dialogue, hilarious humor and lots of susprising adventures... I guess I can't love them all equally :) I really liked the fact that we got to know more and more about the characters, and I am eager to learn even more... :) because I'm greedy like that ;) the group scenes are always my favourite ones in these books... seeing the camaraderie and all different interactions between them is so much fun :) especially since those bonds get stronger with time... at least in most cases :) the first half is a bit slow, but maybe it was my own fault... like I mentioned before I didn't have the time to really sit down and get into it... but the second is full of action :) trains, explosions, mysterious things happening... :) it was a great read :) if you haven't already I very highly recommend you guys to give this series a try :) it's such a unique experience and I have yet to find a book / series like it... if you are already familiar with this and can give me recommendations as to what may be somewhat similar, I would greatly appreciate it :) in the meantime, go read it... start at the beginning and then we can gush about it together... because more people need to hear about it :)
XOXO
A -
This is my second time reading this story and the cliffhanger at the end still drove me insane ESPECIALLY since I know what happens next. I'm all excited and jittery to keep reading but I am re-reading these slower this time around so I can fully absorb them and stretch the time out for the last book to come out. This series was my first fore into the fantasy world and nothing had been as good since (which I'm sad about but also sort of proud of because Lindsay Buroker rules!!).
In this book we are in the mind of our kicka$$ heroine Amarenthe again and Akstyr, the crabby teenager who's responsible for the magic (or as they call it the 'science') for the group. He's your typical teenage boy who grew up on the streets and tries hard not to get too attached, even though its obvious he has feelings for his groups members... everyone except Sicarius who he's scared sh*tless of, understandably.
We also get to meet up with Sespian again and we watch Sicarius act as the awkward parent who just wants to protect and help him. In the last book we are left with the cliffhanger to kidnap the emperor and the way they end up doing it is PURE James Bond/ Bourne Identity style. I was shaking and literally falling out of my seat at those scenes. We also get the connection to Buroker's other books here (Encrypted/Decrypted) and hit into the syfy world a little bit.
Amarenthe is still amazing. Sometimes I feel like she might be a little submissive to Sicarius but then I remember he's an emotionless assassin who wouldn't have responded to someone trying to out-due him so it's not that she's being submissive it's that she picks her battles and doesn't sweat the small stuff. The fact that he goes along with ALL of her crazy-a$$ plans shows that he does listen to her even if it's to get his own goals met, he is using her path. She's not his owner and he's not her boss but they know what it takes to work together and AND AND get a little cuddly time behind a bush or in a hidden corner. It's nice to see Sicarius opening up a little with the group as well- and by opening up I mean speaking about something other than training. The part about cannibalism had me literally on the floor laughing (and this was my second time reading this book!).
I am dying DYING to skip ahead and read book 6 since I've already read book 5, but I promised myself that I would re-read the entire series slowly so that when I got to book 6 I will not have missed anything and I'd be super excited about it..... Not that I am not excited enough!!
Aaahh!!
Okay okay on to book 5... -
Newcomers to Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge series should read them in order: "The Emperor's Edge," "Dark Currents," "Deadly Games" and, most recently, "Conspiracy." While all can be read as standalone stories, there is an overarching storyline that will make the most sense if you start at the beginning.
At the end of "Deadly Games," a note from the emperor offered Amaranthe and her group of mercenaries a large sum of money to kidnap him. No explanation was offered, but for a group of people seeking to vindicate themselves of various accidental criminal acts — and other, more personal motives — it was the opportunity they'd been waiting for. Their plan to do so runs into a few hitches, of course.
Buroker's strong suit is her characters, and "Conspiracy" continues to flesh out the members of the Emperor's Edge: Amaranthe, Sicarius, Maldynado, Books, Akstyr and Basilard. This book's side story focuses on Akstyr and his motivations. I'll admit that he was my least favorite character in the previous books, simply because he was so sullen all the time, but "Conspiracy" gives reason to hope he's gotten past that. We get more back story on Maldynado, too, likely in preparation for his story in Book 5.
I'm a sucker for writers including call-backs to earlier works, so when minor characters made reappearances here, I was thrilled. I hope that one, in particular, becomes a regular part of the team. I enjoyed the related book "Encrypted," so I liked the references to the lead characters of that story and the appearance of the mysterious technology. I would love to see these two worlds intersect at some point.
And, of course, there's Amaranthe and Sicarius. Sicarius again gives Amaranthe reason to question herself for having feelings for him, which — yeah. That's reasonable. He kills people at the least provocation. However, she's had ample time to reach a decision on that matter, and she needs to either find peace with who he is or accept that it's not going to work.
Buroker is one of the best self-published authors that I've found. Excellent writing, good plotting and good editing — which, unfortunately, isn't always the case for indie authors. "Conspiracy" more than lives up to the high expectations she's set with the preceding books.
Be warned: "Conspiracy" ends with a classic cliffhanger. Good thing Buroker's such a speedy writer. -
"At first, Amaranthe saw nothing. Then, dark against the white mountainside, a massive black craft floated across the railway, dwarfing the evergreens beneath it. Intermittent lights outlined its half-sphere shape. It was flat on the bottom and convex on top, like the dome of a building."
Amaranthe: What is that?
Sicarius:
Wow, this book was quite amazing! It was so action packed (I admit though it was a little slow in the beginning) and near the end, I was so freaking stressed out. When they were doing the surgery on Sespian, my heart was beating so fast. And, WOW! What a cliff hanger! Thank God I have the next book!
But when Sicarius pushed Amaranthe into the room and hugged her I had a fan girl moment and squealed with happiness. It's just the little things he does that makes him so amazing and cute. (Although I'm not sure I should be using the word 'cute' when talking about a deadly assassin). Then Sespian asked her to dinner
and then she turns around and Sicarius is there,
I just wanted to come into this book and shoot Sespian in the head! How dare he! Trying to steal Amarante away from Sicarius!
Overall this book was awesome and I would recommend this series to everyone. -
Train Heist!
3.5
A fast paced and action packed thrill ride.
The perspectives from Amaranthe and Akstyr- would have given it a four, but I find that Akstyr is my least favorite character (Even though he did have some good personal growth in this) -
#1
The Emperor's Edge 3.5 stars
#2
Dark Currents 4 stars
#3
Deadly Games 3.5 stars
#4
Conspiracy 4.5 stars
4.5 shiny stars
I don’t know if it was my mood, but the last book left me a little “meh”.
Well, everything is fixed with this one. I enjoyed it so so much I’m glad I waited a little to pick it up.
Train heist anyone? It was totally exciting. The action was on point, the plot so much more interesting and getting into the “real thing”.
The group antics, banter, conversations and chemistry were so fucking good, they filled me with a very warm feeling. I cracked a lot of laughs even in serious moments, without it feeling out of place or ruining the moment, just as it happens to me with
Ilona Andrews. And I can’t say that from a lot of authors.
As for the romance, even if it is a minimal part of the story, I had some problems with it in the first books, but I changed my perspective and now I’m enjoying it a lot. I just wish the author didn’t rush things a little in the beginning (only to slow down later) and gave us a super slow-burn, which would have suited the story and characters better in my opinion.
Still, this funny and endearing group of outlaws just make up for everything. I want to breath their interactions.
And that ending. God, I already bought the whole series. -
Conspiracy is the fourth volume in the high fantasy
The Emperor's Edge and is from the POV of Amaranthe, our beloved heroine and Akstyr and I must say I loved every page.
I love this crew, I cannot help laughing every time I read this books because this characters are the best.
After the emperor employs Amaranthe's crew to kidnap him, our heroine decide that the moment is perfect for this mission when the emperor travels by train. In this book we meet again with emperor Sespian and also with Sergeant Yara ( who by the way I want her to be part of the team).
Oh and that cliffhanger, I cannot wait to dive in the 5 book! -
The Emperor's Edge series is really a disaster for my sleeping habits - there's just no way to put these books down once you've started reading! Conspiracy is no different; if anything, it's even more of a breathless ride than the previous installments, since the action hurtles forward non-stop once it really gets started. No time to stop for a rest, that's for certain.
It's clear by now that the first three books were self-contained adventures leading up to the real crux of this story; they laid the groundwork for the formation of the team, developing the intra-group bonds as each member became increasingly experienced at handling the twists and turns of Amaranthe's high-flying schemes and gradually gaining a positive reputation. Conspiracy finally brings the team to the goal of approaching Sespian, though his trust and pardon will not be that easily earned.
One of the best parts of the series is the characters, their growth and relationships. I was worried that the interjection of Sespian might put a halt to the Amaranthe/Sicarius developments, but I should have trusted Buroker's skill in handling conflict without sending the characters into one of those frustrating one-step-forward-two-steps-back relationships. Sicarius DOES start off the book surprisingly cold and even stays grouchy for at least a third of the book, which was surprising and a bit annoying given the changes in him evident in Book 3. Nevertheless, the trust and partnership that I love became once again evident in the second half and the moments of tenderness and vulnerability between the two more than made up for the beginning. There's even an encounter that rivals the Imperial Garden scene in Book 3. It's enough to make a girl squee.
Aside from that, this book is really Akstyr's book and we finally get a chance to know the bad-tempered and unlikeable young fellow better. And it works; we see that even he has begun changing due to the influence of his comrades and I like him much more for his increased loyalty. The introduction of Sespian and Yara to the team was also a great move - Sespian is more mature than he was in Book 1 and Yara is a helpful ally.
I do have one complaint to register about Conspiracy, and that is the first third of the book. The very, very slow first third. While I actually like these moments of relative quiet when the team are off investigating and still getting into trouble (but of a more manageable level), the first third mainly involved the setting up of the train heist that was to take place later. It wasn't uneventful so much as it lacked cohesion and almost meandered until the actual action began and the pace moved into a sprint. It was also surprisingly dark. Several points of conflict were introduced, reaching a climax later in the book and serving to drive the character growth, but the fact that they were all concentrated at the beginning made it a more depressing read than I'd expected. The reminder of what Sicarius is capable of doing and the fact that he's not above acting contrary to Amaranthe's wishes for his own goals if he feels it's necessary was like a cold slap (ultimately forgotten rather quickly). On the upside, we are shown both the weaknesses and strengths of Amaranthe as a leader through the contrast between the first third and remaining two-thirds. She does have a blind spot where risks are concerned, but her charisma, silver tongue, genuine care for each team member and her quick wit keeps the team alive and following her not just out of respect and loyalty, but affection.
We can't go without mentioning that doozy of a cliffhanger, of course, but it annoys me less than most because thank God I'd decided put the series on hold after the second book until Lindsay Buroker had finished writing them. It's both a wonderful and terrible thing to be so invested in a series. -
Fantasy Review Barn
Possible spoilers from earlier books in the series.
More of the same from Amaranthe and her loveable group of criminals, and in no way is that a bad thing. For those who don’t know, the series follows former Enforcer Amaranthe and her crew through light steampunk world as they try to clear their name and keep the Empire, and more importantly the Emperor himself, safe from those who want to remake the land in their own ideal. She comes up with harebrained plans, the crew grumbles then follows along anyway, and things end up ok in the end. Usually.
At the end of the last book the group learns that Emperor does indeed know of both the Emperor’s Edge (the name of Amaranthe’s group) and of the danger to himself. In fact he wants to arrange his own kidnapping away from his handlers. And thus begins ‘Conspiracy,’ in which the group trains for a train heist (bad pun). As in the last two books one member of the group takes over as the secondary story, this time it is he of the bad attitude, wannabe mage and former street punk Akstyr. Akstyr does some major soul searching and considers what kind of person he is looking to be, but thankfully doesn’t distract from the main story.
The book started out slower for me than previous outings; the early set up was missing some of the witty dialog that really carries the series. The first third is also a much darker outing than we are accustomed too, something that doesn’t mesh with expectations and didn’t work as well for me. Thankfully once the heist is actually underway the book snaps back to what I read the series for; snappy infighting and wacky hijinks!
Amaranthe is still enjoyable, Sicarius is still unbelievably glum (and forgiven for trespasses too easily), and Maldynado is still my favorite shameless pretty boy. Yara is back from the last book and is paired with Maldynado for some of the best laughs in the book. The Emperor has been seen before, but he really shows some personality here and he is a very convincing character. Strong and sure at times as the leader of the land should be, hesitant and even scared at times as a young man with hell thrown at him would be.
The book ends on a major cliffhanger. While the Akstyr plot line is given some closure, nothing else is. In some ways this is a good thing, by meeting the Emperor this series is leaving the “wacky adventure of the month” serial it was in danger of becoming and plunging into an over arching plot line. But this isn’t a minor cliffhanger we are left on, but rather a season finale type that makes me glad the next book is already out (actually the whole series is done, good for fans).
Another fun entry in the series, still something a recommend, but something about the first third just didn't jive with me. Still, once again it was a book I couldn't put down and read in 2 days.
3 Stars -
I like that each book focusses on one of the team's character (thanks to a POV).
1st book is about Amaranthe (she is the main character) and how she ends up leading a band of mercenaries.
2nd book : Books. The teacher. The eldest of the band (mid-40s)
3rd book : Basilard. The mid-30s former slave freed by Amaranthe
4th book : Akstyr. The 17/18 y/o former thug (and the band's wizard)
Now, the author says that the 5th book will focuss on Maldynado. I can't wait to read that. He is a fascinating character. I bet many secrets will be revealed about him (such as why he was disowned by his family).
I hope that book 6 will focus on Sicarius and if so, I hope the author will have made a good job of it because, well, Sicarius is...Sicarius.
Back to this book : THAT CLIFFHANGER !!!!!! Okay Ms Buroker, you explain why you had to do so (books 4, 5 and 6 being the same story arc) so, I'm not that mad at you :)
And anyway, I have the 6th book safely downloaded in my Kindle *smug* -
The following review was originally posted on my book blog
The Book Challengers.
WHAT KIND OF AN AUTHOR GIVES HER READERS SUCH CLIFFHANGERS?!?! Thank goodness I already acquired the next book and am ready to dive into that one although I know that that one will have a cliffhanger as well (Buroker warned us in the afterword).
After diving into this book with Akstyr's POV, I must admit that I didn't actually warm all that much to this selfish teenager. I liked him most in the first book but ever since I have grown to like him less and less. I only hope that Buroker rectifies that soon as I really adore the other characters and it would quite sad for me to really dislike one of them.
I think that Buroker's writing gets better with each book even when the characterization completely steals the show from the rest of the story.
Um... that's about it as I'm dying to start the next one! -
To be honest, I wasn't as thrown by the cliffhanger as I thought. My heart was pounding out of my chest because I thought Maldynado was going to betray everyone at the end AND NO, NOT MY PRECIOUS MAL. Thank the stars. But oh man, I can't wait to see Sicarius's reaction. Shit is going to hit the fan. Also, some Amaranthe/Sicarius fluff would be wonderful Am I the only one who wants Maldynado to walk in on Amaranthe/Sicarius making out, and he faints. Oh dear, that would be wonderful. Also, hardcore shipping Maldynado/Yara cause if I can't have him someone else needs to tame his ways :P debating on if I want to read book five or finally tackle the rest of the books I bought when I bought The Emperor's Edge...
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For the record, it's been a while since I read the first three books in this series (SERIOUSLY, where does the time go, guys? WHERE?) and I was soooooo ready for some wacky Amaranthe and Sicarius shenanigans. Not that Sicarius is wacky or into shenanigans. He's all business all the time. But Amaranthe? OH, YEAH. She comes up with some fantastically off the wall ideas and I am all over that.
So. First off, planning a heist on the emperor's behalf that can't be known or thwarted by his royal associates since it involves KIDNAPPING THE EMPEROR HIMSELF seems like a recipe for disaster. Not only will Amaranthe and crew be going up against the ones holding the emperor in thrall, but also the emperor's well-trained bodyguards and guards.
Yeah. Yeeeeeaaaaah. I've said it before, but Amaranthe wouldn't be Amaranthe if she didn't step in the line of fire to thwart injustice whenever she sees it.
On the plus side, Sicarius is invested in the emperor's well-being. Which bodes well for whatever crazy plan Amaranthe comes up with on the fly. On the downside, Sicarius is REALLY invested in the emperor's well-being and Amaranthe's plans have a tendency to go sideways and that has the stoic assassin going a little growly at times.
On the other plus side, Sicarius is finally starting to show Amaranthe she means something to him. Years and years of conditioning are hard to break, you know! He's not used to all this human interaction and stuff.
As with the other books, the action's non-stop and the craziness just keeps on firing on all cylinders. And I love it!
-Kelly @
Reading the Paranormal -
Cliffhanger ending. The action really picks up and then is pretty much non stop. Almost took a star off for the cliffhanger and there were times when I wanted to side eye both Sicarius and Amaranth. Stubborn, both of them and Sicarius needed to learn some lessons (especially in communication and that his way isn't always right).
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There's kidnapping, there's flying, there's explosions, there's me lying in bed tucked under a cozy blanket while reading about extremely straining physical activities in freezing weather and! There's some character developments in this one that I'm glad we got! Plus I can only reiterate what I've already said, but these remind me a lot of ttrpg adventures or even certain video game missions and that's a fun little treat for me.
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3.5 stars ... now a sci fi element
Library eloan -
Love it. Onto the next one.
