The Throne of the Five Winds (Hostage of Empire, #1)

by S. C. Emmett

Lisa Marie Pompilio (Cover Designer), Miranda Meeks (Illustrator), and Charis Loke (Maps)

Two queens, two concubines, six princes. 
Innumerable secret agendas.
A single hidden blade.

The imperial palace -- full of ambitious royals, sly gossip and unforeseen perils -- is perhaps the most dangerous place in the Empire of Zhaon. Komor Yala, lady-in-waiting to the princess of the vanquished kingdom of Khir, has only her wits and her hidden blade to protect herself and her charge, who was sacrificed in marriage to the enemy as a hostage for her conquered people's good behaviour, to secure a tenuous peace.

But the Emperor is ageing and the Khir princess and her lady-in-waiting soon find themselves pawns in the six princes' deadly schemes for the throne -- and a single spark could ignite fresh rebellion in Khir.

Then, the Emperor falls ill -- and a far bloodier game begins...

The Throne of the Five Winds is the first instalment of the Hostage of Empire series, an intricate and ruthless East Asia-inspired epic fantasy trilogy perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Ken Liu, Kate Elliott, and K. Arsenault Rivera.

• ISBN10: 0316436941
• ISBN13: 9780316436946
• Publish Date: 14 November 2019 (first published 15 October 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 704
• Language: English
• URL: https://hachettebookgroup.com/titles/s-c-emmett/the-throne-of-the-five-winds/9780316436946/

Reviews

[Ashley]

I adored The Throne of the Five Winds, but I'm also a little surprised that I did. Objectively, I was interested in the elements mentioned in the synopsis – court intrigue, princes, emperor, kingdoms with a tentative peace, etc. Once I started reading chapter one, I was a little concerned.

It's dense, intricate, and extremely detailed. Throughout the book there are occasional footnotes explaining types of tea, plants, and clothing. There's a strong focus on mannerisms and propriety, to the point where the exact angle used to pour tea is critiqued, and so is the exact degree to which a person bowed.

On top of that, there are a ton of characters. As noted in the synopsis: there's at least two queens, two concubines, six princes, an emperor, another princess, and that princess's lady-in-waiting. But there's also a general, an astronomer, physicians, eunuchs, and relatives.

I'm surprised I enjoyed the book because previously I would have said that level of extreme detail wasn't for me. But somehow I absolutely adored it!

The Throne of the Five Winds is very much about reading between the lines. Two people have a totally innocent conversation, and yet each is trying to read body language and tone to figure out if the other is on their side or possibly trying to assassinate them.

This has gone down as one of my all time favourite books and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Throne of Five Winds through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Throne of Five Winds is the first novel in the Hostage of Empire series by S.C. Emmett. It’s one of the most complex fantasy novels to come out this year, one full of characters, motives, and politics. It’s been favorably compared to George R.R. Martin’s writing, and with good reason.
Zhaon hosts an imperial court full of deception and intrigue. The Emperor is aging – and getting closer to dying every day. Every person who could conceivably get their hands on the thrown has their own schemes and ambitions. Their actions are weaving a complicated web, one that is as treacherous as it is deceptive.
It all started out when the Khir Princess was summoned. What followed were the plans of six different princes and their extended families. But the real question on everyone’s mind is: who will win this contest for the throne, and who will fall?

“The mouse that moves is taken. Another proverb. The classics were stuffed to bursting with them.”

Throne of Five Winds was beautifully complicated and a delightful read. Every scene was filled with lush details that made the world and inhabitants come alive. Granted, I personally wouldn’t want to live in a world so full of deception. But I sure do love reading about it!
Having finished reading Throne of Five Winds, I can understand why people are making so many comparisons to George R.R. Martin. The number of characters in this novel is outstanding. I found myself taking notes just so I could keep up as I was reading. But that’s not a bad thing – I love a novel full of characters that all have their own plots and ambitions. It makes for rich world-building and plots.
Along with being one of the most complex novels to come out this year, it’s also fairly high up there in length. Coming in at seven hundred and four pages, Throne of Five Winds is not a novel to pick up lightly (see what I did there?). But it’s also absolutely worth it. The political intrigue alone makes this novel a fascinating read. The character development and depth further rounds out what is an intensely intriguing story.
I know that Throne of Five Winds was a bit of a long read, but it was honestly worth every minute of my time. And that’s including the time I spent taking notes about each of the characters. I enjoyed it that much! I’m looking forward to seeing the next novel in the Hostage of Empire series. I hope it’s as intricate as this novel was.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on October 15th.

Admission: I judged a book based on its cover. The cover is incredible and immediately piqued my interest. That it’s a politically-charged fantasy didn’t hurt either. Beautifully written, if a bit dense, this east-Asian inspired fantasy was the only of its kind I’ve read this year.

It took me quite a while to become invested in this book. I was almost halfway through, and considering not finishing, before I found myself interested in the story. There’s that much setup. The pacing was much slower than with many fantasies, and takes some getting used to.

The writing was flowery, which alternated between annoying and impressing me. What can I say: sometimes I’m hard to please. That being said, I am of the opinion that if I had cloistered myself away for a few days and read this book straight through, I would have enjoyed it more. The subtle chess-like moves made throughout this book were very well done and it’s apparent that the author has an intricate plan for the series and knows exactly where everything is going.

My biggest complaint is less of a complaint than an observation: it was really difficult to keep track of all the characters for the first bit. Next time I pick up a book of this scope, I’ll write down character names and relationships if there isn’t a glossary of characters in the book.

If you like slow-building books, political intrigue, and flowing language, this is a fantasy to read.