Empress

Been about a year or two since I read this but feel the need to stick up for Miller, and Hekat.

I was equally appalled and intrigued by Hekat, slave to NO man. The drive and desire to survive really resonated with me. I agree she worships a mad 'god' but I can understand her devotion and perceived conceptions.

I think this is one of the most amazing books I've ever read for the simple fact that it delves deep deep DEEP into the recesses of its' characters minds...I think so many people 'hated' this book and/or gave it low ratings because most people don't like to be confronted with the darkest parts of humanity.

It's something I struggle with myself, but at the end of the day I can really appreciate it. I enjoy knowing what dangers I may show more face on my journey through life, whether we admit it or not, we all are capable of unspeakable evil, given the right environment and triggers. show less

I almost quit reading this book, something I almost never do, because of the growing brutality, corruption, and unmitigated evil of the protagonist and the society. Then, about 3/4 of the way through, one characters began to realize that the theocracy was evil -- and reading the first 3/4 had been worth the agony. And I drove 38 miles to the nearest bookstore to buy the next volume of the trilogy, and finished reading the second book the next day and had to wait two months until vol. 3 was published.

Empress is something different. Kudos to Karen Miller for doing something that I have been ranting about for too long. Creating a strong, resourceful female protagonist. She does this in the form of Hekat, our eyes and ears to the unique world of Empress.Now if only I could convince her to write a strong, resourceful female protagonist that I actually like.The story is extremely well-written. The world that Karen Miller creates is something that many authors fail at: a world that is immersive. She manages to bring to life Hekat's surroundings in a way that is both artful and colourful. Yes, sentences run on slightly at times and some parts seem unnecessary and repetitive, but you can excuse these things when the over all effect is that show more you can almost see, taste and smell what the narrator is telling you about.Yet, like someone giving you the best foot massage of your life before ripping off your toenails, Hekat will undoubtedly ruin all Karen's hard work.This is the fatal flaw of Empress. You can not have such a long story based on a protagonist so unlikable. Now, I don't mean that protagonists should always be perfect or even flirt with the side of wholesome, fluffy bunnies. But they must be either relatable, or likable despite their shortcomings. If you're going to be a ice-hearted wench then you need to at least have style and charm. Hekat wouldn't know charm or style if it rose in front of her from the ground and danced naked with a sparkly dildo while singing "I'm a Survivor!"Hekat fails to carry her long, heavy narrative and it comes crashing down on top of her, spoiling what was otherwise a good read. show less

What Miller has done with Empress is show us the rise of a barbarian warlord. The culture she has created is violent, worshipping a scorpion god who craves bloody ritual sacrifice. The godspeakers, those who perform the sacrifice, are a police force, and a political entity separate from the warlord’s control, are the only people able to hear the god. But Hekat, a runaway slave girl, upsets that balance when she discovers that she can hear the god as well. Believing herself special, Hekat begins a slow climb up the social ladder of Mijak, seeking power both to satiate her lust for it, and as protection for herself.

I enjoyed the novel. Although it could be repetitious at times, and the cadence of the story could be tiresome, it was show more still interesting to read. The idea behind it is different from the average epic fantasy novel. Rather than either celebrating heroism or evil, it shows the real, human emotions behind what we call “good” and “evil”. AS I’ve mentioned, it is extremely violent and bloody, so those with a weak stomach ought to avoid it. As well there is a liberal does of swearing and a few sex scenes (including a rape of a man!) so anyone offended by that ought to avoid it.

But for all that Empress is creative enough and different enough to make it enjoyable. I did not enjoy it as much as The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage perhaps because there was no character I was really able to root for, but its characters were interesting enough that I wanted to know what might happen to them. I recommend this novel, with the few caveats stated above, and look forward to seeing how its sequel looks at the enemies of Hekat and its portrayal of their characters.

Full Review at Grasping for the Wind show less

The first time I read this book was after finding this series on sale as a teen(I think). Back then I really liked the book, even if Hekat is not very nice. This time around I listened to the audio even though I still have my paperback copy. My husband tried to read the series because I encouraged him to, but got stuck on Hekat, and eventually put the book back on the shelf. I can't help but agree that she is selfish, mean, elitist, and brutal. I appreciate her as the initially sympathetic villain she is. It really is too bad that her twisted psyche is able to twist the lives of what otherwise seem to be good people when working with the ugliness of the culture of Mijak, the setting of this novel. I think that I like this book because I show more like Hekat as a villain. She's endlessly annoying, but she's pretty real to me. I wish someone in the world of the story would show her that she's wrong, but I'm not willing to say that this story is a bad one because she's so wrong or because of the odd formal . I would recommend this series for people who are interested in creative writing, anthropologists, and those who like knowing more about the villains in their stories. I think these kinds of readers would appreciate the culture's complexity and variation, even if no one I know would approve of it. Mijak is well planned out as a pious and brutal culture with mild to extreme misogyny depending on locale, and this story to me explores what that kind of controlling, hard environment could do to people. show less

Empress of Mijak is set in a mostly brown & dying land where the people live in awe and fear of a nameless scorpion god, a violent god who smites sinners, thrives on their pain & requires blood from sacrificial animals in its worship.

Dark and disturbing at times, but incredibly compelling, this is the story of an unwanted she brat who names herself Hekat when sold into slavery that she mistakenly sees as rescue. She meets a fellow slave named Vortka, sees him chosen by the god speakers to enter the service of the god, she becomes his friend though is too proud to admit it. She is bitter to discover her naivety in thinking the slavers are her saviors, she escapes them into the service of the warlord, she has learnt to crave power, so show more works her way into the warlord’s army & his heart. She sees herself as godchosen & precious & is ruthless in her efforts to rise to power & serve the god. In such a dark world, where the fear & subjugation of the people is so vividly portrayed, it is easy to empathise with a character that would usually be mostly unlikable.

This book is more violent than most fantasy that I read & I did find it difficult at times, but it was compelling enough that I still had difficulty putting it down & was very glad to have book 2 on hand when I finished. I will be recommending this trilogy to others. show less

First off: Great book. Compellingly written. Karen makes us sympathise with Hekat and understand why she does what she does even when we can see what some of the consequences may be. That's a brilliant achievement, especially since Hekat's world is so far removed from our own.

A warning though, we're left hanging with the ending! If you're not a fan of cliffhangers, perhaps wait until the two sequels are released before picking this up.