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thegingeralex's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kltemplado's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, entertaining read, if predictable and lacking in deeper substance.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
I was so hopeful about this but the book quickly lost steam for me - while the setup is great and complex with plenty of opportunities for twists, betrayals, etc., the characters are boring. Kayla is way, way too reactive - rather than proactive - and . There are a lot of fight scenes but, setting aside the general ridiculousness of the premise, it doesn't make much sense that all of these princess warriors would be fighting multiple serious matches in such a quick frame of time. The human body doesn't recover that quickly, and Mason doesn't give any explanation as to how it would. That's a good example of the, uh, sloppiness of the execution here, I think is the word I'm looking for. Kayla doesn't research the fighting styles of her opponents beforehand.
Like, I know I'm reading a book about an exiled psychic princess pretending to be a different non-psychic princess while engaging in gladiator-style combat to win a position on an interstellar galactic counsel, but I want to be able to believe that she's good at it, you know? But what we see of Kayla is that the plot just tows her along and every twist happens because the author has decreed it, not because Kayla's actually awesome. Other characters are similarly dumb (don't get me started on Malkor's incompetence) which makes it hard to really feel for or with them when the plot gets going. Plot without compelling characterization just feels like such a waste.
Spoiler
quickly sides with Isonde and the IDC with few, if any, qualms, taking their statements about what they hope to do once in power at face value, which is ridiculously stupid and flies in the face of the idea that she's a princess of a ruling family who was trained to hold power and manage politicsLike, I know I'm reading a book about an exiled psychic princess pretending to be a different non-psychic princess while engaging in gladiator-style combat to win a position on an interstellar galactic counsel, but I want to be able to believe that she's good at it, you know? But what we see of Kayla is that the plot just tows her along and every twist happens because the author has decreed it, not because Kayla's actually awesome. Other characters are similarly dumb (don't get me started on Malkor's incompetence) which makes it hard to really feel for or with them when the plot gets going. Plot without compelling characterization just feels like such a waste.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
The Games themselves were a bit much, but the explanation for them was so good! Oh those silly nobles. To marry the crown prince the king back then decided to create these games. He was fascinated by another culture that had excellent fighters and he was all, hey, that is a good way to pick a spouse. Like I said, those silly nobles. So that is why the games still stand and princesses and other leaders gather to fight for the right to marry the prince. It was a step backwards to brutality, but the king is king.
But when you have a lot of settlers in space there will also be those dark corners where brutality and slavers rule and there is where this story starts. In a gladiator pit where our heroine Kayla fights for money. She is on the run, we do not know from where, she has a brother. And we learn her history and why she has to hide. A sad and again, brutal history.
Which brings us to the real story. Fight in the Empress Games, get some more money and get the heck out of this corner of space.
But doing that brings her close to a hated enemy (hate that guy!), even closer to the organization that made her suffer (those people need to be taken down). She finds friends in the most unlikely places. Ok so it's obvious who, that is not a spoiler, the guy who finds her and tells her to fight. I liked him. He was decent. ...I reeeeally liked him.
A good story that kept me on my toes. You never knew who is behind the corner. I liked the characters, the setting, and the wars to come. Conflicts are rising.
Conclusion:
But this is the first in a series. So it ends..kind of good for now. But stuff is happening and I look forward to reading more.
But when you have a lot of settlers in space there will also be those dark corners where brutality and slavers rule and there is where this story starts. In a gladiator pit where our heroine Kayla fights for money. She is on the run, we do not know from where, she has a brother. And we learn her history and why she has to hide. A sad and again, brutal history.
Which brings us to the real story. Fight in the Empress Games, get some more money and get the heck out of this corner of space.
But doing that brings her close to a hated enemy (hate that guy!), even closer to the organization that made her suffer (those people need to be taken down). She finds friends in the most unlikely places. Ok so it's obvious who, that is not a spoiler, the guy who finds her and tells her to fight. I liked him. He was decent. ...I reeeeally liked him.
A good story that kept me on my toes. You never knew who is behind the corner. I liked the characters, the setting, and the wars to come. Conflicts are rising.
Conclusion:
But this is the first in a series. So it ends..kind of good for now. But stuff is happening and I look forward to reading more.
malus23's review
3.0
This was better than I expected. There were some pretty predictable parts, but it stayed fun in spite of that.
readerpants's review against another edition
3.0
Ooof. I'm so tired of trained-killer-ladies-fighting-in-the-ring stories!
Worth reading for: strong friendships, fast pacing, great side characters, if you're desperate for more SF?
Worth reading for: strong friendships, fast pacing, great side characters, if you're desperate for more SF?
silea's review against another edition
3.0
Ugh, i finally finished this. It skimmed one micron above DNF level for basically the whole book. Not awful, but i wouldn't recommend anyone actually spend time or money on it.
carkamok's review against another edition
5.0
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SCIFINOW MAGAZINE
https://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/the-empress-game-by-rhonda-mason-book-review/
Protagonist Kayla Reinumon is constantly thrust into distressing and perilous situations, such as being onboard a ship that is subsequently propelled into a minefield of space debris, or coming face to face with the one person who betrayed her people’s trust.
But never once does she descend into panic and forget her one goal – to protect her il’raar, her last surviving kin in the wake of a massacre that takes place on her home planet – and the only way to do that is to win the eponymous Empress Game tournament.
This description may seem to be slightly shallow at first, as the premise depicts a universe in which women are set against one another in arranged fights, which sounds like some kind of sadistic playground for the men or a Hunger Games copycat. But The Empress Game truly progresses beyond just the overused fight-to-survive female protagonist model in every way.
Never once do any of the women in the story have to grovel under the other gender; they are courageous, constantly evaluating their circumstances, decisive, strong in the face of danger, and empowered as a consequence of their training for the approaching Games.
It turns out that there’s a lot more to The Empress Game than just planets, space and fight scenes too. Rhonda Mason’s space opera debut already reads like a well-established series, despite being the first instalment – its universe is vast and detailed, featuring a convincing history and solid political background of various ruling councils.
This works in The Empress Game’s favour, alongside jaw-droppingly diverse locations and hyper-advanced technology dotted throughout, and there is a lot of unexpected depth to the characters as well.
Mason works wonders with these elements and the pacing, slowly weaving layer after layer into the storyline so that there is never a dull moment. Ultimately, this makes for a sincere, refreshing and page-turning first foray into the world that Mason has created.
https://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/the-empress-game-by-rhonda-mason-book-review/
Protagonist Kayla Reinumon is constantly thrust into distressing and perilous situations, such as being onboard a ship that is subsequently propelled into a minefield of space debris, or coming face to face with the one person who betrayed her people’s trust.
But never once does she descend into panic and forget her one goal – to protect her il’raar, her last surviving kin in the wake of a massacre that takes place on her home planet – and the only way to do that is to win the eponymous Empress Game tournament.
This description may seem to be slightly shallow at first, as the premise depicts a universe in which women are set against one another in arranged fights, which sounds like some kind of sadistic playground for the men or a Hunger Games copycat. But The Empress Game truly progresses beyond just the overused fight-to-survive female protagonist model in every way.
Never once do any of the women in the story have to grovel under the other gender; they are courageous, constantly evaluating their circumstances, decisive, strong in the face of danger, and empowered as a consequence of their training for the approaching Games.
It turns out that there’s a lot more to The Empress Game than just planets, space and fight scenes too. Rhonda Mason’s space opera debut already reads like a well-established series, despite being the first instalment – its universe is vast and detailed, featuring a convincing history and solid political background of various ruling councils.
This works in The Empress Game’s favour, alongside jaw-droppingly diverse locations and hyper-advanced technology dotted throughout, and there is a lot of unexpected depth to the characters as well.
Mason works wonders with these elements and the pacing, slowly weaving layer after layer into the storyline so that there is never a dull moment. Ultimately, this makes for a sincere, refreshing and page-turning first foray into the world that Mason has created.
snazel's review against another edition
Okay so a surprising amount of insta-love, which I didn't see coming. For all the complaining grown up readers do about YA love triangles and Insta-love, I keep thinking I'll get more nuanced approaches to forgiveness and romance than I do.
Cool world, I care deeply about the characters (some of the characters), I want to know what happens next -- I'm just grumpy about the victory conditions of the ending.
Cool world, I care deeply about the characters (some of the characters), I want to know what happens next -- I'm just grumpy about the victory conditions of the ending.