Will I love Daughter of the Empire?

What moved me is how much it means to belong to the Acoma estate.

Nacoya with her sharp wisdom, Keyoke with his unyielding honor, Arakasi with his chosen allegiance, even the grey warriors—they all belong to something bigger than themselves. When danger hits, the fear ripples through everyone. When triumph comes, it lifts all of them.

A big draw of the book was seeing people pull together not because they’re supposed to, but because they genuinely care. The Acoma isn’t just a political house; it feels like a place where being needed gives everyone a kind of quiet dignity. 

Most readers know about Feist’s Riftwar series. I like that series. I love his Empire series (with Janny Wurts). Mainly because I like my fantasy to be unique, and Empire is that. Strong female lead, intrigue, not focused on big battle scenes; the best characters use their wits, not their brawn, to survive. I consider it a thinking person’s approach to fantasy. It’s not your typical fare, and I like to dip my toe into something different. That’s not to say I don’t love the big epics like Lord of the Rings or The Song of Ice and Fire, but… show more.

This is the first of a trilogy, which involves the struggle of a woman who finds herself as sole heir and Ruling Lady of her family, facing against rival houses, and the Assembly of Magicians, who see her as a threat to their ancient power. Mara is a brilliant female main character and is a splendid example of how to write one. I still take inspiration from her when writing my own female leads. Both Wurts and Feist have melded the magical story of her struggles into a backdrop of stunning descriptions of the landscape and class system, transporting you… show more.