The Empress Swordby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Prince Aster quests to retrieve the Empress Sword. With it he can slay the dragon and save his kingdom, but magic like that requires a sacrifice ... for only a woman can wield the Empress Sword. Can this true-hearted youth do what's right for all, or will the deeply layered plots destroy everything he holds dear and believes in? Then there's Mandrake, the dragon. He's the First — meaning he's the first of all the dragons to awaken after 1000 years of sleep to reclaim their home — but there's a mountain in his way that was not there when they went to sleep!It's so refreshing to read such a pure fantasy. The story is woven perfectly. It's a read that younger readers can easily comprehend and love, and all ages of readers will find refreshing and fun. I fully enjoyed the entire read. I love that it opens with the dragon; he's a great character with the added bonus of being able to speak the human language. From that first chapter, I was expecting more of the story to be about the dragon, but I'm not complaining. While the story is more about the human hero, the dragon plays a crucial role, and he gets his spots to really shine. The gender issues make this an interesting read on another level. I was frustrated at seeing how women are treated in this society. At the same time, I appreciate how we see the story through a young boy's eyes as he come to understand this dichotomy, finds he dislikes it and learns to appreciate women as much more than he ever saw them as before. Along with Aster (or Astrid, as he becomes known after becoming a girl) is only one of leading females in this story — and he's actually a boy. It's really not that confusing; it's more of an outstanding plot twist — though it took me about 100 pages of this 300-page book to understand why he was transformed from a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy to an Asian girl. It really bugged me for those 100 or so pages. I still think it's weird, but at least by the end of the book I accept it. The other two females worth noting are Maggie and Penelope. I love Maggie. She's the daughter of a soldier / tradesman, she's smart and quick and she knows how to take care of those around her as well as herself. She's the perfect ally for our young hero. Penelope is the opposite in that I loath her. From the beginning, I find her annoying. I want to cheer that a woman in this world was actually taught to fight like a man, but she was just being used. She gets beat down (appropriately) and ends up being shown as weak. She's a puppet, and the men pulling the strings don't think any higher of her for her fighting skills or willingness to go with their plot. I also like Eric, despite not wanting to. He's a bit overdone, but it works so well with the story and Aster / Astrid's predicament. Captain Griffin, Maggie's father, is one of my favorite characters in the whole book. He's a great father-figure that you can't help but admire and love. He rounds out the main cast of characters perfectly, despite being the only adult (not counting the dragon). The ending has a shock in store regarding Aster's father and Mandoline the sorcerer. I was appalled in empathy with Aster / Astrid. It's a subtle yet powerful twist that makes the final chapter even more complex in that wonderful way where you can leave the book happy, knowing how things turned out, but also know that things are not over and not everything has been wrapped up nice and neat. This book had me smiling from cover to cover. The characters, land, timeline, and story are just the right amount of believable that makes the fantasy come alive. The Empress Sword should be coming out next month, so look for it from Dragon Moon Press or Amazon.com. Written: March 9, 2011
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