Daughter of the Empire (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "The priest struck the gong..." (more)
Key Phrases: contemplation glade, grey warriors, tally slate, Lady of the Acoma, Force Commander, Lord of the Minwanabi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Feist, author of the Riftwar Trilogy, and Wurts, whose fantasy novels include Sorcerer's Legacy and Stormwarden, have combined their skills to produce this absorbing saga. Mara is taking her final religious vows when a messenger interrupts the ceremony to report the deaths in battle of her father and brother. Now Ruling Lady of the Acoma, the teenager must rally its depleted forces against many enemies, particularly Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi, who sent her menfolk to their demise. Hampered though she is by the rigid traditions of her Oriental society, Mara replenishes her army with the masterless grey warriors and skillfully reaches a bargain with the cho-ja, insectoid aliens. Her most dangerous gambit is a political marriage to cement an alliance. Deprived of overt status, she finds it difficult to manipulate her brutish but cunning husband. This full-bodied dynastic fantasy has the sweep and drama of a good historical novel about an exotic time and place.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'A gripping tale' THE TIMES --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; 1st THUS edition (May 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055327211X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553272116
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,993 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Wurts, Janny
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• This is item 1 in The Mistress of the Empire Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wurts shows her stuff based on Feist's Kelewan world, March 10, 2001

By	Phome "phome" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

"Daughter of the Empire" is a powerful story of Mara of the Acoma who, upon the murder of her father and brother by an sinister plot of the family's arch-enemy, is left as the only remaining heir of the Acoma estate. In a world where life has no meaning, so long as it is forfeited via subtle political strokes through great Game, Mara needs every scrap of her wits, stubborness and determination to survive and continue the Acoma line.

In this book and the rest of the series, the innocent girl from convent life becomes a powerful and dangerous Player. Determined to be unmoved by her unfortunate position, Mara's keen political sense ensures her survival. Her resolve, persistance and imagination (unusual for the ever traditionally minded Tsurani) propels her family from what is, at best, an uncertain position to one of the most powerful in the world. BUT, not without paying a price. Mara must learn that she is, first and foremost, human, before she is a player.

Based on Feist's Kelewan world, the "aliens" as created in the "Magician" series, Wurts adds her talent for detailed plot, intrigue and human emotion to Feist's imaginative series, to create one of the most powerful stories in fantasy today.

For those who've read the "Magician" series, you will be excited to recognise a number of characters and learn to understand what drives the "aliens". For Wurts fans - this book will not disappoint you - it has every speck of Wurts-ness that make her other series so darn good.

In one word: "unputdownable".

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great look at Feist's world of Kelewan., March 15, 1999

By A Customer

I am a great fan of Raymond E. Feist, and have read all of his books numerous times. In fact, most of the books are so worn out that the pages are falling out. The Empire trilogy is almost as good or better than the Riftwar Saga. It explores the strange culture of Kelewan touched on in Magician:Master and a little in Silverthorn.

Lady Mara is an intriguing character, and is extremely loveable. She is one of the greatest fantasy characters I have ever encountered. Despite the length of the books in this series, it is impossible to put them down. The intrigue and trials in the "Great Game" are unmatched in any other book that I have read. If you are a fan of Eddings, Jordan, McCaffery, or any other fantasy author, READ THIS SERIES, you won't be disappointed.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is the start of a great series, August 2, 2000

By	Travis Cottreau (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Daughter of the Empire and the two books that follow are a must for any Raymond Feist fan. It matches the rift war saga in enjoyability and surpases anything else that Feist has worked on. I haven't read any Janny Wurts stuff, so I don't know how it compares.

The book is almost historical fiction, except the events take place in a completely ficticious asian style world. There are enough fantastical elements (the black ones and the Cho-ja) to keep fantasy enthousiasts entertained, but this goes far beyond run of the mill fantasy novels. The writing moves along at a great pace, it starts fast and never stops. The characters are almost always cool and fun to read about, there are seldom characters who you are sorry to get back to when their plot line rotates back again (especially the spy master, I loved that guy).

If you've read these books and are looking for something along similar lines, you'll almost certainly be entertained by Sean Russell's "Initiate Brother" and "Gatherer of Clouds" which are very similar and just as fun to read.