Review: Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong

Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Title: Empire of Night (Age of Legends, 2)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Atom (1st April 2015)
Blurb:

TWO SISTERS. AN EMPIRE ON THE BRINK OF WAR. AND A RUTHLESS TRAITOR PREPARED TO UNLEASH HELL UPON THE WORLD.

Moira and Ashyn have lost everything except each other. Betrayed, orphaned and kept under close guard at court, they are desperate to find help for the children of their village, kidnapped by a terrifying enemy.

But their quest is tangled in a much greater battle – for the fate of the empire itself. Torn apart by violence and intrigue, the sisters will learn a great deal about their powers and their potential. But they will also learn the heartbreak of betrayal and loss, as those they love reveal their dark secrets . . .

The second volume in the Age of Legends trilogy, Empire of Night is a breathtaking dark fantasy from international bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

EMPIRE OF NIGHT by Kelley Armstrong is the second book in her Age of Legends trilogy. The book continues the tale of twins Moira and Ashyn – Keeper and Seeker. After the events of SEA OF SHADOWS (review) Moira and Ashyn are kept at court, but they long to know the fate of the children from their village. Both sisters feel trapped, and want to help the children but war is brewing.

In EMPIRE OF THE NIGHT Armstrong creates a good solid second book for the trilogy. The storytelling is solid; the split of the narrative focus between the twins works well, giving the reader a broader picture of events. There are a lot of interesting reveals in this book and I think Armstrong handles them well. There is a lot going on in this book, but I never got confused or mixed up with what was happening to whom.

Although the narrative is split between the twins, the story is told in the third person which I think works really well. As it means that although events primarily focus on what is happening to one twin, the story can also spread to include things going on around that twin.

Character wise Moira stuck out the most to me. This was partly because Armstrong focused on her a lot, and partly because she has a very strong personality and isn’t prepared to be passive. Ashyn was much quieter than her twin, and at times seemed incredibly passive especially in comparison to her twin, to me. I actually really enjoyed the way Armstrong wrote the relationship between Emperor Tatsu and his son Tyrus.

EMPIRE OF THE NIGHT is an enjoyable addition to the Age of Legends trilogy. If you liked the first book in this series then you will enjoy this one too.