The Hand of the Sun King

by J.T. Greathouse

5 out of 5

Synopsis

My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur.

All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father, whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor. That of my mother's family, who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance.

I can choose between them - between protecting my family, or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path . . . a magical path, filled with secrets, unbound by Empire or resistance, which could shake my world to its very foundation.

But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves . . .

Review

A young boy with two conflicting heritages, gets a chance to follow his passion for magic, in the name of the Emperor.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Alder/Foolish Cur. His father is a Sienese merchant, who pours his fortune into Alder's teaching. His ancestors were Hands of the emperor, and Alder's father is determined that his son will be the next step back to glory.

His mother is Nayeni - native to Nayen, and is known for its witches and some of the last rebels standing up to the empire. She is content to take on Sienese ways; but Alder's grandmother gives him his first taste of magic, before she disappears to fight for the rebellion.

Alder always felt like he had two paths before him to choose from; but when his grandmother leaves, taking her witchcraft with her, he realises that the only way he will access real magic is training with the emperor's hands.

I loved the Asian-inspired world that has been created, with its emphasis on manners, obedience, and the great value put on intelligence.

The magic is fantastic too. Each country has its own magic (Nayen is fire and shape-shifting "witchcraft"), with unique traditions. Learning about it all from Alder's point of view was great - I felt equally intrigued and frustrated by the possibilities and why there are limitations.

Magic is a science that has to be learned, and as the emperor's Hand, Alder often finds the training... questionable.

I'll be honest, for the first 60% of the book, I did not like Alder and couldn't root for him; but the story was interesting enough that I wanted to find out what happened.

Alder is an ambitious, arrogant boy, who is convinced that he's so much smarter than the rest of the world. He always makes out that because of his Nayeni bloodline, he's always got more to prove.

At several points in teh first half of the book, there's opportunities for him to empathise with other people - but that's a foreign notion for him. The only humility this boy has, is faked for his "superiors".

The character does learn from his mistakes (mostly), and improves later in the book.

I totally loved where the magical plot went, and it really caught me by surprise. No spoilers!

With how this book ends, I can't wait to read what happens next!

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