Soleri: A Novel (The Amber Throne, 1)

Great book, wife and I read it together and can’t wait for next one.

It's no secret I love ancient Egypt, so when a fantasy novel heavily inspired by this fascinating culture drops in my lap, I'm all over it. Soleri by Michael Johnston has a lot of depth and breadth, and he offers us a fascinating chunk of world building. And I enjoy seeing how he subverts ideas I know so very well. I'm going to do the awful thing that I am loath to do, by comparing this novel, at a glance, to GRRM's ASoIaF, because it follows a similar theme – a family torn asunder by political intrigue and war. And there were certain predictions I made while reading which had touchstones of familiarity in terms of theme. It's going to be difficult for me to give an overview without spoilers, but I'll do my best. We meet Ren, who is the heir to the Harkan throne. Like all heirs, he's sent to the capital of the empire, to be held as a hostage in the Priory, along with the heirs of the other vassal kingdoms. We get to know the Harkan king, Arko, who finds himself called to the heart of the empire, where he learns the secret behind the throne of the emperor no one has seen for centuries. Priestess Sarra, Arko's estranged wife, schemes and plots – she desires power, and she's not afraid of walking all over Arko to get it. But then we have Kepi and Merit – Arko's daughters. And they couldn't be more different. Merit is the queen regent in Ren's absence, while Kepi is a free spirit, more keen to brawl than take on the responsibility of her bloodline. This is no loving family – you have been warned. Overall, the Johnston's writing is fast-paced and filled with action, and I really enjoyed the setting, and the fact that we get glimpses into the history of an ancient city and empire. There were moments where the editing slipped up a bit – a scene where Kepi discards a blade only for it to show up in her hands a few paragraphs later. And at times I did feel that the writing was a smidge on the fast side, where some filling in of characters' motivations would have helped pad things out. But these were not deal-breakers for me. I have to make mention of the one serious issue that did make me grumble. One of the viewpoint characters has a secret. A pretty big one, too, that they conveniently neglect to think about but then toss in at the end of the story as a big reveal. Firstly, I don't think there was enough foreshadowing, and secondly, I feel that this was a bit of a cheap shot to build suspense – almost as big as a viewpoint character being a murderer and conveniently neglecting to think about what they've done until right at the end. But I'm going on to book two. Even if I'm grumbling a bit about this one thing that was tossed out at the conclusion of book one. Soleri is part mystery, part military conflict, and court intrigue. The amount of back-stabbing and reversals that occur is quite dizzying at times, and not wholly unexpected given the characters. And the story is set up in such a way that I'm sure every reader will have a particular character that they'll root for. I'm really curious to find out more about who these mysterious gods – the Soleri – really are.

Really good

I think the biggest problem I had with this book (and I know others had the same) is that the author doesn't spend enough time character building. It would also be nice if he could world build a bit more. The book has a very interesting story, but it falls short because of those 2 points. Good enough read, but not an epic fantasy that reminds me of ancient Egypt. It is just a story that happens to take place mostly in the desert. The story starts out like we are going to get more into all of it, but then rushes through each family member to end the book. It was a little off on the timeline. At one point, Ren mentions he has been on his journey for weeks, but then at another point it has just been days. If you can overlook these things and want a quick fantasy read, go ahead. Read Soleri. I am going to read the second book because I want to know why the Soleri are burned to obsidian statues and what happens to Ren/Kepi. Those are the only 2 characters I really felt anything for in the entire book.

Oh my goodness! I started reading this series and I am blown away by the vast detail and the scope of the world building in this historical saga series. I was completely lost in this story and has consumed me in the best way possible. I absolutely enjoyed this action packed and uber epic fantasy read! SFF fans cannot miss this one.

I read a lot of sci-fi fantasy type fiction and this was an unexpected gem that came in a book subscription box. The story was original and while you could sometimes predict where things were headed (Kepi and the Kite) there were so many other twists and turns I ended up finishing the book on a middle of the night binge. I was hoping to order the next book, but seeing the lack of reviews, I guess I will never know what happens to Ren. Thank you Mr. Johnston for writing a great book that had a game of thrones feel without being gross.

I received an early copy of this novel in return for an honest review. I really really like this one. If you like the world of ancient Egypt (it doesn't say that outright, but you get the feeling pretty easily) then this is one for you. The world building in this novel is phenomenal. You switch between characters that are tied to one another, a family. The son was given over to the priory when he was only a small child, there to live a life far different than his sisters. He had to submit to the pain inflicted there and when he is able to come out, it is because his father, the king, is called to his own death. That's the only way you can leave the priory. You leave when your father dies. These boys are the sons of kings and Ren is finding out that once he is out, someone is after him and wants him dead. Characters are as well done as the world building is. You get a flavor of Egypt and of times long past. The sun is worshipped and there is intrigue as well as warfare. Kepi and Merit, sisters to Ren, have lives that tie in with the history of Soleri very well. I like that you are given much of that history as you turn the pages and it adds to the understanding of current plots and actions. Soleri is well worth the read. If you like action, a good storyline and a well done world that is easy to see in your mind, this is the one you want to pick up next. Will Ren become king? Will someone succeed in killing him? Will Kepi avoid a disastrous marriage? Will their mother, Sarra, the high priestess of the sun god cult, help or hinder? Pages will turn. Sleep may be lost. But you are going to want the answers.

(critique complète sur mon blog, adresse sur mon profil) Dans un univers inspiré autant par l’Égypte antique que par Le roi Lear de Shakespeare, un monde en désintégration où famille et ennemi ne font qu’un, des intrigues politiques et de cour à multiples niveaux (des plans à l’intérieur des plans, comme dirait Mr Herbert) impliquant les Hark-Wadi et les Soleri feraient passer les Borgia et les Lannister pour une bande de petits bricoleurs du dimanche en matière de manigances et de vilenies. Ce cycle, caractérisé par ses révélations et ses retournements de situation chocs, sera peut-être une nouvelle référence de la Fantasy politique, à la condition impérative que le ou les tomes suivants (c’est encore peu clair : un autre est en cours d’écriture, mais le nombre de livres du cycle est à ma connaissance inconnu) gomment les maladresses présentes dans ce premier roman : densité et nombre de points de vue trop élevés, personnages parfois un peu bancals, lourdeurs dans l’écriture contrastant avec des passages éblouissants, dans une balade en montagnes russes sur le plan de l’intérêt (et des ambiances très différentes, du désert à la forêt et des égyptiens aux celtes) qui ennuie parfois, fascine à d’autres moments. Mais clairement, le potentiel est là, et il est énorme, et c’est avec beaucoup d’intérêt que je lirai la suite.