Hail Bristol, former gunrunner and newly-crowned Empress of Indrana, looks forward to retiring her gun and rebuilding her Empire in peace. After a bloody civil war laced with regicide, betrayal, and foreign plots, Hail and her people are braced for years of necessary reconstruction and reform.
But when Indrana’s closest ally asks Hail to intervene in an interstellar military crisis, she must instead embark on the highest stakes diplomatic mission the Empire has ever faced. Caught between two alien civilizations at each other’s throats, she must uncover each side’s true intentions before all of humanity becomes collateral damage in a full-blown galactic war.
There Before The Chaos is actually the first book I’ve read from this author, not realising there was a previous trilogy set in the same universe- it wasn’t a problem though I soon got to grips with the main back story and was soon hooked into this brilliantly immersive adventure and engaged entirely with main character Hail who has rather a lot on her plate…
The imaginative world building creates an excellent backdrop to the story being told…one of honour and betrayal,of long held grudges and simmering factions. In the midst of all this, ex gun runner turned Majesty Hail Bristol may be the only thing standing between peaceful resolution and all out galactic war.
I really loved this. It had quality writing and quality storytelling, the characters were all full of depth and the author creates a society that in a lot of ways mirrors our own in social status. There is love and loss, loyalty and betrayal, action and adventure all done in emotionally resonant ways that keep you turning the pages.
A banging good ending that makes you desperate for the next book is just the icing on an already delicious cake. I’ll be diving into book 2 asap.
Recommended.
You can purchase There Before The Chaos (Orbit) Here.
Happy reading!
