The Empire of Dreams (Fire and Thorns #4) by Rae Carson - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from HarperCollins via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: The Empire of Dreams (Fire and Thorns #4)
Author: Rae Carson
Release Date: April 7, 2020


Synopsis: New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. With action, adventure, and a heroine set on destroying the patriarchal limits meant to keep her in her place, The Empire of Dreams once again proves that Rae Carson is a master of epic fantasy.

Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by Empress Elisa herself. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and Red is left with no family and no future.

Grieving and lost, but determined to find her place, Red hatches a daring plan: she will prove herself as a recruit for the world's most elite fighting force, the legendary Royal Guard—something no woman has done before. But it's no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess, someone whose shadowy agenda puts everything she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red and her new friends—and maybe some new enemies—to save the empire. If they can survive recruitment year.

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Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns came out in 2011. That was around the time I found myself getting back into reading, especially YA Fantasy. Almost a decade later, The Empire of Dreams released returning to the vast world we first explored with Elisa. This time we have a different protagonist and, in my opinion, a more close and personal story. 

The biggest theme of this book is found family. We first find Red preparing for her official adoption by Elisa. Throughout the book, through flashbacks, we learn more about Red's past and the origins of her PTSD. Red finally feels wanted, but it doesn't go as planned. The rest of the book features the struggles of finding your own place, feeling different, and finding family.

Political intrigue and physical training are the two largest parts of this story. Carson does an excellent job at balancing the emotion with the momentum of the plot. The last quarter of the book went by so quickly. I couldn't put it down.

I love seeing these rich fantasy worlds finding new audiences through different perspectives. This is technically the fourth book in this series, but you could absolutely read this as a standalone. Or read this first, then discover Elisa's adventure from the original trilogy. This story is more personal. There isn't much change of scenery beyond the city and the flashbacks. I was reminded of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, which also took a character from a previous book and expanded on them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It felt nice to return to a world I missed. I give this book a 5/5. Rae Carson is one of my favorite Fantasy writers out there today.   


--PAUL