The Book Adventures of Emily: Book Review: The War of the Usurper by Elí Freysson

The War of the Usurper
By Elí Freysson
Genre: Space Opera

Book Description:

The War of the Usurper is the first in the Golden Throne series. It is my foray into creating my very own epic space opera universe, full of what I like about such settings: Casual space travel, many, many inhabited worlds, super-technology co-existing with magic, larger-than-life characters, a whole lot of backstory, and just sheer vastness of scale.
This first entry is a self-contained story about the titular nine-year war for the throne of the Realm of the Glorious Dawn. Power is seized by a power-hungry tyrant, who resorts to ever-greater atrocities to hold onto the throne, while loyalists secure the sole legitimate heir, twelve-year-old Princess Maraka, and begin the struggle to restore order.
Each chapter details a different flashpoint of the war, as important events must turn on the actions of wildly different people, spread far and wide across the social hierarchy and physical width of the Realm. Meanwhile, year after year, Maraka must grow up in the shadow of all of this, and learn to become both the steadfast symbol and the strong leader her subjects need.

Book Review:

The War of the Usurper is one of a kind. It's something I've actually not have had the pleasure to read before, every chapter is unique. There are so many great POVs that are executed so well, I honestly enjoyed reading from the eyes of so many characters during different events and time periods. The overall plot line of The War of the Usurper is a bit cliche. It felt like a typical space novel, which isn't a bad thing. The pace is great and the writing is really good, it just wasn't anything different. But different isn't always a good thing. I really love how you got to see Maraka grow and develop while being influenced by certain events. The War of the Usurper is super good and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written space novel. Overall four stars!

Author Bio:

I was born in Akureyri in northern Iceland in 1982. Aside from a brief spell spent in Norway in my very early childhood I have spent my whole life here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum in my teens, which explains a whole lot and makes me just eccentric enough to be a writer.
I graduated high school in 2004, after which I dove into my first attempt at a proper fantasy novel. I finished the first draft a year later, but it took me until 2011 to get it published. I followed with a book a year for the next four years, before deciding to move into the English-language market. I translated three of my fantasy novels into English and self-published on Amazon, and then started writing original material in English. And here we are.
My hobbies include swimming, weight-lifting, video games, tabletop games with my friends, nature walks, and wasting time on Youtube.