Breakaway Books

Authored by Victoria Goddard; Published 2018; Fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

I’m of two minds about The Hands of the Emperor–it certainly transported me to another world, another time, another culture. It was not at all a page turner, but my investment in these characters and this kingdom grew steadily until I found myself profoundly attached. But, I also found it confusing.

The Hands of the Emperor follows Kip, the emperor’s chief of staff, as he gently nudges the kingdom toward liberal reform. After reading a chapter or two, I began to wonder: am I reading a series in the wrong order? Have I missed something, or should I be understanding the magical structure of this world? Obviously, in any fantasy book, it is a struggle for the author to introduce the reader to a whole new world. But, after having read the entirety of the novel, I still can’t say I grasp the precise purpose magic serves in this world. Could this book have been written without introducing the concept? It seems like it could. 

Apart from the magical component, this book is centered on the concept of good governance. I have spent many years living in a nation’s capitol with a front row seat to what it looks like to govern a country, and it was difficult not to think of the characters as naive. To think that the systemic poverty that plagues us could be solved so easily, that justice could be delivered in every tiny instance. To think that five minute monologues would be all that is required to change people’s minds! 

(Incidentally, by the end of the novel, I was exhausted from listening to Kip’s monologues delivered to his family and his colleagues. There are so many monologues, and they are repetitive. The number could be halved.)

And yet. As the chapters progressed, I found myself smiling, laughing, more and more. For all that I can’t quite believe that worldwide government could be so easily reformed, I found it all too easy to believe these characters. Or, maybe it’s better to say that I want these characters to be real: I want these to be the people that serve in the government, and it was impossible to resist rooting for them. Their friendship is what we can only hope male friendship could become, in spite of gaping differences in status and background. It was heartwarming, to say the least. 

To me, easily, the most realistic element of this novel is the pain that Kip feels over and over, as his family demonstrates that they don’t understand or appreciate his accomplishments. Constantly torn between being a paragon of humility who hides his accomplishments and desiring validation from his family, he aches at every visit home. The miscommunication between him and his family and friends was simultaneously torturous and healing to unravel. To see them finally understand, to see Kip reach the peak of his dreams while remaining deeply rooted in his home, is an emotionally satisfying conclusion. 

Will I keep reading this series? Yes. I want to read more, even if I won’t commit right now to reading the dozen or so others. The heart of the story is pure, and it’s always good to have a series like that in my back pocket. If that’s what you need from your next fantasy series, you will enjoy this one.