SERVANT OF THE EMPIRE (Hardcover)

In the meantime, Mara buys Kevin of Zun and takes him into her home as a slave. As prisoners of war from the land of Midkemia across the rift, Kevin and his "barbarian" countrymen make terrible slaves. They don't believe in the Kelewanese concept of caste or of their treatment of slaves. They are rebellious, prone to escape and refuse to bow down to their masters. Mara is fascinated by the handsome slave and his strange ideas of freedom. Soon Mara and Kevin become lovers and Mara begins to learn more about the way of life in Midkemia. Kevin quickly becomes a valuable part of Mara's household and in her fight against her enemies. Mara has always been an unpredictable thinker and incorporating Kevin's off-worlder ideas into the fabric of her moves in the Great Game of Council further confounds her enemies.

Once again Mara manages to outwit her enemies using unconventional thinking, a lot of luck, and an Emperor who doesn't plan to be just a figurehead any longer.

The second book of Wurts' and Feist's Empire series is equal parts political fantasy and romance novel. Mara is once again deeply involved in the maneuverings and manipulations that at once gain her stature among her peers and strengthen her House against those who would see her destroyed. The inclusion of Kevin gives Mara a true love interest (her abusive husband from the previous book doesn't qualify) and gives her an outsider's view of her culture's enigmatic and often destructive way of life. It also ushers in the change of Mara from uncanny survivor to social reformer.

I liked the first book in the series but I liked this one better. The characters deepen, we see more of the countryside and meet more of the Tsurani people including the Emperor and the mysterious Black Robes. The introduction of the outlander Kevin to the story helps to drive the plot and also serves as a logical place for exposition. Kevin can stand in for the reader and ask the questions "Why" and make the wry observations that about the Tsurani way of life. He serves brilliantly as the Outsider-who shakes-up-the-establishment and is the focal point of the members of Mara's household beginning to question their culture's stance on many issues including honor, death and slavery.

Great book. I Highly recommend.

I thought this book went a little overboard with Mara of the Acoma breaking traditions as she falls in love with Kevin, the slave from across the rift in Midkemia. Nevertheless, this is still a very good book and I see it as sort of a bridge between the other two fantastic volumes of this series.

If you liked the first book in the series, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well, but if you don't like this as much, don't worry because the conclusion, Mistress of the Empire lives up to the standard set by Daughter of the Empire.

Enter Kevin, a captive from Midkemia, the world beyond the Rift. A battle-proven veteran, smart, witty and not willing to accept his place as a will-less slave in a society that is solidified in its own rigid traditions and castes. He wins the heart of Mara (admittedly not that unexpected, but that's okay) and earns the legitimate respect of Mara's most trusted intimates and officers. But most important, he lends Mara new insights to her own society, one of these being an awakened awareness that it's the deeds that define a man's worth and not his social standing.

One may argue now, that constellations like a slave winning his mistress' (or her master's) heart while changing her (his) view to things around her (him) are nothing new, but the way Janny Wurts exploits this setup for the trilogy's overall development is brilliant. One reason is, that in contrary to the first book, where Mara was the absolute main protagonist, she now has to share sympathies with Kevin. The recurring changes between both characters' viewpoints paint a whole new picture of the world of Kelewan.

Additionally Janny Wurts once again delves deep into the fascinations of a complex political and social structure with intricate plots, ambitious rulers and a deadliness that can plunge a mighty House into utter destruction just within a good day's scheming. And of course for all fans of Feist's Midkemia saga, the events involving Mara and Kevin are perfectly woven into the plot preset by Feist.

As a summary, Servant of the Empire is a great fantasy novel, which manages to grab the readers attention for many hours but still has enough room to spin a complex tale with love for detail and many surprising twists.