The Throne of the Five Winds

Lady-in-waiting Komor Yala and princess Mahara, who was forced to marry the enemy to assure the cooperation of her vanquished people, are virtual prisoners in the treacherous imperial palace. Then the emperor falls ill. First in the medieval Asia-inspired "Hostage of Empire" series from Lilith Saintcrow, writing pseudonymously; with a 50,000-copy first printing.

August 12, 2019
Emmett debuts with a lackluster, exhaustingly overwrought epic fantasy inspired by East Asian cultures. Ashan Mahara, princess of Khir, and her lady-in-waiting, Komor Yala, travel to Zhaon, where Mahara’s marriage to a prince of Zhaon is intended to unite the two warring countries. However, this union isn’t met with much enthusiasm in Zhaon. While mourning her brother, who died in the war, Yala solemnly takes the duty of protecting and comforting Mahara as they navigate their new palace and politics, assessing veiled threats and finding allies. Assassination attempts lead Yala to accept help from Gen. Zakkar Kai, who’s also been threatened, and Third Prince Takshin, who has no loyalty to his family; these connections hint at a love triangle but are never adequately developed even as individual friendships. When Yala is mistaken for Mahara and kidnapped, Kai and Takshin hunt for her, drawing closer to discovering who is behind the assassination attempts. Emmett’s convoluted background history and descriptions leave out important information and sometimes interrupt the scene, delaying the progress of what might otherwise have been a strong tale of intrigue. An overwhelming number of characters creates a dense story with an exciting final chapter that arrives much too late. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary.

Starred review from September 15, 2019
With a deliberate pace and fine attention to details of dress and custom, Emmett weaves a masterful tale of court intrigues in the Empire of Zhaon. Komor Yala is the lady-in-waiting for Khir princess Mahara, who has been surrendered in marriage to the Crown Prince of Zhaon. The Emperor is looking to set his succession, but with five rival princes to his first son, two sly queens, and a court full of ambitious royals, plus assassins seemingly attacking at will, he is beginning to lose his grip. Yala is her father's daughter, trained in horseback riding and fencing, and she must find allies for her princess with great care. As the attempts become more serious, her allies find themselves bound together in unexpected ways. Emmett is a pseudonym for urban fantasy and paranormal romance favorite Lilith Saintcrow. This trilogy starter will only expand her audience, putting her into the favorable company of expansive fantasy writers like Kate Elliott and N. K. Jemisin, with more than an echo or two of James Clavell.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)