I have been so looking forward to starting this series since I stumbled across it on kindle last year. It’s taken me some time to get around to it (when doesn’t it, TBR struggles amiright?) but ohh was it worth the wait. I’m here to breakdown some of what makes Daughter of the Drowned Empire by Frankie Mallis such an incredible read.
Vorakh are individuals in this world who show one of three forbidden magics: visions, mind reading, and travelling. Anyone who manifests these abilities at their Revelation Ceremony, or is discovered to have this power hidden, is put to death. Lyr’s family is torn apart when her cousin Jules reveals one of these powers and is put to death. Her sisters Meera and Morgana reveal theirs next although their father manages to keep their powers hidden from everyone else. Lyr lives with the terror of revealing her own powers on her nineteenth birthday and the consequences if her father cannot manage to hide hers as he had previously done with her sisters.
In the two years since her sisters powers manifested, Lyr has worked hard to keep the attention off of both of them, even going so far as to ensure her relationship with Tristan – part of a family who hunts vorakh – is serious, despite not being able to stand his touch any longer. Then she stumbles across Rhyan, someone she hasn’t seen in a couple years but who she had deep feelings for when they last met.
RHYAN *drooooooooooooooool*
Enough said there. I loved him instantly and he just got better the further along into the book I made it. Rhyan is considered Forsaken, banished by his own Ka and home, and having come to Ka Batavia (Lyr’s Ka) for sanctuary. He winds up being Lyr’s apprentice at the academy and the two have a tempestuous relationship as he teaches her the ways of a soturion. I loved Rhyan right from his first appearance and I can firmly say I’m obsessed and want all I can get of him going forward. The only thing I could wish for is his point of view being introduced so we could get firsthand experience of his thoughts and experiences.
Lyr, the main point of view character was also someone I truly enjoyed from the beginning. She’s strong, caring, adventurous and everything I love in a main character. I felt like I connected with her immediately, never having those fleeting moments of, ehhh is this a character I’m going to be able to stand for an entire series, or feeling anything negative. She’s the kind of FMC that I admire and look forward to seeing more of. Not to mention the resolve she shows in protecting her family, particularly when her education takes a twist she had not anticipated on her 19th birthday and she chooses a dangerous path in order to stick close to a family that needs her protection.
This book was everything. I loved every second of it and had such a hard time putting it down. I cannot wait for more and I’m so happy it’s planned to have quite a few more books in the series because I want as much of this world and these characters as possible. On that note, the world itself is wonderful and so in depth and unique. There are so many aspects of the history of the world I want more of, such as greater detailing on what the Drowning actually was, what brought it about and what the world was like before it occurred.
All together, the point I’m trying to make here is go out and get this book now! If you like fantasy this is definitely the book for you. If you like badass female characters, look no further. If you like drool worthy male characters, Daughter of the Drowned Empire definitely has that.
