I was so excited to have this book in my hands to get more of this world and the characters I have come to love so much.
Even though I didn’t believe it was possible to love these characters any more, Warrior of the Drowned Empire reminded me why they are such elite characters and honestly did somehow increase that love. Lyriana is the kind of main character I can’t get enough of and she proves why she is an amazing point of view character to read from time and again. She is strong, she is mature, she is brave, and cares so much for the people in her life that she would do anything for them. I think it’s notable to point out that she never leaves me frustrated or annoyed when reading about her/from her perspective which is an accomplishment as I find this isn’t always the case with a main POV character and Lyriana is just SO well written that I love every second of her scenes.
I also appreciated having other characters to read from the perspective of, particularly Rhyan as he is another favourite and one I enjoyed reading in more detail about in Son of the Drowned Empire which gave much needed backstory on him. Getting to see firsthand his feelings and thoughts on Lyriana is such a beautiful experience in this book and I could not get enough.
Although not point of view characters, I was also really happy to see some characters return in this book who I had grown quite fond of in Son of the Drowned Empire. Getting more Dario and Aiden time was another highlight and I really enjoyed how they were introduced into this book and the way their history with Rhyan played out after the way they had parted the last time they were together.
I also enjoyed that there’s so much more backstory into the history of this universe in this book. We get more details on events of the past, in particular of the Gods when they lived there and it is so fascinating to dive more into this history and feel like we were getting answers on what exactly happened to get the world to the state it is in in the present, as well as why the Gods were cast to the mortal realm in the first place.
Warrior of the Drowned Empire also brought the trauma and anxiety, and at the end of it I am afraid to say, I am not OK. There is so much that happens throughout the course of this thick book and I was invested in every second of it, legitimately obsessed from start to finish. And there are events that take place that had me broken by the end of the book and honestly not sure how I’m going to wait for the sequel. Why, Frankie, why!? Needless to say, there are cliffhangers to be had and I am desperate for so many answers after the way things ended and with all of the new information that has been revealed. I absolutely need more and will be waiting desperately for the next book, probably rocking in a corner emotionally crippled in the meantime.
