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Published: Nov. 22, 2012
Words: 120,723 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781301209170
Short description
Wren, a shape shifter with flawed magic, must become hostage of an emperor before he can find freedom for himself and his captive king. However his struggle embroils a nation in conflict, and he must save a little girl's life or die.Extended description
Wren is a shape shifter whose magic is flawed; every promise he makes takes unexpected turns. One failed promise caused his enslavement to barbarian royalty. The tale begins a thousand years later, when an emperor, who collects hostages to ensure the obedience of conquered kings, conquers the barbarian kingdom where Wren serves. Snatching at an opportunity to escape bondage, Wren offers himself as hostage for his king, promising to win their freedom. However Wren’s first act, upon meeting the emperor, is to insult him. Events worsen when Wren befriends a hostage prince, involves two lovers in a struggle for the throne, helps to raise an army for them, dodges the thrusts of an oracle who can't forgive Wren for impersonating him, and faces the dilemma of saving a princess's life or dying by his own magic.Tags
shape shifter, kingdoms, magic and animals, three birdsAvailable ebook reading formats
Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.| Format | Full Book | Sample First 15% |
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| Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) | Buy | Download sample |
| PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing) | Buy | No sample available |
| RTF (readable on most word processors) | Buy | No sample available |
| LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub) | Buy | Download sample |
| Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices) | Buy | Download sample |
| Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting) | Buy | No sample available |
| Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page) | Buy | No sample available |
Reviews
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Review by:
Anne Carlisle
on Feb. 24, 2013 :
For me, there is a cartoonish quality to the rapidity with which things change in the shapeshifter world. Authors of such fiction sometimes offer not more than a sentence for readers to digest exactly who or what is seen before she/he/it wings into a new shape, gender, or essence. I had a dizzying experience at the opening of Emperor's Hostages by Gloria Piper.
I re-read the prologue several times and still was confused about what happens in the woods and the basic nature of the two characters. In chapter 2, the point-of-view suddenly switches into first person, and as to the identity of the narrative voice, I was clueless.
In my opinion, the overall pace needs to be slowed and care taken to be clearer, especially since multiple characters abound on every page. That said, the sentences in themselves are finely honed bits of work, with excellent imagery and action verbs.
Here is a typical paragraph, at the midpoint. "Meanwhile rumors and speculation flooded the Cloister, reaching En and Yon, two brothers newly fated by the Wheel to grub in the Cloister. They hoed to the end of the field, dropped their tools, and slid into the bushes. I alerted ben Saludin, he told Zhin, and Zhin found them. The new men hollowed out their hiding places in the bamboo. "
There is powerful writing here -short, active verbs driving the sentences - that would be invigorating to read, except for too many characters being thrown together. In this same paragraph, besides the aforementioned characters, there are "landlord knights," "servants," "the festival crowd, "and "two fugitives." Too many to keep track of and too much to digest in a short space for my comfort zone. However, this book would be an excellent read "as is" for those who can't get enough shapeshifting and rapid-fire action.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Anne Carlisle
on Feb. 24, 2013 :
For me, there is a cartoonish quality to the rapidity with which things change in the shapeshifter world. Authors of such fiction sometimes offer not more than a sentence for readers to digest exactly who or what is seen before she/he/it wings into a new shape, gender, or essence. I had a dizzying experience at the opening of Emperor's Hostages by Gloria Piper. I re-read the prologue several times and still was confused about what happens in the woods and the basic nature of the two characters. In chapter 2, the point-of-view suddenly switches into first person, and as to the identity of the narrative voice, I was clueless.
In my opinion, the overall pace needs to be slowed and care taken to be clearer, especially since multiple characters abound on every page. That said, the sentences in themselves are finely honed bits of work, with excellent imagery and action verbs.
Here is a typical paragraph, at the midpoint. "Meanwhile rumors and speculation flooded the Cloister, reaching En and Yon, two brothers newly fated by the Wheel to grub in the Cloister. They hoed to the end of the field, dropped their tools, and slid into the bushes. I alerted ben Saludin, he told Zhin, and Zhin found them. The new men hollowed out their hiding places in the bamboo. "
There is powerful writing here -short, active verbs driving the sentences - that would be invigorating to read, except for too many characters being thrown together. In this same paragraph, besides the aforementioned characters, there are "landlord knights," "servants," "the festival crowd, "and "two fugitives." Too many to keep track of and too much to digest in a short space for my comfort zone. However, this book would be an excellent read "as is" for those who can't get enough shapeshifting and rapid-fire action.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)