Daughter of the Drowned Empire Book Review

 

Daughter of the Drowned Empire

by Frankie Diane Mallis

 Release Date: Feb. 22, 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: Adult

Series: Drowned Empire

Goodreads Avg. Rating: 3.91 stars

This series is another case of where I found a later book first. Then for months, I say to myself I need to read this series. Well, now that I have I'm glad to have started. This was different than several other fantasies I've read lately in very positive ways.

This series, well the first book at least, takes place in the Lumerian Empire. A land ruled over by a slightly complex political system. There is an Emperor, then two Imperators that rule different regions under the Emperor. Then each region still has countries with their own king/queen and political council that rules there. There is a breakdown of these roles and maps at the beginning of the book which I found to be a very helpful inclusion.

 

What made me want to pick up this book was mostly the bit of world we were given in the description. It sounded like we would get this ancient lost world. I do think throughout the series she plans to give more details and secrets. In the first installment though we did not get tons. Through Lyr's research, we found out a bit about the Drowning.

 

The people of this world are divided into different groups as well. In this book, we only got to see the Lumerians, while technically human they all possess magic so they consider themselves other. Their people came from the continent of Lumeria over 1000 years ago when the Drowning destroyed their homeland. Then there is the Afeyan people of the Star Court, they are a race of Jin-type beings. Their lands are next to that of the Lumerian Empire. Finally, there are humans, we know that they do not live in the Empire but not sure where they are.

While there is a lot of magic in this world we don't get to understand most of it. The forbidden magic is talked about more than common. From what we are shown though it seems to be a basic system. Everyone of Lumerian descent is born with magic. The strength of power will vary but everyone can learn the same spells. After your Revelation Ceremony, a rite at the age of 19, you are given either a stave or a dagger to help focus your power. The more powerful a mage they might end up wielding a staff instead.

 

Then there are the unfortunate souls born with a vorakh. A person might have one of three forbidden powers, visions, mind reading, or teleportation. People found with these powers are arrested and executed. The empire ruled that these abilities were forbidden as they made the person go mad. Some can hide their ability for a short time but most are found out at the Revelation Ceremony.

Through this novel, we follow Lady Lyriana Batavia. She is the third daughter of the royal family of Bamaria. Growing up in a royal court has prepared Lyr for life in the public eye. After the events of the first chapters, this becomes her way of survival and a coping tactic. Lyr is fiercely loyal to her family. She puts the needs of her older sisters above that of herself. Even when things are at their darkest her first worry is if they are okay. For a short period (really short) there was almost a Cinderella comparison. However, Lyr's sisters do care for her they just can't seem to help much.

This first book centers around what happens after Lady Lyriana's Revelation Ceremony. This takes place on Auriel's Feast Day for all Lumerians who have reached the age of 19. The point of the ceremony is to allow the now adults access to their magic. Lyr had prepared herself for a certain outcome but what happened was believed to be impossible. Now faced with banishment she must prove her strength before her sisters' secrets come to light.

If you like slow burn then this is your book. It is full of angst and yearning. There is only heavy making out on the page in this one. But the tension is following Lyr through most of the book. Then we come to the aspect of forbidden love, which is hinted at in the description. This unfortunately cannot come to light in this book. Though crossing my fingers to break that rule in the next book.

The conclusion of this book just kind of happened. I'm not saying this in a bad way, it was just different than most fantasies I've read recently. There was no epic battle or cliffhanger. A few chapters earlier Lyr had gone through a big struggle but moved forward. We are left with questions sure but a sense of peace almost as Lyr has come to accept that she is capable of getting stronger. An interesting note here is that the second book picks up on the same day that this one ends.

After reading this book I'm really glad that I found it. There are already several books out in the series that I can hopefully get to soon. The romance is going to be a slow burn through at least a few books. While we didn't get tons of world-building or magic explanations I still feel it has promise. Can't wait to see how things get expanded upon in the next novels. Especially the Rhyan POV ones.

You can find this book from the below retailers:

Amazon         Barnes & Noble