Review: Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman

Title: Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals #2)
Author: Eleanor Herman
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: June 28th 2016
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Rating: 3.5/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

You can read my review of Legacy of Kings - here

In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing.

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Empire of Dust is the second book in the  Blood of Gods and Royals series, which is a re-imagining historical mixed with fantasy, where one of the main characters is Alexander the Great at the age of 16 years old.

The story is told from multiple (seven) point of views being one of them of course Alexander, but we also have other POVs, one of them being Hephaestion, best friend of Alexander, but because of various things that happened in the previous book, Alexander cannot completely trust him, which keeps him away from all his decisions when previously he was his main confidant. Another main character is Katerina and she has a special relationship with Alexander and has Queen Olympias as her enemy which wants her dead. Meanwhile Jacob, Katerina´s best friend and romantic interest (on the previous book), has become a Aesarian Lord, which is a sort of group dedicated to eradicating magic (something very like the Inquisition), and go through all the kingdoms imprisoning people that are suspected of having magic. We also have Princess Zofia, which was Prince Alexander´s fiancee, but in this book she´s a fugitive since she escaped her future to join her beloved and on the road she was captured by Ochus, and she´s also trying to find mythical creatures with hope to change her future (her story unfolds in Persia).

And we also have two more POVs, the villains: Queen Olympias, Alexander´s mother, which has many secrets and will do everything to protect them. The other villain is Cynane, half-sister of Alexander which wants to rule her own Queendom and if she can´t govern Macedon, she will do anything to get the help needed to become queen of another Kingdom.

And because it has seven POVs (that without counting a chapter by Darius of Persia), there are different plots, Alexander having won his first battle prepares for the subsequent battle in case the established truce will not last, and in the meanwhile he discovers that there is a traitor in his council. In addition to sending Katerina and Hephaestion as ambassadors to Egypt. Meanwhile Jacob discovers something about himself that he could put his career and life in jeopardy as an Aesarian Lord. And Princess Zofia is in a race against a prophecy that she doesn´t want to come true, because it could endanger the life of her loved one. Also Queen Olympias after being betrayed, continues with her plans to free her beloved from a spell that holds him prisoner, even if to do so she must kill. And because there are so many plots, there were times when it felt that the plot didn´t progress fast enough, at least my favorite plot.

And I do not remember if I discuss it in my review of the first book, but I still don´t see the point of the story of Princess Zofia and is my least favorite of all points of views, but something happens in this book in Macedon which relates with her history and I cannot wait to see what happens. And my favorite point of view is Alexander and I feel that this book he had an enormous growth because despite only being 16 years old, he governs Macedon (in the absence of his father) and he makes major changes in his kingdom.

And it has a great ending!! It hooked me to read the next book in the series.