Audiobook Review: Blood of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Title: Blood of a Thousand Skies Series: Empress of a Thousand Skies #2 Written by: Rhoda Belleza Published: October 28, 2014 by Harlequin Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Empress With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown. Fugitive Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home. Princess Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was. Madman Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy. Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

I really liked Empress of a Thousand Skies. It was one of my favorite debuts of last year because it was an amazing audiobook with a plot full of political intrigue in space. I was really excited for the next book in the series to find out what would happen next.

One of the great things about this book was the plot development. Not that I particularly remember the plot of the first book but I think it was a little different than this one. It was less action-packed maybe, but still with plenty of surprises and plenty of political intrigue. Many of the information from the first book came into play in a big way in this book which was really cool. It also really built to an exciting conclusion that had me nervous and ultimately very surprised. However I do think the plot dragged a little bit. There was a lot of moving parts and they all had to line up for things to move along and I think that really kind of complicated things. When we did finally reach the climax it moved entirely too fast and there was so little falling action. You would have thoughts there was another book coming the way it all wrapped up but there isn't.

But I will say, there was also a good amount of political intrigue. So much of this book involved the hunt to fund and keep power. It's not there was a lot of plotting and scheming though, it was more just constant shifts. So many shifts that I couldn't really keep things straight. But that all worked together for me to make an engaging read. We also learned more about the world and some of it's technological aspects as well as some of the religious elements of the book but I think I would have liked more from the political.

One thing I do think this book did much better was character development. In this book we alternated perspectives between Rhee, Alyosha, and Kara. Being in each of their heads we had to get to know them all very well. I really liked each of the characters in the first book and found them just as likable and complex in this book. For both Rhee and Kara they are torn between what they want and what is expected of them. For Kara that is all the more heightened because she is only just realizing who she is. There's a subtle story of discovery in this book. But more Kara meant less Aly. I loved Alyosha in the first book and I wish he got a little more screen time, but I totally respect that the two females got top billing. Their stories were interesting and I wanted to see them succeed.

I am mostly glad that I listened to the audiobook of this one. I listened to the audio of the first book in the series and as always I loved Rebecca Soler's narration. She does an amazing job in embodying the characters. She brought the sass and uncertainty of Rhee, the strength and caring of Aly, and the thoughtfulness and toughness of Kara. I love how she gives them their own felling and voice. Plus she captures the action and adventure of the book. This book is just one more example of why she is one of my favorite narrators.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not perfect but it was a fantastic read with an engaging plot, great characters, and a fantastic audiobook. I do wish the plot wasn't so complex and it had more info about the politics but I still really enjoyed it.

I give Blood of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you liked the first book in this series I recommend you pick this one up. But if you haven't an you are intrigued by a book that is political intrigue in space then I recommend this series. Plus I would definitely recommend the audio.

Have you read Blood of a Thousand Skies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhode Belleza

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Blood of a Thousand Stars Series: Empress of a Thousand Skies #2 Author: Rhoda Belleza Published: February 20, 2018 by Razorbill (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Empress With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown. Fugitive Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home. Princess Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was. Madman Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy. Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

Why I'm Waiting:

I really loved Empress of a Thousand Skies. Basically any book that is science fiction with political intrigue is going to be completely up my alley. And I was not at all disappointed by Empress of a Thousand Skies. It was an amazing debut with a thrilling plot and an interesting world. So of course the fact that I enjoyed that book so much means that I am so excited for its sequel. I got super attached to Rhee and Aly in the first book and I need to know what happens to them next.

I am definitely going to get myself a copy of this book. The question is do I want the audiobook or a physical copy. I listened to the audio of Empress of a Thousand Skies and I loved it so much because Rebecca Soler is amazing. To be honest I will probably get the audio because I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Blood of a Thousand Skies along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Title: Empress of A Thousand Skies Series: Empress of A Thousand Skies #1 Written by: Rhoda Belleza Published: February 7, 2017 by Razorbill (Penguin Book Group) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: CROWN PRINCESS RHIANNON TA'AN WANTS VENGEANCE.  The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, RHEE has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.  ALYOSHA is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.  Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.  The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.  In this exhilarating debut for fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, RHODA BELLEZA crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

This book was amazing! Hearing that it is a YA book about political intrigue in space absolutely seemed like a book I needed to read. And I'm glad that I did because it was fantastic.

For one thing, I loved the plot development of this book. I'm a very plot driven reader so when the plot is good I am going to probably love the book. And the plot here was so good. It's one of those books that has a ton of moving parts that don't all come together until the very end. But it's also a book that is full of action and adventure. There are so many Darin escapes and thrilling scenes throughout this book that had me on the edge of my seat waiting and watching to see what would happen. It also absolutely built to a thrilling climax full of surprises and amazing reveals that left me so enthralled that I need the second book. 

So much of what made this book so complex was the way it is written. The book is told in alternating perspectives between Rhiannon (Rhee) and Alyosha (Aly). I'm used to that concept but I feel like a lot of times the two perspectives have the same storyline and it doesn't seem needed. But here they both had their own stories that didn't overlap and instead complimented each other. It made for a very interesting and deeper story that I really enjoyed. 

I will say, however, that this concept didn't leave a lot of room for character development. I did really like both characters and I found them likable and complex but the focus wasn't on the characters. You did get to know the characters pretty well however and I was invested in their histories their struggles which is important. The changing perspectives also meant that there were a host of different secondary characters to meet and none of them really made a very lasting impression despite making a strong impression. I just think there was more emphasis on the plot here and that was okay by me.

The world also didn't get as much attention as I would have liked but that was because it was so interesting. It definitely is one of those show don't tell kind of stories, which is fine but it left me with a lot of questions. This is clearly a science fiction read that definitely has some space opera vibes and I loved all of those aspects but much of that world and the science aspect didn't get much attention until the very end. I wanted a little bit more explanation of some of these things that came into the plot in a big way. 

But I think more of the focus for the world was placed on the political intrigue. And oh boy, this book was full of political intrigue. Like Game of Thrones level political intrigue. There were so many scheming characters aiming for power. And it went beyond the princess who is the rightful heir trying to regain her power. Yes, that was an element and I liked that element but it went deeper than that. So deep in fact that I don't even think we know exactly how deep it goes.

This is only the first book in a series and I loved it so much I am seriously invested in knowing what happens next. It had a fantastic plot full of action and mystery, a great science fiction world that I want to know more about, complex characters, and a ton of political intrigue. It was amazing.

I give Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! I would absolutely recommend this book. If you are a fan of science fiction or YA fantasies you need to read this book. It totally is like Game of Thrones meets The Lunar Chronicles. Read it and then come flail with me.

Have you read Empress of a Thousand Skies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks ford topping by and HAPPY READING!