This was a satisfying conclusion to a long and complex series with a lot of interesting viewpoint characters. I was a bit wary this would all end in tragedy, but without anything too crazy everything seemed fairly well sorted, even good, by the end. There's not much magic or anything particularly unusual in the world building, so this is more like character driven historical-ish fiction. The characters are all so flawed and not very likeable, and don't particularly change much, though as you come to understand them better they become more sympathetic. My favorite is Dishiva, probably because even though she has an awful time of things, half blinded and effectively trapped, she somehow maintains a sense of humor and is able to make a well placed friend among her enemies. That unlikely alliance is instrumental in the great sorting out of the ending. The series altogether is well written, well conceived, and interesting.

Mmmm love me some grand finales. This one was grand grand grand!

I won’t spoil the series for you, but some considerable shenanigans have gone down that have lead us to this volume. Each of the narrators in the story are now more-or-less in the same place, which is interesting. Things are starting to happen between them.

I love love love Cassandra as a character. I love her snark and the complex relationship between her and Kaysa. Her relationship in this volume to a fellow assassin becomes deeper and I really liked how their relationship changed.

But most of all, there was a thing that happened in this one. There was finally a thing. The thing finally happened. It happened and it was everything I had been waiting for. The heavens opened up and gay rainbows just erupted all over the place.

*ahem*

Anyway, this was a fantastic end to a fantastic series, and I really do recommend it to anyone that likes epic fantasy with characters that just come to life. The setting has a place in my imagination, the characters are beloved, and the writing was so very easy to just slip into for hours at a time.

I squee about a lot of books, and this one is no exception. Squee, squee, read the book.

<b>Possible Triggers:</b>
Death | Violence | Rape

Summary:
This is the fourth book of the ’The Reborn Empire’ series, starting immediately where the third book left off.

Characters:
Can you absolutely love a character and still wanna slap them upside the head for being too darn principled? Rah, I am looking at you.

Cassandra was my favorite character of this series and I was glad we got to spend quite a bit of time with her in this book. Lots going on with her in both growth and just pure activity.

Positives:
+ Yay for having an “up till now” included in the very front of the book to refresh your memory of the story thus far. I really appreciate when long series have a little reminder of all the awesomeness that has happened so far. Another A++ for the dramatis personae included as well.
+ The epilogues were great, by far my favorite chapters in the entire book.

Final Thoughts:
Ultimately this was my least favorite book of the series. It didn’t further the cool magic that was in the entirety of the other books, all of the neatly tied endings were good, but somehow underwhelming, and the romance/sex scenes in this book felt very much like a checklist. Did we tick off all the big sexual preferences in as short of a time as possible? Nevermind the fact that some of the feelings/dynamics between the characters were like a whiplash of confusion. After the amount of pain and suffering and strife the characters all suffer throughout the series, it felt weird. It felt almost like sex was an afterthought that was put in for no other reason than that it is an adult fantasy.

We Dream of Gods by Devin Madson
4.5

The Reborn Empire is one of my favorite series of all times, so my expectations for this conclusion were very high. Although it was not quite what I was expecting, I cannot imagine a better conclusion for these characters. “We Dream of Gods” was politically charged with nonstop drama and heart, keeping me captivated the whole way through. I am so sad this journey is over, however these characters will stay with me forever. I will never stop hyping these books, please read them.

A disappointing conclusion to an otherwise great series. On the surface, this book has everything I love in a fantasy series: political intrigue and tension; a woman fighting for power in a world dominated by men; and a captivating and unique magic system. However, all of these elements fell flat in this final installment. The plot dragged at a slow pace, with Rah, Miko, and Cassandra just wandering around for 3/4 of the book. Even the villains fell flat; we kept being told why we should hate them, but mostly I was bored whenever they were on the page. Unfortunately, I stopped caring about most of the characters, and during pivotal moments in the plot when such characters were in danger, I found myself not caring.

Despite these drawbacks, I enjoyed several aspects of the book. My favorite character arc was Dishiva’s and her relationship with Secretary Aurus. Her strength and her determination for a better life for her people was amazing. Additionally, the magic system is truly fascinating and unique. I just wish it could have been explored a bit further. I also really enjoyed the way different sexualities were depicted and discussed. Whether it was one character defending his asexuality (of course, such a modern term was not used in the book), or another character coming to terms with her sexual attraction towards both men and women, I appreciate the presence of such discussions. A part of me wishes that these conversations were explored more in depth as they were definitely some of my favorite moments in the book.

Overall, I disappointed as this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I had really high hopes.

I received an advanced copy from Orbit in exchange for an honest review

I've loved this series from book one and it just keeps getting better and better. Devin Madson has some serious writing chops that I feel only a handful of authors. can equal. This book continues one of the best fantasy series out there in beautiful fashion. yet there's a brutality that is also present that keeps you invested on an intensely emotional level. I will have a lot more to say about this on the blog in the coming weeks. Just read this series, there aren't many out there that are nearly as good, trust me.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Devin Madson does it again with this entry in the Reborn Empire, it had a great concept and ran with it. The characters worked so well in the universe. I was fully invested in what was happening and wanted to continue this story. It felt like it belonged in with the other three books in this series and I'm excited to read more from Devin Madson.

"I drew a deep breath and held it until my lungs hurt and black spots appeared in my vision. If I kept holding it until I passed out, my body would keep breathing on its own heedless of my choices, and that was what I had to do. My resigned, gusty exhale rippled the lower half of my mask, and I sank onto one of the chairs. I had to gather the same determination to beat this as the body had to survive. Eventually Leo would slip. Would falter."

Another masterful story in the riveting epic fantasy saga by Devin Madson continues this epic story where the previous book left off and takes readers on a high-stakes ride with tightly-plotted twists and horrors that are downright eldritch.

4.5/5 stars! This is the fourth entry in the "Reborn Empire" series. As the conclusion of the series, there are many loose ends to wrap up and this book handled them with expertise. And let's pause for a second and admire this stunning cover; shades of purple GASP! I loved catching up with these characters and watching them fight to the finish. I really enjoyed this series and would highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Note, this is the 4th book in The Empire Reborn series. While I appreciated the "story so far" section at the beginning of this book, it is not quite enough information for those who have not read the first three books to jump into this one. I recommend, if you are interested, to read the whole series.

This was another good chapter in the epic fantasy The Empire Reborn series. These books are a good balance of action and political intrigue, which pulls me in. Overall, this had all elements that I, personally, look for in fantasy. I love these characters and seeing how the threads come together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for Providing an eARC.