Another great book from this author. The way in which the story developed alongside the plot. I was instantly intrigued with how this book progressed. There was many twists and turns that occurred within this book, it had got to point that I was constantly intrigued and wanted to keep reading as I didn’t want to put the book down. This was a very clever gripping story that with how the book ended I am intrigued to continue the series.

I do not think anyone will be surprised to enjoy this book. It's James Maxwell, and he's proven over and over again that he can create engaging worlds with his writing. I enjoyed this, especially the multiple POVs as it really helped to keep the story moving and helped to keep me engaged. The world-building was so good, thorough, and just overall very well developed, which is something we've come to expect from Maxwell. I am looking forward to book two; I think it will add more to book one, and I honestly wish I could've waited to read them together, as book one felt (at times) slow but it was clearly setting up for the future.

Epic fantasy
Unique magic system
Great world building
Compelling characters
Political intrigue
Fiesty red head MC

Cannot wait for book two!!

Thank you Netgalley and Everlast Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

This is my first James Maxwell book and I really enjoyed it! The story is well-written and well-paced. It kept me captivated the entire time. I liked that there are multiple characters that we follow throughout the book and somehow Maxwell has cleverly made them connected to each other. This is definitely building up to a bigger plot for the next book, and I can’t wait to continue the journey. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an epic political high fantasy with some action, good plot, and characters.

Blood and Empire is an exciting, fast-paced fantasy that had me hooked from the start. James Maxwell’s world-building is masterful, creating a rich, immersive setting full of political intrigue and high stakes. The characters are complex and deeply human, and their personal struggles are as engaging as the larger conflicts at play.

Maxwell balances action and character development perfectly, with unexpected twists that keep the tension high throughout. The themes of power, loyalty, and the cost of ambition add depth to the story, making it more than just an action-packed adventure.

If you love epic fantasy with a gripping plot and multi-dimensional characters, *Blood and Empire* is a must-read.

The start of an epic multi pov story, I was definitely intrigued by this book and am looking forward to reading the next. The world building is nicely done and I felt engaged with a few of the characters although it was laggy in a few parts (especially the beginning) and could have used a bit more editing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e arc of this book.

Enjoyment: 4
Start: 3
Characters: 3.5
Setting: 3.25
Plot: 3.5
Ending: 3
Style: 4
Rating: 3.46

While the cover drew me in and the blurb seemed interesting, the characters seemed lacking. I was confused by the need of the prologue and even more confused when the characters and location switched to someone else entirely in the next chapter. The blurb doesn't mention any other characters than Bethany, so finding out there were extra POV characters was confusing to me. As I continued reading the necessity of the prologue seemed less and less. After finishing this I'm still confused about the need for certain characters to be in this novel instead of just adding them to the next one.

Tried to get into this book but it just didn’t grab me.

The premise had so much potential, and I wanted to love it, but I found myself putting it down more than picking it up. The pacing felt a bit slow for me, and I just couldn’t quite connect with the story or characters enough to keep going.

That said every reader’s taste is different, and I know this book will have its fans.

Sometimes a DNF just means it wasn’t the right book for me right now maybe I’ll pick it up again another time.

I loved the book world. It had a mysterious enemy and the political struggles, along with magic. The characters are written well and I loved them. Most importantly, I'm excited to know what happens next.

An epic fantasy with multiple POVs, action, and political intrigue! It's well written, the pacing is perfect and connection between POVs is done well

This book had great potential, but it fell a bit flat for me. It needed more worldbuilding to really draw me into the story. It feels like it's setting the stage for a much more engaging second book, but not enough captured my interest in the first—at least not until the final 25%.

Blood and Empire paints a vivid picture of a world on the brink of huge change.
There are multiple POVs, though initially we are introduced to Bethany, a young girl working in her mother’s shop with dreams above her station. When given the opportunity her talent and drive allow her to study to become a diviner, but the odds are stacked against her. Her mother’s health is failing and her path is influenced by others as she endures trials that will test her body, mind and soul.
We also meet Julian, the heir to the throne as he navigates the political world he’s determined to inherit. He is desperate to maintain control whilst other scheme against him.
Zhuana, a queen with a troubled past who will do anything to keep her people alive. Leaving her kingdom in ashes the Veladrians face uncertainty ahead aand death stalking closely behind.
Kendrick is a lord of the empire and revered soldier in his youth. He is focused on his family and has close ties to powerful people. Driven by his morals and duty he’s reluctantly pulled from isolation.

Blood and Empire delves into our protagonists lives setting the scene for their inevitable collision.
Outside of the empires internal, political turmoil and conspiracies a darker threat is looming. Marching inevitably closer to threaten the long reign of the empire.

The world building is intense and our understanding of diviners, cultural and political issues, how our characters are connected and general state of the world is carefully revealed.
The writing is rich and immersive. The plot is generally fast paced but there are some slower sections. The magic system in this book is fascinating and we only scratch the surface. I’m excited to dig deeper.

Reminiscent of Game of thrones, Maxwell weaves a complicated tapestry that will only grow. The cast of characters is diverse. Each has their own motives and moral compass. The impact of the small details we notice now will slot into place when we can see the whole picture.
It’s always interesting with multiple POV’s to witness how a characters perspective skews the narrative. War Mongering Barbarians can easily become resourceful, desperate refugees.

The story set up in Blood and Empire could span an epic series. There’s a lot of room for exploration and enough in this book to leave you hungry for more.

Great world building? Check. Political intrigue? Double check. Multiple POVs? We’re three for three. Do I know what actually happened? Not really. I just didn’t care but it felt important.

This was well written and was clearly setting the series up for a greater plot but it just didn’t hold my attention very well. I didn’t find myself connecting to any of the characters or being invested in anything that was happening. It’s a good start to a series that I’m sure will get better with future books but I unfortunately will not be continuing with this series.

Blood and Empire is an action-packed, richly woven fantasy that keeps you hooked from the first page. James Maxwell delivers vivid world-building, compelling characters, and a plot full of political intrigue and heart-pounding twists. A satisfying continuation of the series that raises the stakes while deepening the emotional journey—perfect for fans of epic fantasy done right.

Thank you so much to both NetGalley and Everlast Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book for the most part - the writing was fairly good, the characters were intriguing, and the action was paced nicely. However, 80% of this book is filler - I know that it's setting up for the series, but the 20% that remained was not even close to enough to make me want to continue reading this series.

I figure I might try? But I'm not entirely invested. I also just didn't feel anything in particular for any of the characters that makes me care or want to read what comes next for them. I think this might be a better one for someone to read that's just starting with Fantasy and wants to slowly get invested in a new series.

James Maxwell delivers an action-packed and emotionally charged story with, Blood and Empire. With rich world-building, compelling characters, and plenty of political intrigue, the story keeps you hooked from start to finish. The blend of war, magic, and personal sacrifice makes for a gripping read, and fans of epic fantasy will find plenty to love!

Before you read my review, please don’t let it dissuade you from buying the book. These are only my opinions. Who knows, maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace and if I read it again I will love it?

I do have to say, despite my rating and review below, I am interested in what was set up to happen in book 2.

Ok, so this is an epic fantasy built in a rich world. It is a fantastical world, but not the one I was expecting from the way the book began. Honestly, I felt like there was a little bit of a bait and switch, or there were so many characters and plot lines that it felt a bit chaotic. There are multiple POVs but that wasn’t my problem with the book. I think it actually added something seeing different viewpoints and their investments in the empire.

We first meet Zhuana. A strong woman who knows the meaning of sacrifice. My heart both broke and cheered for her throughout the book.

We also meet Bethany. Against all odds, a dream she had since she was a little girl, that she believed impossible, was now within her grasp. That had me cheering out loud.

We also meet so many other characters with their own plans and agendas I feel like the author tried to fit too much into the first book. The book felt too short for everything that was in it. It was almost like the author was limited to a word count, instead of letting us into the world and it’s characters organically.

I understand as a reader, first books are hard for authors and I try to keep that in mind. We are being introduced to their world and the characters, but as soon as I felt invested in a character and what was going on with them, I felt like I was turned around and asked to be invested in another characters journey.

I wish more time was spent with Bethany and her journey and Queen Zhuana and her story as both a mother and a queen. The times she struggled to separate the two while caring and keeping her people safe. I wanted more of her story. These are the characters I was most interested in. Strong females who don’t shrink from duty or the seemingly impossible tasks they have to overcome.

The King, his conniving son, Julian along with his wife who I feel is even worse than him. All of the planning and backstabbing, I feel some of it could have waited for book two.

Give me some background. The map at the beginning is beautiful and detailed. If the author felt the need to jump ahead, at least, that’s what it felt like, maybe including a list of major characters at the beginning of the book, kind of like a “who’s who”, without major spoilers would have been helpful.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and their publisher Everlast Books for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are voluntary and my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Everlast Books and author James Maxwell for this eARC

I loved this book so much! An amazingly crafted epic, political fantasy with great world-building, a cool magic system and amazing characters.
I loved the different POV and seeing how they slowly start to connect together.
Blood and Empire does such an amazing job of setting the story in motion and I can NOT wait to read the next book and see where this world and these characters take us.

The writing style is descriptive, paints such clear pictures and keeps the reader hooked through the whole book.
So far this is for sure my favourite fantasy of the year.

"We do not want to escape the storm only to bury our dead on the battlefield. Fear leads to poor decisions"

I enjoyed this book! It gave me a little Game of Thrones vibe. It is a story about ambition, family dynamics, sacrifice and political intrigues told from the POVs of 3 characters - Bethany, Queen Zhuana and the Emperor's ambitious son and successor.

The descriptive writing of the author is GOOD - the clothes, duels, battle, gateway etc., his take on the gateway/magic portal is refreshing, I haven't seen it in a book/movie.

It is not a stand alone, fully fleshed out story in one book. It ended on a Cliff! I can't wait to read book 2 - Wrath and Ruin.

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, I ENJOYED IT! it is an 8/10 for me.

While I enjoyed the premise, Blood and Empire felt more like an extended setup than a fully realized story. It lays the groundwork for what could be an epic saga—immersive world-building, intriguing characters, and a carefully crafted setting brimming with potential. But just as I expected the plot to take off, the book ended, leaving me perplexed and somewhat unsatisfied.

Told from four third-person POVs, the story takes place in Everlast, the capital of the Everlasting Empire, where tensions are rising both within and beyond its borders. While the characters are well developed, four POVs felt like a lot—especially since one was introduced late in the story and wasn’t used much. I suspect this character will play a bigger role in the next book, but here, their presence felt somewhat underutilized.

There are the beginnings of interesting relationships, but like much of the book, they feel like foundations rather than fully realized dynamics. The only truly well-developed aspect is the world-building, which is rich and immersive. For everything else, I’m left with more questions than answers.

Despite this, I’m curious to see where the story goes next. Hopefully, the sequel delivers on the promise this book sets up.