Other than that, this is a well-constructed tale that skirts the boundary between Science Fiction and Fantasy. It definitely takes place in a nicely-laid-out future setting, but the characters’ extra powers are all mental, and function a lot like magic.

One main strength of the story is the accuracy and power of the quandaries the characters are forced to face. How can a mentor persuade her pupil that everything she has been taught is wrong without crushing her? How can a powerful person face the fact that everything she has been taught is wrong, and all her cruel and ferocious acts have been practised on innocent people? How can a leader stand aside and let a younger person make her own mistakes?

The worldbuilding in this tale is concentrated on the ideals of the societies involved, so the setting, the conflicts, and the characters are all woven tightly together, supporting each other to affect the reader’s emotions.

Another plus is the main character, Jean Anne.  We can’t help but like her; naively cruel as she is, a product of a barbaric society. We can’t help but feel for her when her world comes crushing down upon her, and she struggles to make sense of it all.  We want to see more of her, and less of a minor protocol aide in Chapter 52 who happens to be in the right place to ask the right questions of the Imperator to move the plot along.

And while the endless subtle points of protocol are mildly interesting, they are the kind of details best established at the beginning of the chapter and then soft-pedalled for the rest of the scene or the whole story. They are just too complicated for the once-through reader to follow, and they slow down the action.

A carefully constructed piece of work with a cogent plotline but a bit too wide in scope to allow close empathy with the characters. Definitely worth the read.

Four stars.

This review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery.