The Hands of the Emperor

by Victoria Goddard

Synopsis:

An impulsive word can start a war. A timely word can stop one. A simple act of friendship can change the course of history.

Cliopher Mdang is the personal secretary of the Last Emperor of Astandalas, the Lord of Rising Stars, the Lord Magus of Zunidh, the Sun-on-Earth, the god. He has spent more time with the Emperor of Astandalas than any other person. He has never once touched his lord. He has never called him by name. He has never initiated a conversation.

One day Cliopher invites the Sun-on-Earth home to the proverbially remote Vangavaye-ve for a holiday.

The mere invitation could have seen Cliopher executed for blasphemy. The acceptance upends the world.

Belatedly posting a book I read in 2022, and apparently never cross-posted the review of here!

I really loved The Hands of the Emperor. It’s a huge book in which not a lot actually happens, but it’s full of hope and heart, with a central relationship of love and respect that had me riveted. I was recommended it as “imagine The Goblin Emperor from Csevet’s point of view”, and that’s sort of fair — except that you have to imagine that Csevet has Maia’s drive for reform and for goodness.

Cliopher is the Last Emperor’s secretary, and has been slowly pushing a revolutionary agenda for the world now that the Fall (a magical event you mostly learn about through its personal effects on Cliopher and somewhat on the others) has changed everything. He has opinions and morals informed by his Islander background, and these influence his place at court, how people see him, and the fact that he finally decides to reach out to the Emperor as a person and offer to take him on holiday.

From that unfolds one of the book’s major themes: the Emperor Artorin’s need for freedom, his past before he became Emperor, and his growing reliance on Cliopher to change things and help him find freedom by finding his heir.

Cliopher is in some ways a bit too capable, a bit too perfect, and there are so many scenes of people getting their comeuppance because they weren’t kind to Cliopher, or didn’t understand his work and his morals, etc, etc. But it’s enjoyable every time, and it’s especially enjoyable because Artorin decides he must make other people see and respect Cliopher. The friendship between them is lovely.

It’s a long read, but one which I savoured completely. I’m looking forward to reading the other novels and novellas in this world, and my only complaint is that it stopped too soon and we didn’t get to see whether Tor retires to live with Cliopher, Conju, Rhodin, etc. There are so many scenes I loved that I couldn’t talk about them all, and several which I reread again immediately because I wanted to feel it all again right away.

I haven’t talked about a quarter of what there is to discover in this book, but that’s OK. You can go and discover it for yourself.

Rating: 5/5