She Who Chose War
Legends of Danaeca
Fantasy
August 22, 2023
333
Being empress has been anything but easy for Nevia Bylilly, who left the only life she knew as a primitive clanswoman from the northern mountains of Zenoch to immerse herself in the industrial imperial capital of Velspire. She thought her love for the young, charismatic emperor, Darius II, would be enough to sustain her, yet she didn't foresee what her life would become: shackled by her jewels and a crown, her voice silenced by customs of a patriarchal society that even Darius dares not challenge. Nevia's will is tested further when she is approached by an outlawed seer, who informs her that she must make an impossible choice to deliver the entire continent from its path of death. At first it seems absurd, until the empire faces an energy crisis that sends her husband away on a forbidden voyage in pursuit of a material that is so rare, so precious, that Darius would do anything to obtain it. Even kill. At the cost of everything she holds dear, Nevia flees the empire to unveil her husband's deadly secret and, in turn, chooses a war she tried so hard to prevent—against her country, and her heart.
Tropes: found family, slow burn, banned magic, one bed
Genre: Fantasy
The very first line in She Who Chose War starts “Nevia was late…” and I instantly related to that sentence and character because I am late to everything. The story begins with our FMC, Nevia, who was raised in one country, but fell in love and married the emperor of another. She has had to naturalize herself to this new way of living in order to lead the people she is now empress of. However, even in these two years, she is shunned by most in her new life and her only friend is her handmaiden. Even the emperor, her husband who loves her, seems disgusted by her people and treats her father poorly. Life as the empress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and the man she married may not be the man she thought he was.
What I liked: This book was fresh and unique in a way that I haven’t experienced in a while. The characters all had fairly clear motives, though there was a little plot twist in the end. It was very plot driven and while there is romance it isn’t your typical love story. I appreciate that the relationship that develops wasn’t an insta-love. The world building was pretty thorough, but I am terrible with geography in real life, so I’m easily lost in a book. Nevia’s decisions were clear and I was never left wondering, “Why did she do that?”
There are particular magic users, however magic is outlawed and using magic is a death sentence. The magic users (no spoilers) actually make sense in the story because they help move the plot along well and lead to a nice little ending that will roll right into book 2 of the series.
What could have been better: Early on in the book you find out that Nevia never leaves the palace without her dagger, “a learned impulse from living in the north”. This really intrigued me in the beginning and led me to believe she was a very capable and bad ass FMC. However, the dagger is barely mentioned again throughout the book and there are even some situations where, in my opinion, she should have wielded it and didn’t. I hope Nevia continues to grow as a character throughout book two of this duology. The romance was fade-to-black, and while I know not all authors write spicy scenes and not all readers enjoy spicy scenes, for me personally I like a little bit more for my reading habits.
Overall: I really enjoy the plot and characters. The story took a bit to truly draw me in, but when world building is a necessity that is usually par for the course. I like this family of misfit characters and I look forward to seeing how their story ends in the second novel!
Hi, I’m Rebecca! I’m a Maryland girl at heart, but currently live in South Central Pennsylvania. The greatest loves of my life are my husband, my three daughters, and our Alaskan Klee Kai, Yoshi. The best time I find to read is when my kids are busy with one of their numerous extra-curricular activities and my husband is gaming. Let me tell you, a reader and a gamer make an excellent partnership! Aside from quality time with my family, I believe my day is best spent with a good book in one hand and an iced coffee in the other. My hobbies include reading books, buying books, and adding books to my TBR. And yes, those are three separate hobbies, don’t @ me. I’m obsessed with YA fantasy, extra-spicy romantasy, and everything in between. I’m insatiable when it comes to reading and if I love a book – I devour it. It becomes a part of me forever.
