Bhinian Empire #2 Empire of Shadows

Presenting Bhinian Empire #2 Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster.

Here is the summary of the book:

Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.

Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?

Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.

After a vividly enriching experience with City of a Thousand Dolls, Miriam Forster returns with the next book in her Bhinian Empire series. And its a trip to the past as Nisha Arvi's parents Mara and Emil take center stage. This is their story. How they meet and what circumstances prompt them to leave Nisha at the estate and explain what we saw the first time round. And Forster did not disappoint.

Told in the oscillating perspectives of Mara and Emil, Empire of Shadows is just that. A standalone. A story unto its own and our lead pair made for great protagonists. One exiled from her Tiger-sune clan & working to regain her honor. The other, the elder heir to the Arvi clan, slated to be the leader but not at all in want of the position. "City of a Thousand Dolls" gave us an express view of its namesake and "Empire of Shadows" gives us the world outside from the evergreen forests to Kamal, the largest city, the capital of the Empire.

Simply speechless. A full fledged galvanizing-ly action-packed read. Empire of Shadows has everything you want in it. Danger, secrets, conspiracies, court politics, sweet sweet romance and teeny-tiny bit of magic involved. Mara & Emil were the perfect anchors and they shoulder the responsibility of carrying over the full burden of the plot extremely well. The cover of course compliments it all pretty, deserving the attention it garners. You just can't stop admiring it can you!

A strong and resilient heroine in Mara and an intensely loyal hero and love interest in Emil. Mara is a protector. She will go to great lengths to protect the entity she cares for. Bouts of guilt and grief but she is survivor and such hard lessons have only hardened her resolve to do whatever honor demands of her. Emil was just too sweet. He respected her and opted for Mara to make up her mind, for them to have a chance.

Without any lag, the plot ploughs forward, hooking us in its throws. Unexpected twists at every turns and traitors in highly unlikely places. We meet a lot of familiar faces and read more about the Empire at large. Finishing with an epic and thrilling conclusion, the connections between book 1 & 2 are realized. Of course there is much more left unsaid and we are all the more eager to read more stories about the Bhinian Empire.

"Epic & vividly exotic adventure that will keep you transfixed till the end"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 4th November, 2014

My Copy: publisher and edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 City of a Thousand Dolls 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository