Empire of Night

Reviewed by: Jan Hamilton - Long Creek Center, South Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2015

Review

As the middle book of a trilogy Empire of Night is definitely not a stand-alone title. The author does provide some background threads that illuminate the sisters Moria and Ashyn. As the Seeker and Keeper of a now lost village the girls start a dangerous journey to find the lost children of their home. They are lead by Prince Tryus and accompanied by several warriors. Romance, sword fights, fantasy creatures, and betrayal are all central themes of the text.

Much of the interpersonal relationships are dependent on the previous book but the romance scenes speak for themselves. At times the battles seem just a little too real; the level of violence may upset some readers. Armstrong is comfortable with fantasy and truly has created some very scary situations; the fiend dogs may appear in readers' dreams.

Add this to YA collections that have other works by the author. Librarians will want to have Sea of Shadows on their shelves as well.

Overall Book Score: good