I loved this book so much. It begins when Cliopher Mdang, secretary to His Radiancy the god-Emperor, wonders if his employer might want to come on vacation with him. It sounds trivial, but that simple gesture ends up affecting the entire system of government that Cliopher and His Radiancy have worked so hard to build. Politics and court drama are hinted at, earthshaking events in history are implied, but mostly this is a 900+ page tome full of either conversation or quiet reflection, which results in absolutely stellar character development and moments of total emotional perfection. Cliopher is a really self-effacing and humble narrator who tries his best, and you just want to alternately hug him, high-five him, or tell him to go take a much-needed nap. The emperor His Radiancy as seen through Cliopher’s eyes is full of such generosity and good humor, but wound so tightly with power and stress and responsibility, that you also want to hug him (but that would be taboo, and that’s also a problem). It reads like a really comforting slow burn of a love story, but if said love was utterly platonic and built on mutual respect and fond worry and decades of working patiently together towards the greater good. Also, Cliopher’s dynamic with his family and friends is just incredible, full of history and the kinds of misunderstandings that can only arise when you don’t wish to hurt the ones you love the most. I would recommend this to everyone, except let’s be real, most people would look at the length and back away. But I thought this book was amazing and you’ll probably see Victoria Goddard’s name frequently here as I chase down literally everything else she’s written.
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