Review of The Elder Empire Series

The Elder Empire

By

Will Wight

Pirates of the Caribbean meets Call of Cthulhu

Click Here to Read!

Will Wight's The Elder Empire is a fantasy series that follows two parallel trilogies, one set on the high seas and one set in a landlocked empire. The two trilogies are connected by a
common threat, a group of immortal beings known as the Elders.

Now to be honest I've only read half of the series, the half that follows Calder. That being said I'm very interested in how the Character of Calder is portrayed in the other half of the series.

One of the coolest things about this series is that both trilogies take place at the same time but from two different characters' points of view. The first three books follow Calder, a ship captain that is not only able to control the very ship he captains through a mystical bond but also controls an underwater leviathan, who is bonded to him Calder due to an arrangement with a Cthullu-like entity. 

Not to mention he's a self-proclaimed master swordsman, and eventually nearly becomes a god himself in his effort to achieve his ambitions. When seen from the outside he sounds like an almost mythical figure, in line with Greek demigods in terms of accomplishments and trials. However, as the book is written primarily from his point of view all his human flaws are on display.

Calder is arrogant, self-absorbed, and stubborn to a fault. The series and Wright himself do a great job, of concealing which faction in the overarching conflict is actually right. It's easy to see Calder as the overly ambitious second coming of an immortal dictator when seen from the outside. Even from his own perspective, I dislike his lack of loyalty to his wife, who through dozens of flashbacks has been shown to have Calder's back for almost his entire life. 

Calder's actions toward her rubbed me the wrong way, even more so when I watch their relationship blossom through the flashbacks. 

The other half of the series follows Shera, the assassin. Shera is a badass. I haven't read the books written from her perspective yet but in the initial three books, she defeats Calder in combat in almost all of their confrontations. In one confrontation she all but kills Calder, the only reason he survives is due to a magical hail marry deployed by Calder's crew.

Shera is shown to be able to fight toe to toe with nearly every powerful character in the series. While she doesn't embody power or strength like some other notable characters, she is the manifestation of death.

I'm excited to understand her as a character when reading the next three books. Is she as flawed as Calder? She comes across as cold and focused in the first three books. She can be hurt and beaten, as even Calder is able to land decisive blows on her from time to time. However, if those blows affect her mental state its very hard to tell.

Here are some of the things that I liked about the series:

• The world-building is fantastic. There is a mysterious darkness that pervades throughout the book. While there are primarily two factions that are at odds with each other throughout the book, those factions are made up of numerous groups, each somewhat of a cult in and of themselves
• Interesting characters. Every character is given a chance to shine. They all play a key role in the story and while you may forget about some of them from time to time, the author reminds you of not only their existence but their value and reason for existence in a big way.
• Expectations were subverted. I can honestly say I wasn't able to predict much in this book. There are plenty of moments when you ask yourself: "How is he gonna get out of this?" or "What was the point of that?" There were definitely moments where I had to reread a line or two to make sure I interpreted it correctly, and that what I read actually happened in the story.
  
  

Here are some cons:

• The end felt rushed. Throughout the series, the Elders are presented to be unstoppable gods or monsters. There is a constant debate on whether or not they are benevolent or evil. In the end, they take that question away completely. They reveal the elders as what they are. Not only that but there seems to be a dramatic downgrade in their power level and what they are capable of. 
  
• I would have liked for either the protagonist's power to have risen to a degree in which they could stand toe to toe with the Elders or that they might have beaten them through trickery or some form of out-sitting them. While there was definitely an increase in power from characters like Calder and Shera, the introduction of a random godlike character at the end felt like somewhat of a copout. 
  
  

So far I give this series a 5 out 5!

Order to read the series:

• Sea trilogy:
  • Of Sea and Shadow
  • Of Dawn and Darkness
  • Of Kings and Killers
• Shadow trilogy:
  • Of Shadow and Sea
  • Of Blades and Whispers
  • Of Killers and Kings

I hope this helps!

Click Here for Other Goodreads Reviews!