Book Review: Sons of Empire

Reviewed by Lindsay Crandall

A mesmerizing and complex fantasy saga

Sons of Empire tells the story of Trastan Mage and his friend Finn Raymos, who find their fates inexplicably manipulated and intertwined by the mysterious Council of Five. 

Mage aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps in the Mage Guild as the High Magister of Kardith Bath. He has devoted himself to magical studies at Reigland Academy but, having no noteworthy magical prowess, is ordered to abandon the family trade and pursue a military career, training as a mapmaker to Destrin Randalle.  

At the same time, Raymos is withdrawn from his position at Reigland Academy by his mother after being beaten by the Headmaster. Mage and Raymos learn the complex struggles of the military, both finding that there is much more to war than killing on the battlefield. Elsewhere in the Empire, Caltris, a masterful assassin, struggles to marry his own morality with the demands of his profession. As war draws near, they all find themselves at the center of an empire-wide struggle for power.

McGrew’s ability to capture the rich imagery and mythos of his vast fictional universe sets Sons of Empire apart from other fantasy novels. His talent shines not only in his worldbuilding but his character development as well, both playing active roles in driving the plot forward.  

The different factions introduced by McGrew, all rich with culture and history, add more layers to this complex world. The story world is so established it can feel like the second or third in a series as opposed to the first. It is that fleshed out. Trastan and Finn’s characters are well-developed, with an impeccable level of nuance detailing the struggles the schoolmates face as they are forced to carry the weight of military responsibility at an early age.

Throughout Sons of Empire, McGrew peppers in both historic and futuristic context into the world: from its characters to its descriptions of machinery, weaponry, or equipment. The most intriguing may be the novel’s opener: “There existed a group of beings known as the Council of Five who were not pleased with the world of Empires or perhaps simply sought chaos for their own ends…” 

This story has a lot of moving parts that, at times, can make it difficult to keep track of who is where and when. Pair that with occasional jumps of varying lengths of time, and you’ve got a novel that can be difficult to follow at times. But the plot of Sons of Empire is masterfully mapped out, making some of the slower, more difficult to read chapters worth it in the end. McGrew weaves various plot lines and characters together into an exciting conclusion. This is a great start to an epic adventure series.

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