Title: Empire of Night (Age of Legends #2)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 432
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

The second book in a big, breathtaking new trilogy that blends fantasy, romance, horror, and pulse-pounding action, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least, they were.
 
Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, they are all but prisoners in court, forced to watch and wait while the Emperor decides whether to help the children of Edgewood, who remain hostages of the treacherous Alvar Kitsune.
 
But when the emperor finally sends the girls on a mission to rescue the children--accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of men--the journey proves more perilous than any of them could have imagined. With lies and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on every bit of influence and power they possess to unite their people and avert an all-out war.

My Thoughts: 
The children of Edgewood have been taken hostage by Alvar Kitsune, the traitorous formal marshal who threatens the empire with ancient creatures he has summoned using dark magic. Moria and Ashyn, the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood, are restless and impatient to act as they pass the days within the confines of the palace walls and the emperor entertains foreign guests. The sisters have devastatingly lost their father and home in a short time, but innocent lives still depend on them.

Bold, brash, and impulsive as ever before, Moria doesn't care for the politics and constant scheming that occurs in the palace. Stung by Gavril's apparent betrayal, Moria is determined to ignore whatever feelings she once possessed for him and trains everyday with the affable, honorable Prince Tyrus, who has quickly become a trusted friend. She failed to protect the villagers of Edgewood before and she won't let it happen again.

Ever since Ronan passionately kissed Ashyn when they parted ways outside the imperial city, she can't stop thinking about the thief who survived the Forest of the Dead and belongs to no caste. Unlike Moria, who has more experience and a casual attitude towards dalliances, Ashyn has always been more of a romantic, so it hurts that he hasn't tried to seek her out again since then.

In the meantime, Ashyn can't help feeling jealous and left behind as she watches her sister become closer with Prince Tyrus. The girls have been inseparable since birth, but ever since the shadow stalkers massacred their village, distance has grown between them. They used to share everything with each other, but now Moria seems to presume that Ashyn would be more content to stay in the safety of the palace than forging ahead into certain peril. Ashyn may not be a skilled fighter like her sister, but she is just as courageous in her own quiet way.

When Emperor Tatsu finally sends the girls on a mission to rescue the children, they are accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small guard of men. But their journey is fraught with danger from the very start and mounting unrest—fueled by Alvar Kitsune's lies—is spreading swiftly throughout the empire. The spirits whisper warnings to Moria and Ashyn that cannot be ignored, and war seems imminent on the horizon...

Kelley Armstrong's Empire of Night is an exhilarating rush to read and I absolutely love the influence of Japanese mythology in this series! After wholeheartedly falling in love with Sea of Shadows so very much, a part of myself wondered if the sequel would meet my high expectations, but I needn't have worried. Empire of Night is an unforgettable continuation to the Age of Legends series that will leave you anxiously awaiting the final novel. Highly suspenseful and utterly enthralling, Empire of Shadows is YA high fantasy at its best.

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House Canada for providing this review copy!

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