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Behind the Throne

(The Indranan War #1)

K.B. Wagers (Goodreads Author)

3.85 · Rating details · 3,155 ratings · 542 reviews

Meet Hail: Captain. Gunrunner. Fugitive.

Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn't suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir.

But trading her ship for a ...more

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Paperback, 413 pages

Published August 2nd 2016 by Orbit

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· 3,155 ratings · 542 reviews

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Start your review of Behind the Throne (The Indranan War #1)

Oct 07, 2016 Bradley rated it it was ok

Shelves: worldbuilding-sf, sci-fi, 2016-shelf

I wanted to think this might have been a vast empire-building SF epic, with spaceships galore and an underdog rise from the dregs, but no. Even the SF portions feel kinda tacked on, focusing more on taking a bit of world-building along the cultural lines and making a matrilineal succession the focus, instead, with an almost obligatory strong female cast to "round" it out.

In actuality, this is not really an SF except in the fact that it has cut and paste SF space-operatic featured over a very old ...more

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Nov 29, 2017 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, blah-blah-blah-heaven, tbr-shelf-says-thank-you, science-fiction, whine-o-matic, the-pity-party-is-on, diversity-is-slightly-scrumptious, machalo-tbr-cleaning-challenge-2017, deadly-land-of-meh, unlikable-characters-r-us

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

So here I was, suffering from the dreary side effects of a Slightly Deadly In Between IA Rerererereads Mini Book Slump (SDIBIARMBS™) and not knowing what ~~piece of crap~~ book to ~~DNF~~ pick up next. Feeling most adventurous and stuff, I boldly decided to dive into the frightfully vast expanse of my TBR shelf and came upon this seemingly refreshing piece of Sci-Fi-ness. "Seemingly" being the operative word here. Okay, so it's not that the book wasn't vaguely entertaining and s ...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Philip rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi, 2016-releases, space-opera

2.5ish stars.

A fast-paced, highly readable action novel that professes to be space opera but, as far as I can tell, only incidentally happens to take place in space.

Approximately 85% of the novel, told from the POV of former gunrunner Hail, transpires as follows in slight variations:

Thinking about my former lover/gunrunning partner, Portis (from my days as a gunrunner), brought all the universes crashing down upon me in a space-explosion that sucked the air from my lungs like a space-Dyson. I st 2.5ish stars.

A fast-paced, highly readable action novel that professes to be space opera but, as far as I can tell, only incidentally happens to take place in space.

Approximately 85% of the novel, told from the POV of former gunrunner Hail, transpires as follows in slight variations:

Thinking about my former lover/gunrunning partner, Portis (from my days as a gunrunner), brought all the universes crashing down upon me in a space-explosion that sucked the air from my lungs like a space-Dyson. I struggled to breathe and fought to keep the tears from gushing out of my eyes. "Get it together, Hail!" I said to myself. "A princess doesn't let anyone see her cry! Once a gunrunner always a gunrunner!"

It took every ounce of self-control I could muster to restrain myself from ramming my fist down my cousin's throat and ripping her liver out. Good thing I learned self-control as a gunrunner.

"Bugger me," I muttered then forced a Han-Solo-esque half-grin and made a witty retort to my ekam, Emmory, in typical gunrunner style. He didn't blink an eye, just slightly raised an eyebrow at me. He gets me.

All the while I was screaming inside my head, "You can't do this! You're not a princess, YOU'RE A GUNRUNNER! BUGGER ME!"

Plenty of melodrama.

The worldbuilding is pretty slipshod- insert Indian cultural influences, slap on some political strife, and ooh! Let's make it a matriarchal empire just to throw in some flavor! The characters were enjoyable in a basic, stock kind of way. Despite her dramatic nature, Hail is pretty BA. I enjoyed the anxious, tense atmosphere that came from not being able to trust anybody. Anyone, even a member of her own guard could be a traitor!

Once you manage to stop rolling your eyes, it's actually a lot of fun. The storyline is very simple and doesn't provide too much in the way of novelty but its streamlined nature allows it to move quickly and there's always something going on. I liked it a lot more than I expected to. I guess in this case the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?

So, yeah, my first foray into space opera didn't actually hold a single spaceship battle. All of the action, aside from the first 10 pages or so, takes place on Hail's home planet. The end of the novel seems to set up some opportunities for some space fighting. Maybe in the next book we'll get a little more intergalactic intrigue? ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Stevie Kincade rated it did not like it

Shelves: audiobooks, published-2016, reviewed, avoid, abandoned

(Audiobook)
(Somewhere deep in the bowels of the Hachette Audio lair)

Hachette Executive: All right then, what's next on the agenda?

Hachette Lackey: Well Sir, we need to cast a narrator for KB Wager's "Behind the throne"

Exec: Never heard of it

Lackey: It says here it is a "Star wars-style Science Fiction adventure". We are really excited about it Sir

Exec: "Star Wars" eh...Seems like a pretty obscure reference...maybe the kids these days will go for it...Male lead or female?

Lackey: The protagonist i ...more

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Feb 26, 2016 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, audiobook, arcs-and-galleys, netgalley, science-fiction

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/08/31/...

This was a tough one to rate. I devoured this one, so you know I really enjoyed it and I want to make that clear. It was quite different from what I expected though, perhaps more political in nature than action and adventure-oriented, and calling it “Star Wars-style science fiction” might be a bit of a stretch. Still, Behind the Throne is a special kind of gem, and would appeal to readers who appreciate story structure, 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/08/31/...

This was a tough one to rate. I devoured this one, so you know I really enjoyed it and I want to make that clear. It was quite different from what I expected though, perhaps more political in nature than action and adventure-oriented, and calling it “Star Wars-style science fiction” might be a bit of a stretch. Still, Behind the Throne is a special kind of gem, and would appeal to readers who appreciate story structure, unique cultures, royal court intrigue, and subverting tropes. It’s also a fast and fun book, gradually building and hooking you in by degrees until it’s impossible to tear yourself away.

First things first: score one to this book for starring a gun-running smuggler princess. Twenty years ago, Hailimi Mercedes Jaya Bristol ran away from home and took to open space, sloughing her royal identity for a new one in order to hunt her father’s killer. Even though her mission ultimately failed, she’s never looked back, opting instead to travel the galaxy for reasons only known to herself, becoming one of the empire’s most notorious gun smugglers in the process.

However, that life suddenly comes crashing to an end when Hail is intercepted by elite Trackers and forced to return home to her family. Or what’s left of it. It turns out, her sisters and niece are dead, likely victims in an assassination plot, leaving Hail her mother’s sole remaining heir to the Indranan throne. With no other choice, Hail reluctantly takes on her new responsibilities, if nothing else because she is determined to hunt down those responsible for her sisters’ deaths. Later though, she finds that being Heir Apparent is even more dangerous than gun-running. Secrets and shadowy plots and lurk everywhere beneath the surface, and to make things worse, Hail discovers that her mother the Empress has been afflicted by an incurable illness that will soon force her to give up her rule. As Hail struggles to insert herself back into court life, she finds she has become a target of assassination herself, making her quest to uncover this conspiracy all the more urgent.

Despite the publisher blurb describing this as an action-packed space opera, I would caution against going into this expecting lots of space battles, raucous adventures and daring exploits. There is some of that, but it comes mostly at the end. I would say the second part of that blurb promising “courtly conspiracy” is probably more accurate. That’s not to say that the action and all-out galactic war won’t come in the next book, because I honestly feel the story is building towards that direction, but this first installment is primarily focused on politics of the royal family.

Some might hear this and feel reluctant to give this book a try because they think politics are dull. While I concede that some political science fiction can be very dry, I can assure you this is not the case with Behind the Throne. To the novel’s credit, the story is very engaging, featuring the juiciest kind of court intrigue as you can imagine—betrayals, assassinations, secrets, scandals and the like. The world-building is also handled deftly by Wagers, who infuses her universe with enough culture and history to give the conflicts within these pages significant context. Everything feels rich and connected, making me feel that these characters really matter, or that what happens in the story can indeed have a great impact on the rest of the galaxy.

This is also a very character-oriented story, written in the first person perspective so we’re given a front row seat to all that is going on. I confess I did not warm to Hail right away, in part due to her tendency to get overwrought or melodramatic when she reacts to any kind of news. Wager’s exaggerated writing style may have something to do with this, as there were quite a few hammy descriptions in the intro lone where the world always seemed to be crashing down around our heroine, or the air was constantly being sucked out of her lungs. However, I gradually came to look past this as the plot progressed, following Hail back to her home planet with her Tracer escorts Emmory Tresk and Starzin Hafin. I liked how her relationship with the two of them slowly evolved from open hostility to mutual trust, as Hail quickly comes to realize who her true friends are in a court full of hidden traitors and groveling two-faced sycophants. Standing in defiance to all those who doubt her, or think less of her because of her criminal past, Hail proves to everyone that she can be a strong and effective ruler who cares for her people.

Audiobook Comments: I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to review the audio edition of Behind the Throne. As audiophiles well know, one of the biggest downsides to listening to speculative fiction books in this format is the inability to know how to spell any of those crazy fantasy and science fiction names! In addition to the world and characters of the Indranan War series being heavily inspired by Indian culture and mythology, there are also other names of people, places, technology, ideas, and other space-faring societies described in this book that I had to look up in a print version to know how to write them correctly. It’s not really a huge problem for me, but if you know that this is something that frustrates you, it might be worth picking up the hardcopy.

As for the narration, I thought the reader Angèle Masters delivered an impressive performance, especially as she had to maintain an accent through the entire book. That said, it was not always consistent, and there were inconvenient moments where this was distracting. These are definitely things to consider if you have the choice between print and audio, and depending on your preferences, your mileage will vary. As for myself, I found it enjoyable enough, and probably won’t rule out the possibility of tackling the next book in this format as well.

Bottom line, I had a great time with this novel, despite going in with very different expectations. I think the next book will be more in line with what the book description advertises, with more action and adventure featuring our protagonist relying more on her experiences from her old gun running days to save the empire. I look forward to the sequel After the Crown to see what new tale K.B. Wagers has in store for us. ...more

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May 20, 2017 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy-net-galley, fof-reads, specfic-group-reads

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, and I'm going to round it up. Why? Because even after I worked all week and had a lot of things to do around the house last night, I stayed up until 3 am to finish this book. I could barely walk to get to the bed after I finished, but I did it. And really enjoyed the whole experience.

This wasn't as detail-rich or epic scope as most of the top ratings I give, but when a book hooks you ...more

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Oct 03, 2016 Lindsay rated it liked it

The Indranan Empire is an interstellar civilization under a hereditary matrilineal monarchy. It's also under attack with nearly every immediate member of the Empress's family assassinated in a short time. The only one left other than the Empress is the black sheep of the family, princess-turned-gunrunner Hailimi Bristol. With the Empress ailing from a dementia-like illness, Hail is dragged back to the Empire very much against her wishes.

Once returned, and as the new imperial heir, Hail finds her The Indranan Empire is an interstellar civilization under a hereditary matrilineal monarchy. It's also under attack with nearly every immediate member of the Empress's family assassinated in a short time. The only one left other than the Empress is the black sheep of the family, princess-turned-gunrunner Hailimi Bristol. With the Empress ailing from a dementia-like illness, Hail is dragged back to the Empire very much against her wishes.

Once returned, and as the new imperial heir, Hail finds herself mired in court politics and assassination attempts, and she urgently wants to find out who killed her sisters. The Empire is vulnerable to internal struggle and a long-term peace treaty with the nearby Saxon Empire looks to be failing as well.

For me this had a really clumsy start, with just about everything prior to Hail returning to the Empire feeling like it needed at least another editing pass. However, once into the Indranan society the book takes a sudden turn for the better. The Indranan society is a multicultural one with primarily Indian-based cultural norms and dress, but organized as a matriarchy with matrilineal families and inheritance. There's strong religious influences, primarily Hindu, but with churches that feel Christian. There's unrest around the role of men in society and a supposed caste system, but neither of these have much impact in this book where most of the action is within the palace itself. There's some eyebrows raised when the new heir has male bodyguards, and most of the positions of power are held by women, but other than that, we don't see a great deal of discrimination.

Hail herself is also quite interesting, with considerable guilt regarding leaving her sisters and disaffection towards her mother. Her return to the Empire is initially about finding her sister's killers, but as the book proceeds she takes on much more of the responsibility of the heir.

This one is a bit hard to review in some ways. There's a really solid story here, with a well-constructed world with interesting issues and characters and lots of challenges to overcome and a solid plot. However, the execution is a bit lacking, with a lot of tell rather than show and too much repetition and particularly repetition of some clunky terms. There are parts of the book where "gunrunner" feels like it's used on every page. I'm fairly sure even actual gunrunners don't use that term. Likewise "space madness". On the tell rather than show, we never get what Hail's gunrunning actually involves, and while we hear that men are repressed in Indranan culture and that there's an oppressive class system, we really don't see much of either.

I would give this a 3.5 star rating marked down for execution. ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1audio, 2fiction, scifi

An Indian civilization in the future that's female dominated & still follows the Hindu religion to some extent made the setting interesting even if the heroine was a bit too good & the plot was obvious. The black sheep of the family comes home to set things right & it turns out that the wandering is exactly the right training. This explained her ability to read people & situations unerringly. OK.

It could have been a fun romp, but everything was always very serious, nothing really lightened the m ...more

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Mar 19, 2016 Allison rated it it was amazing

Basically: this is the book you're looking for *Jedi hand-wave* if you have an Ancillary Justice-shaped hole in your heart. Or if you miss the good Dune books but want something more readable. Or if you're dying for Rogue One to just get here already. For everyone who enjoys an excellent soft (in the genre sense, definitely not in the content sense *wink wink*) science fiction romp. Political maneuvering ...more

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Jul 27, 2016 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-iin-2016, own-a-dtb, lgbt, favorites, sci-fi, my-flat-army, role-models, review-copy, surprise-surprise, best-of-2016

4.5 stars
Behind the Throne, K. B. Wagers’ sci-fi debut, fell into my hands after much praise from some of my most trusted peers. To describe my experience with it as love at first chapter would not be an exaggeration at all. Discovering books like it and pushing them at unsuspecting readers is why I took up blogging in the first place. It gives me great pleasure to share my delight over this title with all of you.

Behind the Throne starts with a bang and continues in an unrelenting pace. It is s 4.5 stars
Behind the Throne, K. B. Wagers’ sci-fi debut, fell into my hands after much praise from some of my most trusted peers. To describe my experience with it as love at first chapter would not be an exaggeration at all. Discovering books like it and pushing them at unsuspecting readers is why I took up blogging in the first place. It gives me great pleasure to share my delight over this title with all of you.

Behind the Throne starts with a bang and continues in an unrelenting pace. It is set in a distant future, on one of many human colonies in space. The Indranan Empire relies somewhat on our reality, namely Indian culture and beliefs, but it’s really present only in traces that allow us to connect more easily. Although it neatly falls into the science fiction category, the first Indranan War book reads a lot like fantasy, which is to be expected considering the atmosphere and the political intrigue.

I’ve seen Behind the Throne compared to books like Queen of the Tearling, but the comparisons are vastly unfair. Although I enjoyed the first Tearling book, Behind the Throne is a much better work in every aspect, starting with the quality of writing and ending with the protagonist. Hailimi is a heroine like no other – tough, ruthless and sharp-witted. As the runaway daughter of the Indranan Empress, she wants nothing to do with the throne, but when the responsibility falls on her, she accepts it and does a fantastic job of it. She can be soft, kind, and even insecure, but she rises to every challenge and constantly displays an air of not-so-quiet confidence. It’s rare to find a protagonist like her, unapologetic and confident in every situation.

Hailimi isn’t a heroine that prevaricates or dawdles in any given situation. She chooses her course swiftly and decidedly and she follows through until the end. She accepts and even follows advice of her trusted guards, but in the end, she is aware of her own worth and confident in her abilities. These days it’s tough to find a heroine like her, someone who doesn’t doubt herself on every step of the way. I could see myself following someone like her blindly and even dying to protect her, for the good of the Empire.

Wagers does an equally excellent job with her side characters. A lot of love and effort was put into Emmory, the leader of Hail’s guard. His partner was equally well crafted and the two together provided much needed physical and emotional support for our heroine. There are several others that stood out, the most complex being the empress-mother herself.

Hailimi falls into the snake pit that is her mother’s court as the only remaining hope for the empire. She wants nothing to do with it, but she suddenly has to play if she is to save her family’s legacy. There are so many obstacles ahead of her and very few people she can trust. The plots to undermine her are complex and very well done, with enemies coming from all sides and friends ready to betray when least expected. While the book is strongest in characterization, plotting doesn’t fall behind, and all of it is laced with a wicked sense of humor that makes even the biggest tragedies bearable.

Behind the Throne needs little help for me since its success is practically guaranteed. Word of mouth is still the best way to sell a book, and this one will make a fan of anyone who touches it. Trust me when I tell you it will make a fan out of you, too.

...more

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Oct 05, 2016 Justine rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-read

3.5 stars

This book definitely improves in its second half, enough so that I'm interested in reading the next book and seeing where the story goes from here. ...more

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Aug 04, 2016 Kate (Feathered Turtle Press) rated it it was ok

To start: I have a hard time classifying this as Science Fiction and it only barely qualifies as a Space Opera. I think a much more accurate description would be "Political Fantasy set in Space." Magical Healing Space Elves already come built right in. It's fifteen minutes with the "Find and Replace" button on a word processor away from being termed "Indian-inspired Political Fantasy."

Anyways: I really wanted to like this one. I loved the idea of the gunrunner princess dragged home to rule with ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x2017-read, auth-f, bipoc-actor

Totally escapist, political intrigue-heavy fantasy about an empire on the brink of war, a gunrunner/princess dragged back home to said empire in the wake of the murders of three members of her family and the ailing head of her family, her mother the empress. Lots of action with an interesting premise, that the planet on which most of the action takes place was settled by people from India, and after many years, became a matriarchy. Hail Bristol, gunrunner/princess, is unhappy being back home and ...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Paige (Enchantology) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016-releases

2.5 stars

Full review is up on my blog, Queer SFF.

Sooo much potential, but I was ultimately disappointed with this. Love Emmory with every fiber of my being though. Can we just elevate him to the protagonist position in the next book? Please? ...more

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Mar 14, 2017 Carly rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi, fantasy, netgalley, worldbuilding, to-review

~3.5

"Spoken like a consummate politician, Highness. One would think you've been doing this for years."
"I have, Caspel. It just involved more guns."

Whatever your expectations may be, I suspect Behind the Throne will probably defy them. When I first started reading, misled by the flowery descriptions of eye colors and muscle definition, the careful note of each time the characters touched, and the derogative-yet-highly-descriptive portraits of the protagonist's beautiful clothing, I was quite worried that I had picked up a romance. However, for those of you who are also not fans of that genre, never fear: while the flowery description may occasionally give you pause, the book is absolutely devoid of love triangles and passionate glances. In fact, thematically, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mix of space opera and worldbuilding scifi flavored with a taste of mystery. I'm a huge fan of detective fiction, and even when they're less "whodunnit" than "whatyagonnadoaboutit," I still love the structure and focus on character that I think a mystery component brings to a story.

Despite an ongoing obsession with urban fantasy, noir, and heist stories, I'm paradoxically conservative when it comes to characters, and I was never really quite sure how I felt about the protagonist. Hail escaped her royal upbringing to become a gunrunner. The book focuses only on the badassery of the career and never really questions its morality. However, I personally couldn't get over the opening scene, where we see her in a room of corpses of her making. Gunrunners profit by inflaming wars and selling death. By their very nature, are rulebreakers who show a disdain for law and life. Personally, I'd want someone who is vying to be leader of a constitutional monarchy to question their past of illegality and pure bloodthirsty villainy. Hail isn't an honourable rogue. She punishes those she likes without trial and without due process, and yet her stalinesque savagery in a world of laws is never questioned.

The most controversial and memorable aspect of the book is probably going to be the creation of a female-dominated society. I found it thought-provoking, but not in the way the author intended. Personally, I think this book does a disservice to a discussion of sexism because the sexism here is so superficial. We're told that in Hail's world, the equal rights movement was taken "too far" and men are now considered inferior and forced into a lower role in society. That's what we're told, but in reality, men show absolutely no subservience or deference to their female "superiors" and are utterly unlimited by legal chains or glass ceilings. In our era, most of the sexism we encounter centers around objectification, tokenization, and glass ceilings, but this story supposedly happens in an even more sexist pre-lipservice era that would probably be more comparable to our 1890s. So where are the enforced gender roles and vicious stereotyping based on faulty pseudoscience? The characters occasionally make (forced, artificial) asides such as " men are not capable of the kind of responsibilities ", but they don't add any analogues to the specious biological arguments that cast women as smaller-brained, logic-deficient, emotion-driven, hysteria-prone weaklings, not any arguments that men are subordinate because they are biologically suited to be subordinate. Sure, I appreciated the occasional touches like describing a woman as " chatter[ing] like a schoolboy " but apart from a very few artificial attempts at creating a culture of ingrained sexism, I think the author mostly forgot about her attempt at a reverse-sexist culture.

In fact, even the gender gap itself was missing. Even though we're supposedly in a female-dominated world, women still seem to be caregivers and child-rearers. Men seem to be able to take on any career they desire, and they're often casually mentioned as the breadwinners. The attempts to demonstrate ingrained sexism were absurdly artificial. Take one conversation where Hail's male bodyguard accuses her of suspecting one man "Without any proof? Why? Because he's a man?" Well, I don't know, maybe it's because he's a man, or just maybe it's because they've just watched him attend a secret meeting with dissidents and killers. Within the book, the Director of Galactic Imperial Security, an admiral of the military, the prime minister, the head guard for the empress, the most elite of trackers, and even business owners such as a successful restaurateur are all men. The head of the resistance and the ruler of a rival empire are both men, yet no one objectifies or dehumanizes or attributes sexist stereotypes to them. Seems like the only thing a man can't do in this world is become emperor, and considering there are additional non-egalitarian genetic requirements for that anyway, I wouldn't consider an inability to become emperor much of a glass ceiling. Men of the society don't seem limited to me, and describing this as a sexist culture discounts the much more virulent sexism that women of our world have faced and even continue to face.

Behind the Throne is definitely intended to be the start of a series, and Wagers has left herself a lot of worldbuilding to explore. The story takes place in a planet-spanning empire: I want to know more about the industry, the tech, the exports that keep the lifestyle we see afloat. How do the colonized worlds feel? Do they welcome the Saxon empire? Do they seek true independence? How much say do they have in the government itself? I was rather fascinated by the blending of Hinduism and Catholic traditions, and I'd love to hear more about the religions of the world. I really appreciated the various same-gender couples throughout the book, which should have been particularly interesting given the supposed sexism of the culture, and I think this is worth further exploration in future books. We're briefly introduced to an alien species who have incredible healing capabilities, and while they mostly turned out to be a plot device in this story, I think they deserve deeper examination. The worldbuilding may have felt a bit flat for me, but on the other hand, this leaves a lot to expand on in the sequels. The true power of the story is its compulsive readability. No matter my criticisms, it was genuinely difficult to put down. If you're looking for something fast and fun with a bit of worldbuilding thrown in, Behind the Throne is definitely worth a look.

~~I received this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for my honest review. Quotes were taken from an advanced reader copy and while they may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they speak to the spirit of the novel as a whole.~~

Cross-posted on BookLikes. ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Mike (the Paladin) added it

Shelves: didn-t-finish

You know....this is the second time I got this out of the library and the second time I've sent it back. I forgot, thus I mark it "read" here but plan to pick it up in "actual book" version later. This is only about the "audio version".

I love audio books, they make it possible to "read" as you handle other things that leave the mind more or less free. But sometimes the reader is bad or as in this case make incomprehensible decisions. Angele Masters for some reason chose to read this book in what ...more

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Jun 29, 2018 Gergana marked it as zzz-books-not-for-me · review of another edition

INDIAN CULTURE IN SPACE!! I loved it! It was something we don't usually see in Sci-fi, but unfortunately, if you replace a few words (spacecraft >> ship, planets>>territories, etc.) you realise it could just as easily be a periodic fantasy.

Why would that be a problem? It's not, it's a perfectly fine book with missed opportunities to challenge our mindset and show how humanity's psychology has evolved with such discoveries. It also felt a bit too long for me. And the heroine, although quite stro ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 Book Riot Community added it

A sci fi novel with an Indian lady lead, based on Indian culture? I was into this book, the first book in the Indranan War trilogy, from the first second I heard about. Wagers builds a rich and fascinating matriarchal culture, complete with a main character who’s a gunrunner when we first meet her. We quickly learn that Hail is actually a princess who’s trying to escape her destiny. But home comes calling, and Hail returns to find her mother, and her kingdom, much changed. It’s exciting, breathl ...more

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Aug 27, 2018 Crini rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: g-scifi, get-traught-or-get-dead, most-precious-in-the-seven-seas, not-just-black-and-white, the-sass-is-strong-in-this-one, diversity, my-precious-boys, read-2018, ladies-kicking-ass, doing-just-fine-without-romance

Why you should read this/read this if you like:
- MC is in her late 30s which is SO refreshing, also a foul-mouthed, ass-kicking badass
- no romance
- political intrigue galore
- fast-paced, action-packed
- set in a futuristic Indian culture

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Apr 13, 2018 RG rated it liked it

A very easy and quick read. Not overly complicated and definitely not a scifi novel. Yes its set in space, but I think thats the extent of the scifi. Its more a fantasy whodunit terrorist thriller. A young lady has escaped her past, becomes a gunrunner, but due to circumstances on her home planet, she must return home to be the rightful heir. From here it becomes pretty standard and cliched in story. If youre a big fantasy fan you would have probably have read this type of novel before. I did en ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Veronique rated it liked it

Shelves: r2016, scifi

Behind the Throne is an easy and entertaining read.

The idea of a rogue princess is not a new one but it works. Hail has left her planet for a particular reason, living as a gunrunner for the last 20 years and making a 'reputation' for herself. However, with the Empress ill and her sisters and niece recently murdered, Hail is brought back to fulfill her role as heir.

The blurb is misleading since this story is nothing like Star Wars, nor are there any space battles. Really, did they read the sto ...more

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Jul 19, 2016 The Tattooed Book Geek (Drew). rated it really liked it

As always my fellow bookish peeps, this review is also available on my blog: TheTattooedBookGeek.wordpress.com

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Well, I think I did, the book just arrived in the post, I hadn't requested it, didn't know I was on the publishers mailing list and I don't remember entering any competitions to win it either! So, let's call it a surprise book.......and what a great surprise it turned out to be!

Behind the Thr ...more

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Apr 10, 2017 Beth Cato rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, 2017

Loved this book and didn't want to put it down. This space opera novel has it all: a strong female lead, solid action from page one, incredible world-building with a far-future civilization descended from India, deep characters, and plenty of material for future books, too. Speaking of which, I'm ordering the sequel today because I NEED to know what happens next. ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, scifi, thieves-assassins, orbit, read-in-2016

http://www.bookwormblues.net/2016/09/... ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Toya (the reading chemist) rated it liked it

So, I’m a bit taken aback with this one.

Hindu culture in a space opera! Hell yes. I was here for it. Hidden royal? Yes! Bring on fantasy elements in space.

While the banter and snark is this book is a lot of fun...It’s really all we get. It took until about the 70% mark before any of the action happened. And yes, the MC is retrieved in the beginning after her sister is murdered since she’s now next in line to the throne.

However, after that, it’s a whole lot of tell with very little showing. I ...more

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May 01, 2016 Kara-karina rated it it was amazing

4.5/5
This book was so much fun, ladies and gents! A delightful space opera the likes of Paradox series by Rachel Bach with a sassy, tough, gorgeous badass of a heroine who is like Kate Daniels of sci-fi genre.

Hail is a smuggler with a very dangerous reputation, but what the majority of people don't know is that she is a runaway princess, the youngest in succession to the throne of Indranan Empire. Then someone tries to betray and slaughter her on her own ship and her mother's Royal guards finall ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 Bryan Alexander rated it it was ok

Shelves: sf

Some books are easy reads. Others are even easier to get through. This is one of those books that gently sets you down on a soft couch, makes a soothing drink and sets it at your elbow, plays relaxing music in the background, fluffs your pillow, and murmurs into your ear: "You are right to read this. You deserve it. Don't feel bad. It's a good thing. Smile. Have some popcorn. Shut down that brain. Ssssshhhhhh."

Behind the Throne looks like a space opera and a story of intrigue, but really isn't e Some books are easy reads. Others are even easier to get through. This is one of those books that gently sets you down on a soft couch, makes a soothing drink and sets it at your elbow, plays relaxing music in the background, fluffs your pillow, and murmurs into your ear: "You are right to read this. You deserve it. Don't feel bad. It's a good thing. Smile. Have some popcorn. Shut down that brain. Ssssshhhhhh."

Behind the Throne looks like a space opera and a story of intrigue, but really isn't either. It concerns the heir to an interstellar empire who, after a time slumming as a gunrunner, is summoned to succeed the empress. 99% of the novel is that succession, meaning our heroine meets people, is sometimes shot at, swears unimaginatively, has repetitive conversations with indistinguishable characters, and emits some ideas we're told are brilliant and that nobody else has thought of.

I made it through the book by dint of two reasons. First, our local sf book club read it, and I wanted to participate. Second, two worldbuilding ideas peeped forth from the narrative tedium. Women run the space empire and it's somewhat Indian in culture. I had hopes that these ideas would become interesting, but they never did. The matriarchy (it's called that) doesn't matter; you could randomly assign genders to nearly any character without changing a thing. Indian culture doesn't matter; it just means a few Indian names for things, plus a couple of Indian outfits worn by the heroine.

I wasted time reading this book, and feel sad as a result. So let me identify one point of potentially broader interest. The novel's protagonist is aristocracy, the heir to the throne. This is not a problem, politically, as we are encouraged to cheer her on as she ascends. We learn, briefly, of a few people who think empires aren't necessarily the best way to organize human relations, but they are thrust to one side and are probably villains.

This kind of pseudo-feudal imagination has long run through American science fiction, and it fascinates me. Why do we long to impose the ancien régime upon the future? Rarely is this done thoughtfully, as when in Dune Frank Herbert imagined a social structure predicated on certain technological structures (The Mote in God's Eye does something similar). Instead, American sf typically dreams of a cod-medieval future as a way to express our long-standing longing for aristocracy. Our lower-case-r republicanism never fully uprooted out colonial heritage, as can be seen from the American South's feudal landowning to today's celebrity culture.

A book like Behind the Throne exemplifies this. Our heroine is simply awesome, clever, wronged in just the right ways, and deserving of power. The narrative allows no other position. Instead, it festoons that politics with a few world-building dollops and then invites us to enjoy the jockeying for power among aristocrats.

Keep an eye on this kind of sf politics. You'll see more. But avoid this book. ...more

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May 11, 2017 MrsJoseph *grouchy* rated it really liked it

Shelves: flights-of-fantasy-group-reads, sci-fi, after-earth-group-read, 2017

I really enjoyed Behind the Throne but not for (all) my usual reasons. I was a little skeptical in the beginning - Haili IS a runaway princess and that's trope-y from beginning to end - but this was a runaway hit for me. I like that Haili isn't a push over, she is decisive, she's incredibly loyal, loves hard and tries to use her brain. Love all of that. Her backstory is rather flimsy to me but it's acceptable. I also rather enjoy the relationships of the BodyGuards & Trackers.

But what really pe I really enjoyed Behind the Throne but not for (all) my usual reasons. I was a little skeptical in the beginning - Haili IS a runaway princess and that's trope-y from beginning to end - but this was a runaway hit for me. I like that Haili isn't a push over, she is decisive, she's incredibly loyal, loves hard and tries to use her brain. Love all of that. Her backstory is rather flimsy to me but it's acceptable. I also rather enjoy the relationships of the BodyGuards & Trackers.

But what really peaked my interest was the world building. It's...strange and exotic and not completely explained. The Universe seems to be incredibly diverse, which is lovely. There are no questions of sexuality which I love as well - married same sex couples are mentioned but not exclaimed over - clearly a normal part of their empire. I also love that it's a Matriarchy as well - though I could deal without the reverse sexism.

I have to wonder the history of the empire - the founding was touched on very briefly and never explains the rich Asian (seems to be mostly Indian with a light smattering of Chinese) background - including the bright colors, rich fabrics, lush embroidery and copious amounts of gold jewelry. They also seem to worship [some of?] the Hindu pantheon with Shiva and Ganesh being the gods I recognized immediately.

To find such a heavy specific influence in a Space Opera mixed with casual diversity and homosexual representation all wrapped in a Matriarchal bow just fascinated me. I loved how intricate it all was.

Another thing that makes Behind the Throne a surprise read for me was the sheer amount of action. From the first page almost to the last, Behind the Throne is pure action. There are numerous assassination attempts on Haili - and when people aren't trying to kill her physically, they're trying to kill her politically. And when that's not happening, Haili is dealing with her mother. Let's just say there is a reason Haili had to be be dragged back to the empire and it wasn't politics.

And through it all, I learned to really love Haili and the way she builds relationships. I love how bloodthirsty she is. Haili is a girl that hasn't met a fight she didn't want to get into (and that she planned on winning).

"Poor [redacted], you need to keep up." I spread my hands wide. "You didn't think this through. You really should've killed me first. Leaving me to the end..." I tsked and shook my head. "Obviously that wasn't a wise decision."
-p374

I am SO reading book #2: After the Crown .

Recommended! ...more

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Jul 27, 2016 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

There were many cool things about this book. Ohh let's make a list!

First we have a kick-ass gunrunner, smart, sassy, and she is actually a runaway princess. And now heir to the throne, ohh drama!

Second it's sci-fi, which is always cool. Not so much space-ship stuff, mostly land and tech stuff.

Third, this empire is one ruled by matriarchs. Go girlpower! Of course that is not perfect either since men do not get the same chances as women, but as a storyline I love it. Women are all in charge.

Fourth ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

3.5 Stars

Given the comparisons to the Star Wars franchise, I expected this novel to be an action-packed adventure. Instead this is more of story involving court politics and royal protocol. While our main character use to be a gunrunner, she spends nearly the entire book in her other identity, the heir to a powerful empire. At times the narrative felt uneven and unnecessarily slow. I did enjoy the characters and their interactions, particularly the relationship between our main character and her ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Space Opera Fans : Feb 2019 THEMED Behind the Throne by Wagers	12	25	Feb 12, 2019 03:03PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Behind the Throne [August 2017]	27	50	Aug 18, 2017 12:40PM
Flights of Fantasy: May 2017: Sci-Fi - Behind the Throne by K. B. Wagers	17	17	May 28, 2017 04:18PM

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About K.B. Wagers

K.B. Wagers

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K.B. Wagers is the author of the Indranan & Farian War trilogies with Orbit Books and the new NeoG novels from Harper Voyager. They hold a bachelor's degree in Russian Studies and a second-degree black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. A native of Colorado, K.B. lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with their partner and a crew of recalcitrant cats. In between books, they can be found attempting to lea ...more

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The Indranan War (3 books)

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Beyond the Empire (The Indranan War, #3)

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Quotes from Behind the Throne

“The new system of sending down a small group of families was the easiest solution. If they were still alive when the other ships got there, it was assumed safe. If they weren’t, the planet was X-ed from the habitable planet list.” — 2 likes

“Haili! Good morning!” She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed. “You look wonderful, so nice to be able to buck trends and just slap clothes together, huh? Let’s take a digital. Smile.” Pressing her cheek to mine, she held up her hand, taking the photo with the tech embedded in the tips of her fingers. “I’ll post it on Hansi.” — 1 likes

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