“The Abbess Rebellion” Review

“The Abbess Rebellion” by Oren Ashkenazi

Twenty-three years ago, Sophie betrayed her family to save her people. She failed.

Once second in line for the imperial throne, Sophie led a rebellion that was crushed by her own grandmother. In the years since her defeat, she has lived in exile at a remote abbey. But her quiet life is interrupted by startling the throne sits empty.

This is no cause to celebrate, for enemies gather to seize her family’s power.

On one side, an ambitious general seeks the imperial purple for himself. If he takes the throne, citizens will become serfs and slaves in their own land. On the other side, the empire’s northern enemies smell weakness and mass their armies to invade. If left unchecked, they will burn their way south and wipe Sophie’s home out of existence.

Against these enemies, Sophie has only the stalwart acolytes of her abbey, a few comrades from her failed uprising, and one dogmatic but loyal senator. From the northern frontier to the imperial capital, Sophie must outwit her political foes and face her enemies in battle. If she fails a second time, the empire will fall.

Written by Mythcreants editor Oren Ashkenazi, this second-world fantasy novel is inspired by Byzantine history and the radical idea that the rich should pay their taxes.

Review

I really enjoyed the book! The characters were great and I liked the way the different groups formed and interacted. I thought it worked well that there were multiple conflicts that had to be resolved before Sophie could take the throne. I can’t decide if the one plot twist was to be expected or not but I liked how it was resolved. The ending did feel a little abrupt but it also works for the story since it’s about Sophie’s rebellion more than anything else. Still I kind of wanted to know more and there were few unanswered questions that even Sophie brought up at the end of the book. I’m hopeful for a sequel someday!

Warnings and additional reviews are available at the author’s website for the book, listed below.

Book Details

Book cover for Abbess Rebellion showing the main character Sophie on horseback with the city burning behind her. The book title is at the top and the author's name at the bottom.

Author’s Website
Oren Ashkenazi
Publisher / Date
Mythcreants, March 2024
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
308
Completion Date
October 7, 2024

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