This is a wonderfully woven tale that centres on the politics in the Emperor’s court. The story is told from the view of four major characters: Prince Sarmin, who has been imprisoned all his life as insurance in case his brother, Emperor Beyon, leaves no heir; Mesema, a plains-woman from the north and Sarmin’s intended bride; Tuvaini, the High Vizier, and Eyul, the titular Emperor’s Knife (the royal assassin). These four characters are very well written and drive the story superbly. In particular, Tuvaini and Eyul are conflicted men with ambiguous morality, and this makes them the most interesting characters....
