A review by kelseythefancyhatladyreads
The Sisters of the Crescent Empress by Leena Likitalo
4.0
Video review here: https://youtu.be/yRGlt6Iiwj0
This deeply character-driven sequel to [b:The Five Daughters of the Moon|33099589|The Five Daughters of the Moon (The Waning Moon, #1)|Leena Likitalo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484680087s/33099589.jpg|53763121] is where the story of the Waning Moon duology really finds its strength, as each of its five protagonists come into their own under the most trying of circumstances. (You can read my review of book one here.)
In The Sisters of the Crescent Empress, the Daughters of the Moon arrive at an isolated house in the far north of the empire where they are held prisoner, as their distrust of each other festers with the secrets they keep. Unbeknownst to the others, Celestia is harboring the soul of a swan within her own. She's also suffering the damage of the things Gagargi Pratlsav has done to her, and her careful planning seems increasingly futile. Elise, previously an idealistic supporter of the rebellion, is at an idealogical standoff with her older sister, and their growing misunderstanding of each other's motives is intentionally frustrating. Sibilia, whose chapters are told, as in the first book, in diary entries, emerges as a central character, as she teaches herself magic from the mysterious runes hidden in the scriptures that only reveal themselves to a few. Merile is increasingly frustrated with being dismissed as a child unworthy of having things explained to her, and when she acts on incomplete information, she puts everyone in peril. And the things that Alina has been seeing in the shadows all along? They may be divinations of her sisters' destinies, but they are not to be understood until it is too late.
And did I mention that the house is haunted? The ghosts hold grudges, and reveal themselves only to the the youngest Daughters. It is clear to the reader that Irina and Olesia are their mother's sisters, and their presence in this desolate and lonely place sheds a dark light on what it means to be a sister of the Crescent Empress, even if Celestia should manage to reclaim her throne, as she hopes to.
This is an intimate and claustrophobic story of five girls who are central to the fate of an empire in the throes of a civil war, but receive no outside news of events save some blatant propaganda, and are left to speculate on what has come to pass since the Gagargi's attempt to seize power. Like the politics, the magic in the story continues to be both elusive and compelling. You get the sense that there's a lot to it that you just don't get to see. There's a witch with unclear intentions, but an interest in the Daughters, a complicated system of casting mind-control spells that is never thoroughly explained, and last but not least, the incomprehensible will of their father the moon himself.
I found myself becoming increasingly nervous as the ending approached. Our Daughters are based on the Romanovs, and we know how that story ends. On the one hand, I would never have accepted a wildly revisionist, victorious conclusion to their stories. But on the other hand, you can't kill off all five of your protagonists at the end of a book and expect your readers to ever forgive you. Likitalo strikes a balancing act here with incredible finesse, delivering both tragedy and hope. The conclusion is heartbreaking, and stuck with me long after I put the book aside. Don't expect the fate of the Crescent Empire to be resolved here, or even that of each of the Daughters... there are still battles to be fought. But it's unquestionably the right ending for this story.
This deeply character-driven sequel to [b:The Five Daughters of the Moon|33099589|The Five Daughters of the Moon (The Waning Moon, #1)|Leena Likitalo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484680087s/33099589.jpg|53763121] is where the story of the Waning Moon duology really finds its strength, as each of its five protagonists come into their own under the most trying of circumstances. (You can read my review of book one here.)
In The Sisters of the Crescent Empress, the Daughters of the Moon arrive at an isolated house in the far north of the empire where they are held prisoner, as their distrust of each other festers with the secrets they keep. Unbeknownst to the others, Celestia is harboring the soul of a swan within her own. She's also suffering the damage of the things Gagargi Pratlsav has done to her, and her careful planning seems increasingly futile. Elise, previously an idealistic supporter of the rebellion, is at an idealogical standoff with her older sister, and their growing misunderstanding of each other's motives is intentionally frustrating. Sibilia, whose chapters are told, as in the first book, in diary entries, emerges as a central character, as she teaches herself magic from the mysterious runes hidden in the scriptures that only reveal themselves to a few. Merile is increasingly frustrated with being dismissed as a child unworthy of having things explained to her, and when she acts on incomplete information, she puts everyone in peril. And the things that Alina has been seeing in the shadows all along? They may be divinations of her sisters' destinies, but they are not to be understood until it is too late.
And did I mention that the house is haunted? The ghosts hold grudges, and reveal themselves only to the the youngest Daughters. It is clear to the reader that Irina and Olesia are their mother's sisters, and their presence in this desolate and lonely place sheds a dark light on what it means to be a sister of the Crescent Empress, even if Celestia should manage to reclaim her throne, as she hopes to.
This is an intimate and claustrophobic story of five girls who are central to the fate of an empire in the throes of a civil war, but receive no outside news of events save some blatant propaganda, and are left to speculate on what has come to pass since the Gagargi's attempt to seize power. Like the politics, the magic in the story continues to be both elusive and compelling. You get the sense that there's a lot to it that you just don't get to see. There's a witch with unclear intentions, but an interest in the Daughters, a complicated system of casting mind-control spells that is never thoroughly explained, and last but not least, the incomprehensible will of their father the moon himself.
I found myself becoming increasingly nervous as the ending approached. Our Daughters are based on the Romanovs, and we know how that story ends. On the one hand, I would never have accepted a wildly revisionist, victorious conclusion to their stories. But on the other hand, you can't kill off all five of your protagonists at the end of a book and expect your readers to ever forgive you. Likitalo strikes a balancing act here with incredible finesse, delivering both tragedy and hope. The conclusion is heartbreaking, and stuck with me long after I put the book aside. Don't expect the fate of the Crescent Empire to be resolved here, or even that of each of the Daughters... there are still battles to be fought. But it's unquestionably the right ending for this story.