REVIEW: Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

*Thank you to Netgalley and Imprint for an ARC in exchange for a fair review*

The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, Rhee has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.

Alyosha is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.

The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot.

Empress of a Thousand Skies will appeal to readers who've enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles as well as the space-adventure/romance trend of the Starbound trilogy, Starflight and the Illuminae files.  This is a fast paced adventure with just enough romance. I enjoyed the alternative POV. The characters have layers and kept me interested. I did find some of the plot a bit predictable, but I'm not always the average readers since I do so much.

Certain points reminded me a lot of Cinder, but that's okay because that is one of my favorites. Rebecca Soler reads the audio--she does the Lunar Chronicles too!  Excellent job!

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars