In Making of an Empress (A Realm of Hulsteria, Book 1) by Frank David, 22-year-old Imperial Princess Stelaphina, nicknamed Stela by her grandfather Emperor Frederick, would soon ascend the throne and rule the seven kingdoms of the realm. She believes she is still too young, but her grandfather has faith in her ability. When the emperor dies from his sickness, Stela’s journey to be the ruler that her late grandfather had wished for proves arduous. Inevitably, there are others who desire the throne for themselves and those closest to Stela might not be trustworthy as they seem to be.

The world building has sufficient detail and depth to make it relatable. The plot is well-written in terms of dealing with real issues that a leader has to face. It actually reminds me of some of the world leaders today and their accountability in doing their job. Other than the politics, power struggle, family issues and betrayal, interestingly Stela too has to deal with bigotry from her people when she passes a law to remove crimes against homosexuality. The storyline has good, unpredictable twists, although I had some inkling of who’s going to betray Stela first. I feel that some parts of the story can be developed much faster. That said, the overall pace is good and the characters are believable with their strengths and flaws. Frank David is definitely another newcomer to watch out for in this genre. All in all, Making of an Empress is a solid debut for the Realm of Hulsteria series.

Making of an Empress by Frank David is the story of a woman who has duty thrust upon her, and the future of her people depends upon her every little decision. Stelaphina is the new Empress of Hulsteria, but when her grandfather died, he told her one thing: she should not trust anyone. This was a lesson she took to heart, but there is one problem that she cannot ignore. She has always thrived well when she is surrounded by her family, however, now the last words of her grandfather are making her second guess everything and anything around her.

However, that is not the only concern for her. Now that she is the empress, she gets to discover that the old tales of magic are not just stories; they are true. It is one of the most secret of secrets and only a fair few get to know about it. With such knowledge at her disposal, the final words of her grandfather are making sense. Is there someone she can trust? Can she trust her family, the people she loves, or the people whom she considers to be her confidants? No one said being an empress was easy, but no one said it would be this difficult. Can she do it?

Stelaphina is a strong character, and although she had no idea what she was doing at first, she caught on very quickly. Her character development was on point, she developed as the story progressed and this is where you get to realize that Frank David did an amazing job with Making of an Empress. The name of the novel fits really well with Stelaphina’s progress and her growth. It was a fast paced and really well-written novel that anyone who likes strong characters will enjoy. Very well-constructed and well-paced.