Orphan of Empire by S. A. Melia is a futuristic science-fiction prequel to the Dodecahedral series. In this book, the story follows Guy, an orphan with no birth certificate. Although he is top of his year in both academics and combat training, he still needs to find a birth certificate. But those who knew his mother are keeping him in the dark. To add to his frustration, he has to compete with Annabel, who comes from a strong and influential military family. When she and Guy are marked for early deployment as stretcher bearers, they are both excited to see combat against the space pirates. When things go south and Guy saves Annabel, he is introduced to a whole new way of life and meets people who could help him enlist without a birth certificate.

The story starts with a rapid escalation from training ground competition to real combat situations and the harsh reality of death and loss. The world-building is well done, and the history of Earth is shared clearly, detailing the development of the future in which the story takes place. The notion of cyborgs and a second life granted to the severely injured brings the relationship between man and machine into a balanced new reality. The world Guy lives in is one of opposites. When he is not out training for war or actively participating in war, he is busy with glamour photo shoots. This duality highlights the vanity we already have. On one side, people are dying for their freedom while influencers and celebrities worry about looks and money. Orphan of Empire by S. A. Melia is a heartstopping start to the YA Dodecahedral series that will find a home with fans of Ender's Game and Starship Troopers.

Orphan of Empire by S. A. Melia follows Guy Erma, a homeless orphan raised in a London fashion house, as he fights to earn a place in the Dome Militant, Earth's elite defence force against the alien Scavengii pirates. After besting his rival Annabel Cadron in a blades tournament, though she cheats to win, both are pulled into real combat when a raid hits the space station above Earth. Guy carries the badly wounded Annabel to safety, making him an overnight hero, but his dream of enlisting stalls because he has no birth certificate and no known parents. Between modelling shoots for House Jewel and school exams, Guy stumbles on a government record hinting his true identity might be tangled up with the Imperial family. The story moves toward Annabel's cyborg "rebirth" ceremony, attended by Prince Teodor, which is interrupted by a Scavengii raid, forcing Guy, his friends, and the royals into a desperate last stand.

Orphan of Empire by S. A. Melia opens with a blades tournament and moves almost immediately into a full alien boarding battle, and that early momentum carries through the whole book. The world-building is where the novel shines: the Dome Militant's rituals, the poison medallions, and the sharp divide between Domeside grandeur and fashion-house attics are fully realized, and a Cinderella-style current runs underneath, with Guy dragged from poverty into a glittering world he never chose. Nice literary touches surface too: Annabel's rebirth ceremony unfolds beneath an image of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac while a choirboy sings the Agnus Dei, and an embroidered cushion showing a crowned black swan over two bowing white swans doubles as a coded family crest. Guy and Annabel's rivalry-turned-camaraderie gives real heart, the combat is visceral, and Lazar Kacarevic's illustrations add atmosphere. Fans of YA space opera with a Cinderella-meets-Ender's Game flavor will find plenty to love here.