This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Soldier of Empire by S. A. Melia is a mesmerizing YA science fiction novel that will appeal to fans of epic fantasy. The story follows King Teodor of Earth as he struggles to maintain his claim to power in the midst of political intrigue, alien threats, and personal danger. After a devastating plague ruins London and forces the evacuation of refugees to the planet Sas Darona, Teodor and his loyal bodyguard Guy Erma find themselves in a galaxy rife with treachery. When a pirate attack blows their Imperial dragonship to pieces, Guy Erma makes it out alive. The bad news? King Teodor is missing, presumed dead, and everyone is pointing fingers at Guy. Did he really leave his friend and king behind to save himself? Guy is determined to find and save the king. He had shoved Teodor into a VIP escape pod, which vanished somewhere on this lawless, uncharted world. While navigating this wilderness, he is unaware that the king survived and has been taken captive and sold into slavery in a crystal mine. Can he find and save the king with the odds stacked against him?
S. A. Melia’s writing captured my imagination, and the worldbuilding had me utterly immersed, from plague-ravaged futuristic London to the tribal, dangerous mines of Sas Darona. The story is driven by a compelling cast: Teodor, the reluctant and often isolated young king, whose maturity is tested at every turn; Guy Erma, a fiercely loyal orphan-turned-bodyguard, whose own mysterious origins and inner doubts enrich his character; and Marline, a survivor whose presence deepens the story’s emotional depth. The conflict is layered: Teodor’s external battles against pirates and imperial rivals mirror his internal struggle with loneliness and duty. The author writes skillfully about loyalty, sacrifice, and the burdens of leadership. Soldier of Empire is well-plotted, and I enjoyed how the author uses uncertainty to build suspense in the story. The atmospheric writing, the cinematic descriptions, and the unforgettable characters are a few of the elements that make this story a winner.
