Review: How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It

How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It by K.J. Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In past reviews, I've tended to rate higher than I should have. In my last review, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars even though I spent most of the review nitpicking it and complaining about the need for an editor. I should've marked it as a 3 but the story and world that was built encouraged me to push past that edge. I have no reservations about this book being a solid 5.

Our story is set up right in the first chapter. Notker is a playwright and actor who is trying to shop his play around but nobody wants to buy. His story is considered to be too similar to another work named The Man in the Bronze Mask which is this world's equivalent to our own stories by Dumas and others. The Man in the Iron Mask was a real person imprisoned in Paris by Louis XIV. When told his play was done time and time again and that he needs something fresh, he brainstorms out loud and mentions a scene with a siege. The potential client says a full story about a siege would be better and to return if he writes one like that. The entire book we are about to read is a story about a city under siege where Notker is forced to impersonate someone else much like the character in the play he was trying to sell.

This particular snippet from Act 1, Chapter 2 stood out for me. I think it's a great example of the type of humor that's consistent through the book:

'The door opened, and this woman stood there staring at me.
You wouldn't put her on the stage. You wouldn't dare to. Stereotypes and caricatures are all very well - our life's blood, if the truth be told - but there's such a thing as overdoing it. So, if you want an obnoxious old hag, you go for two or three out of the recognized iconography: wrinkles, hooked nose, wispy thin white hair like sheep's wool caught in brambles, shriveled hands like claws, all that. You don't use them all, because it's too much. Which is why you don't get much real life on the stage. Nobody would believe it.
"Hello, Mother," I said.'

Notker's humor and attitude are what keeps the story flowing. This is a very smart story. Sometimes Notker will explain the structure of plays and what happens in the different acts. Whereas he's relating them to the siege in general, or villains versus heroes, K. J. Parker is really telling us as readers what is going on or how things will be developing. There's many read between the lines moments and as a reader it makes me feel extremely gratified to find them. I caught on to the big twist as I usually do but didn't expect the reveal of it to occur in the form that it did.

One of Notker's talents is impersonations. Out of these, one that he pulls off the best is Lysimachus who is a renowned war hero. The city the story takes place in is under a relentless siege from an opposing empire who for the most part shoot boulders or flaming pots at the city. One of these boulders crushes a building Lysimachus was in, killing him. Seizing an opportunity, three acquaintances of his decide to kidnap Notker and force him to impersonate Lysimachus in their attempt to take over the government. Notker has no choice in the matter but rises to the occasion proving time and time again that he makes for a good ruler after all. Eventually, the plot gets more complicated with numerous assassination attempts and Notker as Lysimachus finds himself crowned Emperor. There's a will he or won't he flee from his duties subplot as well. His former lover, current friend, forced to turn Emperess Hodda tries to encourage their escape. The further they get along in their plans, the more caught up they become with the struggles of the war going on. Nothing goes as planned and there's a lot of luck for our hero.

I was pleasantly surprised that the easiest plot line the author could have written did not come to fruition. In fact, the secret of Notker's identity does come up repeatedly but those that know the truth simply don't care to see beyond their own needs. This was excellent.

The resolution to the entire conflict was clever and rewarding. This is one of the safest reviews I might ever write because I do not want to give anything away. I want to save the details for the rest of the future readers out there because there will be many. The ending was concise enough for this to be a one and done novel but also left the story clearly available for a sequel in the future if Parker feels inclined to do so. I'm personally fine either way. I'd greedily eat up a sequel but this was a fine one-off if that's what its legacy will be. I'd be glad to have this sitting on my bookshelf.

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