"The Sunset Sovereign" by E.M. McConnell - Book Review

The cover of "The Sunset Sovereign".

Source: E.M. McConnell

In E.M. McConnell's “The Sunset Sovereign,” the Sovereigns, enigmatic Voices, select children in a fictional realm. The story begins with Isobel, a young girl who lives in a quaint village with her parents. Isobel can hear one of these Voices, making her eligible to participate in the Calling ceremony.

Once chosen, she travels from her rural home to the Capital where she meets fellow Supplicants from across the globe. With them, she begins her training to become a Scion, a servant of the Sovereigns who safeguard both the Capital and the outer regions. Isobel, once a loner who only had Rusty, connects with some new friends. But Isobel quickly realizes things aren't what they seem. The story takes a turn as dark secrets, hidden agendas, and lies come to the forefront.

The characters

Throughout the story, Isobel transforms from a naïve girl to a cautious and suspicious young adult. However, the story sags mid-way as she struggles too long to piece together the surrounding mystery.

Moreover, I didn’t understand who or what the Sovereigns were right away because I missed the connection to the cover. Still, questions about their origin and intentions remain unanswered. Despite their benevolent portrayal as guardians, subtle hints insinuate darker undertones. The author will probably address these questions in a future book.

Furthermore, while we follow Isobel at the beginning, the author introduces multiple perspectives from other Supplicants after several chapters. The shifts in POV felt abrupt and somewhat forced. In its current form, the other characters lack the same depth as Isobel, and I didn’t connect with them. So, I didn’t care what happened to them. It would have been smoother to stick with Isobel's perspective, maybe adding other characters’ thoughts here and there. Or introducing them sooner.

The storytelling

E.M. McConnell subtly introduces the dystopian features of the story rather than overwhelming the reader with them upfront. The author shows how different life is in the Capital versus the Outside. She smoothly weaves in themes of friendship, duty, morality, and nature vs. industry. The story, however, lacks some details that would have been insightful. I wonder, for example, what the Voices taught the children that made them so different from their parents.

Although a sinister undertone runs through the narrative, the characters don’t face significant hurdles or threats until late in the story. Though I appreciated the rich world and characters, adding more action, even without fights, would have elevated the suspense, which, at certain points, felt somewhat lacking.

E.M. McConnell makes it easy to immerse oneself in “The Sunset Sovereign”. Overall, I enjoyed the dystopian novel with its fantastic elements and look forward to the sequel.

4 Stars