"The Sunset Sovereign" by E.M. McConnell - Book Review
E.M. McConnell’s “The Sunset Sovereign” is an enjoyable fantasy/sci-fi hybrid set in a dystopian world.
Destiny found in a Voice. Hidden agendas. What mysteries can seven chosen children unveil in a crumbling Capital?
E.M. McConnell’s “The Sunset Sovereign” is set in a fictional realm where children are selected by enigmatic Voices known as the Sovereigns. 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. After she is selected, she embarks on her journey from her rural abode to the mysterious Capital.
There, she encounters fellow Supplicants who have undergone the same selection process from around the world. Alongside them, she begins her training as a Scion, destined to serve the Sovereigns–the guardians of both the Capital and the Outside. Driven to serve the Sovereigns, Isobel learns as much as possible. As she navigates this unfamiliar realm, Isobel, once a loner with Rusty as her longtime Voice, forms genuine connections with her newfound friends. However, amidst the newfound camaraderie, Isobel senses that appearances can be deceiving. The story takes a turn as dark secrets, hidden agendas, and lies come to the forefront. This has been skillfully foreshadowed by Isobel’s father’s reticence after she started to hear Voices.
“The Sunset Sovereign” unfolds as a tale of internal exploration, unraveling the options one truly possesses in a meticulously orchestrated (authoritarian?) world. While the premise shares similarities with “The Hunger Games”, where children are selected to journey to a capital, never to return to their loved ones, the likenesses end there.
E.M. McConnell only gradually reveals the narrative’s dystopian facets, instead of dumping it straight away at the reader. However, certain parts of the story remain absent, which could have provided valuable insights. For instance, I wished for examples of what the Voices taught the children that led to their distinct and distant behavior compared to their parents.
It also took some time for me to grasp the nature of the Sovereigns, as I initially failed to connect them with the being depicted on the cover. Still, questions about their origin and intentions remain unanswered. Despite their benevolent portrayal as guardians, subtle hints insinuate darker undertones. Undoubtedly, the author is likely to address some of these unknowns in a sequel.
E.M. McConnell adeptly illustrates the disparities between life in the Capital and the Outside. She also seamlessly incorporates messages and conflicts surrounding friendship, duty, morality, and the dichotomy of nature versus industry into the story.
Isobel’s transformation from a naïve girl to a cautious and suspicious young adult is understandable, but there is a lull in the middle where she grapples with confusion, taking far too long to piece together the unfolding events. Although a sinister undertone runs through the narrative, the characters don’t face significant hurdles or threats until late in the story. While I appreciate the detailed world-building and character exploration, injecting more action—not necessarily in the form of physical combat—would have elevated the suspense, which, at certain points, felt somewhat lacking.
Furthermore, while we follow Isobel at the beginning, the author introduces multiple perspectives from other Supplicants after several chapters. While I appreciate varied viewpoints in storytelling, and I often employ this technique in my work, these additions felt abrupt and somewhat forced. The shifts were baffling. In its current form, the other characters lack the same depth as Isobel, and I didn’t connect with them when they were introduced. This became a drawback when significant plot points involving those characters unfolded, as I found it difficult to invest emotionally in their outcomes. A more seamless approach would have been to maintain Isobel’s point of view with occasional insights from the other characters, or introduce those earlier.
E.M. McConnell makes it easy to immerse oneself in “The Sunset Sovereign” and vividly picture the events. Overall, I enjoyed the dystopian novel with its fantastic elements and look forward to the sequel.
