What do you think?
Rate this book
Encrypted #1
Encrypted
Professor Tikaya Komitopis isn’t a great beauty, a fearless warrior, or even someone who can walk and chew chicle at the same time, but her cryptography skills earn her wartime notoriety. When enemy marines show up at her family’s plantation, she expects the worst.
But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.
Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail. As if the situation weren’t treacherous enough, this new “ally” may turn out to be the last person Tikaya should trust. Those runes cloak more than mysteries, however, and he’s the only one who can help her unravel them before their secrets destroy the world.
But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.
Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail. As if the situation weren’t treacherous enough, this new “ally” may turn out to be the last person Tikaya should trust. Those runes cloak more than mysteries, however, and he’s the only one who can help her unravel them before their secrets destroy the world.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 12, 2011
240 people are currently reading
2483 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
197 books6,236 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
July 31, 2015
I loved the Emperor's Edge series and this one is following the adventures of Rias (Admiral Starcrest) and Tikaya (the cryptographer) and I loved it too! :)
Ever since reading about Sicarius and his contact with Rias in the Emperor's Edge books, I was curious to discover how really things went! And I was not disappointed!
This book if a non-stop action! A wonderful heroine, Tikaya and a fantastic hero, Rias! WOW! And, obviously a very young Sicarius! ;)
The romance part is very light, but strongly present. It's more feeling than showing, but because of that more alluring (at least for me)! I loved their archeological/mathematical/engineering romantic banter! It was so very enjoyable!
I loved, loved, loved this book!
Ever since reading about Sicarius and his contact with Rias in the Emperor's Edge books, I was curious to discover how really things went! And I was not disappointed!
This book if a non-stop action! A wonderful heroine, Tikaya and a fantastic hero, Rias! WOW! And, obviously a very young Sicarius! ;)
The romance part is very light, but strongly present. It's more feeling than showing, but because of that more alluring (at least for me)! I loved their archeological/mathematical/engineering romantic banter! It was so very enjoyable!
I loved, loved, loved this book!
September 7, 2011
This was a rec from a friend, and she got my number, this sort of story is precisely my thing : a sort of cross between Shards of Honour with a touch of The Man in the Maze for ominous, and a code breaking / language translating theme. Right up my alley.
And it starts well. I like the author´s writing (nothing to write home about, but competent and not in the way). I like the universe, it is interesting - a planet where there is a clash of cultures, some depending on magic, another more backwards and militaristic expansionist one counting only on the physical sciences. The plot advanced fast and competently enough. There were yes, a couple action scenes which might be a too high-octane for total plausability, but I can overlook that.
Then around 50% of the way in I put down the book, and when I pick it up again a few days later, I find I liked the whole book much less. Now either it was a coincidence I stopped reading precisely where the plot was going to pieces; or it is me in a different less kind mood. I suspect a mix of the two factors. It can´t be just me, seriously Tikaya was not *that* much of Mary Sue on the first half. Which is precisely one of my two main issues with the plot:
- Tikaya, our abducted translating genius heroine (it´s on book description) is a great heroine: smart, strong, sensible, mature, intelligent. But on the second half of the book her resourcefulness and above all her translation skills (and confidence in said translation skills) stretch credibility a LOT.
- The sense of wonder, of mystery about the setting does not last long into the novel. About 2/3rds of the way in, our heroine with her marvelous translating skills translate a 1-paragraph explanation of it (not a technical passage by any means, spoiler above). That´s it. The whole thing is a McGuffin for a lot of action, and a few twists, some good and some bad.
Another friend wants to know if I recommend this now. I am not sure. I recommend the author and I am considering reading more of her books, because I liked the writing, liked the setup, liked very much the pace and concept. This particular book I am not sure I recommend (though I am thankful it was was recommended to me and not sorry I read it), its second half I found just too frustrating for that. So 4-5 stars to the first half of the book, 1-2 stars to the second half, let´s split hairs and call it a 3.
And it starts well. I like the author´s writing (nothing to write home about, but competent and not in the way). I like the universe, it is interesting - a planet where there is a clash of cultures, some depending on magic, another more backwards and militaristic expansionist one counting only on the physical sciences. The plot advanced fast and competently enough. There were yes, a couple action scenes which might be a too high-octane for total plausability, but I can overlook that.
Then around 50% of the way in I put down the book, and when I pick it up again a few days later, I find I liked the whole book much less. Now either it was a coincidence I stopped reading precisely where the plot was going to pieces; or it is me in a different less kind mood. I suspect a mix of the two factors. It can´t be just me, seriously Tikaya was not *that* much of Mary Sue on the first half. Which is precisely one of my two main issues with the plot:
- Tikaya, our abducted translating genius heroine (it´s on book description) is a great heroine: smart, strong, sensible, mature, intelligent. But on the second half of the book her resourcefulness and above all her translation skills (and confidence in said translation skills) stretch credibility a LOT.
- The sense of wonder, of mystery about the setting does not last long into the novel. About 2/3rds of the way in, our heroine with her marvelous translating skills translate a 1-paragraph explanation of it (not a technical passage by any means, spoiler above). That´s it. The whole thing is a McGuffin for a lot of action, and a few twists, some good and some bad.
Another friend wants to know if I recommend this now. I am not sure. I recommend the author and I am considering reading more of her books, because I liked the writing, liked the setup, liked very much the pace and concept. This particular book I am not sure I recommend (though I am thankful it was was recommended to me and not sorry I read it), its second half I found just too frustrating for that. So 4-5 stars to the first half of the book, 1-2 stars to the second half, let´s split hairs and call it a 3.
December 5, 2016
This was a book I didn't know I wanted to read until I picked it up. Which sounds kinda weird, but it made sense when I thought it. Like, I didn't know I wanted a heroine with impressive linguistic skills who is far, far stronger than she gives herself credit for until I started reading about Tikaya. Not only is she wicked smart and able to parse out unknown languages practically in her sleep, she's quick and adaptable and willing to push boundaries to find out answers.
I totally appreciate a lady who does what needs to be done despite her fear and the potential danger to herself.
Surprise allies, hidden betrayal, and one teenage assassin get tangled together to make Tikaya's...err, what do you call it? Her forced deciphering for the enemy? Whatever. Tikaya ends up with a lot on her plate. And that's before the deadly robots make an appearance.
Might I just say, this book could very well be the impetus I needed to start Sicarius's series. The kid intrigued me. Quite a bit.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
I totally appreciate a lady who does what needs to be done despite her fear and the potential danger to herself.
Surprise allies, hidden betrayal, and one teenage assassin get tangled together to make Tikaya's...err, what do you call it? Her forced deciphering for the enemy? Whatever. Tikaya ends up with a lot on her plate. And that's before the deadly robots make an appearance.
Might I just say, this book could very well be the impetus I needed to start Sicarius's series. The kid intrigued me. Quite a bit.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
April 14, 2013
4/5; 4 stars; A-
Lindsay Buroker is another new to me author. I enjoyed this introduction to her writing very much. Her heroine is a nerdy type who has a lioness lurking inside her and it was fun to see her coming out to play. The world she built seemed to have a lot of aspects of our world but it was pretty different. The three main societies; military based, science based, and magic based gave lots of room for an interesting story to grow. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Lindsay Buroker is another new to me author. I enjoyed this introduction to her writing very much. Her heroine is a nerdy type who has a lioness lurking inside her and it was fun to see her coming out to play. The world she built seemed to have a lot of aspects of our world but it was pretty different. The three main societies; military based, science based, and magic based gave lots of room for an interesting story to grow. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 23, 2014
Utterly fun and compelling fantasy with sf-nal elements or sf with fantasy elements that is very much in the spirit of Shards of Honor though set in on a secondary world with a mix of magic (better put paranormal stuff like telepathy and the like - so in many ways the book belongs in the grand sf tradition of old) and early industrial tech rather than in a high-tech multi-system human space with biotech as "magic" vs old-fashioned guns and armed spaceships
The militaristic empire (Turgonian) that shuns magic facing the magicians of Nuria, the "mysterious" scientist from the formerly neutral and pastoral islands of Kyatt who helped the Nurians once the empire offered the islanders a deal it would not take no as an answer on, Tikaya Komitopis, a socially awkward woman with a talent for languages who breaks the Turgonian codes leading to their containment and reluctant truce, the mysterious artifacts that prove deadly in the Turgonian capital forcing them to kidnap Tikaya from her peaceful island and try and convince her to help them, the prisoner known as Five on the Turgonian ironclad that speeds towards the frozen wastes were the artifacts had come from, the Nurian saboteurs and later the whole expedition and the surprises they encounter, I would say that everything is familiar but well done and with occasional twists that were partly predictable, partly surprising, all written in a very fast, page turning and fun way.
The novel is a standalone though of course there is ample scope for more, while the author's other novel which takes place in the Turgonian empire some 15 years or so later and follows one of the coolest characters here in a quite different role is one of my next reads.
Will add the FBC review when done, but I highly recommend this book for a fun, fast adventure with a dash of everything from magic, to super-science, to battle, romance, relationships; also if you are a fan of the Barrayar novels pre-Miles and want a partly-fantasy-nal tale in their spirit, check this one
Full FBC rv below
INTRODUCTION: "Encrypted" is another indie novel I found out about through a review inquiry; the author actually let us know about her series debut The Emperor's Edge and while I liked its blurb/excerpt and asked for a review e-copy, I also noticed her other novel Encrypted which tempted me so much that I bought it on the spot and read it soon after.
Of course I plan to read The Emperor's Edge too - it starts great with the same engaging style of Encrypted - so in a month or so, I should have a review of that one here too, but for now I will talk about Encrypted since it resonated with me quite a lot and I want to explain why - the essential reason is because of its very close similarity in spirit and style with one of my all time favorite duologies.
Encyrpted is set some 15-20 years earlier in the same universe of The Emperor's Edge and it is a standalone with mostly different characters, though one of the main characters from the latter one appears here too in a pretty important role, so from that point of view it makes also a great introduction to the universe.
"Professor Tikaya Komitopis isn’t a great beauty, a fearless warrior, or even someone who can walk and chew chicle at the same time, but her cryptography skills earn her wartime notoriety. When enemy marines show up at her family’s plantation, she expects the worst. But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.
Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail... "
OVERVIEW: Encrypted is set on a secondary world with a mix of paranormal stuff like telepathy and teleportation and early industrial tech.
There is a militaristic empire - Turgonian - that shuns magic and which faces the "magicians" of Nuria, the "mysterious" scientist from the formerly neutral and pastoral islands of Kyatt who helped the Nurians once the empire offered the islanders a deal it would not take no as an answer on, Tikaya Komitopis, a socially awkward woman with a talent for languages who breaks the Turgonian codes leading to their containment and reluctant truce, the mysterious artifacts that prove deadly in the Turgonian capital forcing them to kidnap Tikaya from her peaceful island and try and convince her to help them, the prisoner known as Five on the Turgonian ironclad that speeds towards the frozen wastes were the artifacts had come from, the Nurian saboteurs and later the expedition to find the artifacts and the surprises it encounters.
As you can see from this overview, substituting "paranormal" with advanced biotech and the one-world of this book with a multi-stellar polity and you get something that resembles in spirit the superb pre-Miles dulogy of Lois Bujold that starts with Shards of Honor and more than once when reading Encrypted, I thought the comparison apt in quite a few ways.
While today "Encrypted" fits under secondary world fantasy mainly for its elements of paranormal, for most of sff's history it would have been considered pure-sf since teleportation, telekinesis and telepathy have been staples of sf for a long time, so this is a book that should appeal to both lovers of fantasy and sf.
ANALYSIS: Why read Encrypted?
The first reason is that the novel is written in a very fast, page turning and fun way, alternating action, discovery with great dialogue especially between Tikaya and Rias - as this is the name the prisoner known as "Five" gives her once they get to know each other - but with several other compelling characters, most notably Bocrest, the Turgonian commander of the ship and expedition, the "good" corporal Agarik vs nasty sergeant Ottotark and later the young boy/assassin Sicarius, personal representative of the emperor and a familiar acquaintance of Rias and Bocrest.
As the main lead of the novel, Tikaya carries it well end-to-end and she makes a very compelling heroine - an almost genius philologist in her mid-30's with a talent for languages and patterns, neither beautiful, nor graceful but with a talent for bow shooting and courage and wit to match, while the Turgonian men around her - whether resenting or even hating her for her role in their defeat in the war, being neutral, or being friendly and more - offer a great contrast and variety. Rias slowly develops from the almost savage Five to the charismatic war-hero he used to be and later in the novel he almost takes it over, while Sicarius - who seems to be the main lead in The Emperor's Edge 15-20 years in the future -is excellent in his role of enigmatic boy-assassin here.
So despite starting as the enemies and with their militaristic and patriarchal culture to boot, the author's portrayal of the Turgonians is quite nuanced, while Kitaya's supposed allies the Nurians actually want to kill her - maybe for good reasons from their point of view - and this reversal of roles and expectations was another reason I enjoyed the book.
The expedition, its discoveries, the mysterious runes and deadly artifacts are also very well done combining the familiar with twists that were partly predictable, partly surprising, but that never failed to entertain, while the action builds up with both physical and psychological components until the excellent finale. I would not want to spoil more about the core of the novel since a large part of the enjoyment of the book lies in trying to figure out what's what before the heroes experience it...
Encrypted (A+) is a fun romp, an adventure in the Lois Bujold Barrayar spirit, with a clear ending though ample scope for more and which I highly recommend if you like your sff fast, page turning with action, mysteries and a dash of romance.
The militaristic empire (Turgonian) that shuns magic facing the magicians of Nuria, the "mysterious" scientist from the formerly neutral and pastoral islands of Kyatt who helped the Nurians once the empire offered the islanders a deal it would not take no as an answer on, Tikaya Komitopis, a socially awkward woman with a talent for languages who breaks the Turgonian codes leading to their containment and reluctant truce, the mysterious artifacts that prove deadly in the Turgonian capital forcing them to kidnap Tikaya from her peaceful island and try and convince her to help them, the prisoner known as Five on the Turgonian ironclad that speeds towards the frozen wastes were the artifacts had come from, the Nurian saboteurs and later the whole expedition and the surprises they encounter, I would say that everything is familiar but well done and with occasional twists that were partly predictable, partly surprising, all written in a very fast, page turning and fun way.
The novel is a standalone though of course there is ample scope for more, while the author's other novel which takes place in the Turgonian empire some 15 years or so later and follows one of the coolest characters here in a quite different role is one of my next reads.
Will add the FBC review when done, but I highly recommend this book for a fun, fast adventure with a dash of everything from magic, to super-science, to battle, romance, relationships; also if you are a fan of the Barrayar novels pre-Miles and want a partly-fantasy-nal tale in their spirit, check this one
Full FBC rv below
INTRODUCTION: "Encrypted" is another indie novel I found out about through a review inquiry; the author actually let us know about her series debut The Emperor's Edge and while I liked its blurb/excerpt and asked for a review e-copy, I also noticed her other novel Encrypted which tempted me so much that I bought it on the spot and read it soon after.
Of course I plan to read The Emperor's Edge too - it starts great with the same engaging style of Encrypted - so in a month or so, I should have a review of that one here too, but for now I will talk about Encrypted since it resonated with me quite a lot and I want to explain why - the essential reason is because of its very close similarity in spirit and style with one of my all time favorite duologies.
Encyrpted is set some 15-20 years earlier in the same universe of The Emperor's Edge and it is a standalone with mostly different characters, though one of the main characters from the latter one appears here too in a pretty important role, so from that point of view it makes also a great introduction to the universe.
"Professor Tikaya Komitopis isn’t a great beauty, a fearless warrior, or even someone who can walk and chew chicle at the same time, but her cryptography skills earn her wartime notoriety. When enemy marines show up at her family’s plantation, she expects the worst. But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.
Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail... "
OVERVIEW: Encrypted is set on a secondary world with a mix of paranormal stuff like telepathy and teleportation and early industrial tech.
There is a militaristic empire - Turgonian - that shuns magic and which faces the "magicians" of Nuria, the "mysterious" scientist from the formerly neutral and pastoral islands of Kyatt who helped the Nurians once the empire offered the islanders a deal it would not take no as an answer on, Tikaya Komitopis, a socially awkward woman with a talent for languages who breaks the Turgonian codes leading to their containment and reluctant truce, the mysterious artifacts that prove deadly in the Turgonian capital forcing them to kidnap Tikaya from her peaceful island and try and convince her to help them, the prisoner known as Five on the Turgonian ironclad that speeds towards the frozen wastes were the artifacts had come from, the Nurian saboteurs and later the expedition to find the artifacts and the surprises it encounters.
As you can see from this overview, substituting "paranormal" with advanced biotech and the one-world of this book with a multi-stellar polity and you get something that resembles in spirit the superb pre-Miles dulogy of Lois Bujold that starts with Shards of Honor and more than once when reading Encrypted, I thought the comparison apt in quite a few ways.
While today "Encrypted" fits under secondary world fantasy mainly for its elements of paranormal, for most of sff's history it would have been considered pure-sf since teleportation, telekinesis and telepathy have been staples of sf for a long time, so this is a book that should appeal to both lovers of fantasy and sf.
ANALYSIS: Why read Encrypted?
The first reason is that the novel is written in a very fast, page turning and fun way, alternating action, discovery with great dialogue especially between Tikaya and Rias - as this is the name the prisoner known as "Five" gives her once they get to know each other - but with several other compelling characters, most notably Bocrest, the Turgonian commander of the ship and expedition, the "good" corporal Agarik vs nasty sergeant Ottotark and later the young boy/assassin Sicarius, personal representative of the emperor and a familiar acquaintance of Rias and Bocrest.
As the main lead of the novel, Tikaya carries it well end-to-end and she makes a very compelling heroine - an almost genius philologist in her mid-30's with a talent for languages and patterns, neither beautiful, nor graceful but with a talent for bow shooting and courage and wit to match, while the Turgonian men around her - whether resenting or even hating her for her role in their defeat in the war, being neutral, or being friendly and more - offer a great contrast and variety. Rias slowly develops from the almost savage Five to the charismatic war-hero he used to be and later in the novel he almost takes it over, while Sicarius - who seems to be the main lead in The Emperor's Edge 15-20 years in the future -is excellent in his role of enigmatic boy-assassin here.
So despite starting as the enemies and with their militaristic and patriarchal culture to boot, the author's portrayal of the Turgonians is quite nuanced, while Kitaya's supposed allies the Nurians actually want to kill her - maybe for good reasons from their point of view - and this reversal of roles and expectations was another reason I enjoyed the book.
The expedition, its discoveries, the mysterious runes and deadly artifacts are also very well done combining the familiar with twists that were partly predictable, partly surprising, but that never failed to entertain, while the action builds up with both physical and psychological components until the excellent finale. I would not want to spoil more about the core of the novel since a large part of the enjoyment of the book lies in trying to figure out what's what before the heroes experience it...
Encrypted (A+) is a fun romp, an adventure in the Lois Bujold Barrayar spirit, with a clear ending though ample scope for more and which I highly recommend if you like your sff fast, page turning with action, mysteries and a dash of romance.
March 26, 2014
This is what I'd call a "popcorn book." It's pleasant, I enjoyed it, it was a light undemanding read but not very...flavorful? It wasn't so much the book as a related series, The Emperor's Edge, that was recommended to me, which I understand is much stronger, so that this didn't make a strong impression won't deter me from trying that series, although I'm not sure I want to continue the two direct sequels.
The book blends several genres: romance, science fiction and fantasy. Indeed that blend of magic and science is one of the distinguishing characteristics, reminding me of the Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley and the Pern books by McCaffrey I loved as a teen. Unlike those two series though this world isn't a "lost colony" of Earth but a world seemingly unrelated to ours once visited by an advanced alien race and now in the midst of an industrial revolution--so you could categorize this as Steampunk. The tech of the militant Turgonian Empire is science-based, while a lot of the nations that oppose the empire use "magic"--or at least paranormal talents such as telepathy and telekinesis. Our heroine Tikaya is a cryptologist who broke the Empire's code, thwarting the invasion of her island nation. She gets involved with the enemy, and the setup and plot reminds me quite a bit of Lois Bujold's Shards of Honor, and like this, that was the first book of a series, one that got stronger and more impressive in later books.
Except I immediately took to that book's Cordelia while, Tikaya... Well, she's likable, as is the love interest. I'm not sure what leaves me cold. Is it that we're continually told she's a genius who knows dozens of languages while in the story she doesn't show much smarts, at least none crucial to the story? Is it that she's a prodigy in archery who nevertheless has an annoyingly Bella Swan-like ability to trip over her own feet? The romance didn't do much for me either. Maybe just too rushed, the hero too... perfect? My favorite characters were secondary ones. But then from what I understand one of those minor secondary characters that intrigued me is precisely who we'll see more of in The Emperor's Edge, so I won't give up on Buroker yet. And though I might seem to be damning with faint praise, I did enjoy this. It's a fast-paced and action-packed adventure story.
The book blends several genres: romance, science fiction and fantasy. Indeed that blend of magic and science is one of the distinguishing characteristics, reminding me of the Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley and the Pern books by McCaffrey I loved as a teen. Unlike those two series though this world isn't a "lost colony" of Earth but a world seemingly unrelated to ours once visited by an advanced alien race and now in the midst of an industrial revolution--so you could categorize this as Steampunk. The tech of the militant Turgonian Empire is science-based, while a lot of the nations that oppose the empire use "magic"--or at least paranormal talents such as telepathy and telekinesis. Our heroine Tikaya is a cryptologist who broke the Empire's code, thwarting the invasion of her island nation. She gets involved with the enemy, and the setup and plot reminds me quite a bit of Lois Bujold's Shards of Honor, and like this, that was the first book of a series, one that got stronger and more impressive in later books.
Except I immediately took to that book's Cordelia while, Tikaya... Well, she's likable, as is the love interest. I'm not sure what leaves me cold. Is it that we're continually told she's a genius who knows dozens of languages while in the story she doesn't show much smarts, at least none crucial to the story? Is it that she's a prodigy in archery who nevertheless has an annoyingly Bella Swan-like ability to trip over her own feet? The romance didn't do much for me either. Maybe just too rushed, the hero too... perfect? My favorite characters were secondary ones. But then from what I understand one of those minor secondary characters that intrigued me is precisely who we'll see more of in The Emperor's Edge, so I won't give up on Buroker yet. And though I might seem to be damning with faint praise, I did enjoy this. It's a fast-paced and action-packed adventure story.
June 15, 2011
Rather a strange storyline, with the people in the story living somewhere between the middle ages and the industrial age. There are three races of people, telepaths, agrarian and militaristic, with the militaristic people being the most advanced industrially. The story revolves around a university professor from the agrarian society (really!) who is a code breaker (really!!) and an admiral from the militaristic society who has been imprisoned for disobeying his emperor. These two, of course have a love affair.
What killed the story from me was the highly improbable tech tree.
* They can build trebuchets, capable of hurling people about, from driftwood which happens to be lying about under the polar ice-cap.
* They know about parachutes and can make them from whatever happens to be available.
* They are capable of using alien technology after a few moments of looking at it.
* The heroine, who is a language professor (!), can solve puzzles involving the periodic table.
* The hero, using just the periodic table, can build a new chemical compound, using an alien machine.
And so on. There are so many of these inconsistencies that I really surprised myself that I finished this book.
What killed the story from me was the highly improbable tech tree.
* They can build trebuchets, capable of hurling people about, from driftwood which happens to be lying about under the polar ice-cap.
* They know about parachutes and can make them from whatever happens to be available.
* They are capable of using alien technology after a few moments of looking at it.
* The heroine, who is a language professor (!), can solve puzzles involving the periodic table.
* The hero, using just the periodic table, can build a new chemical compound, using an alien machine.
And so on. There are so many of these inconsistencies that I really surprised myself that I finished this book.
Read
August 31, 2013Finished last night as it was far too hot to sleep.
Overall a fun read in spite of the phenomenal body count, racketing along at a crashing pace from start to finish, not just action but romance between enemies, one of my favorite story elements. I do wish it had been proofed better (grammar and spelling errors force me out of the immersion) but that's a toughie that we all face these days.
There was also one sharp disappointment; I guess because of all the wish-fulfillment tropes that Buroker embraces, I assumed that all my favorite characters would make it fine after their heroism, but no, one of my least favorite tropes did turn up .
However, in spite of that, the remainder rose to a tense, interesting climax; I think I would have liked more about a certain decision, as it seemed too easy, observed from the outside. An added POV might have cleared that up. It does leave a mystery for future books, which I intend to read. I am very much invested in what happens next!
Overall a fun read in spite of the phenomenal body count, racketing along at a crashing pace from start to finish, not just action but romance between enemies, one of my favorite story elements. I do wish it had been proofed better (grammar and spelling errors force me out of the immersion) but that's a toughie that we all face these days.
There was also one sharp disappointment; I guess because of all the wish-fulfillment tropes that Buroker embraces, I assumed that all my favorite characters would make it fine after their heroism, but no, one of my least favorite tropes did turn up .
However, in spite of that, the remainder rose to a tense, interesting climax; I think I would have liked more about a certain decision, as it seemed too easy, observed from the outside. An added POV might have cleared that up. It does leave a mystery for future books, which I intend to read. I am very much invested in what happens next!
November 26, 2023
She’s only gone and done it again. The Emperor’s Edge Universe is always a hit. I was so happy to be back in this familiar world with familiar characters (especially a young Sicarius). I’ll be honest, I don’t remember seeing the later EE books that well and therefore, I only remember bits and pieces about Rias and Tikaya but it was so wonderful to read their story. I really enjoyed these characters and the roles they played in this book. I cannot wait to carry on with this series and see where it goes.
November 23, 2015
Encrypted was kind of a mash up of PNR and science fiction (without space exploration or space travel) as well as some elements of fantasy. I had quite a bit of fun reading it because of the adventure aspect. In some ways it reminded me of a James Rollins novel with all the creatures and the cave exploration but with some romance thrown in. The only problem I had with it was that I thought the "I love you's" happened quite a bit too quickly which reminded me too much of Insta-Love. I do have a problem with Insta-Love. I tend to shy away from books without same-character sequels because of the likelihood of running into it. I think authors should only include I love you as part of the first book in a series or a stand-alone if they plan on including a significant progression of time or if the characters have a back story that is explained well enough to make their feelings believable. The main events in this book took place over a period of several weeks not months and I just thought it happened too quickly.
That being said, the romance itself was really well done and I thought the book featured a couple of the best main characters I've read about in some time. Tikaya is a language expert and kind of nerdy. She wears glasses. Female lead characters almost never wear glasses. She's also tall. I liked that. I do get weary of reading about short cute female leads who then run into "competition" who will generally be tall and perfect, making her feel inadequate, even thought everyone tells the cute little lead that she's beautiful. Blah blah. She was clumsy too, although I did kind of hate that because that's another one of those things that has been done to death - but at least in this book the author doesn't try to oversell it as being cute. It's not really. In real life I am a klutz and there's nothing cute about it. People laugh at you when you fall down and sometimes it's extremely embarassing. And with all her clumsiness I had trouble believing she didn't break her glasses. I really enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to be resued all the time. She had to be rescued only once and not as a result of her own stupidity. She rescued herself a few times as a result of using her BRAIN. So refreshing. Nice balance of teamwork, bodyguard and self-reliance.
Rias, the male lead. He was kind of typically alpha in some ways but he was nicely toned down. He wasn't an asshole, although he was secretive. He was good at things but not necessarily the best. He was tough but not the toughest, tall but not the tallest, etc...I liked him. He wasn't abusive. I liked that it seemed as if it would have to be him to give up his career to be with Takaya rather than the other way around as it usually is.
The only thing that was confusing to me was the strange differences in technology. This story features three different groups of people, the Turgonians and the Nurians at war with each other and the Kyattese a nation made up of islands, caught in the middle. The Turgonians who seem to be the most powerful of all have the least amount of technology, think musket fire rather than automatic weapons. There are the Kyattese, the people of the islands who hunt with bow and arrow and harvest sugar cane, but have technologically advanced learning and then the Nurians who rely on magic. It seems as if the Turgonians were winning until Takaya's codebreaking skills gave the Nurians an edge, which sort of didn't make sense. I would figure it would be the most technologically advanced or those with the most magic who held the advantages. I found it odd but not so much so that I could not enjoy the story. The war is all but over when the real story starts.
So all in all, I thought this was a pretty enjoyable read and would recommend it for any fan of light science fiction with an adventurous edge. Keep in mind however, there is quite a significant body count so it's not necessarily a light-hearted story. The romance is what I would consider fairly clean.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel.
That being said, the romance itself was really well done and I thought the book featured a couple of the best main characters I've read about in some time. Tikaya is a language expert and kind of nerdy. She wears glasses. Female lead characters almost never wear glasses. She's also tall. I liked that. I do get weary of reading about short cute female leads who then run into "competition" who will generally be tall and perfect, making her feel inadequate, even thought everyone tells the cute little lead that she's beautiful. Blah blah. She was clumsy too, although I did kind of hate that because that's another one of those things that has been done to death - but at least in this book the author doesn't try to oversell it as being cute. It's not really. In real life I am a klutz and there's nothing cute about it. People laugh at you when you fall down and sometimes it's extremely embarassing. And with all her clumsiness I had trouble believing she didn't break her glasses. I really enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to be resued all the time. She had to be rescued only once and not as a result of her own stupidity. She rescued herself a few times as a result of using her BRAIN. So refreshing. Nice balance of teamwork, bodyguard and self-reliance.
Rias, the male lead. He was kind of typically alpha in some ways but he was nicely toned down. He wasn't an asshole, although he was secretive. He was good at things but not necessarily the best. He was tough but not the toughest, tall but not the tallest, etc...I liked him. He wasn't abusive. I liked that it seemed as if it would have to be him to give up his career to be with Takaya rather than the other way around as it usually is.
The only thing that was confusing to me was the strange differences in technology. This story features three different groups of people, the Turgonians and the Nurians at war with each other and the Kyattese a nation made up of islands, caught in the middle. The Turgonians who seem to be the most powerful of all have the least amount of technology, think musket fire rather than automatic weapons. There are the Kyattese, the people of the islands who hunt with bow and arrow and harvest sugar cane, but have technologically advanced learning and then the Nurians who rely on magic. It seems as if the Turgonians were winning until Takaya's codebreaking skills gave the Nurians an edge, which sort of didn't make sense. I would figure it would be the most technologically advanced or those with the most magic who held the advantages. I found it odd but not so much so that I could not enjoy the story. The war is all but over when the real story starts.
So all in all, I thought this was a pretty enjoyable read and would recommend it for any fan of light science fiction with an adventurous edge. Keep in mind however, there is quite a significant body count so it's not necessarily a light-hearted story. The romance is what I would consider fairly clean.
I am looking forward to reading the sequel.
March 17, 2013
I found this quite disappointing, as I've very much enjoyed all the Emperor's Edge books, and loved the idea of a heroine who is valued/a dangerous tool because of her cryptography skills. But while there was a lot to enjoy in this, two things really let it down for me, one major and one less important in overall plot significance, but still annoying. The first was that our heroine, Tikaya, became virtually superwoman - not only were her translating skills at incredibly high levels (and by incredibly I mean just that - I couldn't buy it at all), but she also managed to be super-skilled archer, for all she's not even remotely connected to military. It was very, very handy to all concerned - well, to her and her eventual ally(ies) - but didn't earn the convenience by any kind of credibility. Amaranthe (of the Emperor's Edge books) is a super-awesome heroine, without being able to fight very well, despite having been a law enforcer, and it works beautifully.
The second is a small spoiler, but it's also a trope, so I'm not going to put it behind a spoiler space - if you want to avoid, stop now. A certain character started to make me anxious, but then I thought of the other books and thought it would be okay, except it wasn't, and I was disappointed to see the appearance of Bury Your Gays.
The second is a small spoiler, but it's also a trope, so I'm not going to put it behind a spoiler space - if you want to avoid, stop now. A certain character started to make me anxious, but then I thought of the other books and thought it would be okay, except it wasn't, and I was disappointed to see the appearance of Bury Your Gays.
December 18, 2018
This book came highly recommended by a friend. I enjoyed it for lots of reasons. I was hoping I could let my teen read it but I don't think so. It was a great story, with a very interesting plot. I loved how they whole story unfolds. I loved the world building that was so subtle. It was eased in so well, that I felt like I knew this world without being given paragraphs of explanations and descriptions. The characters were good but not as deep as I normally like. The romance was a fun one, I love the Hero who saves the girl by showing her she can save herself. The romance was a little lighter then I normally like, I like lots of angst and this had a bit but not much. I'm giving this three stars because I thought there was so much crudeness that could so easy have been left out. This is geared to a teen not an adult. There is no sex scene but it is alluded to often and in crude ways. There is a handful of swear words spread throughout. There is violence and scary scenes. It has a PG13 feel -things like saying they cut a guys head off but not describing it in detail. So I was a little put off by the fact that the author added so much sexual crudeness that could have easily been implied. The end wrapped up nicely. Not sure I'll read the second and the third book.
September 3, 2015
A typical Buroker, I'd say. Which means interesting world-building (set in the same universe as the Emperor's Edge series), great rich characters, funny banter, a romance (a bit of the cleaner side, but with delicious tension).
I enjoyed it a lot and will read the other two in the series as well.
I enjoyed it a lot and will read the other two in the series as well.
September 16, 2015
Like many fans of Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge series, I just couldn’t resist the urge to read this new series, set in the same world. I wanted to know more about Tikaya and Rias Starcrest, who also appear in the Emperor’s Edge series. I wanted to find out about the world outside of Turgonia, where the action in the Emperor’s Edge is set. In that sense, this was a satisfying read. I now understand Tikaya & Rias better (Tikaya in particular. I couldn’t really figure her character out in the other series) and there is a lot of information here about Nuria, the Kyatt Islands and the rest of the world, which fills in quite a lot of blanks from the Emperor’s Edge. And of course I loved reading about a young Sicarius!
And yet this was quite a disappointing read. It is a much lighter read than the Emperor’s Edge and the characters left me a bit cold. It’s not that I dislike them it’s just that they seem to lack personality somehow. What a departure from the Emperor’s Edge, with its mad cast of dysfunctional yet lovable, exciting characters! Yes, that’s what it is, this book is just not exciting enough for me. There is action (quite a lot of it) but it’s a bit repetitive and, frankly, not that interesting. There is a lot more romance here than in the Emperor’s Edge, which was a big turn off for me. And the insta-love thing… Oh I hate it when authors do that! Buroker handled the romantic sub-plot of the Emperor’s Edge so well, I just don’t understand what happened here.
This wasn’t a bad read but it just felt like a typical romantic adventure story (albeit set in a fantasy world), which wasn’t what I expected from Buroker. I bought Encrypted, Enigma and Decrypted all at the same time so I will be reading the next instalments in this series, although I am not very excited at the prospect.
And yet this was quite a disappointing read. It is a much lighter read than the Emperor’s Edge and the characters left me a bit cold. It’s not that I dislike them it’s just that they seem to lack personality somehow. What a departure from the Emperor’s Edge, with its mad cast of dysfunctional yet lovable, exciting characters! Yes, that’s what it is, this book is just not exciting enough for me. There is action (quite a lot of it) but it’s a bit repetitive and, frankly, not that interesting. There is a lot more romance here than in the Emperor’s Edge, which was a big turn off for me. And the insta-love thing… Oh I hate it when authors do that! Buroker handled the romantic sub-plot of the Emperor’s Edge so well, I just don’t understand what happened here.
This wasn’t a bad read but it just felt like a typical romantic adventure story (albeit set in a fantasy world), which wasn’t what I expected from Buroker. I bought Encrypted, Enigma and Decrypted all at the same time so I will be reading the next instalments in this series, although I am not very excited at the prospect.
June 14, 2022
I liked the story.
But as a POC, reading this book felt very strange and unsettling and like reading a revision of history (not to take a random space opera book too seriously by an author whose work I normally adore)
The FMC is a white woman (Kyattese) from a group of people that are largely agricultural, oppressed, colonized, and live in a jungle environment (as a South Asian person, sounds oddly familiar!)
The MMC is Turgonian, a people who are written to be dark skinned, dark haired and dark eyed, and are colonizers, aggressors, sexist, racist, and war mongering people with no respect for archeology or history.
Hmm. Something about that is very off for me, as a reader. Maybe don't tie the fictional groups of people you've written into their physical, racial descriptions - and then somehow make the white people the good guys anyways.
But as a POC, reading this book felt very strange and unsettling and like reading a revision of history (not to take a random space opera book too seriously by an author whose work I normally adore)
The FMC is a white woman (Kyattese) from a group of people that are largely agricultural, oppressed, colonized, and live in a jungle environment (as a South Asian person, sounds oddly familiar!)
The MMC is Turgonian, a people who are written to be dark skinned, dark haired and dark eyed, and are colonizers, aggressors, sexist, racist, and war mongering people with no respect for archeology or history.
Hmm. Something about that is very off for me, as a reader. Maybe don't tie the fictional groups of people you've written into their physical, racial descriptions - and then somehow make the white people the good guys anyways.
February 9, 2025
Third read: I love it just as much as the 2x before.
Second read review: I originally gave this book 4 stars, but upon reading it a second time, I've decided to up it to 5. Why? #1 Because I enjoyed it enough to read it twice which is a rarity for me #2 Because it was even more fun the second time around. This book is action packed and funny and an all-around good time. Extra bonus, the author updated the awful original cover she had on it.
___________________________________
I just looked at the cover on this book in more detail and realized how awful it is. LOL But don't let that deter you. This is a GREAT book. I really, really enjoyed it.
It's set in a steampunk-ish, alternate universe with 2 races of people at war with a peaceful island of people caught in between. When the peaceful island is threatened by one side, it decides to be not so peaceful and uses its gifted cryptologist to crack codes that eventually thwart their would be invaders and end the war. Fast forward a year and said cryptologist gets kidnapped by the race that she helped defeat. But instead of wanting to kill her, they need her help in solving a mystery involving some new (or is it an ancient) language and she is their best hope. She finds an unlikely ally in another prisoner on the boat that she finds herself on and off it goes from there, plunged from one mystery into another.
A perfect mix of intrigue, adventure and romance. I'll definitely read it again someday.
Second read review: I originally gave this book 4 stars, but upon reading it a second time, I've decided to up it to 5. Why? #1 Because I enjoyed it enough to read it twice which is a rarity for me #2 Because it was even more fun the second time around. This book is action packed and funny and an all-around good time. Extra bonus, the author updated the awful original cover she had on it.
___________________________________
I just looked at the cover on this book in more detail and realized how awful it is. LOL But don't let that deter you. This is a GREAT book. I really, really enjoyed it.
It's set in a steampunk-ish, alternate universe with 2 races of people at war with a peaceful island of people caught in between. When the peaceful island is threatened by one side, it decides to be not so peaceful and uses its gifted cryptologist to crack codes that eventually thwart their would be invaders and end the war. Fast forward a year and said cryptologist gets kidnapped by the race that she helped defeat. But instead of wanting to kill her, they need her help in solving a mystery involving some new (or is it an ancient) language and she is their best hope. She finds an unlikely ally in another prisoner on the boat that she finds herself on and off it goes from there, plunged from one mystery into another.
A perfect mix of intrigue, adventure and romance. I'll definitely read it again someday.
November 10, 2011
This was the first of Lindsay's books I've read, and from what I've seen with Encrypted, it will not be the last!
I started reading this book while at home sick and I spent then next few hours lost in the world that Lindsay created. It is so captivating, it will leave you wishing you could enter the pages yourself and explore outside the bounds of the story with Tikaya and Rias. The cryptography was initially what drew me to this book, but I was sold completely when I read the description and found that the lead was a 'not your average' heroin. Couple that with a bit of romance, magic and action and you find yourself reading a sure winner.
Overall, the plot was well polished and the characters were believable and fully formed, bringing a sense of familiarity to the reader and a desire to spend much longer delved into this incredible world. I strongly suggest you buy this book and enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you so much Lindsay!
I started reading this book while at home sick and I spent then next few hours lost in the world that Lindsay created. It is so captivating, it will leave you wishing you could enter the pages yourself and explore outside the bounds of the story with Tikaya and Rias. The cryptography was initially what drew me to this book, but I was sold completely when I read the description and found that the lead was a 'not your average' heroin. Couple that with a bit of romance, magic and action and you find yourself reading a sure winner.
Overall, the plot was well polished and the characters were believable and fully formed, bringing a sense of familiarity to the reader and a desire to spend much longer delved into this incredible world. I strongly suggest you buy this book and enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you so much Lindsay!
September 2, 2018
I was enjoying this asides from some major race issues with the worldbuilding (the protagonist comes from The Only Nice Country, a tropical island with cane sugar plantations where everyone is white), and then the couple got together and for no reason I can put my finger on, even though I'd been enjoying the mystery/adventure threads as well, I suddenly VERY MUCH WANTED TO STOP READING. I flipped forward to the end and came across something talking about like..."savage aborigines" or something and I was done.
November 16, 2018
Awful, just awful. So the enemy empire kidnapped her and threatend to kill her family if she won't help them encrypt some language. They also promised to kill her regardless for her contribution to the past war. Of course she doesn't intend to really help them, only buy time to escape, but that changes when handsom guy (another prisoner) asks. Yeah. Why not. Egh...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2012
Tikaya was a cryptologist during the war and is kidnapped about a year later to translate some ruins. On the ship there's another prisoner that she's warned to stay away from, Rias, who has some big secrets. This is super smart, scientist, nerd love and was really great. Very good book.
July 16, 2016
I absolutely LOVED this book. I devoured it in a day and completely ignored everyone around me in order to finish it. It was such a unique idea to me and I completely loved the great mix of Science fiction with a love story. It was wonderful. Definitely recommend this one.
November 10, 2025
I was again, nervous going into this book as I am new to the author. Elf Tangent was the first book I read of hers and it was an easy read so I was hopeful this would be the same. It was. I feel this is Romantasy filled enough and low trauma to be an easy read. I was a little nervous at the end when a certain someone showed up but happy the FMC wasn't annoying about it. That has been an ongoing trend with this author. Her FMCs do not turn annoying after finding out certain truths, when lies could not be avoided and so on.
This was a good filler book as I await for other book releases.
This was a good filler book as I await for other book releases.
March 16, 2017
I got the Beginnings anthology and this was one of the books in it. I enjoyed it very much. I devoured the Dragon Blood series because the romance between Ridge and Sardell was similar to this one ... I think that is what I like most about her books. There is romance, most of the time, but it is not an easily won romance.
I'm not sure what all to say about this book, but I will agree that the glimpse of the younger Zacharias was pretty nifty. I've only been able to read the first 3 books in the Emperor's Blade series, I love reading books, but I can't see paying the price that they are at right now with how quickly I read books … c’mon sale let’s go.
I love how detailed and complicated her worlds are. Who would’ve thought that there had been an advanced race who hung out in the frozen bits of the world coming up with new ways to exterminate humanoids? I wonder how long ago their installation had been built.
I kinda found it a bit farfetched how quickly Tikaya caught on to translating the alien language, I got the impression that that sort of thing takes a lot more effort. I didn’t think about it much and worked on paying attention to other bits of the series instead.
I’m curious to see what happens to people, who were thought long dead, are handled in the other books of the series and how Tikaya is just going to bring the Admiral home to meet the parents. That should be an entertaining read for sure.
I'm not sure what all to say about this book, but I will agree that the glimpse of the younger Zacharias was pretty nifty. I've only been able to read the first 3 books in the Emperor's Blade series, I love reading books, but I can't see paying the price that they are at right now with how quickly I read books … c’mon sale let’s go.
I love how detailed and complicated her worlds are. Who would’ve thought that there had been an advanced race who hung out in the frozen bits of the world coming up with new ways to exterminate humanoids? I wonder how long ago their installation had been built.
I kinda found it a bit farfetched how quickly Tikaya caught on to translating the alien language, I got the impression that that sort of thing takes a lot more effort. I didn’t think about it much and worked on paying attention to other bits of the series instead.
I’m curious to see what happens to people, who were thought long dead, are handled in the other books of the series and how Tikaya is just going to bring the Admiral home to meet the parents. That should be an entertaining read for sure.
February 24, 2023
Fabulous book. For unknown reasons when I read Lindsay Buroker’s other books I missed this series. Boy am I glad I decided to reread them all. This is a great book where we meet some of the important characters of the Empires Edge series. Worth reading or rereading
April 15, 2020
Well the author is prolific.
A female perspective on letchery.
Alas, I bought in entire series, so fingers crossed for the second book in the series.
A female perspective on letchery.
Alas, I bought in entire series, so fingers crossed for the second book in the series.
January 12, 2018
I'm gonna be honest, a whole .5 stars was solely for Sicarius <3 Reading this has also cemented my decision in rereading Emperor's Edge even though I have like 1001 other books to read, but screw it, I need me some Amaranthe and Sicarius!
January 13, 2014
It's incredible how much difference a change of perspective can make! I had initially tried Encrypted soon after I'd finished the second book of the author's "Emperor's Edge" series, but found it less engaging than I'd hoped (perhaps due to the freshness of Amaranthe in my mind, making Tikaya here pale in comparison) and put it aside for another day. Picking up the book anew after I'd finished the Emperor's Edge books and become acquainted to an older Tikaya in Forged in Blood II, though, I can happily say that this is actually an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable read.
Lindsay Buroker manages to make a great mix of elements work: romance, adventure, plenty of action (and certainly no holding back with some rather bloody encounters), mathemathics, linguistics and even alien technology. It's all so cleverly and smoothly interwoven. The pace is quick and it's tremendously easy to be drawn into Tikaya and Rias' adventure - there's constant tension and and the feeling that danger looms just around the corner. The world-building is also excellent, as usual; regardless of whether you read this before or after the Emperor's Edge series, the different peoples (the Turgonians, Kyattese, Nurians, etc.) and their relationships are quite distinct.
As for the characters, it's a welcome change to have two truly intellectual protagonists; with Tikaya and Rias, it is literally a meeting of the minds when two extremely intelligent people form a bond due to their shared academic interests and excellent partnership (she's a cryptologist and he's a mathematical genius). I adored Rias Starcrest, whom I'm tickled to find reminds me of Amaranthe with his cheerful demeanor and charisma, though I'd have to say that the biggest highlight for me was seeing a younger Sicarius. Younger, but no less proficient and certainly at his coldest and stodgiest, hee. It is fascinating to see how this key incident with Starcrest shaped his character, perhaps even introducing some doubt into his mind that would change his relationship with Raumesys.
The weakest link is probably Tikaya; one of the reasons my patience was tried during the initial attempt at reading Encrypted was her ditziness. Thankfully she never wandered into TSTL territory, but she did do some fairly stupid things (wandering around on enemy territory, pressing unknown buttons on strange technology...) that frequently resulted in her needing to be rescued by Rias. Clearly, being a linguistic genius did not arm her with much common sense, and despite her lauded proficiency with a bow, her actual ability to take independent action was inconsistent. Rias Starcrest is the A+ type of man who has complete faith in his lady's skills and trusts her to take care of herself and watch his back to boot, but in this case I think it's misplaced. However, their romance is truly sweet and a joy to read - it does move a little quicker than I'd like, but not unreasonably so.
All in all, Encrypted is definitely worth the read. Although it's set almost two decades before the Emperor's Edge series, the two stories are largely quite separate and it's not necessary to read one before the other, though I'd recommend that new readers of Lindsay Buroker try the Emperor's Edge books first (starting with The Emperor's Edge) for a stronger heroine in Amaranthe and the more vivid setting of Turgonia.
Lindsay Buroker manages to make a great mix of elements work: romance, adventure, plenty of action (and certainly no holding back with some rather bloody encounters), mathemathics, linguistics and even alien technology. It's all so cleverly and smoothly interwoven. The pace is quick and it's tremendously easy to be drawn into Tikaya and Rias' adventure - there's constant tension and and the feeling that danger looms just around the corner. The world-building is also excellent, as usual; regardless of whether you read this before or after the Emperor's Edge series, the different peoples (the Turgonians, Kyattese, Nurians, etc.) and their relationships are quite distinct.
As for the characters, it's a welcome change to have two truly intellectual protagonists; with Tikaya and Rias, it is literally a meeting of the minds when two extremely intelligent people form a bond due to their shared academic interests and excellent partnership (she's a cryptologist and he's a mathematical genius). I adored Rias Starcrest, whom I'm tickled to find reminds me of Amaranthe with his cheerful demeanor and charisma, though I'd have to say that the biggest highlight for me was seeing a younger Sicarius. Younger, but no less proficient and certainly at his coldest and stodgiest, hee. It is fascinating to see how this key incident with Starcrest shaped his character, perhaps even introducing some doubt into his mind that would change his relationship with Raumesys.
The weakest link is probably Tikaya; one of the reasons my patience was tried during the initial attempt at reading Encrypted was her ditziness. Thankfully she never wandered into TSTL territory, but she did do some fairly stupid things (wandering around on enemy territory, pressing unknown buttons on strange technology...) that frequently resulted in her needing to be rescued by Rias. Clearly, being a linguistic genius did not arm her with much common sense, and despite her lauded proficiency with a bow, her actual ability to take independent action was inconsistent. Rias Starcrest is the A+ type of man who has complete faith in his lady's skills and trusts her to take care of herself and watch his back to boot, but in this case I think it's misplaced. However, their romance is truly sweet and a joy to read - it does move a little quicker than I'd like, but not unreasonably so.
All in all, Encrypted is definitely worth the read. Although it's set almost two decades before the Emperor's Edge series, the two stories are largely quite separate and it's not necessary to read one before the other, though I'd recommend that new readers of Lindsay Buroker try the Emperor's Edge books first (starting with The Emperor's Edge) for a stronger heroine in Amaranthe and the more vivid setting of Turgonia.
May 22, 2012
I was originally drawn by the cover. After only a cursory glance at the description, I bought the book knowing only that the protagonist was kidnapped from her parents home for her gift with languages to decipher cryptic codes. The whole time, I thought it was a YA and that's really what made me want to read it (check my shelves, I'm all about YA) but it wasn't until the first 5 chapters I realized I was WAY off and read the actual descriptions and reviews.
To my surprise, I was pleasantly surprised to have stumbled on to my first adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi book. Being a recent fan of The Sword and Laser on Goodreads and listening to them describe these genre books, I've been meaning to read one, and I could not have picked a better one to start off with!
Tikaya DOES get kidnapped from her parents home, but she is a 30 year old woman whose fiancée was killed in this war a nation known as Turgonians started, which meant to take over her islands. During the war she was recruited to decipher war messages against them and was a key part in their stalemate and failure. After the war and the death of her fiancée, she goes back to the island, but can't make herself go back to the polytechnic school she used to work at and instead stays helping her family in their rum business. In her land and to the Nurians (the other nation that she helped) she is a hero, but to the Turgonians, she is evil incarnate and public enemy #1. When they kidnap her, everyone treats her like crap, she is hated by everyone of the Turgonian marines and the captain and if not for a fellow prisoner speaking up and distracting them, would have been raped and abused on her first night on their ship. The captain is kind of an idiot, but he is determined to guarantee her compliance to translate these weird ciphers and tells her that although her fate is decided for her war crimes against The Empire, her compliance will keep her family alive. With no choice, Tikaya starts trying to figure out the new language. One night, working on trying to make an ally of her fellow prisoner, she realizes he has seen the ciphers before. The integer level rises. Can she trust this guy with no name except for Number 5? What are the ciphers and what language is it they are trying to get her to unlock? Worse yet, why do they want it and why do her previous allies, the Nurians, wants her dead because of it?
I thought the book would get too Sci-Fi-ey and kinda lose my interest, but it didn't. It had action and adventure, mystery and puzzles, even romance (which totally won me over). And the best part was that it was written so well, I could almost picture everything like movie scenes. Best movie I imagined in quite a while!
Would love to read more from this author and definately recommend to those wanting to test the waters in this genre. I hope there is a spin off where we get to know more about Sicarius. A baby faced assassin is just to good to ignore.
To my surprise, I was pleasantly surprised to have stumbled on to my first adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi book. Being a recent fan of The Sword and Laser on Goodreads and listening to them describe these genre books, I've been meaning to read one, and I could not have picked a better one to start off with!
Tikaya DOES get kidnapped from her parents home, but she is a 30 year old woman whose fiancée was killed in this war a nation known as Turgonians started, which meant to take over her islands. During the war she was recruited to decipher war messages against them and was a key part in their stalemate and failure. After the war and the death of her fiancée, she goes back to the island, but can't make herself go back to the polytechnic school she used to work at and instead stays helping her family in their rum business. In her land and to the Nurians (the other nation that she helped) she is a hero, but to the Turgonians, she is evil incarnate and public enemy #1. When they kidnap her, everyone treats her like crap, she is hated by everyone of the Turgonian marines and the captain and if not for a fellow prisoner speaking up and distracting them, would have been raped and abused on her first night on their ship. The captain is kind of an idiot, but he is determined to guarantee her compliance to translate these weird ciphers and tells her that although her fate is decided for her war crimes against The Empire, her compliance will keep her family alive. With no choice, Tikaya starts trying to figure out the new language. One night, working on trying to make an ally of her fellow prisoner, she realizes he has seen the ciphers before. The integer level rises. Can she trust this guy with no name except for Number 5? What are the ciphers and what language is it they are trying to get her to unlock? Worse yet, why do they want it and why do her previous allies, the Nurians, wants her dead because of it?
I thought the book would get too Sci-Fi-ey and kinda lose my interest, but it didn't. It had action and adventure, mystery and puzzles, even romance (which totally won me over). And the best part was that it was written so well, I could almost picture everything like movie scenes. Best movie I imagined in quite a while!
Would love to read more from this author and definately recommend to those wanting to test the waters in this genre. I hope there is a spin off where we get to know more about Sicarius. A baby faced assassin is just to good to ignore.
February 27, 2011
This was a really well done book.
The plot is good. Female geek is kidnapped by evil empire to translate an unknown language for some sinister purpose. Along the way she is befriended by an enigmatic fellow prisoner who is also needed by her captors and whose secrets are both an opportunity and a danger to our heroine.
The world-building is decent. There is an expansionist, steam-technology based, and militaristic empire. There is a Psi-based empire that is somewhat friendly. Then there is a peaceable nation caught between the two, that wants to be left alone, that is the home of our heroine. This world and conflict set the stage for the story
The character development is good. We know what motivates the characters and what drives their likes/dislikes. The relationships that form do so naturally from the story and the dialogue.
Finally, the storytelling is good. There is never a dull moment and the story proceeds in an interesting and believable way. Which is not to say a predictable way. There are a number of twists in the story that repeatedly cause the storyline to change in surprising yet believable ways.
What didn't I like? Not much. One thing: I hate it when stories present soldiers as dumb and undisciplined...especially when those soldiers are supposed to be part of a professional military. This author, like many, seems to not comprehend the total inconsistency she presents by having the members of a professional military, from a militaristic empire, routinely display levels of insubordination and disobedience that would entirely preclude any ability for any military unit to be successful, much less a hand-picked one. Good order and discipline are absolute prerequisites for any successful military. If you're going to write about military matters, even in a fantasy, an author needs to understand that basic fact.
The plot is good. Female geek is kidnapped by evil empire to translate an unknown language for some sinister purpose. Along the way she is befriended by an enigmatic fellow prisoner who is also needed by her captors and whose secrets are both an opportunity and a danger to our heroine.
The world-building is decent. There is an expansionist, steam-technology based, and militaristic empire. There is a Psi-based empire that is somewhat friendly. Then there is a peaceable nation caught between the two, that wants to be left alone, that is the home of our heroine. This world and conflict set the stage for the story
The character development is good. We know what motivates the characters and what drives their likes/dislikes. The relationships that form do so naturally from the story and the dialogue.
Finally, the storytelling is good. There is never a dull moment and the story proceeds in an interesting and believable way. Which is not to say a predictable way. There are a number of twists in the story that repeatedly cause the storyline to change in surprising yet believable ways.
What didn't I like? Not much. One thing: I hate it when stories present soldiers as dumb and undisciplined...especially when those soldiers are supposed to be part of a professional military. This author, like many, seems to not comprehend the total inconsistency she presents by having the members of a professional military, from a militaristic empire, routinely display levels of insubordination and disobedience that would entirely preclude any ability for any military unit to be successful, much less a hand-picked one. Good order and discipline are absolute prerequisites for any successful military. If you're going to write about military matters, even in a fantasy, an author needs to understand that basic fact.
December 3, 2016
I had started to read the first of Lindsay Buroker’s Empires Edge fantasy series quite some time ago and for some reason that I can’t remember now I put it down and didn’t finish it. I remember liking it and the characters and the world, but there was something about it that didn’t quite suck me in. However, I did always plan on going back and trying it again.
Then I came across Encrypted recently and thought it sounded interesting so would give this author another go. It was a fun fantasy adventure with some romance thrown in there too. Ends on a HFN but with the promise of more to come in the next couple of books of the series (one short and another full-length).
I like the way Buroker writes her fantasy worlds, adventures and magic systems, whilst still giving us romance – but the romance doesn’t overshadow the plot, so we still get a really good storyline. At the same time, the romance is definitely not an afterthought, as in some fantasy storys where it feels like its tacked on as something that the story needs to include. I also like the way that Buroker’s stories feel very character-driven but still deliver on great world-building.
I’m going to give her new Fallen Empire sci-fi series a go after this, as I’ve been feeling the need for a sci-fi binge for a while but haven’t managed to find exactly what I was looking for.
Then I came across Encrypted recently and thought it sounded interesting so would give this author another go. It was a fun fantasy adventure with some romance thrown in there too. Ends on a HFN but with the promise of more to come in the next couple of books of the series (one short and another full-length).
I like the way Buroker writes her fantasy worlds, adventures and magic systems, whilst still giving us romance – but the romance doesn’t overshadow the plot, so we still get a really good storyline. At the same time, the romance is definitely not an afterthought, as in some fantasy storys where it feels like its tacked on as something that the story needs to include. I also like the way that Buroker’s stories feel very character-driven but still deliver on great world-building.
I’m going to give her new Fallen Empire sci-fi series a go after this, as I’ve been feeling the need for a sci-fi binge for a while but haven’t managed to find exactly what I was looking for.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews