Rising Empire: Part 1 is the first book in the Chronicles of Celadmore series. It is a part of a trilogy that acts as the prequel to Shroud of Darkness. Though it is the first book in the series it was the third book that C.S. Woolley wrote in the series (the first two being Shroud of Darkness and Lady of Fire).
The Rising Empire trilogy wasn’t just written to provide a little history and context to the rest of the Chronicles of Celadmore, it was written as there are lots of things in the overall plot of the series that needed to be established before C.S. Woolley could write about them in later books.
“I realised part way through writing the Shroud of Darkness trilogy that there would just be too much to explain and set up if I left it until the books where the events take place. I was always going to write a book about Kasnata, but it turned out that one book needed to be three.”
Not only was the storyline for the trilogy allowed to flesh out and develop going from one book to three, but it also gave C.S. Woolley the opportunity to go back and visit some elements of the plot that she had originally discounted due to the constraints of telling the story of this particular group of people in one book.
“I got to include a lot of characters that wouldn’t have gotten mentioned too heavily, maybe as a passing name, like General Misna and General Quisla; it meant that I could reveal a lot more about the characters later on and not rush to giving everything out about them in the first book. So if you think you have each of the characters figured out by the end of Rising Empire: Part 1, you might be very surprised by the other two volumes!”
Rising Empire: Part 1 has had its own mix of reviews, however two bloggers that particularly enjoyed the book took the time to give a detailed review.
It enjoyed a great review from Book Viral:
“In such a competitive and popular genre it’s becoming increasingly hard to find truly original work, but Rising Empire proves a delightful exception as C. S. Woolley takes her readers on a magical quest of intrigue and high adventure. An enthralling read with a host of opulent characters, Woolley wields elegant prose to create an imaginatively rendered fantasy world that proves wholly absorbing. It’s certainly a compelling story which benefits from a well-conceived plot and one that’s sure to appeal to readers who revel in the intricacies of power and subterfuge as she brings the ambience of her imagined world to life. There’s no doubt that Woolley has a discerning eye for detail and understands the tropes of her genre, but it’s her characters that make for a truly notable read. There’s ambition, greed, strength and weakness to be found in them and it makes for a rich tapestry that ensures her readers will become fully invested in the trials and tribulations they each face.
An epic in the making, Rising Empire is sure to be well received by fans of Woolley and is definitely deserving of your interest. It is strongly recommended!”
To read the rest of the article please visit Book Viral.
The Leisure Zone also reviewed Rising Empire: Part 1
“Book creation ratings:
Did you know?
If you already own a copy of Rising Empire: Part 1, then the fun doesn’t have to stop there! A line of Chronicles of Celadmore merchandise has been created and some of it is already available for purchase!
Chronicles of Celadmore Logo Poster
A range of notecards and other posters featuring the character faces and quotes (some of which you can see further up in this blog post) are due to be released along with a range of bookmarks and postcards** slightly later this year. The notecards and posters featuring the characters are being released to raising money for charity. 50% of the profits from every sale of the notecards and posters featuring the characters are to be split between two charities – 25% of the profits going to the Broad Appeal and 25% of the profits going to the British Heart Foundation. Though we don’t have an official release date for these yet, we do know you will be able to order them for collection at the UK Indie Lit Fest (that C.S. Woolley and Steven M. Caddy are attending) and you will be able to purchase them for delivery through this site as well as through Etsy.
** the designs for the bookmarks and postcards have yet to be released.
Mightier Than the Sword UK Publications 
You must be logged in to post a comment.