Parents' Guide to

The Empire of Dreams

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Girl of Fire and Thorns spin-off offers a new fab girl hero.

Book Rae Carson Fantasy 2020
The Empire of Dreams Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In THE EMPIRE OF DREAMS, it's Red's official adoption day. She dons a horrible frilly dress and stands in front of all of Brisadulce to accept her place as princess to Empress Elisa and Prince Regent Hector. It's just a formality at age 16 after years as the Empress' ward. But the ceremony doesn't go as planned. A general meant to vouch for her doesn't show, and "Nays" ring out loud in the audience hall. Elisa fears that factions in the kingdom are rising up against them again, and right when she's set to travel across the country to give birth. Elisa tells Red she can flee the city with them, but Red doesn't want to run. She chooses to try out for Royal Guard training instead. In the barracks she should be more protected from attack, but they've never had a female recruit before, or one of mixed race. Some of her fellow recruits are leering and openly hostile, and she'll have to watch her back.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

Set in the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, this spin-off offers a resilient female hero who overcomes child abuse, sexism, and racism to kick some serious butt and save a kingdom. Author Rae Carson always delivers great female heroes, both Elisa in the Girl of Fire and Thorns series and Lee in the lauded Gold Seer Trilogy. Red comes from the humblest of backgrounds -- an abused enslaved girl who will suffer PTSD the rest of her life. Flashback chapters show her painful struggle and her amazing fortune to be purchased and freed by an empress and made her ward. As the story in the present unfolds, readers see how her past struggles prepare her for life in the barracks as the ultimate outsider.

The Empire of Dreams isn't just a character study, though. Tension builds as people around Prince Rosario are poisoned and the recruits realize their training regimen is a sham. Mysteries mount, spies pass secret messages in the mess hall, and characters race through secret passageways to find answers before it's too late to save the kingdom from danger. Readers will rush through the second half of the book as the pieces begin to fit together and wish there was more story when The Empire of Dreams comes to a close.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Red's PTSD in The Empire of Dreams. In the Author's Note, author Rae Carson says that Red's experience with PTSD reflects her own. How many stories have you read with characters dealing with mental illness? What did you learn from Red's experience?

  • Racism and sexism are both prevalent here. How does Red deal with both? How would you handle the harassment she faces daily? Is it easier to read about a character dealing with racism when that race doesn't exist in our world? What other stories have you read where characters face racism and sexism?

  • Fans of this series asked the author to tell Red's story. Is there a character you want to read more about, that you think she should feature in another book?

Book Details

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