Born of Empire: The Chronicles of Kydan 1

Simon Brown

May 2012 · The Chronicles of Kydan Book 1 · Momentum

About this ebook

"Simon Brown likes his fantasy fast, clever and unpredictable. Born of Empire is all of these and more, an excellent recommendation." Bookseller & Publisher



The Kevleren dynasty rules both the Hamilayan empire and the kingdom of Rivald because they, and only they, can use the Sefid, the true source of all magic. But Wielding the Sefid comes at a terrible cost, the sacrifice of something loved.



Hamilay's new empress, Lerena, no sooner ascends the throne than she is faced by the joint crises of an expansionist Rivald overseas and an unstable, love-spurned sister at home – whose influence with the Sefid is greater than any who have come before. Then a revolution in Rivald creates the greatest threat her family has ever faced, and the Kevlerens confront extinction at the hands of those they trusted most.



"A first-class trilogy. The Chronicles of Kydan has all the traditional fantasy ingredients expertly mixed with new ideas." – Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy

Ratings and reviews

This was a good book and an enjoyable read. A bit rushed and jarring at times. I found the ending thrilling but ultimately not very fun. No spoilers but this book is pretty violent and definitely not for the faint of heart (like myself). Easy to ready but not a light read.

Beautiful writing; Simon Brown describes these fantasy scenes in such realistic detail. Conversations are natural and at times humorous. The storyline has kept me hooked and there are exciting, juicy developments throughout. Definitely recommend this book—I'll be getting the whole series.

This book was quite a surprise. Given the low price and average ratings, I was expecting a generic fantasy novel. Instead I got a compelling character driven story with some very interesting and unique takes on the typical fantasy tropes. It's not often a fantasy novel surprises me anymore, but this one genuinely did!

About the author

Simon Brown has been writing for over thirty years. His novels and stories have been published in Australia, the US, Russia, Poland, Japan and the UK. He lives on the New South Wales south coast with his wife Alison and children Edlyn and Fynn.