Empress (Godspeaker Book 1): Karen Miller

Born an unwanted girl in a harsh and unforgiving land, a small child is sold by her father to wealthy merchants from the city of Et-Raklion. Having never been given a name, Hekat chooses to name herself after the hellcat that the merchants laughingly compare her to. As she is carried back to the great city, pampered and petted and told that she is precious Hekat begins to believe that she is precious. Little does Hekat know how very precious she is in the god's eye.

When Hekat reaches Et-Raklion she believes that the merchants mean to keep her. She is devastated to learn that she is being raised and trained to be sold as a high-class courtesan. After much prayer and thought Hekat takes her destiny in her hands and sets out on her own, dedicating herself to the one god of Mijak. By her side is Vortka, another slave bought by the same merchants who is taken into the god's house and will rise in the god's eye his own way. Hekat proves to be an unyielding tool of the god as she cuts her way like a scythe through all who would deny her the god's will that she believes is revealed through her, Hekat, precious, god-chosen, Hekat lives in the god's eye.

Do you have any idea how many times those italicized words can be repeated before they start to drill an effing hole through your skull? Try at least once every second page. Seriously, I'm not kidding. And for a protagonist who is so beloved of "the god" Hekat is the most unlikable character I have ever come across in a book. Vortka was a sweet but somewhat spineless foil for the bloodthirsty she-devil as she ripped her way through the pages, cleaving in twain... Nay! Smiting everyone who didn't follow the god as she believed they should. By the end of the book I wasn't terribly surprised by her hideous actions and I can assuredly say that I won't be returning to this arid and desolate place for the sequels. I don't mind blood, gore, and desolation but I would like to have at least some respect for my main character after 750 pages. I had none. The smite-train ends here; I want off.
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Mass Market Paperback: 752 pages
Publisher: Orbit (April 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0316008354
ISBN-13: 978-0316008358