The Emperor's Twin - by Honey Watson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A Dark Space Opera Unfolds in the Shadow of a Crumbling Multi-species Empire, Driven by a Nihilistic Quest for Power

The central palace of Crysth is overrun; the empire has surrendered to an invading army led by Wilhelmina Ming, a traitor from its own capital city. However, the invaders can no longer control their divine power source--a being they worship as god--and now both invader and the invaded are trapped inside the palace with no way to rein in the eldritch force that has taken over, and no choice but to join together against it.

Ming's last hope is Speaker, the slain emperor's twin and former imperial steward who is somehow bonded with the deity. A wannabe artist and writer, Speaker has been held hostage by the invaders for months, forced to recount the final days of the empire in the hopes that something in these details might give a clue as to the god's desires and motives.

The Emperor's Twin is a haunting exploration of power, identity, and the terrifying intersections between the human body and the divine--the grotesque and the sublime--that questions the nature of control, survival, and the price of unrelenting ambition.

Review Quotes

Praise for Honey Watson

"The Emperor's Twin is a great dark space opera novel, a proposal that is unlike anything you've read; if you are looking for something different and ambitious, you have here your next read. A sophomore novel that confirms Watson as a voice to watch if you want to be challenged by your reads."--JamReads

"After the success of her debut, Lessons In Birdwatching, Honey Watson returns with another horrifying, bloodsoaked nightmare. Skillfully mashing up science fiction, philosophy, metaphysics and body horror, The Emperor's Twin is like nothing else in contemporary SFF: moving between the epic scale of space opera to the horrors of the flesh it's a book to revolt readers as well as enthrall them."--Jon Greenaway, author of Capitalism A Horror Story

"Ever wonder what Warhammer 40K might be like if there was more sex, drugs, and rock and roll? If you like Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch combined with Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb, then Honey Watson's The Emperor's Twin is for you."-- Karlo Yeager Rodríguez

"This intelligent and immersive sci-fi epic delivers a thrilling exploration of power, morality, and the unyielding pursuit of truth in a world consumed by time. Brace yourself for a gripping narrative of survival, sacrifice, and the intertwining forces of destiny and free will." - SciFiNow

"With echoes of Dune splashed with urban fantasy, horror, and dystopian mystery, Watson's debut is wildly haunting and original?." - Booklist

"The most original sci-fi concept I've read in years, incredible world-building with a propulsive plot and a healthy dose of body-horror. Left me breathless and clamoring for the next book! A meaty blend of sci and horror, the kind of story that sticks to your bones."--Emma Berquist, author of Missing, Presumed Dead and Devils Unto Dust

About the Author

Honey Watson is an author, writer, and translator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her publications include several works of fiction originally in Mandarin as well as her own science-fiction novel, Lessons in Birdwatching, which was her debut in 2023. She also holds a doctorate in Comparative Literature from NYU and currently works as a writer at Studio ZA/UM.

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