How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (The Siege Book 2)

From a completely different angle, KJ Parker ably picks up the story in mid-flight with a completely new cast of well drawn characters. I greatly enjoyed the entire premise of the work as it rings a not overdone bell with roots reaching from Dumas to Heinlein. As an occasional actor I related to the observations of the difficulties and pathos of the theatre behind the curtains and laughed out loud at several. I especially like the inventive comings and goings that Parker puts into his works and appreciate his understanding of the technologies behind the life of the period that he evokes. A great read.

loved the first book. loved the second equally so. I'm writing this review hoping that there will be a third.Parker’s world building entertains the whole way through. Every now and then he throws in a joke; the jokes land with me and I break out in laughter. Having such a deceitful protagonist makes the ride all the more enjoyable. I really felt like the story could go any direction at anytime.

I try not to give a five star rating to a book just because I enjoyed it. However this is a book that does deserve that rating. It’s entertaining because it has an interesting story line, and the story moves quickly along. Add in a few unexpected plot twists and you have a pretty good evening read.

Mr. Holt (K.J. Parker) tells a witty tale about a cynical hero who does the impossible for all the wrong reasons.

You don't need to have read the excellent Book 1 but you should. Amazingly, this is as good or even better. Deeper characterization, even more twists and turns. Like "Sixteen Ways", it's set in the fantasy world that is almost exactly late Rome with different names. It makes it seem real but also more surprising because we don't know the outcome. Entertaining read, I hope for more in this world.

Even though this is the second book in a series, you can enjoy it without having read the 1st. Of course, if you're a Parker fan you know what to expect, and this book won't let you down. It's not as violent or technical as some of his past works, but the main protagonist is an interesting character who is more personable than the typical Parker protagonist.

I really enjoy K.J. Parker's writing style, and this book is no exception. Major nods to Robert Heinlein and some pretty familiar literary themes, and some subtle references to Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. Parker provides the usual great characterization, and plenty of twists and turns along the way, as well as a genuine surprise at the resolution.The tone is a considerably lighter than the Fencer series (my favorite), and as inevitably fated as the Engineer series.

The author presents a whole series of problems and solutions that are individually sensible. Of course the whole story becomes a fable, added together, but it was great fun to see the solutions. And it added up to an engineer’s romp of a story.