After the Crown Continues the Saga of a Heroine Who’s the Princess Leia/Han Solo Mashup of Your Dreams

Wagers’ followup, After the Crown, picks up very shortly after, in the aftermath of the deadly plot and Hail’s ascension. She is confronted by threats from within and without, as well as court followers with varying agendas. She’s forced to put her grief and doubt aside when a diplomatic mission is revealed as a murderous trap, and the Empress has to fight for her crown against a plot that unites factions among her own people, as well as her longtime enemies the Saxon Empire, against her.
The Indranan Empire is a fascinating, lived-in world, but we never get much of a ground-level look at it. The worldbuilding is almost entirely in service to the Empress, and that’s better than OK. In Behind the Throne, we got to know the Empire from her perspective as a prodigal daughter coming home to fulfill her duty under the most extreme form of duress. Here, we’re privy to the political machinations that will be familiar to George R.R. Martin fans. Hail is absolute ruler in name, but, in the style of most absolute monarchies throughout history, she’s limited by precedent, tradition, political expediency and the shifting will of the people.
Though Indranan culture is based on an Indian model, the monarchy feels very Tudor in style, as though Queen Elizabeth I had ruled from Agra or Kabul rather than Westminster. That cultural influence is hugely significant: science fiction is growing in popularity on the subcontinent, but there’s been precious little sci-fi or fantasy that suggests a future by way of one of the most populous and fastest growing nations in the world, and even less that makes it to print in the United States (Ian McDonald’s River of Gods and Cyberabad Days come to mind). One can argue that representation is important for its own sake, but you can also make the case that variety is the spice of fantasy and science fiction. The history of SFF is full of stories with white, western-centric cultures projected into the future, seemingly to the exclusion of anyone else. It’s refreshing that we’re beginning to imagine futures that are less exclusively white.
Of course, Hail is also a woman—a middle-aged woman, at that, ruling a matriarchal society. Though it’s generally taken for granted in the way that a male-dominated monarchy would be in any number of fictional (and real life) political systems, Wagers has some fun with the idea of men pleading for equal rights and equal representation to women who find the idea slightly ridiculous. Men, after all, have their places…and if they hold few leadership positions in government or in the military, isn’t that just the way things are supposed to be?

Star Wars feels like a strong influence on the series, given the well-worn universe it is set in as well as the assortment of charming rogues who make up much of the cast. The Empress herself fits that description: we all know Princess Leia has the best resume, but Han Solo gets most of the action and the best lines. Those qualities combine in Hail; though becoming Empress seems to have mellowed her a bit in the early going, her many years as a gunrunner and smuggler come in handy once the plot comes into focus and the action ramps up. The well-meaning cadre of advisors, frequently men, who have been prodding and encouraging her all along are entirely out of their element once the structure of the imperial court are no longer to be relied upon, which means that Hail is back in her element: using guns, her many shady underworld connections, and her wit and instincts to fight to reclaim her throne.
The princess isn’t just a princess, she’s a queen, one who sees most of the action and gets the best lines. The prospect of a loss of her empire, and the consequences to her people, force Hail to come to terms with her new life. There’s no time for mourning, nor for self-doubt. With the odds stacked against her, she regains the determination and clarity of purpose that she’ll need, which means we get to spend more time than we did even in the first book among the underworld elements of Hail’s past.
The first part of the book favors behind-the-scenes political intrigue and an exploration of Hail’s grief and doubt, as she relies on advisors to steer her decisions, many of whom have their own doubts about her qualifications. Once she’s forced back into the game, the tone shifts, and Hail is once again the hero the Empire (and we readers) needs.
After the Crown is available now.