Reader's Favourite Reviews - Soldier of Empire by S A Melia

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Soldier of Empire by S. A. Melia is a mesmerizing YA science fiction novel that will appeal to fans of epic fantasy. The story follows King Teodor of Earth as he struggles to maintain his claim to power in the midst of political intrigue, alien threats, and personal danger. After a devastating plague ruins London and forces the evacuation of refugees to the planet Sas Darona, Teodor and his loyal bodyguard Guy Erma find themselves in a galaxy rife with treachery. When a pirate attack blows their Imperial dragonship to pieces, Guy Erma makes it out alive. The bad news? King Teodor is missing, presumed dead, and everyone is pointing fingers at Guy. Did he really leave his friend and king behind to save himself? Guy is determined to find and save the king. He had shoved Teodor into a VIP escape pod, which vanished somewhere on this lawless, uncharted world. While navigating this wilderness, he is unaware that the king survived and has been taken captive and sold into slavery in a crystal mine. Can he find and save the king with the odds stacked against him?

S. A. Melia’s writing captured my imagination, and the worldbuilding had me utterly immersed, from plague-ravaged futuristic London to the tribal, dangerous mines of Sas Darona. The story is driven by a compelling cast: Teodor, the reluctant and often isolated young king, whose maturity is tested at every turn; Guy Erma, a fiercely loyal orphan-turned-bodyguard, whose own mysterious origins and inner doubts enrich his character; and Marline, a survivor whose presence deepens the story’s emotional depth. The conflict is layered: Teodor’s external battles against pirates and imperial rivals mirror his internal struggle with loneliness and duty. The author writes skillfully about loyalty, sacrifice, and the burdens of leadership. Soldier of Empire is well-plotted, and I enjoyed how the author uses uncertainty to build suspense in the story. The atmospheric writing, the cinematic descriptions, and the unforgettable characters are a few of the elements that make this story a winner.