Skullsworn: A Novel in the World of The Emperor's Blades

by Brian Staveley

Overview

Brian Staveley’s new standalone, Skullsworn, returns to the critically acclaimed Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne universe, following a priestess attempting to join the ranks of the God of Death.

Pyrre Lakatur is not, to her mind, an assassin, not a murderer—she is a priestess. At least, she will be once she passes her final trial.

The problem isn’t the killing. The problem, rather, is love. To complete her trial, Pyrre has ten days to kill the seven people enumerated in an ancient song, including “the one who made your mind and body sing with love / who will not come again.”

Pyrre isn’t sure she’s ever been in love. And if she fails to find someone who can draw such passion from her, or fails to kill that someone, her order will give her to their god, the God of Death. Pyrre’s not afraid to die, but she hates to fail, and so, as her trial is set to begin, she returns to the city of her birth in the hope of finding love . . . and ending it on the edge of her sword.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765389886
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/17/2018
Series:	Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

BRIAN STAVELEY has taught literature, religion, history, and philosophy, and holds an MA in poetry from Boston University. His books, which have been translated into over a dozen languages, include The Empire's Ruin, The Emperor's Blades, The Providence of Fire, The Last Mortal Bond, and Skullsworn. He lives in Vermont and divides his time between running trails, splitting wood, writing, and chasing his son downhill on a mountain bike.

Editorial Reviews

A lyrical, bloodsoaked, impossible quest that's sure to entertain.”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author

“Staveley has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy authors, and his latest doesn't disappoint. Skullsworn is a brilliant new chapter in a fabulous series." —V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author

“A warm, funny, character-focused novel which is also darkly charming, bloody, and lethal. It was very, very hard to put down, and had an emotional punch to match its high adrenaline moments.” —Sci Fi and Fantasy Reviews

“Entertaining and well-told.” —Booklist

“Lush, evocative descriptions sharpen the setting, which recalls Southeast Asia. Visceral action scenes and memorable characters bring this tale to life.” —Publishers Weekly

“A stunning prequel that actually lives up to the original trilogy's legacy […] Staveley has proven himself to be a master of world-building, character development, and sheer storytelling.” —Beauty in Ruins

“Pleasantly grim and emotionally complex.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Full of surprises […} more inventive and grisly than I could have imagined.” —Fantasy Faction, 9/10 stars

“A highly engrossing fantasy world […] amazing characters.”—Fantasy Book Review

“A fantastic standalone book with a very satisfying conclusion – well thought out and written incredibly well.” —The Bookbag

“Intricately plotted and masterfully told.” —The Alliterates

Praise for Brian Staveley and the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne

“The culmination of Staveley’s trilogy succeeds in every possible way, delivering readers a truly epic tale full of memorable characters, clever politics, an intelligent magic system, brutal battle scenes, and witty dialogue.”—Fantasy Faction, 10/10 Stars on The Last Mortal Bond

“Deeply satisfying.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, on The Last Mortal Bond

“Darker and fiercer than the other two books […] the way Staveley crafts the ending, bringing everything together, is just masterful.” —Speculative Herald on The Last Mortal Bond

“The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne is a trilogy that’s gone from strength to strength as it’s gone on—that’s gotten not just bigger but measurably better with every increasingly vital volume—and it’s my pleasure to tell you that The Last Mortal Bond is, without question, Staveley’s most impressive and immersive effort yet […] What I didn’t expect was that it would take my breath away. But it did.”—Tor.com

“Staveley shows how to end a fantasy epic with The Last Mortal Bond.”—io9

“One of the most brutal, gut-wrenching, raw, emotional, masterfully told, brilliantly plotted, beautifully written series I have ever had the pleasure of reading.”—The Book Eaters on The Last Mortal Bond

“A phenomenon like the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne comes along once in a lifetime.”—The Qwillery

“Epic does not even begin to describe this dramatic third and final installment in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne.”—Bibliosanctum

“The perfect ending to a fantastic trilogy.”—Beauty in Ruins on The Last Mortal Bond

From the Publisher

2017-02-21
The beautiful, enigmatic assassin Pyrre, a supporting character in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne (The Last Mortal Bond, 2016, etc.), takes center stage in this prequel to the series.Pyrre is an acolyte of Ananshael, the god of death. To become full priestess, she must kill seven specific types of people, one of whom must be someone "who made [her] mind and body sing with love." Trouble is, Pyrre's never been in love. Her quandary brings her to the conquered city of Dombâng, place of her birth and her desperate, miserable childhood. She hopes that her former lover Ruc Lan Lac, now the commander of the military police known as the Greenshirts, is someone she can truly love and then kill, in accordance with her Trial. But to catch his attention, she'll have to start a revolution. Falling in love isn't easy for Pyrre, but stirring up Dombâng's unrest is surprisingly so. Insurrection is always close to the surface of the barely pacified city, where hidden priests and secret worshippers seek to rouse the Three, the original, deadly gods of the delta who thrive upon blood and sacrifice and who may not be quite as mythical as many think. Pyrre, with her unusual attitude toward life and death, was always one of the most colorful and confusing characters in the original series, and it's both enjoyable and illuminating to observe the development of her personality as the bodies pile higher. Lacking the grand heft of the trilogy, this is a pleasantly grim and emotionally complex divertissement that will give pleasure to fans and tie up some loose ends—and can also be an accessible entree for new readers, who will undoubtedly go on to consume the rest of the series.

Kirkus Reviews