The Falcon Throne

by Karen Miller

Overview

When kingdoms clash, every crown will be tarnished by the bloody price of ambition.

A bastard lord leads a rebellion against his tyrant king -- and must live with the consequences of victory.

A royal widow plots to win her daughter's freedom from the ambitious lords who would control them both.
An orphaned prince sets his eyes on regaining his father's stolen throne.

And two brothers, divided by ambition, will learn that the greater the power, the more dangerous the game.

A masterful tale of the thirst for power and the cost of betrayal. Epic fantasy at its bloodiest, action-packed best.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316235563
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	09/09/2014
Series:	The Tarnished Crown , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	NOOK Book
Sales rank:	118,053
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Karen Miller was born in Vancouver, Canada, and moved to Australia with her family when she was two. Apart from a three-year stint in the UK after graduating from university with a BA in communications, she's lived in and around Sydney ever since. Karen started writing stories while still in elementary school, where she fell in love with speculative fiction. She's held a variety of interesting jobs but now writes full time.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2014
The duchies of Harcia and Clemen have kept an uneasy peace, even after the Duke of Clemen's bastard cousin Roric staged a coup and seized the throne. Despite these violent beginnings to his rule, Roric is actually one of the only decent characters in Miller's new fantasy series, but he seems doomed from the start. It turns out the infant child of deposed Duke Harald is still alive, kept in secret at a distant inn. And Balfre, the heir to Harcia, is a brutal conniver, determined to provoke Roric to war so that he can unite the two duchies under his own rule. VERDICT With this series launch, Miller (A Blight of Mages; "Rogue Agent" series as K.E. Mills) presents traditional fantasy pieces (warring kingdoms, misplaced heirs, a witch pulling the strings of an ambitious lord) that still manage to entertain and prepare readers for the next volume. The author's gritty fantasy of dynastic politics will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones. [See Prepub Alert, 3/3/14.]

Library Journal

07/14/2014
Australian fantasist Miller (Kingmaker) opens her Tarnished Crown epic fantasy series with this elaborate tale of ambitious aristocrats whose capacity to inflict harm is as great as their sense of entitlement. The lands of Harcia and Clemen share a border and a long history of mutual distrust. In Clemen, Duke Harold’s egregious offenses provoke fellow Clemen Roric to depose him, but the good intentions of the usurper are sadly undermined by his inability to recognize when he’s offending those he depends on. In Harcia, disgraced heir Balfre is canny enough to play a long game to win the position and power to which he feels entitled—and his ambitions include the Harcian conquest of the troubled Clemens. Few know that Harold’s son is alive and plotting against Roric, and none suspect that the ancient mage Salimbene and his network of scheming (and unfortunately exoticized) witches are orchestrating the spiral into chaos. Despite some flaws, the story is complex and engrossing; fans of George R.R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie should particularly take note. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"A truly epic read full of intrigue and betrayal anchored in wonderful characters - some I loved and some I loathed, but all I wanted to know more about. Whether it's combat, politics or human interaction Karen Miller is on the money. Loved it."—John Gwynne on The Falcon Throne

"Well-constructed fantasy.... This is a dark fantasy that should appeal to fans of Game of Thrones."—RT Book Reviews on The Falcon Throne

"The story is complex and engrossing; fans of George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie should particularly take note."—Publishers Weekly on The Falcon Throne

"Mammoth first installment packed with political intrigue and widescreen action."—Barnes & Noble Book Blog on The Falcon Throne

"Ms. Miller is wonderfully talented in building her worlds and in filling them with well-developed characters that are believable in their thoughts and actions."—Darquereviews.com on The Prodigal Mage

"Adventure, magic, friendship, love, and a battle of good versus evil — I can see this tale becoming a classic."—Scifichick.com on The Awakened Mage

"A skillfully created world of ritual and tradition provides a stunning backdrop for her exciting adventures."—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!) on Empress

From the Publisher

Read More