Skullsworn - Softcover

Staveley, Brian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1509822984 ISBN 13: 9781509822980

Publisher: Tor, 2017

Synopsis

''Brilliant'' – V. E. Schwab, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Darker Shade of Magic

For one apprentice assassin, the clock is ticking . . .

Pyrre Lakatur doesn’t like the description skullsworn. It doesn’t capture the beauty of her devotion to Ananshael, God of Death. And she’s not an assassin, but a priestess. Or she will be, if she can pass her final trial. The problem isn’t killing, as Pyrre has spent her life training for this. The problem is love. To pass the trial, she will have fourteen days to kill seven people detailed in an ancient song, including one true love, ‘who will not come again’. However, Pyrre has never been in love, time is short, and if she fails she’ll be given to her god.

Pyrre’s not afraid to die, but she hates to fail. So a month before the trial begins, she returns to the violent city of her birth, where she once offered an abusive father to the god. Here Pyrre hopes to find love – and end it with the edge of her knife.

''Pleasantly grim and emotionally complex'' – Kirkus Reviews

''Lush, evocative descriptions . . . remarkably intimate'' – Publishers Weekly

Skullsworn is a thrilling standalone set in the world of the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley.

About this title

About the Author

BRIAN STAVELEY is the author of the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne series, starting with The Emperor's Blades. He has taught literature, religion, history, and philosophy, all subjects that influence his writing, and holds an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University. He works as an editor for Antilever Press, and has published poetry and essays, both in print and on-line. He lives in Vermont with his wife and young son, and divides his time between running trails, splitting wood, writing, and baby-wrangling.

Review

“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 fantasyauthors, and his latest doesn't disappoint. Skullsworn is a brilliant newchapter in a fabulous series." ―V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author

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

“Entertaining and well-told.” ―Booklist

“Lush, evocative descriptions sharpen the setting, whichrecalls Southeast Asia. Visceral action scenes and memorable characters bringthis tale to life.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A stunning prequel that actually lives up to the originaltrilogy's legacy [...] Staveley has proven himself to be a master ofworld-building, character development, and sheer storytelling.” ―Beauty in Ruins

“Pleasantly grim and emotionally complex.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Full of surprises [...} more inventive and grisly than Icould have imagined.” ―Fantasy Faction, 9/10 stars

“A highly engrossing fantasy world [...] amazing characters.?”―Fantasy Book Review

“A fantastic standalone book with a very satisfyingconclusion – 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

Edition details

• Publisher: Tor
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1509822984
• ISBN 13: 9781509822980
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 427