Customer Reviews

The Cracked Throne

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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With a rapidly growing command and understanding of the "River" and "White Fire" magic, Varis was able to depose Amenkor's erratic and possibly insane Mistress Eryn at the conclusion of the first novel in the trilogy. A former street urchin looked down upon by all as "gutterscum", nobody is more surprised than Varis to discover that she is now forced to assume the role of new Mistress.

During much of the opening portion of the book, we are witness to Varis's attempts to apply her best judgment, sadly tempered by inexperience, youth and naïveté, to the exigencies of the government of Amenkor - restocking their dwindling food supplies and determining which of her advisers can be trusted and which need to be carefully watched for their well-hidden malfeasance. The most urgent, compelling task which she faces is the shoring up of Amenkor's deteriorated defences against the coming of the Chorl, an implacable, brutal, devastating and unstoppable enemy which she has seen in a vision as razing Amenkor to its very foundations.

In the final portion of the book, we see a much more accomplished Varis draw on the strengths and magical abilities of all of the former leaders of Amenkor, whether strong or weak, whether honest or venal, whether friend or foe, whose spirits and memories are embodies in the Throne, now revealed to be much more than a mere regal resting place for the current Mistress. The anticipated assault by the Chorl has arrived and it falls to Varis to prevent the Armageddon that she has seen in her vision from actually coming to pass.

While the first half of the book dealing with Varis's growth in the role of Mistress is well-written and, to be sure, absolutely necessary for the development of the entire plot, it seemed somehow slow-moving, considerably less than compelling and lacking in a certain intensity. But have patience ... once the Chorl arrive and the battle for control of Amenkor begins, the entire book picks up that breathless pacing that every fantasy reader loves.

Who has lived, who has died and how Varis will fare in the very dubious aftermath of the clearing smoke and debris of an ambiguous battle will be dealt with in the final instalment of the trilogy, THE VACANT THRONE. And I'm certainly looking forward to it.

Highly recommended. But don't forget, THE CRACKED THRONE is the SECOND book in a trilogy and it will not stand alone. Go back to the beginning and start with THE SKEWED THRONE.

Paul Weiss

The Cracked Throne continues the story of Varis, gutterscum turned Mistress of the great city of Amenkor, as she tries to protect the city against foes both from within and without. The most interesting of these threats is the Throne itself. Varis became Mistress by sitting on the Throne, risking madness and the subsumation of her personality by its many voices. If she can control the Throne rather than being controlled by it, she will gain a powerful ally. And despite her formidable knife-fighting skills and her command of the magical forces of the River and the White Fire, Varis will need all the help she can get to pull the city through the coming crisis, for she has seen visions of Amenkor in flames.

The story doesn't limit itself to war and politics. It follows Varis' personal growth as well. After a childhood locked into a struggle for survival, alone in a hostile world, Varis is finally learning to care for others. She has feelings for a young man named William as well as for the guardsman Erick who first raised her from an existence of unmitigated want.

Can she protect the people she cares for from implacable foes?

I found the novel fast-paced and engrossing, full of well-rounded characters (though I think they do a bit too much hissing and spitting). As in the first novel of the series, it ends without fully examining all of the mysteries it presents, paving the way for a third book.

This is the second in the Amenkor books about Varis. Once again the world is full of vibrant descriptions, interesting characters, and an even more dangerous situation that Varis finds herself in. Mr. Palmatier once again delivers a most entertaining world and the incredible strength of the assassin turned leader Varis.

The Cracked Throne is an ambitious continuation of The Skewed Throne. I am happy to say that it improves. Following the events of the last book, Varis is now in a position of greater power.

I liked that Palmatier shows Varis and her faults and her working through some of them. For instance, he takes time to acknowledge the fact that she can't read. He addresses that. It makes Varis more rounded. We see her heroics but we also see the mundane.

Palmatier did a very good job of creating a history for the Skewed Throne. Very interesting indeed. His enemy, the Chorl, isn't simply a threat to be feared. I found myself sympathetic to them because they aren't just faceless and simply a malevolent force. They also happend to have a reason for what they are doing. I think this added element makes them a better enemy. Makes them a better challenge.

I cannot wait for the third book.

Great book! The Cracked Throne continues the hard-edged and intriguing story of The Skewed Throne with our heroine Varis, once gutterscum, but now the Mistress of Amenkor. The first chapter is a shocker and the book keeps your interest along the way as Varis learns how difficult it is to sit on the Skewed Throne. The last 150 pages of The Cracked Throne are so tense and filled with danger that I couldn't stop reading. I find so few books that really grab me and this is one of them. I simply could not put the book down and had to find out what happened at the end no matter that it was way past my bedtime. The twists and turns make it all worth while. I loved the first person point of view, and with Varis able to get into other character's heads and experience what they are experiencing made it even cooler.

Joshua Palmatier has created an extremely compelling main character, Varis, and put her into a fascinating storyline. Her hard-edged mentality and survival instincts make her an unforgettable character.

After reading "The Skewed Throne" I was eager to dive back into the river of the world of Amenkor. The further adventures of Varis, now elevated to the city's ruler known as The Mistress, leads us down the dangerous street of a starving population and the impending doom of an invading army from the ocean. Somehow the inexperienced ruler who was nothing more than gutterscum must unite her city, the quarreling voices of the Throne and her own insecuriites to save the entire city. The Mistress Varis has a lot to learn, but so does the rest of Amenkor.

Palmatier once again creates a rich and believable series of characters, situations and settings as he takes us from the royal palace, to the slums and to the ocean. This book is packed with blood-spewing action and powerful magic. It is a much slower read than "The Skewed Throne", but only because Joshua has filled us in and explained things in more depth, such as the nature and workings of the River.

I have but a single 'complaint' about this book. Far, far too much snorting was going on. Varis snorted. Eryn, the former Mistress snorted. Guards, merchants, Servants and even the Chorl leader each gave us at least one snort. Like the term 'dagger' in the previous book, the act of 'snorting' was a bit too much.

If you enjoy a lot of sword play, horrific battle scenes and fire-filled explosions, you'll like this book even more than I did. I kept hoping for a bit more romance, but maybe that's just me.

The next chance I get, I will be picking up the final book in the series, "The Vacant Throne" and looking forward even more into the future when I can read "Well Of Sorrows". Reluctant as I was, I must admit I have become a fan of Joshua Palmatier and his writing.

I loved this book! The setting and scenery around Varis changes drastically in this second book. The magic and fantasy comes to the forefront while Varis as a person, as a character, maintains her sense of self and her values. The writing is phenomenal and the story line is engaging. Read "The Skewed Throne" first, then be prepared for this book to ramp up the adventure, fantasy and imagery to a whole new level.

As soon as I turned the last page, I ordered the next and (presumably?) final book in this series- "The Vacant Throne". I can't wait.....

Varis continues to be strong and a heroine in the second book of the Throne sequel. The book is a page turner and the description of Amenkor so vivid and alive. Varis and the people of Amenkor protect the city and the Throne with all they have. Reading it I found myself holding my breath waiting to see how it ended. Very intriguing book and I look forward to the third book in the series, The Vacant Throne. The author once again keeps the pages turning.

This sequel to The Skewed Throne takes the story in both expected and unexpected directions. Former "gutterscum" thief-girl Varis, now Mistress of Amenkor, has all the usual hurdles to clear in adjusting to her new role - not least of which is that her predecessor, having unexpectedly survived Varis's accession to the Skewed Throne, is still hanging about the palace, and whether she is friend or foe is still anyone's guess.

Varis's main challenge, in the aftermath of a summer of strange decisions from the throne and double-dealing by many of the Amenkor's merchants, is to feed her city for the winter. This seems like enough to be going on with - particularly given her insistence on providing for the myriad denizens of the city's slums as well as for its more well-heeled citizens; but it soon becomes clear that something much, much worse is coming, and even Varis's uneasy alliance with the Throne may not be enough to save Amenkor from this new (and old) threat.

The Cracked Throne is a terrific read, full of surprises both amusing and gut-punching. The villains of the piece are satisfyingly horrible, and the ending is both inevitable and shocking.

This book was better then the first. I won't go into plot detail here, but I will say buy this book. Varis is starting to come into her own now. She is still sorting out her allies and enemies (and those in between). I love the fact that she is still the same person. The Varis that was living in the Dredge is still the Varis that rules Amenkor, only more worldly...or should I say experienced. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.