“The Skewed Throne is Joshua Palmatier's debut novel, the first in a trilogy set in the city of Amenkor.
The strength of Palmatier's book lies in his protagonist, Varis. Varis is a bitter girl, hardened by years of living in the Dredge, but she retains a core of humanity. Her ability to slip into what she calls the river, where threats stand out as splashes of red in the currents of the world around her, makes her an intriguing point of view character.
The early chapters develop Varis as a character, and while the pace never slows, it feels like the central plot of the book doesn't really start moving until later. We learn that the Mistress of Amenkor is losing her mind, and it is Varis and her gift who will have to put things right.
This is not a cheerful book. There are at least five or six scenes of rape or attempted rape, as well as a number of killings. Palmatier never glosses over the violence in Varis' life, and it is a violent life indeed. I have a great deal of respect for that kind of honesty from a writer. At the same time, some of the rape and killing began to feel repetitive by the time we reached the mid-point of the book.
The Skewed Throne stands alone as a novel, but you can see Palmatier setting the groundwork for the story to come. The White Fire which swept through Amenkor and apparently gave Varis her gift is never really explained. Only at the end do we receive our first clues, clues which will presumably be explained in the second and third books.
Perhaps the best recommendation is that I like Varis enough to want to read the next book. And I'm very eager to learn more about the history of the Skewed Throne and the origin of the White Fire, things that were only touched on in this book.
While it might not appeal to everyone, if you enjoy grittier fantasy, I would recommend picking up The Skewed Throne.”
