The Cracked Throne

by Joshua Palmatier

Daw, 436 pp, $24.95

The Cracked Throne is the second book of an untitled trilogy. Book three is due in 2007.

Fifteen hundred years ago, Amenkor turned back an unstoppable invasion by combining magic, and created the Skewed Throne.

Then, a thousand years ago, the city, caught in “ the white fire,’ came through leaving madness, famine and disease in its passing. Amenkor started its descent, the second fire swept through and Varis, a child of the slums, survived, changed by the fire. Eryn, the current mistress of the throne, reigned on but Amenkor’s slide accelerated. Eryn, herself, seemed to be going mad. Powerful people saw Varis’s potential. After a confrontation that most could not survive, Varis became Mistress of the throne, a position she did not desire, as she ascended the throne, untrained, unprepared for her destiny. Amenkor was facing starvation, and more. The invasion of the past was almost in the harbor. Varis must save the city and it’s people from the vision she and Eryn shared and prevent the death of Amenkor.

This intense fantasy, well written with good plotting and characters you care about. You will have difficulty putting it down as you wonder how the gutterscum assassin can save the world..

Fantasy lovers will mark this as a “gotta have,” getting both it and the first one as well. - Pam Allan