The Vacant Throne

The Skewed Throne has been destroyed, sacrificed in order to stop invaders from the sea, a desperate people called the Chorl, driven from their islands and in search of a new home. But the threat of the Chorl has not ended. They have retreated…and disappeared. With the cracking of the Skewed Throne, their attention has turned elsewhere and Varis does not know why or where. Reeling from the attack, the city of Amenkor in ruins, she has little time to ponder it.

Until she begins to experience some of the same visions and powers she had while attached to the Skewed Throne. But that is impossible. The Skewed Throne is dead. She senses nothing when she touches it.

And yet…

When an envoy from the city of Venitte arrives, Varis finds herself thrust into the politics of the entire coast. This erstwhile ally comes with dire news. The Chorl are on the march up the coast. Their target: Venitte. No one in Venitte understands why, but they need Amenkor's help. Varis has faced the Chorl before…and survived. And she now understands what is driving them to Venitte in the first place.

There is a second throne. And the Chorl will stop at nothing to get it.



JOSHUA PALMATIER is a fantasy author with a PhD in mathematics. He currently teaches at SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York while writing in his "spare" time, editing anthologies, and running the anthology-producing small press Zombies Need Brains LLC. His most recent fantasy novel, Crystal War, concludes the fantasy series begun in Crystal Lattice and Crystal Rebel, although you can also find his "Throne of Amenkor" series, the "Well of Sorrows" series, and the "Ley" series still on the shelves. He is currently hard at work writing his next fantasy and designing the Kickstarter for the next Zombies Need Brains anthology projects. You can find out more at www.joshuapalmatier.com or at the small press' site www.zombiesneedbrains.com. Or follow him on Blue Sky at joshuapalmatier.bsky.social or on X as @bentateauthor or @ZNBLLC. And check out the Zombies Need Brains Patreon and online magazine ZNB Presents at www.patreon.com/zombiesneedbrains.



“Joshua Palmatier has written a vivid, passionate story about a tough-minded heroine fighting for survival. What makes her especially compelling is her own struggle to understand right and wrong, and to confront what necessity can force you to do.”



“This novel grips the reader with a swift-moving tale of political intrigue and economic survival in a world where the most dangerous secrets are never forgotten.”



"If you are familiar with Arya Stark in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, you'll love Varis, who has a similar tenacity and toughness. I highly recommend The Skewed Throne and fans of gritty fantasy will love this book.”