Advanced copy received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

So let me start just by saying that I had not read Brian Staveley’s other series The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne prior to reading Skullsworn. I was aware that the main character was much loved in this other series and also that this was her origin story, so I knew these event happened much earlier than The Emperors Blades.

The story was about Pyrre, an apprentice Skullsworn trying to earn the title of Priestess (aka kick ass assassin). Pyrre had 14 days to kill seven people who each fit a different descriptor within a song, the ultimate one being someone she loved. The Skullsworn worshiped the god of death, and if Pyrre failed her trial then she would be the one given to their god. Now you may think, from this very simplistic description, that this story was perhaps dark and depressing. I have to say it really wasn’t. There was a subtle, sarcastic and dry sense of humour (which I loved) throughout. This was mainly woven into the dialogue of the main characters. The writing was vibrant and world building vivid. The pace was steady and the story flowed beautifully.

Pyrre and Ruc Lan Lac were ex lovers and Pyrre had returned to her home city to try and rekindle something like love for Ruc to qualify for one of the seven sacrifices. Of course I’m not going to go into her success or failure in this regard but I will say I was actually very pleased with the outcome, however tragic it all transpired. There was an honesty in Pyrre’s story (and thoughts) that was simply refreshing. Pyrre often reflected on her childhood and past and this added so much depth to her character that you could not fail to love her.

Pyrre’s relationship with Ruc was one of physical attraction (in more ways than one) and consisted of much banter and verbal sparring. Pyrre’s courtship of Ruc was definitely unique and ultimately set us all on a path of mystery and intrigue through the investigation of an uprising.

I loved Ruc’s never ending cynicism. Definitely a man after my own heart! He was consistently questioning the existence of The Three gods in a world of believers and faith.

Ela and Kossal were Skullsworn and the witnesses to Pyrre’s trial. Ela was interesting to put it mildly. She was certainly not shy and enjoyed life to the full ;) Her relationship with Kossal was open and honest shall we say. Much of the humour actually came from these two and I loved that even as side characters they still had a huge impact on my emotions at the end.

Whilst the ending was not a complete surprise, particularly since the prologue pretty much told you how it was, I was however surprised to find the tears streaming down my face when events did conclude. It is quite rare for me to become so emotionally involved that real tears appear. My affection for all of the characters had definitely snuck up on me. My only slight concern now is that the epilogue may have spoiled something from future Pyrre, but time will tell I guess because I will without a doubt be going on to read the Chronicles in the near future.

To begin I would like to thank Brain Staveley and Tor for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the highly anticipated Skullsworn, in exchange for an honest review.

The narrative is set in the same world as Staveley's previously released Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy and it follows Pyrre, a character from those stories, however, it is being marketed as being a standalone adventure in the same environment. I, unfortunately, have to admit that this is the first book of Staveleys' that I have read so, whilst some of my Goodreads' friends will not be overly pleased that I, new to the world he has fabricated, have been given the opportunity to read and review an advanced version, I honestly hope that I do it justice and influence people unfamiliar with the author, as I was, that they can start here and truly enjoy what happens within these pages. I will post this to fantasybookreview.co.uk and I know that other reviewers and friends there have already read all of, and found Staveley's previous works highly enjoyable and I envisage, going forwards that they will post reviews from their points of view and then we would have covered the opinions of new and seasoned readers alike. I am intrigued to see how the statements differ.

As briefly mentioned, the story follows Pyrre, who is Skullsworn - meaning she is a priestess, who just so happens to be a double knife whirling assassin in the service of the God Ananshael (this empires' Death) and the tale revolves around her traveling back to her homeland of Dombang, the destination chosen by her where she could complete her initiation trial to prove her credentials and worth to her sect, and to her God. She is shadowed by two experienced practitioners of their Lord, one being the charming, deadly sex addict Ela and another being the seasoned, sometimes blunt but undeniably devoted elder priest Kossal. They are her witnesses, judges, and jury with reference to how they perceive her trial transpires, and assessing whether she has ticked the metaphorical boxes presented. Her trial is as follows - she is destined to kill seven specific individuals in fourteen days as depicted by a composed song and to conclude, she has to fall in love within the designated timeframe and then, kill that person as one of her seven offerings.

I approached this novel with an open mind, however; I had the view that, if I couldn't follow what was happening in this narrative, did not understand the characters' actions and was essentially lost in an abyss of an ununderstood art after fifteen percent, I wouldn't have carried on and would have engulfed the trilogy first. I wouldn't have wasted my time, or the authors time posting a review that wasn't fair if the premise was that I needed to know the world already to appreciate it. After ten percent and taking a few notes, I was easily able to analyse the characters, the Gods they revered and the world that was frequented. I am glad my reading experience here did not end as the previous outcome suggested it may and that was half predicted, as I would have missed an entrancing tale.

Skullsworn is written in the first person perspective following Pyrre and her narrative bounces from current endeavours, to recollections of her colourful youth which ultimately has caused her to traverse back to her origin town and in addition; her descriptions of the world incorporating but not restricted to the Gods, religions, alliances and depicting her relationships and emotions with reference to each of the aforementioned and how they affect her world at this important time in her life. It is presented, I analysed, as either being a presentation of an internal monologue or a diary-esque autobiography and the writing showcases Pyrre's personality, highlighting the darker aspects a disciple of a macabre Lord would feel within themselves, as well as her acknowledging the beauty in the world showcased by some of her heightened and poetic descriptions of the environment and events. It is a pleasant juxtaposition. (Every university students favourite essay word).

It is intriguing that I, as a new reader, am not aware if this happened before or after the trilogy of Staveleys'. This didn't affect my enjoyment but may add extra layers when approaching Skullsworn, to a seasoned reader of this gentleman's' works.

This is not a very long book. Perhaps 350-400 pages and it has about 5 or 6 main characters always presented through Pyrre's mind and the views of hers acknowledging the looming pressure of her trials deadline ever lurking. Kossal and Ela, the two shadowing priests from the white sandstone fortress of Rassambur, where the Skullsworn prepare, train, and worship are a great duo. So different in personalities but their respect and "relationship" is intriguing. One of the major players in this story is not one of Pyrre's Ananshael respecting colleagues but is a gentleman named Run Lan Lac. Bare-knuckle boxer, leader of the cities alliance the Greenshirts and Pyrre's ex "lover" from an age long ago. The conversations between Pyrre and Run are integral to the story and together they discuss the past occasionally but are more interested in the potential rebellion and uprising which people say are revering three ancient God's whose names have been banned from being spoken for many generations.

If so far, Skullsworn does not sound enticing, then I imagine you have internet fallen on to my review page by mistake. It is a concise narrative of the highest order. The politics and underground rebellions and factions reminded me of Scott Lynch's work to a degree. There are many breathtaking scenes. Collapsed bridges leaving 100's of people drowning in miasma of sludgy nothingness, naked alliance battles against Croc's to prove their worth to a mythical age old faction and, in addition showcasing loyalty to a deadly macabre Lord that will set his priests against potentially undefeatable mythical races of old.

About 30 pages from the finale of the book, I had no idea how it could come to closure in that short timeframe. It did, and it was highly unpredictable. Quite tragic too. In fantasy these days, most of the stories present a relevant level of grimness and this overcame the acquired amount. If you do not like swear words or depictions of a sexual nature, then you may be too young to truly appreciate this. The word cunt is used here occasionally. The sexual nature bizarrely sums up the corruption and ill-advised happenings of the world but also the beauty in certain segments. Hopefully, you will see what I mean. I am happy to admit that this is a highly engrossing fantasy world even in this slightly streamlined presentation limited to few, albeit, amazing characters. This is a great entry point for this gentleman's' work and truly I wish to check out the rest of his stories.

Your friend,
James x

Skullsworn is a new standalone fantasy novel from Brian Staveley; it’s set in the same universe as his sprawling “Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne” series, though set in a different part of the world. Whilst the Chronicles had a large cast, and was set in the sweep of grand events, Skullsworn is more intimate, but just as sharp – a stiletto in the dark to their predecessor’s flashing blades.

This is a novel about Pyrre, a worshipper of the god of death, a woman determined not to fail her Trial and to become Skullsworn – the priests of the god, whose sacrifices tend to align with the demise of those around them. Pyrre is perhaps best described as devout, and difficult. She is committed to becoming a member of her priesthood, and has the necessary lethal skills to do so – but she’s often awkward, struggling to interact with people in a non-mission oriented context. The effect is simultaneously charming and terrifying. Pyrre is, to her credit, aware of her shortcomings in this area, and struggles to be something more of a people person. This flaw goes alongside her speed, focus, and a delightful degree of competence to make her a lot of fun to read about, ash she works her way down the list of individuals she’ll have to arrange meet their demise in order to pass her trial. Some of these are odd, but none more so than the need to put to death someone she loves – itself a concept Pyrre has problems with. As she struggles to work out exactly what she feels, what it means, and what she should do, we also get to see a bit more of her psyche – a less than cheerful family past, a sense of stubborn viciousness, a refusal to surrender – and a previous whirlwind romance that might also have been a duel all play their parts. Staveley has done his best here to give us a complex, damaged protagonist, whose talents are held back due to her own compromises, and not because those talents happen to involve killing rather a lot of people.

She’s joined for her trial by two adjudicators – one a sprightly people pleaser, as apt to seduce the bellboy as to poison the restaurant; the other a grumbling elder, worn down by life, and struggling to see it as anything but a burden – to himself, or to other people. Both mentor Pyrre, helping her to work out exactly what she wants and how to achieve it – whilst cheerfully admitting that if she fails her trial, they’ll kill her themselves. There’s a thread of black humour running right through the text, a central part of the ties between Pyrre and her judges. There’s a dry tone in here, a means of making the priests of death empathetic and often downright funny – the dialogue sizzles, and raises both wry chuckles and the occasional belly laugh. But this isn’t just a comedy – there’s a vulnerability to Pyrre, a woman seeking the truth of who she is, and an honesty, a truth to her interactions both with the priests who follow here, and the victims she puts down. There’s questions here about what we value, and why, whether any one role is superior to another, how far someone will go to meet their goals – and each page courses with subtext, challenging the reader to unpick it, to look at the complexity of the world and the people that slide quietly off the page.

Most of the text takes place in the city where Pyrre was born, before leaving, perhaps somewhat hastily, for other climes. It’s sat on a delta surrounded by a murderous swamp and jungle which stretches out of sight. The swamp is filled with lethal bugs, which lay their eggs in people and cause them to drop dead, lethal fish, which tear people apart, lethal snakes, which bite people and have them turn black and die – and so on. The delta hums with vitality, though – as does the city sat at its heart. Conquered by the Annurian Empire centuries previously, the people hold onto their culture and identity with enthusiasm – and in some cases, with a fanatical hatred. The humidity, the crawling closeness of the city, the danger of the outskirts, all draw a picture of a powder keg, waiting for a careless match to make it go up in flames –or perhaps, in the case of Pyrre, a rather carefully thrown match. In any event, the city is a personality in itself, a thriving, vivid gestalt, which takes in wanderers and citizens, and gives them death and life in equal measure.
The plot – well, this is, in many ways, the story of Pyrre. She showed up in the Chronicles, but this book helps us understand who she is, and how she got there. But it’s also a story with conspiracy, with the aforementioned dark humour in plenty, with high (and highly personal) stakes. It also has some absolutely brilliant fight scenes, which have a force and energy that rips them off the page and sets the participants to their fatal dance around you. Oh, and there may even be a bit of romance as well.

I was a fan of the Chronicles – of the epic tale they told, of the risks it took, and the new ideas it threw out along the way, but I think that Skullsworn may have exceeded it. This is a warm, funny, character focused novel which is also darkly charming, bloody, and lethal. It was very, very hard to put down, and had an emotional punch to match its high adrenaline moments. If you enjoyed the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne, this is a more than worthy successor text – and if you’ve never read those, you can pick this up, and know you’re in for a fantastic (if sometimes violent) journey.