The Skull Throne: Book Four of The Demon Cycle

The "story" seems less a continuation of the previous books than it is an excuse to use every other chapter to get on a political soapbox about women's rights and how women are better than men in this world. Oh and let's not forget how every group setting either has a openly gay person or someone eyeing the "bugger boys". I swear the author wants to turn this into The Sholan Alliance series for homosexuals

Returned it for a refund.

Great series. Excellent story line. Well developed characters. Central theme with multiple sidebars. Keeps you enthralled. Can't put it down. Seems like too long a wait for the next installment. One of best books/series I've read. Would buy next one in a heartbeat. Waiting for next book.....

It was hard to start this book-- not because of a need for better reminders, but because of the country way of talking by some of our stars. It was grating on my nerves, but either I got over it or the author turned it down enough. That complaint aside, great story with a good progression.

Seeing so many 1-3 star reviews, and reading all of the complaints about the story "losing steam" and being "drawn out and weakened" is almost as jaw dropping as the book itself. I have to wonder if all of the people giving such negative reviews are reading the same book, or are reading for the right reason. Apparently, these people are only interested in the story of Arlen Bales, and what happened/happens to him after the literal cliffhanger at the end of The Daylight War. These same people seem to hate Krasians and Krasian culture as well, and they don't seem to care what happens to any other characters. I am not like these readers, and I enjoy the rich intracacies and stories of each character in the series; for good or ill, I care about every single one.

It is impossible to eliminate the Krasian (Not Krasnian as some reviewers have written it) influence from the series, since their introduction has changed much in the world, and caused key turning points, yet some readers want them eliminated form the series. I hope Mr. Brett doesn't listen to them, since this would create major plot holes and leave many other readers who aren't smoking the hate pipe unsatisfied.

**** Very mild spoilers to follow for people who have not read the first 3 books****

Without revealing too much, we do get a bit of back story in the beginning of the book on a few other characters, and we learn the consequence of Jardir and Arlen's absence from the world. Politics, plots, blood, and foolish, hateful, prideful decisions abound in this book, and as the tension builds, we skate from one catastrophe to another. There is action and political drama in equal measure, subterfuge and subtlety as alliances shift and motives are revealed; betrayal and heartbreak as the world of man is falling apart, fighting a war on two fronts. The alagai (corelings) almost take a backseat to the foolishness of man. Men seemed to have gained spines in the night, only to turn on their own kind in the day, much like the Krasians. There are key deaths, startling discoveries, and real despair. It begins a bit slow, but the action really picks up about 50% of the way through. My only complaints are that I couldn't see more of what Jardir and Arlen are doing, how their prisoner is faring, and that the action really picked up just as the book ended.
Leesha is a character I started out liking, but I have grown to dislike, and her insufferable ideology has gotten her and many around her in trouble again. I keep hoping she will mature, and realize that because of the world she's in, she can't afford to lament every time she has to kill or maim. (BTW Mr. Brett, no woman will be upset if the men who raped her are fed to monsters in the night and torn to pieces.)

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I panicked in the chaos, and I look forward to the next and final installment.

Disclaimer: The author sent me an ARC and copies of Warded Man to hand out to people who I think might enjoy the novel.

Damn. What a ride.

Daylight War ended on a cliffhanger. To prepare for The Skull Throne, I reread it immediately before starting Skull Throne. And as much as I loved Daylight War, the Skull Throne is a much tighter read, with more action, and movement of the plot.

We don't have to sweat the cliffhanger from Daylight Throne for long before we see some resolution to it, which also sets up the long game of the rest of the series. Skull Throne does an admirable job ratcheting up the tension, bringing a lot of simmering drama to the fore, doing a great job as the penultimate book in the series. The Core promises to be a helluva read.

Even while setting up the finale, Skull Throne doesn't feel like filler, with lots of twists and turns and some definitely unexpected things happening. Brett may love his characters, but he doesn't seem to have any problem abusing the snot out of them in order to give us a great tale.

This book is HIGHLY recommended for anyone who is a fan of epic fantasy, with fans of Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, and GRRM likely to find lots here to enjoy.

If it were up to me, Peter V. Brett would get an absurd amount of money to do nothing but continue writing this series. It is ridiculously good, and engages you right away. This book is a great back swing, and I am looking forward to the next one.

spoiler alert...
Anticlimactic conclusion to the "final battle" at the end of the last book.
Interesting interactions with the mind creatures.
The author gets a little bogged down with trivial issues in Angiers through the middle of the book.
The book finishes with a great build up and finish.

Another good read. My only complaint would be that Brett seems to be digressing from the key original story and indulging in too many new characters. It's good writing, but it has the feel of lengthening the story rather than adding to it - we've all long since forgotten about Roger's past bully. I have the same complaint about GRRM's Feast of Crows and all those characters whose names we forget. Let's see more of Arlen or Ahmann next book!

When we last left off, we saw Arlen and Ahmann do an extreme sport of jumping off the cliff in some mad "I'm right, you're not" dance, while everyone else just watched. The story picks up right there, but then immediately veers off into all the politics the Daylight War (the actual war, not the novel) is sussing out.

Do you need to remember that? Yes. Do you need to remember who's what in The Warded Man? YES. Do you need to remember what happened in The Warded Man and the subsequent volumes? YES.

The Skull Throne is a long book. It's over 700 pages. And while I do admit that some parts are excellent, some surprising, and some daring on the author's part, I must remind the author - if he ever reads this - that not all readers necessarily remember every character's backstory, especially if the series is being released over the span of three years or five years. Some might just see it in a shop and pick that particular volume up, read it, then go back to read volumes 1, 2, and 3. I know I've done that in the past. Well, for those of you new to the series, half of it's not going to make much sense. Not because of the structure of the world build, but because half the time you're left wondering what and where anything is. If you - like me - have read other books in the interim and don't remember the other volumes of the series like you read it yesterday, you're going to have to do revision (which I won't do. Revising for exams is about the most revision I'll do for anything).

The story is good. Daylight War continues, while Arlen and Co. are still on their way to battling demons. Wonderful. We get to see a little more of Krasian politics (which is blah for the most part for me). That's nice. Krasia vs everyone else is raging, with cities being taken and forces being repelled. Excellent.

But then you get Rojer the Jongleur's old nemesis, who hasn't popped up since (I believe) The Warded Man, who later plays a vital role. Yeah. No idea where you came from, but I don't remember you at all, Mr Rojer's Nemesis. Also no idea how Rojer's master died, because I read the novel ages ago. Can't remember what happened to Renna's family. Actually, didn't remember the name of the first jongleur Arlen meets, so took a while figuring out who the heck that was.

And the Krasians... you need to learn a new language or something, or print out the glossary and keep it handy, because they have a language unto themselves and never does the author remind you what each means. There's chi'sharum and kai'sharum and dal'sharum and sharum'ting, then there's damaji'ting and dama'ting, then damaji and dama, then dai'sharma ka and alagai ka and alagai hora and sharuk hora and... you get the point. They all mean something, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. Need to revise those too. Not to mention EVERYONE on the Krasian side's related. I'm not joking. Cousins and uncles and aunts and sisters and in-laws and out-laws and in-between-laws that all marry each other and have children with each other, not to mention siblings of battle and siblings of priesthood and just siblings, and then there are brothers who marry their sisters off to their lovers so the sister and the lover can have a baby, and then the brother and the lover can raise the baby instead (yes, you read that right). And those relationships do play a fairly big role in one of the arcs, so you can't just brush it off and hope it won't show up on the exam. IT WILL.

Reading this was like re-taking my Latin final. And trust me when I say that I'm glad that's far behind. I'm fairly certain I managed maybe a C on this particular exam, and I have about 1500 pages or so to get through to do a re-sit. I probably will do that in about three years.

I do appreciate not abandoning characters, but being required to remember Glorfindel in The Return of the King is a bit too much for me, and well, this novel does that to you. I've barely passed this exam. So if you want to pass, do your revision!

Well, the Demon Cycle officially jumped the shark.

When I put this book down, I thought to myself: "I waited two years for THAT crap?" In other words, this installment cements in my mind the process that began in the second book of the series. Namely, entry into an increasingly irretrievable series tailspin.

A lot of the reviews say that nothing happens in this book. I beg to differ. It's not that NOTHING happens in this book, because there are (x) 700 pages to read, and (y) lots of characters that die. It's just that 650 pages of this book are devoted to drivel that no one (probably not even the author) cares about. I think that's what other reviewers mean when they say nothing happens.

Oh yeah, but there are about 25-50 pages (I can't keep track...I kept falling asleep) at the end where tons of people die. It's just that I couldn't care less about the people who died and it's done in a pretty rushed, haphazard and anti-climatic way. Most of these characters had either served their usefulness, were pretty flat characters to begin with or had just started to annoy me. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if the writer killed off every character other than Arlen Bales and restarted the whole thing.

Another frustrating fact is that the entire book builds toward a battle. It's obvious that this will be no ordinary battle. It will be a great turning point in the daylight war. Then, it turns out that the looming battle isn't all that relevant after all. It's a five page massacre. After this massacre, armies appear to magically port across space and time and there is ANOTHER culminating battle that occurs at a different location with zero build-up or anticipation. And the great turning point of the daylight war? It takes place in maybe a paragraph. I actually had to reread it because I glossed over the turning point the first time through. Seriously. I'm not joking.

Oh, I won't even tell you that we only get to visit with Arlen (and even Jardir, who personally sets my teeth on edge) for all of 30 or so odd pages.

It's a shame this series has gone this direction. The Warded Man was SO GOOD, but there's no way to disguise that this latest installment is a complete and utter train wreck of a novel.

What can you say? This book did not disappoint. Love the author they way he develops the characters and how the mesh throughout. Some open questions were finally answered. Looking forward to the next book, only wished some studio would consider either a series or movie. Would probably make me forget about GoT.

I started reading this series on a whim and after having read 100s of fantasy books from all the greatest authors this one has become my ultimate favorite. I have waited 2 years for this fourth book to come out and is exactly what I had hoped for. Caution to those wanting to read it as it can be very dark, adult, and chaotic. Not meant for children to say the least.

I have followed this series from the beginning, and I absolutely love it. The characters are well-written and stay IN CHARACTER, meaning they don't go running off doing things that forward the plot but don't feel right. They only know what they know, no mysterious 'hunches' that forward the plot. That means that they are often working at cross-purposes, but that is realistic! Sometimes, they even make mistakes! The story is well-structured and flows quickly. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys political fantasy mixed nicely with action.

Don't expect a lot of Arlen or Jardir but the other characters really take center stage in a very Martin-esque sort of way. The story continues to be fantastic though the dice are being used a bit too heavily from a plot device. Can't wait for the next one!

Peter Brett continues to write the next fantasy classic- complicated characters, no one a black or white hero or villain, a really cool central idea of demons from the Core, cliffhangers and twists that will keep you zooming through the book and will make you cry out "NO!" when the book ends.

I've seen alot of hate for this series in message forums.
But I love it. The characters are nuanced and have complex reactions to externalities beyond their control.
Brett took a risk with parallel narrative and exposition of an antagonistic culture to Arlen's, but i think it has an immense payoff.
There's alot of set up for the climactic finale of book 5.

I keep hearing "Magic Muslim Prostitutes" and i find it an annoying oversimplification of the Krasian culture, as well as an insult to Islamic culture. Krasians may look Arabian, but that's just because desert dwellers tend wear robes in the desert to prevent dehydration. The religion and eschatology of the Evejans is way more similar to ancient persian monotheism such as Zoroastrianism, where Ahura Mazda is the god of light and Angra Mainyu is the god of Darkness and the creator of Demons.

This books sets the stage for the last book in the series (which can't come soon enough). I liked how the the author continues to reference previous books and how he finds new ways to challenge the character's. This books focuses more on Leesha, Jayan, and the spear sisters than it does Ahmann and Arlen.
I honestly wish the book was longer. I don't see how he can tied up all the loose ends in just one more book. I'm sure he'll do it though. Great read. The pages melt away as you plow through this amazing book.

Bottom line up front, the Skull Throne was hugely disappointing. At the time of this review there are 45 reviews and of those there are 16 Vine Customer Review of FREE Product (VCRFP). I would subtract the 10 "5 star" and the 6 "4 star" VCRFP from the overall equation because they are ALL 5 or 4 star reviews... and lets be honest with each other, a free product is an awesome product. I am sure they are supposed to be unbiased and all that but I find it hard to believe that all 16 would give this book 5 or 4 stars. Subtract them and you will get a grand total of "7" 5 star reviews and "5" 4 stars from those of us that had to shell out money for this huge let down of a "Demon Cycle" of a book. I am probably slow to the game but I am starting to believe that the VCRFPs are meant to bloat the overall positive reviews of a book in order to convince customers to buy it.
OK, sorry about that. I need to vent but on to my review, which will sound a lot like other negative reviews:
Mr. Brett left us with a cliffhanger in The Daylight War and rewarded us with an unnecessarily bloated book that feels like he is trying to milk the series. If you are a fan of Leesha then have no fears because she takes up the lion's share in this book. If you are a fan of Arlen, or even Jardir, as I am, then prepare yourself to get heartbroken because they might take up maybe only 100 pages of the book and that's probably being really really generous (I didnt take the time to count). For my part, I dont care about treacherous Krasian backwards politics and I care less about Leesha's scandalous pregnancy or her politicking in the Hollows or in Angiers. I dont care about the controversial polygamist Rojer that much either. I like them greatly as supporting cast but not characters I want to follow through the majority of the story line, which they do and by that I mean 3/4 of the book. There's certain flashbacks of randomly new characters (Mr. Brett seems to be a big fan of flashbacks) that to me felt like an overwhelming waste of time. At the end Mr. Brett does throw some curve balls at you and some will remind you of something George R.R. Martin would do in his books, but that all literally happens in the last 5th of the book. Those were the best part and they felt frustratingly rushed. I mean, some big time stuff goes down and the characters we are left with almost keep going on without a beat. Yet you have to deal with endless dithering about Leesha's pregnancy, confused love affairs, Rojer's stupid and costly fears, and strange Krasian customs? If you are a fan like me and has most of your vested interest in Arlen or Jardir then this book will be frustrating for you as you read page after page waiting for them to pop up.... because they wont. At this point. I just want the series to end so I can get some closure because if the next book is anything like the Skull Throne then I probably will stop caring.

I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next book! While this one might have been a bit disappointing compared to the others in the series, it filled out a lot of the story line and set up the next book quite nicely. It was definitely worth reading (finished it in one day... oops). I think the biggest reason I was disappointed is that I was expecting the 'Arlen' story-line to be a large part of this book since it started with him (and he has always been a major character), but it really wasn't. A lot of crazy stuff happened, but it was mellowed out a bit because I kept wanting to get back to the warded man.

Just as an extra note: I read a few other reviews and no one with an 'A' name was introduced in this book, they were just made more prominent... Maybe the readers shouldn't be skimming so much that they can't remember who the characters are ;)

After the year plus wait to see what happened to Arlen and Jardir, I am very disappointed. This book is all over the place. It's hard to keep up with who the author is talking about. Whether it's Shanvah, Amanvah, or Ashan or Ahmann, or whether he's in the future or the past. simply didn't care about the characters in this book. I loved the previous 3 books but this books reads like the author is as lost as I am.

Well, I'm completely satisfied with this next chapter of the demon cycle. Fantastic story with lots of action and pretty good character development. The writing was very good though as a minor criticism the editing was pretty bad. Lots of spelling errors etc...

If the author continues writing, I will continue reading.

Strong buy.

I have enjoyed the series, and the storyline. The author is a fantastic writer, but he constantly overdoes it. He goes into painfully detailed narratives and descriptions, and then turn around and do it again in another point of view - and then revisit it again chapters later. It will take him chapters to fill us in on some small detail or plot highlight. This latest book was around 670 pages (kindle) and should have been 400. I find myself speed-reading or flat out skipping large parts of the story when he goes into this mindnumbingly long meanderings, just to move the story along.

The Demon Cycle continues strong. Usually by book 4 of a series there's been at least one that didn't make the pace, but so far so good here. A number of developments were genuinely surprising, and as always characterization and world building is top notch. If you haven't read the earlier books, read them. If you have read the earlier books, you already know whether you want to continue.

Great, but...where is Brett going with this ? Originally thought to be a trilogy, I doubt very much the story gets resolved in the next book, with all the developments taking place. Martial art combats are a bit repetitive, and Brett engages in some George RR Martin type of behavior - not so pleasant for the reader :) -but overall an excellent read.

Where do I start on the fourth book in the demon cycle by Peter Brett. I have enjoyed all of his books so far in this series and really enjoy the original concepts.
So here are the details of this book without spoiler. The writing is great and easy to follow however it sometime can lack detail which when it comes to intense scenes is a bit disappointing. Also this book is more about the daylight was and has very little demon fighting. I honestly am losing my patience with the Krasians. Furthermore the book only has about 50 pages with the Wardedman instead it focus on all non-deliverers. Finally make sure you read the short story Messenger’s Legacy it tells the back story of one of the characters in this book.

From the beginning of the Warded Man through this fourth book, I have loved the way the book is written and the characters involved in the book. You are transported to another world. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

This is my favorite of the series so far. I got close and personal with many of the characters. The court intrigues and subsequent consequences had me spellbound. The characters actions and reactions pulled me in and didn't let me go until I turned the very last page. I hated leaving this incredicle world. This is the book that made the characters real for me. I now feel like I'm truly immersed in this fantasy world. This fourth book is exactly what the series needed. Brett is a brilliant writer.

I was going to give this two stars but I think the continuation of the story bumps it to three stars. I loved the warded man. It was truly a great book. Then, with the following books, the story kept getting wider and deeper but not more interesting. The character that I loved in the first book, Arlen Bales, had become a side character in every book but the first. Much like Anthony Ryan did with Tower Lord, Peter Brett has ostracized his audience by removing the most beloved character from pages within the book. I doubt Arlen Bales was apart of more than 10 percent of this book. Truly awful.

Amassive read, intricate threading of characters,some great ah uh moments. I just love this series and The Skull Throne has not disappointed ,this series has drawn characters into a tighter and tighter Webb very interesting

Peter V. Brett outdid himself with this one! He is a masterful story teller, and that skill is on full display in the fourth installment of The Demon Cycle Series. It did not disappoint. Brett reminds us stories need not be limited in scope to the main protagonists. I applaud his bravery.

This is a great read! Take it for what it is, and let the author tell his story without all the expectations of what it "should" be.

This series continues to impress. Great story will lots happening and a bit of humour. I loved seeing the character development of Leesha, Rojer and others. If you liked the first three books you will love this. If you haven't started reading thre series you need to.

Some of the reviews I feel are too harsh. I read a series because I like being invested in characters. They didn't focus on Ahmann and Arlen as much as the previous books, but I felt the earlier books didn't spend enough time on the others.

*Spoiler*

I can't believe you killed off Rojer! Dude!

Not sure what I think of this book ...

First third of the book is devoted to the Krasians with a side view of Ashia ... then a bit with Arlen and company doing their thing to capture the demon prince ... then the balance devoted to the Greenlands. Now that isn't bad but ... can't comment without getting into spoilers ... one too many key characters dies in my opinion.

I was so excited to read this book because I thought it would finally focus back to Arlen and they would take the fight to the Core itself. Arlen was only in about 10% of the book, Leesha/Rojer 45%, and Inverva/Abban 45%. After reading the book I just felt like it barely added anything to the story. It feels like the author is stretching out the series and needlessly watering it down to make more money in 5 books. He's so out of touch with what his readers want but I will give him credit for killing off some semi-important people in this book. Hopefully the final book is better and Arlen gets back in the picture as the main character.

I think this was the best book of the series since The Warded Man. Granted, it took a LONG time to get interesting, many times I just wanted to put the book down and not pick it up again, but by the time I got to around the 40% the book absolutely took off and I was sad when I reached the end. Speaking of the end, I was very pleased with it. It didn't leave me hanging like The Daylight War did. I also appreciated the way the backstories were handled. No need to have a book per character backstory, glimpses here and there in the appropriate places were the perfect way to go about it.
Characters. I loved Ashia's story and I really look forward to what the future holds for her with her son. We were introduced to Briar who is half Krasian. I believe he is going play a huge role in the future book(s). He is pounded with hypocrisy from both sides and I'm interested to see how his life pans out. Many characters find their spines and others reveal what they're really about in this one. This book also had huge deaths take place.......and the way they happened were pretty intense. Brett has gotten pretty dark in this book, darker than the previous books. A very welcomed addition to the series.

Another fantastic chapter in the series. The deliverer/s have allowed themselves to be diverted and chaos reigns. Amazing fight scenes and character shocks as some of the well loved and hated cast were extinguished from the plot. Can't wait for another episode - whose child will be saved or born and how will the deliverer's deal with a swarm ...?

Peter V Brett wrote an awesome book. This isn't it. I truly believe he started writing a trilogy, then got caught up like R R Martin did, trashing what was otherwise a great story by extending it for no good reason. Peter, when you water down a story to stretch it out like you have it becomes weak, much like a good whiskey does when you do the same. Your first book in this set was amazing. This one wasn't. I won't be buying your next installment. You've let your readers down.

You authors have a gift! And you cheapen it for what, money? Your stories will last long after you are gone, after the money has been spent. When you do something like this it just cheapens your legacy and cheats your readers.

If you are already a fan of the series then this book will not disappoint. I bought it as soon as it released and couldn't put it down. I'm a slow reader and it only took me six days to finish. It felt to me like the sense of scale had increased dramatically from the last book almost comparable to Game of Thrones. The pacing was excellent and I was genuinely shocked by the plot twists. The suspense afterwards left me wanting more. Can't wait for the next book!

Normally, when I start reading a series, most books tend to be the same. Or at least manage to foretell too much that the next book is apparent and you feel you know what will happen. Mr Brett has managed to keep me guessing and has my full attention even after reading this one. The only thing I could surmise is a need for a fifth book.

Well written. Few typographical errors. Worth the wait, and I'd say a must have for any fantasy lover.

I wanted to like this book. I probably would if it weren't for the large number of missing words. It seemed as if every other paragraph has a word missing. That may not seem that bad, but with all of the made up krasian words, I had no idea what was going on.

Ahmann Jardir and Arlen Bales, the two men believed to be the Deliverers of the world by many, are missing after Arlen threw them both from a cliff during their fight to the death. Their respective followers are forced to regroup and learn how to move forward without them.

In Everam’s Bounty, Inevera attempts to keep a firm grasp on her power while keeping her sons, Jayan and Asome, from starting a civil war in order to claim their fathers’ throne.

In Hollow County, Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn are summoned to the duchy of Angiers while hoping to gain additional aid from the Duke.

The duchy of Lakton is the next prize the Krasians intend to conquer as they move farther north in their goal to assimilate every man, woman, and child for Sharak Ka, the first war against demonkind.

First and foremost I have to admit that I’m unashamedly a huge fan of The Demon Cycle Series by Peter V. Brett. I’ve read every book and novella in the series multiple times. The Skull Throne is a worthy sequel and it sets the stage brilliantly for the series conclusion.

The Warded Man and Ahmann Jardir are missing in the story, but I was equally missing them. It was hard not having the series two strongest and in my opinion most interesting characters appearing constantly. The moments when they do appear in The Skull Throne are easily among the best moments in the entire series.

With the focus off of Arlen and Jardir, Peter V. Brett brilliantly manages to strengthen his other characters and his world. The void left by Arlen and Jardir effects Hollow County and Everam’s Bounty differently. In Hollow County, things continue going strong and are getting ever stronger without Arlen’s presence. I believe that’s largely thanks to the fact that Arlen taught leaders and left them to lead on their own. In Everam’s Bounty on the other hand things are in turmoil. Ahmann Jardir’s every word became law and the Krasians utterly depended on his leadership. In Jardir’s absence dissension reigns and every aspect of Krasian leadership is vying for control especially the Damaji, Jayan, and Asome. With Arlen and Jardir gone the world has also changed. The corelings priority has shifted away from razing Hollow County and Everam’s Bounty. Each waning, since the one in The Daylight War, hasn’t been an all out war or even a war at all. The Minds and Mimics haven’t been seen on waning, but don’t for a moment think they’re gone.

Leesha, Rojer, Inevera, and Abban all assume greater roles of leadership in The Skull Throne to fill the shoes of the missing Arlen and Ahmann.

Leesha despite being about 3 months pregnant at the start of the story finally seemed to get her act together. After a number of particularly head scratching decisions in The Desert Spear and The Daylight War, Leesha was once again the leader I expected she’d be at the end of The Warded Man. Leesha is faced with numerous hard decisions and she handled them well. The ward witch as she’s known by many has continued to give people valid reason to call her by that nickname. Leesha’s also shown why she’s Inevera’s zahven.

Rojer despite becoming a married man has continued being his reliable jongleur self. The influence of Rojer’s wives, Amanvah and Sikvah, can easily be noticed when he’s thinking to himself though. Rojer is forced to deal with the results of his actions and inactions while living in Angiers during The Warded Man.

Inevera proves once more in The Skull Throne why she’s such a dangerous adversary. Inevera is certainly not an enemy any wise person would choose. She sets the dama’ting and sharum’ting to showing off their true power in order to help secure her status as Damajah and secure Krasia’s leadership.

Abban, the profit minded khaffit, continues to influence from the shadows by a whisper. His prophecies of profit continue to benefit him. Abban as expected finds the most profitable path to follow once Ahmann Jardir goes missing.

Some other characters who particularly shone in The Skull Throne were Count Thamos, Briar Damaj, and Asome.

Count Thamos by the end of The Daylight War stilled seemed a mostly vain and greedy royal who was more concerned with his own interests than that of the Hollow. In this edition Thamos has truly shown his development into an honorable trustworthy man, leader, and Count. He loves his people and they love him as well.

Briar Damaj, the tragically orphaned half Thesan half Krasian boy from Messenger’s Legacy shone in his short time in The Skull Throne. We get to see just how dangerous a boy who has survived 10 years in the naked night and the bogs of Bogton can be. Briar was a major bright spot in the story and I hope to see him gain a larger role in the series final book.

Asome, the dama second son of Ahmann Jardir and Inevera, really shocked me in a great way. He is the opposite of his unthinking Sharum Ka brother Jayan; he’s clever, calculated, and capable. Asome is a true son to Krasia, Ahmann Jardir, and most of all Inevera.

The battles in The Skull Throne were as crisp and sharp as ever. Including one battle I'd list as the best one of the series to date. Peter V. Brett really excels in depicting battles and comes up with increasingly interesting ways to utilize his characters abilities. The magic continues to expand with many characters learning to use their ward sight just as Jardir and Arlen had in The Daylight War.

The consequences in The Skull Throne felt more significant than ever before in the series. Past due debts are collected in blood. Foolish choices in this one lead to death more often than not. I'm personally still in shock over many of the events that took place.

There is only one thing I want to mention that seemed a bit off to me. After finishing The Skull Throne, Renna seems an odd choice for the character featured on the cover. My problem isn't with the cover artwork which is absolutely amazing. My concern is Renna is not a prominent character in The Skull Throne. The previous novels The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, and The Daylight War all had one of the most prominent characters on the cover with Arlen Bales, Ahmann Jardir, and Inevera respectively gracing the covers. Leesha, Rojer, Inevera, and Abban are all featured more in The Skull Throne than Renna. Leesha, Rojer, or Abban all seemed to be more fitting choices than Renna particularly if the goal was to avoid re-using characters to feature on the cover.

The Skull Throne was another great book by Peter V. Brett. I’d be lying to say I expected this book to go the way it did, but I definitely enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to re-reading it too.

5 out of 5 stars

An advanced read copy was provided.

The series continues! This book really develops some of the characters you haven't heard as much from to date (as well as continuing the story of the main characters), and takes some very unexpected twists and turns as it goes. Peter Brett has done a great job with this series, and I can't wait to see where he goes with the final book.

I would strongly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good fantasy series to pick up.

Peter never fails to impress with his epic demon cycle saga. If you're a fan of the series, this is definitely a must read. I'd still read it even if the desert spear didnt finish with a literal cliff hanger hahaha. 5/5

Ahmann Jardir and Arlen Bales, the two men believed to be the Deliverers of the world by many, are missing after Arlen threw them both from a cliff during their fight to the death. Their respective followers are forced to regroup and learn how to move forward without them.

In Everam’s Bounty, Inevera attempts to keep a firm grasp on her power while keeping her sons, Jayan and Asome, from starting a civil war in order to claim their fathers’ throne.

In Hollow County, Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn are summoned to the duchy of Angiers while hoping to gain additional aid from the Duke.

The duchy of Lakton is the next prize the Krasians intend to conquer as they move farther north in their goal to assimilate every man, woman, and child for Sharak Ka, the first war against demonkind.

First and foremost I have to admit that I’m unashamedly a huge fan of The Demon Cycle Series by Peter V. Brett. I’ve read every book and novella in the series multiple times. The Skull Throne is a worthy sequel and it sets the stage brilliantly for the series conclusion.

The Warded Man and Ahmann Jardir are missing in the story, but I was equally missing them. It was hard not having the series two strongest and in my opinion most interesting characters appearing constantly. The moments when they do appear in The Skull Throne are easily among the best moments in the entire series.

With the focus off of Arlen and Jardir, Peter V. Brett brilliantly manages to strengthen his other characters and his world. The void left by Arlen and Jardir effects Hollow County and Everam’s Bounty differently. In Hollow County, things continue going strong and are getting ever stronger without Arlen’s presence. I believe that’s largely thanks to the fact that Arlen taught leaders and left them to lead on their own. In Everam’s Bounty on the other hand things are in turmoil. Ahmann Jardir’s every word became law and the Krasians utterly depended on his leadership. In Jardir’s absence dissension reigns and every aspect of Krasian leadership is vying for control especially the Damaji, Jayan, and Asome. With Arlen and Jardir gone the world has also changed. The corelings priority has shifted away from razing Hollow County and Everam’s Bounty. Each waning, since the one in The Daylight War, hasn’t been an all out war or even a war at all. The Minds and Mimics haven’t been seen on waning, but don’t for a moment think they’re gone.

Leesha, Rojer, Inevera, and Abban all assume greater roles of leadership in The Skull Throne to fill the shoes of the missing Arlen and Ahmann.

Leesha despite being about 3 months pregnant at the start of the story finally seemed to get her act together. After a number of particularly head scratching decisions in The Desert Spear and The Daylight War, Leesha was once again the leader I expected she’d be at the end of The Warded Man. Leesha is faced with numerous hard decisions and she handled them well. The ward witch as she’s known by many has continued to give people valid reason to call her by that nickname. Leesha’s also shown why she’s Inevera’s zahven.

Rojer despite becoming a married man has continued being his reliable jongleur self. The influence of Rojer’s wives, Amanvah and Sikvah, can easily be noticed when he’s thinking to himself though. Rojer is forced to deal with the results of his actions and inactions while living in Angiers during The Warded Man.

Inevera proves once more in The Skull Throne why she’s such a dangerous adversary. Inevera is certainly not an enemy any wise person would choose. She sets the dama’ting and sharum’ting to showing off their true power in order to help secure her status as Damajah and secure Krasia’s leadership.

Abban, the profit minded khaffit, continues to influence from the shadows by a whisper. His prophecies of profit continue to benefit him. Abban as expected finds the most profitable path to follow once Ahmann Jardir goes missing.

Some other characters who particularly shone in The Skull Throne were Count Thamos, Briar Damaj, and Asome.

Count Thamos by the end of The Daylight War stilled seemed a mostly vain and greedy royal who was more concerned with his own interests than that of the Hollow. In this edition Thamos has truly shown his development into an honorable trustworthy man, leader, and Count. He loves his people and they love him as well.

Briar Damaj, the tragically orphaned half Thesan half Krasian boy from Messenger’s Legacy shone in his short time in The Skull Throne. We get to see just how dangerous a boy who has survived 10 years in the naked night and the bogs of Bogton can be. Briar was a major bright spot in the story and I hope to see him gain a larger role in the series final book.

Asome, the dama second son of Ahmann Jardir and Inevera, really shocked me in a great way. He is the opposite of his unthinking Sharum Ka brother Jayan; he’s clever, calculated, and capable. Asome is a true son to Krasia, Ahmann Jardir, and most of all Inevera.

The battles in The Skull Throne were as crisp and sharp as ever. Including one battle I'd list as the best one of the series to date. Peter V. Brett really excels in depicting battles and comes up with increasingly interesting ways to utilize his characters abilities. The magic continues to expand with many characters learning to use their ward sight just as Jardir and Arlen had in The Daylight War.

The consequences in The Skull Throne felt more significant than ever before in the series. Past due debts are collected in blood. Foolish choices in this one lead to death more often than not. I'm personally still in shock over many of the events that took place.

There is only one thing I want to mention that seemed a bit off to me. After finishing The Skull Throne, Renna seems an odd choice for the character featured on the cover. My problem isn't with the cover artwork which is absolutely amazing. My concern is Renna is not a prominent character in The Skull Throne. The previous novels The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, and The Daylight War all had one of the most prominent characters on the cover with Arlen Bales, Ahmann Jardir, and Inevera respectively gracing the covers. Leesha, Rojer, Inevera, and Abban are all featured more in The Skull Throne than Renna. Leesha, Rojer, or Abban all seemed to be more fitting choices than Renna particularly if the goal was to avoid re-using characters to feature on the cover.

The Skull Throne was another great book by Peter V. Brett. I’d be lying to say I expected this book to go the way it did, but I definitely enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to re-reading it too.

5 out of 5 stars

An advanced read copy was provided.

The series continues! This book really develops some of the characters you haven't heard as much from to date (as well as continuing the story of the main characters), and takes some very unexpected twists and turns as it goes. Peter Brett has done a great job with this series, and I can't wait to see where he goes with the final book.

I would strongly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good fantasy series to pick up.

Peter never fails to impress with his epic demon cycle saga. If you're a fan of the series, this is definitely a must read. I'd still read it even if the desert spear didnt finish with a literal cliff hanger hahaha. 5/5

At first, I wasn’t even going to write a review on this because I was so conflicted I just didn’t know where to even begin or how I really felt about it. After thinking on it and having it drive me crazy I decided that I apparently needed to just get it out.

From a general standpoint, the concept and basic story is still pretty interesting and is really the only reason why I decided to read this one after the first three frustrated me so much. They are actually pretty good, but there are also so very many specifics that make me want to toss this across the room and that just out and out piss me off. There isn’t a rating for “This is good, but it also totally sucks.”

For the first time, we didn’t spend over half the book focused on stuff that has already happened and that we apparently have to suffer through from yet another character’s viewpoint, so that was a plus. Sadly, Mr. Brett still managed to find ways to bloat this with so much that was rather unnecessary filler. This could have easily been cut down by about 1/3 at least. I have no problem with lengthy books. In fact, those are typically some of my favorites, but only when every bit is important to the overall story. That isn’t the case here.

Once you wade through all the stuffing, you then have to deal with seeing characters that have been pretty great in the series suddenly get a personality transplant into something rather ridiculous. We saw it between book one and book two with Leesha. With this one, it was Rojer. He had his moments of self pity in previous books, but he seemed to get over those and get a backbone. In this, he kind of becomes pathetic and only interested in getting yet another wife (don’t even want to get into the cultural overload in this series or how pathetic or horrible every single woman is portrayed). He isn’t the only one. By the time this book was finished, I don’t think that there really was a single character that was left even remotely likable, with maybe the exception of Arlen and that is only because he hardly has a second of page time, yet another annoyance.

Not only does the author do a pretty thorough job of destroying the personalities and likability of the majority of his characters in this book, he decides that it is a good idea to go on a giant killing spree and knock off a few pretty major characters as well as a whole slew of other secondary, but still prominent characters.

Between the personality changes and so many characters dying and the fact that not a single character is now left in this story that isn’t a self-serving, greedy, hateful creature, by the time I reached the end of this book I was ready to root for the demons to wipe out the human race because they were all too stupid to live. While I would like to know how this all ends, I don’t think there is enough left to like after this book to suffer through all the garbage that I just can’t stand enough to read any more books in this series.

Where to begin... Having just gotten out of school I was finally able to pick up a copy since I was done with projects and studying for finals. This past month was agony since the book was released at the end of March, but I knew I just had to wait patiently so I could tear into this bad boy. Boy was I wrong. The Demon Cycle has slowly been losing ground since The Warded Man. The first book was good, I didn't mind the regurgitated exposition in the second, and by the third, when we were getting, yet again, the same info from a different character, I about had it.

Coming into the fourth book, I thought "There's no way he does it again, right? What other character is there?". But we get some of the same needless backstory into an already fleshed out culture. Sure reading about Ashia was interesting, but what does she bring to the story? Just another female character that doesn't advance the plot AT ALL. It seems Peat may be falling into GRRM's trap of just creating new characters and forgetting the ones that matter.

It seems as if hardly any time at all has passed over the last 3 books. From the end of The Warded Man to the end of The Skull Throne I doubt much time has passed. Maybe 2 years? If that. Too lazy to go through and look at the year timestamps on the chapters. This book had maybe 100-200 pages of material that advanced the plot. The rest was just a bunch of political deadlock with characters you don't care much about. Jardir and Arlen? The two who should be having the most page time. Yeah they're in this book for about 100 pages and do ONE thing. After that you don't hear from them and find out they've been hanging out in a tower for half a year. Sure the book ends in an interesting spot as far as the Krasian's and greenlanders are concerned. But all of that could have been accomplished far sooner and we wouldn't have needed to hear the endless backstory of new characters, or see Inevera politicking.

Leesha grew ever more annoying since the second book and I can't stand her even more. Half the book she's spent crying about how she's deceived Thamos about her baby. The other half she does absolutely nothing while she's trapped in politics at Angiers. Rojer's character makes leaps and bounds with Amanvah and Sikvah, but Peat throws a potential cliffhanger there. It's just too much. Shotty storytelling that is all to reminiscent of trudging through AFFC.

Peat also begins to pull things out of his ass as far as magic goes. Wards for this, wards for that. New ways to use demon bone to satisfy your every need. At one point in the book, it's stated that someone uses a magnetic ward to draw a knife to their hand from the ground. A magnetic ward?! What use is that other than to make for a cool fight. Wards are meant to repel demons, not give you telekinetic powers, but Peat starts to invent them at will to solve all his troubles. Deus ex machina much. Inevera has discovered how to use hora to practically do whatever she pleases. It's too much. Things that took Arlen years to figure out, coupled with things he learned from entering the minds of the mind demons, are being discovered in no time at all from characters such as Leesha, Inevera, and Abban. I could go on, but you get my point. This is a low point for the series, lower even than the Daylight War, and I'm not sure if I'll be buying the last installment. If anything, it'll just to get the satisfaction of knowing how things end. Can't possibly be worse than book four.

Avoid this is possible and turn away from the series, but if you're like me, you'll buy it anyways because at this point, you've read 3 books and are already invested. Might as well just suck it up and finish. It wouldn't be the first promising series to take a wrong turn.

Oh my goodness, the number of butthurt people. Yes, the book doesn't follow Jardir and Arlen as much, but who cares? This book was great in showing the huge flaws and weaknesses of both "sides" without their primary leaders. A necessity in truly understanding the world they live in. Great read, can't wait for the final installment.

I really enjoy the world Mr. Brest has created. The Skull Throne lived up to my every expectation. The characters are interesting and diverse. I really feel like I experience the world through the narration, and I am really excited for the next book.

I've been critical of Brett's earlier books in the Demon cycle. I genuinely liked Warded/Painted Man so much so I've pushed on through the series and I really wanted Skull Throne to be good too, at the very least I thought I would view the book through the eyes of a die-hard fan figuring who else would care to read no. 4 otherwise?

And Skull throne started well. Rather than leave us waiting after the cliff hanger ending of Daylight war Brett thankfully launches right into the fate of Arlen and Jardir following their fight to the death. The story begins with much promise, however the amount of page time given to Arlen and his ongoing battle against the demons is completely criminally lacking. Something like 4-5 chapters of 30 is devoted to our original hero The Painted Man, the rest of the 700+ pages is focused on the tension within and between nations, a focus which I was sick of by Daylight War and didn't need another novel.

Part of the problem was an overdose of secondary characters AGAIN we get a flashback to a semi-new characters past, for little reason plotwise. The second problem is that one of Brett's strengths, his fight scenes started to get stale and confusing. It used to be very enjoyable to reach about Arlen and then Renna bashing demon's around, in Skull Throne there is too much dialogue, too much Krasian ninja work and the action felt more like a CGI story-board for a movie than a compelling written sequence.

Ultimately Skull Throne suffers much the same fate as so many epic fantasy sagas, the good plot is drip-fed to us while various side-quests and whatnot make up the bulk of the narrative, its frustrating a boring because Demon Cycle book get so close to being incredibly awesome if they had more quality and less quantity.

SPOILER ALERT

My final beef is that also going the way of cliche fantasy someone had to die, in my opinion this was boringly handled and felt more like shafting an underdeveloped but filled with potential character perhaps to be more 'Game of Thrones' the fallout I guess is reserved for the next book but the only tear-jerking the event caused was through yawning rather than mourning.

I still will of course read the next installment. Mutter, mutter closure issues. One major compliment I must pay Brett, is that there is no waiting around for this series to continue. Four books within sixish years is very impressive.

It’s been seven years since “The Warded Man” appeared, and we’re now on the fourth book of Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle, and it does that appear that the book after “The Skull Throne” (Del Rey, $28, 681 pages) will wind up a solid if not spectacular fantasy series.

The premise is that every night, demons emerge from the core of an unnamed planet to attack human beings, who are slowly losing this nocturnal war. They fight back with magic (a weapon used by the demons as well) and pre-industrial combat, and they’re hoping for the Deliverer to come to save the day.

“The Skull Throne” takes a bit of time to get going, but once in gear, it doesn’t lose momentum. Brett does tend to write very long fight scenes, though, and it also seems that if the danger was as great as some characters make it seem, more protagonists would be wounded and/or killed. That said, Brett is not afraid to surprise readers with unexpected deviations from the usual epic fantasy script, and that gives the Demon Cycle an edge many similar works lack.

If you haven’t dipped your toe in this series, definitely start with “The Warded Man,” but as with so many multi-volume fantasies, it will be impossible to really know its worth until the final battle is decided.

So, good news first. There's only one and a half chapters of flashbacks this time. Woohoo!
Bad news? Everything else.

Simply put, pretty much everything the reviews pointed out as problems in the last book are back with a vengeance. The pacing is all over the place. Much of the content is completely unnecessary and boring to read. Too much time is spent on minor characters or only certain ones. The sexual overtones are ridiculously present throughout. The demons are completely nonthreatening; they're walking batteries and little more.

There's just.. so much. TOO much. So I'm going to go into more detail in the comments with each problem I mentioned. There will be very light spoilers.

Bottom line.
If you liked The Daylight War: It's not quite as good, but I feel you'll still enjoy it so go ahead and pull the trigger.
If you DISliked The Daylight War: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. You're going to hate it immensely. I guarantee it.
If you haven't read any of the series: The Warded Man is an awesome book. But don't bother with ANY of the sequels. Especially this one.

I must say this series has won me over. I wouldn't have bought book 2 after finishing the first, but I had already bought it so I gave it a try and I liked the second book more than the first, and the third more than the second, and I have enjoyed the fourth (The Skull Throne) more than the previous ones. I guess the author keeps on building upon the characters so that you can finally relate to them and feel for them. There are also some surprises on this last book (The Skull Throne) so it isn't predictable. If the fifth book was out I would already have bought it. I can't wait for it to be published to read it. This series is not as good as The Lightbringer, Fire&Ice, Name of the Wind or The Stormlight Archive but it sure is addictive and enjoyable. So I can now recommend this series (keep on reading and it gets much better).

I wanted to like this book. I really really did. However, it was one of the handful of books in my life that I have had to force myself to pick back up and read. I love to read and there are plenty of times I'll read a book that others hate. This isn't one of them.

I don't even know where to begin. How about the lack of time given to the characters that should actually matter and I wanted to read about? They are nearly nonexistent in this book. And one thing I HATE about books is filler. It's like the publisher expects a certain page count and the author just creates a bunch of unnecessary filler to fill up those pages. It really does readers a disservice. Fast paced, this book is not.

I have always said that the love of a book is subjective. One person may adore a book while another may hate it. I didn't necessarily hate this book but feel like the hours spent reading it were wasted. With more effort and focus on characters with depth and a fast-paced plot the book would have some potential but as it is it just falls short.

I truly like the story behind these books, but The Skull Throne adds very little to the progress, unless you count the introduction of new characters that only serve to let the reader know the demon cycle will likely go down the game of thrones path [wherein every book that is supposed to be the final really leads to two more]. They've also inserted more gratuitous sex, and, much like the other books in the series, which I read anew with each new release, this story covers the same ground repeatedly; this means anyone who reads these books as I do will have read every character twist 12 times, at least.

It is my hope that in Mr. Brett's next release he will assume we as readers have actually read the books leading up to number five in advance, and not force books 1-4 down our throats over and over again, but I doubt it. I also hope he gives up on sharing his sexual fantasies via the Krasians and Hollow crew, but that too is unlikely.

What most I take from the Skull throne is that the next book will be the last I will read unless some major style changes come about.

Another great installation in the Demon Cycle, Brett continues to create a world where each character lives and evolves in an unforeseen way.
The story shifts with each novel unpredictably and the shift from a stereotypical good guys vs bad guys fantasy novel continues.
Beautifully told in a manner that allows the reader to easily imagine the characters and their actions so well they can almost see them. One of my favorite books and i recommend this series regularly to friends and even sometimes to people i don't know yet. READ THEM.

I was a fan of this author and this series, but after attempting to read the 4th book, I have given up on this series and this author. The first book was great - Arlen's story was very interesting so were the corelings. Book 2 brought in the boring Krasians who I could never get interested in since they had no redeeming qualities and were so two-dimensional. But I found some interesting things in it so I stuck with it as long as Arlen and the core lings were part of the story. The third book was OK but when did Arlen turn into some dumb bumpkin - what was with the hick language - that wasn't in the preceding books? It was insulting and degrading to the character. There were, also, too many character story lines I didn't care about. The author should have stuck to the story line in the first book. Still, there still some pieces of the original book present for me to continue reading the series.

I did look forward to the 4th book and even bought the hard cover (sorry the store- I bought it at B&N because I didn't want to wait). What a mistake! It was too many subplots of subplots of people no one cares about. I didn't bother finishing it - got through about 100 pages. I couldn't read about the Krasians "finding their center" anymore. I won't bother reading the 5th (dare I say final?) book because I am sure it will also be a disappointment. Thanks, Peter Brett for mutilating a really good story line just because you were greedy. Three books would have been ideal.

I didn't like this book. In a word, it's annoying. I'm sick of the endless Krasians and I'm sick of Leesha. The author really needs to make up his mind about what he wants his characters to be. Jardir is bad, then his wife is bad, then they are good, Leesha is a prim smart and unassuming maiden, then she is the most scatterbrained confused female you can find who has a headache at everyone. Arlen is cast as the protagonist, then Jardir is somehow an equal and now he seems to be the lead. All these exercises with different points of views may be all very well for literary muscle flexing but it doesn't make for good popular fiction. The sad part is, it's not going to be taught in universities as a literary masterpiece either because it isn't.

Words can not begin to say how great this book is. It is rich with strong characters and a world that is so detailed it draws you in from page one and won't let you go. The political intrigue is brilliant and the language is a masterpiece. I found myself dreaded each page I turned only knowing it would bring me closer to the end and I would have to wait for another book. Total agony. I need more now!!! I can not recommend this book (series) high enough.

Just finished reading "The Skull Throne", Book Four of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. Firstly, I'd like to say I won these 4 books in a giveaway a few months ago and will forever be thankful for that introducing me to this brilliant author, and this fantastic series of books. Secondly, this series is a hefty read, approximately 2,460 pages, but well worth every single second. I was never really an Epic Fantasy reader, but this genre is quickly becoming one of my favorites. From what I've read on Goodreads there is a 5th book coming our way in 2017 or 2018.
From Book 1 through Book 4 has been quite a journey. The characters are well developed, the world they live in is quit spectacular and fantastical. "We must not become demons in order to fight them".
Synopsis:
The Skull Throne of Krasia stands empty.
Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honor and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. From atop the throne, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging its isolated peoples into a unified army to rise up and end the demon war once and for all.
But Arlen Bales, the Warded Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel he could not in honor refuse. Rather than risk defeat, Arlen cast them both from a precipice, leaving the world without a savior, and opening a struggle for succession that threatens to tear the Free Cities of Thesa apart.
In the south, Inevera, Jardir’s first wife, must find a way to keep their sons from killing one another and plunging their people into civil war as they strive for glory enough to make a claim on the throne.
In the north, Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to forge an alliance between the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians before it is too late.
Caught in the crossfire is the duchy of Lakton—rich and unprotected, ripe for conquest.
All the while, the corelings have been growing stronger, and without Arlen and Jardir there may be none strong enough to stop them. Only Renna Bales may know more about the fate of the missing men, but she, too, has disappeared. . . .

Before I vent my frustration, I have to say this series, including this 4th book, is excellent. Peter's ability to write a page turner is not in doubt. A major issue I had with the book is finding myself being forced to sludge through drawn out back stories for characters I could care less about, hoping to come to a chapter that really moved the main story arcs forward. While the Krasian peoples are interesting and worth delving into, Mr. Brett spends way too much time forcing us to inspect this culture through a high resolution microscope in painfull detail for hours and be thrilled by every microscopic character's back story we find there.
I disagree with others who have complained about the time spent with Leesha and gang from the Hollow. These are core characters and I want to follow them, but not at the expense of a complete loss of contact with Arlan and Jadir for hundreds of pages.
My only other major complaint with this book is the clumsy rushed manner in which Rojer was killed off. This flat out pissed me off. Killing off major characters in and of itself is not a master stroke of modern fantasy. George RR Martin gets away with it by tying together well timed dramatic events that nearly demand some major characters be killed. Not only did the story not demand Rojer's death, it seems to have stumbled into it by accident. It was as if Rambo blew off his head while cleaning his riffle in first blood. My only hope here is Rojer's wives have secretly found some value in staging a fake death for their beloved.
Based on my review you may get the feeling I hated this book. I did not. Despite a healthy dose of frustration I finished the book in two days. It was well written and for the most part engaging. While rushed, I found the sudden failure of the Krasian army at gun point exciting and overdue. I felt was kept on the edge of my seat for a great deal of the book despite it being an obvious stage setting for the final novel in the series.

Since is one of the best fantasy series I have read in years. The characters are so well written I catch myself telling them what they should do and say in some situations. Great characters in a great story - what more could you ask for?

This is the best one so far.
The writing has improved (if you can believe it) since "Daylight War." If you haven't read the first three you will be lost. Highly recommended to those that want to laugh, cry, stay up all night and be thrust into an imaginative, dangerous, and rich world!!

This series has been one of my top 3 or 4 favorite series of all time. I will now start with the non-spoiler comments and let you know when I get to the spoiler section.

Non-Spoiler
1. I love the writing style and dialogue of all the books which continues in this one. It just has that comfortable feeling I have gotten from all the books.
2. It doesn't really focus enough on the main characters. It is kind of like the Game of Throne books when you start reading and realize, "Oh crap, he is going to focus on the side characters". Not that they main characters aren't in it but there is so much focus on the secondary characters.
3. I would rate it as the worst in the series. I love them all so that is still a good book but I would say it is the weakest so far.

Spoilers!
1. For a book that started with the "Warded Man", shouldn't he be in this one more than like a chapter or 2?!
2. Deaths happen to the good and bad but there should be a little more payoff on the bad ones. I felt like the good guys dying were covered quite well. However, when you build us up to hate a character, give us more than a quick paragraph on his death.
3. Good book but not what I was hoping. Now just a couple years for the one I was hoping for!

It seems like every epic fantasy has to go into the woods a little bit before it gets back on track. It's part of the journey I think. This enjoyable but not especially compelling novel (hopefully) will be that diversion before Brett finds his homestretch. While there are some excellent action scenes and at least SOME important fleshing out of the story here, there are long sectons of The Skull Throne that feel very much like bloat. It's "well-written" bloat mind you, but bloat nonetheless. Arlen and Jardir are the heart of this story, and limiting their time here weakens the narritive and caused me to "skim read" in several chapters. I hate that.....But the mish-mash of Krasian names and relations and storylines just isn't interesting enough to hold a book together. Here's hoping the next book will get back on track, pick up the pacing, and focus on the really interesting part of the story. Brett can do it. He's a fantastic writer and storyteller. Just needs his mojo back.

Words can not begin to say how great this book is. It is rich with strong characters and a world that is so detailed it draws you in from page one and won't let you go. The political intrigue is brilliant and the language is a masterpiece. I found myself dreaded each page I turned only knowing it would bring me closer to the end and I would have to wait for another book. Total agony. I need more now!!! I can not recommend this book (series) high enough.

Just finished reading "The Skull Throne", Book Four of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. Firstly, I'd like to say I won these 4 books in a giveaway a few months ago and will forever be thankful for that introducing me to this brilliant author, and this fantastic series of books. Secondly, this series is a hefty read, approximately 2,460 pages, but well worth every single second. I was never really an Epic Fantasy reader, but this genre is quickly becoming one of my favorites. From what I've read on Goodreads there is a 5th book coming our way in 2017 or 2018.
From Book 1 through Book 4 has been quite a journey. The characters are well developed, the world they live in is quit spectacular and fantastical. "We must not become demons in order to fight them".
Synopsis:
The Skull Throne of Krasia stands empty.
Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honor and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. From atop the throne, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging its isolated peoples into a unified army to rise up and end the demon war once and for all.
But Arlen Bales, the Warded Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel he could not in honor refuse. Rather than risk defeat, Arlen cast them both from a precipice, leaving the world without a savior, and opening a struggle for succession that threatens to tear the Free Cities of Thesa apart.
In the south, Inevera, Jardir’s first wife, must find a way to keep their sons from killing one another and plunging their people into civil war as they strive for glory enough to make a claim on the throne.
In the north, Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to forge an alliance between the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians before it is too late.
Caught in the crossfire is the duchy of Lakton—rich and unprotected, ripe for conquest.
All the while, the corelings have been growing stronger, and without Arlen and Jardir there may be none strong enough to stop them. Only Renna Bales may know more about the fate of the missing men, but she, too, has disappeared. . . .

Before I vent my frustration, I have to say this series, including this 4th book, is excellent. Peter's ability to write a page turner is not in doubt. A major issue I had with the book is finding myself being forced to sludge through drawn out back stories for characters I could care less about, hoping to come to a chapter that really moved the main story arcs forward. While the Krasian peoples are interesting and worth delving into, Mr. Brett spends way too much time forcing us to inspect this culture through a high resolution microscope in painfull detail for hours and be thrilled by every microscopic character's back story we find there.
I disagree with others who have complained about the time spent with Leesha and gang from the Hollow. These are core characters and I want to follow them, but not at the expense of a complete loss of contact with Arlan and Jadir for hundreds of pages.
My only other major complaint with this book is the clumsy rushed manner in which Rojer was killed off. This flat out pissed me off. Killing off major characters in and of itself is not a master stroke of modern fantasy. George RR Martin gets away with it by tying together well timed dramatic events that nearly demand some major characters be killed. Not only did the story not demand Rojer's death, it seems to have stumbled into it by accident. It was as if Rambo blew off his head while cleaning his riffle in first blood. My only hope here is Rojer's wives have secretly found some value in staging a fake death for their beloved.
Based on my review you may get the feeling I hated this book. I did not. Despite a healthy dose of frustration I finished the book in two days. It was well written and for the most part engaging. While rushed, I found the sudden failure of the Krasian army at gun point exciting and overdue. I felt was kept on the edge of my seat for a great deal of the book despite it being an obvious stage setting for the final novel in the series.

Since is one of the best fantasy series I have read in years. The characters are so well written I catch myself telling them what they should do and say in some situations. Great characters in a great story - what more could you ask for?

This is the best one so far.
The writing has improved (if you can believe it) since "Daylight War." If you haven't read the first three you will be lost. Highly recommended to those that want to laugh, cry, stay up all night and be thrust into an imaginative, dangerous, and rich world!!

This series has been one of my top 3 or 4 favorite series of all time. I will now start with the non-spoiler comments and let you know when I get to the spoiler section.

Non-Spoiler
1. I love the writing style and dialogue of all the books which continues in this one. It just has that comfortable feeling I have gotten from all the books.
2. It doesn't really focus enough on the main characters. It is kind of like the Game of Throne books when you start reading and realize, "Oh crap, he is going to focus on the side characters". Not that they main characters aren't in it but there is so much focus on the secondary characters.
3. I would rate it as the worst in the series. I love them all so that is still a good book but I would say it is the weakest so far.

Spoilers!
1. For a book that started with the "Warded Man", shouldn't he be in this one more than like a chapter or 2?!
2. Deaths happen to the good and bad but there should be a little more payoff on the bad ones. I felt like the good guys dying were covered quite well. However, when you build us up to hate a character, give us more than a quick paragraph on his death.
3. Good book but not what I was hoping. Now just a couple years for the one I was hoping for!

It seems like every epic fantasy has to go into the woods a little bit before it gets back on track. It's part of the journey I think. This enjoyable but not especially compelling novel (hopefully) will be that diversion before Brett finds his homestretch. While there are some excellent action scenes and at least SOME important fleshing out of the story here, there are long sectons of The Skull Throne that feel very much like bloat. It's "well-written" bloat mind you, but bloat nonetheless. Arlen and Jardir are the heart of this story, and limiting their time here weakens the narritive and caused me to "skim read" in several chapters. I hate that.....But the mish-mash of Krasian names and relations and storylines just isn't interesting enough to hold a book together. Here's hoping the next book will get back on track, pick up the pacing, and focus on the really interesting part of the story. Brett can do it. He's a fantastic writer and storyteller. Just needs his mojo back.

I loved all the other books. I like his writing. I think I'm just tired of all the stupidity. It's perhaps plausible that man faced with destruction at the hands of something as horrible as demons would still try it's best to kill each other. I have not finished reading the book yet, I'm going to try to force myself too but I guess the books are just too dark for my taste at this point. I'm not a big fan of killing off characters for the sake of killing them off, perhaps being edgy. Maybe there will be a little more hope at the end of the book, but right now it's all very depressing and not really entertaining, at least to myself. Lots of people love this kind of stuff I'm sure.

This series is slowly dying and I am so sad to even write this post. When Brett began, I was excited to see someone new in the space and telling a fun story without getting bogged down every other paragraph. As the series has continued, the books haven't been nearly as exciting as the first one. Nothing has progressed. The story isn't moving in any real direction and I do want to see this go somewhere. I have invested some time and care into this series. I wish Brett would as well.

Any new readers, I would hold off and wait till the series is finished before getting into this book.

I tried so hard to get through this book after reading the first 3. I just couldn't do it. I've only quit reading 1 other book in my entire life and this is the 2nd. I made it halfway through before realizing I just wasn't enjoying this and it felt like work. I hear the final book in the series brings it back, but this book is near constant filler with characters I have a tough time connecting with that seems like it should be a side story or series of novellas. I want to finish the series with book 5, but this has killed my desire to see the end. Maybe one day I'll come back.

Ok, So I don't mind character development, mostly. The first book was great. The second was good. The third was ok. I mostly skimmed this one, and Im sorry I spent money on it. I closed the book when a major character was killed off to no good purpose. I don't mind characters getting killed off typically it advances the story. Here it does nothing, especially after a good portion of the book is spent on developing this character. He was just getting interesting. It felt contrived, pointless, and deliberately done. GRRM envy? Anyway, I learned my lesson, will I check out the fifth book? You betcha...as I drink my coffee in the book store, and when Im done I'll put it back on the shelf for someone else to do the same.

The author can probably delete this and the third book altogether or combine it with the fifth. So much filler just to make more books in this series. I probably skimmed or skip half of the book to find more intersting parts. I am extremely disappointed after loving his first two books.

As a fan from the beginning of this series i feel totally let down and don't understand the shift in pace in this 4th book in a series of 5 and already think the 5th and final book will be rushed to the end. The pace and story was great throughout the first 3 books, this 4th book makes no sense towards the main 2 male characters roles and capabilities. Why add so many new characters? why give us so much more character history into seemingly 3rd party roles? Why the hell are Arlen, Ahmann and Renna left out for the most part and.... seriously 2 months/moons/wainings wasted and spent to get so little information out of a prisoner?. Without giving too much more away to onlookers i don't see the point in now killing off a main character unless there is going to be a full new series on the same storyline delving into second generation characters as there are so many babies on the way with potentially more that haven't been mentioned as yet..... it has that feel for me. If this is the case so be it but i still feel i got little to nothing out of this book in an announced series of 5 when it should have taken us into a battlefield of combined levels which should've been layed out in the 4th book. Maybe more fool me but i like to see things through and i will read the final book in Demon Cycle, i just won't be counting the days to it with anticipation as i did with book 2, 3 and 4.

Ever since picking up a copy of Brett’s “The Warded Man” back in 2010, I have loved this series. “The Skull Throne” does not disappoint. I would be lying if I did not say there have been ups and downs with this series. Some of the books are better than others. Brett brought a dose of fresh air to fantasy with “The Warded Man.” In my opinion, the original book is the best in the series. Not because it is written better, because it set-up an intriguing post-apocalyptic story the likes of which I had never read. The characters are well thought out. The magical system Brett introduces his readers is unique to anything I have read.

If you have not read any of the previous novels, then you are about to encounter spoilers. “The Skull Throne” picks up after Arlen and Jardir’s jaw dropping deaths as their battle took them over a cliff in “The Daylight War.” The two-sides are searching for these two “Deliverers.” We find out early in the book what really happened, and if these two former friends but now bitter rivals can work together to save humanity.

While I hate to use the term “soap opera,” this series definitely takes on the tones of a soap. There are ups and downs in this story. We lose some fan favorite characters. One notable character that we have been with for most of the series, but thanks to the “hora” magic, we had foreshadowing of his death. Betrayal and intrigue follow the characters in “The Skull Throne.” With the death of Jardir, much of the intrigue revolves around who will sit the Skull Throne. We cannot forget the importance of Leesha and the secret surrounding who is the father of her child. Then there is Rojer and his growing harem. Can Abban and Inevera work together without Jardir?

This was a worthy sequel, and was definitely a book I found hard to put down.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I've been confused by all the negative reviews, this book is just like all the rest in the Demon Cycle and I've enjoyed them all for the most part. If you enjoyed the others this fits in and honestly fills in some of the gaps in the story to date. Brett's writing style is to flashback on primary characters to give the reader insight into their motivation. I've found this artifact a bit old hat but heck he's established this as his pattern and I've come to expect it (the reason for my down vote of a star).

I do have to say though that it feels like Peter Brett spent some of his time between book three and four reading G.R.R.Martin suffice it to say I had quite a few WTH moments with some of my favorites.

I can't wait for the next one and I'm going to pick up the Briar side story (the Messengers side story) as it is relevant to this book.

Guess what? I don't love you Renna Bales. And I don't love you either Arlen Bales.

The premise of the first book was good and I wanted to keep going. The second book was solid as well. Then we get to the third book and we have the miscarriage that is Arlen and Renna. I'm not sure where this relationship came from. Out of nowhere, they're together and hopelessly in love. It makes no sense. The incessant "I love you Renna Bales." and "I love you Arlen Bales." It's on every page. Any time either one of them breathes or has a thought, there it is again.

And why is it that Arlen suddenly starts talking like a yokel in book 3? Ent, ent, ent. It's ridiculous. Why Mr. Brett? WHYYY?

This series reminds me of the Wheel of Time, when it took that unfortunate detour in the middle of the series. The detour that lasted 4 books and drove many us mad. Instead of Aes Sedai, we get Dama'ting and Sharum. Goodie. I had hoped the 3rd book was an anomaly, with its glacial pace and its cast of unimportant tertiary characters that occupy the bulk of the pages. It isn't. This book is the same.

I can't do it any longer. I quit. I hope the demons slaughter the whole cast.

Huge fan of Mr B but this outing is weak in contrast to the previous work. I think it's the absence of large roles for Areln and Jardir (saving them up for book five I suspect). I also found it becoming confusion with the sheer number of characters whose names begin with an A.
In its own right this is a strong 3* but as past of the series, its at the lower end of the scale.

I can't imagine anybody reading this who hasn't read the previous three books so on the strength of purchase alone, yes... buy it. It promises a strong fifth book even though this one was somewhat frustrating. The writing style, characterization and interplay between characters is high quality (as you'd expect from Mr B) but I felt the plot would have benefited from more of Arlen and Jardir.

Still not enjoying the Renna character. He did begin to trim down the extra characters (killing them), so things are getting serious. Brett killed one character that I hadn't expected and it makes me curious how the ramifications will be dealt with in the final book.