SKYBORN

Friends are the family you choose, and family is the enemy you combat in an oppressive empire ripe for rebellion.

In this third entry in the Thrones & Bones series, Thianna the half-giantess and Karn the average-sized human are en route to recover the Horn of Osius (once stolen by Thianna’s mother when she escaped Caldera, stolen back by the Calderans in Book 2). Desstra the dark elf makes the duo a pale-skinned trio, even if Thianna doesn’t quite trust her yet. However, six hands won’t suffice when dueling a dual monarchy—and an ornery, olive-skinned young soldier named Sirena—for the horn before it can be used to enslave a new generation of wyvern hatchlings and prolong the Calderans’ tyrannical rule. As the trio strategizes a victory, Thianna tries to relish seeing her mother’s homeland for the first time, not knowing that her bloodlines extend even further. More exquisite creatures are added to the roster (a very vocal minotaur, a royal wood nymph, fleets of arachne), amplifying the fantasy fanfare. Multiple points of view (Thianna, Karn, Desstra, Sirena, and more) continue to offer varied perspectives and perpetuate an unfurling momentum. It is essential to have read the two predecessors to comprehend character dynamics and appreciate the ever-so-slightly didactic lesson to treasure friendships evolving in the unlikeliest of contemporaries.

A throneworthy consort in a series forged in fantasy.