The Emperor’s Blades: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1

Debut novelist Staveley introduces a trio of royal offspring separated by distance, training, and the conspiracy that killed their father in this quick-paced, multithreaded fantasy. Kaden, the murdered emperor’s heir, struggles to master the monastic mental discipline that will allow him to control ancient teleportation gates. Valyn, learning to command a bird-borne military unit, must pass initiation and fly to Kaden’s rescue. Adare, their sister, remains in the capital as the head minister of finance and leads the trial against the accused killer. All three find unexpected allies and painful betrayals as a threat long thought dead comes to light. Staveley puts his protagonists to the test and is wise enough to allow them shortcomings even as they develop extraordinary abilities. While the background material and the system of magic are complicated, enough details are leaked to help the reader cope. (Jan.)