Skip to main content

story identification - Fantasy book series (perhaps trilogy) with elite soldiers flying on birds


I'm trying to remember the name of an adult fantasy series I read recently and would appreciate any help. Some things I remember (all from very near the beginning so as to avoid spoilers) are:



  • three royal siblings are separated - a brother is in a monastery (name begins with K), another brother training as an elite soldier (name begins with V), and sister remaining in capital (name perhaps begins with A)

    • the siblings have glowing eyes


    • the main religion in the capital is based around light/fire

    • the royal "palace" is a huge spire coming from the ground



  • the soldiers fly on warrior birds in squadrons called Wings and are training on a remote island

  • the monastery is in a desert, worshipping a "blank" god

  • their father, the emperor, dies and chaos ensues across the land


Target audience is definitely adult - they don't shy away from the gore of battle and deal with adult themes including sexual assault. I don't know when they were published, but if there were three then the first must have been at least 4yrs ago.



Answer




I think I got it. Is it Chronicle of The Unhewn Throne series by Brian Staveley?


TLDR; version



  1. Three Siblings; Kaden, Valyn and their sister Adare.

  2. Their father, the Emperor has been murdered.

  3. Kaden lives in a monastery with monks of the Blank God.

  4. Valyn trains with an Elite unit of troops (The Kettral) which uses black hawks as their mounts. Their HQ is located in Qirin Islands.

  5. Adare lives in the capital.

  6. The Imperial House claims descent from the goddess Intarra and cites this heritage as the reason for their blazing eyes. While All Emperors have such eyes, not all of the princelings have them. Kaden is heir to the throne because of possessing such eyes, despite being younger than Valyn.

  7. Four books in the series; The Emperor's Blades (2014), The Providence of Fire (2015), The Last Mortal Bond (2016). Fourth one, Skullsworn was published 2017 and is available on Amazon (Shout out to Eshier for pointing it out).


  8. There is an order of Courtesans called leina.



Long Version


This is what Goodreads.com says about The Emperor's Blades (Book 1 of the series):



The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.


His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several ‘accidents’ and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the mercenaries’ brutal final initiation.


Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice.


And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways – which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?




As for the eyes:



"Valyn [is older], by one year. It's a really common mistake. Kaden is heir to the throne for his eyes, not his age."



Also, the Publisher's page confirms existence of birds used by the Elite troops:



In The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, the emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.


Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.


An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.



At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing—and risk everything—to see that justice is meted out.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more