When the White Fire passed through the city of Amenkor a thousand years ago, it brought insanity and ruin...until the death of the Mistress, the ruler of Amenkor and the wielder of the Skewed Throne. Now, the ethereal Fire has come again, beginning the same spiral of destruction once more. And it has touched everyone. Including Varis, a young girl barely surviving in the slums of the city. Able to see the world in a wash of reds and grays, she can sense danger and evil in others, the only thing keeping her alive. When the White Fire comes again, it changes her as it changes everyone in the city. The slums become even more dangerous as the city and its Mistress begin to sink into madness. In response, Varis is forced to become an assassin, trained and guided by Erick, one of the Seekers, the elite guard of the Mistress and protectors of the Skewed Throne. But what can gutterscum like Varis do to stop the destruction of everything she has ever known? The only thing that worked the last time: The Mistress of Amenkor must die. ************ Praise for The Skewed Throne: "This novel grips the reader with a swift-moving tale of political intrigue and economic survival in a world where the most dangerous secrets are never forgotten." —Publishers Weekly "[The Skewed Throne is] A gritty, edgy, unsettling book. This tough young woman makes her choices in a world where good and evil often look like twins. I was riveted by her story!" — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of the Song of the Lioness series