The Nameless Throne

The Inkweaver Archive #1

by Lisa Cassidy

An ambitious orphan. A ruthless warlord. An impossible destiny.

Arya Nameless is a lowly Raider posted to an isolated fort in the most dangerous place in Dunidaen. She has few prospects, and as much as she loves her fellow soldiers, she burns for more—more control, more autonomy, more power.

When her bravery during an unexpected attack leads to an offer to join the household of one of Dunidaen’s warlords, Arya finds a home and family she never expected. Yet her quicksilver temper and fierce pride put her place there at constant risk.

And as her warlord embroils them all in a dangerous political game to rule Dunidaen, over the border to the west, the Nightstalker lurks. A king who wields powerful magic, the Nightstalker’s fate is inextricably entwined with Arya’s. His relentless pursuit will force Arya into a choice she doesn’t want to make, between loyalty and love, and taking hold of the destiny she was born to fulfill.

Which will she choose?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

539 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2023

About the author

Lisa Cassidy is an Australian epic fantasy author writing character-driven stories filled with political intrigue, found family, loyalty, and magic. Her books span both adult and young adult fantasy, with romance woven in as a slow-burn subplot rather than the central focus.

She is the author of the young adult fantasy series The Mage Chronicles and Heir to the Darkmage, and adult epic fantasy series A Tale of Stars and Shadow and The Inkweaver Archive. She is currently working on a sequel to A Tale of Stars and Shadow.

Lisa is an author by day and book nerd in every other spare moment she has. She’s a self-confessed coffee snob (don’t try coming near her with any of that instant coffee rubbish) but is willing to accept all other hot drink aficionados, even tea drinkers.

She lives in Australia’s capital city, Canberra, and like all Australians, is pretty much in constant danger from highly poisonous spiders, crocodiles, sharks, and drop bears, to name a few. As you can see, she is also pro-Oxford comma.

A 2019 SPFBO finalist and a finalist for the 2020 ACT Writers Fiction Award, Lisa also partners with One Girl, an Australian charity working to ensure girls everywhere have access to quality education. A percentage of her royalties support this work.

Lisa loves to chat with readers. Visit her website for free bonus content, details on her street team, and information about her reader community, the Inkweavers: lisacassidyauthor.com

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read multiple series from Ms. Cassidy and have loved them. This one, while initially engaging, just didn’t catch my fancy, though. The pacing is slow and not much really exciting happens throughout the majority of the story. The overall plotline is a very interesting one but, probably because of the slog getting anywhere, it just never drew me in enough to want to continue to the next book.

[Kym's Open Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) You see those 5 stars? I love Lisa Cassidy. Her adult fantasy hits me exactly where I need it. I am entertained, the characters are endearing and there is always action and excitement throughout. Check out her other series I loved, A Tale of Stars and Shadow. That series earned a five full stars from me also.

Arya is an orphan that is a fierce warrior. She is rash, temperamental, arrogant, loyal and impulsive. All the attributes I love in a flawed, strong character. She’s young but she earns her place. Because of her actions, she is taken into the household of a warlord. Here she finds people who really become family. A found family in a book is a favorite of mine, but Cassidy takes it to a different level. The characters are so genuine that they feel real. They make mistakes and have consequences.


Ultimately, I didn’t want it to end. That is the sign of great writing. The world was an incredible place to visit that I could not get enough of. Best of all, I can picture her world! Sometimes I can only picture bits and pieces of a world but Cassidy brings hers to life without lengthy descriptions. Somehow, Cassidy makes me feel a connection with her books and characters. I adore each one and own multiple copies. I love that she can endear me to these stories so easily. How quickly can I get book 2 Lisa??

Thank you to Lisa Cassidy and Tate House Publishing for the gifted copy!

The book releases September 21, 2023.

Triggers/content: https://www.theopenbooks.net/2023/09/...

[Mhor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just received the ARC!

So excited to read

Honestly, Lisa Cassidy can do no wrong.

Brilliant read. Can’t wait for more!

Will write more once I’ve processed

[Jamie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️
I liked this story. I like how the author creates a world that is easy to understand, but it’s not too simple. The main character, Arya, is a Raider, a job which she is very passionate about. She is considered a Nameless because she is an orphan who doesn’t know her lineage. But of course, there is more to her. I thought the book started off strong, but then it kind of lulled a little. I wanted to learn more about who she is, but there was just denial and a lot of ignoring it. I hope that in the next books, we get to see more of that side of Arya. Overall, a good story and looking forward to the next book!

[Adeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

First of all, to thank that author for sending me an ARC for review.

This is the second series I read from Lisa Cassidy, as with the first one I do love her writing, it’s fluid and the world building is smoothly given throughout the book.

The world itself is interesting, nothing super original but some elements I did like.

One of my favourite trope is found family and this book has a beautiful example of one. I loved the relationship between the characters. I did like how some plot points didn’t go the way I thought they would.

Our mc is a young woman Arya (aged 17 to 20), she excels in her job as a warrior but as she is put in a different job, you can see her growth and learning strategy and politics.

She’s very passionate and quick to anger, with a smudge of arrogance and overthinking. These moments were sometimes frustrating to read but this could be attributed to her youth and her background as a street orphan, because she definitely had matured at the end. It was also very interesting to see moments when she clearly states she wanted more power, making her a bit more of a grey character which I like.
She’s also bisexual/pansexual with a sapphic love interest which is always a nice rep to see.

The rest of the cast was compelling especially the warlord Thiara.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binge-read this in a day so if that’s all you need to know then happy reading!

For those who need a bit more…

This is the fourth Lisa Cassidy series I’ve read and it’s shaping up to be my second favourite (ATOSAS still reigns supreme). We follow the FMC, Arya Nameless, as she battles her own being-17-and-thinking-she-knows-how-to-do-everything (super frustrating to read) but she undergoes growth and comes out more mature by the end of the book.

The villains though! They are WONDERFUL to hate! So smug and infuriating I just wanted them to be publicly humiliated in a massive way. Definitely hoping something like this happens in book 2.

I would have liked a bit more of a look at Arya and those found family relationships as that aspect did feel a little hollow but the characters were all great individually.

If you like found family, adventure, a bit of mystery, forbidden magic, and good writing then this is the read for you.

[Cari WIlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Reader

“The Nameless Heir” is the first book in Lisa Cassidy’s newest trilogy, The Ink Weaver Archive and after reading it I can’t wait for the rest of the story!

Ambitious Arya Nameless is working as a Raider in northern Dunidaen when a violent encounter with Wraiths leaves her unsettled and in charge of her shield. From there, a series of encounters and events lead Arya to a new job as the apprentice to General Desomer and a place in the household of the new warlord of Ravenstrike. Changes and challenges come fast and furious as Arya navigates new friendships, responsibilities and threats. On top of all of this, she needs to figure out who the Etherean are and what they want of her. Oh yeah….did I mention dragons?

I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. Cassidy’s writing gets better with each book, I really enjoy the world's she builds and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series!

[Irenaeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the review I wanted to write!

I absolutely adore Lisa Cassidy's A Tale of Stars and Shadow: absolutely the most underrated, enjoyable, and unexpected series I've ever read. So I was very excited to see what she did with her latest adult epic fantasy series. Unfortunately, it didn't come across as Cassidy's best work.

The differences here are pretty significant: we are more in the world of traditional high epic fantasy, following a fifteen-year-old orphan, Arya Nameless, who fights in a military unit called the Raiders. Eventually, she's adopted into the family of the Warlord Thiara Ravenstrike, where she finds a family with several other kids her age and trains to take up a powerful magical inheritance. A similar story to ATOSAS, but I found the younger characters a little bit less natural here than the mid-twenties characters in her previous series. The found family didn't feel organic to me, and many of the character-building scenes felt rushed and unjustified. It was hard for me to feel attached to the characters in the same way I felt with the Wolves. I don't like to compare, because this is very much its own series, but when you've written something as good as ATOSAS, it's hard not to.

Lisa Cassidy's worldbuilding is always interesting, and this is a much darker world than the one of ATOSAS, with constant threats, gray morality, and lots of fighting. The "five chosen ones" trope is an interesting one to mess with in such a dark world, and my prevailing thought was that this book was a slow setup for a potentially huge epic fantasy story. But it failed to hook me and I wonder if starting the story in medias res at the end of book 1 would have almost been a better idea.

Cassidy showed in ATOSAS that her strengths, unique for an epic fantasy author, are when the cast is very small. She can really be convincing about character dynamics and create great emotional plots, as well as being a master of blurring genres and writing kind of outside-the-box, wacky, over-the-top ideas. I'm not sure she's as strong in epic settings like this, and the parts of ATOSAS where the story abandoned the five or six characters we really cared about. I'm hoping the more isolated setting of book 2 will help the character arcs come a little more cleanly into play so that Cassidy can really exercise her strengths. I'm looking forward to it.

Rating: 5.5/10
Closest comparison: weirdly, Malice by John Gwynne (but better!)

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s ok. There was a lot to like, but a lot I didn’t like. I should also state I don’t like YA, didn’t realize it before I started reading, but I hate not finishing books.

For not to like, I felt a lot of telling and not showing when it came to the MC and her love of being a raider. I know the MC was presented as juvenile and temper tantrum prone as she was so she had “room to grow” but honestly with those issues presented as extreme as they were, without the hidden secret knowledge of destiny the warlord has, there’s zero reason for her to be taken as seriously as she is and given the opportunities she is. I also felt we were too wrapped up in suspicious MC head (which honestly also seemed forced) to care about Essa or Darmanin too much. I know that’s the point and their relationship will grow as the series moves on, but it just felt so contrived. I didn’t like the denial and I can do everything on my own attitude of the MC but that I felt was more believable. Eh, it seems a lot of authors like to write a character that can grow by making them seeming kinda stupid and shitty in the beginning, and this character is pretty much that.

On the other hand, I like the basic world she created well enough, despite disliking the whole hidden destiny trope. I like some of the side characters well enough. I like that politicking is involved even though it was watered down, bc that’s inevitable when taking things as big picture as the author does and I hate when it’s ignored. I like that we didn’t really have a main love interest so we could focus on MC and the whole story and cast. I DON’T like that this is another set up to a series bc I like it when individual books can still lead to something bigger but you get a satisfying story with mostly closure, but for a setup it wasn’t terrible. I actually am kinda wondering where this goes, despite the fact that I can probably guess. Like I see the big strokes of the story, but I’m hoping she’ll put in the smaller things that make it a bit different and give it her own spin. So she gets points that I’m kinda interested in the sequel despite the fact I really don’t like YA books and all the stereotypes that go along with them.

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Nameless Throne” is one of those rare books that grabs hold of you from the very first pages and never quite lets go. The storyline is strikingly unique and deeply captivating, unfolding in a way that feels both fresh and unexpected. Every scene is rendered with vivid, descriptive writing that makes the world feel alive. Lisa’s writing immediately pulls you into the story and keeps you fully immersed, page after page.

While I initially had a tough time connecting with the main character, Arya, due to her brash personality and constant risk-taking, that challenge ultimately became part of what made the journey so rewarding. Her actions are part of who she is, and over time I came to truly appreciate the consistency behind her personality and her overall growth as she matures. Watching her evolve throughout the book felt earned and authentic, adding emotional weight to the story as a whole.

One of the greatest strengths in “The Nameless Throne” lies in its side characters. I adored each and every one of them, from Rorin to Essa to Peemla to Darmanin. They are richly developed, memorable, and bring so much depth and texture to the narrative. Rather than feeling like background filler, these characters elevate the story, shaping the world and Arya in meaningful ways.

Overall, “The Nameless Throne” is a powerful, beautifully written novel with a compelling cast and a storyline that lingers long after the final page. It’s a book that draws you in and rewards you with a satisfying reading experience. Further, the sequel “The Dreadwater Gate” brings the immediate desire to continue reading into the strategic, rich, action-packed, and highly anticipated sequel. Definitely recommend!

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arya, a young soldier with nothing but an orphan background, gets an unexpected promotion when the border is breached and her patrol is ambushed by dangerous magical creatures. Over the next few years, Arya joins her war lord's household as she learns under the general. Her new position also brings her in contact with the war lord's mute heir, a cast off heir of another war lord, and the daughter of a dangerous criminal. As they slowly learn to trust one another, Arya becomes more involved with the political struggles of her war lord, while also dealing with a strange warning that Arya herself may not be a nameless orphan, and that she and her new friends may be in danger.

A lot happens in this book, as it covers several years, and people & events change over time. While I enjoyed the journey, I think some parts could be cut to make this book more concise, but if you have the time, and are interested in a longer journey, then this book is fine as it is.

Arya grows slowly from an impetuous teenage soldier to a slightly more mature woman, who earns her position as captain. I like the connections she forges, her role models, and the friends she makes among her fellow soldiers and others.

This series promises magic, friendships, magical creatures... but this is the first book that mostly sets the political stage and setting. I'm sure the next books will feature a lot more magic, especially given the events in the final chapter.

This book was slow but engrossing, and I finished it quicker than I expected. I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

[Jonathan Van Crumpet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orphan Arya Nameless is a Raider, part of a brigade of soldiers answerable to their Warlord, and powerless to influence the strategic decisions she strongly believes she could handle better than her lazy and narrow-minded commander.

When a border fort fails to check in as usual, a chain of events leads Arya to a promotion, a family, and an unsettling insight into her origins and possible future. But will her temper lead her into one mistake too far, endangering all her dreams?

Of course it will. Because, character growth. And there is so much character growth in this book, brought about by her various friends and mentors who can see potential in her fierceness, loyalty and creative, if reckless, bravery.

There is magic - only really an introduction in this first book - and the tease of dragon action further into the series. Plenty of action, drama, found family (no romance as plot yet, but a few mentions) and combat. Ends at a good place for a new adventure in book two.

The prose is engaging and accessible, with only slightly unusual names, and the world-building of the weaponry, food, clothing and landscape is immersive.

An excellent book. Downloading book 2 now.

[Ashley Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good read

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Nameless Throne (The Inkweaver Archive Book 1) by Lisa Cassidy

Arya Nameless is an orphan. She clawed her way up within the Raider ranks in the frozen borderlands of Dunidaen. She dreams of power, purpose and a place to belong.

Her bravery and potential catches the eye of Warlord Ravenstrike, the first female Warlord, she is swept into a new world of strategy, statecraft and politics. One misstep could cost her the future.

Across the border, an ancient enemy stirs. The Nightwalker, king of Andahar. He is searching for her and threatens the lives of everyone around her. Arya will need to make a choice between loyalty and the lives of the people she has come to see as family.

This was such a good read. Arya is hot headed but determined and gets in her own way quite often but she at least faces consequences which is realistic. It’s quite nice that there doesn’t seem to be a romance either which is quite nice for a FMC in a fantasy! I’m so excited to read the next book in the series!

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!
I get very excited when Lisa produces a new series but bummed when I read the first one and have to wait for the next.
I thought the worlds and characters had more development than in some previous series and I love this authors strong female lead characters. Great start to the series and feels like there is much more excitement to come in the rest of the series - particularly as the magic and confidence of the characters grows.
I did get a little confused by the main characters love interest, it felt a little unnecessary to me - like it almost took away from the story rather than adding to it, but perhaps there is more to come on that.
Overall - fantastic, loved it. Probably the quickest I’ve read of Lisa’s books!
Thanks Lisa, now quick get back to writing so we can read more.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly great, and I don’t say this lightly. Initially, I discovered this book because of my love for another series by the same author, "A Tale of Stars and Shadow", which, in my opinion, is one of the best fantasy series I've come across in quite some time. I was a bit skeptical about the main character only being seventeen, but it soon didn’t matter at all. Arya is a fierce character, and despite having a bit of a temper, I found myself rooting for her from the beginning. The pacing of this book was just perfect for me. A coherent storyline was always visible, with plenty of events unfolding, and the story was so gripping that I read until (very) late at night. Yet, it wasn't an anxiety-inducing read where each page holds a new and dreadful surprise, causing you to rush through the pages anxiously. No, in this book, I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter.
As I am writing this, I have already started the second book, and my only problem is that I will have to wait until the rest of this series is published. This book truly deserves more recognition, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in fairly quick speed once I got stuck into it. A solid opening to what appears to be a very interesting series. As with other books from this author, the storyline moves at a good speed which, if you're like me, you appreciate. And the characters are well written too - each have distinct personalities (I quite like Essa, and I'm hoping she'll come to the fore more as the series progresses). There are quite a lot of characters introduced in this first book, so I did find myself having to work a bit harder to remember them all, but I'm hoping that means some sort of epic battle later on will take place with each character getting a starring role (!).

Thanks to Lisa Cassidy and her team for letting me be part of the ARC - looking forward to book 2 already!

[Jenning Asche · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really had me pondering. I wanted to know what happened - and necessarily didn’t need to know. It was OK at best. Great understanding of the government and how it works. World building is ok to understand - the FMC is …ugh FRUSTRATING.

A constant battle of unknowns. A lot of chapters started and ended with this constant repetition of verbiage and the middle plot of those chapters was truly story driven that made you want to keep going.

Even with the epilogue however, there’s not enough desire for me to continue. I enjoyed Arya and her friends to new family. But here’s my send off.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant!!! Book 1 of 4 and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2

I'm in shock because I love her previous 3 series so much, but OMG this series knocks her other 3 out of the ballpark for brilliance from page 1.

Yet again Lisa Cassidy's brilliance at strategy, battle plans and her characters with warmth, grit and wit, get me every time. Like "Give me your best shot, pretty boy" as she challenges another Raider, I laughed at that.

And the epilogue......whoa!! Cannot wait to see how this all plays out. I'd give 6 stars if they had them.

[Dane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of Lisa Cassidy’s latest book and it doesn’t disappoint. Lisa Cassidy is a deft hand at building a new world with interesting characters, races and backgrounds that keeps you turning the page just to see what happens next.

Highly recommended, and if you can’t wait until the next book all of Lisa Cassidy’s other completed series are well worth a read if you enjoy YA fantasy or fantasy in general with strong female protagonists.

[MG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of The Nameless Throne and then devoured it over two days! So happy to have a new series from Lisa Cassidy and she continues to deliver a lot of story, great characters and plenty of action. I'm already attached to this combo of characters but like that there's still a lot of discover. Hopefully it's not a long wait til Book 2.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute page-turner featuring a captivating female protagonist who instantly earns your affection. The author masterfully establishes a gripping rhythm while skillfully crafting a captivating world. I'm beginning to develop a deep fondness for this series, rivaling my admiration for the author's other works. Wholeheartedly recommended!

[Kathryn Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in the Inkweaver Archive series.
Once again Lisa Cassidy has written an intriguing tale full of wonderful characters that feel so real and relatable. I find it so easy to immerse myself in the amazing world she creates, so much so, I didn't want the story to end. I am very excited to see what book 2 will bring.

[Jeanette Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quickly immersed into the storyline of The Nameless Throne and with Lisa’s fantastic descriptions didn’t want to put this new book down.
Can’t wait for the next instalment, as with the twists and turns of the plot , I’m kept guessing about how things will develop and how characters will evolve and play out.
Another great read!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one in a new series, The Nameless Throne is yet another must-read from Lisa Cassidy!
This fantasy novel revolves around a brave and ambitious 17 year old orphan girl named Arya. Featuring warriors, battles, politics, magic, loyalty and destiny, the plot is fast paced and gripping. Following a cliffhanger tease, I can't wait for book 2!

[AMM · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ARC] What an excellent start to the new series. Great pace and plot development and the characters are well rounded from the start with opportunity for growth. I love how Lisa is evolving as an author - each book is better than the previous one and I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author never fails to impress me. Her characters leap off the page, the suspense and vibe are so visceral, and the plot is somehow complex and simple at the same time. The first installment of this series is one of her best - it never drags and the worldbuilding is flawless. I cannot wait for book 2!

[bluntpencil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Cassidy delivers again. Thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this series and the characters that we get to meet. Can’t wait for the second book to be out, even though the first has only just been released.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa’s writing style and storylines are captivating and leave you wanting more. I can never predict what is coming next and find myself shocked at the turning of events. Thanks, Lisa, for bringing another great read and I can’t wait for the next book in this new series!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am simply in love with this series and am on the edge of my seat for this last book. The author is so talented and I wish she was more well known but I will be a dedicated reader of hers from now on. She has made me a forever fan and I wish her all the best.

[Jill Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book!!

I LOVED this book!! The character development was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed the story and appreciated how long the book was. Great job editing too!!I can’t wait to read the next book.