Welcome to Ampyrium, a city of a thousand wonders! May the trading be always in your favor.
Powerful magicians called the Magnum have created a massive city contained within eight walls, each with its own portal to another world. Here, eight different magical lands collide. In these streets, all of the races from those worlds come to trade, to politic, to carouse, and to murder. Merchants and royalty, thieves and assassins; caravans and envoys, armies and entourages. Everyone…and everything…can be found in Ampyrium. Every dream can be made real. Every vice is available. Every wish can be fulfilled. All you have to do is stay clear of the Magnum…and their Eyes are everywhere.
Enter the streets of AMPYRIUM with your guides in tow—authors Joshua Palmatier, Juliet E. McKenna, David B. Coe, Esther Friesner, Patricia Bray, S.C. Butler, and Jason Palmatier. Eight stunning worlds await you. But beware. Don’t stray. Don’t fall behind. Don’t get lost. Because the streets of Ampyrium will swallow you whole.
Joshua Palmatier started writing science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories in the eighth grade, when the teacher assigned a one page Twilight Zone-ish short story. He wrote a story about Atlantis. It was from the perspective of one of the inhabitants as he escaped in a spaceship, watching his world being destroyed by water from one of the viewports of the ship. He got an A. Joshua hasn't stopped writing since.
"The Skewed Throne" is Joshua's first published novel, but it's the fourth novel he's written. The sequels--"The Cracked Throne" and "The Vacant Throne"--are now all available. His next series--comprising the novels "Well of Sorrows," "Leaves of Flame," and "Breath of Heaven"--was initially published under the pseudonym Benjamin Tate, but is being released in June 2016 under his real name. He is currently hard at work on the third book in his latest series, "Reaping the Aurora," with the first book "Shattering the Ley" now available and the second "Threading the Needle" due out in July 2016. He's also managed to write a few short stories, included in the anthologies "Close Encounters of the Urban Kind," "Beauty Has Her Way," "River," and "Apollo's Daughters."
Joshua is also the founder of a small press called Zombies Need Brains, which is focused on producing SF&F themed anthologies. There are two anthologies currently available--"Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens" and "Temporally Out of Order"--with two new anthologies due in August 2016 titled "Alien Artifacts" and "Were-". Find out more about Zombies Need Brains at www.zombiesneedbrains.com.
Bibliography: Novels:
Throne of Amenkor series: The Skewed Throne The Cracked Throne The Vacant Throne
Well of Sorrows series: Well of Sorrows Leaves of Flame Breath of Heaven (forthcoming)
Novels of The Ley: Shattering the Ley Threading the Needle (July 2016) Reaping the Aurora (forthcoming)
Bibliography: Short Stories:
"Mastihooba" in Close Encounters of the Urban Kind edited by Jennifer Brozek (APEX). "Tears of Blood" in Beauty Has Her Way edited by Jennifer Brozek (Dark Quest). "An Alewife in Kish" (as Benjamin Tate) in After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar edited by Joshua Palmatier & Patricia Bray (DAW). "The River" in River edited by Alma Alexander (Dark Quest).
Bibliography: As Editor:
After Hours: Tales From the Ur-Bar (DAW) The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity (DAW) Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens (ZNB) Temporally Out of Order (ZNB) Alien Artifacts (ZNB; forthcoming) Were- (ZNB; forthcoming)