Emperor's Throne

Desert Cursed #6

by Shannon Mayer

Three against one is not the best odds in any fight.
But does she dare gamble on making an enemy into an ally?

The final installment in the USAT and WSJ bestselling epic urban fantasy that readers have been waiting for!

There might be no rest for the wicked, but there’s no rest for the exhausted either. We’ve barely survived one fight, and we have another blade at our throats-strike that, three blades.

I can see only one possible chance at surviving the three evils we face, no matter how much I might hate it.

I have to make my peace with one of them and pray that they will help me take down the other two before we turn on each other.

The only question is...who do I trust not only my life but with the life of my family? Because I have all those I love the best at my side.

Maks.
Lila.
Bryce.

Or do I leave them, and take the danger with me to face it all on my own?

One thing is for sure...even if I go down, it’ll be swinging with everything I have.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Dragons, Romance, Audiobook

412 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2019

About the author

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I was born into a family of Star Wars nuts. I have a lot of siblings (somewhere I lost count but I think there was more than could be numbered on one hand) and being one of the young padawans I was subjected to Star Wars marathons, on a regular basis. If you've read any of my books you'll see there is often a reference to said movies as a small homage to my upbringing. May the force be with you and all that jazz.

I started writing when I realized I didn't want to grow up not believing in magic, or not believing in creatures everyone else said didn't exist. That being said, I have never seen a fairy, unicorn or dragon. I had a neighbour who swore they fed the leprechauns in their garden, but I never caught the little buggers no matter how long I lay in wait. (And consequently had to help the neighbours plant new flowers to replace those I killed waiting for the leprechauns to show their faces.)

Along the way, I found my husband who is the rock that keeps me from floating away into my dreams, and we have a little boy who is the centre of our world. Living on a farm keeps us busy (as if the writing wasn't enough) and I have more than my share of stories about wrestling with cows, helping birth calves and ending up in the creek during the process, falling in the mud (we'll call it mud but we all know that on a farm, mud is rarely mud) and chasing escaped livestock in the hopes the four legged convicts don't make it to the highway.

I've taken up archery, and the goal is to move into horseback archery in time (you know, when I can hit the target on a consistent basis) and when no one is looking, I love to bake (this doesn't happen often as it's hard to keep the sweet treats in stock with two boys in the house.)

As to what's coming next for me? More stories (since those never stop inside my head, I might as well share them with all of you!) and more adventures. Pretty much, when the fancy strikes, I'll jump on it. Leap before you look I'm sure that motto was created for me.

Or was that . . . think big and dream bigger, ready, set, pull the trigger . . . yeah. That one is a good one too. But only if you have a gun. And are hunting elephants. Which is not cool because of so many reasons. Let's stick with the first one with an addendum.

Leap before you look and let your dreams carry you on their wings. And that, my friends, is me in a nutshell.

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally hate when a series come to an end, and I frequently, for whatever reason, don’t read the last book. This is the last book in this series, and I had to read this one to see what happens. Wow. There were so many twists and turns, and so many darn surprises. I was like “No way!” so many times, I lost track. LOL! Zam, Maks, and Lila are a wonderful team, and this book proves how great they are together. I can’t believe just how far they have all come, and how far they have yet to go. I hope this isn’t the end, but if it is, it was a great ride and a great ending! Great writing, wonderful plot with twists and turns, and fascinating characters abound in this series ender. Love it! Highly recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well who the freak saw that crap coming? No one that's who! After spending all this time with every finger pointed in every direction who knew that the true evil would be hiding so close in plain site. Or that our oldest friends had so much power hidden.. I can't believe it..

Zam, Lila, and Max must journey to find the hidden gems but in order to get to them they must free the Emporer if they have any hope to defeat the Falak (sp? I was listening to Audio). There were more twists and turns in this book than a mountain side highway. Zam finds more family only to loose it yet again.. Zam realizes who her true family has always been.. Zam discovers that history is entirely written by the survivors and that therein lies the truth of the past and the way into the future.

ANNNNDDD... STEVE gets his! Thats right folks not once but Twice! Yayayay! Shannon Mayer did an excellent job here tying up all the loose ends and surprising me turn after turn in this last book in the series. I'm entirely satisfied and still a little shell shocked. Looking forward to more series by this incredibly talented author!

[Stephaniec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy hell there was so much in this story - there was too much to wrap up and while Shannon Mayer did an admirable job I still fell like there were threads that weren't quite tied up and follow ups on some of the characters. The ending felt rushed and a little too tidy for this particular story
I know that sounds negative but I really did enjoy this entire series including this last book and look forward to the next novella

[Karline05 Un brin de lecture · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.unbrindelecture.com/2025/0...
C'est toujours aussi intense et addictif. Zamira, Maks et Lila ont encore une fois fort à faire pour survivre et tenter de sauver le monde mais les menaces ne sont pas forcément là où ils le pensent . Entre danger et trahison , on frémit avec eux à chaque page et franchement j'en redemande encore !

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emperor's Throne is the final book in Shannon Mayer's Desert Cursed series and this book packs it all in and unleashes a lot of greatness like a whirlwind So buckle up and get ready for a fantastic story that closes out the series with a bang.
This book is so awesome that it's heartbreaking that the series comes to an end with this book, but it is totally worth it. Zam has a lot on her plate, and there is more to come. The falak is set to be reborn into the world thanks to a witch greedy for power. Ishtar is a force to be reckoned with as she still craves more power herself and has her own agenda in play. Once you open this book you are hooked in to the last page as the race is on to save world from those who are driven by their greed of power. I love that even though the relationships are established the author never stops building on them and making them stronger.
Be prepared for some well-deserved retribution in this book as well! I was so thrilled when certain scenes played out. I'll admit that a couple caught me a bit by surprise, but it all works out in the end. Be prepared from some seriously mind-bending twists in this book. More than once the author had my jaw on the floor from shock. My mind is STILL reeling from one shocking revelation and I'll probably be stuck on it for a day or two. LOL!
There is absolutely nothing that I don't like about this book other than the fact that it comes to an end. But as the saying goes...all good things must come to an end.
I have to say that this book is a fitting close to this series, but I'm hopeful that we will be revisited by these unique and wonderful characters in the future. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you have read the previous books in this series then I highly recommend that you grab this book up and dive in. You won't be disappointed.

[Cricket · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I have loved each book in this series, but this one just kept me turning the pages and saying "No way" Zam and Max and Lila and Bryce are on a mission to stop Ollianna from giving birth to the Falak a creature that can only be beaten by the Emperor but the Emperor has been imprisoned and releasing him would be very bad for the world. Zam has made a deal to take her flail to the Emperor, the flail is what he needs to escape his prison, a deal is a deal and Zam knows that the plan that she has will probably get all of them killed, but it is the only chance that they have to stop the Emperor, Ish and Ollianna from destroying the world, all while dodging Lilas father. The father that wants her dead.
The twists in this one are truly amazing. The ending shocking and as always the book delivers on action and suspense.
I do not want to give too much away so I will stop here. Trust me this is one book you do not want to miss.

[Kirsten Jividen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I love this series so much and this last book was absolutely amazing. The ending went a little different than I thought it was going to and I really loved that!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conclusion to Emperor’s Throne was written beautifully. It is such a bittersweet ending.
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Zam, Maks, and Lila grow not only as individuals but as trio. I love their relationship and how they go back and forth with their games. This book was amazing and it had me on the edge of my seat. It was full of action, heartache, badass fighting, and jaw dropping discoveries. So much happened, that I’m still recovering from a book hangover. It is so good and I’m sure you will love it. Trust me, you will love this trio. They will work themselves into your heart and you will find loving some of the other characters as well. MUST READ.

[Laila Nelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a mindblowing ending to this fantastic series! I've been waiting so impatiently for this final book but really didn't want it end. Shannon Mayer outdid my expectations once again! It kept me on the edge of my seat and there was no chance to put it down even when I had to! So many twists, turns, surprises! I didn't see this coming. I absolutely loved Zam, Lila and Maks all the way through this entire series watching them play their games. Their relationship and personalities along with the phenomenal storyline makes you fall in love with them! My favorite series now! It was beyond amazing! Thank you Shannon Mayer. This was epic!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I’m speechless! This final book had me on the edge of my seat the whole read as I followed Zam and her family on their journey! There was laughter, there was tears and the twists and turns, well some, ok most I never saw coming!
I have truly loved this series and Am sad that this final book , this epic adventure has come to an end but oh what a fitting ending to this amazing series! A series that I would definitely recommend to anyone!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I'm gonna have to say Shannon Mayer stumped me. I didn't think that Merlin was being everything all along because his character just seemed too dumb in my opinion to be that devious. I was so unbelievably happy about what happened to Steve finally in this last book, sheep fucker... God, the end when Kiara gets her paws on him finally was priceless. All in all this series was fantastic, not one book got thrown off topic for filler or got bogged down in details. The books were all an easy read, followed with some good humor and a fast paced storyline that kept you hooked. I'm sad that I ripped through the series so fast because I enjoyed it so much.

[Emilye · Rating 5 out of 5]

DesertCursed6

OMG, Batman. My glasses are all askew, and I can’t find that slurpee cup to throw it away, and...
This was the best one ever in this series! I almost want to start over again at the beginning and read them through, but she has other stories I want to dive into. Did not disappoint!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has the best book covers ❤️🦄

Overall the series was entertaining but did it really need to be 6 books, got a bit repetitive, sleep, run, fight, rescue, betrayed, sleep, run, fight, rescue, betrayed- so I think 3 books would of sufficed.

Interesting twists at the end.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so good. I keep saying that but I am invested!!! And Merlin is a bully!

[Jessica Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story! Lots of answers, full of action, and with a lot of satisfying moments. Definitely a must-read for fans of the previous books. Audio was also fantastic!

[DEBORAH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Mayer’s brain must be a strange and wonderful place. The words that woman can come up with to express her stories are sheer magic. Emperor’s Throne is the last in the Desert Cursed Series. I am very sorry to have that series end. It will be among my all time favorites. Shannon led us through all of her unexpected twists and turns and change ups to a surprisingly satisfying conclusion with, yes, an opening for all to hope for more adventures. Love, as always, is paramount in the story. Zam loves deeply all she considers friends and family. She will defy all and everything to keep them safe. As strong as Zam is, she is stunned and amazed at the duplicity of others. She treats those she can with compassion, those she can’t with justice. One scene, of justice meted out to a very deserving character, while long in coming was quite satisfying. While I look forward to her next book, I will definitely miss Zamira, Lila and Maks.

[A.J. Seiffertt · Rating 3 out of 5]

the ‘wait i can trust that person, but wait not that one?’ soap opera-ness got to be a lot, as was the ‘random new creatures coming to kill us’ nonsense. but the character development, when there was some (kiara, the falak, flora), was interesting, and i liked what she did in the end - however it made previous books seem annoying, as if she sort of made this up as she went with very little plan (thus the soap opera ness - kill someone off, make someone else bad so they can be killed off, surprise babies, back from the dead, zombies, etc), which, for a 9 book series just makes it seem like too many drugs and not enough depth were involved. and yet. on to book 7!

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling, riveting and totally captivating.

Emperor's Throne was all that and so much more, this final book in the Desert Cursed series totally blew my mind.
I was kind of wondering how Shannon was going to pull everything off to end this series and wow she did it in truly epic Shannon Mayer style with so many sh.t shows along the way and an epic final battle that left me gasping...

I can honestly say this book was beyond amazing and I can not wait to see what Shannon delivers next!!!

[Heather Rainwater-Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books leading up to this have been nothing shy of action-packed; yet this one surpassed them all. This is by far my favorite book of this entire series; and it’s not without heartache, trials, and darkness that every character seems to face in this book. There are many unforeseen twists that make the reader stop and do a double-take; though not so many that it makes your head spin and distracts from the storyline. Zam’s whole pack (plus some) all come together to be torn apart and brought back together again. We’ve seen traitors before in this series; yet NO ONE is as they seem. We FINALLY see worthless Steve’s comeuppance and it’s absolutely fantastic.

The plot is so intricate that Mayer truly is a master at weaving an epic tale. The attention to details given in previous books written years prior is so acute that it’s really set the standard for me, and I find myself shying away from authors I would typically enjoy because they’re just not at the same level as Mayer. I still absolutely love the way she finalizes each chapter. It’s like every one of them is punctuated with an exclamation point perfectly. Whether it’s foreshadowing of what’s to come, or the unveiling of a major revelation, it’s just fascinating to notice as a reader. And truly every character is different which makes it so much more enjoyable. So many other authors get caught in a rut and characters bleed together at one point or another, but not Mayer. She never takes the easy road. Just when you think they’re going to catch a break and it’ll be smooth sailing, she presents a new challenge for them to overcome at overwhelming odds. And she won’t scapegoat the solution either. The way they succeed can be at a great cost, utter brilliance, or pure dumb luck – you never really know with her writing.

In short, get this one added to your collection ASAP because you’ll be immediately hooked like the rest of her fandom!

[Alexis (Unpopular Opinions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sort of conflicted rating this. The action and plot were thick and that is both good and bad. I very much enjoyed the story and twists, but the end felt rushed. All the more so when compared to the rest of the series in general, and the last three books in particular. If I were honest, I think this might be the lowest rated one for me of the series thus far.

That being said, I am looking forward to the continuation and next adventures.


*** Mild Spoilers Ahead ***


Since all 9 books are out at the time I am reading this, I seriously thought there were three more books after this one to complete this storyline. And I believed that until three chapters before the end. That's where the bad comes in.

We've spent the past three books roaming the country trying to get stones, getting one a book. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but consistent. All of a sudden in this book we get three stones and then defeat all the villains in the last 10%. And it felt rushed. It kinda reminded me of GOT. Which is funny because I was thinking that while reading the previous books, that they reminded me of the early seasons of GOT when it took seasons for Dany to get anywhere. And this book reminds me of the last season of GOT where everyone is zipping across the world in a matter of hours, where all the villains are defeated (some epically, some too easily) and fall like dominoes, one after the other.

The action was unrelenting and I was riveted the whole way through, but once we got to where Ollianna was holed up, everything ended quickly and anticlimactically. The Emperor is delt with in 5 minutes, Ollianna secures the exit once they promise to protect her child, and Ishtar basically surrenders.

We are left with some loose ends: who was Trick talking to/his love interest (and btw I hated the plot point where he was playing us the whole time. While, sure plausible, it also came out of left field and doesn’t line up with some prior events, even if they were framed as him working for Corvalis all along), what happened to everyone that fought? Did Zam bring them all back? Sure we know Bryce (and Kiara) because she said goodbye to him. But what about Ford. Or Shem. We never see them again, nor does she say goodbye to them. Was she only able to bring back those on her pride? She used there connection to bring them back, so what about all the other lions? Or Flora? Or Ish's daughter? And what will happen with the Emperor now? And WHERE IS MARCEL?

I was psyched for the Steve murder. Darcy's was too fast for me, but I'll take it. I was even ok with them turning Steve into a zombie as a message for Ishtar. But the final scene with him where Kiara was flinging him around like the Hulk fell flat. I wish she could've gotten her pound of flesh while he was alive, but her throwing around a brainless corpse into a shit pile felt like it was supposed to be funny, when it just felt pointless and mean.

[Ladyreadalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shannon Mayer is the ultimate action packed epic fantasy adventure writer, period. She develops her characters fully, allowing us to see their strengths and weaknesses. She allows her characters to develop and mature, and come into their own acceptance of who and what they are. The theme of true and deep love being able to vanquish all challenges is my ideal and dear to my heart.

The story series evolves from showing us a spunky spitfire out to prove she is worthy respect despite her small size to showing us a mature, gifted woman who has embraced herself and does not need to prove her worth to anyone. Her heart is enormous and the reader can't help but fall in love with her character. She is out to save her world and we cheer her on.

While this was the end of the series, there are still threads that need to be wrapped up, and I understand there are more installments coming. I will read them all!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read!

What a wild ride! There is always something happening around Zamira Reckless Wilson! Boy does she earn her name! If I had to give any criticism, which let’s face it the truth is how we grow ( not that I think 💭 that the author ✍️ is going to take the time to read my critique), I would say watch the spelling and word use and maybe add more descriptions of the world around them. I had a basic idea 💡 but I am very immersive when I read in that I like to “see” the surroundings. Great series! Keep em’ comin’! I’m going to be reading 📖 every book 📚 this author ✍️ has written that I can get my hands on!

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last main book in this series wraps up the ongoing storyline quite well. The overall arc between Ishtar and the Emperor comes to a standoff, and the truth will surprise some readers, as the author did a great job twisting it around. Whether everyone survives, well, that’s for the reader to find out.

This is a great urban fantasy series, with a lot of action, surprises and good character and world building. This is a very hard series to put down. The next three books are books that will tie up loose ends with the remaining characters. I hate to see this series end, it’s been a fun ride and when I didn’t feel like reading - a few pages of this series pulled me back.

[vernie williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Last!

Book 6 finally brought all the far scattered pieces together to a marvelous finale of the storyline like a jigsaw puzzle. Being able to see the various people and their stories come together in charity that has kept me on the edge of my seat since the first book. For over 60 years of reading Fantasy novels in the hundreds by most of the foremost authors, including Shannon Mayer in her many series, I have never been so stumped as to the wonderful outcome that prevailed.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the latest installment but found this one rather condensed compared to other books in the series. True to Mayer's formula, sh*t hits the fan and is resolved within a few chapters at the end. While I've enjoyed the series, I find my mind wandering when reading because so much feels the same. I just read a rather epic novel last week, so Desert Cursed pales in comparison. For me, the Desert Cursed series are fun popcorn reads. Zam, Lila, Maks (and even Balder). With only a few books remaining in the series I'm looking forward to see how it all ends.

[Amber 💫 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ - for the whole series

Is there better out there? Yes. Was it enjoyable and easy to get through? Mostly yes - (see mild spoiler below)

My main gripe is that it could’ve been wrapped up in 4 books instead of 6.

Mild spoiler which caused me to lower my rating:
















Edit: I can’t move past the unnecessary incest arc that started in book 5 and have reduced my rating to 3.5. It’s just odd and doesn’t involve any of the main characters but it’s mentioned many times and it pretty much ruined the story for me.

[sharon bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ending

Wasn't sure what to think of this book to begin with purely because there was so much going on and so much that needed to be wrapped up. It felt like it was rushing along at a pace where the conclusion was going to spoil the series.. That is right up until the last two or three chapters and a major plot twist changed everything and oh my god I did not see it coming!! Turned out to be the perfect ending for this adventure and of course we also get a new/ on going adventure to read . Even better

[Brandi Reshetar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

As one would hope for any writer, the more they write the better they get and Shannon Mayer does not disappoint!! Also I very much appreciate that she puts wicked humor, pain, hurt, love - ya know - actual feelings into her stories. It may be a fantasy world but her characters could very well be real people which I believe makes the readers more invested in the stories. Can't wait to read more of the THREE😍

[SuperMommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read. Readers really need to read the whole series to get the import and significance of this book. Many ah oh and omg moments, fabulous wrap up of all of the loose ends....it was a real page turner. If you read this out of sequence, it will spoil the rest of the series if you decide to go back and read from the beginning - so start at the beginning! It was so good. I absolutely loved it.

[Rudi Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lions and Witches and Desert, Oh My!

Definitely a climactic book. But more have been promised. (Happy dance). You know how with an going adventure series everything keeps speeding up and speeding up till it all comes together? Well, this is that book. It’s a wild ride, pulled together with finesse , heart, and a frenzy of imagination.
One of many favorite lines: “Lila, I need you to back me up.” “Always, you don’t even have to ask,” she said, “but what are we doing exactly?”