The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow

Book Review

Elloise Hopkins

Binsa, who was just an ordinary girl before the testing, now sits the Scarlet Throne as Rakhti, and has done longer than any before her. To all who see her, the spirit of a goddess lives inside her, and as Rashmatun’s vessel, she hears the prayers of her devotees and grants what she can. Now they ask for rain, for the suffering of the droughts to end. Is that something Rashmatun can grant?

Those who see Binsa see her as Rashmatun’s vessel, but it is a lie. No goddess dwells within her. She has no power of her own to bring rain and answer prayers. It is an act, a part she has played to the utmost of her abilities. Unbeknownst to anyone, not even her closest attendants, nor her dear brother Ykta, Binsa hides her monumental secret: it is not a goddess that inhabits her, but Ilam, a powerful demon. Luckily for Binsa, Ilam does have the magical ability to fulfil her duties and elevate her once more in the eyes of her people.

Unfortunately, Binsa’s time as vessel is running out. It is true she has sat on the throne longer than any other, and none know the terrible lengths she goes to, to ensure she remains in power. But now the Chief Priest has called for her replacement, and a new testing will soon be underway. Binsa must meet the next potential Rakhti, and at all costs discourage them from pursuing their desire. It seems; however, that one among them is different, and not so easy to deter. Binsa knows fear, and she knows strength, and she will have to use the best of them now, if she is going to keep her secrets and remain Rakhti.

The Scarlet Throne follows Binsa’s story as she attempts to thwart the choosing of a new Rakhti and continues her masquerade as the living representation of an ancient goddess. This very much feels like a world we have not seen before, and this reader can say with unusual confidence that there will be even more on offer as the False Goddess Trilogy continues. We have gods and demons, so of course, the overriding theme is good versus evil, but with that modern exploration of the evil deeds our characters are willing to commit in the name of the greater good.

The first person point of view is the real strength here, inviting the reader to share every morsel of Binsa’s determination, her incredible drive to retain her role, and the urgency of her drastic actions, firsthand. There are horrors concealed behind the outward presentation of the ‘living goddess’ and the constraints Binsa lives within, and Leow writes in powerful and believable detail, bringing the story, and all of its heinous and shocking manipulations to life in a captivating narrative.