Skullrunner is Vyvre Argent’s foray into flintlock fantasy: an adventure that reads like Orphan Black meets Pirates of the Caribbean, with a touch of Godkiller and Gideon the Ninth.
What captivated me most about this “clones and pirates” novel was its original concept and immersive worldbuilding, meticulously crafted and worthy of the best epic fantasy settings.
Despite its technical flaws (frequent infodumps and long stretches of static description often slow the pacing in distracting ways), I can’t help but praise Vyvre Argent’s extraordinary imagination and their ability to weave an engaging, surprising, and genuinely unique story.
The Story
During the revolution, Commander Gavon killed Iunos—the tyrannical god of memory—and seized his power, establishing the supposedly fair and democratic Golden Republic. But the Republic is far from perfect: those who push for change may wake up one day stripped of every memory of who they were. That’s what happened to pirate captain Cevette Zarcanzi. Now she sails the Archipelago, stealing the physicalized memories stored in the Republic’s secret archives and burning them, hoping that one day she’ll recover her own lost past.
Evazina Gavon, the commander’s adopted daughter, is a fragmented incarnation of the shattered soul of the death goddess. Women like her—known as “echoes”—are feared and despised in the Golden Republic. Commander Gavon has protected her only because the sacrifice of echoes fuels his memory magic. When Eva joins Cevette’s crew, she hopes that restoring people’s stolen memories will encourage them to speak out and peacefully remove her father from power. But as the two sail toward remote, mysterious islands, their bond deepens… and they slowly discover that to truly live free, sometimes you need to change course and brace for a fight.
Skullrunner: a review
A Fantasy of Action and Conscience
In Skullrunner, fantasy readers will find a well-balanced mix of action-packed scenes and more contemplative moments. Alongside the classic boarding and swashbuckling sequences you’d expect in a pirate story, the novel tackles several compelling themes. For example, colonialism, ethics, class conflict, politics, and the constant tension between power and culture.
The story revolves around identity and takes place in a society that doesn’t discriminate against queer relationships or genderfluid people. Yet, like every democracy that needs a scapegoat, it unloads its prejudice on the Echoes, fragments of the ancient death goddess Morghaia, exploited and demonized to validate a self-proclaimed hero-patriarch.
Eva, the protagonist, is one of them: destined to embrace piracy and become a reluctant revolutionary. But before she can do that, she must shed the guilt and self-loathing drilled into her by a rigid, oppressive upbringing.
From Personal Turmoil to an Explosive Finale
Although Skullrunner can be a bit wordy at times—its chapters sometimes indulge in philosophical or moral reflections reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson’s slower passages—Eva’s character arc is beautifully crafted and entirely convincing. She forms meaningful, nuanced relationships with several key characters, and these connections enrich the narrative.
I must admit, though, that I expected more from Cevette. The novel shines brightest in its worldbuilding, its inventive magic system, and its vivid maritime aesthetic, rather than in its romance, which feels somewhat shallow and overly saccharine. Ironically, I picked up Skullrunner precisely because I was drawn to the promise of a sapphic romantic subplot… and instead found Cevette’s moral dilemmas endlessly monotonous.
Zeke and Andreas, with their recurring mistakes, impossible dreams, and half-concealed vulnerabilities, stood out far more to me. But my favorite, without any doubt, is the story’s wonderfully charismatic villain: a malicious, manipulative, vain Commander. He is 10% Wizard of Oz, 90% Kilgrave from Jessica Jones, and 100% an A-grade scoundrel!
His power—manipulating memories across vast distances—is genuinely unsettling, and the final twist left me breathless. The next installment of this sparkling pirate saga promises to be very intriguing…
Conclusion
Skullrunner is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy classic pirate adventures—those with the sweeping atmosphere of Robin Hobb’s sagas—but who also want modern sensibilities, social commentary, and nuanced explorations of identity. It’s a story that blends the charm of traditional adventure with a vivid, contemporary world that feels strikingly relevant.
What to Read After Skullrunner
- The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie
- The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
- The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
- The Unbroken by C. L. Clark
- The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing the digital review copy.
