Description
An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.
Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.
Banished from her tribe for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is an down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way.
QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he's loathe to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.
Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir masterfully interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with the burdens of power, the treachery of love and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed. Get ready for a dark and breathless journey that will captivate readers and that may cost these young people their lives - and their hearts. Literally.
Review
Fantasy lovers will thoroughly devour this epic read, and I really don’t want to say too much and give away the complexities of what transpires, and the interweaved lives of our characters.
It is the story of three young people who are all fighting their own demons and the injustices that have happened to all of them in the past. The story is told from each of our three main characters’ points of view.
Aiz, an orphan who will stop at nothing for revenge and who believes that the spirit of Mother Div will be the answer to her people's suffering. But is Mother Div really who she thinks? Sirsha, banished from her family years ago, she is determined and tough, and on the hunt for a child murderer. And Quil, the reluctant heir to the Empire, who has seen first-hand the damage that power can do.
But it is the intertwining of their lives and their hunt for the truth, in the ruthless and magic-filled world in which they live, that will have you wanting to read until the end. It is certainly dark and violent at times, but there is also a romantic element to it as well, with twists and turns at every corner, and it will be best suited to more senior readers, aged 15 and above.
