I love everything about this book, from vampiric ghosts to forgotten magics to an entire population evacuating to sleep
in ships every night. I'm not a fast reader,
but I devoured this in only two days.
A little creepy, a little cozy, and a lot
of intrigue? Yes, please! The
city was so unique and twisted that I needed to keep reading to uncover
every secret.
The deeper into the book I fell, the more I loved the characters.
If I lived in this world, they felt like people I'd know personally, maybe even
be friends with. I
will be first in line when the sequel comes out.
By day, Astera is a bustling port city with shops, markets, shipyards, and people going about their day to day lives. But every night when the sun sets, the people of Astera board ships and abandon their home to dark, murderous ghosts -- The Vaim.
Thislen lost his father to the vengeful spirits years ago and has barely survived on the streets as a common thief since. He dreams of escaping the dark truths of the island for good, but a family secret keeps him tied to the island and the oppressive Ruling…
Jinua,
the main character, is a strong warrior woman itching to prove herself as a newly
tapped Paladin—and I do love a good warrior woman!
More importantly, I love
a good, flawed character. It leaves a
lot of room for growth. Every
character in this story is fully realized; it's easy to imagine them popping
off the pages.
This
was just the first of C. M. Alongi's books, but there's a reason I've bought
everything she's published so far: she always delivers.
In a world of greed, gods, and monsters, paladins are chosen to do what no mortal human can. Granted divine attributes of their chosen deity, they protect the broken fragments of human civilization from any and all threats. Often from necromancers, those born with the ability to speak with and raise the dead. Such a power inevitably corrupts and turns each and every necromancer evil.
Right?
Jinua has just received her first assignment as paladin: to execute a necromancer terrorizing a small town with an undead army. But what should be a straight-forward mission turns complicated when another necromancer reveals…
This
book has a bit of an edge, and I needed
it. While I tend to prefer a bit of comfort and cozy, this was raw and
shattered in a way that I found reassuring.
I was going through a lot of loss
in my life, and the characters in this book were gripping the shreds of
their broken world with every finger. I needed their strength. They were
survivors.
The brutal landscape, the unyielding honesty, and the struggle
within this book all told me I wasn't alone. It wasn't full of hope or
platitudes, but it helped anyway.
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)
This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
What is it like to be born knowing the name of your soul mate? What happens if that name suddenly changes? Khiriellen Fortiva is a member of an Elven clan that believes not knowing the name of your destined mate is akin to being soulless, and altering your fate is impossible. When Khiri steps forward to begin her life with her mate and finds he's no longer the one, her fate is forever altered. With her entire future crumbling to dust, Khiri is forced to leave her home and search for answers.
Estan is devoted to his goddess, but has learned a terrible secret about those that follow her. He seeks the leaders of a war that has been over for twenty years, hoping that they can aid him in returning his order to righteous ways. Estan's only clue to finding these leaders lays within the pages of a tome that has had the name of its author removed.
The lands of their world are fraught with perils. Demons prowl the wilds, thieves roam the streets, and assassins lurk in the shadows. It's not safe to travel alone. Joined by paths of ill fortune and a band of unlikely followers, Khiri and Estan find themselves on a road that leads as much to the past as it does the future.
