Read This Book…

You know a book is going to be quite an adventure when you open the cover and there’s a map inside. We’re talking about many different, distinct places and clans of people, a vast, complicated history, and this is the first in a trilogy, the second of which, Fevered Star, comes out on April 19th.

Content warnings for lots of graphic violence including violence against women and violence to children.

It begins in the Obregi Mountains with a child named Serapio. His mother performs a brutal ritual on him and claims he is a reborn god with a purpose. He is given a number of tutors that are supposed to teach him how to do what he is destined to do, some of whom are very abusive. He is supposed to live out his destiny in ten years when there is another solar eclipse which is referred to as the Convergence.

The Convergence is central to the entire book. Each chapter places us where along the timeline we are from that point of violence that his mother inflicted on him to the actual Convergence. For instance, 10 Years Before Convergence, 3 years before Convergence, 3 day before Convergence, etc. This is helpful because we also jump around to a lot of other characters who are slowly woven together.

Another character is in the city of Cuecola. Her name is Xiala and she is Teek, which is a race of humanoids that humans are very wary of. Her voice can kind of control the ocean. Xiala is a sea captain, who finds herself in a bit of trouble and is rescued by a wealthy patron, who hires her to deliver a special person to the city of Tova by the day of Convergence.

The city of Tova has a number of clans, some more wealthy and revered than others. They are overseen by The Watchers, who really don’t have that much power anymore and are more for show and ritual. The Watchers are made up of multiple priests. Usually only the upper class people get to be priests but the Sun Priest was picked from the lowest clan. Not even a clan, but considered so low that they are clanless. Her name is Naranpa. She has a big ceremony to lead on the day of Convergence.