Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Nov 2020
480 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
A dark, epic fantasy about a girl who must rethink everything she believes after she is betrayed and hunted by the religion that raised her - from Megan Bannen, author of The Bird and the Blade. Perfect for fans of The Winner's Curse and The Girl of Fire and Thorns.
Gelya is a Vessel, a girl who channels the word of the One True God through song. Cloistered with the other Vessels of her faith, she believes—as all Ovinists do—that a saint imprisoned Elath the Great Demon centuries ago, saving humanity from earthly temptation.
When Gelya stumbles into a deadly cover-up by the Ovinists' military, she reluctantly teams up with Tavik, an enemy soldier, to survive. Tavik believes that Elath is actually a mother goddess who must be set free, but while he succeeds in opening Her prison, he inadvertently turns Gelya into Elath's unwilling human vessel.
Now the church that raised Gelya considers her a threat. In a race against the clock, she and Tavik must find a way to exorcise Elath's presence from her body. But will this release stop the countdown to the end of the world, or will it be the cause of the earth's destruction?
And as Tavik and Gelya grow closer, another question lingers between them: What will become of Gelya?
"After a worldbuilding-heavy start, Bannen hurls readers headlong into a harrowing yet ultimately hopeful fantasy rife with action and intrigue. The duo's witty banter and burgeoning romance temper the tale's weightier moments, which include ruminations on religion, doubt, and bodily autonomy." - Publishers Weekly
"Lilting prose carries along the story as both main characters examine the biases, truths, and complications present in their respective faiths...Though a little heavy on exposition in the beginning, thrilling plot developments quickly speed up the pace until the story reaches a heart-rending conclusion. This deeply moving and thought-provoking adventure enthralls on multiple levels." - Kirkus Reviews
"Suggest this fantasy with religious elements to readers who appreciate gunpowder and bird-carried messages over high-tech explosives and instant communication." - School Library Journal
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Megan Bannen is a librarian and the author of The Bird and the Blade. In her spare time, she collects graduate degrees from Kansas colleges and universities. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, their two sons, and a few too many pets with literary names.
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