A girl with no gifts must bargain for the power to fight her own
mother's dark schemes--even if the price is her life.
Crackling with dark magic, unspeakable betrayal, and daring twists you
won't see coming, this explosive YA fantasy debut is a can't-miss,
high-stakes epic perfect for fans of Legendborn, Strange the
Dreamer, and Children of Blood and Bone.
"Magnetic and addictive. This book is black girl magic at its
finest."--New York Times bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton
Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of
her own. Yet she fails at bone magic, fails to call upon her ancestors,
and fails to live up to her family's legacy. Under the disapproving eye
of her mother, the Kingdom's most powerful priestess and seer, she fears
she may never be good enough.
But when the Kingdom's children begin to disappear, Arrah is desperate
enough to turn to a forbidden, dangerous ritual. If she has no magic of
her own, she'll have to buy it--by trading away years of her own life.
Arrah's borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal, and on its heels,
a rising tide of darkness that threatens to consume her and all those
she loves. She must race to unravel a twisted and deadly scheme...
before the fight costs more than she can afford.
Set in a richly imagined world inspired by whispered tales of voodoo
and folk magic, Rena Barron's captivating debut is the beginning of
a thrilling saga about a girl caught between gods, monsters, and the
gift and the curse of power.
"Masterful." --SLJ (starred review)