This atmospheric fantasy is, "from the gripping first line, a
fast-paced, thought-provoking, and stirring story of sacrifice" (Kirkus
Reviews, starred review).
Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The
goddess will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the
desert. But Liyana's goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe,
Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust
in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells
Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the
desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot
survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous,
even with a god's help. And not everyone is willing to believe the
trickster god's tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to
make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her
tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate--or a
human girl can muster some magic of her own.