Seek the Traitor's Son

Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth, 432 pages

Elegy is a soldier in the rebellion against the Talusar, a powerful country that worships a Fever that kills everyone it touches...and then brings half of them back to life and blesses them with powerful gifts. However, both Elegy and her ruthless enemy are both given a prophecy that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other, and Elegy is told that a man she'll fall in love with is the linchpin to success. At the same time, Theren, a refugee from Talusar, is conscripted to be a servant to Elegy and her royal mother, a job at which he fails almost immediately, as Elegy's mom is killed and Theren kidnapped. When fate brings Theren back into service for Elegy, trust, loyalty, and potential love is all on the line as Elegy seeks victory.

This is definitely a compelling book with plenty of romance, action, and scheming, but it's honestly hard for me to say whether it's science fiction or fantasy. It's futuristic and has spaceships and space stations, but the prophecy and the Fever — especially the way it brings people back to life and gives them new powers — lean fantasy for me. But I'll definitely give the next book a read, as this one ends on a crazy cliffhanger.

Mirrored Heavens

 

Mirrored Heavens (Between Earth & Sky #3) by Rebecca Roanhorse (2024) 597 pages

There are reviews of the first and second part of this trilogy on this blog. After the middle part of the trilogy took the main characters to different parts of the world of the Meridian, it was great that this book has them all converging in the same climactic battle. This series is consistently full of intrigue as leaders and gods vie for power, characters try to understand cryptic prophesies, and they discover hidden magic within. Serapio, the Crow God Reborn, and Xiala are such captivating main characters. Balam is a great tormented villain hungry for power. Naranpa, Iktan, and Okoa are the major supporting characters, who are fully brought to life. I enjoyed that the world building is bigger than the city of Tova, which was the focus of the first book. I love that the characters continue to be three-dimensional with faults and heroic aspects. There is a lot of action, exploration of gruesome darkness, and also love stories. 

The Black Tides of Heaven

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Neon Yang, 237 pages

Twins Mokoya and Akeha are sold from their ruling mother to the Grand Monastery when they are born, destined for a studious life learning to manipulate the magical Slack that connects all elements in their world. But when Mokoya turns out to have the rare gift of prophecy, their mother claims them back, making Mokoya a key part of her brutal reign of power. As the twins reach adulthood, Akeha becomes fed up with their position in the background and heads out on their own, becoming aware of the conflict between the Protectorate and the Machinist faction, and eventually choosing sides.

This is a fantastic novella, with a well-developed creative world that immediately sucks the reader in. There are many things to consider even after the book has ended, and I look forward to discussing it with the Orcs & Aliens next week.