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To escape execution for a crime she didn't commit, 17-year-old Sev is forced to run away from the only home she's ever known in this exciting start to a brand-new fantasy series from a debut author. 6 x 9.
About the author
Caitlin Sangster is the author of the Last Star Burning trilogy and the Gods-Touched duology. She is also the founder and cohost of the Lit Service podcast. She grew up in the backwoods of northern California, has lived in China, Taiwan, Utah, and Montana and can often be found dragging her poor husband and four children onto hikes that feature far too many bears. You can find her online at CaitlinSangster.com.
Summary
To escape execution for a crime she didn’t commit, sixteen-year-old Sev is forced to run away from the only home she’s ever known in this exciting post-apocalyptic debut novel from Caitlin Sangster.
Sev is branded with the mark of a criminal—a star burned into her hand. That’s the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.
Now her mother’s body is displayed above Traitor’s Arch, kept in a paralyzed half sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev is forced to do hard labor to prove that she’s more valuable alive than dead.
When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev’s only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person—Howl, the chairman’s son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can’t help but wonder if he knows more about her past—and her mother’s crimes—than he lets on.
But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev’s life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.
Additional text
Sev’s mother betrayed the City, letting in the sleeping sickness that ravished the world outside and abetting the enemy, Kamari—or so says the government. Now, Sev bears a criminal’s brand on her forehead, lives in an orphanage, and undergoes daily rehabilitation. Framed for an enemy bombing for which the penalty is death, she escapes to the Outside with the help of unexpected new friends, and she realizes that neither the past nor future are what they seem. Sev meets many people in her flight from the City, including the mysterious double-agent Howl, the young Outsider June, and creepy soldier Helix; all of them have secrets and stories that reveal something about their environment.
Sangster’s vivid dystopia draws heavily from Chinese history, making for a refreshing change from the usual teen dystopia. The lush Asian setting in a post-apocalypic city, coupled with the harshness of the Outside, add to the plot’s momentum. Although the author retains elements familiar to the genre— such as oppressive governments and stratified societies—they come together differently and sometimes unexpectedly here, giving the story a fresh twist. The greatest theme of the book is trust, especially the devastation caused by its loss, as demonstrated when Sev is unable to change years’ worth of feelings upon learning new truths about her own history. In such an atmosphere, romance is a luxury and secondary to friendship. Deep worldbuilding continues throughout the entire story, rewarding attention and unspooling new information right up to the breathless ending (that leads into the next volume). The author’s note at the end of the book includes information on Chinese history and encephalitis lethargica (“sleepy sickness”), and reading recommendations for both topics. Young adult lovers of dystopian dramas will enjoy this new twist on the “old” standards.—Lisa Martincik.
