The author of Racing the Dark returns to the world of magic wielded by women who understand the dark trade-offs of power and sacrifice.
Lana, the heroine, has become the black angelโa harbinger of destruction unheard of in the islands for five hundred years. The sleeping volcano of the great city Essel has erupted. In the chaos, the city is reshaping itself and violence threatens from all corners. A rebel movement has formed in the destroyed heart of the city, determined to oust Kohaku, the mad ruler of Essel.
Lana wants no part of the rebelsโ causeโthe death spirit still chases her, and the great witch Akua has kidnapped Lanaโs mother. But the more Lana looks for her mother, the more she is drawn into the cityโs political conflicts. As Kohaku descends deeper into madness, determined to subdue the city by any means necessary, his wife has run away to the fire temple, where she too is slowly converted to the rebelโs cause. When long-running tensions spill over into civil war, Lana must make her hardest decision yet: her motherโs life, or a cityโs freedom?
Praise for Racing the Dark
โAn engaging debut fantasy novel with a fresh, innovative setting and an intriguing central mythos. I look forward to reading more!โ โJacqueline Carey, New York Times-bestselling author
โ[A] bold debut . . . Johnsonโs story is reminiscent of Ursula Le Guinโs Earthsea books . . . this proposed series could be a stand-out.โ โPublishers Weekly
โWhat an enthralling tale this is. Itโs beautifully written and I recommend it to all readers of fantasy.โ โCecilia Dart-Thornton, author of The Bitterbynde Trilogy