General Information
Genre~ Fantasy, YA
Publisher~ Disney Hyperion
Published~ October 6 2015
Book Summary (Per Goodreads)
Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.
And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.
My Thoughts
Delightfully descriptive. From the character development, the family dynamic, the visualization of the desert and of the desert life, the creation of the city life and sculptures this story, and the cover of this story was without a doubt a wonderful break from reality.
The use of colors, genders, skills and stories to create and demonstrate this story was so unique to me. I loved the strong females, the unity of family and culture, and the description and trust in faith and tradition that EKJ brought to this story. I wish this story had images in it such as the beauty of these outfits, the detail and purity of the items created while in her dream state, and the copper and light fire.
I felt like I was listening to someone tell a story and I was captivated by it the entire time. I wondered about the title of the book until the very ending and then I was like ahh there we go! The writing style is beautiful. This is the first book I have read from EKJ so I don't know if this is her normal writing, but I loved it! There are quite a few quotations in this story that leapt of the page for me and that always makes a story even more memorable.
Important Links
Links to Purchase Book
Until my next post...love y'all!!
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