Starred review from March 11, 2024
Savage, sexy, and deliciously screwed up, Lee’s apocalyptic fantasy debut is sure to draw comparisons to Mad Max but sets itself apart through an inventive magic system and a thorny bisexual love triangle. Jin makes a living as a magebike courier, constantly risking her life in the face of mana storms, human raiders, and saurian predators to transport messages and illegal luxury goods across the wasteland between city-states. Her most lucrative gig involves carrying secret love letters between Prince Kadrin of Kerina Sol and Princess Yi-Nereen of Kerina Rut, neither of whom realizes Jin has developed feelings for them both. When Yi-Nereen asks Jin to help her escape an arranged marriage, the two flee into the wasteland, pursued by both Yi-Nereen’s betrothed, who can read minds, and Jin’s bounty hunter ex-girlfriend. Forced to take refuge during a mana storm, they discover a hidden community and uncover dark secrets about the nature of their world and the magical Talents which, in this highly stratified society, determine a person’s worth. As danger mounts, Jin is forced to call upon Kadrin for help. The twisty plot, complex emotional entanglements, and perilous landscapes keep the pages flying. Examining power, privilege, and passion, this dynamic adventure thrills. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.
September 13, 2024
Roaring across a ravaged wasteland atop a magebike, Jin-Lu lives every day surrounded by danger. As a courier, Jin regularly ventures outside the protected cities to deliver everything from endangered animals to forbidden correspondence between lovers, all the while avoiding magical storms, non-magical raiders, and ferocious desert beasts. After a royal client with whom Jin is falling in love asks for help, the magebike rider flees the city with the princess in tow, leaving behind them an enraged father, a possessive betrothed, and a bounty hunter connected to Jin's past. Jin must choose between following her heart or fleeing across the desert landscape, knowing that the ownership of magic is at stake. Lee's debut novel is a love song of science fiction and fantasy storytelling, with a tortured protagonist whom Natalie Naudus narrates with a measured, emotional depth. Just as confidently, Naudus gives voices to all the primary characters, providing each with a distinctiveness amid violence, intrigue, and heartbreak. VERDICT Lee creates a literary cocktail that will dance upon the tastebuds of fans of Mad Max, the popular video game Borderlands, and Dungeons & Dragons.--Andy Myers
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