In the occupied city of Tejomaya, calor—a magical fossil fuel—is found only in the blood rains that fall from the sky. While a six-month drought has brought Tejomaya to a desperate standstill, rumors of a secret stash of magic propel three unlikely treasure seekers to risk everything.
Tenacious and street-smart Zain Jatav has been forced to steal calor for her slumlord bosses for years. Finding the magic reserve might be her only key to freedom. But she’ll have to contend with Iravan Khotar, a slumlord himself and an ambitious revolutionary hoping to use the same magic to save his people from the mysterious illness devastating the slums—and to bolster a fight against their oppressors. Meanwhile, heiress Anastasia Drakos leads the ruling council of Tejomaya from the safety of a nearby island. With the hidden magic, she could finally take full control of the city and crush the slums beneath her unyielding fist.
As Zain, Iravan, and Anastasia draw closer to finding the treasure, their paths tangle, and not for the first time—they met before, a decade ago, in a fire that destroyed each of their lives in different ways. Their reunion might bring the already-weakened city to its knees.
Exploring the devastating mechanisms of power, this searing climate fantasy breathes life into a crumbling world hovering on the brink of total destruction.
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First line:
The bloodstrippers were on a hunt.
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Source:
Source:
Netgalley ecopy in exchange for an honest review
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Rating:
3 Fires out of 5
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Publication date:
October 15, 2024
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More dystopian sci-fi than fantasy, this novel is just as much about colonialism as it is about climate change. To me, when I think fantasy, I think magic and mythical creatures, of which this book has none, which is why I lean more towards the dystopian sci-fi label. This story left me with lots to ponder; however, the story and characters fell flat for me.
I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and they felt one dimensional. There's a love story thrown into the mix in the last half that kind of crept up on me and didn't feel genuine. The story of the fire was also not revealed until the very last minute and the build up to the reveal felt too drawn out and honestly annoying; and we didn't get to see a lot of the fall out of the reveal.
Storywise, I spent a lot of the book confused about what was happening and was not invested too much in the story. I'm still confused about how the rift in the sky happened. I just spent most of the book trying to figure out what was happening, the backstory, and The book also feels like a murder mystery if finding calor is the murder.
Overall, I'd give the overall idea and themes 4 stars but the story and characters 2 stars. This book isn't for everybody, but I do think some people will enjoy it and it will leave you with lots to think about.
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