From Powells.com
The Best Books of 2021 (So Far)
Staff Pick
If you’re looking to lose yourself in a fantasy page-turner, this is your stop. Kiva Meridan is the healer for the infamous Zalindov prison; she’s also a prisoner herself, brought in when her father was accused of consorting with rebels. She’s kept herself alive for a decade by keeping her head down, avoiding attachments, and clinging to the few coded communications she’s been able to have with her family on the outside, who promise they’ll find a way to free her. But when the Rebel Queen herself is brought to the prison on the verge of death, Kiva is pulled into circling plots, and finds herself competing to save the crown’s worst enemy and earn her freedom. Noni always seems to have another secret up her sleeve to deal out to the reader at the best possible moment; I’m on pins and needles waiting for book two. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last 10 years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.
When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.
Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.
But no one has ever survived.
With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.
From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.
Review
“Lynette Noni is a masterful storyteller. A must-read for any fantasy lover!” Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
About the Author
Lynette Noni is currently Australia's #1 YA author. After studying journalism, academic writing, and human behavior at university, she finally ventured into the world of fiction. She is now a full-time writer and the bestselling author of the six-book young adult fantasy series, The Medoran Chronicles, as well as a second bestselling and award-winning series called Whisper. Lynette won the 2019 ABIA Award for Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year, along with the 2019 Gold Inky Award (Australia's only teen choice book award). She is currently collaborating on a project with #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas. lynettenoni.com Twitter and Instagram: @lynettenoni