by Betsy James
First published 2016
Duuni has lived as property, abused and watched at every turn. Raím, now blind, burns to reclaim his former glory as hunter and young lord. When the Roadsoul caravan passes through their world, both desperate souls reach out for rescue. The traveling performers pull them aboard, flinging the strangers together without clothes or dignity. Their yes to this new life becomes an unbreakable bond they cannot undo. Duuni and Raím discover they despise each other, yet they share the same fate. The caravan carries them far from everything they knew into a shifting realm of performers, fighters, and rogues. A lion stalks behind them on their journey. Neither Duuni nor Raím can avoid the beast forever, and their confrontation with it will reshape their understanding of themselves and their world. Art and creativity become their tools for survival and transformation.
Genres: literary-fiction, adventure, fantasy, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Africa
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Paperback · Aqueduct Press
Content warnings: abuse, violence