by Tanith Lee
First published 2010
She wakes in the depths of a sleeping volcano with no memory of who she was or what she might be. The woman emerges into an ancient world scarred by plague and endless warfare, where entire peoples have vanished and cities lie in ruins. She could be mortal, demon, goddess, or the final survivor of a vanished race. The terrifying Karrakaz compels her to seek the Jade, which holds the key to her true identity. Her quest takes her across lands where silver gods walk among mortals and stars fall from burning skies. She witnesses brutal conquests and discovers immortal ruins that speak of lost civilizations. As she searches for answers about her nature, she must navigate a realm where beauty and cruelty intertwine, where desire and destruction dance together. The journey forces her to confront not just external dangers but the possibility that learning her true self might unleash something the world cannot survive.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, dark-fantasy, epic
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis
Setting: Karrakaz
Period: ancient
554 pages · Hardcover · Taleka Ltd
Content warnings: violence