Give the Dark My Love

November 5, 2018
The Wasting Death plague is ravaging northern Lunar Island, so when local teenager Nedra Brysstain receives a scholarship to study medicinal alchemy at Yugen Academy, she’s elated. Nedra will miss home, but the possibility of learning something that could save her loved ones is worth the sacrifice. Nedra’s fellow students scorn her rustic roots, but curmudgeonly department chair Phillious Ostrum respects her dedication and collaborates with Nedra to find a remedy. As the epidemic intensifies and nears Nedra’s village, she eschews romance with classmate Greggori in favor of a grueling daily cycle of research and hospital rounds. Evidence suggests that the forbidden art of necromancy may hold the key to a cure, but is Nedra willing to defy the laws of man and nature to test that theory? First in a duology, this twisty, macabre fantasy from Revis (A World Without You) employs keen character work, thoughtful worldbuilding, and an intelligent plot to advocate for compassion, community service, and accessible healthcare. The arbitrary closing cliffhanger shocks more than it satisfies, but invested readers will hunger for a sequel. Ages 12–up.