From the Publisher
In this complex fantasy, Hodge delivers a thoughtful meditation on the relationship between faith and obedience, as well as religious and secular power.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A haunting tale of gods and magic and those caught in between. Hodge’s complex world building and richly developed characters will ensnare contemplative readers as the story explores the murky yet powerful worlds of politics and religion as well as themes of truth, purpose, and choice." — Booklist
“A sharply original blend of romance and dark fantasy.” — Kirkus Reviews
"Hodge brings her trademark rich worldbuilding and emotional eloquence to a dramatic premise that’s also darkly, ironically funny, the kind of subversive humor that balances on the knife-edge of despair." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Inventive and richly imagined, What Monstrous Gods is a beautiful story of faith with teeth—lost, found, and fought for” — Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
“A searing, fiercely inventive story of misplaced faith and what it takes to fully reimagine your place in the world.” — Laura Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds and The Treason of Thorns
“A gut-wrenching meditation on faith and divine love, with a heartbreakingly impossible romance set in a vivid, brutal world. Monstrous, brilliant, and beautiful.” — Joanna Ruth Meyer, author of Echo North and Into the Heartless Wood
PRAISE FOR Endless Water, Starless Sky: “More romantic and even more mystical than its predecessor.” — Booklist
Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “A bloody and bold tale for those who want some Romero with their Romeo.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “An atmospheric tale that pits loyalty to kin against loyalty to self and loyalty to loved ones.” — School Library Journal
Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “High stakes, desperate love, and a healthy dose of gore keep this update fresh and intriguing.” — Booklist
Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “Hodge tackles a well-known tale…with a tougher heroine and a dark twist.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “This novel will captivate readers. Outstanding.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “An intoxicatingly dark story of love, lust, murder, and redemption.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “Plot twists and romance keep the pages turning in this grim and intricate take on the classic tale.” — Booklist
Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “The unusual, intricately woven story and themes make for a worthwhile read.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “An intricate and arresting tale.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “The push and pull romance between Nyx and Ignifex is pure fairy tale, but the characters themselves are complex and genuinely human as they struggle with their own culpability in a situation that forces them to choose between selfishness and selflessness.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “An entertaining read for teens who enjoy romantic fantasy.” — School Library Journal
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “Hodge has created a rich, complete world in this twist on ‘Beauty and the Beast.’” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “[A] fast-paced romantic fantasy.” — Booklist
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “Will have readers clutching the book and flying through the pages.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “A dazzling and clever retelling, Cruel Beauty is delightfully dark, lushly romantic, and utterly spellbinding. I adored it, and can’t wait to read Hodge’s next novel!” — Sarah J. Maas, author of the best-selling Throne of Glass series
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “A completely engrossing tale.” — Alex Flinn, New York Times bestselling author of Beastly and Towering
Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “What a stunning debut. This is a book you will want to read as fast as you can for the intricate plot and as slowly as you can to savor the gorgeous world-building and the ravishing love story.” — Sherry Thomas, author of The Burning Sky
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-06
Five hundred years ago, the heretic Ruven imprisoned Runakhia’s royal family inside magical briar, silencing the gods they serve; in breaking the spell, a 17-year-old learns a fateful lesson: Be careful what you wish for.
After she lost her family to the plague, Lia Kurinava was raised by nuns who worship Nin-Anna, one of eight deities who formerly blessed Runakhia. A rare commoner born with the Royal Gift that permits the royal family to enter the gods’ realm, Lia uses her gift to breach the briar and kill Ruven. She awakens the royal family from their enchanted sleep to seek the gods’ help in defeating the plague and Runakhia’s enemies. The chillingly indifferent deities whom Runakhians worship work their magic through human saints whose miracles eventually cause the saints’ horrific deaths. They’re more demonic than saintly, according to Ruven, who’s now a tormenting but charismatic ghost upon whom Lia increasingly depends as she’s ordered to help the royals re-enter modern life, restore the gods to Runakhia, and marry Prince Araunn. Ruven may be her worst enemy—or her only hope—in her quest to ensure the gods are worthy of their powers. Sedate pacing and high-fantasy psychic distance lend heft to an original tale unfolding from an unsettling premise. Beyond the charmingly disembodied love story, the question of whether humans might outgrow their gods offers intriguing food for thought. Major characters are cued white.
A sharply original blend of romance and dark fantasy. (the gods and their shrines) (Fantasy romance. 13-18)
